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The seemingly inseparable pairing of 90041 and 90049 continue to do just what they were built to do.... move containers from one end of the country to the other with ease! The pair are seen flying through Acton Bridge in the early morning light.
Indeed last week, the pair were in charge of 4S50 on no less than 4 occasions (Wed-Sat inclusive) with the only exception being on Tuesday with 90046 and 90042 performing the honours. It was also the case with the southbound workings with the pair being bolted to 4L81 Tue-Fr (inclusive) with the only exception being the first 4M11 of the week on Monday.
If interested, the pairs full week escapades were as below;
Monday 03/08 -
4M11 18:14 Coatbridge FLT - Crewe BH
Tuesday 04/08 -
4S83 17:35 London Gateway - Coatbridge FLT (from Crewe BH)
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Wednesday 05/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Thursday 06/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Friday 07/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Saturday 08/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
Continued wanders around Lincoln....
Taken with Hasselblad 501cm and 80mm Planar *t CB lens, on Ilford HP5 Plus at 400asa and developed in Ilford ID-11 (1+1) for 13 minutes. Digitised with Epson v550 and SilverFast®8 (SE) software at 3200ppi.
Continuing to explore B&W again. This is the second of three waterfall shots from Iceland that I especially like in B&W.
Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland and is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The power of this waterfall is amazing - the water sounds like a thundering herd rushing over the edge. Was a bit eerie getting this close to the abyss. You can see a clip which provides a better perspective of its size and power here:
It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 45 metres (150 ft) down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 193 m3/s.
Continuing my little series of churches in the area near to where my parents' place is south west of Reading.
This is another church called St. Mary's - there seem to be an awful lot of them in this neck of the woods!
Completed in 1867 to a design by William Butterfield, it's Grade II listed ...
Continuing our itinerary around North West Germany on our tandem. A few days travelling the Moseltal.
Having given a fine performance of one of his all time favourites my little friend from the other week sits for his admiring public before continuing his impromptu concert.
I'm continuing with the recording of my new vista in different light, weathers and at different times. These show the different effects of lenses, the first picture is taken with a 75mm lens and the second with the 18mm setting on my 16-18-21mm Wide Tri-Elmar. Different viewpoints but it's the same clump of trees.
Continuing to explore the capabilities of the Canon FD 200mm macro lens. Shot on a gloomy and damp morning with autumn foliage in the background.
I was looking at some of my old photos taken from New England a couple years ago and didn't realize I have more covered bridge photos. Here they come.....
Lens: Sigma APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Continuing my Lake District series... here's a HDR shot of the Lodore Falls Pier. Processed with SNS HDR.
Wishing you all a great weekend!
I continue my emigre project, previous stories can be viewed by tagging - #emigrationisraelproject
They arrived in Israel in March 2022
Oksana is a psychotherapist and psychotherapist, a specialist in eating disorders.
Fedor is an art-construction engineer and a creator of scientific exhibits.
Petya and Varya go to school and learn Hebrew. They like the school. Especially nice that the loading in the school is small. Petya plays rugby, and Varya does gymnastics. Recently, Petya went to a scout camp for two days, and his parents missed him.
They teach language and build all processes anew. It is both difficult and interesting at the same time.
Looking up Michaelgate towards the Grade I Listed Lincoln Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Lincoln, in Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
Building commenced in 1088 and continued in several phases throughout the medieval period. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 238 years (1311–1549) before the central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt. It is highly regarded by architectural scholars; the eminent Victorian writer John Ruskin declared: "I have always held... that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have."
Remigius de Fécamp, the first bishop of Lincoln, moved the Episcopal seat there between 1072 and 1092. Up until then St. Mary's Church in Stow was considered to be the "mother church" of Lincolnshire (although it was not a cathedral, because the seat of the diocese was at Dorchester Abbey in Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire).
Bishop Remigius built the first Lincoln Cathedral on the present site, finishing it in 1092 and then dying on 9 May of that year, two days before it was consecrated. In 1141, the timber roofing was destroyed in a fire. Bishop Alexander rebuilt and expanded the cathedral, but it was mostly destroyed by an earthquake about forty years later, in 1185. The earthquake was one of the largest felt in the UK. The damage to the cathedral is thought to have been very extensive: The Cathedral is described as having "split from top to bottom"; in the current building, only the lower part of the west end and of its two attached towers remain of the pre-earthquake cathedral.
After the earthquake, a new bishop was appointed. He was Hugh de Burgundy of Avalon, France, who became known as St Hugh of Lincoln. He began a massive rebuilding and expansion programme. Rebuilding began with the choir and the eastern transepts between 1192 and 1210. The central nave was then built in the Early English Gothic style. Until 1549 the spire was reputedly the tallest medieval tower in Europe, though the exact height has been a matter of debate.
The two large stained glass rose windows, the matching Dean's Eye and Bishop's Eye, were added to the cathedral during the late Middle Ages. The former, the Dean's Eye in the north transept dates from the 1192 rebuild begun by St Hugh, finally being completed in 1235.
After the additions of the Dean's eye and other major Gothic additions it is believed some mistakes in the support of the tower occurred, for in 1237 the main tower collapsed. A new tower was soon started and in 1255 the Cathedral petitioned Henry III to allow them to take down part of the town wall to enlarge and expand the Cathedral, including the rebuilding of the central tower and spire.
In 1290 Eleanor of Castile died and King Edward I of England decided to honour her, his Queen Consort, with an elegant funeral procession. After her body had been embalmed, which in the 13th century involved evisceration, Eleanor's viscera were buried in Lincoln cathedral, and Edward placed a duplicate of the Westminster tomb there.
With the Fourth of July festivities continuing through the weekend, the fireworks show du jour for Saturday, July 6th was in Amboy, IL. Amboy was chosen specifically for the proximity of the Amboy Depot Museum, and specifically the steam locomotive, to the fireworks. The Depot Museum used to be the division headquarters of Illinois Central Railroad's original mainline from Galena to Cairo. The Charter Line has direct ties to Abraham Lincoln, but got subsequently downgraded after the IC built a branch line to a sleepy little town named Chicago. Renamed the "Gruber Line" in it's later years, the line was abandoned in the early 1980s.
