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ON APRIL 10 1978, at the age of twenty-four Judy Cameron became the first female Air Canada pilot.
Gosh, it was a risky move. The only other “big player” airline to consider the similar venture of a female pilot, was American Airlines. Quietly, Air Canada had reviewed NASA’s conclusions with regard to “emotional stability” and female astronauts.
NASA had discovered and documented their results. Women were just as calm, just as logical, and just as disciplined as men at the helm. The ancient Canadian airline was sold—they would go with Judy.
But this IS the alternate universe we live in, the one, you know, where Air Canada Flight 621 crashed in Castlemore, ON on this day, July 5, 1970, killing all 109 passengers and crew.
One of those Air Canada stewardesses that perished that awful day was a Denise Goulet and had she NOT died, I believe Denise—not Judy—would have been Air Canada’s first female pilot.
Judy Cameron decidedly took to flying even after a joker-pilot took her up on her first flight, did some spins, stalled his airplane (a Cessna 150) and then pretended he had to do a forced landing…because well, the airplane was now in trouble (component failure or he faked an inability to restart his engine) and to save their lives—they must land immediately!
Judy was scared as hell during the whole flight!
However, when the traumatic flight was over and she was safely on the ground Judy immediately knew…she just had to get her pilot’s license.
Judy took five years to rack up the necessary flying hours and flight experience…on various aircraft (including multi-engine ones) to even be considered as a pilot for any airline. By 1978 she had accumulated the flying experience that Air Canada couldn’t overlook—so she was indeed hired, and history was made. Air Canada had its first female pilot.
In contrast, Air Canada stewardess, Denise Goulet, by age twenty-two already had many parachute jumps under her belt. Her first jump was at age seventeen. And while she had been a stewardess for just shy of three years, she had disclosed to family and friends that she too had committed to getting her pilot’s licence. And fam and friends knew once Denise set her sights on a goal—she would achieve it.
That said, Denise had one huge advantage over Judy.
Denise’s father, Henri-Paul Goulet, was already a commercial pilot! Qualified not just on airplanes, but helos (helicopters) as well. Not many pilots had this dual certification then, or now.
You can bet that once Denise had gotten her private pilot’s licence, her pilot dad would have pulled out all the stops. Commercial pilot's license next…then her multi-engine rating and experience on multiple aircraft. Certainly, on jets. Maybe even helicopters.
Assuming the same career timeline—Denise would have been qualified and been commercial pilot status ready—early, by 1975. Three years before Judy.
By 1978, Denice would have been twenty-nine with far greater flight experience, and the chronologically more mature pilot.
Also, again, it cannot be understated how much attention, flying experience, and extra help Denise would have received through her father. A huge advantage…over and above any advantage Judy actually got.
Think of Walter and Wayne Gretzky, and you’ll start to understand the Henri-Paul and Denise Goulet connection.
Alas, it was not to be.
On July 5th, 1970 that fateful day, a call from Air Canada came into the Goulet residence at around 10 am.
That call would be answered by Denise’s eleven-year-old sister, Louise Goulet who was there at home, alone with her mother, Pauline (nee Roux). And, moments after Louise handed the phone over to her mother…their world came crashing in.
Simultaneously, Denise’s brother Andre who had borrowed Luke Gruninger’s Mustang to pick up Denise at the Los Angeles airport (LAX) waited for her flight to arrive. The trio was going to spend time together visiting California, seeing the younger generation sites. In August, Pauline and Denise were going to tour California together.
As Andre waited at the airport, it was finally announced that Flight 621 had crashed in Canada—with no survivors.
What most folks don’t really get about Air Canada’s Flight 621 crash IS that it was the Canadian parallel or equivalent newsworthy event to the JFK assassination in America!
That’s right.
Ask anyone in the USA what they were doing when they got the news that their much-loved president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, had been assassinated.
They’ll tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing—and then they'll recall their immediate grief from that very news!
Well, I’ve talked with many, many, folks about the Air Canada DC-8 “stretch” crash in Woodbridge then (Brampton now).
The first recollections these people comment on is usually that it was a Sunday morning. Or, that it was such a beautiful day outside. Next, they'll recall exactly what they were doing at the moment they learned the shocking news of the Toronto area air disaster.
Usually, that news came over the radio, since everyone listened to the radio back then, at least in the background. And then there was a personal sorrow and a realization of their inability to help in any way. But their hearts and prayers were with the victim's families.
So many lives lost and no survivors! And so close to Toronto. And then the inevitable question—how did this crash happen?
That’s what this Air Canada plane crash meant to Canadians at the time. It was a sad and riveting moment for the entire nation.
From Patricia Harding,
“Denise and I trained together as Air Canada Flight Attendants in Montreal. She was a lovely person. I was in Vancouver on a stopover when we heard the news of the crash. We were grief-stricken and so traumatized that we were unable to work our flight back home. We had to stay in Vancouver and were flown home a couple of days later. The flight crew were all known to us and were like family. We were young and had so many dreams for the future. I have never forgotten and I will carry her memory with me always.”
From Nancy Holloway Gunson,
"I was working a C. P. Air flight that fateful day from Vancouver to Montreal. Before take off, we didn't receive any newspapers to hand out to passengers (these were the days when newspapers published 3 times a day and Vancouver was also 3 hours behind Toronto's time) and I remember asking a ground crew member why, and he told that there weren't any. I thought that that was very odd. Little did I realize that the crash was front page news.
It was later in the day as we descended into Toronto, and because my 'fifth position seat' was 'sold', that I sat behind the captain for landing. As we circled, the captain pointed out the smoking rubble on the ground. It was then I found out about the crash. I could just as easily have been on that flight because I was accepted to Air Canada's F.A. training course and a day later, I found out that I was also accepted to CP Air. Because CP Air's training was in Vancouver, I decided that CP Air was for me.
My heart aches for those who perished. Denise Goulet was a beautiful young woman."
Look at the picture above of Denise Goulet.
If ever there was someone full of hope and promise it was Denise.
Her Air Canada stewardess picture is courtesy of Denise’s younger sister, Louise who answered the fateful call from Air Canada on that day.
And sadly, but truly, Denise is standing in front of an Air Canada DC-8 just like the one she perished in.
From the Walsingham poem,
“But true love is a durable fire,
In the mind ever burning.
Never sick, never old, never dead,
From itself never turning.”
Sir Walter Ralegh
Check here, on July 5, 2020, after 7 pm:
www.flickr.com/photos/78215847@N00/albums/721576246894922...
ADD A CONDOLENCE to the FLIGHT 621 FAMILIES, or a LOVED ONE from FLIGHT 621, or a MEMORY of a PERSONAL EVENT related to the crash…at the City of Brampton's permanent Flight 621 site…SEE: www.brampton.ca/EN/City-Hall/Protocol-Office/Brampton-Rem...
REST IN PEACE passengers and crew of Flight 621:
Adams, Celine Fradette
Adams, Pierre J
Beaudin, Gaetan
Belanger, Mrs.
Belanger, Jacques
Belanger, Jean
Belanger, Roland
Belanger, Rosanne
Benson, Helen
Benson, Leonard
Benson, Mary
Benson, Richard
Bertrand, Ginette
Boosamra, Lynn
Boulanger, Guy
Bradshaw, Dollie
Cedilot, Robert J
Chapdeleine, Jeannine
Chapdeleine, Joanne
Chapdeleine, Mario
Charent, Jean Maurice
Clarke, Devona Olivia
Cote, Francine
Daoust, Yolande
Desmarais, Brigitte
Desmarais, G
Dicaire, Alice (Marie)
Dicaire, Gilles
Dicaire, Linda
Dicaire, Luke
Dicaire, Mark
Dion, Suzanne
Dore, Jacqueline
Earle, Lewella
Earle, Linda
Filippone, Francesco
Filippone, Linda
Filippone, Marie
Gee, Bernard
Goulet, Denise M
Grenier, Madeleine
Growse, Diana Cicely
Growse, Jane
Growse, Roger
Hamilton, Karen E
Hamilton, Peter Cameron
Herrmann, Ronald Alvin
Hill, Harry Gordon
Holiday, Claude
Houston, Irene Margaret
Houston, Wesley
Jakobsen, Vagn Aage
Labonte, Gilles
Leclaire, Marie Rose
Leclaire, Oscar
Leduc, Henri W
Lepage, Claudette
Mailhiot, Claire Gagnon
Mailhiot, Gerald Bernard
Maitz, Gustave
Maitz, Karoline
McKettrick, Winnifred
McTague, John
Medizza, Carla
Mohammed, Dolly
Molino, Antonio
Molino, Michael (Michel)
Moore, Frederick T
Partridge, Andrea
Partridge, Carnie (Carnis) Ann
Partridge, Cyril Wayne
Phillips, Kenneth William
Poirier, Rita
Raymond, Gilles
Raymond, Martial
Robert, Aline
Robert, Georges E
Robidoux, Lionel
Rowland, Donald
Silverberg, Marci
Silverberg, Merle
Silverberg, Steven
Simon, Istvan
Simon, Mark
Smith, Dwight Lee
St. Laurent, Blanche
Stepping, Glenn Thomas
Sultan, Celia
Sultan, Jerald. M
Sultan, Robert. L
Szpakowicz, Borys
Szpakowicz, Serge
Tielens, Carmen
Tielens, Frederick
Tournovits, George
Tournovits, Soula (Athanasia)
Weinberg, Carla
Weinberg, Rita
Weinberg, Wendy
Whittingham, Jennifer
Whittingham, John
Whittingham, Reginald
Whybro, Mary Baker
Wieczorek, Hildegund
Witmer, Edgar
Wong, Ngar-Quon
Wong, Suzie
Wong, Wong (Mansing)
Woodward, Dallas J
© 2019 Paul Cardin - Friends of Flight 621
(to be refined further at a later date)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 19, 2020) Seaman Yawo Afodagni, from Silver Spring, Md., directs the approach of Landing Craft, Utility 1666, from Navy Beach Unit (NBU) 7 into the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
U.S. Marines assigned to Company I, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/2, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, board an MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 266 (Reinforced), at King Faisal Air Base in Jordan, June 14, 2013. Exercise Eager Lion 2013 is an annual, multinational exercise designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships and enhance security and stability in the region by responding to modern-day security scenarios. The 26th MEU is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility as part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group. The 26th MEU operates continuously across the globe, providing the president and unified combatant commanders with a forward-deployed, sea-based quick reaction force. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Sgt. Christopher Q. Stone / Released)
There was no ABS, no traction control, no electro-hydraulic paddle shifting, and no stability control. With a 201 mph top speed and 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds, no one was disappointed with the F40. Ferrari proposed only a limited run of 400 or so F40s, but the model's reception was overwhelming and the run kept growing until 1,315 were built by the time production ended in 1991.
The F40 was a simple machine that, like the greatest Ferraris of the past, relied upon its engine for its performance. Suspension and layout were conventional, and there were no serious attempts to employ cutting-edge technology. The F40 was good, sound, basic design, with a superb twin-turbocharged engine, aerodynamics heavily weighted toward downforce and stability, and generous use of lightweight composite materials. The chassis was - like the 125 built 40 years before - based on two large-diameter steel tubes. They were joined and stiffened by light, compound structures, to be sure, but the basic form was as rudimentary as the ones welded together in the Gilberto shops a generation before.
Competition was not in Ferrari's original plan for the F40, but Daniel Marin, managing director of French Ferrari importer Charles Pozzi SA, took the initiative and authorized Michelotto, the famed Padova Ferrari service centre, to construct a series of F40 LMs for racing under IMSA rules in the U.S. Just 19 were built.
These were followed by five official F40 GT's, also built by Michelotto to regulations for the Italian Supercar Championship and, as F50 GTE's, in the mid-'90s BPR GT series. The BPR Organization adopted air-restrictor regulations to handicap engine output and overall performance, but the lessons learned in the earlier competition F40s were applied to the limits of the rules in building the F40 GT's for these series. These few F40 GT's were much more highly developed race cars that were lighter, had better aerodynamics and sophisticated flat-floor ground effects, full ball-jointed suspensions, quick-fill fuel systems, wider wheels and tires, lower ride heights and other improvements that made them the most sophisticated of all the F40-based race cars, and potentially the fastest when relieved of their air-restrictor trumpets.
The GT programme was adopted by many owners independently and as a result a number of cars were privately converted (from a standard road car) over the years and successfully raced in various championships throughout the world. Such was the effectiveness of the basic design of the F40 that cars were seen out racing at a competitive level right through until the late 90's, when the cars were by then some ten years old! A remarkable feat.
This F40 was supplied new to Italy, being manufactured in 1989 and delivered in 1990 as a standard Non Cat & Non Adjust example. Some years later the car found its way to Japan where it was uprated and it is believed it raced in the Japanese GT series. More recently the car found its way back to Europe and has been subjected to a beautiful restoration at which time the car was repainted, had all four corners stripped and rebuilt, a full engine inspection and service, and an interior retrim.
As such, today the car is UK road registered and presented in superb concours condition throughout but importantly in its "GT" specification. This includes, lightweight clam shells front & rear, lightweight lower rear valence, "LM" style headlights & front clam shell with added radiator extraction ducts, "LM style sill Nasa duct, fully adjustable waste gate, revised engine management, big brakes & wheels, digital race dash, electric passenger window, fully adjustable suspension and "LM" venturi ducts & rear wing.
