Shinkansen Bullet train type "N700 Advanced".

Processed with VSCOcam with f1 preset

Model, Mua, Outfit: Jessica

Bonhams

Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris

The Grand Palais Éphémère

Place Joffre

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2023

Estimated : € 160.000 - 220.000

Sold for € 310.500

"It's one of the world's most luxurious cars. In fact, only the Rolls-Royce Phantom comes close. It can carry a driver, front passenger and up to three rear passengers on a serene, silent and spacious journey." – Autocar magazine on the Maybach 57 S.

Few industry observers would have predicted the revival of the Maybach brand after almost 50 years of dormancy, but that is exactly what Daimler-Benz did in 1997 when it presented a luxury concept car at that year's Tokyo Motor Show. In pre-war days Maybach had represented the absolute pinnacle of automotive technology, producing some of the most advanced, luxurious and expensive cars the world had ever seen, and its resurrection signalled Mercedes-Benz's intention to compete head-on with BMW-owned Rolls-Royce. Although it had not built any cars since 1940, Maybach had lived on as a manufacturer of proprietary engines, latterly as MTU Friedrichshaven, until its purchase by Daimler-Benz in 1960.

The revived brand's new dawn commenced in 2002 with the launch of the Maybach 57 and 62: a brace of high-performance luxury saloons that, inevitably, incorporated a good deal of contemporary Mercedes-Benz technology. The model designations were derived from their approximate lengths: 5.7 metres in the former's case and 6.2 metres in the latter's, and both were powered initially by a 5.5-litre 542bhp twin-turbocharged V12 engine. The 57 was intended for the owner/driver, while the longer 62 was aimed at the chauffeur-driven elite.

An enhanced version of the 62 - the 62 S, for 'Special' - was introduced for 2007 and featured the 6.0-litre, 604bhp V12 from the 57 S. Costing an additional £40,000-plus, the 60-or-so extra horsepower had little effect on performance, shaving a fraction of a second from the 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time while the top speed remained limited to 275km/h (170.9mph). A base price of around £360,000 ensured that only a privileged few would get to experience the 62 S's stupendous performance at first hand. Autocar magazine hailed the Maybach 62 S as "an even more incredible – and incredibly expensive – place from which to command your business empire".

Unfortunately for Daimler AG (as the group had become), Maybach failed to establish the kind of brand identity enjoyed by its parent Mercedes or the Rolls-Royce and Bentley opposition. Sales were disappointing and in August 2012 Maybach was discontinued, only to be revived again as a sub-brand of Mercedes in November 2014.

Purchased by the current vendor and delivered new to Switzerland, this imposing Maybach has covered a mere 268 kilometres from new. Stored for several years, the car will require re-commissioning before returning to the road. Accompanying documentation includes a purchase invoice (listing its outstanding specification), and Mercedes-Benz's receipt for US$690,000.

Jubilee Campus and Triumph Road

Another Toastmasters manual done!

I’ve earned my Advanced Communicator Bronze designation in Toastmasters. With tonight’s speech, I’ve completed two advanced manuals: Storytelling and The Entertaining Speaker. (Each manual has five speeches.)

My final project in the Toastmasters Entertaining Speaker manual was the toughest. Project #2 (you don’t have to do them in order) requires that the speaker incorporate material from a source other than herself. As I rarely use non-personal experiences in my speaking, this was a challenge, until I remembered how much I enjoyed Pam Flowers’ story on The Moth podcast: Alone Across the Arctic. I’m confident I entertained by sharing the story of Pam Flowers’ sled dog team encounter with a mama polar bear and her cub.

(To be honest, I’m more of a Risk than a Moth story podcast fan, these days. But most of the Risk stories are inappropriate for Toastmasters.)

Jacket, Jessica Simpson (thrifted). Shirt, The Limited. Skirt, Plenty by Tracy Reese. Tights, We Love Colors. Boots, Fergie. Bandana, Mono Lake Visitor Center.

Lac du Flambeau, WI

Heureka, nun ist es im Handel!

Schaut mal rein bei Interesse, ob das für Euch hilfreich sein könnte. Hier findet sich das Inhaltsverzeichnis und ein paar Beispielkapitel:

www.dpunkt.de/buecher/13307/9783864906275-advanced-photos...

Vienna, Austria - May 10, 2022.

At the Stephansplatz.

West Harlem Piers

C-47 "Drag 'em oot" taking off in the background while a pair of P-51 Mustangs sit waiting for their next mission from an Advanced Landing Ground in Europe during WW2.

