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A Muse's Desire Answered. A Fate Cast by Bones. A Future Frittered into Nothingness. But it was Glorious while it Lasted.
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Photographer: C'est moi
Photographer's Assistant: Judith Turano
Model: Lucretia Renee
Couture: Lucretia Renee
Makeup: Lucretia Renee
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Strobist Info: ABR800 into shoot-thru umbrella camera right, AB1600 into shoot-thru umbrella camera left, AB800 into PLM64 over camera.
...to the Often Asked Questions Large On Black [It's a must to reap the atmosphere in this one. : )]
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.
Bob Dylan pondered many questions in that iconic song. And of course, there answers were, well, blowin’ in the wind. And that in turn conjures up images of things blowing in the wind, and what better thing to represent that than a simple reed?
We hum (or sing if we are so inclined) that song quite a lot, but often, with a surprisingly cheery lilt. Yet, when it comes down to it, the song isn’t really about cheery things at all, and the questions it asks are not easy ones to ask or answer. Mountains washing to the sea? Cannon balls flying? Doves “sleeping” in the sand?
This tune was indeed running through my head as I was composing this shot. I didn’t, and don’t, have any answers, but it seemed to me that this shot represented the song quite well. The wind for me continues to blow: perhaps one day it will carry to me the answers.
Isn't this just the same as the car I designed in 2009?
The simple answer is - yes it is.
There are but a few changes. Externally, the most noticeable is a change to the rear deployable spoiler.
It was a nice model in 2009, and its still a nice model today - nice enough for it to be the centrepiece car of my first Lego instructional book - 'How to Build Brick Cars'
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0760352658/creativepubco-20
As far as Lego models go - it has some pretty fancy gear - Lego Technic piston engine, four-wheel-drive, and four-wheel independent suspension.
The car carries two minifigs (though not to 400 km/h).
The real car - much more amazing!
As you can read below:
The Greatest Car Ever – This was the challenge laid down from Volkswagen Group Chief Ferdinand Piech (grandson of Ferry Porsche, and the creator of the mighty Porsche 917 Racer).
The Veyron was to be the most powerful – (1001 hp / 736 kW), the fastest – (253.81 mph / 408.47 km/h), the quickest – (0-62 mph / 100 km/h in 2.46 sec) and to set new benchmarks for almost all performance attributes.
The engine was a mighty 8.0 litres and sixteen cylinders, boosted by four turbochargers. The twin-clutch transmission has 7 speeds, and drives through all four wheels. The car is fitted 10 radiators to cool various systems in the car.
To reach the 408 km/h top speed, a special mode must be entered with the vehicle stationary. This driving mode uses the deployable rear wing from speeds between 220 and 343 km/h to aid stability. Beyond this speed the car lowers closer to the ground and retracts the spoilers to decrease drag – at the expense of downforce! Driving at 400 km/h probably isn’t a good idea on a public road – in fact there are very few places were this can be done safely. BBC Top Gear presenter James May drove a Veyron at 417.61 km/h at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien high-speed test track. The very steep banking on the track allows the car to run at very high speed without scrubbing the tires through curves and losing speed – though this also pushes the driver down firmly into his or her seat!
All this car doesn’t come cheap, and when sold new, Bugatti Veyron cost about $1.0 Million, though later exclusive versions were sold for more than twice this amount.
In 2016 Bugatti announced the replacement for the Veyron – a very similarly conceived V16 Hypercar named the Chiron.
Haii people xD So, I got a lot of questions from my friends, so I thought I would start this one off! Here we go :3 Oh yeah, this photo I took in the mall a few days ago xD
Who was your first Bratz doll? My first doll was First Edition Cloe. But, she's gone now, and I'm still looking for one in a good condition.
What's up with you and Blondie? xD Well, we talk in school a tad, and we text alot, but I'm afraid to get close to him like I was. Let's just say his girlfriend wants me to jump out of an airplane....without a parachute.
Who would bully you? That's a good question. Honestly, I think it's the people that are prissy and bitchy. Why? Because I'm different. I don't like being a stuck up slut. I like being a freak.
How many dolls do you have? Well, in total with every type of doll I have....I'd say around 150, maybe more O_O
When will results be up? Results will be up before the weekend :) Just school got in the way again ._.