The car represents a fabulous potential track day assault weapon or even an F40 for the road with a bit more flare! For Enzo Ferrari's 40th anniversary as a constructor under his own name, he gave his design team a very simple instruction: 'Build a car to be the best in the world.' Time has shown that they complied. [DK Engineering web site]
DK Engineering Showcase Day 2015
It's the first shot I post here from my vacation with my darling in Karlovy Vary [Carlsbad] , it's a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km (80.78 miles) west of Prague. It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370. It is historically famous for its hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River).
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Canon 50D
Canon 50mm f1.8II
Me on Facebook
The Pyramid/Tesla Energy Connection
Nikola Tesla regarded the Earth as one of the plates of a capacitor, the ionosphere forming the other plate. Recent measurements have shown that the voltage gradient between the two is 400,000 volts. With this principle, he said he was able, through his invention, to provide free energy to anyone, inexhaustible in quantity, anywhere on earth. That is why he had built a first prototype, the Wardenclyffe Tower, in which was to apply his famous pyramid effect. What is it exactly?
"The lines of force of the electric charge additioned to the fields from the sun act on the walls of a pyramid.The magnetic equipotentials show a high magnetic density in the summit. The voltage of the electric field increases of 100 V per meter. The terrestrial negative field reaches its maximum value at the summit of the pyramid; at the top of the pyramid of Giza, the voltage is 14,600 V. This pyramid is itself a capacitor, it accumulates an electrical charge. If an excess load is added, a discharge occurs at the top, and, as we know currently, that top was adorned with a solid gold capstone, an excellent conductor."Tesla wanted his tower to be high to increase the voltage at the top. He wanted to create an artificial lightning in the tower. In the discharge tube of a natural flash , the temperature rises to 30 000 ° C. Tesla did not want to manage such high temperatures because it is a waste of energy. Tesla's Wardenclyffe tower would have used a transformer to produce a high voltage, which would have generated, instead of a natural lightning, a "discharge of high energetic ion abundance".To accentuate the pyramid effect, he had imagined to give the tower the octagonal shape of a pyramid topped by a half sphere. Why octogonal? Tesla does not explain, but when we read his memoirs, we understand that he sensed a scientific discipline that did not yet exist, geobiology, and the theory of waves of forms. From the perspective of traditional physics, the fact that the tower is octagonal is insignificant. It could be square or have an infinite number of faces, that is conic. "In all cases the voltage would have been the same, its shape just gave it stability." This raises two objections. The octagonal shape is not a guarantee of stability comparing to the square shape. If he was really looking for stability, a hyperbolic rise, like that of the Eiffel Tower, would have been better suited. The octagonal shape has very special wave characteristics, it is possible that this pure genius sensed it without being able to theorize it.As for the square shape of the pyramids, the engineer Gustave Eiffel has chosen it for his tower, precisely because it is a guarantee of stability, as the four legs and the widening elevation. Built in 1889, our national tower was already fairly well known to be his model. As Wardenclyffe Tower, the Eiffel Tower has a pyramid effect which makes it pick at the top, even without a storm, a DC current. Its lightning rod "makes" thus some electricity that goes down in a cable to be delivered to the earth.This waste is not limited to the Eiffel Tower. All roofs and metal frames make the same production, stupidly given to the earth. The Vril energy is free, it is its biggest flaw in a world of profit. The fact that it is completely environmentally friendly and inexhaustible has no interest for the capital. The fact that it is beneficial for both the human mind and the health of people, animals and plants thanks to the virtues of water of lightning, has even much less interest for profiteers. Unfortunately, Tesla was never able to finish his tower. He did not have the opportunity to carry out the planned experiments on Long Island that sought to bring rain in the deserts. Others before him had managed that. We know that Egypt has not always been desertic. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that "Egypt is a gift of the Nile." But it was in the 5th century BC. Since then, its climate has not changed much, and yet it has not always been so. The predynastic Egypt was rather a gift of the pyramids... "In the pre-dynastic period, the Egyptian climate is much less arid than it is nowadays. Large areas of Egypt are covered with savanna and traversed by herds of ungulates. The foliage and wildlife then are much more prolific and the Nile region is home to large populations of waterfowl. Hunting is a common activity for the Egyptians and it is also during this period that many animals are domesticated for the first time."
www.apparentlyapparel.com/news/the-pyramid-energy-tesla-c...
"....If we could produce electric effects of the required quality, this whole planet and the conditions of existence on it could be transformed. The sun raises the water of the oceans and winds drive it to distant regions where it remains in state of most delicate balance. If it were in our power to upset it when and wherever desired, this mighty life-sustaining stream could be at will controlled. We could irrigate arid deserts, create lakes and rivers and provide motive power in unlimited amount. This would be the most efficient way of harnesing the sun to the uses of man......" ( Nikola Tesla, June 1919 )
Nikola Tesla, inventor of alternating current motors, did the basic research for constructing electromagnetic field lift-and-drive aircraft/space craft. From 1891 to 1893, he gave a set of lectures and demonstrations to groups of electrical engineers. As part of each show, Tesla stood in the middle of the stage, using his 6' 6" height, with an assistant on either side, each 7 feet away. All 3 men wore thick cork or rubber shoe soles to avoid being electrically grounded. Each assistant held a wire, part of a high voltage, low current circuit. When Tesla raised his arms to each side, violet colored electricity jumped harmlessly across the gaps between the men. At high voltage and frequency in this arrangement, electricity flows over a surface, even the skin, rather than into it. This is a basic circuit which could be used by aircraft / spacecraft.
The hull is best made double, of thin, machinable, slightly flexible ceramic. This becomes a good electrical insulator, has no fire danger, resists any damaging effects of severe heat and cold, and has the hardness of armor, besides being easy for magnetic fields to pass through.
The inner hull is covered on it's outside by wedge shaped thin metal sheets of copper or aluminum, bonded to the ceramic. Each sheet is 3 to 4 feet wide at the horizontal rim of the hull and tapers to a few inches wide at the top of the hull for the top set of metal sheets, or at the bottom for the bottom set of sheets. Each sheet is separated on either side from the next sheet by 1 or 2 inches of uncovered ceramic hull. The top set of sheets and bottom set of sheets are separated by about 6 inches of uncovered ceramic hull around the horizontal rim of the hull.
The outer hull protects these sheets from being short-circuited by wind blown metal foil (Air Force radar confusing chaff), heavy rain or concentrations of gasoline or kerosene fumes. If unshielded, fuel fumes could be electrostatically attracted to the hull sheets, burn and form carbon deposits across the insulating gaps between the sheets, causing a short-circuit. The space, the outer hull with a slight negative charge, would absorb hits from micrometeorites and cosmic rays (protons moving at near the speed of light). Any danger of this type that doesn't already have a negative electric charge would get a negative charge in hitting the outer hull, and be repelled by the metal sheets before it could hit the inner hull. This wouldn't work well on a very big meteor, I might add.
The hull can be made in a variety of shapes; sphere, football, disc, or streamlined rectangle or triangle, as long as these metal sheets, "are of considerable area and arranged along ideal enveloping surfaces of very large radii of curvature," p. 85. "My Inventions", by Nikola Tesla.
The power plant for this machine can be a nuclear fission or fusion reactor for long range and long-term use to run a steam engine, which turns the generators. A short range machine can use a hydrogen oxygen fuel cell to run a low-voltage motor to turn the generators, occasionally recharging by hovering next to high voltage power lines and using antennas mounted on the outer hull to take in the electricity. The short-range machine can also have electricity beamed to it from a generating plan on a long-range aircraft / spacecraft or on the ground.
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nov. 24, 1987, Vol 109, No. 328, "The Forever Plane" by Geoffrey Rowan, p. D1, D7.)
("Popular Science", Vol 232, No. 1, Jan. 1988, "Secret of Perpetual Flight? Beam Power Plane," by Arthur Fisher, p. 62-65, 106)
One standard for the generators is to have the same number of magnets as field coils. Tesla's preferred design was a thin disc holding 480 magnets with 480 field coils wired in series surrounding it in close tolerance. At 50 revolutions per minute, it produces 19,400 cycles per second.
The electricity is fed into a number of large capacitors, one for each metal sheet. An automatic switch, adjustable in timing by the pilot, closes, and as the electricity jumps across the switch, back and forth, it raises it's own frequency; a switch being used for each capacitor.
The electricity goes into a Tesla transformer; again, one transformer for each capacitor. In an oil tank to insulate the windings and for cooling, and supported internally by wood, or plastic, pipe and fittings, each Tesla transformer looks like a short wider pipe that is moved along a longer, narrower pipe by an insulated non-electric cable handle. The short pipe, the primary, is 6 to 10 windings (loops) of wire connected in series to the long pipe. The secondary is 460 to 600 windings, at the low voltage and frequency end.
The insulated non-electric cable handle is used through a set of automatic controls to move the primary coil to various places on the secondary coil. This is the frequency control. The secondary coil has a low frequency and voltage end and a maximum voltage and frequency end. The greater the frequency the electricity, the more it pushes against the earth's electrostatic and electromagnetic fields.
The electricity comes out of the transformer at the high voltage end and goes by wire through the ceramic hull to the wide end of the metal sheet. The electricity jumps out on and flows over the metal sheet, giving off a very strong electromagnetic field, controlled by the transformer. At the narrow end of the metal sheet, most of the high-voltage push having been given off; the electricity goes back by wire through the hull to a circuit breaker box (emergency shut off), then to the other side of the generators.
In bright sunlight, the aircraft / spacecraft may seem surrounded by hot air, a slight magnetic distortion of the light. In semi-darkness and night, the metal sheets glow, even through the thin ceramic outer hull, with different colors. The visible light is a by-product of the electricity flowing over the metal sheets, according to the frequencies used.
Descending, landing or just starting to lift from the ground, the transformer primaries are near the secondary weak ends and therefore, the bottom set of sheets glow a misty red. Red may also appear at the front of the machine when it is moving forward fast, lessening resistance up front. Orange appears for slow speed. Orange-yellow is for airplane-type speeds. Green and blue are for higher speeds. With a capacitor addition, making it oversized for the circuit, the blue becomes bright white, like a searchlight, with possible risk of damaging the metal sheets involved. The highest visible frequency is violet, like Tesla's stage demonstrations, used for the highest speed along with the bright white. The colors are nearly coherent, of a single frequency, like a laser.
A machine built with a set of super conducting magnets would simplify and reduce electricity needs from a vehicle's transformer circuits to the point of flying along efficiently and hovering with little electricity.
When Tesla was developing arc lights to run on alternating current, there was a bothersome high-pitched whine, whistle, or buzz, due to the electrodes rapidly heating and cooling. Tesla put this noise in the ultrasonic range with the special transformer already mentioned. The aircraft / spacecraft gives off such noises when working at low frequencies.
Timing is important in the operation of this machine. For every 3 metal sheets, when the middle one is briefly turned off, the sheet on either side is energized, giving off the magnetic field. The next instant, the middle sheet is energized, while the sheet on either side is briefly turned off. There is a time delay in the capacitors recharging themselves, so at any time, half of all the metal sheets are energized and the other half are recharging, alternating all around the inner hull. This balances the machine, giving it very good stability. This balance is less when fewer of the circuits are in use.
Fairly close, the aircraft / spacecraft produces heating of persons and objects on the ground; but by hovering over an area at low altitude for maybe 5 or 10 minutes, the machine also produces a column of very cold air down to the ground. As air molecules get into the strong magnetic fields that the machine is transmitting out, the air molecules become polarized and from lines, or strings, of air molecules. The normal movement of the air is stopped, and there is suddenly a lot more room for air molecules in this area, so more air pours in. This expansion and the lack of normal air motion make the area intensely cold.
This is also the reason that the aircraft / spacecraft can fly at supersonic speeds without making sonic booms. As air flows over the hull, top and bottom, the air molecules form lines as they go through the magnetic fields of the metal sheet circuits. As the air molecules are left behind, they keep their line arrangements for a short time; long enough to cancel out the sonic boom shock waves.
Outside the earth's magnetic field, another propulsion system must be used, which relies on the first. You may have read of particle accelerators, or cyclotrons, or atomsmashers. A particle accelerator is a circular loop of pipe that, in cross-section, is oval. In a physics laboratory, most of the air in it is pumped out. The pipe loop is given a static electric charge; a small amount of hydrogen or other gas is given the same electric charge so the particles won't stick to the pipe. A set of electromagnets all around the pipe loop turn on and off, one after the other, pushing with one magnetic pole and pulling with the next, until those gas particles are racing around the pipe loop at nearly the speed of light. Centrifugal force makes the particles speed closer to the outside edge of the pipe loop, still within the pipe. The particles break down into electrons, or light and other wavelengths, protons or cosmic rays, and neutrons if more than hydrogen is put in the accelerator.
At least 2 particle accelerators are used to balance each other and counter each other's tendency to make the craft spin. Otherwise, the machine would tend to want to start spinning, following the direction of the force being applied to the particles. The accelerators push in opposite directions.
As the pilot and crew travel in space, outside the magnetic field of a world, water from a tank is electrically separated into oxygen and hydrogen. Waste carbon dioxide that isn't used for the onboard garden, and hydrogen (helium if the machine is using a fusion reactor) is slowly, constantly fed into the inside curves of both accelerators.
The high-speed particles go out through straight lengths of pipe, charged like the loops and in speeding out into space, push the machine along. Doors control which pips the particles leave from. This allows very long-range acceleration and later deceleration at normal (earth) gravity. This avoids the severe problems of weightlessness, including lowered physical abilities of the crew.
