The West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, was first opened in 1876, but closed in 1995. It's seen riots, fires and the execution of nearly 100 prisoners through either hanging or electrocution.

Young Heroes Vol 2 - Issue #8 "Hybrid"

*They couldn't stop staring at the slaughtered bodies which lay strewn around the warehouse. Emoji shakily walked out stepping over one horror after another whilst Nik clutched Felix close to his chest, burying his face into his shoulder making sure the kid never got a glimpse of the bloodied bodies. It traumatised Nik so he dreaded to think what effect it might have on Felix if he seen. The three make their way out of the warehouse, their feet squelching under the drying blood which spilled out from all sorts of wounds. Whatever did that made Nik shake to the core, pure terror reeked from his pores. So much so he thought Emoji was using her emotion manipulation powers to make him and Felix scared, just like she used to involuntarily do when she had nightmares.*

Nik: "What could have done that?! There were so many bodies a-and parts!"

Felix: "I seen red, was that blood?"

Emoji: "No, no, Felix. It was just paint. Right, Nik?"

*It's then Nik notices Emoji giving him a look to keep his cool, he needed to keep calm for Felix. He runs his hand over his face and sighs nodding his head with a slight smile.*

Nik: "Yeah, babe. So the guys selling the new and improved Non-Brainwashing M-Pill are no longer in business."

Felix: "Yay! So no baddies?"

Emoji: "I think there's a bigger baddie taking out the competition. They had claw marks, you think it was Alpha?"

*Nik shakes his head and frowns stopping in his tracks, Emoji continues walking ahead as Felix chats away. He tilts his head hearing something stomp behind him and turns around on his heels staring at the one and only, Hybrid. No, no, no, not him. Anyone but him. Nik knew this creature far too well, he was supposed to be locked away but then how is he standing there right now? Nik was terrified of this creature, he was one of the strongest and most dangerous villains alive in Avalon City and he had a certain type of vendetta towards Nik & Emoji being a couple.*

Nik: "Emoji, Felix, run! Now!"

*They turn alarmed seeing Hybrid swipe his oversized hand grabbing Nik’s side and squeeze it with such strength he felt his organs being squished. He cries out in pain and delivers a hard kick to Hybrid who shakes it off grunting angrily. Nik continues his assault whilst in his grip, feeling claws tear into his side. Hybrid then roars slamming his fist wildly into his body and catches the side of Nik's face. He is then lifted up above Hybrid's horns and thrown through the air like a rag doll, unfortunately landing on telephone cables electrocuting him in the tangled mess.*

Nik: "Y-Yuaha-aagh!"

*Emoji screams and sprints over to Felix who stares petrified at what had just happened within seconds. She tackles Felix lifting him up with all her might panting as she runs crying, not daring to look back at Nik because if so she wouldn't have the courage to leave him. Felix whimpers clinging to her shoulder obviously seeing Hybrid follow, that much was clear from the heavy footsteps that threatened to crush her. She'd had a few run-ins with this guy before, A.N.G.E.L. wanted to use her powers to actually calm him down so he would stop the murdering but once he knew of her abilities they didn't work. Hate and knowing about her powers actually nullify them, something she learned from him. She had to call for help. There was no way she could take him without her powers and she wasn't putting Felix in a position to fight, but as much as she hated it she had a feeling it was the only stall tactic. She wished the rest of the team could be there but they were divided to cover more groundwork.*

Hybridk: ""RRRRAAAAAGH!!!"

Emoji: "I-It's *pants* okay. It's okay. It's okay."

*She continues to run down the field, why'd it have to be an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere?! They all just held onto Nik while he strolled but without him, they were vulnerable for an escape. She glances back at Hybrid who stomps after them eventually catching up every few feet. She feels Felix reach into his pocket pulling out a Phone scrolling through the contacts probably searching for Vega, she'd get here fast and with help. She looks back again seeing Hybrid reach out stretching his claws growling. She cries out in fright feeling her foot catch on an uneven platform sending her body and Felix airborne until sprawling across the floor. Her eyes tear up as she reaches out taking Felix's hand yanking his fragile body back up into a weak sprint until he stops digging in his heels.*

Felix: "Leave. Us. Alone!"

*Emoji gasps seeing a bright green giant materialize out from Felix like its climbing out from his chest and he closes his eyes tight yelling a tiny war cry. She tries to stand up to take him away but her legs fall out from under her from exhaustion, she was so used to relying on Nik for mobility. She stares at Hybrid who now trudges his way towards them, his head tilted downwards aligning his horns with the materialized Monster Felix had summoned. Hybrid lets out a throaty deep growl and opens his maw roaring as he and Felix's Monster clash in combat.*

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

The West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, was first opened in 1876, but closed in 1995. It's seen riots, fires and the execution of nearly 100 prisoners through either hanging or electrocution.

Summer in Santiago, Chile

I call up my friend the good angel

But she's out with

Her answer-phone

She says she'd love to come help but

The sea would

Electrocute us all

Radiohead

Stormtroopers 365 > Day 38/365

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[Stormtroopers 365 prints]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Vulture

The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) is a small Old World vulture, found widely distributed from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to southern Asia. It is the only living member of the genus Neophron. It has sometimes also been known as the White Scavenger Vulture or Pharaoh's Chicken. Like other vultures it soars on thermals and the underwing black and white pattern and wedge tail make it distinctive. It sometimes uses stones to break the eggs of birds making it one of the few birds that make use of tools. Birds that breed in the temperate region migrate south in winter while tropical populations are relatively sedentary. Populations of this species have declined in the 20th Century and some isolated island forms are particularly endangered.

Taxonomy and systematicsThe genus Neophron contains only a single species. A few prehistoric species from the Neogene of North America placed in the genus Neophrontops (the name meaning "looks like Neophron") are believed to have been very similar to these vultures in lifestyle but the relationships are unclear.[2][3] The genus is considered to be among the oldest branching species within the vultures and the closest living relative is the Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus).[4][5] Some authors have suggested that they should be placed in a separate subfamily, the Gypaetinae.[6] There are three widely recognised subspecies of the Egyptian Vulture although there is considerable gradation due to movement and intermixing of the populations.[7] A subspecies rubripersonatus from Baluchistan and the northwestern Himalayas (said to have a dark bill with a yellowish tip) described by Nikolai Zarudny and Härms is rarely recognized.[8][9][10]

N. p. percnopterus, the nominate subspecies, has the largest range, occurring in southern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the north-west of the Indian subcontinent. Populations breeding in the temperate zone migrate south during winter.

N. p. ginginianus, the smallest subspecies with an all pale bill, occurs in most of the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from Gingee in southern India.[11]

N. p. majorensis, the Canarian Egyptian Vulture, the largest subspecies with by far the smallest and most restricted population, is found only in the eastern Canary Islands where they are known by the name of guirre. Described as a new subspecies only in 2002, studies suggest that it is more genetically distant from N. p. percnopterus than N. p. ginginianus is. Unlike neighbouring populations in Africa and southern Europe, they are not migratory and are consistently larger in size. The name majorensis is derived from “Majorata”, the ancient name for the island of Fuerteventura. The island was named by Spanish conquerors in the 15th century after the “Majos”, the main native Guanche tribe there.[7][12] A study suggests that the species colonized the island around 2500 years ago and the establishment of the population may have been aided by human colonization at around the same time.[13]

The genus name is derived from Greek mythology. Neophron was the son of Timandra, the mistress of Aegypius. Neophron tricked Aegypius into sleeping with his own mother Bulis imagining it was Timandra. When the deception was found, Bulis sought to take out the eyes of her son but Zeus changed Aegypius and Neophron into vultures.[14] The species name refers to the black wings ("περχνóç" =blue-black +"πτερον"=wing).

Description

Adult nominate subspecies in fresh plumageThe adult plumage is white, with black flight feathers in the wings. The white plumage however usually appears soiled due to the habits of the birds. The bill is slender and long and the tip of the upper mandible is hooked. The nostril is an elongated horizontal slit. The feathers on the neck are long and form a hackle. The wings are pointed with the third primary being the longest. The tail is wedge shaped. The claws are long and straight and the 3rd and 4th toes are slightly webbed at the base. The bill is black in the nominate population but is pale or yellowish in the smaller Indian ginginianus, but this variation may need further study.[9] The facial skin is yellow and crop is unfeathered.[16] Young birds are blackish or chocolate brown with black and white patches.[16]

The adult Egyptian Vulture measures 47–70 cm (21–28 in) from the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail feathers and 1.5-1.7 metre (5-5.6 ft) between the tips of the wings. In N. p. ginginianus males are about 47.5-52.5 cm long while females are 52-55.5 cm long.[9] It weighs about 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) although birds of the subspecies majorensis average 2.4 kilograms (5.3 lbs), about 18% heavier than birds from Iberia.

DistributionEgyptian Vultures are widely distributed and may be found in southern Europe, in northern Africa, and in western and South Asia. Their habitat is mainly in the dry plains and nest mainly in arid and rocky hill regions. It is a rare vagrant in Sri Lanka.[16] Vagrants are sometimes found further north in Europe and in South Africa.[18] European populations have been recorded migrating south into Africa about 3500 to 5500 km, sometimes covering nearly 500 km in a single day. A bird that bred in France migrated south only in its third year.[19][20] Like many other soaring diurnal migrants, they avoid making long crossings over water.[21] Italian birds cross over through Sicily and into Tunisia over the islands of Marettimo and Pantelleria.[

Behaviour and ecology

An Egyptian vulture in flightThis species is often seen soaring in thermals often with other scavengers. They feed on a range of food including mammal faeces (especially human[23]), insects in dung, carrion as well as vegetable matter and sometimes small live prey.[24] Studies suggest that feeding on mammalian (in this case, ungulate) faeces helps in obtaining carotenoid pigments responsible for the bright yellow and orange facial skin.[25] They are usually silent but near the nest they make high-pitched mewing or hissing notes.[9]

They roost communally[26] and nests are often traditionally used year after year. Birds are however usually seen singly or in pairs. They are socially monogamous and pair bonds may be maintained for more than one breeding season. Extra-pair copulation with neighbouring birds is however noted and adult males tend to stay close to the female before and during the egg laying period.[27] The nest sites include cliffs, buildings as well as trees.[9] Unusual nest sites such as on the ground have been recorded in N. p. ginginianus and N. p. majorensis.[28][29][30] The nesting season is February to April in India. Both parents incubate and the two eggs hatch after about 42 days.[16] The second chick may hatch after an interval of 3 to 5 days or more. The longer the interval, the more likely is the death of the second chick due to starvation.[31] In areas where nests are close to each other, young birds may sometimes move to neighbouring nests to obtain food.[32] In the Spanish population, young fledge and leave the nest after 90 to 110 days.[33] Young birds disperse from their nest site and birds in Spain have been recorded to move nearly 500 km away from their nest site.[34][35] The full adult plumage is attained in the fourth or fifth year. In captivity, birds have been known to live for up to 37 years.[36]

Healthy adults do not have any predators but mortality from powerlines, pollution and poisoning have been noted. Young birds have been known to be taken by Golden Eagles, Eagle Owls and Red Fox. Birds falling off the cliffs may be picked up by Jackals.[37]

The nominate population, especially in Africa is well-known for their use of stones as tools. When a large egg, such as that of an ostrich or bustard is located, the bird approaches it with a large pebble held in the bill and tosses it by standing near the egg and swinging the neck down. The operation is repeated until the egg cracks from the blows.[38] This behaviour has not been recorded in N. p. ginginianus.[9] Tests with hand-reared and wild birds suggest that the behaviour is not learnt by observation and is shown by naive birds once they associate eggs with food. They show a strong preference for rounded pebbles rather than jagged rocks.[39] Bulgarian birds have been observed to use twigs to roll up and gather strands of wool that they make use of in their nest lining.

