Relator photos on Flickr

The Problems Relating to the Management & Excavations of the Archaeological Ruins of Herculaneum / Pompeii as Reported in Foreign Press: The New York Times, The Times (London) & The Washington Post (1904-2002). by Martin Conde

Herculaneum / Pompeii, Italy- The Problems relating to the Management & Excavations of the Archaeological Ruins of Herculaneum / Pompeii during the 20th / 21st century as reported in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE TIMES (LONDON), and THE WASHINGTON POST (WASHINGTON DC, USA), ca. (1904-2002). [forthcoming].

Ercolano / Pompei, Italia-i problemi relativi alla gestione e scavi degli Scavi Archeologici di Ercolano / Pompei durante il 20 ° / 21 ° secolo come riportato dal New York Times, The Times (London), e il Washington Post (Washington DC, USA), ca. (1904-2002). [Prossima].

Grease Trap Cleaning Horace ND by Kelley Newman

via

Tips about how to Prevent Sewer Blockages from Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) in Horace, North Dakota

What exactly is FOG?

FOG relates particularly to fats, oils and grease getting into the sewer system when put down drain pipes in houses, apartments rentals, eating places, market and public venues.

As a end result of cooking, FOG is normally present in:

Baking goods

Butter, lard, shortening

Cooking oil

Fats and oil from cooked meats

Food scraps

Gravy

Mayonnaise

Salad dressings

Sauces

Sour cream

Why is FOG an issue?

Obstruction can cause sewer line overflows in your yard. More often than not, fats, oils and grease are discarded incorrectly in the course of preparing food and kitchen area clean-up. When put down the sink (drain or floors), FOG can accumulate and form up, obstructing clean sewer lines. This build up but not only cuts down on the capability with the wastewater collection system, additionally it changes its usefulness.

In serious instances, obstruction can result in:

Sewage back ups into businesses and homes and

Sewers that flood on to roads and real estate, ultimately pass into nearby rivers, leading to contaminants.

How will you assist?

The simplest way to resolve the grease issue and assist to stop overflows of raw sewage would be to keep this substance out from the sewer system. As a result of education and learning and also by implementing specific behavior, you can easily reduce FOG places in your own home.

In the kitchen area, fats, oils and grease (FOG) will come mainly from pre-rinsing pots and pans or cleaning cookware. When cooking food FOG is permitted to go down the sink, it cools down within the wastewater system and stays with plumbing, making FOG accumulation. The accumulation leads to blockages and backups in businesses and homes, wastewater overflows, and leaks on personal residences, roadways, and local surface areas. FOG accumulation also raises the expense of sustaining Horace wastewater treatment methods, therefore affecting prices and will also generate community health issues.

Suggestions to maintain your drainpipes fat-free:

Put cooled down fats, oils and grease in to a jar and place the jar inside the garbage. If you do not possess a pot, put aluminum foil in to a coffee mug or comparable, add FOG, let it cool and get rid of.

Prior to cleaning, make use of a paper napkin or paper hand towel to clean FOG from pots and pans and dump it inside the garbage.

Use kitchen sink strainers to capture food items waste materials.

Place food leftovers inside the garbage, not over the garbage disposer.

The easiest method to handle grease and fats will be to clean them off of or put them into storage containers and get rid of them in the garbage disposal. By no means place fats or grease down the kitchen sink drain pipes or in to the commode.

There’s a nationwide marketing campaign called “Can the Grease” all through the USA that promotes using correct removal of FOG.

Restaurants along with other business kitchen areas have to have grease traps or interceptors put in. These companies are controlled by inspection regularly by Local personnel. Make sure you call us to learn more.

Exactly what is a grease trap or grease interceptor and just how do you use it?

Grease traps and interceptors are units built to maintain Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) from getting into public sewage lines. They may be found inside of or outside of the kitchen area, based on the application. Generally, they are created to keep FOG-laden discharge for enough time for grease within the water to cool down, firm up and separate from the rest of the waste materials. When the grease has split up, it may be discarded correctly.

Should i use a grease trap or interceptor inside my eatery or food service business?

Any business that deals with any kind of food really should use a grease trap or interceptor. Even smaller food providers like coffee houses who serve items with dairy products need to use a grease trap or interceptor to help keep FOG from heading down the sink. A business will have to use a grease trap or interceptor if the side sewer line contains a visually apparent build up of fat, oil or grease. Make reference to the most recent Standard Plumbing Code (offered at your public library) for dimensions requirements.

Just how much will a grease trap or interceptor cost and who should I contact to obtain one to get set up?

They range in price, based on dimension and application and will begin as little as a few hundred to thousands. Make sure you speak to a licensed pluming company in your community for costs.

Who decides if I require a grease trap or interceptor?

In the event your food company business deals with food items and washes pots and pans, you probably have to use a grease trap or interceptor. Your decision depends on the kind of use and decided upon from the professional and local staff.

Who is mainly responsible for setting up a grease interceptor?

Each and every business that deals with food items of any type – from your coffee house offering dairy along with milk products to your bistro preparing deep-fried meals – is likely releasing FOG. All food providers are accountable for putting in a unit to help keep FOG from getting into their side sewer line and also the general public sewer range.

What happens if I do not install a grease trap or interceptor?

If your business handles any food items which contains fat, oil and grease, you may ultimately experience a maintenance issue for instance a obstruction within the building sewer line. A obstruction can certainly create sewage back-up circumstance and consequently a possible health issue for your business. If the issue is within the building sewer line, then your business is directly accountable for having to pay for the clean-up fees and damage to property. A business can also be instructed to shut down the business until an examiner certifies all health problems are solved.

When the obstruction is incorporated in the public sewer main and Horace, North Dakota can validate how the methods of the particular business has resulted in the obstruction, then that business might have to pay for any public clean-up expenses, damage to property and public sewer servicing expenses to alleviate the obstruction. The business may also be instructed to put in a grease trap or interceptor or update a current system to intercept food and FOG.

