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7 Key Behaviors of People Who Make a Positive Difference In the World
By Cathy Caprino
Look around you and you’ll see three kinds of people — those who hate their work, and complain bitterly, those who just tolerate their work and see it as a paycheck and aren’t looking for more (or feel they can’t have more), and finally, those who love their work, and relish it. The third category is a small subset of all professionals globally, but this group stands out because these are, most often, the people who change the world for the better.
In my work as a success coach and writer, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with people who’ve made a true and measurable impact in the world, including well-known experts, authors, researchers, journalists, scientists, innovators, business geniuses, and entrepreneurs. But among this group of world influencers there are also everyday people who have found a special niche in which they’ve contributed at the highest level.
It’s critical to note that people who’ve made a real difference aren’t all privileged, advantaged or “special” by any stretch. Many come from disadvantaged families, crushing circumstances and initially limited capabilities, but have found ways to pick themselves up and rise above their circumstances (and their genes) to transform their own lives and those around them.
Researching these makers, shakers and disruptors, and working with my own clients who shape the world around them in powerful and constructive ways, I’ve observed seven key behaviors that set them apart — habitual ways of behaving and approaching life and work that distinguish them from those who long to make a difference but can’t or won’t find the way.
The seven core behaviors of people who positively impact the world are:
1. 🌹They dedicate themselves to what gives their life meaning and purpose.
Thousands of people today don’t believe in meaning and purpose as something to discover or pursue in life. And others believe in a life purpose but won’t take the risk to identify or honor it. Those with positive influence feel otherwise. They have found that there is a purpose to their life, and that purpose usually involves some aspect of turning their “mess into a message,” or using what they’ve learned (often the hard way) as a means of being of service to others. People with a sense of purpose are driven, focused, committed, and lit up from the inside — unable to be deterred or distracted from what they believe is the reason they’re on this planet at this time. This sense of meaning and purpose gives them inexhaustible drive and offers guideposts to follow along the path. It informs them of what they wish to attend to in life, and what they need to walk away from because it doesn’t support their higher purpose.
2. 🌸They commit to continually bettering themselves.
People who impact the world for the better know that they are not perfect. They understand how their knowledge isn’t “complete” — there are always gaps, biases, limitations and prejudices, and new places to go with their expertise.
Yes, there are powerful narcissists aplenty, but their influence isn’t positive or helpful in the long run — it’s damaging and destructive. Innovators who positively shape the world come from a “beginner’s mind” and a loving, compassionate heart — with an openness to see, learn, and experience new things on the way to being a better servant of the world.
3. 🌷They engage with people in open, mutually-beneficial ways.
Those with huge positive influence understand the power of relationships, connection, and engaging with the world openly. They’re not afraid to get “out there” — connecting with others, sharing their knowledge and talents, offering their authentic and often contrarian viewpoints and opinions. They’ve pushed beyond any introversion, shyness or reluctance to be who they are, and have learned how to relate well with others and build mutually-supportive relationships that catapult both parties to a higher level. They know that positive, supportive and authentic relationships are the foundational building blocks to anything and everything they want to achieve.
4. 🌺They invest time and energy not in what is, but what can be.
The people I’ve interacted with and interviewed who’ve made a positive impact in the world don’t settle for conformity. When they see something that agitates and disturbs them, they strive to know more, get to the root of the issue, research and understand the contributing factors, and arrive at new solutions. They observe gaps and mistakes in common thinking and behavior, and trust themselves in their belief that it’s time to push the boundaries of what’s accepted. They want to affect change because they believe change will bring a better way to live.
5. 🌼They spread what they know.
We’ve all met authors or “experts” who keep their knowledge secret, close to the vest. They’re afraid to let it out for fear someone will steal it or make money on their ideas. This is the opposite of the positive influencer’s mindset. Those who make a true positive difference can’t help but share and teach what they’ve learned. They don’t see their knowledge as just some commodity to sell, as a meal ticket or a money maker — they see it as information that has to be shared with the world for its betterment. They believe their ideas and innovations are of use and value to others, and can’t help but share those openly, and teach others what they’ve learned. They live the universal principle — “the more you give, the more you get.”
6. 🌻They uplift others as they ascend.
You’ve experienced, as I have, scores of “leaders” and high-achievers who’ve gotten where they are by stepping on the heads and backs of those in the way. These are not true leaders or influencers because their power is a sham — it was obtained unethically and is shallow and weak, and can’t be sustained over the long haul. I have encountered power-mongers who were crushing and cruel to their subordinates and I wondered when they would finally reap what they’ve sown. Over the long term, this day always comes.
On the other hand, people who positively impact the world not only obtain amazing results in their work, but their process of obtaining these results — how they operate in life — is also inspiring and uplifting. They are happy to help and support others, and have an overflow of positive energy that enriches the lives of everyone they work with and connect with. These positive influencers want others to grow. They walk away from “success-building” opportunities that will be hurtful and damaging to others. They know that those unethical, demeaning or destructive approaches go against the very meaning and purpose they’re committed to.
7. 💐They use their power and influence well.
Sadly, it’s a common occurrence in business today to witness power and influence being wielded as a weapon. It hurts and destroys. Positive influencers use their power well and wisely. They understand the widespread influence they have, the power they have to build up and elevate, or tear down. Those who impact the world for the better are careful and judicious with their words, actions and behaviors. They operate with heart, and care deeply about their leadership and communication process and style, and the influence they have. They take it seriously, as a special honor and responsibility not to be flaunted or misused. They understand their special role, and accept it with grace, compassion, and care.
