SYSTEM CHANGE & SYSTEM INNOVATION
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“Oh no! The mandrake has the wand again!”
The little wizard wonders if he should step in…
Skippy envisioned his universe with the help of the following magical creations, which are all available at Witchcraft & Wizardry:
Duvet Day’s Table, and Magnifying Glass!
Static’s Fantastic Bestiary Books!
Bee That Way’s Occamie Tea Cup!
bubble’s Fantastic Creatures Cookie!
Random Matter’s Bookcases, and Book Stack, which are all part of the Reading Room Collection!
Raindale’s Netherkeep Desk, and Netherkeep Scroll!
Broken Arrow’s Witchcraft Magic Lights, and Witchcraft Magic Mess!
Digital Farm System’s Stuffy Sassparello Mandrake!
Rainbow Sundae’s Ember's Wand!
Disorderly’s Magic Ingredients, which are part of the Strudel Sorcery Collection!
Tardfish’s Pilfer Buddehs (Yellow and Black)!
Your ride to Witchcraft & Wizardry!
Keep telling your stories.
Keep making your magic.
Keep shining bright, my friends!
► 🎧🎼Kamelot🌛Moonlight👉[Enjoy the incredible Roy Kahn my favorite voice ever]
I have never craved the system's sympathy
I get restless over pity smiles
Some precaution wouldn't harm my history...
If I had the will to wait a little while...
Moonlight falling over me
Sail on where the shadows hide
Moonlight crawling down on me
Just like you could not compete with my pride...!
Greetings human creatures, of the planet you call "Earth". I have come a long way to adorn your skies, to make you gaze up into the starry firmament to admire my mysterious nature.
You have given me the strange name "NEOWISE", because a few months ago a space telescope in orbit around Earth, first spotted me as I was approaching your planet, hundreds of millions of miles away. But this is not where I come from. My cradle is located far beyond the orbits of the furthest planets and asteroids, where billions of small, icy bodies, relics of the solar system's formation, move lazily around the Sun. Although the Sun from that far is just a speck of light, its gravitational attraction keeps these frozen bodies in orbit.
Thousands of years ago, perhaps after a tiny nudge from a passing star that slightly deflected my orbit, I started ever so slowly my plunge towards the Sun. I have silently travelled the coldness of space until I first crossed the orbits of the gas giants and then entered the inner solar system, heading towards the central star.
The Sun's heat slowly but steadily warmed my frozen surface and finally my true nature was revealed: an enormous mass of ice, mixed with rocks and dust. As the icy crust that covers my nucleus began to sublimate, gases and dust particles started to form an atmosphere around my solid nucleus. The steady flow of the solar wind pushes the dust and gas into two magnificent tails: the curved, yellowish dust tail and the more straight, blue ion tail, extending for millions of miles into space, opposite the direction of the Sun. And now you can see me in the night sky not as a dark, frozen mass but as a dazzling comet, changing position in front of the distant stars from night to night.
It will not be long before I disappear from the night sky, to return to the depths of space. In the coming weeks I will become increasingly dimmer and harder to spot and my tails will diminish. I will return, but it will not be until thousands of years in the future.
People used to fear comets: for eons, comets were considered sinister omens, heralding the death of kings, and announcing the start of wars and disaster. It took the genius of giants like Isaac Newton and Halley to realize that comets, are simply celestial bodies travelling in elongated orbits around the Sun.
I apologize for not being too splashy and bright like other famous comets, like Hale-Bopp or Halley, to name just two of them. But still if you can get at a dark place, with little or no light pollution from man-made lights - hard to find nowadays - you can still see me maybe with your naked eyes or even better with binoculars. And who knows how long it will be until the next bright comet arrives, so do not miss this opportunity!
So, farewell and stay safe. You will soon forget me, but I will leave something behind, to remind you of my apparition. Specks of dust from my tail will continue around my orbit and will eventually slam into Earth's atmosphere and burn like a meteor. So, the next time you see a meteor in the night sky, it could be one that has been part of my once prominent tail. And if you do, do not forget the wish!
Details:
---------------
Camera: Canon EOS 550D, mounted on tripod, unguided
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II@f2.5
Frames: 32 x 8 secs each, ISO 3200
Processing: Developed in Lightroom Classic 9.3, stacked with Sequator (set to Accumulation, Align stars) and final processing in Adobe Photoshop v.21
Soak Testing is a type of performance test that verifies a system's stability and performance characteristics over an extended period of time. It is typical in this type of performance test to maintain a certain level of user concurrency for an extended period of time.
How can you always be late for your arrival?
You know I'd forgive you every single time
Retreat, retreat, I've fallen at the low tide
Oh, retreat, retreat and meet me by the quayside
In the end all you can hope for
Is the love you felt to equal the pain you've gone through
Are your eyes showing off for mine?
Your face in my hands is everything good I need
The system's put in place, put there to protect us
For you I'd throw a lifeline every time
Oh, retreat, retreat, I've fallen at the low tide
Now retreat, retreat and meet me by the quayside
In the end all you can hope for
Is the love you felt to equal the pain you've gone through
Are your eyes showing off for mine?