It is possible to use straight-line particle accelerators, even as few as one per machine, but these don't seem as able to get the best machine speed for the least amount of particles pushed out.
Using a constant acceleration of 32.2 feet per second per second provides earth normal gravity in deep space and only 2 gravities of stress in leaving the earth's gravity field. It takes, not counting air resistance, 18 minutes, 58.9521636 seconds to reach the 25,000 miles per hour speed to leave the earth's gravity field. It takes about 354 days, 12 hours, 53 minutes and 40 seconds (about) to reach the speed of light - 672,487,072.7 miles per hour. It takes the same distance to decelerate as it does to speed up, but this cuts down the time delay that one would have in conventional chemical rocketry enormously, for a long journey.
A set of super conducting magnets can be charged by metal sheet circuits, within limits, to whatever frequency is needed and will continue to transmit that magnetic field frequency almost indefinitely.
A short-wave radio can be used to find the exact frequencies that an aircraft / spacecraft is using, for each of the colors it may show whole a color television can show the same overall color frequency that the nearby, but not extremely close, craft is using This is limited, as a machine traveling at the speed of a jet airliner may broadcast in a frequency range usually used for radar sets.
The craft circuits override lower frequency, lower voltage electric circuits within and near their electromagnetic fields. One source briefly mentioned a 1941 incident, where a short-wave radio was used to override automobile ignition systems, up to 3 miles away. When the short-wave radio was turned off, the cars could work again. How many UFO encounters have been reported in which automobile ignition systems have suddenly stopped?
I figure that things would not be at all pleasant for drivers of modern cars with computer controlled engine and ignition systems. Computer circuitry is sensitive to small changes in voltage and a temporary wrong-way voltage surge may wipe the computer memory out. It could mean that a number of drivers would suddenly be stranded with their cars not working should such a craft fly low over a busy highway. Only diesel engines, already warmed up, and Stanley Steamer type steam engine cares are able to continue working in a strong electromagnetic field. In May, 1988, it was reported that the U.S. Army had lost 5 Blackhawk helicopters and 22 crewmen in crashes caused by ordinary commercial radio broadcasting overriding the computer control circuits of those helicopters. Certainly, computer circuits for this aircraft / spacecraft can and must be designed to overcome this weakness.
One construction arrangement for this craft to avoid such interference is for the metal sheet circuits to be more sharply tuned. Quartz or other crystals can be used in capacitors; in a very large number of low-powered, single frequency circuits, or as part of a frequency control for the metal sheet circuits.
The aircraft / spacecraft easily overrides lower frequency and lower voltage electric circuits up to a 6 mile wide circle around it, but the effect is usually not tuned for such a drastic show. It can be used for fire fighting: by hovering at a medium-low height at low frequency, it forms a double negative pole magnet of itself and the ground, the sides being a rotation of positive magnetic pole.
It polarizes the column of air in this field. The air becomes icy cold. If it wouldn't put the fire out, it would slow it down.
Tesla went broke in the early 1900's building a combination radio and electric power broadcasting station. The theory and experiments were correct but the financiers didn't want peace and prosperity for all.
The Japanese physicist who developed super conducting material with strong magnetism allows for a simplified construction of the aircraft / spacecraft. Blocks of this material can be used in place of the inner hull metal sheets. By putting electricity in each block, the pilot can control the strength of the magnetic field it gives off and can reduce the field strength by draining some of the electric charge. This allows the same amount of work to be done with vastly less electricity used to do it.
It is surprising that Jonathan Swift, in his "Gulliver's Travels", 1726, third book, "A Voyage to Laputa", described an imagined magnetic flying island that comes close to being what a large super conducting aircraft / spacecraft can be build as, using little or no electric power to hover and mover around.
www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/02files/Tesla_Saucer.html
Before our study group, Summerville, South Carolina #2, made a trip to A.R.E headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va., in April, 2009, Jerry Ingle, set into motion an ideal that generated a monumental synchronicity. For years, Jerry, a long-time member of our group, had been interested in Nikola Tesla. He saw many parallels between his talents and those of Edgar Cayce and hoped to somehow connect them. As a psychic, Edgar Cayce had been consulted by engineers about their inventions. Cayce was willing to help as long as it would ultimately be of service to humanity. While there are suggestions that both Thomas Edison and his former associate, Nikola Tesla, consulted Cayce separately; there is no documentation in the A.R.E. archives.
Nikola Tesla was an electrical engineer who invented the alternating current Niagara power system that made Edison's direct current obsolete. He sold Westinghouse 40 patents that broke the General Electric monopoly. In 1893 he demonstrated the use of wireless radio control with a torpedo-like boat. He invented wireless transmission of electricity, an electric car that ran by tapping into the electricity of the Earth, the microwave, and the TV remote control, just to name a few. A court recently ruled that while Marconi had been given credit for the invention of the radio and made a fortune on it, Tesla was the true inventor.
Tesla was concerned with harnessing nature to meet the needs of humankind and foresaw the end of World War I as a synthesis of history, philosophy, and science,. He had the amazing ability to construct a machine in his mind and then, by operating the device in his mind, make improvements to the design. He could develop and perfect his inventions by drawing only upon the creative forces, without actually touching anything material. Just as the Cayce readings suggest, "Mind is the builder, physical is the result."
Another inventor that Edgar Cayce met was a man named Marion L. Stansell. During World War I, while stationed in France, Stansell had a near death experience with a vision. During the experience, a "spirit guide" escorted him to another dimension where he was given a formula for a mechanical device. He was told that this device would save the planet from environmental destruction in the next millennium.
On February 1, 1928, Edgar Cayce gave a reading which confirmed that Stansell was able to see the blueprints for a revolutionary type of motor in his dreams and visions. According to the readings, the motor was designed in the spirit realm by De Witt Clinton, deceased governor of New York, who in his last incarnation was the force behind the development of the Erie Canal.
Stansell needed the assistance of Edgar Cayce to relay precise technical information from Clinton in the spirit realm to Stansell and a team of like-minded entrepreneurs in the material world. The Stansell motor readings were conducted over a two-year period. One could speculate that Mr. Cayce did the same for Nikola Tesla, and that these readings were a continuation of that work, but if so, there is no record of it.
Jerry believed that there was a deep connection between the work of Cayce and Tesla and their interest in the connection between electricity and psychic phenomena. At A.R.E., Jerry found his way to the vault, where the Cayce records are kept, hoping to discover a way to get these plans into the hands of present-day inventors.
There, he and an A.R.E. volunteer named Harry talked excitedly for some time about Tesla. Suddenly, a man came to the door of the vault. "Does anybody know if there was ever a connection between Edgar Cayce and Nikola Tesla?"
"Here is the guy who can tell you," said Harry as he pointed toward Jerry. Jerry turned to face Nikola Lonchar — the President of Nikola Tesla's Inventors Club, a man who was dedicated to locating and preserving Tesla's work. The organization was made up of scientists who wanted to be sure Tesla's work was not lost! This was the first visit to A.R.E. by anyone from the Tesla organization.
Jerry was able to supply the visitor with the information he needed. The two sat in the lobby of the A.R.E. Visitor Center, oblivious to their surroundings, talking about an interest that held them both captive. Jerry was invited to speak at the next Nikola Tesla Inventors conference.
Nikola Lonchar was at A.R.E. for only one day. During this small window of time, he and Jerry had converged at the same place, at the same time, both equipped with a desire to be of service to Cayce, to Tesla, and to humanity. That's synchronicity in motion.
www.edgarcayce.org/about-us/blog/blog-posts/synchronicity...
SEA OF JAPAN (Aug. 3, 2020) An MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopter from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 5, 2022) An MH-60S Sea Hawk, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, lands aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7). Tripoli is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Burghart)
Descending the upper cemetery rapid in Dirlot Gorge, I braced on the pressure wave with my right paddle blade for stability. Photographed by Colin Matheson.
s425 9743 WeltgeschichteBand7 Elizabeth I (1540-1580), 7.9.1533 - 24.3.1603, Königin von England 17.11.1558 - 24.03.1603, Elizabeth I, 7.9.1533 - 24.3.1603, Königin von England seit 17.11.1558, Thronzeichen, Holzgravur, 19. Jahrhundert, nach dem Original in Königlichen geheimen staatsarchiv - Prussian Privy State Archives (Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz) Berlin VII. Band Grotesche Allgemeine Weltgeschichte, Geschichte der Neueren Zeit, Theodor Flathe, Gustav Friedrich Hertzberg, Ferdinand Justi, Hans Prutz, Julius Harttung, VII. Band, Erster Teil, Die Neuere zeit von Dr. Martin Philippson Berlin anno 1886. Prussian Privy State Archives - Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz Archivstraße 12-14, 14195 Berlin.
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Elisabeth I., englisch Elizabeth I, eigentlich Elizabeth Tudor, auch bekannt unter den Namen The Virgin Queen, The Maiden Queen („Die jungfräuliche Königin“), Gloriana oder Good Queen Bess (* 7. September 1533 in Greenwich; † 24. März 1603 in Richmond), war vom 17. November 1558 bis an ihr Lebensende Königin von England.
Elisabeth war die Tochter von Heinrich VIII. und das fünfte und letzte Mitglied der Tudor-Dynastie auf dem englischen Thron. Ihre Mutter war Anne Boleyn.[1] Ihre Regierungszeit als Königin von England und Irland von 1558 bis 1603 wird als Elisabethanisches Zeitalter bekannt. In jener Zeit erhielt die Anglikanische Kirche ihre endgültige Ausprägung, es entstanden zahlreiche künstlerische Werke von Dramatikern wie William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe oder Ben Jonson, Lyrik mit Sonetten und Liedgedichten,[2] es wurden die modernen Wissenschaften mit Francis Bacon begründet und die Welt von Francis Drake umsegelt. Die erste englische Kolonie in Amerika wurde in dieser Zeit gegründet und zu ihren Ehren Virginia benannt.
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Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife, who was executed when Elizabeth was two years old. Anne's marriage to Henry was annulled, and Elizabeth was for a time declared illegitimate. Her half-brother Edward VI ruled until his death in 1553, bequeathing the crown to Lady Jane Grey and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters, the Catholic Mary and the younger Elizabeth, in spite of statute law to the contrary. Edward's will was set aside and Mary became queen, deposing Lady Jane Grey. During Mary's reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.
Upon her half-sister's death in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel.[b] She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, whom she created 1st Baron Burghley. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir; however, despite numerous courtships, she never did. She was eventually succeeded by her first cousin twice removed, James VI of Scotland; this laid the foundation for the Kingdom of Great Britain. She had earlier been reluctantly responsible for the imprisonment and execution of James's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.
In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been.[3] One of her mottoes was "video et taceo" ("I see and keep silent").[4] In religion, she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution. After the pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her, several conspiracies threatened her life, all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers' secret service, run by Francis Walsingham. Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, manoeuvring between the major powers of France and Spain. She half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands, France, and Ireland. By the mid-1580s, England could no longer avoid war with Spain.
As she grew older, Elizabeth became celebrated for her virginity. A cult of personality grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day. Elizabeth's reign became known as the Elizabethan era. The period is famous for the flourishing of English drama, led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, the prowess of English maritime adventurers, such as Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, and for the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Some historians depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered, sometimes indecisive ruler,[5] who enjoyed more than her fair share of luck. Towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity. Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer ("Gloriana") and a dogged survivor ("Good Queen Bess") in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones. After the short reigns of her half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped to forge a sense of national identity.
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Elizabeta I. (Palača Placentia, 7. rujna 1533. – Palača Richmond, 24. ožujka 1603.), engleska kraljica. Bila je šesta i posljednja vladarica dinastije Tudor, koja je vladala 44 godine, a čija je vladavina bila obilježena jačanjem engleske moći i utjecaja u svijetu, kao i vjerskim previranjima u samoj Engleskoj. Vrijeme njezine vladavine nazivaju Zlatnom Elizabetinom erom u kojoj je rasla ekonomska moć Engleske, te cvjetala znanost, filozofija i kultura. Tijekom njezine "zlatne ere" započinje kolonizacija Sjeverne Amerike i osniva se "Istočnoindijska kompanija".
I am the Storm
60 x 90 cm
Glass, beads, tiles, amethyst, stoneware, mirror, nuggets, TG, crockery and paper
Wedi backing
Grouted in dark lilac
The Great Goddess is not only the giver of life, she also takes it away. She is warmth, sustenance, shelter... she is storms, earthquakes, destruction. Mother Nature is not always gentle and kind - once unleashed, her rage is both awe inspiring and terrifying.
This mosaic shows one of her less peaceful aspects. Here, she is the storm. She is driving the storm, the storm is driving her. But she is also spinning out of control - no one can control the power of the storm, not even she herself. No one knows where its going or where the pieces will fall once it has blown itself out.
The swirls of the storm incorporate pictures of some of the scary, crazy, amazing, wonderful, terrible influences currently pulling our world in different directions. Whether the influences are for good or bad is a matter of opinion, where it will end a matter of speculation, but I know I'm not alone in feeling frightened. The storm however isn't frightened, she just is. Her face is an island of calm in the centre of all the surrounding chaos, she looks serene and joyous - who doesn't love a good storm?
The pictures within the mosaic are not in any particular symbolic order of up/down, right/left, good/bad, dark/light... I placed them where they fitted in best according to the colour of the mosaic.