This shot was taken at The Victory Show 2019, held at Cosby.

(Ironic because steampunk)

According to the superstition of the Shingon Buddhist school, there are no dead in Okunoin, but only waiting spirits. As the story is told, one day Kukai (774-835), better known in Japan under the name of Kobo Daishi, the founder of the religious community of Mount Koya, came out of meditation upon the arrival of Miroku, the Buddha of the future.

So all the souls in transit resting in the graves or of whom the hair or ashes had been placed by their loved ones in front of the Kukai Mausoleum, also rose up. Pending the advent of this apocalyptic prophecy, the number of graves in Okunoin continues to increase and already counts more than two hundred thousand and is the largest cemetery in the archipelago.

A glimpse of the afterlife

Cross the Ichi Hashi no bridge, which opens the way to Okunoin is like crossing a bridge between two worlds. Just before, the faithful join hands and bow to show their respect to Kukai.

On the other side, the atmosphere is different, the air is charged with the sacred. The dizzying cedars that dot the first graves hide the sky and the end of the paved road that runs up through the wood. The styles of the burial memorials vary too much for the eye to dwell on each of them, but the most spectacular cenotaphs attract attention, such as the one an insecticide company dedicated to its termite victims.

Leaving the main path and venturing amid forgotten tombs with eroded stone or covered with moss, allows you to realize that here, Nature has reclaimed its rights. Conversely, the secondary entrance of the cemetery, located across from the Okunoin-mae bus stop, leads to the more recent tombs made with refined granite, as if varnished, artificial, taking away all individuality from their eternal residents. Another sign of modernity, the offerings themselves have changed and soda cans have joined incense and sutras (words attributed to the Buddha or his immediate disciples).

Along the main path, do not be surprised by the accessories worn by the statues of Buddhas, who often have a vermilion bib. The are offerings that mothers leave to protect their children in this world or to bring them luck in the afterlife.

The tension mounts

Following the path to the north, after crossing the bridge in the middle, Naka no Hashi, another Gobyo no Hashi, announced the passage into a more advanced level of the sacred. The walkway, of which the thirty-six boards are engraved on the back with Buddhist deities, is itself considered as such. It is necessary to, once again, to bowing with your hand together to invoke Kûkai /admin/articles/edit/1555before going across.

The area you come to requires the utmost respect. Food, drinks and photographs are not allowed. A little further, on the left, a wooden cabin houses the Miroku stone, which, when lifted weighs the sins of the person. Through small gaps in the walls, it is possible to access the stone and it is customary to try to lift it with one hand to place high up on a shelf.

Once you have completed this test, the Toro-do emerges through the trees. This Lantern pavilion houses hundreds of luminous wonders, some of which, according to legend, have been burning unabated for over nine hundred years! A flame in the depths of the night, it is the last building before the holy heart of the cemetery, the ultimate pilgrimage that justifies coming this far into the forest for many devout believers, the eternal dwelling of Kukai.

"The innermost sanctum"

The Okunoin, which is the literal meaning, is above all a place of contemplation. The thousands of graves are eclipsed! By this single sepulcher, which is however inaccessible to ordinary mortals. The Gobyo is said to house the famous Kobo Daishi, who continues to meditate, without a sigh. Each day, meals are deposited at the door in support of his effort, while monks and laymen reflect in silence and recite sutras in a low voice. Everyone is free to respresent the venerable one in his cramped interior. Whatever happens, the doors remain closed.

Day and night, braving clouds of mosquitoes in summer or gloomy foggy days, visitors flock in all weather to Okunoin, especially on Obon day, when Rôsoku matsuri takes place and the monks of Koyasan light thousands of candles along the paths. One day is not enough to grasp the its extent and many lives would be necessary to discover all its secrets. Despite this, strangely for a cemetary, its tranquility soothes the souls of through it. Probably because, impassive in his retreat, Kukai is watching over them.

www.japan-experience.com/city-koyasan/okunoin

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

-7680x3240 (SRWE hotsampling)

-CE Table by Skall and Airyz_

-ReShade

Advanced Disposal Of Muskego, WI

I made and added a 40mm GL to my last creation. Hope ya like it

8 July 2016

© Bruce Bolin K0032998ce

Advanced Fire & Rescue Service

Station - Valencia

Shop #: n/a | Job #: J-73816

1979 Seagrave WB-25068

1500/750

haircut by silvia

Greek Special Forces group 'Alpha' raided major Turkish cities today. A small detachment discovered advanced weaponry and bio-weapons in a secret laboratory deep underground. Anthypolochagos (Second Lieutenant) Alexander Chaconas said this: "It was both fortunate and unfortunate that we stumbled upon this lab, for we now realize that the world is not what we thought it was. This place, and others like it, must be destroyed along with their rulers."

