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"Riot" (I'm naming my episodes now.)
Robert Garrison: RUN! EVERYBODY RUN!
Leonard: Go, go, go, go!
Herman: I got this! I'll hold them-- AUGHH!
As the Roadhogs came in the room, they started a riot and knocked out Herman taking him prisoner. Not a pleasant scene, indeed.
Leonard: NO! YOU F#@!ING BAS#@$%S!
Marshall Clemmins: C'mon, lets go, unless ya wanna die.
Joel Alexander: Hurry up! We gotta go or else we're ending up like those freaks.
As Joel points to the hulking brute, rocket realizes that he looks like a freak and goes into a wild rage. Uncontrollably, he starts smacking everything around him including him and his friend, Dart.
Joel Alexander: Oh s#%t!
Rocket: WHADDYA SAY TO ME!?!
Dart: Calm down, EUAGHHH! Augh, gross I puke up this green stuff, EAUGGHHHH!
Roadhog Guard: AGH! My face, AHH--
The guard's face slowly dissolved as Dart started mocking him. Rocket was giving Joel a beating and ended up throwing him with enough force to break through the concrete wall. Joel was basically a vegetable unable to move.
Rocket: Dart! I made a hole!
Dart: Where?!
Rocket: In the wall, duh! Who do you think I am? Just that m--
Dart: That's who you are, you're just the muscle.
Rocket: Oh, you little--
Dart: Aww crap, EUAGHHHH!
Roadhogs: Hey! You're coming with me! AGHH! MY ARM!
Dart: Wow... EUAGHHHHH! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! IT'S NOT LIKE I DRANK FROM THE TO-- EUAGHHHhhh!
Clearly, The arena was not going to great. Marshall and his crew split up to find Herman and Joseph. Hopefully they will be successful.
Joseph Malloy: Alright, let's get this over with, what do you want?
Roadhog Guard: Shut up.
Joseph Malloy: You're going to have to cut off my tongue a#@hole!
Roadhog Guard: SHUT UP! Do you want me to actually cut it off?
Joseph Malloy: Boo.
Roadhog Guard: HUAGHH, YOU BA-- AARGHH...
Joseph charged in with a pen and stabbed the guard. The blood spilled out of the Roadhog's neck as it was like a waterfall. Lots of gurgling, yuck. Then the door was kicked open.
Roadhog Guard 2: HEY! You sonofabit--
Herman charged in tackling the Roadhog guard off to the side. He grabbed one of his knives and started repeatedly stabbing the guard in the face.
Joseph Malloy: Thanks, loot the bodies, I bet we could use their gear. Except for that guy's helmet.
Herman: Yeah, sure.
-------------------------------------
Duncan: Hey, Sam, we there yet?
Samantha Caliban: Ugh...
Derek Brown: Just say that we're there. I bet he'll stop talking.
Samantha Caliban: Yes, we're here! Hopefully that does it.
Derek Brown: It will. I think.
Duncan: Yeah right. Are we--
Sonya: I'm going to shoot you, Duncan. Unless you stop.
Duncan: Yeah right, you won't. You are just a--
BANG!
Derek Brown: WOAH! Can we just calm down? We'll take the short route with all those crazies alright, will you shut up then?
Duncan and Sonya: Yep!
After the truck gets to the Roadhogs, they set up a plan. It mainly has to do with blowing up stuff. KRAKOOM!
Rocket: YEAH! Lets goooo!
Dart: We're out! YEAH!
Marshall Clemmins: That did the trick. Did you guys find Joseph or Herman yet.
Leonard: No. We have to wait for them. No way I'm letting them suffer.
Joseph Malloy: Wow, how stupid are you guys?
Herman: Hey dudes.
Marshall Clemmins: I think we're out.
Robert Garrison: Isn't that our car?
Jack Rollins: Finally we're free!
Murray Clarkson: Yep, lets get out of here!
--------------------------------------------
Squalus' (SS-192) bow comes to the surface as personnel based on Falcon (ASR-2) struggle to refloat the sunken submarine, off the New Hampshire coast during the Summer of 1939. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which Squalus' bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the salvage pontoons nearby would include both bow line pontoons, plus the two upper pontoons on the stern lifting line. The ship's hull number 192 is painted on her bow.
The abortive surfacing wrecked 13,600 feet of air hoses running from the salvage ship to the pontoons to the ballast tanks of the submarine.
+1 in comments.
Just throwing this one up there... I should wait for my film images, but, eh... it's always hard to stop thinking about how beautiful Proxy Falls is.
In this case, it was also very wet. I had an out-of-town friend visit this weekend, and I took him to some familiar places: the food carts, Powell's, Voodoo Doughnuts, Broder's, etc. There was also an educational walk down Hawthorne that included a game that I like to call "Identify the Hipster". We only had a day to really "get out", and it was Saturday... so instead of the Gorge (too crowded for my tastes on the weekend), we made the drive down to Proxy.
And, wow. Did we ever get drenched. And hailed on! Even taking umbrellas didn't help a whole lot (don't get on my case too much for the umbrellas... I was trying to protect the gear in some small way). I waded up to my knees across the bottom of the falls, to reach this almost spray-free area on the right, where I perched for the better part of an hour. By the time I came down, I couldn't feel my fingers. And when I reached my friend again (he had waited patiently at the base), I found him shivering uncontrollably.
And yet, he says the experience did not dissuade him from considering a move out here. Heh.
Anyway. It's been a great weekend, and I hope you all enjoyed yours!
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, supersonic interceptor aircraft which later became widely used as an attack aircraft. Designed by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson’s Skunk Works at Lockheed, the Starfighter was originally developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) but was later produced by several other nations, seeing widespread service across the globe.
Kelly Johnson visited in Korea in 1951 and spoke with fighter pilots about what sort of aircraft they wanted. At the time, the USAF pilots were confronting the MiG-15 with their North American F-86 Sabres, and many felt that the MiGs were superior and simple aircraft with excellent performance. Upon returning to the United States, his team began work on a design that would achieve high performance by wrapping the lightest, most aerodynamically efficient airframe possible around a single powerful engine.
In this image, the two XF-104 prototypes, FG-787 and FG-786, fly in formation over Edwards AFB. Note the shorter rudder, the absence of the dorsal spine, and the open inlets of the prototype models. Flight tests began in March 1954 and encountered several problems, all of which were resolved before entering production. The performance of the XF-104 exceeded expectations, leading to the USAF ordering 17 service-test/pre-production YF-104s. However, the prototypes did succumb to testing malfunctions: aircraft FG-787 was lost on April 14, 1955, after a malfunction of the cannon during testing, forcing pilot Herman Salmon to eject at 50,000 feet. Aircraft FG-786 crashed on July 11, 1957, after it developed an uncontrollable fin flutter while flying chase for an F-104A flight test.
Krrr is at home he is making a cup of herb-tea he is getting ready for incubation, yes it is his day to sit on the three eggs he had "given birth" to via his cloaka, Miss Gray did it yesterday, according tothe book on raising human-tri-phone hybrids incubation by a parent is not necessary and a incubating machine is just as good...
But as Dr. Kirk wrote in his book, some triphone-sapien parents think the physical contact from a real parent and not a machine would make their baby hybrid a much calmer kid and since they were entitled to child-care days for free, they would go for this option of parental care...
Just when he got his cuppa done, his communicator was beeping like Crazy, it was oneof his biggest contributer and major costumer Mr. Krossor-Finkel he had to take it...
...a storm of vile words and cursing reached Krrr´s Mouth/ear
...he could actually feel the saliva from this angry Cubatrons saliva hitting his skin...
...Ok, He was late with the sculpture, but promised to have it done today to be collected by him...
Krrr thought, he couldn´t afford to loose him as a costumer, but her the incubator is mobile, so he could pop down the studio and finish the sculpture and put the eggs in the incubator and keep a watchful Mouth-eye on the incubator while he was working, the Give Mr. Golden his sculpture and bring the incubator and eggs to their home again and, great plan Krrr. he thought to himself!
He grabbed a grav-cab size-mega transported himself and the machine and eggs they stopped by the art-supply store and he bought two second-hand studio-helper droids so they could work on some of his other stuff while he made the sculpture...
then at the studio he connected up the incubator and started off the droid on the art-choirs then he started his diamond tipped chainsaw and he was working, he loved this buzzing, diamonds grinding rock... like music to his ear-mouth...
he was almost finished with the first basic stage, now he could put the robots to do the finishing touches, but he somehow felt observed, he peeked over his shoulder there stood Miss Gray, Irena and Bluebird in the studio-entrance...
- Oh Hi Darling, Hi Bluebird, hi Pinkedot, you have a new haircut, it is nice!
- Krrr-zzzZx-Murschzz, you silly Old Tri-phone, what have you done... you where suppose to be at home sitting on our eggs, and what do I see? you working it is SOOOO WRONG! in SOOOO Many ways...
Here I get my day off since the Draconian Empire eradicated the Bulgur space-dom republic so we needed not to do it, so I though I will show my friends my Art-hubby´s studio and what do I see? our children in a boy on the floor next to my Tri-phone man grinding on a rock and sparks fly all over and they are not even in the incubator....
-But darling I fogot, and besides we don´t know how many children they will result in, it depends on how many of the eggs that merges before hatching...
- That is not the point, it is our child or children, you are risking by irresponsible behavior, I will tell you this, it might not be any childat all if you carry on in this way... and another thing, what ifmy company´s control-person would find you here and not at home, that would be a serious offense, collecting childcare money while working,it could give you 14 years in stasis-jail, what should I tell my child or my children about their father, oh her is frozen in stasis in jail, you might meet him when you are a teen, that is if his brains have survived the state, otherwise they will have a cucumber for dad...
- B-But,Darling, it was a mistake, I can explain...
- Oh yeah I bet you can, for how long did they stand in that cold box on the floor, what if our children will be hatched when they are not finally molted, then they would remain kids for the rest oft heir life... just because their irresponsible father wanted to finish a pice of rock...
- But, Darling I forgot...
as the poor tri-phone uttered these words he had let the hand carrying the still buzzing chainsaw fall uncontrollably and CRACK! the rock/statue he was doing cracked in not two blocks but 6 or seven smaller rocks...
this was not Krrr´s best day!
Hound Point is an oil export terrminal in the Firth of Forth, named after a nearby rocky headland. The name 'Hound Point' derives from a local legend concerning the lord of nearby Barnbougle Castle, currently Lord Rosebery. The legend states that one of the first lords set off to fight in the Crusades, leaving his beloved hunting-hound behind. At the moment the man was killed, the hound began howling uncontrollably, eventually dying of its grief. Ever since, the howling ghost of the hound is said to appear on the Point whenever the present lord is about to die. (Wikipedia)
Creation is seen to have taken place, in Western kabbalistic and alchemical terms, in the following process.
The Divine mind of God, the Absolute, or in Hebrew the Ain Soph Aur (Limitless Light), through a series of expansions and contractions establishes the boundaries of Creation. The first world is the most subtle, and closest to the original state of non-existence, and is Atzilooth. This is called the world of Fire, because of the lively, undefined, and almost uncontrollable nature of fire. Next is Briah, or the World of Archetypes and forms as our human mind can grasp them. It is symbolized as the World of Air, and is the result of a barrier world that is formed by the creation of the next World, Yetzirah, or Water. This is the highly psychic and emotionally charged world immediately behind the veil of material existence, or Assiah. Also known as the World of Earth, because of the solid, concrete nature of material life.
The purpose of this scheme, is to show that creation occurs in increasingly dense levels of energy-matter, from the most subtle, or Fire, to the most dense, or Earth. Within this context of increasing density, there also arises a series of ten planes or levels of consciousness which combines with energy-matter, known as Sepheroth, or spheres of being. They occur in a pattern of: unity, reflection, polarity, reflection, polarity, unity, reflection, polarity, unity, and finally materialization. This basic idea of unity-polarity-and re-harmonizing, is the basis of kabbalistic and alchemical practices, and is derived from the observation of Nature.
Each World is a reflection to a denser or more subtle degree than the one before or after it. Each Sepheroth is a reflection, in part, of what proceeds or follows it. However, since each reflection is only partial, or slightly distorted, each Sphere takes on its own unique characteristics. Only the so-called “Middle Four Sphereoth” have the ability to harmonize or reflect in total all of the energies of creation, on some level.
This ‘zigzag’ of Creation is called the “Lightning Flash”. The return of energy from dense matter, back through the various stages, Sepheroth, and Worlds of Creation is known as the “Path of the Serpent” because of its reverse, or complimentary ‘zigzag’ nature back up this diagram called the Tree of Life.
For the alchemist, somewhere between the third and fourth level, or sphere of creation, energy takes on the characteristic that will allow for the formation of matter at some future state, or level ten. This energy is called Prima Materia, Chaos in the Bible, Spiritus Mundi (Spirit of the Earth), and others. Here, duality is made complete, and genuine polarity exists, as opposed to simply the potential, or idea, of polarity that had existed previously. Energy is divided into active and passive modes, with the active energy constituting the energies of life, and the passive one the energy of matter. In “The Golden Chain of Homer”, the active energy is called Niter and the passive energy is called Salt.
The energy of Life manifests in two forms, Fire and Air. While both are predominately active in nature, fire is the more active of the two, with Air being slightly passive because of the partial Water Element in its makeup. Potential Matter manifests its energy as Water and Earth. These Elements have nothing to do with the material bodies of the same name, and as such are capitalized and called “Elemental” to distinguish them from the earth we walk on, water we drink, air we breath, and fire we cook with. They are in fact, energetic states, each with their own unique characteristics, as well as each of the previously mentioned ten levels of consciousness within them. The Elements also have preferred ways of interacting with each other, to form the Three Principles of alchemy. There are in fact, forty different ways energy-matter-consciousness can manifest in our world.
The Three Essentials are the alchemical principles of Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt. Like the “Elements” these principle concepts are to be thought of a “Philosophical” and not literally as chemical elements or compounds. The Alchemical Sulphur, or Soul, of a thing predominates in the animating principles of energy (Fire) and intelligence (Air); Alchemical Salt, or the physical body of a thing, predominates in unconscious forces, psychic, and instinctual intelligence (Water) and solid matter (Earth); Alchemical Mercury, or general life force, predominates in intelligence (Air) and instinctual forces, and psychic energy (Water), as such it is the link, or bridge, between the higher forces of Sulphur and the lower body of matter.
In the mineral realm the dominant energy is that of Earth, a little Water, and very little Air or Fire. In the vegetable realm, the dominant energy is Water and Air, but little Fire and Earth. In the animal realm, the dominant force element is Fire, then Air, but little Earth. These qualities need to be understood as they have been defined for the following information to be of any use to the practicing, or aspiring, Hermeticist. For example, using the above definitions, we can say that the plant realm has an abundance of instinctual energy (Water) and intelligence, i.e. a specific function (Air), but little direct energy (Fire), as this is received passively from the sun; and little hard, physical, matter (Earth).
In the East as in the West, the idea of principle Elements and Philosophic Principles are expressed in more or less the same manner. This original undifferentiated energy from creation is often called in Indian philosophy, and modern occult, and New Age circles, as akasha, or Spirit. However, akasha, consists of two (2) aspects, one active as we have noted, Niter, and the other passive, Salt. The energies of Niter are also referred to as the force of Kundalini, or spiritual forces. In alchemy, this is the Secret Fire. To the Salt, belongs the force of Prana, or Vital Energy.
The function of the Vital energy is to maintain physical life forms and existence. It is completely instinctual and unconscious and is heavily influenced by cosmic cycles, astrological pulses, and other natural phenomena. The function of the Secret Fire is to increase in humanity, the only place where it is present, its sense of self, or “I”. At the lowest level or functioning, this is the ego, at its highest, it is Divinity incarnate, as both are two sides of the same coin. One is ‘self’ in relation to the physical world and others; the other is ‘self’ in relationship to all of Creation and as a co-creator.
In the vast majority of humanity, this Secret Fire, or liberating energy of self-consciousness, lies dormant, asleep at the base of the spine, coiled like a serpent. Only a small amount manages to escape, reaching a sepherothic level, or so-called chakra, thus creating a loci of consciousness for each person. If it reaches the top of the skull, and beyond, a spiritual awakening can occur, allowing for a descent and re-ascent of the energy, during which the psychic centers can be awakened allowing for the manifestation of psychic powers and related phenomena.
The Secret Fire ascends as a result of a temporary weakening of the Vital Energy in the physical body. This is why so many spiritual awakenings take place under great physical stress, times of illness, or near-death-experiences. When the Secret Fire will ascend through the various psychic-physical currents causing it to be enveloped in a sphere of luminous light.
The experiencing of the Secret Fire, as a result of the suppression of the physical body’s Vital Energy, can create a condition which manifests in various forms:
-Some perceive the bright light as an angel, their Higher Self, or “Holy Guardian Angel”, others as a spiritual teacher.
-Astral projection may result, along with perception of the immediate surroundings.
-Uncontrolled physical movements may also result, typical of so-called ‘kundalini phenomena’: shaking, rapid breathing, swinging of the torso, uncontrolled giddiness, and sitting straight upright in the Pharonic position.
After a period of time, the energy will descend, and return to the base of the spine.
The effects of this awakening will take some time for the consciousness of the individual to adjust to, and is not limited to the ‘non-physical’ realms. The physical body, although to a lesser degree, is also changed and improved in functioning, constituting a genuine “re-birth’ on several levels. However, it is up to the mind, or sense of “I”, of the individual, to cooperate with this influx of power if more permanent changes in consciousness are to be made.
As we can see, the concept of kundalini, or the Secret Fire, is linked to two polar concepts: that of the undifferentiated creative energy, and the second, as the seed of this energy locked on each cell of material creation, and focused in humanity at the base of the spine.
When this energy rises as a result of psychic experiences, and not because of physical weakness, it can cause the Vital Energy of the body to be concentrated on various areas of the body, creating physical and psychic disturbances. If the energy becomes concentrated in the head, it can create the illusion of a spiritual awakening, as well as the well known “hot and cold” flashes, or currents, up and down the spine. The effects of the Secret Fire however, and not its re-distributive effects on the Vital Energy, can create the following phenomena:
Intense pains suggestive of an illness
Crawling sensations of ants or small bugs over the skin, as well as a ‘jumping’ sensation of the energy
A feeling of crystal clear calmness and tranquillity, rise from center to center to the top of the head
Ascending in the famous ‘zigzag’ or Rising Serpent pattern
The energy can skip a center or two
The energy can reach the top of the head in a flash of light
The character attributes of both positive and negative are exaggerated and sexual power is increased.
If the energy rises to the top of the head, then it becomes possible to work directly on the Vital Energy within the body, and use it, as a means of enhancing the psychic experience and spiritual awakening.
In short, the psychic centers must first be awakened by the Secret Fire and purified, before the energy of the physical body, can be concentrated upon them.
Thus, our psychic exercises, and esoteric meditations are designed to prepare our minds, bodies, and consciousness for the liberation of the Secret Fire buried deep inside us. Through a progressive cleansing of the blood, nervous system, and endocrine glands, the ‘chains’ of the Vital Energy upon the Secret Fire are reduced and eliminated, allowing the ever present power and energy, a veritable pressure waiting to be released, to spring into action. Thus, the Serpent doesn’t really sleep, it is we who are asleep to its presence and potential blessing.
The Secret Fire and the Sepheroth
“So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life.” Genesis 3:24
The use of the “Tree of Life” has been both a blessing and a curse for modern esotericism. When understood, the “Tree” offers a complete and working model of Creation on both the microcosmic and macrocosmic scales. However, where many fail is on the personal level. The ability to apply the often very general information of the Tree to personal experiences of the initiate when they deal with physiological phenomena is profoundly lacking in modern esoteric circles. The reasons for this are several: First, many modern esotericists simply repeat what they have learned without experiencing whether or not it is true on a personal level; second, the language of kabbalah is multi-leveled, with the same word having several meanings, thus many who are using the words don’t know what they actually mean, or on what level it may be interpreted; thirdly, the diagram of the Tree is simply too neat and compartmentalized. Many kabbalists are unable to adapt to the fact that interior reality is much more flexible than the Tree allows when applied to the two dimensional page or illustration.
These problems are farther complicated by the idea of “One Tree” but “Four Worlds” making much meaningful, practical information nearly impossible to come by regarding the crises of spiritual awakening and so-called Kundalini phenomena as it relates to kabbalistic practices. When compared to the clear and explicit information available from Taoist and Tantrik sources, it is no wonder that so many Americans and Europeans prefer those systems to those more culturally and historically related.
To help resolve these problems in the transmission of knowledge, only information that has a relationship to experience of the author or others he has discussed this topic with will be included here. Theory will be stated as theory, and experience as experience. The meaning of common kabbalistic words will be defined, and redefined, to keep the communication clear and direct. An extensive use of confusing and somewhat irrelevant god-forms, references to mythology, and cosmology unconnected to the personal experience will be avoided.
Arousing the Sleeping Serpent
“Just as Moses lifted up the flaming serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe may have eternal life in him.” John 3:14-15
The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram is often the first ritual learned by aspiring magicians. Its function is to teach the basic mechanics of solitary ritual, and to give a basic technique whereby destructive energies maybe repelled or dispersed from the sphere of influence of the operator. The symbols used in the ritual are fundamental to other rituals of a more complex nature; however, to disregard the Lesser Ritual as somehow less effective is a mistake. A ritual, no matter how simple or complex is only as effective as the skill of its operator. Repeated use of the LRP is can be more effective than incompetent or irregular use of more sophisticated rites.
In total, there are approximately six fundamental rituals used in Western occultism reflecting an influence of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: 1) the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram 2) the Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram 3) the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram 4) the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram and 5) the Rose+Cross Ritual. The use of The Flashing Sword appears to be irregular; however, it will also be considered along with its companion exercise or, The Rising Serpent.
Within these, the use of the Middle Pillar is optional, it is however, the Middle Pillar Exercise which does the most to purify the bodily energies, or Vital Energy, and make pathways for the release of the Secret Fire.
#Gleitzeit #style #based #on #depiction of #visual #flexibility with #theoretical flexibility. A #painting which #purpose is to #achieve #composition of #enclosure #Art #based #on #the #depiction of a #circle #evolution of #understanding #and #seeing A #kind of art which #draws #upon #imagery and #seeks to #reveal and #abstract #idea of the #connection #within It’s #flexible #because it has #multiple #principles #Paintings with a #capacity to #change #visually by the #artistic #magic #changing #your #subconscious #mind It is a #session of #Hypnosis that #controls you by a #disorganized #absolute #harmony of #everything #expected #from a #nonexistent #picture It #depends #upon the #pattern of #line as a #primal #creator of #whatever #associated or #disassociated from the #theme The #artists #mind is the #superior #beginning of the line, but the line is #free and #emancipated. #Flexi is a #new #neo #pro #anti #post #pauljaisini #manifesto #short #version #1994 #artnews #prophecy
#YOU #CAN #PAINT #YOUR #WALLS #SAME AS #ROTHKO DID, OR YOU CAN #DRIP YOUR #PAINT ON THE #FLOOR AS #POLLOCK DID, #BUT DON’T YOU #DARE #CALL IT THE #FINE #HIGHART. IT’S #CALLED AN #ANARCHY & #UNCONTROLLABLE #CHAOS. IT DOESN’T #REALLY #MATTER IF YOU’D #HAND A #GUN TO #3 #YEARS #OLD OR A #PAINTBRUSH TO A #MONKEY, THE #RESULT WILL BE THE #SAME -#INNOCENT #FREEDOM FOR #DESTRUCTION OF #BEAUTY & #HARMONY. DON’T YOU DARE MY #SUPER #marblelady #911
#FUTUREFOLLOWS #INTELLECTUAL” SUPER ARTISTS #TWIST THE #PERCEPTION OF #FREEDOM IN #BEAUTY. #RECYCLING SAME #CRAFT FOR OVER #60 #YEARS IS NOT #INNOVATION, IT’S #MADNESS. #MOST OF YOU ARE #CRAFTSMEN, WHO #LACK EVEN #BASIC #ART #SKILLS, #KNOWLEDGE OR #TECHNQUE. IN #ORDER TO #CREATE #MUSIC YOU WOULD NEED A BASIC KNOWLEDGE OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE #CHAOS OR #CONTEMPORARY #CACOPHONY, CALLED #FREESTYLE. I’M HERE TO #JUDGE & I HAVE #RIGHTS TO DO SO, #BECAUSE I #DESTROYED MY #PAINTINGS 19 YEARS AGO, #REALIZING THAT I FELL #UNDER THE #SPELL OF #MODA = #MODERN. NOW, FOR OVER 19 YEARS I’M #PAINTING #INVISIBLEPAINTINGS. I #LOVE #TRUE #BEAUTY & TRUE #TALENT. I #VALUE #PEOPLE #WHO LOVE ART, WHO #BELIEVE IN ART, WHO #INVEST IN ART. BUT I WILL #FIGHT THOSE WHO ARE #TRYING TO #KILL THIS #ALL. #BEWARE #MY #INVISIBLE #PAINTINGS ARE #COMING TO MAKE YOUR #VISUAL #CRAFT #INVISIBLE. #KIDS #MUST PAINT AS KIDS DO= #ARTIST #MUST #PAINT AS #MASTERS #DO #PAULJAISINISAID #JAISINISAID #PAULJAISINI #JAISINI
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#retouch #face #editor #instant #fix #sharpness #saturation #hue #textures #bokeh #light-trails #toning #opacity #screen #multiply #overlay #hardlight #artphoto #creativeimage #jolly #animals #funny #monsters #amazingart #pink #opticalcat #hypnocat #pauljaisini #legojaisini #legogleitzeit #manifestojaisini #awesomejaisini #artjaisini #gifjaisini #catjaisini #glitterjaisini #sparjkesjaisini #backroundjaisini #texturejaisini #picjaisini #photojaisini #paintingjaisini #effectjaisini #gleitzeit #glitter #detail #bow #manifesto #photography #jaisini #diamond #beads #grunge #frame #border #soft #focus # #decor #bokeh #jaisinipainting #creative #fashion #amazingink #ink #drawing #pic #image
This concept derived from a few days’ worth of research involving Sports Illustrated style photos with a different take on lighting. Most photographers who approach sports photography miss a few important pieces when attempting this kind of shoot. First the time of day was 3pm, harsh sunlight and glares added for a mix on uncontrollable conditions we have to adjust for. Shooting into the sun was achieved by using polarizers, strobes and speedlights were used to create that bronzing effect on the skin.
[Important Announcement]
The 2025 exhibition has been postponed.
Right now, I’m fully focused on writing.
I’ve been sharing fragments of the story here as I go.
It may seem like a small effort.
But sometimes, even a small spark can transform someone from within—
just like music once changed me.
That’s what I’ve always believed.
And this time, I truly believe in what I’m writing.
Hurting someone.
Loving someone.
Is there a wall that keeps us from loving freely?
Is money really the most important thing?
Is art meaningless?
I’ve poured everything into this novel.
That’s why I’ve decided to put the exhibition on hold for a year.
If all goes well, I may be able to release the novel sometime between January and February next year.
At the latest, it will be in late July 2026.
Right now, I’m completely absorbed in breaking through my own walls.
And I’m confident this story will entertain you—again and again.
So please look forward to it.
July 19, 2025
Mitsushiro
Exhibition 2026
Theme
The Nightfly
This exhibition will reflect the world of my next novel,
B♭ (B Flat).
Images & Inspiration
Taylor Swift – This Love (with Japanese subtitles)
youtu.be/PfJzQuqWSSE?si=Y2g0HzhoVjnR46zS
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Hosted by
Design Festa
Venue
Tokyo Big Sight
Scheduled
Fall 2026
Contact
exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com
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【重要なお知らせ】
２０２５年の展示は、延期します。
僕は現在、執筆に集中しています。
現在、その断片をここへアップロードしています。
その試みは、とても小さなことかもしれません。
しかし、その小さなきっかけがたったひとりの内面を塗り替えるかもしれません。
音楽が僕を変えたように。
僕はずっとそう信じてきました。
そして、僕は今回の小説に自信を持っています。
誰かを傷つけること。
誰かを愛すること。
誰かを愛することに壁があるのか。
お金がもっとも大切なのか。
アートは無意味なのか。
僕はこの小説にすべてを託しました。
ですので、僕は一年間、展示を見送る決断をしました。
小説の発表は、早くて来年の一月から２月ごろにできるかもしれません。
遅くて、来年の７月下旬です。
僕は今、自分の壁を越えることに夢中になっています。
僕の小説は、エンターテイメントとして、あなたを何度も楽しませるはずです。
楽しみに、待っていてください。
19.7,2025.
Mitsushiro.
２０２6年の展示
テーマ
The Nightfly
僕の次の小説。B♭（ビーフラット）
そのイメージになります。
Images.
Taylor Swift … This Love 【和訳】
youtu.be/PfJzQuqWSSE?si=Y2g0HzhoVjnR46zS
Mitsushiro - Nakagawa
主催
デザインフェスタ
場所
東京ビッグサイト
日程
2026年 秋。
exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com
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Aeon parking lot. Yachimata City. Chiba Prefecture. Japan. Shot on iPhone 13 Pro … 1 / 1
イオンの駐車場。 八街市。千葉県。日本。iPhone 13 Pro shot … 1 / 1
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My new novel:
B♭ (B-flat)
There’s still more to come. 😃
(This is not the final draft.)
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Scene: Garden 3‑4
Jack slumped deeply in the commander’s chair, his gaze sweeping across the pale glow of the monitor wall.
Camera feeds A17, A18, A19—all fixed on the arena’s center. Yet the security guard on the west side of the stands wasn’t watching there. His eyes were glued to the emergency exit at Section 212. Its sensor blinked once—a flash of red warning across the screen.
“A suspicious movement… the door sensor just lit up,” Jack's low voice vibrated through Ben’s earpiece.
Ben glanced upward at the monitors and whispered,
“Shall I go?”
“No,” Jack replied, his voice dropping. “Don’t leave your post. I’ll handle it.”
He paused, stern. “It’s probably nothing. But—stay alert. Keep your eyes peeled.”
Silence fell over each earpiece, the tension thickening. On the monitor, the door remained motionless—neither opening nor closing—frozen in stillness.
Jack burst from the briefing room, sprinted up from underground into the arena, his view sweeping the western stand. He looked up at the broad, flat ceiling of Madison Square Garden, sensed it swelling with the heat of the crowd. Cheers greeting the presidential candidate blended with jeers—clearly, anti‑Republicans had infiltrated.
Jack narrowed his gaze on the west stand, then lowered his eyes to his iPhone. Multiple social feeds scrolled with frenetic energy, and one post caught his attention: a murder threat, flashing in angry red text.
He dashed down the crowded corridor and reached the west stand, addressing a nearby guard:
“Evening. Everything clear on your end?”
The guard, clad in plain black suit with no tie—just a discreet earpiece—nodded, calm. He lifted his jacket slightly, revealing the outline of a Glock 19 at his waist. No hostility—just a tacit acknowledgment. Jack responded with a silent nod, their training speaking volumes.
“Door sensor tripped once. I’ll check visually.” Jack seized the cold metal handle and cast a glance down the corridor beyond. Darkness swallowed the path; silence reigned.
He spoke into his earpiece:
“All clear in the west stands. Security is solid.”
He patted the guard’s shoulder. “Stay alert.” The man returned a brief smile—and then lights died across the arena.
In the dark, red lasers lanced from ceiling to floor as a menacing bass drum rolled in from below. A crisp hi‑hat scythed in sixteenth‑notes; a heavy kick drum struck four‑on‑the‑floor. A low, rumbling bass synth layered in—and the very air of the arena began to pulse.
The crowd's heartbeat synchronized with the beat. Swirling smoke and laser cuts, the floor trembling. From deep within the sound, a processed male voice intoned again and again:
“Strength. Order. America.”