Your face in my hands is everything good I need
Bones starved of flesh surround an aching heart
Full of love
Oh, bones, starved of flesh surround your aching heart
Full of love
Bones starved of flesh surround your aching heart
Bones
Oh bones
I watch as your eyes show off for mine
I watch as your eyes show off
I watch as your eyes show off for mine
I watch as your eyes show off
T-Centralen is a metro station that forms the heart of the Stockholm metro system, in the sense that it is the only station where all three of the system's lines meet. That, its central location, and its connections with other modes of transport make it the most used metro station in Stockholm.
My Korner #232 - Taking a break!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-korner-232-taking-...
BLOG NAME: Taking a break!
DESIGNERS: FashionNatic, Supernatural, Salt & Pepper, L&B Swear and ACT5
What a beautiful place to ride but it's time to stop, take a break and enjoy the scenery at zero MPH!
Today I'm wearing:
OUTFIT: FashionNatic - KINSLEY OUTFIT FATPACK @Cosmopolitan
BOOTS: FashionNatic - KINSLEY SHOES FATPACK @Cosmopolitan
CHOKER: .::Supernatural::. Katrina Choker
PUSH UP BREAST SYSTEM: S&P Push up stage 4
HELMET: L&B Swear "Racing" Motorcycle Helmet
POSE: ACT5-493-Female Motorcycle Holding Helmet Pose
Kinsley outfit and boots are rigged for Freya, Legacy and Maitreya. Comes in 10 colors and fatpack. Boots come with color change hud with 40 color choices for 6 different parts.
Katrina choker comes in Gold or Silver. The choker has 9 colors plus comes with 2 gem HUDS for the center stone.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Cosmopolitan
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/No%20Comment/131/61/24
FashionNatic Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/124075
FashionNatic Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fashion%20Boulevard%20II/6...
Supernatural Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Supernatural/126/130/21
Supernatural Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/104402
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
Lapointe & Bastchild Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Evocative/127/149/31
Lapointe & Bastchild Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6435
ACT5 Marketplace
The Reykjanes Volcanic System is one of the volcanic systems on Reykjanes Peninsula in Southwest Iceland, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level. It is part of Reykjanes Volcanic Belt like the 3-6 (depending on author) other volcanic systems on Reykjanes Peninsula. A volcanic system on the peninsula of Reykjanes consists of (volcanic and tectonic) fissures and faults directed mostly NE-SW. Only Hengill, if this volcano is also taken into account here, has an additional central volcano. The Reykjanes volcanic system shows lava fields and postglacial basaltic crater rows. The small shield volcanoes are mostly not counted.
The submarine Reykjanes Ridge volcanic zone is contiguous but is considered only for a small part integrated into the Reykjanes volcanic system, which is the westernmost volcanic system closely spaced en-echelon fissure systems extending across the Reykjanes Peninsula. The highest of the system's multiple vents is 230 metres (754 ft). Dredging operations resulted in recovery of basaltic rocks of probable Holocene age. Most of the subaerial part of the system is covered by Holocene-age lava fields. During the 13th century, the last subaerial eruptions occurred along the Reykjanes fissure system. Tephra deposits from Holocene eruptions have been preserved on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
My Korner #218 - FREEZE DIRTBAG!!!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-korner-218-freeze-...
BLOG NAME: FREEZE DIRTBAG!!!
DESIGNERS: Giz Seorn & Salt & Pepper
I pulled my gun out and spun around and shouted “Freeze, dirtbag! as I extended my arms aiming at his chest!!
Today I'm wearing:
BODYSUIT/JACKET: GIZ SEORN : Imogen Suit [FatPack] @Uber
PUSH UP BREAST SYSTEM: S&P Push up stage 4 @Uber
Imogen suit is rigged for Freya, Hourglass, Maitreya and Legacy. Comes in 8 colors or a fatpack with 14 color choices for 4 parts plus 3 metal colors.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Uber
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Uber/190/176/19
Giz Seorn Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GIZ%20SEORN/178/119/73
Giz Seorn Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/47598
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
As much as the dark of night enchants and entrances me, there’s something serene about seeing the stars in the twilight sky at either end of the day. After spending the hours between 3:00 am and the beginning of astronomical twilight imaging the Milky Way against the clear and dark skies at Narooma, my friend Ian Williams and I began shooting the glows and hues to be seen only in the change from night to morning.
The lighthouse atop Barunguba (Montague Island) kept true to its 15-second rhythm, caught here in my photo shining between the two large Glasshouse Rocks, and several stars were still visible against the glow of the brightening sky. The light of the planet Mercury reflecting off the beach’s wet sand made me gasp when I looked at my camera’s preview screen once the shutter had closed. Often difficult to see due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is our solar system’s smallest planet and makes one orbit of the Sun every 87.9 days.
This image is a single-frame photo captured with my Canon EOS 6D Mk II camera coupled with a Yongnuo 50mm f/1.4 lens @ f/2.8, using an exposure time of 6 seconds @ ISO 1600.
GP40-2 303 leads Vermont Rail System’s Washington County Railroad train NPWJ south parallel to High Street in Barton, Vermont.
The Seaboard System’s only two A units make a reverse move to run around their train at Martinsburg, West Virginia.