Septic Tank Cleaning Horace ND

How frequently do i need to thoroughly clean my grease trap/grease interceptor?

A grease trap or interceptor needs to be on a regular basis taken care of in order to meet the 25% Rule – no more than 25%, by volume, from the trap or interceptor ought to accumulate of food and FOG. If in excess of 25% of food and FOG build up within the trap or interceptor, it is more probable not to work correctly and releasing food and FOG to your building sewer line as well as the public sewer system. Exclusions to the 25% Rule are suitable for devices that can keep greater than 25% FOG and will also be exclusively produced in the manufacturers specs.

Every business ought to figure out a particular cleaning routine that suits their organization. Some organizations will have to clean their trap or interceptor more frequently than others. It is very important to keep in mind that using kitchen very best management methods, like scraping your dishes, cooking pots, and pans, will decrease the volume of food and FOG that release right into a trap or interceptor, consequently reducing the regularity for cleaning.

Just how do i keep clean and maintain my grease trap/grease interceptor?

Grease trap maintenance is generally done by maintenance employees or any other workers from the business. Grease interceptor (GI) maintenance, that is generally done by authorized haulers or recyclers, includes taking out the total quantity (liquids and solids) from the GI and effectively getting rid of the FOG in compliance with all federal government, state, and/or local laws. When executed correctly and at the correct regularity, grease interceptor and trap maintenance can help reduce the release of FOG in to the wastewater collection system. The necessary routine maintenance frequency for grease interceptors and traps will depend on significantly on the volume of FOG a center yields together with any best management practices (BMPs) that the business utilizes to cut back the FOG released into its sanitary sewer system. In most cases, a business that utilizes BMPs will recognize financial advantage via a decrease in their needed grease interceptor and trap maintenance regularity.

from Portapro Septic Services portaprosepticservices.com/grease-trap-cleaning-horace-nd/ portaprosepticservices.tumblr.com/post/158654019470

Battalion Sergeant Major stripes by Marc Carlson

Some materials relating to my grandfather's service in World War I.

Fairy Tail draws pictures relating to San Valentin by saqib somal

Fairy Tail draws pictures relating to San Valentin anime.saqibsomal.com/2016/02/26/anime/fairy-tail-draws-pi...

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE RELATABLE ONLINE by Topher McCulloch

Arches of Welcome by National Library of New Zealand

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Kenneth Adrian Wilson, Kenneth Adrian Wilson photographs relating to Wellington, Alexander Turnbull Library, Reference: 1/2-136016-F

Published in the Wellingtonian 21 October 2010

On a wet and windy winter day in 1901 the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall came to town. It was the first of last century’s grand royal tours. Nearly everyone poured onto the streets to welcome them.

One of the features of the visit were our grand welcoming arches. We excelled. On landing at Queen’s Wharf the royal couple were driven up Jervois Quay, under a tri-coloured "Citizens' Arch" and a Woollen Company arch made of wool bales. In Cuba Street there was a Māori arch and a Marlborough arch featuring sheaves of grain. Manners Street featured a Chinese arch. Along Lambton Quay there was the buttermen's arch "cunningly made of butter boxes and trade brands", and a Westport arch featuring huge lumps of coal.

Almost at the end, outside the Government buildings, was the impressively turreted Government arch shown here, and just out of the picture to the right, at the entrance to Parliament, was the main Māori arch – "the best Māori arch in all New Zealand" according to the official history of the visit.

No other town did so well, although they tried. Christchurch, for example, proudly featured a meat arch showing off carcasses of frozen mutton, and their agricultural arch had penned bullocks at its base, cages of sheep, and clucking poultry on top.

Take a closer look

See other images of the 1901 royal visitors in Wellington

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

Wellingtonians: From the Turnbull Collections contains revised and expanded entries, and some new ones too. This high-quality publication is available for just $29.99. You can pick it up from from good bookshops or get it straight from the publisher, Steele Roberts.

Bangor RFC V Dundalk RFC Irish Junior Cup Final 31st January 2015 covering positions by John Mooney

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

Shoulder Rolls! by Alain-Christian

It's a long story...Which I will now relate to you:

@Alain-Christian: @adamcarolla said shoulder roll on the pod again. What the heck is a shoulder roll, @AlisonRosen?

@AlisonRosen: fancy sushi

@Alain-Christian: I am both amused & disappointed by your answer. But I'll take it! From now on that's what shoulder roll means to me. Thanks ^_^

@AlisonRosen: haha! I actually don't know. I believe it's a boxing thing

@Alain-Christian: You don't know? But he says it all the time now & u work w/him! I made my peace w/sushi but aren't you curious?

@AlisonRosen: I just googled. It's a boxing defense move

@Alain-Christian: Really? Ur Google-fu is strong. When I searched I got so many goofy results. U earned urself a gold star on t/board. Thanks!

