SOUTH CHINA SEA (Nov. 20, 2019) Sailors navigate Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) in the pilot house during at-sea transit. Gabrielle Giffords is on a rotational deployment to INDOPACOM, conducting operations, exercises and port visits throughout the region and working hull-to-hull with allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, key pillars of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Josiah J. Kunkle/Released) Portions masked for security reasons.

Si sciolgono le nevi......l' acqua della Fiume diventa azzurra e fredda il suo impeto si scaglia sui massi che si oppongono inutilmente alla sua forza. Eppure quei vecchi plinti resistono anno dopo anno, stagione su stagione...quei poveri cristi che come soldati di un tempo glorioso a fatica ormai sorreggono il peso del mondo.

Chi vuole intendere intenda.....metafora dei tempi moderni.

------------------------------------------

Melt the snow......l 'water becomes blue and cold its impetus lashes on the boulders that oppose unnecessarily to its power. Yet those old plinths stand up year after year, season upon season...those poor bastards who like soldiers in a glorious time to fatigue now support the weight of the world.

Who wants to hear.....metaphor of modern times.

Ponte della Priula - Treviso - Veneto - ITALY

SASEBO, Japan (Oct. 27, 2020) A hose team attacks a mock fire during a Federal Fire integrated firefighting drill aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). The fire drill integrates fire fighters from Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo Federal Firefighters with Sailors aboard the ship to train on fighting in-port fires. New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, 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)

BALTIC SEA (June 8, 2016) A Finnish combat boat enters the well deck of HNLMS Johan De Witt during exercise BALTOPS 2016 in the Baltic Sea. Designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability, as well as demonstrate resolve among NATO and partner forces to defend the Baltic region, BALTOPS 2016 involves maritime, ground, and air forces to strengthen combined response capabilities necessary to ensure regional stability as well as promote friendship and mutual understanding. (NATO photo by French Air Force FSgt Cedric Artigues/Released)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 17, 2014) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to the “Wildcards” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, prepares to launch during a replenishment-at-sea. Makin Island, the flagship of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, is on a deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit to promote peace and freedom of the seas by providing security and stability in the 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ronald Gutridge/Released)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 14, 2020) The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) test fires its close-in weapon system. America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, 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 maintain security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Cavenaile)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 24, 2016) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Herchiel Jones (right), from Oakcliff, Texas, and Airman Haley Baker, from Athens, Ga., prepare a CH-53E Super Stallion, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262, for take off during flight operations aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). Bonhomme Richard, flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Diana Quinlan/Released)

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, vice president of engineering and research at Lockheed's Skunk Works, visited USAF air bases across South Korea in November 1951 to speak with fighter pilots about what they wanted and needed in a fighter aircraft. At the time, the American pilots were confronting the MiG-15 with North American F-86 Sabres, and many felt that the MiGs were superior to the larger and more complex American design. The pilots requested a small and simple aircraft with excellent performance, especially high speed and altitude capabilities. Armed with this information, Johnson immediately started the design of such an aircraft on his return to the United States.

In the course of the ongoing withdrawal, a lot of German aircraft with sufficiently enough flying hours left were transferred to other NATO partners like Norway, Greece, Turkey and Italy, and two were sold to the NASA. One specific Starfighter was furthermore modified into a CCV (Control-Configured Vehicle) experimental aircraft under control of the German Industry, paving the way to aerodynamically unstable aircraft like the Eurofighter/Typhoon. The last operational German F-104 made its farewell flight on 22. Mai 1991, and the type’s final flight worldwide was in Italy in October 2004.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)

Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.63 m)

Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)

Wing area: 196.1 ft² (18.22 m²)

Airfoil: Biconvex 3.36 % root and tip

Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,166 kg)

Powerplant:

1× General Electric J79 afterburning turbojet,

10,000 lbf (44 kN) thrust dry, 15,600 lbf (69 kN) with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1,528 mph (2,459 km/h, 1,328 kn)

Maximum speed: Mach 2

Combat range: 420 mi (680 km, 360 nmi)

Ferry range: 1,630 mi (2,620 km, 1,420 nmi)

Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)

Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min (240 m/s) initially

Lift-to-drag: 9.2

Wing loading: 105 lb/ft² (510 kg/m²)

Thrust/weight: 0.54 with max. takeoff weight (0.76 loaded)

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan six-barreled Gatling cannon, 725 rounds

7× hardpoints with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,800 kg), including up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder, (nuclear)

bombs, guided and unguided missiles, or other stores like drop tanks or recce pods

The kit and its assembly:

A relatively simple what-if project – based on the question how a German F-104 interceptor might have looked like, had it been operated for a longer time to see the Luftwaffe’s low-viz era from 1981 onwards. In service, the Luftwaffe F-104Gs started in NMF and then carried the Norm 64 scheme, the well-known splinter scheme in grey and olive drab. Towards the end of their career the fighter bombers and recce planes received the Norm 83 wraparound scheme in green and black, but by that time no dedicated interceptors were operational anymore, so I stretched the background story a little.