How are you doing? I'm doing pretty good, just tired xD
Why do you have better taste in music than me? xD! I didn't know I did x3
Do you like jerkey? Weell...I'm a vegitarian so...no xD
Why am I asking so much? Because you can xD
What's your fave movie? Hmmm....I like all the National Treasures, Goonies, all Pokemon movies, and Love and Other Drugs. I can't choose one xD
Whos your celeb crush? Avan Jogia <333333333333333333333
What kind of socks are you wearing? I don't have any socks on :O
Who's your fave MH? Either Frankie or Ghoulia :D
Whos your fave bratz doll? In my collection...It's a tie between Jenna and Misty :)
Do you like the 10/10/10 Bratz better than the Bratz now? Nope, I hate almost all the new Bratz right now. I don't like the body shape, nor the faceups. I usually buy for clothing. xD
How long is your hair? It goes down to the bottom of my back...Idk how long that is exactally >.>
What is your religion? I'm Protestant, but I don't go to church...I'm not really a die hard religious girl, but I (for the most part) believe in God, Jesus, etc.
Whos your fave singer? Taylor Swift :D If you ask me what band, I will not be able to tell you. I will combust.
What pets do you have? I have a 28 year old slider/box/mud (we really don't know xD) turtle named Mr. T, and a Domestic Shorthaired cat that's 2 years old. Her name is Little Miss Kitters ^O^
Do you have any deformaties? I started laughing when I read this question xD I AM NOT AN ANIMAL. I AM A HUMAN BEING. (old movie reference xD) And well...Hmm....the whites of my eyes aren't white. They're a light blue. My doctor said it's because I was supposed to be blue eyed, but it faded and just never really...left. xD And I'm short. xD I can't think of any others!
If you had to eat either 16 raw steaks, or 500 Fire Ants, which would you pick? Uhhmm...Again, being a vegitarian I can't eat the steaks...So...I'm stuck with Fire Ants a la EWW. xD
What is your wishlist for Bratz dolls? I have many on the list, I'll make a seperate photo for that. But, my number one doll right now is Sweet Dreams Sierra I believe :D
How do you cut doll hair? I'm really not that good at it xD I usually brush it out, get it wet, straighten it, then cut to the length I want to. If I screw it all up, I figure out some way to make it work.
How do you get rid of bangs on a bratz doll? I just cut them off as close to the roots, then I go back with a nail clipper and rip out the little pieces left. xD
Please, ask more questions so I can do another photo! :D
Week 2 submission
Great Falls in McLean, Virginia is probably my most personal location to photograph. I've photographed these falls more than any other location. Is it because I have been hypnotized by it's charm? Maybe it's because it's so accessible, a mere 45 minute commute from my home. True, but there's more to it than that. Maybe the answer doesn't lie in the present but in the past....
August 5, 2011
I had just purchased my first DSLR, a Nikon D5000 the week before. Due to work and raising a new born, I hadn't had much time to test it out. This morning would be my first venture into the world with it. The location would be Great Falls in McLean, Virginia. I would be meeting up with the Calvert Photography Club for the very first time. I had seen their work on their website and Flickr. Their work was so impressive that I felt unworthy to attend the trip and thought I would be wasting everyone's time. I had no idea what ISO, aperture, or shutter speed were, or how they came together to create an exposure. I was so nervous, I kept voicing my concerns to my wife who encouraged me to go and just relax. She told me all photographers have to start somewhere. I was thoroughly impressed with all the members work but one stood out to me. I became fascinated with the Vice President's(recently elected President) work. Jeff's photography is stellar, especially his long exposures. His long exposures are what inspired me to learn how to do them as well. Leading up to the photo trip I would constantly show my wife Jeff's photostream and tell anybody who would listen how great his work was.
My wife and I arrived at Great Falls at about 4 am and eventually we ran into the Calvert Photography Club. My nervousness immediately melted away when we were greeted by so many friendly photographers. I knew coming in that once I found Jeff, I would stick to him like glue. So when I met everyone on the Falls Overlook and hadn't seen Jeff, I asked where he was. I was informed that he was on one of the rocky cliffs overlooking the falls. I looked to my left and up, and sure enough there he was. When I saw him, I wondered, "How the heck did he get up there?". When he made his way down, I introduced myself and my wife to him. I also made sure he knew how big of a fan I was and that his work should be in an art exhibit. After we posed for some group photos, it was time to photograph the falls. I spent the next few hours climbing to all sorts of locations with Jeff, Vince, and my wife only stopping to photograph the falls. The whole time I was asking Jeff all kinds of questions and he politely shared his expertise with me. I ended up taking over 600 photographs that day. Only 3 or 4 were usable or I thought appropriate to share with the rest of the world. I remember looking at all those underexposed and overexposed images on my computer. I thought to myself, they looked a lot better on my camera lcd lol. Even though the day was a failure as far as keepers were concerned, it was a success as I made some great friends and took my first step into learning photography. I told myself that I will be better the next time I go to Great Falls. I went back the very next weekend and had a much better day. I kept going every weekend for the next few months. At one point, my name became synonymous with Great Falls. I have grown so much by going to Great Falls that it will always have a special place in my heart. Here's Jeff's photostream www.flickr.com/photos/jeffsmallwood/. His work is even more amazing now than it was back in August 2011.
