View allAll Photos Tagged get_and
As allways if you want to made a group foto: Some people will miss it. So I decided to make a photo of all I can get and put others to this foto. Now you can see the complete team. I 've used photoshop and I think, it worked well, not perfect but I'm satisfied. I'm interested if you will find out which one was not originally in the foto. Please put a note on these heads.
The complete team from November 2007: (Left to right)
R3: Wiebke, Katja, Nicole, Judith, Miriam, Susanne
R2: Jenny, Hendrik, Daniela, Bettina G., Kristin, Lisa
R1: Me, Bettina S., Daniel, Catlin
071108_AM_Team_Final
@ xi'an 西安, shaanxi 陕西, china 中国
this is not much of a shot but it was a nail biter to get. i got to this street partially blocked by local crowds and security forces. a block of residential buildings was being torn down hastily. i wasn't sure of the security but they were all in genuine police uniforms only lacking numbers - not sure if this meant they were off duty or just private hires. i stood at the line with the mob of mostly pentioners and raised my big camera for a shot. instantly i was screamed at by two guards with real anger i hadn't seen in china so far - full in my face loud barking. i took my hand slowly from the shutter and lowered the camera like i was disarming myself to avoid being shot. i gestured "what's the big deal?" and they screamed at me to move on. i'm not sure why other than the circumstances i felt a need to document this but further down the block possibly still within site of the first guards and nearby another group of guards i leaned against a tree and continued to watch the demolition for a few more minutes. without looking around to see who was watching i framed and shot this one photo with my rifle fire like shutter. then i just turned and walked by all the guards without making eye contact. there some commotion and some words were directed at me and some shouting but i kept walking slowly and directly away. it was an incredible instant of heightened awareness, chills and a sensation of a hand about to grab my shoulder - the adrenelin was making my knees weak. i suppose for me this was all false danger but still i got a shot that i felt i was not supposed to get and it gave me just a hint of what the glandular activity might be like for one of the real photo journalists i so admire...
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The little telephone tree
"... Their ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction, which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have children, when you have your property, all your treasure inside your house, you want to know how you're going to look after it and be very, very serious about it ..."
It was good to see Chris Harvey on the news last night making a submission to the 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission. It's better he's there on the stand telling his story at the public hearings and getting the day, Black Saturday out of his system.
A native of Yorkshire, I can hear his accent again in the report. Something to do with the way he mangles the tenses. I hadn't heard what circumstances he and his family escaped. Now I can. The submissions are open so you can read what happened as he retold the story yesterday.
Chris lived just down the road from this shot on Bald Spur road. Chris is a pretty composed, no-nonsense sort of person. Chris has been to some pretty far out places like South America. Trained to control his emotions, organised and not one to panic. He's a mate of my dads. I hope this doesn't change him much. He's got a wicked sense of humour. Well he makes me laugh. Half the time you can't understand his accent, the rest of the time I make sure I take the p*ss out of the fact he's a Pom.
Chris lived at the top of Bald Spur road while Gary and Jacinta lived at the bottom.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
1 UPON RESUMING AT 2.00 PM:
2 MS NICHOLS: Commissioners, I call Dr Chris Harvey.
3 Dr Harvey's statement is found in volume 33 of the hearing
4 book at tab 9.
5 <CHRISTOPHER HARVEY, sworn and examined:
6 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, did you prior to the 7 February fires
7 live in Bald Spur Road in Kinglake?---Yes.
8 Had you lived there for about 23 years with your family?---Yes.
9 Have you, with the assistance of the Commission's lawyers,
10 prepared a written statement in relation to your
11 experience of the 7 February fires?---I have the copy here
12 and here.
13 Is the statement true and correct?---Yes.
14 I tender the statement, Commissioners.
15 #EXHIBIT 67 - Statement of Christopher Harvey.
16 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, before I ask you about your experience
17 on 7 February, I would like to ask you about your general
18 and historical planning for bushfires. You say that one
19 thing you did with your neighbours about 20 years ago is
20 that you established a telephone tree. What's involved in
21 a telephone tree?---This was at the behest of the CFA to
22 form some sort of a knowledge in how we could protect our
23 homes because we do live in a vulnerable position. Once
24 you live in the forest, you know that it is not a matter
25 of if there is a bushfire, it is when there is a bushfire,
26 and it is what sort of actions we could take in order to
27 protect our properties and protect ourselves. We formed a
28 small group called a fireguard group which consisted of
29 six people. There weren't so many people living in Bald
30 Spur Road.
31 Dr Harvey, before you go on, could I ask you to move closer to
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 the microphone so we can hear you. You were saying you
2 formed a small group?---With half a dozen people, young
3 people, young families as we were then. What happened was
4 we had a coordinator who coordinated with the CFA which at
5 the time everybody else was basically at work, and my wife
6 was at home looking after very young children, so she was
7 a point of contact for the CFA and if there was any
8 information which should be relayed to us or any paperwork
9 which came with regards to have you done this check, have
10 you cleaned up your leaves, have you done all this stuff,
11 the paperwork would come to us and on the pleasant
12 evenings we would walk and go and see our friends and give
13 them the pieces of paper and we would talk about what we
14 were going to do and how we would do things.
15 Twenty-five years ago, or 23 years ago, sorry, we didn't
16 have much money. A fire pump was a luxury, a generator
17 was a luxury, but we were still intent on keeping our
18 properties clean and clear of any fuel which could burn.
19 So was the person from the CFA a conduit of information, if you
20 like, which was then distributed by you to your
21 neighbours?---Yes.
22 You describe it as a telephone tree, but was it really more
23 like a network?---No, I was giving you an overall
24 impression of how it was. There was a little more to it
25 because obviously, were there a fire approaching us, the
26 point of contact, which would have been Francis, my wife,
27 would have been contacted initially by the CFA, and then
28 we would have had the little telephone tree; you ring
29 number 1, 2, 3, 4. You ring number 1, we are number 1, we
30 ring number 2, number 2 is not in, we ring number 3,
31 number 3 is in, they would then ring number 4, and we
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 would get on with whatever we were supposed to be doing to
2 try to save ourselves or leave, whichever, and that was
3 basically how simply these fire trees were working.
4 Was that something that was initiated by you or your neighbours
5 or was it something that was suggested to you by the
6 CFA?---It was definitely suggested by the CFA.
7 You also say that, "We went to CFA training sessions and
8 everything the CFA said to do to prepare for a fire, we
9 did"?---Yes, the training sessions were in our homes. We
10 would have someone come up to see us to say, "Have you
11 cleaned up? Have you done this? Is your grass cut? Are
12 you in a reasonable state to fight a bushfire?" None of us
13 were, I don't believe.
14 We will come to 7 February in a moment, but were those kinds of
15 preparations something that you and your neighbours did
16 year-in and year-out?---Yes, throughout the year. It is
17 not a matter of having a one day clean-up with the amount
18 of fuel and leaves that fall down around us. It is a
19 constant job to keep it clear.
20 You indicate in your statement that at some point the group
21 became too big and the telephone tree became too
22 complicated. How did that happen?---My wife stopped being
23 at home. She came down to my office to do work; she is an
24 accountant. She came down to work to help with
25 the accounts and such like and of course she wasn't there
26 for the constant point of contact, as we would have liked.
27 The fire tree had grown at that point as well. Everybody
28 wanted to be in it, all the newcomers into Bald Spur Road.
29 I just - they were starting having ideas which weren't
30 conducive. This is only - this is my opinion. Their
31 ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction,
2 which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is
3 a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have
4 children, when you have your property, all your treasure
5 inside your house, you want to know how you're going to
6 look after it and be very, very serious about it rather
7 than just going out and buying a fire pump and a generator
8 when the electricity goes off and making sure you have
9 some water. You need to know how to use these things.
10 There is more to just owning equipment; you need to know
11 how to use it correctly and how to judge things. My
12 company at that time, it was a very small company, now it
13 is an international company, it is a multi-national
14 company, and we regularly have firefighting people,
15 fully-trained people to come in and show us how to fight
16 fires inside my chemical plants and such like that.
17 I make sure everybody goes through that training and
18 I realise that it's not easy.
19 And is that experience something you have taken and transferred
20 into your domestic situation?---Absolutely, yes.
21 Absolutely. You know, most people own a fire extinguisher
22 in the house and they wouldn't know how to use it if they
23 were required to use it. They may not even have the right
24 type.
25 Can I take you to just before 7 February. You indicate in your
26 statement that your property was equipped to withstand
27 fire. One of the things you talk about is the fact that
28 you had a separate water system for fighting fires, a fire
29 pump and sprinklers on the roof. Can you describe how
30 that system was set up as at 7 February?---The galvanised
31 steel tank is at a higher elevation at the top of the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 block which used to fill from our carport. That was fed
2 by a copper pipe underground through a five horsepower
3 Honda pump, which was a petrol driven pump which was in a
4 cooler part - with my stupid ideas of how to try and
5 prepare things, I tried to make it in a cooler place,
6 hidden away where I could start it very quickly because
7 I would start the pump every two or three days just to
8 make sure it was operable, and then the water was pumped
9 from there up copper pipes, onto a sprinkler system where
10 we had four sprinklers down either side of the roof. Our
11 roof is only 20 metres long. It was only 20 metres long,
12 I should say, so there was a sprinkler basically every
13 four metres on there with a throwing arc of seven or eight
14 metres, even only on half power on the fire pumps. So we
15 could put a lot of water down very quickly, but on
16 7 February we never used it.
17 You say that your family had a fire drill. What did you do to
18 practise that?---Outside, strip all the fittings off the
19 hoses inside. We used to - everybody knew how to start
20 the fire pump; everybody knew how to start the generator
21 because the first thing that goes in a fire is the
22 electricity, the household power; where the extension
23 leads were to plug it into the actual water pressure pump,
24 because we are not on mains water, we live on rainwater
25 tanks. So that was basically it, and where our masks
26 were, where our gloves were, where our face shields were
27 and everything. That was the things that I wanted people
28 to know.
29 You say you had also cleared around the property and there were
30 no leaves?---Our property, along with my neighbours and
31 our deceased neighbours, our properties were prepared.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 The bush wasn't.
2 Prior to 7 February you had been through the Yea fires in 2006
3 which went through Kinglake?---It was heading directly
4 towards us. We had some experiences with ember attacks
5 with smoke and various other things, and I have a strange
6 feeling in my heart - again this is only my opinion - that
7 we were led into some sort of belief that that was as bad
8 as a bushfire is going to get and I think there was a
9 false sense of security amongst the group in Bald Spur
10 Road.
11 You say in your statement that you knew that 7 February was
12 going to be a bad day because of warnings you read in the
13 media. What was your impression about what kind of a day
14 it would be and what the implications were for
15 you?---Never having experienced a 47 degree day before, it
16 was quite different. I have discussed this thing with
17 lots of people. The 7th February, it was a culmination of
18 days prior to that. It was eight weeks without any rain.
19 Listening to the same warnings from the CFA about "Today
20 is a day of extreme fire danger" - I can nearly do it
21 verbatim for you - "Today is a day of extreme fire danger.
22 Do not use chainsaws, mowers, slashers, welders or
23 grinders outdoors unless it is extremely necessary" and
24 I can't see any necessity to use a grinder on a 47 degree
25 day. Now, we have listened to this warning every since
26 the day we came to Australia. My first day in Australia
27 over 25 years ago was going up to Wangaratta when Bright,
28 Wangaratta, everywhere was on fire. I had never seen so
29 many fire engines in my life, and this was coming from
30 freezing cold England to a place that was on fire and it
31 was quite a strange experience, I can assure you, to have
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 smoke everywhere, and I just didn't know what to do. So
2 we have lived with fire since day one being in Australia.
3 Listening to the - it was almost immune, you were almost
4 immune to the warnings because it is the same - you get
5 football commentators, when they are talking about a
6 football match, they are using incredibly colourful and
7 creative language to describe a guy who jumps up in the
8 air and grabs a ball. He becomes a hero, he becomes a
9 world class player at everything. Okay, it's exciting,
10 but people have become immune to this type of colourful
11 language and when something is extreme, it doesn't get any
12 worse than extreme on any other day, whether it is a 27
13 degree day or whether it is a 30 degree day and we have a
14 north wind blowing. The factors that go into making an
15 extreme fire danger day are not described to the people
16 who really need that warning. We needed more. My dead
17 neighbours, my deceased neighbours, my friends, we needed
18 more information. An extreme fire danger day to us is a
19 day to be vigilant. That is as far as I would describe
20 that.
21 Dr Harvey, you would say that on 7 February, when that day
22 came, you were indeed being vigilant?---I had been
23 vigilant for quite some time prior to that. Anything
24 would have set that bush on fire, anything. Even a spark
25 off a car going over a piece of flint on the road, it
26 would have gone. It was crispy under foot. That's the
27 only way to describe it. Everything was crunchy.
28 Can I take you to the 7th. You say you started the day
29 obviously at home and your wife and you were listening to
30 774?---Yes, that's correct.
31 Can I ask you to have a look at the map which we will project.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 You will see it in front of you on the screen?---Yes.
2 Can you indicate approximately where your property is marked
3 with that balloon-shaped character?---Yes, right on top of
4 the spur. Yes.
5 And where is Mount Disappointment in relation to your
6 property?---West.
7 And Kilmore East?---That would be to our west, north-west.
8 You say that during the day you didn't hear of any fires in
9 your area, but you did hear there was a fire in Kilmore
10 which you estimate to be about 35 to 38 kilometres away
11 from your property. Drawing on your past experience that
12 you had had at 7 February, what did you think about how
13 long that fire might take to reach you, if in fact it
14 reached you?---Well, I would have considered that we had a
15 day at least, two days. The fires in 2006 were moving
16 slowly and that's where your measure of confidence comes
17 from, in your previous experiences. This fire, it was
18 beyond comprehension the way in which this thing came
19 quickly. We have had fires up at our vineyard, we have a
20 vineyard in Eurobin, which is more of a pastime, and there
21 were some bad fires in Myrtleford and they went within
22 hundreds of metres of our property. In fact, there was a
23 spot fire on our property. The CFA fire units were
24 sitting at the end of the road. They couldn't go in
25 because of the rules and regulations, they could not go in
26 and put the fire out that had started from some spotting
27 earlier on, and the farmers took off and put the fire off.
28 It's as simple as that.
29 In relation to this fire, is it fair to say that nothing you
30 had heard or been advised of or warned about gave you any
31 impression about how quickly a fire might reach your
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 property?---No, absolutely not. No. I think it was
2 unprecedented, the speed of the winds, and the conditions
3 that prevailed on the 7th were - as I say, it's a
4 culmination of days, it's not just what happened on that
5 day. If you look at the Sunday, the day after, it was a
6 coolish day. It was a cool day. Monday was cool.
7 Can I take you to about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 7th.
8 You say you'd seen - there was a clear blue sky and there
9 was no evidence of any fire that you could see from your
10 house at that time?---That would be because our views is
11 looking towards the east. We looked straight over towards
12 Mount St Leonard, which is, you know, maybe 100-odd
13 degrees out and our house is in a hole. We dug it into
14 the mountainside as we were sort of advised to, to create
15 some sort of a fire break with it, so obviously we
16 couldn't see anything from the windows apart from a
17 hillside.
18 And at about 3 o'clock you left to go where?---We had to go to
19 the airport to pick up my daughter, which was, for me,
20 I was annoyed about it. It saved my life. A 47 degree
21 day, I cannot imagine what a bloke really wants to do;
22 would want to sit down, would want to get the remote
23 control out and watch the TV and that's it and do
24 absolutely nothing, not that it doesn't need to be
25 47 degrees for that to happen, but that is how it was on
26 that day. We had to go and pick up my daughter. The
27 reason we had to pick her up was she had had - her
28 boyfriend wouldn't pick her up and that was it. We just
29 got in the car. Absolutely no sign of the fire. No sign
30 of it whatsoever. The wind was absolutely howling. It
31 was like a baking oven going outside. Got in the car,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 drove up to the top of our driveway which heads, I would
2 say, pointing west, and that was the first time we saw the
3 smoke, and we just - it was such a pall of smoke, it was
4 just extraordinary. As I say, I have seen a few fires,
5 but I have never seen anything like this in my life. It
6 was massive. I don't want to start with this colourful
7 language to try and describe how it was. It was massive.
8 And that was over Mount Disappointment?---That would have been
9 coming from that direction, yes.
10 And you kept going towards the airport because you had to pick
11 up your daughter?---We turned right from our driveway to
12 get to the main road and that was where we decided that we
13 needed to listen to the radio to find out anything else.
14 The fire was purportedly in Kilmore and we just carried on
15 driving. The weather conditions were absolutely
16 atrocious. I have never experienced weather like it.
17 I have lived all over the world and I have been in
18 conditions which would scare a lot of people, earthquakes,
19 various other things, and the one thing that does give me
20 moments of trepidation are high winds. It is something
21 you cannot control or get out of the way of.
22 You drove down the hill from Kinglake West towards Whittlesea
23 and by about 3.30 you could see the fire coming along
24 Mount Disappointment?---Yes.
25 At that stage you say you thought it was going to hit Humevale,
26 but if there was a wind change it would probably reach
27 Kinglake?---If I have put "if" there is a wind change,
28 I should have said "when", because, as I say again, it is
29 a matter of when. We know that when the wind swings
30 around from the north, even if it only went to slightly
31 south-west, it would have shot up the mountain anyway.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 But it did come up with an incredible ferocity.
2 You kept going towards the airport listening to the radio as
3 you went, you say?---Yes.