The model is the very nice Italeri F-104G/S model, which is based on the ESCI molds from the Eighties, but it comes with recessed engravings and an extra sprue that contains additional drop tanks and an Orpheus camera pod. The kit also includes a pair of Sidewinders with launch rails for the wing tips as well as the ventral “catamaran” twin rail, which was frequently used by German Starfighters because the wing tips were almost constantly occupied with tanks.

Fit and detail is good – the kit is IMHO very good value for the money. There are just some light sinkholes on the fuselage behind the locator pins, the fit of the separate tail section is mediocre and calls for PSR, and the thin and very clear canopy is just a single piece – for open display, you have to cut it by yourself.

Since the model would become a standard Luftwaffe F-104G, just with a fictional livery, the kit was built OOB. The only change I made are drooped flaps, and the air brakes were mounted in open position.

The ordnance (wing tip tanks plus the ventral missiles) was taken from the kit, reflecting the typical German interceptor configuration: the wing tips were frequently occupied with tanks, sometimes even together with another pair of drop tanks under the wings, so that any missile had to go under the fuselage. The instructions for the ventral catamaran launch rails are BTW wrong – they tell the builder to mount the launch rails onto the twin carrier upside down! Correctly, the carrier’s curvature should lie flush on the fuselage, with no distance at all. When mounted as proposed, the Sidewinders come very close to the ground and the whole installation looks pretty goofy! I slightly modified the catamaran launch rail with some thin styrene profile strips as spacers, and the missiles themselves, AIM-9Bs, were replaced with more modern and delicate AIM-9Js from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. Around the hull, some small blade antennae, a dorsal rotating warning light and an angle-of-attack sensor were added.

Painting and markings:

The exotic livery is what defined this what-if build, and the paint scheme was actually inspired by a real world benchmark: some Dornier Do-28D Skyservants of the German Marineflieger received, late in their career, a wraparound scheme in three shades of grey, namely RAL 7030 (Steingrau), 7000 (Fehgrau) and 7012 (Basaltgrau). I thought that this would work pretty well for an F-104G interceptor that operates at medium to high altitudes, certainly better than the relatively dark Norm 64 splinter scheme or the Norm 83 low-altitude pattern.

The camouflage pattern was simply adopted from the Starfighter’s Norm 83 scheme, just the colors were exchanged. The kit was painted with acrylic paints from Revell, since the authentic tones were readily available, namely 75, 57 and 77. As a disrupting detail I gave the wing tip tanks the old Norm 64 colors: uniform Gelboliv from above (RAL 6014, Revell 42), Silbergrau underneath (RAL 7001, Humbrol’s 127 comes pretty close), and bright RAL 2005 dayglo orange markings, the latter created with TL Modellbau decal sheet material for clean edges and an even finish.

The cockpit interior was painted in standard medium grey (Humbrol 140, Dark Gull Grey), the landing gear including the wells became aluminum (Humbrol 56), the interior of the air intakes was painted with bright matt aluminum metallizer (Humbrol 27001) with black anti-icing devices in the edges and the shock cones. The radome was painted with very light grey (Humbrol 196, RAL 7035), the dark green anti-glare panel is a decal from the OOB sheet.

The model received a standard black ink washing and some panel post-shading (with Testors 2133 Russian Fulcrum Grey, Humbrol 128 FS 36320 and Humbrol 156 FS 36173) in an attempt to even out the very different shades of grey. The result does not look bad, pretty worn and weathered (like many German Starfighters), even though the paint scheme reminds a lot of the Hellenic "Ghost" scheme from the late F-4Es and the current F-16s?

The decals for the subdued Luftwaffe markings were puzzled together from various sources. The stencils were mostly taken from the kit’s exhaustive and sharply printed sheet. Tactical codes (“26+40” is in the real Starfighter range, but this specific code was AFAIK never allocated), iron crosses and the small JG 71 emblems come from TL Modellbau aftermarket sheets. Finally, after some light soot stains around the gun port, the afterburner and some air outlets along the fuselage with graphite, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.

A simple affair, since the (nice) kit was built OOB and the only really fictional aspect of this model is its livery. But the resulting aircraft looks good, the all-grey wraparound scheme suits the slender F-104 well and makes an interceptor role quite believable. Would probably also look good on a German Eurofighter? Certainly more interesting than the real world all-blue-grey scheme.

In the beauty pics the scheme also appears to be quite effective over open water, too, so that the application to the Marineflieger Do-28Ds made sense. However, for the real-world Starfighter, this idea came a couple of years too late.

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 6, 2020) Sailors assigned to the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) prepare an AH-1Z Viper helicopter assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 (Reinforced) to launch during a visit, board, search and seizure exercise. America, flagship of 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 Vincent E. Zline)

PHILLIPINE SEA (Jan. 26, 2023) U.S. Navy Fire Controlman (Aegis) 3rd Class Issac Cayton, from Doberry, North Carolina, preserves Mount 22 aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65). Benfold is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class RuKiyah Mack).

Found this housefly resting on a branch and blowing bubble in my rooftop garden.

The housefly (also house fly, house-fly or common housefly), Musca domestica, is a fly of the Brachycera suborder. It is the most common of all domestic flies, accounting for about 90% of all flies in human habitations, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects, found all over the world; it is considered a pest that can carry serious diseases.