This particular shot was taken before sunrise. I didn't use any filters during this visit, that hasn't happened since August 2011. This trip I stayed on the overlooks and didn't go into the restricted areas. It felt weird not getting yelled at by a Park Ranger and being escorted back to the authorized areas.
Photo captured near the unincorporated place of Pepperwood alongside Avenue of the Giants. Humboldt County. Mid July 2013.
Este proyecto parte como solución a la cuarentena que estamos sufriendo, al tener Asma me veo totalmente forzado a trabajar dentro de casa. Siendo hiperactivo es una especie de condena. Siempre me gustó la idea de mezclar la fotografía con las diferentes artes. Lo que buscaba era lograr algo tridimensional en una bi-dimension y sugerir esa mirada microscópica o totalmente contraría, un escape al encierro, una cura a la cuarentena, al virus y a mí. Un escape abstracto al encierro mental…
Para ver más:
This proyect born as an answer to the quarantine, as an Asthmatic I'm really worried and forced to be inside home. I'm hiperactive too so been in this situation is a kind of confinement.
I always liked the idea of mix photography with diferents kind of visual arts. What I wanted was to get something tridimesional in a 2d image and sugest something microscopic or totally opossed like an abstract scape to the mental closure.
If you want to see more:
Spay & Neuter or answer to the Green Spooter...
Next installment of my:
"Learn Dogmototive Photography in a Flash" project.
kelbyone.com/course/twallace_onelightcars/
Strobist:
1) Black Beauty shot at "Hot Rod City" Movie Car Museum, Las Vegas utilizing the Tim Wallace One Flash-Multi Exposure Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique.
www.hotrodcitylasvegas.com/fired with Phottix Odins.
2) Green Spooter & Kato shot in my car in the garage, one speedlight on front seat, another in Westcott strip box CR. Odins.
3) Gotham, shot cruising Las Vegas Blvd one Saturday afternoon.
4) Super Moon shot a couple of super moons ago...
Phlearn, Glyn Dewis, Topaz, Repeat....
and BTW, THIS is what we're talking about...I just got this email from Animal Network Las Vegas:
"Ellis Is An Owner Surrender Senior Dog That is Looking For A Forever Home or Foster
What a sad situation for Ellie. Her owner is terminally ill, so she wanted to make sure her three babies, Rebel, Shooter and Ellie were taken care of before she passes on.
They were her life, and she wants whats best for them, so she is sending them off to find a new, safe and secure home where they will be loved as much as she loved them..If you would like to meet this sweet girl, then please email AdoptMeTodayAN@aol.com. "
www.petfinder.com/petdetail/31331518/
Don't Shop - Adopt.
& Spay Neuter.
Nikon N80, Nikkor 28-80mm lens, Ilford Delta 3200 film.
Thank you for all your kind comments, awards, and invites, much appreciated!
Some background:
The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine was designed in answer to Royal Navy specifications for an engine capable of generating good power at low altitudes. Concepts for adapting the Spitfire to take the new engine had begun as far back as October 1939; Joseph Smith felt that "The good big 'un will eventually beat the good little 'un." and Ernest Hives of Rolls-Royce thought that the Griffon would be "a second power string for the Spitfire". The first of the Griffon-engined Spitfires flew on 27 November 1941. Although the Griffon-powered Spitfires were never produced in the large numbers of the Merlin-engined variants they were an important part of the Spitfire family, and in their later versions kept the Spitfire at the forefront of piston-engined fighter development. The first Griffon-powered Spitfires suffered from poor high- altitude performance due to having only a single stage supercharged engine. By 1943, Rolls-Royce engineers had developed a new Griffon engine, the 61 series, with a two-stage supercharger. In the end it was a slightly modified engine, the 65 series, which was used in the Mk. XIV, the first Spitfire mark with a Griffon engine to enter service. The resulting aircraft provided a substantial performance increase over the Mk IX. Although initially based on the Mk VIII airframe, common improvements made in aircraft produced later included the cut-back fuselage and tear-drop canopies, and the E-Type wing with improved armament.