LMG

Advanced Fire & Rescue Service

Station - Valencia

Shop #: n/a | Job #:

2007 Chevrolet 2500 HD/AFRS

90/250-F500

Amkus Jaws, Spreaders & HD Cutters

B/W Digital

Just what are you thinking about...?

My Website: Jerri Photography

My Tumblr Blog: jerriphotography.tumblr.com

Instagram: jerriphotography

I'll be bringing my own Advanced Heroica rules and scenarios to BrickWorld Chicago 2012 and I might play it with a few people if the interest is there. There's no guarantee that it will happen, but anyone who's interested can reply here to let me know. Please read the rest of this description first before replying, as it's important stuff to know...

My rules are still a work-in-progress, but they're pretty robust already and everyone who has played so far has enjoyed it. I incorporated most of the original rules and added a lot of other stuff, inspired by other board games and a little D&D. Some of the ideas were developed in conjunction with a friend of mine who's a published game designer.

There's no need for players to know the regular Heroica rules in advance, but general board-gaming experience would help. If you have played Heroica out of the box and think the rules are way too simplistic, you might like my rules.

The game is meant to be played cooperatively with a GM (me) running the show and controlling monsters. Don't get involved if you don't want to cooperate.

The scenario pictured above can take 4-6 hours to play to completion (there's a lot more to it than what you can see in this photo). It can easily be split up and played over multiple sessions. I also have another, shorter scenario with less bells and whistles.

Depending on how many people actually reply to this, it's possible that there will be too many interested people to participate. Spectating would be ok too.

Replying here does not guarantee you the opportunity to play. I'll be deciding who plays and who doesn't, and will probably favor people I know (because I've met you or because I know you by reputation).

These two dumpsters were found in the hood.

M62 Gildersome 22/05/2019

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

Some background:

The Nakajima J9N Kitsuka (中島 橘花, "Orange Blossom", pronounced Kikka in Kanji used traditionally by the Japanese) was Japan's first jet aircraft. In internal IJN documents it was also called Kōkoku Nigō Heiki (皇国二号兵器, "Imperial Weapon No.2"). After the Japanese military attaché in Germany witnessed trials of the Messerschmitt Me 262 in 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a request to Nakajima to develop a similar aircraft to be used as a fast attack bomber. Among the specifications for the design were the requirements that it should be able to be built largely by unskilled labor, and that the wings should be foldable. This latter feature was not intended for potential use on aircraft carriers, but rather to enable the aircraft to be hidden in caves and tunnels around Japan as the navy began to prepare for the defense of the home islands.

The J9Ns’ overall war contribution was negligible, and after the war, several airframes (including partial airframes) were captured by Allied forces. Three airframes (including a two-seat night fighter with FD-2 radar) were brought to the U.S. for study. Today, two J9N examples survive in the National Air and Space Museum: The first is a Kikka that was taken to the Patuxent River Naval Air Base, Maryland for analysis. This aircraft is very incomplete and is believed to have been patched together from a variety of semi-completed airframes. It is currently still in storage at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility in Silver Hill, MD. The second Kikka is on display at the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar.

General characteristics:

Crew: 2

Length: 8.13 m (26 ft 8 in) fuselage only

10.30 m (33 ft 8¾ in) with FD-2 antenna array

Wingspan: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)

Height: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Wing area: 13.2 m² (142 sq ft)

Empty weight: 2,300 kg (5,071 lb)

Gross weight: 3,500 kg (7,716 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 4,080 kg (8,995 lb)

Powerplant:

2× Ishikawajima Ne-130 or Ne-230 axial-flow turbojet engines

each with 8.83 kN/900 kg or 8.68 kN/885 kg thrust

Performance:

Maximum speed: 785 km/h (487 mph, 426 kn)

Range: 925 km (574 mi, 502 nmi) with internal fuel

Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 10.5 m/s (2,064 ft/min)

Wing loading: 265 kg/m² (54 lb/sq ft)

Thrust-to-weight ratio: 0.43

Armament:

