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I like her, a LOT. She has one of my favorite color combinations -- pale skin, red lips, blue eyes, black hair--so I was happy when her real face was revealed. I still find her pretty satisfying in hand.
Her face/makeup is flawless although same cannot be said about her hair styling. It was a good idea, but some things don't translate well to production dolls. I had to wash out the gunk off her hair before I took any photos, it was quite bad as is. But it was a good try, and I give kudos to IT for that.
Her outfit is fabulous, particularly that bow on the back. I was so happy with the way it was attached to her dress to, clean and effective and it kept the entire thing crisp and in shape.
The best part of her, to me, is her accessory set. Her necklaces, that clutch with the skull clasp, and those shoes! OMG, those shoes.
This is a doll worth the money, every bit of it. And I can't help feeling annoyed at what we got in the most recent release. I do understand that a company has to make profits, but when things go from this to what we have in Off Duty, it really stings.
I love wheat grass. I grow it and snip off a bit to put in my fruit smoothies. It might sound odd to some (as it did to me at first), but it's sweet and loaded with nutrients. It's fun to grow this over the winter, as it brings a bit of summertime into the house.
Here's some info on wheat grass:
~Wheatgrass is the young wheat plant. It is 70% chlorophyll in its juice form.
~The high chlorophyll content of wheatgrass acts as a "magnet" in drawing out toxins from the body.
~Chlorophyll has been shown to produce an unfavorable environment for bacterial growth in the body and therefore effective in increasing the body's resistance to illness.
~Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots. It is also rich in vitamins E, K, and B-complex.
Here's my favorite 'Green Smoothie' recipe:
* 1 cup green grapes
* 1/2 cup fresh pineapple
* 1/2 cup wheat grass
* 1 cup ice
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Making do with bad data, the telescope didn't have time to cool down completely before the clouds rolled in., and the seeing was so so. Jupiter from a couple of nights ago with its moon Io casting a shadow on the Great Red Spot (GRS). To give some perspective the GRS is a storm that has been raging for at least several hundred years and is about the width of two Earths. Jupiter's moon Io is slightly larger than our moon and is volcanicly active.
1200 13ms frames stacked and sharpened, effective fl: 3000mm.
SkyMax127 5" Maksutov Telescope
2X Barlow
IR/UV Cut Filter
ZWO ASI224MC Camera
Arnold Henry Savage Landor (June 2, 1865 - December 26, 1924) - landscape with bridge and figures (1891) - oil on wood - Exhibition "Painting Asia from life" - MAO, Museum of Oriental Art, Turin
Artista, antropologo, esploratore, avventuriero, scrittore, fotografo, giornalista e inventore: Arnold Henry Savage Landor (1865-1924) è una figura poliedrica estremamente interessante, che ha goduto di grande successo in vita e che, per motivi non del tutto chiari, è caduta totalmente nell’oblio dopo la sua morte. Savage Landor nacque a Firenze da padre inglese e madre italiana. Visse la sua adolescenza in un ambiente colto, in cui letteratura e arte erano passioni quotidiane. Tra i suoi maestri vi fu Stefano Ussi (1822-1901), che intuì le capacità del giovane e suggerì alla famiglia di lasciare che si dedicasse alla pittura. Partito presto alla scoperta del mondo, il giovane Henry visitò prima alcuni paesi dell’Africa settentrionale e dell’America, per muoversi poi alla volta dell’Asia: Giappone, Corea, Cina, dove dipinse centinaia di opere dal vero in uno stile 'impressionistico-macchiaiolo' di rapida esecuzione.
L'unicità documentaria delle sue creazioni appare evidente: in un periodo in cui ci si affidava già all'immediatezza della fotografia, Savage Landor ha persistito a lungo nel dipingere en-plein-air, prendendo però nettamente le distanze dalle visioni fantasiose e dallo stile minuziosamente classico della pittura di genere Orientalista per immergersi invece nel mondo asiatico reale, restituendone i vari aspetti con i tratti espressivi della modernità. Lo stile dell’artista anglo-fiorentino, rapido e conciso, si rivela infatti estremamente efficace nel 'fotografare' con immediatezza luoghi e persone che di lì a qualche decennio sarebbero completamente cambiati per conseguenza dell'incipiente globalizzazione.
Explorer, adventurer, writer, photographer, journalist and inventor: Arnold Henry Savage Landor (1865-1924) is an extremely interesting figure, who had great success in life and, for still unclear reasons, fell into oblivion after his death.
Savage Landor was born in Florence to an English father and an Italian mother. He spent his childhood and adolescence in very lively intellectual circles, where literature and art were daily passions. Among his teachers was Stefano Ussi (1822-1901), who sensed the young man's skills and suggested his family to let him devote to painting. Leaving home to discover the world, young Henry first visited some countries in North Africa and America, then moved to Asia: Japan, Korea, China, where he made hundreds of paintings in real life.
The documentary uniqueness of his creations is evident: at a time when the immediacy of photography was already being exploited, he long insisted on painting en plein air.
Although he was well aware of Orientalist painting, he stayed strictly away from its edulcorated, fantastical visions and from its meticulously classic style, preferring to plunge into the real world of Asia and portray it in a modern artistic manner.
The style of the Anglo-Florentine artist, quick and concise, proves to be extremely effective in "photographing" places and people who would have completely changed after a few decades as a result of the incipient globalization.
1:42 scale
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic multiple-role fighter-bomber from the cold war. It was introduced in the early 50's as a replacement for the Korean War F-86 Sabre. Its design was revolutionary for the time, and was a huge step in fighter jet development. It was the first jet capable of supersonic speeds at level flight. The F-100 deployed to Vietnam during Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965. It was one of the most effective bombers of the war, and was continued to be used in Vietnam until 1972 when it was totally replaced by the more advanced F4 Phantom.
This model was quite a challenge in some bits, but in the end I am very pleased with how it turned out. The camouflage was hard to pull off in olive green, so I felt stickers would be the best option to fill in some nasty gaps. This might be a bit controvertial, but I think it looks fine. Instructions for this model will be available in due time! Thanks, -Bear
Vincenzo Foppa (Brescia, 1427 circa - 1515 circa) - Madonna and Child (1480) - tempera on panel 61 x 38 cm. - Poldi Pezzoli Museum, Milan
Il rapporto di affettuosità contenuta e malinconica tra la Madre e il Figlio è espresso nei gesti delicati delle mani, come quello della mano destra di Gesù che accarezza il viso di Maria. Gli sguardi non si incontrano, e la particolare mestizia dei volti allude forse a una precoce premonizione della Passione e del Sacrificio di Cristo. Il drappo in velluto sulla destra, una tappezzeria, indica che ci troviamo in un interno domestico. Il tessuto giallo lumeggiato d’oro è decorato da un grande fiore di cardo, il cui significato simbolico è riconducibile al tema della Passione di Cristo. Sul lato sinistro, inquadrato da una finestra, si apre un bellissimo paesaggio, tracciato con rapide e sintetiche pennellate e solcato da un corso d’acqua, in cui non compare alcuna presenza umana. Nell’aureola della Vergine è inscritta un’invocazione in latino alla Madonna: "GENUISTI EUM QUI TE FECIT" (partoristi colui che ti creò). Nel dipinto la ricerca di un linguaggio essenziale, privo di ogni ornamento e di ogni preziosità esteriore, si traduce nella scelta di una gamma cromatica di grande sobrietà, in cui dominano il rosso dell’abito e il blu scuro del manto della Vergine, e nello stesso modo semplice ed efficace con cui sono definiti i piani di profondità: da quello più vicino allo spettatore, determinato dal parapetto su cui è appoggiato un libro di preghiere aperto, a quello nel quale sono collocate le figure della Vergine e del Bambino - che occupano uno spazio tridimensionale, quasi a simulare l’effetto di una scultura a tutto tondo - allo sfondo, definito in modo molto efficace dalla linea di orizzonte del paesaggio. Il dipinto, tra le più alte creazioni della maturità del pittore, è databile verso la fine del XV secolo.
