Delightful birds as we know!

I was happy to see them in the very north of the park. They were hunting insects with extreme expertise!

Expertise welcomed. Spotted this Turkey Vulture cruising around with his family . I wanted to get as much detail as possible so intentionally I set the focal length to maximum. It came very close by and did not even fit in the frame, but this exciting encounter made my day. I believe it is a leucistic vulture. I have never seen one like this before.

Something unusual has been happening in the yard as of late. I don’t know if it’s the imminent arrival of spring or just the latest fad. Quite a few different types of birds are engaged in this activity of Water Levitation. The current master at this is the dark-eyed junco who needed to show off his recently acquired expertise after carefully studying the squirrel. I am so envious of this and wish I could do the same thing with beer bottles flying out of the fridge straight to my mouth. Uncapped, of course, by the time they arrive at their intended destination.

So, while I am contemplating my deficiencies in this area of gluttony, I think I shall relax to the sounds of Wicked Game (Uncensored) – Chris Isaak

I had no idea what kind this but it was colorful. kim fleming, aka Myriorama (see comment below) has given a tentative identification, as a dogwood sawfly larva, Macremphytis tarsatus . Knowing her expertise, I'm taking it as accurate.

This wintery scene was actually captured just last month around the summer solstice along the west rim drive at Crater Lake. The road was still closed to traffic at the time but has since opened. I guess that means it’s summer now. You can’t see the lake here but it’s the exact color of the blue sky.

I was off Flickr a little longer than expected due to some unforeseen tech issues but looks like those are pretty much resolved now. Definitely not my area of expertise.

tomfenskephotography

posting for:

Looking Close on Friday: objects in pastel colours

I've always loved the pastel scenes my Flickr friends post. I found this really difficult so if anybody wishes to share a little expertise with me, that would be very welcome!

gratitude for all visits, faves and comments

Lacunas in knowledge, expertise are closely related to fantasies that we build around them. (C) Renata Salecl

Trump doesn't like the fact that some provisions of the Iran nuclear treaty expire in seven years, so he backs out of it, which means those provisions expire immediately. What a mental dwarf! It's really only because the treaty was negotiated under the Obama administration, sorta like the ACA.

Let's be very clear: It's one thing to say a peace treaty is bad. It's very much another to rip it apart with no better idea, no plan, no negotiation, no expertise, no allies and no ultimate goal except perhaps starting another serious conflict -- and that's already happening. The guy is an idiot, that thinks he's a genius.

In most cases, I am more than happy to let worthy and humane organizations use my work. If you'd like to use one of my images, simply leave me a comment or contact me via Flickr Mail. Please ask.

A candid street photo of a senior gray-haired bearded man who wears decorative captain's cap. Yes, he is the exerienced veteran, the old salt, all the experience, expertise present and are clearly visible. Black and white version.

Camouflage Expertise

www.flickr.com/photos/tags/httpswwwflickrcomphotos1248970...

..... I think this is a magnolia warbler , but would appreciate a more definitive ID from some one with more expertise on the fall migratory species than I have. I also considered palm and pine warbler.

I posted three more views of the same subject from different vantage points if that will help with the ID.

Thanks for viewing. Hope everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day.

I stand corrected....thank you Flickr Friends......this is a Cape May Warbler .

Becoming a judge at a UK county show involves gaining expertise in a specific area (e.g., livestock, horticulture, showjumping, or dog showing)

The specific steps will depend heavily on what you intend to judge:

General Requirements

Specialised Knowledge: You must have significant, proven experience and expertise in the specific class or breed you wish to judge (e.g., owning and exhibiting pedigree dogs for a number of years, or experience in a specific form of agriculture).

Membership & Support: Often, you need to be a member of the relevant breed or discipline-specific association (e.g., the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society or a breed club for dogs) and gain their support for your application.

Stewarding/Experience: Accumulating experience by stewarding at a number of shows is a common prerequisite.

Formal Training/Assessment: You will typically need to attend seminars, workshops, and pass examinations or practical assessments to prove your competence. This often involves both theoretical knowledge (rules and regulations) and practical skills (judging different animals/exhibits).

Mid Devon Show, Knightshayes Court, Tiverton, Devon, UK.

Expertise is what we need.

A female red-winged blackbird

It was hard to get a good focus on the red-winged blackbirds amongst the tall reeds. This female had a beakful of bugs. There is likely a nest nearby. More than once a red-winged blackbird flew at me while walking the trail, but not the two birds I took a photo of.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/lifehistory

Red-winged Blackbirds eat mainly insects in the summer and seeds.

Both males and females defend nests from intruders and predators.