Meanwhile, the steam locomotive that now resides here is one of the last operating steam locomotives in everyday revenue service. Now on static display, ole' 8376 is an 0-8-0 built in 1929 as a switcher for the Grand Trunk Western RR.
When it and her sisters were sent to scrap at Northwestern Steel and Wire in Sterling, IL, they liked them so much they decided to keep them. The steamers remained operational until late 1980, when the fires were dropped for good shortly after the passing of NWS&W's owner. This particular locomotive was brought out of storage, restored, and officially re-commissioned in 1976, as NWS&W #76, making it the last steam engine to be commissioned for regular freight service (industrial switching) in America.
After Blanot, we continue our visit of some remarkable Romanesque churches in southern Burgundy.
In the small and quiet village of Chapaize, a Benedictine priory was founded in the 900s by the monks of the abbey of Chalon-sur-Saône. The church that we can see today, and which is one of the most interesting in all of Burgundy, was built around Year 1000 by the great abbot and builder Guillaume de Volpiano, who had originally come from Italy —but “nations” as we know them today meant nothing back then.
In general, this beautiful church is reminiscent of the abbey church of Tournus, which is only 15 kilometers away, on the other bank of River Saône. You will have noticed the bandes lombardes, an expected decorative motif for the period. They appear on the façade and on the bell tower, which is very tall (35 meters) and towers over all the surrounding countryside.
With these four photos, we end ouir visit of Chapaize. Tomorrow, we move on to another south Burgundy location...
This photo, taken in the nave near the transept crossing, is, I think, interesting for several reasons: first, it shows how the arches and their semi-column supports are integrated into the general architectural scheme; and second, the places where the plastering has been removed (or has not been redone) show how the walls and arches were appareled in the Middle Ages.
1. A quick survey of the crowd shows there's at least one Paloux preoccupied with work rather than his current date.
2. Henri Paloux also grew bored quickly once he discovered no Poppys had signed up for his age range.
3. Elizabeth meets with the third Paloux, cousin Rupert, who is also in the anxiety group.
Elizabeth, always up for conspiracy theories, later told sister Emily: "He was....twitchy. I don't think he's socially anxious...He's hiding something."
4. Jesse Romero finally found someone interested in the same kind of music--problematically, Lilith quickly became so engrossed reading the magazines that Jesse brought that she forgot about him being there!
The Toyota Crown series was introduced in 1955 and continued till the present day.
This Crown is from the fourth generation with type code S60/S70. It was available as 4-door sedan, 5-door estate and as 2-door hardtop coupé.
With the January 1973 face-lift the Crown received more modest bumpers like seen here.
This early type Crown was still unrestored. It was once part of the famous Mahy collection. It was offered for sale at an auction and finally sold for € 1800 in 2018.
See: encheres.parisencheres.com/lot/90169/9099446?offset=100&.
2563 cc 6 cylinder L-engine.
N° châssis ou moteur : no. 005866.
Ca. 1300 kg.
Production Toyota Crown Series: 1955-present.
Production Crown MS75 this 4th gen.: Febr. 1971-Sept. 1974.
Production Crown MS75 4th gen. this post-facelift version: Jan. 1973-Sept. 1974.
I found this image on the internet.
Source: www.demorgen.be/nieuws/unieke-oldtimers-uit-befaamde-mahy...
Original photographer, place and date unknown. This car was probably photographed on location somewhere in the old textile factories in Leuze-en-Hainaut where the Mahy collection is housed.
Halfweg, Oct. 31, 2021.
© 2021 Sander Toonen, Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
The Wilyakali, alternatively known as the Bo-arli, Bulali, Wiljagali, Wiljakali, Wiljali, or Willoo, are the native Indigenous Australian people to the Broken Hill and Silverton areas of Far West New South Wales.
There were some fifteen groups of Aboriginal people traditionally living in the huge area bisected by the Darling River in the western plains of New South Wales. The principal group around Broken Hill was the Wiljakali. Their occupation of the area is thought to have been intermittent due to the scarcity of water. The same scarcity of water made the area unattractive for European occupiers and traditional Aboriginal ways of life continued longer there than in many other parts of New South Wales, into the 1870s. As Aboriginal people were increasingly deprived of the full range of their traditional options, they were obliged to come into stations or missions in times of drought to avoid starvation. By the 1880s many Aboriginal people were working on stations or within the mining industry. Some people ended up living in reservations created under the Aborigines' Protection Act of 1909. The influenza epidemic of 1919 had a further significant impact upon the indigenous population as did the twentieth century federal government policy of removing Aboriginal children from their families.
Source: New South Wales Heritage Register.
Whilst Talia continues to fight Ubu, she orders me to focus on shutting down the tower. Part of me fundamentally disagrees with her. Everything Bruce taught me in the first year focused on the importance of team work and how no matter what, we never abandon an ally. Almost four years on though, I can’t help but wonder how heavily that was caused by Jason’s loss. It had been well over a year after he’d lost Jason at the time and it would be another year before he’d finally open up about what really happened to Jason.
But now I can see where Bruce was coming from. After both Steph and I were attacked at the fairground, it feels wrong to leave Talia on her own to face Ubu. Especially with how little I know about his own skills with a blade. However, if what Bruce says about her is true, and she’s the one who trained him, then I’m worrying over nothing.
I really hope that’s the case.
Red Robin: Red Bird to bunker.
Alfred: Bunker here. Go ahead Red Bird.
Red Robin: How are we looking Al?
Alfred: I’m not sure yet. You’re the first team to report in.
Red Robin: Nothing from Bruce?
Alfred: Not since he found his father’s body.
Red Robin: Wait, what? There was a body at his tower too?
Alfred: Yes, its dental records match those belonging to Thomas Wayne. Lucius has told me that Master Grayson and Miss Gordon came across Mrs Wayne’s body at the Eastern tower. Did you identify who the body that you encounter belonged to?
Red Robin: We didn’t stop to confirm it, but Talia identified our body as that of Bruce’s uncle.
Alfred: First his parents, now his uncle.
Red Robin: Have you heard from the Outlaws about their body?