Conservation status

Immature (behind) and adult (from John Gould's Birds of Europe)The Egyptian Vulture is declining in large parts of its range, often severely. In Europe and most of the Middle East, it is half as plentiful as it was about twenty years ago, and the populations in India and southwestern Africa have greatly declined. In 1967-70, the area around Delhi was estimated to have 12000-15000 of these vultures with an average density of about 5 pairs per 10 km2.[41][42] The cause of the decline is not known but has been linked with the use of the NSAID Diclofenac which has been known to cause death in Gyps vultures.[43] In southern Europe, suggested causes of the decline include poisoning by accumulation of lead, pesticides (especially due to large-scale use in the control of Schistocerca gregaria locust swarms) and by electrocution.[17][44] Studies in Spain have suggested that the absorption of veterinary antibiotics suppresses their innate immunity, making them more prone to infection.[45]

The population in the Canary Islands have been isolated from populations in Europe and Africa for a significant period of time and have declined greatly and are of particular concern due to their genetic distinctiveness. The Canarian Egyptian Vulture was historically common, occurring on the islands of La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. It is now restricted to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, the two easternmost islands. The total population in 2000 was estimated at about 130 individuals, including 25–30 breeding pairs.[17][46] The island birds appear to be more susceptible to infections.[47] Island birds appear to accumulate significant amounts of lead from scavenging on hunted animal carcasses and the long-term effect of this poison at a sublethal level is not known although it alters the mineralization of their bones.[48] In order to provide safe and uncontaminated food for nesting birds, attempts have been made to create "vulture restaurants" where carcasses are made available. These interventions however may also encourage opportunist predators and scavengers to concentrate at the site and pose a threat to nesting birds in the vicinity.

In culture

In Ancient Egypt, the vulture hieroglyph was the uniliteral sign used for the glottal sound (3). The Hebrew word rachamah/racham used in the Bible and translated into English as gier-eagle refers to this species.[15][50] The bird was held sacred to Isis. The association of the vulture as a symbol of royalty in Egpytian culture led to the use of the name "Pharaoh's Chicken" for the species.[51][52]

A southern Indian temple at Thirukalukundram near Chengalpattu is famed for a pair of birds that have reputedly visited the site for "centuries". These birds are traditionally fed by the temple priests and arrive before noon to feed on offerings made from rice, wheat, ghee and sugar. Although punctual, the failure of the birds to turn up was attributed to the presence of "sinners" among the onlookers.[16][53][54] Legend has it the vultures (or "eagles") represent eight sages who were punished by Shiva with two of them leaving in each of a series of epochs.

The habit of coprophagy has led to the Spanish names of "churretero" and "moñiguero" which mean "dung-eater".[25] British naturalists in colonial India considered them among the ugliest birds and their habit of feeding on faeces was particularly despised.

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Professor: The Knights of Hallow

Chapter 3: The Zombie Hoard

---

Professor took Ichabod Crane back to his lab to interrogate him. The Professor’s Laboratory is a state-of-the-art lab with a super-fast computer, chemistry sections, alchemy sections, and more. Ichabod looked around in awe.

Ichabod: You got some crazy stuff in here…

Professor: You don’t even know the half of it. Now, have a seat.

Professor gives Ichabod a chair and then sits across from him.

Professor: Now, I am ready for you to tell me about the whereabouts of my friend. You mentioned before our fight that he was sent to the “others” for “preparations.” Tell me who these people are and how I can find them.

Ichabod: …We are the Knights of Hallow. We strike fear into our victims through monstrous creatures and otherworldly powers. Our mission is to send the world into a never-ending darkness in which we are the kings. That is our creed.

Professor: The Knights of Hallow, eh? Where can I find them?

Ichabod: ha ha ha ha…hahahahahahaha…. Don’t you worry Professor, they will find you.

The lights in the Laboratory began to flicker and go out. The dim, red emergency lights activated. Professor stood up and examined Ichabod.

Professor: No tracking device. How did they find you?

Ichabod: I told you, otherworldly powers. Now, you will be punished for insulting a member of the Knights of Hallow!

The doors of the Laboratory suddenly burst open and a dozen creatures poured into the room.

Professor: Zombies… Why did it have to be zombies?

The zombies got one look at Professor and then charged at him immediately. They were surprisingly fast for zombies. Professor started digging in his pockets, but two zombies were already at him. The zombies grabbed both of Professor’s arms and held them out while a third zombie came running at him. Professor kicked the zombie on his left, knocking it to the ground. He then used his free arm to grab the zombie on his right and throw it at the one running toward him. He then pulled a weapon out of his pocket before the other zombies reached him. He pulled out a small box with a button on it.

Ichabod: Haha! You think that will save you?

Professor: Shields activate.

Force fields surrounded all of Professor’s equipment. Professor then pressed the button on the small box, which unfolded and transformed into a massive machine gun.

Professor: Mr. Crane, I’d get down if I were you.

Professor fires the gun, completely mowing down the zombies in front of him. The shields protected his equipment from being destroyed.

Ichabod: wh-what... what was that?

Professor: How many more are there?

Ichabod: th-they usually send them in waves… another one should be here soon.

Professor began gathering things from the lab. Grunting sounds could be heard from down the hall. They were getting louder and louder as they got closer. Right as Professor finished gathering his materials, the zombies arrived and dashed toward him. Professor threw a net at the first four that ran at him. The net electrocuted the zombies, causing them to collapse to the ground. Another group ran toward him, and he responded by putting on a gauntlet and punching them several feet away. Two more ran up behind him. Professor pulled out a potion bottle and threw it at the ground in front of them. The potion exploded an acidic liquid on them which melted their skin. The last small group were easily taken out by Professor’s machine gun.

Professor: *panting* how many more Ichabod?

Ichabod: Only one. And this one is the strongest there is. Frankenstein’s monster!

-------

Hope y'all enjoyed this one! I'm kinda rushing now because that deadline is coming up. There are three chapters left.

-Totally Awesome

VIEW LARGE

rat in the kitchen ....rat in the crew...we went down into the sewers and ate our way through wires and electrocuted ourselves...and on and on and on until the sun was straight above our heads ....chinese zodiacs tattooed on the back of our necks like a cotton candy eating metallica mirror winning hick at a fair in south dakota ...so the rat tail goes

Submarine movies for me are basically all horror movies. Compartments are always going to flood. Someone is always going to drown. Someone is always going to have to make the terrible decision to let someone else drown. Someone is going to have to watch someone else drown through a small porthole. Someone will often be electrocuted. Someone will occasionally be crushed by explosive compression. In some rare cases, someone’s head and/or body will explode from explosive decompression.

While submarines are similar and often used as a substitution for spaceships in adventure stories, they come saddled with a key difference: we know how water works. We’ve all choked on a drink. We’ve all gotten water up our noses. Most of us know how to swim, or not, and have inhaled water instead of air while submerged. We’ve had leg cramps and found ourselves unable to swim those few inches back to the sky. We’ve been knocked down by waves and lost our sense of up or down. Some of us have been caught in riptides. Some of us have even drowned and been revived.

For most of us space is a fantasy, and all of the ways that things can go wrong in space we think of abstractly. But with submarines, we know very personally and viscerally what the consequences of the worst case scenarios are. Water is mean in so many ways that we can only imagine space to be.

Cape Baboon

Bärenpavian

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

(Wikipedia)

The chacma baboon (Papio ursinus), also known as the Cape baboon, is, like all other baboons, from the Old World monkey family. It is one of the largest of all monkeys. Located primarily in southern Africa, the chacma baboon has a wide variety of social behaviors, including a dominance hierarchy, collective foraging, adoption of young by females, and friendship pairings. These behaviors form parts of a complex evolutionary ecology. In general, the species is not threatened, but human population pressure has increased contact between humans and baboons. Hunting, accidents, and trapping kill or remove many baboons from the wild, thereby reducing baboon numbers and disrupting their social structure.

Due to hybridization between different baboon (Papio) populations across Africa, authors have occasionally grouped the entire radiation as a single species, the hamadryas baboon, Papio hamadryas. Arbitrary boundaries were then used to separate the populations into subspecies. Other authors considered the chacma baboon a subspecies of the yellow baboon, Papio cynocephalus, though it is now recognised as a separate species, Papio ursinus. The chacma baboon has two or three subspecies, depending on which classification is followed. Grubb et al. (2003) listed two subspecies,[4] while Groves (2005) in Mammal Species of the World listed three. This article follows Groves (2005) and describes three distinct subspecies. In the Grubb et al. (2003) paper, P. u. raucana was believed to be synonymous with P. u. ursinus.

Papio ursinus ursinus Kerr, 1792 – Cape chacma (found in southern South Africa)

P. ursinus griseipes Pocock, 1911 – Gray-footed chacma (found in northern South Africa to southern Zambia)

P. ursinus raucana Shortridge, 1942 – Ruacana chacma (found from Namibia to southern Angola, but not accepted by all authorities as distinct.

The chacma baboon is perhaps the longest species of monkey, with a male body length of 50–115 cm (20–45 in) and tail length of 45–84 cm (18–33 in). It also one of the heaviest; the male weighs from 21 to 45 kg (46 to 99 lb) with an average of 31.8 kg (70 lb). Baboons are sexually dimorphic, and females are considerably smaller than males. The female chacma weighs from 12 to 25 kg (26 to 55 lb), with an average of 15.4 kg (34 lb). It is similar in size to the olive baboon, averaging slightly higher in mean body mass, and of similar weight to the more compact mandrill, the males of which weigh on average about 1 kg (2.2 lb) more than a chacma baboon, the females weigh 3 kg (6.6 lb) less than the female chacma. While the mandrill is usually crowned the largest of all modern monkeys, going on total length and average (but not maximum) body weight between the sexes, the chacma baboon appears to be the largest extant monkey. The chacma baboon is generally dark brown to gray in color, with a patch of rough hair on the nape of its neck. Unlike the males of northern baboon species (the Guinea, hamadryas, and olive baboons), chacma males do not have a mane. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of this baboon is its long, downward-sloping face. The canine teeth of male chacma baboons have a mean length of 3.86 ± 0.30 cm (1.52 ± 0.12 in) at the time they emigrate from their natal troop. This is the time of greatest tooth length as the teeth tend to wear or be broken thereafter.

The three subspecies are differentiated by size and color. The Cape chacma is a large, heavy, dark-brown, and has black feet. The gray-footed chacma is slightly smaller than the Cape chacma, lighter in color and build, and has gray feet. The Ruacana chacma generally appears to be a smaller, less darkly colored version of the Cape chacma.

The chacma baboon inhabits a wide array of habitats including woodland, savanna, steppes, and subdesert, from the grassy alpine slopes of the Drakensberg to the Kalahari desert. During the night the chacma baboon needs hills, cliffs, or large trees in which to sleep. During the day water availability may limit its range in arid areas. It is found in southern Africa, ranging from South Africa north to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique. The subspecies are divided across this range. The Cape chacma is found in southern South Africa; the gray-footed chacma, is present from northern South Africa, through the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique (south of the Zambezi), to southwest Zambia; and the Ruacana chacma is found in northern Namibia and southern Angola.

The chacma baboon is omnivorous with a preference for fruits, while also eating insects, seeds, grass, smaller vertebrate animals, and fungi (the desert truffle Kalaharituber pfeilii); at the Cape of Good Hope in particular, it is also known for taking shellfish and other marine invertebrates. It is generally a scavenger when it comes to game meat, and rarely engages in hunting large animals. One incident of a chacma baboon killing a human infant has been reported, but the event is so rare, the locals believed it was due to witchcraft. Normally, chacma baboons will flee at the approach of humans, though this is changing due to the easy availability of food near human dwellings.

The chacma baboon usually lives in social groups, called troops, which are composed of multiple adult males, adult females, and their offspring. Occasionally, however, very small groups form that consist of only a single adult male and several adult females. Chacma troops are characterized by a dominance hierarchy. Female ranking within the troop is inherited through the mother and remains relatively fixed, while male ranking is often in flux, especially when the dominant male is replaced. Chacmas are unusual among baboons in that neither males nor females form strong relationships with members of the same sex. Instead, the strongest social bonds are often between unrelated adult males and females. Infanticide is also common compared to other baboon species, as newly dominant males will often attempt to kill young baboons sired by the previously dominant male. Baboon troops possess a complex group behavior and communicate by means of body attitudes, facial expressions, vocalizations and touch.