As smoke thickened the light, colossal center-hung screens flickered to life:
J U S T I N B R A D F O R D
One spotlight pierced the gloom—red, then blue, finally white—tracing the American tricolor. Within its glow appeared a man: Justin. Clad in a dark‑navy tailored suit, a bold crimson tie signifying the Republican Party, a single white rose pinned to his lapel.
Moments later, another spotlight revealed Eleanor Blake, dressed in an elegant black gown, standing behind him. Hand in hand, they strode center stage, each step purposeful. The audience looked on, awestruck, shouting cheers:
—“Take back America!”—
Red, blue, and white lights danced across their feet. Eleanor paused; Justin stepped forward to the microphone as the music faded and lights dimmed again. Silence engulfed the arena.
He made no sound—only a slight, assured smile. That smile was a declaration of war. Saying everything without uttering a word. That posture—that was the bearing of a man who would become the most powerful leader in the world: President of the United States.
Justin scanned the crowd for a moment, then spoke in calm tones. His golden hair, blue eyes—mirroring Eleanor’s—lent gravity to his words:
“Good evening, New York. How’s your night going so far?”
He smiled at a woman in the front row. Following his father’s advice, he spoke as if addressing just one person, not an entire audience—
—“When I arrived in the parking lot tonight, I felt weighed down by the humidity. Eleanor whispered to me: ‘We chose the best course to protect you. Our team would risk their lives for you.’”
His voice rang clear. Thunderous applause erupted from tens of thousands. A wave of anticipation rolled toward the stage. The spotlight seemed to center itself in his eyes—and likewise in Eleanor’s.
“Tonight, we gather to put our will once again at the heart of this nation. To reclaim the ‘light’ America is forgetting. Over the past four years, our party restored the economy, brought back security, rebuilt national order. Now, it’s time to shine that light brighter—not as mere hope, but as our responsibility. If America shines again, the world will follow. We must seize that stronger, purer light. It will illuminate the world.”
Justin’s voice reverberated through the arena—until… a dry gunshot cracked the air from center stage.
Jack dove instinctively. His eyes darted upward to the giant screens: time froze. He saw Justin’s body convulse backwards, his jacket tail flipping off his left shoulder. The first bullet struck his left arm, the second to his left abdomen. Justin crumpled slowly, falling face‑first.
“Justin!” Eleanor’s scream cut across the stage. Her wide eyes fixed on him, trembling. A haze of tears blurred her vision. Secret Service agents shielded her, pulling her back.
“Hit the deck!” Guards and crowd shouted in chorus. Pandemonium erupted. Women's screams overlapped. The reverberation of gunfire lingered ominously in the cavernous space.
Unbeknownst to most, Jack’s ears had discerned two shots. He closed his eyes and re‑ran the sound—each fired from above—each from perilously close.
“Ben—where are you?” Jack pushed through collapsing spectators, heading to the stage.
“By Justin’s side. Missed his heart—just grazed left arm and abdomen. Not arterial, but bleeding heavily.”
“Medical team’s on the motorcade. Justin has Bombay blood—two bags ready on the ambulance. Start transfusion.”
“If that’s not enough, what about Elijah?”
“Either way, he’s en route. Bellevue Hospital stores Bombay bags—confirmed three days ago.”
Bombay blood: a rare type first found in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1952—not A, B, or O—afflicting about 1 in 10,000 in India, 1 in 2.5 million worldwide. It can only be transfused to someone of the same type.
Ben replied calmly.
They rushed Justin to Bellevue Hospital—the closest to the Garden. Jack called Elijah. Before the first ring ended, Elijah answered, breathless:
“Jack... this is bad. We’ve no blood—no Bombay stock.”
Jack couldn’t believe it.
“I saw the bags in person three days ago!”
Silence, then Elijah replied:
“The blood keeper was killed in a car crash yesterday.”
As Jack absorbed the news, his voice boomed over the arena’s PA, shaking the trembling building. The crowd froze and then shattered. Thousands surged toward exits—only to find them locked.
“There’s explosives in this building. Please, stay calm and head for the exits. I repeat—I am….”
Panic rippled. Eight exits in total—most had been sealed for VIP and motorcade security. The crowd funnelled into the remaining three.
Low moans grew to shrieks. People trampled the fallen. A little girl's white blouse had turned grey, her teddy flattened. During flight, no one looked back. At one exit, dozens collapsed, graves to the trampling. The weight buckled railings, jammed the door.
“Doors won’t open!” “There’s children—!” Screams scattered. Security couldn’t reach the scene. Orders were drowned in noise. Control evaporated.
“The crowd is uncontrollable, Jack,” came Zakaria’s voice through the PA, along with a simultaneous link to staff smartphones.
“You got my email? Open the link. No virus, I promise.”
Hurriedly, Jack checked his phone. The site loaded:
“Good evening, New York—and Los Angeles. My name is Zakaria Haddad. My real name. Five years ago, I lived in Gaza. Now I sit in a room many of you recognize.”
On the screen, a brown-skinned man with a trimmed beard—Zakaria—seated in a chair eerily like the Oval Office. Three green-curtained windows behind him—the color favored by Prophet Muhammad. A portrait of Ibn Sina hung on the wall, his gaze deep, delicate—reaching from time’s past to the present.
Zakaria glanced at his watch, then back at camera—an unreadable dark joy flickering in his eyes.
“Breaking news—watch your phone alerts.” Instantly:
Former Democratic President Owen Reed shot at Los Angeles Convention Center
Zakaria hid a wry smile.
“A sad update, America. But don’t mourn. In Gaza, we suffered 55,000 times this. We lost over 55,000 dear souls—and we wept.”
He averted his gaze, clasped both hands, slammed his fist onto the desk. The air thickened. Yet in his eyes brimmed silent tears—quiet sorrow.
“We do not seek money or glory in death. We seek tears equal to the 55,000. Only tears can heal us.”
He rested his elbows, folded his hands, chin supported. A long pause. His eyes twitched with small sorrowful motions.
Zakaria rotated a framed photo toward the camera.
“My family. More precious than my life. Gone in an instant.”
There was no hatred in his voice—only respect and gentle grief. He began again.
“I was one among those 55,000. Even if I perish, their wills persist. I stand here to voice our will.”
He quietly reached into his right drawer, withdrew a Glock 17, chambered a round, and placed the barrel against his temple. His eyes were merciful—gentle, embracing his lost family.
As a Sunni, he stared straight at the camera:
“God bless America.”
Backlit by three blazing windows, he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. The dry crack snapped through the room. The camera jerked—then the screen went black.
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Previous notes
3
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54639396885/in/dateposted...
2
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54628511025/in/dateposted...
1
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54599616429/in/dateposted...
Note: I gave a brief explanation of this novel in the following video:
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
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Notes
1. "Bombay Blood Type (hh type)"
•Characteristics: A rare blood type that lacks the usual ABO antigens — cannot be classified as A, B, or O.
•Discovery: First identified in 1952 in Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay).
•Prevalence: Roughly 1 in 10,000 people in India; globally, about 1 in 2.5 million.
•Transfusion Compatibility: Only compatible with blood from other Bombay type donors.
2. 2024 Harvard University Valedictorian Speech – The Power of Not Knowing
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
3. Shots Fired at Trump Rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
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Aeon parking lot. Yachimata City. Chiba Prefecture. Japan. Shot on iPhone 13 Pro … 1 / 1
イオンの駐車場。 八街市。千葉県。日本。iPhone 13 Pro shot … 1 / 1
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僕の新しい小説。
B♭ （ビーフラット）
まだまだ投下します。😃
(最終稿ではありません。)
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場面 ガーデン３−４
指揮官席に深く腰を落としていたジャックは、青白いモニター群をくまなく睨んでいた。
カメラ番号A17、A18、A19──いずれもアリーナ中央を捉えている。だが、スタンド席西側の警備員の視線が集中していたのは、そこではなかった。彼が見つめていたのはセクション212の非常扉だった。その扉のセンサーが、わずか一度だけ、反応を示し、ディスプレイに赤い警告が走った。
「不審な動きだな。ドアのセンサーが一瞬、点いた」
ジャックの低い声が、ベンのイヤピースを震わせた。
ベンは即座に 頭上のモニターを見上げ、囁くように言った。
「行くか？」
「…いや。持ち場は離れるな。俺が行く」
ジャックの声がわずかに低くなった。
「たぶん、気のせいだ。ただし──全員、警戒は解くな。そのまま、周囲に意識を集中しておけ」
それぞれのイヤピースに静寂が落ち、張り詰めた空気で満ちた。
モニターに今映っている扉は、開くことも、閉じることもなく、ただ沈黙している。
ジャックはブリーフィングルームを飛び出し、スタンド席、西側が見渡せるアリーナまで、地下から駆け上がった。
マジソンスクエアガーデンの平坦な天井は、吐き出された人の熱気でいつもより膨らんでいるように、ジャックには見えた。大統領候補を歓迎する声とそれを罵倒する叫び声が錯綜し、鼓膜の奥を揺らした。どうやら反共和党も紛れ込んでいるようだ。
ジャックは、スタンド席西側へしばらく目を凝らしてから、手元のアイフォンに目を落とした。画面には、いくつかのSNSが同時に広がっており、それぞれが激しい書き込みによって文字が流れてゆく。右下の、メタの書き込みに、ジャックは目を留めた。殺害予告のメッセージが走り、赤く灯っている。ジャックは喧騒に満ちた通路を駆け抜け、スタンド席西側へ着くと、警備員へ声を掛けた。
「おつかれ。異常はないか？」
ジャックはさりげなく背筋を伸ばした。ジャケットの背中越しに、腰の中央──背骨の下に沿ってぴたりと固定されたグロック19の存在を確かめた。
「どうも。こちらは異常ありませんよ。何かありましたか？」
黒のスーツで、胸元にネクタイはない、プレーン・クロースの私設セキュリティだ。視線は沈着で、イヤピースから伸びるコードが耳の下に覗いている。男は一瞬、ジャックを睨むように見たが、ジャケットの裾を軽く持ち上げ、ホルスターの形をわずかに見せた。男に敵意はなかった。それが合図だった。ジャックも同じように、背筋を伸ばしながら無言で頷いた。この沈黙こそが、互いの訓練と経験を示していた。
「ドアのセンサーが一度反応した。目視で確認する」
ジャックは、冷たい金属の取っ手を掴み、扉の奥を一瞥した。辺りは暗闇に沈み、静まり返っていた。
ジャックはその場からすぐにイヤピースで伝えた。
「スタンド席西側に異常はなかった。セキュリティーにも問題はない」
ジャックは、男の肩を軽く叩いて、いった。
「引き続き、頼む」
男が笑顔でジャックに挨拶すると、アリーナの照明が一気に落ちた。
闇の中、赤いレーザーがガーデンの天井から床まで、縦横に切り裂き、重く低く唸るような打ち込みの硬質なバスドラがアリーナの底から噴き上がった。ハイハットが16分音符で刻まれ、深く沈むキックドラムが四拍を正確に打つ。そこに、低くうねるベース・シンセが重なり、会場全体の空気そのものが脈打つように震え始めた。
観客の鼓動が、低く分厚い音にシンクロし始めた。スモークが舞い、赤いレーザーが切り裂く中、床の震えが増していった。低いベース音に重なった奥から、加工された男性の声が繰り返し聞こえてくる。
“Strength.（強さ） Order.（秩序） America.”
場内のスモークが、光を濁らせるようにさらに舞うと、巨大なセンター・ハング・スクリーンに文字が浮かび上がった。
J U S T I N・B R A D F O R D
その瞬間、中央のスポットライトが、ひとつだけ点いた。赤から青へ──そして白へと、アメリカの三色をなぞるように変化する演出だ。
その光の中、男が姿を現した。
ジャスティンだ。ダークネイビーのテーラードスーツに、共和党を示す真紅のネクタイを巻いている。胸元には一輪の白いバラのピンバッジが添えられていた。
数秒遅れて、彼の背後にもうひとつ光が射した。漆黒のドレスを纏ったエリノア・ブレイクがスポットライトを浴びている。
ふたりは笑顔で手を取り合うと、ゆっくりステージ中央へ歩み始めた。彼らの歩みに迷いはなかった。強さと秩序の意志を現した姿に、観客の誰もがその姿を見上げ、歓声を上げている。
ー アメリカを取り戻せ！ ー
マイクスタンドへ近づくにつれ、アリーナの熱はさらに帯び、波のようにうねった。
赤、青、白の光がジャスティンらの足元を錯綜した。
エリノアを残し、ジャスティンは、一歩前に出て、マイクの前に立った。
音楽が静かにフェードアウトし、照明が再び落ちていく。
── その瞬間、全アリーナが沈黙に包まれた。
彼は、何も言わず、ただ口元に微笑みを浮かべた。その微笑みが、宣戦布告に等しかった。
語らずに、何かを語っている。
それが、世界でもっとも権力を持つ、アメリカ大統領の姿勢なのだ。
ジャスティンは、しばらく観衆を見渡してから、穏やかな口調でいった。エリノアと同じ金色に煌めく髪とブルーの瞳が、彼の言葉をさらに支えるようだ。
「こんばんは。ニューヨーク。今日は、いいことがあったかい？」
ジャスティンは、微笑みながら、最前列の女性に問いかけた。彼は、父のルールを守っていた。多くの聴衆に語るのではなく、たったひとりの身近な人へ言葉を伝えるのだ ーー
「僕は今日、駐車場に着いた時、気が滅入ったよ。ひどい湿気に陰鬱になった。でも、ここにいるエリノアが僕に言ったんだ。あなたを守るために、スタッフは最善の手段を選んだ、とね。そして、スタッフはみな、僕のために命を賭けてくれると」
歯切れよく言い切ったジャスティンの言葉に、再び観衆は沸いた。数万人の熱波がステージへ押し寄せた。
ジャスティンの目には、ステージにあった光を収束させたような輝きがあった。もちろん、エリノアの青い瞳にもだ。
「今夜、僕らがここに集まったのは、それぞれの意志を、再びこの国の中心に叩き込むためだ。アメリカが忘れかけている“光”を、もう一度我々の手に取り戻すためだ。この4年間、我が党は経済を立て直し、治安を取り戻し、国家の秩序を再構築した。今、私たちはその“光”をもっと強く照らす時に来ている。それは、ただの希望ではない。責任だ。アメリカが再び輝けば、世界はそれに倣う。そして、もっと強い、鮮明な光を私たちは手にしなければならない。アメリカが強い光を取り戻すことで、世界をくまなく照らすことができるのだ。私たちには、もっとそれができるはずだ」
ジャスティンの声が、再び会場を震わせた瞬間、乾いた銃声が響いた。ステージ中央あたりからだ。ジャックは音と同時に身を屈め、アリーナの頭上に展開した巨大なセンター・ハング・スクリーンに目をやった。ジャックには映る全ての時間が止まっていた。ジャスティンの身体が弾けたように背後へ揺れた。ジャケットの裾がゆっくり翻り、左肩から崩れてゆく。たぶん、最初の弾は左肩に着弾した。その後、再びジャスティンは前屈みになった。二発目は左腹部だ。ジャスティンの身体は、床へスローモーションのように崩れ落ち、うつぶした。
「ジャスティン！」
エリノアの矯正がステージに響いた。大きく見開いた瞳が、一点を見つめまま、細かく揺れている。一瞬にして透明な薄い膜が幾重にも重なって滲み、零れた。
ジャスティンへ近づこうとするエリノアの体を前面から覆うようにしてSPが抑え込み、引き離している。
「伏せろ！」というSPと観客からの声が同時に周囲を支配した途端、観客席は混乱に包まれた。
女性らの悲鳴が錯綜し、誰か、とやはり別の女性の声がかぶさった。すでに消えている銃声の余韻が、巨大な会場に重く残って覆っている。
ステージにいた者以外は、一聴しただけでは気づかなかったがジャックの耳は聴き分けていた。弾は間違いなく２発だった。騒然とした場内をよそに、ジャックは静かに目を閉じた。発射音から着弾までを想像した。一発目の弾は、ジャスティンのほぼ頭上からだった。そして、もう一発もだ。発射音から着弾までの様子からしておそらくかなりの近距離だ。
「ベン、どこだ」
ジャックは、出口へ卒倒してゆく観客らを抗うようにしてステージへ近づいていく。ベンの冷静な声がすぐに聞こえてきた。
「ジャスティンのそばだ。心臓ははずれているが、左肩と左腹部をかすめているようだ。動脈には達していないが出血がひどい」
「車列にあった救護班がすぐにいく。ジャスティンはボンベイブラッドだ。救急車にブラッドバッグが二つ備えてある。とりあえず輸血するはずだ」
「足らなかった場合は、イライジャのところか？」
「いずれにしても搬入だ。ベルビュー病院にブラッドバッグが保管されている。予備の輸血だ。三日前に確認した」
ボンベイブラッドとは、１９５２年にインドのムンバイ、旧ボンベイで初めて確認された、通常のA、B、Oには分類されない特殊な血液型だ。インドでは１万人にひとり程度だが、世界的には２５０万人に１人ともいわれているもので、同じボンベイ型からボンベイ型への輸血しかできない。
ベンは、冷静にわかったといった。
マジソンスクエアガーデンに最も近いベルビュー病院にジャスティンを運び込む。ジャックは、病院で控えているイライジャに直接電話した。ワンコールが切れる前にすぐイライジャは反応した。
「ジャック、大変だ。血液がない。ボンベイブラッドがないんだ」
ジャックは、耳を疑った。
「三日前に、俺は直接担当の、名前は忘れたな。とにかく目の前でブラッドバッグを確認したぞ」
イライジャは、数秒の沈黙の後、応えた。
「その血液の管理者は、きのう、交通事故で亡くなったんだ」
ジャックがその言葉に沈黙していると、場内にジャックの声でアナウンスが流れた。すでに震えているガーデンをさらにその声が震わせた。ジャックは、再びスクリーンに目をやったが、音声だけがジャックの声だった。
「みなさん、落ち着いてください。私はシークレットサービスのジャック・バンスです。この建物には爆薬が仕掛けられていますが、みなさん、落ち着いて、出口へ向かってください。繰り返します。私は….」
場内の空気が一瞬にして、硬直した。同時に、崩壊した。パニックはすぐに伝染した。数千の観客は、波紋のように大きく揺れ、一斉に出口へ傾れ込んだ。しかし、ジャスティンへの発砲と同時に出口は封鎖されていた。
メインアリーナの出入口は合計8つ――だがその多くは、来賓警備や車列誘導のためにすでに封鎖されていた。群衆の大半が、残された3つの出入口に集中した。
低い声から高い叫び声。倒れた人間を踏みつける足。転倒した白いブラウスの少女はすでに黒ずんでいる。小さな熊のぬいぐるみの顔が真っ平らになっている。
人は、逃げるときに後ろを見ない。出入口の一つでは、すでに数人が折り重なるように倒れ、その上をさらに何十人もの足が越えていった。荷重により手すりが歪み、出口の一部が完全に塞がれる。
「ドアが開かない！」
「子どもが――！」
叫び声が乱れ飛び、場内警備は現場への到達すら困難な状態だった。あらゆる指示が雑音にかき消され、もはや群衆は誰の言葉も聞いていなかった。
制御不能の肉の波――それが、人間の集団というものだった。
「この程度の混乱ではなかったぞ、ジャック」
ザカリアの声が切ったはずのPAから場内へ響いた。同時に、ジャックら警備スタッフへのスマートフォンへリンク先の案内がいっせいに届いた。
「メールが届いただろう？ リンク先を開け。安心しろ、ウィルスは除去済みだ」
ザカリアが笑いを抑え、皮肉混じりにいった。
ジャックは後ろポケットから慌てて、アイフォンを開いた。１件のメール着信を開くと、サイトが現れた。
「こんばんは、ニューヨーク。そしてロサンゼルス。私の名前はザカリア・ハッダード。本名だ。５年前、ガザに住んでいた。今は、みなさんがよく目にする部屋を真似た部屋に私はいる」
褐色の、顎髭をたくわえたザカリアは、アメリカ大統領執務室とほとんど同じ部屋の椅子に座っていた。背後に見える三つの大きな窓には、グリーンのカーテンが掛けられている。預言者ムハンマドが好んだ色だ。
壁面には、剣ではなく詩と理性で世界を導こうとした男、イブン・シーナーの肖像画が掛けられていた。その眼差しは、ワシントンよりも深く、リンカーンよりも繊細なもので、遥か遠く、消え去った時間の底からこちらを見据えているようだった。
ザカリアは腕時計に目を落としてから、再び、カメラに視線を向けた。目には言葉にできない喜びのような暗い影が落ちている。
「そろそろブレイキングニュースだ。スマートフォンの速報に注目して欲しい」
ザカリアがそういった途端、速報が流れた。
【民主党前大統領のオーウェン・リードがロサンゼルス・コンベンション・センターで銃撃された模様です】
ザカリアは、一瞬俯いて笑いを堪えながらいった。
「悲しい速報じゃないか。アメリカのみなさん。でもどうか悲しまないで欲しい。私が経験したガザではこの55,000倍だ。55,000人以上の大切な人を失い、そして、涙を流した」
ザカリアはカメラから目を逸らし、俯いた。そして両手を固く握りしめ、力強く机を叩きつけた。部屋の空気が硬直した。重く固まった空気が画像からも伝わってくる。しかし、顔を上げたザカリアの目にはうっすらと涙が溢れていた。静かな涙だった。
「私たちは、お金を求めない。また、死による名誉も求めない。私たちが欲しいのは、55,000人が流した涙と同じだけの涙だ。流された涙と同じだけの涙だけが、私たちを癒す」
両肘を机につき、両手を組むと、ザカリアは静かに顎を乗せた。目を閉じて、しばらく沈黙が続いた。目尻が細かく震えているようだった。
ザカリアはデスクにあったフォトフレームをカメラへ向け、反転させた。
「私の家族だ。私の命よりも大切な家族だ。すべて一瞬で奪われたよ」
彼の言葉に憎しみはなかった。語尾には、亡くなったものへの敬意とたくさんの優しさを詰め込んだ静けさが含まれている。続けて、ザカリアはゆっくり口を開いた。
「55,000人のうちの私はひとりに過ぎない。私が消えても55,000人もの意思は決して消えず、引き継がれる。私は、私たちの意思をここに表明するためにいる」
ザカリアは、向かって右手の机の引き出しにそっと手を伸ばした。引き出しから、グロック１７を取り出すと、スライドしてチャンバーに弾を流した。そして、銃口を自分のこめかみに当てた。ザカリアの目からは憎悪は消えていた。穏やかで、亡くなった家族を包み込むようなやさしい眼差しだった。
スンニ派である彼は、まっすぐにカメラを見つめ、いった。
「神のご加護を。アメリカ」
執務室の三つの窓から差し込んだ眩い逆光の中、ザカリアは、静かに目を閉じると、トリガーを真っ直ぐに引いた。乾いた銃声が部屋に響いた。一瞬、カメラが横へぶれたが、映像は瞬時に黒へ切り替わった。
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これまでのメモ
3
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54639396885/in/dateposted...
2
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54628511025/in/dateposted...
1
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54599616429/in/dateposted...
追記 この小説を多少説明しました。
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
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メモ
1
「Bombay型（ボンベイ型、hh型）」
•特徴：通常のABO血液型を持たない（A、B、Oに分類されない）特殊な型。
•発見地：1952年、インド・ムンバイ（旧ボンベイ）で初めて確認。
•発生頻度：インドでは1万人に1人程度だが、世界的には約250万人に1人とも。
•輸血制限：同じBombay型しか輸血できない。
2
2024年ハーバード大学首席の卒業式スピーチ『知らないことの力』
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
3
Shots fired at Trump rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
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History of the TEXAS LONGHORN COW:
No history of the cattle industry can be told without beginning with Texas and the Texas Longhorn. Texas was the original home of ranching and became the major blending pot for the evolution of the history-making Texas Longhorn breed of cattle.
The Spanish brought the first longhorn cattle to America in 1493. Descendants of these longhorns formed the first cattle population in North America.
The first Anglo-American settlers of Texas came to raise cotton. However, they brought with them a few cows, mostly of northern European breeds. These cows mixed with the Spanish breeds already in Texas and soon grew into considerable herds. Most of the cattle for the first stocking of the central and northern plains came from these herds.
The climate and range conditions were ideal for cattle raising in Texas. In addition, the liberal land system made it easy to acquire large blocks of acreage.
However, the size of farms does not tell the whole story.
As the number of cattle increased in Texas, small acreage owners ranged their cattle primarily upon unoccupied public lands. In fact, some cattle owners with thousands of head of cattle did not even own one acre of land.
Other men who moved to Texas invested all their capital in cattle and then depended on the open range for pasture. Some of those with no capital got their start by branding calves "on share" for others. At that time men were employed to brand calves and received one calf out of every four branded "on share."
During the Civil War, some Texas cattle were used to feed the Confederate troops. However, due to the isolation of Texas, that number was small.
Mostly, cattle continued to multiple, mature, and grow fat wandering the ranges of Texas while able-bodied men fought. It is estimated there were approximately five million longhorns in Texas by the end of the Civil War.
These Texas cattle had long legs, lanky bodies, with legs and feet built for speed. It took a good horse with a good rider to outrun a Texas Longhorn. Their narrow faces, sullen expressions, and horns that swept out horizontally, gave these cattle a sinister look. And indeed, they could be mean.
A century or so of running wild had make the longhorns tough and hardy enough to withstand blizzards, droughts, dust storms, attacks by other animals, and Indians. They did not require great amounts of water to survive. Their horns served for attack and defense. A strong sense of smell made it easy for the cow to find her calf and she would ferociously defend this calf.
And the bulls... There was probably no meaner creature in Texas than a Longhorn bull. The slightest provocation would turn him into an aggressive and dangerous enemy. The bull's horns usually measured six feet or less from tip-to-tip, but could measure over eight feet long. In addition, the sharpness of horns of any length, the speed and muscle power of the bull, and the ease with which he could be aroused and enraged, made him a dangerous and uncontrollable animal. When two bulls met, there was sure to be a fight, often to death. And only a very well-armed cowboy had a chance against a Longhorn bull.
This abundance of cattle at the end of the Civil War had depressed the Texas market. However, the prices of cattle and beef were still high in the north and east. So despite the danger involved in a round-up, the hardy Texas cattle began flowing north. They continued on the Chisholm, Loving-Goodnight, and Dodge City trails until that market was sated and the ranges of the central and northern plains were fully stocked.
J. Frank Dobie, great teller of Texas tales, wrote in the Fort Worth Press in 1936, "There is a widespread idea, even among people who should know better, that trail driving originated after the Civil War, when a lone Texas herd headed for some vague point 'north of 36.' As a matter of fact, on the very day the Texans whipped the Mexicans at San Jacinto, in 1836, a herd of Texas longhorns from Taylor White's ranch west of the Neches River was trailing for New Orleans. Cattle had been trailed out of Texas before that. Through the 'forties they were trailed north into Missouri and also to Louisiana markets. There is a record of one herd's trailing to New York, about 1850, and through the 'fifties thousands of steers were driven across the continent to California. The trailing business attained volume and became well organized when in 1867 Abilene, Kansas, opened as a market."
The cattle conditions at the end of the Civil War are also given credit for the beginning of cattle rustling. George W. Saunders, president of the Old Time Trail Drivers of Texas explained, "During the war we boys and a few old men tried to keep the cattle branded up, and we always branded for absent soldiers and widows. Of course the range was only loosely worked and vast numbers of cattle went unbranded. The scuffle for these mavericks, that began after the war was over, started cow-thieving."
The toughness and endurance of the Longhorns made them well-equipped for the long trail. They usually lost very little weight on the drive.
Charles Goodnight, Texas cowman who is credited with inventing the chuck wagon and who was one of the originators of the Loving-Goodnight trail, said of Longhorn cattle, "As trail cattle, their equal never has been known. Their hoofs are superior to those of any other cattle. In stampedes, they hold together better, are easier to circle during a run, and rarely split off when you commence to turn the front. No animal of the cow kind will shift and take care of itself under all conditions as will the Longhorns. They can go farther without water and endure more suffering than others."
Even in a stampede, the lead Longhorn steers often earned their salt. On the Shawnee trail in 1873, a heard of over 1000 Longhorns stampeded within the town of Dallas. The Dallas Herald, September 12, 1873, reported, "The two that didn't take fright had led the drove from the time the owners started out with them. During the alarm for the rest of the drove, they stood motionless. The drivers had the satisfaction of seeing the frightened cattle eventually return and gather 'round the more composed leaders."
The longhorns did harbor ticks and certain diseases, however. Terry Jordan, author of North American Cattle-Ranching Frontiers, wrote, "From the very first, a strong northern prejudice against longhorns, based partly in the diseases they bore, was encountered, and through the 1870s and early 1880s the amount of longhorn blood on the ranges of Texas Extended was systematically reduced by crossbreeding, castration, and culling."
Though more and more people are realizing the environmental destruction of raising cattle and the health dangers of eating beef and dairy, longhorns were a great part of the history and the influence of Texas.
The state of Texas maintains a herd of Longhorns in select state parks.
Gloster Meteor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gloster Meteor Centenary of Military Aviation 2014
The only F.8 in flying condition is operated by the RAAF’s Historic Flight
RoleFighter aircraft
National originUnited Kingdom
ManufacturerGloster Aircraft Company
First flight5 March 1943
Introduction27 July 1944
Produced1943–1955
Number built3,947
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. The Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator G-AIDC was the first civilian-registered jet aircraft in the world.[1] Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades.
Slower and less heavily armed than its German counterpart, the jet-powered Messerschmitt Me 262,[2] the Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fought in the Korean War. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photographic aerial reconnaissance and as night fighters.
The Meteor was also used for research and development purposes and to break several aviation records. On 7 November 1945, the first official airspeed record by a jet aircraft was set by a Meteor F.3 at 606 miles per hour (975 km/h). In 1946, this record was broken when a Meteor F.4 reached a speed of 616 miles per hour (991 km/h). Other performance-related records were broken in categories including flight time endurance, rate of climb, and speed. On 20 September 1945, a heavily modified Meteor I, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent turbine engines driving propellers, became the first turboprop aircraft to fly.[3] On 10 February 1954, a specially adapted Meteor F.8, the "Meteor Prone Pilot", which placed the pilot into a prone position to counteract inertial forces, took its first flight.[4]
In the 1950s, the Meteor became increasingly obsolete as more nations developed jet fighters, many of these newcomers having adopted a swept wing instead of the Meteor's conventional straight wing; in RAF service, the Meteor was replaced by newer types such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin. As of 2018, two Meteors, G-JSMA and G-JWMA, remain in active service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds.[5] One further aircraft in the UK remains airworthy, as does another in Australia.
See also: Frank Whittle
The development of the turbojet-powered Gloster Meteor was a collaboration between the Gloster Aircraft Company and Frank Whittle's firm, Power Jets Ltd. Whittle formed Power Jets Ltd in March 1936 to develop his ideas of jet propulsion, Whittle himself serving as the company's chief engineer.[6] For several years, attracting financial backers and aviation firms prepared to take on Whittle's radical ideas was difficult; in 1931, Armstrong-Siddeley had evaluated and rejected Whittle's proposal, finding it to be technically sound but at the limits of engineering capability.[7] Securing funding was a persistently worrying issue throughout the early development of the engine.[8] The first Whittle prototype jet engine, the Power Jets WU, began running trials in early 1937; shortly afterwards, both Sir Henry Tizard, chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee, and the Air Ministry gave the project their support.[9]
On 28 April 1939, Whittle made a visit to the premises of the Gloster Aircraft Company, where he met several key figures, such as George Carter, Gloster's chief designer.[10] Carter took a keen interest in Whittle's project, particularly when he saw the operational Power Jets W.1 engine; Carter quickly made several rough proposals of various aircraft designs powered by the engine. Independently, Whittle had also been producing several proposals for a high-altitude jet-powered bomber; following the start of the Second World War and the Battle for France, a greater national emphasis on fighter aircraft arose.[11] Power Jets and Gloster quickly formed a mutual understanding around mid-1939.[12]
The Gloster E.28/39. The yellow undersides were standard for RAF training and prototype aircraft of the period.