@Matthew Bynon: @AlisonRosen @Alain-Christian I always thought he was referring to this cheesy action movie maneuver: movieclips.com/jktCW/

@AlisonRosen: @matthewbynon @alainchristian yes! that's what it is! but I think it also exists as a boxing maneuver. I'll ask him tonight

@Alain-Christian: @AlisonRosen @matthewbynon You guys! I stopped by a sushi place after work for a delicious shoulder roll flic.kr/p/9EqLyo

Meerkats by sean gibson

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Meerkats are born with hair but not full coats and with their eyes closed. They will live in the wild up to 10 years. However, in captivity they can live to be 15 years of age. Although they are relatively healthy animals, they are unfortunately prone to bovine tuberculosis and have been known to get rabies. When they are adults at about one year of age they will weigh around 2 pounds (750 - 820 grams) and stand an average of 12 inches high (30 centimeters). When they are on all four of their feet their height is only 6 inches (15 centimeters). Like all mongooses, they are agile hunters; however, they differ considerably from most of their other relatives. Unlike the typical mongoose of which there are around 35 types, Meerkats live in communities and depend on one another for survival. There are three other types of sociable mongooses, the Banded, the Kousi Mansi and the Dwarf mongooses. They also live in groups, but are not usually found in the Kalahari desert. While most mongooses are nocturnal, Meerkats hunt during the day. They live at night in burrows, which are complex tunnel systems consisting of mounds, access holes, and tunnels which lead to numerous sleeping chambers. A Meerkat community is called a mob or gang, and can number up to 40. There is always a dominate alpha male and dominate alpha female in each gang. The Meerkats larger mongoose relatives typically live alone or in pairs. These intelligent animals are extremely communicative and posses a large vocabulary. They flourish in their environment and are not endangered.

Meerkats live in southern part of Africa which is dominated by the Kalahari desert - The Kalahari spreads over the countries of South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The Kalahari desert has little rainfall and an arid climate with open plains. It spreads across the Southern part of Africa covering over one million square miles and is 10 times the size of Great Britain. The land is covered by a porous or soft sand that in many places is bright orange in color. The temperature in the summer months of October to April can reach 115 (f) or around 40 (c) which can give a sand temperature of 158 (f) or 70(c). In this harsh environment the difference between being in the sun and shade can be up to 86 (f) or 30 (c). The winter months from May to September are very different from the summer, you will see highs around 70 (f) or 22 (c) during the short days and lows at night down to 14 (f) or -10 (c). Winter is the dry season.

The average rainfall is 12 inches (300 millimeters) which comes between January and April. This is towards the end of the summer. There is little surface water but there is quite a bit of moisture below the sand. Generally, the broad plains of the Kalahari are covered with a thin coat of different types of grass and thorn scrub. When it rains during the summer, which is rare, the desert transforms into a lush carpet of plants, grasses, and flowers.

The Kalahari consists of both soft and compacted sands, ranging in color from bright orange to white. Meerkats like the soft sand when digging for food as it lessons the energy requirements in this harsh environment. However, they prefer compact sand to build their burrows which would collapse in softer sands. There could be any number of reasons Meerkats flourish in this environment, though all relate to competition for food and predators. One could speculate that the Meerkat may be a weaker type of mongoose that would find competing for food with other mongooses a tremendous hardship or that their coats would stand out making them easy prey for others. What is known is that Meerkats have specially adapted to the Kalahari, which is described later. The Yellow and the Slender mongooses also live in the Kalahari but generally live in harmony with the Meerkats. This is primarily because they each have a different diet and are not in competition for food. Unfortunately the Yellow mongoose will sometimes eat a Meerkat pup (baby), so meerkats will keep their distance from Yellows when there are pups around. Many other animals have also adapted over time in order to survive in this harsh environment, making the Kalahari a remarkable and interesting place. Even within this barren and harsh environment, animals and plant life flourish.

Animals in the Kalahari have a 40% lower metabolic rate then their counterparts in other parts of the world. This adaptation allows animals to survive with less food and water. Of course,the Kalahari's intense heat puts animals at risk of overheating, making the ability to efficiently regulate body temperature a necessity. Body size is key, the smaller the animal the faster the loss and gain of body heat. The "mouse-to-elephant curve" measures this relationship. The general idea is as follows, a gerbil has a 50 times higher metabolic rate than a elephant (per gram of bodyweight); therefore, the amount of energy from food that the gerbil needs to maintain its body temperature is greater than the elephants, making the need for food gathering almost constant. The Meerkat looses 5% of its body weight over night making the search for food very important every day. Can you imagine losing 5% of your body weight over night ? They can also get their fluid requirements from what they eat, so water sources while not a neccessity are helpful.

by: Lester Levy Jr

Meerkats.net

Meerkat characteristics - Meerkats at adulthood will grow to a standing height of 12 inches (30 centimeters) and weigh around 2 lbs. (750-820 grams). A pregnant female will weigh around 2.8 lb. (1.1 kilos). Their legs are short and their bodies are long and thin. Their tails are also long and thin with a dark tip. The reason for the dark tip is to identify other gang members while foraging for food. Meerkats forage for food with their tails in an upright position enabling them to easily identify their fellow gang members. Meerkats reach sexual maturity at 10 months and adulthood at 11 months. Both males and females share similar physical traits such as short hair and gray or tan markings. The markings on their backs are unique and no two are the same. They have dark brown or black bands around their eyes. Their ears are tipped with black or dark brown. They have dark bands on their sides and back. Their faces and throat are predominately a shade of white. There are four digits on each foot with very sharp non-retractile claws which are curved. They use their claws to dig their burrows. Meerkats also have the unique ability to close their ears, this is to keep dirt out while they burrow, which they do quite often.

Meerkats fur ranges in color from silver to orange to brown. Much of this depends on the subspecies as well as the sand color in which they live.Even in close proximity in the Kalahari you will find Meerkats with tanish fur in the dried out riverbeds and orange fur in the dunes above. Their coats have a great ability to act as both an insulation to keep heat in and an exhaust system to prevent them from overheating in the harsh climate. In the winter they will spread their hair out so to create a heat insulation effect much like a wet suit. Their stomach acts as a sort of solar panel during the winter months. Under a thin layer of stomach hair is a patch of dark skin which collects heat from the winter sun in order to provide warmth on cool days.