4 What, if anything, did you hear about Kinglake?---Nothing. We
5 considered that we had enough time, with our past
6 experience and knowledge of talking to people about fires,
7 we felt we had enough time to get to the airport, pick our
8 daughter up, take her to Port Melbourne and drive back to
9 Kinglake to prepare to fight the fire.
10 So once you got to the airport and got out of the car, what was
11 your experience of the wind?---It was to the point where
12 my wife and I hung on to one of the poles outside of the
13 Hilton Hotel, the wind was blowing so hard. There are
14 some poles which hold up - steel poles about eight inches
15 round. Literally we had to hold on to them. People were
16 being blown off their feet, there was such a tremendous
17 gust of wind at that time, and my wife said to me, or
18 I said, "We're gone," and she said, "We went ages ago,"
19 I think were her words.
20 Meaning what had happened in Kinglake?---Kinglake's in trouble.
21 Dr Harvey, you say that you received a voicemail message from
22 your neighbour which you didn't get until the next day,
23 but you understand it was sent about 4.30?---It was
24 exactly 4.30. I will never forget it. I will never
25 forget it on my telephone when it told me the message was
26 received. However, due to communications breakdown,
27 whether it was weather conditions, I don't know, I don't
28 know what affects radio signals so much, but it didn't
29 come through until the next day on my telephone.
30 What was the message from your neighbour, Carol
31 Holcombe?---Carol said, "Chris, this is Carol Holcombe
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 speaking. It's half past four. We have been told there
2 is a fire at the bottom of Bald Spur Road and there is no
3 need to worry. We don't believe it is a problem." And
4 that was it, that was it. And Carol - she is a very
5 confident person, she is a high school teacher, she
6 teaches 18 year old kids, so she has a good strong voice
7 and her voice was faltering a lot more than mine was just
8 then. She was scared. I can assure you if I had answered
9 that telephone I would have told them to get out.
10 And Carol and her husband died in the fire?---(Witness nods.)
11 At their property next to their car?---In their driveway, yes,
12 heading that way.
13 Dr Harvey, you picked up your daughter from the airport and it
14 doesn't indicate this in your statement, but is it right
15 that you dropped your daughter off at the apartment in
16 Melbourne that you have?---In Port Melbourne, yes.
17 And then you sought to make your way back to Kinglake but you
18 were stopped at a roadblock in Whittlesea?---Yes.
19 Did you stay there for some time before eventually returning to
20 your apartment in Port Melbourne?---We stayed there until
21 half past 10, 11 o'clock at night. It was light, it was
22 very light. There was nothing open in Whittlesea
23 food-wise. From the position we were, I know the
24 topography of the mountain very well indeed, so we could
25 see where the fire was. We knew where it was, so we just
26 said, "Well, we're tired" and we went.
27 So you went, stayed in Melbourne briefly and then returned to
28 Kinglake very early the next morning?---That's correct,
29 yes. We were in the queue by half past 5-ish.
30 What did you find when you went back to your property?---Well,
31 the police wouldn't let us back. We have lived on the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 mountain a long time. We know our way up the mountain.
2 And when you eventually got to Bald Spur Road?---It was gone.
3 The whole community was gone. Our friends, gone.
4 Dr Harvey, having put all of the preparations in place that you
5 did and having had the long history of fire preparation,
6 now having lived through the 7th of February, what would
7 you do again? If you were faced with that situation
8 again, would you stay behind or would you leave?---We
9 intend full well to build, rebuild our home, but we are
10 not making any preparations to fight or stay to fight any
11 fire ever again.
12 You made the comment earlier in evidence that "our properties
13 were prepared but the bush wasn't"?---Yes.
14 What did you mean by that?---The idea is if you reduce fuel,
15 there is no fire. If there is no fuel, there is no fire.
16 Bald Spur Road has never, or the mountain either side of
17 it, has never had a fuel reduction burn. The last fire
18 which went through Bald Spur Road was in 1962 and it was a
19 reasonably cool bushfire. There is 47 years of negligence
20 on that mountain. I would suggest, from the duty of care
21 which we as residents deserve to have, we prepared
22 ourselves. Murrindindi shire and the DSE did nothing to
23 help us. They have to have a bushfire plan. They have
24 plans. They have an officer inside their shire with plans
25 which are reviewed every three years by the CFA to say,
26 "Yes, your fire precaution plan is okay." These are Acts,
27 this is a 1959 CFA Act or something like that. The DSE
28 have never been up there to do any burning off, which it
29 would be the state forest which wasn't prepared. It was
30 metres deep in places with leaves and debris from 47 years
31 worth of - do we call it negligence? I would call it
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 negligence, but I don't know whether I'm being fair. It
2 may well be an inability to perceive the problem or it was
3 easier not to perceive the problem maybe. I don't know.
4 This is my opinion, and I think it is also other people's
5 opinions also.
6 Dr Harvey, you say that you feel that most of your neighbours
7 who were caught in the fire did not understand how
8 dangerous it was going to be and you talk about the view
9 that the forest fire danger index should be made more
10 publicly available. Can you explain why you think
11 that?---Because the CFA and the DSE are not private
12 companies, however much they may wish to appear to be.
13 They are in the public domain. Information which they
14 have has to be given to us. We aren't idiots, we are not
15 fools, we are not imbeciles. There were professors and
16 teachers and educated people who died on that mountain.
17 We can take in information and we can calculate whether it
18 is dangerous or not. If you have the forest fire danger
19 index given to people along with the extreme fire danger
20 warning, that would be sufficient for people to make an
21 assessment. However, for people to learn how to interpret
22 the forest fire danger index people must be educated and
23 an education program has to begin right now to show
24 people, "This is how we calculate", the CFA or the DSE,
25 "This is how we calculate to give the forest fire danger
26 index"; fuel loads, temperature, wind speed, all these
27 factors that go into making this number that tells you
28 whether you are in trouble or not. We ought to be given
29 information about - well, I don't think - in 1939 they
30 didn't have something like that, but for Ash Wednesday I'm
31 pretty certain there was a forest fire danger index. Now,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 we could possibly - there are a lot of computers that can
2 do all sorts of things nowadays and given the conditions,
3 that some people still remember 1939, we may well be able
4 to put these items into a computer, get a computation out
5 at the end of the day and say, "Look, guys, today is a day
6 of extreme fire danger." At 30" - I don't know, when the
7 forest fire danger index reaches 30, just for figures'
8 sake - "this is where we call an extreme fire danger day.
9 Now, on Ash Wednesday that danger suddenly got up to 50
10 and we don't really like people being around when it gets
11 this bad because you know what happened then." Now,
12 February 7th it was apparently, I have been told, I don't
13 know, 157, something like that. I don't know, I really
14 don't know for a fact; people bandy all sorts of figures
15 around. But people should be able to make their own mind
16 up about, "This is where an extreme fire danger day is,
17 this is what happened when it got to 50, this is what
18 happens when it gets to 157 and our computers," because
19 everybody believes a computer, "these are the computations
20 we did for Black Friday," which are probably three of the
21 worst fires that we've had in this state, and they would
22 say, "Okay, on Black Friday it did this, on Ash Wednesday
23 it was this, February 7th was this." People need an
24 education program to go along with it so that they can be
25 prepared. We can do it in schools. It can be started
26 now, that sort of thing, to make people more and more
27 aware of what an extreme fire danger is. You know, you
28 can't be calling it a very extreme fire danger day, you
29 can't use that sort of language, it just doesn't mean a
30 thing. Numbers mean things to people.
31 You say, Dr Harvey, do you, that in hindsight, with that kind
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 of information or that kind of understanding, you would
2 not, even though you weren't in fact at your property on
3 the day, you would have made the decision to go rather
4 than to defend?---Absolutely.
5 Dr Harvey, I have no more questions for you, but there might be
6 some other questions.
7 CHAIRMAN: Dr Harvey, can I just clarify the position. On the
8 information that was provided by the police, it seems that
9 there were four deaths at number 15 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
10 And four deaths at number 29 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
11 And four deaths at 39 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
12 And two deaths at number 50 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
13 Presumably you don't know the position at the other end of Bald
14 Spur Road where - - -?---Down at the bottom?
15 Yes?---Yes.
16 At 370 there was a death?---Down at the bottom of Bald Spur
17 Road - - -
18 You don't know that?---I only found out the other day, yes.
19 I was absolutely heartbroken to find out about my very
20 close neighbours and friends who we built our houses with,
21 and I only went down Bald Spur Road a couple of weeks ago
22 to have a look down at the bottom and it looked like a
23 cemetery to me with the flowers which were there. It was
24 providence that I wasn't there, that my family are safe,
25 pure providence, and my direct neighbours, they had an
26 appointment with their son at the doctor's at 9 o'clock in
27 the morning. Otherwise we would have all been in this
28 together. It would have been a lot higher.
29 Thank you very much, indeed, Dr Harvey. We very much
30 appreciate you giving evidence?---Thank you for giving me
31 the opportunity.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
next >>>
The little telephone tree
"... Their ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction, which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have children, when you have your property, all your treasure inside your house, you want to know how you're going to look after it and be very, very serious about it ..."
It was good to see Chris Harvey on the news last night making a submission to the 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission. It's better he's there on the stand telling his story at the public hearings and getting the day, Black Saturday out of his system.
A native of Yorkshire, I can hear his accent again in the report. Something to do with the way he mangles the tenses. I hadn't heard what circumstances he and his family escaped. Now I can. The submissions are open so you can read what happened as he retold the story yesterday.
Chris lived just down the road from this shot on Bald Spur road. Chris is a pretty composed, no-nonsense sort of person. Chris has been to some pretty far out places like South America. Trained to control his emotions, organised and not one to panic. He's a mate of my dads. I hope this doesn't change him much. He's got a wicked sense of humour. Well he makes me laugh. Half the time you can't understand his accent, the rest of the time I make sure I take the p*ss out of the fact he's a Pom.
Chris lived at the top of Bald Spur road while Gary and Jacinta lived at the bottom.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
1 UPON RESUMING AT 2.00 PM:
2 MS NICHOLS: Commissioners, I call Dr Chris Harvey.
3 Dr Harvey's statement is found in volume 33 of the hearing
4 book at tab 9.
5 <CHRISTOPHER HARVEY, sworn and examined:
6 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, did you prior to the 7 February fires
7 live in Bald Spur Road in Kinglake?---Yes.
8 Had you lived there for about 23 years with your family?---Yes.
9 Have you, with the assistance of the Commission's lawyers,
10 prepared a written statement in relation to your
11 experience of the 7 February fires?---I have the copy here
12 and here.
13 Is the statement true and correct?---Yes.
14 I tender the statement, Commissioners.
15 #EXHIBIT 67 - Statement of Christopher Harvey.
16 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, before I ask you about your experience
17 on 7 February, I would like to ask you about your general
18 and historical planning for bushfires. You say that one
19 thing you did with your neighbours about 20 years ago is
20 that you established a telephone tree. What's involved in
21 a telephone tree?---This was at the behest of the CFA to
22 form some sort of a knowledge in how we could protect our
23 homes because we do live in a vulnerable position. Once
24 you live in the forest, you know that it is not a matter
25 of if there is a bushfire, it is when there is a bushfire,
26 and it is what sort of actions we could take in order to
27 protect our properties and protect ourselves. We formed a
28 small group called a fireguard group which consisted of
29 six people. There weren't so many people living in Bald
30 Spur Road.
31 Dr Harvey, before you go on, could I ask you to move closer to
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 the microphone so we can hear you. You were saying you
2 formed a small group?---With half a dozen people, young
3 people, young families as we were then. What happened was
4 we had a coordinator who coordinated with the CFA which at
5 the time everybody else was basically at work, and my wife
6 was at home looking after very young children, so she was
7 a point of contact for the CFA and if there was any
8 information which should be relayed to us or any paperwork
9 which came with regards to have you done this check, have
10 you cleaned up your leaves, have you done all this stuff,
11 the paperwork would come to us and on the pleasant
12 evenings we would walk and go and see our friends and give
13 them the pieces of paper and we would talk about what we
14 were going to do and how we would do things.
15 Twenty-five years ago, or 23 years ago, sorry, we didn't
16 have much money. A fire pump was a luxury, a generator
17 was a luxury, but we were still intent on keeping our
18 properties clean and clear of any fuel which could burn.
19 So was the person from the CFA a conduit of information, if you
20 like, which was then distributed by you to your
21 neighbours?---Yes.
22 You describe it as a telephone tree, but was it really more
23 like a network?---No, I was giving you an overall
24 impression of how it was. There was a little more to it
25 because obviously, were there a fire approaching us, the
26 point of contact, which would have been Francis, my wife,
27 would have been contacted initially by the CFA, and then
28 we would have had the little telephone tree; you ring
29 number 1, 2, 3, 4. You ring number 1, we are number 1, we
30 ring number 2, number 2 is not in, we ring number 3,
31 number 3 is in, they would then ring number 4, and we
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1 would get on with whatever we were supposed to be doing to
2 try to save ourselves or leave, whichever, and that was
3 basically how simply these fire trees were working.
4 Was that something that was initiated by you or your neighbours
5 or was it something that was suggested to you by the
6 CFA?---It was definitely suggested by the CFA.
7 You also say that, "We went to CFA training sessions and
8 everything the CFA said to do to prepare for a fire, we
9 did"?---Yes, the training sessions were in our homes. We
10 would have someone come up to see us to say, "Have you
11 cleaned up? Have you done this? Is your grass cut? Are
12 you in a reasonable state to fight a bushfire?" None of us
13 were, I don't believe.
14 We will come to 7 February in a moment, but were those kinds of
15 preparations something that you and your neighbours did
16 year-in and year-out?---Yes, throughout the year. It is
17 not a matter of having a one day clean-up with the amount
18 of fuel and leaves that fall down around us. It is a
19 constant job to keep it clear.
20 You indicate in your statement that at some point the group
21 became too big and the telephone tree became too
22 complicated. How did that happen?---My wife stopped being
23 at home. She came down to my office to do work; she is an
24 accountant. She came down to work to help with
25 the accounts and such like and of course she wasn't there
26 for the constant point of contact, as we would have liked.
27 The fire tree had grown at that point as well. Everybody
28 wanted to be in it, all the newcomers into Bald Spur Road.
29 I just - they were starting having ideas which weren't
30 conducive. This is only - this is my opinion. Their
31 ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction,
2 which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is
3 a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have
4 children, when you have your property, all your treasure
5 inside your house, you want to know how you're going to
6 look after it and be very, very serious about it rather
7 than just going out and buying a fire pump and a generator
8 when the electricity goes off and making sure you have
9 some water. You need to know how to use these things.
10 There is more to just owning equipment; you need to know
11 how to use it correctly and how to judge things. My
12 company at that time, it was a very small company, now it
13 is an international company, it is a multi-national
14 company, and we regularly have firefighting people,
15 fully-trained people to come in and show us how to fight
16 fires inside my chemical plants and such like that.
17 I make sure everybody goes through that training and
18 I realise that it's not easy.
19 And is that experience something you have taken and transferred
20 into your domestic situation?---Absolutely, yes.
21 Absolutely. You know, most people own a fire extinguisher
22 in the house and they wouldn't know how to use it if they
23 were required to use it. They may not even have the right
24 type.
25 Can I take you to just before 7 February. You indicate in your
26 statement that your property was equipped to withstand
27 fire. One of the things you talk about is the fact that
28 you had a separate water system for fighting fires, a fire
29 pump and sprinklers on the roof. Can you describe how
30 that system was set up as at 7 February?---The galvanised
31 steel tank is at a higher elevation at the top of the
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1 block which used to fill from our carport. That was fed
2 by a copper pipe underground through a five horsepower
3 Honda pump, which was a petrol driven pump which was in a
4 cooler part - with my stupid ideas of how to try and
5 prepare things, I tried to make it in a cooler place,
6 hidden away where I could start it very quickly because
7 I would start the pump every two or three days just to
8 make sure it was operable, and then the water was pumped
9 from there up copper pipes, onto a sprinkler system where
10 we had four sprinklers down either side of the roof. Our
11 roof is only 20 metres long. It was only 20 metres long,
12 I should say, so there was a sprinkler basically every
13 four metres on there with a throwing arc of seven or eight
14 metres, even only on half power on the fire pumps. So we
15 could put a lot of water down very quickly, but on
16 7 February we never used it.
17 You say that your family had a fire drill. What did you do to
18 practise that?---Outside, strip all the fittings off the
19 hoses inside. We used to - everybody knew how to start
20 the fire pump; everybody knew how to start the generator
21 because the first thing that goes in a fire is the
22 electricity, the household power; where the extension
23 leads were to plug it into the actual water pressure pump,
24 because we are not on mains water, we live on rainwater
25 tanks. So that was basically it, and where our masks
26 were, where our gloves were, where our face shields were
27 and everything. That was the things that I wanted people
28 to know.
29 You say you had also cleared around the property and there were
30 no leaves?---Our property, along with my neighbours and
31 our deceased neighbours, our properties were prepared.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 The bush wasn't.
2 Prior to 7 February you had been through the Yea fires in 2006
3 which went through Kinglake?---It was heading directly
4 towards us. We had some experiences with ember attacks
5 with smoke and various other things, and I have a strange
6 feeling in my heart - again this is only my opinion - that
7 we were led into some sort of belief that that was as bad
8 as a bushfire is going to get and I think there was a
9 false sense of security amongst the group in Bald Spur
10 Road.
11 You say in your statement that you knew that 7 February was
12 going to be a bad day because of warnings you read in the
13 media. What was your impression about what kind of a day
14 it would be and what the implications were for
15 you?---Never having experienced a 47 degree day before, it
16 was quite different. I have discussed this thing with
17 lots of people. The 7th February, it was a culmination of
18 days prior to that. It was eight weeks without any rain.
19 Listening to the same warnings from the CFA about "Today
20 is a day of extreme fire danger" - I can nearly do it
21 verbatim for you - "Today is a day of extreme fire danger.
22 Do not use chainsaws, mowers, slashers, welders or
23 grinders outdoors unless it is extremely necessary" and
24 I can't see any necessity to use a grinder on a 47 degree
25 day. Now, we have listened to this warning every since
26 the day we came to Australia. My first day in Australia
27 over 25 years ago was going up to Wangaratta when Bright,
28 Wangaratta, everywhere was on fire. I had never seen so
29 many fire engines in my life, and this was coming from
30 freezing cold England to a place that was on fire and it
31 was quite a strange experience, I can assure you, to have
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1 smoke everywhere, and I just didn't know what to do. So
2 we have lived with fire since day one being in Australia.