The chacma baboon often sleeps in large groups on cliffs or in trees at night to avoid predators. The morning dispersal from the sleeping site is synchronized, with all members leaving at the same time. In most cases, dispersal is initiated by a single individual, and the other members of the group decide whether or not to follow. At least five followers must be recruited for a successful dispersal initiation, and not all initiation attempts are successful. Surprisingly, the initiator's dominance status shows little correlation with successful initiation of departure; more-dominant individuals are no more likely to lead a successful departure than subordinate individuals. One study has shown that while the success rate of dispersal initiation attempts is relatively constant across all sexes, male are more likely to attempt initiation than females, and lactating females are less likely to attempt initiation than females without dependent offspring. A separate study has achieved slightly different results. While dominance hierarchy does not play a significant role in initiating the morning dispersal, social affiliation does. Chacma baboons that play a more central role in the group (as measured by grooming behavior and time spent with other members) are more likely to be followed during the morning dispersal. This study concluded that group members are more likely to follow the behavior of individuals with which they are closely affiliated.

Dominance does play a role in group foraging decisions. A dominant individual (usually the alpha male) leads the group to easily monopolized resources. The group usually follows, even though many subordinate members cannot gain access to that particular resource. As in morning dispersal, the inclination of group members to follow the leader is positively associated with social interactions with that dominant individual.

Collective foraging behavior, with many individuals taking advantage of the same resource at once, has also been observed. However, this behavior can be chiefly attributed to shared dietary needs rather than social affiliation. Pregnant females, who share similar dietary needs, are more likely to synchronize their behavior than fertile females. Foraging synchronization decreases in areas with lower food density.

Adoption behavior has been observed in chacma baboons. Orphaned baboons whose mothers have disappeared or died are often too small to care for themselves. In one study of nine natural orphans and three introduced orphans, all but one orphan were adopted by another member of the group. The individual that was not adopted was 16 months old, four months older than the next oldest orphan, and was old enough to survive on its own. Adoption behavior includes sleeping close to the orphaned infant, grooming and carrying the orphan, and protecting it from harassment by other members of the troop. Both males and females care for infants, and care does not depend on the infant's sex. Additionally, all caregivers are prereproductive, only four or five years of age. The two major theories explaining this behavior are kin selection, in which caregivers take care of potentially related orphans, and parental practice, in which young caregivers increase their own fitness by using an orphan to practice their own parental skills.

Males and female chacma baboons often form relationships referred to as "friendships". These cooperative relationships generally occur between lactating females and adult males. The females are believed to seek out male friendships to gain protection from infanticide. In many baboon species, immigrant alpha males often practice infanticide upon arrival in a new troop. By killing unrelated infants, the new male shortens the time until he can mate with the females of the troop. A female with dependent offspring generally does not become sexually receptive until she weans her offspring at around 12 months of age. However, a mother usually becomes sexually receptive shortly after the death of her offspring.

This protection hypothesis is supported by studies of stress hormones in female baboons during changes in the male hierarchy. When an immigrant male ascends to the top of the male dominance hierarchy, stress hormones in lactating and pregnant females increases, while stress hormones in females not at risk of infanticide stay the same. Additionally, females in friendships with males exhibit a smaller rise in stress hormones than do females without male friends.

The benefits of friendship to males are less clear. A male is more likely to enter into friendships with females with which he has mated, which indicates males might enter into friendships to protect their own offspring and not just to protect that female's future reproductive success. These friendships may play a role in the mating system of chacma baboons. A female will often mate with several males, which increases the number of potential fathers for her offspring and increases the chances she will be able to find at least one friend to protect her infants.

Female chacma baboons have been observed to compete with each other for male friends. This may be the result of one male having a high probability of paternity with multiple females. These competitions are heavily influenced by the female dominance hierarchy, with dominant females displacing subordinate females in friendships with males. Generally, when a more-dominant female attempts to make friends with an individual which is already the friend of a subordinate female, the subordinate female reduces grooming and spatial proximity to that male, potentially leaving her offspring at higher risk of infanticide.

The chacma baboon is widespread and does not rank among threatened animal species. However, in some confined locations, such as South Africa's Southern Cape Peninsula, local populations are dwindling due to habitat loss and predation from other protected species, such as leopards and lions. Some troops have become a suburban menace, overturning trash cans and entering houses in their search for food. These troops can be aggressive and dangerous, and such negative encounters have resulted in hunting by frustrated local residents. This isolated population is thought to face extinction within 10 years.

The chacma is listed under Appendix II of CITES as it occurs in many protected areas across its range. The only area in South Africa where they are monitored is in the Cape Peninsula, where they are protected.

Observations by those working hands-on in South Africa's rehabilitation centers have found this species is damaged by human intervention; troop structures are influenced, and over the years a significant loss in numbers has occurred. Because they live near human habitats, baboons are shot, poisoned, electrocuted, run over, and captured for the pet industry, research laboratories and muthi (medicine).[32] Despite this, assessors working for the IUCN believe there are no major threats that could result in a range-wide decline of the species.

(Wikipedia)

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

(Wikipedia)

Der Bärenpavian oder Tschakma (Papio ursinus) ist eine Primatenart aus der Gattung der Paviane innerhalb der Familie der Meerkatzenverwandten (Cercopithecidae). Er lebt im südlichen Afrika.

Mit einer Kopfrumpflänge von bis zu 115 Zentimetern, wozu noch ein bis zu 71 Zentimeter langer Schwanz kommt, und einem Gewicht von 15 bis 31 Kilogramm bilden sie die größte und schwerste Pavianart. Ihr Fell ist an der Oberseite dunkelbraun oder grau gefärbt, die Unterseite ist heller, die Hände und Füße sind meist schwarz. Die langgezogene, unbehaarte Schnauze ist dunkelviolett oder schwarz gefärbt, ebenso die Sitzschwielen. Die Fellfärbung und die Größe sind nach Region variabel, so gibt es eine Population mit grauen Pfoten; besonders kleine Exemplare kommen zum Beispiel in der Kalahari vor.

Die Männchen sind deutlich größer und schwerer als die Weibchen und haben auch längere Eckzähne, im Gegensatz zu den übrigen Pavianarten fehlt ihnen aber die Mähne an den Schultern und am vorderen Rücken.

Bärenpaviane leben im südlichen Afrika, genauer in Angola, Botswana, Mosambik, Namibia, Südafrika und Sambia. Sie bewohnen sowohl Steppen und Savannen als auch offene Waldgebiete, sind jedoch auf das Vorhandensein von Wasser angewiesen.

Wie alle Paviane leben sie in Gruppen, meistens in gemischten Gruppen, in manchen Regionen (zum Beispiel im gebirgigen Südafrika) dominieren jedoch die Einmännchengruppen (siehe Gruppenverhalten der Paviane). Die Bärenpaviane zeigen ein komplexes Gruppenverhalten und kommunizieren mittels Körperhaltungen, Gesichtsausdrücken, Lauten und durch Körperkontakte. Bärenpaviane sind Allesfresser; sie haben eine Vorliebe für Früchte, nehmen jedoch auch Blätter, Insekten, Samen und kleinere Wirbeltiere zu sich.

Die Fortpflanzung kann das ganze Jahr über erfolgen, die Weibchen weisen während der fruchtbaren Phase eine ausgeprägte Regelschwellung auf. Innerhalb der gemischten Gruppen kann sich prinzipiell jedes Männchen mit jedem Weibchen paaren. Das führt zu teilweise erbitterten Auseinandersetzungen unter den Männchen um das Paarungsvorrecht.

Nach einer rund 180-tägigen Tragzeit bringt das Weibchen meist ein einzelnes Jungtier zur Welt, das zunächst schwarz gefärbt ist. Mit rund einem Jahr werden die Jungen entwöhnt, mit drei bis fünf Jahren tritt die Geschlechtsreife ein. Das Höchstalter eines Tieres in menschlicher Obhut betrug 45 Jahre, in freier Wildbahn ist die Lebenserwartung deutlich geringer.

Bärenpaviane sind weit verbreitet und zählen nicht zu den bedrohten Tierarten. Manchmal gelten sie als Plage, da sie Plantagen verwüsten.

In Uitenhage war in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts ein Bärenpavian namens Jack Assistent eines körperbehinderten Streckenwärters.

(Wikipedia)

great gray owl - male

NW MT

yesterday began with the tragic discovery of a GGOW electrocuted on a transformer just a half mile from the nest site we had been monitoring. Immediately thinking it was likely the male, we were sure that the nest would be abandoned for the year. After saying goodbye to the female and beginning the sad drive home, this male appeared not 200 yards from the nest, and hunted along the road for about an hour. Today, I confirmed that he is "our" male, and our breeding pair are both safe. Always crushing to see an owl dead at human hands, but nice to know our breeding pair continues on for now….

Mid lockdown image of one link in the worldwide restaurant chain who supply their customers with unspeakable cruelty in meat form.

( birds raised in excrement-lined cages that render them almost immobile by the thousands inside artificially lit warehouses, never seeing the sun or breathing fresh air until they're tethered upside down in a mehanical conveyor line where they're electrocuted and have their throats cut, often while still alive.

That's your loveable old Colonel Sanders, "lip-smacking revolting."

___________________________________________

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the world's largest chains of fast food restaurants, serving more than 12 million customers daily in 109 countries

All of which reminds me..

londondada.art/2007/10/12/new_dada_work_279_everything_ha...

The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the most massive member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans that rival that of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. It is a short to medium distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, P. c. palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan.

As with other pelicans, the males are larger than the females, and likewise their diet is mainly fish. Their curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing features, and the wings appear solid grey in flight. The adults acquire a drabber plumage in winter, however, when they may be mistaken for great white pelicans. Their harsh vocalizations become more pronounced during the mating season. They breed from southeastern Europe to Russia, India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. They usually return to traditional breeding sites, where they are less social than other pelican species. Their nests are crude heaps of vegetation, which are placed on islands or on dense mats of vegetation.

The species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline during the 20th century, partly due to land use, disturbance and poaching activities. The core population survives in Russia, but in its Mongolian range it is critically endangered. Removal of power lines to prevent collisions or electrocution, and the construction of nesting platforms or rafts have reversed declines locally.

This huge bird is by a slight margin the largest of the pelican species and one of the largest living bird species. It measures 160 to 183 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 0 in) in length, 7.25–15 kg (16.0–33.1 lb) in weight and 245 to 351 cm (8 ft 0 in to 11 ft 6 in) in wingspan. Its median weight is around 11.5 kg (25 lb), which makes it perhaps the world's heaviest flying bird species, although the largest individuals among male bustards and swans may be heavier than the largest individual Dalmatian pelican. More recently, six male Dalmatians were found to average 10.4 kg (23 lb) and four females 8.7 kg (19 lb), around the same average weight as the great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and slightly lighter than mean body masses from other huge birds such as the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) or Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). A mean estimated body mass for the Dalmatian pelican of 10.9 kg (24 lb) was also published, around the same mass as the aforementioned largest swan and condor. It is either the heaviest or one of the heaviest birds native to Europe, its closest rivals in mass being mute swans (Cygnus olor) and cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus), which both weigh on average around 10 kg (22 lb), followed closely by great white pelicans and the whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus). It also appears to have one of the largest wingspans of any living bird, rivaling those of the great albatrosses (Diomedea ssp., in particular the two largest species, the wandering albatross and southern royal albatross) and the great white pelican. These four species are the only modern birds with verified wingspans that range over 350 cm (11 ft 6 in).

For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalmatian_pelican

Threats and conservation

Healthy adults do not have many predators, but human activities pose many threats. Collisions with power lines, hunting, intentional poisoning, lead accumulation from ingesting gunshot in carcasses, and pesticide accumulation take a toll on populations. Young birds at the nest are sometimes taken by golden eagles, eagle owls,[61] and red foxes. Only rarely do adult birds attempt to drive away predators. Young birds that fall off of cliff ledges may be preyed on by mammalian predators such as jackals, foxes and wolves. Like all birds they serve as hosts for ectoparasitic birdlice including Aegypoecus perspicuous as well as organisms that live within them such as mycoplasmas.