This is a photo of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) taken on October 14th, 2024 (details below). Despite thin clouds, the nucleus was visible about 45 minutes after sunset, about halfway between Venus (bright star at lower left) and Arcturus. Then after about 30 minutes, it was clearly visible with the unaided eye and magnificent through binoculars.
Discovered in early 2023, Comet A3 made a fine appearance in Earth’s skies in October 2024. Dubbed as “the comet of the century”, I think it should instead be called the most photographed comet of all times.
Originating in the distant Oort cloud, where billions of small, icy bodies, relics of the solar system's formation abound, it travelled towards the Sun and the Earth, starting its journey towards the inner solar system thousands of years ago.
As the Sun's heat slowly but steadily warmed its icy surface, mixed with rocks and dust, the icy crust began to sublimate and gases and dust particles started to form an atmosphere around its nucleus. The steady flow of the solar wind shaped the dust and gas into a long tail, extending for millions of miles into space, opposite to the direction of the Sun. But at the time this photo was taken, an anti-tail pointing to the sun also formed, an optical illusion from dust left to drift in the comet’s orbit, reflecting sunlight towards us.
At its maximum brightness, the comet was relatively easy to spot with unaided eye and fabulous with binoculars. It remained visible for some time but it is now below naked-eye visibility limit. Recent calculations suggest it might have an open (hyperbolic orbit) that will eventually send it away from our solar system and that it will never return. Let’s hope another bright one is on course to the inner solar system.
Wishing everyone health and clear skies!
Photo Details:
---------------------------------------------------------
Camera: Canon EOS 6D, mounted on tripod, unguided.
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II@f2.5
Light Frames: 20 x 5 secs each, ISO 640.
Processing: Developed in Lightroom Classic, stacked with Sequator and final processing in Adobe Photoshop
Its July 1985 a view of Chessie System's yard station with GP-40s at Raligh W.V Appalachia [photo collection Mark Llanuza]
My Korner #244 - The Stare!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-korner-244-stare.html
BLOG NAME: The Stare!
DESIGNERS: Adorsy, Supernatural, Avada, S&P and ACT5
Sometimes I find myself sitting in one spot for hours, staring at nothing, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing, and most disturbingly, caring about nothing. ...
Today I'm wearing:
TOP: adorsy - Marissa Denim Top Fatpack @Cosmopolitan
SHORTS: adorsy - Marissa Shorts Fatpack @Cosmopolitan
BOOTS: adorsy - Marissa Boots Fatpack @Cosmopolitan
NECKLACE: .::Supernatural::. Sammy Necklace Fatpack @Bloom
RINGS: Avada~ Eldora Rings
NAILS: Avada~ Ballerina Nails - Solanine - Colors
BREAST PUSH UP SYSTEM: S&P Bento Push up
POSE: ACT5-501-Female Model Sit 42
Marisa Set is rigged for Legacy & Maitreya. Jacket with optional bra comes in 10 colors and 10 denim colors. Shorts come in 10 colors. Boots comes 35 color HUD. Boots bow and ruffles are optional. Very details and fun outfit.
Sammy comes in silver or gold and comes with 3 color change HUDs.
Eldora Rings are rigged for Maitreya & Legacy and come with HUD with 4 metal changes.
Ballerina nails are rigged for Belleza, Legacy, Maitreya and Slink and come with nail applier hud.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Cosmopolitan
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/No%20Comment/146/22/23
Adorsy Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sorens/221/36/21
Adorsy Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/197132
Bloom
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Prism%20Events/122/128/22
Supernatural Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Supernatural/126/130/21
Supernatural Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/104402
Avada Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elmira/136/134/27
Avada Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/147505
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
ACT5 Marketplace
On a snow-covered MLK day, Vermont Railway System’s Washington County Railroad train NPWJ is led by former Boston and Maine GP40-2 303 past the former B&M Ely Station in Fairlee, Vermont.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Freecam by Otis & Skall_Edit
Universal UE4 Unlocker by Otis
Ilum was a snow-covered planet located in the 7G sector of the Unknown Regions, within the Ilum system. In the system, Ilum was fifth from its parent star Asar, a blue dwarf, located roughly equidistant from Asar and the system's cometary cloud. Ilum had been utilized by the Jedi Order for the Gathering, a rite of passage in which Jedi younglings must find and harvest kyber crystals for their lightsabers, for thousands of standard years.
Just a few miles out of Rutland, the Sunday edition of Vermont Rail System's B&R job is seen passing the town garage at Clarendon, VT as it heads south for the Pan Am interchange at North Bennington, VT. SD70M-2 431, painted late last year, leads a pair of red 4-axle units and a GATX leaser, making for a relatively photogenic set of power compared to what the VRS has had to offer in recent years.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : Agfa APX100.
_Date: P01 Scan38 2023 05 02 17h00.
MEC 5967 leads a four-pack of B40-8s, VTR 303, 310, and a nearly 100-car general freight train southbound on Vermont Rail System's Bennington Branch somewhere along Route 7 in Dorset, VT. Train 11R was detoured over the GMRC and Bennington Branch after a partial collapse of the Hoosac Tunnel in 2020.