3 Listening to the - it was almost immune, you were almost
4 immune to the warnings because it is the same - you get
5 football commentators, when they are talking about a
6 football match, they are using incredibly colourful and
7 creative language to describe a guy who jumps up in the
8 air and grabs a ball. He becomes a hero, he becomes a
9 world class player at everything. Okay, it's exciting,
10 but people have become immune to this type of colourful
11 language and when something is extreme, it doesn't get any
12 worse than extreme on any other day, whether it is a 27
13 degree day or whether it is a 30 degree day and we have a
14 north wind blowing. The factors that go into making an
15 extreme fire danger day are not described to the people
16 who really need that warning. We needed more. My dead
17 neighbours, my deceased neighbours, my friends, we needed
18 more information. An extreme fire danger day to us is a
19 day to be vigilant. That is as far as I would describe
20 that.
21 Dr Harvey, you would say that on 7 February, when that day
22 came, you were indeed being vigilant?---I had been
23 vigilant for quite some time prior to that. Anything
24 would have set that bush on fire, anything. Even a spark
25 off a car going over a piece of flint on the road, it
26 would have gone. It was crispy under foot. That's the
27 only way to describe it. Everything was crunchy.
28 Can I take you to the 7th. You say you started the day
29 obviously at home and your wife and you were listening to
30 774?---Yes, that's correct.
31 Can I ask you to have a look at the map which we will project.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 You will see it in front of you on the screen?---Yes.
2 Can you indicate approximately where your property is marked
3 with that balloon-shaped character?---Yes, right on top of
4 the spur. Yes.
5 And where is Mount Disappointment in relation to your
6 property?---West.
7 And Kilmore East?---That would be to our west, north-west.
8 You say that during the day you didn't hear of any fires in
9 your area, but you did hear there was a fire in Kilmore
10 which you estimate to be about 35 to 38 kilometres away
11 from your property. Drawing on your past experience that
12 you had had at 7 February, what did you think about how
13 long that fire might take to reach you, if in fact it
14 reached you?---Well, I would have considered that we had a
15 day at least, two days. The fires in 2006 were moving
16 slowly and that's where your measure of confidence comes
17 from, in your previous experiences. This fire, it was
18 beyond comprehension the way in which this thing came
19 quickly. We have had fires up at our vineyard, we have a
20 vineyard in Eurobin, which is more of a pastime, and there
21 were some bad fires in Myrtleford and they went within
22 hundreds of metres of our property. In fact, there was a
23 spot fire on our property. The CFA fire units were
24 sitting at the end of the road. They couldn't go in
25 because of the rules and regulations, they could not go in
26 and put the fire out that had started from some spotting
27 earlier on, and the farmers took off and put the fire off.
28 It's as simple as that.
29 In relation to this fire, is it fair to say that nothing you
30 had heard or been advised of or warned about gave you any
31 impression about how quickly a fire might reach your
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 property?---No, absolutely not. No. I think it was
2 unprecedented, the speed of the winds, and the conditions
3 that prevailed on the 7th were - as I say, it's a
4 culmination of days, it's not just what happened on that
5 day. If you look at the Sunday, the day after, it was a
6 coolish day. It was a cool day. Monday was cool.
7 Can I take you to about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 7th.
8 You say you'd seen - there was a clear blue sky and there
9 was no evidence of any fire that you could see from your
10 house at that time?---That would be because our views is
11 looking towards the east. We looked straight over towards
12 Mount St Leonard, which is, you know, maybe 100-odd
13 degrees out and our house is in a hole. We dug it into
14 the mountainside as we were sort of advised to, to create
15 some sort of a fire break with it, so obviously we
16 couldn't see anything from the windows apart from a
17 hillside.
18 And at about 3 o'clock you left to go where?---We had to go to
19 the airport to pick up my daughter, which was, for me,
20 I was annoyed about it. It saved my life. A 47 degree
21 day, I cannot imagine what a bloke really wants to do;
22 would want to sit down, would want to get the remote
23 control out and watch the TV and that's it and do
24 absolutely nothing, not that it doesn't need to be
25 47 degrees for that to happen, but that is how it was on
26 that day. We had to go and pick up my daughter. The
27 reason we had to pick her up was she had had - her
28 boyfriend wouldn't pick her up and that was it. We just
29 got in the car. Absolutely no sign of the fire. No sign
30 of it whatsoever. The wind was absolutely howling. It
31 was like a baking oven going outside. Got in the car,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 drove up to the top of our driveway which heads, I would
2 say, pointing west, and that was the first time we saw the
3 smoke, and we just - it was such a pall of smoke, it was
4 just extraordinary. As I say, I have seen a few fires,
5 but I have never seen anything like this in my life. It
6 was massive. I don't want to start with this colourful
7 language to try and describe how it was. It was massive.
8 And that was over Mount Disappointment?---That would have been
9 coming from that direction, yes.
10 And you kept going towards the airport because you had to pick
11 up your daughter?---We turned right from our driveway to
12 get to the main road and that was where we decided that we
13 needed to listen to the radio to find out anything else.
14 The fire was purportedly in Kilmore and we just carried on
15 driving. The weather conditions were absolutely
16 atrocious. I have never experienced weather like it.
17 I have lived all over the world and I have been in
18 conditions which would scare a lot of people, earthquakes,
19 various other things, and the one thing that does give me
20 moments of trepidation are high winds. It is something
21 you cannot control or get out of the way of.
22 You drove down the hill from Kinglake West towards Whittlesea
23 and by about 3.30 you could see the fire coming along
24 Mount Disappointment?---Yes.
25 At that stage you say you thought it was going to hit Humevale,
26 but if there was a wind change it would probably reach
27 Kinglake?---If I have put "if" there is a wind change,
28 I should have said "when", because, as I say again, it is
29 a matter of when. We know that when the wind swings
30 around from the north, even if it only went to slightly
31 south-west, it would have shot up the mountain anyway.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 But it did come up with an incredible ferocity.
2 You kept going towards the airport listening to the radio as
3 you went, you say?---Yes.
4 What, if anything, did you hear about Kinglake?---Nothing. We
5 considered that we had enough time, with our past
6 experience and knowledge of talking to people about fires,
7 we felt we had enough time to get to the airport, pick our
8 daughter up, take her to Port Melbourne and drive back to
9 Kinglake to prepare to fight the fire.
10 So once you got to the airport and got out of the car, what was
11 your experience of the wind?---It was to the point where
12 my wife and I hung on to one of the poles outside of the
13 Hilton Hotel, the wind was blowing so hard. There are
14 some poles which hold up - steel poles about eight inches
15 round. Literally we had to hold on to them. People were
16 being blown off their feet, there was such a tremendous
17 gust of wind at that time, and my wife said to me, or
18 I said, "We're gone," and she said, "We went ages ago,"
19 I think were her words.
20 Meaning what had happened in Kinglake?---Kinglake's in trouble.
21 Dr Harvey, you say that you received a voicemail message from
22 your neighbour which you didn't get until the next day,
23 but you understand it was sent about 4.30?---It was
24 exactly 4.30. I will never forget it. I will never
25 forget it on my telephone when it told me the message was
26 received. However, due to communications breakdown,
27 whether it was weather conditions, I don't know, I don't
28 know what affects radio signals so much, but it didn't
29 come through until the next day on my telephone.
30 What was the message from your neighbour, Carol
31 Holcombe?---Carol said, "Chris, this is Carol Holcombe
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 speaking. It's half past four. We have been told there
2 is a fire at the bottom of Bald Spur Road and there is no
3 need to worry. We don't believe it is a problem." And
4 that was it, that was it. And Carol - she is a very
5 confident person, she is a high school teacher, she
6 teaches 18 year old kids, so she has a good strong voice
7 and her voice was faltering a lot more than mine was just
8 then. She was scared. I can assure you if I had answered
9 that telephone I would have told them to get out.
10 And Carol and her husband died in the fire?---(Witness nods.)
11 At their property next to their car?---In their driveway, yes,
12 heading that way.
13 Dr Harvey, you picked up your daughter from the airport and it
14 doesn't indicate this in your statement, but is it right
15 that you dropped your daughter off at the apartment in
16 Melbourne that you have?---In Port Melbourne, yes.
17 And then you sought to make your way back to Kinglake but you
18 were stopped at a roadblock in Whittlesea?---Yes.
19 Did you stay there for some time before eventually returning to
20 your apartment in Port Melbourne?---We stayed there until
21 half past 10, 11 o'clock at night. It was light, it was
22 very light. There was nothing open in Whittlesea
23 food-wise. From the position we were, I know the
24 topography of the mountain very well indeed, so we could
25 see where the fire was. We knew where it was, so we just
26 said, "Well, we're tired" and we went.
27 So you went, stayed in Melbourne briefly and then returned to
28 Kinglake very early the next morning?---That's correct,
29 yes. We were in the queue by half past 5-ish.
30 What did you find when you went back to your property?---Well,
31 the police wouldn't let us back. We have lived on the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 mountain a long time. We know our way up the mountain.
2 And when you eventually got to Bald Spur Road?---It was gone.
3 The whole community was gone. Our friends, gone.
4 Dr Harvey, having put all of the preparations in place that you
5 did and having had the long history of fire preparation,
6 now having lived through the 7th of February, what would
7 you do again? If you were faced with that situation
8 again, would you stay behind or would you leave?---We
9 intend full well to build, rebuild our home, but we are
10 not making any preparations to fight or stay to fight any
11 fire ever again.
12 You made the comment earlier in evidence that "our properties
13 were prepared but the bush wasn't"?---Yes.
14 What did you mean by that?---The idea is if you reduce fuel,
15 there is no fire. If there is no fuel, there is no fire.
16 Bald Spur Road has never, or the mountain either side of
17 it, has never had a fuel reduction burn. The last fire
18 which went through Bald Spur Road was in 1962 and it was a
19 reasonably cool bushfire. There is 47 years of negligence
20 on that mountain. I would suggest, from the duty of care
21 which we as residents deserve to have, we prepared
22 ourselves. Murrindindi shire and the DSE did nothing to
23 help us. They have to have a bushfire plan. They have
24 plans. They have an officer inside their shire with plans
25 which are reviewed every three years by the CFA to say,
26 "Yes, your fire precaution plan is okay." These are Acts,
27 this is a 1959 CFA Act or something like that. The DSE
28 have never been up there to do any burning off, which it
29 would be the state forest which wasn't prepared. It was
30 metres deep in places with leaves and debris from 47 years
31 worth of - do we call it negligence? I would call it
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 negligence, but I don't know whether I'm being fair. It
2 may well be an inability to perceive the problem or it was
3 easier not to perceive the problem maybe. I don't know.
4 This is my opinion, and I think it is also other people's
5 opinions also.
6 Dr Harvey, you say that you feel that most of your neighbours
7 who were caught in the fire did not understand how
8 dangerous it was going to be and you talk about the view
9 that the forest fire danger index should be made more
10 publicly available. Can you explain why you think
11 that?---Because the CFA and the DSE are not private
12 companies, however much they may wish to appear to be.
13 They are in the public domain. Information which they
14 have has to be given to us. We aren't idiots, we are not
15 fools, we are not imbeciles. There were professors and
16 teachers and educated people who died on that mountain.
17 We can take in information and we can calculate whether it
18 is dangerous or not. If you have the forest fire danger
19 index given to people along with the extreme fire danger
20 warning, that would be sufficient for people to make an
21 assessment. However, for people to learn how to interpret
22 the forest fire danger index people must be educated and
23 an education program has to begin right now to show
24 people, "This is how we calculate", the CFA or the DSE,
25 "This is how we calculate to give the forest fire danger
26 index"; fuel loads, temperature, wind speed, all these
27 factors that go into making this number that tells you
28 whether you are in trouble or not. We ought to be given
29 information about - well, I don't think - in 1939 they
30 didn't have something like that, but for Ash Wednesday I'm
31 pretty certain there was a forest fire danger index. Now,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 we could possibly - there are a lot of computers that can
2 do all sorts of things nowadays and given the conditions,
3 that some people still remember 1939, we may well be able
4 to put these items into a computer, get a computation out
5 at the end of the day and say, "Look, guys, today is a day
6 of extreme fire danger." At 30" - I don't know, when the
7 forest fire danger index reaches 30, just for figures'
8 sake - "this is where we call an extreme fire danger day.
9 Now, on Ash Wednesday that danger suddenly got up to 50
10 and we don't really like people being around when it gets
11 this bad because you know what happened then." Now,
12 February 7th it was apparently, I have been told, I don't
13 know, 157, something like that. I don't know, I really
14 don't know for a fact; people bandy all sorts of figures
15 around. But people should be able to make their own mind
16 up about, "This is where an extreme fire danger day is,
17 this is what happened when it got to 50, this is what
18 happens when it gets to 157 and our computers," because
19 everybody believes a computer, "these are the computations
20 we did for Black Friday," which are probably three of the
21 worst fires that we've had in this state, and they would
22 say, "Okay, on Black Friday it did this, on Ash Wednesday
23 it was this, February 7th was this." People need an
24 education program to go along with it so that they can be
25 prepared. We can do it in schools. It can be started
26 now, that sort of thing, to make people more and more
27 aware of what an extreme fire danger is. You know, you
28 can't be calling it a very extreme fire danger day, you
29 can't use that sort of language, it just doesn't mean a
30 thing. Numbers mean things to people.
31 You say, Dr Harvey, do you, that in hindsight, with that kind
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 of information or that kind of understanding, you would
2 not, even though you weren't in fact at your property on
3 the day, you would have made the decision to go rather
4 than to defend?---Absolutely.
5 Dr Harvey, I have no more questions for you, but there might be
6 some other questions.
7 CHAIRMAN: Dr Harvey, can I just clarify the position. On the
8 information that was provided by the police, it seems that
9 there were four deaths at number 15 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
10 And four deaths at number 29 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
11 And four deaths at 39 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
12 And two deaths at number 50 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
13 Presumably you don't know the position at the other end of Bald
14 Spur Road where - - -?---Down at the bottom?
15 Yes?---Yes.
16 At 370 there was a death?---Down at the bottom of Bald Spur
17 Road - - -
18 You don't know that?---I only found out the other day, yes.
19 I was absolutely heartbroken to find out about my very
20 close neighbours and friends who we built our houses with,
21 and I only went down Bald Spur Road a couple of weeks ago
22 to have a look down at the bottom and it looked like a
23 cemetery to me with the flowers which were there. It was
24 providence that I wasn't there, that my family are safe,
25 pure providence, and my direct neighbours, they had an
26 appointment with their son at the doctor's at 9 o'clock in
27 the morning. Otherwise we would have all been in this
28 together. It would have been a lot higher.
29 Thank you very much, indeed, Dr Harvey. We very much
30 appreciate you giving evidence?---Thank you for giving me
31 the opportunity.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
next >>>
I saw Andy taking some video footage of some different street scenes. He was by himself and I hoped to get the chance to talk to him but didn't want to interrupt his work. As soon as my daughter and I walked by he was picking up his camera and moving to a different location. I asked about some of the shots he was trying to get and it turns out he's a reporter for one of the local stations. He was incredibly friendly as he explained a story he was working on. It involved several things about the community including why the Springs doesn't have a city wide New Years celebration. Being that Andy works in front of the camera on a regular basis I thought he wouldn't mind me taking his photo for the project, and he was very receptive. In this picture I think I caught a great smile because I was standing on the tips of my toes trying to get eye level as he's a bit taller than me. I think this gave him a little chuckle. I was impressed that Andy was working on this story around 3pm and was going to have it all together for the 5pm news. As he was packing up he mentioned he was going to have to hustle. Even with this deadline he still took the time to talk with me and get a few pictures taken. Andy was incredibly friendly, professional and a great representative of his organization. Thanks Andy!
This picture is #55 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
Brand: Matchbox
Series: 2019 Construction 2/20
Livery: N/A
Scale: 1/64
Base: Black plastic - ©2018 Mattel
Collector/casting number: 31/100 - MB1073
Country of manufacture: Thailand
Place/date of purchase: Wal-Mart 2019
Condition: Minty fresh, boxed 10/10
Remarks/comments: I was happy to see a M.A.N. being released. Though as happier I'd be if it was a full on lorry, a tipper will suffice.
Although this batch of photos were taken just last night, these finds were from mid March. I've decided to do my best and un-packaged at least one of each car I get and store them in little clear boxes. At least for the ones that fit, the rest will have to do without.
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
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A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
so, this is ONE of the hotels where the wedding will be that i'm shooting tomorrow... clearly at night, i wanted to get a different perspective from what most get... and of course this is with my 17-50mm 2.8
TheDiet Chronicles Documents an example of healthy eating or rather mindful eating. An idea of a way one "could" eat as a means to eat healthy and enjoy the process. As black belts and martial artist we are aware that Heart Disease is the number one cause of death among Americans and 1 out of 3 people will develop Type 2 Diabetes. It only makes sense then to make Healthy Eating a part of any self-defense program. Statistics show more people will be hurt by what's on their plate than they ever will be by a punch, kick, throw, or grappling match. Learning martial art techniques is important but where it stops the self-discipline of eating healthy and mindfully begins. Just an idea we explore and one that I ask my students to explore as well.
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
SoulPancake Week 3: Get Punched!
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier...
...While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
~The Killers, All These Things I've Done
[one of my favorites to jam to]
I've never been in a fist fight. In middle school there was a girl that wanted to fight me. We had other people around us, and she just kept ASKING ME to hit her first. I didn't. It'd mean I'd be the one to be suspended and I didn't want that. She eventually walked away and that was that.
Aside from the physical, there's the mental and emotional punches we get. And when I get one, and it's hard enough to stick w/ me and hurt, like a bruise would, I keep it moving forward. I put on my make-up, put on clothes and shoes that make me feel good, listen to good music and keep going. I don't "mask" the bruise, but I don't give it any glory. I find my way of healing instead of staying in the nursing stage too long.