On the top left hand side there's a picture of a cockroach. Cockroaches are not usually seen as forces for good, but I put it here as a hopeful image. It represents the life force in every living being. You often hear that after a nucular war the only suvivors would be the cockroaches - apparently that is not based on fact, but I do believe, if the worst comes to the worst and we manage to wipe out all of humankind and probably a large number of the other inahbitants of Earth while we're at it... I belive that life will continue in some form or other. And if its the cockroaches who survive, good for them.
Below that is the sun... from which we get warmth, light, vitamin D, solar flares, skin cancer, global warming... it shows us that behind the clouds of even the fiercest storm, the sun will still be shining. Admittedly it might take a while for it to get through after a nucular Winter, but it will be there.
Starting from the centre of the dark upper swirl the first image is of Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. I see her as an island of sanity and stability in the current political landscape. I think we should have far more women in postions of power, and btw, women are entitled to being just as falible as men are. I also think that a strong and united Europe is a very desirable thing in these times of shifting power balances. The world would probably be a better place if we had more politicians like Angela Merkel running things.
The next picture is of a woman wearing a niqab, standing for equal rights, obviously. But also against Islamophobia - I purposly chose a woman with a slightly challenging expression. I'm amazed at how much agression and fear a picture like this will often provoke. I once had a fascinating conversation with a women who wears a veil in public. She is articulate, intelligent, and has a great sense of humour. She wears a veil by choice because it is part of her culture and part of her belief system. I still object deeply to cultures that force women (or men) to cover up whatever parts of their anatomy - ours too! Free the nipple! But hating and fearing individuals because they are different is not the solution. So the niqab itself and the reactions to it disturb me about equally.
The next one is Malala - no need for explaination, right? A force for good against unbelievable odds, and an inspiration to us all. If she can still stand up fearlessly for what is right, after all she's been through, surely we can persevere and turn these current developments around!
Next up is a bunch of newspapers. They're from the UK in this case, but they stand for the press in general, all over the world. Some people think that journalists need to be controlled and persecuted... some think they should be free to write what they want about whatever they want. Some people think they always lie, some people think they're in the pockets of various interest groups. Its funny, I feel that in the last half year or so, journalists have moved from being shifty blighters who we need to keep a good eye on, to definitely absolutely being the good guys, a major defence against totalitarian regimes everywhere. This is a classic case of only appreciating something once you might loose it... Free press , please oh please lets keep free press!
Putin. What can I say? I do not like what is happening over there one little bit. I'd really rather not find out what he is working towards.
And on the right hand point of the upper swirl we have Trump. I was worried this mosaic would end up centered too much on the US, because the problems and challenges facing us are global. But lets face it, this mosaic was concieved and inspired by his election and his actions ever since. So yes, it is US centric.
Following the swirl, we come to the Pope. I am highly suspicious of organised religion, religious fundamentalism is resonsable for so much intollerance and hate the world over. So its very interesting that I included the heads of two major organised religions on this mosaic as forces for good. This current pope impresses me no end.
Next is a picture of two hands holding onto prison bars, sybolising lack or loss of basic freedoms for far too many people around the world, and fear that this will increase if things continue the way they seem to be headed now. Don't get me started on for profit prisons! How could that ever be a good idea???
To the left of the Goddess' arms we have the Damai Lama, the second religious leader on this mosaic. He was delt a very difficult hand and has against all odds become a figure who is rightfully admired and revered all the world over. I'm taking Tibet to represent anexed or supressed countries and peoples. China has a lot to answer for in this case and is certainly also observing current global developments with great interest.
Left of the Dalai Lama is a pile of books. Knowledge, or rather lack of it, is the root of many of the more sinister current trends. The books here are old, because knowledge and understanding of our past helps us understand the present and may help us shape the future.
The final image on this swirl is a selection of News outlet logos - representing free press again, but also internet comunication. It has never before been easier to get information on any topic whatsoever, it has proabably never been harder to suppress information either, or to spread false information... it has also never been harder to sift through all the information and try to decide what is true and what is fake. For better or worse, this is technology shaping our world today.
On the right hand side of the Goddess' hair there is a picture of some demonstrators in pussy hats from the women's marches in the US. It is inspiring to see people going out and standing up peacefully for what they believe to be right. Not only in the US, I had pictures of peaceful demonstrations from all over the place, but picked this one because... well: pussy hats, they are cool. Lets hope there are enough people who will continue to do so, that people will be legally allowed to do so... and that it will make a difference.
The blue streak at the hight of her naval, from left to right: First off a LGBT rainbow fist. Equal rights for all... lets hope these rights will not be eroded in the US and that more people all over the world will be able to live and love freely the way they want. Although right now, in too many places, it seems to be going in the other direction.
The next picture is one of the boats in the Mediterranean full of refugees from Syria. It was very hard to choose some of these pictures, and this one, while I was sticking glass to it, then grouting and polishing the tess, I was aware that every little dot on that picture is a human being who has been through horrors I don't even want to imagine. These here are the "lucky" ones, the ones who made it to the Mediterranean and who were sighted before their boat capsized - if anyone who has to flee their country can ever be considered lucky.
The third picture in this row is a group of test tubes/flacons - science, knowledge, research, a blessing or a curse? On the one hand I am deeply in favour of scientific peer reviewed studies as a mothod for gaining knowledge on any subject you care to name. Research should be as independant as possible, but at the same time it is very expensive and can also lead to enormous profits. Letting the free market decide on prices for drugs - for instance - is evidently not a good idea. And don't get me started on for profit health care. That is rather a lot for a couple of test tubes to stand in for though, isn't it?
To the right of her navel there is a puddle of water covered by a film of oil. The colours are beautiful... oil-contaminated water not so much. Renewable energy sources, anyone?
Next is a picture of a whale, just because. These creatures are so fascinating, we know so little about them, and who knows if they'll even last long enough for us to learn more.
The final image in this row is Brexit - another shocking and unexpected vote, another "where on earth is this all going to end?" moment. Buckle up, because like it or not, we're going to find out.
The light strip of clouds from left to right: The first picture is of a bundle of banknotes, because so much nowadays comes down to money - lack of it, wanting more of it, having too much of it. Plenty of studies show that higher income inequality reduces the quality of life for both the haves and the have nots, but at the same time income inequality is increasing at an alarming rate all over. Go figure.
To the left of her knees is a "coexist" sign. I have nothing against any religions or beliefs, so long as they also respect mine. For goodness' sake just live an let live, why is this so hard?
Too much of religion seems to be about hating, suppressing and controling others.
To the right of her knees there's an image of five interlinking hands with five different skin colours. What goes for religion also goes for skin colour... live and let live, we're all in this together. Unfortunatey racism isn't just going to dissapper anytime soon.
The next one is more of the same: The black power sign, another inspiring instance of people standing up for their rights. Its nowhere near where it should be, work in progress... And like so much else here, in the current political climate, things will likely get worse before they get better.
Finally, an archve picture of an atomic mushroom cloud. Too many atomic bombs are in the hands of people who are too trigger happy by far. I don't even want to think about it. But unfortunately I do.
The last Swirl by her feet, starting from the right and working inwards: The first image is one of the most chilling to me. It is of a perfectly nice US family posing with their guns. Seriously, I just don't get the thing Americans have for guns. I live in a country where many housholds have a gun - but locked away for use in the case of war, not paraded around on a Sunday afternoon picknick!
The next is a Polar bear... who may soon become extinct because of global warming and the melting of the ice caps.
To the right of her feet is a lovely picture representing another whole mixture of politics and
religion, a conflict with no end in sight, which can stand for many more similar situations all over the world.
To the left of her feet: A wolf. Wolves are coming back to Switzerland after having been extinct here for many years, which is very cool. Then there are people who don't want them to make a comeback and keep shooting them. The kind of story that is playing out in many places around the world..
The picture right on the left of this swirl is one of the protestors of Standing Rock, a man on a horse facing a line of tanks. The outcome was sadly expected and disapointing, but what a heartwarming show of solidarity and pride in their heritage. People all over the world were rooting for them. Renewable energy sources, anyone?
Going on down: The Chinese Wall - standing in for all kinds of walls built between all kinds of boundries. History doesn't seem to show this to be a particularly successful way of going about things, but hey, people keep on trying.
The next image is of parched earth. Global warming, floods, draught... Is access to clean drinking water a right or a privelege? Will the earth be able to sustain an ever growing population?
The next is another very nasty picture: a sea turtle caught in piece of plastic. The amount of plasic in our oceans in horrendous, and that is another thing that is likely to get worse before it might one day hopefully get better.
The last image on this swirl is a tank. Because war. I don't want to live through one if at all possible. I'm sure a great many other people don't want to either. I expect people living in a war zone would really like it to stop. There are absolutley things worth fighting for... but lets try to work towards less wars, yeah?
The very last picture on the bottom left hand side is a small dandelion working its way through asphalt. Isn't it amazing how you can have six feet of concrete, and somewhere underneath there is a little seed just patiently waiting to work its way through? Life cannot be contained.
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Catalan
El Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, basílica coneguda habitualment com la Sagrada Família, és un dels exemples més coneguts del modernisme català i que ha esdevingut tot un símbol de Barcelona. Obra inacabada de l'arquitecte català Antoni Gaudí, és al barri de la Sagrada Família, al districte de l'Eixample de la ciutat.
En aquest temple, l'arquitecte va concebre una minuciosa simbologia dintre d'un poema místic amb grans audàcies constructives formals, com en la seva forma de concebre l'estructura amb l'arc parabòlic o catenària, també anomenat funicular de forces, combinant el tractament escultòric naturalista amb l'abstracció de les torres. Segons dades de l'any 2004, la Sagrada Família és el monument més visitat de l'Estat espanyol, per damunt fins i tot de l'Alhambra i el Museu del Prado. El 2008 va rebre més de 2,7 milions de visitants, xifra que s'elevà fins a 3,2 milions el 2011. L'obra realitzada per Antoni Gaudí, és a dir, la cripta i la façana del Naixement, foren declarades Patrimoni de la Humanitat per la UNESCO el 2005.
El concepte de temple expiatori fa que la seva realització s'efectuï a partir d'almoines, cosa que ha provocat que de vegades s'hagin hagut de paralitzar les obres. Tanmateix, des de la dècada de 1990 l'afluència de visitants i el gran renom mundial han fet canviar la situació econòmica i les obres han pres una forta embranzida.
La Sagrada Família va ser dedicada al culte i declarada basílica menor catòlica pel papa Benet XVI el 7 de novembre de 2010. Malgrat que no és una catedral, diverses fonts l'han denominat la Catedral d'Europa pel caràcter universal que Gaudí volia donar-li.
English
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Catalan pronunciation: [səˈɣɾaðə fəˈmiɫiə]; English: Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop.
Though construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death.
The basílica has a long history of dividing the citizens of Barcelona, over the initial possibility it might compete with Barcelona's cathedral, over Gaudí's design itself, over the possibility that work after Gaudí's death disregarded his design, and the recent proposal to build an underground tunnel of Spain's high-speed rail link to France could disturb its stability.
Describing Sagrada Família, art critic Rainer Zerbst said, "It is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art" and Paul Goldberger called it, "The most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages."
Portuguese
Templo Expiatório da Sagrada Família, também conhecido simplesmente como Sagrada Família, é um grande templo católico da cidade catalã de Barcelona (Espanha), desenhado pelo arquiteto catalão Antoni Gaudí, e considerado por muitos críticos como a sua obra-prima e expoente da arquitetura modernista catalã. Financiado unicamente por contribuições privadas , o projeto foi iniciado em 1822 e assumido por Gaudí em 1883, quando tinha 31 anos de idade, dedicando-lhe os seus últimos 40 anos de vida, os últimos quinze de forma exclusiva. A construção foi suspensa em 1936 devido à Guerra Civil Espanhola e não se estima a conclusão para antes de 2026, centenário da morte de Gaudí.
A construção começou em estilo neogótico, mas o projeto foi reformulado completamente por Gaudí ao assumi-lo. O templo foi projetado para ter três grandes fachadas: a Fachada da Natividade, quase terminada com Gaudí ainda em vida, a Fachada da Paixão, iniciada em 1952, e a Fachada da Glória, ainda por completar. Segundo o seu proceder habitual, a partir de esboços gerais do edifício Gaudí improvisou a construção à medida que esta avançava. O templo, quando estiver terminado, disporá de 18 torres: quatro em cada uma das três entradas-portais, a jeito de cúpulas; irá ter um sistema de seis torres, com a torre do zimbório central dedicada a Jesus Cristo, de 170 metros de altura, outras quatro ao redor desta, dedicadas aos evangelistas, e um segundo zimbório dedicado à Virgem. O interior estará formado por inovadoras colunas arborescentes inclinadas e abóbadas baseadas em hiperboloides e paraboloides buscando a forma ótima da catenária. Estima-se que poderá levar no seu coro 1500 cantores, 700 crianças e cinco órgãos. Em 1926, ano em que faleceu Gaudí, apenas estava construída uma torre. Do projeto do edifício só ficaram planos e um modelo em gesso que resultou muito danificado durante a Guerra Civil Espanhola. Desde então prosseguiram as obras: atualmente (2013) estão terminados os portais da Natividade e da Paixão, e foi iniciado o da Glória, estando em construção as abóbadas interiores.
A obra que realizou Gaudí - a fachada da Natividade e a cripta - foi incluída pela UNESCO em 2005 no Sítio do Patrimônio Mundial com o título «Obras de Antoni Gaudí».