Alfred: We’ve not heard anything from them so far. I suspect they must have faced substantial resistance almost immediately to have not reported a body to us. Or perhaps maybe there isn’t one to report.
Red Robin: There’ll be one, Al. You don’t do something like that without covering your bases. They’ll have wanted Bruce to see them so they’ll have planted one at each tower to make sure that he does.
Alfred: I fear so.
Red Robin: How did he react to it?
Alfred: Not well. He cut off comms once he realised it was actually Thomas’ body. I fear the worst.
Red Robin: He’ll be alright, Alfred. He always is.
Alfred: But at what cost? You know how he protective he is of his parent’s memory, Master Timothy. I dread to think what having their peace disturbed will do to him.
Red Robin: He’ll do what’s right.
Alfred: I hope so.
The concern in Alfred’s voice is difficult to ignore. Clearly Bruce reacted worse than I thought he would upon learning who the bodies belong to. Please Bruce, don’t do anything stupid, for Alfred’s sake if not your own. In order to distract himself from those thoughts prying at the back of his head, Alfred tries to move the conversation along.
Alfred: Have you and Miss Al-Ghul secured the tower?
Red Robin: Not exactly. Talia had us split up. I’m on my way to try and shut down the tower, she’s dealing with one of the guards.
Alfred: I’ll transfer the tower schematics to your HUD now.
Red Robin: Thanks, Al………………………Do you know this person Talia’s fighting?
Alfred: Do they have a name?
Red Robin: Ubu.
Alfred: I’ll see if the Batcomputer has anything on anyone with that name and get back to you. The tower schematics should be with you now.
I activate the Batcomputer connection built into my mask and it begins downloading the tower schematics. Much to my surprise, the dispersal system controls are only two floors above. Not what you’d expect from a tower that’s at least 15 floors tall.
Red Robin: Al, are you sure these schematics are good? They say the controls are only two floors above me.
Alfred: You’re having the same problem that both Lucius and I did. A lack of logic behind the building of these towers
Red Robin: Are we sure Joker didn’t build these towers?
Alfred: Whilst it does sound like something he would do, thankfully he did not.
Red Robin: Alright Al, I’m making my way to the tower controls now. I’ll contact you if I need anything.
Alfred: Very good Master Timothy. Keep safe.
It takes little more than two minutes for me to locate the control room and much to my surprise it’s not booby trapped. With the way Bruce and Talia talk about the League, I’m rather surprised they have something waiting for me. That confusion quickly fades away as I realize why there was no trap set up to protect the room.
Damn it.
They’ve damaged the controls. Looks like the schematics Alfred gave me for the mechanism are worthless. How am I supposed to shut the dispersal system off now? Unless……I don’t need to shut the tower down? What if I just render what it’s pumping out into Gotham harmless?
Red Robin: Red Bird to bunker.
Alfred: Bunker here, go ahead Red Bird.
Red Robin: Alfred I’ve got a problem. The controls for my tower have been sabotaged and I’m not sure if they’re salvageable.
Alfred: This day just keeps getting better and better.
Red Robin: I’m looking at the system now. From what I can make out it looks like it’ll take some time to rewire the controls so they’re useable again, but the dispersal chamber appears accessible.
Alfred: I’ll patch you through to Lucius.
Red Robin: Thanks, Al.
Hopefully, Lucius has managed to reverse engineer the neutralising agent for this toxin. Otherwise I’m going to be stuck at rewiring this terminal for a good 15 minutes at least, and that’s time I can’t afford to waste especially with Talia fighting that Ubu guy alone.
Lucius: Good evening Mr. Drake.
Red Robin: Lucius.
Lucius: I hear the League of Assassins have decided to play dirty and vandalised your tower’s controls.
Red Robin: From what I can make out, the controls could be made to work again with enough rewiring but that will take time.
Lucius: A commodity that’s in short supply currently.
Red Robin: When isn’t it?
Lucius: Waiting for Luke to finish his driving exam comes to mind. So, what do you propose we do about shutting the tower down?
Red Robin: From what I can see, the actual dispersal chamber seems accessible. I’m wondering how far are you from synthesizing a neutralising agent for this gas?
Lucius: Though I can’t be 100% certain, I think I’ve cracked it. But I don’t have enough available right now to neutralise much gas at all. However, I think I have a solution.
Red Robin: Which is?
Lucius: I’m deploying the Batwing to your position now. Standby.
Red Robin: Lucius……Bruce told you about how you shouldn’t keep us in the dark when you have a new idea…..
Lucius: Don’t worry Mr. Drake. My idea will prevent the tower from dispersing anymore of that toxin into Gotham whilst I wait for the rest of the antidote to finish.
Red Robin: You’re not planning on blowing up the tower are you?
Lucius: ……
Red Robin: ………..Lucius?
Lucius: Not all of it.
Well that’s terrifying. I really don’t think I want to know just what he has cooked up in that crazy head of his. Hopefully Talia is having better luck with Ubu than I am with these controls.
I am continuing with a photo of Mount Rainier National Park. This photo was taken in the Tipsoo Lake area which is located near the Chinook Pass at an elevation of 5,430ft/1,656m.
About this photo: On one of our days in Mount Rainier National Park we visited the Tipsoo Lake area which is really beautiful. The lake offered beautiful views of Mount Rainier, great wild flowers and some good hiking trails. I really enjoyed my day at this lake as it is so serene and so beautiful. While walking along the trails of Tipsoo Lake we had nice views of the wildflower meadows with Mount Rainier as a backdrop, which I thought was so beautiful.
~Camera Settings:
*Camera Model: Sony Alpha DSLR A200
*Focal Length: 55mm
*F-Number: F/16
*Exposure Time: 1/40 sec.
*ISO Speed: ISO-100
*Exposure Program: Aperture Priority (A)
*Exposure Compensation (E/V): -0.7 step
I used a circular polarizer and I added some contrast and saturation in Photoshop to this photo to bring out the colours a little more.
Thank you for dropping by and I hope you like this photo!