The Mk. XIV differed from its direct predecessor, the Mk XII, in that the longer, two-stage supercharged Griffon 65, producing 2,050 hp (1,528 kW), was mounted 10 inches (25.4 cm) further forward. The top section of the engine bulkhead was angled forward, creating a distinctive change of angle to the upper cowling's rear edge. A new five-bladed Rotol propeller of 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) in diameter was used. The "fishtail" design of ejector exhaust stub gave way to ones of circular section. The increased cooling requirements of the Griffon engine meant that all radiators were much bigger, and the underwing housings were deeper than previous versions. The cowling fasteners were new, flush fitting "Amal" type and there were more of them. The oil tank (which had been moved from the lower cowling location of the Merlin engine variants to forward of the fuselage fuel tanks) was increased in capacity from 6 to 10 gal.
To help balance the new engine, the radio equipment was moved further back in the rear fuselage and the access hatch was moved from the left fuselage side to the right. Better VHF radio equipment allowed for the aerial mast to be removed and replaced by a "whip" aerial further aft on the fuselage spine. Because the longer nose and the increased slipstream of the big five-bladed propeller a new tail unit with a taller, broader fin and a rudder of increased area was adopted.
When the new fighter entered service with 610 Squadron in December 1943 it was a leap forward in the evolution of the Spitfire. The Mk. XIV could climb to 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in just over five minutes and its top speed, which was achieved at 25,400 ft (7,700 m), was 446 mph (718 km/h). In operational service many pilots initially found that the new fighter could be difficult to handle, particularly if they were used to earlier Spitfire marks. But in spite of the difficulties, pilots appreciated the performance increases.
F Mk. XIVs had a total of 109.5 gal of fuel consisting of 84 gal in two main tanks and a 12.5 imp gal fuel tank in each leading-edge wing tank; other 30, 45, 50 or 90 gal drop tanks could be carried. The fighter's maximum range was just a little over 460 miles (740 km) on internal fuel, since the new Griffon engine consumed much more fuel per hour than the original Merlin engine of earlier variants. By late 1944, Spitfire XIVs were fitted with an extra 33 gal in a rear fuselage fuel tank, extending the fighter's range to about 850 miles (1,370 km) on internal fuel and a 90 gal drop tank. Mk. XIVs with "tear-drop" canopies had 64 gal. As a result, F and FR Mk. XIVs had a range that was increased to over 610 miles (980 km), or 960 miles (1,540 km) with a 90 gal drop tank. The armament initially consisted of two 20 mm Hispano cannon and four light 0.303” machine guns (in a standard “C” wing configuration), but later builds had the latter replaced with a pair of heavier 0.5” machine guns that had better range and weight of fire (“E” wing configuration).
The first test of the aircraft was in intercepting V1 flying bombs and the Mk. XIV was the most successful of all Spitfire marks in this role. When 150 octane fuel was introduced in mid-1944 the "boost" of the Griffon engine was able to be increased to +25 lbs (80.7"), allowing the top speed to be increased by about 30 mph (26 kn; 48 km/h) to 400 mph (350 kn; 640 km/h) at 2,000 ft (610 m).
The Mk. XIV was used by the 2nd Tactical Air Force as their main high-altitude air superiority fighter in northern Europe with six squadrons operational by December 1944.
One problem which did arise in service was localized skin wrinkling on the wings and fuselage at load attachment points; although Supermarine advised that the Mk. XIVs had not been seriously weakened, nor were they on the point of failure, the RAF issued instructions in early 1945 that all F and FR Mk. XIVs were to be refitted with clipped wings. Spitfire XIVs began to arrive in the South-East Asian Theatre in June 1945, too late to operate against the Japanese. In total, 957 Mk. XIVs were built, over 430 of which were FR Mk. XIVs.
After the war, secondhand Mk. XIVs still in good shape were exported to a number of foreign air forces; 132 went to the Royal Belgian Air Force, 70 went to the Royal Indian Air Force and 30 of the reconnaissance version went to the Royal Thai Air Force. The Royal Iraqi Air Force (RIrAF) was another operator, even though only a small one.
In late 1946, five years after the Anglo-Iraqi War had left the RIrAF shattered, the Iraqis reached an agreement with the British under which they would return their surviving Avro Ansons in exchange for the authorization to order more modern and potent fighter aircraft from the UK, namely Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Furies. The next year, three de Havilland Doves and three Bristol Freighters were ordered, too, and they arrived in early 1947 with a batch of ten refurbished ex-RAF Spitfire F Mk. XIVcs, some of them WWII survivors. All these machines received the original wing tips to better cope with the expected higher ambient temperatures in the Middle Eastern theatre of operations, reinforced aluminum skinning along the wing roots, and they were retrofitted with hardpoints under the wings and the fuselage to carry unguided missiles, bombs and drop tanks, what gave them an additional ground attack capability. The radio equipment was modernized, too, including a DF loop antenna as navigational aid. Despite these standardizations, though, the Spitfires were delivered with a mix of the different canopies.
