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On any given day, you will have various customers dropping by for all sorts of things. This Audi S3 was in for an ECU remap/tune. The customer left with a huge grin on his face! :)
May 4, 2014. Boston, MA.
THE 1ST ANNUAL UNIVERSITY EATING DISORDER AWARENESS WALK, WalkTowardRecovery at Boston University's Nickerson Field from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Emceed by Magic 1067's Candy O'Terry, the walkshed light on the often-ignored issues that college students face, such as poor body image, eating disorders and co-occurring depression.
Proceeds from this Walk l help fund scholarships for college students in need of eating disorder treatment. All donations will be given to the FREED Foundation, a non-profit organization that has been raising funds for treatment for over a decade.
© 2014 Marilyn Humphries
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
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***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on Friday 12th April 2024
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This photograph became my 6,943rd frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at 12:17pm on Wednesday 10th April 2024 at an altitude of Forty eight metres in the Grounds of Warnham Nature Reserve in Horsham, West Sussex.
Here we see a Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret), a passerine measuring around 11-12cms with a wingspan of 20-23cms. It is sadly on the Red conservation list.
Nikon D850 Single-lens reflex digital camera F Mount with FX CMOS 35.9mm x 23.9mm Image sensor 46.89 Million total pixels Focal length: 500mm Shutter speed: 1/1250s (Mechanical shutter) Aperture f/6.3 Auto iso1800 Image area Full Frame FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L 45.4Million pixels (8256 x 5504) 14 Bit uncompressed Hand held with Tamron VC control enabled AF-C Priority Selection: Release Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Natural light Auto, 0,0 Colour space: Adobe RGB Picture control: (SD) Standard (Sharpening +3.00/Clarity A+1.00)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup. Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon EN-EL15a battery.
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HP 110-352na Desktop PC with Windows 10 Home edition AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. My Passport USB 3.0 2TB portable desktop hard drive. Nikon NX STUDIO 64bit Version 1.2.2 (08/12/2022). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.16.0 (08/12/2022). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Given the increase in demand for healthy diets and OFSP, the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) provided the International Potato Center (CIP) with a scaling grant to accelerate the use of OFSP puree in baked and fried products in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. The project launch for Kenya was held on 31st May, 2019 at ILRI Campus in Nairobi.
Photo: N. Ronoh (CIP-SSA)
This award was given to Veritys Gran last year. The award acknowledges the tremendous efforts of the Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps by presenting their surviving members with a specially designed badge commemorating their service and acknowledging the debt that the country owes to them.
She is now 90 years of age but still has fond memories of her time ploughing during WWII.
Thanks to everyone for their wonderful photos you have given me hours of pleasure
1. Stuck on you, 2. What I'm doing to this flower..., 3. FOX SQUIRREL POSING FOR THE CAMERA, 4. tranquillity, 5. It's the total love quilt!, 6. Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding babies by Dan Kaiser, 7. Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, 8. A wild squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, and a big candy bar., 9. i want to suck your blood..., 10. Valentine Kiss, 11. P1020785, 12. DSC_1976, 13. invasion, 14. Bento 51806, 15. "Uh, Zumi? Hello?", 16. Kikutsuryuu, 17. Flowery, 18. Cherry blossoms 1, 19. Just Hanging Around, 20. fukusuke-pon 福助ぽん, 21. P1050915, 22. reading newspaper.., 23. another butterfly, 24. Screech Owl Sleeping by Dan Kaiser, 25. Kings and Sheep, 26. 02/12/07 Bento-licious Brunch, 27. garden, 28. Handara: Gion, 29. { Яаіnвοw! }, 30. Sunday Morning, Playful, 31. Flying Whales!!, 32. Sunday Greetings :), 33. Flukes for Voices, 34. Pig's nose, 35. Good catch!, 36. TAST Eyelet and Personal Library of Stitches Sampler
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07 July 2016, Rome, Italy - FAO Director-General Josè Graziano da Silva signing a Framework Agreement between the Kingdom of Norway and FAO with H.E. Inge Nordang, Permanent Representative of Norway to FAO. FAO Headquarters (Australia Room)
Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.
GIven to me from my friend Tara from Phoenix. I love it when my friends give me beer. Many thanks! Beer #666 in the collection
Given the discussions that ‘downtowns are dead’, I had to go look for myself.