Ann :)
Some information about Mount Rainier National Park: Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899 and has a size of about 235,625 acres (97% is designated Wilderness) and this includes Mount Rainier (14,410ft/4392m). Mount Rainier is an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice. The park contains outstanding examples of old growth forests and subalpine meadows. Whether hiking on its flanks, climbing its summit, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on its slopes, camping along its glacier-fed rivers, photographing wildflower displays in subalpine meadows, or just admiring the view, nearly two million people go here to enjoy the grandeur and beauty of Mount Rainier each year.
The park is devided into five areas, which are accessible from different areas:
1. Longmire: The Longmire Historic District is located at about 6.5mi/10.5km from the eastern park entrance at an elevation of 2640ft/800m. John Longmire was one of the first men to ever climb Mount Rainier in 1883. After his descend he bumped into an area of hot springs and he was so impressed that he returned a year later with his wife. He built a hotel in this area which was called The Mineral Springs Resort. After 1899 when Mount Rainier and it's surrounding area got the "National Park" status, Longmire was used as the park's headquarters. At the moment this building is a museum, The Longmire Museum which is one of the oldest museums of the National Park Servisce. Other visitor facilities in this area are the Wilderness Information Centre and a hotel.
2. Paradise: Paradise is located further down from Longmire and is one of the most visited areas in the park. Paradise is located at an elevation of 5280ft/1600m and is popular for the beautiful wildflowers in the summer, the enormous amounts of snow in the winter and an amazing view of Mount Rainier. It might be hard to find a parking spot during peak times in this area. There is a visitor centre here (the Jackson Memorial Visitor Centre) and the beautiful Paradise Inn Hotel.
3. Ohanapecosh: The eastside of the park is much dryer and sunnier than the westisde, so this is a good area to visit if it's too wet and foggy at Longmire or Paradise. This Ohanapecosh area is located in a quiet and densly forested area, about 1.9mi/3km north of the park entrance of this side of the park. Near the Ohanapecosh River you can find a visitor centre, a ranger station, the Ohanapecosh campground and picnic area. This area is only open from May until October. State Route 123 is closed during the winter months.
4. Sunrise/White River: This area is found in the north eastern corner of the park and accessibility is only from May until November. In the east a road enters from Chinook Pass (5,430ft/ 1,656m) and a little ways further you can find beautiful Tipsoo Lake which is surrounded by wildflowers in the summer. Via the turn off of the Mather Memorial Parkway you can go to the Sunrise/White River area. There is a turn of to the White River area which offers a Wilderness Information centre where you can get climbing or wilderness permits and information on hiking. If you continue it will take about 11mi/17km to get to the Sunrise area and parking lot which is located at an elevation of 6,400ft/1,950m. This road is only open from the end of June/beginning of July until the end of September/beginning of October. Sunrise is a busy area due to the beautiful views of Mount Rianier, many different hiking trails and of course the beautiful wildflowers that bloom here. In this area there is also the Sunrise Visitor Centre, The Sunrisde Day Lodge where you can have a bit to eat or visit the giftshop.
5. Carbon paper River/Mowich Lake: This area is located in the northwestern part of the park and can be reach from a small place called Wilkeson on Highway 165. Here you can also find a Visitor Centre where you can get permits and information. The highway here turns into a gravel road, so you might need a car with high clearance. The road floods frequently, so make sure you check before you go to visit this area. This area has several hiking trails and beautiful lakes, it is also the area with the heaviest rainfall in the park.
Continuing my Southern Arizona Adventure 2024 with a stop in Patagonia Arizona. This is stage 5 of 9. I met up with my best friend from high school who has retired here because of the birding. I stayed at the Stage Stop Inn and we ate at Velvet Elvis.
As I parked to check in to the hotel, I saw this Porsche 911 (991) Carrera S and had a nice chat with the owner about cars and cameras. It's a 2016.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911
Haiku thoughts:
Beneath southwest skies,
Porsche hums, the road unwinds,
Dreams chase the sunrise.
Southern Arizona Adventure 2024
New front lip (I just need to a get a black version of that middle part), canards, bonnet vents, sunroof and a roof spoiler. As you can see, I'm also making the entire headlight lens yellow instead of just the low beam housing (need to get some more trans. yellow to finish it off).
All captured in terrible fuzzy quality with my point-and-shoot. Oh boy does this camera seem terrible after using a DSLR for the last ~year
٩(×̯×)۶
Not to fear; in a fortnight's time I'm going to take some not shit proper photos of this. With a much better backdrop!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectorals, it is popular with whale watchers off Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and the United States.
Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.
Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a moratorium was introduced in 1966. While stocks have since partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to impact the 80,000 humpbacks worldwide.
Taxonomy
Humpback whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family that includes the blue whale, the fin whale, the Bryde's whale, the sei whale and the minke whale. The rorquals are believed to have diverged from the other families of the suborder Mysticeti as long ago as the middle Miocene.[3] However, it is not known when the members of these families diverged from each other.
Though clearly related to the giant whales of the genus Balaenoptera, the humpback has been the sole member of its genus since Gray's work in 1846. More recently, though, DNA sequencing analysis has indicated the humpback is more closely related to certain rorquals, particularly the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), and possibly to the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), than it is to rorquals such as the minke whales.[4][5] If further research confirms these relationships, it will be necessary to reclassify the rorquals.
The humpback whale was first identified as baleine de la Nouvelle Angleterre by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his Regnum Animale of 1756. In 1781, Georg Heinrich Borowski described the species, converting Brisson's name to its Latin equivalent, Balaena novaeangliae. In 1804, Lacépède shifted the humpback from the Balaenidae family, renaming it Balaenoptera jubartes. In 1846, John Edward Gray created the genus Megaptera, classifying the humpback as Megaptera longipinna, but in 1932, Remington Kellogg reverted the species names to use Borowski's novaeangliae.[6] The common name is derived from the curving of their backs when diving. The generic name Megaptera from the Greek mega-/μεγα- "giant" and ptera/πτερα "wing",[7] refers to their large front flippers. The specific name means "New Englander" and was probably given by Brisson due the regular sightings of humpbacks off the coast of New England.
Description
A humpback whale can easily be identified by its stocky body with an obvious hump and black dorsal coloring. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles, which are hair follicles, and are characteristic of the species. The fluked tail, which it lifts above the surface in some dive sequences, has wavy trailing edges.[8] The four global populations, all under study, are: North Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Ocean humpbacks, which have distinct populations which complete a migratory round-trip each year, and the Indian Ocean population, which does not migrate, prevented by that ocean's northern coastline.