Wikipedia
Le Mans 2008
With the transition from first-generation LMP spec to the new cars complete, the grid has filled with many new teams and many new cars all chasing the two big-league diesels.
French team Charouz bring an interesting new sound to Le Mans in their new Lola coupe, the shriek of an Aston Martin V12.
New Swiss team Sebah Speedy Racing runs another new Lola coupe in a sharp-looking Rebellion Timepieces livery.
Pescarolo's cars are run by three teams. Despite rule changes to give petrol cars a performance boost, all were quick but well off the big diesel pace.
Oreca bought Courage last year and have continued to develop the LC70, running a Mondrian-esque multi-color Matmut livery and a driver lineup which will become familiar names, Duval, Fassler.
Dome rolls out their new sleek and very fast s102 in plain white (practically begging for some sponsorship)
Two teams bring an Evo version of Porsche's RS Spyder from ALMS, redesigned by former Audi designer Michael Pfadenhauer and wins both LMP2 class Pole as well as the class victory.
Peugeot has worked through the first-year problems on the 908 and is in fierce competition with Audi, and just slightly faster. The Le Mans week got off to a rough start, though, with one of the 908's launching itself backwards through the air and destroying itself on the wall. A new car had to be built from spares and a tub rushed from Peugeot’s shop.
Audi stay with their still-very-competitive diesel V12-powered R10 and run just about the same pace as the Peugeots.
The race is run nearly flat out, Peugeot stretching away from Audi with frenetic pace. Rain in the latter half of the race was an equalizer and the differences in wet stability, fuel efficiency, and tire strategies enabled Audi to catch and eventually pass Peugeot for the win. With some help from Capello and McNish, Tom Kristensen extends his Le Mans record to 8 wins.
Follow along as I retrace the important and interesting prototypes of the Le Mans "LMP" era and the story of Audi's legacy. #legolemans
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 16, 2020) A visit, board, search and seizure team from the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) approaches a simulated suspect vessel during a training exercise. New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
Puck's Glen is a river-formed ravine on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a popular scenic walking trail beside the Eas Mòr stream (Gaelic for "big waterfall"). In 2020 the glen and adjoining trails were closed temporarily due to issues of stability of the gorge, and felling of trees infected by larch disease.
It comes under Forestry and Land Scotland which has highlighted it as a feature of the Argyll Forest Park (itself within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park), and described it as "One of the most magical forests in Scotland, with a delightful trail along a rocky gorge."
The stream tumbles down a series of waterfalls and rapids, joining the River Eachaig about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) south of the entrance to the Benmore Botanic Garden. A car park off the A815 road (about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Dunoon on the road to Loch Eck) gives access by a track to the foot of the glen path, as well as forest paths giving an alternative route to the top of the glen.
The Benmore Estate, previously hunting grounds of the Campbells of Ballochyle, was improved by a succession of owners in the 19th century. Forestry plantation began in the 1820s, and extensive garden improvements were made from 1862 by James Piers Patrick. The Ordnance Survey from 1865 shows the Eas Mòr gorge extending uphill through a small area of woodland into open moorland with some trees in the ravine.
In 1870 the Greenock sugar refiner and philanthropist James Duncan bought the estate, and added the adjacent Kilmun and Bernice Estates. He arranged extensive plantings, including more than six million trees around the estate, and added paths leading up the Eas Mòr gorge for his visitors to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the glen, reminiscent of the mythological Puck, the character Puck in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Henry Younger of the Edinburgh brewer Younger's bought the estate in 1889, and with his son Harry George Younger made many improvements to the woods and gardens.
Two strips of Japanese larch planted at Puck's Glen around 1903 were successfully established by 1912, though European larch had failed in the locality. In 1918, the Anchor Line Staff Magazine noted that Benmore House was celebrated for "Puck's Glen with its amber stream cutting a channel through moss-draped schistose rock, and tumbling from one silver rock-chalice to another."
In 1924, Harry George Younger presented the estates to the Forestry Commissioners. The Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society made a visit in July 1925, and described Puck's Glen as "a striking example of how man, working hand in hand with nature, has made what was once a bare hillside ravine into one of the most lovely walks imaginable." Starting near the sixth milestone from Dunoon on the old main road to Arrochar, the bridle-path "by the stream which the Ordnance Survey map calls the Eas Mor, but which is better known as Puck's Burn" was soon hemmed in by steep banks, "while growing on their slopes are conifers of a dozen or more varieties, rhododendrons, and many of the rarer species of ferns. The path follows the stream through the whole course of the ravine".
In commemoration of the improvements James Duncan had made to the estate, Younger provided the Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut above the glen, dedicated to the memory of the botanist Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour. The hut was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with wood panelling featuring all the varieties of timber grown at Benmore, and positioned above the tree-tops. The dedication ceremony in September 1928 enjoyed fine weather; The Gardeners' Chronicle described its site as commanding "beautiful views above a gorge where 'the singing waters fall to the Eachaig River from lofty heights' " amidst towering woods, with Beinn Mhòr visible through a faint blue haze.
In 1929 the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh opened the Younger Botanic Garden in the Benmore estate as its first outstation, and in the 1930s the Forestry Commission established Kilmun Arboretum to the south of Puck's Glen, planting large groups of tree species rather than individual specimens
The Forestry Commission's Scottish National Forest Park Guide, issued in 1947, calls Puck's Glen "a rocky cleft beside a rushing stream, leading up to a fine viewpoint, which may be visited without charge or formality", and describes access by Clyde steamer and bus services.
In 1948, the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal noted regular visits to Puck's Glen, "attractive at all seasons but at its best in the Rhododendron month of June", and praised the view "from the Rest Hut, exquisitely designed by Robert Lorimer".
The Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut, Puck's Hut, was moved in 1968 to the walled garden in the Botanic Garden. It originally had a fireplace and chimney, but these were not reconstructed, and were replaced by an additional window. In 1992 the hut was listed as a Grade C listed building.[15] The Puck's Glen path needed repair, and was restored in May 1986, with renewed bridges.
The high rainfall, with an average annual precipitation of around 200 to 230 cm (79 to 91 in), is suited to temperate rainforest and associated undergrowth. The acid soil makes the area particularly suitable for conifers. The Forestry Commission has planted coniferous trees at the sides of Puck's Glen, which runs through Uig Wood. The lower slopes of this woodland feature some of the earliest tree plantations on the estate.
The wood forms part of Benmore forest, which features waymarked trails leading visitors among trees including giant Californian redwoods, Douglas fir and Western hemlock. Puck's Glen itself is part of the Puck's Glen Gorge Trail, leading from the car park, and the Black Gates Trail which starts at the entrance to Benmore Botanic Garden, and goes past extensive mature conifers on the hillside of Benmore forest before connecting to the top of the Upper Puck's Glen loop.
A signpost at the forestry track crossing Puck's Glen points south along the track to Kilmun Arboretum and north along the track to Benmore Botanic Garden. It also points to the Upper Puck's Glen Loop path which continues further uphill beside the stream before connecting to the top of the Black Gates Trail. Some detailed routes are available online at Walkhighlands.
Argyll Forest Park is a forest park located on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. Established in 1935, it was the first forest park to be created in the United Kingdom.[2] The park is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, and covers 211 km2 in total.
From the Holy Loch in the south to the Arrochar Alps in the north, the park includes a variety of landscapes, from high peaks to freshwater and seawater lochs.
Much of the forest park lies within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was established in 2002, however the forests at Corlarach and Ardyne in Cowal are outwith the national park boundary but within the forest park.
Forestry and Land Scotland highlight trails at the following places:
Glenbranter, bike trails and walks, featuring ancient oaks
Puck's Glen, trail up rocky gorge among woodlands
Benmore, forest around Benmore Botanic Garden, with giant trees
Kilmun Arboretum, collection of tree species in woodland groves
Ardentinny, easy trails and beach walk
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (Scottish Gaelic: Pàirc Nàiseanta Loch Laomainn is nan Tròisichean) is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills. It was the first of the two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament in 2002, the second being the Cairngorms National Park. The park extends to cover much of the western part of the southern highlands, lying to the north of the Glasgow conurbation, and contains many mountains and lochs. It is the fourth-largest national park in the British Isles, with a total area of 1,865 km2 (720 sq mi) and a boundary of some 350 km (220 mi) in length. It features 21 Munros (including Ben Lomond, Ben Lui, Beinn Challuim, Ben More and two peaks called Ben Vorlich) and 20 Corbetts.
The park straddles the Highland Boundary Fault, which divides it into two distinct regions - lowland and highland - that differ in underlying geology, soil types and topography. The change in rock type can most clearly be seen at Loch Lomond itself, as the fault runs across the islands of Inchmurrin, Creinch, Torrinch and Inchcailloch and over the ridge of Conic Hill. To the south lie green fields and cultivated land; to the north, mountains.
The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park lies close to Scotland's heavily populated Central Belt, and the area has long been popular with visitors. Principal attractions are viewing scenery and wildlife, walking, climbing, water sports, and other outdoor activities. In 2017, there were 2.9 million visits to the park, of which 2.1 million were day visits and 783,000 were made by visitors staying overnight within the park.
Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020). The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Robin Currie, a councillor for Kintyre and the Islands.
Argyll and Bute covers the second-largest administrative area of any Scottish council. The council area adjoins those of Highland, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire.
History
Buteshire and Argyll were two of the historic counties of Scotland, having originated as shires (the area controlled by a sheriff) in the Middle Ages. From 1890 until 1975 both counties had an elected county council.
In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts were abolished and replaced with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. The Strathclyde region was created covering a large part of western Scotland. Strathclyde was divided into nineteen districts, one of which the 1973 Act called "Argyll", covering most of the former county of Argyll, but also including the Isle of Bute from Buteshire. The shadow authority elected in 1974 requested a change of name to "Argyll and Bute", which was agreed by the government before the new district came into being on 16 May 1975.
As created in 1975 the Argyll and Bute district covered the whole area of fourteen of Argyll's sixteen districts and part of a fifteenth, plus two of Buteshire's five districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
From Argyll:
Campbeltown Burgh
Cowal District
Dunoon Burgh
Inveraray Burgh
Islay District
Jura and Colonsay District
Kintyre District
Lochgilphead Burgh
Mid Argyll District
Mull District
North Lorn District: the Lismore and Appin, and Ardchattan electoral divisions only, rest (Ballachulish and Kinlochleven electoral divisions) went to Lochaber district of Highland
Oban Burgh
South Lorn District
Tiree and Coll District
Tobermory Burgh
From Buteshire:
Bute District
Rothesay Burgh
The two Buteshire districts together corresponded to the whole Isle of Bute. The rest of Buteshire, being the Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes went to Cunninghame district. The Ardnamurchan district from Argyll went to the Lochaber district of Highland. The new district was made a single Argyll and Bute lieutenancy area.
Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. Argyll and Bute became one of the new council areas, but had its territory enlarged to include the town of Helensburgh and surrounding rural areas which had been in the Dumbarton district prior to 1996, and had formed part of the county of Dunbartonshire prior to 1975. The Helensburgh area had voted in a referendum in 1994 to join Argyll and Bute rather than stay with Dumbarton.
Transport
Railways
The main railway line in Argyll and Bute is the West Highland Line, which links Oban to Glasgow, passing through much of the eastern and northern parts of the area. From the south the line enters Argyll and Bute just to the west of Dumbarton, continuing north via Helensburgh Upper to the eastern shores of the Gare Loch and Loch Long. The line comes inland at Arrochar and Tarbet to meet the western shore of Loch Lomond. At the northern end of the loch the lines leaves Argyll and Bute to enter Stirling council area. The Oban branch of the West Highland Line re-enters the area just west of Tyndrum, and heads west to Oban: stations on this section of the line include Dalmally and Taynuilt railway station. The majority of services on the line are operated by ScotRail: as of 2019 the summer service has six trains a day to Oban, with four on Sundays. In addition to the ScotRail service is the nightly Caledonian Sleeper, although this does not run on the Oban branch.
Helensburgh also has a much more frequent service into Glasgow and beyond via the North Clyde Line, which has its western terminus at the town's central railway station.
Roads
The main trunk roads in Argyll and Bute are:
The A82, which runs along the western shore of Loch Lomond, providing the main route between Glasgow and Fort William.
The A83, which leaves the A82 at Tarbet, heading west and then south to eventually reach Campbeltown by way of Inveraray and Lochgilphead.
The A85, which leaves the A82 at Tyndrum (just outside Argyll and Bute) and heads west to Oban via Dalmally.
The A828, which leaves the A85 at Connel and north through Appin to join the A82 at Ballachulish.
The A815, which leaves the A83 in Glen Kinglas near Cairndow, heading south through Strachur and Dunoon and ends at Toward 40 miles later, on the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula. The A815 is the main road through Cowal.
The A886, which leaves the A815 at Strachur, passing through Glendaruel, the route includes a ferry link to the Isle of Bute, Colintraive - Rhubodach terminating at Port Bannatyne to the north of Rothesay.
Ferry services
Due to its heavily indented coastline and many islands, ferries form an important part of the council area's transport system. The main ferry operator in Argyll and Bute is Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which operates services from the mainland to most of the inhabited islands. Several other routes are operated by commercial operators, usually on contract to the council, although the Western Ferries service across the Firth of Clyde is run on a commercial basis.
Bute is served by a route across the Kyles of Bute between Rhubodach and Colintraive in Cowal, as well as a route between Rothesay to Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde. Both routes are operated by CalMac.