Since the first time I saw photographs from Botany Bay on Edisto Island, SC, I had to go there. I finally got my chance this past weekend by joining Tommy White on a Mountains to the Sea Springtime in Charleston workshop. What a great time.

Our weather was spotty at best with heavy storms starting Friday night through Saturday morning. We were suppose to shoot Botany Bay for sunrise but heavy rain prevented it. But luckily the rain stopped mid morning and our group headed out. Luckily we still had some lingering moody clouds when we arrived.

What an incredible photo location!! So many opportunities. But the weather does need to be right. Our skies started to clear and there went our compositions. I tried to make the best use of my time. Tommy's expertise really helped me learn how to improve my compositions. I hope to get back there soon.

Thanks for viewing my photo stream. Comments are always welcome. reid-northrup.artistwebsites.com

Best Viewed with black border. Please Press "L" for lightbox.

==========================

Copyright ©Reid Northrup, 2016, All Rights Reserved, Worldwide. Please don't use my photos in any way without permission.

A secretive and cryptic shorebird that is wary and seldom seen. It's Old World cousin, the Common Snipe, lends its name to the term "sniper" -- denoting the expertise a marksman was required to successfully hunt this skittish and fast flying shorebird. Harns Marsh.

Demonstrating his expertise in belt-pack controlled switching, conductor Tim W. shows off to a new trainee how close he can precisely stop the train before coupling. With 40 years on the railway, Tim learned and taught RCL switching when it was first introduced on BC Rail 30 years ago. It was an informative and entertaining exercise watching Tim pass on his wisdom in the Prince George South Yard.

The Cuillin from Elgol, Isle of Skye.

Long exposure using the NDx1000 filter (40 secs)

This is one of the iconic views in the United Kingdom, which accounts for the fact that it is generally crawling with photographers of all shapes, sizes and levels of expertise .. inevitably getting in each others way!

On Friday evening (watch this space for the results), I saw something which appealed to my warped sense of humour: a middle age gent (dressed in the standard naff "I'm a tourist" gear, complete with Bermuda shorts) had a very expensive looking light meter and spent ages taking all sorts of readings from a variety of angles, and making (what seemed to me to be) a million calculations on a piece of paper. When all this palaver was finished (it was about 20 minutes), he took one of these wee "point and shoot" cameras, which was about the size of a large postage stamp, from his trouser pocket, pointed it in the general direction of the mountains and clicked the button .. and that was it .. and he then spent the next 20 minutes telling his adoring spouse what he'd done. Dear God, I wished I was close enough to hear what he was saying .. it would have been priceless!

www.karlwilliamsphotography.co.uk

Later in the day and further west the weather has improved around Redruth.

Walking around the Cornwall records office there was an image taken here showing the platform absolutely heaving with people. The event being the 'seeing off' of miners to South Africa so they could use their expertise securing more money from precious gems than tin and other local metals.

People dismiss expertise and listen to know-nothing sweet talkers. He told me how difficult it was to reach his expert level. In just becoming a captain, he worked and apprenticed for over 720 days on a 100 ton ship. He then had to study and take a grueling test to get his captain's license. He knew the sea. He knew the ship. He knew the regulations. And man, did he know the shore and ocean contour around that lighthouse.

"That’s quite an accomplishment," I said. "But I suspect programmers and engineers are going to fully automate the piloting of ships with artificial intelligence. Soon."

"They'll still need captains," he said.

"I'm not even sure they'll need lighthouses," said I. "Think of all the land and expenses that would be saved if you could just put a cyber lighthouse on an electronic GPS map."

"What if you don't have an electronic map, or the GPS signal goes out?" queried the captain.

"Then the ship stops."

or why I no longer post photos of political graffiti:

Yes, security authorities and intelligence services have highly sophisticated tools to identify handwriting and graffiti in 2026. In cases of politically motivated acts (such as the right-wing code 1161 described above), the state security police usually take over the investigations, while intelligence services (such as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) analyze the underlying structures. The evaluation is based on a combination of human expertise, central databases and modern AI:

1. The Database: The "FISH" System

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) utilizes the world-leading **Forensic Information System for Handwriting (FISH)**.

- **How it works:** A photograph of the wall inscription is scanned. Interfering backgrounds (such as the texture of the plaster) are digitally filtered out until only the pure lettering remains.

- **The comparison:** The system extracts geometric features completely independent of language or content. It then compares these with thousands of samples from known offenders, other crime scenes, or seized materials (e.g., notebooks from house searches).

2. The Machines: AI and Deep Learning in 2026

In 2026, **Artificial Intelligence (AI)** is deeply integrated into forensic image analysis. Deep-learning systems (Convolutional Neural Networks) analyze characteristics that are barely measurable by the human eye:

- **Pressure and stroke behavior:** How fast was the paint sprayed? Where is the layer of paint thicker (because the sprayer paused briefly)?