This is on Powell St., just above Market St., on a Tuesday. We’re in the middle of what was the downtown shopping area, at the traditional spot where masses of tourists lined up for the cable cars and masses of peddlers/hucksters lined up to work that crowd. There were definitely less of both tourists and the less-than-perfectly-honest peddlers, but there were enough tourists (they’re behind me) to make it worthwhile for the city to run numerous cable cars.
Given the nickname "Bar Code Unit" due to the resemblance that its number displays, NS SD70ACe #1111 leads an afternoon 24Z through town. Since this unit has been added to the Norfolk Southern roster, there has been quite the debate over the "specialty" of it. While it may look like the other ACe's on the roster and not sport a special paint scheme, nothing can quite compare to the intriguing font of the numbers, making this a unique catch.
Bound Brook, NJ | November 6, 2015
Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 Kms north-east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg (N332).
'Tyne Cot' or 'Tyne Cottage' was the name given by the Northumberland Fusiliers to a barn which stood near the level crossing on the Passchendaele-Broodseinde road. The barn, which had become the centre of five or six German blockhouses, or pill-boxes, was captured by the 3rd Australian Division on 4 October 1917, in the advance on Passchendaele.
One of these pill-boxes was unusually large and was used as an advanced dressing station after its capture. From 6 October to the end of March 1918, 343 graves were made, on two sides of it, by the 50th (Northumbrian) and 33rd Divisions, and by two Canadian units. The cemetery was in German hands again from 13 April to 28 September, when it was finally recaptured, with Passchendaele, by the Belgian Army.
TYNE COT CEMETERY was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when remains were brought in from the battlefields of Passchendaele and Langemarck, and from a few small burial grounds, including the following:
IBERIAN SOUTH CEMETERY and IBERIAN TRENCH CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, 1,200 metres North of Frezenberg, close to a farm called by the Army "Iberian". These contained the graves of 30 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in August-September, 1917, and March, 1918.
KINK CORNER CEMETERY, ZONNEBEKE, on the road to Frezenberg, containing the graves of 14 soldiers from the United Kingdom, nine from Canada and nine from Australia, who fell in September-November, 1917.
LEVI COTTAGE CEMETERY, ZONNEBEKE, near the road to Langemarck, containing the graves of ten soldiers from the United Kingdom, eight from Canada and three from Australia, who fell in September-November, 1917.
OOSTNIEUWKERKE GERMAN CEMETERY, in the village of Oostnieuwkerke, containing the graves of two soldiers from the United Kingdom.
PRAET-BOSCH GERMAN CEMETERY, VLADSLOO, in the forest on the road from Kortewilde to Leke. Here were buried six officers of the R.F.C. and R.A.F. who fell in 1917-18.
STADEN GERMAN CEMETERY, on the South-East side of the road to Stadenberg, containing the graves of 14 soldiers from the United Kingdom and ten from Canada who fell in 1915-1917.
WATERLOO FARM CEMETERY, PASSCHENDAELE, 650 metres North-East of
's Gravenstafel, containing the graves of ten soldiers from Canada, seven from the United Kingdom and two from New Zealand, who fell in 1917-18.
ZONNEBEKE BRITISH CEMETERY No.2, on the road between Zonnebeke and Broodseinde, in which the Germans buried 18 men of the 2nd Buffs and 20 of the 3rd Royal Fusiliers who fell in April, 1915.
It is now the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world in terms of burials. At the suggestion of King George V, who visited the cemetery in 1922, the Cross of Sacrifice was placed on the original large pill-box. There are three other pill-boxes in the cemetery.
There are now 11,956 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Tyne Cot Cemetery. 8,369 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to more than 80 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 20 casualties whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. There are 4 German burials, 3 being unidentified.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
The TYNE COT MEMORIAL forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery and commemorates nearly 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand who died in the Ypres Salient after 16 August 1917 and whose graves are not known. The memorial stands close to the farthest point in Belgium reached by Commonwealth forces in the First World War until the final advance to victory.
The memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by F V Blundstone.
Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus is native to Eurasia and North America, but the two most commonplace species worldwide, T. officinale (the common dandelion) and T. erythrospermum (the red-seeded dandelion), were introduced from Europe into North America, where they now propagate as wildflowers. The plant thrives in temperate regions and can be found in yards, gardens, sides of roads, among crops, and in many other habitats. Both species are edible in their entirety. The common name dandelion from French dent-de-lion 'lion's tooth') is also given to specific members of the genus.
