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After a long break due to holidays, a heatwave and health issues we have resumed our Monarch’s Way challenge. We are walking the 111 miles of this long distance path between Stratford on Avon and Bristol in manageable lengths. There are 20 walks in all, this is Walk 6.
This walk took us from Broadwell to Bourton-on-the-Water, about 6 miles.
You know how it is, you are waiting for a flight at Heathrow's Terminal 5 to Amsterdam, you are waiting for hours roaming around the Terminal shopping centre (pretty impressive might I add!) and trying to pick the perfect spot to do a little bit of plane-spotting.
After a bit of wandering around the impressive Terminal 5, the home to British Airways, trying to pick out a spot for photos wasn't so easy... Taking the sun into account, 09R for departures saw issues with major glare and washed-out images, so with 09L being used for arrivals, the northern runway was a better idea but again, glare from the windows posed problems but were manageable, but in this case the results were good with the sun in the right place, grey clouds and also the well-known Heathrow Pods below.
Moving away, Aeroflot offers daily 2 flights during the winter between Heathrow and Moscow, one flight at least provided by Airbus A330's. The rest either by A320's and A321's. Echo Kilo is one of 22 Airbus A330's in service with Aeroflot, 5 currently on the short A330-200 and 17 (which includes Echo Kilo) on the longer A330-300. She was delivered new to Aeroflot in January 2010 and is powered by 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines.
Airbus A330-343E VQ-BEK 'A.Tvardovsky / А. Твардовский' on finals at London Heathrow (LHR) on SU2578 from Moscow-Sheremetyevo (SVO).
Most Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes winter in the southeastern United States and migrate to Canada in April for the breeding season. Along with its larger cousin, the northern shrike, they are the only truly predatory songbird, using their hooked bills to dispatch mice, frogs, grasshoppers, beetles and other small prey. Lacking strong talons or claws for grasping their prey, shrikes will impale their dead prey on the thorns of shrubs or barbed wire to help them tear their meal into manageable pieces.
In 2003, Wildlife Preservation Canada was invited by Environment Canada to lead the recovery effort for this critically endangered songbird, which numbers fewer than thirty breeding pairs in a few isolated spots in southern Ontario. WPC developed an effective in situ captive breeding and release program, and within a few years, captive-bred birds were returning from migration and pairing with wild birds to breed. This achievement was a first for a migratory songbird captive-breeding effort and brought international acclaim to the program.
Jeffrey did his best to impress upon the crowd smart planning by pointing to several displays. He also stressed allotting one portion of monthly income to savings, another for fixed expenses and a smaller, manageable portion for fun.
After the group listed its ideas of what fits a financial emergency -- when one would need to dip into savings -- he grew concerned.
Some answers included:
“My curling iron breaks.” – Marie Buzzle
“Bail money because Don won’t help me.” -- Clarissa Buzzle
“Paying ‘Big Junk’ to haul clutter off our property.” – Rat Langland
“A new dress for a new date.” – Whitney Fairweather
Four people, however, listed true, unavoidable emergences: needing a new pivotal body when yours breaks, needing a new vehicle (or bicycle – Paul, who can’t afford a car) and Jeffrey’s own mother Mona in attendance, said “Paying for prescriptions and hospital bills. The older you get, the more they take!”
Top left: A corniform above a rectangle, with four thin lines stretching away as if the legs of a cow. This may be an attempt to add detail to the description of cow, or a visual description of a raw-hide pelt being stretched. An alternative might be that the rectangular body is a hut with the 'legs' as tethering ropes and the horns are entrance fencing delimiting and protecting from wind and sun - a 'farmyard' work area.
Top right: one of Mont Bégo's most enigmatic petroglyphs comes from Fontanalba's 'Voie Sacrée' and seems to defy analysis. The lines are thought through, and with so much lifestyle description assigned to the Mont Bégo petroglyphs, one feels that there must be a slot for the image in a pastoral context: Stretching leather? A hut with guide ropes? And so on. One of the problems here is the 'boundary line' that goes through the design and appears to be part of the image rather than a superimposition.