The RIrAF was still recovering and re-structuring its assets when it joined in the war against the newly created state of Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The RIrAF only played a small role in the first war against Israel, though. A few Spitfire F Mk. XIVs as well as Avro Anson training bombers operated from Transjordan airfields from where they flew several attacks against the Israelis. After a series of indiscriminate attacks on Arab capitals, flown by three Boeing B-17s that had been pressed into service by the Israeli Air Force, the governments of Transjordan and Syria demanded that the Iraqis take more offensive action and replace their Ansons with Hawker Furies. However, only six Furies were sent to Damascus to join the Spitfires in the region, and they never encountered any Israeli aircraft during their deployment.
Despite some effective attacks on ground targets by the Spitfires, limited amount of cannon ammunition, RPGs and suitable bombs heavily limited the Iraqi operations. The fighters were mostly used for armed reconnaissance, and three Spitfires were upgraded to FR Mk. XIV standard for this purpose. In 1949 a second batch of eight more Spitfire F Mk. XIVs was delivered from Britain, and in 1951 the RIrAF purchased 20 more Fury F.Mk.1s, for a total of 50 F.Mk.1s single-seaters and 2 two-seaters. They soon replaced the Spitfires in frontline units, even though the machines were still kept in service.
In the early Fifties, thanks to increased income from oil and agricultural exports, the RIrAF was thoroughly re-equipped. In 1951, 15 each of de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks, Percival Provosts and North American T-6s were bought to replace obsolete de Havilland Tiger Moth trainers. With these new aircraft the RIrAF Flying School was expanded into the Air Force College. The training curriculum was improved, and the number of students graduating each year was increased. This allowed to form a solid basis for the RIrAF's long-term growth. Also in 1951, the RIrAF bought its first helicopters: three Westland Dragonflies. The RIrAF's first jet fighter was the de Havilland Vampire: 12 FB.Mk.52 fighters and 10 T.Mk.55 trainers were delivered from 1953 to 1955, and they fully replaced the Spitfires. The Vampires were quickly supplemented by 20 de Havilland Venoms, delivered between 1954 and 1956.
Following the formation of the Baghdad Pact, the United States donated at least six Stinson L-5 Sentinels and seven Cessna O-1 Bird Dogs to the RIrAF. The RAF also vacated Shaibah Air Base, and the RIrAF took over it as Wahda Air Base. In 1957, six Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6s were delivered. The next year, the United States agreed to provide 36 F-86F Sabres free of charge.
However, following the 14 July Revolution of 1958, which resulted in the end of monarchy in Iraq, the influence of the Iraqi Communist Party grew significantly. The first commander of the Iraqi Air Force (the "Royal" prefix was dropped after the revolution), Jalal Jaffar al-Awqati, was an outspoken communist, and encouraged prime minister Abd al-Karim Qasim to improve relations between Iraq and the USSR. The Soviets reacted quickly, and in the autumn of 1958 a series of arms contracts was passed between Iraq and the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. These stipulated the delivery of MiG-15UTI trainers, MiG-17F fighters, Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, and Antonov An-2 and An-12 transports. The first aircraft arrived in Iraq in January 1959; during the late Sixties and the early Seventies additional MiG-17s may have been purchased and then forwarded to either Syria or Egypt.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m) with full span elliptical tips
Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Wing area: 242.1 sq ft (22.49 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 2213 (root), NACA 2209.4 (tip)
Empty weight: 6,578 lb (2,984 kg)
Gross weight: 7,923 lb (3,594 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 8,400[53] lb (3,810 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Griffon 65 supercharged V12, 2,050 hp (1,530 kW) at 8,000 ft (2,438 m),
driving a 5-bladed Jablo-Rotol propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 441 mph (710 km/h, 383 kn) in FS supercharger gear at 29,500 ft.
391 mph in MS supercharger gear at 5,500 ft.
Combat range: 460 mi (740 km, 400 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,090 mi (1,760 km, 950 nmi)
Service ceiling: 43,500 ft (13,300 m)
Rate of climb: 5,040 ft/min (25.6 m/s) in MS supercharger gear at 2,100 ft.
3,550 ft/min in FS supercharger gear at 22,100 ft.