Are you longing to make a positive impact in the world? If so, do these behaviors match your own? How are they different?
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So, what a difference a week makes. Another visit to Sheffield Mills to attempt to get photos of eagles in action. I thought it was going to be another "blowout" as by the time we arrived (0920) the food had been placed and the photographers were assembled. There was very little action - a gull and a raven wandering among the chicken carcasses.
And then about 0950 the action started and I managed to shoot 585 frames - 168 of which were deleted from the camera and an additional 101 deleted once I saw them on my desktop. I one starred 43 and then gave 14 of those two stars - 13 of which are posted here - 5 made it to Instagram.
Functionality of the Difference Layer Script.
Left is before, right after the script.
The top three layer together are the same image as the bottom layer. But you can switch the difference between the original and the modified layer on or off.
Kitten is from here:
Charlse Babbage designed this early computational device, but never built it. This was build from his original specifications, with just a couple of minor changes.
these are the women in my life that make a world of difference in my day and make me smile; my wife and my dog.
A farmer in Morogoro, Tanzania, discusses differences in his maize ears caused by differences in on-farm conditions, at a field day organized by Tanzanian seed company Tanseed International.
For more about the collaboration between Tanseed and CIMMYT, see CIMMYT's June 2009 e-news story "No maize, no life!" available online at: www.cimmyt.org/en/about-us/media-resources/newsletter/pre....
Photo credit: Anne Wangalachi/CIMMYT.
I was inspired by a recent comment by finsbry on one of my uploads www.flickr.com/photos/50889628@N08/5319404990/
I live in beautiful Oregon and don't see much sunshine in winter; in fact, we Oregonians are known to abandon all and any indoor work to rush outside for a "sunbreak" , even if it's just for a few seconds! It's a good thing that I do love clouds and fog or I'd be in Mexico for the winter.
Credit to Wikipedia for the image of jumping girls commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-480...
Cedit to David Nagy www.flickr.com/photos/ndave/2143957177/in/set-72157600198...
for the snow scene photograph.
Credit to Jerry Jones www.flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/collections/7215761567...
for texture layers.
I used his texture Beneath The Surface 1 set on linear burn at 76%.
Jerry also has a blog: shadowhousecreations.blogspot.com/
Dover Castle reveals another striking difference in tower design – geometry. Originally, castle towers were predominately square. Unfortunately, this configuration leaves the castle vulnerable to areas that archers can’t cover. In the 12th century, medieval engineers begin to design circular and semicircular towers to solve this problem. Because it was built over several decades, Dover boasts square and circular towers – the former being attributed to construction under Henry II, the latter to work that’s believed to have been carried out several years later under his son John. Additionally, the castle has several polygonal towers, including the Avranches Tower, which was specifically designed to maximize the garrison’s firepower.
Battle Castle is an action documentary series starring Dan Snow that is now airing on History Television and is scheduled to premiere on Discovery Knowledge in the UK in Spring 2012 and on various BBC-affiliated channels in the near future.
For the latest air dates, Like us on Facebook (www.battlecastle.com/facebook) or follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/battlecastle)
This show brings to life mighty medieval fortifications and the epic sieges they resist: clashes that defy the limits of military technology, turn empires to dust, and transform mortals into legends.
Website: www.battlecastle.tv/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/battlecastle
YouTube: www.youtube.com/battlecastle
Flickr: www.flicker.com/battlecastle
Facebook: www.facebook.com/battlecastle
Castles conjure thoughts of romantic tales, but make no mistake, they are built for war.
Dover: Prince Louis' key to England. Malaga: the Granadans final stronghold. And Crac des Chevaliers: Crown Jewel of Crusader castles. Through dynamic location footage and immersive visual effects, Battle Castle reveals a bloody history of this epic medieval arms race.
As siege weapons and technology become more ruthless, the men who design and built these castles reply ... or perish. Follow host Dan Snow as he explores the military engineering behind these medieval megastructures and the legendary battles that became testaments to their might.
Each episode will climax in the ultimate test of the castle's military engineering -- a siege that will change the course of history. Which castles will be conquered and which will prevail? You'll have to watch to find out.
But the journey doesn't end there --in fact, it's just beginning. Battle Castle extends into a multi-platform quest, taking us deep into the secret world of medieval warfare and strategy. Become the ultimate 'Castle Master'. Stay tuned for more on the Battle Castle experience.
I had outgrown my D3200 (which is an awesome camera) and decided to get a used D7000. Boy am I glad I did! I did not understand the difference between a consumer body and one that is more for Pro's. Man what a difference!! I am thrilled with the D7000 and it is letting me shoot with more control 2x as easy. I sold my D3200 with the stock 18-55mm f3.5-f5.6. The D7000 has my Sigma 18-50mm f2.8. I converted all my lenses to 2.8 and what a huge difference. You will get the best improvements upgrading your lenses before the bodies...the glass is where the better photo's are hiding! Sorry for the dirty cameras and pix..I was selling the d3200 that morning and just had a few minutes to snap some quick iPhone pix...so I didn't clean the dust of the cameras after they had come out of their bags. Feel free to ask questions!
Gettysburg.