So as the lyric says, "the battle is won, w/ all these things I've done".
and building too. a matter of brick after brick and things barely held inside. re: your subconscious somewhat spilling even though you're silent, even though you ain't been talking for hours on end and coworkers get funny about that and after a while somebody will come and say what's up with you? your head seems to be elsewhere and you'd really want to reply you can count on that, darling, it's as elsewhere as it gets and guess what, i'm not inviting you but somehow you just mildly stare and whisper oh, i got little sleep and turn around and laugh so loud that it deafens you but they won't hear a thing,
This is an old Intel 80386DX CPU die from an old Dell desktop computer from the late 1980's. This CPU die has been sitting in a draw for the last 20 years or so. I always wanted to see what one of these looked like in person. My first and second attempts at cracking open newer CPU's ended in failure. It seems that after the 686 series of CPU's manufactures started to use epoxy to permanently bond the CPU die to the socket, making it impossible to expose the die. These old CPU's simply had a metal cover held in place with glue. As you can see I did manage to crack the socket and the die itself.
This time I made sure the lens and CPU die were parallel to one another. This way I could get and even DOF throughout the whole image. This picture is also sharper to since I used the viewfinder and the D7000's rangefinder for better accuracy.
For this setup I used my D7000 and 40mm 2.8G DX macro lens. I fitted a +2 closeup filter which really didn't seem to do anything for this lens. The setup was tripod mounted facing down at the CPU. I had both of my SB-700's setup on either side of the lens both fitted with diffusers and both set to 1/25th power. My settings were aperture f22, shutter 160th and ISO 100. I used the MC-DC2 remote trigger and the D7000's mirror up function to eliminate any chance of camera shake.
I call this photo... A Winter Wonderland. This is more of a wide shot of my neighborhood. I was walking down the street and was inspired to get and object of color that pops out of the photo. If you look closely one can recognize the hazard cone in the photo. I took about 5 frames a second in order to get the perfect lighting from the sun. WB is set off. the ISO was on 6M
During a recent visit to Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, I spotted something swimming rather fast up one of the streams toward where we were walking on the boardwalk.
Luckily there was a small path leading to the stream, so I snuck off to the edge of the stream as close as I could get and waited to see what was coming our way?
Definitely a critter! And the Sanctuary had a sign posted nearby with the variety of wildlife there including beaver and muskrat. I'm guessing this is a Muskrat.
My first sighting ever and even though it's not the best shot, it was still probably the highlight of my visit at the BLBS!
09/26/2019 10:50 PM EDT
( Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Jim Jeffrey and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Policy, Emerging Threats, and Outreach Thomas DiNanno of the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance On U.S. Policy on Syria and D-ISIS )
MS ORTAGUS: Okay, so we’re on the record. Everybody knows Jim. I’m not supposed to have a favorite special representative, but you’re my favorite special representative for Syria. (Laughter.) Feeling punchy at the end of the day here. Thomas DiNanno, who has the longest title at the State Department – he is the senior bureau official and deputy assistant secretary for defense, policy, emerging threats, and outreach, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance. That’s like —
QUESTION: Can’t you make that into an acronym?
MS ORTAGUS: I know, I know.
MR DINANNO: We have one, actually.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay, you guys want to come in? You guys, get a seat.
Okay, so Jim’s going to make some opening remarks, and are you going to make any opening remarks too?
MR DINANNO: Yeah, I’ll say a few things.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay. We’ll let the two of them and then we can go into Q&A, and then I’m going for a drink. (Laughter.)
Okay, go ahead, Jim.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Okay, thank you, Morgan. Hello, everybody. In my two closely related portfolios of Syria-everything and Daesh in Iraq and Syria, my team brought us up here to do four basic things, and we think that we hit on all cylinders on all four.
First of all, the political process, the only way forward to resolve the Syrian conflict that’s been going on since 2011. We pressed hard, as did our partners, particularly NATO countries and Arab League members, for a constitutional committee under UN Resolution 2254. That’s been languishing since December 2015. With a lot of pressure from the international community and a great job by the secretary-general, we got the two sides – which means mainly the Damascus regime, because the Syrian opposition basically are willing to move forward. The Damascus regime was holding off for years. They agreed to launch this thing. It will be launched within the coming weeks. You saw the secretary-general’s announcement. We stand full-square behind this.
This is not the end of the efforts by Assad to get a military victory, we don’t think, or even the efforts of Iran and Russia to support him. But it shows that they were under pressure, and being under pressure, they’ve at least opened the door to a political solution. This is still symbolic at this point. We need to keep the pressure on and we will, and our friends and allies will as well, but we also need to recognize that there may be a glimmer of hope that this conflict can be ended the right way.
There is – between a political solution under 2254 and a military victory, as Assad wants it, these are mutually exclusive. I want to emphasize that. These are mutually exclusive. You cannot have one, you cannot have the other, and we particularly tell our friends who we negotiate with all the time in Moscow that that’s the way it is. That was the first thing.
Secondly, Idlib. That’s an example of people pushing forward. The Assad regime, supported by the Russians and the Iranians – it created a huge international outburst of anger and criticism. It led to the secretary-general just two weeks ago opening up a board of inquiry into what’s happened there and then a resolution in the Security Council that 12 nations, including the U.S., supported strongly. It was vetoed by Russia and China. It called for a ceasefire, a real ceasefire, but alas, Russia and China could not go on with one that didn’t give them what we call a cut-out to kill terrorists, which means to continue a bombing offensive against civilians and a massive military movement on the ground.
Thirdly, defeat ISIS. ISIS is still around, and it contributes to the insecurity and the problems in Syria in many different ways. We’ve worked very hard to keep the focus on ISIS with an accountability event that was kicked off by Amal Clooney this morning organized by the Dutch and the Iraqis – we support it strongly – on how to ensure that ISIS crimes are pursued by the international community and that those people that we have now captured are brought to justice. This is a huge priority for the President and Secretary, and we thought we made progress there.
The fourth is accountability. We had meeting after meeting, beginning with Caesar, the code name for the brave Syrian who took the 55,000 pictures of the horrors of the Assad prisons and who’s now the namesake of a bill working its way through Congress – we hope that passes soon – which will give even stronger tools to sanction the Assad regime to the U.S. administration.
And we expect that our allies, particularly the European Union, will find ways to increase their sanctions. In fact, they’re doing that right now. But we also looked at other events with the victims of Assad’s crimes, brought Syrians to the attention of the international community, to the UN, to NGOs such as the International Crisis Group which hosted one of these events, to our European partners.
And finally, today the Secretary laid out a particularly important case of accountability for the use of chemical weapons, and I’ll turn that over now to Tom to continue on that.
MR DINANNO: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. As Secretary Pompeo announced earlier today, the United States will provide an additional 4.5 million to support the OPCW mandate to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria. It supports two core functions of the OPCW: if chemical weapons were used; and to identify who did it, simply put.
This work is vital. It is important to ensure accountability. I’d also like to point out this is not a unilateral effort. We’d like to thank our partners and allies that have made a commitment and who share the burden so these ongoing attribution efforts can continue.
That’s all I have.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Shaun.
QUESTION: Thanks. I was wondering if you could give us any more details regarding the Secretary’s announcement today about the chlorine attack. Is there anything more you can say about the incident and in terms of whether civilians were targeted – in particular, about the information that you had, and I mean, what actually transpired in (inaudible).
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We know that – first of all, the date. We know that a number of individuals were injured. We don’t quite know their status. No one was killed. And this was in an area that the regime had tried for several weeks to capture through military action. You’ll remember a year ago when the threat to Idlib first came out and the President, just before coming up here, stated that any offensive into Idlib would be a reckless escalation. That’s how we see it.
One of the many reasons for that is that we fear that the regime, which has very weak infantry forces, will try to use chemical weapons once again to make up for its inability to seize ground by combat power. So these warnings of not going into Idlib, while there’s terrorist problems if you go into Idlib, there’s refugee problems, there’s geostrategic problems, there’s also the problem of them using chemical weapons, and we wanted to make clear that we would respond if they do use chemical weapons.
In this case, we actually went public right after the event, saying that we had seen indications of this and were looking into it. It took us quite a while. Can you explain a bit why – how we weigh these things and what factors we use?
MR DINANNO: Yes, sir. I think it’s important, as the ambassador points out, that the chemical forensic work to gather the samples, it’s very difficult to get inspectors in. The regime denies the – any OPCW access at every chance they get. And it’s also critical that those samples are correct and that the forensics and the chemistry is done with great detail and to make sure they’re precise. So it took us some time to work through the results, and we’re confident today that we can announce with certainty that it was, in fact, chlorine.
QUESTION: Can I have a follow-up? When Shaun today asked about what the response was going to be, the Secretary seemed to make a distinction about these being chlorine attacks. My understanding was that the Douma attacks last year were also chlorine attacks, and they drew a very strong military reaction from the West. Why is that different from what these attacks are if it’s the same chemical?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: I think they were both chlorine and sarin. I’m not sure on the —
QUESTION: I don’t think OPCW concluded that.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We’ll check. But the point is chlorine is covered by the CWC. It is a toxic chemical. All toxic chemicals are covered. Do you want to explain the difference with chlorine? Chlorine is a slight difference, as the Secretary indicated, because of another characteristic of it.
MR DINANNO: Yeah, it does have an industrial use, and that’s why it is actually not outlawed per se. But the weaponization of chlorine is outlawed. Article 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits —
QUESTION: Sure.
MR DINANNO: So chlorine is outlawed, but I also think it’s important that we point out that we feel that the action that we’re taking today is proportionate and it’s appropriate, and there are several levers of power that the Secretary laid out today. We’ve used them over the course of the Syrian events, and today we’re talking about diplomatic and economic levers that we, again, feel are appropriate and proportionate to what happened there.
QUESTION: So to be clear, we’re talking about number of fatalities, where the Douma attacks killed over 40 people and they drew a very strong military response from the West versus what happened in May of this year where several people were wounded but not killed, and right now we’re looking at diplomatic and economic punishments, correct?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We’re not going to tie ourselves down to any military or other political or diplomatic action based upon any specific criteria. We’re going to look at everything. To quote the Secretary, you should appreciate – “The world should appreciate the fact that we’re going to do everything we can reasonably do to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.” I think, to pick up – to carry off on Tom’s expression of proportional, the word “reasonable” is in there. Four people were wounded; it was four months ago.
MS ORTAGUS: Go ahead, Michael.
QUESTION: Michael Gordon, Wall Street —
MS ORTAGUS: Go ahead. Yeah, yeah. Sorry.
QUESTION: I’m Michael Gordon, Wall Street Journal. Just on that – two things just on that question. Can you just state for the record whether the Douma attack was chlorine only? Because my understanding is it was mixture of chlorine and sarin.
MR DINANNO: I think you’re right, but we’ll take that back.
QUESTION: No, but just let us know.
MR DINANNO: I think you’re right. Yeah.
MS ORTAGUS: No, we’ll get it. Ruben will do it.
QUESTION: My question is: In this latest episode, how high do you think the responsibility goes in the Syrian regime? Do you have any information to indicate this was an action by a low-level commander or a more senior Syrian authority? And was it one rocket, several rockets? And do you think any – the Russians would have been aware of this since they’re heavily invested and have a big presence in Syria?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We can’t give you a specific answer, Michael. First of all, it would almost be certainly be classified if we had a specific answer. What I can tell you is that from very extensive experience with an exposure to military decisions taken by the Assad regime, two things are apparent: First of all, every decision – seemingly, every little decision that are taken by sergeants and captains in the U.S. military go all the way to the top in that country. And given the record of what happens if you use chemical weapons during the Trump administration, it’s really hard to believe that somebody would have been foolish enough to do that without very high-level clearance.
The second point is that Russia has its advisory teams throughout the entire command and staff of the Syrian army at all levels. These are the best soldiers Russia has. They are extremely experienced, we deal with them every day on deconfliction and other things. They are first-class – we see their first-class work, staff work, their first-class professionalism. It is very hard for me to think that professionals as good as that, the way they are spread out, would not have known something like this, which is a very unique event. It’s the first time it’s happened in over a year.
MS ORTAGUS: Nadia.
QUESTION: Nadia Bilbassy with Al Arabiya. President Erdogan just said that he’s coordinating with the United States about setting up a safe zone in northern Syria. Can you walk us through some of this coordination, and how are you going to protect the interests of the Kurds considering the Turkish position?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Well, we’ve been working with Turkey on this issue for some time. You all know the background. We went in on the ground as part of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS back in 2014 to support local forces, many of whom were offshoots of, at the time, the YPG of PYD which is essentially a PKK-linked element of the Kurdish movement in Syria that later expanded into the SDF with many additions of Arab fighters to fight Daesh. And it was very effective. This is the force that finished off Daesh in March of 2019, just a few months ago, down on the Euphrates near the Iraqi border.
But beginning in Mambiche across the Euphrates back in the late spring of 2018, we worked agreements with the Turks because the Turks, understandably, having lost many tens of thousands of people to a PKK insurgency that began in 1984, are very worried about a large force of people commanded by folks who have ties to the PKK just to their selves. They have a big problem with the PKK presence in northeastern Iraq, for example, in the Qandil Mountains. And so they told us that they were worried about this. We acknowledged that. We actually talked to the people in northeast Syria – and there are many groups – and they all sort of understand that the Turks do have a reason to be concerned. The Turks have an option, of course, to act militarily. They did that in Afrin, they did that in Jarabulus, and al-Bab, either against PKK elements, or what they thought were PKK elements, or against Daesh – they attacked both.
So in order to preserve the security of the northeast and the stability, allow us to continue our battle against Daesh and meet Turkish and local security concerns, we worked up a safe zone proposal with everybody involved that has the YPG pulling back its forces and its heavy weapons various distances depending upon the location and the kind of activity. It then puts – pulls – it gets rid of all fortifications, again, in certain zones, then various patrols and activities and joint Turkish-American military activities take place. Many of them have already begun, including I think four joint helicopter flights, many Turkish overflights that they coordinated with us, and several joint patrols on the ground of U.S. and Turkish troops. This is going to continue and expand. We think it’s a success. The Turks, of course, want us to move faster on this; it’s their security interest. But all in all, I think everybody is doing a good job.
QUESTION: Can I ask a follow-up on that?
MS ORTAGUS: Sure, go ahead.
QUESTION: Reuters, Humeyra Pamuk. Erdogan also just said that their military deployment, and like their military preparations on the border are ready. A couple of weeks ago, he said that we’re – not in very definitive terms, but said that we will give them two weeks for the safe zone negotiations to be wrapped up, and then we’re planning an incursion. And they’ve done this before. How do you feel about this? What would the U.S. be doing if Turkey went ahead with this?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Okay, first of all we have an agreement – we actually called it an arrangement with the Turks, a military-to-military agreement that has certain political aspects that we are prepared to talk more about, such as refugee return. But this military-to-military arrangement, we are executing faithfully and as rapidly as we can. We believe the Turks are pretty aware that we are doing a good job. Everybody would like the other side to move faster, to be even better. That’s not something unusual in diplomatic affairs, but again, we are generally satisfied. We listen to the Turks’ concerns. We try to respond to them when we can. And we have made it clear to Turkey at every level that any unilateral operation is not going to lead to an improvement in anyone’s security – not Turkey’s, not the people in the northeast, not the people around the world who feel threatened by Daesh, which is the basic purpose for our U.S. military being in the northeast in the first place.
MS ORTAGUS: Conor.
QUESTION: Conor Finnegan from ABC. The stabilization work that the U.S. is doing in Syria is continuing with funding from other countries —
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: In northeast Syria, you mean.
QUESTION: In northeast Syria, correct. I’d heard that that funding is starting to run out. Are there diplomatic efforts to secure more funding from countries?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Yes to everything.
QUESTION: Very good. May I ask a second question then? What role would the SDF and their civilian counterparts in the civilian structure in northeast Syria play in a constitutional committee event?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Yeah, this comes up all the time, including with our Turkish NATO partners. We went into northeast Syria, as I said, to pursue Daesh and to help the people of that area defend themselves, because at Kobani they were making a ferocious stand against a equally ferocious Daesh attack. We have made it clear to all of our partners in northeast Syria that we do not have a political agenda other than the minimal amount of stabilization and political back and forth, including with our USAID and State assistance teams, and a few political officers we put out there as well the U.S. military’s special forces on the ground, to facilitate a stable platform to continue the defeat-ISIS activities.
Our only political goal for Syria is a unified Syria within its current borders that works its way through the process of 2254, which envisions UN-monitored and managed free and fair elections throughout Syria and among the large diaspora that has fled Assad. That is the political future of the people of the northeast, the people of the northwest, the people everywhere in Syria from our standpoint. We have no other agenda. We’ve made that clear a thousand times.
QUESTION: So would they participate, though, in the —
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Of course.
QUESTION: And would it do more than to empower the opposition if you could help to unite them and the other rebel groups in – elsewhere in the country?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: It’s an interesting question, but I’m looking around to some of my colleagues, including here, who, like me, have spent a decade and a half trying to do that on the backs of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops and hundreds of billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, and we weren’t all that successful. We don’t have any kind of T.E. Lawrence political scheme for – or even a Jim Jeffrey 2004 Baghdad scheme to try to weave these things together, okay? So I’m getting too old for this.
MS ORTAGUS: No, never.
QUESTION: Just as you were speaking, there was a statement by the Russian foreign ministry that said the United States announcement about the alleged attack was going to maybe affect the perspectives of – the perspectives of the political process. Could you respond?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: If this political process in the eyes of the Russians is so fragile that telling the truth about war crimes committed by their ally, the Assad regime, leads to some kind of issue, whatever that might be because we don’t know what Lavrov is talking about, then the Russians weren’t serious about it in the first place.
QUESTION: But you still have discussions with Russia?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Of course.
MS ORTAGUS: And we meet them tomorrow. Jennifer.