The adults are 8–12 mm long. Their thorax is gray, with four longitudinal dark lines on the back. The whole body is covered with hair-like projections. The females are slightly larger than the males, and have a much larger space between their red compound eyes. The mass of pupae can range from about 8 to 20 mg under different conditions.

Like other Diptera (meaning "two-winged"), houseflies have only one pair of wings; the hind pair is reduced to small halteres that aid in flight stability. Characteristically, the media vein (M1+2 or fourth long vein of the wing) shows a sharp upward bend.

Species that appear similar to the housefly include:

The lesser house fly, Fannia canicularis, is somewhat smaller, more slender, and the media vein is straight.

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, has piercing mouthparts and the media vein is only slightly curved.

Source:Wikipedia

Thanks everyone for viewing and your comments are largely appreciated.

On July 7, 1919, a group of U.S. military members dedicated Zero Milestone – the point from which all road distances in the country would be measured – just south of the White House lawn in Washington, D.C. The next morning, they helped to define the future of the nation.

Instead of an exploratory rocket or deep-sea submarine, these explorers set out in 42 trucks, five passenger cars and an assortment of motorcycles, ambulances, tank trucks, mobile field kitchens, mobile repair shops and Signal Corps searchlight trucks. During the first three days of driving, they managed just over five miles per hour. This was most troubling because their goal was to explore the condition of American roads by driving across the U.S.

Participating in this exploratory party was U.S. Army Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although he played a critical role in many portions of 20th-century U.S. history, his passion for roads may have carried the most significant impact on the domestic front. This trek, literally and figuratively, caught the nation and the young soldier at a crossroads.

Returning from World War I, Ike was entertaining the idea of leaving the military and accepting a civilian job. His decision to remain proved pivotal for the nation. By the end of the first half of the century, the roadscape – transformed with an interstate highway system while he was president – helped remake the nation and the lives of its occupants.

For Ike, though, roadways represented not only domestic development but also national security. By the early 1900s it become clear to many administrators that petroleum was a strategic resource to the nation’s present and future.

At the start of World War I, the world had an oil glut since there were few practical uses for it beyond kerosene for lighting. When the war was over, the developed world had little doubt that a nation’s future standing in the world was predicated on access to oil. “The Great War” introduced a 19th-century world to modern ideas and technologies, many of which required inexpensive crude.

Oil drilling in Beaumont, Texas in 1901. The U.S. supplied crude to its allies in World War I and relied on domestic production after its entry. AP Photo

Prime movers and national security

During and after World War I, there was a dramatic change in energy production, shifting heavily away from wood and hydropower and toward fossil fuels – coal and, ultimately, petroleum. And in comparison to coal, when utilized in vehicles and ships, petroleum brought flexibility as it could be transported with ease and used in different types of vehicles. That in itself represented a new type of weapon and a basic strategic advantage. Within a few decades of this energy transition, petroleum’s acquisition took on the spirit of an international arms race.

Even more significant, the international corporations that harvested oil throughout the world acquired a level of significance unknown to other industries, earning the encompassing name “Big Oil.” By the 1920s, Big Oil’s product – useless just decades prior – had become the lifeblood of national security to the U.S. and Great Britain. And from the start of this transition, the massive reserves held in the U.S. marked a strategic advantage with the potential to last generations.

As impressive as the U.S.’ domestic oil production was from 1900-1920, however, the real revolution occurred on the international scene, as British, Dutch and French European powers used corporations such as Shell, British Petroleum and others to begin developing oil wherever it occurred.

During this era of colonialism, each nation applied its age-old method of economic development by securing petroleum in less developed portions of the world, including Mexico, the Black Sea area and, ultimately, the Middle East. Redrawing global geography based on resource supply (such as gold, rubber and even human labor or slavery) of course, was not new; doing so specifically for sources of energy was a striking change.

Crude proves itself on the battlefield

“World War I was a war,” writes historian Daniel Yergin, “that was fought between men and machines. And these machines were powered by oil.”

When the war broke out, military strategy was organized around horses and other animals. With one horse on the field for every three men, such primitive modes dominated the fighting in this “transitional conflict.”

Throughout the war, the energy transition took place from horsepower to gas-powered trucks and tanks and, of course, to oil-burning ships and airplanes. Innovations put these new technologies into immediate action on the horrific battlefield of World War I.

It was the British, for instance, who set out to overcome the stalemate of trench warfare by devising an armored vehicle that was powered by the internal combustion engine. Under its code name “tank,” the vehicle was first used in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. In addition, the British Expeditionary Force that went to France in 1914 was supported by a fleet of 827 motor cars and 15 motorcycles; by war’s end, the British army included 56,000 trucks, 23,000 motorcars and 34,000 motorcycles. These gas-powered vehicles offered superior flexibility on the battlefield.

Government airplane manufactured by Dayton-Wright Airplane Company in 1918. U.S. National Archives

In the air and sea, the strategic change was more obvious. By 1915, Britain had built 250 planes. In this era of the Red Baron and others, primitive airplanes often required that the pilot pack his own sidearm and use it for firing at his opponent. More often, though, the flying devices could be used for delivering explosives in episodes of tactical bombing. German pilots applied this new strategy to severe bombing of England with zeppelins and later with aircraft. Over the course of the war, the use of aircraft expanded remarkably: Britain, 55,000 planes; France, 68,0000 planes; Italy, 20,000; U.S., 15,000; and Germany, 48,000.