My Korner #230 - Taking a break!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-korner-230-taking-...
BLOG NAME: Taking a break!
DESIGNERS: 1 Hundred, Salt & Pepper, Swear & ACT5
He has been skating for hours and I'm getting hungry! Let's go get some food my love.
Today I'm wearing:
TOP: 1 Hundred. Soft Touch Sweater. Fuschia
PANTS: S&P Daphne Pants @C88
SHOES: 1 Hundred. Soft Touch Sweater Low Tops
PUSH UP BREAST SYSTEM: S&P Push up stage 4
POSE: ACT5-485-Couple Skaters Sitting Pose
Soft Touch Sweater is rigged for Freya, Hourglass & Maitreya. Comes in blue, blush, fuschia, lilac, peach and pink.
Daphne pants are rigged for Freya, Lara & Legacy. They come in 8 colors or a fatpack.
Old School sneakers are rigged for Freya, Maitreya, Isis, Hourglass and Physique. The fatpack HUD has light colors, dark and 4 bonus colors. He is wearing the male version limited edition old school low tops.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
1 Hundred. Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Afterchills/57/37/2501
1 Hundred. Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/99739
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
Lapointe & Bastchild Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Evocative/127/149/31
Lapointe & Bastchild Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6435
ACT5 Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/215194
Posed with me is Crann, check out his blog:
Fourth in the series. The idea of attractors, or points of purpose in the future towards which things move, depicted here in a visual metaphor. Layering in, also, the idea that people with powerful and magnetic ideas as centre points also draw people toward an ideal or purpose in the future.
I'm celebrating these figures with this series - thinkers and artists who've made a powerful impact with their work and though, who've drawn many in toward their deeper messages.
Following after "The Glassblower's Breath" with it's Rumi theme, I thought it appropriate to bring out this image now and post it next to an image honouring one of his works. It was originally created in April 2017 and was sitting in the queue for a long time, until the right moment.
3 Pano-Sabotage pieces, cut up, layered and mirrored multiple times then photo manipulated.
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Music Link: "Hilal" - Mirror System & Ucef, from "The Art of Chill 3" compilation and originally on Mirror System's debut, self titled album, "Mirror System". The word "hilal" is not about Islamic meat preparation, as in "kosher". It means "crescent moon".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmM-Gz4c4aQ
___________________________________________________
© Richard S Warner ( Visionheart ) - 2017. All Rights Reserved. This image is not for use in any form without explicit, express, written permission.
* - See my Galleries featuring some of the best of Flickr's purely Abstract Art at:
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground, or by its nickname the Tube) is a public rapid transit system serving London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.
The world's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863, is now part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines; the first line to operate underground electric traction trains, the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the Northern line.The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2015–16 carried 1.34 billion passengers, making it the world's 11th busiest metro system. The 11 lines collectively handle approximately 4.8 million passengers a day.
The system's first tunnels were built just below the surface, using the cut-and-cover method; later, smaller, roughly circular tunnels – which gave rise to its nickname, the Tube – were dug through at a deeper level.The system has 270 stations and 250 miles (400 km) of track
AAPRCO’s Autumn Explorer III left town early morning heading northbound with Vermont Rail System’s first recent repainted GP38-2 #209. Photo taken North Bennington, VT October 3, 2022
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5oDLSXMtdM
Wake Up
Song by Rage Against Power Machines and Rage Against the Machine
Lyrics
Come on
Come on, although you try to discredit
You'll still never edit
The needle, I'll thread it
Radically poetic
Standing with the fury that they had in '66
And like E-Double, I'm mad
Still knee-deep in the system's shit
Hoover, he was a body remover
I'll give you a dose
But it will never come close
To the rage built up inside of me
Fist in the air, in the land of hypocricy
Movements come and movements go
Leaders speak, movements cease
When their heads are flown
'Cause all these punks got bullets in their heads
Departments of police (what?) the judges (what?) the feds
Networks at work, keeping people calm
You know they went after King
When he spoke out on Vietnam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot
Yeah
Yeah, back in this
With poetry, my mind I flex
Flip like Wilson, vocals never lacking that finesse
Who I got to, who I got to do to wake you up?
To shake you up, to break the structure up
'Cause blood still flows in the gutter
I'm like taking photos
Mad boy kicks open the shutter
Set the groove
Then stick and move like I was Cassius
Rep the stutter step and left a bomb upon the fascists
Yeah, the several federal man
Who pulled schemes on the dream
And put it to an end
You better beware
Of retribution with mind war
20-20 visions and murals with metaphors
Networks at work keeping people calm
You know they murdered X
And tried to blame it on Islam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot
What was the price on his head?
What was the price on his head?
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard, I think I heard a shot
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
How long? Not long, 'cause what you reap is what you sow
It's #TBT (Throwback Thursday), and while 11 years ago might not be long enough to qualify as "throwback," nevertheless here's a look back at one of the best, day-long chases I had on Vermont Rail System's Green Mountain Railroad (you know, before "VRS" stood for "Various Rented Stuff"...).