The relationship of contained and melancholic affection between Mother and Child is expressed in the delicate gestures of the hands, such as that of Jesus' right hand caressing Mary's face. The gazes do not meet, and the particular sadness of the faces perhaps alludes to an early premonition of the Passion and Sacrifice of Christ. The velvet drape on the right, a tapestry, indicates that we are in a domestic interior. The yellow fabric luminized with gold is decorated with a large thistle flower, whose symbolic meaning can be traced back to the theme of the Passion of Christ. On the left side, framed by a window, a beautiful landscape opens up, traced with rapid and synthetic brushstrokes and furrowed by a stream of water, in which no human presence appears. In the Virgin's halo is inscribed a Latin invocation to the Madonna: "GENUISTI EUM QUI TE FECIT" (you gave birth to him who created you). In the painting the search for an essential language, devoid of any ornament or exterior preciousness, is translated into the choice of a chromatic range of great sobriety, in which the red of the dress and the dark blue of the Virgin's mantle dominate, and in the same simple and effective way in which the planes of depth are defined: from the one closest to the viewer, determined by the parapet on which rests an open prayer book, to the one in which the figures of the Virgin and Child are placed - which occupy a three-dimensional space, almost simulating the effect of a sculpture in the round - to the background, defined very effectively by the horizon line of the landscape. The painting, among the highest creations of the painter's maturity, can be dated towards the end of the fifteenth century.
If we can send effective missions to Mars, let's, right now, send an effective logistical mission to American Puerto Rico!!!
They urgently need food, water, medical supplies, prescription drugs, personal health and hygiene supplies, and fuel to run hospitals and safe havens.
Time is of the essence!!!
More than 3 million American citizens will begin getting sick and dying if we don't help!! Or id our help is ineffective due to lack of an effective commander. ! suggest the appointment of General Honoré to take command.
I created this on Facebook.It was serendipitous. I entered the text. It said, pick a background for your text. The sample backgrounds were too small to see. This is the first one I tried, and I liked the result. I was in a rush and neglected to put commas before and after 'right now'
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant /ˈhaɪrəm juːˈlɪsiːz/ HY-rəm yoo-LISS-eez; April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War in 1865 and thereafter briefly served as Secretary of War. Later, as president, Grant was an effective civil rights executive who signed the bill that created the Justice Department and worked with Radical Republicans to protect African Americans during Reconstruction.
Raised in Ohio, Grant possessed an exceptional ability with horses. Admitted to West Point, Grant graduated 21st in the class of 1843 and served with distinction in the Mexican–American War. In 1848, he married Julia Dent, and together they had four children. Grant resigned from the army in 1854 and returned to his family but lived in poverty. He joined the Union Army after the American Civil War broke out in 1861 and rose to prominence after winning several early Union victories on the Western Theater. In 1863 he led the Vicksburg campaign, which gained control of the Mississippi River, dealing a serious strategic blow to the Confederacy, splitting it in two. President Abraham Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general after his victory at Chattanooga. For thirteen months, Grant fought Robert E. Lee during the high-casualty Overland Campaign and at Petersburg. After Lee fled Petersburg, Grant defeated him at Appomattox. On April 9, 1865, Lee formally surrendered to Grant. A week later, Lincoln was assassinated and was succeeded by President Andrew Johnson, who promoted Grant to General of the Army in 1866. Later, Grant openly broke with Johnson over Reconstruction policies; Grant used the Reconstruction Acts, which had been passed over Johnson's veto, to enforce civil rights for recently freed African Americans.
A war hero, drawn in by his sense of duty, Grant was unanimously nominated by the Republican Party and was elected president in 1868. As president, Grant stabilized the post-war national economy, supported Congressional Reconstruction, ratification of the 15th Amendment, and crushed the Ku Klux Klan. Under Grant, the Union was completely restored. He appointed African Americans and Jewish Americans to prominent federal offices. In 1871, Grant created the first Civil Service Commission, advancing the civil service more than any prior president.
The Liberal Republicans and Democrats united behind Grant's opponent in the presidential election of 1872, but Grant was handily reelected. Grant's Native American policy was to assimilate Indians into White culture; the Great Sioux War was fought during his term. Grant's foreign policy was mostly peaceful, without war, the Alabama Claims against Great Britain skillfully resolved. However, his prized Caribbean Dominican Republic annexation was rejected by the Senate.
The Grant administration was often remembered primarily for a number of scandals, including the Gold Ring and the Whiskey Ring, but modern scholarship has better appreciated Grant's appointed reformers and prosecutions. Grant appointed John Brooks Henderson and David Dyer, who prosecuted the Whiskey Ring; Benjamin Bristow and Edwards Pierrepont, who served as Grant's anti-corruption team; and Zachariah Chandler, who cleaned up corruption in the Interior. Grant's administration prosecuted Mormon polygamists (1871), vice crimes such as pornography, and abortion (1873–1877). The Panic of 1873 plunged the nation into a severe economic depression that allowed the Democrats to win the House majority. In the intensely disputed presidential election of 1876, Grant facilitated the approval by Congress of a peaceful compromise.
With the tour he took in his retirement, Grant became the first president to circumnavigate the world, dining with Queen Victoria and meeting many other prominent foreign leaders. In 1880, Grant was unsuccessful in obtaining the Republican presidential nomination for a third term. In the final year of his life, facing severe financial reversals and dying of throat cancer, he wrote his memoirs, which proved to be a major critical and financial success. They were published in two volumes in 1885 and 1886 by Mark Twain, shortly after Grant's death. Grant biographer Ronald C. White Jr. called the book "one of the finest memoirs in American letters". At the time of his death, he was memorialized as a symbol of national unity. Grant was a modern general and "a skillful leader who had a natural grasp of tactics and strategy".
Historical assessments once ranked Grant as one of the worst presidents in American history. However, revisionist challenges to this narrative have received significant support in recent times. Although critical of the scandals, modern historians have emphasized his presidential administration's accomplishments, including the prosecution of the Klan, support for African American civil rights, an innovative Native American policy, the appointment of Hamilton Fish as Secretary of State,[1] and the peaceful settlements of the Alabama Claims and the controversial 1876 presidential election.
Medium reFrame
Effective Range: Medium
Classification: Ranged Assault
Armaments: (1) AR-G91COMBAT
(1) SMG-A54-00
(4) GRE-FLAK
An assault variant of the reFX01, Type D is equipped with reinforced mobile shields on its shoulders, reducing the need to carry a shield as compared to the A and B types. This model also comes with a modified backpack, designed specifically for short burts of thrust to quickly change direction, making it a highly mobile unit on the battlefield.
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Build notes:
The primary intention for the reFX series was to create a more unified look with my mech designs and just evolve them slowly with upgrade parts. I figured I was creating too many new designs and had deviated from my original concept for Mech Wars, which was to create a modular LEGO mech system where I could simply swap out parts and create different mechs by just changing the individual part components.
The Type D is basically a rework version of the shoulders of the Type A/B. Following the same aesthetic as the A and B's shield, I made it more compact and mounted it on the top (similar to how Zaku II shoulders are). I initially wanted to add spikes or studs on it but ended up keeping it flat due to the assembly of the attached grenades.
The backpack was also rebuilt to have huge fuel tank canisters and verniers that could change direction, giving the Type D enhanced manueverability.
The rest of the body parts have some slight variations to it such as the elbows, the rear of the thighs, and the assembly of the lower shin.
Aside from the slight modifications, I badly wanted to experiment on different color schemes. So far I've done color palettes that apply to the entire mech but for this, I wanted the legs to be primarily white and the upper body (minus the arms) to be in another color.
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More about this on my blog:
messymaru.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/moc-refx01-type-d/
For those interested in LEGO mech building, I put out an eBook over at Amazon Kindle a while back called Mech Wars Instructional Primer. If you’re looking for a resource that could help you start or even improve your mech building skills, you might find this eBook useful :D
Medium reFrame
Effective Range: Medium
Classification: Tactical Assault
Armaments: (1) AR-NC021B Rifle, (1) RL-FRPG01
The Command is a reFrame piloted only by those most experienced of NEST veterans. Designed to withstand prolonged battles while not sacrifing mobility and performance, the Command strikes with speed and
deadly accuracy in urban and jungle scenarios.
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Build notes:
Had built this guy as a superior model of the Seeker, taking and evolving it's design into a bulkier and more formidable looking mech. The head and wearable "eye" design was something I've been wanting
to do previously on the Seeker but was only able to pull it off on this guy (thanks to a droid body). Wanted to actually make it with a full olive green color scheme but apparently I didn't have too much
of it so had to use some old dark grey and DBG so it turned out okay.