Immature (behind) and adult (from John Gould's Birds of Europe)

Egyptian vulture populations have declined in most parts of its range. In Europe and most of the Middle East, populations in 2001 were half of those from 1980. In India, the decline has been rapid with a 35% decrease each year since 1999.[67] In 1967–70, the area around Delhi was estimated to have 12,000–15,000 of these vultures, with an average density of about 5 pairs per 10 km2. The exact cause of the decline is not known, but has been linked with the use of the NSAID Diclofenac, which has been known to cause death in Gyps vultures.

In Italy, the number of breeding pairs declined from 30 in 1970 to 9 in the 1990s. Nearly all breeding failures were due to human activities. In Spain, which holds about 50% of the European population suggested causes of decline include poisoning by accumulation of lead, pesticides (especially due to large-scale use in the control of Schistocerca gregaria locust swarms), and electrocution. Windfarms may also pose a threat. Poorly designed power transmission lines in east Africa electrocute many wintering vultures. A shortage of carrion resulting from new rules for disposal of dead animals following the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis in parts of Europe during 2000 may have also had an effect on some populations. In Armenia direct persecution for trophy and for local illegal trade of animal as pet has been recorded.

The population of Egyptian vultures in the Canary Islands has been isolated from those in Europe and Africa for a significant period of time leading to genetic differentiation. The vulture population there declined by 30% in the ten years between 1987 and 1998. The Canarian Egyptian vulture was historically common, occurring on the islands of La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote. It is now restricted to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, the two easternmost islands. The total population in 2000 was estimated at about 130 individuals, including 25–30 breeding pairs. Island birds also appear to accumulate significant amounts of lead from scavenging on hunted animal carcasses. The long-term effect of this poison at a sub-lethal level is not known, though it is known to alter the mineralization of their bones. In order to provide safe and uncontaminated food for nesting birds, attempts have been made to create "vulture restaurants" where carcasses are made available. However, these interventions may also encourage other opportunist predators and scavengers to concentrate at the site and pose a threat to vultures nesting in the vicinity.

Our ship catches up toward the chopper, thankfully with the device Ghostforge managed to plant on Bronze Butcher’s back. But problem is, the team’s been arguing....and Riley couldn’t be more than enraged by trying to shoot at the enemy.

Harry: “What are you doing?!”

Riley: “I’m gonna kill em ole bastards for trying to hurt my boyfriend.”

Sam: “Christ, calm the heck down. What if you killed him—-and then we’re gonna lose our only source of redemption for our ally?”

Lyra: “Tout le monde a besoin de se calmer! Guys, we’ve been arguing over the last 15 minutes. Can we stop?”

Edens (voice): “Look guys, I hate to drag you into this, but autopilot’s not gonna save your trip overseas, despite the short distance. Someone man the flight. Or the hangar.”

Lyra: “The professor has a point....hmm. The storms are getting bigger. We do have to pick up the pace.”

And there we go. I decide to handle the flight controls, thanks to my aviation experience, with Harry as my co-pilot. During our initial meeting, I’ve developed quite a friendship with him, just like Sam. It is a bit odd to say I treat them as if they were cousins instead of siblings. But either way, I don’t care. Harry’s taught more on the control of powers since Kieran was too busy to handle it...and Sam teaches me medical stuff. At least, I don’t get teased for being the youngest....

Harry: “You ready for this, monk girl?”

Lyra: “Oh, stop calling me that.”

Harry: “Well, but you are from the mountains...I mean, you have a great prowess, considering in my experience I’ve met a lotta kids who are awesome.”

Lyra: “Yeah. Explosion back there almost gave me a shock. I was unprepared...but it’s like...when I got hurt, I’ve developed more healing....ç'est fantastique.”

Harry: “Well Sam was pretty good at that too. I enjoy having two combat doctors. It's a perfect combo. Anyways, position the coordinates. We’re not too far behind from those guys...get ready to uncloak. Deactivate your invisibility”

Sam: “You sure?—-“

Bronze Butcher *interrupts*: “So, you’ve finally shown yourself. I do have a robot on my hands...wanna come get it?”

Riley: “Oh yeah. I’ll be coming for you first, you f***ing knobface.”

Bronze Butcher: “Well, another challenger to eat the winds again. I’m still on my way to find my benefactor, but if you want to be my guest, my pleasure.”

Sam: “Wait a minute. You’re delivering it to whom? Third—I mean, there’s a fourth party who wants it?”

Bronze Butcher: “Yes. But given that we’re almost there, if you wanna grab it, come and get it. Surprises, surprises.”

Sam does not hesitate to accept the challenge, immediately leaving the cockpit , along with Riley following behind, because why not. Both jet and chopper are set to autopilot, as three of em’ start to unsheathe their weapons. I absorb the plane’s interior to keep myself protected. Bronze Butcher is the first to attack ,attempting to use his shoulder cannon to dispatch both agents, but the shots deflect off our plates, thankfully. He then uses his arm blade and engages in CQC, which Sam avoids and keeps clashing. The butcher proceeds to use his shortstick and tries to electrocute Sam, which he shakes off the buzz with his katana, absorbing it in.

Riley, still in her angry state, vibrates her swords, sending our carriages into a bit of a spiral due to her power effects, but all three manage to keep their foot steady. She lunges towards her enemy, eye to eye coming in contact with his mask. I knew it would be a risky move considering the fact that Riley’s smashing BB’s jet, like a ferocious tiger mauling its prey. Smoke starts welling up on the enemy jet as Sam, who gives a quick annoyed look, goes in and extracts what’s left of there. It doesn’t take long for it to almost sink in the sea. The Bronze Butcher nearly falls into the water, but Harry made sure he wouldn’t drown, thanks to his grappling hooks. We pull him quickly into our cabin, tied up like a wrapped gift.

Harry: “Gotcha now. See, I knew I repaired the jet well, especially the grappling hooks.”

Lyra: “Haha, show off.”

Harry: “Touché. That accounts for winning on that poker game by the way.”

Lyra: “Right. So, I guess we’ll have to ask him where he can take us...”

Kurt (voice): “You kids better remember not to use my fishing gear onboard....ugh.”

***

As expected, our jet manages to brace the storm and rain quickly. We have gotten closer to the borders of South Korea. After a daunting 10 minutes and still under cloak mode for most of the time, we land on the ground safely. Riley takes the lead as she grabs BB with ease. The rest of us are in toll, following behind, with a couple of confused villagers pointing us to the way we’re going.

A few more miles away, we get there eventually. A secret base, duh, obviously, thanks to the eye retinal scanners. We enter as we see someone so familiar sitting on the chairs....the White Ninja? He looks kinda the same, but with some black cybernetic parts at his back.

White Ninja: “Yeoboseyo, Paladin.”

Sam: “Since when do you started to speak Korean? How did you even wind up here after our last rematch?”

White Ninja: “Yes, Sabershift. I know you do have a lot of questions. I knew Bronze Butcher would lead you to me, somehow unexpectedly. I would like you to free him first.”

Riley: “Not if you answer, slime.”

White Ninja: “Please. I’m not going to attack anyone. Just...let him go. I mean no such harm.”

Harry: “Fine. Tell us whatcha know. You got 10 seconds before I blow your f*cking brains out. All of you.”

Spinebreaker: *appears*: Well, tis may seem like we are assassins working for Igarashi...but we’re not. Us in guild.....are a lost covenant. Lost cause.”

White Ninja: “Sorry if he attacked your lover, by the way. He suffers from a bit of autism, kind of hard to communicate but I will do my best to explain. So let’s start off with the beginning. I needed the robot for a purpose—because I wanted to unlock its secrets.”

Sam: “Sounds dubious. I don't believe a single word. Literally after our encounters.”

White Ninja: “Believe what you. But you’ll never know what it was like to leave that island....North rebuilt me, then left me. He does that after his employees and the things he sees are useless. I was broke. So I decided to reform my guild....and I wanted to go find a sword, after rumours of it appeared. So I became obsessed with it...I found out the sword could revive me.”

Harry: “That doesn’t mean you could use methods like these to get what you want. Not so much of an excuse.”

White Ninja: “Do I look like I have a choice anymore? I wanted to use it to heal myself....after the numerous procedures North had used...but it all started with Igarashi! He turned me from man to monster! Abusing me like a dog!”

Riley: “Well, sorry, I guess? About that part, but still you're a real of sh*t. ”

White Ninja: “I thought I could use it for good. Years of being a cybernetic assassin did me no good. Neither did the Yakuza kept their word. Now a war breaks out and it’s us left. Three. I don’t want to be seen as some hero since we relocated here....”

Spinebreaker: “It true. White Ninja wanted to help villagers. They friends. But I.....I am scary. I don’t like myself....”

Bronze Butcher: “We originally had a code...a name....until we lost it. The master threw us out like scrap toys...unwanted puppets after we were deemed unworthy to play with....”

Lyra: “Wow. Spoiler alert. That’s...quite a revelation. I guess you guys wanted to build a reputation here?”

White Ninja: “Yes. And my real name is....Nakamura. If you allow me to take you into this temporary makeshift home. Your ship can stay outside as long as you want it to be.”

"Harry: "Please don't tell me there is something sh*ttier inside this, and I'll still shoot regardless."

***

Nakamura: “....and I always longed to wield it, but I knew I couldn’t. I grew jealous of Dusksmoke for having a reputation....but I figured he would know the situation better than me. I was too ashamed of my appearance. That had me thrown out, like the other two.”

Sam: “This all makes sense now. That’s why you wanted the head to find the location. You wanted notoriety.”

Bronze Butcher: “But he—-we couldn’t find it. To no avail. I saw Dusksmoke getting robbed of the weapon he tried to find. The culprit went somewhere to Europe, according to the last footage I deduced inside the android’s head.”

Harry: “This is all Igarashi’s doing then. Calling Jumpdeath to wipe out the other clans so he could rule as one, but you did what you had to secure the citizens here.”

Lyra: “The highest form of betrayal. But this isn’t redemption for you. But since you're not that bad on my book, I’d like to call a truce. At least. Riley?”

Riley: "Uhh...no hun. I don't think so. I want a hug instead. If we had some girl time hanging out, that'd be much better in this creepy place."

Nakamura: “Redemption? Perhaps not. I’ve lost too much shots already....yet with a fair share of chances offered. But on the other hand—-Yes. We will call it truce for now. I do thank you for everything, and restoring trust and faith in us—-and the citizens here. But one day if you need us, we might help.”

Sam: “Depends if we need it again. I still have trust issues.”

Bronze Butcher: “He keeps his word. I’m sure we will. Now, go have your mission out there. The sword must be secure—-it is in Prague. I remember it now. If you can sweep it out through the obstacles, you are all worthy to be samurai. Do it for us, Paladin....we will meet again soon.”

Nakamura teleports away with his two accomplices away in a smoke. That was it. We were left a bit speechless, but we know what to do now. Harry gives me a trusting look, knowing we could find what was there. Edens and Kurt gaze at us with sure confirmation.

Riley: "Wait, that's it? Wow, so anticlimatic."

Lyra: "Hm. Well, you can hug me more till we end this."

Kieran: "Thanks to Erin, I guess all the dots line up. The story makes sense."

Harry: “We have the location of the sword. It’s time Igarashi has to pay for it.”

Connor: “You sure? In Prague?”

Kurt: “Hundred percent it is through analysis. I’m going to rendezvous point. Edens will keep backing the other guys up.”

Ty: “Where to now?”

Connor: “We keep running. To find more answers. The only plan is to keep stalling until the other team gets the sword back....”

Once they finished their call, I nod at the rest of the guys. We decide to leave immediately after making peace with the villagers nearby, with Nakamura’s message being addressed. At least they feel safe now.

But for once, I know I’ve done my part, even if it isn’t a lot, I will do whatever it takes to get a valuable weapon back...and restore it.

The red kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region of Europe and northwest Africa, though it formerly also occurred in northern Iran. It is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa, but birds from northeastern and Central Europe winter further south and west, reaching south to Turkey. Vagrants have reached north to Finland and south to Palestine and Israel, Libya and Gambia.

Red kites are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) long with a 175–179 cm (69–70 in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g (28–42 oz), and females 1,000–1,300 g (35–46 oz). It is an elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard. There is a rare white leucistic form accounting for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population but is at a disadvantage in the survival stakes.