Like other members of the family Asteraceae, they have very small flowers collected together into a composite flower head. Each single flower in a head is called a floret. In part due to their abundance, along with being a generalist species, dandelions are one of the most vital early spring nectar sources for a wide host of pollinators. Many Taraxacum species produce seeds asexually by apomixis, where the seeds are produced without pollination, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant.
In general, the leaves are 50–250 mm (2–10 in) long or longer, simple, lobed-to-pinnatisect, and form a basal rosette above the central taproot. The flower heads are yellow to orange coloured, and are open in the daytime, but closed at night. The heads are borne singly on a hollow stem (scape) that is usually leafless and rises 10–100 mm (3⁄8–3+7⁄8 in) or more above the leaves. Stems and leaves exude a white, milky latex when broken. A rosette may produce several flowering stems at a time. The flower heads are 20–50 mm (3⁄4–2 in) in diameter and consist entirely of ray florets. The flower heads mature into spherical seed heads sometimes called blowballs or clocks (in both British and American English) containing many single-seeded fruits called achenes. Each achene is attached to a pappus of fine hair-like material which enables wind-aided dispersal over long distances.[citation needed]
The flower head is surrounded by bracts (sometimes mistakenly called sepals) in two series. The inner bracts are erect until the seeds mature, then flex downward to allow the seeds to disperse. The outer bracts are often reflexed downward, but remain appressed in plants of the sections Palustria and Spectabilia. Between the pappus and the achene is a stalk called a beak, which elongates as the fruit matures. The beak breaks off from the achene quite easily, separating the seed from the parachute.
Description
The species of Taraxacum are tap-rooted, perennial, herbaceous plants, native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus contains many species, which usually (or in the case of triploids, obligately) reproduce by apomixis, resulting in many local populations and endemism. In the British Isles alone, 234 microspecies (i.e. morphologically distinct clonal populations) are recognised in nine loosely defined sections, of which 40 are "probably endemic". A number of species of Taraxacum are seed-dispersed ruderals that rapidly colonize disturbed soil, especially the common dandelion (T. officinale), which has been introduced over much of the temperate world. After flowering is finished, the dandelion flower head dries out for a day or two. The dried petals and stamens drop off, the bracts reflex (curve backwards), and the parachute ball opens into a full sphere. When development is complete, the mature seeds are attached to white, fluffy "parachutes" which easily detach from the seedhead and glide by wind, dispersing.
The seeds are able to cover large distances when dispersed due to the unique morphology of the pappus which works to create a unique type of vortex ring that stays attached to the seed rather than being sent downstream. In addition to the creation of this vortex ring, the pappus can adjust its morphology depending on the moisture in the air. This allows the plume of seeds to close up and reduce the chance to separate from the stem, waiting for optimal conditions that will maximize dispersal and germination.
Many similar plants in the family Asteraceae with yellow flowers are sometimes known as false dandelions. Dandelion flowers are very similar to those of cat's ears (Hypochaeris). Both plants carry similar flowers, which form into windborne seeds. However, dandelion flowers are borne singly on unbranched, hairless and leafless, hollow stems, while cat's ear flowering stems are branched, solid, and carry bracts. Both plants have a basal rosette of leaves and a central taproot. However, the leaves of dandelions are smooth or glabrous, whereas those of cat's ears are coarsely hairy.
Early-flowering dandelions may be distinguished from coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) by their basal rosette of leaves, their lack of disc florets, and the absence of scales on the flowering stem.
Other plants with superficially similar flowers include hawkweeds (Hieracium) and hawksbeards (Crepis). These are readily distinguished by branched flowering stems, which are usually hairy and bear leaves.
Classification
The genus is taxonomically complex due to the presence of apomixis: any morphologically distinct clonal population would deserve its own microspecies. Phylogenetic approaches are also complicated by the accelerated mutation in apomixic lines and repeated ancient hybridization events in the genus.
As of 1970, the group is divided into about 34 macrospecies or sections, and about 2000 microspecies; some botanists take a much narrower view and only accept a total of about 60 (macro)species. By 2015, the number has been revised to include 60 sections and about 2800 microspecies. 30 of these sections are known to reproduce sexually.