Coll and Tiree are each served from Oban, via a CalMac service that also provides links between the two islands, and a once-weekly link to Barra.
Gigha is served by a CalMac route from Tayinloan in Kintyre.
Islay is served by a CalMac route from Kennacraig in Kintyre. The service is timetabled to utilise either one of two ports on the island, with both Port Askaig and Port Ellen having a service to the mainland.
Feolin on Jura is linked to Port Askaig on Islay via a vehicle ferry run by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council. There is also a passenger-only service between the island's main centre, Craighouse, and Tayvallich on the mainland that is operated by Islay Sea Safaris.
Kerrera is linked to Gallanach (about 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Oban) by a passenger-only service operated by CalMac.
Lismore is served by two ferries, a vehicle and passenger service operated by CalMac that runs from Oban, and a passenger-only service from Port Appin that is operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
Mull is served by a route between Oban and Craignure on the island's east coast, as well as routes across the Sound of Mull (between Lochaline and Fishnish, and Tobermory and Kilchoan). All three routes are operated by CalMac.
Iona is linked to Mull via a CalMac service from Fionnphort at Mull's southwest tip.
The island of Seil, which itself is linked to the mainland via the Clachan Bridge, has links to two further islands: Easdale and Luing. Both services are operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
There are also routes connecting some mainland locations in Argyll and Bute to other parts of the mainland:
There is a CalMac service across Loch Fyne which provides a link between Portavadie in Cowal and Tarbert in Kintyre.
The Cowal peninsula route is a passenger-only service from the Dunoon Breakwater to Gourock pier, giving easy access to ScotRail services at Gourock railway station with onward transport to Glasgow Central station. This route was for a period run by a CalMac subsidiary company, Argyll Ferries, but has since January 2019 been operated directly by CalMac.
CalMac provide a limited (3 ferry each way per week) service between Cambeltown in Kintyre and Ardrosssan in North Aryshire during the summer months.
Western Ferries, a commercial operator, runs a vehicle and passenger service between Hunters Quay to McInroy's Point that also provides a link between Cowal and Inverclyde in (partial) competition with the subsidised CalMac service.
A service operated by Clyde Marine Services on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport runs between Kilcreggan and Gourock pier, providing a link from the Rosneath peninsula to the rail network at Gourock.
Argyll and Bute also has ferry services linking it to islands in neighbouring council areas:
Oban is the mainland terminal for services to Barra in Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Outer Hebrides).
Lochranza on Arran, in North Ayrshire, has a year-round service to Kintyre: during the summer the mainland port used is Claonaig, however in winter the service is reduced to a single daily return crossing from Tarbert.
There is also a passenger-only ferry service linking Campbeltown and Port Ellen on Islay with Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, running seasonally from April to September, operated by West Coast Tours as the Kintyre Express.
Cultural references
The later scenes of the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love were filmed around the lochs and hills of Argyll and Bute.
The area has also been indirectly immortalised in popular culture by the 1977 hit song "Mull of Kintyre" by Kintyre resident Paul McCartney's band of the time, Wings.
The Djed-pillar or "backbone of Osiris" is a symbol that signifies stability and permanence. In Egyptian art, the pillar is a popular motif because it was believed to guarantee a steady and secure afterlife for the deceased. During a funeral ceremony, the priest would place a golden djed-amulet upon the neck of the mummy while reciting a spell of the Book of the Dead: "The one whose neck this amulet is placed on shall become (...) a skilful akh spirit.
Wood
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
The big man himself, Artakha. Created by the great beings to assist in the construction of the universe, once it was complete, he was forgotten about. Artakha made his island a refuge for other forgotten creations of the great beings, and they soon found they had a common cause. Justice. And so the Hand of Artakha was formed. Unlike the keepers of order made by the great beings (The Brotherhood), the Hand is not concerned by stability and peace, instead seeking to protect the lives and rights of the innocent. Artakha, while not the leader, is an expert craftsman. The Mask of Creation can instruct him how to create nearly anything, only limited by Artakha's own proficiencies. When not creating wonders, he works to improve himself, learning new techniques and honing old ones.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 1, 2020) The forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) transits the Philippine Sea. New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Walter Estrada)
Paper: 10 cm
Modules: 6 face modules, 8 vertex modules, 12 edge modules = 26 modules
Model: Tomoko Fuse
Book: Kusudama Origami Hanakiriko p. 80-3
Each of the variants A,B and C occurs on opposing side, one in yellow, one in orange. Glued for stability, holds without. The octagonal faces are folded from squares, the additional paper is used fo rthe decoration of the center. A nice and typical Fuse Model.
INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 26, 2018) Sailors assigned to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) and Marines assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) render honors to the Indian Navy destroyer INS Rajput (D 51) while conducting a cooperative deployment with the Indian Navy. Anchorage is deployed as part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th MEU. The Essex ARG/ 13th MEU is a capable and lethal Navy-Marine Corps team deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations to support regional stability, reassure partners and allies and maintain a presence postured to respond to any crisis ranging from humanitarian assistance to contingency operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan M. Breeden/Released)
Straps secure the tripod and gimbal, stabilizing the Sony 600mm f/4 ("bazooka") lens in the canoe. Outriggers mounted behind the seat prevent the canoe from tipping.
The purpose of this picture in regards to isolation and motivation.
I have a really bad case of childhood PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) that has left me an incredibly lonely person at times and struggling for motivation. As an artist that can pose quite the problem when wanting to create, but being held back because I have little motivation. My PTSD is most active in my dreams, but also play a big part in my interaction with people, and daily functioning. My childhood consisted of no stability, and because of that, in a way I was forced to take note of the world around me and find a way to raise myself. I was forced to grow up fast instead of being a child. Growing up fast has had its benefits but mainly its consequences. As a 10 year old kid I saw no problem with being more mature, being more “adult”. But at 17 I have realized that I have become more mature for my own good. I have spent so much time being in survival mode to “keep going” that I have skipped over being a kid that has left me trying to keep up with myself.
As a child I watched the other kids play while I sat in the windows 2 doors away and watched. Stuffed animals became my best friend, and I has to focus on entertaining myself while my mother was off in her own little world. The only thing (and probably the greatest thing) that I gained from it was art. The hours of practicing that have made me grow as an artist. My mind escaped reality into a creative world where I could be anything, I could be anywhere. I could do anything. When times were rough, I could crawl into my head and escape a world where I could be anything I wanted to be, create images in my head that I had no idea how to express them though drawing. So as a kid…..I spent a lot of time alone. It’s just become a comfort thing now. I rather be alone and avoid conflict.
In retrospect this picture means a lot of things.
It defiantly fits my mood lately with trying to create and being held back by motivation.
Juggling school, trying to make money and somehow finding the time after client work to shoot my own stuff is hard. By the end of the day I’m normally tired and just need to sleep.
Most bird motion of any sort is accompanied by some wing action to help them maintain their stability. This accomplished gymnast is leaping to a lower position on the rocks surrounding the pool without extending his wings... maybe showing off for the ladies?
IMG_2579; Black-headed Grosbeak
SNMG1-Port visit in London ESPS CANTABRIA (A15) in Royal Docks London - 27 JAN 2016 - Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG1), under the command of Spanish Rear Admiral Jose Delgado, arrived in London for a scheduled port visit, during their deployment to the North and Baltic Seas to enhance maritime security and to contribute to international stability. SNMG1’s flagship, the Spanish F100 class frigate ESPS ALVARO de BAZAN (F101), the Type 23 Frigate HMS IRON DUKE (F234) and the Spanish Fleet Replenishment Ship ESPS CANTABRIA (A15) are in port at the Royal Docks, London - Photo by WO ARTIGUES (HQ MARCOM).
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 6, 2020) A Force Reconnaissance Marine with Command Element, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) performs a simulated breach utilizing a welding torch during a visit, board, search and seizure exercise aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)
EAST CHINA SEA (Feb. 23, 2022) Retail Specialist 3rd Class Darius Connor, from Abilene, Texas, shoots an M240 B machine gun during a crew-served weapon qualification aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Desmond Parks)
Vajrasatva Mahaa Aakasha Pushti Nama Yogenii Tantra, rDo rJe Sems dPa' Nam mKha' Che rGyas Pa Shes Bya rNal 'Byor Ma'i rGyud
Vol: Kha P. 595 Line 3
In the Language of India:
Vajrasatva Mahaa Aakasha Pushti Nama Yogenii Tantra
In the Tibetan Language:
rDo rJe Sems dPa' Nam mKha' Che rGyas Pa Shes Bya rNal 'Byor Ma'i rGyud
I fold my hands to the One Who Transcends Dominion and Possession, the Glorious Bearer of The Stone of Transformation!
On one occasion I spoke out these words:
He who transcends dominion and possession, the true Master of all those who leave behind dominion and possession and conduct themselves accordingly, whose personal character is physical, vocal, and psychological, and who is Supreme Bliss (bDe ba'i mChog) was, naturally, engaging the Lotus of Great Bliss, his honored wife. He erected a crystal palace from the powerful waves of tremendous happiness, a happiness that comes from working towards happiness, for his honored wife. Its architecture and dimensions were beyond measure.
The entire audience entered [the crystal palace], including:
Vajra Maker of All Vision
Vajra Stability
Vajra Glory of Supreme Rarity [596]
Vajra Endless Life, and
Vajra Accomplishment Free From Demonic Consumption
Their Honored Wives:
Wide Eyes (Yangs pa'i sPyan)
Feminine Stability
She Who Splendors in Jewels
She Whose Life is Unending
She who's Accomplishments Are Free from Demonic Consumption
Furthermore, there were the Enlightened Ones of Strong Mind:
Heart of the Land
He with the Power of Transformation in His Hands
Heart of the Sky
Dominator of the World
Kind
Polite Voice
Cleanser of Darkness
Goodness in All Things
And Their Honored Wives:
Dancer
Flower Garland
Singer
Actress
Perfume Lady
Flower
Candle
Sweet Water
The Honored Tylers were:
Killer of the Lord of the Dead
Victory in All Things
He Who Takes the Lotus to the End
He Who Puts the Soup of Life on the Stove (Thab or Thabs?)
Their Honored Wives:
She Who Kills the Lord of the Dead
She Who Wins at Everything
She Who Takes the Lotus to the End
She Who Puts the Soup of Life on the Stove
An audience of those already mentioned, and many others, all came together there, with no disparity between any of them. What is more, they came together just like sesame seeds, filling the whole place.
Their light made the dominions of the world visible. It filled [the world]. It pervaded [the world]. Suddenly it was there, looking like a glowing shimmer. [597]
Then, from the waves of the power of that great happiness, which comes out of working for happiness, there emerged Grand Masters numbering three thousand great thousands. All the dominions of the world were shaken by their might (mThu). Very Shaken. Totally shaken. They were wiped out. Very much wiped out. Totally wiped out. Totally and completely wiped out. They were blasted. Very blasted. Totally blasted. They crackled. Crackled loudly. Crackled all up.
Then the periphery was equalized with the center. All living beings were brought into submission. They also used the power of prayer to bring all the many kinds of physical realities, the many kinds of speech, and the many kinds of psychological realities into submission.
Through physical submission one manifests oneself in the work and deeds of a human being. One is born, studies, does things that are difficult to do, turns the wheel of truth, and so on. There are also methods of submission by which one does the work and deeds of a lion or the work and deeds of an elephant.
Submission through speech is an act of submission in which divine beings use divine language and dragons use dragon language.
Psychological submission is the act of submitting in the shining light of absorption as well as through magical ritual. [598]
This is the First Chapter of The Vast Tantra of the Magnificent Sky: The True Character of All Those Who Travel through Reality. It is called "The Topic under Discussion."
II
Then He Who Leaves behind Dominion and Possession smoothly moved into the absorption of Great Happiness which comes out of working towards happiness. It is called "Generous Royalty." He smiled with his face to those in the audience.
Then all those who had left behind dominion and possession, travelers through reality, addressed, in a single voice, the Master of those who leave behind dominion and possessions, travelers through reality, with these words:
Aye Ma Oh!
O Supreme Master of physical, vocal, and psychological realities!
Allow us, through your compassion,
To utilize a physical writing implement
To retain the methodology of your wisdom!
Then the Master of those who have left behind dominion and possession, those who travel through reality, took on the body of Goodness in All Things. All the Travelers through Reality saw him as having three faces and six arms.
Then those Travelers Through Reality, including Maker of All Visions, made a very pure sacrifice, an offering of what is external, what is internal, and what is secret, to Goodness In All Things, The Master of all those who have left behind dominion and possession, who travel throughout reality. [599]
They held their hands together and said these words:
"We request that the Master of all those who have left behind dominion and possessions, those who travel through reality, perform for us the transmission of empowerment into the Secret Mandala, and after that turn the wheel of the truth for that which has no symbol!"
They said this.
The Master of all those who travel reality, who leave behind dominion and possessions, listened to this, and said: "So be it!"
He gave instruction with these words:
Aye Ma Oh!
All of you want to request this Tantra,
For it is difficult to understand!
Good! Good! O Great Enlightened Ones!
Good! Good! Listen with respect!
Then all those who travel through reality repeatedly folded their hands, their eyes full with the greatest joy. They addressed him with these words:
Aye Ma Oh!
O Buddha, What a Buddha!
Aye Ma Oh!
The Buddha's announcement is Good!
Aye Ma Oh!
We request that you,
The one who has left behind dominion and possessions,
Explain to us the Supreme Magnificent Enlightenment!
Aye Ma Oh!