- **Micro-features:** The slant angle of the lines, the spacing between the digits, and the exact curvature of the "1" or "6". The AI can calculate whether the red "1" and the white "1116", despite the different colors, could anatomically originate from the same hand.

3. The Human Factor: Forensic Handwriting Experts

Despite all AI support, the final word always rests with **human handwriting experts**. Machines provide probabilities and filter out suspects, but a certified expert must prepare the official report for court proceedings.

Sprayers often have an unconscious, deeply ingrained "writing flow" (their motor habit) that they can hardly conceal, even when deliberately trying to disguise their handwriting.

The Biggest Problem for the Perpetrators: The "Tagger Profile"

When dealing with graffiti, authorities rarely hunt for a single isolated image. Police forces maintain extensive **graffiti databases** (such as the _INGRID_ system used for research or police-specific investigative databases).

Since sprayers are usually repeat offenders who leave the same code or "tag" dozens of times across a city, investigators link these locations together. Combined with cell tower data dumps (which smartphones were logged into the network near the wall at the time of the offense?) or nearby video surveillance, the "wall battle" on the street often leads directly to the identity of the perpetrators.

Aston Martin DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 powered, race-bred, two-seater shaped by the aerodynamic demands of high performance, with an exquisite interior that marries beautifully hand-finished materials with the very latest in performance technology. Race-derived materials and components and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-build expertise makes the DBS a luxury sports car without equal.

Aston Martin DBS Specifications:

Body:

- Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 seating

- Bonded aluminium VH structure

- Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body

- Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams

- High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)

- Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)

- LED rear lamps and side repeaters

Engine:

- All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12. Compression ratio 10.9:1

- Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive

- Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves

Projected Performance figures:

- Maximum power: 380 kW (510 bhp/517 PS) @ 6500 rpm

- Maximum torque: 570 Nm (420 lb ft) @ 5750 rpm

- Maximum speed: 307 km/h (191 mph)

- Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.3 seconds

Transmission:

- Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox

- Alloy torque tube with carbon-fibre propeller shaft

- Limited-slip differential

- Final-drive ratio 3.71:1

Steering:

- Rack and pinion

- Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering

- 3.0 turns lock-to-lock

- Column tilt and reach adjustment

Wheels & Tyres

Wheels:

- Front: 8.5" x 20"

- Rear: 11" x 20"

Tyres:

Pirelli P Zero

- Front: 245/35

- Rear: 295/30

Suspension:

Front:

- Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry

- Coil springs

- Anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers

Rear:

- Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry

- Coil springs

- Anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers

Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode

Brakes:

Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston calipers

Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston calipers

Dynamic Stability control (DSC) with Track mode, including anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA) and traction control.

Dimensions:

Length: 4721 mm

Width: 1905 mm excluding door mirrors, 2060 mm including door mirrors

Height: 1280 mm

Wheelbase: 2740 mm

Fuel tank capacity: 78 litres

Weight: 1695 kg

Interior:

- Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara interior

- Matrix alloy facia trim and Iridium Silver centre console finish

- Carbon-fibre door trims and door pulls

- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA and Canada only)

- Sports seats with ten-way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar adjustment

- Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions)

- Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags

- Side airbags (sports seats only)

- Heated seats (sports seats only)

- Heated rear screen

- Automatic temperature control

- Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays

- Trip computer

- Cruise control

- Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*1,2

- Bluetooth telephone preparation*1

- Powerfold exterior mirrors

- Front and rear parking sensors

- Tyre-pressure monitoring*1

- Alarm and immobiliser

- Remote-control central door locking and boot release

- Battery disconnect switch

- Battery conditioner

- Tracking device (UK only)

- Boot-mounted umbrella

*1 Not available in all markets

*2 Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe

In-car entertainment:

- Aston Martin 700 W premium audio system with Dolby® Pro Logic II®

- MP3 player connectivity

Optional Equipment:

- Lightweight seats with six-way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust (Does not include side airbags or heated seats feature. Not available in USA or Canada)

- 20" alloy wheels with graphite finish

- Satellite radio system (USA only)

- Piano Black facia trim and centre console finish

- Leather storage saddle

- Personalised sill plaques

- Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror*1

- Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)

- Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)

- Tracking device*3

- First-aid kit

- Ashtray and cigar lighter

*1 Not available in all markets

*3 Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK.

"Encore une journée normale de travail à l'IMT...