The RPG is probably the piece I enjoyed building the most here hehe modeled it like one of those WW1-WW2 military RPGs and really happy with how it turned out.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
The Mikoyan-Gurevitch MiG-21 is an iconic Soviet fighter aircraft that has seen extensive use worldwide since the 1950s. In Helsinki, Finland, a MiG-21 can be seen as a historical and cultural artifact, often displayed in museums or as a souvenir to the Cold War and aviation history. You can see this MiG-21 in the Finnish Aviation Museum Suomen Ilmailumuseo, located near Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. This museum has an extensive collection of aircraft, including the MiG-21, which played an important role in the history of the Finnish Air Force. Finland purchased several MiG-21s from the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. These aircraft were used by the Finnish Air Force and played a crucial role in the country's air defense during the Cold War. The MiG-21 was one of the most advanced fighter jets of its time and was known for its speed, maneuverability and simple yet effective design. The MiG-21 is a single-engine supersonic fighter aircraft designed for aerial combat and interception missions. The aircraft is known for its delta wing design and high speed, can reach speeds of up to Mach 2 and has an operational ceiling of approximately 17,500 meters. The presence of the MiG-21 in museums in Helsinki is a reminder of the complex geopolitical situation during the Cold War, with Finland having to strike a delicate balance between the influence of both the Soviet Union and the West. It also shows the technological advancements and military capabilities of the time, as well as the cooperation and tensions between different countries.
Visit to the MiG-21 at the Finnish Aviation Museum located in Vantaa, near Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, this museum is a must-visit for aviation enthusiasts. It offers in-depth insights into Finland's aviation history and the role of aircraft such as the MiG-21. By visiting such exhibitions, visitors gain a better understanding of the historical and technical aspects of the MiG-21, as well as the broader context of the Cold War and aviation development in Finland.
De Mikoyan-Gurevitch MiG-21 is een iconisch Sovjet-gevechtsvliegtuig dat wereldwijd veelvuldig is gebruikt sinds de jaren 1950. In Helsinki, Finland, kan men een MiG-21 zien als een historisch en cultureel artefact, vaak tentoongesteld in musea of als een herinnering aan de Koude Oorlog en de luchtvaartgeschiedenis. Deze MiG-21 kun je zien in het Fins Luchtvaartmuseum Suomen Ilmailumuseo, gelegen nabij de luchthaven Helsinki-Vantaa. Dit museum heeft een uitgebreide collectie vliegtuigen, waaronder de MiG-21, die een belangrijke rol heeft gespeeld in de geschiedenis van de Finse luchtmacht. Finland kocht in de jaren 1960 en 1970 verschillende MiG-21's van de Sovjet-Unie. Deze vliegtuigen werden gebruikt door de Finse luchtmacht en speelden een cruciale rol in de luchtverdediging van het land tijdens de Koude Oorlog. De MiG-21 was een van de meest geavanceerde straaljagers van zijn tijd en stond bekend om zijn snelheid, wendbaarheid en eenvoudige maar effectieve ontwerp. De MiG-21 is een supersonisch jachtvliegtuig met een enkele motor, ontworpen voor luchtgevechten en onderscheppingsmissies. Het vliegtuig is bekend om zijn deltavleugelontwerp en hoge snelheid. kan snelheden tot Mach 2 bereiken en heeft een operationeel plafond van ongeveer 17.500 meter. De aanwezigheid van de MiG-21 in musea in Helsinki herinnert aan de complexe geopolitieke situatie tijdens de Koude Oorlog, waarbij Finland een delicate balans moest vinden tussen de invloed van zowel de Sovjet-Unie als het Westen. Het toont ook de technologische vooruitgang en militaire capaciteiten van die tijd, evenals de samenwerking en spanningen tussen verschillende landen.
Effective Range: Medium
Classification: Intelligence / Recon
Armaments: (1) SMG-UZ01A, (1) HR-HIBMSU01
One reason why the New Earth Strategic Trust faction is such a dominant force in the Quorus Wars is due to their supreme tactics and efficient strategies and have outfitted specific units like the Eagle EWAC to prioritize recon and intelligence gathering.
The Eagle EWAC is actually based on the NESF-M05E Eagle, a standard combat type reFrame that is deployed in heavy combat areas and serve as a main unit in NEST Special Forces ranks. The EWAC (Early Warning And Control) unit allows for efficient intelligence gathering that is sent to NEST's tactical HQ as data to create up-to-date battle strategies. Extra thrusters were equipped on the Eagle EWAC to give it better mobility in order to move faster to key locations for data scanning as well as avoid enemy units. It is equipped with a light submachine gun (SMG-UZ01A) and a hand cannon mounted on its left arm for emergency combat purposes.
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Build notes:
You can find more about the build in my blog article :D
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More info, WIP details, and other LEGO mechs over at my blog:
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For those interested in LEGO mech building, I put out an eBook over at Amazon Kindle a while back called Mech Wars Instructional Primer. If you’re looking for a resource that could help you start or even improve your mech building skills, you might find this eBook useful :D
The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support (CAS) of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction capability. It is the first U.S. Air Force aircraft designed exclusively for close air support.
The A-10's official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, a fighter that was particularly effective at close air support. The A-10 is more commonly known by its nickname "Warthog" or simply "Hog".[3] As a secondary mission, it provides airborne forward air control, guiding other aircraft against ground targets. A-10s used primarily in this role are designated OA-10.[4]
Not quite sure what this is meant to be. I'll say it's an Argentinean SMG that fires the .45 ACP cartridge from a closed bolt. Charging is done by pulling the wings above the AR-15 style buffer tube that holds the recoil spring. The barrel is long for a weapon of this type and has a maximum effective range of 200 metres. 20 round box magazine, 34 round optional extra.
Rising 195 metres above the summit of Black Mountain, the Telstra Tower presents 360 degree views of the city and the Brindabella Ranges. Visitors taking advantage of he two open viewing platforms or the enclosed viewing gallery are presented with striking views of the city by day. From every angle at night the theatrics of the city's lights under the darkened sky provide a spectacular show of natural beauty and entertainment.
As well as offering visitors education, entertainment and spectacular views, the Telstra Tower has a functional role. The Telstra Tower provides essential communications facilities for the National Capital, including major trunk line radio telephony facilities, television transmitters for national and commercial services, FM radio transmitters, mobile radio telephone, and cellular phone base stations.
This elegant Tower on the summit of Black Mountain has won two awards for outstanding design. The first in 1979, for imaginative and effective use of concrete in a building. The Tower won its second award, the 1980 Civic Design Award of the ACT Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
The Tower incorporates a theatrette, cafe and gift shop and the Executive Briefing Centre; meeting rooms with state of the art AV, spectacular views and free parking.
Since opening in 1980, Telstra Tower has continually created an attraction of immense fascination and appeal, marking it one of the National Capital's most popular tourist and local attractions.
Source: Telstra.
Medium reFrame
Effective Range: Short
Classification: Melee / Close Combat
Armaments: (1) SW-GKRSWXB00
This mysterious black reFrame has always been a sign of ominous times. Rumored to be a heavily custom unit of a pirate, the G Kurosawa has never been truly reported in any official logs as those who encounter it come back broken, muttering only the words "the black death comes". Most believe it's built around a Marzan Emissary design but vastly improved with various parts from the reFrames it has defeated.
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Build notes:
This is a tribute build to a great custom designer toy maker named Quiccs and his awesome original character, the Ghost of Kurosawa. First time I saw his work, I immediately loved the whole aesthetic, combining the mecha genre (specifically the signature Gundam look) with medieval Japan and a generous amount of street / graffiti culture.
For this build, I spent quite some time tinkering with the head design, coming up with a look that had a creepy skull bug face and making sure I get the whole V-fin/samurai cresent in there. At some point, it reminded me of those enemy mobile suit head designs from V / F91 / Crossbone / G no Reconguista. Past the head, I didn't really know how I'd translate Quiccs's character's look to my mecha format so I decided to just give it my own interpretation which ended up taking some visual cues from the X1 Crossbone Gundam (notable the back boosters and the grill on the sides of the shoulders from the Full Cloth).
The swords are actually Rapier versions of the ones the Emissary had but with Trans-clear blades (notice the finger guards using the vehicle mudguard).
Probably the hardest part of this entire build was adding those trapezoid front skirt flags.
Layage: New Trend For Your Hair Coloring Effective Third Dimension
#Layage #newtrend ustype.com/layage-new-trend-hair-coloring-effective-third...
y'aurait comme besoin d'une remise en forme
Collection #Toulouse
Toulouse, Minimes
Canon set/7 num. /40mm
unpublished -dec. 2019
Textures: My own
Looks better pressing L
Thanks for your visit and comments.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
All rights reserved © GoldenCrotalo.