The long black and white tail fin, which can be up to a third of body length, and the pectoral fins have unique patterns, which make individual whales identifiable.[9][10] Several hypotheses attempt to explain the humpback's pectoral fins, which are proportionally the longest fins of any cetacean. The two most enduring mention the higher maneuverability afforded by long fins, and the usefulness of the increased surface area for temperature control when migrating between warm and cold climates.
Humpbacks have 270 to 400 darkly coloured baleen plates on each side of their mouths.[11] The plates measure from a mere 18 inches (46 cm) in the front to approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) long in the back, behind the hinge. Ventral grooves run from the lower jaw to the umbilicus about halfway along the underside of the whale. These grooves are less numerous (usually 14–22) than in other rorquals but are fairly wide.[11]
The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces, but disappears by the time the flukes emerge. Humpbacks have a 3 metres (9.8 ft), heart-shaped to bushy blow, or exhalation of water through the blowholes. Because humpback whales breathe voluntarily, the whales possibly shut off only half of their brains when sleeping.[12] Early whalers also noted blows from humpback adults to be 10–20 feet (3.0–6.1 m) high.
Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head. At birth, calves measure 20 feet (6.1 m) at 2 short tons (1.8 t) The mother, by comparison, is about 50 feet (15 m). They nurse for approximately six months, then mix nursing and independent feeding for possibly six months more. Humpback milk is 50% fat and pink in color.
Females reach sexual maturity at the age of five, achieving full adult size a little later. Males reach sexual maturity at approximately seven years of age. Humpback whale lifespans range from 45–100 years.[13] Fully grown, the males average 13–14 m (43–46 ft). Females are slightly larger at 15–16 m (49–52 ft); the largest recorded specimen was 19 metres (62 ft) long and had pectoral fins measuring 6 metres (20 ft) each.[14] Body mass typically is in the range of 25–30 metric tons (28–33 short tons), with large specimens weighing over 40 metric tons (44 short tons).[15] The female has a hemispherical lobe about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter in its genital region. This visually distinguishes males and females.[11] The male's penis usually remains hidden in the genital slit.
Identifying individuals
The varying patterns on the tail flukes are sufficient to identify individuals. A study using data from 1973 to 1998 on whales in the North Atlantic gave researchers detailed information on gestation times, growth rates, and calving periods, as well as allowing more accurate population predictions by simulating the mark-release-recapture technique (Katona and Beard 1982). A photographic catalogue of all known North Atlantic whales was developed over this period and is currently maintained by College of the Atlantic.[16] Similar photographic identification projects have begun in the North Pacific by Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks, and around the world.
Life history
Social structure
The humpback social structure is loose-knit. Typically, individuals live alone or in small, transient groups that disband after a few hours. These whales are not excessively social in most cases. Groups may stay together a little longer in summer to forage and feed cooperatively. Longer-term relationships between pairs or small groups, lasting months or even years, have rarely been observed. Some females possibly retain bonds created via cooperative feeding for a lifetime. The humpback's range overlaps considerably with other whale and dolphin species—for instance, the minke whale. However, humpbacks rarely interact socially with them, though one individual was observed playing with a bottlenose dolphin in Hawaiian waters.[17]
Courtship and reproduction
Courtship rituals take place during the winter months, following migration toward the equator from summer feeding grounds closer to the poles. Competition is usually fierce, and unrelated males, dubbed escorts by researcher Louis Herman, frequently trail females, as well as mother-calf dyads. Male gather into "competitive groups" and fight for females.[18] Group size ebbs and flows as unsuccessful males retreat and others arrive to try their luck. Behaviors include breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing, tail-slapping, fin-slapping, peduncle throws, charging and parrying. Whale songs are assumed to have an important role in mate selection; however, they may also be used between males to establish dominance.[19]
Females typically breed every two or three years. The gestation period is 11.5 months, yet some individuals have been known to breed in two consecutive years. The peak months for birth are January, February, July, and August, with usually a one- to two–year period between humpback births. They can live up to 48 years. Recent research on humpback mitochondrial DNA reveals groups living in proximity to each other may represent distinct breeding pools.[20]
Song
Both male and female humpback whales vocalize, but only males produce the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous. Each song consists of several sounds in a low register, varying in amplitude and frequency, and typically lasting from 10 to 20 minutes.[21] Humpbacks may sing continuously for more than 24 hours. Cetaceans have no vocal cords, so whales generate their songs by forcing air through their massive nasal cavities.
Whales within a large area sing the same song. All North Atlantic humpbacks sing the same song, and those of the North Pacific sing a different song. Each population's song changes slowly over a period of years without repeating.[21]
Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale songs. Only males sing, suggesting one purpose is to attract females. However, many of the whales observed to approach a singer are other males, often resulting in conflict. Singing may, therefore, be a challenge to other males.[22] Some scientists have hypothesized the song may serve an echolocative function.[23] During the feeding season, humpbacks make altogether different vocalizations for herding fish into their bubble nets.[24]
Humpback whales have also been found to make a range of other social sounds to communicate, such as "grunts", "groans", "thwops", "snorts" and "barks"
Ecology
Feeding and predation
Humpbacks feed primarily in summer and live off fat reserves during winter.[26] They feed only rarely and opportunistically in their wintering waters. The humpback is an energetic hunter, taking krill and small schooling fish such as Atlantic herring, Atlantic salmon, capelin, and American sand lance, as well as Atlantic mackerel, pollock, and haddock in the North Atlantic.[27][28][29] Krill and copepods have been recorded as prey species in Australian and Antarctic waters.[30] Humpbacks hunt by direct attack or by stunning prey by hitting the water with pectoral fins or flukes.
The humpback has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales.[31] Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding; a group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. This ring can begin at up to 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter and involve the cooperation of a dozen animals. Using a crittercam attached to a whale's back, some whales were found to blow the bubbles, some dive deeper to drive fish toward the surface, and others herd prey into the net by vocalizing.[32] The whales then suddenly swim upward through the "net", mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Plated grooves in the whale's mouth allow the creature to easily drain all the water initially taken in.