Meerkats vision is outstanding. They have a dark band around their eyes, which reduces any glare from the sun. As a result, Meerkats have the ability to see a predatory bird as they look directly into the sun. A Meerkat removes sand from its eyes by blinking. Between the eye and eye lid there is a white membrane called the nictitating membrane. This membrane acts as a windshield wiper and removes sand from their eyes with every blink. However, their ability to see things close up is not as good. Furthermore, they seem to have a problem with depth perception, not being able to focus within 20 feet (6 meters) of themselves. Often they will bob their head up and down trying to get the perspective right. As a result of this nearsightedness, they will often miss food directly in front of them. They often depend on their sense of smell to find food.

babies eating scorpion

meerkat.org

Meerkat cuisine .- Agile Meerkats always forage for their food in groups but catch and eat their food alone as their diet usually consist of small portions. As they search for their food they spread apart from one another on the desert floor. This distance between foraging Meerkats averages from 6 feet (2 meters) to 45 feet (15 meters), but can extend to 150 feet (50meters). The distance often depends on the availability of food. Generally Meerkats stay at their burrow one or two nights, so there line of foraging is usually from one burrow system to the next. During the winter when there is no grass and food is sparse they have been seen being as far as 150 feet (50 meters) apart. In the late summer when desert grass may reach three feet high and food is abundant they will forage about 6 feet (2 meters) apart. Meerkats frequently communicate with each other while they are looking for food in order to warn of possible dangers in the area or hear a distress call if one gets lost. Usually there is a Meerkat acting as a sentry watching for danger as the others look for food. This is usually the one that is the best fed at the time, there is no evidence that either sex has a predominance for sentry duty. If trouble arises, an alarm is sounded by the sentry and the gang will band together in a mob ( a mob is when Meerkats band together to fight) to assess what the danger is, and take appropriate defense actions. Meerkats will sometimes collect food for their pups and babysitters back at the den. The young pups as they learn to search for food will follow the adults to help supplement their diet. Current studies show that the pup that gives the loudest begging call gets the most food from the adults.

Most of the Meerkats food is found underground and their specially adapted bodies are perfect for this. Their front claws are curved and act as shovels. They often have to dig their own body weight in dirt just to get a small insect. Foraging for a Meerkat means digging here and there and occasionally finding a tasty morsel on the surface then moving forward with the gang on the endless search for food. A typical Meerkats diet consists of worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small rodents, lizards, small snakes, birds, eggs, fruit, and ant larvae (which they especially love). Insects are a particularly good source of nutrition for the Meerkats because they reproduce rapidly and supply an almost constant food source. I have even had the rare chance to see a Meerkat find a Kalahari truffle which is rare and very expensive in stores. He seemed to enjoy it immensely. Meerkats also love to eat poisonous scorpions which are plentiful. They do this by quickly biting off their stingers and then consuming the rest. Meerkats appear to be resistant to many deadly venom's which greatly increases the variety of their diet. A Meerkat will often drag any poisonous prey such as a scorpion or millipede across the sand before eating it. They do this to remove the chemical defenses of their soon to be meal. They will make use of a water source if one is nearby but Meerkats have developed the ability to get all their liquid requirements from their diet. In the summer, the Meerkats must work harder to get their food because the insects have burrowed deeper in the sand in order to be closer to moisture. The rain brings the insects back to the surface, which means feast to the Meerkat.

The Meerkat home - As mentioned previously, the Meerkats live in underground burrows which consist of entrance holes, tunnels, and sleeping chambers. There may be up to 70 different entrances to the burrow system which may also serve as an exit if the Meerkat is inside the burrow system. They are territorial and maintain an area of about one to three square miles. Their territorial expansion depends on the size of the gang, as well as, the abundance of food and water in the area. Meerkats mark their territory with the use of their anal gland or saliva from their cheek. This marking is done by the alpha male of the gang. They will protect their boundaries ferociously against other gangs. They have from 6 to 15 dens in their territory and will move dens every day or two. The breeding burrow ,which is where the offspring are born, is an exception to the frequent moves. Meerkats will stay at a breeding burrow for about three weeks. It is at this time that the young are able leave the burrow and start to learn to forage for food with the adults. In addition to this, the parasite loads become heavy in the burrow and fill with ticks, fleas and other undesirables after three weeks. Breeding burrows differ from other burrows in that they will have higher mounds of sand around the entrance holes. This is a result of the continual renovation of the tunnels and sleeping chambers necessary for the longer stays. The mounds of dirt around the entrances can reach up to three feet high. When breeding is successful Meerkats often return to the same breeding burrows to have there young. As the Meerkats rotate burrows, the insect population of each abandoned burrow has the opportunity to multiply. Furthermore, the burrow system itself needs to regenerate while the feces left behind becomes food for other animals and the parasite load decreases. When dens are not being used, snakes and ground squirrels often find them to be convenient residences. Mixed everywhere in the Meerkat territory are bolt holes. A bolt hole is a small system of entrances and tunnels between burrows. These bolt holes give Meerkats a place to take cover if danger arises if they are out foraging.

The strategic reasoning behind such an elaborate construction of multiple entrances, is to provide many alternative exits if a dangerous intruder should invade their home. Likewise they have multiple entrances in the burrow if the danger is from the outside. They sleep in groups, cuddled up or on top of each other for warmth as they are particularly sensitive to the cold. In the summer they tend to space out when they sleep. Their sleeping chambers are usually 6 to 8 feet under ground. This keeps the temperature in the sleeping chamber at a more constant level, cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. There are several sleeping chambers in the den but they will only use one at a time, in the breeding burrows there will be more sleeping chambers. They will move sleeping chamber because of build up of contaminates. What may seem odd to you is, Meerkats will urinate in their dens. This could be for several reasons first it may aid in a marking system to one another. Second Meerkats don't survive well alone so to go outside at night to go to the bathroom is not a prudent thing. In captivity though Meerkats can be trained to go to the bathroom in a litter box. There are certain beetles that share their den that they don't eat. These insects will eat their deification. Above the tunnel system, there is usually a dirt mound resulting from all of their excavation. This higher vantage point serves as a lookout point for the small Meerkats. From this outpost of sorts, they can survey the terrain for predators. This done in the the morning before they leave the burrow for foraging and in the evening before they go to bed.