With these new uses, wartime petroleum supplies became a critical strategic military issue. Royal Dutch/Shell provided the war effort with much of its supply of crude. In addition, Britain expanded even more deeply in the Middle East. In particular, Britain had quickly come to depend on the Abadan refinery site in Persia, and when Turkey came into the war in 1915 as a partner with Germany, British soldiers defended it from Turkish invasion.

When the Allies expanded to include the U.S. in 1917, petroleum was a weapon on everyone’s mind. The Inter-Allied Petroleum Conference was created to pool, coordinate and control all oil supplies and tanker travel. The U.S. entry into the war made this organization necessary because it had been supplying such a large portion of the Allied effort thus far. Indeed, as the producer of nearly 70 percent of the world’s oil supply, the U.S.’ greatest weapon in the fighting of World War I may have been crude. President Woodrow Wilson appointed the nation’s first energy czar, whose responsibility was to work in close quarters with leaders of the American companies.

Infrastructure as a path to national power

When the young Eisenhower set out on his trek after the war, he deemed the party’s progress over the first two days “not too good” and as slow “as even the slowest troop train.” The roads they traveled across the U.S., Ike described as “average to nonexistent.” He continued:

“In some places, the heavy trucks broke through the surface of the road and we had to tow them out one by one, with the caterpillar tractor. Some days when we had counted on sixty or seventy or a hundred miles, we could do three or four.”

Eisenhower’s party completed its frontier trek and arrived in San Francisco, California on Sept. 6, 1919. Of course, the clearest implication that grew from Eisenhower’s trek was the need for roads. Unstated, however, was the symbolic suggestion that matters of transportation and of petroleum now demanded the involvement of the U.S. military, as it did in many industrialized nations.

The emphasis on roads and, later, particularly on Ike’s interstate system was transformative for the U.S.; however, Eisenhower was overlooking the fundamental shift in which he participated. The imperative was clear: Whether through road-building initiatives or through international diplomacy, the use of petroleum by his nation and others was now a reliance that carried with it implications for national stability and security.

Eisenhower served in the Tank Corps until 1922. Eisenhower Presidential Library, ARC 876971

Seen through this lens of history, petroleum’s road to essentialness in human life begins neither in its ability to propel the Model T nor to give form to the burping plastic Tupperware bowl. The imperative to maintain petroleum supplies begins with its necessity for each nation’s defense. Although petroleum use eventually made consumers’ lives simpler in numerous ways, its use by the military fell into a different category entirely. If the supply was insufficient, the nation’s most basic protections would be compromised.

After World War I in 1919, Eisenhower and his team thought they were determining only the need for roadways – “The old convoy,” he explained, “had started me thinking about good, two lane highways.”

At the same time, though, they were declaring a political commitment by the U.S. And thanks to its immense domestic reserves, the U.S. was late coming to this realization. Yet after the “war to end all wars,” it was a commitment already being acted upon by other nations, notably Germany and Britain, each of whom lacked essential supplies of crude.

theconversation.com/how-world-war-i-ushered-in-the-centur...

I said bye to Adrian today, he'll be back in 8 weeks times. I held it together as we parted and I think our friendship will grow even stronger being apart.

Green is a safe colour, a true sign of stability and endurance. It's these qualities I shall build on in his absence.

Private Mini-Challenge with Brightonsinger: Seven Colours in Seven Days

“BALLOON EXPERIMENT -- The MA-7 spacecraft has been outfitted with a system that will deploy a tethered balloon during the mission orbital phase. Of primary interest will be the visual phenomena in a space environment. Aerodynamic drag measurements will be a secondary objective.

The visual portion of this experiment will be concerned with the reflection characteristics of various colored surfaces in space. The relative merit of these colors for optimum visibility will be evaluated and a correlation between observed and actual separation of the object from the spacecraft after release will be established. The aerodynamic portion will measure atmospheric drag and stability while deployed and a relationship between these parameters and object separation following release will be analyzed.

An additional objective is provided by simultaneous dispersion of a cluster of multi-colored particles or “confetti” -- one-fourth inch Mylar discs which will be placed in the folds of the balloon. The visual effects and the behavior of these known objects will be closely studied.

The test apparatus consists of a 30-inch, Mylar-aluminum sphere which is to be inflated by an attached 900 [psi] nitrogen bottle. The balloon is divided equally into five segments. The corresponding colors on these reflective surfaces are orange, white, silver (aluminum), yellow, and phosphorescent, which has a glow characteristic at night. The balloon is tethered with a 100-foot nylon line and coiled eight-foot strip of .005 aluminum, which acts as a shock absorber as it uncoils. A small metal beam, instrumented with a strain gage, will provide the means of measuring drag. Electric squibs will actuate the spring-loaded deployment and line-cutting mechanisms.

The entire experiment package weighs about 7 pounds and will be installed within the antenna section.”