QUESTION: Hi. Jennifer Hansler, CNN. Can you talk about any specific conversations that were had this week about combatting radicalization in these refugee camps like al-Hol?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We have had them. It has come up in essentially every – it has come up literally in every meeting that I have been involved in in a multilateral setting. That is, the various ones on accountability that were organized by the Dutch and the Iraqis, various meetings – we had the small group meeting at the ministerial level with Secretary Pompeo hosted by the British this afternoon. The issue of radicalization came up, and it comes up all of the time. This is something that we are very focused on. I can’t give you a specific date, time, and who said what because most of these things were behind closed doors and subject to diplomatic limits and restrictions. But I will say that it is on everybody’s mind.
QUESTION: Can you say any specific steps that might be taken to try and combat this (inaudible)?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Right, the specific steps that everybody is more or less agreed on – although executing is more difficult – are to, first of all, separate the leaders, the instigators, from the rest of the community, work on small children to give them alternatives to essentially playing the same games that they watched their fathers and mothers play when they – Daesh was ruling a good chunk of Syria. And thirdly and most importantly, get the women and children, because that’s the main problem right now, in al-Hol camp, back to their communities. About 60,000 of the 70,000 there are from Iraq and Syria.
There’s efforts underway. I have talked this week with Iraqi officials specifically on that issue, and others are talking about that. We’re also working with the SDF, the SDC, and local authorities in northeast Syria to move people back to their communities because many of the 30,000 Syrian women and children come from the northeast. So that is the basic thing we’re trying to do, trying to deradicalize people in an environment like that. We’ve spent a lot of time, because it’s obviously in the media a lot, talking to people who are on the ground. I’ve been out there since this issue came up three times talking to the people who are delivering aid right in the camps, and their advice from years of experience, our military’s advice from running Camp Bucca and Abu Ghraib, is that when they’re concentrated like this, forget about trying to deradicalize a big number of them beyond, as I said separating out the instigators, spreading people out by moving them out of the camp, and going after vulnerable groups like children.
MS ORTAGUS: Michael.
QUESTION: Yeah. Michel Ghandour of Al Hurra.
MS ORTAGUS: I mean Michel, sorry. I’m really tired. You know what I meant. I got an M right.
QUESTION: No worries. Did the small group on Syria take any decisions regarding the use of chemical weapons? And what steps then?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: The small group will be issuing a statement as I speak on the overall situation. It covers the chemical weapons. I believe the language is: The use of any chemical weapons in Syria is unacceptable. Secretary Pompeo, as he indicated in his press conference, did brief the small group on our findings and on his statement today.
MS ORTAGUS: David.
QUESTION: You said this happened four months ago, that it was four people wounded. Can you tell us why you’ve chosen to highlight it at this particular time given that there have been quite a number of similar attacks in the past?
MR DINANNO: Yeah, I think I mentioned earlier the attribution process, the technical process, the chemical forensics take some time, and we need to get it right. And there was coordination among friendly nations as well to share information, so —
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: As soon as we got it fully right, believe me, our decision to act, as the Secretary laid it out, including laying him on, choosing the venue, taking the actions that he described, moved at warp speed for the U.S. Government. So this wasnt something we were delaying just for the fun of it. As I said, it took us a while to figure it out.
MS ORTAGUS: Last question. Lara.
QUESTION: Jim, could you bring us up to speed on negotiations with the Turks on the size and depth of the safe zone? As you know, President Erdogan wants it to go to Deir ez-Zor and go down 20 miles. Where are we on the U.S. side?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: They are continuing on specifics, although a good deal of general military-to-military principles have been agreed. We dont discuss the specific depths of the safe zone, because from area to area and weve only done one basically one third of the northeast right now. Were doing this in three segments; weve only done one third. And it varies from area to area for one reason or another, including security for certain third country forces or other forces that are roaming around there. And depending upon the activity, theres one set of variable depths for the withdrawal of the YPG, another for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, another for joint U.S. and Turkish ground patrols, another for the movement of aviation. And so its quite confusing and we know and the YPG knows and the Turks know in a given area where the zone should be, and Ill just leave it at that.
QUESTION: Well he wants, as you know, to make it larger so more refugees can come back from Turkey and resettle in that safe zone.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We are talking to the Turks and we did today, in fact, about refugees returning, as we have agreed in our document, in a safe, voluntary, and dignified way. And the discussions weve been having with the Turks weve also been having them with the European Union focus on the role of the UNHCR and other international humanitarian agencies who would need to be helpful in any significant movement back. But we have signed up for the return of refugees to their homes if they came to that area. Thats part of our overall position on the Syrian conflict in general, and including the northeast, and including in this arrangement.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay.
QUESTION: And just ending at the Euphrates, correct still?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: This arrangement ends at the Euphrates. We have a separate agreement with the Turks on Manbij which also involves a return of refugees. Thats on the other side of the Euphrates. But this is why I get I start getting confused myself when I start talking about specific geographic areas and which specific depths and arrangements, and which agreement covers them. Were executing as best we can all of them and working with the Turks and with our local partners in the northeast for that end.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Thanks.
QUESTION: Thank you.
The first picture books with Augmented Reality (AR) 'What lola Wants...Lola gets' and 'Tyrone the Clean 'o' Saurus. Published by Scribblers A division of Book House an Imprint of the Salariya Book Company. Sneak preview at the Book Nook, Hove.
she saved one or more from every state she lived in. my great grandma is a very strong woman that has traveled the world, has always kept her faith in god no matter how hard life gets and has always kept herfamily together. i love u!
Most people here where I live will tell you, “If you’re not in New Jersey or New York, your pizza sucks!” Having lived here some 20 years now, I’d certainly agree.
I was reading a piece on the web the other day about hot dogs. I’d never given hot dogs much thought before. Growing up in Texas, my family didn’t really eat that many hot dogs. We had enough German places around that we’d usually get a bratwurst or some other type of sausage made of unknown, delicious “mystery meat.”
Even as a young kid in Texas, I could tell that Oscar Mayer hot dogs were as tasteless and as terrible as their bologna and I wanted no part of them. So, we didn’t eat many hot dogs in our house.
The article I was reading went into great detail about hot dogs made in factories in New York and New Jersey. It made a similar claim about hot dogs as pizza. That is, if you’re not eating a hot dog made at a factory in New York or New Jersey, you’re probably eating a fairly pedestrian and tasteless dog.
Evidently, our hot dogs tend to have more spices and a smokier flavor that hot dogs made elsewhere.
I consulted with the oracle (Jersey Shore Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring) and we decided to do an unscientific hot dog experiment.
Aggie Ring and I visited Wenning (Jersey Shore wholesale meat market, est. 1922), the Restaurant Depot (major restaurant supplier) and a few other locations to procure the hot dogs and a few other supplies. Note: You can buy fresh hot dogs at some of the local Polish butcher shops, but we decided to go with just mass marketed hot dogs.
While there are quite a number of NY/NJ dogs, we simply went with the brands: Nathan’s Coney Island, Best’s, WindMill (a Jersey Shore tradition and Aggie Ring be all about tradition because that what he do), and Sabrett. If you’ve ever had a “dirty water” dog in NYC or a number of other places, it was probably a Sabrett. All of the hot dogs were 100% beef as the beef/pork dogs tend to be of lower quality and dry out when they are cooked. Each company makes a variety of hot dogs (length, beef/fat content, etc.) We attempted to buy the version that most of the food trucks or dirty water carts use. We picked both natural casing and skinless.
Turkey and chicken hot dogs weren’t even considered as turkey and chicken are no more hot dogs than vegetable protein is ground beef.
Aggie Ring and I also procured a pound of dried habanero peppers, hot dog potato buns, a bag of onions, kraut, and a half gallon of Cholula Hot Sauce (very popular hot sauce in NY/NJ).
There’s really only one proper way to cook a hot dog (or sausage for that manner). You boil it for 5 or 6 minutes and then you put it on the BBQ or hot skillet and crisp/blacken the outside. Otherwise, you’ll wind up with a dried out, sad, unhappy dog.
We consumed one of each type of dog in a typical Jersey Shore style. Potato roll, kraut, chili, and mustard. Garnish was chopped white onion.
One can pretty much use any brand of mustard. Aggie Ring had me pick out Nathan’s Coney Island Deli Style Mustard. First, because Nathan’s is as American as one can get and secondly, because Coney Island is the origin of Aggie Ring’s song. “What song?” you gentle readers might ask. Well, apparently there’s this song called, “The Aggie War Hymn.” Perhaps some of you reading this might have heard it before. Seems that while the lyrics to the “Aggie War Hymn” were written at A&M College of Texas, the music is from a song called “Coney Island Baby” or a title similar to that.
When Aggie Ring and I learned the history of the Coney Island song music, Aggie Ring told me, “Well… that explains why so many high schools around the United States have what we thought was the “Aggie War Hymn” as their fight song.”
As for the chili, it was chili with beans. Yes, we know that is redundant. If it doesn’t have beans, it can’t be called chili. It’s Sloppy Joe filling, not chili. Even the good folks in the Great State of Texas know that it’s not chili without beans. Well, the educated sophisticated ones do, at least.
One at a time, we boiled then pan grilled each type of dog. What can we say? They were all delicious. Aggie Ring noticed that the skinless dogs did crisp/blacken up easier than the ones in the natural casing. Not really an issue though. Just a minute or two longer on the pan.
I realized that I’d have way over 20 times the number of hot dogs that I could possibly eat in a week or two. Back when I was 16 and in high school in Bellaire, Texas (Houston) my band buddies and I started hitting the bars. Several of my high school band buddies were Czech speaking so we’d head up to Czech towns in Texas where they had family farms. Almost any little bar or country store in Texas back into the 80s had big ass jars of snacks. Usually, pickled eggs, pickled pigs’ feet, and pickled hot dogs.
Aggie Ring say, “We can keep these dogs for a year if we pickle them.” That what Aggie Ring do.
We boiled up a brine using white vinegar, hot sauce, dried habanero peppers, and pickling spice. We made the great mistake of standing over it while it was at the boil and accidentally inhaled it. “This is what the British soldiers in World War I must have felt like when the Germans used gas on them.” said Aggie Ring. It was painful and there were tears.
While the brine was cooling, Aggie Ring and I cut the dogs into thirds, sliced up a big ass bunch of sweet yellow onions, peeled four heads of fresh garlic and crushed it. We placed a layer of onion/garlic/ and sliced fresh habanero at the bottom of each of the dozen quart jars.
“Pack the hell of them dogs into the jars.” said Aggie Ring. “I don’t want any left over or we’ll have to eat them tomorrow and you are so close to getting back to your A&M waist size.”
We poured the cooled brine into each jar and sealed them. We’ll probably be giving most away to friends and to the local, Jersey Shore college musicians we know who live in the band house. Seems that when you smoke the “Texas Tea or Devil’s Lettuce,” one gets the munchies.
And thus, ends the short tail of the Texas Aggie Ring Jersey Shore Hot Dog Experiment.
After Action Review: I really need to buy a box of disposable gloves. I’ve taken a shower and washed my hands at least half a dozen times in hot soapy water and I can still smell garlic and onion on them.
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
"Surprise Splash"
______________________________________________________________________
In July of 2011, while photographing and freezing fireworks no longer felt like a challenge, and I began to realize that a lot of the pictures had seemed to look way too similar to each other. To solve this problem, I wanted to get a little experimental and spice things up a bit with some creativity. I developed a few deeply thought out techniques to be executed within the camera at the time of the photo being taken, to that make the fireworks look like anything except for what we are used to perceiving as an actual "firework".
This experimentation and creative technique, had proven fireworks to be my favorite things to photograph, as well as leading me to win 3rd place in the Popular Photography Magazine's "Your Best Shot Contest", with this photo:
"Abstract Explosion"
www.flickr.com/photos/nickbenben/5939053732
(Which can be found in the April Issue of Popular Photography Magazine)
When the celebrations began in 2012 for the anniversary of America's independence, I set out with a mission to photograph as many firework displays as I possibly had the time and energy for. My goal was to refine and improve my techniques and experiment further, to get and idea of what other immense and colorful designs I would be able to create - with no expectations.
***Instead of uploading a whole batch all at once, I will be revealing a new abstract firework photograph DAILY, for the next 30 days - to keep things more interesting***
Thank you so much for taking your time to read what I wrote, and for spending the time to look at my work.
Please, don't be afraid to share your thoughts- I'd love to know what you think.
I hope you enjoy some of my most recent results!
______________________________________________________________________
© Nick Benson, All rights reserved. Use of this image without permission is illegal.
If you like my work and you would like to see more, please feel free to visit my website, nickbensonphoto.com.
One of the best ways you can stay updated with my current and most recent work, is by liking my fan page on Facebook!
______________________________________________________________________
this f430 convert. was at Lexus Rivercenter for an autism awareness fund raiser. Did not get and great shots from this event (this was probably the best :()
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
"Linear Color Splash"
______________________________________________________________________
In July of 2011, while photographing and freezing fireworks no longer felt like a challenge, and I began to realize that a lot of the pictures had seemed to look way too similar to each other. To solve this problem, I wanted to get a little experimental and spice things up a bit with some creativity. I developed a few deeply thought out techniques to be executed within the camera at the time of the photo being taken, to that make the fireworks look like anything except for what we are used to perceiving as an actual "firework".
This experimentation and creative technique, had proven fireworks to be my favorite things to photograph, as well as leading me to win 3rd place in the Popular Photography Magazine's "Your Best Shot Contest", with this photo:
"Abstract Explosion"
www.flickr.com/photos/nickbenben/5939053732
(Which can be found in the April Issue of Popular Photography Magazine)
When the celebrations began in 2012 for the anniversary of America's independence, I set out with a mission to photograph as many firework displays as I possibly had the time and energy for. My goal was to refine and improve my techniques and experiment further, to get and idea of what other immense and colorful designs I would be able to create - with no expectations.
***Instead of uploading a whole batch all at once, I will be revealing a new abstract firework photograph DAILY, for the next 30 days - to keep things more interesting***
Thank you so much for taking your time to read what I wrote, and for spending the time to look at my work.
Please, don't be afraid to share your thoughts- I'd love to know what you think.
I hope you enjoy some of my most recent results!
______________________________________________________________________
© Nick Benson, All rights reserved. Use of this image without permission is illegal.
If you like my work and you would like to see more, please feel free to visit my website, nickbensonphoto.com.
One of the best ways you can stay updated with my current and most recent work, is by liking my fan page on Facebook!
______________________________________________________________________
This is someone else showing my board that asphault is not as good as it gets.
And, for the record, he landed this clean.
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
Descriptions
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
In what can only be described as epic, I just wrapped up a massive playtime with the kiddos that developed into an unbelievably fun Thundercats story arc that seemingly went on for hours! Ha!
It begins with a classic setup; the Thundercats battling their fan favorite mutant, Monkian (known around here only as Monkey-Man, of course). Monkey-Man makes a play for the Sword of Omens, which he never succeeds in getting, and in due course battles every Thundercat including a head-to-head with the Thundertank itself.
In the end, he actually gets killed this time. As opposed to the usual route, where he's tossed in Thunder-Jail. However, the kiddos kinda felt bad about this, and used the power of the Sword of Omens to bring Monkey-Man back to life! Grateful for their benevolence, Monkey-Man actually turns good and joins the Thundercats team!
This is when the playtime takes an unprecedented turn. Monkey-Man was only pretending to be a good guy! HA! He uses the Thundercats trust to betray them and successfully steal the Sword of Omens! Double HA!
With the power of the Eye of Thundara at his command, he now becomes Monkey-O, Lord of the ThunderMonkeys! Triple HA! Monkey-O not only becomes super powerful, but also defeats all of the existing Thundercats in short order. However, two new Thundercats come to their aid; Battle-Star and Tiger-Girl. And in the end it is Tiger-Girl, who possesses the quickness of Cheetara and the stealth of Tygra, that is able to snatch the sword away from Monkey-O, allowing the other Thundercats to quickly defeat him.
Epic.
Ha ha ha! It was so good that I had to capture it in this photo. Ahhhh, good times. Good times.
Frigid morning Flatiron shoot. Boulder, Colorado
I hope you enjoy today's post. If you like what you see the greatest compliment you could give me is to share this with others. I appreciate all the feedback, comments and 'likes' I get and read and respond to every one of them.
- Noah Katz
Hit 'L' and check this out on black. It really stands out great.
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A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
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Offerings. Depending on how much is offered will depend on how many led candles one gets and for how long.
Jeremy: "I've finished dad"
Dad: "great, I'll get and candle for it, you go and round up the rest of the gang for a photo"
Purchased at the Long Beach flea for $10.
I am not supposed to buy anymore vintage Christmas stuff but I could not pass this up. I treasure every Christmas card I get... and I do like to support the vendors at flea markets. That's hard work.
St Andrew, Sapiston, Suffolk
This lonely church sits not half a mile from its neighbouring church of All Saints, Honington, although you will have to go rather a long way round if you are not on foot and able to take advantage of the footbridge over the River Blackbourne. St Andrew is set in rolling meadows, with the fields of the Euston estate beyond. It is not entirely alone, for nearby company consists of a huge farmhouse and a restored barn.
I have a very vivid memory of visiting this church in the early weeks of the new Millennium. At the time, I was doing a job I did not like, having been moved sideways by a manager whom I did not find it easy to work with. This made me depressed, and on a bright morning in early spring I got up and decided that I did not want to go to work.
Instead, I set off with my wife and our infant daughter into the countryside, and we ended up here. I remember sitting in the porch that day in the bright, low sunlight, listening to the small birds weaving around the graveyard. The sun warmed me, the birdsong lifted my heart, and I knew, if I had not known before, that there is more to life than getting and spending, and times would change, and the world would move on. And so it did.
St Andrew is an old building, and it looks its age. It was hardly touched by the enthusiasms of the late medieval period, and the 19th century restoration was early and light. It retains all the character of an intensely rural parish church. This is helped by the fact that it has been redundant for more than a quarter of a century, and the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. They have cleared it of clutter and left it as an ancient space should be, peaceful and purposeful.
