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Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos Caudatus
The long-tailed tit is globally widespread throughout temperate northern Europe and Asia, into boreal Scandinavia and south into the Mediterranean zone. It inhabits deciduous and mixed woodland with a well-developed shrub layer, favouring edge habitats. It can also be found in scrub, heathland with scattered trees, bushes and hedges, in farmland and riverine woodland, parks and gardens. The bird's year-round diet of insects and social foraging bias habitat choice in winter towards deciduous woodland, typically of oak, ash and locally sycamore species. For nesting, strong preference is shown towards scrub areas. The nest is often built in thorny bushes less than 3 metres above the ground.
The nest of the long-tailed tit is constructed from four materials - lichen, feathers, spider egg cocoons and moss, with over 6,000 pieces used for a typical nest. The nest is a flexible sac with a small, round entrance on top, suspended either low in a gorse or bramble bush or high up in the forks of tree branches. The structural stability of the nest is provided by a mesh of moss and spider silk. The tiny leaves of the moss act as hooks and the spider silk of egg cocoons provides the loops; thus forming a natural form of velcro. The tit lines the outside with hundreds of flakes of pale lichens - this provides camouflage. Inside, it lines the nest with more than 2,000 downy feathers to insulate the nest. Nests suffer a high rate of predation with only 17% success.
Outside the breeding season they form compact flocks of 6 to 17 birds, composed of family parties (parents and offspring) from the previous breeding season, together with any extra adults that helped to raise a brood. These flocks will occupy and defend territories against neighbouring flocks. The driving force behind the flocking behaviour is thought to be that of winter roosting, being susceptible to cold; huddling increases survival through cold nights.
From July to February, the non-breeding season, long-tailed tits form flocks of relatives and non-relatives, roosting communally. When the breeding season begins, the flocks break up, and the birds attempt to breed in monogamous pairs. Males remain within the winter territory, while females have a tendency to wander to neighbouring territories.
Pairs whose nests fail have three choices: try again, abandon nesting for the season or help at a neighbouring nest. It has been shown that failed pairs split and help at the nests of male relatives, recognition being established vocally. The helped nests have greater success due to higher provisioning rates and better nest defence. At the end of the breeding season, in June–July, the birds reform the winter flocks in their winter territory.
Population:
UK breeding:
340,000 territories
The sloop Drusilla - designed by the legendary Nat Herreshoff - photographed in August 1892. My colorizationof an image in the Library of Congress archive.
Drusilla, built for E. D. Morgan, commodore of the NYYC, was the last boat contracted at the HMC yard in 1891.
In his book "Herreshoff Sailboats", Gregory O. Jones discusses some of the features of this yacht, which measured 50 feet on the deck and35 feet on the waterline:
"Drusilla´s hullform had more beam and less depth than other bulbed fin-keel boats, to give her form stability before the ballasted fin keelbegan to take effect, typically at 15 - 20 degrees of heel. This was done in the interest of comfort, to allow the boat to sail more nearly upright. With some stability from the hullform, Nat reduced the ballast, but the result was that Drusilla sailend on her ear anyway. She wastaken out of the water and a new, heavier bulb was attached. The modification provided the necessary stability, but the additional weightsubmerged the intended waterline."
It appears that Morgan soon sold Drusilla to Louis M. Rutherford, who was named as the owner in the October - March 1894 issue of the Outing Magazine.
I went back to Ireland in mid-March to see my Dad, and although I took the camera with me, the light was generally awful, the weather even more terrible, and I was very tired. But on my last full day I went to visit a friend in Armagh City and the weather was decent, a typical March mix of sunshine and showers, with a gusty breeze.
On the way back, I took a detour to one of my favourite spots to shoot the Mourne Mountains from, the Windy Gap near Dromara. Conditions weren’t spectacular, as the cloud deck was much too low down on the hills, but the blustery weather made for some interestingly wild clouds especially for long exposure shots. I didn’t have a tripod with me given it costs to take on one an aeroplane these days, so I used the wall for some stability. Ironically, the best of the shots in the sequence, in my view, was the short exposure one I used to try and get my framing right.
Finishing stability issues, while adding more details.
It's getting heavier with each added brick. :P
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C&C always welcome.