In spite of ongoing infighting between Power Jets and several of its stakeholders, the Air Ministry contracted Gloster in late 1939 to manufacture a prototype aircraft powered by one of Whittle's new turbojet engines.[13] The single-engined proof-of-concept Gloster E28/39, the first British jet-powered aircraft, conducted its maiden flight on 15 May 1941, flown by Gloster's chief test pilot, Flight Lieutenant Philip "Gerry" Sayer.[14][15] The success of the E.28/39 proved the viability of jet propulsion, and Gloster pressed ahead with designs for a production fighter aircraft.[16] Due to the limited thrust available from early jet engines, it was decided that subsequent production aircraft would be powered by a pair of turbojet engines.[17]
In 1940, for a "military load" of 1,500 lb (680 kg), the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) had advised that work on an aircraft of 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) all-up weight, with a total static thrust of 3,200 lbf (14 kN) should be started, with an 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) design for the expected, more powerful, W.2 and axial engine designs. George Carter's calculations based on the RAE work and his own investigations were that a 8,700-to-9,000-pound (3,900-to-4,100-kilogram) aircraft with two or four 20 mm cannons and six 0.303 machine guns would have a top speed of 400–431 miles per hour (644–694 km/h) at sea level and 450–470 miles per hour (720–760 km/h) at 30,000 feet (9,100 m). In January 1941 Gloster were told by Lord Beaverbrook that the twin jet fighter was of "unique importance", and that the company was to stop work on a night-fighter development of their F.9/37 to Specification F.18/40.[18]
Prototypes
Prototype Meteor DG202/G on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in 2011. The "/G" appended to the aircraft serial denoted that the aircraft was to have an armed guard at all times while it was on the ground.
In August 1940, Carter presented Gloster's initial proposals for a twin-engined jet fighter with a tricycle undercarriage.[Note 1] On 7 February 1941, Gloster received an order for twelve prototypes (later reduced to eight) under Specification F9/40.[20] A letter of intent for the production of 300 of the new fighter, initially to be named Thunderbolt, was issued on 21 June 1941; to avoid confusion with the USAAF Republic P-47 Thunderbolt which had been issued with the same name to the RAF in 1944, the aircraft's name was subsequently changed to Meteor.[21][22][Note 2] During the aircraft's secretive development, employees and officials made use of the codename Rampage to refer to the Meteor, as similarly the de Havilland Vampire would initially be referred to as the Spider Crab. Test locations and other key project information were also kept secret.[24]
Although taxiing trials were carried out in 1942, it was not until the following year that any flights took place due to production and approval holdups with the Power Jets W.2 engine powering the Meteor.[14][25] On 26 November 1942 production of the Meteor was ordered to stop due to the delays at subcontractor Rover, which was struggling to manufacture the W.2 engines on schedule[Note 3]; considerable interest was shown in Gloster's E.1/44 proposal for a single-engine fighter, unofficially named Ace.[27] Gloster continued development work on the Meteor and the production-stop order was overturned in favour of the construction of six (later increased to eight) F9/40 prototypes alongside three E.1/44 prototypes.[28] Rover's responsibilities for development and production of the W.2B engine were also transferred to Rolls-Royce that year.[29]
On 5 March 1943, the fifth prototype, serial DG206, powered by two substituted de Havilland Halford H.1 engines owing to problems with the intended W.2 engines, became the first Meteor to become airborne at RAF Cranwell, piloted by Michael Daunt.[14] On the initial flight, an uncontrollable yawing motion was discovered, which led to a redesigned larger rudder; however, no difficulties had been attributed to the groundbreaking turbojet propulsion.[30][31] Only two prototypes flew with de Havilland engines because of their low flight endurance.[32] Before the first prototype aircraft had even undertaken its first flight, an extended order for 100 production-standard aircraft had been placed by the RAF.[33]
The first Whittle-engined aircraft, DG205/G,[Note 4] flew on 12 June 1943 (later crashing during takeoff on 27 April 1944) and was followed by DG202/G on 24 July. DG202/G was later used for deck handling tests aboard aircraft carrier HMS Pretoria Castle.[35][36] DG203/G made its first flight on 9 November 1943, later becoming a ground instructional airframe. DG204/G, powered by Metrovick F.2 engines, first flew on 13 November 1943; DG204/G was lost in an accident on 4 January 1944, the cause believed to have been an engine compressor failure due to overspeed.[37] DG208/G made its début on 20 January 1944, by which time the majority of design problems had been overcome and a production design had been approved. DG209/G was used as an engine testbed by Rolls-Royce, first flying on 18 April 1944. DG207/G was intended to be the basis for the Meteor F.2 with de Havilland engines, but it did not fly until 24 July 1945, at which time the Meteor 3 was in full production and de Havilland's attention was being redirected to the upcoming de Havilland Vampire; consequently the F.2 was cancelled.[38][39][40][41]
Into production
Gloster Meteor being deployed in March 1945
On 12 January 1944, the first Meteor F.1, serial EE210/G, took to the air from Moreton Valence in Gloucestershire. It was essentially identical to the F9/40 prototypes except for the addition of four nose-mounted 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannon and some changes to the canopy to improve all-round visibility.[42] Due to the F.1's similarity to the prototypes, they were frequently operated in the test program to progress British understanding of jet propulsion, and it took until July 1944 for the aircraft to enter squadron service.[43] EE210/G was later sent to the U.S. for evaluation in exchange for a pre-production Bell YP-59A Airacomet, the Meteor being flown first by John Grierson at Muroc Army Airfield on 15 April 1944.[44]
Originally 300 F.1s were ordered, but the total produced was reduced to 20 aircraft as the follow-on orders had been converted to the more advanced models.[45] Some of the last major refinements to the Meteor's early design were trialled using this first production batch, and what was to become the long-term design of the engine nacelles was introduced upon EE211.[46] The original nacelles had been discovered by the RAE to suffer from compressibility buffeting at higher speeds, causing increased drag; the re-designed longer nacelles eliminated this and provided an increase in the Meteor's maximum speed. The lengthened nacelles were introduced on the final fifteen Meteor IIIs.[3] EE215 was the first Meteor to be fitted with guns; EE215 was also used in engine reheat trials,[47] the addition of reheat increasing top speed from 420 mph to 460 mph.[3] and was later converted into the first two-seat Meteor.[48] Due to the radical differences between jet-powered aircraft and those that it replaced, a special Tactical Flight or T-Flight unit was established to prepare the Meteor for squadron service, led by Group Captain Hugh Joseph Wilson.[49] The Tactical Flight was formed at Farnborough in May 1944, the first Meteors arriving the following month, upon which both tactical applications and limitations were extensively explored.[50]
On 17 July 1944, the Meteor F.1 was cleared for service use. Shortly afterwards, elements of the Tactical Flight and their aircraft were transferred to operational RAF squadrons.[51] The first deliveries to No. 616 Squadron RAF, the first operational squadron to receive the Meteor, began in July 1944.[33] When the F.2 was cancelled, the Meteor F.3 became the immediate successor to the F.1 and alleviated some of the shortcomings of the F.1.[52] In August 1944, the first F.3 prototype flew; early F.3 production aircraft were still fitted with the Welland engine as the Derwent engine's production was just starting at this point. A total of 210 F.3 aircraft were produced before they were in turn superseded by production of the Meteor F.4 in 1945.[53]
Several Meteor F.3s were converted into navalised aircraft. The adaptations included a strengthened undercarriage and arrester hook. Operational trials of the type took place aboard HMS Implacable. The trials included carrier landings and takeoffs.[54] Performance of these naval prototype Meteors proved to be favourable, including takeoff performance, leading to further trials with a modified Meteor F.4 fitted with folding wings; a 'clipped wing' was also adopted.[55] The Meteor later entered service with the Royal Navy, but only as a land-based trainer, the Meteor T.7, to prepare pilots of the Fleet Air Arm for flying other jet aircraft such as the de Havilland Sea Vampire.[56]
While various marks of Meteor had been introduced by 1948, they had remained very similar to the prototypes of the Meteor; consequently, the performance of the Meteor F.4 was beginning to be eclipsed by new jet designs. Gloster therefore embarked on a redesign programme to produce a new version of the Meteor with better performance.[57] Designated 'Meteor F.8', this upgraded variant was a potent fighter aircraft, forming the bulk of RAF Fighter Command between 1950 and 1955. The Meteor continued to be operated in a military capacity by several nations into the 1960s.[58]
Night fighter
To replace the increasingly obsolete de Havilland Mosquito as a night fighter, the Meteor was adapted to serve in the role as an interim aircraft. Gloster had initially proposed a night fighter design to meet the Air Ministry specification for the Mosquito replacement, based on the two seater trainer variant of the Meteor, with the pilot in the front seat and the navigator in the rear.[59] Once accepted however, work on the project was swiftly transferred to Armstrong Whitworth to perform both the detailed design process and production of the type; the first prototype flew on 31 May 1950. Although based on the T.7 twin seater, it used the fuselage and tail of the F.8, and the longer wings of the F.3. An extended nose contained the AI Mk 10 (the 1940s Westinghouse SCR-720) Air Intercept radar. As a consequence the 20 mm cannons were moved into the wings, outboard of the engines. A ventral fuel tank and wing mounted drop tanks completed the Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11.[60][61]
Operational Meteor NF.14 of No. 264 Squadron RAF in 1955
As radar technology developed, a new Meteor night fighter was developed to use the improved US-built APS-21 system. The NF.12 first flew on 21 April 1953. It was similar to the NF.11 but had a nose section 17 inches (43 cm) longer;[62] the fin was enlarged to compensate for the greater keel area of the enlarged nose and to counter the airframe reaction to the sideways oscillating motion of the radar scanner which caused difficulty aiming the guns, an anti-tramp motor operating on the rudder was fitted midway up the front leading edge of the fin. The NF.12 also had the new Rolls-Royce Derwent 9 engines and the wings were reinforced to handle the new engine.[63][64] Deliveries of the NF.12 started in 1953, with the type entering squadron service in early 1954,[65] equipping seven squadrons (Nos 85, 25, 152, 46, 72, 153 and 64);[66] the aircraft was replaced over 1958–1959.
The final Meteor night fighter was the NF.14. First flown on 23 October 1953, the NF.14 was based on the NF.12 but had an even longer nose, extended by a further 17 inches to accommodate new equipment, increasing the total length to 51 ft 4 in (15.65 m) and a larger bubble canopy to replace the framed T.7 version.[67] Just 100 NF.14s were built; they first entered service in February 1954 beginning with No. 25 Squadron and were being replaced as early as 1956 by the Gloster Javelin. Overseas, they remained in service a little longer, serving with No. 60 Squadron at Tengah, Singapore until 1961. As the NF.14 was replaced, some 14 were converted to training aircraft as the NF(T).14 and given to No. 2 Air Navigation School on RAF Thorney Island until transferring to No. 1 Air Navigation School at RAF Stradishall where they served until 1965.[68]
Design
Meteor F.8 in flight at RAF Greenham Common, May 1986
Gloster Meteor F.8 Cockpit
The first operational version of the Meteor, designated as the Meteor F.1, apart from the minor airframe refinements, was a straightforward 'militarisation' of the earlier F9/40 prototypes.[69] The dimensions of the standard Meteor F.1 were 41 ft 3 in (12.57 m) long with a span of 43 ft 0 in (13.11 m), with an empty weight of 8,140 lb (3,690 kg) and a maximum takeoff weight of 13,795 lb (6,257 kg).[42] Despite the revolutionary turbojet propulsion used,[70] the design of the Meteor was relatively orthodox and did not take advantage of many aerodynamic features used on other, later jet fighters, such as swept wings; the Meteor shared a broadly similar basic configuration to its German equivalent, the Messerschmitt Me 262, which was also aerodynamically conventional.[71]
It was an all-metal aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage and conventional low, straight wings with mid-mounted turbojet engines and a high-mounted tailplane clear of the jet exhaust.[Note 5][Note 6] The Meteor F.1 exhibited some problematic flying characteristics typical of early jet aircraft; it suffered from stability problems at high transonic speeds, large trim changes, high stick forces and self-sustained yaw instability (snaking) caused by airflow separation over the thick tail surfaces.[73] The longer fuselage of the Meteor T.7, a two-seater trainer, significantly reduced the aerodynamic instability that the early Meteors were known for.[74]
Later Meteor variants would see a large variety of changes from the initial Meteor F.1 introduced to service in 1944. Much attention was given to raising the aircraft's top speed, often by improving the airframe's aerodynamic qualities, incorporating the latest engine developments, and increasing the strength of the airframe.[69][75] The Meteor F.8, which emerged in the late 1940s, was considered to have substantially improved performance over prior variants;[76] the F.8 was reportedly the most powerful single-seat aircraft flying in 1947, capable of ascending to 40,000 feet (12,000 m) within five minutes.[77]
Construction
From the outset, each Meteor was constructed from several modular sections or separately produced units, a deliberate design choice to allow for production to be dispersed and for easy disassembly for transport.[78] Each aircraft comprised five main sections: nose, forward fuselage, central section, rear fuselage and tail units; the wings were also built out of lengthwise sections.[79] The forward section contained the pressure cabin, gun compartments, and forward undercarriage. The centre section incorporated much of the structural elements, including the inner wing, engine nacelles, fuel tank, ammunition drums, and main undercarriage. The rear fuselage was of a conventional semi-monocoque structure. Various aluminium alloys were the primary materials used throughout the structure of the Meteor, such as the stressed duralumin skin.[80]
Across the Meteor's production life, various different companies were subcontracted to manufacture aircraft sections and major components; due to the wartime workload on producing fighter aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon, neither Gloster nor the wider Hawker Siddeley Group were able to internally meet the production demand of 80 aircraft per month.[23] Bristol Tramways produced the forward fuselage of the aircraft, the Standard Motor Company manufactured the central fuselage and inner wing sections, the Pressed Steel Company produced the rear fuselage, and Parnall Aircraft made the tail unit.[81] Other main subcontractors included Boulton Paul Aircraft, Excelsior Motor Radiator Company, Bell Punch, Turner Manufacturing Company, and Charlesworth Bodies; as many of these firms had little or no experience producing aircraft, both quality and interchangeability of components were maintained by contractually enforced adherence to Gloster's original drawings.[82]
From the Meteor F.4 onwards, Armstrong Whitworth began completing whole units at their Coventry facility in addition to Gloster's own production line.[83] Belgian aviation firm Avions Fairey also produced the Meteor F.8 under licence from Gloster for the Belgian Air Force; a similar licence manufacturing arrangement was made with Dutch company Fokker to meet the Royal Netherlands Air Force's order.[84]
Engines
Rolls-Royce Welland engine on display. The rear of the engine is at the left.
The Meteor F.1 was powered by two Rolls-Royce Welland turbojet engines, Britain's first production jet engines, which were built under licence from Whittle's designs.[29] The Meteor embodied the advent of practical jet propulsion; in the type's service life, both military and civil aviation manufacturers rapidly integrated turbine engines into their designs, favouring its advantages such as smoother running and greater power output.[85] The Meteor's engines were considerably more practical than those of the German Me 262 as, unlike the Me 262, the engines were embedded into the wing in nacelles between the front and rear spars rather than underslung, saving some weight due to shorter landing gear legs and less massive spars.[86][Note 7]
The W.2B/23C engines upon which the Welland was based produced 1,700 lbf (7.6 kN) of thrust each, giving the aircraft a maximum speed of 417 mph (671 km/h) at 9,800 feet (3,000 m) and a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km).[42] It incorporated a hydraulically driven engine starter developed by Rolls-Royce, which was automated following the press of a starter button in the cockpit.[Note 8] The engines also drove hydraulic and vacuum pumps as well as a generator via a Rotol gearbox fixed on the forward wing spar;[29] the cockpit was also heated by bleed air from one of the engines.[80] The acceleration rate of the engines was manually controlled by the pilot; rapid engine acceleration would frequently induce compressor stalls early on; the likelihood of compressor stalls was effectively eliminated upon further design refinements of both the Welland engine and the Meteor itself.[88] At high speeds the Meteor had a tendency to lose directional stability, often during unfavourable weather conditions, leading to a 'snaking' motion; this could be easily resolved by throttling back to reduce speed.[89]
Based upon designs produced by Power Jets, Rolls-Royce produced more advanced and powerful turbojet engines. Beyond numerous improvements made to the Welland engine that powered the early Meteors, Rolls-Royce and Power Jets collaborated to develop the more capable Derwent engine, which as the Rover B.26 had undergone a radical re-design from the W.2B/500 while at Rover. The Derwent engine, and the re-designed Derwent V based on the Nene, was installed on many of the later production Meteors; the adoption of this new powerplant led to considerable performance increases.[29][86][Note 9] The Meteor often served as the basis for the development of other early turbojet designs; a pair of Meteor F.4s were sent to Rolls-Royce to aid in their experimental engine trials, RA435 being used for reheat testing, and RA491 being fitted with the Rolls-Royce Avon, an axial-flow engine.[29][91] From their involvement in the development of the Meteor's engines, Armstrong-Siddeley, Bristol Aircraft, Metropolitan-Vickers, and de Havilland also independently developed their own gas turbine engines.[92]
Performance
Meteor NF.11 (right) flying with a Hawker Hunter T7A at the Cotswold Air Show in 2009
During development, sceptical elements of the Air Ministry had expected mature piston-powered aircraft types to exceed the capabilities of the Meteor in all respects except that of speed; thus, the performance of early Meteors was considered favourable for the interceptor mission, being capable of out-diving the majority of enemy aircraft.[93] The conclusion of in-service trials conducted between the Meteor F.3. and the Hawker Tempest V was that the performance of the Meteor exceeded the Tempest in almost all respects and that, barring some manoeuvrability issues, the Meteor could be considered a capable all-round fighter.[94] Pilots formerly flying piston-engine aircraft often described the Meteor as being exciting to fly. British politician Norman Tebbit stated of his experience flying the Meteor in the RAF: "Get airborne, up with the wheels, hold it low until you were about 380 knots, pull it up and she would go up, well we thought then, like a rocket".[95]
Early jet engines consumed a lot more fuel than the piston engines they replaced so the Welland engines imposed considerable flight-time limitations on the Meteor F.1, leading to the type being used for local interception duties only. In the post-war environment, there was considerable pressure to increase the range of interceptors to counter the threat of bombers armed with nuclear weapons.[96] The long-term answer to this question was in-flight refuelling; several Meteors were provided to Flight Refuelling Limited for trials of the newly developed probe-and-drogue refuelling techniques. This capability was not incorporated in service Meteors, which had already been supplanted by more modern interceptor aircraft at this point.[97]
A total of 890 Meteors were lost in RAF service (145 of these crashes occurring in 1953 alone), resulting in the deaths of 450 pilots. Contributory factors in the number of crashes were the poor brakes, failure of the landing gear, the high fuel consumption and consequent short flight endurance (less than one hour) causing pilots to run out of fuel, and difficult handling with one engine out due to the widely set engines. The casualty rate was exacerbated by the lack of ejection seats in early series Meteors;[98] the much higher speed that the aircraft was capable of meant that to bail out pilots might have to overcome high g forces and fast-moving airflow past the cockpit; there was also a greater likelihood of the pilot striking the horizontal tailplane.[99] Ejection seats were fitted in the later F.8, FR.9, PR.10 and some experimental Meteors.[100][101][page needed] The difficulty of baling out of the Meteor had been noted by pilots during development, reporting several contributing design factors such as the limited size and relative position of the cockpit to the rest of the aircraft, and difficulty in using the two-lever jettisonable hood mechanism.[102]
Operational service
Second World War
Gloster Meteor F.1 of No. 616 Squadron
No. 616 Squadron RAF was the first to receive operational Meteors: a total of 14 aircraft were initially delivered. The squadron was based at RAF Culmhead, Somerset and had been equipped with the Spitfire VII.[103] The conversion to the Meteor was initially a matter of great secrecy.[104] Following a conversion course at Farnborough attended by the squadron's six leading pilots, the first aircraft was delivered to Culmhead on 12 July 1944.[14][Note 10] The squadron and its seven Meteors moved on 21 July 1944 to RAF Manston on the east Kent coast and, within a week, 32 pilots had been converted to the type.[105]
The Meteor was initially used to counter the V-1 flying bomb threat. 616 Squadron Meteors saw action for the first time on 27 July 1944, when three aircraft were active over Kent. These were the first operational jet combat missions for the Meteor and for the Royal Air Force. After some problems, especially with jamming guns, the first two V-1 "kills" were made on 4 August.[106] By war's end, Meteors had accounted for 14 flying bombs.[107] After the end of the V-1 threat, and the introduction of the ballistic V-2 rocket, the RAF was forbidden to fly the Meteor on combat missions over German-held territory for fear of an aircraft being shot down and salvaged by the Germans.
No. 616 Squadron briefly moved to RAF Debden to allow United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bomber crews to gain experience and create tactics in facing jet-engined foes before moving to Colerne, Wiltshire. For a week from 10 October 1944 a series of exercises were carried out in which a flight of Meteors made mock attacks on a formation of 100 B-24s and B-17s escorted by 40 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. These suggested that, if the jet fighter attacked the formation from above, it could take advantage of its superior speed in the dive to attack the bombers and then escape by diving through the formation before the escorts could react. The best tactic to counter this was to place a fighter screen 5,000 ft above the bombers and attempt to intercept the jets early in the dive.[108] The exercise was also useful from No. 616 Squadron's perspective, giving valuable practical experience in Meteor operations.[109]
Meteor F.3s with original short engine nacelles
No. 616 Squadron exchanged its F.1s for the first Meteor F.3s on 18 December 1944. These first 15 F.3s differed from the F.1 in having a sliding canopy in place of the sideways hinging canopy, increased fuel capacity and some airframe refinements. They were still powered by Welland I engines.[110] Later F.3s were equipped with the Derwent I engines. This was a substantial improvement over the earlier mark, although the basic design still had not reached its potential. Wind tunnel and flight tests demonstrated that the original short nacelles, which did not extend far fore and aft of the wing, contributed heavily to compressibility buffeting at high speed. New, longer nacelles not only cured some of the compressibility problems but added 75 miles per hour (120 km/h) at altitude, even without upgraded powerplants. The last batch of Meteor F.3s featured the longer nacelles; other F.3s were retrofitted in the field with the new nacelles. The F.3 also had the new Rolls-Royce Derwent engines, increased fuel capacity, and a new larger, more strongly raked bubble canopy.[53]
Judging the Meteor F.3s were ready for combat over Europe, the RAF finally decided to deploy them on the continent. On 20 January 1945, four Meteors from 616 Squadron were moved to Melsbroek in Belgium and attached to the Second Tactical Air Force,[111] just under three weeks after the Luftwaffe's surprise Unternehmen Bodenplatte attack on New Year's Day, in which Melsbroek's RAF base, designated as Allied Advanced Landing Ground "B.58", had been struck by piston-engined fighters of JG 27 and JG 54. The 616 Squadron Meteor F.3s' initial purpose was to provide air defence for the airfield, but their pilots hoped that their presence might provoke the Luftwaffe into sending Me 262 jets against them.[103] At this point the Meteor pilots were still forbidden to fly over German-occupied territory, or to go east of Eindhoven, to prevent a downed aircraft being captured by the Germans or the Soviets.[112]
Ground crew servicing a Meteor of 616 Squadron at Melsbroek, Belgium, 1945. The all-white finish used by the four F.3s sent to Belgium was to aid recognition by ground troops during familiarisation training before the operational F.3 aircraft arrived
In March, the entire squadron was moved to Gilze-Rijen Air Base and then in April, to Nijmegen. The Meteors flew armed reconnaissance and ground attack operations without encountering any German jet fighters. By late April, the squadron was based at Faßberg, Germany and suffered its first losses when two aircraft collided in poor visibility. The war ended with the Meteors having destroyed 46 German aircraft through ground attack.[citation needed] Friendly fire through misidentification as Messerschmitt Me 262s by Allied anti-aircraft gunners was more of a threat than the already-diminished forces of the Luftwaffe; to counter this, continental-based Meteors were given an all-white finish as a recognition aid.[109][111][113]
Post-war
The next-generation Meteor F.4 prototype first flew on 17 May 1945, and went into production in 1946 when 16 RAF squadrons were already operating Meteors.[113] Equipped with Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 engines, the smaller version of the Nene, the F.4 was 170 mph (270 km/h) faster than the F.1 at sea level (585 against 415), but the reduced wings impaired its rate of climb.[114][Note 11] The F.4 wingspan was 86.4 cm shorter than the F.3 and with blunter wing tips, derived from the world speed record prototypes. Improvements included a strengthened airframe, fully pressurised cockpit, lighter ailerons to improve manoeuvrability, and rudder trim adjustments to reduce snaking. The F.4 could be fitted with a drop tank under each wing, and experiments were carried out with carriage of underwing stores and also in lengthened fuselage models.
Because of increased demand, F.4 production was divided between Gloster and Armstrong Whitworth. The majority of early F.4s did not go to the RAF: 100 were exported to Argentina, seeing action on both sides in the 1955 revolution;[115] in 1947, only RAF Nos. 74 and 222 squadrons were fully equipped with the F.4. Nine further RAF squadrons converted from 1948 onwards. From 1948, 38 F.4s were exported to the Dutch, equipping four squadrons (322, 323, 326 and 327) split between bases in Soesterberg and Leeuwarden until the mid-1950s. In 1949, only two RAF squadrons were converted to the F.4, Belgium was sold 48 aircraft in the same year (going to 349 and 350 squadrons at Beauvechain) and Denmark received 20 over 1949–1950. In 1950, three more RAF squadrons were upgraded, including No. 616 and, in 1951, six more.
WA742, a two-seat Meteor T7 in 1961
A modified two-seater F.4 for jet-conversion and advanced training was tested in 1949 as the T.7. It was accepted by the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm and became a common addition to the various export packages (for example 43 to Belgium between 1948 and 1957, a similar number to the Netherlands over the same period, two to Syria in 1952, six to Israel in 1953, etc.). Despite its limitations – unpressurised cockpit, no armament, limited instructor instrumentation – more than 650 T.7s were manufactured.[116][117] The T.7 remained in RAF service into the 1970s.[118]
As improved jet fighters emerged, Gloster decided to modernise the F.4 while retaining as much of the manufacturing tooling as possible. The result was the definitive production model, the Meteor F.8 (G-41-K), serving as a major RAF fighter until the introduction of the Hawker Hunter and the Supermarine Swift. The first prototype F.8 was a modified F.4, followed by a true prototype, VT150, that flew on 12 October 1948 at Moreton Valence.[119] Flight testing of the F.8 prototype led to the discovery of an aerodynamic problem: after ammunition was expended, the aircraft became tail-heavy and unstable around the pitch axis due to the weight of fuel in fuselage tanks no longer being balanced by the ammunition. Gloster solved the problem by substituting the tail of the abortive G 42 single-engined jet fighter. The F.8 and other production variants successfully used the new tail design, giving the later Meteors a distinctive appearance, with taller straighter edges compared with the rounded tail of the F.4s and earlier marks.[120]
Meteor F.8 at the Danish Flight Museum, 2006
The F.8 also featured a fuselage stretch of 76 cm (30 in), intended to shift the aircraft's centre of gravity and also eliminate the use of ballast formerly necessary in earlier marks due to the subsequent elimination from the design of two of the originally designed six installed cannon. The F.8 incorporated uprated engines, Derwent 8s, with 3,600 lbf (16 kN) thrust each combined with structural strengthening, a Martin Baker ejection seat and a "blown" teardrop cockpit canopy that provided improved pilot visibility.[121] Between 1950 and 1955, the Meteor F.8 was the mainstay of RAF Fighter Command, and served with distinction in combat in Korea with the RAAF as well as operating with many air forces worldwide, although it was clear that the original design was obsolete compared with contemporary swept-wing fighters such as the North American F-86 Sabre and the Soviet MiG-15.[122]
Initial deliveries of the F.8 to the RAF were in August 1949, with the first squadron receiving its fighters in late 1950. Like the F.4, there were strong export sales of the F.8. Belgium ordered 240 aircraft, the majority assembled in The Netherlands by Fokker. The Netherlands had 160 F.8s, equipping seven squadrons until 1955. Denmark had 20, ordered in 1951, the last F.8s in front-line service in Europe. The RAAF ordered 94 F.8s, which served in the Korean War. Despite arms embargoes, both Syria and Egypt received F.8s from 1952, as did Israel, each using their Meteors during the Suez Crisis. Brazil ordered 60 new Meteor F.8s and 10 T.7 trainers in October 1952, paying with 15,000 tons of raw cotton.[123]
In the 1950s, Meteors were developed into effective photo-reconnaissance, training and night fighter versions. The fighter reconnaissance (FR) versions were the first to be built, replacing the ageing Spitfires and Mosquitos then in use. Two FR.5s were built on the F.4 body; one was used for nose section camera tests, the other broke up in midair while in testing over Moreton Valence. On 23 March 1950, the first FR.9 flew. Based on the F.8, it was 20 cm longer with a new nose incorporating a remote control camera and window and was also fitted with additional external ventral and wing fuel tanks. Production of the FR.9 began in July. No. 208 Squadron, then based at Fayid, Egypt was the first to be upgraded followed by the 2nd Tactical Air Force in West Germany, No. 2 Squadron RAF at Bückeburg and No. 79 Squadron RAF at RAF Gutersloh flew the FR.9 from 1951 until 1956. In Aden, No. 8 Squadron RAF was given FR.9s in November 1958 and used them until 1961.[124] Ecuador (12), Israel (7) and Syria (2) were foreign customers for the FR.9.[125]
In 1951, 29, 141, 85 and 264 squadrons each received a number of NF.11 aircraft, the first of the Meteor night fighters.[126] It was rolled out across the RAF until the final deliveries in 1954.[127] A "tropicalised" version of the NF.11 for the Middle East was developed; first flying on 23 December 1952 as the NF.13. The aircraft equipped No. 219 Squadron RAF at Kabrit and No. 39 Squadron at Fayid, both in Egypt. The aircraft served during the Suez crisis and remained with No. 39 Squadron after they were withdrawn to Malta until 1958. Several problems were encountered: the heavily framed T.7 canopy made landings tricky due to limited visibility, the under-wing external fuel tanks tended to break up when the wing cannons were fired, and gun harmonisation, normally set to about 400 yards, was poor due to the wings flexing in flight. Belgium (24), Denmark (20) and France (41) were foreign customers for the NF.11.[128] Ex-RAF NF.13s were sold to France (two), Syria (six), Egypt (six) and Israel (six).[129]
In addition to the armed, low altitude operation, tactical FR.9 variant, Gloster also developed the PR.10 for high altitude missions.[130] The first prototype flew on 29 March 1950 and was actually converted into the first production aircraft. Based on the F.4, it had the F.4-style tail and the longer wings of the earlier variant. All the cannons were removed and a single camera placed in the nose with two more in the rear fuselage; the canopy was also changed. The PR.10 was delivered to the RAF in December 1950 and were given to No. 2 and No. 541 squadrons in Germany and No. 13 Squadron RAF in Cyprus. The PR.10 was rapidly phased out from 1956; rapid improvements in surface-to-air missile technology and the introduction of newer aircraft capable of flying at greater altitudes and speeds had rendered the aircraft obsolete.
"Life is short, break the rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that makes you smile."