We request you,
Most Direct One (gZu bo che),
To explain that supreme secret word that,
When properly applied,
Consolidates a strategy
For bringing about the Great Enlightenment of All Living Beings!
Then the Master of all travelers through reality, those who have left behind dominion and possessions, [600] gave instructions to all those who travel through reality with these words:
You, The Unsurpassed,
Wish to quickly acquire
The perfect Ati Yoga,
The strategy for bringing about
The enlightenment of living beings.
So listen!
I will give you an explanation.
Then the Master of all those who travel through reality, those who have left behind dominion and possessions, smoothly moved into the absorption that is called "The Bedazzling Stone of Transformation." He positioned the audience in a Secret Mandala. Then he performed the transmission of the empowerment. After that he explained the truth of it, from the very beginning:
Reality itself is the true identity of everything.
Everything has been worked out to make this real.
The strategy is to engender wisdom.
This cannot be seen through perspectives based on differentials.
The true identity of all things
Cannot be seen by anyone whosoever!
Even the Buddha cannot see it!
The wisdom of enlightenment has no visible abode!
This is the real reason it has no true identity!
Nothing brings a harvest of Nothing!
A duality of Something and Nothing does not exist!
This is called "The Inconceivable Center."
The only thing real about a true identity
Is that there is nothing whatsoever to say about it!
Anything that can be an object of sensory perception
Cannot be proven to exist!
The true identity of all things [601]
Has no beginning and no end.
It neither lasts nor does it stop.
It is not plural nor is it single.
It does not come nor does it go.
Speculation is pacified through recognition.
Respected intentions have no substance!
This cannot be perceived by the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind (yid)!
The attitude that one is perceptive is a deception!
True purity cannot be understood!
There are no superior attitudes with regard to Samsara and Nirvana.
When one dwells in the way things really are
Stability and instability are both fine.
When what is taken in and what is saved are clear,
There are no specifics or generalities,
No endings and no beginnings.
The unspeakable is completely inconceivable!
Words that are not written down are the best.
(Yi ge Med pa – This is the Title of key tractate in the Great Sky cycle)
If you give up on words
The delusions of the mind will stop!
This is the second chapter of the Vast Tantra of the Magnificent Sky, the true nature of all those who travel through reality. It is called "Dwelling in Reality,"
III
Then the Master of travelers through reality, those who have left behind dominion and possessions, considered the previous request that had been presented by the audience. He intentionally spoke out the following intentional statement:
The truth about dwelling in reality
Is that there is no peace
Through acquisition or rejection.
It is difficult to determine,
And difficult to teach. [601]
It stands apart from linguistic conventions.
The physical aspect of the Stone of Transformation
Is not a compound.
The physical aspect of the immutable (gyung drung sku)
Has no birth or death.
It is not compounded in tripartite temporality.
That which is called "This,"
Magnificent and permanent,
The light of all things,
Cannot be taught symbolically.
I myself am incapable of seeing it.
It is not something that can be directly perceived.
It pervades all things.
It is actually a treasure that does not decay.
The true identity of all things
Is none other than their true potential (stong pa nyid).
There is no differential or difference whatsoever
Between Samsara and Nirvana.
There is not even a single thing to distinguish these two.
Things like conglomerates (phung po), domains (khams),
and generative forces (skye mched)
Along with their interdependent origination,
Are nothing but potentialities.
Those who are born into the true reality,
Which is their own potential,
Cannot see it.
The true reality
Is therefore known as "Travelling Through Reality."
It is as if all things move through bliss.
You will not find it by looking anywhere else.
No one who looks for true purity
Will be able to see the purity.
Some of those who are blind
Have a great insight into this.
Those who cannot see Nirvana
Or the position of the Buddha
Instantly achieve genuine enlightenment
Through Lotus Wisdom (Padma'i Ye shes).
The true Master has a single identity
But appears in many different ways.
The Master of distorted designations
Deceives living beings,
As if he was sticking them into a trap.
The transcendence of dominion and possessions
Is a magnificent occurrence.
The minds of those who do not make conceptual designations
Remain clear,
For they leave behind dominion and possessions.
Just as every living being dwells in reality,
Every Buddha is his own true origin.
Living beings bring themselves into life.
This [life] does not come from anything else.
It is on account of their ignorant designations
That all sentient beings,
Beings that [already] have Buddha Hearts (sangs rgyas snying po),
Come to experience all kinds of sorrow,
Both subtle and gross.
.
The Bhaga,
Which is the domain of what is true
Is the real condition of all sentient beings.
This is the sky.
It pervades everything.
Those who do not see this
Do not see it.
It is a serious error for them to put shadows over it.
It is vast, tremendous, and profound in depth.
It is understood by the wise (she rab can).
That which comes from nowhere, goes nowhere.
It has nothing to do with coming and going.
The heart of pure intent
Will not be found,
No matter where one looks,
No matter how many approaches one takes.
Purity is unshadowed self awareness (rang rig).
There is no origin
To all those material things.
They are not pure;
They are complete fabrications.
There is no difference whatsoever
Between the real domain of truth
And the heart that turns away from it.
Reality is without attachment.
It is not born and does not die.
It cannot be imagined nor conceived of.
It is bliss.
This is the Third Chapter of The Vast Tantra of the Magnificent Sky, a realistic paradigm for all travelers through reality. It is called "Teachings on the Unchanging Truth."
IV
Then the Master of all travelers through reality, those who have left behind dominion and possessions, longed, most delightfully, to manifest his own greatness. The Master of both the corporeal and of wisdom proclaimed the following:
Even the Buddha does not see
The reality that pervades all things.
It is not available to direct awareness,
While it pervades all things.
This comprehensive Light
Is not a compound.
It is actually permanent.
It is the corpus of the Stone of Transformation.
This, from amongst all pure embodiments,
Is the supreme body.
The explanation of the truth
Is called "The Corpus of Truth."
This is clearly understood by means of
A grand self-generated wisdom.
The One with the Lotus (Pad ma can) has put together
A series of tactics
Involving an inclusive basis (kun gzhi) as essential elements.
The corpus of actual enlightenment is not conceptual.
How, then, is this perfect corpus put together?
The actualization of perfect enlightenment
Is instantaneously realized
Through the Wisdom of its own potential.
This is the Corpus of Truth.
There is no other.
The Magnificent Mandala of what is real [605]
Becomes evident by virtue of its waves of power.
Attitudes based on conventional intentions
Give birth to tactics that do not prevent apparitions.
The field that is a Mandala for the Stone of Transformation
Has it dawn with the true instructions on Mantra and Mudra.
The Corpus of Enjoyment,
Supreme in its interconnectedness,
Is stationed, with its symbol and allegories,
In the massive collections of Letter Wheels (yi ge 'khor lo).
The corpus of good deeds (bsod nams)
Maintains the purest wisdom
With the continuity of a river.
The Lord (mgon po), The Grand Master,
Turns the wheel of the stone of transformation.
He uses his tongue's powers to send forth
The turning of the wheel of truth.
There is interconnectedness between prayers
And the magnificent Aware Ones.
They appear in manifest embodiments
Throughout every domain in the world.
Utilizing impermanent things,
They demonstrate a way
To get from birth right up to Nirvana.
They bring everyone that has distorted ideas
Into the fields of those with Great Hearts.
Through the stages of the physical, the verbal, and the psychological,
They bring fulfillment to the lives of living beings.
This is the forth chapter of The Vast Tantra of the Magnificent Sky, a realistic paradigm for all travelers through reality. It is called "Teaching that the Master of the Harvest has a Physical nature along with his Wisdom." [606]
V
Then the Master of all travelers through reality, those who have left behind dominion and possessions, spoke out a strategy on the Mandalas of the corporeal, the vocal, and the psychological so that they should be realized.
The reality of any truth
Is not masculine, nor feminine, nor neuter.
There is something essential
About bringing in the harvest.
Do not talk about the various sorts of Mandalas!
They are made from shapes,
Which pervade all things.
The corpuses of truth and of perfect enjoyment,
Along with their innumerable manifest embodiments
Are dispersed [everywhere],
But are not elaborated upon.
That which is pure is not a potential.
It shows itself to every living being in the three spheres
[of Desire, Form, and Formlessness]
In a physical form that will be suitable
For the purpose of making them submit.
Potentialities cannot be removed from shapes.
The Masters,
Who are not spoken of,
Have the power to make them submit.
They send out all kinds of sounds and words
To control all kinds of conjectures.
I have taught the single transport (theg pa),
The dual transport, the triple transport,
The five transports, and inconceivable others. [607]
This was to prevent the separation of the center
From the periphery.
The purity of the Sonic Mandala
Is the inconceivable way that it spreads out everywhere.
There is something about the supreme Sonic Mandala
That makes the eighty four thousand bounteous worlds
Melt into Sonic Spaciousness.
He said this.
Then the entire Sonic Mandala melted into the spaciousness of truth, and became invisible.
Then he spoke on the Magnificent Mandala of the Heart.
The Mahamudra shines out
From the mudra of reality.
The clan of the real (de bzhin)
The clan of the Stone of Transformation (rdo rje)
And the clan of Precious Things (rin chen)
Blaze in the light of the Mahamudra!
Just like the blazing Udum flowers
That are sometimes found on lonely pathways.
You alone perceive all the Mandalas of Illusion.
For others, there is nothing there at all.
Thus he spoke.
Then all the Mandalas of the Heart were transformed beyond the imagination.
This is the fifth chapter of The Vast Tantra of the Magnificent Sky, a realistic paradigm for all travelers through reality. It is called "A Non-conceptual Teaching on the Physical, Vocal and Heart Mandalas." [608]
--
Peace on Earth
Translated by Christopher Wilkinson
Rosso 2718, recently transferred from Keighley & District, works a Saturday 464 journey, when photographed in Haslingden. After a spell when these vehicles were viewed as unusual interlopers, a degree of stability (and predictability) has now ensued ! The Volvo / Plaxton was new to London Central (as PVL 269) before passing to Transdev.
This image is copyright and must not be reproduced or downloaded without the permission of the photographer.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Seeking a domestic aircraft manufacturer, the Brazilian government made several investments in this area during the 1940s and '50s, but it was not until 1969 that Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica (EMBRAER) was created as a government-owned corporation. Born from a Brazilian government plan and having been state-run from the beginning, EMBRAER began a privatization process alongside many other state-controlled companies during the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This privatization effort saw EMBRAER sold on December 7, 1994, and helped it avoid a looming bankruptcy.
The company's first product was a turboprop transport, the EMBRAER EMB 110 Bandeirante. In the course of years, both civil and military aircraft were developed, the focus shifted more and more to airliners, but the military work was never abandoned. The company continued to win government contracts, which included the EMB 314/T-27 Tucano trainer or the EMB 324/A-29 ground attack aircraft.
The EMB 320 was a bigger aircraft, though, and conceived in the early 2000s, when, with renewed economic stability, the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira, FAB) underwent an extensive renewal of its inventory through several acquisition programs. The most ambitious of which was the acquisition of 36 new front-line interceptor aircraft to replace its aging Mirage III, known as the “F-X Project”.
In parallel, a supplement to the relatively new AMX fighter bomber (designated A-1 in Brazil) was needed, too, and this program ran under the handle “A-X Project”. While the F-X program was postponed several times until 2005, the A-X program made, thanks to its smaller budget needs, quick progress and resulted in the EMB 320 'Libélula' (Hornet), a dedicated ground attack, COIN and observation/FAC aircraft which would fill the gap between the AMX jets and various helicopters, e. g. the Mi-35M4 attack helicopter.
The EMB 320 was a straightforward design: a mid-wing two-turboprop-engined all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear. Conceptually it was very similar to the Argentinian FMA IA-58 Pucara, but more sophisticated and with more compact dimensions. The aircraft was designed to operate from forward bases, in high temperature and humidity conditions in extremely rugged terrain. Repairs could be made with ordinary tools, and no ground equipment was required to start the engines.
The EMB 320 had a tandem cockpit arrangement; the crew of two were seated under an extensively glazed canopy on Martin-Baker Mk 6AP6A zero/zero ejection seats and were provided with dual controls. The pilot sat in front, while the rear seat would, if the mission called for it, be occupied by an observer, WSO or a flight teacher for training purposes. Armor plating was fitted to protect the crew and engines from hostile ground fire.
The retractable tricycle landing gear, with a double nose wheel and twin main wheels retracting into the engine nacelles, was fitted with low pressure tires to suit operations on rough ground and unprepared air strips, while the undercarriage legs were tall to give good clearance for underslung weapon loads. The undercarriage, flaps and brakes are operated hydraulically, with no pneumatic systems.
Through powerful high lift devices the EMB 320 could perform short takeoffs and landings, even on aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious assault ships without using catapults or arresting wires. Additionally, three JATO rockets could be fitted under the fuselage to allow extra-short take-off.
The aircraft was powered by a pair of Garrett T76-G turboprops, 1,040 hp (775.5 kW) each, driving sets of contra-rotating, three-bladed Hamilton-Standard propellers which were also capable of being used as air brakes. The engines were modified for operating on soy-derived bio-jet fuel. Alternatively the engines would operate on high-octane automobile fuel with only a slight loss of power, too.
Fuel was fed from two fuselage tanks of combined capacity of 800 l (180 imp gal; 210 US gal) and two self-sealing tanks of 460 l (100 imp gal; 120 US gal) in the wings.