On May 25, 2010, Aaron Keller and I chased GMRC Train 263 from Rutland to a little bit before Riverside Yard, then from Brockaway Mills back to Rutland after it turned as Train 264. There were only a few clouds here and there all day, and we only suffered one "cloud dinking" at Gassetts. The light for the tail end of our chase of 264 was nothing short of spectacular, as evidenced by this view of the train going through East Wallingford. Boy how I wish I could relive days like this! I don't think it'll ever be the same up there, unfortunately...
GMRC Train 264
East Wallingford, VT
May 25, 2010
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordHP5plus400.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P20 Scan26 2024 07 13 11h11.
The TGV Duplex is a French high-speed train of the TGV family, and operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It is unique among TGV trains in that it features bi-level carriages. The Duplex was specially designed to increase capacity on high-speed lines with saturated traffic. With two seating levels and a seating capacity of 508 passengers, the Duplex increases the passenger capacity. While the TGV Duplex started as a small component of the TGV fleet, it has become one of the system's workhorses.
The world has shifted, jagged and off-key.
We scroll feeds, walk streets, lined with brittle promises,
our freedom cracking beneath rallying cries.
With every word he speaks, the air feels heavier,
the weight of the consequences like stones in our chests,
creating smog over cities we can barely afford.
A name rises in defiance,
a martyr for the cause,
paying the price to reveal what we’ve lost.
A life extinguished to expose the system’s flaws,
while progress falters, caught in an endless delay of the truth.
The headlines bleed outrage,
But we’ve become numb to the drip,
like frogs in boiling water,
watching them gut what’s left of hope.
They think we’ll stay docile,
content with hashtags and empty rage,
watching the world burn from the sidelines,
indifferent to the flames.
But this isn’t sustainable.
It’s gasoline on a dry field,
and we are the match.
My Korner #266 - Visiting the Islands!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-korner-266-visitin...
BLOG NAME: Visiting the Islands
DESIGNERS: HautePinay & Salt & Pepper
I have always wanted to visit the islands. They are so beautiful! I hope one day to get married and spend my honeymoon on the islands. That is my dream!
Today I'm wearing:
OUTFIT: HautePinay [ISLAND GIRL BLUE] Bra/Panty/Sarong
BREAST PUSH UP SYSTEM: S&P Bento Push up
Island Girl is rigged for Freya, Hourglass & Maitreya. Comes in blue, black and red.
What a great beach outfit. I just love it.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
HautePinay Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/174977
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
Photography is a kind of overstatement, a heroic copulation with the material world
Susan SontagOn Photography
Discusión / discussion [Esp. /Eng]
Las luces altas están sobreexpuestas pero manteniendo un mínimo de textura (se puede apreciar la señalización horizontal del asfalto de Pº Echagaray, un pié de árbol...), y las bajas están retocadas para eliminar cualquier detalle y convertir los diferentes planos en un puro elemento geométrico, retocando puntualmente la curva de luminancia para conseguir destacar el pequeño graffiti. El cut-out (desaturado selectivo) es obvio, y como Todd Ye comenta, busca destacar la combinación rojo-negro deliberadamente, haciendo un guiño a los colores anarquistas. La basculación del encuadre se apoya en un punto áureo (vértice del triángulo gris inferior izquierdo, que "apunta" al graffiti, para que gane relevancia). He buscado provocar una sensación de frialdad geométrica e inhumana, descuido urbano, la ciudad como escenario inhóspito en el que las cuentas mal pagadas del sistema se reflejan en graffitis que intentan marcar territorio "humano".
The highlights are overexposed while retaining a minimum structure and detail (see the arrows on the traffic lanes, the base of a tree...). The lowlights are worked to remove any detail and turn every plane into a single geometric element, touching the luminance curve to enhance the small graffiti. The cut-out is obvious, and as T.ye points out, it deliberately looks for enhancing the red-black combo, winking at the anarchist colors. The pitch of the frame relies on an aureal point (the vertex of the grey triangle at the bottom left corner, which points out to the graffiti to highlight its presence). I've tried to convey a feeling of a cold and inhuman geometry, urban negligence, the city as a bleak stage where the graffitis mirrors the system's debts, pretending to stak a claim over a human territory.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan19 2024 09 02.
A pair of Vermont Rail System's red EMDs patiently idle at Newport while the conductor does his Class 1 test on the train. CLP GP38-2 204 is leading VTR GP40-2 307, with a small train of eight cars, on a rare Saturday run. The season's first snowfall is seen dusting the ground on this cold morning.
Entrainment is defined by a temporal locking process in which one system's motion or signal frequency entrains the frequency of another system.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan16 2024 09 01.
A pair of Seaboard System GP7's still wearing Family Lines (L&N) paint take the NORX train out of the Chessie System's Barr Yard in Riverdale, IL on 12/12/1983.
Note the houses in the background...that area is now occupied by a large steel mill.
Photo by John Eagan
Amtrak's eastbound Capitol Limited splits the intermediates at Forest Glen on Chessie System's Metropolitan Subdivision. The Capitol is in its first months running through between DC and Chicago as trains 29 and 30.
Call it "Serving the Customer Saturday," I suppose! On December 29, 2020, Vermont Rail System's New York and Ogdensburg Railway (NYOG) -- using VTR 801 -- shoves two boxcars for APC Paper down their spur in Norfolk, NY. The track to the right is the NYOG's "main," which was originally the Norwood and St. Lawrence Railroad (and later the St. Lawrence & Raquette River).