Mark Twain
History and Architecture
The Tontine Hotel was built around 1805 when Greenock was expanding rapidly to the west of Nelson Street. Since being ‘settled’ around 1680 Greenock had grown rapidly but uncontrollably so the town planners decided that the planning control should be much stricte
The town council decided that Greenock should grow to the west but in a planned manner in pleasant ‘tree lined avenues’.The Tontine was one of the buildings in this area (albeit at a later date).
Argowan Square had many architectural features typical of the time: buildings which although were originally built as grand houses but later were used for other purposes such as:The Mansion House originally a town house for the Shaw Stewarts – an influential Greenock family. Now a series of offices.
The Greenock Club:
Now a private school.
Other houses:
Now offices for solicitors.
Interestingly the Statistical Account of Greenock published in 1840 did not list the Tontine in a summary of ‘modern buildings requiringto be noted under the head of Civil History’.By comparison it does mention the adjacent Mansion House, the new Town Hall in Cathcart Square, the Jail and the Sheriff court in Nelson Street. Amazingly it did list the Tontine in another list with the qualification ‘it does not appear to be necessary to mention particularly the erection of the Exchange Buildings, and Assembly Rooms; of the Tontine; the News-room in Cathcart Square and other public buildings of minor importance.
The ground floor is linked in plain ashlar quadrants to single storey pavilion wings.The upper floors of the main block have architraived windows pedimented over a minimally designed three bay centre with a Greek fret frieze.
In 1892 the proprietor of the original Tontine Hotel in Cathcart Street moved to Ardgowan Square maintaining the original name started trading from Robertson House (presumably with Robertson’s permission!). Some years later a glazed square porch was added which concealed the original door piece.
Subsequent developments over the years included a large multi storey expansion at the rear but which had minimal effect on the original attractive facade.
The Salzach is a right tributary of the Inn and, at 225 km long, is its longest and richest in water. It flows in the state of Salzburg ( Austria ), in Bavaria ( Germany ) and in Upper Austria , is one of the large Alpine rivers and drains almost the entire Hohe Tauern to the north.
Etymology
The ancient Latin name of the Salzach was Iuvarus or Ivarus . The name came from the Celtic river deity Iuvavo , the divine personification of the Salzach. The Romans later adopted the name of this god, slightly Latinized, for the Roman city of Iuvavum .
However, only the lower reaches and the Saalach flowing into the Salzach were called Ivarus , as the upper reaches had their own name, Isonta .
The Salzach owes its current name to the salt shipping that operated on the river until the 19th century; The historical center of salt shipping was Laufen . Until after 1800 the river was generally called Salza (i.e. the same as a Lower Austrian-Styrian river ).
Course of the river
Sections of the Salzach Valley
Salzachtal describes the entire course of the Salzach river. The upper reaches characteristically stretch between the Hohe Tauern and the Salzburg Slate Alps as part of the northern longitudinal valley furrow in a west-east direction. Then it describes a knee, flows northwards in the middle reaches and breaks through the schist and northern Alps and in the lower reaches forms several valleys in the foothills of the Alps (breakthrough valleys through the hill ranges of the subalpine and foothill molasse ).
The sections are named as follows, whereby the more common terms used in the Salzburg districts can also refer to the secondary valleys more generally:
Salzachpinzgau , also Pinzgauer Salzachtal , the valley section of the upper reaches to Lend
Source valley of the Salzach, from the source at the Salzachgeier to Vorderkrimml
Oberpinzgau , the Trogtal from Gerlospass to the Niedernsill / Kaprun – Piesendorf area
Zeller Basin , a widening around Lake Zell , in which the valley opens completely to the north for a few kilometers (part of the Mitterpinzgau [8] or Saalfeldener–Zeller Basin )
Unterpinzgau from Bruck / Taxenbach to Lend
Salzachpongau , Pongau Salzach Valley , Bischofshofen–St.-Johanner Basin or Pongau Basin , up to the Limestone Alpine breakthrough at Pass Lueg (Berchtesgaden Alps/Tennen Mountains)
Salzburg–Hallein Basin , one of the most densely populated peripheral Alpine basins
Salzachtennengau , Tennengau Salzach Valley , [also Hallein Basin , Golling-Hallein Basin , Hallein Widening , or Tennengau Widening , the following valley of the lower reaches around Hallein
Salzburg Basin , , also Salzburg-Freilassing Basin , the peripheral Alpine basin landscape around the city of Salzburg
extra-Alpine valleys of the Alpine foothills until reaching the Lower Inn Valley (Salzach as the border river between Austria and Germany)
Laufener Salzachtal , near Laufen
Tittmoninger Salzachtal , Lower reaches section between the breakthroughs at Laufen and St. Radegund
Burghausener Salzachtal , narrow valley near Burghausen until you reach the Öttinger Inntal
Upper Austrian Salzach Valley , [20] the right-bank spatial unit in Upper Austria between the state border at Bürmoos / St. Pantaleon and reaching the Upper Austrian Inn Valley (part of the Upper Innviertel )
The southern side valleys of the upper Salzach, in the main Alpine ridge , are called Tauern valleys .
Upper reaches
The Salzach rises in the Kitzbühel Alps in the west of Salzburg. The spring streams drain several alpine pastures at around 2300 m above sea level. A. between Krimml and the Tyrolean border, 3 to 5 km north of the Gerlos Pass on the slopes of the Salzachgeier ( 2466 m above sea level ) and the Schwebenkopf (2354 m). Although some of these tributaries are longer, the Salzach is considered the main river due to its greater water abundance. The cirques or alpine pastures are named Salzachboden, -Ursprung and Schwebenalm , where one of the springs forms a small mountain lake (Schwebenlacke). About 5 km south at Vorderkrimml, the young Salzach unites with the Krimmler Ache , which is, however, more than half longer and, with almost three times the average water flow, is hydrologically the main source of the Salzach system.
In its approximately 90 km long upper reaches , whose catchment area almost coincides with the Pinzgau region , the Salzach follows a striking longitudinal valley furrow in a west-east direction to Schwarzach , where it gradually turns north. The longitudinal valley furrow, which is geologically related to the folding of the Alps , continues far to the east, where it forms the upper Ennstal .
The border between the Pinzgau (political district of Zell am See) and the Pongau (district of St. Johann) below the industrial town of Lend is considered the transition from the upper to the middle reaches . A little earlier, the Zeller / Saalfeldner Basin opens to the north , which separates Lake Zell and the catchment area of the Saalach , the largest tributary of the Salzach that flows into Salzburg, through a valley watershed . In early prehistoric times, its course was the lower reaches of the Salzach.
From Krimml to beyond the beginning of the middle reaches, the side valleys running south-north , which come from the main Alpine ridge (Venediger and Glockner group of the Hohe Tauern ), flow from the south in a regular, almost parallel sequence. Almost all of these 15 water-rich southern tributaries flow into the Salzach as hanging valleys because the Ice Age main glacier following the Salzach valley was able to deepen more than the less powerful side glaciers. Towards the east, the mouths become increasingly higher above the valley floor and end with almost vertical, deep gorges . The most famous are the Kitzlochklamm (Raurisertal), the Gasteiner Klamm (Gasteinertal) and the Liechtensteinklamm (Großarltal).
Middle and lower reaches
The Salzach nearwerfen with Hagengebirge , Hohenwerfen Fortress and Tennengebirge
Salzach ovens
At Schwarzach and St. Johann, the middle course turns north and widens into a valley basin, the Pongau Basin , in which Bischofshofen lies alongside St. Johann . The Salzach breaks through the northern Limestone Alps between the Hochkönig / Hagengebirge and the Tennengebirge at the Lueg Pass in the Salzachhöfen gorge .
In the lower reaches [3] the Salzach leaves the Alps into the Salzburg Basin , flows through the lower Tennengau with Golling , Kuchl and Hallein and the Flachgau with the city of Salzburg and Freilassing an der Saalach. It then breaks through the Laufener Enge near Oberndorf , flows through the Tittmoninger Basin and the Nonnreiter Enge and flows into the Überackern basin between Burghausen an der Salzach and Braunau am Inn at an altitude of 344 m above sea level. NN near Haiming into the Inn coming from the west .
It forms the border between Germany and Austria over a length of around 59 km and has a catchment area of 6,704 km². The average water discharge at the river mouth is 252 m³/s.
Tributaries
In the upper and middle reaches: Wenger Bach , Trattenbach and Dürnbach from the Kitzbühler Alps, Krimmler Ache , Obersulzbach , Untersulzbach , Habach , Hollersbach , Felberbach , Stubache , Kapruner Ache from the Hohe Tauern, Pinzga from Zeller See , Fuscher Ache , Rauriser Ache the Hohe Tauern, Dientener Bach from the Slate Alps, Gasteiner Ache , Großarlbach , Kleinarlbach from the Hohe Tauern, Fritzbach from the Dachstein massif, Mühlbach and Blühnbach from the Hochkönig.
In the lower reaches: Lammer from the east, Torrener Bach ( Bluntautal ) from the Berchtesgaden Alps, Tauglbach and Almbach from Hintersee , both from the Osterhorn group, Königsseeache from Königssee , Kehlbach , Fischach from Wallersee , Klausbach , Saalach as the largest tributary, Sur and Götzinger Achen Bavarian side, Oichten near Oberndorf and Moosach in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border area.
Pinzgau: Nadernachbach Dürnbach near Neukirchen am Großvenediger, Trattenbach near Wald im Pinzgau, Walcherbach near Walchen, Friedensbach, Fürthbach, Pinzga (outflow of Lake Zell near Bruck ad Glocknerstrasse), Steinbach near Steinbach, Fischbach near Gries im Pinzgau.
Pongau: Dientener Bach near Lend, Seebach near Schwarzach im Pongau, Wenger Bach from the Putzengraben in Schwarzach im Pongau, Reinbach near St. Johann im Pongau.
Tennengau: Imlaubach near Pfarrwerfen, Blühnbach (Salzach) near Tenneck, Torrener Bach ( Bluntautal ) near Golling, Weißenbach between Golling and Kuchl, Steigbach near Stockach. Schrambach, Kotbach in Hallein, Königsseeache from Königssee near Taxach, Anifer Alterbach .
City of Salzburg: Almkanal , Glanbach , Saalach (largest feeder).
Berchtesgadener Land district: Sur .
Traunstein district: Götzinger Achen .
Altötting district: Alzkanal .
Orographically on the right side (from origin to mouth):
Pinzgau: Krimmler Ache , Obersulzbach , Untersulzbach , Habach , Hollersbach , Felberbach , Stubache , Mühlbach , Kapruner Ache from the Hohe Tauern, Fuscher Ache , Wolfbach , Rauriser Ache .
Pongau: Gasteiner Ache , Großarlbach , Kleinarlbach from the Hohe Tauern, Fritzbach from the Dachstein massif.
Tennengau: Lammer from the east, Tauglbach , Almbach from Hintersee .
Flachgau (south): Kehlbach near Elsbethen, Klausbach , near Glasenbach.
City of Salzburg: Alterbach
Flachgau (north): Fischach from Wallersee , Oichten near Oberndorf .
Upper Austria: Moosach near Riedersbach.
Municipalities and cities
The Salzach flows through the following communities and cities (viewed downstream); the G denotes those that the river touches as a border river and the D those that lie in Upper Bavaria , Bavaria ( Germany ):
Forest in Pinzgau
Neukirchen am Großvenediger
Bramberg am Wildkogel
Hollersbach in Pinzgau
Mittersill
Stuhlfelden
Uttendorf (Salzburg)
Niedernsill
Piesendorf
Kaprun (G)
Zell am See (G)
Bruck an der Glocknerstrasse
Taxenbach
Lend
Goldegg im Pongau (G)
Saint Veit im Pongau
Schwarzach im Pongau
St. Johann im Pongau
Bischofshofen
Throw
Pfarrwerfen (G)
Golling on the Salzach
Kuchl
Bad Vigaun (G)
Hallein
Puch near Hallein (G)
Anif (G)
Elsbethen (G)
Salzburg
Bergheim (G)
Freilassing (G; D)
Saaldorf-Surheim (G; D)
Anthering (G)
Nußdorf am Haunsberg (G)
Running (G; D)
Oberndorf near Salzburg (G)
Fridolfing (G; D)
Sankt Georgen near Salzburg (G)
St. Pantaleon (G)
Easter rental thing (G)
St. Radegund (G)
Tittmoning (G; D)
Burghausen (G; D)
Stronghold-Ach (G)
Überackern (G)
Haiming (G; D)
Bridges
In the city of Salzburg there are 13 Salzach bridges for motorized and non-motorized traffic. There are only cross-border bridges downstream, namely the listed bridge between Laufen and Oberndorf and the Europasteg , which is also located there, as well as a bridge between Tittmoning and Ettenau (municipality of Ostermiething) and two between Burghausen and Hochburg-Ach (towns of Wanghausen: Neue Brücke and Oh on the Salzach: Old Bridge ). There are numerous bridges on the upper and middle reaches of the river.
Many of these bridges were destroyed repeatedly by floods. The flood of August 13, 1959 at 2100 m³/s meant the end of the recently built motorway bridge below Salzburg, which collapsed due to a breakthrough in the bed .
The construction of an additional bridge for cross-border car traffic in the Laufen area is being discussed. So far no agreement has been reached despite the identification of a corresponding need. Resident protests and a large, protected alluvial forest belt, among other things, are proving to be an obstacle.
The construction of a pedestrian bridge shortly before the mouth of the Salzach between Haiming and Überackern is also being considered.
Hydrology
Amount of water and flooding
Data on water levels and discharge are continuously collected at eight gauges in Austria and two in Germany. The average discharge volume increases downstream due to the tributaries of the Salzach:
GollingSalzburgRunBurghausen
River kilometers93.4164.3547.5011.40
Average discharge in m³/s140176239251
This makes the Salzach one of the largest rivers in Bavaria and Austria . As an Alpine river, the Salzach has to absorb large amounts of water in unfavorable weather conditions and prolonged rain. In the period from June to September this regularly leads to floods, rarely even in winter. The probably largest flood in the history of the city of Salzburg on June 25, 1786 is documented by a high water mark in the old town. On the memorial plaque at the Haus der Natur Salzburg it says that the Salzach claimed the lives of 2,226 people in May 1571 and swept away 13 houses and barns in July of the following year. The largest amount of water in recent times flowed through the city of Salzburg at 2,300–2,500 m³/s on September 14, 1899 , and almost 2,200 m³/s on September 7, 1920. On August 12, 2002, the Salzach reached a water level of 8.30 m in the city of Salzburg and was only 10 centimeters below the critical level, which would have resulted in large parts of the old town being flooded. The maximum flow rate of the Salzach that day in the city of Salzburg was 2,300 cubic meters per second. Below the mouth of the Saalach, the 100-year flood discharge is over 3,100 m³/s. Winter floods are very rare; on March 21, 2002, the Salzach in Salzburg had 1,060 m³/s, an amount that occurs approximately every two years, but for the month of March represents at least a 100-year flood.
As early as February 23, 1899, the Imperial and Royal state government in Salzburg introduced a “provisional regulation for the flood intelligence service in the Duchy of Salzburg”. Today, the hydrological information system for flood forecasting (HYDRIS) developed by the Vienna University of Technology is responsible for flood warnings in Austria. Both meteorological and hydrological data are included here, which allow for advance warning and, through flood coordination, enable damming with the help of the Mittlere Salzach power plant chain.
Regulation of the riverbed
Since the Middle Ages, small parts of the Salzach in the urban areas of Salzburg, Laufen and Hallein have been fortified with willow fascines and wooden shoring. The first attempts to regulate the Salzach in the form of a continuous trapezoidal profile began in 1823 in Pinzgau, secured by stone sets. As a result of the regulations, building land and cultivated land were gained, but valuable, vital riparian forest and the rich structure of the river with gravel islands and countless side arms as space for animals and people were also lost. After the first treaty concluded between Bavaria and Austria in Munich in April 1816, the old border lines were precisely surveyed. In December 1820 in Salzburg the new state border was determined by mutual agreement.
The Bruck threshold was blown up in 1852, thereby lowering the Salzach. This enabled arable land near the river to be gradually gained in Pinzgau and boggy and marshy meadows to be drained.
In the city of Salzburg itself, the first heavy blocks from the city walls near the Klausentor were removed in 1852 and used to regulate the Salzach. The once extensive bastions of the new town and the vast majority of the fortifications on the old town side, as well as the Linzertor, were used as raw material for the regulation of the Salzach. The painter and local councilor Josef Mayburger implemented a somewhat more elegant, swinging structure within the urban area. Schwarz also wanted to use the material from the Müllner Schanze to regulate the Salzach, but Mayburger was able to prevent this. The regulatory work between the city bridge and the railway bridge was completed in 1862, and that between the city bridge and the Karolinenbrücke by 1873.
Initially, the Salzach below the city of Salzburg was planned to have a width of 80 Viennese fathoms (152 m). However, the self-deepening of the Salzach, which was initially very desired, largely failed to occur. Therefore, in a further step, the total width of the Salzach was reduced to 60 fathoms (114 m). Only the significant removal of bedload led to significant deepening after 1900. To this day, the Salzach has dug deeper and deeper into its bed. This deepening has become a problem for decades. It has now reached a level where the fine sand and sea clay layers, which are particularly susceptible to erosion, are only insufficiently covered or not covered at all. Even a medium-sized flood event can lead to uncontrollable consequences and sudden further depressions of several meters (bottom breakthrough). The result would be significant damage to buildings and the surrounding area. An acute danger could arise within a very short time, especially for bridge piers and bridge abutments, bringing all inner-city traffic to a standstill. There is therefore a need for action. A Bavarian-Austrian working group has developed possible solutions and is currently carrying out the first measures of the “Lower Salzach Renovation” project. Plans include widening the riverbed and installing dissolved bed ramps and so-called open revetments . The main aim of the measures is to prevent further deepening and to raise the river bed again in a dynamic process of its own and to bring this state into a dynamic equilibrium. This means that valuable, vital alluvial forest can be created on a small scale. This essential work to rehabilitate the Salzach over a length of 60 km is associated with a cost of around 300 million euros.
In 2009, the first phase began with the gradual widening of the lower Salzach below Weitwörth, combined with an uplift of the middle Salzach bed. In 2010 the widening of the river towards Oberndorf will continue.
Water quality
Due to the wastewater from the paper and pulp factory in Hallein , which was built in 1895 and greatly expanded in the 1960s , the Salzach was the most polluted in 1977. It was only from 1979 onwards that the amount of waste water to be discharged was limited (1979: 84 t BOD 5 per day (which corresponds to around 1.4 million inhabitants); 1985: 54 t; 1988: 20 t; 1990: 15 t; 1999: 8 t ; 2002: 2 t) and with the installation of a chlorine-free bleach in 1991 the quality suddenly improved.
Until 1999, the water quality from the factory was water quality class II-III (critically polluted), and until 1987 it was only III-IV. By installing or improving the wastewater treatment in autumn 1999, continuous water quality class II (“low pollution” according to the EU Water Framework Directive) could be achieved for the first time below Hallein and quality class I-II up to Salzburg, so that the water quality is sufficient for swimming. The renovation of the paper mill's wastewater technology was successfully completed at the end of 2002, but the amount of wastewater discharged every day since then still corresponds to around 25% of the Salzach's total pollution load.
In 1987, in the area of the city of Salzburg, the use of the large Siggerwiesen sewage treatment plant , which is designed for over 600,000 inhabitants, resulted in a further improvement of water quality by half a step. In addition to the wastewater from Salzburg, the wastewater treatment plant also cleans that from the surrounding area and from the Bavarian Ainring .
Tourism/Leisure
In the House of Nature there is the permanent exhibition Salzach Lifeline
The well-signposted Tauern cycle path begins at the Krimml Waterfalls in the Hohe Tauern National Park and leads along the Salzach, Saalach and Inn, partly on old towpaths (tread paths) to Passau.
A riverside path leads from Laufen via Tittmoning to Burghausen (approx. 40 km in total), which is very easy to hike on the German side.
Based on the former salt boat trip, so-called flat trips can be booked at the local tourist offices in the lowest section of the river, which take place several times a month in summer.
Mind you, they both burst into uncontrollable laughter just seconds later.
Marcel had dealt with this conundrum with his 'Standard Stoppages', and James had felt he had the last word with his declaration in 'Finnegans Wake':
"the tristitone of the Wet Pinter's as were they isce et ilk
equals of opposites, evolved by a onesame power of nature or of
spirit, iste^ as the sole condition and means of its himundher
manifestation and polarised for reunion by the symphysis of
their antipathies."
'Finnegans Wake', P. 91, 1939.
James yielded the floor.
Dolly was nowhere to be seen.
Rumours that James's head had been stuck on by the giant silverfish were vigorously repudiated by Falstaff himself.
The jury remains out to lunch.
Photoshop was invented in 1987, whilst Ruin lived in Manhattan. He remembered a neighbour raving about it and how it was about to "change everything". Dontcha' just love revolutions?
We sure do.
'Sorry I haven't been around today. I had a busy morning and then felt melancholy all afternoon because of a sweet lady I met this morning.
You see, I haven't been involved with cat rescues until this year. And the things I've seen & people I have encountered has really opened my eyes....some good and some not so good.
This kitty was rescued by a lady [see below] six months ago when she was only eight weeks old. Today I was asked to go pick up this kitty and take to the vet......and after being spayed/ vaccinated/ micro chipped etc Cheyenne will go to our no-kill cat shelter.
The lady below took care of her since the cat was a tiny kitten. But sadly she is letting the cat go because she says she cannot afford to keep her.
Her duplex was small but reasonably clean. Cat toys, food and kitty beds were provided for this sweet girl.
When I carried the kitty out to my car, the lady cried uncontrollably because she was so attached and didn't really want to let her go. It was heart breaking. Her tears haunted me all day. Some seniors are on a fixed income and just don't have the funds to care for their pets. At least Cheyenne will be rehomed at a young age [ she's only 5-6 mo's old] and hopefully a cat loving person will adopt her quickly.
This lady also has a Chihuahua and says she may be giving him up too. 2nd image below.
3 February at 13.00 - 16.00 Rasmussen Quinteto feat. Leo Minax
Sophisticated jazzy folklore based on the highlands of Brazil! Steen Rasmussen has once again invited Leo Minax, one of Brazil's great vocalists, to Denmark. Together they deliver contemporary Brazilian music as we know it from Gilberto Gil, among others. Sophisticated jazzy folklore based on Brazil's highlands,
Minas Gerais, where Leo Minax has his roots. In addition, they delve into the songs of the bossanova's first man, Antonio Carlos Jobim, which Leo Minax interprets uncontrollably beautifully. Line-up: Leo Minax (BR, voc, g), Steen Rasmussen (p), Lis Wessberg (tb), Bastian Sjelberg (b), Martin Andersen (dm) 10 February at 13.00 - 16.00
Hasselblad 501cm
80mm cb
Kodak portra 800
6 shot panorama, this fire was huge and burned for over 2 weeks, I meant to video it but forgot
Over the years as a young boy of Lenfald, Thomas had acquired a bit of a hobby. It came out of his endless desperation for money after his village was sacked and burned. I can't say it was an honorable thing. But because they had been dead for so long who would have cared right? Well you may have guess it, but Thomas’ favorite pass time was grave robbing. Though not of men, no that went against his high honor of the lenfald ancestors that ruled long ago. No, there are points in lenfald a history that have slipped through the pages of history. Ones that aren't recorded in the great record halls of the Library of Durrough. One of the such events in time is when the Giants ruled all the way from the Dragon Scale Mountains to the Kings waters of eastern Lenfald. From what Thomas can tell, the Dragon Scale Mountains had been a sacred place for this giant race of men. This is where they buried there elders and nobles. And the intricacy of their tombs is just glorious. Their well structured caverns built to last thousands of years, their catacombs, and let us not forget the grand prize: the sarcophagus of the Giant himself and his many treasures. All these things are what gave Thomas an uncontrollable desire to search for these tombs! With all the unknown riches and secrets that they held.. And that's where our story begins.
Thomas had brought more men than usual on this adventure. He had brought his most trusted friends, Sam and Keane. But he also brought several men at arms to ensure their safety on there journey home. For that rode home was dangerous, bandits waited around each crevice and rock to jump and slit your belly and take very thing you have, but this tomb was dangerous in another way. It was rumored to be the burial site of one the Kings of these Giants. And so be cursed with death to anyone who disturbs the King. But Thomas cared not for superstitions. He had brought men and they were safe that's when Sam called out,
“Thomas! I believe I've found it!”
“Great!” Thomas shouted as he ran over to Sam, “Do you think this is it Sam?”
“I do” Sam said with an excited voice. So Thomas called over some of his men at arms to start digging and it wasn't long before they struck rock. So they used hammers now to smash through the thin rock that lye between them and the tomb. And then it cracked. And they saw the darkness below. Thomas quickly struck a torch and grabbed a rope.
“You men stay here” gesturing to his men at arms, “me, Sam, and Keane are going to have a look around” Thomas said with an eager grin. Then he lowered himself down and waited for the others to follow.
They were lowered into a hall of catacombs, all lined with the bare dry bones of the dead. Keane noticed a staircase to their right and so they followed it down to a large iron gate. Thomas drew his sword and smashed the lock with the hilt of his sword and pushed the gate open. Their was a skeleton at his feet. With sword stabbed through his back, “how do you think this happened?” Thomas asked his friends.
Sam being the more superstitious of the three replied, “ maybe it's the curse?”
Shocked, Thomas asked, “ you believe that lie? Curses like that are only a way to keep men like you and me away from these great riches.”
“You asked” ,Sam replied.
They then walked over to the to the sarcophagus in the center of the room. It was about ten feet long and beautifully designed. They heaved the lid off and then they saw him. A king. Nine feet tall and wearing a breastplate laced with gold. Thomas looked over to his left to see the Kings treasures, the gold, the weapons, and his belonging. Thomas took up an iron shield painted green. He liked it. He would spare this one the time at the market. And instead give new life in battle. Then he saw the Giant’s sword. It was large. But Thomas was a strong man. And he lifted it with ease. Lastly he saw his battle ax, with its bronze blade unoxidized by the elements. He would take these three things for his himself. The rest would either be sold of locked in a vault. Thomas then looked at his friends who were digging through the treasure also.
“You may take as much as I, and consider it a gift, an example of the value I have for our friendship.” Thomas then ordered his men outside to lowered down the crates and he started loading the treasure and weapons in. He had done well this time. And when Keane and Sam were being lifted back out of the tomb Thomas heard something down the hall. It sounded like an animal rustling around in the bones or something. Then he saw two cold eyes and a narrow face starring at him and Thomas, being scared of little, quickly climbed the rope up to where his companions were loading the crates onto a cart.
“Thomas.. You alright?” Sam asked, “you look a little shaken”.
Thomas quickly replied, “I'm fine, lets get a move on and I want two men guarding our rear at all times.”
They then made their way out of the mountains and down to road that would take them home. But Thomas was had not felt fear like that in a long time. Not since his parents were killed and he was left alone.
“It's alright”, Thomas though to himself but it was not alright, Thomas had seen a ghost of his past. One he never hoped he see again…
Here's my latest moc! Sorry for such a long story, but I felt it necessary to give some background for Thomas. Hope you like it!
C&C always welcome!
explored
As I near the end of my 365, alot of things have been running through my head. So much has happened throughout the year. 2 break ups, heartache, sadness, i lost friends, pets, made new friends, found a new life, loved and lost, turned 21!, just so much has happened and I'm so overwhelmed I never knew that so much of my life happened in a year.
As I begin my journey forth, now, not as sure of my future and of myself as I was in the beginning of my 365, I know I will be okay.
Now i dont have to sacrifice my dreams and hopes for anyone but myself. I can imagine myself doing anything! the possibilities are endless.
Everything seems to be going my way. I'm traveling more, I'm making money, I'm doing what I love to do, I'm finding myself again.
but there's that feeling, that feeling that something could be more, that it could make me much happier, but I cant have it, I cant have it due to uncontrollable circumstances. That's fine with me, at least for now.
So today I had lunch with Ames and her bf Mo and we were discussing love. I'm glad I'm not afraid of this word anymore. anyways, we were discussing whether it was better to have loved hard and felt the pain then to not have loved at all. Pain is a horrible feeling. And before I was the one who avoided all pain associated with my emotions. Now, my views have changed. I'd rather enjoy the ride and deal with the crash later. There's just too much stress and worry related to what's going to happen two months, two years, two decades into the future. I cant plan that far ahead anymore. I'm most definitely learning to go with the flow on this and on life. Life takes some crazy turns and twists and I'd rather enjoy the ride and if I crash, I crash, let me deal with it as it comes.
project 365: day 343
TOTW: Imagine
FGR: Blue Jeans
My new novel:
B♭ (B-flat)
There’s still more to come. 😃
(This is not the final draft.)
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Scene: Garden 3‑4
Jack slumped deeply in the commander’s chair, his gaze sweeping across the pale glow of the monitor wall.
Camera feeds A17, A18, A19—all fixed on the arena’s center. Yet the security guard on the west side of the stands wasn’t watching there. His eyes were glued to the emergency exit at Section 212. Its sensor blinked once—a flash of red warning across the screen.
“A suspicious movement… the door sensor just lit up,” Jack's low voice vibrated through Ben’s earpiece.
Ben glanced upward at the monitors and whispered,
“Shall I go?”
“No,” Jack replied, his voice dropping. “Don’t leave your post. I’ll handle it.”
He paused, stern. “It’s probably nothing. But—stay alert. Keep your eyes peeled.”
Silence fell over each earpiece, the tension thickening. On the monitor, the door remained motionless—neither opening nor closing—frozen in stillness.
Jack burst from the briefing room, sprinted up from underground into the arena, his view sweeping the western stand. He looked up at the broad, flat ceiling of Madison Square Garden, sensed it swelling with the heat of the crowd. Cheers greeting the presidential candidate blended with jeers—clearly, anti‑Republicans had infiltrated.
Jack narrowed his gaze on the west stand, then lowered his eyes to his iPhone. Multiple social feeds scrolled with frenetic energy, and one post caught his attention: a murder threat, flashing in angry red text.
He dashed down the crowded corridor and reached the west stand, addressing a nearby guard:
“Evening. Everything clear on your end?”
The guard, clad in plain black suit with no tie—just a discreet earpiece—nodded, calm. He lifted his jacket slightly, revealing the outline of a Glock 19 at his waist. No hostility—just a tacit acknowledgment. Jack responded with a silent nod, their training speaking volumes.
“Door sensor tripped once. I’ll check visually.” Jack seized the cold metal handle and cast a glance down the corridor beyond. Darkness swallowed the path; silence reigned.
He spoke into his earpiece:
“All clear in the west stands. Security is solid.”
He patted the guard’s shoulder. “Stay alert.” The man returned a brief smile—and then lights died across the arena.
In the dark, red lasers lanced from ceiling to floor as a menacing bass drum rolled in from below. A crisp hi‑hat scythed in sixteenth‑notes; a heavy kick drum struck four‑on‑the‑floor. A low, rumbling bass synth layered in—and the very air of the arena began to pulse.
The crowd's heartbeat synchronized with the beat. Swirling smoke and laser cuts, the floor trembling. From deep within the sound, a processed male voice intoned again and again:
“Strength. Order. America.”
As smoke thickened the light, colossal center-hung screens flickered to life:
J U S T I N B R A D F O R D
One spotlight pierced the gloom—red, then blue, finally white—tracing the American tricolor. Within its glow appeared a man: Justin. Clad in a dark‑navy tailored suit, a bold crimson tie signifying the Republican Party, a single white rose pinned to his lapel.
Moments later, another spotlight revealed Eleanor Blake, dressed in an elegant black gown, standing behind him. Hand in hand, they strode center stage, each step purposeful. The audience looked on, awestruck, shouting cheers:
—“Take back America!”—
Red, blue, and white lights danced across their feet. Eleanor paused; Justin stepped forward to the microphone as the music faded and lights dimmed again. Silence engulfed the arena.