Usually red kites first breed when they are two years old, although exceptionally they can successfully breed when they are only one year old. They are monogamous and the pair-bond in resident populations is probably maintained during the winter, particularly when the pair remain on their breeding territory. For migrant populations the fidelity to a particular nesting site means that the pair-bond is likely to be renewed each breeding season. The nest is normally placed in a fork of a large hardwood tree at a height of between 12 and 15 m (39 and 49 ft) above the ground. A pair will sometimes use a nest from the previous year and can occasionally occupy an old nest of the common buzzard. The nest is built by both sexes. The male brings dead twigs 30–50 cm (12–20 in) in length which are placed by the female. The nest is lined with grass and sometimes also with sheep's wool. Unlike the black kite, no greenery is added to the nest. Both sexes continue to add material to the nest during the incubation and nestling periods. Nests vary greatly in size and can become large when the same nest is occupied for several seasons.

The eggs are laid at three-day intervals. The clutch is usually between one and three eggs but four and even five eggs have occasionally been recorded. The eggs are non-glossy with a white ground and red-brown spots. The average size is 57 mm × 45 mm (2.2 in × 1.8 in) with a calculated weight of 63 g (2.2 oz).[16] In Britain and central Europe, laying begins at the end of March but in the Mediterranean area laying begins in early March.[20] The eggs are mainly incubated by the female, but the male will relieve her for short periods while she feeds. The male will also bring food for the female. Incubation starts as soon as the first egg is laid. Each egg hatches after 31 to 32 days but as they hatch asynchronously a clutch of three eggs requires 38 days of incubation. The chicks are cared for by both parents. The female broods them for the first 14 days while the male brings food to the nest which the female feeds to the chicks. Later both parents bring items of food which are placed in the nest to allow the chicks to feed themselves. The nestlings begin climbing onto branches around their nest from 45 days but they rarely fledge before 48–50 days and sometimes not until they are 60–70 days of age. The young spend a further 15–20 days in the neighborhood of the nest being fed by their parents. Only a single brood is raised each year but if the eggs are lost the female will relay.

The maximum age recorded is 25 years and 8 months for a ringed bird in Germany. The longevity record for Britain and Ireland is 23 years and 10 months for a bird found dead in Wales in 2012.

The red kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms form an important part of the diet, especially in spring. In some parts of the United Kingdom, red kites are also deliberately fed in domestic gardens, explaining the presence of red kites in urban areas. Here, up to 5% of householders have provided supplementary food for red kites, with chicken the predominant meat provided.

As scavengers, red kites are particularly susceptible to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. There have also been a number of incidents of red kites and other raptors being targeted by wildlife criminals.

In the United Kingdom, there have been several unusual instances of red kites stealing food from people in a similar manner to gulls. One such occurrence took place in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (a town near a major reintroduction site for the species in the UK in the nearby village of Stokenchurch), in which Red Kites swooped down to steal sandwiches from people in one of the town's parks.

Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 metres (2,600 ft). They are native to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000–25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east into central Europe and Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is a population in northern Morocco. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey, northern Tunisia and Algeria. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans.

German populations declined by 25%–30% between 1991 and 1997, but have remained stable since. The populations of the northern foothills of the Harz Mountains (the most densely populated part of its range) suffered an estimated 50% decline from 1991 to 2001. In Spain, the species showed an overall decline in breeding population of up to 43% for the period 1994 to 2001–02, and surveys of wintering birds in 2003–04 suggest a similarly large decline in core wintering areas. The Balearic Islands population has declined from 41–47 breeding pairs in 1993 to just 10 in 2003. In France, breeding populations have decreased in the northeast, but seem to be stable in southwest and central France and Corsica. Populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden, the species has increased from 30–50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003. In Switzerland, populations increased during the 1990s, and have stabilised. According to a report by the Welsh Kite Trust, the UK is the only country in which the red kite population is increasing. Red kites are decreasing in their strongholds of Spain, France and Germany.

In the United Kingdom, red kites were ubiquitous scavengers that lived on carrion and rubbish. Shakespeare's King Lear describes his daughter Goneril as a detested kite, and he wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing hung out to dry in the nesting season. In the mid-15th century, King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for the produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses.

By the 20th century, the breeding population was restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified, at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire.[34] Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought from Germany to populate areas of Dumfries and Galloway. Between 2004 and 2006, 94 birds were brought from the Chilterns and introduced into the Derwent Valley in north East England. In Northern Ireland, 80 birds from wild stock in Wales were released between 2008 and 2010, and the first successful breeding was recorded in 2010. The reintroductions in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been a success. Between 1989 and 1993, 90 birds were released there and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding. They can commonly be seen taking advantage of thermals from the M40 motorway. Another successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire, which has become a stronghold for the red kite. Thirty Spanish birds were introduced into Rockingham Forest near Corby in 2000,[38] and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from the initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest for release in Cumbria. From the Chilterns they have spread as far east as Essex and can be seen over the Town of Harlow.

A sighting of the first red kite in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear for the first time since the re-introduction.

In 1999, the red kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology.[31] According to the Welsh Kite Trust, it has been voted "Wales's favorite bird".

In June 2010, the Forestry Commission North West England announced a three-year project to release 90 red kites in Grizedale Forest, Cumbria under a special license issued by Natural England. The Grizedale program was the ninth reintroduction of red kites into different regions of the UK and the final re-introduction phase in England.

The stated aims of the Grizedale project were:

To establish a viable population of red kites in Grizedale, South Cumbria by 2015.

To increase the rate of red kite expansion into North West England and link up with existing populations in Wales, Yorkshire, North East England and South West Scotland and so increase the chances of a continuous geographical range.

To develop community involvement and create educational opportunities arising from the project.

As of July 2011, non-breeding birds are regularly seen in all parts of Britain, and the number of breeding pairs is too large for the RSPB to continue to survey them on an annual basis.

Red kites were extinct in Ireland by the middle nineteenth century, due to persecution, poisoning and woodland clearance. In May 2007, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick Roche announced an agreement to bring at least 100 birds from Wales to restock the population as part of a 5-year programme in the Wicklow Mountains, similar to the earlier golden eagle reintroduction programme. On 19 July 2007, the first thirty red kites were released in County Wicklow. On 22 May 2010, 2 newly hatched red kite chicks were discovered in the Wicklow mountains, bringing the number of chicks hatched since reintroduction to 7.

Sweden is one location where the red kite seems to be increasing, with around 2,000 pairs in 2009, some of which are overwintering and some flying south to the Mediterranean for the winter. They return around March–April. The red kite is the landscape bird of Scania, and the coat of arms of the municipality of Tomelilla. The kite is often seen along the roadsides and roaming the open colorful wheat and rapeseed fields of Scania.

For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite

This sculpture near to the entrance of Bootle Oriel Road Station , Merseyside , is dedicated to the memory of people who have lost their lives on the railway network , but in particular Stephen Nesbitt , an 8 year old Everton fan who was electrocuted on the nearby railway line in August 2003 .

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Dead due to possible electrocution.

An outbound Line B tram approaches the main railway station stop. Notice that the tram is using the Alstom proprietary APS third-rail system of current collection. What's unique about the APS system is that it is completely dormant until a tram is present, so there's no electrocution concern. April 22, 2017. © 2017 Peter Ehrlich

West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville

A very interesting read from Wikipedia:

Design

The West Virginia State Penitentiary's design is similar to the facility at the 1858 state prison in Joliet, Illinois, with its castellated Gothic, stone structure, complete with turrets and battlements, except it is scaled down to half the size.The original architectural designs have been lost. The dimensions of the parallelogram-shaped prison yard are 82½ feet in length, by 352½ feet in width. The stone walls are 5 feet (1.5 m) thick at the base, tapering to 2½ feet at the top, with foundations 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. The center tower section is 682 feet (208 m) long. It lies at the western side of the complex along Jefferson Avenue and is considered the front, as this is where the main entrance is located. The walls here are 24 feet (7.3 m) high and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide at the base, tapering to 18 inches (460 mm) towards the top.

Founding

In 1863, West Virginia seceded from Virginia at the height of the American Civil War. Consequently, the new state had a shortage of various public institutions, including prisons. From 1863 to 1866, Governor Arthur I. Boreman lobbied the West Virginia Legislature for a state penitentiary but was repeatedly denied. The Legislature at first directed him to send the prisoners to other institutions out of the state, and then they directed him to use existing county jails, which turned out to be inadequate. After nine inmates escaped in 1865, the local press took up the cause, and the Legislature took action. On February 7, 1866, the state legislature approved the purchase of land in Moundsville for the purpose of constructing a state prison. Ten acres were purchased just outside the then city limits of Moundsville for $3000. Moundsville proved an attractive site, as it is approximately twelve miles south of Wheeling, West Virginia, which at that time was the state capital.

The state built a temporary wooden prison nearby that summer. This gave prison officials time to assess what prison design should be used. They chose a modified version of the design of Northern Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet. Its Gothic Revival architecture "exhibit[ed], as much as possible, great strength and convey[ed] to the mind a cheerless blank indicative of the misery which awaits the unhappy being who enters within its walls."

The first building constructed on the site was the North Wagon Gate. It was made with hand-cut sandstone, which was quarried from a local site.The state used prison labor during the construction process, and work continued on this first phase until 1876. When completed, the total cost was of $363,061. In addition to the North Wagon Gate, there was now north and south cellblock areas (both measuring 300 ft. by 52 ft. South Hall had 224 cells (7 ft. by 4 ft.), and North Hall had a kitchen, dining area, hospital, and chapel. A 4-story tower connecting the two was the administration building (measuring 75 ft. by 75 ft.) It included space for female inmates and personal living quarters for the warden and his family. The facility officially opened in this year, and it had a prison population of 251 male inmates, including some who had helped construct the prison where they were incarcerated. After this phase, work began on prison workshops and other secondary facilities

Operation

In addition to construction, the inmates had other jobs to do in support of the prison. In the early 1900s some industries within the prison walls included a carpentry shop, a paint shop, a wagon shop, a stone yard, a brickyard, a blacksmith, a tailor, a bakery, and a hospital. At the same time, revenue from the prison farm and inmate labor helped the prison financially. It was virtually self-sufficient. A prison coal mine located a mile away opened in 1921. This mine helped fill some of the prison's energy needs and saved the state an estimated $14,000 a year. Some inmates were allowed to stay at the mine's camp under the supervision of a mine foreman, who was not a prison employee.

Conditions at the prison during the turn of the 20th century were good, according to a warden's report, which stated that, "both the quantity and the quality of all the purchases of material, food and clothing have been very gradually, but steadily, improved, while the discipline has become more nearly perfect and the exaction of labor less stringent." Education was a priority for the inmates during this time. They regularly attended class. Construction of a school and library was completed in 1900 to help reform and educate inmates.

Cells where the prison's worst inmates were kept.

However, the conditions at the prison worsened through the years, and the facility would be ranked on the United States Department of Justice's Top Ten Most Violent Correctional Facilities list. One of the more infamous locations in the prison, with instances of gambling, fighting, and raping, was a recreation room known as "The Sugar Shack".

A notable inmate in the early 20th century was labor activist Eugene V. Debs, who served time here from April 13 to June 14, 1919 (at which time he was transferred to an Atlanta prison) on charges of violating the Espionage Act of 1917.

In 1929, the state decided to double the size of the penitentiary because overcrowding was a problem. The 5 x 7-foot (2.1 m) cells were too small to hold three prisoners at a time, but until the expansion there was no other option. Two prisoners would sleep in the bunks, with the third sleeping on a mattress on the floor. The state used prison labor again and completed this phase of construction in 1959. The construction had been delayed by a steel shortage during World War II.

In total, thirty-six homicides took place in the prison. One of the more notable ones is the butchering of R.D. Wall, inmate number 44670. On October 8, 1929, after "snitching" on his fellow inmates, he was attacked while heading to the boiler room by three prisoners with dull shivs.

In 1983, convicted multiple murderer Charles Manson requested to be transferred to this prison to be nearer to his family. His request was denied.