This is the one and only time I've caught the NYOG serving APC Paper, but -- ironically -- APC's predecessor, St. Regis Paper, was the owner of the original railroad, the Norwood and St. Lawrence Railroad. The brief history (off the top of my head and not from Wikipedia) is that St. Regis Paper eventually decided they no longer wanted the railroad, so they offered it for free (as a nice tax write off) to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA). The OBPA already owned what was left of the old Rutland line between Ogdensburg and Norwood, so -- with the added trackage -- the St. Lawrence & Raquette River was formed. The NYOG succeeded the St. Lawrence & Raquette River as the operator of the OBPA-owned trackage (in 2002, I think).
New York and Ogdensburg
Norfolk, NY
December 29, 2020
I came across this small, sparkly creek in Ravalli County, western Montana, with very strong and bright backlighting from our solar system's star, also known as Sunny.
Spring rains in an otherwise arid part of the country were frequent and adequate enough to both green the pastures and fill the rivers, ponds and streams of our local neighborhood.
Evidence of a storm front in the upper right corner of the image suggests that more rains were likely later in the day. And that suggestion proved to come true by the time I drove back home later in the afternoon/early evening.
The 1961 Chrysler 300G was the final year for fins on the 300, marking the end of Virgil Exner's FlightSweep designs, but they did go out in a grand way!
Chrysler's first-generation Letter Cars hammered the competition during the 1955-'56 NASCAR seasons. The full-size fliers then went on to set speed records at Daytona in '57, prior to both the AMA ban on motorsports and NASCAR's embargo on elaborate fuel delivery systems. In spite of those two apparent setbacks, Chrysler continued to improve its top-of-the- line V-8 engine as well as the now-legendary luxury performance machine that engine came wrapped in. So, the mighty Letter Cars thundered on, in production form, at the command of well-heeled owners seeking grown-up thrills. By 1961, Chrysler had moved up the alphabet to the letter "G."
The post-'57 Letter Cars were no longer eligible for circle track racing, but the 300G was still a force to be reckoned with in street trim, thanks to performance equipment that not only sounded good—413 cubic inches, Cross-Ram, dual four-barrels—but backed it up with 375 or an optional 400 horsepower, delivering a 0-60-mph time of 8.2 seconds (Motor Life, April 1961). Though not the fastest time turned by contemporary road test periodicals, it occurred during a period when most full-size cars could barely achieve 60 mph in less than 10 or 11 seconds while simultaneously maintaining an air of luxury.
Today, the 1961 300G is among the legion of groundbreaking Mopar performance cars, respected for its stunning combination of power and styling. Its value is bolstered by low production numbers— just 1,280 hardtops and 337 convertibles were built. These cars remain in the upper stratosphere of postwar American collector cars, but prices in recent years have held steady. Is this your time to grab one of the few remaining pieces of Letter Car history? Here's what you should keep in mind when you begin to shop.
The Cross-Ram Induction system's 30-inch "Long Rams" hide the big 413 V-8 from view.
Engines
Chrysler engineers specified a 413-cu.in. wedge to go under the hood of every 300G. Introduced into the RB-Series of V-8s in 1959, the 413 had a 4.18-inch bore and a 3.75-inch stroke with a forged-steel crankshaft. Compression was advertised as 10.1:1 and the cylinder heads breathed through 2.08/1.60-inch intake/exhaust valves, while a .430-inch lift, 268-degree camshaft dictated valve action. Also included was a pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors. There were, however, two versions of the 413 installed, which were differentiated by the intake manifolds.
Referred to as Ram Induction and initially appearing in 1960, the elongated aluminum intakes were designed based on much older principles involving resonance and its effect on a compression wave of, in this case, the fuel/air mixture. Though we won't go into greater depth regarding the physics here, intake tube length had a direct effect on the timing of the fuel delivery, or ramming, into each cylinder bore, maximizing engine output at certain rpm ranges.
A pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors provide the fuel/air mix.
With these basics in mind, expansion of midrange output was the main target of the base 300G 413 and the engineers thus calculated 30-inch runners would be ideal. Referred to as the Long Ram intakes, they were designed to fit neatly under the hood and crisscross (hence the Cross Ram moniker) over the top of the engine, each fitted with a single four-barrel carburetor at the outboard location. In this configuration, the engine hit 375 hp at 5,000 rpm and 495 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm, effectively providing passing power on demand without sacrificing full-throttle acceleration.
Optional was the high-performance Short Ram version. Though this intake system looked identical to the Long Ram at first blush, the separate internal runners measured only 15 inches in length, raising the engine's power band and enabling it to make peak horsepower at 5,200 rpm, with peak torque at 3,600 rpm. This meant that Chrysler's advertised Short Ram ratings were 400 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Visually, a keen eye can spot the difference between the Long and Short Ram intakes. The Long Rams feature a visible valley between each pair of runners for the entire length; they also have a seven-digit casting number that begins with "19." Short Rams sport only a partial valley between runners; their seven-digit casting number begins with "21." Finally, Short Ram 413 engines were designed for those more interested in straight-line contests and are therefore the rarer of the two.