He made no sound—only a slight, assured smile. That smile was a declaration of war. Saying everything without uttering a word. That posture—that was the bearing of a man who would become the most powerful leader in the world: President of the United States.
Justin scanned the crowd for a moment, then spoke in calm tones. His golden hair, blue eyes—mirroring Eleanor’s—lent gravity to his words:
“Good evening, New York. How’s your night going so far?”
He smiled at a woman in the front row. Following his father’s advice, he spoke as if addressing just one person, not an entire audience—
—“When I arrived in the parking lot tonight, I felt weighed down by the humidity. Eleanor whispered to me: ‘We chose the best course to protect you. Our team would risk their lives for you.’”
His voice rang clear. Thunderous applause erupted from tens of thousands. A wave of anticipation rolled toward the stage. The spotlight seemed to center itself in his eyes—and likewise in Eleanor’s.
“Tonight, we gather to put our will once again at the heart of this nation. To reclaim the ‘light’ America is forgetting. Over the past four years, our party restored the economy, brought back security, rebuilt national order. Now, it’s time to shine that light brighter—not as mere hope, but as our responsibility. If America shines again, the world will follow. We must seize that stronger, purer light. It will illuminate the world.”
Justin’s voice reverberated through the arena—until… a dry gunshot cracked the air from center stage.
Jack dove instinctively. His eyes darted upward to the giant screens: time froze. He saw Justin’s body convulse backwards, his jacket tail flipping off his left shoulder. The first bullet struck his left arm, the second to his left abdomen. Justin crumpled slowly, falling face‑first.
“Justin!” Eleanor’s scream cut across the stage. Her wide eyes fixed on him, trembling. A haze of tears blurred her vision. Secret Service agents shielded her, pulling her back.
“Hit the deck!” Guards and crowd shouted in chorus. Pandemonium erupted. Women's screams overlapped. The reverberation of gunfire lingered ominously in the cavernous space.
Unbeknownst to most, Jack’s ears had discerned two shots. He closed his eyes and re‑ran the sound—each fired from above—each from perilously close.
“Ben—where are you?” Jack pushed through collapsing spectators, heading to the stage.
“By Justin’s side. Missed his heart—just grazed left arm and abdomen. Not arterial, but bleeding heavily.”
“Medical team’s on the motorcade. Justin has Bombay blood—two bags ready on the ambulance. Start transfusion.”
“If that’s not enough, what about Elijah?”
“Either way, he’s en route. Bellevue Hospital stores Bombay bags—confirmed three days ago.”
Bombay blood: a rare type first found in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1952—not A, B, or O—afflicting about 1 in 10,000 in India, 1 in 2.5 million worldwide. It can only be transfused to someone of the same type.
Ben replied calmly.
They rushed Justin to Bellevue Hospital—the closest to the Garden. Jack called Elijah. Before the first ring ended, Elijah answered, breathless:
“Jack... this is bad. We’ve no blood—no Bombay stock.”
Jack couldn’t believe it.
“I saw the bags in person three days ago!”
Silence, then Elijah replied:
“The blood keeper was killed in a car crash yesterday.”
As Jack absorbed the news, his voice boomed over the arena’s PA, shaking the trembling building. The crowd froze and then shattered. Thousands surged toward exits—only to find them locked.
“There’s explosives in this building. Please, stay calm and head for the exits. I repeat—I am….”
Panic rippled. Eight exits in total—most had been sealed for VIP and motorcade security. The crowd funnelled into the remaining three.
Low moans grew to shrieks. People trampled the fallen. A little girl's white blouse had turned grey, her teddy flattened. During flight, no one looked back. At one exit, dozens collapsed, graves to the trampling. The weight buckled railings, jammed the door.
“Doors won’t open!” “There’s children—!” Screams scattered. Security couldn’t reach the scene. Orders were drowned in noise. Control evaporated.
“The crowd is uncontrollable, Jack,” came Zakaria’s voice through the PA, along with a simultaneous link to staff smartphones.
“You got my email? Open the link. No virus, I promise.”
Hurriedly, Jack checked his phone. The site loaded:
“Good evening, New York—and Los Angeles. My name is Zakaria Haddad. My real name. Five years ago, I lived in Gaza. Now I sit in a room many of you recognize.”
On the screen, a brown-skinned man with a trimmed beard—Zakaria—seated in a chair eerily like the Oval Office. Three green-curtained windows behind him—the color favored by Prophet Muhammad. A portrait of Ibn Sina hung on the wall, his gaze deep, delicate—reaching from time’s past to the present.
Zakaria glanced at his watch, then back at camera—an unreadable dark joy flickering in his eyes.
“Breaking news—watch your phone alerts.” Instantly:
Former Democratic President Owen Reed shot at Los Angeles Convention Center
Zakaria hid a wry smile.
“A sad update, America. But don’t mourn. In Gaza, we suffered 55,000 times this. We lost over 55,000 dear souls—and we wept.”
He averted his gaze, clasped both hands, slammed his fist onto the desk. The air thickened. Yet in his eyes brimmed silent tears—quiet sorrow.
“We do not seek money or glory in death. We seek tears equal to the 55,000. Only tears can heal us.”
He rested his elbows, folded his hands, chin supported. A long pause. His eyes twitched with small sorrowful motions.
Zakaria rotated a framed photo toward the camera.
“My family. More precious than my life. Gone in an instant.”
There was no hatred in his voice—only respect and gentle grief. He began again.
“I was one among those 55,000. Even if I perish, their wills persist. I stand here to voice our will.”
He quietly reached into his right drawer, withdrew a Glock 17, chambered a round, and placed the barrel against his temple. His eyes were merciful—gentle, embracing his lost family.
As a Sunni, he stared straight at the camera:
“God bless America.”
Backlit by three blazing windows, he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. The dry crack snapped through the room. The camera jerked—then the screen went black.
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Previous notes
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54639396885/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54628511025/in/dateposted...
1
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54599616429/in/dateposted...
Note: I gave a brief explanation of this novel in the following video:
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
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Notes
1. "Bombay Blood Type (hh type)"
•Characteristics: A rare blood type that lacks the usual ABO antigens — cannot be classified as A, B, or O.
•Discovery: First identified in 1952 in Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay).
•Prevalence: Roughly 1 in 10,000 people in India; globally, about 1 in 2.5 million.
•Transfusion Compatibility: Only compatible with blood from other Bombay type donors.
2. 2024 Harvard University Valedictorian Speech – The Power of Not Knowing
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
3. Shots Fired at Trump Rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
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Saipan. USA. 2016. LUMIX G3 shot … 5 / X
サイパン。アメリカ。２０１６。LUMIX G3 shot … 5 / X
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僕の新しい小説。
B♭ （ビーフラット）
まだまだ投下します。😃
(最終稿ではありません。)
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場面 ガーデン３−４
指揮官席に深く腰を落としていたジャックは、青白いモニター群をくまなく睨んでいた。
カメラ番号A17、A18、A19──いずれもアリーナ中央を捉えている。だが、スタンド席西側の警備員の視線が集中していたのは、そこではなかった。彼が見つめていたのはセクション212の非常扉だった。その扉のセンサーが、わずか一度だけ、反応を示し、ディスプレイに赤い警告が走った。
「不審な動きだな。ドアのセンサーが一瞬、点いた」
ジャックの低い声が、ベンのイヤピースを震わせた。
ベンは即座に 頭上のモニターを見上げ、囁くように言った。
「行くか？」
「…いや。持ち場は離れるな。俺が行く」
ジャックの声がわずかに低くなった。
「たぶん、気のせいだ。ただし──全員、警戒は解くな。そのまま、周囲に意識を集中しておけ」
それぞれのイヤピースに静寂が落ち、張り詰めた空気で満ちた。
モニターに今映っている扉は、開くことも、閉じることもなく、ただ沈黙している。
ジャックはブリーフィングルームを飛び出し、スタンド席、西側が見渡せるアリーナまで、地下から駆け上がった。
マジソンスクエアガーデンの平坦な天井は、吐き出された人の熱気でいつもより膨らんでいるように、ジャックには見えた。大統領候補を歓迎する声とそれを罵倒する叫び声が錯綜し、鼓膜の奥を揺らした。どうやら反共和党も紛れ込んでいるようだ。
ジャックは、スタンド席西側へしばらく目を凝らしてから、手元のアイフォンに目を落とした。画面には、いくつかのSNSが同時に広がっており、それぞれが激しい書き込みによって文字が流れてゆく。右下の、メタの書き込みに、ジャックは目を留めた。殺害予告のメッセージが走り、赤く灯っている。ジャックは喧騒に満ちた通路を駆け抜け、スタンド席西側へ着くと、警備員へ声を掛けた。
「おつかれ。異常はないか？」
ジャックはさりげなく背筋を伸ばした。ジャケットの背中越しに、腰の中央──背骨の下に沿ってぴたりと固定されたグロック19の存在を確かめた。
「どうも。こちらは異常ありませんよ。何かありましたか？」
黒のスーツで、胸元にネクタイはない、プレーン・クロースの私設セキュリティだ。視線は沈着で、イヤピースから伸びるコードが耳の下に覗いている。男は一瞬、ジャックを睨むように見たが、ジャケットの裾を軽く持ち上げ、ホルスターの形をわずかに見せた。男に敵意はなかった。それが合図だった。ジャックも同じように、背筋を伸ばしながら無言で頷いた。この沈黙こそが、互いの訓練と経験を示していた。
「ドアのセンサーが一度反応した。目視で確認する」
ジャックは、冷たい金属の取っ手を掴み、扉の奥を一瞥した。辺りは暗闇に沈み、静まり返っていた。
ジャックはその場からすぐにイヤピースで伝えた。
「スタンド席西側に異常はなかった。セキュリティーにも問題はない」
ジャックは、男の肩を軽く叩いて、いった。
「引き続き、頼む」
男が笑顔でジャックに挨拶すると、アリーナの照明が一気に落ちた。
闇の中、赤いレーザーがガーデンの天井から床まで、縦横に切り裂き、重く低く唸るような打ち込みの硬質なバスドラがアリーナの底から噴き上がった。ハイハットが16分音符で刻まれ、深く沈むキックドラムが四拍を正確に打つ。そこに、低くうねるベース・シンセが重なり、会場全体の空気そのものが脈打つように震え始めた。
観客の鼓動が、低く分厚い音にシンクロし始めた。スモークが舞い、赤いレーザーが切り裂く中、床の震えが増していった。低いベース音に重なった奥から、加工された男性の声が繰り返し聞こえてくる。
“Strength.（強さ） Order.（秩序） America.”
場内のスモークが、光を濁らせるようにさらに舞うと、巨大なセンター・ハング・スクリーンに文字が浮かび上がった。
J U S T I N・B R A D F O R D
その瞬間、中央のスポットライトが、ひとつだけ点いた。赤から青へ──そして白へと、アメリカの三色をなぞるように変化する演出だ。
その光の中、男が姿を現した。
ジャスティンだ。ダークネイビーのテーラードスーツに、共和党を示す真紅のネクタイを巻いている。胸元には一輪の白いバラのピンバッジが添えられていた。
数秒遅れて、彼の背後にもうひとつ光が射した。漆黒のドレスを纏ったエリノア・ブレイクがスポットライトを浴びている。
ふたりは笑顔で手を取り合うと、ゆっくりステージ中央へ歩み始めた。彼らの歩みに迷いはなかった。強さと秩序の意志を現した姿に、観客の誰もがその姿を見上げ、歓声を上げている。
ー アメリカを取り戻せ！ ー
マイクスタンドへ近づくにつれ、アリーナの熱はさらに帯び、波のようにうねった。
赤、青、白の光がジャスティンらの足元を錯綜した。
エリノアを残し、ジャスティンは、一歩前に出て、マイクの前に立った。
音楽が静かにフェードアウトし、照明が再び落ちていく。
── その瞬間、全アリーナが沈黙に包まれた。
彼は、何も言わず、ただ口元に微笑みを浮かべた。その微笑みが、宣戦布告に等しかった。
語らずに、何かを語っている。
それが、世界でもっとも権力を持つ、アメリカ大統領の姿勢なのだ。
ジャスティンは、しばらく観衆を見渡してから、穏やかな口調でいった。エリノアと同じ金色に煌めく髪とブルーの瞳が、彼の言葉をさらに支えるようだ。
「こんばんは。ニューヨーク。今日は、いいことがあったかい？」
ジャスティンは、微笑みながら、最前列の女性に問いかけた。彼は、父のルールを守っていた。多くの聴衆に語るのではなく、たったひとりの身近な人へ言葉を伝えるのだ ーー
「僕は今日、駐車場に着いた時、気が滅入ったよ。ひどい湿気に陰鬱になった。でも、ここにいるエリノアが僕に言ったんだ。あなたを守るために、スタッフは最善の手段を選んだ、とね。そして、スタッフはみな、僕のために命を賭けてくれると」
歯切れよく言い切ったジャスティンの言葉に、再び観衆は沸いた。数万人の熱波がステージへ押し寄せた。
ジャスティンの目には、ステージにあった光を収束させたような輝きがあった。もちろん、エリノアの青い瞳にもだ。
「今夜、僕らがここに集まったのは、それぞれの意志を、再びこの国の中心に叩き込むためだ。アメリカが忘れかけている“光”を、もう一度我々の手に取り戻すためだ。この4年間、我が党は経済を立て直し、治安を取り戻し、国家の秩序を再構築した。今、私たちはその“光”をもっと強く照らす時に来ている。それは、ただの希望ではない。責任だ。アメリカが再び輝けば、世界はそれに倣う。そして、もっと強い、鮮明な光を私たちは手にしなければならない。アメリカが強い光を取り戻すことで、世界をくまなく照らすことができるのだ。私たちには、もっとそれができるはずだ」
ジャスティンの声が、再び会場を震わせた瞬間、乾いた銃声が響いた。ステージ中央あたりからだ。ジャックは音と同時に身を屈め、アリーナの頭上に展開した巨大なセンター・ハング・スクリーンに目をやった。ジャックには映る全ての時間が止まっていた。ジャスティンの身体が弾けたように背後へ揺れた。ジャケットの裾がゆっくり翻り、左肩から崩れてゆく。たぶん、最初の弾は左肩に着弾した。その後、再びジャスティンは前屈みになった。二発目は左腹部だ。ジャスティンの身体は、床へスローモーションのように崩れ落ち、うつぶした。
「ジャスティン！」
エリノアの矯正がステージに響いた。大きく見開いた瞳が、一点を見つめまま、細かく揺れている。一瞬にして透明な薄い膜が幾重にも重なって滲み、零れた。
ジャスティンへ近づこうとするエリノアの体を前面から覆うようにしてSPが抑え込み、引き離している。
「伏せろ！」というSPと観客からの声が同時に周囲を支配した途端、観客席は混乱に包まれた。
女性らの悲鳴が錯綜し、誰か、とやはり別の女性の声がかぶさった。すでに消えている銃声の余韻が、巨大な会場に重く残って覆っている。
ステージにいた者以外は、一聴しただけでは気づかなかったがジャックの耳は聴き分けていた。弾は間違いなく２発だった。騒然とした場内をよそに、ジャックは静かに目を閉じた。発射音から着弾までを想像した。一発目の弾は、ジャスティンのほぼ頭上からだった。そして、もう一発もだ。発射音から着弾までの様子からしておそらくかなりの近距離だ。
「ベン、どこだ」
ジャックは、出口へ卒倒してゆく観客らを抗うようにしてステージへ近づいていく。ベンの冷静な声がすぐに聞こえてきた。
「ジャスティンのそばだ。心臓ははずれているが、左肩と左腹部をかすめているようだ。動脈には達していないが出血がひどい」
「車列にあった救護班がすぐにいく。ジャスティンはボンベイブラッドだ。救急車にブラッドバッグが二つ備えてある。とりあえず輸血するはずだ」
「足らなかった場合は、イライジャのところか？」
「いずれにしても搬入だ。ベルビュー病院にブラッドバッグが保管されている。予備の輸血だ。三日前に確認した」
ボンベイブラッドとは、１９５２年にインドのムンバイ、旧ボンベイで初めて確認された、通常のA、B、Oには分類されない特殊な血液型だ。インドでは１万人にひとり程度だが、世界的には２５０万人に１人ともいわれているもので、同じボンベイ型からボンベイ型への輸血しかできない。
ベンは、冷静にわかったといった。
マジソンスクエアガーデンに最も近いベルビュー病院にジャスティンを運び込む。ジャックは、病院で控えているイライジャに直接電話した。ワンコールが切れる前にすぐイライジャは反応した。
「ジャック、大変だ。血液がない。ボンベイブラッドがないんだ」
ジャックは、耳を疑った。
「三日前に、俺は直接担当の、名前は忘れたな。とにかく目の前でブラッドバッグを確認したぞ」
イライジャは、数秒の沈黙の後、応えた。
「その血液の管理者は、きのう、交通事故で亡くなったんだ」
ジャックがその言葉に沈黙していると、場内にジャックの声でアナウンスが流れた。すでに震えているガーデンをさらにその声が震わせた。ジャックは、再びスクリーンに目をやったが、音声だけがジャックの声だった。
「みなさん、落ち着いてください。私はシークレットサービスのジャック・バンスです。この建物には爆薬が仕掛けられていますが、みなさん、落ち着いて、出口へ向かってください。繰り返します。私は….」
場内の空気が一瞬にして、硬直した。同時に、崩壊した。パニックはすぐに伝染した。数千の観客は、波紋のように大きく揺れ、一斉に出口へ傾れ込んだ。しかし、ジャスティンへの発砲と同時に出口は封鎖されていた。
メインアリーナの出入口は合計8つ――だがその多くは、来賓警備や車列誘導のためにすでに封鎖されていた。群衆の大半が、残された3つの出入口に集中した。
低い声から高い叫び声。倒れた人間を踏みつける足。転倒した白いブラウスの少女はすでに黒ずんでいる。小さな熊のぬいぐるみの顔が真っ平らになっている。
人は、逃げるときに後ろを見ない。出入口の一つでは、すでに数人が折り重なるように倒れ、その上をさらに何十人もの足が越えていった。荷重により手すりが歪み、出口の一部が完全に塞がれる。
「ドアが開かない！」
「子どもが――！」
叫び声が乱れ飛び、場内警備は現場への到達すら困難な状態だった。あらゆる指示が雑音にかき消され、もはや群衆は誰の言葉も聞いていなかった。
制御不能の肉の波――それが、人間の集団というものだった。
「この程度の混乱ではなかったぞ、ジャック」
ザカリアの声が切ったはずのPAから場内へ響いた。同時に、ジャックら警備スタッフへのスマートフォンへリンク先の案内がいっせいに届いた。
「メールが届いただろう？ リンク先を開け。安心しろ、ウィルスは除去済みだ」
ザカリアが笑いを抑え、皮肉混じりにいった。
ジャックは後ろポケットから慌てて、アイフォンを開いた。１件のメール着信を開くと、サイトが現れた。
「こんばんは、ニューヨーク。そしてロサンゼルス。私の名前はザカリア・ハッダード。本名だ。５年前、ガザに住んでいた。今は、みなさんがよく目にする部屋を真似た部屋に私はいる」
褐色の、顎髭をたくわえたザカリアは、アメリカ大統領執務室とほとんど同じ部屋の椅子に座っていた。背後に見える三つの大きな窓には、グリーンのカーテンが掛けられている。預言者ムハンマドが好んだ色だ。
壁面には、剣ではなく詩と理性で世界を導こうとした男、イブン・シーナーの肖像画が掛けられていた。その眼差しは、ワシントンよりも深く、リンカーンよりも繊細なもので、遥か遠く、消え去った時間の底からこちらを見据えているようだった。
ザカリアは腕時計に目を落としてから、再び、カメラに視線を向けた。目には言葉にできない喜びのような暗い影が落ちている。
「そろそろブレイキングニュースだ。スマートフォンの速報に注目して欲しい」
ザカリアがそういった途端、速報が流れた。
【民主党前大統領のオーウェン・リードがロサンゼルス・コンベンション・センターで銃撃された模様です】
ザカリアは、一瞬俯いて笑いを堪えながらいった。
「悲しい速報じゃないか。アメリカのみなさん。でもどうか悲しまないで欲しい。私が経験したガザではこの55,000倍だ。55,000人以上の大切な人を失い、そして、涙を流した」
ザカリアはカメラから目を逸らし、俯いた。そして両手を固く握りしめ、力強く机を叩きつけた。部屋の空気が硬直した。重く固まった空気が画像からも伝わってくる。しかし、顔を上げたザカリアの目にはうっすらと涙が溢れていた。静かな涙だった。
「私たちは、お金を求めない。また、死による名誉も求めない。私たちが欲しいのは、55,000人が流した涙と同じだけの涙だ。流された涙と同じだけの涙だけが、私たちを癒す」
両肘を机につき、両手を組むと、ザカリアは静かに顎を乗せた。目を閉じて、しばらく沈黙が続いた。目尻が細かく震えているようだった。
ザカリアはデスクにあったフォトフレームをカメラへ向け、反転させた。
「私の家族だ。私の命よりも大切な家族だ。すべて一瞬で奪われたよ」
彼の言葉に憎しみはなかった。語尾には、亡くなったものへの敬意とたくさんの優しさを詰め込んだ静けさが含まれている。続けて、ザカリアはゆっくり口を開いた。
「55,000人のうちの私はひとりに過ぎない。私が消えても55,000人もの意思は決して消えず、引き継がれる。私は、私たちの意思をここに表明するためにいる」
ザカリアは、向かって右手の机の引き出しにそっと手を伸ばした。引き出しから、グロック１７を取り出すと、スライドしてチャンバーに弾を流した。そして、銃口を自分のこめかみに当てた。ザカリアの目からは憎悪は消えていた。穏やかで、亡くなった家族を包み込むようなやさしい眼差しだった。
スンニ派である彼は、まっすぐにカメラを見つめ、いった。
「神のご加護を。アメリカ」
執務室の三つの窓から差し込んだ眩い逆光の中、ザカリアは、静かに目を閉じると、トリガーを真っ直ぐに引いた。乾いた銃声が部屋に響いた。一瞬、カメラが横へぶれたが、映像は瞬時に黒へ切り替わった。
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これまでのメモ
3
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54639396885/in/dateposted...
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追記 この小説を多少説明しました。
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
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メモ
1
「Bombay型（ボンベイ型、hh型）」
•特徴：通常のABO血液型を持たない（A、B、Oに分類されない）特殊な型。
•発見地：1952年、インド・ムンバイ（旧ボンベイ）で初めて確認。
•発生頻度：インドでは1万人に1人程度だが、世界的には約250万人に1人とも。
•輸血制限：同じBombay型しか輸血できない。
2
2024年ハーバード大学首席の卒業式スピーチ『知らないことの力』
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
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Shots fired at Trump rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
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This is completely silly, I hate my feet, but my friend Sarah did her toe nails sparkly silver and it inspired me to paint mine sparkly blue!! Thank god silly things like this crack me up!!!
: )
Ah, yes. Construction, as well as shamelessly posting photos of unforgivably poor quality, goes on yet. The underside of my SHIP, (measuring in at 106 studs), is basically complete. I can't imagine I won't be throwing in little tweaks here and there as I continue. Construction at this point has gone on for about 2 months, and I am estimating another couple weeks until I'm editing, if not posting, the final pics of this very frustrating SHIP.
Why is it frustrating, you ask? Let me tell you.
About a week ago, tragedy struck this MOC as I turned it over to set it on its belly and two rather large sections of the rear of the ship promptly fell off and shattered on the floor. There was apparently enough weight in those two pieces that it immediately overbalanced the ship in my hands, and although I saved the whole thing from falling to a death that would have undoubtedly sent me into an immediate dark age, the sudden lurch caused a rather large section of the front to plummet to the floor in a similar fashion as the rear sections, with much the same result. With that horror still fresh in my mind, (as well as minimal loss of sleep), I have put a lot of extra time into reinforcing the connections, which seems to have paid off, (fingers crossed), because when I flipped this thing over just moments ago, it barely shivered.
Thanks for having a look, and being supportive of my tragedy, (even if it sent you into uncontrollable fits of laughter).
A few Horse Chestnut trees grow alongside the track and their bark is splitting, their branches have grown long and wild sprouting at various points uncontrollably.....If there was a whole wood of these trees then it would be something out of Tolkien for sure.
Going through some old files, and I found this shot of the "extended version" of the waterbomb tessellation from my book.
This was before I wetted it and pressed it underneath books to make it flat - prior to that it was curling up into a cylinder like this, completely uncontrollably... problematic!
Sharing the photo because I haven't folded anything in a long while.
This video will shed some light in the plight of the migrants moving north on the Beast, one thing is certain is that the desperation cause by the growing problems of poverty, corruption, and violence will only make the situation worse, add climate change to the ingredient and the future is a bleak one. No wall or fence will stop this, that is a a fact. The only solution is to focus the resources and energies directly at the problems in those countries where the mass of the people are coming. What the U.S. is facing now is certainly "Blow Back," and in particularly with regard to this migrant crisis. The USA and it agency the CIA spent billions in the 70s and 80s cultivating military dictatorships in Latin America. This led to decades of wars and uncontrollable violence that destroys these countries, the current crisis is a direct result of that failed foreign policy. Now we see the politicians offering costly brandade fixes and initiatives like building massive walls. History has proven that walls are failures. Humanity on the move cannot be stopped. It is impossible to stop the flow of water without first fixing the leak at the source. youtu.be/GzEUHF1KPY8
A reboot of the sheriffs car that was used in the 2001 movie, When Strangers Appear, shot entirely in and around Foxton during April-June 2000 on a $3 million budget and which was acquired by Ian Little after filming was finished and used as a static display for a few years at the Main St. entranceway to the Foxton trolleybus museum depot.
In a movie goof, the sheriffs squad car and a Jeep suburban utility vehicle (SUV) that was also used in the movie had the same license plate, supposedly Oregon VLP-077, the Jeep SUV featuring in a scene at the roadside diner which was constructed in Kere Kere Rd., just off the Foxton-Shannon road..
WHEN STRANGERS APPEAR MOVIE REVIEW
By Robert Cettl
(Robert Cettl’s review published on Letterboxd):
The rural film noir has become something of a minor sub-genre in American film. Directors such as John Dahl and J.S. Cardone have spun intriguing thrillers based on the desolate roadside fixtures of isolated areas, often populated by seemingly nomadic psychopaths and disillusioned heroes at the point of personal despair. These films are bleak, with people driven by an un-stated but desperate need for connection. They are placed near roads and tackle the notion of a stalled journey, where the road becomes the site of conflict. Often, these people cannot even make it to the open road and remain trapped, unsure of where to turn or how to escape. When they make the road, it is often full of lurking menace. It is this legacy of films that the New Zealand based When Strangers Appear seeks in part to evoke. New Zealand director Scott Reynolds has shown a proclivity for the notion of youth psychosis in his cult serial killer film, The Ugly, and in his latest thriller attempts to blend his interest in youthful psychopaths with the angst-driven despair of the 20-something so-called Generation X. Although the effort is there, the result is more a curiosity.
When Strangers Appear is set mostly around a roadside diner, not too far down from a motel. A young woman (Radha Mitchell) walks to work and opens up the diner. A dirty car pulls up and the driver watches. As she readies the diner, he enters, a dishevelled, unshaven youth (Barry Watson) who seems unbearably intense and pressured. She chats to him, but when another car pulls up, Watson hides. Three men, led by a rugged surfer (Josh Lucas) enter, eat and leave. Watson tells Mitchell that they are after him. At first she disbelieves but when he collapses, revealing a stab wound, she takes it on herself to care for him and takes him to a motel, where the three men are also staying. She takes him to a doctor for treatment, but later gets a call from the doctor that he believes the wound may be self-inflicted. She turns to Lucas, a man who may have more involvement than he lets on and who urges her not to go the police. Nevertheless, not knowing who to trust, she turns to a local cop (Kevin Anderson) with whom she has a troubled past. The doctor is now missing and it seems that someone may be a murderer.
The film starts out as the portrait of a young 20-something woman who seems bored and dissatisfied with her routine and is full of attitude. Her interest in strangers as a means of disrupting the boredom ultimately leads her into trouble as she realizes that she cannot trust anybody and that appearances are deceiving. Although this is certainly conventional and familiar material, the film does manage an irony which is at times effectively disconcerting, although until briefly at the end it never achieves the idea of absurdity and futility that it circles around. In structure, the film seeks to achieve the gathering momentum usually referred to as the snowball effect and as day becomes night seeks to immerse its characters in a world of shadowy uncertainty. It achieves this based on the audience’s expectation of schizophrenic behaviour. Thus, once it is revealed that one of the characters is apparently taking anti-psychotic medication, the film flirts with the idea of a drifting psychopath. The uncertainty over what to expect from a potentially psychotic killer is intended to destabilize the viewer and drive the momentum of the film through its expected series of twists. Although some of the twists are novel, the plot seems a hastily assembled addition meant to give some form to this idea of uncertainty.
In the moral order of films of this kind, curiosity and even compassionate involvement with strangers is a punishable sin and so the film sets out to give Mitchell a lesson for her initial know-it-all attitude. She must learn her place, the film asserts, and so takes her on a journey through mounting despair towards a supposed humility. The layers of uncertainty along this journey struggle for invention however, and by the time the mystery surrounding the strangers is revealed, it has become tired and pointlessly ridiculous as if the filmmakers are at a loss to fully explain it all and so reached out for the flimsiest of plot irrelevances. Thus, the film is more adept at creating uncertainty than it is at resolving it, although it seems needlessly to want to neatly do both. However, the circularity to the film’s final stages is momentarily a fine demonstration of the notion of an absurd universe and of people trapped forever in a repetitive cycle. Sadly, the film also dissipates this idea and the resolution fails to ring true to much of the preceding drama. Nevertheless, for much of the film, this is an involving if minor thriller that constantly promises how much better and tighter it could have been. What is unhurriedly and tautly developed at the outset is dissipated: just as the film is supposed to become more involving and suspenseful it feels merely rushed.
The visual transfer, although preserving a widescreen ratio, is something of a merely serviceable job. The film itself is too well (if flatly) lit to ever achieve any film noirish subtleties although it seems that it is deliberately bright at first in order to heighten the danger felt as day turns into night, a transition it only partly accomplishes (and must resort to flashbacks to structure properly). The picture is clear throughout but rarely achieves more than a downcast sense of atmosphere, although colours seem to be more pronounced as it proceeds as if perception has been heightened, particularly at night. This suggestion is also dissipated over time however to give an impression of flat technical competence. Even the cold weather fails to add much of a palpable presence. The landscapes however are suitably inhospitable although their otherworldly possibility is never utilized beyond a backdrop.
The sound transfer is again a matter of rote technical competence. It does however effectively use quiet and the sense of increasingly desperate voices. Aside from the score (especially the songs over both sets of credits), much of the film seems centred, even mono at times, although voices are crisp enough. The abruptness of certain sounds effectively disrupts the quiet and helps to build a modicum of tension to an otherwise lethargically paced film. Subtly shifting tones of voice carry the evolving uncertainty well but most of the film seems concerned with injecting sound into an initially quiet, boring and peaceful world, gathering aural momentum until a climactic explosion. At capturing this apparent intention, the transfer works well enough. It hopes to create a sense of uncontrollable propulsion, pausing only to reinforce the notion of danger as if retreating only to find calm and quiet increasingly impossible to maintain.
“WHEN STRANGERS APPEAR” MOVIE GOOFS
Errors in geography
- Even though the film is set in Oregon, USA, the Firestone ad on the side of the gas station refers to "tyres" not "tires". Beth also refers to the "car park", a term which is not used in the USA.