The Civil War from 1861-64 was the most tragic and momentous event in American history. It had its origins in the economic and agricultural differences between the North and the South which were exacerbated by different views about the morality of black slavery. Once Abraham Lincoln (a Republican) was elected in November 1860 as the next President to be inaugurated in February 1861 the fears of the South could no longer be allayed by compromise and logical thinking. South Carolina, always the most firebrand and radical of the Southern states seceded almost immediately. So technically the Civil War was about secession and whether the constitution gave any state the right to secede rather than it being about slavery. But the expansion (not the mere existence) of slavery was the issue behind secession. Sth Carolina was joined by other southern states and they quickly formed the confederacy with Jefferson Davis as President. Lincoln wanted to avoid war. He chose not to be the aggressor but as an able lawyer and great humanist he warned that he would defend the property of the US. When the Confederates (Grey Coats or Rebels) fired on Fort Sumner in the harbour of Charleston, the capital of South Carolina in April 1861 the war began. The north had the advantage of a much bigger population, better rail system, almost all of the industry in America, and money, but they struggled for four years to win the war. Many of the battles were in the Border States near Washington DC where the southern state of Virginia basically abuts the northern states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. (But Maryland really had no choice but to join with the north as it was placed under military control by Lincoln. After all the capital, Washington DC is almost surrounded by Maryland.) One of the great battles that occurred in this region was the Battle of Gettysburg.
Despite the advantages of the North it lost most of the battles in the first couple of years of the Civil War. The Yankees could not defeat the great southern General Robert E Lee. That is why Lincoln kept changing his generals. The turning point was probably the Battle of Gettysburg which raged from 1-4th July 1863. General Meade led the Union forces in their bloody defeat of the Confederates under Lee at Gettysburg. Around 163,000 men faced each other in the battles. At the end of the last day, Confederate causalities - dead, wounded and missing were 28,000 (out of 75,000 troops) and the Union casualties were 23,000 (out of 88,000 troops. ) After the battle General Lee had to retreat to the South quickly and leave the Confederate dead on the battle field. These were incredibly high death tolls for any battle. Is it any wonder the Americans still feel so deeply about the Civil War? By the end of the Civil War, over 620,000 men had been killed and nearly 300,000 wounded- many of them maimed for the rest of their lives: - a total of almost 1 million men. The death toll from the Civil War was greater than the combined US toll for World Wars One and Two. A total of16.47% of all troops were killed in the Civil War- a very high proportion. This compares badly with American involvement in say World War One- 2.46% of troops killed, or World War Two- 2.52% of troops killed. The Civil War was a huge tragedy.
After the battle Lincoln went to dedicate a memorial to the men who had lost their lives in this great battle in November of 1863. The Gettysburg Address is a remarkably short speech, for a politician, and is considered by many to be one of the finest speeches in the English language. In just over two minutes, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality espoused by the Declaration of Independence and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as "a new birth of freedom" that would bring true equality to all of its citizens, and that would also create a unified nation in which states' rights were no longer dominant.
At Gettysburg we will see battlefield, memorials and the interpretive centre with its dioramas and displays. Below is a map of the town and surrounding battlefields and memorials.
Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865. The Republican Party emerged in American in 1854 to oppose the EXPANSION of slavery into the new western territories. In the 1858 congressional elections Lincoln made his most famous statement:
“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other."
Four nominees stood to be the Republican candidate for the 1860 Presidential election and Lincoln was chosen as the Republican candidate. He won the election and became the first anti slavery president from one section (the North) party to win an election. During the campaign the Democrat Party split into a northern and southern democrat parties with different candidates. Lincoln kept a low profile after the election and because of assassination threats and safety concerns in Baltimore he was secretly taken to Washington DC in disguise on 23 February 1861 to be inaugurated as President on 4th March. Once the November election results were known, Sth Carolina and then other southern states seceded. Lincoln’s training as a small town lawyer held him in good stead as president. He studied the constitution closely and developed his legalistic arguments. The South had no right to secede. The constitution was a binding contract and no state could unilaterally secede. He would not attack the South but he would defend the property of the US in the rebelling (seceding) Southern states and the posts would be delivered. Historians argue that Lincoln chose to avoid war, and not be the aggressor, but the South had little room for manoeuvring out of war. The South began the war at Fort Sumter. Despite Lincoln’s expert handling of the military aspects of the war, his choice of generals and his handling of the affairs of state, he was unpopular with many Republicans as he was not radical enough. Lincoln stood as an independent candidate for the US presidential elections of 1864 and won, this time not as a Republican but as the leader for the National Union Party. Perhaps Lincoln’s most memorable act was the Emancipation Proclamation of 1st January 1863 which set slaves free in the rebelling states. (It required a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery in all states.) This act brought former slaves into the War in both the North and South; it bought strong alliances with European powers, especially France and England who could not support a pro-slavery nation ( the Confederacy had tried to get France’s financial backing) ; and it turned the war from a war about secession and constitutional issues into a war about slavery. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth 5 days after General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House on 9 April 1865 thus ending the Civil War.
Fonte official FB page:
Over the course of Devin Townsend’s storied career, a single constant has persevered: change. As far back as Steve Vai’s Sex & Religion, which Townsend fronted, to 2001’s landmark full-length Terria to the multi-instrumentalist’s country rock outfit Casualties of Cool to his stunning new album Transcendence, the Canadian isn’t too interested in keeping an even musical keel. To stay the proverbial course is, well, anathema. For certain, he’s far too impatient to write the same Strapping Young Lad song over and over—which is why he folded the band in 2007—and it’s likely there will never be a fourth or fifth Ziltoid album (a third if we’re lucky) because by that point he’ll be in a totally different frame of mind for galactic puppets gone awry.