Time to altitude: 7 mins to 22,000 ft (at max weight)
Wing loading: 32.72 lb/sq ft (159.8 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.24
Armament:
2× 20 mm (0.787-in) Hispano Mk II cannon, 120 rpg
4× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, 350 rpg,
Underwing hard points for 8× 60 lb (27 kg) rockets, 2 x 250 lb (113 kg) bombs or slipper tanks,
1× ventral hardpoint for a 500 lb (227 kg) bomb or a drop tank
The kit and its assembly:
This was a rather spontaneous interim build. The Academy Spitfire was left over from a D-Day combo that contained a Hawker Typhoon, too, and I lacked an idea for the Spitfire for a long time) since I am not a big fan of the aircraft, at least what-if-inspiration-wise). However, when pondering about a potential operator from the very early pos-war period I remembered the Royal Iraqi Air Force and its later Hawker Hunters which retained their NATO-style camouflage (RAF green/grey) despite being primarily operated in a desert environment. This, on a Spitfire…?
From this idea the Academy Spitfire was built almost OOB. Because the kit offers them as an option and for the cool look, I gave the Spitfire four RPGs under each outer wing. The ventral drop tank was taken from a Special Hobby late Spitfire kit. The only other additions are the antenna mast and the non-standard DF loop antenna behind the cockpit, created from thin wire and mounted on a small, streamlined socket.
Painting and markings:
The upper surfaces were painted in standard RAF WWII colors, Dark Green and Ocean Grey, using a mix of Humbrol 163 and 30 for a slightly more bluish WWII-style green and a mix of 106 and 145 for a lightened grey tone, respectively. As an individual contrast and paint scheme variation the undersides and the spinner were painted in RAF Azure Blue (Humbrol 157, lightened up with 47), more appropriate than the standard WWII Medium Sea Grey from the European theatre of operations. The cockpit interior became RAF cockpit green (Humbro,78) while the inside surfaces of the landing gear were painted in Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 165), reflecting the original undersides’ tone in former RAF service.
Other markings were minimal. The Iraqi triangles were taken from a Balkan Models Su-25 sheet, because their green was rather pale, for more contrast to the surrounding camouflage. RIrAF fin flash was taken from a PM Model Hawker Fury two-seater (a.k.a. “Bagdad Fury”). The tactical code came from an Airfix Hawker Hunter (from an optional Kuwaiti machine). This looked O.K. but somewhat bleak, so I added more markings. I could not find any evidence for special ID markings on Iraqi aircraft during the Arab-Israel war, but to add an eye-catcher I gave the aircraft white ID bands on the wings and on the fuselage – inspired by markings carried by Egyptian aircraft (e. g. Spitfires) during the conflict, but somewhat simplified, without black trim. They were created from generic white decal sheet material.
After some soot stains around the gun ports and the exhausts, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A relatively simple project and just a fictional livery - but the Iraqi Spitfire looks pretty cool, especially the ID stripes add a special touch. The European RAF scheme looks a bit off on an aircraft that would be delivered to the Middel East, but the Iraqi Air Force operated British types like the Hunter in this guise, and later Su-22 fighter bombers carried a similarly murky camouflage in very dark green and earth brown.
Am very much impressed that some of you managed to guessed who she is correctly!
:)
Few facts I learn on that evening.
She's from Osaka.
She debuted just a few days before Yaemi.
She's (16 < x < 19) years old this year.
An Iraqi school girl writes an answer to a question her proposed by her teacher in a classroom of the Al Amal female primary school in Al Shomali district, Babel, Iraq, Oct. 26. The Babel Provincial Reconstruction Team and U.S. soldiers with 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment are deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.
Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq
Photo by Spc. Charles Willingham
Date Taken:10.26.2010
Location:FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, IQ
Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/9ofjri
The question:
New Zealand is in the unenviable position of having one of the highest drowning rates per capita in the OECD, approximately twice that of Australia. Why are there far fewer drownings (per capita) in Australia than in New Zealand?
Statue of a Victorious Youth, 300-100 B.C.E, Getty Villa. This statue made of bronze inlaid with copper, depicting an Olympic winner wearing an Olive wreath was found submerged in international waters off the Adriatic coast.
When it saw her, the thing squealed and leaped up, shaking with excitement. The girl smiled and reached a hand toward it, kneeling down to its level. "Hey. How are you? Did you miss me?" The answer was obvious as the reptilian creature raced over and tried its best to crawl up her arm. The chubby thing rolled off clumsily onto its back, squealing in displeasure and flapping its leathery wings in a frantic beat.
Laughing, she picked it up lovingly and cradled it in her arms. The large golden eyes stared up at her, filled with what could only be described as a longing adoration. Light from the waning sun caused its golden scales to look like little chips of fire. The girl stroked its belly, where the hard scales dissolved into a leathery, soft surface.