No artist signature visible, who deftly employed a textured(?) and mottled depiction of earth's surface, obviating the need to even semi-accurately depict land masses, oceans, etc. ;-)

What a joy to read. I sorely miss the precise, effective & articulate 'old school' style of intelligent, informative writing.

The following, other than as noted, is from the “MERCURY PROJECT SUMMARY (NASA SP-45)”, at:

history.nasa.gov/SP-45/ch12.htm

“A 30-inch mylar inflatable sphere was packaged in the antenna canister of both the MA-7 (see ref. 1) and MA-9 Mercury spacecraft. These balloons were to be ejected, inflated, and towed at the end of a 100-foot nylon line through one orbital pass to measure the drag experienced by the balloon throughout the orbit. The measured drag could then be readily converted into air density over the Mercury altitude profile. In addition, it was hoped that the astronaut could obtain some sightings yielding visual data on objects in close proximity to the spacecraft.

The design, construction, and qualification of the equipment used on this experiment were carried out by the NASA Langley Research Center. The components of the equipment are shown in figure 12-16. The results of this experiment conducted during the MA-7 flight are contained in reference 1.

[reference 1 being “RESULTS OF THE SECOND U.S. MANNED ORBITAL SPACE FLIGHT, MAY 24, 1962”, specifically:

The objectives of the balloon experiment were to measure the drag and to provide visibility data regarding an object of known size and shape in orbital] space. The balloon was 30 inches in diameter, and was constructed of five equal-sized lunes of selected colors and surface finishes The sphere was constructed of a plastic and aluminum foil sandwich material, and was to be inflated with a small nitrogen bottle immediately after release from the antenna canister at the end of the first orbital pass. In addition, numerous 1/4-inch discs of aluminized plastic were placed in the folds of the balloon and dispersed when the balloon was deployed.. is intended, the pilot observed the rate of dispersion and the associated visual effects of the "confetti."

The balloon was deployed at 01:38:00 ground elapsed time, but it failed to inflate properly. The cause has been attributed to a ruptured seam in the skin. Aerodynamic measurements were taken with the strain-gage pickup, but these are of little use since the actual frontal area of the partial inflated balloon is not known. The visibility portion of the experiment was also only partially successful because only two of the surface colors were visible, the orange and aluminum segments. While the balloon was deployed a series of spacecraft maneuvers evidently fouled the tethering line on the destabilizing flap located on the end of the cylindrical portion of the spacecraft, thus preventing the jettisoning of the balloon. No difficulty was encountered during retrofire and the balloon burned up during reentry.]

The above at:

www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-6/ch1.htm

Briefly summarized, the balloon was deployed satisfactorily but was only partially inflated; hence, little useful data were obtained on this flight.

By a thorough investigation of the MA-7 failure, it was concluded that the balloon failed to inflate because one of the seams connecting the many gores comprising the balloon skin pulled apart.

The experiment was believed to have been of sufficient value to be repeated on a later Mercury flight; therefore, new equipment was developed and qualified for the MA-9 flight. Careful control of balloon construction was maintained throughout the development program and numerous deployment and inflation tests were conducted by the Langley Research Center to insure the quality of the device. These tests were conducted with the flight equipment under conditions which closely simulated the space environment without a single failure. Numerous squib firings were made, without a single failure, to insure that either one or both of the squibs used to unlatch the cover of the canister would accomplish this task. The assembled unit was carefully checked after installation on the spacecraft and was found to be satisfactory. It was, therefore, believed that this experiment was well qualified for flight, but unfortunately the balloon failed to deploy in flight. Failure was attributed to some malfunction in the squib firing circuit that released the hatch cover of the balloon canister. The exact cause of this malfunction could not be determined because the circuit was contained in the spacecraft antenna canister which is jettisoned prior to landing.”

And so began the mixed history of space tether missions, which seems to be well documented here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tether_missions

Credit: Wikipedia

We took this image to compare with a previous picture (PSP_010593_1410, showing gullies in light-toned rock) to see if there is any difference in gully stability due to different host rock properties. (Less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the left.)

NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

www.uahirise.org/ESP_011661_1410

CHAI. Stability Chair Nutmeg

CHAI. Stability Decor

CHAI. Equity Decor Multi

CHAI. Stability Rug

CHAI Mainstore

8f8 - Pebbles... but soft! - Coco's lair

8f8 Mainstore

[DDD] Paper Crane Holdable

laroseromance.wordpress.com/2025/01/27/simply-latte-2025-...

PHILIPPINE SEA (June 26, 2019) Sailors practice proper firefighting techniques during a damage control training drill aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85). McCampbell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell/Released)

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Architects: Saucier & Perrotte, 2004.

© Stephanie Fysh 2005; all rights reserved

...stability in a fast world

ZEISS Planar T* 2/50 ZM

PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 12, 2020) The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) conducts a replenishment at sea with the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14). America, flagship 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 serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Cavenaile)

As the politics of Roawia shifted towards stability after the War, Sir Rivings adapted to a new life as a guardian and protector- one of a parent. The apartments and dens that he had once called his home were no suitable place for a lady, even if he was there to protect her. Instead, he purchased a small keep from a failing baron near the border of Lenfald to call his own.