Transmissions
Backing either engine was the already-durable 727 TorqueFlite automatic, which was issued as standard equipment. Like other Chryslers of the day, the three-speed unit was shifted via pushbutton on the dash; it contained first and second gear ratios of 2.45:1 and 1.45:1, respectively. Replacing the French-made four-speed on the option chart was a floor-shifted three-speed manual, which is a relative rarity today. First and second gear ratios were 2.55:1 and 1.49:1; the two gears were not synchronized, making for some uncomfortable downshifts for the uninitiated. Furthermore, contemporary road tests complained of a long second-to-third gate while hinting that the better performer in transferring torque to the differential was the TorqueFlite.
Swivel front seats, upholstered in ventilated leather, were standard on the 300G.
Differential
The final transfer point for the torque from either engine was a standard 8.-inch open differential with semi-floating axles and a 3.23:1 final drive ratio, although some printed material suggests that a 3.15:1 ratio was employed when the three-speed manual was installed. While this unit was known for its durability, dealers were also able to provide a number of more highway-friendly or performance-oriented grear ratios, even if the optional Sure-Grip (positive traction) unit was installed on the assembly line.
Contemporary magazines reported an average mpg rating of 9 to 13 with a three-speed/3.23 arrangement, yet in terms of power off the line, both Motor Trend (8.3-second 0-60 mph) and Motor Life (8.2 seconds) stated that the 300G had more acceleration potential waiting to be unleashed if geared accordingly.
The center console provided some storage and housed a tachometer.
Chassis
Each 300G hardtop and convertible was derived from the New Yorker, which meant they shared the same basic unit-body/subframe platform and 126-inch wheelbase; however, the similarities were limited beyond that. For instance, though an independent front torsion bar suspension system was used, the 44 x 1.08-inch torsion bars were thicker and 40 percent stiffer than those on other Chryslers, rated for 175 lb-in. The same can be said of the rear semi-elliptic leaf-sprung suspension, rated for 135 lb-in (or 50 percent stiffer) than those on the New Yorker. For reference, the rear springs were comprised of seven leaves, measuring 60 x 2.50 inches. Power steering, with its 15.7:1 gear ratio, was also standard equipment, as were heavy-duty shocks.
In short, the chassis was engineered and better suited for high-speed highway travel and maneuverability rather than a short drive across the city. It could also handle short, quarter-mile blasts if, as discussed, geared accordingly.
Brakes
Although equipment upgrades were made in other areas, the hydraulic drum-brake system was the same as found in the New Yorker series. Drum brakes, measuring 12 x 2.50-inches, were utilized at each corner. Power assist was standard, so stopping the roughly 4,200-pound performer was easier; however, as with other drumbrake systems, each corner needed to be adjusted equally to prevent directional pull during sudden stops. Additionally, Chrysler employed two wheel cylinders per front assembly—a fact to keep in mind when seeking replacement parts.
Wheels and Tires
Unlike the previous 300F, the new 300G was bestowed with larger 15 x 6-inch pressed-steel wheels, which were then shod with 8.00-15 Goodyear Blue Streak "racing-type" tires that featured white sidewalls. According to one report, the width of the whitewall itself ranged from 3- to 3 3/16-inches. Vented "300" wheel covers completed the ensemble, and no options were available.
Body and Interior
Styling updates made to the '61 Chryslers, including the 300G, probably did more to generate higher sales than printed virtues touting the fleet's combination of power and comfort, marking the end of Virgil Exner's FlightSweep designs. The changes began with a complete revamp of the front end, where the grille was simply inverted. The top-to-bottom inward canted grille sides were harmoniously complemented by equally canted quad headlamps, running lamps, and bumper ends, while also matching the angle of the rear fins— which were also slightly redesigned. At the opposite end, the faux spare tire decklid inlay was scrapped, providing a cleaner expanse of sleek sheetmetal. Other than appropriate badging denoting the letter "G," little else appeared to change on the 219.8-inch-long body; the greenhouse and rear fenders were carry-over items, with the exception of the leading edge of the fins found on each door.
Interiors remained exquisitely plush. A full-length, front-to-rear tunneled center console divided the interior in two, creating four truly individual buckets seats wrapped in ventilated leather. Those front seats retained the swivel feature, making for easy ingress/egress, while the console was trimmed with ample amounts of chrome and padded armrests that flipped open to expose additional storage areas. The console also housed optional power window controls, ashtrays, and a tachometer.
Primary instruments resided in a dome-like, easy-to-read bubble; potential glare concerns were eliminated by means of a matching padded dash arch. The transmission's pushbutton controls resided to the left of the instrument cluster, balanced by radio, heat, and air controls to the right. Comfort and convenience options included power seats, power antenna, rear window defroster, and air conditioning.