Given scarring records, killer whales are thought to prey upon juvenile humpbacks, though this has never been witnessed. The result of these attacks is generally nothing more serious than some scarring of the skin, but young calves likely are sometimes killed.[33]
Range and habitat
Humpbacks inhabit all major oceans, in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 77° N latitude, though not in the eastern Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea.They are migratory, spending summers in cooler, high-latitude waters and mating and calving in tropical and subtropical waters.[21] An exception to this rule is a population in the Arabian Sea, which remains in these tropical waters year-round.[21] Annual migrations of up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) are typical, making it one of the mammals' best-traveled species.
A large population spreads across the Hawaiian Islands every winter, ranging from the island of Hawaii in the south to Kure Atoll in the north.[34] A 2007 study identified seven individuals wintering off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica as having traveled from the Antarctic—around 8,300 kilometres (5,200 mi). Identified by their unique tail patterns, these animals made the longest documented mammalian migration.[35] In Australia, two main migratory populations have been identified, off the west and east coasts, respectively. These two populations are distinct, with only a few females in each generation crossing between the two groups.[36]
Whaling
Humpback whales were hunted as early as the 18th century, but distinguished by whalers as early as the first decades of the 17th century. By the 19th century, many nations (the United States in particular), were hunting the animal heavily in the Atlantic Ocean, and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The late-19th-century introduction of the explosive harpoon, though, allowed whalers to accelerate their take. This, along with hunting in the Antarctic Ocean beginning in 1904, sharply reduced whale populations. During the 20th century, over 200,000 humpbacks were estimated to have been taken, reducing the global population by over 90%, with North Atlantic populations estimated to have dropped to as low as 700 individuals.[37] In 1946, the International Whaling Commission was founded to oversee the whaling industry. They imposed rules and regulations for hunting whales and set open and closed hunting seasons. To prevent extinction, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial humpback whaling in 1966. By then, the population had been reduced to around 5,000.[38] That ban is still in force.
Prior to commercial whaling, populations could have reached 125,000. North Pacific kills alone are estimated at 28,000.[8] The full toll is much higher. It is now known that the Soviet Union was deliberately under-recording its catches; the Soviet catch was reported at 2,820, whereas the true number is now believed to be over 48,000.[39]
As of 2004, hunting of humpback whales was restricted to a few animals each year off the Caribbean island Bequia in the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[31] The take is not believed to threaten the local population. Japan had planned to kill 50 humpbacks in the 2007/08 season under its JARPA II research program, starting in November 2007. The announcement sparked global protests.[40] After a visit to Tokyo by the chairman of the IWC, asking the Japanese for their co-operation in sorting out the differences between pro- and antiwhaling nations on the Commission, the Japanese whaling fleet agreed no humpback whales would be caught for the two years it would take for the IWC to reach a formal agreement.[41]
In 2010, the International Whaling Commission authorized Greenland's native population to hunt a few humpback whales for the next three years.[42]
Conservation
The worldwide population is at least 80,000 humpback whales, with 18,000-20,000 in the North Pacific,[43] about 12,000 in the North Atlantic,[44] and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere,[45] down from a prewhaling population of 125,000.[8]
This species is considered "least concern" from a conservation standpoint, as of 2008. This is an improvement from vulnerable in 1996 and endangered as recently as 1988. Most monitored stocks of humpback whales have rebounded well since the end of commercial whaling,[2][46] such as the North Atlantic, where stocks are now believed to be approaching levels similar to those before hunting began. However, the species is considered endangered in some countries, including the United States.[47][48] The United States initiated a status review of the species on August 12, 2009, and is seeking public comment on potential changes to the species listing under the Endangered Species Act.[49] Areas where population data are limited and the species may be at higher risk include the Arabian Sea, the western North Pacific Ocean, the west coast of Africa and parts of Oceania.[2]
Today, individuals are vulnerable to collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, and noise pollution.[2] Like other cetaceans, humpbacks can be injured by excessive noise. In the 19th century, two humpback whales were found dead near sites of repeated oceanic sub-bottom blasting, with traumatic injuries and fractures in the ears.[50]
Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the humpback has made a dramatic comeback in the North Pacific. A 2008 study estimated the humpback population, which hit a low of 1,500 whales before hunting was banned worldwide, has made a comeback to a population of between 18,000 and 20,000.[51] Saxitoxin, a paralytic shellfish poisoning from contaminated mackerel has been implicated in humpback whale deaths.[52]
The United Kingdom, among other countries, designated the humpback as a priority species under the national Biodiversity Action Plan. The sanctuary provided by US National Parks, such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, among others, have also become major factors in sustaining populations.[53]
Although much was learned about humpbacks from whaling, migratory patterns and social interactions were not well understood until two studies by R. Chittleborough and W. H. Dawbin in the 1960s.[54] Roger Payne and Scott McVay made further studies of the species in 1971.[55] Their analysis of whale songs led to worldwide media interest and convinced the public that whales were highly intelligent, aiding the antiwhaling advocates.
In August 2008, the IUCN changed humpback's status from Vulnerable to Least Concern, although two subpopulations remain endangered.[56] The United States is considering listing separate humpback populations, so smaller groups, such as North Pacific humpbacks, which are estimated to number 18,000-20,000 animals, might be delisted. This is made difficult by humpback's extraordinary migrations, which can extend the 5,157 miles (8,299 km) from Antarctica to Costa Rica.[20]
Whale-watching
Humpback whales are generally curious about objects in their environments. Some individuals, referred to as "friendlies", approach whale-watching boats closely, often staying under or near the boat for many minutes. Because humpbacks are often easily approachable, curious, easily identifiable as individuals, and display many behaviors, they have become the mainstay of whale-watching tourism in many locations around the world. Hawaii has used the concept of "ecotourism" to use the species without killing them. This whale-watching business brings in a revenue of $20 million per year for the state's economy
I have a load of many, many more edits to make from my two eDDie treks but I want to edit and post more of my Switzerland Trail trek during this autumn's aspen color.