"You had better be quiet," she told it sternly. "What if they found out about you? Just where would we be then?" In response, the dragon gave a loud snrrrrrt and began attempting to scramble up her hair. It shimmied onto the top of her head and squealed in triumph, poking its head down over her brow and trying to look at her past its snout. The girl laughed as it snorted, sending little plumes of smoke from its nostrils.
She reached up and cupped her hands around the dragon's tiny ribcage, bringing it back down into her arms. She sat for a while with her little friend, watching the setting sun set the world ablaze with fiery light. The baby dragon rested contentedly on her lap, watching the sun and stretching its long wings.
Twilight fell on the horizon. The girl finally stood up, her limbs groaning from lack of movement. She held the dragon at eye level and stared into its eyes. Somehow, the eyes were trusting and knowing and infinitely wise. Just who, she wondered, will this clumsy little creature grow up to be?
"I have to go now," she whispered. "I promise I'll be back tomorrow." Staring at her intelligently, the dragon moved its head forward and touched her nose with its own, as if it understood. The girl closed her eyes, and she and the dragon shared a silent moment.
"Be careful out there, little one," said the girl gently, placing the dragon back on the ground, where it stared up at her and sat still, as if deciding that maybe if it acted more mature, the girl would stay longer. But they both knew she couldn't.
The girl turned and walked back toward home, trying to ignore the fact that the dragon was staring at her retreating back.
Pencil & digital work
2011/8/8
I really try very hard to answer the questions, but it's still all in a mess.
I cannot but to suppose it's due to the bad questions.
I hope that rather than good-record students, the teacher would like the one who can express free.
2011/8/8 作答
我真的很拼命的在寫答案，結果錯得亂七八糟。
我也忍不住會想是題目出得不好，但我希望比起考高分，老師更喜歡自由發揮的學生。
沒有被當的話，我願意繼續寫考卷。
Answers come in many forms. One, most recently, came to me when Andrew, our 14 year old, nearly died. It was a close call and long experience. It started the day before school began here. Rushing him into emergency, where they removed his appendix. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Andrew instantly got worse. They sent him home anyway. I watched and called the doctors. Andrew started slipping through my fingertips. Pain. Pain. Pain. Weak. Weak. Weak. Fever. Fever. Fever. Unable to keep anything down. Pain. My baby in such pain.
Finally, the doctor listened. Almost too late. Andrew had a very rare disorder, which ended up bursting inside of him - expelling stomach acid and over a pints worth of pus. Second surgery lasted three hours.
Nearly four weeks later. I stand here staring out the window, knowing all I need are my kids, husband and those who love us for us - truly - unconditionally. My little family is what I value. And if anyone can't see that, well, then....their loss.
I can't even begin to express the gratitude in this experience. Just when you think life can't get any harder you come seconds away from losing a child. So many people are not as lucky. I count my blessings.....1...2...3...4 + Me + those of you who honestly love us = LOVE.
oxox
Oh Rover! So many grand ideas, so little effort! The Rover CCV (Coupé Concept Vehicle) could have been the answer to the company’s prayers in the late 1980’s. But instead is just another one of those missed opportunities that we can only look back on and imagine a world where this idea had been taken up.
In the mid-1980’s, Rover was undergoing a turbulent time as the company’s ownership changed hands. Sick to death of having to deal with it, the Thatcher Government decided to break up the nationalised conglomerate known as British Leyland, which had been suffering from poor reliability and hopelessly bad car design. By the beginning of the 1980’s, BL faced a defining moment when it made a deal with Honda to help create cars of better engineering than the Allegro and Marina it was trying desperately to get rid of. The result was the Montego, the Maestro, the Triumph Acclaim and the Rover 200, based largely of Honda products such as the Ballade and the Legend. Though much more reliable and selling well, the profits reaped were nowhere near as great as those being collected by rivals Ford, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, largely due to two factors. One; the unreliability that had plagued BL throughout the 70’s was still very much in evidence during the 1980’s, and these well-engineered cars suffered greatly from that. Two; many people found themselves questioning why they should buy a Rover, especially when considering that Honda was providing a near identical car for half the price!
All these problems and more meant that British Leyland had to come up with a new strategy, and in the mid-1980’s assigned a crack team of engineers to create a new range that would help the company define the 1980’s. In 1986, Rover was sold by the UK Government to British Aerospace, with the Austin badge now dropped and the only remaining marques being MG, Rover and Land Rover, this new private company being dubbed Rover Group. In 1985, MG proposed a 180mph supercar known as the MG EX-E, a smooth and sophisticated machine that could have been a contender for one of the best supercars of the 1980’s if the company had decided to go through with it. Sadly the MG EX-E was never meant to be due to fears of spending huge amounts of cash on a not very profitable niche market, but attempts to create a car of similar design both on a technical and cosmetic level, this new machine being aimed at the mass customer market.