“The Devin Townsend Project is still essentially a solo project,” he reminds. “One of several, but the difference is that I've had a dedicated team of talented folks here that really had great ideas. of the ways I consciously stepped out of my comfort zone was to the solicit feedback from not only the band, but also to production and engineering. Opinions from people I trust at the management and label, and all with a sense of building a kind of archetype of the DTP sound that would not ostracize people who enjoy the style, but keeping it fresh for me as well. One of the things I did was present my vision—which I’ve always done—and within that framework, I’d massage it with the team. For this record, in those sections, I’d bring it to the band and say, ‘Look guys, here’s what it’s supposed to do. This is how it’s supposed to make me feel. And how the audience is supposed to feel. This is how it interacts with the parts prior and after. That’s why it exists. It’s not complicated because we’re trying to jerk off here. It’s complicated because, in my mind, the emotional component of the section is complicated. But in lieu of how quickly I tend to purge music I’m thinking: how can we make it cooler while I can still move quickly? 'Here’s the basic chord structure guys, this is what I think it should basically do, be it angular or in thirds or whatnot... Dave [Young; guitars] and Mike [St-Jean; keyboards] Ryan (VanPoederooyen: drums) and Brian (Waddell: bass) , can you think of something cooler there? I’ll be back tomorrow.’”
“It took a year to try and figure out a template for what DTP should be and still be of interest to me,” remembers Townsend, “And as much as I’ve been a control freak for so long, I’m also at an age where I recognize those elements—like friends—in my life are ultimately more important than music, and the need to control something like the DTP at this point is more rooted in insecurity now that necessity. I do enjoy being part of a team. I like to think after so many records with these guys that I don't really have to be at the center of everything. I can trust a team of people—the right people—to help where I need help. I need an engineer who has better ears than me. My ears are getting tired after all these years. If you put together a team whose strengths are better than yours, and then you put in your strengths, then what comes out of it, for no other reason than for an experiment, is really cool. And in line with my need for a project to have a theme to draw me into it, That’s what this records theme became. It’s an experiment put to music. If anything really kick started the inspiration for the record, it was that. The desire to get the DTP 'right' for what it is.”
Recorded at The Armoury Studios in Vancouver, Canada with Townsend and Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Animals as Leaders), Transcendence sounds absolutely massive. From the moment ‘Truth’—a re-work from the Infinity album—monstrously blends into the soul-stirring ‘Stormbending’ to the undulating cool of mid-point jam ‘Secret Sciences’ and Ween cover ‘Transdermal Celebration’, Townsend and crew have engineered a modern-day classic. The sheer scale of tracks like ‘Failure’, ‘Higher’, and the majestic title track is at once daunting and inviting. Transcendence pulls the listener in like a movie score. It has the emotional heft of Rosenman’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and the mega-riff power of Black-era Metallica.
Even if Transcendence had its 'bikini wax' moments—(Townsend metaphorically refers to his process as 'professionally hitting myself in the face with a hammer')—the final product is fantastic. In many ways, it’s typical The Devin Townsend Project, however there is now an inviting sense of depth and relative breathing room in the sound. Always professional and sonically awash in darks, lights, and colors between, it turned out not only to be an acceptable new DTP record, but arguably one of the best. What also added to the overall quality was the addition of five guest musicians—including but not limited to ex-The Gathering vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen, vocalists Ché Aimee Dorval and Katrina Natale—and a five-person choir called Tigers In A Tank. Their contribution to Transcendence’s overall ambiance is noteworthy and necessary.
“Well, I love working with female vocalists because I’m not particularly fond of singing and I really react emotionally to female voices,” posits the frontman. “I kind of fell into singing. I could never find someone who would sing like I wanted, so I begrudgingly took the job. Anneke’s obviously worked with me for a while now. Ché was on this record because she was with me in Casualties of Cool. And Katrina sang one song on the Ghost album. Also, I wanted the three of them on this record if this was to be the last DTP record. They bring it all together. So, sticking with the same people is the same reason I’ve been married for so long. Once I find great people, I have no need to look elsewhere for the similar things. It’s kind of great as it eliminates option paralysis in that area, though as different needs arise, often things evolve as well. As for the choir, it’s typically been inefficient. For the last record, I went to Amsterdam and it was crazy. I went to Sweden and it was cool but super-expensive. On Epicloud, I had a gospel choir, but had to over-dub a lot. For this one, I asked my buddy Eric [Severinson] to find three capable women and two men. I was able to create the choir by doing over-dubs and recording on-the-fly. It turned out great and it was very efficient.”
With over 60 songs in the bag for Transcendence, (not all, he is quick to point out, of the same quality) Townsend obviously had to pare down. The songs that made it, however, are breathtaking in their scope, beautiful in their presentation, and heavy—noticeably—enough to out-bombast the sum of The Devin Townsend Project’s previous full-lengths. Certainly, Townsend knows how he feels about the songs on Transcendence (and its accompanying second disc). Each song, from ‘Truth’ and ‘Secret Sciences’ to ‘Stars’ and ‘Offer Your Heart’, provoked a reaction from the man.
“My litmus test for whether or not a song or a record is working is really about my visceral reaction to it,” Townsend says. “If I react to it, then it’s correct, for me. That reaction could be repulsion, it could make me cry, it could irritate me, I could be loving it, it’s pretty much all the same. As long as I’m affected by the song, then I know I have something accurate.”
As for the Townsend’s loyal fans? The very fans who’ve been waiting with bated breath for Transcendence?