About 235 apomictic and polyploid microspecies have been recorded in Great Britain and Ireland alone.
Botanists specialising in the genus Taraxacum are sometimes called taraxacologists, for example Gunnar Marklund, Johannes Leendert van Soest or A.J. Richards.
Selected species
Taraxacum albidum, the white-flowered Japanese dandelion, a hybrid between T. coreanum and T. japonicum
Taraxacum algarbiense
Taraxacum aphrogenes, the Paphos dandelion
Taraxacum arcticum
Taraxacum balticum
Taraxacum brachyceras
Taraxacum brevicorniculatum, frequently misidentified as T. kok-saghyz and a poor rubber producer
Taraxacum californicum, the California dandelion, an endangered species
Taraxacum centrasiaticum, the Xinjiang dandelion
Taraxacum ceratophorum, the horned dandelion, considered by some sources to be a North American subspecies of T. officinale (T. officinale subsp. ceratophorum)
Taraxacum coreanum
Taraxacum desertorum
Taraxacum erythrospermum, the red-seeded dandelion, often considered a variety of T. laevigatum (i.e., T. laevigatum var. erythrospermum)
Taraxacum farinosum, the Turkish dandelion
Taraxacum holmboei, the Troödos dandelion
Taraxacum hybernum
Taraxacum japonicum, the Japanese dandelion, no ring of smallish, downward-turned leaves under the flower head
Taraxacum kok-saghyz, the Kazakh dandelion, which produces rubber
Taraxacum laevigatum, the rock dandelion, achenes reddish brown and leaves deeply cut throughout the length, inner bracts' tips are hooded
Taraxacum lissocarpum
Taraxacum minimum
Taraxacum mirabile
Taraxacum officinale (syn. T. officinale subsp. vulgare), the common dandelion, found in many forms
Taraxacum pankhurstianum, the St. Kilda dandelion
Taraxacum platycarpum, the Korean dandelion
Taraxacum pseudoroseum
Taraxacum suecicum
T. albidum
T. albidum
T. californicum
T. californicum
T. japonicum
T. japonicum
T. laevigatum
T. laevigatum
T. officinale
T. officinale
T. platycarpum
T. platycarpum
Cultivars
'Amélioré à Coeur Plein' yields an abundant crop without taking up much ground, and tends to blanch itself naturally, due to its clumping growth habit.
'Broad-leaved' - The leaves are thick and tender and easily blanched. In rich soils, they can be up to 60 cm (2') wide. Plants do not go to seed as quickly as French types.
'Vert de Montmagny' is a large-leaved, vigorous grower, which matures early.
History
Dandelions are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago in Eurasia. Fossil seeds of Taraxacum tanaiticum have been recorded from the Pliocene of southern Belarus. Dandelions have been used by humans for food and as an herb for much of recorded history. They were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and are recorded to have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over a thousand years. The plant was used as food and medicine by Native Americans. Dandelions were probably brought to North America on the Mayflower for their supposed medicinal benefits.
Etymology
Leaf resemblance to the teeth of a lion (French: dent-de-lion)
The Latin name Taraxacum originates in medieval Arabic writings on pharmacy. The scientist Al-Razi around 900 CE wrote "the tarashaquq is like chicory". The scientist and philosopher Ibn Sīnā around 1000 CE wrote a book chapter on Taraxacum.[citation needed] Gerard of Cremona, in translating Arabic to Latin around 1170, spelled it tarasacon.
Common names
The English name, dandelion, is a corruption of the French dent de lion meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. The plant is also known as blowball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, witch's gowan, milk witch, lion's-tooth, yellow-gowan, Irish daisy, monks-head, priest's-crown, and puff-ball; other common names include faceclock, pee-a-bed, wet-a-bed, swine's snout, white endive, and wild endive.
The English folk name "piss-a-bed" (and indeed the equivalent contemporary French pissenlit) refers to the strong diuretic effect of the plant's roots. In various northeastern Italian dialects, the plant is known as pisacan ("dog pisses"), because they are found at the side of pavements. In Swedish, it is called maskros (worm rose) after the nymphs of small insects (thrips larvae) usually present in the flowers.