- The sign on the doctor's office says "Surgery". This is a term used in the UK, as well as New Zealand, for a doctor's office.
- The sheriff mispronounces the name of the state he lives in (Oregon).
Factual errors
- The motorway diner has not open,yet when the owner goes to check the till it is full of money.
- When the gas station attendant looks up at the wall from behind the register, the clock has no hands on its face.
- The cop's squad car and wife's SUV had the same license plate, supposedly Oregon VLP-077.
WHEN STRANGERS APPEAR (2001) YouTube trailer.....
A portrait of a coal worker, Ashiky, 22, in Jharia coal mine. Jharia is one of the most important coal mines in India and one of the largest in Asia. Once a treasure trove of high-quality coking coal, uncontrollable fires have turned the mine and the surroundings into a slow-burning inferno. Before coal was unearthed in this area, Jharia was a belt of dense forests inhabited by tribes.
-^- Argus Offshore Facility, 2007 -^-
The crackling sound of electricity filled the small office room, followed shortly after by an agonizing scream.
A man in black military garb fell to the floor, his skin bubbling and smoking. The other in the room, dressed in a navy suit and sat behind the desk, rolled backwards until he hit the wall.
"P-p-please!" he begged, holding his hands up. "I-I-I have a f-family!"
Standing across the room was Marco Coolidge, the Eel. His body was still, the only movement coming from the erratic crackling of lightning in his hand. The noise paired with the unnerving sizzling of the floored corpse caused the suited man to cry.
"Wh-what is it you w-want?" he asked, moving his hands to point to the safe in the corner of the room. "I-i-if you need money, p-pr-priceless jewels are in th-there."
Marco said nothing, only stepping forward. As his foot landed on the head of the corpse, it was crushed like an egg. Marco tilted his head, his single eye narrowing as he stared at the man.
"Extortion? I-is that it?" he cried, his hands digging through his desk. "I-I-I don't have h-high level clearance, b-but…"
The man held out his lanyard, a low level A.R.G.U.S ID card. Marco took slow steps forward, the man cowering slightly as he did. His hand reached out, snagging the card.
"I'm gl-glad we could come to a-"
A small spark lit at the bottom of the card, burning it instantaneously. Marco tossed the lanyard to the floor, stepping closer once again.
"Where is Charles Coolidge being held?" he asked, placing both hands on the desk, leaning close to the man.
"C-C-Coolidge?" he asked, turning his head to look at the computer. "W-well, he's on f-floor b12."
"Turn off the meta dampeners for that floor," Marco ordered, earning a nod.
"D-done," he sighed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Marco stood from his position, turning towards the door. His foot once again stepped on the corpse's now crushed skull. Upon reaching the door, he paused.
"Send Waller my regards," he said, holding his hand out behind him.
"W-w-wait you said-"
The blast of electricity was followed by a bloodcurdling scream before silence.
Marco stepped into the hallway, maneuvering over charred corpses and body parts strung along the hallway.
-^- Bar Harbor, Maine, 1986 -^-
"Again."
Marco rose to his feet, a piercing pain lingering in his abdomen. It was the 15th drill in a row, each time barring the same results. Nothing.
"Dad…" the voice of his brother Morty said, words laced with annoyance. "There isn't any type of progress, let Marco have a break."
"You aren't old enough to understand," his father said, brushing off his brother's comment. "His power is too important."
"I know it is, dad," his brother pleaded, "but you're working him to the bone. He's only ten, he needs a break."
His father got up and walked to Morty. "So, you're just the parent all of a sudden, eh?" he asked, looking down at the boy.
His hand quickly raised to strike the boy across the cheek. As he made contact, his arm recoiled, a slew of curses escaping his lips.
Morty continued to stare at his father, his skin now a dark, shining copper. "He needs a break."
"You damn…"
"It's okay, Morty," Marco said, getting between his brother and father. "I'm fine to keep going! I promise!"
Morty shook his head, pointing to the house. "Inside, now," he ordered, Marco's mouth flattening. "I'm gonna make you some lunch and you're gonna take a break."
Marco, though hesitant, nodded, sauntering over to the house's backdoor. He looked back to his brother, who waved him off. "I'll be there in a moment, I need to talk to dad."
Sliding the door shut, Marco walked over to the kitchen table, sitting down with a sigh. He didn't want to say anything, but his body hurt. His father would go on and on about his power, how important it was to their lifestyle. He never would say he was never important though.
The power was called a metagene, something that activates in random people throughout the world. The powers are random, ranging from awesome strength to insane speeds. He however, wasn't so lucky.
Lightning; the ability to generate electricity from his body. It sounds like something one would call a gift, an amazing power… but it wasn't. The power was uncontrollable, electricity discharging at random times and at random voltage amounts. It also changed his brain, insomnia plaguing him any time he'd close his eyes.
He wished he could give this power up. Wished for the chance to throw it away so he could have a normal life, but it was a part of him. It always would be.
"Sorry about that," the voice of his brother spoke, causing him to look towards the door. "I'm gonna make you a sandwich, then you're gonna watch some TV for the rest of today. Sounds alright?"
Marco's eyes lit up, smiling and nodding profusely.
He scarfed down the turkey sandwich in minutes. Morty asked him to slow down, but the request went in one ear and out the other. The two spent the rest of the day watching the television in the living room, Morty getting snacks every few hours until dinner time.
"The spaghetti will be done in a few minutes, get in the kitchen!" Morty called, Marco regrettably turning the television off and sitting down at the dining table.
His brother always would cook their meals, ever since their mother left, that is. Their father always would disappear around 5:00pm, leaving his brother to hold the house down. He never minded it, his brother was all he needed to have a family.
-^- Argus Offshore Facility, 2007 -^-
The cellblock's doors slid open, multiple inmates flooding into the hallway. Marco stood at the intersection, watching the mob funnel out of their confinements.
One of the inmates' heads turned, noticing Marco. "Aye, I know him!" he shouted, pointing at him. "He works for that fat bitch!"
Marco tilted his head, eyes narrowing as the various men and women. He could name a few of them from his time working under Waller, but most were new faces. The tallest stepped forward, his arms raising and stretching out towards Marco. Raising his right arm, electricity sparked to life. With a single swipe, both the man's limbs fell to the floor.
"What the…"
"Out of my way, or you all die," he announced, raising his arm again.
"He can't take us all out!" one shouted, fire swords forming in his hands. The others followed suit, activating whatever meta abilities they had.
Marco sighed, his raised fist lighting up. A blast of lightning shot forward, directly aimed at the fire swordsman.
"I've got this!" a woman shouted, jumping in front of the man. In front of her formed a large yellow block of what seemed to be gelatine. "Try getting through my block!"
Marco never moved, the only motion being the opening of his fist.
The group of inmates' eyes widened, some gasping at the sight in front of them. The blast of lightning split upon Marco opening his fist; now tens of thin, wire-like lines of lightning arched around the blockade, heading straight at the group.
"What the!?"
"Look o-aghhhhagh!"
"Oh no!"
As the lightning stopped, Marco rolled his shoulder, letting his arm fall as the bodies split apart before his eyes.
"Come out, old man," he ordered, shouting down the hallway.
Stepping out of the furthest cell in the block was an older man, hair greying and skin beginning to wrinkle. His lips upturned to a grin as he saw Marco.
"About damn time, son," he remarked, pulling the gauze wrapped over his left eye off his face. "You got my eyeglass?"
Marco didn't speak, only tossing the small device to his father. His body turned, heading back down the way he came. "Let's go," he ordered. "The crew is waiting."
"Hold your horses," Charlie said, stopping Marco. "We need to get the score from the warden's office! It's too good to pass up."
"We don't have time for th-"
"I wasn't asking," his father snapped back. "We're getting that safe, let's go."
Marco opened his mouth, but closed it before he spoke, following his father back to the Warden's office.
-^- Bar Harbor, Maine, 1988 -^-
"Block those damned bullets!" Charles shouted, holding a bag of jewels in his right hand, a pistol in his left.
"My metal is reforming! It'll be a minute, dad!" Morty responded, letting off a few potshots with his own pistol.
Marco was terrified. His father told him his first heist would be small scale; robbing Bar Harbor's museum of all it's jewels. They were never even supposed to run into anyone, let alone the military, or at least that's who he thought they were.
"This is getting out of hand!" his father shouted, throwing his empty pistol at one of the soldiers. "Marco, go and fry them!"
"B-b-b-b-but dad!" Marco pleaded, tears rolling down his face. "I don't want to get hurt!"
"We're all getting hurt if you don't go out there, now!" Charles fired back.
"Dad, stop!" Morty shouted, staring into his father's eyes. "He's twelve! You're asking him to kill someone!?"
"Either he goes out there and zaps them, or you go!" His father responded.
"My copper isn't ready yet!"
Marco's lip quivered. He didn't want his brother to get hurt. He didn't want to watch his brother get shot just because he was too scared to do something.His body began to spark as he stood up, looking in the direction of the soldiers.
"Marco?" his brother asked, shocked at the sight. "Marco no, you don't have to…"
Marco ran. He ran fast and hard towards the soldiers. Lightning was sparking off his body, ricocheting off the walls back onto him.
"Is that a kid?"
The first soldier went down hard, their body twitching and smoking from the blast of electricity that hit their chest. The next was hit by a shoulder charge, sending him into the nearby wall.
The third pulled a second firearm from his pocket, the weapon yellow in color. Rather than firing a bullet, it shot our two cables, both attaching themselves to Marco.
As soon as they connected, Marco felt pain. More pain than he had through his years of relentless training. More pain than when his father would beat him. It was mind breaking pain.
Electricity shot off of him like a fountain, a continuous stream of lightning pouring from his body. The power burst through the walls and ceiling of the museum, rubble falling all around him.
"Aghgahahhhah!" he cried, holding his head, trying to keep his brain from splitting in two.
The heavy footsteps behind him, followed by cold arms being wrapped around him immediately began soothing the monumental pain.
"It's o… okay… you're okay!" the person screamed, Marco recognizing the voice of his older brother. "J-j-just… just calm down!"
"I can't!" Marco cried, more electricity spouting out of him. "I can't stop it!"
"I… I know…" his brother responded, his voice growing more hoarse. "That's why… that's why your big b-b-brother is here… to protect you."
Marco could feel the electricity slowly being pulled from his body, the pain in his head diminishing. It was coming to a stop, his brother had saved him, time and time again.
As the chaos stopped, the lightning no longer shooting out of him, he turned, ready to thank his brother. His heart plummeted as his eyes caught the person behind him.
Swaying slightly was his brother, his skin glowing green, no longer it's shining copper. His mouth, nose, and ears were all leaking blood, his eyes crying the crimson liquid.
"M... Morty?"
"It's… okay," he mumbled, his lips quirked into a smile. "You're… safe… that's all that matters."
"No Morty!" Marco screamed, rushing to hug his brother. As his hand made contact, he immediately pulled away, the metal burning hot. Tears fell from Marco's eyes as he watched his brother stumble to a knee. "Morty…"
"Please… don't… don't cry," he requested, his eyes closing. "I don't… I don't want you to cry… anymore… promise me?"
Marco's eyes shut as Morty fell to the floor, dropping to his knees. "I… I promise," Marco yelled, wiping away the tears in his eyes. "I promise I won't cry anymore!"
"That's… good. That… that's all… all I need…"
He could hear the walls and ceiling finally settling after the destruction, the soldiers entering the building, his father screaming for him to take them all out… but none of it registered. It all was merely a blur of noise.
The only noise he could hear properly… was the searing of copper.
-^- Argus Offshore Facility, 2007 -^-
"Pick up the slack!"
The wind blew hard as Marco trudged along the deck of the facility. The safe was being dragged behind him, his electricity pulling it along. The Manta was waiting at the edge of the deck, ready to pick both he and his father up.
"Damn electricity," his father mumbled, spitting onto the floor. "If your brother wasn't so stupid, he could be carrying that and we'd be gone already. Running into a damned lightning storm like he's in a movie."
Marco's teeth clenched, using more electricity to lift the safe into the air. His pace picked up significantly with the weight gone.
"That's my boy!" Charles commented, picking up his own pace. "That safe's about as conductive as your brother, eh Marco?"
As the two stopped at the edge of the dock, Marco dropped the safe, looking downwards into the ocean.
"Sorry sorry, too far huh?" Charles laughed, bending down to unlock the safe. "You really are a great asset, son." he said standing up with a bag of gemstones in his hand. "I'm glad you… glad… you…"
The crackling of electricity caused Charles to peer downwards, his eyes widening at the sight. A glowing blue hand was shoved through his chest, his still beating heart impaled by the fingers.
His head turned, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. "Mar...co?"
Marco's right hand was brought to his helmet, ripping the gear off. "Look me in the eyes," he said, tears leaking from his eyes. "Look me in the eyes while you die. The same way my brother had to."
-^- A.R.G.U.S Facility, 1990 -^-
"With your father sentenced to 25 years and no other known relatives, the state is legally responsible for you," the short woman spoke, her hands behind her back.
Marco sat with his head down, his left hand sparking on and off. "I don't care what you do with me," he said, repeating the action, "but I'm not going to be your weapon."
"What if I said your father could… have his sentence reduced?" the woman suggested.
Marco's head tilted up, the lighting in his hand stopping. "What are you talking about?"
"If you do as I say, become an operative for me, then your father's 50 year sentence will be reduced," she explained, crossing her arms. "Then you and him can have your nice little family reunion."
Marco's hand once again lit up, this time a condensed ball of lightning encompassing his fist. His eyes darkened, as he looked the woman in her eyes. "What do I do first?"
-^- Argus Offshore Facility, 2007 -^-
"Wh...why?"
"The training… the years of abuse!" Marco shouted, his lightning exploding the heart from inside. "If it weren't for your damn lifestyle, I'd have had a normal life… my brother would still be here!
"He's not, though," Marco said, his teeth gritting hard. "He had his life ripped away at 16! I only wish I could've ended yours sooner."
Charles's eyes slowly lost their light, eyelids shutting as Marco pulled his hand from his father's chest. He watched as the body fell forward, plunging into the ocean below. His eyes never left the body as it sank, a small pool of red quickly being encompassed by the clear water.
"I'm sorry, Morty," Marco said, looking up into the sky. He wiped away his tears as the clouds began to rain. "I couldn't… keep my promise to you after all."
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mood disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally-elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. A self-disorder, also called ipseity disturbance, is a psychological phenomenon of disruption or diminishing of a person's sense of minimal (or basic) self-awareness. The precise mechanisms that cause bipolar disorder are not well understood. Bipolar disorder is thought to be associated with abnormalities in the structure and function of certain brain areas responsible for cognitive tasks and the processing of emotions. A neurologic model for bipolar disorder proposes that the emotional circuitry of the brain can be divided into two main parts. The ventral system (regulates emotional perception) includes brain structures such as the amygdala, insula, ventral striatum, ventral anterior cingulate cortex, and the prefrontal cortex. The dorsal system (responsible for emotional regulation) includes the hippocampus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and other parts of the prefrontal cortex.The model hypothesizes that bipolar disorder may occur when the ventral system is overactivated and the dorsal system is underactivated.Other models suggest the ability to regulate emotions is disrupted in people with bipolar disorder and that dysfunction of the ventricular prefrontal cortex (vPFC) is crucial to this disruption.
If the elevated mood is severe or associated with psychosis, it is called mania; if it is less severe, it is called hypomania. During mania, an individual behaves or feels abnormally energetic, happy or irritable, and they often make impulsive decisions with little regard for the consequences.[5] There is usually also a reduced need for sleep during manic phases.[5] During periods of depression, the individual may experience crying and have a negative outlook on life and poor eye contact with others.[ The risk of suicide is high; over a period of 20 years, 6% of those with bipolar disorder died by suicide, while 30–40% engaged in self-harm. Other mental health issues, such as anxiety disorders and substance use disorders, are commonly associated with bipolar disorder. The sense of minimal self refers to the very basic sense of having experiences that are one's own; it has no properties, unlike the more extended sense of self, the narrative self, which is characterized by the person's reflections on themselves as a person, things they like, their identity, and other aspects that are the result of reflection on one's self. Disturbances in the sense of minimal self, as measured by the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE), aggregate in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders, to include schizotypal personality disorder, and distinguish them from other conditions such as psychotic bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. The minimal self has been likened to a "flame that enlightens its surroundings and thereby itself." Unlike the extended self, which is composed of properties such as the person's identity, the person's narrative, and other aspects that can be gleaned from reflection, the minimal self has no properties, but refers to the "mine-ness" "given-ness" of experience, that the experiences are that of the person having them in that person's stream of consciousness. These experiences that are part of the minimal self are normally "tacit" and implied, requiring no reflection on the part of the person experiencing to know that the experience is theirs. The minimal self cannot be further elaborated and normally one cannot grasp it upon reflection. The minimal self goes hand-in-hand with immersion in the shared social world, such that "[t]he world is always pregiven, ie, tacitly grasped as a self-evident background of all experiencing and meaning." This is the self-world structure. De Warren gives an example of the minimal self combined with immersion in the shared social world: "When looking at this tree in my backyard, my consciousness is directed toward the tree and not toward my own act of perception. I am, however, aware of myself as perceiving this tree, yet this self-awareness (or self-consciousness) is not itself thematic."[5] The focus is normally on the tree itself, not on the person's own act of seeing the tree: to know that one is seeing the tree does not require an act of reflection. In the schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the minimal self and the self-world structure are "constantly challenged, unstable, and oscillating," causing anomalous self-experiences known as self-disorders. These involve the person feeling as if they lack an identity, as if they are not really existing, that the sense of their experiences being their own (the "mine-ness" of their experiential world) is failing or diminishing, as if their inner experiences are no longer private, and that they don't really understand the world. These experiences lead to the person engaging in hyper-reflectivity, or abnormally prolonged and intense self-reflection, to attempt to gain a grasp on these experiences, but such intense reflection may further exacerbate the self-disorders. Self-disorders tend to be chronic, becoming incorporated into the person's way of being and affecting "how" they experience the world and not necessarily "what" they experience. This instability of the minimal self may provoke the onset of psychosis. Similar phenomena can occur in other conditions, such as bipolar disorder and depersonalization disorder, but Sass's (2014) review of the literature comparing accounts of self-experience in various mental disorders shows that serious self-other confusion and "severe erosion of minimal self-experience" only occur in schizophrenia; as an example of the latter, Sass cites the autobiographical account of Elyn Saks, who has schizophrenia, of her experience of "disorganization" in which she felt that thoughts, perceptions, sensations, and even the passage of time became incoherent, and that she had no longer "the solid center from which one experiences reality", which occurred when she was 7 or 8 years old. This disturbance tends to fluctuate over time based on emotions and motivation, accounting for the phenomenon of dialipsis in schizophrenia, where neurocognitive performance tends to be inconsistent over time. The disturbance of the minimal self may manifest in people in various ways, including as a tendency to inspect one's thoughts in order to know what they are thinking, like a person seeing an image, reading a message, or listening closely to someone talking (audible thoughts; or in German: Gedankenlautwerden). In normal thought, the "signifier" (the images or inner speech representing the thought) and the "meaning" are combined into the "expression", so that the person "inhabits" their thinking, or that both the signifier and the meaning implicitly come to mind together; the person does not need to reflect on their thoughts to understand what they are thinking. In people with self-disorder, however, it is frequently the case that many thoughts are experienced as more like external objects that are not implicitly comprehended. The person must turn their focus toward the thoughts to understand their thoughts because of that lack of implicit comprehension, a split of the signifier and the meaning from each other, where the signifier emerges automatically in the field of awareness but the meaning does not. This is an example of the failing "mine-ness" of the experiential field as the minimal self recedes from its own thoughts, which are consigned to an outer space. This is present chronically, both during and outside of psychosis, and may represent a middle point between normal inner speech and auditory hallucinations, as well as normal experience and first-rank symptoms. They may also experience uncontrolled multiple trains of thought with different themes simultaneously coursing through one's head interfering with concentration (thought pressure) or often feel they must attend to things with their full attention in order to get done what most people can do without giving it much thought (hyper-reflectivity), which can lead to fatigue.In a 2014 review, Postmes, et al., suggested that self-disorders and psychosis may arise from attempts to compensate for perceptual incoherence and proposed a hypothesis for how the interaction among these phenomena and the person's attempts to resolve the incoherence give rise to schizophrenia. The problems with the integration of sensory information create problems for the person in keeping a grip on the world, and since the self-world interaction is fundamentally linked to the basic sense of self, the latter is also disrupted as a result. Sass and Borda have studied the correlates of the dimensions of self-disorders, namely disturbed grip (perplexity, difficulty "getting" stuff most people can get), hyperreflexivity (where thoughts, feelings, sensations, and objects pop up uncontrollably in the field of awareness, as well dysfunctional reflecting on matters and the self), and diminished self-affection (where the person has difficulty being "affected" by aspects of the self, experiencing those aspects as if they existed in an outer space), and have proposed how both primary and secondary factors may arise from dysfunctions in perceptual organization and multisensory integration. In a 2013 review, Mishara, et al., criticized the concept of the minimal self as an explanation for self-disorder, saying that it is unfalsifiable, and that self-disorder arises primarily from difficulty integrating different aspects of the self as well as having difficulty distinguishing self and other, as proposed by Lysaker and Lysaker: Ichstörung or ego disorder, as they say, in schizophrenia arises from disturbed relationships not from the "solipsistic" concept of the self as proposed by Sass, Parnas, and others. In his review, Sass agrees that the focus of research into self-disorder has focused too much on the self, and mentions attempts to look at disturbances in the person's relationship with other people and the world, with work being done to create an Examination of Anomalous World Experience, which will look at the person's anomalous experiences regarding time, space, persons, language, and atmosphere; he suggests there are problems with both the self and the world in people with self-disorder, and that it may be better conceptualized as a "presence-disturbance".Parnas acknowledges the Lysaker model, but says that it is not incompatible with the concept of the minimal self, as they deal with different levels of self-hood.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-disorder
Late adolescence and early adulthood are peak years for the onset of bipolar disorder.The condition is characterized by intermittent episodes of mania and/or depression, with an absence of symptoms in between. During these episodes, people with bipolar disorder exhibit disruptions in normal mood, psychomotor activity (the level of physical activity that is influenced by mood)—e.g. constant fidgeting during mania or slowed movements during depression—circadian rhythm and cognition. Mania can present with varying levels of mood disturbance, ranging from euphoria, which is associated with "classic mania", to dysphoria and irritability. Psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations may occur in both manic and depressive episodes; their content and nature are consistent with the person's prevailing mood. According to the DSM-5 criteria, mania is distinguished from hypomania by length: hypomania is present if elevated mood symptoms persist for at least four consecutive days, while mania is present if such symptoms persist for more than a week. Unlike mania, hypomania is not always associated with impaired functioning. The biological mechanisms responsible for switching from a manic or hypomanic episode to a depressive episode, or vice versa, remain poorly understood.The causes of bipolar disorder are not clearly understood, both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role. Many genes, each with small effects, may contribute to the development of the disorder. Genetic factors account for about 70–90% of the risk of developing bipolar disorder. Environmental risk factors include a history of childhood abuse and long-term stress. The condition is classified as bipolar I disorder if there has been at least one manic episode, with or without depressive episodes, and as bipolar II disorder if there has been at least one hypomanic episode (but no full manic episodes) and one major depressive episode. If these symptoms are due to drugs or medical problems, they are not diagnosed as bipolar disorder. Other conditions that have overlapping symptoms with bipolar disorder include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and substance use disorder as well as many other medical conditions. Medical testing is not required for a diagnosis, though blood tests or medical imaging can rule out other problems. Mood stabilizers—lithium and certain anticonvulsants such as valproate and carbamazepine—are the mainstay of long-term relapse prevention. Antipsychotics are given during acute manic episodes as well as in cases where mood stabilizers are poorly tolerated or ineffective or where compliance is poor. There is some evidence that psychotherapy improves the course of this disorder. The use of antidepressants in depressive episodes is controversial: they can be effective but have been implicated in triggering manic episodes. The treatment of depressive episodes, therefore, is often difficult. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective in acute manic and depressive episodes, especially with psychosis or catatonia. Admission to a psychiatric hospital may be required if a person is a risk to themselves or others; involuntary treatment is sometimes necessary if the affected person refuses treatment. Bipolar disorder occurs in approximately 1% of the global population. In the United States, about 3% are estimated to be affected at some point in their life; rates appear to be similar in females and males. Symptoms most commonly begin between the ages of 20 and 25 years old; an earlier onset in life is associated with a worse prognosis. Interest in functioning in the assessment of patients with bipolar disorder is growing, with an emphasis on specific domains such as work, education, social life, family, and cognition. Around one-quarter to one-third of people with bipolar disorder have financial, social or work-related problems due to the illness. Bipolar disorder is among the top 20 causes of disability worldwide and leads to substantial costs for society. Due to lifestyle choices and the side effects of medications, the risk of death from natural causes such as coronary heart disease in people with bipolar disorder is twice that of the general population. Also known as a manic episode, mania is a distinct period of at least one week of elevated or irritable mood, which can range from euphoria to delirium. The core symptom of mania involves an increase in energy of psychomotor activity. Mania can also present with increased self-esteem or grandiosity, racing thoughts, pressured speech that is difficult to interrupt, decreased need for sleep, disinhibited social behavior, increased goal-oriented activities and impaired judgement, which can lead to exhibition of behaviors characterized as impulsive or high-risk, such as hypersexuality or excessive spending.To fit the definition of a manic episode, these behaviors must impair the individual's ability to socialize or work.[ If untreated, a manic episode usually lasts three to six months.
In severe manic episodes, a person can experience psychotic symptoms, where thought content is affected along with mood. They may feel unstoppable, or as if they have a special relationship with God, a great mission to accomplish, or other grandiose or delusional ideas. This may lead to violent behavior and, sometimes, hospitalization in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The severity of manic symptoms can be measured by rating scales such as the Young Mania Rating Scale, though questions remain about the reliability of these scales. The onset of a manic or depressive episode is often foreshadowed by sleep disturbance. Mood changes, psychomotor and appetite changes, and an increase in anxiety can also occur up to three weeks before a manic episode develops.[medical citation needed] Manic individuals often have a history of substance abuse developed over years as a form of "self-medication". Hypomania is the milder form of mania, defined as at least four days of the same criteria as mania, but which does not cause a significant decrease in the individual's ability to socialize or work, lacks psychotic features such as delusions or hallucinations, and does not require psychiatric hospitalization. Overall functioning may actually increase during episodes of hypomania and is thought to serve as a defense mechanism against depression by some. Hypomanic episodes rarely progress to full-blown manic episodes. Some people who experience hypomania show increased creativity, while others are irritable or demonstrate poor judgment. Hypomania may feel good to some individuals who experience it, though most people who experience hypomania state that the stress of the experience is very painful. People with bipolar disorder who experience hypomania tend to forget the effects of their actions on those around them. Even when family and friends recognize mood swings, the individual will often deny that anything is wrong. If not accompanied by depressive episodes, hypomanic episodes are often not deemed problematic unless the mood changes are uncontrollable or volatile.Most commonly, symptoms continue for time periods from a few weeks to a few months. People with bipolar disorder who are in a euthymic mood state show decreased activity in the lingual gyrus compared to people without bipolar disorder. In contrast, they demonstrate decreased activity in the inferior frontal cortex during manic episodes compared to people without the disorder. Similar studies examining the differences in brain activity between people with bipolar disorder and those without did not find a consistent area in the brain that was more or less active when comparing these two groups. People with bipolar have increased activation of left hemisphere ventral limbic areas—which mediate emotional experiences and generation of emotional responses—and decreased activation of right hemisphere cortical structures related to cognition—structures associated with the regulation of emotions. Neuroscientists have proposed additional models to try to explain the cause of bipolar disorder. One proposed model for bipolar disorder suggests that hypersensitivity of reward circuits consisting of frontostriatal circuits causes mania, and decreased sensitivity of these circuits causes depression. According to the "kindling" hypothesis, when people who are genetically predisposed toward bipolar disorder experience stressful events, the stress threshold at which mood changes occur becomes progressively lower, until the episodes eventually start (and recur) spontaneously. There is evidence supporting an association between early-life stress and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leading to its overactivation, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder. Other brain components that have been proposed to play a role in bipolar disorder are the mitochondria and a sodium ATPase pump. Circadian rhythms and regulation of the hormone melatonin also seem to be altered. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood cycling, has increased transmission during the manic phase. The dopamine hypothesis states that the increase in dopamine results in secondary homeostatic downregulation of key system elements and receptors such as lower sensitivity of dopaminergic receptors. This results in decreased dopamine transmission characteristic of the depressive phase. The depressive phase ends with homeostatic upregulation potentially restarting the cycle over again. Glutamate is significantly increased within the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the manic phase of bipolar disorder, and returns to normal levels once the phase is over. Medications used to treat bipolar may exert their effect by modulating intracellular signaling, such as through depleting myo-inositol levels, inhibition of cAMP signaling, and through altering subunits of the dopamine-associated G-protein.[81] Consistent with this, elevated levels of Gαi, Gαs, and Gαq/11 have been reported in brain and blood samples, along with increased protein kinase A (PKA) expression and sensitivity;[82] typically, PKA activates as part of the intracellular signalling cascade downstream from the detachment of Gαs subunit from the G protein complex. Decreased levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, a byproduct of serotonin, are present in the cerebrospinal fluid of persons with bipolar disorder during both the depressed and manic phases. Increased dopaminergic activity has been hypothesized in manic states due to the ability of dopamine agonists to stimulate mania in people with bipolar disorder. Decreased sensitivity of regulatory α2 adrenergic receptors as well as increased cell counts in the locus coeruleus indicated increased noradrenergic activity in manic people. Low plasma GABA levels on both sides of the mood spectrum have been found.[83] One review found no difference in monoamine levels, but found abnormal norepinephrine turnover in people with bipolar disorder. Tyrosine depletion was found to reduce the effects of methamphetamine in people with bipolar disorder as well as symptoms of mania, implicating dopamine in mania. VMAT2 binding was found to be increased in one study of people with bipolar mania.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manufacturer Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, Akron, Ohio
Manufactured 31 October 1929 (commenced)
8 August 1931 (launched)
Serial ZRS-4
First flight 23 September 1931
Owners and operators United States Navy
In service 27 October 1931 (commissioned)
Last flight 4 April 1933
Flights 73
Total hours 1695.8
Aircraft carried 5 x Curtiss F9C 'Sparrowhawk',[1] Consolidated N2Y-1, Waco XJW-1
Fate Crashed off coast of New Jersey, 4 April 1933
USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a helium-filled rigid airship of the U.S. Navy, the lead ship of her class, which operated between September 1931 and April 1933. It was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes, which could be launched and recovered while it was in flight. With an overall length of 785 ft (239 m), Akron and her sister ship Macon were among the largest flying objects ever built. Although LZ 129 Hindenburg and LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II were some 18 ft (5.5 m) longer and slightly more voluminous, the two German airships were filled with hydrogen, and so the two US Navy craft still hold the world record for the largest helium-filled airships.[2]
Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of 4 April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. The accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash.