1× 30 mm (1.181 in) Type 5 cannon with 50 rounds in the nose

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) Type Ho-2 cannon with 80 rounds, mounted obliquely behind the cockpit

1× ventral hardpoint for a 500 l drop tank or a single 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb

The kit and its assembly:

This is in fact the second Kikka I have built, and this time it’s a two-seater from AZ Models – actually the trainer boxing, but converted into a personal night fighter interpretation. The AZ Models kit is a simple affair, but that's also its problem. In the box things look quite good, detail level is on par with a classic Matchbox kit. But unlike a Matchbox kit, the AZ Models offering does not go together well. I had to fight everywhere with poor fit, lack of locator pins, ejection marks - anything a short run model kit can throw at you! Thanks to the experience with the single-seater kit some time ago, things did not become too traumatic, but it’s still not a kit for beginners. What worked surprisingly well was the IP canopy, though, which I cut into five sections for an optional open display – even though I am not certain if the kit’s designers had put some brain into their work because the canopy’s segmentation becomes more and more dubious the further you go backwards.

The only personal mods is a slightly changed armament, with one nose gun deleted and faired over with a piece of styrene sheet, while the leftover gun was mounted obliquely onto the left flank. I initially considered a position behind the canopy but rejected this because of CoG reasons. Then I planned to mount it directly behind the 2nd seat, so that the barrel would protrude through the canopy, but this appeared unrealistic because the (utterly tiny) sliding canopy for the rear crewman could not have been opened anymore? Finally, I settled for an offset position in the aircraft’s flanks, partly inspired by “Schräge Musik” arrangements on some German Fw 190 night fighters.

The antennae come from a Jadar Model PE set for Italeri’s Me 210s, turning it either into a night fighter or a naval surveillance aircraft.

Painting and markings:

This became rather lusterless; many late IJN night fighters carried a uniform dark green livery with minimalistic, toned-down markings, e. g. hinomaru without a white high-contrast edge, just the yellow ID bands on the wings’ leading edges were retained.

For this look the model received an overall basis coat of Humbrol 75 (Bronze Green), later treated with a black ink washing, dry-brushed aluminum and post-shading with lighter shades of dark green (including Humbrol 116 and Revell 67). The only colorful highlight is a red fin tip (Humbrol 19) and a thin red stripe underneath (decal). The yellow and white ID bands were created with decal material.

The cockpit interior was painted in a yellowish-green primer (trying to simulate a typical “bamboo” shade that was used in some late-war IJN cockpits), while the landing gear wells were painted in aodake iro, a clear bluish protective lacquer. The landing gear struts themselves became semi-matt black.

The markings are fictional and were puzzled together from various sources. The hinomaru came from the AZ Models’ Kikka single seater sheet (since it offers six roundels w/o white edge), the tactical code on the fin was created with red numbers from a Fujimi Aichi B7A2 Ryusei.

Finally, the kit received a coat of matt acrylic varnish and some grinded graphite around the jet exhausts and the gun nozzles.

Well, this fictional Kikka night fighter looks quite dry, but that makes it IMHO more credible. The large antler antenna array might look “a bit too much”, and a real night fighter probably had a simpler arrangement with a single Yagi-style/arrow-shaped antenna, but a description of the FD-2 radar suggested the layout I chose – and it does not look bad. The oblique cannon in the flank is another odd detail, but it is not unplausible. However, with all the equipment and esp. the draggy antennae on board, the Kikka’s mediocre performance would surely have seriously suffered, probably beyond an effective use. But this is whifworld, after all. ;-)

Photo manipulation

I was offered the opportunity to write a tutorial for Advanced Photoshop magazine back in January... at last it's been published.

The tutorial uses my WLTB™ urban flat shot to educate and inspire fellow Photoshop users into generating their very own architectural abstract images.

It's quite complicated... so don't say I didn't warn you :-)

ON SALE NOW :-D

Common Tern/Fisktärna/Sterna hirundo

Advanced Fire & Rescue Service

Station - Valencia

Shop #: n/a | Job #: n/a

1980 Ford L-900/Salusberry

500/1800

This is the more advanced version of my Oculon frame.

Brickshelf gallery.

Mobile Frame Hangar forum discussion topic.

iPhone work

Advanced Fire & Rescue Service

Station - Santa Clarita

Shop #: n/a | Job #:

2003 Chevrolet 2500 LE

Carries: Fire Bottles & Medical Equipment...Primarily used for pit road