It's usually the chancel door that's left unlocked, but if you head straight there you will miss the great glory of Sapiston church, which is within the south porch, quite the best Norman doorway in Suffolk, elaborate and beautiful. The extent of the convoluted arches is accentuated by the smallness of the doorway. It takes the breath away. There is nothing like a Norman doorway for restoring ones sense of proportion. It has stood there for nearly 800 years, which kind of puts your own troubles into perspective, don't you think? The blocks are set together in pairs, each one reflecting the scoop of its partner. Those in the inner arch are slightly larger than those in the outer arch, and the illusion is of a peacock displaying its tail feathers. A medieval head looks down from above it. At either end is a mass dial, from the days before the 14th century porch was built.
You step in to a gorgeous, rustic little interior, narrow, crowded, rough and ready. There is a transparent coolness in the stone, intensified by the thick Norman walls. The stone blocks on the floor, the spaced benches, create a sense of a different time, outside the loss of nerve and limited imagination of the modern world. The walls are whitewashed, except for where wall paintings remain. There are several large consecration crosses, and above the alcove of a former tomb recess in the north wall, a wall painting can just about be discerned as showing the martyrdom of St Edmund as at Troston across the fields. Beside it, a perfect rood loft stairway entrance.
An interesting feature is the set of Royal Arms. It is that of the House of Hanover, but again as at Troston this is a reused Stuart set, this time the floriated lettering and hastily inserted 2 giving the game away if the crudely repainted fourth quarter doesn't.
PH Ditchburn, in his enchanting 1913 celebration The Parish Clerk, recalls an incident at Sapiston church in the middle years of the 19th Century. The Duke of Grafton, on whose estates surrounded the church, was passing it on a Sunday while a service was on. He entered the vestry, motioned to the parish clerk to come out, and presented a large hare for the parson's kitchen, asking the clerk to put it quietly into his trap and inform him of the Duke's compliments at the end of the service. But the clerk, knowing his master would be pleased at the little attention, could not refrain from delivering both hare and message at once before the whole congregation. At the close of the hymn before the sermon he marched into a prominent position holding up the gift, and shouted out "His Grace's compliments, and please sir, he's sent ye a hare."
Twenty years ago I wrote that Sapiston church is a place to come to if you want to feel serene and human again, and to have your heart lifted. I've been back here now half a dozen times I suppose, but visiting in the late spring of 2019 I still felt this. It is always salutary to recall less secure and comfortable times from the vantage point of happier days. There is a pleasure in knowing that you have survived them.
I wandered around the lonely graveyard. In the middle of the day the sky had clouded over in the heat, the boilings of cumulus clouds that had accompanied me from Bury St Edmunds merging and dropping to form a blanket that swept in from the northern horizon. It would rain later, but for this perfect moment under the low sky I was alone with the gravestones, some dating back into the 17th century, their skulls and cherubs and hour glasses a warning of mortality, but also a reminder of the preciousness of life, as precious for me as it was for these, now resting forever in the birdsong on the bank of the River Blackbourne.
I've actually always wanted to take a picture like this! But since I was the one taking it, we kept getting and missing Stacy! Haha!
I just emailed my boss, 9:40am 3/19/19 about my concerns at work. I am afraid to speak my thoughts because I have been threatened before. By a co-worker and the boss. I may not have a job in a few hours. Very scared. Right at the moment I am shaking and my hands won't stop trembling. My heart is pounding. It has been this way for months on top of the usual anxiety I feel. I was having a panic attack all day on 3/8. The people around me don't seem all that concerned about it. Right now the co-worker I can't stand has on horrible smelling perfume. It makes my tongue itch and eyes water. Why can she get away with this???? I have been silenced by her and it is upsetting. I'm always the one to succumb to others.
I have a good manager at the gas station but I cannot live off of that income even if I worked full time there. My manager at the grocery store is great too, but he feels similar to me.
I wrote the thoughts below and took the above picture late at night on Friday 3/15 or early morning 3/16. I typed it all in my phone. :::::
I hate getting up in the morning. I’d rather stay up all night long than get up in the fricking morning. Because I am so tired. Tired of life and being alive. My manager at work tonight, Dale, he and I were talking, and at age 20, we never thought we’d be hurting so much and bringing in carts from the lot and straightening shelves of product. That’s the way it is..... I’ll do what I have to do. But it shouldn’t be this way. I pray to God that what He says “the last will be first” is true. However, I know that I do not have it as bad as some people do. But I pray to God, the LAST will be first, the people that sacrifice, the ones that aren’t comfortable, the ones that want to quit but can’t, I pray to God that we will be first.
I’m proud of what little money I make. I make it by myself. I get things I want AND need. I just want to share that with someone. I think my independence scares guys off. I want to be taken care of but it doesn’t mean I won’t work. I don’t understand why they think me working three jobs is ok. I don’t understand why some women have men that bend over backwards for them. I have yet to have that happen for me. So, right now, it is just me. I am happy with my life yet I hate my life. I deserve more. I am sick of this damn planet and government. No matter how hard you work, you really get nothing. The more jobs I get and “income” I get, mean nothing, I get more bills, more rent increases, and it doesn’t matter that I work so much. I make too much for any help. I make too much, yeah 50k, woo hoo!!!!!! But that is too much for help. Anyway..... I’m not sure I hate my life. It is just stupid. I see these tiny box-like houses, probably 800sq ft, and I would not qualify. I hate the credit score thing they go by here in America. It is BS. They have no idea why I let some bills go. I am trying to stay afloat. I am alone. And my rent keeps going up. The landlords (aka rental companies) don’t care, they just want their money. And they are doing just fine. No one cares about me, and my financial struggle every day, my physical struggle every day. I went to the bathroom this morning, (3/14/19 about 6am before I went back to bed) and was shaky and my body hurt just getting up. I thought to myself, at age 20 did I ever envision my life like this at this age. I don’t have a terrible life right now, compared to other countries and people suffering far worse off than me. I am very very grateful, and If I have to live in this apartment for the next 20 years. I’ll make it happen. I don’t know how. But I’ll make it happen. I say something and I do it. I don’t flake out. However, compared to the way people live in America, we are spoiled brats. I acknowledge that. I wish people “above me” would acknowledge that. I know people and work with people, if their car isn’t new and has the automatic start and gps system (I don’t even know, I have never had a new car) but if they don’t have the newest stuff, they act like it’s the end of the world. I want them to live like me. Work a lot. 60-70, sometimes more hours. And be in pain every day. And not have anyone to talk to that is close to you. That is how it is. You are, I am, alone.....
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www.ambedkar.org/Babasaheb/lifeofbabasaheb.htm
by C. Gautam
Published by Ambedkar Memorial Trust, London
Milan House, 8 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DA
Second Edition, May 2000
Preface
The importance that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had in the shaping of modern India should not be forgotten. He led millions of the oppressed to a life of self-respect, dignity, and responsibility. Babasaheb always stressed the importance of better education, so that our position in society can be uplifted. It was he who was primarily responsible for the Constitution, adopted after India became independent. Babasaheb began the revival of Buddhism in India that has grown tremendously after his death, and continues to grow today among his countless followers.
This book briefly outlines the history of his life, showing how he overcame all the difficulties facing the oppressed in India, to become one of the greatest men of modern times.
C. Gautam
General Secretary
Ambedkar Memorial Trust, London
May 2000
His Birth and Greatness Foretold
On April 14th, 1891 a son was born to Bhimabai and Ramji Ambadvekar. His father Ramji was an army officer stationed at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh - he had risen to the highest rank an Indian was allowed to hold at that time under British rule. His mother decided to call her son Bhim. Before the birth, Ramji’s uncle, who was a man living the religious life of a sanyasi, foretold that this son would achieve worldwide fame. His parents already had many children. Despite that, they resolved to make every effort to give him a good education.
Early Life and First School
Two years later, Ramji retired from the army, and the family moved to Dapoli in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, from where they came originally. Bhim was enrolled at school when he was five years old. The whole family had to struggle to live on the small army pension Ramji received.
When some friends found Ramji a job at Satara, things seemed to be looking up for the family, and they moved again. Soon after, however, tragedy struck. Bhimabhai, who had been ill, died. Bhim’s aunt Mira, though she herself was not in good health, took over the care of the children. Ramji read stories from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana to his children, and sang devotional songs to them. In this way, home life was still happy for Bhim, his brothers and sisters. He never forgot the influence of his father. It taught him about the rich cultural tradition shared by all Indians.
The Shock of Prejudice - Casteism
Bhim began to notice that he and his family were treated differently. At high school he had to sit in the corner of the room on a rough mat, away from the desks of the other pupils. At break-time, he was not allowed to drink water using the cups his fellow school children used. He had to hold his cupped hands out to have water poured into them by the school caretaker. Bhim did not know why he should be treated differently - what was wrong with him?
Once, he and his elder brother had to travel to Goregaon, where their father worked as a cashier, to spend their summer holidays. They got off the train and waited for a long time at the station, but Ramji did not arrive to meet them. The station master seemed kind, and asked them who they were and where they were going. The boys were very well-dressed, clean, and polite. Bhim, without thinking, told him they were Mahars (a group classed as ‘untouchables’). The station master was stunned - his face changed its kindly expression and he went away.
Bhim decided to hire a bullock-cart to take them to their father - this was before motor cars were used as taxis - but the cart-men had heard that the boys were ‘untouchables’, and wanted nothing to do with them. Finally, they had to agree to pay double the usual cost of the journey, plus they had to drive the cart themselves, while the driver walked beside it. He was afraid of being polluted by the boys, because they were ‘untouchables’. However, the extra money persuaded him that he could have his cart ‘purified’ later! Throughout the journey, Bhim thought constantly about what had happened - yet he could not understand the reason for it. He and his brother were clean and neatly dressed. Yet they were supposed to pollute and make unclean everything they touched and all that touched them. How could that be possible?
Bhim never forgot this incident. As he grew up, such senseless insults made him realise that what Hindu society called ‘untouchability’ was stupid, cruel, and unreasonable. His sister had to cut his hair at home because the village barbers were afraid of being polluted by an ‘untouchable’. If he asked her why they were ‘untouchables’, she could only answer -that is the way it has always been.” Bhim could not be satisfied with this answer. He knew that -it has always been that way” does not mean that there is a just reason for it - or that it had to stay that way forever. It could be changed.
An Outstanding Scholar
At this time in his young life, with his mother dead, and father working away from the village where Bhim went to school, he had some good fortune. His teacher, though from a ‘high’ caste, liked him a lot. He praised Bhim’s good work and encouraged him, seeing what a bright pupil he was. He even invited Bhim to eat lunch with him - something that would have horrified most high caste Hindus. The teacher also changed Bhim’s last name to Ambedkar - his own name.
When his father decided to remarry, Bhim was very upset - he still missed his mother so much. Wanting to run away to Bombay, he tried to steal his aunt’s purse. When at last he managed to get hold of it, he found only one very small coin. Bhim felt so ashamed. He put the coin back and made a vow to himself to study very hard and to become independent.
Soon he was winning the highest praise and admiration from all his teachers. They urged Ramji to get the best education fro his son Bhim. So Ramji moved with his family to Bombay. They all had to live in just one room, in an area where the poorest of the poor lived, but Bhim was able to go to Elphinstone High School - one of the best schools in all of India.
In their one room everyone and everything was crowed together and the streets outside were very noisy. Bhim went to sleep when he got home from school. Then his father would wake him up at two o’clock in the morning! Everything was quiet then - so he could do his homework and study in peace.
In the big city, where life was more modern than in the villages, Bhim found that he was still called an ‘untouchable’ and treated as if something made him different and bad - even at his famous school.
One day, the teacher called him up to the blackboard to do a sum. All the other boys jumped up and made a big fuss. Their lunch boxes were stacked behind the blackboard - they believed that Bhim would pollute the food! When he wanted to learn Sanskrit, the language of the Hindu holy scriptures, he was told that it was forbidden for ‘untouchables’ to do so. He had to study Persian instead - but he taught himself Sanskrit later in life.
Matriculation and Marriage
In due course, Bhim passed his Matriculation Exam. He had already come to the attention of some people interested in improving society. So when he passed the exam, a meeting was arranged to congratulate him - he was the first ‘untouchable’ from his community to pass it.
Bhim was then 17 years old. Early marriage was common in those days, so he was married to Ramabai the same year. He continued to study hard and passed the next Intermediate examination with distinction. However, Ramji found himself unable to keep paying the school fees. Through someone interested in his progress, Bhim was recommended to the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda. The Maharaja granted him a monthly scholarship. With the help of this, Bhimrao (‘rao’ is added to names in Maharashtra as a sign of respect) passed his B.A. in 1912. Then he was given a job in the civil service - but only two weeks after starting, he had to rush home to Bombay. Ramji was very ill, and died soon afterwards. He had done all he could for his son, laying the foundations for Bhimrao’s later achievements.
Studies in the USA and the UK
The Maharaja of Baroda had a scheme to send a few outstanding scholars abroad for further studies. Of course, Bhimrao was selected - but he had to sign an agreement to serve Baroda state for ten years on finishing his studies.
In 1913, he went to the USA where he studied at the world-famous Columbia University, New York. The freedom and equality he experienced in America made a very strong impression on Bhimrao. It was so refreshing for him to be able to live a normal life, free from the caste prejudice of India. He could do anything he pleased - but devoted his time to studying. He studied eighteen hours a day. Visits to bookshops were his favourite entertainment!
His main subjects were Economics and Sociology. In just two years he had been awarded an M.A. - the following year he completed his Ph.D. thesis. Then he left Columbia and went to England, where he joined the London School of Economics. However, he had to leave London before completing his course because the scholarship granted by the State of Baroda expired. Bhimrao had to wait three years before he could return to London to complete his studies.
Return to India – Nightmare in Baroda
So he was called back to India to take up a post in Baroda as agreed. He was given an excellent job in the Baroda Civil Service. Bhimrao now held a doctorate, and was being trained for a top job. Yet, he again ran into the worst features of the Hindu caste system. This was all the more painful, because for the past four years he had been abroad, living free from the label of ‘untouchable.’
No one at the office where he worked would hand over files and papers to him - the servant threw them onto his desk. Nor would they give him water to drink. No respect was given to him, merely because of his caste.
He had to go from hotel to hotel looking for a room, but none of them would take him in. At last he had found a place to live in a Parsi guest house, but only because he had finally decided to keep his caste secret.
He lived there in very uncomfortable conditions, in a small bedroom with a tiny cold-water bathroom attached. He was totally alone there with no one to talk to. There were no electric lights or even oil lamps - so the place was completely dark at night.
Bhimrao was hoping to find somewhere else to live through his civil service job, but before he could, one morning as he was leaving for work a gang of angry men carrying sticks arrived outside his room. They accused him of polluting the hotel and told him to get out by evening - or else! What could he do? He could not stay with either of the two acquaintances he had in Baroda for the same reason - his low caste. Bhimrao felt totally miserable and rejected.
Bombay – Beginning Social Activity
He had no choice. After only eleven days in his new job, he had to return to Bombay. He tried to start a small business there, advising people about investments - but it too failed once customers learned of his caste.
In 1918, he became a lecturer at Sydenham College in Bombay. There, his students recognised him as a brilliant teacher and scholar. At this time he also helped to found a Marathi newspaper ‘Mook Nayak’ (Leader of the Dumb) to champion the cause of the ‘untouchables’. He also began to organise and attend conferences, knowing that he had to begin to proclaim and publicise the humiliations suffered by the Dalits - ‘the oppressed’ - and fight for equal rights. His own life had taught him the necessity of the struggle for emancipation.
Completion of Education – Leader of India’s Untouchables
In 1920, with the help of friends, he was able to return to London to complete his studies in Economics at LSE. He also enrolled to study as a Barrister at Gray’s Inn. In 1923, Bhimrao returned to India with a Doctorate in Economics from the LSE - he was perhaps the first Indian to have a Doctorate from this world-famous institution. He had also qualified as a Barrister-at-Law.
Back in India, he knew that nothing had changed. His qualifications meant nothing as far as the practice of Untouchability was concerned - it was still an obstacle to his career. However, he had received the best education anyone in the world could get, and was well equipped to be a leader of the Dalit community. He could argue with and persuade the best minds of his time on equal terms. He was an expert on the law, and could give convincing evidence before British commissions as an eloquent and gifted speaker. Bhimrao dedicated the rest of his life to his task.
He became known by his increasing number of followers - those ‘untouchables’ he urged to awake - as Babasaheb. Knowing the great value and importance of education, in 1924 he founded an association called Bahiskrit Hitakarini Sabha. This set up hostels, schools, and free libraries. To improve the lives of Dalits, education had to reach everyone. Opportunities had to be provided at grass roots level - because knowledge is power.
Leading Peaceful Agitation
In 1927 Babasaheb presided over a conference at Mahad in Kolaba District. There he said: -It is time we rooted out of our minds the ideas of high and low. We can attain self-elevation only if we learn self-help and regain our self-respect.”
Because of his experience of the humiliation and injustice of untouchability, he knew that justice would not be granted by others. Those who suffer injustice must secure justice for themselves.
The Bombay Legislature had already passed a Bill allowing everyone to use public water tanks and wells. (We have seen how Bhim was denied water at school, in his office, and at other places. Public water facilities were always denied to ‘untouchables’ because of the superstitious fear of ‘pollution.’)
Mahad Municipality had thrown open the local water tank four years earlier, but so far not one ‘untouchable’ had dared to drink or draw water from it. Babasaheb led a procession from the Conference on a peaceful demonstration to the Chowdar Tank. He knelt and drank water from it. After he set this example, thousands of others felt courageous enough to follow him. They drank water from the tank and made history. For many hundreds of years, ‘untouchables’ had been forbidden to drink public water.
When some caste Hindus saw them drinking water, they believed the tank had been polluted and violently attacked the Conference, but Babasaheb insisted violence would not help - he had given his word that they would agitate peacefully.
Babasaheb started a Marathi journal Bahishkrit Bharat (‘The Excluded of India’). In it, he urged his people to hold a satyagraha (non-violent agitation) to secure the right of entry to the Kala Ram Temple at Nasik. ‘untouchables’ had always been forbidden to enter Hindu temples. The demonstration lasted for a month. Then they were told they would be able to take part in the annual temple festival. However, at the festival they had stones thrown at them - and were not allowed to take part. Courageously, they resumed their peaceful agitation. The temple had to remain closed for about a year, as they blocked its entrance.