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The Mercedes F-400
was a dramatic concept from 2001.
The F-400 carries the name 'carving' because its outer two wheels lean into the corner in a similar manner to skiiers carving their outside ski inward to improve cornering stability.
video
Moonlight and pier lights combine to brighten the sky, clouds, and sea surrounding the Palapa Bar and Grill in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
The reef is approximately a 10 minute boat ride from the shore at this position on the Caye, and its eons of coral effectively quell the storm driven waves of the Caribbean most of the time. The relatively calm waters on the shoreward side of the reef make it possible to establish a viable business like this one. My oldest son and I came out here with our cameras after dinner to drink in the tropical, nighttime atmosphere. The patrons of the Palapa belted forth some spirited Karaoke, and the Belikin appeared to be happily flowing. As we stared into the clear water, several Eagle Rays (family Myliobatidae) moved purposefully and effortlessly through their crystalline medium, searching for sustenance along the sandy bottom.
Technical notes: Single exposure with a small Joby travel tripod for stability. The LEDs behind me made the water appear extremely green in the photograph, which is not how it looked to me when I was standing on the pier. I corrected the color of the foreground water in Lightroom CC to make the water appear as close to my memory of the moment as possible.
roots….
home….
stability….
connectedness….
memories...
past....
future....
love….
....as long as our hearts have roots, we can be at home anywhere….
Winter in a cycladic remote island can be quite a challenge for one's mental stability :) This is taken some years ago, a result of pure boredom and experiments with photoshop, which I do not normally overuse cause it makes me feel like a crook. But I guess its ok to be a crook sometimes:) Happy 2019 to everyone!
Today at one of the Goodwill stores on our thrift route, we found a nice little KidKraft dollhouse, with the furniture, a doll family and some extras.
We also found bags of Rainbow High dolls crazy cheap but that's another photo.
Anyway, CM was lugging stuff as usual and it suddenly reminded me of a photo from 14 years ago at the flea market:
www.flickr.com/photos/cmultra/5002648065/
That caused me to think this would be a fun modern parallel photo.
Things haven't changed! CM's still a good sport about being a grown man toting dollhouses around. 😄
It also caused me to give thanks to God for consistency in life. In a fallen world of deceit and violence, it doesn't just happen that we live in such a stable society that 14 years later, we're still enjoying toy photography.
It is the grace of God in His kindness towards our nation through our Savior, the Lord, Christ Jesus. 😊 🙏
Don't change! Keep enjoying toys! And give thanks. 😊
I liked the lone seagull up there, using the rock outcropping as its perch...
Please press 'L' for enhanced viewing :)
There is a lovely man-made lagoon and waterfall at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
It was high noon, so very bright and I had no polarizing filter or 3-stop darkening filter to blur the water. So I put the aperture opening as small as possible, f/40, and then slowed the shutter speed to 1/13th of a second while I propped my lens on a rail fence for stability and sharpness. I was fairly happy with the result, though the water could be dreamier with a slower shutter speed...
Toronto, CANADÀ 2024
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (also known as the Parliament Building) is the seat of government for the province of Ontario, Canada's most populous province. It is located at the heart of Queen's Park in downtown Toronto.
Architecture and Design: The building was completed in 1893 and is a prominent example of the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style, characterized by its rough, pink sandstone masonry and semicircular arches. The massive design gives it an air of stability and significance.
Key Location: The building sits in the centre of Queen's Park Crescent, a ring-shaped avenue at the north end of University Avenue. It is situated directly adjacent to the University of Toronto, underscoring the importance of politics and education in the area.
Function: It is where the 124 elected members (Members of Provincial Parliament or MPPs) for the province of Ontario meet to debate and enact legislation.
Purple is said to combine the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. I could buy that!
Livestock mobility, flexible use of rangelands, and diverse herds were key elements of traditional nomadic pastoral practices throughout the world and contributed to the high ecological stability of pastoral systems.
Nomads are still found today on the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya. Known in the Tibetan language as drokpa, translating as “high-pasture people,” there are an estimated two million Tibetan-speaking nomads spread over a vast area. Throughout the Tibetan areas of what is now the People’s Republic of China and in the northern parts of Bhutan, India and Nepal, nomads are an important element in the economy and society wherever they are found, but their way of life is disappearing.