Ascendant Lords - Salaman’s Fury
Medium reFrame (Reverse Joint)
Effective Range: Short
Classification: Melee / Close Combat
Armaments: (1) PA-KARIGATA-SPG1
Piloted by Salaman's Fury's young mistress, Anasa, the H'Da is a one-of-a-kind reFrame featuring a very rare reverse joint leg configuration. This enables it to have increased mobility and is coupled with the pilot's deadly use of the KARIGATA-G1 spear, quickly moving into close combat and accurately piercing key points in enemy reFrames.
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Build notes:
I've had the head design for this for a while now and had planned a dragon-esque design to go with it. Ever since I've been wanting to add a dark green addition to the AL faction and after doing the PALASO, I had more confidence in building a reverse joint leg build. For this mech, I decided to go with a more feminine look, with the body proportions reflecting a more lady aesthetic (small shoulders, big thighs, thin calves, high heels). The spear was a fun thing to build, toying around with that new Ninjago weapon piece, allowing me to clip on and insert quite a few things for a spear head.
P.S.
Apparently I'll have some access to my LEGO every now and then (originally thought that my new occupation would keep me from it for a year period) so I'll be squeezing in a mech or two every now and then.
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More info, WIP details, and other LEGO mechs over at my blog:
For those interested in LEGO mech building, I put out an eBook over at Amazon Kindle a while back called Mech Wars Instructional Primer. If you’re looking for a resource that could help you start or even improve your mech building skills, you might find this eBook useful :D
Powered by an atomic energy ball and built with a diamond/titanium hybrid alloy, this small bot can lift incredible weight and sustain massive forces, which makes it ideal for a number of tasks such as car throwing, wall smashing, and taking things apart really fast....just don't ask him to put it back together. Impulsive, irrational, and indestructable - this bot has a set of characteristics that end up getting him into trouble.
The flow of bots never cease, I really should build something else, but new head ideas just keep popping up - and you really should have a body to go with them. Some ideas here taking from my previous bots, so not really a whole lot of new stuff going on.
Chesil Beach is 18 miles (28 kilometres) long and, on average, 160 metres wide and rises to 12 metres in height. It is a pebble and shingle tombolo connecting Portland to Abbotsbury and then continuing north-westwards to West Bay near Bridport. It is the largest tombolo in the UK.
The pebbles are graded in size from fist-sized near Portland to pea-sized at Bridport. The pebbles are mainly a mix of flint and chert, with some quartzite pebbles from Buddleigh Salterton.
The origin of the beach continues to be argued over with some proposing it is actually two beaches. The stretch from West Bay to Abbotsbury appears to have different characteristics to the stretch from Abbotsbury to Portland.
Chesil Beach shelters Weymouth from the prevailing wind and waves and prevents the area being eroded by wave action. Evidence suggests that the beach is no longer being replenished by natural means.
The beach forms part of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site, known as the Jurassic Coast.
Chesil Bank
It is above all an elemental place, made of sea, shingle and sky, its dominant sound always that of waves on moving stone: from the great surf and pounding “grounds of seas” of sou’westers, to the delicate laps and back-gurgling of the rare dead calm….
John Fowles
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/description.html
Chesil Beach is a linear shingle storm beach stretching from Portland in the south to West Bay in the north-west. At its widest it is up to 200 metres in width. The height of the beach is typically 11 metres above mean sea level.
The seaward face of the beach is steeply shelving and this continues below the sea level until it gradually levels off at around 18 metres below sea level some 300 metres offshore in the southern part of the beach. Further north the offshore depth is around 11 metres.
There is a clear southern limit to the beach where it meets the limestone of Portland, but the northern limit is less distinct and depends on the definition used. Various limits have been proposed from Abbotsbury to West Bay. Geologically there is some merit in these arguments, but for practical purposes the limit is taken as the pier at West Bay. The pier is an effective barrier to longshore drift into or away from Chesil Beach.
The beach stabilised close to its present position some 5000 years ago. Since then it has been advancing slowly towards the mainland. Current estimates suggest that at the southern end this rate of advance is around 15 cms per year, with a slower rate further north. This advance occurs under storm conditions and is caused either by over-topping waves or by cann action where the water comes through the beach pushing quantities of pebbles out into the Fleet. This advancement is slowly causing increasing isolation of the various segments of the beach between Abbotsbury and West Bay.
Under storm conditions large quantities of pebbles can be removed from the beach onto the seabed. For severe storms the quantities can exceed 3 Million tonnes. Subsequent wave action then replaces these pebbles on the front of the beach.
There appears to be two types of storm conditions that affect Chesil Beach. The majority of storms are deep depressions approaching from the south-west where the combination of strong winds and low barometric pressure can produce storm surges in the English Channel combined with high local waves. A rarer type, but potentially more dramatic in impact, occurs when large storms out in the Atlantic generate huge, long-period swell waves that travel up the Channel and impact the Beach. Such waves can have a period of up to 20 seconds, compared with the 5-10 second period of local storm waves. Two such events are known to have occurred in 1904 and 1979.
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/formation.html
The formation of Chesil Beach has been much discussed over the years and is still the subject of continuing debate. Continuing research yields further insights into the origin of the material that forms the beach and how it was transported to its current location. This page presents a summary of one current view suggested by Malcolm Bray of Portsmouth University, a member of the Fleet Study Group. A more detailed document can be downloded here.
Chesil Beach initially formed from predominantly sandy deposits in Lyme Bay as water levels rose rapidly at the end of the last ice age 20,000-14,000 years ago. These deposits were eroded and the sand and gravel driven onshore as a barrier beach. As the barrier beach was driven further east by rising sea levels it overrode existing sediments and the Fleet was formed starting about 7000 years ago. The formation of the Fleet was virtually complete by 5000 years ago.
Sea levels stabilised 4000-5000 years ago and at that time Chesil Beach stood close to its present position. It was predominantly sandy with layers of shell and coarser material indicating over-washing by the sea.
At this time relict cliffs in East Devon, left stranded by falling sea levels during the ice age, were re-activated and the combination of re-working of extensive debris aprons and erosion of existing cliffs yielded large quantities of gravel. Estimates suggest that as much as 60 million cubic metres of gravel could have been supplied. This material was transported to Chesil Beach by longshore drift via a series of pocket beaches.
Coastal recession and human intervention have now depleted the beaches to the west of West Bay, resulting in increased prominence of the headlands. This has cut off the supply of material to Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach must now be regarded as a closed shingle system with no replenishment from outside sources. It is therefore sensitive to environmental changes such as rising sea levels. Ian West has suggested that Chesil Beach at Portland is moving eastward at around 15cm per year, with a much slower rate further north towards Abbotsbury.
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/pebbles.html
Chesil Beach is made up almost entirely of pebbles of various rock types. The only exception is in the north-west section of the beach from West Bexington to West Bay where there is some fine gravel and coarse sand overlaying the lower levels of the beach near the tide line. The pebbles are graded in size from fist-sized near Portland to pea-sized at West Bay.
The types of pebble that can be found are:
Flint
Flint originates from the chalk beds. They include the slightly brownish pebbles, most of the medium grey pebbles and also the less well- rounded pebbles. They are extremely hard, harder than most steels.
Chert
The chert pebbles are also extremely hard and originate from the upper greensand beds. They are often fairly clear and translucent with a pink or bluish tinge.
Quartzite
Quartzite pebbles originate from around Buddleigh Salterton and are discoidal pebbles coloured red, purple "liver-coloured", or white.
Granite
Granite is occasionally found on Chesil Beach. It can be identified by the coarse grain size, the pink or white feldspar, the quartz of glassy grey appearance, and the black mafic minerals, normally mica and/or hornblende. These pebbles probably originated from further west on the south-west peninsula or may have come from the ballast of ships wrecked on the beach..
Porphyry
These pebbles most probably come from the Permian breccia in Dawlish, Devon. They are similar to granite in appearance, but the crystal structure is rather different. They are comparatively rare on Chesil Beach.
Tourmalised rock
Pebbles of hard black, finely granular material are common. Somewhat irregular pebble of vein quartz, stained yellowish, and tourmalinised slate, all sheared and partially brecciated. The pebbles are usually irregular in shape as the tourmaline is quite brittle.
Breccia
A breccia is a rock of angular fragments. Only breccias that have been cemented strongly in hard silica can survive on Chesil Beach.