1979 prison break

On Wednesday, November 7, 1979, fifteen prisoners escaped from the prison. One of the escapees was Ronald Turney Williams, serving time for murdering Sergeant David Lilly of the Beckley Police Department on May 12, 1975. He managed to steal a prison guard's service weapon in the escape, and upon reaching the streets of Moundsville, encountered twenty-three-year-old off-duty West Virginia State Trooper Philip S. Kesner, who was driving past the prison with his wife.

Trooper Kesner saw the escapees and attempted to take action against them. The prisoners pulled him from his car and Williams shot him. Trooper Kesner returned fire at the fleeing suspects despite being mortally wounded.

Williams remained at large for eighteen months, sending taunting notes to authorities and making the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. During that time, he murdered John Bunchek in Scottsdale, Arizona during a robbery and was connected to crimes in Colorado and Pennsylvania. After a shootout with federal agents at the George Washington Hotel in New York City in 1981, he was apprehended and returned to West Virginia to complete several life sentences. Arizona had sought his extradition for his execution, but as of 19 January 2018 he remains in West Virginia custody.

At the time, Marshall County Sheriff Robert Lightner was very critical about poor police communications during the break. The sheriff's office and local police did not learn about the escape from the state police. They first heard of it over the police scanner. "It was a good twenty minutes before we knew about the escape. If somebody had notified us, there's a good chance that the sheriff's department and the Moundsville police could have been on the scene while all the prisoners were still on the block." He was also critical of the four-state manhunt that followed, when convicted murderers David Morgan and Ronald T. Williams, along with convicted rapist Harold Gowers, Jr., remained at large. "Communications have been very poor. I think they should keep the local law enforcement officers more informed I have no idea what they're doing, what they've found."

1986 riot

January 1, 1986 was the date of one of the most infamous riots in recent history.[citation needed] The West Virginia Penitentiary was undergoing many changes and problems. Security had become extremely loose in all areas. Since it was a "cons" prison, most of the locks on the cells had been picked and inmates roamed the halls freely. Bad plumbing and insects caused rapid spreading of various diseases. The prison was holding more than 2,000 men and crowding was an issue. Another major contribution to the riot's cause was the fact that it was a holiday. Many of the officers had called off work, and prisoners planned to conduct their uprising on this specific day.

At around 5:30 pm, twenty inmates, known as a group called the Avengers, stormed the mess hall where Captain Glassock and others were on duty. "Within seconds, he (Captain Glassock), five other officers, and a food service worker were tackled and slammed to the floor. Inmates put knives to their throats and handcuffed them with their own handcuffs."Although several hostages were taken throughout the day, none of them was seriously injured. However, over the course of the two-day upheaval, three inmates were killed for an assortment of reasons. "The inmates who initiated the riot were not prepared to take charge of it. Danny Lehman, the Avengers' president, was quickly agreed upon as best suited for the task of negotiating with authorities and presenting the demands to the media." Yet, Lehman was not a part of the twenty men who began the riot. Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr. was sent to the penitentiary to talk with the inmates. This meeting set up a new list of rules and standards on which the prison would build. National and local news covered the story, as well as the inmates meeting with Governor Moore.

Decommissioning

Toward the end of its life as a prison, the facility was marked by many instances of riots and escapes. In the 1960s, the prison reached a peak population of about 2,000 inmates.[4] With the building of more prisons, that number declined to 600 – 700 inmates by 1995. The fate of the prison was sealed in a 1986 ruling by the West Virginia Supreme Court which stated that confinement to the 5 x 7-foot (2.1 m) cells constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Within nine years, the West Virginia State was closed as a prison. Most of the inmates were transferred to the Mt. Olive Correctional Complex in Fayette County, West Virginia.A smaller correctional facility was built a mile away in Moundsville to serve as a regional jail.

Executions

The original Old Sparky on display

From 1899 to 1959, ninety-four men were executed at the prison. Hanging was the method of execution until 1949, with eighty-five men meeting that fate. The public could attend hangings, which were public until June 19, 1931. On that date, Frank Hyer was executed for murdering his wife. When the trap door beneath him was opened and his full weight settled into the noose, he was instantly decapitated. Following this event, attendance at hangings was by invitation only. The last man executed by hanging, Bud Peterson from Logan County, was buried in the prison's cemetery because his family refused to claim his body.

Beginning in 1951, electrocution became the means of execution. The electric chair, nicknamed "Old Sparky", used by the prison was originally built by an inmate there, Paul Glenn. Nine men were electrocuted before the state prohibited capital punishment entirely in 1965. The original chair is on display in the facility and is included in the official tour.

The prison has been featured in a variety of books, films, television shows, songs and video games.

Novels

Moundsville native Davis Grubb has written a couple of novels with Moundsville as the setting, Fools' Parade (also known as Dynamite Man from Glory Jail) and The Night of the Hunter. The penitentiary was featured as a significant part of each plot.

Film

These works by Grubb have been adapted as major motion pictures. The Night of the Hunter was adapted into a film by Charles Laughton and James Agee in 1955. It stars Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters. Fools' Parade, starring James Stewart, Kurt Russell, and George Kennedy, was adapted into a film in 1971.

Prison scenes in the 2013 film Out of the Furnace were filmed on site at the penitentiary.[19]

Television

Many ghost-themed or science fiction television shows have visited the prison:

* ABC Family’s Scariest Places on Earth originally aired on October 29, 2002.

* A&E's Paranormal State originally aired on January 12, 2010.

* Discovery Channel's Ghost Lab originally aired on November 20, 2010.

* MTV's Fear allowed six college students to experience the so-called "haunted prison" for themselves in the 2000 pilot episode.

* Syfy's The Dresden Files. (Exterior images)[citation needed]

* Syfy's Ghost Hunters episode 303, originally aired on October 25, 2006.

* Syfy's Stranded, a paranormal reality show, featured the prison in the first season's third episode on March 13, 2013.[20]

* Syfy's Warehouse 13. (Exterior images)[citation needed]

* Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures originally aired on October 31, 2008.

* Destination America's Ghost Asylum, which originally aired on May 17, 2015.

* Netflix’s Mindhunter, which originally aired on October 13, 2017.

Songs Edit

The prison is mentioned in the song "You Missed My Heart" by Mark Kozelek and Jimmy LaValle on their 2013 collaboration Perils from the Sea. Kozelek also references Wheeling, West Virginia in his lyrics to the song.

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Exo stepped into the large room where the battle had been ensuing. The water was now at his hips, still rising. He looked to see Charybdis and Scylla tag teaming against Aquaman, Scavenger holding off the traitors. Eel was in a fight with Tempest, not able to use his power because everyone would fry. He raised his free hand, his blaster extracting from his forearm and shooting into Operative.

Vostok and the Captain looked to see him carrying the wounded Jackson, giving Scavenger enough time to grab them both by their shoulders. He flicked his arms to the side, sending them both away.

Exo stepped over to Scavenger, handing Jackson to him. "Keep him safe, we need to wait for Manta to come back." Scavenger hoisted the boy on his back, "Where is he?" Exo felt his fist clench tight, his teeth gritting under his mask. "Dealing with the trash."

Suddenly Charybdis was thrown towards the group, landing in the water. He stood up and looked at Jackson. "What the?" Exo shook his head, "Not the time, where's Jackie?" "I'm right here!"

He turned to see her taking cover behind a pillar. Exo sighed knowing she was ok. He looked to Aquaman who was tangled in Scylla's whips at the moment. Jackie ran over to the group, seeing Jackson as she arrived. "Oh my god…"

A blast of energy was sent their way, but Charybdis stepped up, taking the shot that sent him flying. The group saw the Captain aiming his gun at the group, ready to fire again. His shot was interrupted by a blast of plasma energy shot out from two large, oval eyes. Black Manta stood in the hallway, blood drenching his suit.

"Manta? What the hell happened to you?" Asked Scavenger, his worry-filled voice cut off when he noticed Manta's armor was completely intact. "Oh…" Manta stepped over to them, looking over to Eel. "Exo help him, we need to get out of here." Exo nodded, using his jet booster to quicken his movements.

Vostok X got up, seeing the group getting ready to leave. He looked to the Captain, still recovering from the plasma blast. "Captain, throw your power source!" He looked at him in confusion before realizing the plan. He hastily removed the energy pack on his back, throwing it at the group. Scavenger looked up, scanning the energy through his helmet.

"GET DOWN!"

Scavenger moved Jackson to his front, holding him in his four arms as he turned his back and began to dash forward. Manta dove to where he was submerged in water completely, activating his water jets in his diver pack, and propelling him forward at a fast speed. Jackie turned and began to run, but the water was too high for her to get clear of the blast zone when Vostok took a shot at the energy pack.

A loud explosion of red energy occured at the impact of the pack and shot. All the fights ensuing stopped, viewing the nuclear explosion that had happened. When the smoke cleared, there was a pool of red in the water, Jackie's body floating inside of it. Captain was instantly shot with another blast of Manta's plasma lasers, Vostok tackled by Charybdis who had recovered from the shot.

Scavenger had returned Jackson to his back as he ran to the floating girl. Eel and Exo also arrived, Tempest floating unconscious in the water. "Dear god…"

Jackie was face up in the water, revealing the blunt of her injuries. Her left leg was blown apart, her kneecap down completely gone. The opening of her clothes also revealed her upper thighs, covered in bruises. Exo felt like his teeth were going to shatter, his jaw clenching itself tighter then it ever had. It was going on this whole time? He didn't notice that?

Manta put his hand on his shoulder, a gesture he would've never expected a few months ago. Moving up her body, her torso was mainly ok, a few burns from the explosion. Her left arm was mangled apart, burn marks and chunks of flesh missing. As he continued his gaze to her face, he almost vomited in his helmet. Her left eye had a giant piece of shrapnel from the pack lodged inside. Her upper skull was exposed, a crack running down it.

Manta looked at the group before turning. "We need to go, before they get back up." Exo winced, knowing that they would have to leave her. She was in to bad of a-

"No…" Everyone turned to look at Jackson. His eyelids were half-lidded, barely staying open. His shaky voice continued."We can't…" Manta shook his head. "She's dead weight. We need to- "

"Dad…. please!"

Manta stared into his son's tear-filled eyes, slowly closing, sending him into unconsciousness. Manta looked back at the girl, stepping forward and gently sliding his arms under her thighs and back. Holding her bridal style, he began moving his way towards the exit, to The Manta.

The six of them eventually made it there, boarding and bringing both kids to the medical room. Manta sent Scavenger and Eel to pilot the sub, leaving Exo and himself with the unconscious teenagers.

"What are we going to do? The nuclear energy cauterized the wounds, but she still can't just live like that." Exo looked to Manta, who was removing his helmet. "We rebuild. This is N.E.M.O, we've perfected it." Exo looked at him, removing his helmet. His face was scarred, discolored from surgeries to keep him at a regulated body temperature no matter his attitude.

As he looked at her, he caught another glance at her inner thigh, the fingertip bruises. Manta looked at him. "You couldn't have known." He looked at him. It was the compassionate side of him again. The side that he'd never seen before today. "What are we gonna do for her…"

"Kimon Tanaka. A Japanese scientist who specializes in prosthetics and cybernetic enhancements. You, Eel, and Scavenger are going to recruit him." Exo turned his head, "And you?" Manta looked to the unconscious Jackson. "Jackson and I will be returning a favor, and will finally see him suffer."

Manta stared at Jackson. It was finally time that Aquaman would pay.

-~-~-

"Prince Orm! S-stop thi- AGHGGHHG!"

The scream of the royal guard stopped as the energy from his scepter faded. Another loyal believer. Another fool to think that a half blood could be the king. The ruler. He stepped down the hallway, making his way to the throne room. Behind him was Hila, the Siren. She believed in his cause, his prowess.

The halls were lined with blood. So many good soldiers, soldiers that misplaced their values and beliefs. It cost them their lives. The duo eventually made it to their destination. Upon opening the doors, they were bombarded with blasts of energy. Orm placed his scepter to the ground, a shield encompassing the two of them. With a wave of his scepter, lightning sprouted from the shield, electrocuting the soldiers to death.

Two lone figures stood against the duo. Murk and Mera. Murk rushed at them but chains of water wrapped around his arms and legs, holding him back. Siren smirked as he struggled to free himself from her bindings. Mera raised her hand to attack but Orm's scepter blasted her with energy, sending her to the ground.