“If it gives me a reaction, then I hope it’ll contribute something to their world. Ultimately, I'm happy to contribute my observations to the massive sea of music. If there's anything that became clear to me throughout this all is the value of being part of something as opposed to being too concerned about 'being' the thing'
At the computer history museum in Mountain View they have a working Babbage Difference Engine replica. A sight to behold, almost steampunk, but really an actual design.
iPhone camera app, Snapseed post processed
1958 Interior.
The differences: Gold anodized side trim in '57, silver in '58. The side trim had three horizontal ridges at the back where it meets the tailfin, none in '58. Dual headlights with inboard turn signals in '57, quads in '58. Six vertical under-bumper intake slots in '57 (changed to 12 narrower ones in mid '57 after buyer complaints), a continuation of the upper grille in '58. Sailing-ship emblem on the grille in '57, a "V" (denoting a V8 car) in '58. "PLYMOUTH" spelled out in chrome letters on the front of the hood in '57, and spelled out in black on a much smaller winged front mediallion in '58. Deep-dish "coolie hat" wheelcovers in '57, shallower ones in '58. A "V" (denoting a V8 car) ahead of the front wheelwells in '57, none in '58.
At the rear: Triangle-shaped taillight lenses (following the contour of the tailfin) with round back-up lights below in '57, a chrome strip where the '57 taillight was and a round taillight where the '57 backup light was in '58.
The reason I'm such a geek about '57 and '58 Plymouths is that my dad had a midnight blue '57 Belvedere with a white side streak and roof. I grew up standing up in the back seat, back before the nanny state decided that every child under 4' 9" should be strapped into a baby seat.
He bought it used in '59 and totaled it in November of '64, when he went the wrong way down an exit ramp on the Outer Drive in Chicago and took out three other cars. He thought car insurance was a scam; didn't believe in it. As a result, we spent 3 years paying off claims from the people he hit.
Every time I go to a Chrysler or any other car show, I look for a car just like it, or any '57 Belvedere 4-door sedan, just to see it and (if the owner lets me) sit in it, and relive a little bit of my lost youth.
I'm still looking.
I've this set included an unique minifigure Nexo knight.
Here you can see some differents details on the legs and on the torso from the other knight in the sets 70310, 70311, 30373 and 30371.
Original picture by me
Some background:
The Type-R13EX Phantom was an experimental unmanned labor developed by Schaft Enterprises’ Planning Section 7. The exact purpose of the labor remains unclear, it might only have been a singular prototype for innovative weapon and A.I. technology, so that it is most possible that the type or its systems were primarily intended for military service, even though the Type-R13EX as such was not adopted for serial production. Its silhouette is reminiscent of the military Brocken labor, which could mean that the Phantom's body was based on the Type 7B/2B. However, the difference lies in mobility, since the Phantom was slower due to having thick armor and carrying on his torso the complex mechanism necessary to carry out his attacks.
The R13EX Phantom measured 8.6 meters in height and was 4.7 meters wide, with a minimum turning radius of 6.2 meters. It weighed 9.5 tons without equipment and 9.85 fully equipped and had an impressive lift capacity of around 4.0 tons. It was revolutionary for being the first labor to be equipped with laser weaponry, against which at the time of its fielding no countermeasure was available for. However, the laser cannons mounted in the Phantom's head were its only active ranged weapons, and they required time to warm up before each shot. While charging up a shot, the Phantom's cooling vents would be exposed to attack, and damage to them would cause the labor to become unable to fire. On his back he carries the necessary instruments to charge the energy of the laser cannons. Before firing, 3 segments of the back armor unfolded, revealing what appeared to be a heat sink. When the laser fired, an intense shock of heat was released backwards from this installation. This major drawback was offset by the sheer power of the lasers, which were capable of easily piercing an AV-98 Ingram's armor; because they fired a sustained beam, the lasers could be used to cut off entire limbs from opposing labors or pierce heavy vehicle armor.
The mechanical systems of the Phantom were state-of-the-art and surpassed those of the mass-produced police and military labors of the time. Its immense strength and dexterity allowed the type to excel at hand-to-hand combat, so while its other offensive systems were offline, the Phantom would remain combat-capable. Aiding its combat effectiveness was the Phantom's thick armor plating made from reinforced carbon fiber. Even the armor covering the machine's forearms was capable of shrugging off a close-range shot from an Ingram's 37mm revolver cannon or deflect rounds from JGSDF Helldivers’ machine guns. The Phantom was even capable of limited underwater operation and could fire its main weapons even while submerged. The full extent of its marine capabilities is unknown, though. It can be assumed that the mechanical systems of the Phantom were carried over to the Type J-9 Griffon, on account of the visual similarities of some armor components and the type's immense strength. While the unmanned Phantom was apparently designed to test advanced weapons systems, the Griffon was instead created to rely solely on its strength and dexterity, making it an unparalleled hand-to-hand combat machine.
Despite the advanced weapons and mechanical systems, the most striking advancements brought about by the Phantom were its control and electronics systems. The labor was unmanned (and did not feature a pilot cabin) and remotely controlled, but it was also fully capable of autonomous combat against even skilled labor pilots. The advanced autopilot and its artificial intelligence were even capable of threat-assessment, tactical real-time analysis and could make strategic decisions in battle. Where a traditional labor would house a cockpit, the Phantom contained a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generator, which was capable of completely shutting down a police labor at close range. Like the laser cannons, the EMP generator required significant time to charge before it could be utilized. Additionally, the EMP system not only required the use of the vulnerable cooling vents used by the lasers, but also required armor panels around it be removed/opened so that they would not interfere with its directed pulse radiation. This meant that the EMP generator was exposed during all stages of its operation, and while the charging process could be halted at any time, it was this vulnerability that ultimately led to the defeat of the Phantom in combat. However, as a “last line” defensive measure for the exposed EMP generator the opening was protected with four small extendible rotating blades/wire cutters.