Portland stone
At Chiswell there are some limestone pebbles originating from the local Portland and Purbeck stone formations.
Kimmeridge oil shale
There is evidence that there was once an outcrop of oil shale on the back of Chesil Beach near Victoria Square on Portland. Pieces of shale can still be found on the beach and probably come from an outcrop under the sea off Chiswell.
Fossils
These are mostly found around Burton Bradstock and originate from the local cliffs.
Magnetite
This is believed to originate from the cargos of ships wrecked on Chesil Beach. The major concentration is near Abbotsbury and is believed to come from the SS Dorothea.
Peat
Pieces of peat can be found on Chesil Beach, particularly after storms. It comes from outcrops below the low tide level. It is mostly found at Chiswell and in an area around the tank defences at Abbotsbury
Pumice stone
Pieces of pumice stone are sometimes found washed up on the beach. Pumice is lava foam from volcanoes and contains sufficient air pockets to float. The stones on Chesil almost certainly came from volcanoes in the Caribbean Sea or central America. The colour varies from dark grey to almost white. They can be recognised by the large number of air pockets and that they are very light.
Others
Also found on Chesil Beach are Jasper, Agate, and Madrepores, but these are all very rare.
Further information
For a more detailed discussion of the pebbles that make up Chesil Beach visit Ian West's excellent website at Southampton University.
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/speclst.html
Chesil Beach is a major shingle beach and provides a maritime shingle environment. The seaward side of the beach is highly mobile under storm conditions and cannot support any plant communities. The eastern side of the beach is much more stable enabling plant communities to get established. In some areas the beach is sufficiently stable for a turf to form, particularly at Ferrybridge.
Apart from plants, the beach supports a rich variety of lichens and a few mosses. There are very few shrubs and no trees growing on the beach.
There is sufficient food from the plants and other sources to support a few mammals and the beach is used by a number of bird species for nesting.
The lists below show species that actually live, hunt, and/or nest on the beach. Transient species such as migrant birds are not included. Click on the groups below to see the species lists.
www.chesilbeach.org/chesil/specbirds.html
Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Ringed Plover, Linnet, Oystercatcher, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Common Tern, Little Tern,
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/specmamms.html
Fox, Hare, Roe Deer, Hare, Hedgehog, Long-tailed Field Mouse, Short-tailed Vole, Grey Squirrel,
www.chesilbeach.org/chesil/specplants.html
Common nameSpeciesW
Sea couchAgropyron pungens
Silvery hair grassAira caryophylla
Early hair grassAira praecox
Scarlet pimpernelAnagallis arvensis
Kidney vetchAnthyllis vulneraria
ThriftAmeria maritima
Thyme-leaved sandwortArenaria serpyllifolia
Tall oat-grassArrhenatherum elatius
Sea beetBeta vulgaris
Darnel's grassCatapodium marinum
Common centauryCentaurium erythraea
Red valerianCentranthus ruber
Common mouse-earCerastium fontanum
Sea mouse-earCerastium diffusum
Creeping thistleCirsium arvense
Danish scurvygrassCochlearia danica
Sea kaleCrambe maritima
SamphireCrithmum maritimum
CocksfootDactylus glomerata
Sea spurgeEuphorbia paralias
Portland spurgeEuphorbia portlandica
Red fescueFestuca ruba
Lady's bedstrawGalium verum
Herb robertgeranium robertianum
Yellow horned poppyGlaucium flavum
Sea-purslaneHalimione portulacoides
Common velvet grassHolcus lanatus
Tree mallowLavatera arborea
Sea peaLathyrus japonicus
Bird's foot trefoilLotus corniculatus
Common mallowMalva sylvestris
RestharrowOnonis repens
Lesser broomrapeOrobanche minor var minor
Buck's-horn plantainPlantago coronopus
Ribwort plantainPlantago lanceolata
BlackthornPrunus spinosa
BlackberryRubus fruticosa agg.
Curled dockRumex crispus
Procumbent pearlwortSagina procumbens
Biting stonecropSedum acre
Sea campionSilene maritima
Woody nightshadeSolanum dulcamera
Black nightshadeSolanum nigrum
Perennial sow-thistleSonchus arvensis
Shrubby sea blightSuaeda fruticosa
Annual sea blightSuaeda maritima
DandelionTaraxacum officinale
Breckland thymeThymus serpyllum
Haresfoot cloverTrifolium arvense
Lesser trefoilTrifolium dubium
Rough cloverTrifolium scabrum
Sea mayweedTripleurospermum maritimum
The information presented here has been derived from the following sources:
Colombe,S.V., Diaz,A. Plant communities of Chesil Beach. Lyme Bay Environmental Study Vol12. Kerr-McGee Oil(UK) plc, 1995.
Fitzpatrick,J.M. Terrestial plant communities of the Chesil Beach and the shores of the Fleet. In: The Fleet and Chesil Beach Ladle, M. (Ed). Fleet Study Group, 1981.
Eden,S.M. Flowering plants of the shores of the Fleet. In: The Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach. Carr,A.P., Seaward,D.R., and Sterling,P.H. (Eds).2000.
and personal observation by Fleet volunteers.
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St. Paul the Apostle is a very revered saint in the Sicilian town of Palazzolo Acreide, the feast in his honor is celebrated on two occasions (very important periods if referring to peasant civilization), on 29 June (the day I took this photo story this year 2022) date of his martyrdom, and January 25, the date of his conversion to Christianity. The "summer party" of June 29, begins with a particular collection of donut-shaped bread (in Sicilian called "cuddura"), donated by the villagers and collected on a cart, this is the "round of bread", these loaves (called "di San Paolo") have decorations that recall snakes: the reference is always to San Paolo, considered the protector from the poisonous bites of vipers, this is the ancestral legacy of an ancient peasant civilization, the wheat harvest period that coincides with the feast, it makes working in sunburnt fields particularly dangerous; once there were characters to whom supernatural gifts were attributed, they were called "ciarauli", capable of protecting from the venomous bites of the viper (this year they were present in the party, to evoke these ancient figures, two very nice Palazzolesi people, they had two very docile pythons with them). The procession takes the name of "sciuta", with reference to the "exit" from the basilica of San Paolo of two floats, first the float comes out with the relic of the saint, carried on the shoulders by the devotees, immediately after, at 13.00 o'clock the exit of the float takes place with the ancient statue of Saint Paul holding a sword in his hand (the iconography represents him with the sword for two reasons, he was beheaded with a sword stroke, and because he, referring to the word of God, defined it more effective and sharper than a double-bladed sword), at this point they begin among the most spectacular and evocative pyrotechnic games that I have ever seen, we witness a phantasmagoric and kaleidoscopic explosion of colors made with enormous colored confetti and with colored ribbons about two meters long called 'nzareddi, which recall the shape and movement of snakes. During the procession we witness the rite of children who, completely naked, are taken by their parents by the expert hands of two devotees present on the float, they are thus placed in front of St. Paul to ask for his intercession and protection, sometimes these children are adorned with paper money, in fact, the donation of money is part of the rites that accompany the procession. Among these rites is the vow of the "bare shoulder" made by devout bearers, and that of women who walk barefoot by vow. The procession with the two vare then arrives, as a sign of devotion, in the church of the Annunziata.