Controversy had stormed around him as he had taken her home, but soon faded. Those who had seen Sir Faulenhart's face now suddenly noticed how similar Sir Rivings appeared to the fabled knight. Others called him baser names, accusing him of taking her as a wife. On top of buying a castle, the scandal took new heights. Needless to say, Sir Rivings was gaining himself a reputation as an increasingly eccentric noble. He did not mind that claim one bit.

The new Queen decided that she too cared little for such claims. Sir Rivings received word of a great feast for everybody who is anybody in Roawia. Seeing it as an opportunity to learn more about those enemies of the Prince whom he had not yet met, Sir Rivings accepted at once. He called for Faelin and had her make new armor for the occasion. She finished just in time for him to make a leisurely journey to the King's Palace. He made the final preparations for his journey while wearing his new treasure to ensure that it allowed for the movements and physical requirements his work might entail. When it passed his inspection, Sir Rivings discovered he was not ready after all.

"What could I possibly bring to a Queen as a gift? She'll be getting gold, clothes, jewels, and other treasures from nobles all over the land. How can I stand apart?" Rivings pondered aloud. "Perhaps an exquisite armoire, or other furnishing? No, I'd sooner be known as Sir who brought nothing than Sir Decor."

After examining his own treasure room, Sir Rivings returned with a beautiful amulet. "Now this treasure is truly worthy! The gold itself may not be worth much, but the story it carries is worth entire kingdoms. Pirates, valiant knights battling duels for kings, and spies. All the things she ought know about here in Roawia, before she befalls any tragedy herself. It will certainly bring interest to the table. Now I am ready."

"You wouldn't want to leave without your scepter, Sir. I've had Faelin fashion a gem in the pommel, you'll look much more courtly. Bring back stories, Dad. I've had far too few of them from you over the years." Lady Jayne stood in the doorway, dressed in simple, elegant robes of the desert.

"I will bring back more than stories, little dove. Thank you for your kindness. I only hope it doesn't offend the Queen that I carry one." Sir Rivings' smile had become a common sight these days, and it graced the room again now. "One doesn't receive an invitation from royalty every day. Hopefully things go peacefully, but should they turn ugly, it will be my only weapon."

New york

©2018- Exotic photos by Hadeed Sher

Baybeats, Esplanade, Singapore, Soligor 135/2.8

STABILITY , Peace & Development , with His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse , is what Sri Lanka needs !

PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 14, 2020) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Archangels of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 delivers pallets of dry goods to the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) during an underway replenishment. 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 Yeoman 2nd Class Mike Canales)

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Following our victory against the remnant forces loyal to Pyerce, Mandalore was finally returned to the Mandalorians and a sense of relief swept the planet.

Simultaneously the reports, once covered up by Imperial occupation, began to come through of the atrocities the remnant forces had been commiting across the galaxy.

As Clan Eldar dispatched it’s forces to aid stability across it’s protectorate we couldn’t ignore the reports from further afield, aggressive occupation, orbital bombardment near destroying species and their history and raiding at an unrivalled level.

One such report stood out to me - the disturbed resting places of fallen Mandalorians from wars and battles Millenia ago being pillaged for the now rare Beskar armour these comrades from antiquity still bore in their graves.

Seeing that new friends were being taken care of I set course for Onderon and its moon Dxun.

An odd pair, it was a site of historical significance that I had wanted to visit since before my time exploring the Unchartered Regions.

The opposite of Mandalore, the depressive permacrete cities and wastelands were now replaced by verdant jungles across the planet. I made my way to a landing site and followed the stream leading me out of the basin I had landed within.

Following the stream I could hear various animals calling, celebrating the rich land across the moon.

Ahead of me a glint in the Sun drew my attention to a rocky outcrop and I headed toward this.

As fingers guarding something precious the helm and blade of a fallen Mandalorian laid in this. An odd image, a crypt made of the rib cage of some great beast from long ago.

It had long been known of the Mandalorian wars with the Sith Empire and the fate of Mandalore the indominatable. It seems he wasn’t the only warrior that fell finger to these once great beasts that roamed here.

It also seemed that the Rocks were much more than this. Derelict and near reclaimed by the Jungle here I had found the ruins of a great building, but I was not alone. Atop the rocks was a hover sled containing Beskar armour. It was true then, even long dead Mandalorians were not awarded peace.

Disabling the sled I followed the tracks to discover the raiding party and put an end to their crimes…

ODC Our Daily Challenge: Not enough

wishing stability, shelter, protection, a roof over one's head

wishing more ground, earth, soil to nourish human beings

In order for students to be successful in content area classrooms, there are foundational literacy components that need to be taken into consideration. A student's reading level affects his/her ability to comprehend and access information through text materials. Another important foundational element is the background knowledge that the student possesses on the content. When students have background knowledge on a particular topic, they are more likely to make connections and have a higher level of motivation to inquire more on the topic. A third "leg" that needs to be accounted for is the readability of the materials in the classroom. Texts and assignments need to be adjusted to maximize the interaction between the student and the materials. Lastly, the context of instructional methods is important because this allows the teacher to self-reflect and adjust his/her teaching to meet the requirements of his/her students. When one of these foundational aspects is not properly tended to, the students will struggle with learning the content.