Source: Hemmings
CSXT SD40-2 #8247 is paired up with 8017 at Cumberland, MD. The duo is assigned to a yard switching job this evening April 12, 2025. The 8247 is unique among the fleet of remaining SD40-2s in that it retains the much beloved "YN2" scheme otherwise known as Yellow Nose 2 from the mid 1990s. It is believed to be one of only two SD40s remaining in that scheme. 8247 was manufactured by EMD in January 1977 for Chessie System's B&O and was numbered 7605. The 8017 was manufactured by EMD in April 1979 for Family Lines System's Louisville & Nashville and currently retains it's original L&N number of 8017. Nikon D610.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan33 2024 09 04.
With a heavy fog blanketing the Connecticut River Valley, Vermont Rail System's 263 train has arrived in Bellows Falls, Vermont and pulled down on to the causeway to yard their train. Once the crew drops their cars, they will make a light power run back to Rutland and tie up for the day.
====Info====
GMRC Bellows Falls Subdivision
Bellows Falls, VT
VTR 263 (Local; Rutland, VT to Bellows Falls, VT)
VTR 431 SD70M-2 Ex. FURX 101, FEC 101 Blt. 2006
VTR 210 GP38-2 Ex. GMTX 2684, LLPX 3106 GP40, CSX 9704, CSX 6609, BO 4034 Blt. 1971
Pushkinskaya (Russian: Пу́шкинская) is a station of the Saint Petersburg Metro. It first opened on 30 April 1956, under the original name of "Vitebskiy vokzal".
There is a monument in the station dedicated to the poet Alexander Pushkin sculpted by Mikhail Anikushin. This station was the first USSR metro station with memorial located under the ground.
The Metro system exhibits many typical Soviet designs and features exquisite decorations and artwork making it one of the most attractive and elegant metros in the world. Due to the city's unique geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is one of the deepest metro systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. The system's deepest station, Admiralteyskaya, is 86 metres below ground. Serving about 2 million passengers daily, it is also the 19th busiest metro system in the world.
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Die Metro Sankt Petersburg ist die U-Bahn der russischen Millionenstadt Sankt Petersburg und zugleich eines der tiefst gelegenen U-Bahn-Systeme der Welt. Die erste Linie wurde am 15. November 1955 eröffnet. Zu Zeiten der Sowjetunion hieß sie nach dem damaligen Namen der Stadt Metro Leningrad. Das Metronetz besteht im Jahr 2013 aus fünf Linien mit insgesamt 113,6 km Streckenlänge und 67 Stationen. Täglich werden 2,8 Millionen und jährlich 1,02 Milliarden Fahrgäste befördert. Die Petersburger Metro gilt als eine der architektonisch schönsten der Welt.
Das Foto zeigt die Station "Pushkinskaya", durch die schlechten Lichtverhältnisse leider nicht in bester Qualität.
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Its Aug 1985 a view of Chessie System's Handley yard station and tower with GP-40s at W.V when coal was king [photo collection Mark Llanuza]
BNSF 9687 emerges from the tunnel at Drano Lake with the G PPIVAW9 08M in tow, bound for the Port of Vancouver further west. I understand some people have very strong feelings about the executive/grinstein green scheme these units wear but I've always had a soft spot for them and I feel obligated to share some of my thoughts, maybe a bit of a backstory. I think the first time I ever saw a BN SD70MAC was in a Brian Solomon photography book as a young kid, and I always thought the unique colors and the lines of the paint scheme made it look classy and bold, especially on the older EMD widecab design with those teardrop windshields. By the time I was getting out to watch trains and film them on an iphone or a Canon powershot, it had become pretty difficult to spot these leading in my region, and it only got more rare over time as PTC became a requirement and many of them were laid up. I never got the opportunity to catch any sort of MAC leader in those years. The years after the pandemic yielded a bit of a renaissance for BNSF's MACs as traffic increased and some were returned to service, largely on coals from the PRB. One of these trains gave me my first opportunity to photograph an ex-BN SD70MAC leading, on a coal train from the North Antelope mine while I was on a trip to Chicago. Almost directly after this, however, BNSF placed all the SD70MACs back in storage, with the exception of a small handful in "intermediate" service or as switchers. With BNSF making some big changes to their locomotive fleet around this time, such as relegating older Dash 9s to RC switching and purchasing new Gevo heavies partially to displace the MACs from coal trains, it seemed like the remaining SD70MACs on the roster were on their death beds. Thanks to the BN's poor managerial decisions, however, the MACs live to see another day. In the last 2 years, BNSF has laid off several hundred mechanical employees systemwide, and it began catching up with them recently. With many of their road units in a state of disrepair, and their shops unable to make heavy repairs at a rapid enough rate to meet the system's demand for motive power, they've been returning older, previously laid-up power to service. When 2 power moves of 10 and 12 SD70MACs each were brought to Pasco, (3 of them not starting and being promptly rejected by Pasco mechanical forces), we thought at first that it was the typical pre-grain season power hoarding, the extent of BNSF's power shortage being unknown to us at the time. Despite the dire situation at BNSF, from a foamer's perspective it's cool to see these unique units roaming again, even if they are unreliable shitboxes at this point. I was pretty stoked to finally shoot one of these leading through my home stomping grounds almost immediately after their return to service, when just a few months ago, it seemed like they might have been done for. It remains to be seen whether this is the last hurrah for BNSF's SD70MAC fleet, with persistent rumors of a large order of new Gevos circulating.