I snapped more shots after rounding the curve above Lefthand Canyon but all these curves are above the highway. I captured this shot across another gully beyond the spot where I left off last year where the view opened again after my recent posts. The grade across the gully shown, is on the way to Brainerd's Curve and road down to Brainerd's Mill on LeftHand Road to Ward. This is a colorful spot along the continuing Switzerland Trail narrow gauge railroad grade. Along the grade here, the grade scenery is typical until the view opens up to views beyond.
It's easy to see how much rock was pushed aside from the grade where I am standing at the bottom of the scene. At least the rock shores up the old grade turned back country road. The rock looks like that shown in my recent (four back) Rock ledge shot. Boy, this 1/20/th of a second exposure should be far shakier.
I have to learn to heavily study Weather Underground for current and upcoming weather conditions later in the day. I looked out the window and I saw a possibility of clearing to mixed clouds and blue. The fact is there are a few days open for shooting the best color up here and the Zinky-Dink crowd are promoting dig-and-burn to mix up the atmosphere. In any case, this is my shot. I made another foray up LeftHand Road a day or two later for more color. Unedited shots sit in another work directory.
This autumn snap along the Switzerland Trail to Ward, shows the railroad grade ahead. I trekked above Gold Hill, Colorado and veered along the railroad grade cut with aspirations of reaching the mountain-bound mining camp of Ward as its first true mountain mining town. This day started as a foray into the hills to search for aspen cloaked in showy fall coats. I thought Google maps showed more aspen on this side of the ridge. The color was generally at peak on that day but it may not look like it while along this old grade turned rough road. This is the narrow gauge railroad grade on the northern, Ward branch, west and north from Gold Hill Station atop the ridge. Sunset, Colorado was at the bottom of the ridge in the canyon left of me and was the division point on the Denver, Boulder & Western RR. You'll need your rock tires on if you plan on driving this track; it's been better and mostly smooth as a railroad. Well except when the snow avalanche slid the entire train down the mountainside above here. I chose the reliability of walking; I wanted a quiet stroll. It must have been a highly sought trip when the viewpoint would have been 10 feet higher while in a rocking passenger car. The original grading on the railroad named The Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific RR around the 1885 date made it west to Sunset. The Pacific was impossible. After reorganization, it was routed northwest to Ward and southwest to Eldora, Colorado from the Sunset division point. In the distance, the grade ducks to eventually swing left around the wooded hill.
Continuing with 100 things that make me happy. I love watching Tom' concentration when he's building his Warhammer models. He can sit there for ages building a whole set. It's a great way to sit and spend time and talk away from X-Boxes and tablets etc and nothing say's good wholesome fun than building a set of vicious alien space pirates armed to the teeth with various weapons designed to massacre anything that crosses their paths :)
PN's NR31-NR30 work 2TA8 JBR "Great Southern" pass special from Brisbane (Acacia Ridge)/Coramba to Inverleigh (for stable) before continuing off to Adelaide Parklands Terminal (Keswick) as they accelerated through Somerton Loop taken on Wednesday 29/12/2021.
Three days after the start of its latest eruptive episode, Etna's Southeast Crater continues to emit lava and modest but conspicuous amounts of volcanic ash. The incident that all the world has learned about - a phreatic explosion, caused by the sudden evaporation of snow and water enclosed by flowing lava, which inflicted minor injuries to a few people including yours truly - was just a secondary phenomenon in an otherwise quite normal episode of volcanic activity. It started on the morning of 15 March, exactly two weeks after the end of a previous eruptive episode, and initially seemed a faithful repetition of its predecessor. Then, in the night of 15-16 March, things became more complex, with new vents opening low on the south side of the Southeast Crater cone, and lava taking a new path, toward southeast, toward an area that we know as "Belvedere", on the rim of the huge Valle del Bove valley on the east flank of the volcano. That's where, around mid day on 16 March, the phreatic explosion happened, a rather surprising event in the given conditions. It had nothing to do with the eruption itself, it was not an explosion from an eruptive vent, it was just an explosive conflict between two elements with pretty much opposite characteristics, one more than 1000°C hot, the other at temperatures below zero. In many cases, when the lava is flowing slowly, the encounter can be rather peaceful, and there is spectacular documentation of ice-snow/ice interaction both from real eruptions (Tolbachik in Kamchatka, 2012-2013) and from experiments carried out at the University of Syracuse in the U.S.
The eruption continued, indifferent to the phreatic explosion more than 2 km distant from the true eruptive vents and the human dimension of the event. The lava overran the site of the explosion and then finally spilled down the steep western flank of the Valle del Bove, first one branch, then a second. In the meantime, up on the summit of the Southeast Crater, explosive activity showed a remarkable alternation of ash-free Strombolian activity and copious ash emission. This morning, 18 March 2017, ash was again being emitted abundantly, as seen in this photo taken from my home in Tremestieri Etneo, a village 20 km south of the Southeast Crater. The ash plume was blown right over us, causing a light fall of sand-sized ash particles.
Etna continues being the most amazing performer among the volcanoes of this planet.
Donald Trump opened a Pandora’s Box when he and the Republican Party politicized the coronavirus. When he called it the “Kung Flu” and the “Wuhan Virus,” racists attacked Asian-Americans. As a new virus, we have no natural immunity. But Trump refused to heed the warnings to social distance and wear masks, playing down the severity of the disease for political gain. Instead, he promoted fake cures and dismissed science experts. His acolytes followed suit. Rather than follow the science, right-wing charlatans continue to tout fake COVID cures. Only recently has Trump promoted vaccines and boosters (in part to separate himself from potential presidential rivals like Ron DeSantis). Other GOP lawmakers have privately protected themselves while publicly refusing to convey the importance of being immunized. And over 800,000 Americans have died.
People reacted with anger and pseudo-science theories when President Biden first appealed to Americans to “get the shot.” Incentives encouraged vaccinations. While these motivated some, it was much less than needed to reach herd immunity. With vaccination rates lagging, President Biden forced the issue with mandates for businesses with over 100 employees. And now conservatives on the Supreme Court have overruled those.