Technical description
The airship's skeleton was built of the new lightweight alloy duralumin 17-SRT.[3] The frame introduced several novel features compared with traditional Zeppelin designs. Rather than being single-girder diamond trusses with radial wire bracing, the main rings of Akron were self-supporting deep frames: triangular Warren trusses 'curled' round to form a ring. Though much heavier than conventional rings, the deep rings promised to be much stronger, a significant attraction to the navy after the in-flight break up of the earlier conventional airships R38/ZR-2 and ZR-1 Shenandoah.[4] The inherent strength of these frames allowed the chief designer, Karl Arnstein, to dispense with the internal cruciform structure used by Zeppelin to support the fins of their ships. Instead, the fins of Akron were cantilevered: mounted entirely externally to the main structure.[5] Graf Zeppelin, Graf Zeppelin II, and Hindenburg used a supplementary axial keel along the hull centerline. However, the Akron used three keels, one running along the top of the hull and one each side, 45 degrees up from the lower centreline. Each keel provided a walkway running almost the entire length of the ship. The electric and telephone wiring, control cables, 110 fuel tanks, 44 water ballast bags, 8 engine rooms, engines, transmissions, and water-recovery devices were placed along the lower keels. The inert gas helium was used instead of flammable hydrogen, which improved streamlining by allowing the engines to be safely placed inside the hull. A generator room, with 2 Westinghouse d.c. generators powered by a 30-h.p. internal combustion engine, was forward of the No. 7 engine room.[6]: 36, 187–197
The main rings were spaced at 22.5 m (74 ft) and between each pair were three intermediate rings of lighter construction. In keeping with conventional practice, 'station numbers' on the airship were measured in meters from zero at the rudder post, positive forward and negative aft. Thus the tip of the tail was at station −23.75 and the nose mooring spindle was at station 210.75. Each ring frame formed a polygon with 36 corners and these (and their associated longitudinal girders) were numbered from 1 (at the bottom centre) to 18 (at the top centre) port and starboard.[7] Thus a position on the hull could be referred to, for example, as "6 port at station 102.5" (the number 1 engine room).
While Germany, France and Britain used goldbeater's skin to gas-proof their gasbags, Akron used Goodyear Tire and Rubber's rubberised cotton, heavier but much cheaper and more durable. Half the gas cells used an experimental cotton-based fabric impregnated with a gelatin-latex compound. This was more expensive than the rubberised cotton but lighter than goldbeater's skin. It was so successful that all the gasbags of Macon were made from it.[8] There were 12 gas cells, numbered 0 to XI, using Roman numerals and starting from the tail.[9] While the 'air volume' of the hull was 7,401,260 cu ft (209,580 m3), the total volume of the gas cells at 100 percent fill was 6,850,000 cu ft (194,000 m3). At a normal 95 percent fill with helium of standard purity, the 6,500,000 cu ft (180,000 m3) of gas would yield a gross lift of 403,000 lb (183,000 kg). Given a structure deadweight of 242,356 lb (109,931 kg),[10] this gives a useful lift of 160,644 lb (72,867 kg) available for fuel, lubricants, ballast, crew, supplies and military load (including the skyhook airplanes)
Eight Maybach VL II 560 hp (420 kW) gasoline engines were mounted inside the hull.[11] Each engine turned a two-bladed, 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m) diameter, fixed pitch, wooden propeller via a driveshaft and bevel gearing which allowed the propeller to swivel from the vertical plane to the horizontal.[12] With the engines' ability to reverse, this allowed thrust to be applied forward, aft, up or down.[13] It appears from photographs that the four propellers on each side were contra-rotating, each one turning the opposite way to the one ahead of it. Thus it would appear that the designers were aware that running the propellers in the air disturbed by the one ahead was not ideal. While the external engine pods of other airships allowed the thrust lines to be staggered, placing all four engine rooms on each side of the ship along the lower keel resulted in Akron's propellers all being in line. This proved problematic in service, as it induced considerable vibration which was especially noticeable in the emergency control position in the lower fin. By 1933, Akron had two of her propellers replaced by more advanced, ground-adjustable, three-bladed, metal propellers.[14] These promised a performance increase and were adopted as standard for Macon.
The outer cover was of cotton cloth, treated with four coats of clear and two coats of aluminum pigmented cellulose dope. The total area of the skin was 330,000 sq ft (31,000 m2) and it weighed, after doping, 113,000 lb (51,000 kg).[15]
The prominent dark vertical bands on the hull were condensers of the system designed to recover water from the engines' exhaust for buoyancy compensation. In-flight fuel consumption continuously reduces an airship's weight and changes in the temperature of the lifting gas can do the same. Normally, expensive helium has to be released to compensate and any way of avoiding this is desirable. In theory, a water recovery system such as this can produce 1 lb of ballast water for every lb of fuel burned, though this is unlikely to be achieved in practice.[13]
Akron could carry up to 20,700 US gal (78,000 L) of gasoline (126,000 lb (57,000 kg)) in 110 separate tanks which were distributed along the lower keels to preserve the ship's trim, giving her a normal range of 5,940 nmi (6,840 mi; 11,000 km) at cruising speed.[16] Theoretical maximum ballast water capacity was 223,000 lb (101,000 kg) in 44 bags, again distributed along her length, though normal ballast load at unmasting was 20,000 lb (9,100 kg).[15] Maximum ballast was never an option, because a full fuel and ballast load would have left only 4,600 lb (2,100 kg) lifting capacity for aircraft, crew, and supplies, and each fully loaded F9C fighter alone weighed 2,800 lb (1,300 kg).
The heart of the ship, and her sole reason for existing, was the airplane hangar and trapeze system. Aft of the control car, in bay VII, between frames 125 and 141.25, was a compartment large enough to accommodate up to five F9C Sparrowhawk airplanes. However, two structural girders partially obstructed Akron's aftmost hangar bays, limiting its capacity to three airplanes (one in each forward corner of the hangar and one on the trapeze). A modification to remove this design flaw was pending at the time of the ship's loss.[17]
The F9C was not the ideal choice, being designed as a 'conventional' carrier-borne fighter. It was heavily built to withstand carrier landings, downward visibility was not very good and it initially lacked an effective radio. But the primary role of Akron's airplanes was long-range naval scouting. What was actually needed was a stable, fast, lightweight scouting airplane with a long range,[18] but none existed capable of fitting between the structural members and into the airship's hangar, as the F9C could.
The trapeze was lowered through the T-shaped door in the bottom of the ship and into the slipstream, with an airplane attached to the crossbar by the 'skyhook' above its top wing, its pilot on board and its engine running. The pilot tripped the hook and the airplane fell away from the ship. On his return, he positioned himself beneath the trapeze and climbed up until he could fly his skyhook onto the crossbar, at which point it automatically latched shut. Now, with the engine idling, the trapeze and airplane were raised into the hangar, the pilot cutting his engine as he passed through the door. Once inside, the airplane was transferred from the trapeze to a trolley, running on an overhead 'monorail' system by which it could be shunted into one of the four corners of the hangar to be refueled and re-armed. Having a single trapeze raised two problems: it limited the rate at which airplanes could be launched and recovered and any fault in the trapeze would leave any airborne scouts with nowhere to land. The solution was a second, fixed trapeze permanently rigged further aft along the bottom of the ship at station 102.5 and known as the 'perch'. By 1933 a perch was fitted and in use. Three more perches were planned (at stations 57.5, 80 and 147.5) but these were never fitted.[17]
Akron revived an idea used, and eventually rejected, by the German Navy zeppelins during World War I: the spähkorb or 'spy basket'.[19] The "angel basket" or "sub-cloud observation car", allowed the airship to remain hidden in a cloud layer, while still observing the enemy below. The small car, rather like an airplane fuselage without wings, could be lowered on a 1000 foot long cable. The observer on board communicated with the ship by telephone. In practice, the device was unstable, almost looping over the airship during its only test flight.[6]
During the design stage, in 1929, the navy requested an alteration to the fins. It was considered desirable for the bottom of the lower fin to be visible from the control car. Charles E. Rosendahl had witnessed, from the control room, Graf Zeppelin almost snagging her fin on high-tension power lines during her heavy take off into an unsuspected but very marked temperature inversion from Mines Field, Los Angeles at the start of the last leg of her round-the-world flight earlier that year.[20] The design change would also allow direct vision between the main control car and the emergency control position in the lower fin. The control car was moved 8 ft (2.4 m) aft and all the fins were shortened and deepened. The leading edge root of the fins no longer coincided with a main (deep) ring and instead the foremost attachment was now to an intermediate ring at frame 28.75. This achieved the required visibility, improved low-speed controllability, due to the increased span of the control surfaces, and simplified stress calculations, by reducing the number of fin attachment points. The designers and the navy's inspectors, led by the very experienced Charles P Burgess, were entirely satisfied with the revised stress calculations. However, this alteration has been the subject of much criticism as an "inherent defect" in the design and is often alleged to have been a major factor in the loss of Akron's sister ship Macon.[21] Construction for both ships amounted to $8,800,000 (in 1931 dollars) with the Akron accounting $5,538,400 of the total.[22]
Construction and commissioning
Construction of ZRS-4 was begun on 31 October 1929 at the Goodyear Airdock in Akron, Ohio by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation.[23] Because it was larger than any airship previously built in the US, a special hangar was constructed.[24] Chief Designer Karl Arnstein and a team of experienced German airship engineers instructed and supported design and construction of both U.S. Navy airships USS Akron and USS Macon.[25]
On 7 November 1929, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, the Chief of the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, drove the "golden rivet" into the main ring of "ZRS4". Erection of the hull sections began in March 1930. Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams chose the name Akron (for the city near where it was being built), and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Ernest Lee Jahncke announced it in May 1930.[6]: 33
Sample of the duralumin from which the frame of USS Akron was built
On 8 August 1931, Akron was launched (floated free of the hangar floor) and christened by First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, the wife of the President of the United States, Herbert Clark Hoover. The maiden flight of Akron took place around Cleveland on the afternoon of 23 September with Secretary of the Navy Adams and Rear Admiral Moffett on board. The airship made ten trial flights, including a 2000-mile journey, over 48 hours, to St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee. On 21 October Akron left the Goodyear Zeppelin Air Dock for the Lakehurst Naval Air Station (NAS), with Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Rosendahl in command, arriving the next day. On Navy Day, 27 October 1931, the Akron was commissioned as a Navy vessel.[6]: 37–43
History of service
.
Maiden voyage
On 2 November 1931, Akron departed on her first cruise down the eastern seaboard to Washington, D.C. On 3 November the Akron took to the air with 207 persons on board. This demonstration was to prove that in an emergency airships could provide limited but high speed airlift of troops to outlying possessions. Over the weeks that followed, some 300 hours aloft were logged in a series of flights, including a 46-hour endurance flight to Mobile, Alabama, and back. The return leg of the trip was made via the valleys of the Mississippi River and the Ohio River.[6]: 47–49
Participation in a search exercise (January 1932)
On the morning of 9 January 1932, Akron departed from Lakehurst to work with the Scouting Fleet on a search exercise. Proceeding to the coast of North Carolina, Akron headed out over the Atlantic where it was assigned to find a group of destroyers bound for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Once these were located, the airship was to shadow them and report their movements. Leaving the coast of North Carolina at about 7:21 on the morning of 10 January, the airship proceeded south, but bad weather prevented sighting the destroyers (contact with them was missed at 12:40 EST, although their crews had sighted Akron) and eventually shaped a course toward the Bahamas by late afternoon. Heading northwesterly into the night, Akron then changed course shortly before midnight and proceeded to the southeast. Ultimately, at 9:08 am on 11 January, the airship succeeded in spotting the light cruiser USS Raleigh and 12 destroyers, positively identifying them on the eastern horizon two minutes later. Sighting a second group of destroyers shortly thereafter, Akron was released from the evaluation about 10:00 a.m., having achieved a "qualified success" in the initial test with the Scouting Fleet, but the performance could have been better with radio detection finding equipment, and scout planes.[6]: 49–51
As the historian Richard K Smith wrote in his definitive study, The Airships Akron and Macon, "...consideration given to the weather, duration of flight, a track of more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) flown, her material deficiencies, and the rudimentary character of aerial navigation at that date, the Akron's performance was remarkable. There was not a military airplane in the world in 1932 which could have given the same performance, operating from the same base."[26]
First accident (February 1932)
Akron was to have taken part in Fleet Problem XIII, but an accident at Lakehurst on 22 February 1932 prevented her participation. While the airship was being taken from her hangar, the tail came loose from her moorings, was caught by the wind, and struck the ground.[27] The heaviest damage was confined to the lower fin area, which required repair. Also, ground handling fittings had been torn from the main frame, necessitating further repairs. Akron was not certified as airworthy again until later in the spring. Her next operation took place on 28 April, when it made a nine-hour flight with Rear Admiral Moffett and Secretary of the Navy Adams aboard.[6]: 53–55
As a result of this accident, a turntable with a walking beam on tracks powered by electric mine locomotives was developed to secure the tail and turn the ship even in high winds so that it could be pulled into the massive hangar at Lakehurst.[28]
Testing of the "spy basket"
Soon after returning to Lakehurst to disembark her distinguished passengers, Akron took off again to conduct a test of the "spy basket"—something like a small airplane fuselage suspended beneath the airship that would enable an observer to serve as the ship's "eyes" below the clouds while the ship herself remained out of sight above them. The first time the basket was tried (with sandbags aboard instead of a man), it oscillated so violently that it put the whole ship in danger. The basket proved "frighteningly unstable", swooping from one side of the airship to the other before the startled gaze of Akron's officers and men and reaching as high as the ship's equator.[19] Though it was later improved by adding a ventral stabilizing fin, the spybasket was never used again.[29]
Akron and Macon (which was still under construction) were regarded as potential "flying aircraft carriers", carrying parasite fighters for reconnaissance. On 3 May 1932, Akron cruised over the coast of New Jersey with Rear Admiral George C. Day, and the Board of Inspection and Survey, on board, and for the first time tested the "trapeze" installation for in-flight handling of aircraft. The aviators who carried out those historic "landings"—first with a Consolidated N2Y trainer and then with the prototype Curtiss XF9C-1 Sparrowhawk—were Lieutenant D. Ward Harrigan and Lieutenant Howard L. Young. The following day, Akron carried out another demonstration flight, this time with members of the House Committee on Naval Affairs on board; this time, Lieutenants Harrigan and Young gave the lawmakers a demonstration of Akron's aircraft hook-on ability.[6]: 55–56
Following the conclusion of those trial flights, Akron departed from Lakehurst, New Jersey on 8 May 1932, for the American west coast. The airship proceeded down the eastern seaboard to Georgia and then across the southern gulf states, continuing over Texas and Arizona. En route to Sunnyvale, California, Akron reached Camp Kearny in San Diego on the morning of 11 May and attempted to moor. Since neither trained ground handlers nor specialized mooring equipment were present, the landing at Camp Kearny was fraught with danger. By the time the crew started the evaluation, the helium gas had been warmed by sunlight, increasing lift. Lightened by 40 short tons (36 t), the amount of fuel spent during the transcontinental trip, Akron was now uncontrollably light.[6]: 56–57
The mooring cable was cut to avert a catastrophic nose-stand by the errant airship which floated upwards. Most of the mooring crew—predominantly "boot" seamen from the Naval Training Station San Diego—released their lines although four did not. One let go at about 15 ft (4.6 m) and suffered a broken arm while the three others were carried further aloft. Of these, Aviation Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Edsall and Apprentice Seaman Nigel M. Henton soon plunged to their deaths while Apprentice Seaman C. M. "Bud" Cowart held on to his line and then secured himself to it[30] before being hoisted on board the airship an hour later.[31] Akron moored at Camp Kearny later that day before proceeding to Sunnyvale, California. Footage from the accident appears in the film Encounters with Disaster, released in 1979 and produced by Sun Classic Pictures.
West Coast flights
Over the weeks that followed, Akron "showed the flag" on the West Coast of the United States, ranging as far north as the Canada–US border before returning south in time to exercise once more with the Scouting Fleet. Serving as part of the "Green Force", the Akron attempted to locate the "White Force". Although opposed by Vought O2U Corsair floatplanes from "enemy" warships, the airship located the opposing forces in just 22 hours, a fact not lost upon some of the participants in the exercise in subsequent critiques.[6]: 58–59
In need of repairs, Akron departed from Sunnyvale on 11 June 1932 bound for Lakehurst, New Jersey, on a return trip that was sprinkled with difficulties, mostly because of unfavorable weather, and having to fly at pressure height while crossing the mountains. Akron arrived on 15 June after a "long and sometimes harrowing" aerial voyage.[6]: 61–62
Akron next underwent a period of voyage repairs before taking part in July in a search for Curlew, a yacht which had failed to reach port at the end of a race to the island of Bermuda. The yacht was later discovered safe off Nantucket.[32] It then resumed operations capturing aircraft on the "trapeze" equipment. Admiral Moffett again boarded Akron on 20 July, but the next day left the airship in one of her N2Y-1s which took him back to Lakehurst after a severe storm had delayed the airship's own return to base.[6]: 65–66
Further tests as "flying aircraft carrier"
Akron entered a new phase of her career that summer of 1932, engaging in intense experimentation with the revolutionary "trapeze" and a full complement of F9C-2s. A key element of the entrance into that new phase was a new commanding officer, Commander Alger Dresel.[6]: 63–65
Third accident (August 1932)
Another accident hampered training on 22 August when Akron's tail fin became fouled by a beam in Lakehurst's massive Hangar No 1 after a premature order to commence towing the ship out of the mooring circle. Nevertheless, rapid repairs enabled eight more flights over the Atlantic during the last three months of 1932. These operations involved intensive work with the trapeze and the F9C-2s, as well as the drilling of lookouts and gun crews.[6]: 66–67
Among the tasks undertaken were the maintenance of two aircraft patrolling and scouting on Akron's flanks. During a seven-hour period on 18 November 1932, the airship and a trio of planes searched a sector 100 mi wide.[6]: 67
Return to the fleet
After local operations out of Lakehurst for the remainder of 1932, Akron was ready to resume operations with the fleet. On the afternoon of 3 January 1933, Commander Frank C. McCord relieved Commander Dresel as commanding officer, the latter becoming the first commanding officer of Akron's sister ship Macon, whose construction was almost complete. Within hours, Akron headed south down the eastern seaboard toward Florida where, after refueling at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Opa-locka, Florida, near Miami, the next day proceeded to Guantánamo Bay for an inspection of base sites. At this time the N2Y-1s were used to provide aerial "taxi" service to ferry members of the inspection party back and forth.[6]: 73
Soon thereafter, Akron returned to Lakehurst for local operations which were interrupted by a two-week overhaul and poor weather. In March, it carried out intensive training with an aviation unit of F9C-2s, honing hook-on skills. During the course of these operations, an overfly of Washington DC was made 4 March 1933, the day Franklin D. Roosevelt first took the oath of office as President of the United States.[6]: 74
On 11 March, Akron departed Lakehurst bound for Panama stopping briefly en route at Opa-locka before proceeding on to Balboa where an inspection party looked over a potential air base site. While returning northward, the airship paused at Opa-locka again for local operations exercising gun crews, with the N2Y-1s serving as targets, before getting underway for Lakehurst on 22 March.[6]: 74–75
Loss
Location of crash
On the evening of 3 April 1933, Akron cast off from the mooring mast to operate along the coast of New England, assisting in the calibration of radio direction finder stations. Rear Admiral Moffett was again on board along with his aide, Commander Henry Barton Cecil, Commander Fred T. Berry, the commanding officer of NAS Lakehurst, and Lieutenant Colonel Alfred F. Masury, U.S. Army Reserve, a guest of the admiral, the vice-president of Mack Trucks, and a strong proponent of the potential civilian uses of rigid airships.[6]: 77–78
After casting off at 19:28, Akron soon encountered fog and then severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey,[33] at 22:00. According to Richard Smith, "Unknown to the men on board the Akron, they were flying ahead of one of the most violent stormfronts to sweep the North Atlantic States in ten years. It would soon envelop them." Enveloped in fog, increased lightning and heavy rain, it became extremely turbulent at 00:15. The Akron began a rapid nose-down descent, reaching 1100 feet while still falling. Ballast was dumped, which stabilized the ship at 700 feet, and climbed back to 1600 feet cruising altitude. Then a second violent descent sent the Akron downwards at 14 feet per second. "Landing stations" alerted the crew, as the ship descended tail-down. The lower fin struck the sea, water entered the fin, and the stern was dragged under. The engines pulled the ship into a nose-high attitude, then the Akron stalled, and crashed into the sea.[6]: 78–80
Akron broke up rapidly and sank in the stormy Atlantic. The crew of the nearby German merchant ship Phoebus saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 00:23 and altered course to starboard to investigate, with her captain believing that he was witnessing an airplane crash. At 00:55, executive officer Lieutenant Commander Herbert V. Wiley was pulled from the water while the ship's boat picked up three more men: Chief Radioman Robert W. Copeland, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Richard E. Deal, and Aviation Metalsmith Second Class Moody E. Erwin. Despite artificial respiration, Copeland never regained consciousness, and he died aboard Phoebus.[6]: 80 Although the German sailors spotted four or five other men in the water, they did not know their ship had chanced upon the crash of Akron until Lt. Commander Wiley regained consciousness half an hour after being rescued. The crew of Phoebus combed the ocean in boats for over five hours in a fruitless search for more survivors. The Navy blimp J-3—sent out to join the search—also crashed, with the loss of two men.[34]
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Tucker—the first American vessel on the scene—arrived at 06:00, taking the airship's survivors and the body of Copeland on board. Among the other ships combing the area for survivors were the heavy cruiser Portland, the destroyer Cole, the Coast Guard cutter Mojave, and the Coast Guard destroyers McDougal and Hunt, as well as two Coast Guard aircraft. The fishing vessel Grace F from Gloucester, Massachusetts, also assisted in the search, using her seining gear in an effort to recover bodies.[35] Most casualties had been caused by drowning and hypothermia, since the crew had not been issued life jackets, and there had not been time to deploy the single life raft. The accident left 73 dead, and only three survivors. Wiley, standing next to the two other survivors, gave a brief account on 6 April.[36]
Aftermath of loss
See also: Cathedral of the Air
Akron's loss spelled the beginning of the end for the rigid airship in the U.S. Navy, especially since one of her leading proponents, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, was among the dead. President Roosevelt said, "The loss of the Akron with her crew of gallant officers and men is a national disaster. I grieve with the Nation and especially with the wives and families of the men who were lost. Ships can be replaced, but the Nation can ill afford to lose such men as Rear Admiral William A. Moffett and his shipmates who died with him upholding to the end the finest traditions of the United States Navy." The loss of the Akron was the largest loss of life in any airship crash.[37]
Macon and other airships received life jackets to avert a repetition of this tragedy. When Macon was damaged in a storm in 1935 and subsequently sank after landing in the sea, 70 of the 72 crew were saved.
The songwriter Bob Miller wrote and recorded a song, "The Crash of the Akron", within one day of the disaster.[38]
In 2003, the U.S. submarine NR-1 surveyed the wreck site and performed sonar imaging of the Akron's girders.[39]
Assessment
For numerous reasons, in the opinion of U.S. naval aviation historian Richard K. Smith,[40] Akron never got the chance to show what it was capable of. Initially, the idea had been to use her as a scout for the fleet, just as the German Navy zeppelins had been used during World War I, with her airplanes being simply useful auxiliaries capable of extending her range of vision or of defending her against attacking enemy aircraft.[41] Gradually, in the minds of the more forward-thinking officers familiar with airship and scouting fleet operations, that was reversed, it and Macon came to be regarded as aircraft carriers, whose sole job was to get the scouting airplanes to the search area and then to support them in their flights.[42][43] The mothership herself should stay in the background, out of sight of enemy surface units, and act merely as a mobile advanced base for the airplanes, which should do all of the actual searching.[44] Any aircraft carrier could do that, but only an airship could do it so quickly since her speed was at least twice that of a surface ship, enabling her to get to the scene or be switched from flank to flank quickly. However, it was an experimental ship, a prototype, and it took time for the doctrine and suitable tactics to evolve. It also took time to develop the techniques of navigating, controlling, and coordinating the scouts. At first, developments were hampered by inadequate radio equipment,[45] as well as the difficulties encountered by the scout pilots in navigating, scouting, and communicating from their cramped open cockpits.[46]
Some politicians, some senior officers, and some sections of the press seemed predisposed to judge the airship experiment a failure without regard to the evidence.[47] Even within the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, many opposed spending so much on a single asset.[40] Smith also asserts that political pressure inside and outside the navy led to the ship being pushed too early to attempt too much.[48] Little allowance seems to have been made for the fact that this was a prototype, an experimental system, and that tactics for her use were being developed "on the hoof." As a result, the airship's performance in fleet exercises was not all that some had hoped and gave an exaggerated impression of the ship's vulnerability and failed to demonstrate her strengths.[49]
Specifications (as built)
Data based on the book The Story of the Airship by Hugh Allen.[50]
General characteristics
Crew: 60
Length: 785 ft (239 m)
Diameter: 132 ft 11 in (40 m)
Height: 146.5 ft (44.7 m)
Volume: 6,500,000 cu ft (180,000 m3)
Gross weight: 403,000 lb (182,798 kg)
Useful lift: 182,000 lb (83,000 kg)
Powerplant: 8 × Maybach VL II 60 deg. V12 water-cooled engines, 560 hp (420 kW) each
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch, rotatable wooden propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
Cruise speed: 43 kn (50 mph, 80 km/h)
Range: 9,190 nmi (10,580 mi, 17,030 km) at 50 miles per hour (80 km/h)
Armament
Guns: 8 x.30-cal machine guns
OK, I know I am obsessing...but I cannot get the Blue Jay I saw on 05/04/2020 out of my mind. I pieced together a number of the photos I took and made this video. I think it gives a clearer idea of what I witnessed. They are every 4th or 5th frame and are in the sequence I took them...so the Jay extended it's wing twice. Photos taken 05/04/2020. Video Create 05/05/2020.
YOU TELL ME. 05/04/20...after being blessed by one visit by the Grosbeak...he came back a 2nd time...more photos coming. After the Grosbeak left, this Blue Jay landed on my bench....it initially looked normal...like it was going to get some seeds...but it was looking at me...it then sat down...puffed it's feathers and extended it's wings...it sat like that for what seemed and eternity...then it jumped up...looked perfectly normal...ate a few seeds...then sat down again. After my dog scared it away...I wept uncontrollably.
I know from other members that Blue Jays will spread themselves out on logs to allow ants to feast on lice...maybe that is what it was doing...yet there were no ants...I believe it was trying to tell me something. I could not believe what I had witnessed...that is why I wept.
It's at this point that me and Victor start sharing our respective stories. What's wrong with me, that I blurt out my life story to total strangers? It's kind of becoming a recurring problem. First with Tara, and now with Victor. Definitely not following the stranger danger guidelines my parents told me about as a kid. But you know what? It actually feels nice. They both have gone through similar problems, so it's been easier to relate. It feels like this huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, just by talking about it with them.
"Dude, that's awful." I reply, trying to give my best pep talk. "I'm sorry you've had to go through all that, in such a short amount of time. Losing your mom, and almost dying. Then there's the whole thing of your dad experimenting on you... Which is totally messed up I might add, even if it did save your life. That's more pain than I'd ever wish on my worst enemy. I can tell you're still feeling guilty about not being able to do anything to save your mom. But as cliche as it sounds, there's nothing you could have done differently. Trust me, even if you found the driver responsible for the accident, hurting them wouldn't bring you peace. Like I mentioned before, Madame Rouge murdered Rita right in front of me. In that moment, I felt this uncontrollable anger inside of me. This of course led to me showing no mercy, ripping her to shreds. I wanted her dead, and that's what I got. Revenge for Rita. But you know the worst part? That didn't bring me peace. I still lost Rita, and killing Rouge didn't miraculously bring her back! The feelings of sadness were still there... Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, life is just cruel to truly good people. I know it's tough, but your mom wouldn't want this for you. For you to carry this guilt for the rest of your life. She'd want you to let go, and move forward with your life. She'd want you to be happy, and I have no doubt that in time, you will."
"Thanks Gar. Honestly, I really appreciate you listening to me vent about everything. I'm just not sure where to go from here. Football was my dream. It's been my dream ever since I was a little kid. Not to be a scientist, like both of my parents. I was going to be the best wide receiver the NFL had ever seen! I'd be on that field the day of the Superbowl, with the crowd going wild. I dreamed of my dad being in the stands as we won, and telling me he's proud of me, for the first time in my life. I'd buy Katherine the perfect home, where we would build a family, and grow old together. But that dream died the day of that accident. My chances at being in the NFL are gone . All future prospects, out the window. And now Katherine can't even look at me without thinking I'm a monster ! And my dad..."
"You know what man? It's Katherine's loss! I mean seriously, if she's gonna bail because of that, she doesn't deserve you. Obviously, I didn't know you before the accident, but you checking on that driver told me all I needed to know. You have a good heart, Victor Stone. And if she doesn't see that, well sorry, but she's an idiot."
"I guess you're right. But it's easier said than done. She was someone I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Even after she brushed me aside like I was nothing to her, I still care about her. The memories we shared, and those feelings I have, they don't just go away, no matter how much of me is now scrap metal. The annoying thing is that I can't even cry about any of this. No matter how much I want to, I physically can't. Another reminder that I'm not human anymore." He pauses, looking down at the ground, before continuing, trying to change the subject. "So... What are you going to do now? Since the imposter, and that 'Wildebeest' as you called it, have a pretty big head start.
"Not sure, to be honest with ya Vic. I wanted to make sure you were okay first, before chasing after them. I should make sure the Wildebeest isn't putting anyone in harms way. Though it was only trying to defend itself from the imposter. I also need to find the imposter, and put them behind bars. But, as you said, they have quite the head start, and New York City's massive. I wouldn't know the first place to even start looking." It's at this point Vic Stone starts smirking, before responding.
"I think I might be able help with that."
"Huh? How? Not to sound rude and all, but you being able to lift a car with your pinky won't exactly help us find them."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Beast Boy . " He teases, before continuing his train of thought. "Also, they could easily help us out. Just depends on who you ask. But anyways... Ever since the accident, I've heard these voices in my head. I didn't quite understand what they were, at first. But with some help, I've learned that I can, as weird as it sounds, communicate with machines. There's sort of a bond there, much like your bond to animals. Which just so happens to include school and traffic cameras. Give me a few minutes to ask around, and I'll hopefully have something to follow-up on."
"Wait, so you don't just have metal body parts. You can actually talk, with machines? And you hear their voice , in your head? You know how crazy that sounds, right? Should I be worried?" I tease.
"Says the green guy who can turn and talk to any animal imaginable. But yeah sure, I'm the crazy one." He replies, his voice deadpan.
"I mean, you're not wrong. Though I wish you would've led with that! Instead of letting me make a fool out of myself by saying you couldn't help." I groan.
"True, I could've. But where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm sure that isn't the first time you've dug yourself into a hole. Certainly won't be the last time either." He replies, with him once again smirking.
"Well, at least you're smiling. Even if it is at my expense."
"Thanks, once again Gar. For everything. It honestly means more than you'll know... Anyways, I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, Vic leaves, heading towards the school. Thankfully, everyone's left for the day, due to the attack. So it won't be hard for him to snoop around.
I end up flying several laps around the football field as a hawk, mostly due to boredom, before transforming back into human form and waiting on the bleachers. Once again, I'm bored out of my mind.
About 10 minutes pass by, before he returns.
"Got the Wildebeest's name and address thanks to the security camera catching the transformation, and the school's class rosters. The Wildebeest is none other than Noah Mendez. A freshman, with a perfect attendance record. It was rather disappointing to see Sebastian Cardona, a former teammate of mine, and someone I'd consider a friend, bullying the poor kid. He didn't deserve that, and I wish I noticed it sooner. But there's still time that I can make it up to him.
"There's no way for you to have known. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.."
"Yeah, okay Gandalf... Let's get going." He says, slightly rolling his eyes.
"So you know Lord of the Rings, but not Space Trek: 2022? We'll have to rectify that asap."
"What can I say? Katherine thought Legolas was hot, so being the good guy I was, I watched the movie with her. Happy girlfriend equals happy life. Or something like that. At least that's what I thought at the time. But don't worry Gar, I have all the time in the world now to watch your show. After all this is over."