"Sir Eric Savill first created this woodland garden in the 1930s, and since then many others have undertaken a tireless quest to add their own expertise and creativity. The Rose Garden in particular, designed by Andrew Wilson and opened by H.M. the Queen in 2010, is a magnificent addition. Visitors can wander the swirls of rose beds, and enjoy the perfume at its best from a central walkway."

www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/en/experiences/the-savill-garden

thewholetapa

© 2011 tapa | all rights reserved

Abandoned Office

This is a in-progress restoration. It is a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 in pastel green, photographed at Selkirk Off Road in Sagle, Idaho. The FJ40 series is celebrated for its durability and status as one of the most recognizable and reliable 4x4 vehicles ever built—an off-road legend spanning decades.

I have to admit that I was very impressed with Selkirk Off Road in Sagle, Idaho. I took my overlanding Tacoma there while I was in Idaho this past summer. is is the Inland Northwest's go-to overland outfitter and fabrication shop, known for turning adventure rigs into trail-ready machines built to last.

This is another look at their impressive showroom, which showcases premium gear... from suspension systems and roof tents to bumpers and recovery equipment that is stalled and tested by the same team that builds custom overland vehicles for real-world conditions. It's a place where craftsmanship meets community, blending professional-grade builds, rugged accessories, and local expertise for anyone serious about off-road exploration.

While I was there, I was treated like family and I was very impressed with their work. My hat's off to the entire team!

To view photos of this year's overlanding journey in chronological order, click www.flickr.com/photos/stevefrazier/albums/72177720328383895

_DSC8449

© Stephen L. Frazier - All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, printing, publication, or any other use of this image without written permission is prohibited.

Zutphen. Stationsplein. Gratis bewaakte fietsenstalling in twee lagen. Deze foto is beschikbaar gesteld door het kenniscentrum voor fietsbeleid: www.fietsberaad.nl. This photograph has been made available by the centre of expertise on bicycle policy: www.bicyclecouncil.org. [P7110061_fb]

Despite his lack of practical farm expertise, William Johnston (1848-1885) was the "founder" of the Ontario Agricultural College and its Principal from 1876-1879. It was his vision that led to the creation of a three-year degree program, affiliated with the University of Toronto, which began in 1887 and continued until 1964. Johnston Hall, built in 1932 as a student residence and administrative offices, is now one of the University's most recognized buildings.

Johnston Hall's stone tower is the University of Guelph's best-known landmark, and its spacious front lawn one of the most loved spots on campus. Administrative offices fill the lower floor, while 315 students live on the top three floors in large double and triple rooms. Built in 1932, Johnston Hall's traditional architecture and its spacious tower lounge make it a favorite with many students.

A picture of a watch without anything else is at worst an image of someone else’s art and at best can be a showcase for the photographer’s expertise at exposure and composition. This image has more meaning to me than you may grasp at first glance so I’ll complete the story here. SPOILER ALERT: It’s a bit long so if you’d like to skip it ... that’s Okay. Just remember to enjoy Today.

The title may attract the attention of a few people already familiar with the acronym. More later ... I purchased the timepiece pictured some 50 or more years ago and it has always been a disappointment ... it still looks almost pristine! It’s promise was that it was self-winding, that is by some engineering magic once it was wound and put on my wrist it somehow was supposed to stay wound enough to keep “good time”. Well, here’s the basic truth; if I wind it up and let it lay on the shelf it will keep perfect time until it runs down in a couple of days. If put it on my wrist it will randomly stop for 5 or 10 minutes at a time from the first hour on ... making it functionally useless!

In the mid-80s after a life changing event I learned that I can only live One Day at a Time (ODaaT). I realized this independent worthless timepiece is in fact a constant reminder that I only have today ... yesterday is history and tomorrow is not yet in play.

It has no other numbers than today’s calendar number and day ... today ... if I keep it wound. My every attempt to use it for my purposes by wearing it ... my actions ... screws up it’s basic time keeping function so if I let go and let it do it’s thing on the shelf all works just fine. I’m some 16 years into retirement and I removed my “working” watch the day I retired ... I know where time is being kept and I can freely live TODAY. If you got this far Happy Macro Monday ... and enjoy today. HMM Everyone.

Street Musician

This was originally going to be the +2 exposure of an HDR bracket, but the smoothness of the water appealed to me, so I reduced the exposure a touch to bring back some of the colours in the sky and water.

Although I bracket most things as a matter of course, one of my photographic New Year's Resolutions is to stop using HDR quite as heavily as I have done in the past and try to take more technically correct photographs. Don't get me wrong, I love the effect that HDR can have and the majority of my most popular photos are HDR, but sometimes I feel that the bracketing and the software is a crutch, an easy way to enhance a somewhat more limited original photo.