Round Table Conferences – Gandhi
Meanwhile, the Indian Freedom Movement had gained momentum under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1930, a Round Table Conference was held by the British Government in London to decide the future of India. Babasaheb represented the ‘untouchables’. He said there: -The Depressed Classes of India also join in the demand for replacing the British Government by a Government of the people and by the people... Our wrongs have remained as open sores and have not been righted although 150 years of British rule have rolled away. Of what good is such a Government to anybody?”
Soon a second conference was held, which Mahatma Gandhi attended representing the Congress Party. Babasaheb met Gandhi in Bombay before they went to London. Gandhi told him that he had read what Babasaheb said at the first conference. Gandhi told Babasaheb he knew him to be a real Indian patriot.
At the Second Conference, Babasaheb asked for a separate electorate for the Depressed Classes. -Hinduism”, he said, -has given us only insults, misery, and humiliation.” A separate electorate would mean that the ‘untouchables’ would vote for their own candidates and be allotted their votes separate from the Hindu majority.
Babasaheb was made a hero by thousands of his followers on his return from Bombay - even though he always said that people should not idolise him. News came that separate electorates had been granted. Gandhi felt that separate electorates would separate the Harijans from the Hindus. The thought that the Hindus would be divided pained him grievously. He started a fast, saying that he would fast unto death.
Only Babasaheb could save Gandhi’s life - by withdrawing the demand for separate electorates. At first he refused, saying it was his duty to do the best he could for his people - no matter what. Later he visited Gandhi, who was at that time in Yeravda jail. Gandhi persuaded Babasaheb that Hinduism would change and leave its bad practices behind. Finally Babasaheb agreed to sign the Poona Pact with Gandhi in 1932. Instead of separate electorates, more representation was to be given to the Depressed Classes. However, it later became obvious that this did not amount to anything concrete.
In the Prime of His Life
Babasaheb had by this time collected a library of over 50,000 books, and had a house named Rajgriha built at Dadar in north Bombay to hold it. In 1935 his beloved wife Ramabai died. The same year he was made Principal of the Government Law College, Bombay.
Also in 1935 a conference of Dalits was held at Yeola. Babasaheb told the conference: -We have not been able to secure the barest of human rights... I am born a Hindu. I couldn’t help it, but I solemnly assure you that I will not die a Hindu.” This was the first time that Babasaheb stressed the importance of conversion from Hinduism for his people - for they were only known as ‘untouchables’ within the fold of Hinduism.
During the Second World War, Babasaheb was appointed Labour Minister by the Viceroy. Yet he never lost contact with his roots - he never became corrupt or crooked. He said that he had been born of the poor and had lived the life of the poor, he would remain absolutely unchanged in his attitudes to his friends and to the rest of the world.
The All-India Scheduled Castes Federation was formed in 1942 to gather all ‘untouchables’ into a united political party.
Architect of the Constitution
After the war Babasaheb was elected to the Constituent Assembly to decide the way jthat India - a country of millions of people - should be ruled. How should elections take place? What are the rights of the people? How are laws to be made? Such important matters had to be decided and laws had to be made. The Constitution answers all such questions and lays down rules.
When India became independent in August 1947, Babasaheb Ambedkar became First Law Minister of Independent India. The Constituent Assembly made him chairman of the committee appointed to draft the constitution for the world’s largest democracy.
All his study of law, economics, and politics made him the best qualified person for this task. A study of the Constitutions of many countries, a deep knowledge of law, a knowledge of the history of India and of Indian Society - all these were essential. In fact, he carried the whole burden alone. He alone could complete this huge task.
After completing the Draft Constitution, Babasaheb fell ill. At a nursing home in Bombay he met Dr. Sharda Kabir and married her in April 1948. On November 4, 1948 he presented the Draft Constitution to the Constituent Assembly, and on November 26, 1949 it was adopted in the name of the people of India. On that date he said: -I appeal to all Indians to be a nation by discarding castes, which have brought separation in social life and created jealousy and hatred.”
Later Life – Buddhist Conversion
In 1950, he went to a Buddhist conference in Sri Lanka. On his return he spoke in Bombay at the Buddhist Temple. -In order to end their hardships, people should embrace Buddhism. I am going to devote the rest of my life to the revival and spread of Buddhism in India.”
Babasaheb resigned from the Government in 1951. He felt that as an honest man he had no choice but to do so, because the reforms so badly needed had not been allowed to come into being.
For the next five years Babasaheb carried on a relentless fight against social evils and superstitions. On October 14, 1956 at Nagpur he embraced Buddhism. He led a huge gathering in a ceremony converting over half a million people to Buddhism. He knew that Buddhism was a true part of Indian history and that to revive it was to continue India’s best tradition. ‘Untouchability’ is a product only of Hinduism.
Sudden Death
Only seven weeks later on December 6, 1956 Babasaheb died at his Delhi residence. His body was taken to Bombay. A two-mile long crowd formed the funeral procession. At Dadar cemetery that evening, eminent leaders paid their last respects to him. The pyre was lit according to Buddhist rites. Half a million people witnessed it.
Thus ended the life of one of India’s greatest sons. His was the task of awakening India’s millions of excluded and oppressed to their human rights. He experienced their suffering and the cruelty shown to them. He overcame the obstacles to stand on an equal footing with the greatest men of his time. He played a vital role in forming modern India through its Constitution.
His work and mission continue today - we must not rest until we see a truly democratic India of equal citizens living in peace together.
Made with 10,249 Zen Magnets (for the octahedron) and 1860 Zen Magnets (for the sphere).
You know you have too many magnets when just the leftover magnets from your octahedron are enough to build the "Ultimate Ball". It also made for a nice size comparison.
A few days ago, jasonbbb711 challenged me to build an octahedron frame using all my magnets. Well, challenge completed! Due to the scaffolding involved in building this shape, I couldn't use all of my magnets, but this is about as close as I could get.
And this thing is BIG. How big? Well, too big to fit on the turntable that I normally use for videos. Too big to even fit in my tabletop photo studio (which, by the way, is why I had to go back to my old setup for this shape). Too big, even, for me to be able to use my mini-tripod, meaning that all of these photos (and the video) had to be taken freehand.
I used my Canon Rebel T2i because my original idea to photograph the eclipse was to film it in Crop Video Mode and then taking a still from it (like I did here bit.ly/1VmQpx6)...
But there wasn't enough light, so the video idea failed. So I had to rely on my telephoto lens... my handy dandy EF-S 55-250... which doesn't fit on my Canon 6D. Womp womp. :(
I really wanted a more close-up shot... but this was all I could get... and I'm okay with it. Because I wasn't alive for the last one and I'll be more prepared in 2033. :)
Now available at our main store!
A set of ruins designed specifically as a backdrop for photos or just as pretty scenery. Comes with or without a grass cliff base and can be easily resized.
Copy/mod, mesh with materials enabled.
Get and check it out here!
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Indus/24/109/2827
Get it off SL marketplace!
marketplace.secondlife.com/p/FB-Owl-Guardian-Atmosphere-B...
For our other products visit our Marketplace
Ms. Wiggles is a blue brindle pit bull terrier, she's so wiggly and happy, and loves to get and give love!
Blue pit bulls are not rare, we have sooooo many sitting in our shelter right now...
I took a bunch of sunset/pier pictures on this evening...it's amazing how beautiful the sky can get! And look at how drastically the sky changed...gorgeous! It's not me, it's the sky! and the surf! and the sand!
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The North American F-86D Sabre (sometimes called the "Sabre Dog") was a transonic jet all-weather interceptor conceived for the United States Air Force, but found use in many other air forces, too. Originally designated YF-95, work began in March 1949 and the first, unarmed prototype made its m,aiden flight on 22 December 1949. It was the first U.S. Air Force night fighter design with only a single crewman and a single engine, a J47-GE-17 with afterburner rated at 5,425 lbf (24.1 kN) static thrust. Gun armament was completely eliminated in favor of a retractable under-fuselage tray carrying 24 unguided Mk. 4 HVAR rockets, then considered a more effective weapon against incoming enemy bomber groups at high altitude than a barrage of short-ranged cannon fire. The YF-95 nomenclature was short-lived, though, as the design was subsequently re-designated YF-86D – even though the new aircraft had only a 25% commonality with the F-86 day fighter.
The fuselage was wider than the daytime fighter and the airframe length increased to 40 ft 4 in (12.29 m), with a clamshell canopy, enlarged tail surfaces and an AN/APG-36 all-weather radar fitted in a radome in the nose, above the relocated air intake. Later models of the F-86D received an uprated J-47-GE-33 engine rated at 5,550 lbf (24.7 kN) (from the F-86D-45 production blocks onward), and a total of 2,504 D-models were built until 1954.
Derivatives for NATO partners (models K and L) eventually returned to the cannon armament, had a simpler avionics suite with an MG-4 fire control system, an APG-37 radar and augmented these with IR-guided AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs.
Among the many overseas operators of the Sabre all-weather fighter in Europe and Asia, Finland's Air Force settled upon the type as an addition to the newly adopted MiG-21F-13 of Soviet origin as the Ilmavoimat’s primary high performance daytime interceptor in the early Sixties. During the Cold War years, Finland tried to balance its purchases between east, west and domestic producers, strictly limited by the Paris peace talks of 1947. This led to a diverse inventory of Soviet, British, Swedish, French and Finnish aircraft.
After a thorough selection process, the Western F-86K was chosen and a total of 22 machines was procured from Italy, where most of the machines for European NATO partners were built in license. The Ilmavoimat’s F-86Ks featured the F-86D’s “short” wing from early production, and were originally delivered in bare metal livery, even though this was soon changed and a protective camouflage paint scheme applied.
By design, the Finnish F-86Ks were able to carry IR-guided AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs on underwing pylons – but the Finnish Air Force did not procure the Sidewinder at all. Effectively, the Finnish F-86Ks were armed with K-13 AAMs, procured together with the MiG-21Fs and integral part of the fighter as a weapon system.
Similar in appearance and function to the American AIM-9 Sidewinder, the K-13 was reverse-engineered from early Sidewinders, obtained by the Soviet Union during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958 via China. The copy work was actually so thorough that shape and size of the missiles were almost identical. Western shackles could be used without a problem – and the copy work even went so far that the K-13’s internal elements like the guidance system were so closely modeled after the AIM-9B that Western and Eastern electronics were actually easily compatible! The unusual result was that the Finnish F-86Ks were the only Western fighters at that time toting weapons of Eastern Block origin!
The Finnish F-86Ks were assigned to two fighter units (HävLLv 21 and 31, located at Rovaniemi and Kuopio-Rissala, respectively), where flights for daytime (equipped with MiG-21Fs) and all-weather interception duties were built up and operated side-by-side.
Maintaining both the MiG-21 and the F-86 at the same time and the same places turned out to be a logistic nightmare, especially for a relatively small air force with limited resources like the Suomen Ilmavoimat. Consequently, the Sabre interceptors were already retired after a mere 10 years of service in 1972 – but the type was totally outdated, anyway, and posed no serious deterrence to potential intruders.
In the all-weather interceptor role, the F-86Ks were replaced by the Swedish state-of-the-art Saab 35BS Draken, while the MiG-21Fs soldiered on until the Eighties and were augmented and replaced by the MiG-21bis, which were also all-weather-capable.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 40 ft 11 in (12,50 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 1.5 in (11.31 m)
Height: 15 ft 1 in (4.60 m)
Empty weight: 14,200 lb (6.447 kg)
Gross weight: 20,430 lb (9.276 kg)
Powerplant:
1× General Electric J47-GE-17B turbojet,
delivering 5,425 lbf (24.1 kN) dry thrust and 7,500 lbf (33.4 kN) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: 691 mph (1,112 km/h)
Maximum speed: Mach .91
Maxium range with internal fuel: 740 ml (1.190 km)
Service ceiling: 49,130 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 12,150 ft/min (61.7 m/s)
Armament:
4× 20 mm M24A1 cannon with 132 rounds per gun in the forward fuselage
4× underwing hardpoints for two IR-guided K-13/AA-2 ‘Atoll’ (alternatively AIM9B
Sidewinder) AAMs, unguided missile pods, bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber,
and a pair of drop tanks
The kit and its assembly:
Another entry for the “Old Kit” Group Build at whatifmodelers.com in late 2016. Inspiration for this one actually came from a flight simulator screenshot, posted in the WWW: someone had mated an F-86 daylight fighter with a skin from/for a camouflaged Finnish MiG-21MF – and the classic, green camouflage scheme with the roundels under the cockpit looked interesting, to say the least.
Anyway, I could not find a good historical slot or justification for the daytime Sabre in Finnish service, because this role was filled out through the much more capable MiG-21F. A contemporary all-weather fighter was lacking, though, and so I realized the concept through a Sabre Dog, for which I dug out an 1:72 Airfix F-86D from 1975 from the kit pile.
I could have built the D variant with its missile tray OOB, but, with the non-NATO Ilmavoimat as intended operator, I’d rather deem the simpler K version with guns and a less sophisticated radar a more plausible option. But this would result in some mods to the basic kit…
Adding holes and fairings for the four guns on the air intake flanks was the easiest part (including hollow steel needles as gun muzzles). More complicated was the addition of two fuselage plugs: the F-86K had a slightly longer fuselage than the original D variant, for CG reasons. That difference was just 20cm (8 inches) in real life, which means a mere 3mm in 1:72 scale, added behind the wings.
It’s minimal, yes, but I decided to add this extra length and chose a very simple method: once the fuselage had been finished/closed, I made a Z-shaped vertical/horizontal cut above and behind the wings and added two “bulkhead plugs” of oversized styrene sheet (actually a 2× 1.5mm sandwich) between them. Simple, but effective, and once the fuselage had been put back together again, the sheet be easily trimmed and hidden under relatively little PSR work, since the old Airfix kit comes with raised, relatively delicate surface details.
Integrating the air intake turned out to be a little tricky: Basically the intake duct fits well into the fuselage opening, but the many styrene layers look very thick and massive, so I tried to take away as much material as possible. The intake lip still looks rather round, though, and the tight space does not make thing easy.
The “short” OOB wings of the F-86D were kept; I could have exchanged them for “6-3” wings from an F-86F-40, but early production F-86Ks still had the short D variant wings.
While working on the fuselage, though, I decided to modify the canopy for an open position. OOB, the kit just features a single clear piece; the canopy frame is an integral part of the fuselage, so a closed cockpit is the only option. The latter was cut out and some interior details added; the canopy was cut into two pieces. Inside, a new seat replaces the rather simple OOB part, and I added side consoles that fill the otherwise rather empty cockpit.
Other additions are the inner pylons (from an Academy MiG-23) and the pair of launch rails and K-13 AAMs, taken from a MasterCraft Soviet aircraft weapon set. I also used different (757 l) drop tanks – taken from a Revell G.91. I guess these are actually F-86 drop tanks, but they are slightly bigger than the Airfix OOB parts, have simply a better shape and the fins are more complex, including small end plates. Around the hull, some air scoops, antennae as well as a pitot on the bow side wing were added.
Painting and markings:
As mentioned above, this build was inspired by a CG simulation. The scheme on my Sabre Dog interpretation of the topic was inspired by a Finnish MiG-21U trainer, but, effectively, the pattern is based on an early Finnish Bae Hawk 51 trainer: a vivid olive green and “another murky color”, combined with pale grey undersides and a rather wavy waterline and the grey partly extended upwards on the flanks.
There is much debate concerning the colors to use. While FS 34096 is IMHO a good option for the lighter green (at least for WWII aircraft, even though there seem to be wide variations, too), too, the “murky color” remains obscure – the recommendations range from pure black though dark olive drab or Forest Green (FS 34079) to a chocolate brown. Obviously, light and weathering have a huge impact and the paints and how they appear.
According to a trustful source (fellow modeler Snowtrooper at whatifmodelers.com), here's some additional information: "The "light" green is the (in)famous Kimmo Kenttävihreä (Kim the Field Green) which according to the official standard is roughly FS 34151 or BS381c 222 aka US Interior Green (or British Light Bronze Green) which is just about nonstandard as hues get, and as it gets weathered (which it does very quickly) it gets a more yellowish hue. The official name is very descriptively "Vihreä" (green).
The "dark" green, supposedly about FS34064/BS381c 437 can be approximated with just about anything ranging from Schwartzgrün to Helo Drab - a very dark green that weathers to a brownish hue and gets progressively lighter. The official name calls it "Mustavihreä" (black green).
The light gray (Vaaleanharmaa) is variously approximated either as FS36440 or RAF Aircraft Grey BS381c 627.
A complicate subject, and I relied upon pictures of real world aircraft for guesstimates, and tried to avoid FS tones for a more individual look. As basic upper colors I settled upon simple Light Olive Green (Humbrol 86) and a 1:1:1 mix of Humbrol 173 (Scenic Track Color), 242 (RLM71, Dunkelgrün, a pretty murky and bluish variant, though) and 108 (WWI Green, a very dark olive tone) for an “Extra Dark Braunviolett”, or - how I’d affectionately call it - “Breen”. Simple RAF Aircraft Grey (Humbrol 166) was used for the undersides.
Before the basic enamels were applied, some acrylic Aluminum was also added as a primer under the leading edges and the rear fuselage where the afterburner is located: some chipping is to simulate some wear and tear after almost 10 years of service under harsh climatic conditions. For the same reason I painted some areas in slightly different colors, simulating repairs and replacement parts.
The upper colors were, after a light black ink wash, thoroughly lightened through dry-brushed panel shading with Humbrol 226, 150, 159 and 80 (for a deep, grass green look) as well as 173, 10 and some 251 (in order to preserve the rather brownish hue of the dark tone).
Interior surfaces remained authentic: a grey (Humbrol 140) cockpit interior, interior green (Humbrol 226) landing gear wells, and landing gear struts and covers in dull Aluminum (Humbrol 56). The air intake duct became bright Aluminum (Revell Acrylics 99).