Dubbed the Rover CCV, the car made its debut at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, and was intended to be a coupe version of the upcoming Rover 800. Designed by Roy Axe, the company’s chief designer, the CCV basically shared the same underpinnings as the 800, which share the same underpinnings as the Honda Legend including a 2.0L Rover Straight-4 or a 2.7L Honda V6. The design however carried over many assets of the MG EX-E project, including a large overall glass roof and windows, a low, smooth body profile, colour coded and blended bumpers, and just an overall handsome aesthetic. In fact, the styling looks almost like some American cars of the 1990’s such as the Chevrolet Corsica or the Buick Skylark. The interior was also mocked-up for his prototype and boasted solid state instrumentation and a dashboard mounted CD player (very novel back in 1986).
So beautiful and sleek was this machine that it even wooed the US market. In 1986, Rover Group, and the previous British Leyland, were desperate to regain a foothold in the United States, the last car that was sold there being the Rover SD1, of which only 774 left the showroom. The CCV however got many American investors on board, especially with a huge market for two-door coupe’s in the mid to late 1980’s. Rover’s enthusiasm was high for such a project, and many envisaged the CCV being the new California Cruiser, the primary ride for those aspiring business executives out in Los Angeles. The project to sell cars in the United States was eventually dubbed Sterling, as due to the unreliability of the Rover SD1 heavily damaging the Rover reputation in America, the company was reluctant to show its face again without going via a third-party or under an assumed name.
However, once again the biggest problem that hampered any good idea that Rover ever had, was itself. While US and British investors were highly enthusiastic of the CCV project, the Rover management refused to commit to such a project, largely due to the poor sales of the Sterling project. Sterling was launched in 1986, selling what were essentially rebadged Rover 800’s as the Sterling 825 sedan, and even though the Rover 800 is a good car in its own right, the rather humdrum design mixed with biblical unreliability and the fact that the Honda Legend was also on sale in America for half the price but twice the performance, meant that sales for the Sterling were abysmal, with only 14,000 of the forecast 30,000 cars actually being sold. These alarming results made Rover (in its usual cool, calm and collected manner) panic and the CCV project was scrapped entirely in 1987. The Sterling project would lumber helplessly on until 1991, when, after losing cash like water, it was removed from the US market, with no more British mass-production cars being sold in America ever again.
Guys, it breaks my heart! The Rover CCV truly could have been the answer to all the company’s prayers if they’d just bitten the bullet and put the thing into production! Rather than rushing into the project blindly in an attempt to get cash in ASAP, Rover should have delay the launch of Sterling by another year, launching both the Sterling 825 and CCV simultaneously, so if the 825 failed to sell the CCV and its beautifully crisp design and overall contemporary feel, could have picked up its slack. Also, an overhaul of the company’s quality control and work ethic should have also been a part of this major image change, sending cars out which actually were reliable, built properly, and had been constructed with at least a smidgen of integrity! Instead, the company went on a hide into nothing and ended up costing themselves an absolute fortune. There’s nothing to say that the CCV wouldn’t have sold here in the UK or in Europe, the 800 certainly did well on the domestic market, just enough to keep its head above water for the duration, so the addition of a highly futuristic model such as this could have easily helped reverse some of the company’s fortunes.
Sadly not, the CCV unfortunately became a victim of that fatal formula that plagued both British Leyland and Rover right up until the end. Great cars, poorly built, but managed even worse!
Class A4 4468, Mallard - one of 35 A4 class engines. She broke the steam engine speed record on 3 July, 1938.
It's old, it's a Mercedes L710, and there my knowledge runs out.
Pembroke Road, Southsea
06 August 2017
The Star Wars Question and Answer Book about Space. The personable droids from Star Wars answer all your questions about space: Are there Moon creatures? Can humans explore Mars? And more!
The sticker on the cover was added by a young Jedi Knight.
Random House; 1977.
Albert Camus wrote that the only serious question is whether to kill yourself or not. Tom Robbins wrote that the only serious question is whether time has a beginning and an end. Camus clearly got up on the wrong side of the bed, and Robbins must have forgotten to set the alarm.
There is only one serious question. And that is: Who knows how to make love stay?
Answer me that and I will tell you whether or not to kill yourself. Answer me that and I will ease your mind about the beginning and end of time. Answer me that and I will reveal to you the purpose of the moon.
Excerpt from; "Still Life With Woodpecker, by Tom Robbins
(two of the impossible project black frame poor pod that I opened and sandwiched)