Nutrition
Plate of sauteed dandelion greens, with Wehani rice
Raw dandelion greens contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, and K, and are moderate sources of calcium, potassium, iron, and manganese. Raw dandelion greens are 86% water, 9% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and 1% fat. A 100 gram (3+1⁄2oz) reference amount supplies 45 Calories.
Phytochemicals
The raw flowers contain diverse phytochemicals, including polyphenols, such as flavonoids apigenin, isoquercitrin (a quercetin-like compound), and caffeic acid, as well as terpenoids, triterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. The roots contain a substantial amount of the prebiotic fiber inulin. Dandelion greens contain lutein.
Taraxalisin, a serine proteinase, is found in the latex of dandelion roots. Maximal activity of the proteinase in the roots is attained in April, at the beginning of plant development after the winter period. Each dandelion seed has a mass(weight) of 500 micrograms or 0.0005g (1/125 of a grain).[citation needed]
Properties
Edibility
Bunches of organic dandelion greens for sale at Whole Foods
The entire plant, including the leaves, stems, flowers, and roots, is edible and nutritious, with nutrients such as vitamins A and K as well as calcium and iron. Dandelions are found on six continents and have been gathered for food since prehistory, but the varieties commercially cultivated for consumption are mainly native to Eurasia and North America. A perennial plant, its leaves grow back if the taproot is left intact. To make leaves more palatable, they are often blanched to remove bitterness, or sauteed in the same way as spinach. Dandelion greens have been a part of traditional Kashmiri cuisine, Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, Albanian cuisine, Slovenian, Sephardic Jewish, Chinese, Greek cuisine (χόρτα) and Korean cuisines. In Crete, the leaves of a variety called 'Mari' (Μαρί), 'Mariaki' (Μαριάκι), or 'Koproradiko' (Κοπροράδικο) are eaten by locals, either raw or boiled, in salads. T. megalorhizon, a species endemic to Crete, is eaten in the same way; it is found only at high altitudes (1,000–1,600 metres (3,300–5,200 ft)) and in fallow sites, and is called pentaramia (πενταράμια) or agrioradiko (αγριοράδικο).
The flower petals, along with other ingredients, usually including citrus, are used to make dandelion wine. Its ground, roasted roots can be used as a caffeine-free coffee alternative. Dandelion was also traditionally used to make the traditional British soft drink dandelion and burdock, and is one of the ingredients of root beer. Dandelions were once considered delicacies by the Victorian gentry, who used them mostly in salads and sandwiches.
Dye
The yellow flowers can be dried and ground into a yellow-pigmented powder and used as a dye.
Allergies
Dandelion pollen may cause allergic reactions when eaten, or adverse skin reactions in sensitive individuals. Contact dermatitis after handling has also been reported, probably from the latex in the stems and leaves.
Herbalism
Dandelion has been used in traditional medicine in Europe, North America, and China.
Food for wildlife
Dandelions do not depend on wildlife for distribution or pollination; however much of wildlife benefits from the abundance of the plant. Rabbits, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, eastern chipmunks, bobwhite quail, and many species of birds will consume the seeds and foliage. Additionally, many insects will collect nectar from the flower, especially in early spring when there are very few other flowers in bloom.
Taraxacum seeds are an important food source for certain birds (linnets, Linaria spp.).
Main article: Nectar
Szabo studied nectar secretion in a dandelion patch over two years (59.2 and 8.9 flowers per square metre (5.50 and 0.83/sq ft) in 1981 and 1982). He measured average nectar volume at 7.4 μl/flower in 1981 and 3.7 μl/flower in 1982. The flowers tended to open in the morning and close in the afternoon with the concentrations significantly higher on the second day.
Dandelions are also important plants for Northern Hemisphere bees, providing an important source of nectar and pollen early in the season. They are also used as a source of nectar by the pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), one of the earliest emerging butterflies in the spring.
Leaves
Dandelions are used as food plants by the larvae of some species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths).
Invasive Species.
Dandelions can cause significant economic damage as an invasive species and infestation of other crops worldwide; in some jurisdictions, the species T. officinale is listed as a noxious weed. It can also be considered invasive in protected areas such as national parks. For example, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska lists Taraxacum officinale as the most common invasive species in the park and hosts an annual "Dandelion Demolition" event where volunteers are trained to remove the plant from the park's roadsides.