Roundels and squadron markings come from an Italeri 1:72 Bf 109G kit; the “Bat & Moon” emblem belonged to 2./HävLLv 31 when it was a night fighter squadron in the early Fifties, but it disappeared with the Finnish Bf 109s. The fictional all-weather F-86K appeared like an appropriate carrier, and, otherwise, the well-known lynx emblem would have been the alternative.
The individual tactical code was puzzled together from single black letters and digits (TL Modellbau), while most stencils come from the OOB sheet and some other sources. “SD” was chosen (“Sabre Dog”, maybe? ;-)) since “SB” had already been used in WWII and other letter combinations carried some unwanted political connotations. After all, it’s a whif, and the Finnish tactical code system is very flexible, if not creative.
A model with more work involved than visible at first glance. One can argue whether the addition of the two fuselage plugs was actually worthwhile?
I'm trying to think more positive. It's difficult. Alot of things are changing and they aren't really good. So here's one good thing that came out of this.
This dog's name is Queenie. Instead of Queenie waiting in the shelter so that the staff could attempt to get their mess together and try to send her off on rescue waggin which she passed for, she was with a volunteer who decided to adopt her about two weeks ago instead of sending her back to wait. So instead of thinking about all of her puppies and fellow RWA passers, I'm going to think about Queenie being happy at home.
The truth is now that all of the volunteers have been run off nobody is winning. I guess the management feels like at least they won't be told how to do their jobs anymore. But now they are realizing they needed someone to tell them. And they needed so much more from us that they aren't getting. And the dogs aren't getting. And we aren't getting. We simply asked to continue to do what we do in a way that actually works. Now we are going to learn to do it else where. One day, they'll learn. But until then I know one got out. I know Queenie is home. And all the others we have helped. And that really what we were all about in the first place.
the navy pier inside, lots of stores, bars, restaurants and little stuff to get, and very very crowded
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The North American F-86D Sabre (sometimes called the "Sabre Dog") was a transonic jet all-weather interceptor conceived for the United States Air Force, but found use in many other air forces, too. Originally designated YF-95, work began in March 1949 and the first, unarmed prototype made its m,aiden flight on 22 December 1949. It was the first U.S. Air Force night fighter design with only a single crewman and a single engine, a J47-GE-17 with afterburner rated at 5,425 lbf (24.1 kN) static thrust. Gun armament was completely eliminated in favor of a retractable under-fuselage tray carrying 24 unguided Mk. 4 HVAR rockets, then considered a more effective weapon against incoming enemy bomber groups at high altitude than a barrage of short-ranged cannon fire. The YF-95 nomenclature was short-lived, though, as the design was subsequently re-designated YF-86D – even though the new aircraft had only a 25% commonality with the F-86 day fighter.
The fuselage was wider than the daytime fighter and the airframe length increased to 40 ft 4 in (12.29 m), with a clamshell canopy, enlarged tail surfaces and an AN/APG-36 all-weather radar fitted in a radome in the nose, above the relocated air intake. Later models of the F-86D received an uprated J-47-GE-33 engine rated at 5,550 lbf (24.7 kN) (from the F-86D-45 production blocks onward), and a total of 2,504 D-models were built until 1954.
Derivatives for NATO partners (models K and L) eventually returned to the cannon armament, had a simpler avionics suite with an MG-4 fire control system, an APG-37 radar and augmented these with IR-guided AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs.
Among the many overseas operators of the Sabre all-weather fighter in Europe and Asia, Finland's Air Force settled upon the type as an addition to the newly adopted MiG-21F-13 of Soviet origin as the Ilmavoimat’s primary high performance daytime interceptor in the early Sixties. During the Cold War years, Finland tried to balance its purchases between east, west and domestic producers, strictly limited by the Paris peace talks of 1947. This led to a diverse inventory of Soviet, British, Swedish, French and Finnish aircraft.
After a thorough selection process, the Western F-86K was chosen and a total of 22 machines was procured from Italy, where most of the machines for European NATO partners were built in license. The Ilmavoimat’s F-86Ks featured the F-86D’s “short” wing from early production, and were originally delivered in bare metal livery, even though this was soon changed and a protective camouflage paint scheme applied.
By design, the Finnish F-86Ks were able to carry IR-guided AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs on underwing pylons – but the Finnish Air Force did not procure the Sidewinder at all. Effectively, the Finnish F-86Ks were armed with K-13 AAMs, procured together with the MiG-21Fs and integral part of the fighter as a weapon system.
Similar in appearance and function to the American AIM-9 Sidewinder, the K-13 was reverse-engineered from early Sidewinders, obtained by the Soviet Union during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958 via China. The copy work was actually so thorough that shape and size of the missiles were almost identical. Western shackles could be used without a problem – and the copy work even went so far that the K-13’s internal elements like the guidance system were so closely modeled after the AIM-9B that Western and Eastern electronics were actually easily compatible! The unusual result was that the Finnish F-86Ks were the only Western fighters at that time toting weapons of Eastern Block origin!
The Finnish F-86Ks were assigned to two fighter units (HävLLv 21 and 31, located at Rovaniemi and Kuopio-Rissala, respectively), where flights for daytime (equipped with MiG-21Fs) and all-weather interception duties were built up and operated side-by-side.
Maintaining both the MiG-21 and the F-86 at the same time and the same places turned out to be a logistic nightmare, especially for a relatively small air force with limited resources like the Suomen Ilmavoimat. Consequently, the Sabre interceptors were already retired after a mere 10 years of service in 1972 – but the type was totally outdated, anyway, and posed no serious deterrence to potential intruders.
In the all-weather interceptor role, the F-86Ks were replaced by the Swedish state-of-the-art Saab 35BS Draken, while the MiG-21Fs soldiered on until the Eighties and were augmented and replaced by the MiG-21bis, which were also all-weather-capable.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 40 ft 11 in (12,50 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 1.5 in (11.31 m)
Height: 15 ft 1 in (4.60 m)
Empty weight: 14,200 lb (6.447 kg)
Gross weight: 20,430 lb (9.276 kg)
Powerplant:
1× General Electric J47-GE-17B turbojet,
delivering 5,425 lbf (24.1 kN) dry thrust and 7,500 lbf (33.4 kN) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: 691 mph (1,112 km/h)
Maximum speed: Mach .91
Maxium range with internal fuel: 740 ml (1.190 km)
Service ceiling: 49,130 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 12,150 ft/min (61.7 m/s)
Armament:
4× 20 mm M24A1 cannon with 132 rounds per gun in the forward fuselage
4× underwing hardpoints for two IR-guided K-13/AA-2 ‘Atoll’ (alternatively AIM9B
Sidewinder) AAMs, unguided missile pods, bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber,
and a pair of drop tanks
The kit and its assembly:
Another entry for the “Old Kit” Group Build at whatifmodelers.com in late 2016. Inspiration for this one actually came from a flight simulator screenshot, posted in the WWW: someone had mated an F-86 daylight fighter with a skin from/for a camouflaged Finnish MiG-21MF – and the classic, green camouflage scheme with the roundels under the cockpit looked interesting, to say the least.
Anyway, I could not find a good historical slot or justification for the daytime Sabre in Finnish service, because this role was filled out through the much more capable MiG-21F. A contemporary all-weather fighter was lacking, though, and so I realized the concept through a Sabre Dog, for which I dug out an 1:72 Airfix F-86D from 1975 from the kit pile.
I could have built the D variant with its missile tray OOB, but, with the non-NATO Ilmavoimat as intended operator, I’d rather deem the simpler K version with guns and a less sophisticated radar a more plausible option. But this would result in some mods to the basic kit…
Adding holes and fairings for the four guns on the air intake flanks was the easiest part (including hollow steel needles as gun muzzles). More complicated was the addition of two fuselage plugs: the F-86K had a slightly longer fuselage than the original D variant, for CG reasons. That difference was just 20cm (8 inches) in real life, which means a mere 3mm in 1:72 scale, added behind the wings.
It’s minimal, yes, but I decided to add this extra length and chose a very simple method: once the fuselage had been finished/closed, I made a Z-shaped vertical/horizontal cut above and behind the wings and added two “bulkhead plugs” of oversized styrene sheet (actually a 2× 1.5mm sandwich) between them. Simple, but effective, and once the fuselage had been put back together again, the sheet be easily trimmed and hidden under relatively little PSR work, since the old Airfix kit comes with raised, relatively delicate surface details.
Integrating the air intake turned out to be a little tricky: Basically the intake duct fits well into the fuselage opening, but the many styrene layers look very thick and massive, so I tried to take away as much material as possible. The intake lip still looks rather round, though, and the tight space does not make thing easy.
The “short” OOB wings of the F-86D were kept; I could have exchanged them for “6-3” wings from an F-86F-40, but early production F-86Ks still had the short D variant wings.
While working on the fuselage, though, I decided to modify the canopy for an open position. OOB, the kit just features a single clear piece; the canopy frame is an integral part of the fuselage, so a closed cockpit is the only option. The latter was cut out and some interior details added; the canopy was cut into two pieces. Inside, a new seat replaces the rather simple OOB part, and I added side consoles that fill the otherwise rather empty cockpit.
Other additions are the inner pylons (from an Academy MiG-23) and the pair of launch rails and K-13 AAMs, taken from a MasterCraft Soviet aircraft weapon set. I also used different (757 l) drop tanks – taken from a Revell G.91. I guess these are actually F-86 drop tanks, but they are slightly bigger than the Airfix OOB parts, have simply a better shape and the fins are more complex, including small end plates. Around the hull, some air scoops, antennae as well as a pitot on the bow side wing were added.
Painting and markings:
As mentioned above, this build was inspired by a CG simulation. The scheme on my Sabre Dog interpretation of the topic was inspired by a Finnish MiG-21U trainer, but, effectively, the pattern is based on an early Finnish Bae Hawk 51 trainer: a vivid olive green and “another murky color”, combined with pale grey undersides and a rather wavy waterline and the grey partly extended upwards on the flanks.
There is much debate concerning the colors to use. While FS 34096 is IMHO a good option for the lighter green (at least for WWII aircraft, even though there seem to be wide variations, too), too, the “murky color” remains obscure – the recommendations range from pure black though dark olive drab or Forest Green (FS 34079) to a chocolate brown. Obviously, light and weathering have a huge impact and the paints and how they appear.
According to a trustful source (fellow modeler Snowtrooper at whatifmodelers.com), here's some additional information: "The "light" green is the (in)famous Kimmo Kenttävihreä (Kim the Field Green) which according to the official standard is roughly FS 34151 or BS381c 222 aka US Interior Green (or British Light Bronze Green) which is just about nonstandard as hues get, and as it gets weathered (which it does very quickly) it gets a more yellowish hue. The official name is very descriptively "Vihreä" (green).
The "dark" green, supposedly about FS34064/BS381c 437 can be approximated with just about anything ranging from Schwartzgrün to Helo Drab - a very dark green that weathers to a brownish hue and gets progressively lighter. The official name calls it "Mustavihreä" (black green).
The light gray (Vaaleanharmaa) is variously approximated either as FS36440 or RAF Aircraft Grey BS381c 627.
A complicate subject, and I relied upon pictures of real world aircraft for guesstimates, and tried to avoid FS tones for a more individual look. As basic upper colors I settled upon simple Light Olive Green (Humbrol 86) and a 1:1:1 mix of Humbrol 173 (Scenic Track Color), 242 (RLM71, Dunkelgrün, a pretty murky and bluish variant, though) and 108 (WWI Green, a very dark olive tone) for an “Extra Dark Braunviolett”, or - how I’d affectionately call it - “Breen”. Simple RAF Aircraft Grey (Humbrol 166) was used for the undersides.
Before the basic enamels were applied, some acrylic Aluminum was also added as a primer under the leading edges and the rear fuselage where the afterburner is located: some chipping is to simulate some wear and tear after almost 10 years of service under harsh climatic conditions. For the same reason I painted some areas in slightly different colors, simulating repairs and replacement parts.
The upper colors were, after a light black ink wash, thoroughly lightened through dry-brushed panel shading with Humbrol 226, 150, 159 and 80 (for a deep, grass green look) as well as 173, 10 and some 251 (in order to preserve the rather brownish hue of the dark tone).
Interior surfaces remained authentic: a grey (Humbrol 140) cockpit interior, interior green (Humbrol 226) landing gear wells, and landing gear struts and covers in dull Aluminum (Humbrol 56). The air intake duct became bright Aluminum (Revell Acrylics 99).
Roundels and squadron markings come from an Italeri 1:72 Bf 109G kit; the “Bat & Moon” emblem belonged to 2./HävLLv 31 when it was a night fighter squadron in the early Fifties, but it disappeared with the Finnish Bf 109s. The fictional all-weather F-86K appeared like an appropriate carrier, and, otherwise, the well-known lynx emblem would have been the alternative.
The individual tactical code was puzzled together from single black letters and digits (TL Modellbau), while most stencils come from the OOB sheet and some other sources. “SD” was chosen (“Sabre Dog”, maybe? ;-)) since “SB” had already been used in WWII and other letter combinations carried some unwanted political connotations. After all, it’s a whif, and the Finnish tactical code system is very flexible, if not creative.
A model with more work involved than visible at first glance. One can argue whether the addition of the two fuselage plugs was actually worthwhile?
This turned out surprisingly well (best of the roll, anyway). And oh so un-typical of plastic camera shots. Not vintage either. Oh my. >:)
As an exercise in simplicity, our photography class teacher bought us a bag of single use expandable cameras. As plasticky as it gets, and probably wouldn't survive a second film, even if you were able to load it again.
No "settings" whatsoever, the film was supposed to be iso200, but considering the results, I'd say even 100 is a slightly overrated :-)
I'm usually hurried (not good) and so clicked through the roll pretty fast. Most were garbage, even some I've uploaded here ... anyway. This is me as well. Learning.
St Andrew, Sapiston, Suffolk
This lonely church sits not half a mile from its neighbouring church of All Saints, Honington, although you will have to go rather a long way round if you are not on foot and able to take advantage of the footbridge over the River Blackbourne. St Andrew is set in rolling meadows, with the fields of the Euston estate beyond. It is not entirely alone, for nearby company consists of a huge farmhouse and a restored barn.
I have a very vivid memory of visiting this church in the early weeks of the new Millennium. At the time, I was doing a job I did not like, having been moved sideways by a manager whom I did not find it easy to work with. This made me depressed, and on a bright morning in early spring I got up and decided that I did not want to go to work.
Instead, I set off with my wife and our infant daughter into the countryside, and we ended up here. I remember sitting in the porch that day in the bright, low sunlight, listening to the small birds weaving around the graveyard. The sun warmed me, the birdsong lifted my heart, and I knew, if I had not known before, that there is more to life than getting and spending, and times would change, and the world would move on. And so it did.
St Andrew is an old building, and it looks its age. It was hardly touched by the enthusiasms of the late medieval period, and the 19th century restoration was early and light. It retains all the character of an intensely rural parish church. This is helped by the fact that it has been redundant for more than a quarter of a century, and the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. They have cleared it of clutter and left it as an ancient space should be, peaceful and purposeful.
It's usually the chancel door that's left unlocked, but if you head straight there you will miss the great glory of Sapiston church, which is within the south porch, quite the best Norman doorway in Suffolk, elaborate and beautiful. The extent of the convoluted arches is accentuated by the smallness of the doorway. It takes the breath away. There is nothing like a Norman doorway for restoring ones sense of proportion. It has stood there for nearly 800 years, which kind of puts your own troubles into perspective, don't you think? The blocks are set together in pairs, each one reflecting the scoop of its partner. Those in the inner arch are slightly larger than those in the outer arch, and the illusion is of a peacock displaying its tail feathers. A medieval head looks down from above it. At either end is a mass dial, from the days before the 14th century porch was built.
You step in to a gorgeous, rustic little interior, narrow, crowded, rough and ready. There is a transparent coolness in the stone, intensified by the thick Norman walls. The stone blocks on the floor, the spaced benches, create a sense of a different time, outside the loss of nerve and limited imagination of the modern world. The walls are whitewashed, except for where wall paintings remain. There are several large consecration crosses, and above the alcove of a former tomb recess in the north wall, a wall painting can just about be discerned as showing the martyrdom of St Edmund as at Troston across the fields. Beside it, a perfect rood loft stairway entrance.
An interesting feature is the set of Royal Arms. It is that of the House of Hanover, but again as at Troston this is a reused Stuart set, this time the floriated lettering and hastily inserted 2 giving the game away if the crudely repainted fourth quarter doesn't.
PH Ditchburn, in his enchanting 1913 celebration The Parish Clerk, recalls an incident at Sapiston church in the middle years of the 19th Century. The Duke of Grafton, on whose estates surrounded the church, was passing it on a Sunday while a service was on. He entered the vestry, motioned to the parish clerk to come out, and presented a large hare for the parson's kitchen, asking the clerk to put it quietly into his trap and inform him of the Duke's compliments at the end of the service. But the clerk, knowing his master would be pleased at the little attention, could not refrain from delivering both hare and message at once before the whole congregation. At the close of the hymn before the sermon he marched into a prominent position holding up the gift, and shouted out "His Grace's compliments, and please sir, he's sent ye a hare."
Twenty years ago I wrote that Sapiston church is a place to come to if you want to feel serene and human again, and to have your heart lifted. I've been back here now half a dozen times I suppose, but visiting in the late spring of 2019 I still felt this. It is always salutary to recall less secure and comfortable times from the vantage point of happier days. There is a pleasure in knowing that you have survived them.
I wandered around the lonely graveyard. In the middle of the day the sky had clouded over in the heat, the boilings of cumulus clouds that had accompanied me from Bury St Edmunds merging and dropping to form a blanket that swept in from the northern horizon. It would rain later, but for this perfect moment under the low sky I was alone with the gravestones, some dating back into the 17th century, their skulls and cherubs and hour glasses a warning of mortality, but also a reminder of the preciousness of life, as precious for me as it was for these, now resting forever in the birdsong on the bank of the River Blackbourne.