The “Libélula”, quickly christened this way due to its slender fuselage, straight wings and the large cockpit glazing, was highly maneuverable at low altitude, had a low heat signature and incorporated 4th generation avionics and weapons system to deliver precision guided munitions at all weather conditions, day and night.
Armament consisted of two fixed 30 mm (1.181 in) Bernardini Mk-164 cannons in the wing roots and a total of nine external weapon hardpoints; these included a pair of launch rails at the wingtips for AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs (or ECM pods), four underwing pylons outside of the propeller radius and three underfuselage hardpoints. Chaff/flare dispensers in the tail section provided passive safety. The EMB 320 could carry more than 3.5 tons of external munitions, and loiter for three or more hours.
Avionics included:
● MIL-STD-1553 standards
● NVG ANVIS-9 (Night Vision)
● CCIP / CCRP / CCIL / DTOS / LCOS / SSLC (Computerized Attack Modes)
● R&S{RT} M3AR VHF/UHF airborne transceiver (two-way encrypted Data Link provision)
● HUD / HOTAS
● HMD with UFCP(Up Front Control Panel)
● Laser INS with GPS Navigational System
● CMFD (Colored Multi-Function Display) liquid crystal active matrix
● Integrated Radio Communication and Navigation
● Video Camera/Recorder
● Automatic Pilot with embedded mission planning capability
● Stormscope WX-1000E (Airborne weather mapping system)
● Laser Range Finder
● WiPak Support – (Wi-Fi integration for Paveway bombs)
● Training and Operation Support System (TOSS)
The prototype made its maiden flight on 2nd of April 2000. In August 2001, the Brazilian Air Force awarded EMBRAER a contract for 52 A-27 Libélula aircraft with options for a further 23, acquired from a contract estimated to be worth around $320 USD millions. The first aircraft was delivered in December 2003. By September 2007, 50 aircraft had entered service. The 75th, and last, aircraft was delivered to the FAB in June 2012.
While the Libélula has not been used in foreign conflicts the aircraft already fired in anger: One of the main missions of the aircraft was and is border patrol under the SIVAM program, and this resulted in several incidents in which weapons were fired.
On 3 June 2009, two BAF A-27A Libélulas, guided by an EMBRAER E-99, intercepted a Cessna U206G engaged in drug trafficking activities. Inbound from Bolivia, the Cessna was intercepted in the region of Alta Floresta d'Oeste and, after exhausting all procedures, one of the Moscarsos fired a warning shot from its 30mm cannons, after which the aircraft followed the Libélulas to Cacoal airport.
This incident was the first use of powers granted under the Shoot-Down Act, which was enacted in October 2004 in order to legislate for the downing of illegal flights. A total of 176 kg of pure cocaine base paste, enough to produce almost a ton of cocaine, was discovered on board the Cessna; the aircraft's two occupants attempted a ground escape before being arrested by Federal Police in Pimenta Bueno.
On 5 August 2011, Brazil started “Operation Ágata”, part of a major "Frontiers Strategic Plan" launched by President Dilma Rousseff in June, with almost 30 continuous days of rigorous military activity in the region of Brazil’s border with Colombia. It mobilized 35 aircraft and more than 3,000 military personnel of the Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy and Brazilian Air Force surveillance against drug trafficking, illegal mining and logging, and trafficking of wild animals.
A-29s of 1°/3º Aviation Group (GAv), Squadron Scorpion, as well as six A-27A’s from 4°/3° GAv launched a strike upon an illicit airstrip, deploying eight 230 kg (500 lb) computer-guided Mk 82 bombs to render the airstrip unusable.
Multiple EMB 320 were assigned for night operations, locating remote jungle airstrips used by drug smuggling gangs along the border, and were typically guarded by several E-99 aircraft. The Libélulas also located targets for the A-29 Super Tucanos, allowing them to bomb the airstrips with an extremely high level of accuracy, making use of night-vision systems and computer systems calculating the impact points of munitions.
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length (w/o pitot): 41 ft 10 in (12.76 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 1/2 in (12.45 m)
Height: 13 ft 6 2/3 in (4.14 m)
Wing area: 203.4 ft² (18.9 m²)
Empty weight: 8.920 lb (4.050 kg)
Max. take-off weight: 16.630 lb (7.550 kg)
Powerplant:
2× Garrett T76-G410/411 turboprops, 1,040 hp (775.5 kW) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 307 mph (267 kn, 495 km/h)
Range: 1.860 mi (1.620 nmi, 3.000 km)
Service ceiling: 30.160 ft (9.150 m)
Rate of climb: 2.966 ft/min (15 m/s)
Armament:
2× fixed 30 mm (1.181 in) Bernardini Mk-164 cannons in the wing roots with 200 RPG
9× external hardpoints for an ordnance load of 8.000 lb (3.630 kg), including smart weapons (e. g. Paveway GBUs, AGM-65B,C or D Maverick, AGM-114 Hellfire), iron bombs, cluster bombs, napalm tanks, unguided rocket pods and AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs as well as drop tanks.
The kit and its assembly:
This whif model is a remake of an idea I had/did many years ago from the remains of an Airfix OV-10D Bronco: converting it into a "normal" aircraft. While one could argue that this is not really exciting, I found this project pretty challenging as I wanted to make the result as plausible as possible, not just glue some leftover parts together (what I did years ago). And doing so turned a simple idea into major surgery and sculpting – or, how flickr fellow user Franclab called it, “it makes the Bronco look like the whif and the Libélula the real aircraft”.
The basis was a NiB OV-10A Bronco from Academy, a very good kit with a nice cockpit and lots or ordnance. Great value for the money. Design benchmark for what I had in mind was the FMA IA-58 Pucara, as it was designed for the exact same job as my EMB 320 - but details would differ.
The rear of the Bronco's central cabin was cut off and mated with the rear fuselage of a Matchbox Bf 110, which has a similar diameter - but the intersection between the square front of the Bronco and the oval Bf 110 fuselage was tricky (= requiring lots of putty work).
When these basic elements were fitted together, I finally decided to raise the spine. The mated fuselage parts would have had worked, but since the original high wings were missing, the EMB 320 would have had a distinctive and pointless hunchback - actually, with a rotor added, it could have become a helicopter, too!
Well, I went for the big solution, also in order to make the fuselage seam less obvious, and the whole upper rear fuselage was sculpted from 2C and NC putty. In the same process the tail was integrated into the fuselage. As a drawback, this shifted the kit's CG so far back that the lead load in the nose could not keep the front wheel down. Well, it's the price to pay for a better overall look.
The twin fins come from a 1:100 A-10, leftover from a Revell SnapFit kit, while the horizontal stabilizers were taken from the OV-10A, but had to be re-engraved in order to make the flap geometry plausible.
The wings were taken OOB and, relative to the Bronco, placed in a lower position, their original attachment point on top of the fuselage was faired over. The original plan had been to place them completely low, right where the OV-10's wing stubs would be located. But due to the engine nacelles under the wings I finally set them at mid height - otherwise, ground clearance and/or landing gear length had become a big issue - and the thing still looks stalky!
Moving the nacelles into a different (higher) wing position would have been an option, too, but that was IMHO too complicated. Since the EMD 320 would not have storage space behind the cockpit, a wing spar right through the fuselage would not be implausible. As a side effect I had to close the complete belly gap under the Bronco fuselage, again with 2C putty.
The Bronco’s tail booms were cut off and pointed end covers added, so that classic engine nacelles which also carry the main landing gear were created. The engine exhausts were relocated towards the nacelle’s end, and the propeller attachment modified, so that the propeller could turn freely on a metal axis and the overall look would be changed.
The cockpit tub was taken OOB, but armored seats from an Italeri AH-1 were used (with added headrests), as well as two crew figures, which come IIRC from a Hasegawa RA-5C Vigilante.
A new nose section with a sensor turret was built from scratch. It consists of parts from an AH-64 attack helicopter, mated with some styrene sheets for appropriate length. The shape was sculpted from massive material, and the result looks mean and menacing. The pitots were made from scratch, as well as the radar warning sensors on the hull.
The landing gear was improvised. The front strut actually belongs to a 1:200 Concorde(!) from Revell, the respective front wheels belong to an ESCI Ka-34 helicopter. For the main landing gear I used the struts from the Bronco kit, but the twin wheels are donations from the scrap box: these come from two Italeri Hawker Hawk kits.
The ordnance was puzzled together from the scrap box, too, as well as from Hasegawa Weapon sets. As the aircraft was supposed to have taken part in the real world “Operation Ágata”, I decided to add four light Paveway gliding bombs. Two Sidewinders and a pair of M260 rocket launchers (for seven 2.75"/70mm target marking missiles with phosphorous warheads) complete the full load.
The wing pylons come from two Italeri Tornados, those under the fuselage belong to a Matchbox Viggen and an Italeri Kfir.
As a final note: originally I wanted to call the aircraft “Moscardo” (= Hornet), but when it took shape its overall lines and potential agility made the dragonfly (Libélula in Portuguese) a much more appropriate namesake. So it goes... ^^
Painting and markings:
The reason why this turned out to be a Brazilian aircraft is the fact that I have been wanting to use the current FAB paint scheme for some time - it's basically made up from only two colors, FS 34092 (Dark Green) and FS 36176 (“F-15 Gray”, used on USAF F-15Es), paired with low-viz markings. Looks strange at first glance, like a poor man's Europe One/Lizard scheme, but over a typical rain forest scenery, low altitude and with hazy clouds around it is VERY effective, check the beauty pics which are based on BAF press releases. And it simply looks cool.
The pattern is based on current BAF F-5E fighters, the markings come from an FCM decal sheet and actually belong to a BAF Mirage 2000. 4º/3º GAv of the Brazilian Air Force is fictional, though, and some warning stencils were taken from the Academy kit.
The cockpit interior was painted in Dark Gull Gray (Humbrol 140), the landing gear wells in a yellow zinc chromate primer (Humbrol 225, Mid Stone) while the landing gear struts remained blank Aluminum, The outer wheel disks are white, while the inside is red - a detail I incorporated from some USN aircraft.
Painting was not spectacular - since the cockpit has a lot of glass to offer, I painted the windscreen with translucent light blue, and the observer on the rear seat received a similar sun blocker in deep blue. Translucent paint (yellow and black) was also used on the optical sensors at the nose turret as well as for position lights, all on a silver base.
The model was only slightly weathered thorough a black ink wash and some dry-brushing with Humbrol 140 and Testors 2076 (RLM 62) in order to emphasize panels - some panel lines were also painted onto the fuselage with thinned black ink, as the "new" rear body is devoid of any detail and difficult to engrave.
Screen snap showing the breakup of the launch vehicle after capsule separation and the subsequent loss of stability.
Following over a decade of reasonable stability under TM Travel, service 65 between Sheffield and Buxton has been chopped and changed a lot of late. For the previous few years, TM had been operating one vehicle duty under contract to DCC, and the other on a commercial basis. The loss of an interworked Buxton College contract in October 2016 presumably threatened viability as in March 2017 the commercially-operated duty was transferred from Wellglade-owned TM to half-Wellglade-owned High Peak. High Peak then took on the funded journeys in October 2017, duly introducing a pair of former De Courcey Versas complete with 'Peaks and Dales' route branding. Fast forward nine months and the timetable is once again changing, with High Peak ditching the council-funded journeys from late July whilst bafflingly rerouting their commercial journeys via Wormhill at the expense of Litton.
Branded Versa YJ62FPK (780) was captured in Litton with the 10:55 Buxton-Sheffield journey. Whilst Litton continues to be served by Hulleys' two hourly 173 between Bakewell and Castleton, its links with Buxton and Sheffield/Chesterfield will be reduced from an hourly combined service across the 65/66 prior to October 2017 to the point where it will only be served by a handful of 66s and whatever the council cobble together as a replacement for the withdrawn High Peak 65s on this corridor from the end of July.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 9, 2020) A Marine assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) provides security during a Beach Reconnaissance exercise. America, flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group Seven and the America Amphibious Ready Group, assigned to Amphibious Squadron Eleven, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jomark A. Almazan)
Two B-52 Stratofortresses fly over Royal Air Force Station Fairford, United Kingdom, Aug. 22, 2020. Strategic bombers contribute to European theater stability as they are intended to deter conflict and offer a rapid response capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eugene Oliver)
In the 1870s, Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris on the Seine River, north-west of the city, was a gathering point for a number of Impressionist artists. In this fully developed Impressionist work, Monet portrays his first wife, Camille, seated on the lawn beneath lilac bushes in the garden of the Maison Aubry, their first residence in the Paris suburb. Monet moved to Argenteuil in December 1871. Many of the motifs that he and the other Impressionists favoured could be found in this small town, conveniently connected by rail to nearby Paris. While in Argenteuil, Monet set up a comfortable residence for himself, his wife, and their son Jean, enjoying a period of stability that resulted in great productivity over the next seven years.
During the early 1870s, Monet frequently painted views of his backyard garden that included Camille as his model. Here, her voluminous pink dress appears to float over the grass. The canvas glows with dappled sunlight, suggested by the artist's quick, unblended dabs of color. Camille's serene absorption in her book and the delicacy of her form recall 18th-century representations of women reading. "Springtime" is a prime example of Monet's commitment to painting outdoors and was included in the Second Impressionist Exhibition in 1876.
[Oil on canvas, 50 x 65.5 cm]
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 3, 2020) The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), left, and the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), right, conduct a replenishment-at-sea with the dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10) with MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters from the “Archangels” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, Detachment 6. New Orleans and America, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, are operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)