"You realize, now that you've said it, you can't take it back!" I say with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He replies, before stepping off the bleacher, and walking away, assuming he's heading in the direction of Noah's house. So of course, I follow him. This is going to take a while .
While not the fastest firing SMG avaliable, the P118 is one of the smallest.
Shown here with the suppressor and folding stock, the P118 is modular and compact.
Drawbacks include the need to remove the magazine to fold or unfold the stock, and changing out the suppressor involves swapping it for a 2.5 inch barrel extention.
The small size and weight coupled with its large round (45ACP) mean that under extended firing the weapon is largely uncontrollable. The P118 has found it's home among the arsenals of hitmen and assassins due to it's effective suppressor and quiet mechanism, while being able to deliver higher rates of fire when needed.
.They surf in the bubble of confinement, social distances make up their mouths with lipstick talk...You're the only one who can make your lips blush...Lipstick sales have seen an uptick during economic slowdowns, and history is proof. But, will this theory hold true post Covid-19? Or will eye makeup take over, given face masks would be the new normal hereafter.
A trend no one could have predicted, the question is, will masks continue to be a fashion staple and stand the test of time post-outbreak? That’s anyone’s guess. For now, I’m off to get my hands on a Resting Risk Face personalised mask – the best and most comical option to date IMO.
Stylist Isha Bhansali feels there will definitely be more focus on eye makeup. “The lips can adopt a nude, blush palette. Digital appearances will be the need of the hour, for which you don’t need masks. You can’t totally rule out lip makeup,”she says.
Beauty expert and influencer Jason Arland believes people are going to spend more on skincare and beauty post Covid-19. “The growing rise of makeup tutorials during the lockdown has pushed many people to buy beauty products online. And it will only increase post the pandemic as people would want to take care of their skin,” he adds.
Designer Anvita Sharma opines, “The lipstick theory will come true, and both men and women will spend more on makeup. Eye makeup will surely gain more prominence as everyone will be covering their face with masks in the post-pandemic era.”
Leah Chernikoff is the former head of content at Glossier, Inc., and the former digital director of ELLE Magazine.
I was at my book club two weeks ago—via Zoom, of course—where the featured guest was none other than internet-beloved cookbook author Alison Roman. Members asked her about pantry stocking, recipe substitutions and using fewer dishes, but finally, someone brought up what we were all thinking: What’s that lipstick you have on?
I looked at Roman’s Brady Bunch square on the screen. It was brightly lit, and she looked great with her hair neatly parted down the middle in a low bun and a swipe of red lipstick. (It was Maybelline’s Baby Lips in Crystal, she divulged.) I stared at my own square. It was poorly lit, and I hadn’t put on makeup in weeks. It hadn’t even occurred to me. As my pallid face stared back at me, I cringed a little: Why hadn’t it?
Sure, part of it is pandemic-related anxiety and figuring out how to work and take care of my 2-year-old at the same time. Plus, I’ve never been someone who wears a lot of makeup or partakes in a multi-step skincare routine. But after more than a decade working in fashion and beauty, I understand the power of putting on a little mascara and lipstick. I had just chosen not to.
As we’re all adjusting to a terrifying new world indoors and isolated from others, thinking about one’s appearance can feel trivial, selfish even. Who cares about makeup at a time like this? Don’t we have much more important things to worry about?
“Not wearing makeup is less about saying, ‘F-ck it’ and more about redirecting time and resources to focus on the things that matter,” says Julia Cheiffetz, a publisher at Simon & Schuster in New York. “Makeup does not matter.” There’s something subversive about going barefaced too, says novelist and fashion marketer Lauren Mechling. “It’s one of the few pleasures of this godawful moment, my bra burning if you will.”
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Still, those who have stuck to their pre-pandemic makeup and skincare routines aren’t necessarily acting out of vanity. They may just be trying to feel sane. According to Dr. Stewart Shankman, chief of psychology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, establishing and maintaining routines that boost one’s mood can be beneficial.
“This COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented time of uncertainty and uncontrollability. So people putting makeup on will give them a sense of control given what’s going on outside is uncontrollable,” he explains. “What people are doing when they’re putting on makeup or getting dressed is they’re doing something to improve their mood, and we know from research studies and interventions that when people can control their mood, it helps their sense of well-being.”
Samari Blair, a first-year medical student at University of Florida in Gainesville, had been feeling a little down after days of quarantine, online classes and staying in her pajamas. So on a recent Sunday afternoon she decided to do her hair and makeup and put on “normal-people clothes.” She took a few selfies and posted them on Twitter. “Getting dressed and putting on makeup just made me feel a lot better,” says Blair. “It made me more confident. People always say, ‘If you look good, you do good.’”
It’s hard to untangle the way we view ourselves with and without makeup from society’s longstanding expectation that women and femme people be “presentable.” A 2011 study commissioned by Procter & Gamble (which at the time owned beauty brands like Max Factor and CoverGirl) but authored by clinical psychologists at Harvard, Boston University and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute asked participants to evaluate 25 women in various states of being made up: natural, professional and glamorous. When the women were wearing either the professional or glamorous makeup looks, they were perceived to be more competent. But a 2017 study found that female college students who applied makeup before taking a simulated exam actually did better than those who didn’t. “Makeup can definitely boost confidence and mood,” says Rocco Palumbo, an assistant professor of psychology at the University G. d’Annunzio in Chieti, Italy, who was the lead researcher. “Our research shows that participants were able to improve their confidence and, therefore, improve their performance.” He adds the caveat that makeup is just one of many factors that can improve self-esteem and that individuals who don’t usually wear makeup may not see the same results.
For people with jobs that typically require businesswear for in-person meetings, video calls can come with the same set of unstated expectations. Kara Lowery, a D.C.-based lawyer, still puts on a full face of makeup, including a bright lipstick, and a nice top. “I try to make it so that I don’t look so drab,” she says, adding that on days when she’s feeling especially down and anxious she makes an extra effort with her makeup “to bring a sense of happiness” and feel better about herself.
Still, several women told me they saw an opportunity to Marie Kondo their beauty and skincare routine and consider which parts spark joy and which parts they felt constrained into doing.
“Finding out whether you’re doing these things because you want to or if you do it for other people, this is a good time to test that,” says Seattle-based writer and speaker Ijeoma Oluo. “I got ready to shave my legs and was like, ‘Uh I don’t want to.’ So then I didn’t.” Oluo, who hosts weekly Facebook Live makeup tutorials, says makeup also has allowed her to connect with people. “It’s reminding me that I’m still here,” she says. “That I can still do things I enjoy.”
Meanwhile, Charlotte Lescroart, who works for an educational-software platform in Santa Barbara, Calif., has abandoned the makeup she would normally wear to meet with clients but upgraded her skincare routine, which previously consisted of splashing water on her face. Now she cleanses with a Clarisonic she “dug out from college” and a cleanser from an upscale brand, followed by a serum and a moisturizer. “It makes me feel like I’m creating a routine for myself,” she says. “The confidence I used to get from interacting with people, now I get that from feeling confident about my skin.”
With news of the coronvirus’ impact on the economy, travel and, of course, health, it’s hard to imagine the deadly virus having fostered the start of a new fashion trend – but, that it seemingly has.
As we speak, the fashion industry, like many others, is taking a considerable hit due to the outbreak. Fashion shows in Asia and Europe are being affected, with Chinese visitors down across the board, and events, such as Seoul fashion week, Georgio Armani’s Milan show, and Beijing fashion week either being cancelled or postponed. And with Chinese spend having accounted for a third of luxury global market sales in 2018, according to Bain & Company, the fall in attendance at the key events will undoubtedly have even further implications for the fashion world in the next few months.
However, while the doom and gloom of the virus seeps into industries across the board, impacting the economy at a devastating rate, there are a couple of winners at least, with hand sanitizer sales skyrocketing since the outbreak, and Alibaba having reported a surge in spend on cosmetics, including a 150 percent increase on eyeshadow palettes, with lipstick sales up sevenfold for some brands, according to Reuters. Why? Quarantining and extra spare time due to ongoing closure of public events is seemingly giving rise to at-home make-up trials.
However, the most surprising upshot of the global epidemic is that face masks, in all shapes, sizes, colors and flamboyancy, have seemingly broken the internet.
With the epidemic showing no signs of abating, surgical face masks are selling like hot cakes across the globe, with consumers falling over themselves to help prevent the spread of the virus, despite their effectiveness being called into question. And while some down sides to the new trend are emerging, with some consumers reportedly feeling no need to apply make-up when covered by a mask, according to Lifestyle Inquirer, which could in turn have repercussions for cosmetics sales, it seems this is definitely the exception, not the rule. In fact, such is the lure of these masks, that the world of fashion and fame is taking notice – with options of all shapes, sizes and styles being the must-have item of the season.
Indeed, the celebs are already embracing the trend, whether it’s virus-related or not; Cardi B donned an elaborate bejewelled mask to her husband Offset’s fashion show in January while Billie Eilish stepped out in a stylish Gucci option at this year’s Grammy Awards. Likewise, the few fash-pack members that did brave public events to watch the shows were also upping the ante in terms of style, with designer masks the new accessory to coordinate with the latest on-trend ensembles. And the masks have even made it onto the catwalk itself – Marine Serre showcased a slew of face cover-up designs at her Fall 2020 ready-to-wear collection show, although she can’t give the coronavirus credit for this inspired range, with the items billed as ‘anti-pollution’ masks and designed pre COVID-19 outbreak.
There is no right answer when it comes to how to approach beauty in these fraught times. If it doesn’t feel right for you right now, that’s fine. But if it does? There is no reason to feel ashamed. “I wouldn’t say dressing nice or putting on makeup is frivolous,” says Dr. Shankman. “There’s nothing disrespectful about it. It’s a coping strategy for people to feel a sense of normalcy.”
The day after that virtual book club, I decided to put on a little mascara and a lip tint. It wasn’t Alison Roman’s bold red lip, but it was something. In less than a minute, I felt a little less like I was living through one unending mushy day and a little more like myself.
Thousands Flock Online to Pretend They're Back In An Office Together
#within It’s #flexible #because it has #multiple #principles #Paintings with a #capacity to #change #visually by the #artistic #magic #changing #your #subconscious #mind It is a #session of #Hypnosis that #controls you by a #disorganized #absolute #harmony of #everything #expected #from a #nonexistent #picture It #depends #upon the #pattern of #line as a #primal #creator of #whatever #associated or #disassociated from the #theme The #artists #mind is the #superior #beginning of the line, but the line is #free and #emancipated. #Flexi is a #new #neo #pro #anti #post #pauljaisini #manifesto #short #version #1994 #artnews #prophecy
#YOU #CAN #PAINT #YOUR #WALLS #SAME AS #ROTHKO DID, OR YOU CAN #DRIP YOUR #PAINT ON THE #FLOOR AS #POLLOCK DID, #BUT DON’T YOU #DARE #CALL IT THE #FINE #HIGHART. IT’S #CALLED AN #ANARCHY & #UNCONTROLLABLE #CHAOS. IT DOESN’T #REALLY #MATTER IF YOU’D #HAND A #GUN TO #3 #YEARS #OLD OR A #PAINTBRUSH TO A #MONKEY, THE #RESULT WILL BE THE #SAME -#INNOCENT #FREEDOM FOR #DESTRUCTION OF #BEAUTY & #HARMONY. DON’T YOU DARE MY #SUPER #INTELLECTUAL” SUPER ARTISTS #TWIST THE #PERCEPTION OF #FREEDOM IN #BEAUTY. #RECYCLING SAME #CRAFT FOR OVER #60 #YEARS IS NOT #INNOVATION, IT’S #MADNESS. #MOST OF YOU ARE #CRAFTSMEN, WHO #LACK EVEN #BASIC #ART #SKILLS, #KNOWLEDGE OR #TECHNQUE. IN #ORDER TO #CREATE #MUSIC YOU WOULD NEED A BASIC KNOWLEDGE OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE #CHAOS OR #CONTEMPORARY #CACOPHONY, CALLED #FREESTYLE. I’M HERE TO #JUDGE & I HAVE #RIGHTS TO DO SO, #BECAUSE I #DESTROYED MY #PAINTINGS 19 YEARS AGO, #REALIZING THAT I FELL #UNDER THE #SPELL OF #MODA = #MODERN. NOW, FOR OVER 19 YEARS I’M #PAINTING #INVISIBLEPAINTINGS. I #LOVE #TRUE #BEAUTY & TRUE #TALENT. I #VALUE #PEOPLE #WHO LOVE ART, WHO #BELIEVE IN ART, WHO #INVEST IN ART. BUT I WILL #FIGHT THOSE WHO ARE #TRYING TO #KILL THIS #ALL. #BEWARE #MY #INVISIBLE #PAINTINGS ARE #COMING TO MAKE YOUR #VISUAL #CRAFT #INVISIBLE. #KIDS #MUST PAINT AS KIDS DO= #ARTIST #MUST #PAINT AS #MASTERS #DO #PAULJAISINISAID #JAISINISAID #PAULJAISINI #JAISINI
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Reemplace la imagen con una del dia mas soleado la subi , para demostrar la evidencia del cambio climático, este árbol florece así en primavera, este año no lo hizo , y de pronto ahora en Otoño, florece, porque?
¿Es el calentamiento global un engaño? Todavía ando analizando qué sucede, he escuchado por observadores otras versiones.Quizás sea algo que le sucedió al árbol y no tenga nada que ver con el cambio climático?
Is global warming a deception? I'm still analyzing what happens, I've listened to other versions by observers.
Maybe it's something that happened to the tree and has nothing to do with climate change?
Spring in a Warming World!!!!
En Octubre 10 2018 Spring blooms in WEEHAWKEN NJ
En Octubre 10 2018 floraciones en Weehawken
Riesgos para la naturaleza
El cambio climático se está produciendo tan deprisa que muchas especies de plantas y animales tienen problemas para adaptarse.
Varias especies terrestres, marítimas y de agua dulce se han trasladado a otros hábitats. Algunas especies de plantas y animales estarán aún más expuestas al riesgo de extinción si las temperaturas medias globales siguen subiendo de manera descontrolada.
Risks to nature
Climate change is happening so fast that many species of plants and animals have problems adapting.
Several terrestrial, marine and freshwater species have been moved to other habitats. Some species of plants and animals will be even more exposed to the risk of extinction if global average temperatures continue to rise uncontrollably.
Is Global Warming A Hoax?
Annette Funicello is also known as the original Musketeer, rising to fame as early as age 12 as singer and actress, and the most popular member of the original Mickey Mouse Club. Walt Disney himself saw her performing the lead role in "Swan Lake" at her ballet school's year-end recital in Burbank and decided to have her audition along with two hundred other children. Annette became the last Mouseketeer of the twenty-four that was picked.
That would be the same Disney construct that would, decades later, give us the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato or Selena Gomez, to name just some of our biggest pop stars right now.
Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Annette Joanne Funicello was born in Utica, New York, to Italian Americans Virginia Jeanne (née Albano) and Joseph Edward Funicello. Her family moved to Southern California when she was four years old.
Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club. As a teenager, she transitioned to a successful career as a singer with the pop singles "O Dio Mio", "First Name Initial", "Tall Paul" and "Pineapple Princess", as well as establishing herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre alongside co-star Frankie Avalon during the mid-1960s.
After the surfing craze died out in 1965, Annette married Jack Gilardi, Paul Anka's agent, and became the mother of his three children -- Gina, Jack Jr. and Jason. While appearing in a few other movies that did nothing to further her career, including Fireball 500 (1966), Thunder Alley (1967) and Head (1968), she appeared as a guest on shows and, most famously, became the spokesperson for Skippy Peanut Butter in a host of commercials. But she phased out her career in favor of family.
She and Gilardi divorced in 1983. Three years later, she married Glen Holt, a harness racing horse breeder/trainer. Within a year into her second marriage, Annette was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She hid her condition for five years before making a formal announcement (in 1992) for fear that her uncontrollable movements might be characterized as drunkenness. She became the most famous spokesperson for the disease.
Annette passed away on April 8, 2013 from complications at age 70. To the present, her foundation continues to raise money to help find cures for this and other debilitating disorders, including Lou Gehrig's disease.
When she was 16, Funicello got her first car from her father, a white 1957 Ford Thunderbird, which she would use as a daily driver for the next decade. The car was originally finished in Colonial White (EE) and was reportedly repainted in purple by George Barris under Funicello’s ownership. The car is then said to have been painted silver circa 1968 and given to Funicello’s younger brother as a birthday gift, who drove it until it was sold out of the family. No one knows for a fact when the celebrity provenance was lost, but when the current owner picked it up in 2003 and decided to restore it, he had no idea who it had belonged to when purchased.
In 2004, the car was stripped and repainted in its current shade of red. The overhaul included reupholstering the interior in tan leather, and adding a tan convertible top, along with new chrome bumpers and trim. In 2021, the car sold for $150,000 US dollars.
AnnitaKoxx is at home all alone while her boyfriend is away for an extended period of time. Ih how she misses his long hard cock. All she can do is reach down her punk Capri jeans. Unzip the zipper and touch her pussy. She keeps going as it feels so good. Her hips start gyrating as she presses harder on her clit.! She opens up her jeans more she can help it. She starts to get an uncontrollable urge, everything starts tightening up, she screams and and gushes as her orgasm rolls and she lies whimpering alone on her soaking wet bed.
On 8 June 1966, AV-2 was in close formation with four other aircraft (McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter and T-38 Talon, and Lockheed F-104 Starfighter) for a photoshoot at the behest of General Electric, manufacturer of the engines of all five aircraft. After the photoshoot, the F-104 drifted into the XB-70’s right wingtip, flipped and rolled inverted over the top of the Valkyrie before striking the bomber’s vertical stabilizers and left wing. Despite the damage, the Valkyrie flew normally for 16 seconds before it entered an uncontrollable spin and crashed north of Barstow, California. NASA Chief Test Pilot Joe Walker (F-104 pilot) and Carl Cross (XB-70 co-pilot) were killed. Al White (XB-70 pilot) ejected, sustaining serious injuries. An investigation revealed that Walker was unable to properly perceive his position relative to the Valkyrie, leading to his aircraft drifting into the Valkyrie’s wing.
This is Nightly News at 9, the only news you'll ever need! Tonight, we have a special report. Children across America are gathering to... THIS JUST IN! The Atom.... the Atom? The Atom, has just burned down a building. Yes, that's right people. The Atom has burnt down a building. The police say it was due to playing with an uncontrollable penguin holding coffee. Really? Wow.
Somewhere across town...
"I swear to Moses I'm innocent!" screamed the Atom.
"Tell it to the judge." said the cop who did important stuff.
"But, I'm a super hero?"
"Yeah. You're on of those freaks."
"AM NOT!"
"You just burnt a building down with a penguin."
"Yeah, I'll get in the car."
Atom looked to see his sidekick, Atomic Boy (even though he wasn't a boy, and was just some guy he met in the supermarket) being forced into a cop car.
This wasn't how today was supposed to go. I had dinner reservations. Sorry, right, narration.
Earlier that day... who comes up with these phrases, they suck.
"Atomic Boy.."
"Bill."
"Atomic Boy, what I'm about to show you, is pure magic."
"What's with the parka hood?"
"I just got back from Antarctica. Got myself a penguin."
"A penguin?"
"The one and only.... ATOMIC FLIPPERS!"
"What?"
"I call him Sparky."
"But.. Atomic Flipppers?"
"Oh, that was Seinfeld's idea."
"Who?"
"Wow, you really aren't caught up."
"I'm so confused..."
"You're in an Atom story, what did you expect?"
Just then a very cute penguin waddled into the the room.
"Sparky!"
"Atomic Flippers?" Atomic Boy was very confused.
The penguin had a backpack on. With it was a little arm attached... holding a cup of coffee. It was drinking it too.
"Atomic Boy, meet Atomic Flippers, aka Sparky."
"Hello, I is Sparky." the penguin announced.
"You got that in Antarctica?"
"Hell yeah I got it in Antarctica!"
"And it... TALKS?"
"Well, I wouldn't go as far as saying literary, but yeah!"
"This, is nice window, have thee." Sparky replied.
"Sparky, make me a latte, and fast." Ray ordered.
"Latte, cooking. Beep. Beep. Beep...."
"Isn't he great!"
"Uh, I could have made you a latte..." Atomic Boy (I mean Bill) said.
"Shut up Atomic Boy. This is the beginning of a great friendship."
"Latte, ready."
"Well, bring it over, I'm not coming to get it."
The penguin waddled around trying to get to Ray. However, he tripped on one of the cables coming from the T.V.
(Please, imagine the next 3 lines are in slow motion)
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ray screamed.
"HE FELL RIGHT NEAR THE CABLES THERE COULD BE A FIRE!" Atomic Boy yelled.
"Oh, nooooooooo, hey everybodies, look a seinfeld."
The whipped coffee reached the floor. Miraculously, it didn't hit the cables.
"That was close." said Atomic Boy.
"Nah, I would've gotten us out of here safely if anything happened..." Ray answered.
Just then, the coffee burst into flames.
"WHAT THE S*#%?"
"RAY YOU F*&%^$# IDIOT!"
"I is a penguno."
Fire trucks could be heard coming down the street.
"THIS IS BAD RAY!"
"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?"
"I DON'T KNOW YOU ARE A VERY QUESTIONABLE PERSON!!!"
"SAYS THE GUY AT THE SUPERMARKET WHO JUST HAPPENED TO FALL INTO MY WHITE VAN!"
"YOU PUSHED ME IN THAT VAN!"
"kidnapping and getting in are one in the same...."
Just then the room burst into flames.
"Quick out the window!" Atomic Boy yelled.
"WAIT! My complete collection of Seinfeld shows!"
"GET IT LATER!"
Is he mad?
"IM GETTING IT NOW!"
"RAY YOU'LL DIE!"
"WHY DO YOU CARRREEEE!"
"GET THE DISCS AND LETS GO!"
"actually they're on VHS..."
"RAY!"
"ugh. fine. coming... stupid sidekick... getting in my business.."
They jumped out the window, all the while Atomic Boy held Sparky, and Ray held his collection of VHS tapes. Cops surrounded them.
"You have the right to remain silent!"
"Well... this should be interesting" Ray said.
-------------------
Thank you Levi for the idea of a newscaster in my story.. I saw yours on Deadpool and thought it would be a fun way to introduce the story.
The Lead Photographer wanted "B's" hair down. The Calgary wind was so cold and uncontrollable at times. This is why the shots were moved to the lower level of the concrete stairway.
On a journey of discovery to who knows where it may end……… my destination changes like the wind but it always includes a level of who I am on the inside and sometimes on the outside as well. It all depends on the intensity of my GD which is currently hitting an unbearable and uncontrollable high to say the least.
We thought this beach would be deserted, but a couple of teen boys showed up at the same time. God only knows what they thought of us looking like this and laughing uncontrollably.
More from their visit on the blog
While this set may be humble paper dolls, it is one of my most prized possessions and greatest treasures of all time. For our family vacation, during the summer of 2001, my grandmother bought my sister and I each a set of these Raggedy Ann Paper Dolls. Even though this set is dated 1995, my memeré must have been able to purchase these at a store somewhere in 2001. Growing up, Colleen and I always had a particular fancy for paper dolls. They were far more portable than their fashion doll counterparts. That meant we could take our entire paper doll collection (which by the way was shamefully huge) where ever we wanted at the drop of a hat. I still remember those days we'd haul our huge freezer bags and envelopes stuffed with our paper dolls to Mom's office cleaning jobs on weekends, or on our outings on Dad's beloved boat.
We took our new Raggedy Ann and Andy paper dolls with us on vacation that summer. Colleen and I opted to keep one set preserved in it's original condition, and to only cut out one set. We decided to split the set--I chose Andy, and Colleen chose Ann. Both of us found Marcella to be nauseatingly bratty looking, so we in turn dubbed her the villain of our new paper doll game. In fact, Marcella inspired what became one of our most infamous paper doll games of all time. Raggedy Ann and Andy lived with Marcella, and were greatly mistreated and abused by her. So one night, they fled from their home, packing up all their things on a sleigh pulled by imaginary huskies (the original "sleigh" was actually this envelope thing pictured here). On their exodus, they found a new home, in an attic of a mansion. Little did they know, they were living above a mayor, who would soon discover their secret retreat. The mayor took them in, and treated Ann and Andy as if they were family....although sometimes I think he regretted it. Let's just say Ann and Andy were dysfunctional. Plus, they had a massive family who were often invited over...and were NOT housebroken. I still remember the hours Colleen and I spent on our living room floor, talking in our high pitched Ann and Andy voices, laughing uncontrollably at everything we made them do and say.
What we grew to love most of all about Ann and Andy was the world we created for them. Their universe had no limits--if we could imagine it, we could create it. We designed them probably a hundred different outfits. We had all sorts of coordinating accessories too. We also spent hours creating different sets and furniture for them to use. We even brought their crazy family to life, using the illustrations that came with this set as an inspiration. What started out as a fun game in the backseat of Mom's car, became one of our most memorable and beloved hobbies. From their meager beginnings, which included clothes and accessories made from humble notepads in our camping trailer, they grew to have a huge empire, which required two fat envelopes just to store everything in.
The dolls you see here are actually our second set. While the first set still survives, we played with them so much, that we eventually had to swap them out for the untouched one....after Andy's head kept falling off. The original Marcella disappeared over the years...I think she got thrown out during the mass paper doll throw out of the mid 2000s. But at least we have this girl to remind us of our childhood games. Colleen and I even have many of the original clothes, furniture, accessories, and family members that we created back in the day (pictured separately). Granted, we did have to do some thinning out when we were younger. Ann and Andy actually had too many clothes! I don't think my grandmother ever anticipated just how much Colleen and I would grow to love and cherish this set. But I am forever grateful that she was thoughtful enough to get us two sets (we really needed that second one too). I think it's a shame that paper dolls are a dying breed. Today, it seems like most kids would rather sit and play video games or use some other electronic device. It's really disheartening to think that children don't have the same opportunities to let their imaginations run wild, like my sister and I did when we were younger. Paper dolls, regular dolls, toys in general, and make believe games had no limits. We could create our own world without any limitations as long as we were imaginative enough to dream it. We loved creating sets and props for our toys, and we developed a complex "society" which our childhood lives revolved around. Even though paper dolls like Ann and Andy cost a fraction of the price of today's modern entertainment, like cell phones and iPads, they never had to be charged, they never grew out of date, and you could never run out of things to do with them!
Chapter 1 - Episode 9
Location: Urban Sector - Slums, World of Ruin
Shadow began his climb down to the crumbling streets below. He lost track of time, looking out over the Slums from the broken access road high above the city streets. His mind was troubled. His thoughts like a winding road. Beneath this sprawling section of upper access roadways, was a well-preserved mansion of sorts. The architecture was masterful, holding fast against the flow of time, and the destruction of the Calamity that fell from the sky. Throughout his decent, Shadow thought about the inhabitants who once lived here. He wondered if they ever had a chance to escape. Did this family live on, to see the end of their world? No. It didn't matter. This place had long been forgotten; empty, still, remnants of a bygone era.
When he finally reached street level, standing before the unbroken mansion, Shadow took a moment to gaze upwards. It was a true marvel, what the civilization that came before had accomplished. Taking a deep breath, Shadow gathered his thoughts; he knew it was time to move onward. The old world motor bike was still waiting for him, parked just outside the mansion's front gates, rusted yet beautifully crafted. Just as Shadow began to walk, something flew past his face with tremendous velocity, just narrowly missing him before blowing a hole in the masonry behind him. The sound of gunfire quickly followed. He had been ambushed. Three large Ogres came into view as Shadow rushed behind the motor bike for cover. He quickly surveyed his attackers. All were heavily armored, and the Ogre at the rear was carrying an old world rocket launcher.
...
Xerith found herself walking along a quiet city street, lined with several large homes and mansions. She admired the craftsmanship, amazed that this forgotten community had suffered little damage in the wake of the Catastrophe. Perhaps the extensive network of upper roadways had provided some protection against the destruction that rained from the sky, on that fateful day. She had spent much time here, rummaging through the larger structures for possible salvage to collect and bring back to her homeland. She had in her possession an old world storage device that could shrink objects through some sort of molecular reduction. She didn't understand how the device worked. That knowledge had been lost to time. All that mattered was her clan. Their survival depended upon her success, here, in this forgotten city.
Xerith walked along, when the sound of distant thunder caused her to pause. She looked up, the sky was gray, but that was nothing unusual for life in the Urban Sector. The thunder became more rapid, and came with it a pattern that was very distinctive. It was so quiet between bursts that she could hear what sounded like stonework breaking apart. She crept forward, listening, occasionally jolting, when she finally realized that it was gunfire, just up ahead. Xerith engaged her cloaking device, more old world technology she didn't understand, and scaled the rooftops until she came to a large mansion. In the streets below she caught sight of the lone wanderer she had followed before, holding off three green-skinned ones behind the motor bike he had claimed in the alleyway. She couldn't believe her eyes, was it really him? Had fate brought them together once more? Xerith didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts, she had to act now. Xerith didn't know what provoked the attack, but also knew that she couldn't stand idly by and do nothing. Xerith wouldn't let him fight this battle alone. Not today.
...
Shadow knew the situation was dire. He had never known Ogres to be this organized before. He couldn't help but think, was all this really necessary over an old world motor bike? Still, something about their behavior troubled him greatly. Never mind. Shadow regained his composure, cocking his long rifle in the process. He could do this. He would have to remain steady and true. A shielded Ogre was protecting the one with the rocket launcher, straying ahead only slightly. Shadow felt that removing the shielded Ogre first might prompt the one with the rocket launcher to react uncontrollably. Keep the status quo, Shadow thought to himself. One other beast remained; this one would have to be removed first. Nothing particularly stood out with this Ogre.
Peering over the motor bike, Shadow was poised to fire, when suddenly, out of nowhere; another wanderer appeared on the second floor balcony of the mansion, calling out to him. Cloaked in sand green and wielding twin pistols, the wanderer drew the attention of all three Ogres, even just for a moment, it was enough. Shadow reacted. With two quick precision shots from his long rifle, Shadow incapacitated his intended target as well as the shielded Ogre, both now lying still on the pavement. The shielded Ogre attempted to retract backwards to protect the rear one, but to no avail. Just as Shadow suspected, the remaining Ogre became berserked. Before he could take the shot, the Ogre fired a single rocket upward toward the wanderer on the balcony. The sound of the rocket pierced the air. The wanderer attempted to dodge, but the rocket slammed into the balcony, causing a massive explosion of dust and masonry. The wanderer fell onto the pavement below, lying motionless on the ground. Now unarmed, the Ogre rushed toward Shadow in a frenzy. Shadow's first shot blew the Ogre's helmet apart, leaving the beast's head exposed. One final head shot was enough to take the Ogre down for good.
Shadow rushed over to aid the wanderer who had helped him defeat the Ogres. The wanderer was female, and badly wounded. Still breathing but drifting in and out of consciousness. This was beyond his skill to heal. She needed proper medical attention, and quickly. Shadow feared that she might not make it through the night. He would have to take her to the capital city of Hope, in the center of the Urban Sector, a place he avoided. Shadow had always stayed away from large settlements, preferring to wander alone. None of that mattered now; this wanderer's life depended upon it. Shadow carried her to the motor bike, and drove off into the sunset.
THANK YOU FOR 100 FOLLOWERS!
Aftermarket parts are from Brick Forge, Brick Arms, Brick Warriors, Cape Madness, Amazing/United Armory, Tiny Tactical, Finders Keepers, Battle Brick, and Minifig.Cat.
Special thanks to Family Bricks/Brick Mercenaries for the custom Ogre minifigures:
www.flickr.com/photos/49756387@N02/5234392291/in/dateposted/
Faves, comments, and feedback are appreciated, thank you!
To be continued....