Also in my drawing, the bars represent various assessments that help teachers to gather data and compensate instruction and materials based on the needs of the students. All the "legs" rely on one another and these assessments allow for "stability" to occur.

PHILIPPINE SEA (May 14, 2020) Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Martin Sadler, from San Louis Obispo, Calif., adjust the iron sights on a M240B machine gun aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115). Rafael Peralta is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Isaacs)

TAIWAN STRAIT (June 4, 2020) Ensign Lucia Donnelly, from New Providence, N.J., looks through a polaris in the pilot house as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) transits the Taiwan Strait. Russell is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Lynch)

EAST CHINA SEA (July 31, 2020) - Gunner’s Mate Seaman Spencer Christie fires a shot line from the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) to the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3) during a replenishment-at-sea. Shiloh is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell) 200731-N-JL568-1019

** Interested in following U.S. Indo-Pacific Command? Engage and connect with us at www.facebook.com/indopacom | twitter.com/INDOPACOM |

www.instagram.com/indopacom | www.flickr.com/photos/us-pacific-command; | www.youtube.com/user/USPacificCommand | www.pacom.mil/ **

SEA OF JAPAN (Aug. 12, 2020) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ellysan Roe, left, from Chicago, collects a nasal swab sample from Operations Specialist 2nd Class Alec Cervana, from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., for COVID-19 testing aboard 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)

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance.

Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

truly a magic bloom... a gift from the hubs ♥

Pretty Purple On Black

PLEASE, NO BLINKING ANNOYING GLITTER GRAPHICS, it slows the load for my dial up friends.

did you know that wildly blinking graphics can prompt seizures in folks with brain tumors or epilepsy, and even prompt migraines.

PHILIPPINE SEA (March 14, 2020) Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Skyler Haynes aims a torpedo launcher aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) during an anti-submarine exercise. Mustin is underway conducting operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific while assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s largest principal force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Askia Collins)

WATERS NEAR THE PARACEL ISLANDS (Aug. 27, 2020) Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Reshawn Wallace, from Brooklyn, N.Y., mans the helm on the bridge as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) conducts routine operations. Mustin is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cody Beam)

Must attribute with link to: www.ptpioneer.com

Personal training set ups on stability ball

A section of battleship artillery in the ship's museum. The grooves are 'rifling', which put a spin on the firing projectile, essential to stability in flight.

🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹 Did you know? 🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹

BB-61 USS Iowa was laid down on June 6, 1940, and was completed on February 22, 1943.

BB-62 USS New Jersey was laid down on September 16, 1940; and completed on May 23, 1943.

BB-63 USS Missouri was laid down on January 6, 1941; and completed on June 11, 1944.

BB-64 USS Wisconsin was laid down on January 25, 1942; and completed on April 16, 1944.

BB-65 USS Illinois was authorized in 1940, and ordered from the Philadelphia Navy Yard in December, 1942; but was cancelled when 22% complete on August 11, 1945.

BB-66 USS Kentucky was laid down on December 6, 1944; and construction suspended on February 17, 1947. "Launched" on January 20, 1950 to clear drydock for repairs to USS Missouri. Sold for scrap on October 31, 1958. Bow used to replace the damaged bow of USS Wisconsin in 1956 and remains in place to this day.

The Iowa-class battleships were constructed at three Navy Yards: the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Norfolk Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. The New York Naval Yard built Iowa and Missouri, while the Philadelphia Navy Yard built New Jersey and Wisconsin. The last two ships, Illinois and Kentucky, were laid down in the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Norfolk Navy Yard, and construction continued until they were cancelled, in 1945 and 1947 respectively. According to some sources, Illinois and Kentucky were to be built to a slower (28 knot) standard, with increased protection both above and below the waterline.

A U.S. Sailor assigned to Commander Task Group 56.1 explores a wreck while diving during Exercise Eager Lion in Aqaba, Jordan, June 18, 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 realistic, modern-day security scenarios. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Wyatt Huggett, U.S. Navy/Released)

Panorama View of Midnight Sun

Location : NordKapp , Norway

Camera : Nikon D3X

Lens : Nikon 24-70mm

Day : July 25th 2010

Midnight Sun in Nordkapp - North Cape 13 May 29 July

Before shooting the midnight sun, you should STUDY the weather of the country that you are going to shoot in. We choose the last land of Europe North Cape/Nordkapp , and study the stability of the weather. You need sunny day, no windy or cloudy weather.

The phenomenon of midnight sun can only be seen north of the polar circle. At the mainland the North Cape have the first day (24 hours) of midnight sun. May 14th one can see the whole sun above the horizon in the night, at the polar circle this is a reality almost a month later.

During this day, we stayed from 8pm to 8am just to get this Panoramic view. The technique of shooting was interesting and long one; we start shooting half hour before 8pm to test the camera and get use to the procedure.