I don't feel I have enough technical expertise in constructing a photograph, be it using filters, composing effectively or spotting the photo in the first place. I want to be able to use HDR as I like the effect, rather than because I have to to make up for my failings.

Monologue over. Do you have any photographic New Year's Resolutions?

By the way, Happy New Year to you all, especially those that got to the end of this ;-)

Spanning over 10 minutes, these images are selected frames from a video taken with iPhone 7+. There was a tornado warning in progress with this system that passed just a few miles to my north and east. What I suspect is depicted is the beaver-tail inflow jet but any storm chaser is welcomed to provide their expertise as to what I captured. This view is looking east as the storm was moving eastward at 30 mph.

The upper right and lower left images were taken through my house window (thus the bluish tint).

A small tornado was on the ground 7 miles behind the center house in the last two frames (center and lower right).

Picture of the Day

The Orion spacecraft with European Service Module (left), Earth (middle) and the Moon (right) are captured in this ‘family portrait’ by Orion’s solar array camera during the spacecraft’s closet approach to the lunar surface.

Six days into the 25-day Artemis I mission, the Orion spacecraft performed a key manoeuvre: just a little more than 130 km from the lunar surface, the main engine on the European Service Module – a repurposed Space Shuttle engine that is now on its 20th spaceflight – fired for just under 150 seconds to push the spacecraft and head towards a lunar orbit using the Moon’s gravity to reduce fuel consumption.

The manoeuvre, known as the Outbound Powered Flyby, was another success for the Artemis I mission, whose goal is to test the mission profile, the spacecraft, and the people operating it in preparation for flights with astronauts on future missions.

The European Service Module is powering Orion around the Moon and back, providing propulsion, temperature control, electricity as well as storage and delivery for essential supplies such as fuel, water and air.

Mission control for Orion is at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA, where European engineers are on hand at all times to offer in-depth expertise on the finer details of the service module. The mission evaluation room based at ESA’s technical heart in The Netherlands also has personnel round the clock in direct communication with their US and European colleagues in mission control in Houston.

“Operationally the spacecraft is performing perfectly and the international collaboration with this new spacecraft with new flight rules is great to see,” says ESA’s Programme Manager for the European Service Modules, Philippe Deloo, “The teams across both sides of the Atlantic are showing exemplary skills, knowledge and teamwork leading humankind forward to the Moon.”

Stunning new imagery of Earth from a human-rated spacecraft such as this image is also important to the mission, bringing the wonder of space exploration to the public some 50 years after the last Apollo mission.

This photo was taken by a Go-Pro fastened to the end of one of four 7 m-long solar array, and connects to the spacecraft over a wireless network. The solar arrays provide enough electricity to power two households on Earth.

Find the latest updates on Artemis I on the ESA Orion blog and on Twitter @esaspaceflight.

Credits: NASA

Horace wanted us to take him to explore a location he had googled so he could check out if it would be a suitable bungee jump venue.

You may ask where was Hoof, well following Lewis Hamiltons failure to clinch the formula one world championship last weekend due to a bit of a botched pit stop strategy, Toto Wolff (owner of Lewis’s team) called him up to fly out to Mexico so that Hoof could input his technical expertise and get this job sorted.

Hoof comes from a very distinguished background in motor sport think of the Ferrari Badge and what do you see, yes the prancing horse and the initials S F.

The horse is actually Hoof, and as Hoof is rather shy he did not want his name emblazoned on the side of the badge, he was happy with just S F meaning Shy, and the last letter of his name being the F. If you don’t believe me look on the badge of a Ferrari.

Back to Horace he was very impressed with this as a possible jump site, but was worried about dinosaurs muscling in on the act as this is part of the Jurrassic coast, can’t be to careful these days, call security. So it is back to Cornwall.

Thank you for looking, as always your comments and views are so appreciated.

Go Lewis, bring it home, Vroom vroom🐎🐷🏆😎😂😂

thewholetapa

© 2011 tapa | all rights reserved

Number: Protector -118

Name: Mako

Rank: Lieutenant

Expertise: Tactics, black ops, urban warfare

Weapons: custom T-21B heavy rifle

Equipment: advanced intercom, fireproof cape

So this is war. Finally, we are able to show, what we are made for. The first victory on Geonosis, despite all our losses, did prove what I knew all along: This army is ready. I am ready! I am now in charge of a small squad and we’re about to ship out to the outer rim soon. These men are at the top of their game and together we’ll bring the fight to the separatists! Oya manda!

Number: CT-3031/1199

Name: Linx

Rank: Private

Expertise: Scouting, hacking

Weapons: standard DC-15, tactical headlamp

Linx is one of the regular troopers that fought along us Raysh’olan on Geonosis and surprisingly, he kept up with us very well. He’s an outstanding scout, spotting targets long before the scanners do and his hacking skill is a reliable bypass to most security doors. I’m glad to have him on my squad now.