Other animals, such as squirrels or the yellow mongoose, sometimes share the Meerkats burrow. Because these animals do not compete with the Meerkats for food, they are allowed to share the den. When pup are born they will keep the yellow mongoose away because they will eat a Meerkat pup. Predators, such as cobras, are not welcome houseguests. Meerkats will purposely harass a cobra in the open so to discourage it from entering the den.

Meerkats sometimes move their territories when food becomes to sparse or when another gang of Meerkats forces them from their previous den. Often territories overlap one another and a stronger Meerkat gang will overtake a weaker gangs burrow system. This forces the weaker gang to take the loss and try to expand in another direction, or wait tell they are stronger and retake the lost burrow system.

Family standing on home

meerkat.org

babies feeding

meerkat.org

Mating and reproduction - Meerkats try, but do not usually mate for life. Mating in the gang is suppose to be reserved for the alpha male and alpha female, but things happen to change this. First the alpha male might die or be overthrown by another male from inside their gang or another gang. Or the alpha female might mate with a male from a wondering male from another gang while out foraging for food, the alpha male never knowing. What they won't do is mate with another direct family member. When the dominate female is ready to breed she will chase away all the other beta families that can bear children, this will be females at 10 months and older. The temporary outcast will follow the gang until the alpha female has had her pups (babies) and regains her strength. This is done because she wants only her offspring in the gang and another beta female might try and displace her during her weakened time of giving birth. The trailing females often get impregnated from males from other gangs they encounter. Often they will abort these births. If the do give birth they will attempt to sneak them in with the pups of the alpha female. The alpha female will if she notices kill and eat the beta females babies. The beta female have about a 20% chance of getting the young snack in with the alphas females pups. A interesting note, if the alpha female pup die, no other meerkat will eat them. A few days after the birth of the alphas pups, the once outlasted females will rejoin the gang and help with the giving milk to the new pups if they are able. It was once observed that a beta female killed the alpha females pups just after birth and replace them with her pups a few days later, the alpha female not knowing the difference. They can breed every two months but tend to successfully breed two to three times a year depending on food availability. There was one gang observed breeding four times in a year. The gestational period is 70 days resulting in a litter of usually five to six. The pregnant female will increase her body weigh approximately 40% gestation (see - Meerkats are a type of mongoose). The babies, called pups, are born with sparse fur and eyes closed. For the first two weeks they stay in the sleeping chamber and drink their mothers or milk producing females. The third week they will venture outside and stay around the burrow system with a babysitter. . During this period when the alpha female is not feeding the young, babysitters will watch the pups while the alpha female goes out to feed, fortifying her supply of milk and her strength. She will do less sentry duty at this time and never babysitting. From week 4 to week 6 the pups will forage with their elders getting nourishment from both milk and insects. At 6 weeks to 16 weeks they will find their own food as well as be supplemented by the elders, and no longer getting milk. Studies show that the pups that make the loudest begging calls get fed the most from the elders. After sixteen weeks they are on there own to find there food Each pup will be taken on by a adult Meerkat which will act as a mentor, who will take the responsibility to teach the pup necessary skills for foraging for food as well as responding to danger. Male Meerkats tend to mentor male pups and female Meerkats tend to mentor the female pups. Many of skills Meerkats have are taught by the mentors rather then being instinctual.

Meerkats reach sexual maturity at 10 months, and reach adulthood at 11 months. After 10 months a Meerkat may venture out of the gang looking for breeding opportunities. They may also leave to form new gangs or join other gangs. They also may stay with their original gang for up to three years before venturing out. They also may leave in groups of two or three. It takes a brave Meerkat to leave the gang because the road out if filled with many dangers for the sole are small group.

Typical day of a Meerkat - Meerkats are extremely social animals. Observing Meerkats is a wonderful experience. They love grooming one another, wrestling and playing with one other. They have avid curiosities and can make a toy of almost anything. Even with all this play, Meerkats do not ignore the need for security. One Meerkat always seems to be a sentry and stands guard to keep the gang safe.

There typical day consist of, they wake up early in the morning as the first rays of sun stretch across the Kalahari. The first to come out of the burrow is usually the last one in from the preceding night. This Meerkat surveys the area to make sure the coast is clear after that the others start to rise one by one from several entrances. They start by soaking up the sun to warm up there bodies from the nights sleep by facing the sun and using their stomachs as solar panels.. One may observe some digging around the entrances, this seems to be more like exercise to warm their bodies up. Then the young start to scurry around play and grooming one another, as the elders spend time grooming sunning. Once hunger starts to set in, the search for food is on. The alpha male sets the direction for the day and decide weather or not to move towards another burrow system.. Scurrying hear and there and digging here and there, but always one is on sentry. As the day goes on and the heat sets in they will stop for a rest. These rest periods are longer during the summers but so are the days. As the day cools they are off again in the afternoon in search of food. Just before sunset they will arrive at the den for the night. At this time they will commence on repairs of the den as well as well deserved grooming and giving one another affection which is really marking one another with the anal gland or cheek saliva. As the sun falls, they descend one by one into the burrow for sleep all huddled together. Lastly, they don't like the rain and will stay in their burrow and not forage for food until the rain stops.

Interestingly enough Meerkats seem to identify one another my smell rather than sight. That is why the are constantly marking one another. For instance if a Meerkat gets separated for some time and try to rejoin the gang, the gang will think it is a intruder and get in a mobbing defense stance ( mobbing is when they huddle together so to look bigger and present aggressive behavior) until they smell what they think is the unknown Meerkat. Once the sent is recognized everything is fine.