The Type-R13EX Phantom was first deployed in December 1998, on a cold Christmas night, when it attacked Tokyo Teleport, a terrestrial communications station for the retransmission of different television, voice and data services via satellite. It faced off with Patlabors of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Special Vehicles Unit, Division 1 and Division 2. The Phantom was able to quickly defeat the outdated MPL-97S Python labors initially fielded by Division 1, allowing Schaft operatives to capture their pilots and support crew.
When Division 2 arrived at the scene, they quickly deployed their more advanced AV-98 Ingrams to engage the Phantom. Isao Ohta was the first to engage it, sustaining heavy damage to his labor and failing to cause any real damage to the R13EX. Noa Izumi was the second Division 2 pilot to engage the Phantom, and was able to hold her own until the Phantom caught her and prepared to fire its laser cannons directly into her cockpit. Noa was only saved when Kanuka Clancy, piloting Ohta's severely damaged labor, intervened in the fight. The Phantom was thrown into the bay, presumed destroyed.
However, just a few months later, the Phantom appeared once more at a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) training ground at Oshima, where it engaged a number of light military labors in combat. The JGSDF labors were unable to repel the Phantom, and Patlabor units that arrived on scene shortly after were barely able to fend it off. This was the final appearance and known deployment of the Phantom before the debut of the Griffon.
The kit and its assembly:
It has been a while that I built a humanoid mecha, and the mysterious Phantom labor (or better: robot) from the Patlabor anime TV series was still missing in my collection. I have already built this kit, even though as a heavily modified fictional German police labor.
The kit was built almost OOB – it is a rather simple mecha/action figure kit which can probably built without using any glue. As such, the detail level is not very high, but the Phantom Labor is a rather sleek design with a very organic and clean shape. Therefore, I just added some bits and pieces to the “interior”, in the opening under the head/face and around the removable EMP generator block in the torso, which can be plugged between the hips and the torso to depict the “open” body. Most details were made from styrene profile, but I also used sprue material, paper tissue dipped in white glue, soft iron wire and plastic-coated steel wire to create the hydraulic pistons under the chin (which can hardly be seen, though, just from certain angles).
Another option is to display the heat exchanger arrangement on the Phantom’s back in open and closed position – the open module is well detailed. However, I made a mistake when I assembled the latter, because I did not read the instructions properly (which could be better drawn, some illustrations, e .g,. the assembly of the upper arms, leave you guessing). The kit's designers want you to fix the "reactor" part to the back of the mecha, and then you can alternatively put the closed heat exchanger onto/over it, or mount the three opened covers to it. I found this construction weird and intuitively glued the reactor piece to the open covers, only to find out later that the closed cover section needs the recator piece underneth to hold onto the Phantom's back and cover some gaps. Luckily I had the reactor piece left over from my first Phantom Labor build, thanks to the thorough conversion I did with it, so that I had a suitable donor part to mend the mistake. Phew... O.o'
A unique (if not odd?) design feature of Bandai’s Patlabor IP models are the silicone sleeves over an endoskeleton for arms and legs. When you follow the instructions, they are easy to mount, though, just be careful when you want to paint them: only acrylic paint is recommended, since any solvent-based paint might react with the silicone. I have also heard of many builders having problems over time with the silicone, but – with some of these kits that I have built now 20 or more years on display – I never had any issues of problems?
However, on this specific kit (bought as “used” but still NIB; not certain about its production date or age, but I assume it's from the initial 1990 run and not a re-issue from 2014 or later) I found the sleeves to be disturbingly thin and their inside surfaces stuck together. "Opening" them was a tedious and delicate task, even though the silicone/rubber material was still intact and not melded together. The parts were still sealed in their plastic bags, but a single IP sprue (the light purple material) was quite brittle (while the others were fine), too. I can only guess that the kit had been poorly stored before I bought it, probably in an attic where it was exposed to excessive summer heat that vaporized and extracted some of the plastic/silicone softeners?
The kit goes together easily and can be assembled as a snap-fit kit without glue, even though the silicone sleeves require some manual skill to trim them properly. However, apparently design with robustness in mind the extremities’ fit is not too good and requires PSR on every seam for a proper finish. Another problem: the shoulder sections with the additional guards are designed in a matryoshka fashion, with three flexible layers of parts over each other, so that you have to finish each layer individually (PSR and paint) before you can add the next. On the other side you can assemble, paint and finish many segments of the model separately, to be completed as final step.
Painting and markings:
I stuck to the mecha’s appearance in the TV series, which features quite dark colors and yellow highlights around the hull. The basic color appears to be a little controversial, as it is described as “cobalt blue”, but on TV the color rather reminds of a purple tone, and the kit is molded in a similarly colored plastic. Maybe (as often) a translation issue?
Another problem: there are no clear painting instructions - you have to refer to the box art illustration (which only shows the front of the mecha in dubious light conditions) and pictures of the finished model on the box' sides, but these are very small and are not truly helpful. The instructions themselves are disappointing, too: the product designers decided to use a poster format, which shows the box art on one side (looks cool, but it's not helpful!) and only a tiny b/w picture of the model with vague color indications. This leaves the builder guessing about many painting details. You can find some screenshots of the Phantom Labor online, or you can try to find videos of the TV series' episodes where it appears, but in the end there's a lot to be guesstimated or made up.