Read more: maptia.com/danielmiller/stories/nomads-of-the-tibetan-pla...
For #transportation and MacroMondays. I wear hiking boots for stability almost anytime I head outdoors. Doesn't always work ;(
105mm macro lens and 36mm extension tube.
See boot grommets with mm rule in first comment.
A corner of one of the President Relander Memorial cubes. Made of red granite, the whole memorial weighs almost 100 metric tons. Talk about stability
Luxemburgo - Place du Puits-Rouge - Roude Petz marker
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ENGLISH:
Luxembourg City is the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country's most populous commune. Standing at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxembourg, the city lies at the heart of Western Europe, situated 213 km (132 mi) by road from Brussels, 372 km (231 mi) from Paris, and 209 km (130 mi) from Cologne. The city contains Luxembourg Castle, established by the Franks in the Early Middle Ages, around which a settlement developed.
The city's population consists of 160 nationalities. Foreigners represent 70% of the city's population, whilst Luxembourgers represent 30% of the population; the number of foreign-born residents in the city rises steadily each year.
Luxembourg is ranked as having the second-highest per capita GDP in the world with the city having developed into a banking and administrative centre. It was placed first for personal safety, while it was ranked 19th for quality of living.
It is one of the de facto capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels, Frankfurt and Strasbourg), as it is the seat of several institutions, agencies and bodies, including the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors, the Secretariat of the European Parliament, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Stability Mechanism, as well as amongst other European Commission departments and services, Eurostat. The Council of the European Union meets in the city for three months annually.
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ESPAÑOL:
Luxemburgo es la capital de la pequeña nación europea del mismo nombre. Se construyó entre desfiladeros profundos, cortados por los ríos Alzette y Pétrusse, y es famosa por sus ruinas de fortificaciones medievales. La extensa red de túneles de Bock Casemates abarca un calabozo, una prisión y la Cripta Arqueológica, considerada como la cuna del país. A lo largo de las murallas en lo alto, el paseo Chemin de la Corniche tiene miradores impresionantes.
The LAAT is hands down my favorite ship design in all of Star Wars. It’s my white whale- a ship I’ve always wanted to build but never quite had the confidence to attempt it.
There’s a whole bunch of amazing MOCs out there. I think i was slightly intimidated by the sheer number of quality MOCs- how could I put my own spin on such a popular ship?
Furthermore, it’s a complicated design- with a good deal of angles, curves, and complicated details all around the ship: a whole bunch of distinctive design elements that were crucial to get right.
I started with Dave Bucholz's design and ended up with a rather colourful version using the bricks I had to hand. I was very impressed with the structural stability of the model. It was as solid as a rock. I slowly began replacing parts of his model with my own ideas which continued over a few months until it was almost entirely replaced- I think the only portion that remains is the technique used to mount the guns in the chin and a few errant lift arms that were integral in keeping the chin attached to the rest of the ship!
I was about satisfied with my version until I saw Luca_S_Project's Instagram story and subsequent conversations with other builders convinced me to try brick building the sides of the nose rather than using plates. I’m glad I persevered, despite being so deep into the project and convinced I was almost done, because the solution I found turned out to be quite neat.
6:18 one of the last photos of the session in the long awaited mist or rather fog. I was looking also for some sun but there were no rays at all. The light was easy anyway - lower the contrasts, better the backgrounds. Beautiful morning in the type I like very much.
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📷 Canon EOS R + Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM
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At the Pittsburgh Zoo in Pittsburgh, PA.
For some reason, starting with this photo chosen randomly, willows seem to have a cosmic significance for me tonight. I keep coming across references to them. Maybe I'm in a strange attractor eddy about them.
I looked up the symbolic meaning of willows, and they signify stability, hope, and recovery, which bodes well for 2022.
Aston Martin DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 powered, race-bred, two-seater shaped by the aerodynamic demands of high performance, with an exquisite interior that marries beautifully hand-finished materials with the very latest in performance technology. Race-derived materials and components and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-build expertise makes the DBS a luxury sports car without equal.