Two babies playing - by -Alain Degre

A sentry in a tree

by:Alain Degre

Meerkats social structure - To survive, Meerkats must live in groups for protection, as the desert presents many challenges. Each Meerkat has an important, role to perform. It was first thought Meerkats had well defined roles in their gang from being a sentry to baby sitting to foraging for food for the young. Recent studies have disprove this and actually show that hormonal changes in Meerkats influence their behavior. Also the conditions around the burrow system effect their responsibilities. When food and water is abundant more time is spent being sentries, renovating the burrow systems, relaxing and caring for the young. Some things are instinctual while others are taught to the pups by the elders. For example raising young is a learned behavior for Meerkats. If a pup is separated at birth and kept as a pet, and the pup gets pregnant. She will not know how to raise her young or teach them how to forage for food. Meerkat roles vary:

alpha male - Dominate male of the gang, has breeding rights to the alpha female. The dominate male is not necessarily decided by the largest male in the gang.

alpha female - Dominate female of the gang, all betas are subservient to her. Only one that is suppose to breed in the gang.

beta male - Subservient males will leave the gang by 3 years in search of better breeding opportunities. They are 10 months or older

beta female - Subservient females will support the alpha Meerkats. They will be driven temporally from the gang by the alpha female when she is ready to get pregnant. They will leave the gang by 3 years in search of better breeding opportunities. At 10 months or older they are at sexual maturity.

pups - Meerkat babies, 10 months or younger.

babysitter - Stays with the pups while the gang is out foraging for food. Different gang members take the responsibility different days, this is not domiated by males of females. Generally though the least hungry Meerkat will do the babysitting. The alpha female never baby-sits. This duty is for Meerkats 6 months or older.

sentry - Watches over the gang to spot danger. It is either done standing on the ground or climbing a tree or bush. Known to climb up to 30 feet in a tree to do sentry duty. This duty is not dominated by males or female. There is a sentry on watch both at the burrow system as well as when the gang is foraging for food. During times of less available food less sentry duty is done when searching for food.

excavating - Necessary to renovate burrow systems. Often Meerkats will get one behind another and work together to move sand out of the burrow system. Like how firemen would hand buckets of water to one another to put out a fire in the old days.

mentoring - A elder Meerkat will take on the responsibility of teach a pup the do's and do don'ts of being a Meerkat. This includes how to raise young, how to forage for food, and what dangers lurk about.

grooming - Meerkats like to groom one another, and in fact have a natural reflex to groom when the area where there back and tail meet is stimulated. They will remove ticks and fleas from one anther and actually eat them, though these parasites are not a normal part of the diet

play fighting - Often done by the young in the morning and to a lesser degree in the evening. Adults will also play fight. This teaches the young to fight as well puts a dominance order to the gang.

Beta males and famales often leave the gang by three years to live with different gangs or join together to form different gangs in order to increase their chances to breed. Meerkats that embark on this journey alone or in groups of two or three face great danger, as Meerkats are most vulnerable when they few in number. Sometimes Meerkats will ally themselves with one another and takeover another gang, and getting rid of the competitive alpha male and perhaps the alpha female.

The size and makeup of the meerkat community determines what duties each will have. There is usually a dominate male and female in the community although there also seems to be a second in command. I have seen a case where the alpha female was killed and the alpha male did not seem to know what to do. He had not taken on another alpha female because that would mean a female from the outside. It was felt he would at some point leave the gang in search of throwing out another alpha male from a rival gang. The alpha male is responsible for marking the territory, some of the foraging trips turn into more of scouting trips so the alpha male can mark the outer boundaries of the territory. These tend to be days of more movement and less foraging for food.

Fights happen between rival Meerkat gangs. It generally happens for two reasons. One is territory conflict. When one gang encroaches on another gangs territory. Once the two gangs come in contact with one another they group up together and fluff their fur out and jump up and down to make themselves appear bigger, also making allot of noise. This is called mobbing. Each gang is assessing the others strength. Sometimes they separating and go opposite directions other times a ferocious fight breaks out. Meerkats will kill rival gang members if they can. Also during a fight 2 or 3 Meerkats may jump on a rival biting and scratching him. It will look like a big pile of dust. During or directly after attacks, the dominant male will take a few minutes to asses the situation and decide weather there was a victory or his gang members have fled, in this case he will retreat himself. The other case happens when roaming Meerkats either solo or in small groups are looking for better breeding possibilities try to join other gangs. Mobbing occurs and they may be or may not be successful at joining the gang..

#How did the Meerkat evolve

How did the Meerkat evolve - According to Sean Doolan, they evolved from the southern tip of Africa or the Cape of Good Hope,where a type of extinct Meerkat, called the Suricata Suricatta major, has been found . The extinct Meerkat was similar to the banded mongoose. The current theory is that the Meerkat evolved from the banded mongoose. As the weather climate changed in the region, so did the Meerkats ability to survive in drier conditions.

Why the meerkat stands - Meerkats walk and run on all four, there head is only six inches above ground in this state. When they stand, their total height is 12 inches, providing them with a much better vantage point to see danger. In order to attain an even better vantage point, they will also climb trees and bushes. Their vision is good but depth perception does not appear to be as strong. They bob their head up and down to get distance measurement when objects or close. this gives them different focal points.When facing a threat, they will stand, arch their bodies and erect their tails in an attempt to appear bigger.