To keep the Phantom mysterious and give it a less comic-esque look I decided to stay true to its impression on TV but add effects like weathering and post-shading – similar to my Dorvack PA models.
For the purplish basic color I used a rather exotic tone: Humbrol’s vintage “HJ4” from the brand’s long-gone Authentic range, the infamous and highly dubious WWII “Mauve N.9” (a.k.a. “IJN Purple”) that some A6M2-Ns were supposed to have carried. This is a kind of purple, but a rather greyish and dull tone that looks more like a military/camouflage tone than decorative/flashy. The mauve tone is less bluish than the Phantom's “authentic” tone on TV, but it looks fine to me and offers enough contrast to the darker sections, which were painted in Humbrol 112 (Tarmac, also sold as Field Blue?), which is a very dark blue-grey, very similar to FS 35042 (USN Dark Sea Blue) but less greenish. The color of some areas, like the "hood" behind the head unit, had to be guessed, and I outlines some surface details on the back with black to add contrasts.
The skull-like head unit was painted in a very light grey instead of pure white, to avoid too much contrast to the rest of the mecha. The silicone sleeves were treated with thinned grey and black artist acrylic paint with very fine pigments to avoid long-term chemical reactions with the softener in the rubber material.
The technical innards, the reactor on the back and the EMP generator in the torso, were painted in a bare metallic finish. I used Humbrol 56 as basis and then layered some washings with black ink and thinned black acrylic paint over it, plus dry-brushing with brighter aluminum and rubbing the parts with graphite, which adds a dark metallic shine and a more natural look.
The lenses on the head and in the torso were laid out with silver and then "filled" with clear acrylic paints in various shades.
The parts also received a black ink washing to emphasize edges and engravings, as well as dry-brushing/post-shading with lightened/dulled-down basic tones to make the model looks less toyish, and the give the Phantom Labor a slightly worn look. Unfortunately, the kit only comes with stickers instead of decals, but since these comprise onyl some small Schaft Enterprises logos and black inserts for louvres on arms and legs, which I had painted, anyway, so that I left the model without markings. Finally, all parts (except for the silicone sleeves) received a coat with matt acrylic varnish, and the model as finally assembled/completed.
It took a long time that I eventuelly tackled and finished the Phantom Labor kit to complete my collection of Patlabor mecha - only the Type Zero police prototype is still missing and a respective kit already waiting in the The Stash. Thanks to me experience with a former build of this kit, I knew what I had to expect, even though the mistake with the optional parts for the heat exchanger on the back bugs me, but I am happy that I had a spare part to save the situation. The dubious IJN purple tone turned out to be lighter than expected, esp. when you see screenshots of the "real" Phantom Labor in direct comparison, but on the other side the color does not look bad or wrong - the overall impression is IMHO O.K., and the bigger contrast to the dark blue-grey sections on the body make the model look more interesting than the orginal all-murky livery.
Devotees of the www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/ photosream might think that this picture by Waterford photographer A.H. Poole looks familiar. But this one, from the UK National Archives at Kew, differs in several ways (I spent a considerable time yesterday wearing white cotton gloves squinting through a magnifying glass at the 1910 print).
Simliarities;
- Poole was in the same position for both photos (the lamppost aligns with the T of Waterford on both photos),
- and both photos were subject to the same 'photoshopping' (the ends of the shafts removed and the W of Waterford restored)
Differences
- The Kew picture has the van in the centre, rather than to the left
- The people (other than the tea ladies) and cattle are different (or not obviously the same as far as I could judge)
- the NLI photo has some liquid manure (I presume) trickling towards the van, suggesting it was taken after the Kew one.
- The board advertising Lipton's tea looks as if it is leaning against the steps. and barely visible.
- the printer of the Kew photo has de-emphasised the buildings in the background.
The fifth generation of the Range Rover is on the market since 2022. This luxury SUV makes quite a difference compared with the original utilitarian Range Rover introduced in 1969. This one has temporary plates from Nordhorn in Germany.
The Šárka Valley denominates the part of the Litovice (here already Šárka) Brook between the Džbán swimming pool and the Vltava, deeply and sharply cut into solid Proterozoic rocks. The Šárka region includes also the open valley of the tributary from the airport, the valley of the Nebušice creek and the brook coming from Housle near Lysolaje. The area is characterized by relatively great differences of elevation from 180 m at the brook inlet into the Vltava to 364 m above sea level on the top of the Kozák Rock and the Žabák which soar above the surrounding plateau as knobs. The whole area is included in the Šárka natural monument and its most valuable parts have been declared small protected areas.
Šárka Valley
The Šárka Valley is the best preserved natural region northwest of Prague, which is due to its diversely articulated ground relief on resistant rocks appearing in numerous outcrops. Thanks to this also relatively large forest areas have been preserved, recently extended by tree planting, as well as xerothermal rocks and slopes. Also extensive wet meadows in the fluvial plain are significant. The area includes also the sites of important primeval settlements and pilgrimage places of later date, such as St. Mathew’s. Its popularity increased also by the Smetana’s symphonic poem of the same name forming part of the symphonic cycle My Country, as well as the former National Theatre stage below the Dívčí Skok (Girl’s Jump).