Number: CT-8787/0055

Name: Bruiser

Rank: Private

Expertise: explosives

Weapons: standard DC-15, tactical headlamp

Bruiser was assigned to Talon squad immediately after Geonosis. Apparently command thinks, we need more firepower, so he was the natural choice. True to his name, he’s an expert at inflicting damage to any target, be it through the use of explosives or else. He’s said to have torn apart a dozen droids with his bare hands. I’m eager to see this spectacle for myself!

_______________________

Here’s the newly formed Talon Squad for the re-launch of the 253rd Elite Legion.

Number: CT-4554/1606

Name: Sakana

Rank: Sergeant

Expertise: Tactics, melee weapons

Weapons: DC-17m, beskade (mandalorian sword)

Equipment: Katarn armor, macrobinoculars, EMP grenades, kama, pauldron, riot control energy shield

The campaign on Vandos Prime did prove to be more of a challenge than I expected before. Those 253rd boys are really giving it their all. I am not sure I have integrated well yet, but I am still alive, which means I can’t have done too bad. Yet, there’s always something to improve. As a first step, I requested some extra gear. EMP grenades have proven to be useful against the droids on Vandos, so I’ll be carrying more of them now. The new mission briefing states that we’ll be deployed for crowd control on Corellia, so I ordered an energy shield, too. You can never know what these protestors are up to and I’d rather not have them scratch my armor. We’ve been instructed to use none-lethal weapons primarily, but I’m not giving up my DC, no matter what. If push comes to shove, I can use it as a baton or use my sword to keep these protestors at arms length.

........................................................................................................................

Number: CT-7007/2828

Name: Koi

Rank: Private

Expertise: Explosives, lock picking, stand up comedy

Weapons: DC-15, energy pike

Koi has proven to be a capable fighter and loyal comrade on Vandos Prime. He does not question direct orders, but still has enough of a brain not to get himself killed right away. I said whoever survived this hell out there was worth fighting by my side and I am keeping this promise. That’s why I requested for Koi to be transferred to Mizu Squad, the newly formed unit under my command. And with his new armor, he has some signature blue stripes to show for it. For this mission he has traded his trusty DC for an energy pike. Wouldn’t be my weapon of choice, but he demonstrated some impressive skill in our short training session. I’m sure he’ll do well.

_________________________

My squad for mission 17 of the 253rd Elite Legion. I gotta get some more of these half blue arms for additional troopers now…

- Amelia Earhart.

| facebook | 500px | ferpectshots |

While I take a lot of landscape photos, when I first fell in love with photography, it was with shooting wildlife. I remember watching the Animals are Beautiful People documentary multiple times at my cousin’s home and thinking about doing the same at our local wildlife sanctuary. And later, when I started to explore photography, landscapes and nature photography seemed more like an attainable goal compared to wildlife photography, and naturally, it took a backseat.

But the desire never really went away, and whenever I got a chance, I visited the local zoos and pretended my 70-200 f4 was a super telephoto and practiced my craft for the big opportunity. And later, I set up our little garden with bird feeders to attract birds so I can hone my skills capturing bird shots. I think its important to keep practicing, and wildlife photography is one branch of photography that demands a lot of technical expertise as well as knowledge of the subject’s behavior and mannerisms.

Since the day I started setting up our backyard garden with a bird feeder, I have consistently had a visitor that helped me practice quite a lot. And that visitor is the mourning dove, they are not as timid as the other songbirds and allow you to get close, which helped me a lot initially. They also are relatively larger, enabling you to fill the frame with a relatively short birding focal length of 300mm. So while many consider them familiar or even a pest, I have had a great deal of appreciation for these beautiful little birds, and I have decided to post the best shot I have as a tribute for these lovely little helpers.

A Black Falcons Collectible Minifig Series.

Top Row

Bladesman Heavy Infantry

Deployed in small skirmishing units these skilled axemen target high value heavily armored elite enemies. They receive special training to neutralise Cavalry with matador like expertise.

Sentinel

Royal guardsman armoured in ceremonial gear their heavy shields and Long Halberds make them slow but enduring fighters.

Half Ogre Ramhead

Unlike their larger dumber ogryn cousins, the Half ogre shows a fair amount of cunning and can remember even detailed tactical orders. their strength and size see them fight in the Vanguard.

BannerMan

Only the bravest and strongest fighters are offered the chance to carry the heraldry of the Falcon legion. Heavily armoured the Bannerman will fight til his last breath to keep the colours safe at the very front of the Vanguard.