Benefits to gardeners
Main article: Beneficial weed
With a wide range of uses, the dandelion is cultivated in small gardens to massive farms. It is kept as a companion plant; its taproot brings up nutrients for shallow-rooting plants. It is also known to attract pollinating insects and release ethylene gas, which helps fruit to ripen.
Cultural importance
It has been a Western tradition for someone to blow out a dandelion seedhead and think of a wish they want to come true.
Five dandelion flowers are the emblem of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The citizens celebrate spring with an annual Dandelion Festival.
The dandelion is the official flower of the University of Rochester in New York State, and "Dandelion Yellow" is one of the school's official colors. "The Dandelion Yellow" is an official University of Rochester song.
Inspiration for engineering
The ability of dandelion seeds to travel as far as a kilometer in dry, windy and warm conditions, has been an inspiration for designing light-weight passive drones.
In 2018, researchers discovered that dandelion seeds have a separated vortex ring. This work provided evidence that dandelion seeds have fluid behavior around fluid-immersed bodies that may help understand locomotion, weight reduction and particle retention in biological and man-made structures.
In 2022, researchers at the University of Washington demonstrated battery-free wireless sensors and computers that mimic dandelion seeds and can float in the wind and disperse across a large area.
As a source of natural rubber
See also: Taraxacum kok-saghyz § Rubber
Dandelions secrete latex when the tissues are cut or broken, yet in the wild type, the latex content is low and varies greatly. Taraxacum kok-saghyz, the Russian dandelion, is a species that produced industrially useful amounts during WW2. Using modern cultivation methods and optimization techniques, scientists in the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Germany developed a cultivar of the Russian dandelion that is suitable for current commercial production of natural rubber. The latex produced exhibits the same quality as the natural rubber from rubber trees. In collaboration with Continental AG, IME is building a pilot facility. As of May 2014, the first prototype test tires made with blends from dandelion-rubber are scheduled for testing on public roads over the next few years. In December 2017, Linglong Group Co. Ltd., a Chinese company, invested $450 million into making commercially viable rubber from dandelions.
Given the council totally by passed my building when it came to fixing the gutters e.t.c.
paisleycouncil.blogspot.co.uk/
I would be better of offering up my vote for a donation. Since it would benefit those who built this town and who now turn in their graves as they watch it fall down around our feet.
They built stuff that lasted while we makeshift and mend or just neglect.
Donate what you can to this unpaid remembrance project if you can. No one else is, that’s for sure.
The SP Excellence Awards Ceremony was held on 8 March at Gardens by the Bay. A total of 125 awards were given out.
The CPMR’s Intermediterranean Commission (IMC) has given its full backing to key plans for a territorial alliance aimed at developing a long-term strategy to build a sustainable future for all citizens in the Mediterranean.
The ‘Mediterranean Cooperation Alliance Joint Declaration’ was signed by political representatives from 5 Mediterranean organisations - including the IMC, the Euroregion Pyrénées-Méditerranée (EPM), MedCities, Latin Arc, and the Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion - at a major international seminar on ‘The Future of the Mediterranean Region after 2020’, held in Barcelona on 4 February being co-organized by the Catalan Government, the EPM and the IMC and attended by more than 200 participants.
This event and signature were performed in the broader framework of the “Mediterranean Catalonia Forum,” that focused on reinforcing the importance of the Mediterranean worldwide and the crucial role of regional cooperation in the EU and Euro-Mediterranean agenda and policies.
It was held back-to-back with the renewal of the Presidency of the Euroregion Pyrénées-Méditerranée, from the Government of Catalonia to the Balearic Islands, and the organisation of the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission Political Bureau.
The signature of the “Mediterranean Cooperation Alliance” was attended in particular by politicians of all the involved networks and will remain open for other key actors to endorse it in the future.
Its priorities, among others, are as follows:
• The demands that governing institutions – considering the post-2020 horizon and the two next programming periods – work harder towards the implementation and integration of emerging sea basin, macro-regional strategies and other connected initiatives and cooperation instruments, so as to build a common, more cohesive sustainable and co-owned Mediterranean macro-region involving all the territorial actors;
• Structuring a strong and operational multi-level and multi-stakeholder network, in order to work – together with EU and Euro-Mediterranean Institutions - in a more integrated way in the long run, to design and develop common projects and to support policies based on capitalization of results (e.g. from the Interreg MED Thematic Communities);
• Offering firm support to cooperation at political and technical levels between regional and local stakeholders in the EU, the IPA countries and non-European Mediterranean partner countries, as well as among all the components of the four helix: public and private sector, academia and non-governmental organizations/civil society.