The Camera; Nikon D3X with using Nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens, was on Monofrotto Tripod, and the center view finder of the camera was on the sun. Also the horizon line was dividing the photo: 3/4 the sky and 1/4 the sea. The 1st shoot was on 8pm, and every 5 min. the shutter was clicked, with adjustment of the center of the camera on the sun. We stayed until 8am but actually we used the photos from 8pm - 5am; 4 hours before 12am (the midnight sun) and 5 hours after, just to balance the panoramic view.

Please don't use this photo without the permission of the photographers: Nada and Najwa Marafie.

© N-Studio

All photographs and images are the property of N-Studio Permission is required to copy, download or use any photographs or image files.

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Gear: Nikon D3X

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Amongst the chaos there's an underlying stability that's grown in the background unnoticed and not only that, but it's evolved in spite of ourselves ... suffusing our distractions with a new found confidence and passion ... and when we reconnect with this magic eventually we'll have big crazy grins on our faces

~ Like It Is ~

The Bank of China Building consists of two towers in the central business district. It is located on 4 Battery Road. The tower serves as the headquarters for the Bank of China.

The old block of the Bank of China Building was built in 1954 with a total of 18 floors. This new block was completed in 2000. With 36 floors and a height of 168 metres it is built immediately adjacent to the old block and shares a common podium.

Bank of China is one of the four biggest state-owned commercial banks in China. It was founded in 1912 by the Republican government to replace the Daqing Bank. It is the oldest bank in mainland China still in existence. As of the end of 2017, it was the fourth largest bank in the world in terms of assets, ranked after the other 3 Chinese banks.

Traditionally Switzerland has always ranked highest as the world’s private banking centre due to its stability, neutrality and confidentiality laws. However, that may be about to change. By the end of this decade it is expected that Singapore will overtake Switzerland as the number one global offshore wealth management capital of the world.

Singapore itself is rumoured to have the world’s highest percentage of millionaires and is already a favourite destination of the super-rich. Currently it has a very high concentration of both local and foreign banks.

Bank of China Singapore provides banking services including corporate banking, retail banking, trade financing, and international trade settlement. Bank of China Singapore was founded in 1936. Bank of China Singapore Branch operates as a subsidiary of Bank of China Limited.

If you were looking for ways to both strengthen and increase stability of the musculature of the spine one could perform various exercises, but there is only one solution that doesn't require any kind of exercise - active sitting on SpinaliS chairs. Strengthen your core muscles while sitting!

SpinaliS Spider Series Chair is one of the most popular models in Canada:

www.spinalis-chairs.ca/spinalis-chairs/spider/

Any type of prolonged poor posture will, over time, substantially increase the risk of developing back pain. Examples include slouching over a computer keyboard, driving hunched over the steering wheel, lifting improperly. SpinaliS chairs will take care of your bad posture and will improve it very fast.

For more info call 844 777 0489

or drop by SpinaliS Vancouver store on

3619 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6R 1P2

Core stability refers to a person's ability to stabilise their core. Stability, in this context, should be considered as an ability to control the position and movement of the core. Thus, if a person has greater core stability, they have a greater level of control over the position and movement of this area of their body. The body's core is frequently involved in aiding other movements of the body, such as the limbs, and it is considered that by improving core stability a person's ability to perform these other movements may also be improved i.e. core stability training may help improve someone's running ability. The bodies core region is sometimes referred to as the torso or the trunk, although there are some differences in the muscles identified as constituting them. The major muscles involved in core stability include the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae (sacrospinalis) especially the longissimus thoracis, and the diaphragm. The minor muscles involved include the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and trapezius. Notably, breathing, including the action of the diaphragm, can significantly influence the posture and movement of the core; this is especially apparent in regard to extreme ranges of inhalation and exhalation. On this basis, how a person is breathing may influence their ability to control their core.

Some researchers have argued that the generation of intra-abdominal pressure, caused by the activation of the core muscles and especially the transversus abdominis, may serve to lend support to the lumbar spine.

Typically, the core is associated with the body's center of gravity, which is over the region of the second sacral vertebrae groups and stability is associated with isometric or static strength. In addition, it is the lumbar spine that is primarily responsible for posture and stability thus providing the strength needed for the stability especially utilized in dynamic sports.

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Class I Medical Device

Health Canada has certified SpinaliS chairs as a Class I Medical Device to prevent spinal problems and treat existing ones.

Abs and Back Workout

Work out while sitting on any of the SpinaliS chairs and performing your daily tasks at the office or home.

Back Pain Relief

SpinaliS Chairs will work out your core muscles for you. Just sit, do your thing and leave everything else up to SpinaliS. STRONG CORE MUSCLES = NO BACK PAIN

Stylish Office Chairs

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Yoga Ball Alternative

It is recommended not to sit longer than 2 hours on a yoga ball, but on the SpinaliS chairs you can sit all day long.

Standing Desk Alternative

SpinaliS chairs will actually make your body to work out and get you into a great shape without the hard task of standing or exercising.

Who does use SpinaliS?

Google, Dubai Airport, SONY, IBM, DELL, Skoda Auto, CSOB Bank, Unicredit Bank, Vodafone and many more.

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PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 26, 2020) The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) transits the Philippine Sea to maintain stability in the region. America, flagship of 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 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 Seaman Matthew Cavenaile)