Row 2

Deathshead Archer

Not averse to using poison to incapacitate their enemies even a knick from one arrow can be fatal! Deployed as scouts these eagle eyed infantry are a boon to the falcon legion.

Chaplain

The Wisest head in the Falcons army, with tales of battles long forgotten by most, the Chaplain can offer insight across many battlefields. His mace is also used to administer the last rites to those who won't make it back to the field hospital.

Headsman

The Executioner keeps the troops in check acting as unofficial enforcer for the falcons upper echelons. He can take a head with a single deft strike, or if he is told otherwise can make it messy and drawn out...

Quarter Master

This grizzled veteran keeps the army equipped and moving. With enough time, he can acquire you anything from a powdered unicorn horn to 10 minutes you won't forget with a saucy wench. Rum is his favourite currency!

Row 3

Bladed Fury

A lethal combination of enthusiasm and martial prowess beware the whirling web of death! trained from infancy these unpredictable weapon masters are a real wildcard in the Falcons pack.

Tribal Bezerk - From the Skylands mountain pass. The most savage of the bezerks eschew armour in favour of agility. Calling on the power of the wild they froth at the mouth and literally go Berserk!

Bucaneer

These flamboyant characters are expert florentine fighters who love the cut and thrust of combat. Often the buccaneer is a successful retired pirate who has made his fortune and is looking to transition into the nobility by proving his worth on the battlefield.

Herald

These artisans can be found across the battlefields although most consider them blowhards they are not averse to sticking the knife in when an opponent is not looking.

Bottom Row

Lester the Jester

his repertoire is mainly limited to fart jokes but his sense of humour is generally as cruel as the knife he wields in combat.

The Duchess

Plucked from the Mountain tribes the duchess is Lady to Erasmus the black, an expert with blades and poisons, not just a pretty face. Many a man has underestimated her and paid the ultimate price.

Paladin Duke Erasmus the Black

The present Falcons Master General. He is a fearsome soldier and expert fighter - he fights without mercy! heavily armoured his sword carries a blessed purity seal which deals extra damage to chaotic or evil creatures.

Brody the Squire

He carries his spare weapons and maintains the Dukes armour and equipment. Although not a proficient swordsman he is lethal with "Old Faithful" which is Erasmus trusty Mace.

BSA 13.9HP Open Tourer (1912) Engine 2015cc Knight Double Sleeve Valve

Registration Number CH 676 (Derby)

BSA Set

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157623759878630

BSA established a motor division in 1907, ,aking use of available manufacturing space at their Sparkbrook, Birmingham factory. with sales handled by BSA Cycles Limited. By 1909 it was becoming clear that the new motorcar division was becoming unsuccessful.

Dudley Docker had become a member of the BSA board in and Chairman in 1909, believing he could bring in management expertise he started merger talks with The Daimler Company Limited of Coventry. Following the merger, BSA continued to produce cars of their own, using Daimler engines

In 1912 Car production transferred to Coventry, range reduced to one model, 13.9 h.p. 2015 cc also (briefly) sold by Siddeley-Deasy with a different radiator shell as Stoneleigh. This car combined semi-elliptic front suspension with transverse rear springing. The bodies built at Sparkbrook were among the first all-metal bodywork. Engines gearboxes and back axles were supplied for other Siddeley-Deasy cars

Diolch am 77,652,870 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

Thanks for 77,652,870 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

Shot 22.09.2019 at the Birmingham Museum and Art Galleries, Dollman Street Stores open Day 143-1092

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a 160-year-old tropical garden located at the fringe of Singapore's Orchard Road shopping district. It is one of three gardens, and the only tropical garden, to be honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Botanic Gardens has been ranked Asia's top park attraction since 2013, by TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards. It was declared the inaugural Garden of the Year, International Garden Tourism Awards in 2012, and received Michelin's three-star rating in 2008.

The Botanic Gardens was founded at its present site in 1859 by an agri-horticultural society. It played a pivotal role in the region's rubber trade boom in the early twentieth century, when its first scientific director Henry Nicholas Ridley, headed research into the plant's cultivation. By perfecting the technique of rubber extraction, still in use today, and promoting its economic value to planters in the region, rubber output expanded rapidly. At its height in the 1920s, the Malayan peninsula cornered half of the global latex production.

The National Orchid Garden, within the main gardens, is at the forefront of orchid studies and a pioneer in the cultivation of hybrids, complementing the nation's status as a major exporter of cut orchids. Aided by the equatorial climate, it houses the largest orchid collection of 1,200 species and 2,000 hybrids.