Day 292:
My name was chosen to honor him.
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Walking tour of Downtown's Historic Core given by the Los Angeles Conservancy. Mom, Dad, and Brad accompanied.
On any given month, a drink at 111 Minna will tease your senses with a delicious burn of the dark and quirky. However, if you want something smooth to swallow, try the alcohol. It's with a taste for the surreal, that Minna has presented art goers with a curatorial slant that calls to the twisted, the weird, and the eccentric. Naturally, being a fan of strange and unusual things, I like this. I even stick around for a shot of Vodka, if it's the weekend.
Read the rest here:
www.warholian.com/2012/09/14/lethal-injection/
Photos and story by Megan Wolfe for Warholian.
Given one hour to tell a story in an unknown location, using 3 objects; a button down, sequin dress, and a clock.
Given to the French by the Egyptians in the 1800s, King Louis Philippe placed it on the spot where the guillotine stood.
During the French Revolution, the Place de la Concorde was called the Place de la Révolution and executions took place here, including the execution of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and Maximilien Robespierre.
Given the increase in demand for healthy diets and OFSP, the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) provided the International Potato Center (CIP) with a scaling grant to accelerate the use of OFSP puree in baked and fried products in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. The project launch for Kenya was held on 31st May, 2019 at ILRI Campus in Nairobi.
Photo: N. Ronoh (CIP-SSA)
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty seven metres at 09:51am on an overcast morning on Saturday 10th August 2024, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
This is a female Sparrowhawk (Accipiter Nisus) of the family Accipitridae (haws and eagles). She swooped and caught a Sparrow and spent the next hour calmly devouring it in our garden and then digesting and resting on the fence as we watched in awe.
Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey with strikingly bright-yellow eyes, broad wings and yellow legs with long talons. Females are significantly bigger (by up to 25%) and are streaked with dark brown all over. Their head is also dark brown, with a slight eye stripe. Juveniles look similar to females.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 600mm Shutter speed: 1/640s (Mechanical shutter) Aperture f/7.1 ISO Sensitivity: ISO640 Hand held with Tamron Vibration Control set to position 1 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504) (14 bit uncompressed) Focus Mode: AF-C Nikon Back button focusing enabled AF-S Priority selection: Focus AF-Area Mode: 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Natural Light Auto, 0, 0 Colour space: RGB Active D-Lighting: Normal Picture control: (SD) Standard (Sharpening +3 Clarity +1.00)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup. Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.21s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.54s
ALTITUDE: 57.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 94.4MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 41.10MB
PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
YORK, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: during the West Riding County FA Development West League match between i2i Albion and i2i County at Haxby Road on November 4th 2022 in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Appleby)
Given the brief of having to shoot a piece of fruit, targeted toward a youth demographic, to encourage them to eat more fruit - what better way than telling them they can't have it !
August 25, 2018. Boston, MA.
Housing activists and concerned citizens organized by City Life/Vida Urbana rallied at Our Lady Guild House (OLGH), a rooming house in the Fenway.
OLGH is owned by an order of Catholic nuns called Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception. It was originally part of the order's mission to create homes for single women, especially mature women. About 5 years ago, the mission changed. Older women were told they had to get out.
In the last year, no-fault evictions began and move-out deadlines were given. The OLGH management company, Marc Roos Realty, started advertising on their web site that they only want to rent to women age 18 to 50 years old. In response to the evictions and the apparently clear age discrimination, residents are organized and defending themselves in court.
Two of the women face forcible removal in the first week of September. Another is in the middle of an eviction case. Five or more women expect a court summons at any moment. City Life/Vida Urbana and Fenway CDC are pledging resistance.
© 2018 Marilyn Humphries
High on it's nest above the Banksia woodland of Perth's Swan Coastal Plain, this 11 week-old eaglet fledged a few days after this photograph was taken. Here, it raises its wings in a defensive posture as I stuck my hand above my head, pointed the camera in roughly the right direction and clicked the shutter. This nest was so high that I had to hang underneath it to take photos! You can just make out the remains of Western Grey Kangaroo hide in the foreground.