San Paolo Apostolo è un santo molto venerato nel paese siciliano di Palazzolo Acreide, la festa in suo onore viene celebrata in due occasioni (periodi molto importanti se riferiti alla civiltà contadina), il 29 giugno (giorno in cui ho realizzato quest’anno 2022 questo foto-racconto) data del suo martirio, ed il 25 gennaio, data della sua conversione al cristianesimo. La “festa estiva” del 29 giugno, inizia con una particolare raccolta di pane a forma di ciambella (in siciliano detta “cuddura”), donato dai paesani e raccolto su di un carretto, questo è il “giro del pane”, questi pani (detti “di San Paolo”) presentano delle decorazioni che richiamano i serpenti: il riferimento è sempre a San Paolo, ritenuto il protettore dai morsi velenosi delle vipere, questo è il retaggio ancestrale di un’antica civiltà contadina, il periodo della mietitura che coincide con la festa, rende particolarmente pericoloso il lavoro nei campi arsi dal sole; una volta esistevano dei personaggi a cui si attribuivano doti sovrannaturali, erano chiamati “ciarauli”, capaci di proteggere dai morsi velenosi della vipera (quest’anno erano presenti nella festa, a rievocare queste antiche figure, due simpaticissimi Palazzolesi, che al posto delle bisce, come si usava una volta, avevano con se due docilissimi pitoni). La processione prende il nome di “sciuta”, con riferimento alla “uscita” dalla basilica di San Paolo di due vare, dapprima esce la vara con la reliquia del santo, portata in spalla dai devoti, subito dopo, alle 13,00 in punto avviene l’uscita della vara con l’antica statua di San Paolo che stringe una spada in pugno (l’iconografia lo rappresenta con la spada per due motivi, egli fu decapitato con un colpo di spada, e perché egli, riferendosi alla parola di Dio, la definiva più efficace e più tagliente di una spada a doppia lama), a questo punto iniziano tra i più spettacolari e suggestivi giochi pirotecnici che io che io abbia mai visto, si assiste ad una fantasmagorica e caleidoscopica esplosione di colori realizzati con enormi coriandoli colorati e con dei nastri colorati lunghi circa due metri chiamati ‘nzareddi, che richiamano la forma ed il movimento dei serpenti. Durante la processione si assiste al rito dei bambini che, completamente nudi, vengono presi dai genitori dalle esperte mani di due devoti presenti sulla vara, vengono così messi al cospetto di San Paolo a chiederne la sua intercessione e protezione, a volte questi bimbi sono adornati con della carta moneta, infatti la donazione di denaro fa parte dei riti che accompagnano la processione. Tra questi riti c’è il voto della “spalla nuda” fatto dai devoti portatori, e quello delle donne che per voto camminano scalze. La processione con le due vare giunge poi, in segno di devozione, nella chiesa dell’Annunziata.
The Barn Owl can hiss like a snake, and when captured or cornered, it throws itself on its back and flails with sharp-taloned feet, an effective defence.
Highest Explore Position: 356 on Wednesday, April 2, 2008
A giant tortoise at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz
Galapagos Giant Tortoise
The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise (Geochelone nigra) is the largest living tortoise, native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. The Galápagos tortoise is unique to the Galápagos Islands. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.2 meters (4 ft) long. They are long-lived with a life expectancy in the wild estimated to be 100-150 years. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the seventeenth century. Now only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. However, conservation efforts since the establishment of the Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation have met with success, and hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands. They have become one of the most symbolic animals of the fauna of the Galápagos Islands. The tortoises have very large shells (carapace) made of bone. The bony plates of the shell are integral to the skeleton, fused with the ribs in a rigid protective structure. Naturalist Charles Darwin remarked "These animals grow to an immense size ... several so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from the ground.". This is due to the phenomenon of island gigantism whereby in the absence of natural predation, the largest tortoises had a survival advantage and no disadvantage in fleeing or fending off predators. When threatened, it can withdraw its head, neck and all forelimbs into its shell for protection, presenting a protected shield to a would-be predator. The legs have hard scales that also provide armour when withdrawn. Tortoises keep a characteristic scute pattern on their shell throughout life. These have annual growth bands but are not useful for aging as the outer layers are worn off. There is little variation in the dull-brown colour of the shell or scales. Physical features (including shape of the shell) relate to the habitat of each of the subspecies. These differences were noted by Captain Porter even before Charles Darwin. Larger islands with more wet highlands such as Santa Cruz and the Alcedo Volcano on Isabela have lush vegetation near the ground. Tortoises here tend to have 'dome-back' shells. These animals have restricted upward head movement due to shorter necks, and also have shorter limbs. These are the heaviest and largest of the subspecies.Smaller, drier islands such as Española and Pinta are inhabited by tortoises with 'saddleback' shells comprising a flatter carapace which is elevated above the neck and flared above the hind feet. Along with longer neck and limbs, this allows them to browse taller vegetation. On these drier islands the Galápagos Opuntia cactus (a major source of their fluids) has evolved a taller, tree-like form. This is evidence of an evolutionary arms race between progressively taller tortoises and correspondingly taller cacti. Saddlebacks are smaller in size than domebacks. They tend to have a yellowish color on lower mandible and throat. At one extreme, the Sierra Negra volcano population that inhabits southern Isabela Island has a very flattened "tabletop" shell. However, there is no saddleback/domeback dualism; tortoises can also be of 'intermediate' type with characteristics of both. The tortoises are slow-moving reptiles with an average long-distance walking speed of 0.3 km/h (0.18 mph). Although feeding giant tortoises browse with no apparent direction, when moving to water-holes or nesting grounds, they can move at surprising speeds for their size. Marked individuals have been reported to have traveled 13 km in two days. Being cold-blooded, the tortoises bask for two hours after dawn, absorbing the energy through their shells, then becoming active for 8–9 hours a day. They may sleep for about sixteen hours in a mud wallow partially or submerged in rain-formed pools (sometimes dew ponds formed by garua-moisture dripping off trees). This may be both a thermoregulatory response and a protection from parasites such as mosquitoes and ticks. Some rest in a 'pallet'- a snug depression in soft ground or dense brush- which probably helps to conserve heat and may aid digestion. On the Alcedo Volcano, repeated use of the same sites by the large resident population has resulted in the formation of small sandy pits. Darwin observed that: "The inhabitants believe that these animals are absolutely deaf; certainly they do not overhear a person walking near behind them. I was always amused, when overtaking one of these great monsters as it was quietly pacing along, to see how suddenly, the instant I passed, it would draw in its head and legs, and uttering a deep hiss fall to the ground with a heavy sound, as if struck dead." The tortoises can vocalise in aggressive encounters, whilst righting themselves if turned upside down and, in males, during mating. The latter is described as "rhythmic groans". The tortoises are herbivorous animals with a diet comprising cactus, grasses, leaves, vines, and fruit. Fresh young grass is a favorite food of the tortoises, and others are the 'poison apple' (Hippomane mancinella) (toxic to humans), the endemic guava (Psidium galapageium), the water fern (Azolla microphylla), and the bromeliad (Tillandsia insularis). Tortoises eat a large quantity of food when it is available at the expense of incomplete digestion. Its favorite food is grasses. The tortoise normally eat an average of 70 to 80 pounds a day. Tortoises have a classic example of a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with some species of Galápagos finch. The finch hops in front of the tortoise to show that it is ready and the tortoise then raises itself up high on its legs and stretches out its neck so that the bird can pick off ticks that are hidden in the folds of the skin (especially on the rear legs, cloacal opening, neck, and skin between plastron and carapace), thus freeing the tortoise from harmful parasites and providing the finch with an easy meal. Other birds, including Galápagos Hawk and flycatchers, use tortoises as observation posts from which to sight their prey. Mating occurs at any time of the year, although it does have seasonal peaks between January and August. When two mature males meet in the mating season they will face each other, rise up on their legs and stretch up their necks with their mouths open to assess dominance. Occasionally, head-biting occurs, but usually the shorter loser tortoise will back off, leaving the other to mate with the female. In groups of tortoises from mixed island populations, saddleback males have an advantage over domebacks. Frustrated non-dominant males have been observed attempting to mate with other males and boulders. The male sniffs the air when seeking a female, bellows loudly, and bobs his head. The male then rams the female with the front of his shell and bites her exposed legs until she withdraws them, immobilizing her. Copulation can last several hours with roaring vocalisations from the males. Their concave shell base allows males to mount the females from behind. It brings its tail which houses the penis into the female's cloaca. After mating (June-December), the females journey up to several kilometres to reach nesting areas of dry, sandy ground (often near the coast). Nest digging can last from hours to days and is elaborate and exhausting. It is carried out blindly using only the hind legs to dig a 30 cm deep hole, into which she lays up to sixteen hard-shelled eggs the size of tennis balls. The female makes a muddy plug for the nest hole out of soil mixed with urine and leaves the eggs to incubate. In rocky areas, the eggs are deposited randomly into cracks. The young emerge from the nest after 120 to 140 days gestation later (December-April) and may weigh only 80 grams (2.8 oz) and measure 6 centimetres (2.4 in). Temperature plays a role in the sex of the hatchling: if the nest temperature is lower, more males will hatch; if it is high, more females will hatch. When the young tortoises emerge from their shells, they must dig their way to the surface, which can take up to a month. All have domed carapaces, and subspecies are indistinguishable. Galápagos Hawk used to be the only native predator of the tortoise hatchlings, as Darwin remarked: "The young tortoises, as soon as they are hatched, fall prey in great numbers to buzzards". Sex can be determined only when the tortoise is 15 years old, and sexual maturity is reached at 20 to 25 years old. The tortoises grow slowly for about 40 years until they reach their full size. Reproductive prime is considered to be from the ages of 60–90. The shape of the carapace of some subspecies of the tortoises is said to have reminded the early Spanish explorers of a kind of saddle they called a "galápago," and for these saddle-shaped tortoises they named the archipelago. Up to 250,000 tortoises inhabited the islands when they were discovered. Today only about 15,000 are left.