Aston Martin DBS Specifications:
Body:
- Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 seating
- Bonded aluminium VH structure
- Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body
- Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
- High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
- Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
- LED rear lamps and side repeaters
Engine:
- All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12. Compression ratio 10.9:1
- Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
- Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
Projected Performance figures:
- Maximum power: 380 kW (510 bhp/517 PS) @ 6500 rpm
- Maximum torque: 570 Nm (420 lb ft) @ 5750 rpm
- Maximum speed: 307 km/h (191 mph)
- Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.3 seconds
Transmission:
- Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox
- Alloy torque tube with carbon-fibre propeller shaft
- Limited-slip differential
- Final-drive ratio 3.71:1
Steering:
- Rack and pinion
- Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering
- 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
- Column tilt and reach adjustment
Wheels & Tyres
Wheels:
- Front: 8.5" x 20"
- Rear: 11" x 20"
Tyres:
Pirelli P Zero
- Front: 245/35
- Rear: 295/30
Suspension:
Front:
- Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry
- Coil springs
- Anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
Rear:
- Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry
- Coil springs
- Anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode
Brakes:
Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston calipers
Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston calipers
Dynamic Stability control (DSC) with Track mode, including anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA) and traction control.
Dimensions:
Length: 4721 mm
Width: 1905 mm excluding door mirrors, 2060 mm including door mirrors
Height: 1280 mm
Wheelbase: 2740 mm
Fuel tank capacity: 78 litres
Weight: 1695 kg
Interior:
- Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara interior
- Matrix alloy facia trim and Iridium Silver centre console finish
- Carbon-fibre door trims and door pulls
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA and Canada only)
- Sports seats with ten-way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar adjustment
- Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions)
- Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags
- Side airbags (sports seats only)
- Heated seats (sports seats only)
- Heated rear screen
- Automatic temperature control
- Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
- Trip computer
- Cruise control
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*1,2
- Bluetooth telephone preparation*1
- Powerfold exterior mirrors
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Tyre-pressure monitoring*1
- Alarm and immobiliser
- Remote-control central door locking and boot release
- Battery disconnect switch
- Battery conditioner
- Tracking device (UK only)
- Boot-mounted umbrella
*1 Not available in all markets
*2 Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe
In-car entertainment:
- Aston Martin 700 W premium audio system with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
- MP3 player connectivity
Optional Equipment:
- Lightweight seats with six-way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust (Does not include side airbags or heated seats feature. Not available in USA or Canada)
- 20" alloy wheels with graphite finish
- Satellite radio system (USA only)
- Piano Black facia trim and centre console finish
- Leather storage saddle
- Personalised sill plaques
- Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror*1
- Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
- Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
- Tracking device*3
- First-aid kit
- Ashtray and cigar lighter
*1 Not available in all markets
*3 Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK.
Along the route from Arequipa to Colca Canyon in Peru.
From Wikipedia -
The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America that stands between 107 and 122 cm (3.5 and 4 feet) at the shoulder and weighs about 90 kg (200 lb). The colour varies very little (unlike the domestic llama), ranging from a light brown to dark cinnamon and shading to white underneath. Guanacos have grey faces and small straight ears. The name guanaco comes from the South American language Quechua word wanaku (old spelling, huanaco). Young guanacos are called chulengo(s).
The guanaco is native to the arid, mountainous regions of South America. Guanaco are found in the altiplano of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. In Chile and Argentina, they are more numerous in Patagonian regions, in places like the Torres del Paine National Park, and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. In these areas, they have more robust populations, since there are limitations on grazing competition from livestock. Bolivian Indians have been known to raise guanaco to help them regain their population stability. A guanaco’s typical lifespan is 20 to 25 years.
(("In the heart of a rain-dampened night market, her gaze cuts through shadow and silence—Amid baskets and burdens, she is the witness — not passive, but patient."
-- Afro Noir elegance meets quiet defiance beneath the umbrella's glow.))
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️ NOIR – A Black & White Photo Showcase for Visual Storytellers
Inspired by Film Noir.
️ Shadows. Mystery. Broken heroes. Beauty in darkness.
Submit your best moody, black & white shots.