Orm stepped up to Murk, who spat at the prince. Orm scoffed. "Such barbaric actions. Fitting of you." He raised his scepter to impale him, only to be stopped by Murk's right hand breaking free and punching him in the face. Siren rushed forward, slicing a water sword through Murk's right wrist, removing his hand.

"AGHGGHGH!"

Orm rubbed his cheek, glaring at the man. "You heathen... How dare you!" Orm raised his hand only to feel it be pulled back by some kind of tendril. Turning his head, he sees an octopus made of pure water, Mera using her hydrokinesis. It wraps one of its tentacles around Murk, raising him into the air. Smashing through the wall with another one, she moves him towards the newly formed exit.

"Murk, you need to leave. Hide until Arthur returns, he will need you!" Murk, still losing blood from his now severed hand, shakes his head. "I can't leave you behind my queen." She snaps back in a stern tone. "This is not a debate. I'm ordering you, as your queen, to flee. Now!" She uses the tentacle to throw him, giving him momentum to get away.

She slowly stands, her arms glowing from her powers. The octopus is slowly coming apart from both her sister and Orm's struggles. Eventually it falls, leaving her standing against them both. Two swords form in her hands as she charges at them.

"For Atlantis!"

_____________________

And that's the end of Aquaman Volume 3 N.E.M.O Rising. I've had tons of fun writing this volume, especially the last couple of issues. I really hope you guys enjoyed and are hyped for the next volume, "Long Live the King"

I guess the dilemma we are facing here is this:

is this a power pole aspiring to be a tree or is this a tree changing career to power poling?

or just thought - is this a power pole which just got electrocuted?

I only carry the sx70 to shoots, no casual shots with it anymore. It plays funny with the light, you never know what you're gonna get, but you know if there's just a smidge too much light, you're gonna get crap.

I usually don't have a problem keeping still, but i've developed the habit of eating a small pack of Red Vines at the beginnings of my shoots, and that tends to give me a case of the "can't stop moving"s, which helps cut through my discomfort of taking photos of a stranger, but also leads to me Not Being Able to Stop Moving. I talk faster, tend to have trouble paying attention, and Can't Stop Moving. But all that jitter took this shot, so it can't be all that bad.

Después de electrocutarse y caer, lo recogieron y lo trajeron acá, una hora después de cuidarlo pudo moverse y volar de nuevo, siguio su vida.

After being electrocuted and falling, they picked him up and brought him here, one hour later after caring for him, he could move and flew again, living on!

" Fieldbook of the Birds in Ecuador " Miles McMullan and Lelis Navarrete, was used for the recognition of the species.

Nombre Cientifico: Colibri Coruscans

Nombre Comun: Sparkling Violetear

Esta foto fue publicada en treehugger.com!

This picture got published in treehugger.com!

Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents

If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.

Lady Charlotte, American Bald Eagle ©

Lady Charlotte's biography, from The Carolina Raptor Center's website: "Lady Charlotte was nine years old upon arrival at Carolina Raptor Center in June 1995 from the Virginia Tech. School of Forestry & Wildlife Resources. The tip of Lady Charlotte's right wing had to be amputated after a collision with a power line. Power line collisions and electrocutions are common causes of injury among bald and golden eagles due to the large wingspans of these birds and the short amount of space between power lines. As a result of the injury, Lady Charlotte cannot fly well enough to hunt and survive in the wild. For this reason Lady Charlotte has been trained as an eagle ambassador for his species and travels to education programs and exhibits as part of our education team."

© All Rights Reserved. This image is protected by copyright. Please do not copy or reproduce this image in print or anywhere on the internet without my direct permission. If you would like to use this, or any of my photos, please just send me a Flickr email and ask.

Beauty is in the eye of the subject, on this occasion ....

Taken on a freezing cold morning lying flat on a frost covered beach. Well worth the discomfort and I have had a lot worse.

The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the largest member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans that rival that of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. With a range spanning across much of Central Eurasia, from the Mediterranean in the West to the Taiwan Strait in the East, and from the Persian Gulf in the South to Siberia in the North, it is a short-to-medium-distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, P. c. palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan.

As with other pelicans, the males are larger than the females, and likewise their diet is mainly fish. Their curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing features, and the wings appear solid grey in flight. The adults acquire a drabber plumage in winter, however, when they may be mistaken for great white pelicans. Their harsh vocalisations become more pronounced during the mating season. They breed across the Palearctic from southeastern Europe to Russia, India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. They usually return to traditional breeding sites, where they are less social than other pelican species. Their nests are crude heaps of vegetation, which are placed on islands or on dense mats of vegetation.

The species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline during the 20th century, partly due to land use, disturbance and poaching activities. The core population survives in Russia, but in its Mongolian range it is critically endangered. Removal of power lines to prevent collisions or electrocution, and the construction of nesting platforms or rafts have reversed declines locally.

Photo taken around the Sierra Del Cristo Mountain Range and scrub lands near Orihuela. The Bonelli's eagle is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an exploration of Sardinia. Some antiquated texts also refer to this species as the crestless hawk-eagle. Like all eagles, Bonelli's eagle belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its feathered legs marked it as member of the Aquilinae or booted eagle subfamily. This species breeds from southern Europe, Africa on the montane perimeter of the Sahara Desert and across the Indian Subcontinent to Indonesia. On the great Eurasian continent, this species may be found as far west as Portugal and as far east as southeastern China and Thailand. It is usually a resident breeder. The Bonelli's eagle is often found in hilly or mountainous habitats, with rocky walls or crags, from sea level to 1,500 m. Habitats are often open to wooded land and can occur in arid to semi-moist climate. This eagle, though it can be considered partially opportunistic, is something of a special predator of certain birds and mammals, especially rabbits, galliforms and pigeons. On evidence, when staple prey populations decline or are locally scarce, Bonelli's eagle switch to being an opportunistic predator of a wide variety of birds. Despite its persistence over a large range and its continued classification as a least concern species by the IUCN, the Bonelli's eagle has declined precipitously in various parts of its range, including almost all of its European distribution, and may face potential local extinction. The species' declines are due to widespread habitat destruction, electrocution from electricity pylons as well as persistent persecution.

Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 metres (2,600 ft). They are native to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000–25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east into central Europe and Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is a population in northern Morocco. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey, northern Tunisia and Algeria. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans.

German populations declined by 25%–30% between 1991 and 1997, but have remained stable since. The populations of the northern foothills of the Harz Mountains (the most densely populated part of its range) suffered an estimated 50% decline from 1991 to 2001. In Spain, the species showed an overall decline in breeding population of up to 43% for the period 1994 to 2001–02, and surveys of wintering birds in 2003–04 suggest a similarly large decline in core wintering areas. The Balearic Islands population has declined from 41–47 breeding pairs in 1993 to just 10 in 2003. In France, breeding populations have decreased in the northeast, but seem to be stable in southwest and central France and Corsica. Populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden, the species has increased from 30–50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003. In Switzerland, populations increased during the 1990s, and have stabilised.[1] According to a report by the Welsh Kite Trust, the UK is the only country in which the red kite population is increasing. Red kites are decreasing in their strongholds of Spain, France and Germany.

In the United Kingdom, red kites were ubiquitous scavengers that lived on carrion and rubbish. Shakespeare's King Lear describes his daughter Goneril as a detested kite, and he wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing hung out to dry in the nesting season. In the mid-15th century, King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for the produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses.

By the 20th century, the breeding population was restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified, at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and a Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire. Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought from Germany to populate areas of Dumfries and Galloway. Ninety-four birds were brought from the Chilterns and introduced into the Derwent Valley in North East England between 2004 and 2006. In Northern Ireland, 80 birds from wild stock in Wales were released over three years between 2008 and 2010, and in 2010 the first successful breeding was recorded. The reintroductions in the Chilterns have been a success. Between 1989 and 1993, 90 birds were released in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding there. They can commonly be seen taking advantage of thermals from the M40 motorway. Another successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire, which has become a stronghold for the red kite. Thirty Spanish birds were introduced into Rockingham Forest near Corby in 2000, and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from the initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest, for release in Cumbria.

A sighting of the first red kite in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear for the first time since the re-introduction.

In 1999, the red kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology. According to the Welsh Kite Trust, it has been voted "Wales's favourite bird".

In June 2010, the Forestry Commission North West England announced a three-year project to release 90 red kites in Grizedale Forest, Cumbria under a special licence issued by Natural England. The Grizedale programme will be the ninth reintroduction of red kites into different regions of the UK, and the final re-introduction phase in England.

For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite

All I knew is that I wanted to shoot Rebecca at the mall. Walked her around for a bit, shot her sitting in various places, nice and early, when it was just us, parents and their wee kids and tourists.

Tourists.

We should be tourists.

It was that thought that led me to suggest she try the iMassage station.

That insisted she try the iMassage station.

From the moment she sat in that chair, we were here on vacation from Canada. In between the dude explaining how the electrical current was replicating different types of massages, she and I would pepper the conversation with "boy, sure don't have this back home," and "they are gonna love this back home," and "america, boy, this place is crazy!"

Rebecca would've laughed more at the time, but apparently she was being electrocuted.

"How did it feel?"

"Like I was sticking my finger in a socket!"

I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU ELECTROCUTE YOUR SUBJECTS.

...but I'm pretty sure next time she and I are gonna dress like tourists and prank as many street vendors as possible.

Should I have to allow Rebecca to receive low-level shocks during that, well...THAT'S ART, MAN.

This giant fruit bat was electrocuted during the act of feeding and was found hanging from.. a beautiful species of fruit bat common to india, these flying mammals play an important role in pollination.

Despite its large size, the Indian flying fox is less feared than other types of bats, such as the vampire bat. Rather than preying on animals, the Indian flying fox eats only fruit. While it once fed mainly on wild fruit, the bat now increasingly raids cultivated crops of fruit trees, which has brought it into conflict with man. In some areas it has posed such a threat to fruit farmers that it has been poisoned. The Indian flying fox is also hunted in adjacent countries for its fat, which is used for medicinal purposes. In the past 50 years, many small oceanic islands have been almost completely deforested and, as a result, the flying fox populations have experienced a decline.

It’s Monsoon season here in AZ which traditionally means late afternoon thunderstorms. This year the only thing it has resulted in so far is a lot of dust storms (haboobs) and no rain. Last night I thought we were in for it but the storm skirted to the south of us. The good thing was I managed to get some cool lightning shots from my roof here in suburbia without getting soaked or electrocuted!!

Taken and edited with iPhone 4 - DXP, Iris and Filterstorm

www.malousinding.com

www.redbubble.com/people/msinding

This vulture is listed as Critically Endangered. Recently published evidence suggests the population is experiencing an extremely rapid decline owing to indiscriminate poisoning, trade for traditional medicine, hunting, persecution and electrocution, as well as habitat loss and degradation.

Source: datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/hooded-vulture-ne...

Skyward Look ~ The Sky's the Limit ~ Skyward Glance

European Eagle-owl ~ West Palm Beach, Florida U.S.A.

(this eagle-owl happened to see birds flying overhead)

(four more photos of this magnificent bird in the comments)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Eagle_Owl

www.about-falconry.com/eurasian-eagle-owl.html

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Watch this! Amazing! Eagle-owl swooping in

slow motion. Just incredible in full-screen.

Eagle owl at 1000 frames per second towards

a camera. Unbelievably vivid. Must-see video:

www.dogwork.com/owfo8/

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The Eagle Owl can live for up to 20 years in the wild. However, like many other bird species in captivity they can live much longer without having to endure difficult natural conditions and have possibly survived up to 60 years in zoo collections. Healthy adults normally have no natural predators and are thus considered apex predators. The leading causes of death for this species are man-made: electrocution, traffic accidents and shooting sometimes claim the eagle owl. Such a beautiful and amazing raptor and a real joy to see.

Elbert, CO - Just after this picture was taken I was electrocuted, by the fence.

While out on a photo shoot taking pictures of property I leaned with my back to the corner and ZAP! It felt like wasp bite. I think it was more of a surprise than pain but I yelled out some profanity. After realizing what it was, relief washed over me like a cool breeze. I'd much rather be electrocuted by this fence than get a wasp bite.

Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 metres (2,600 ft). They are native to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000–25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east into central Europe and Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is a population in northern Morocco. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey, northern Tunisia and Algeria. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans.

German populations declined by 25%–30% between 1991 and 1997, but have remained stable since. The populations of the northern foothills of the Harz Mountains (the most densely populated part of its range) suffered an estimated 50% decline from 1991 to 2001. In Spain, the species showed an overall decline in breeding population of up to 43% for the period 1994 to 2001–02, and surveys of wintering birds in 2003–04 suggest a similarly large decline in core wintering areas. The Balearic Islands population has declined from 41–47 breeding pairs in 1993 to just 10 in 2003. In France, breeding populations have decreased in the northeast, but seem to be stable in southwest and central France and Corsica. Populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden, the species has increased from 30–50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003. In Switzerland, populations increased during the 1990s, and have stabilised.[1] According to a report by the Welsh Kite Trust, the UK is the only country in which the red kite population is increasing. Red kites are decreasing in their strongholds of Spain, France and Germany.

In the United Kingdom, red kites were ubiquitous scavengers that lived on carrion and rubbish. Shakespeare's King Lear describes his daughter Goneril as a detested kite, and he wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing hung out to dry in the nesting season. In the mid-15th century, King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for the produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses.

By the 20th century, the breeding population was restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified, at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and a Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire. Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought from Germany to populate areas of Dumfries and Galloway. Ninety-four birds were brought from the Chilterns and introduced into the Derwent Valley in North East England between 2004 and 2006. In Northern Ireland, 80 birds from wild stock in Wales were released over three years between 2008 and 2010, and in 2010 the first successful breeding was recorded. The reintroductions in the Chilterns have been a success. Between 1989 and 1993, 90 birds were released in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding there. They can commonly be seen taking advantage of thermals from the M40 motorway. Another successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire, which has become a stronghold for the red kite. Thirty Spanish birds were introduced into Rockingham Forest near Corby in 2000, and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from the initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest, for release in Cumbria.

A sighting of the first red kite in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear for the first time since the re-introduction.

In 1999, the red kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology. According to the Welsh Kite Trust, it has been voted "Wales's favourite bird".

In June 2010, the Forestry Commission North West England announced a three-year project to release 90 red kites in Grizedale Forest, Cumbria under a special licence issued by Natural England. The Grizedale program will be the ninth reintroduction of red kites into different regions of the UK, and the final re-introduction phase in England.

For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite

One of the 501st troopers got caught in the tentacles of a Vixus beast and is now trying to destroy it with a thermal detonator. Meanwhile, the other troopers are trying to shoot it, but one of them gets electrocuted by the Umbarans’ mechanical creature, a Scutiger-100 stealth droid.

POSTED ON 6.8.2016 POSTED BY: WKILLIAN@SMJUHSD.ORG

FINAL MISSION OF AMS2 WILLIAM P. BLETSCH

March 16, 1970, a U.S. Navy EC-121K Warning Star (#145927) spy plane from Fleet Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1) with 31 crewmen aboard suffered a mechanical failure during a landing approach at a Da Nang airbase at the end of a ferry flight from Taiwan. One of the airplane's four engines had been shut down enroute due to a generator overheat problem. Furthermore, the first one thousand feet of Da Nang's runway was closed for repairs. The combination of the two factors dictated an out-of-the-ordinary approach. At 11:25 as the Warning Star was on short final, another aircraft taxied onto the active runway, forcing the EC-121 to attempt an aborted landing. The pilot banked while flying over a concrete revetment and caught the tip of the left wing on a shelter. The EC-121 immediately cartwheeled, striking another revetment containing an RF-4C and exploded. The remaining eight crewmen and two U.S. Air Force personnel on the ground were injured. The aircraft crashed 300 yards east of the runway near a busy road leading to a large American mess hall. The aircraft broke into three pieces: the cockpit and fuselage forward of the wing slid into revetment wall and burned; the center section crashed upside down into a street and burned; and the tail section landed on a softball field, ripping into a backstop (the field was deserted). One of these flying sections hit a tar truck, knocking it into two power poles. The poles were severed and live power lines were strewn over the area. Only the white tail section and part of the fuselage were distinguishable amid the scattered wreckage. The RF-4C inside the hanger was also destroyed. One man from the tail section walked away unscathed, meanwhile the four other survivors from the center section were gravely injured. Although ground personnel made heroic efforts to rescue the men aboard the EC-121, braving gasoline and jet fuel fires and the risk of electrocution, 23 men were either dead or fatally injured including pilot LCDR Harvey C. K. Aiau, LCDR Harry C. Martin, navigator LT James M. Masters Jr., co-pilot LT George L. Morningstar, co-pilot LT Robin A. Pearce, co-pilot LTJG Charles E. Pressler, navigator LTJG Jean P. Souzon, ADRC William J. Risse, AT1 Larry O. Marchbank, ATR1 Arthur D. Simmons, ATR1 Donald W. Wilson, AE2 Floyd E. Andrus III, ADR2 Stuart J. Scruggs Jr., AMS2 William P. Bletsch, ATN2 John M. Birch, ATN2 Guy T. Denton, ATN2 John S. Schaefer, ATN2 Barry M. Searby, ATR2 Joseph S. Saukaitis, ADR3 Gregory J. Asbeck, ATN3 Thurle E. Case Jr., ATN3 Ben A. Hughes Jr., and ATN3 Ralph S. Purdum. [Taken from vspa.com, aviation-safety.net, and virtualwall.org]

Someone's coming after me? But who? I mean, I haven't even been the Flash for all that long! So why? Anyways, I keep patrolling. But my patrol around the city leads to a couple minor muggings and robberies being stopped, but nothing major in the grand scheme of things. So I end up going home, as I'm now starving! As I speed in the front door, the newspaper starts flying everywhere, before stopping myself in the kitchen.

"I'M BACK!!" I announce excitedly. Barry looks up from the kitchen table, and notices me standing there.

"Hey Bart, welcome back! How was school?" He says with interest, as he gets up to give me a hug.

"It was just as slow, long, and boring like every other day of school." I reply, as I embrace his awkward hug, trying to get out of the hug as soon as possible.

"I know it may be boring for you, but you made a promise to Max. School goes hand in hand with you having a secret identity."

"Yeah.. Just wish it was at least more fun."

"It's only as fun as you make it. Anyways, I heard about how you stopped White Lightning tonight.. Nicely done!"

"Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it was pretty easy! White Lightning keeps trying the same things, and none of them work. She did mention that someone will be coming for me though.."

"Coming for you? I mean the Flash has a lot of enemies, but most of them are in Iron Heights.. Maybe there's a new player in town..

"Maybe.. Though, it doesn't matter too much until he actually shows up.. So, any new cases you've been working on? Something that yours truly can help with."

"You know I'm not really supposed to talk to you about ongoing cases Bart."

"I'm aware.. But how am I supposed to catch whoever it is, if I don't know what's going on Barry?"

"Fine.. Recently, I've been working on a cases of seemingly unconnected murders. One was burned to death, another frozen solid, than there was one that got electrocuted. Remind you of anyone?"

"Yeah of course.. Heatwave, Captain Cold, and Weather Wizard.. Three of your old sparring partners that makeup the Rogues."

"Right. But the thing is, two of them are in Iron Heights currently and Heatwave is apparently on vacation in Aruba or something.."

"Yep, Heatwave is on vacation.. So it's probably a copy cat right?"

"Could be, though most of the time copy cats are sloppy, leaving fingerprints behind that the original wouldn't leave. But whoever did it was very meticulous in making sure there were as little things to trace it back to them as possible."

"Hmm. Well, I guess I'll check the usual hideouts, and see if anything pops out."

"Wait.. Before you run off, there's some people I want you to meet."

"Ookay? Is there people hidden in a closet or something I don't know about?"

"Not here Bart.. At STAR Labs. People who could help you for when you're the Flash."

"Since when do I need help? I mean you were the Flash for a long time, and you didn't have a team helping you.."

"Well to be fair, you're way younger than I was when I first became the Flash. With age, comes experience. Which is something you don't have much of right now. Also your impulsive nature doesn't really help things. Besides, I already called them, and said we were coming."

"So you don't trust me to do the job on my own.. Good to know. Fine, I'll go. Doesn't mean that this 'Team Flash' will be a thing though."

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed. I'm sure you'll change your mind once we get there. Also, they only know me as a CSI, so you'll have to be my transportation." Me, picking up Barry Allen.. Man, what a joke. I'm sure I'd be laughed at, if anyone else was watching. Thankfully no one is.

"Have you gained weight recently? May have to lay off the Krispy Kreme's for a while." I say, as I finally am able to lift him up. With that, I run towards STAR Labs. It's only a minute or so later, that I arrive with Barry at STAR Labs. Feels like it looks different every time I come here, but maybe that's just cause it has to get rebuilt so often. Anyways, as we enter the building, Barry walks up to the front desk, and starts talking to the woman sitting there. I pace back and forth, as others look at me with such confusion. Others oddly find it amusing, and start giggling. It takes what feels like eternity for me, before she motions for me and Barry to follow her. She gives me a weird look, but given the circumstances, it's understandable. We go through a series of hallways, and doorways, before we reach our destination. I open the door, with Barry following in behind me. In the room, there are sets of computers, and lab equipment. Looks like there are a few other rooms, as I see a door on the left, and right hand side of the room. There's a guy sitting in the computer chair, with spikey black hair, along with an older gentleman standing next to him. He's wearing a lab coat, with brown hair that reminds me of my own. The man in the lab coat turns around and notices us standing there in front of the doorway.

"Ah, they're here!!" He walks up to us, and Barry shakes his hand.

"Darwin! It's good to see you old friend." Old friend? I don't remember any Darwin's being in the history books as Barry's friend.. Guess I must've missed something..

"You too Barry. Been too long!"

"So how do you two know each other exactly?" I ask, still confused on how they know each other.

"My bad.. Flash, this is Darwin Elias. He's a research scientist that used to work at CCPD." Still not ringing any bells.. Weird..

"But when lightning struck so many times during that Speed Force Storm, I decided my efforts would be better spent here at STAR Labs. Helping new speedsters understand what's happened to them on a cellular level, so they can adapt to those changes. Also gives me the opportunity to learn more about the Speed Force, and how it exactly works." Darwin says, almost interrupting Barry.

"Oh, okay. Nice to meet you, Doctor Elias." I vibrate my voice when I speak as the Flash, so that others don't catch on to my secret identity.

"Likewise Flash! I look forward to working with you." He reaches his hand out to shake mine.

"The jury's still out on that. I only agreed to meet after all."

"Fair enough.." Darwin pauses, before speaking up once again. "Albert, come over here."

"Just a sec, and I'll be right there." 'Albert' after a few taps on the keyboard, gets up off of the chair, and walks up the stairs to where we are standing.

"Hi! The name's Albert Lim. I'm the tech specialist around here. Speaking of which, I could upgrade your suit for you, if ya want."

"No thanks.. I'm good. Works great just the way it is right now." Why change something that's not broken?

"Alright, well let me know if you ever change your mind. Marissa's gonna freak when she hears about this.. She's a big fan of you, Flash."

"Really? Where's she at? Always crash meeting fans." Wonder if she's cute. Guess I may have to stick around for a little while.

All of the sudden, there's this beeping that keeps going, until Albert goes to the computer, and taps a few keys.

"We got trouble. Home invasion reported in the Brookfield Heights area. Looks like a meta as well."

"You're up Flash!" Darwin says with enthusiasm.

"Do you at least have a specific address for me?" I ask, before Albert hands me what looks to be a communication device.

"I'll let you know on the way.. So does this mean you're in?"

"We'll see how this goes first." I look at Barry, and he has the goofiest grin on his face, as I try not to accept this whole thing.

"Hey, he didn't say no, so I'd call that a win!" Albert cheers, as I run off to the Brookfield Heights area of the city. This team thing could either blow up in my face, or it could be exactly what I need. Either way, we'll soon find out which of the two it is.