Adam Galinsky, a professor of leadership and ethics at Columbia Business School, recently wrote about the “psychology of regret” and its effect on vaccine hesitancy. “Alongside skepticism of institutions and experts, exposure to misinformation, and other often-cited reasons for resisting vaccines sits a clear emotional explanation: Many people are afraid that they’ll make a bad decision.” Fear can cause people to hesitate, no matter what the incentives might be. It may not seem rational, but many put more weight on the negative ramifications of their decisions than on any potential positive outcomes. They assign their actions greater importance than the consequences of not acting.
Ironically, this sense of regret explains why mandates have been so successful. When Biden first announced these mandates, the largest police union in New York City went to court to block them. They said they would lose thousands of officers who would quit rather than get inoculated. In reality, only three dozen officers ended up refusing. United Airlines instituted its mandate, and 99% of its workforce is vaccinated. This week they reported no deaths due to COVID. Mandates take the decision-making out of the individual’s hands. With the fear of making a wrong decision eliminated, most get vaccinated.
One of the most inane and insensitive protests over these requirements comes from those who show their opposition by wearing yellow Stars of David. Nazis required Jews to wear these stars with the word “Jude” at all times. Today’s protesters liken vaccine mandates to the persecution of Jews during World War II. They equate vaccination requirements with being sent to the gas chamber. At least, they say, it’s a slippery slope. They wear these stars as badges of resistance. However, Nazis forced Jews to wear them as signs of exclusion and disdain, signifying they were less than human. This false equivalent insults all Jews and their families who suffered during the Holocaust.
In June 2021, Jim Walsh, a Republican Washington State Representative, posted a video on Facebook showing him speaking to a group of conservatives while wearing the star. Posting on the social media platform, he said, “It’s an echo from history. In the current context, we’re all Jews.” We’re all Jews? During the Charlottesville protests, neo-Nazi’s chanted, “Jews will not replace us.” Now people are using the symbols of our annihilation to protest vaccine mandates. We’re tired of being used as scapegoats by neo-Nazis and examples of persecution by anti-vaxxers.
On November 14, 2021, anti-mandate protesters displayed the swastika and the yellow star in front of the offices of New York State Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who is Jewish. Dinowitz has been a vigorous proponent of mandates. The crowd gathered to protest Dinowitz’s bill, requiring all students be immunized against COVID in order to attend school. Republican gubernatorial candidate, Rob Astorino, organized the rally. Assemblyman Dinowitz stated, “People are free to express their opinions on vaccine policy and on any issue, but I draw the line at swastikas. [T]o stand next to swastikas and yellow Stars of David outside of a Jewish legislator’s office shows a lack of integrity at best and an embrace of right-wing extremism at worst.”
In a hearing by the Kansas Special Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates, former Kansas City, Kansas mayoral candidate Daran Duffy, explained why he and his family were wearing these stars. “The reason I’m wearing the star is not to be offensive, but it’s to remember, and for everybody else to call to remembrance World War II. The Jewish people were forced to wear a yellow star to identify them as Jews. And they were ushered off to the death camps in accordance with that. There were medical tests; there were experimentations done on human people. And while this hasn’t reached that deprivation, we are definitely moving in that direction.” Despite his sincerity, he is oblivious to the insensitivity of his protest.
And, just this week, Ohio Republican Congressman Warren Davidson likened vaccine mandates to Nazi atrocities by tweeting a photo of a Nazi Gesuntheitspaß (health passport) with the text, “It’s been done before. #DoNotComply” He went on to say, “Let’s recall that the Nazis dehumanized Jewish people before segregating them, segregated them before imprisoning them, imprisoned them before enslaving them, and enslaved them before massacring them.”
People receiving COVID shots are not part of an experiment. The actions of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, who conducted sadistic medical procedures on Auschwitz children, are a far cry from the science behind these vaccines. For over two decades, researchers have been studying mRNA, the foundation of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Scientists conducted vigorous trials involving thousands of volunteers before their release. No one forced people to enroll in these trials. It was an altruistic choice meant to help others.
Mandates do not force people to get the vaccine. They have a choice. Yes, it’s a serious one. Their lives and their livelihoods may depend on what choice they make. And there are serious consequences for refusal, like losing one’s job. Without the vaccine, they may suffer a horrible death or lifelong after-effects. Even if you survive on a ventilator in the ICU, your life may never be the same. The coronavirus is and will continue to be a public health hazard.
Our personal decisions affect the people around us. Children and the immunocompromised are at risk. Many of these “hesitants” are ardent supporters of “American Exceptionalism,” believing that God has bestowed special blessings on our country and its people. But there is nothing exceptional about this selfishness.
The exploitation of the Star of David is part of the conflict over racial identity politics. Many Whites are afraid of being marginalized. And the GOP creates false wedge issues that stoke this fear as a way of igniting voters’ outrage. They’ve been employing this tactic for decades. So why is everyone outraged? Because the GOP wants us to be outraged. Because their hold on power depends on it.
Since this pandemic began, we have lived in a world without reason. American society has devolved into a culture where many equate vaccine mandates with Nazi atrocities. Critical thinking is often missing. Jewish identity is just one tangent of racial injustice. White racists often invoke Jew’s supposed political and financial power for their hatred. We can often pass for “white-white.” But we’re really “off-white.” When White racial fears abound, Jews are targeted.
Fear of losing control fuels opposition to vaccine mandates. But anti-vaxxers are not innocent victims of a frightening mob with an irrational agenda. COVID is a dire public health issue. And resistance to vaccines, mandates, and fear of make-believe persecution does not make them martyrs.
One may object to mandates, but don’t use symbols of real suffering to do so. Signs of our persecution are not yours to appropriate whenever you see fit. It feigns solidarity with Jews. But, in reality, these protesters are using us. Until you see your family marched off to the death camps, never to see them again, stop using the Star of David to compare your fears and outrage to the extermination of European Jewry. You don’t know what real suffering is. Stop living your lives as if you do.
Feel free to pass this poster on. It's free to download here (click on the down arrow just to the lower right of the image).
See the rest of the posters from the Chamomile Tea Party! Digital high res downloads are free here (click the down arrow on the lower right side of the image). Other options are available. And join our Facebook group.
Follow the history of our country's political intransigence from 2010-2020 through a seven-part exhibit of these posters on Google Arts & Culture.