What threatens Meerkats? - The threats to a meerkat come from sky, land and weather. In the sky, the Martial Eagle, with a wing span of six feet, can easily prey on adults, while other smaller birds of prey prefer to snatch the young. When the winged predator is seen the alarm goes out and all sprint for nearby bolt holes. If they are not near any bolt holes the will lie on the ground and depend on camouflage They also may take cover in thorny bushes where the birds dare not venture. On the ground, the jackal and other wild cats are the Meerkats primary foe; however, when banded together, Meerkats have the ability to chase away a jackal. Badgers can also be a threat, as their burrowing can penetrate the Meerkats den making them more vulnerable prey. As mentioned previously, the cobra sometimes threatens meerkat young. Meerkats will mob a cobra relentlessly if it tries to enter their burrow. They are agile enough to avoid a snakes strike. They even have the ability to kill a cobra. If they come across one while our foraging they will temporarily mob it and once the situation is under control move on. A puff header snake will also eat Meerkat pups. I have read about a sighting in which a group of Banded mongooses actually climbed a tree to rescue one of their family members from a eagle. Both the Banded mongoose and the meerkat have similar social habits.

Meerkats are also threatened by other competitive gangs as mentioned above. The sentry's alarm will sound if another gang of Meerkats is encroaching upon marked territory. The fights are fierce but sometimes fatal as submission is the goal. The winners, usually the larger of the groups, take or keep the burrow system in question. One interesting note after the fight and Meerkats try and rejoin there gang small fight break out because they have difficulty recognizing each other by sight. The Meerkat rejoining their gang may smell like the rival gang. After the conflict, the winners will hug and congratulate each other with human-like gestures, this is rely remarking each other.. Often non-dominant Meerkats defect from the losing group to the winner's side.

The summer rains also threaten the Meerkats. When rain approaches, the sentry sends the alarm off. As there are often newborns during this time, they must make sure the are on high ground so to avoid a flooding of the burrow system. The alpha female will transport the young one by one to the higher ground burrow. At night they may get stuck in a flooding burrow system.

The most famous of all Meerkats - There are two famous Meerkats that should be mentioned One is Timone, who was featured in the Lion King. Timone, the cartoon character, is based on the real-life Meerkat Timone who which is domesticated resides outside of Palm Springs, California at the only private refuge for Meerkats in existence. For more information, visit www.meerkats.com. You can actually go and visit Timone and hand feed other Meerkats there. I did and it was a terrific experience.

The second is Ziziphus of the Lazuli gang. She is a wild Meerkat and lives in the Kalahari and has been the subject of numerous documentaries and films. One of her more prominent projects is Walking With Meerkats which is a National Geographic documtory filmed in 2000.

Meerkat communication - Meerkats constantly communicate with one another in three different ways: scent, sound, and body language. There have over 20 different sounds that have been recorded which have different meanings. These calls can be broken down into six different groups: lost calls, alarm calls, leading the group calls, pup feeding calls, guarding calls, and foraging calls. For example, while out looking for food, they are are constantly communicating in what sounds like a kind of growling. It helps them to keep track of one another's location since they forage up to 15 feet (5 meters) apart. When the young are learning how to forage, they are very loud and can be heard up to a hundred yards away. If they become separated from the adults, the volume of their cries increases so that an adult will come to get them. They have numerous sounds that are used when grooming and playing

When on guard duty, there is an entirely different assortment of sounds employed. These sounds are constant and communicate to everyone else what is happening during the watch. When everything is fine, the sentry emits mellow tones. When a predator is spotted at a distance, a beeping sound is given, almost like a yellow alert. If the predator gets closer, the sound differentiates depending on the type of predator. The martial eagle tends to get the most frantic alarm even from great distance. Meerkats allow some predators to get very close before they sound the red alert (up to 100 feet from the den).

One last interesting point, sound can be broken up into one, two, three, and even four syllable calls.

How the seasons effect Meerkats -

In the Savanna desert, temperatures can vary greatly. Remember, Meerkats live on southern hemisphere as opposed to the United States and Europe which are on the northern hemisphere. South of the equator and the seasons are opposite of those in the northern hemisphere. The Kalahari summer is considered the wet season, . The summer months October to April temperature can reach 115 (f) or around 40 (c) which can give a sand temperature of 158 (f) or 70(c). In this harsh environment the difference between being in the sun and shade can be up to 86 (f) or 30 (c). The winter months from May to September are very different from the summer, you will see highs around 70 (f) or 22 (c) during the short days and lows at night down below freezing to 14 (f) or -10 (c). Winter is the dry season. Because of these dramatic temperature changes, their feeding habits change accordingly

In the wet season or summer, Meerkats get up early in order to avoid looking for food in the heat. As the day gets warmer, they look for food in shaded areas. At mid-day they return to their den or find a nice, shaded spot for a mid-day nap. If they nap outside, they will lie on their belly with legs stretched out and often throw cooler sand on their back. They will pant during the summer this aids in reducing their body temperature. The yellow mongoose shares this behavior. They wake for a late afternoon feeding which ends at sunset. This season is a virtual feast for Meerkats, as the rain brings out an abundance of food and vegetation especially towards the end of summer from January to April. Grasses on the dunes can reach heights of over three feet tall! Meerkats will eat to their hearts content and their little bellies stick out.

In the dry season or winter, they wait until it warms up a little (9 a.m.) to go and look for food. No mid-day naps at this time. They stay out all day and get back around 4:30 p.m. Meerkats then remain in their den to avoid the rapid and severe temperature change night brings. Food is not as abundant during this time and foraging for food is more difficult. They have to do allot more digging and cover more territory to find adequate nutrition. They will also eat ants, ant eggs, millipedes, and small beetles which are less appealing to them than their summer favorites of lizards, insect larvae, and scorpions.

Meerkats like most other living creatures change their behavior patterns as conditions change. As one reads about the charertistics of any animal you must know whether the animal was observed in captivity or in the wild. Unfortunately most of what has been written about Meerkats has been in captivity, because of the remote habitat where they live makes it hard reach. Therefor it is interesting to understand how their behavior changes when confined to zoos.