Early in the nation's independence, Singapore Botanic Gardens' expertise helped to transform the island into a tropical Garden City, an image and moniker for which the nation is widely known. In 1981, the hybrid climbing orchid, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was chosen as the nation's national flower. Singapore's "orchid diplomacy" honours visiting head of states, dignitaries and celebrities, by naming its finest hybrids after them; these are displayed at its popular VIP Orchid Gardens.

The Singapore's Botanic Gardens is opened from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight daily. There is no admission fee, except for the National Orchid Garden. More than 10,000 species of flora is spread over its 82-hectares area, which is stretched vertically; the longest distance between the northern and southern ends is 2.5 km (1.6 mi). The Botanic Gardens receives about 4.5 million visitors annually.

In France I had the chance to meet and see some old ladies producing stunning laces, completely handmade.

Their technique is amazing and terribly difficult.

This tradition is handed over from generation to generation of women.

This shot by Nikon D800 + Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 at 35mm 1/60s f5.6 ISO 100 in natural light from the window

Stove vent hood needed replacing. After removing the old hood, this is exactly what I found. Notice the custom way they used an outlet box as a junction box, and no cover. And then there's the awesome technique of running a wire from inside the box over the edge instead of doing it the old Timey way of running it through a hole in the top or side.

Too much wrong with this to write about. This picture tells about half the story.

Last Sunday night a few of us were sitting on a friend’s porch to watch the Perseids meteor shower. I was taking a few pictures but there was very little meteor action and clouds would at times interfere with our view, so I didn’t do much and didn’t catch a single falling star.

SKY

After going home, I decided to give it another try to see if I could catch a few falling stars. I didn’t know there was a chance that northern states like Montana and Wisconsin would see the aurora and even if I had known, central Arizona is a long way from the Montana. After my first shot, I was surprised to see the pinkish red sky you see here. I had to do a double take, I looked at the sky without the camera only to see a normal black star-studded sky. I checked my cameras setting and everything was as it should be. I’ve never tried photographing the northern lights and I understand the colors are very muted and difficult to see with the naked eye, but what the camera captured here was a total surprise.

When processing the sky, I only made slight adjusted to the raw image and that was mostly to increase the texture and reduce noise so the colors in the sky here is very close to the raw image.

LANDSCAPE

The landscape is from an early morning before the sunrise photoshoot I did last year in the Granite Dells near Watson Lake. This location is about 13 miles from our home and the shooting angle and direction of the cliffs is almost identical to the sky photo of the aurora. Even though the sky is natural, it looks so dreamy I decided to make the landscape and cliffs appear surreal as well.

This is what an artistic license is for, take something that is already beautiful and unusual and make it even more beautiful and surreal. What an amazing world we live in, never cease to wonder and be amazed. I simply took what nature gave me and added my own artistic God given talents to enhance it.

I hope you enjoy my work it and look forward to your comments. If you like what you see please say so and I also believe constructive criticism can be helpful as well and will help me grow as an artist. I am always looking for anything that will help me further develop me artistic skills so please free to offer your expertise.

Excerpt from newswire.ca:

On Friday, September 21st, 2018, Volkswagen Canada celebrated its most recent brand evolution, the Arteon, with the unveiling of a unique, outdoor art exhibit at the Grand Opening of The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA). Staying true to its passion for inspired and outside-the-box thinking, Volkswagen partnered with renowned experimental and multimedia artist Scott Froschauer to help showcase its most progressive and luxurious vehicle – the Volkswagen Arteon – by designing and installing an original outdoor art exhibit which will remain on display to the public for a limited time.

The Arteon art installation was conceptualized to be reflective of the belief that luxury is more than an image or a name, but rather a feeling and an experience stimulated by the finer things in life. Smart Luxury incorporates a sense of purpose, accessibility, quality and performance.

Renowned Los Angeles-based experimental and multimedia artist Scott Froschauer makes his Canadian debut with his stunning Arteon installation and collaboration with Volkswagen.

Froschauer's expertise with light, design, structural engineering, non-ordinary reality and experiential narrative are encapsulated in the exhibit which surrounds the Volkswagen Arteon with mirrors, lights and stunning imagery which collide to manifest an immersive, engaging and seemingly infinite look at what is #LifeInSmartLuxury

A creative visionary bent on sparking an emotional reaction from his audience, Froschauer's monumental artwork strives to evoke feelings of hope, excitement and joy.

"I was instantly drawn to the Arteon project because I've always been a fan of Volkswagen's heritage of renowned engineering and design – core principals in my own work," says Froschauer. "But even more than that, I was inspired by the Arteon and what it represents. I strive to change perceptions with my art and present new perspectives from which to view traditional concepts, and this big, beautiful, impactful exhibit embodies these core values."