Possible explanations:
1. A fridge. There is a simple mountain structure of the Pyrenees called a 'houn'. Here, a cold spring of mountain water flows through a dark stone hut, and any heat inside is transferred to the flowing water. Naturally, the environment inside the hut becomes cold enough to preserve milk products, often as they are assembled prior to transformation into curd, butter and cheese. The principle of heat transfer is similar to that at the back of a fridge and indeed 'houns' are archaic fridges. The pilgrims of Mont Bégo had cows in their lifestyle and transforming their milk into cheese would be within the date range. Just such a proto-houn might assure quantities necessary for cheese production during hot periods, and the stone steps or ledges aside the directed spring water may be pictured here covered by a stretch of taught leather attached to two long poles.
2. A ceremonial space. It seems safe to say that Mont Bégo's largely Bronze age population were walking into the barren non agricultural zone around Mont Bégo to show the mystical mountain the proud qualities of their life and culture - in effect asking for blessing and 'dialogue'. Today we see the zone's favoured rock surfaces ornamented with a diverse array of schematic images. With the weather shutting down the area for seasons of snow and storms, it becomes possible to suspect that there was a preferred period of pilgrimage - lets say at the time of the golden larch trees around October. Tools and people might all wish to be 'seen' and blessed and one of the mankind's traditional means of blessing is with water. Might this be the image of a temporary shrine for seasonal pilgrims? Here the image may be of a natural spring directed into a ditch and made to pass through a very simple roofed building. It is possible that there are two long poles and that an attempt was made to describe 'uprights' - here drawn vastly before the rules of perspective as flattened right angles. Flat representations of dimension can be verified from an Iron age site to the north (rock 23 Naquane) which depicts an early cart and as the wheels are easy to identify and less ambiguous than straight lines, the principle of 'flat' depiction of height is observed. With this interpretation, the roof is held-up by six posts aside a second smaller building, away from the stream, which would in turn be held up by four posts.
With 'pilgrims' leaving very little outside of the petroglyphs, there is also a possibility that a sacred water spring was located away from Mont Bégo, and that the element was in truth as far away as the described field systems and tools and simply 'taken' to the sacred site as an image idea. Tools, children, young animals might all have been offered sacred water aside rites and ritual.
3. Tanning. Cattle can be used for reserves in extreme conditions, they can be used for their meat, they can be used for their manure (manure cob etc), they can be used for their horns (drinking goblets and measuring devices), and they can be used for their pelt - probably the largest readily available. A large pelt can be one trimmed cover without seams, or a source for multiple smaller products apt for the lifestyle of the whole clan. Leather cord, leather ornament, leather cloths, leather coverings and full leather covered huts can all be envisaged by crofters as they look after even a small number of domesticated cows.
I only saw a small selection of the petroglyphs of Mont Bégo, and in the literature there are discussions of subsets of glyphs that may show stretched pelts. With this image, the stretching, if that is the case, is not as one might expect. The classic image is of a hide stretched evenly on a frame or with multiple pegs (Roberto Rosselini recreated a prehistoric village for one of his films where the stretching leathers were integrated onto hut roofs). If huts were covered in leather, and many of the corniforms are in fact depictions of huts with fence 'farmyards', then cow leather will have been used at its maximum size. Tanning requires large quantities of water, a product (urine, salt solutions, lime) and plenty of repeated 'lissage'. Here a large pelt may have been made temporarily manageable for one 'tanner' by being temporarily sewn into a cylinder. Two long poles could thread through the cylinder and be pulled taught. With this interpretation a drainage ditch or 'rigole' passes under the pelt so that fresh water can constantly be scooped.
Here, the canal here would have been a straight line with a right angle and this does not seem immediately logical. I have seen drainage canals on mountain slopes doing just this. A spring feeds the ditch rather than making the field generally boggy. The ditch then cuts perpendicular across the slope, and in so doing, it catches additional ground water that can be riddling down the slope. Before it overflows the ditch turns back down the slope at an angle and drier pastoral land is preserved within.
Of the three options, the 'fridge' needs data on ancient cheese production in the area. The ceremonial holy spring needs data on this potential representation of vertical posts, and the tanning loop is weakened by depictions of central 'ropes' that seem difficult to explain.