The inhabitants...state that they can distinguish the tortoise from different islands; and that they differ not only in size, but in other characters. Captain Porter has described those from Charles and from the nearest island to it, namely Hood Island, as having their shells in front thick and turned up like a Spanish saddle, whilst the tortoises from James Island are rounder, blacker, and have a better taste when cooked.---Charles Darwin 1845
There were probably twelve subspecies of Geochelone nigra in the Galápagos Islands, although some recognise up to 15 subspecies. Now only 11 subspecies remain, five on Isabela Island, and the other six on Santiago, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Pinzón, Española and Pinta. Of these, the Pinta Island subspecies is extinct in the wild and is represented by a single individual (Lonesome George). In the past, zoos took animals without knowing their island of origin. Production of fertile offspring from various pairings of tortoises largely confirmed that they are subspecies and not different species. All the subspecies of giant tortoise evolved in Galápagos from a common ancestor that arrived from the mainland, floating on the ocean currents (the tortoises can drift for long periods of time as they are buoyant and can stretch head upwards to breathe). Only a single pregnant female or breeding pair needed to arrive in this way, and then survive, for Galápagos to be colonised. In the seventeenth century, pirates started to use the Galápagos islands as a base for resupply, restocking on food, water and repairing vessels before attacking Spanish colonies on the South American mainland. The tortoises were collected and stored live on board ships where they could survive for at least a year without food or water, providing valuable fresh meat, whilst their diluted urine and water stored in their neck bags could also be used as drinking water. Of the meat, Darwin wrote: "the breast-plate roasted (as the Gauchos do 'carne con cuero'), with the flesh on it, is very good; and the young tortoises make excellent soup; but otherwise the meat to my taste is indifferent." In the nineteenth century, whaling ships and fur-sealers collected tortoises for food and many more were killed for high grade 'turtle oil' from the late 1800s onward. Darwin described this process thus: "beautifully clear oil is prepared from the fat. When a tortoise is caught, the man makes a slit in the skin near its tail, so as to see inside its body, whether the fat under the dorsal plate is thick. If it is not, the animal is liberated and it is said to recover soon from this strange operation." A total of over 15,000 tortoises is recorded in the logs of 105 whaling ships between 1811 and 1844. As hunters found it easiest to collect the tortoises living round the coastal zones, the least decimated populations tended to be those in the highlands. Population decline accelerated with the early settlement of the islands, when they were hunted for meat, their habitat was cleared for agriculture and alien mammal species were introduced. Feral pigs, dogs, cats and black rats are effective predators of eggs and young tortoises, whilst goats, donkeys and cattle compete for grazing. In the twentieth century, increasing human settlement and urbanisation and collection of tortoises for zoo and museum specimens depleted numbers even more. The Galápagos giant tortoise is now strictly protected. Young tortoises are raised in a programme by the Charles Darwin Research Station in order to bolster the numbers of the extant subspecies. Eggs are collected from places on the islands where they are threatened and when the tortoises hatch they are kept in captivity until they have reached a size that ensures a good chance of survival and are returned to their original ranges. The Galápagos National Park Service systematically culls feral predators and competitors where necessary such as the complete eradication of goats from Pinta. The conservation project begun in the 1970s successfully brought 10 of the 11 endangered subspecies up to guarded population levels. The most significant recovery was that of the Española Tortoise, whose breeding stock comprised 2 males and 11 females brought to the Darwin Station. Fortuitously, a third male was discovered at the San Diego Zoo and joined the others in a captive breeding program. These 13 tortoises gave rise to over 1000 tortoises now released into their home island. In all, 2500 individuals of all breeds have been reintroduced to the islands. However, persecution still continues on a much smaller scale; more than 120 tortoises have been killed by poachers since 1990 and they have been taken hostage as political leverage by local fishermen.
Santa Cruz
With the largest human population in the Galapagos archipelago, Isla Santa Cruz is the most important of the Galapagos Islands. Meaning Holy Cross in Spanish, this island is also known as Indefatigable, after the HMS Indefatigable landed here long ago. The second largest island terms of land area at 986 sq km, Isla Santa Cruz is home to the key town of Puerto Ayora, the Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the Galapagos National Park Service. With its own airport on Isla Baltra a few miles away, Isla Santa Cruz is where most visitors who come to the Galapagos Islands usually stay. With a number of bars, hotels, restaurants and shops in Puerto Ayora, most tours of the Archipelago also usually begin from here.
Galapagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands (official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other Spanish names: Islas de Colón or Islas Galápagos) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, some 900 km west of Ecuador. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site: wildlife is its most notable feature. Because of the only very recent arrival of man the majority of the wildlife has no fear of humans and will allow visitors to walk right up them, often having to step over Iguanas or Sea Lions.The Galápagos islands and its surrounding waters are part of a province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of around 40,000, which is a 40-fold expansion in 50 years. The islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
Medium reFrame
Effective Range: Short
Classification: Close Combat
Armaments: (1) PA-ALVZRSCY
Created specifically for the Kingdom of Vzir's twin male monarch, Ran Al' Vzir, this unique Ascendant Lord reFrame is truly a design that stands magnificent on its own.
The AL-VZ02MAH was designed as a hulking shadowy reFrame that would strike fear into the hearts of any opponent. With the SCY-ALVZR, a hulking scythe made specifically for this reFrame, coupled with Ran Al' Vzir's incredible proficiency with the weapon of death, the Vzir'Ran is a deadly close combat reFrame that no army would want to cross paths with.
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Build notes:
Finally a caped mech for this Mech Wars! Actually had conceptualized the Vzir'Rin and Vzir'Ran as a deadly duo, the yin and yang of a certain Kingdom of Vzir. I imagined them to be formidable reFrames but being rulers of their country, they would not carelessly venture into battle unless forced (and opposing factions would not want to force them).
The hardest part of this build was to construct the shoulders. I had a rough idea even before starting how to go about it but having them stay "flat" like so was more challenging that I had initially thought (the first attempt had the shoulders built into the shoulders and gave it this weird inward angle).
The scythe was challenging since I didn't want to use a bionicle piece for the scythe blade (don't think there even is one big enough that fits the almost-half circle edge of a scythe). The length of the shaft is around 20L? Had a really long technic axle that I used for the base.
Check out his twin white sister over here:
www.flickr.com/photos/messymaru/sets/72157653955040728
Sorry for the lack of back details on this guy due to the cape :P
The way some people wear masks, they might as well put them on top of their head.
We've had lots of government guidance on how to wash our hands (and even how to ventilate a room) but precious little on how to wear a mask. They probably assumed that people would use their common sense: cover their noses to avoid contracting a respiratory disease. But lots of civilians assume that covering their mouth will suffice. (And others seem to believe that neck breathing is a thing.)
Today the Hereios of the We’re Here! Group are putting things other than hats on our heads.
Chinese New Year lanterns hung up in the atrium of a small shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, a city located just next to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
MPA-18a 6776 leads the westbound Halifax - Saint John - Montreal "Atlantic" at Onslow, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday, July 23, 1986. The "Atlantic" had a checkered history. Its first incarnation was from October 29, 1979, through November 15, 1981. It was then replaced on the eastern end by a daily Halifax to Fredericton Railiner. The "Atlantic" returned on June 1, 1985, and ran daily until the Titantic cuts of January 15, 1990. After that, it began running on a trice-weekly basis departing the end terminals each Monday, Thursday and Saturday. During this period, the Halifax - Montreal "Ocean" also ran via Campbellton, New Brunswick, with departures each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. CP Rail announced its intention to discontinue freight service east of St. Jean, Quebec, at the end of 1994. The service interruption ultimately lasted only a few days. Nonetheless, the federal government seized the opportunity to terminate the "Atlantic" and shift the trains to the route of the "Ocean" effective December 15, 1994.
CN provided most of the consist of the train included units 6776 and 6864, baggage 9667, coaches 5442 5569 and 5590, coach cafe lounge 2514, daynighter 5746, 6-6-4 sleepers GREENWAY and GREENING, ex Milwaukee Road 10-6 [Lake Keechelus PS-1948] WARPATH RIVER, diner 1358 and ex CP EVANGELINE PARK.