️ Timeline:
📤 Submissions: May 6 – June 2
🎬 Exhibition: June 6 @ DecadencE (during David Shea’s cinematic concert)
Details:
• Max 2 photos (JPG/PNG, high-res, full perms)
• Title format: Photo Contest– Your Name – Title
• Send to: Chioma Namiboo or Carolyn Handrick
🏆 Perks:
• Featured in immersive concert space
• Artist exposure + special gifts
🎹 Music meets image. Film meets lens.
Let your camera SPEAK IN SHADOWS.
🔖 #decadencephotocontest
F-35 unintentional loop at takeoff on a carrier
This guy clearly has brass balls and you know the sailors on the flight deck had a cow when they saw this unfold in front of them.
Unintentional?
This is unbelievable!
F-35 unintentional (?) loop at takeoff a real "check your laundry" event. A supremely well-trained US Navy pilot, ice running in his veins instead
of blood, fully regains control of his $70 million, F-35 joint strike force fighter, after a problematic vertical take-off attempt... Watch as the rear vertical thruster fires to cause the problem.
There's nothing about this the pilot enjoys. If he could have ejected at 100' upside down and lived, he would have. Looks like the afterburner kicks in while still vectored for vertical takeoff. Lockheed would call this a "software malfunction" and do a little more "regressive testing". This is a good demonstration of power-to-weight ratio of this aircraft! And talk about stability control...
If he didn't come out of the loop wings-level, it probably would have been bad news; maybe taking some of the carrier with him!
Add to this flying through your own exhaust, which can lead to equipment malfunctions, as in "flame out". The F-35 is single engine aircraft with vertical takeoff/landing capability, but it has the aerodynamics of a Steinway piano at zero airspeed. This is themost unbelievable piece of flying you will ever see in your life.
This Guy deserves a Medal for saving a 70 Million Dollar Aircraft!
You'll watch it at least 2 times!
Created in Stability Ai.
Filters: PSE21 and Topaz Studio.
Thank you for your visit, faves and kind comments.
And a little jazz tune from planet earth:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2SAmDJ_SMg
When I was in my 40's, I used to dress up and go to a cigar club owned by one of the Hollywood legends on Saturday nights. It had smoky mahogany walls and ceilings and beautiful, rich red elegant chairs that one could almost melt into, fantastic oil paintings on the walls.. I was often the only woman there, and those of us there knew we were there for the gorgeous piano jazz. The place is gone now, but I have lovely memories of the music, and can go back if I close my eyes.
And my baby is a beauty person to my side. She conveys peace, tranquility, stability, indomitable affection and above all his tantrum that would not change him for anything in the world.
I love you babe.
© National Geographic Yourshot (Editors' Favourite, July 2019). Story and assignment: “Rites of Passage.
Swahili racing teams come together several times a year to compete in traditional hand-crafted Arabic-styled Mashua dhows in the Lamu Archipelago just off Kenya's northern Swahili Coast.
Intense village rivalries build over the years, often reaching pitch fever on race day. This magnificent racing dhow and crew are in the lead as they move into the final leg of the race. They are the ultimate winners and will return to their village on the island of Pate with team bragging rights and a certain village swagger that will likely last several months until the next race.
Six crewmen in the lead dhow are perched on an adjustable plank that hangs out over the choppy waters for added balance, speed, and stability. About sixteen young crewmen all together are crowded into each dhow to give the necessary weight, balance and stability against a stiff coastal trade wind.
The ubiquitous trade winds have been instrumental in the evolution of Swahili culture and commerce over the years since it was first established in the 14th Century as an Omani trading outpost and settlement on the classic coastal run between Zanzibar and the Arabic world further to the north.
The art of Swahili dhow racing requires considerable team skill as the dhows tack and manoeuvre back and forth through the Manda channel and ultimately out to the edge of the open sea. The finest dhows are selected from each village to race under sail through a complicated series of buoys, combining speed and balance with elaborate tacking and maneuvering competence.
The races are usually organized in conjunction with a cultural festival or an Islamic religious holiday. This Shela-based race on the island of Lamu is organized yearly by Peponi's on New Year's Day.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
The legislative elections were held on February 6 peacefully in this country known as a bastion of stability and democratic governance in Africa. Since 2008, UNDP has supported the modernization and consolidation of electoral system through its support of the National Electoral Commission.