The gang will find many differences in captivity. For example food will be abundant and the normal procurement of food such as digging is not necessary. Also space is significantly limited. So the Meerkats will not migrate from burrow to burrow, but stay in one burrow system. They also are not able to forage for food keeping them within meters of there burrow system for their whole lives. Predators are non existent in captivity so there alert systems are dulled. In captivity one will find Meerkats living longer and bigger. Meerkats do fine in captivity, in fact for the Meerkat which spends most of its time looking for food in the wild, this is probably a vacation. In captivity Meerkats are known to mate up to twice a year while in the wild they only mate once a year. Their cuisine is quite different to. In captivity the keepers may feed mice, worms and other sorted insects locally available. A Scorpion, a Meerkat delight would never be seen. Meerkats that don't get along with the gang will be separated and put in another habitat.

Would Meerkats make good pets? - The answer to this question is no, not really. In the United States, you need special permits to keep these animals. The government mandates strict specification for Meerkats enclosures as well as their climate. Meerkats will think your family is their gang and the are the alpha. When you have guest to your home they will get aggressive towards them. A host of other animals would make more appropriate pets! I have run into many people in southern part of Africa that keep Meerkats as pets and say they can be friendly. They are terrific pets though if you have a scorpion infestation problem.

fotógrafos trabajando by vdevivienda

Gran cobertura mediática

DSC_2763 by Quantum Stalker

As most people collect, they end up meeting interesting people that they can relate to. I've certainly met my share of them, and have managed to obtain a few pieces with some assistance from them. As a result, hailing all the4 way from Singapore, we have the Hot Toys Exclusive (whatever that means) Avengers 2: Age of Ultron - Maria Hill figure.

I know they weren't super expensive back in the day (MSRP I mean), but by the time Sideshow got their hands on it, this figure cost $215 USD, which definitely cost more than your run of the mill figure back in the day, all the while being less equipped than they were. I managed to snag one that was opened and resealed in a box for $170 USD shippped.

You get the figure, 3 pairs of hands, walkie talkie, Bluetooth earpiece, and a pistol. Oh, and the usual base/stand.

Now, I learned about Pleather deterioration, but completely forgot about how tropical weather like in Singapore would affect a figure. It's not the worst I've seen, as some of my Widows have similar damage, but they've lived in Canada all their lives.

But it is unfortunate seeing how I didn't exactly score this figure for Garage Sale prices. I'm hoping my coats of leather paint prevents things from getting worse.

What I wasn't expecting was the effect of humidity on paint in contact with plastic. Hot Toys gave the sculpt some lovely blush to accentuate her cheeks. Well, that all turned from pink to yellow, so it looks kinda weird.

Unfortunate, but I treat it as a learning lesson on things to look out for when I finally make my way back to Asia to unleash holy hell on the secondary toy market.

So with the downers out of the way, the rest of the figure is pretty standard. I believe Maria uses a slightly taller version of the Widow body, which is a bit tall and narrow in the torso, but overall is a closer match to Colbie Smulders than Scarlett Johansson.

Maria was made when they still made softer fabric uniforms. I'd describe the feel of what she's wearing as being whatever Jeggings are made from. The upper body generally has full use of its faculties - unfortunately the body doesn't have Butterfly style shoulders, which is unfortunate as Maria could have really used them, especially for her pistol and arm crossed poses. Legs are restricted despite the softer fabric, though isn't as bad as with Winter Soldier Black Widow.

The head sculpt I'm actually quite impressed with. It's not perfect - they never are and if anyone says so, they're probably just not looking hard at the thing... or in some instances, not looking at all. The eyes are off, and the sculpted hair throws things off. But ultimately, it comes down to the jaw being too square, even for Colbie Smulders. On the whole, however, its probably 70 - 80% there, which is a lot more than I can say about any Black Widow up to that point, and Hot Toys accomplished that with one try as well.

Paint, I'm not really in a position to comment on. But, it appears if you can see past the discoloration, you'll see that the usual high quality is there. Build Quality is the usual high level, with nothing falling apart aside from the Pleather.

Overall, despite being a simpler figure I have to say I certainly like this better than I liked AoU Widow, which was just.. weird from a MCU perspective as well as from a Hot Toy perspective. I'll probably have to hunt down a WS Nick Fury to pair with her, but this time I'll be sure to make sure everything is is one piece.

Carrying out underwater PIT survey, Nonouti, Kiribati, 2017 by UNDP Climate

Relates to UNDP-supported LDCF-funded project ‘Enhancing National Food Security in the Context of Global Climate Change’ www.adaptation-undp.org/projects/kiribati-denhancing-nati...

All along the Fenceline by John Russell

3 6

Kinetic: Relating to, caused by, or producing motion.

These are called “Kinetic” photographs because there is motion, energy, and movement involved, specifically my and the camera’s movements.

Most of these are shot outdoors where I have the room to literally spin and throw my little camera several feet up into the air, with some throws going as high as 15 feet or more!

None of these are Photoshopped, layered, or a composite photo...what you see occurs in one shot, one take.

Aren’t I afraid that I will drop and break my camera? For regular followers of my photostream and this series you will know that I have already done so. This little camera has been dropped many times, and broken once when dropped on concrete outside. It still functions...not so well for regular photographs, but superbly for more kinetic work.

Albeit supremely risky this is one of my favorite ways to produce abstract photographs.

If you'd like to see more please check out my set, "Vertigo:"

www.flickr.com/photos/motorpsiclist/sets/72157630591282642/

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To read more about Kinetic Photography click the Wikipedia link below:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_photography

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My photographs and videos and any derivative works are my private property and are copyright © by me, John Russell (aka “Zoom Lens”) and ALL my rights, including my exclusive rights, are reserved. ANY use without my permission in writing is forbidden by law.

Relatable GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY by messi ole Trinh

New trending GIF tagged relatable, barbra streisand, funny girl, bagel via Giphy ift.tt/1MlBzCI

Bangor RFC V Dundalk RFC Irish Junior Cup Final 31st January 2015 tussling by John Mooney