In the framework of Prague Šárka provides a magnificent section of the Kralupy-Zbraslav group of the Barrandian Proterozoic characterized here by extraordinary representation of silicites - lydites cropping out in the form of wildly cleft rock masses and forming the unique gorge of Džbán, the entrance gate to the Šárka Valley. Also Proterozoic shales and greywackes crop out in many places being overlain by almost horizontally bedden Cretaceous formations along the upper edge - Cenomanian sandstones covered by sandy marlites, best uncovered in the broader environs of Nebušice. Also the lower Ordovician formations crop out near the Džbán swimming pool and in the right-hand valley slope near Jenerálka. The Quaternary is represented by thick loess drifts, once exploited for brick manufacture, and boulder screes below lydite rocks. Near the Čertův Mlýn (Devil’s Mill) the right-hand slope is covered with open boulder scree, the only one in Prague territory. Also the fluvial plain sediments are well developed, interspersed locally with limestone incrustations. Remarkable is also the Housle clough cut in loesses, sandy marlites and sandstones underlain by proterozoic shaks affected by tropical weathering.
The area, situated in the margin of a the chernozem region, is characterized by the prevalence of brown soils of different nutrition value and rankers on rock outcrops and sheer slopes. On loesses there are typical brown earths in the valley and chernozems along the northern margin in the lower part.
The whole Šárka area forms part of the ancient settlement region where man has influenced vegetation development for seven thousand years. That is why the whole area has been covered with a mosaic of forests, bushes and open areas of different kind since time immemorial. With the exception of rocky steppes on inaccessible sites all surfaces have been influenced by the activities of man - herdsman, user of wood and farmer.
Initial woods were of xerothermal character and comprized oak and hornbeam woods, acid, partly dwarfed oak woods with relatively small areas of scree woods and fluvial plains. On sheer slopes facing the north also beeches could be found. Only very little has been preserved from these original woods, the biggest remainder being the Nebušice Grove. Untill last century the area had a prevalence of pastures and extensive orchards with varying quota of xerothermal elements. Important part was played by rocky steppes and thermophilous heaths on top of lydites. An entirely specific formation consists in the rocky steppes of the Džbán gorge the diversity of species and structure of which is due to its enrichment by primeval hillforts erected on these rocks.
At present the forest cover of the area is relatively large thanks to the trees planted at the end of last century with the prevalence of alien wood species, such as false acacia, austrian pine, red oak as well as spruce - an entirely unsuitable species for this dry area. In the course of the past decade the area is becoming spontaneously overgrown with trees and bushes, at present forming a continuous cover of surfaces entirely bare as late as the Second World War. Also some invasion elements have penetrated here such as touch-me-not (Impatiens glandulifera) in the Džbán. This development has resulted in considerable empoverishment of the initial floral wealth of the Šárka Valley.
The vertebrate fauna comprises the species occurring in the whole Prague area, although some animals which had not lived here for a long time, such as the wild boar, seem to be returning here. Woods and bushes provide ample nesting opportunity for a number of birds. Important are also minor insects and other invertebrates on rocky slopes and rocks as well as in moist valley meadows to bogs. Until recently some species, known in the environs of Prague only from this area, have been living here, such as the minor spring snail (Bythinella austriaca) on Jenerálka and in the Nebušice Creek.
The original woods, managed mostly as sprout woods were affected significantly by various interference, such as pasturing and litter raking, as a result of which they have lost the major part of their herb layer. At present newly planted woods prevail the composition of which differs considerably from original woods. They are managed as special-purpose suburban woods and are desolate in the parts of difficult access. The herb layer often is of ruderal character.
The Šárka area has been settled continuously since primeval times. Middle Paleolithic men dwelt along the Vltava and a younger Paleolithic settlement was ascertained e.g. in the brickworks on the Jenerálka. Since the Neolithic settlements of farming and pasturing types were continous. Important buildings dating from that time are the hillforts on the Šesták and Kozák Rocks as well as the Slavonic hillfort in the Šárka Valley of a later date, which covered a considerable area. In the lower part of the valley, the so-called Upper and Lower Šárka, as well as Lysolaje, the buildings form a continuous chain at present. Higher up in the valley there is a chain of flour mills (e.g. Devil’s Mill) and farms, such as Želivka or Vizerka. Below the Dívčí Skok (Girl’s Jump) a small swimming pool was built, above the valley entrance the Džbán dam with a reservoir and recreation facilities. Continuous urban construction has approached the valley from the south. There are no major industrial enterprises in the Šárka Valley or its adjacent valleys. Minor brickworks (Jenerálka, Dubový Mlýn) exploited loess drifts. Otherwise the area was influenced by adjacent communities.
In the past fruit orchards flourished here and the meadows were mown regularly. At present these activities have stopped mostly. The wide Šárka Brook is polluted considerably, as in its upstream part it flows through extensive neighbourhood units and intensively exploited agricultural areas. The pollution is contributed to also by the nearby airport. Šárka has become an important suburban recreation area in which some activities, particularly mountaineering, exceed the limits of its capacity. At present it is covered by a network of small protected areas in Šárka protecting the most valuable areas, primarily the rocky steppes and xerothermal slopes. Of no smaller value is its geomorphology including the instructive exposures of Proterozoic rocks. Although its living nature has suffered considerable losses, Šárka still is a rich and remarkable area requiring special nature protection.
The focal length and lenses used for the frames are written down.
The difference between framing can be seen.
...is that the former uses nail polish, while the latter dips her claws in the blood of her enemies. Now you know! :)
This is a shot of both an Aphrodite Fritillary and a Great Spangled fritillary. On the left the aphrodite- speyeria aphrodite and on the right the great spangled-speyeria cybele.
(confirmed by bugguide.net)
This is what makes butterfly watching just as much fun as bird watching.
The main differences that you can see on this shot are on the undersides of the forewings.