UNDP has mobilized 700,000 USD from the Spanish Cooperation, which has given continuity to the activities of the regional project to support the public administration reform , contributing to the consolidation of the National System of Identification and Authenticity Civil (SNIAC). This project which aims to strengthen the infrastructural support of SINIAC, has contributed to the acquisition of equipment for three databases containing biometric information.
As a prelude, the UNDP has supported the organization of the first voter registration in Cape Verde using the biometric information. The project contributed also for capacity development by training, approximately 600 trainers and operators kits census at a national level and had as well conduct an extensive information and education campaign in order to sensitized people to realize their participation' s right. The project has also created an integrated database containing biometric information for the election, as well for civil and border services.
Capeverdean diaspora has been the subject of special attention. Whith UNDP, the country has implemented a strategy census of its population living abroad, through funds raised from Government of Luxembourg, and reaching more than 30,000 people before the election period.
Cape Verde has few natural resources, with a population of 500,000 people distributed in 4000Km2, and a cultivable area of 10%. However, since January 2008, the country was graduated from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for Middle Income Countries (MICs). This important step recognizes the success of an independent country since 1975 including the choice of development based on human capital, services, new information technologies, tourism, agriculture and fisheries, among others, which have significant reduction of poverty (49% of the population in 1989 to 26.6% in 2007), growth of real GDP per capita (from 902 USD in 1990 to $ 3,306 in 2008), and a significant improvement living conditions of the population. These achievements and successes are attributed to a harmonious political and economic governance, with political stability and, in a context of sustainable peace, because of social and economic development a priority in the national agenda of development.
In this context, UNDP plays a catalytic role in cooperation with national agencies within the UN system, particularly the strengthening of national institutions, through the component e-governance "of its Governance program.
Sitting in Wells next the Sea harbour is former RNLI lifeboat 37-15 Ernest Tom Neathercoat, 24th October 2020. The Ernest Tom Neathercoat is a 37ft Oakley class self righting lifeboat and is one of a class of twenty six lifeboats. The Oakley class was the first class of motor lifeboat designed as a self-righting boat. The design combined great stability with the ability to self-right in the event of it capsizing and had a top speed of 8 knots. The protype entered service in 1958 with the Ernest Tom Neathercoat entering service in 1965. It was allocated to Wells next the Sea where it remained until 1990 when it moved to North Sunderland for a year before being withdrawn in 1991. Whilst at Wells it was launched eighty five times and is credited in saving sixteen lives.
Voted Best Futuristic Design in 2008 and included in a list of the world’s 30 ugliest buildings a couple of years ago, Aldar HQ clearly divides opinion. It shouldn’t; this is a genuinely iconic addition to the Abu Dhabi skyline, the kind of building that makes Abu Dhabi instantly identifiable in silhouette.
In brief, it has two circular convex façades linked by a belt of indented glazing. The circle obviously symbolises unity, stability, rationality, perfection – the kind of messages a property developer would like to be associated with. Architect Marwan Zgheib was also inspired by clamshells, a nod to the pearling heritage, but it’s the circular form and the curved glass skin that you notice.
Inside it’s also pretty clever. The building uses a diagrid, a steel exoskeleton which keeps everything together but also means the interior spaces don’t need pillars and beams to support themselves. This provides maximum flexibility for the offices: although there are just 23 floors, the building has the same floor area as a typical 40-storey tower.
And notice the orientation: the west-east alignment allows both the sunset and sunrise to be seen in the glass, along with the island of Abu Dhabi and the new ‘greater’ Abu Dhabi along the road past Yas and KCA. It’s literally a reflection of Abu Dhabi and where it’s going.
Abu Dhabi World Online | The capital's magazine
From my recent travel archives
كل شيء يحتاج للتوازن حتى مزاج الانسان يحتاج للتوازن وبدون ذلك تصبح الحياة مستحيله وهذه الصوره تبين حاله من التوازن بين الطيور لتصبح الحياة مستمره
I shot this picture in 1983
This tiny tiny egg is less than 1mm.. used a tripod for stability and brought the stalk on which the egg was closer.. I usually click handheld as it's easier to capture moving insects, so clicking this egg was a good time to try the tripod method, and given how tiny the egg was, the stability was necessary too