This photo featured on the cover of the Australian Wildlife Magazine, Autumn 2009.
given my husband's very recent trip to an alcohol rehab center (*not* the betty ford clinic), this sign held great irony.
it was also pretty.
On any given day during the warmer months, one can be treated to the vast array of dragonfly and damselfly species, and when looking closely, the distinct patterns and colors are prominently displayed. Being so small in stature and often on the go from plant to plant, or in wide circles over the body of water, photographing them with a high level sharpness is not that easy, but with patience and a sense of their flight and landing habits, successful shots are not impossible.
Pond life with creatures of the animal kingdom or plants, offer so much beauty for one to appreciate. Although not on a grand scale, the activity within the simple setting is truly phenomenal. When we visit such landscape to observe and/or photograph, the endless wealth of subjects is truly astonishing--just stop and really look, and you would marvel at the things you will see.
This garden, nestled amongst hills and brooks, is like the proverbial Garden of Eden. Incorporating the natural landscape and creating a truly enchanting garden around it makes this place a MUST VISIT site for anyone with a sense of appreciation for nature in a quiet way. Nothing pretentious, but so much can be seen and learned from each outing. The bucolic setting will put your heart and soul at ease, and quickly remove the stress of everyday life—at least, while you are there.
The vast collection of trees and plants is incredible, and the landscape garden planning and design is of superb presentation and care. Wildlife such as birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles can be seen regularly and the pure air of life emanates throughout this lovely terrain. The brooks and ponds are rich with activity and whether you enjoy photography or not, just being there is reward enough.
Situated in Far Hills of Somerset County of New Jersey, this hidden gem is worth the trip. Upon your first view, you will know instantly that this is a special garden, unique unto itself . . .
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 49.320+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on Wednesday 2nd August 2023
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1584996794 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 6,931st frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Four hundred and forty six metres at 12:25pm on Wednesday 10th May 2023 at 5932 Old Vernon Road at Kangaroo Creek Farm in Kelowna V1X 7V2, British Columbia.
The the Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), of the family Phasianidae are native to eastern and central North America and evolved over 20 million years ago.
Nikon D850 Single-lens reflex digital camera F Mount with FX CMOS 35.9mm x 23.9mm Image sensor 46.89 Million total pixels Focal length: 34mm Shutter speed: 1/800s (Mechanical shutter) Aperture f/5.0 Auto iso64 Hand held with Nikon VR Vibration reduction enabled Image area Full Frame FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L 45.4Million pixels (8256 x 5504) 14 Bit uncompressed AF-C Priority Selection: Release Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1, A1.00, M0.24 (5020K) Colour space: Adobe RGB Picture control: (SD) Standard (Sharpening +3.00/Clarity +1.00)
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup. Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon EN-EL15a battery.
LATITUDE: N 49d 58m 3.9s
LONGITUDE: W 119d 22m 21.90s
ALTITUDE: 446.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 93.2MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 30.90MB
PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.21 (8/12/2022) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (16/01/20) LF 1.00 Nikon Codec Full version 1.31.2 (09/11/2021)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with Windows 10 Home edition AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. My Passport USB 3.0 2TB portable desktop hard drive. Nikon NX STUDIO 64bit Version 1.2.2 (08/12/2022). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.16.0 (08/12/2022). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Given the detrimental effects of insufficient nutrition on child well-being, learning ability, academic performance, and future productivity, promoting healthy diets and improved nutrition should be a high priority on school development agendas. To this end, FAO organized a regional workshop to present and discuss school food and nutrition approaches in Europe and Central Asia on 11–13 December in Minsk.
The event is part of an FAO project on strengthening food security and nutrition in selected countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia, funded by the Russian Federation.
Read more: www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/1255023/
Photo: FAO/Sergei Gapon
Earlsdon Terrace, the name given to the row of houses on Earlsdon Avenue South (then Earlsdon Lane) between the City Arms and Berkeley Road South (then Cromwell Street). Earlsdon Terrace was part of the original 1850s development of Earlsdon. It consisted of a number of significant watchmakers houses. Sadly Earlsdon Terrace has suffered badly over the years. A large section, including Robert Pikes grand House has been demolished to build the Elsie Jones retirement home. The section nearest the City Arms is landlord owned and in a poor state of repair. You can see that the house in the middle with the bay window was also demolished and rebuilt in the 1930s.