The "Atlantic" paused at Belmont to meet its eastbound counterpart, Train 12, at 2.30 p.m. Belmont at Mileage 7.6 of the Truro - Moncton Springhill Subdivision marked the west end of double track that improved traffic flow at the junction with the CN line to Sydney. The eastern end of the double track was at Hyde, 2.5 miles towards Halifax on the Bedford Sub.
FPA-4 6776 (MLW 2-1959 #83154) was one of several specially equipped with FRA glass and other features for operation through Maine on the route of the "Atlantic." You may see it today at the Grand Canyon National Park depot of the Grand Canyon Railway.
Panther Beach, California
Along California's Pacific coast the combination of cool ocean waters and warm inland air can create a thermal inversion known as the marine layer. There can be fog within the marine layer and sometimes clouds above it. During the summer months the marine layer is very effective at squelching sunset displays along the coast.
Towards the end of this fall day a marine layer developed, but enough sunlight escaped to light up the clouds with a brilliant red light, a light that is reflected in the sheet of water left by a receding wave.
A change in the rates of postage, effective on July 1, 1931, to 3 cents for the 1st ounce or fraction of an ounce, on letters for Canada, the British Empire, the United States, and certain other countries - 13 cents covered both postage and registration on letters weighing not more than 1 ounce.
From April 1, 1943 - a 1 cent War Tax was added to the first weight step preferred letter rate. The preferred letter rate was 4 cents for the first ounce and 2 cents for each additional ounce. 4 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee = 14 cents
RED PASS, B.C. to New Westminster, B.C / - 8 / 11 March 1939
3 cents forward letter + 10 cents registration fee = 13 cents.
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RED PASS became a hamlet with a general store, school, post office and railway station. The hotel was built in 1924 and later a police barrack was added. Residents of Red Pass would travel east and west on the train. The "road" was unimproved and hazardous until 1962 when the highway was upgraded and the need for Red Pass diminished. Trains could now travel longer distances and did not need the stop in Red Pass for servicing. After 1965, railroaders found new jobs and the police were transferred out. The hotel had burned down in 1949, the post office & general store closed in 1976 and in 1991 the little town ceased to exist.
RED PASS - The railway junction at Mile 27 at the west end of Moose Lake was originally called Resplendent, a name also deriving from the color of the rocks. East of Red Pass, the tracks of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, descending to the Fraser River on route to Prince George in 1912, were kept as low as possible. The tracks of the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway, heading for the Albreda Pass, were kept high. After the consolidation of the railways in 1923 as the Canadian National Railway, Lucerne disappeared as a railway divisional point and Resplendent blossomed as Red Pass Junction, the point where the removal of the separate tracks stopped and where the two lines diverged. During the 1930s, there was a hobo jungle at Red Pass where the vagabonds waited for trains. About 50 people lived at Red Pass in the 1940s. During World War II it was the site of a Japanese internment camp. The Red Pass hotel burned down in 1949. After the highway opened in 1962, the need for Red Pass diminished. CN still uses some buildings at Red Pass. The headquarters of Mount Robson Park were moved from Red Pass to Valemount in 1987. LINK to the complete article - www.spiralroad.com/red-pass-station/
The RED PASS Post Office was established - 1 November 1921 and closed - 29 January 1976, when it was moved to Valemount.
LINK to a list of the Postmasters who served at the RED PASS Post Office - recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record...
Earl Woodley left Entrance, Alberta in 1920 and opened a hotel and general store in Red Pass, British Columbia. He became Postmaster at Red Pass and served from - 31 May 1923 to - 10 June 1946 - the Post Office was located in his General Store.
EARL FRANCIS WOODLEY - Resident of Mt. Lehman, B.C. since 1950, Earl Francis Woodley, died in MSA General Hospital on March 13, 1979 at the age of 85. Born in Ontario, Mr. Woodley came to British Columbia in 1914 and was employed by the Canadian Pacific and Great Northern Railways during the early part of the century. He also worked in a fur trading post in the north and operated his own general store on the Yellowhead Highway and also in Mt. Lehman prior to his retirement. He was a member of the Jasper Masonic Lodge.
Earl Francis Woodley
(b. 5 June 1893 in Woodville, Victoria, Ontario - d. 13 March 1979 at age 85 in Abbotsford, British Columbia) - occupations - Merchant / Postmaster - LINK to his marriage certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/42... - LINK to his death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/72... - LINK to his newspaper obituary - www.newspapers.com/article/the-abbotsford-news-obituary-f...
- this registered letter entered the postal system at - / RED PASS / MR 8 / 39 / B.C. / - split ring cancel - this split ring hammer (A1-1) was proofed - 25 October 1921 - (RF C).
- sent from - / RED PASS / MR 10 / 39 / B.C. / - split ring cancel - this split ring hammer (A1-1) was proofed - 25 October 1921 - (RF C).
- sent by registered mail - / R / RED PASS, B.C. / ORIGINAL No. / (694) / - registered boxed marking in purple ink.
- via - / ED. & PR. GEO. R.P.O. / 198 / MR 10 / 39 / № 1 / - rpo transit backstamp - Ludlow W-43A / RF 155 - in use from 1932 to 1954.
- via - / X C. & V. - R.P.O. X / 3 / MR 11 / 39 / B.C. / - Calgary & Vancouver RPO - (W-30u. - with ornament No. 156 / RF 225 - this rpo hammer was in use from 1927 to 1964) rpo transit backstamp - small diagonal cross ornament located on each side midway between the run and B.C. was proofed in 1924.
- arrived at - / NEW WESTMINSTER / 10 / MR 11 / 39 / B.C. / - cds arrival backstamp.
- sent by - J. Pawson / Red Pass P.O. / B.C. - (addressed to his wife)
Joseph Pawson
(b. 20 March 1895 in Yorkshire, England - d. 20 February 1963 at age 67 in New Westminster, British Columbia / Surrrey, B.C.) - occupations - butcher (in his early years) - section foreman C.N.R Railway - LINK to his death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/81... - LINK to his newspaper obituary - www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-obituary-for...
Registered letter was addressed to his wife - Mrs. J. (Hester Minnie) Pawson / 1944 London Street / New Westminster / B.C.
His first wife - Hester Minnie (nee Cowley) Pawson
(b. 2 November 1900 in Vancouver, B.C. - d. 12 January 1948 at age 47 in Kamloops, B.C. / Clearwater, British Columbia) - they were married - 19 March 1921 at Port Kells, British Columbia - LINK to their marriage certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/22... - LINK to her death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/02... - LINK to her newspaper obituary - www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-obituary-for...
His second wife - Lea Marie (nee Fleury) Taillefer / Pawson / Jones
(b. 23 March 1895 in Témiscaming, Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada – d. 21 April 1977 at age 82 in White Rock, B.C. / Surrey, B.C.) - LINK to her death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/b3... - LINK to her newspaper obituary - www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-obituary-for...
The tree won the "Simple, Yet Effective!" Brickee at BrickFair NJ '19 (The rationale being it's primarily constructed from one type of part).
Effective Range: Medium
Classification: Intelligence / Recon
Armaments: (1) SMG-UZ01A, (1) HR-HIBMSU01
One reason why the New Earth Strategic Trust faction is such a dominant force in the Quorus Wars is due to their supreme tactics and efficient strategies and have outfitted specific units like the Eagle EWAC to prioritize recon and intelligence gathering.
The Eagle EWAC is actually based on the NESF-M05E Eagle, a standard combat type reFrame that is deployed in heavy combat areas and serve as a main unit in NEST Special Forces ranks. The EWAC (Early Warning And Control) unit allows for efficient intelligence gathering that is sent to NEST's tactical HQ as data to create up-to-date battle strategies. Extra thrusters were equipped on the Eagle EWAC to give it better mobility in order to move faster to key locations for data scanning as well as avoid enemy units. It is equipped with a light submachine gun (SMG-UZ01A) and a hand cannon mounted on its left arm for emergency combat purposes.
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Build notes:
You can find more about the build in my blog article :D
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More info, WIP details, and other LEGO mechs over at my blog:
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For those interested in LEGO mech building, I put out an eBook over at Amazon Kindle a while back called Mech Wars Instructional Primer. If you’re looking for a resource that could help you start or even improve your mech building skills, you might find this eBook useful :D