Lower left. Hyperbolic horns, a square body shape, legs like guide ropes and an apparent 'farmyard' where there might be a tail, all suggest that the abstract form of a cow might have been employed as a hut archetype. My work on 'transport dragons' explains how pelts over frames might have helped man navigate the extremes of the ice age. That these mobile structures took on the character from fauna and myth is also to be expected. Culture is not genetic and can survive as a memory even after waves of migration. Sedentary populations holding onto the traditions of a collective consciousness may feel that it is quite natural for their practical huts to resemble an animal. Domestication also added the mind of man to the animal, and was a lifestyle that required constant training and reflection. The cow/hut symbol may have perfectly reflect this inter relation.
Lower right: The closest of the four images to the pelt of a cow - but there are still differences: the horns, the tail and even the general shape do not alight to an image of a pelt. The argument here is that the image is not descriptive but instead communicates the principles of 'cow', and this may well be the case. An alternative explanation may seem idiotic, but needs to be considered, and is that the square of the 'cows' body is once again a small building, but this time for the distribution of feed for young calves or winter hay, and that the legs and tails are calves feeding with their heads tucked into the building's sweet smelling feed, in what may have been at the time an amusing image from the cycle of life.
AJM 6.2.19.
For the past 5+ years I’ve been walking indoors in my home (to keep things as consistent and as manageable as possible) as a part of my morning routine which I find beneficial for my wellbeing. Due to my intense struggles this can be very challenging and my mind can become very busy and overwhelmed. Something that has been helpful is to try to focus on YouTube videos while walking. Most of these years I’ve watched photography videos and sometimes will also watch videos about book binding, leathercraft or mental health. I find these topics very interesting and fascinating. I have seen a lot of photography videos over the years which have been so inspiring and I can’t really explain with words how helpful these videos can be for me. Some days I have no idea how I will be able to make it through another day, open my eyes, move or do my regular walking and these videos can be a great help. This particular video is by @teo_crawford—I love his fantastic video and photo work, find interest in his content, truly appreciate how he gives an honest, open, truthful and balanced, gracious critique of his own work in a way that inspires my desire to make photos and work to have honest, kind self-talk and assents of my own photos. If you are not familiar with Teo Crawford I highly recommend viewing his Instagram or YouTube channel. Thank you, Teo, for the amazing work you create and for your inspiration.
This image was taken one day after walking and being inspired by this video created by @teo_crawford and is a reminder of how beneficial this moment was for me. I love how he held his printed images to display them in the video, and here I’m also holding my phone in my hand.
[image created on 1-6-2024]
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As a way to cope with circumstances beyond my control, survive and work to keep fighting for life I decided to try to take at least one photo (or more) each day. I call this “a photo (or more) a day.” Practicing this form of therapeutic photography helps me work to focus on the present moment, gives me something familiar and enjoyable to focus on as I use photography skills that have become like second-nature to me and being able to view the images I capture helps me recall what I was thinking, feeling and noticing at the moment when I created the photos. More of the photos from this series can be seen on my Instagram account
I may not always have the energy, time or capacity to share photos from this series—especially with the very challenging circumstances my family and I are experiencing—and will do my best to continue taking a photo (or more) a day even if I’m not able to share.
If you would like to support my work and my family, one way you can do so is by ordering my zines:
Many thanks for your support.
Ao Nang is a resort town in southern Thailand. Located in the Krabi Province it has a long shoreline on the Andaman Sea. This place serves as a take off point for long tail boats carrying tourists to the limestone island destinationons of Ko Hong, Ko Poda and Ko Gai and to the Phi PHi Islands.
May is a hot month but still manageable in Ao Nang. The beaches are not so crowded and the waters not so rough
_DSC3704 nef 2024
The positive trend continues: 250 new infections, 27 hospital admissions and 32 new deaths have been reported. We are in the tail end of the epidemic! However, our subject experts keep stressing that the risks have not disappeared and we are urged to keep respecting the basic principles: (1) stay at home as much as possible, and definitely when you are sick, (2) wash your hands regularly, (3) wear a face mask in crowded places, and definitely on public transport, (4) avoid unnecessary contact with others, (5) remain within your bubble, and (6) keep the 1.5 metres social distance. In addition, Van Gucht, Belgium’s lead virologist, said that as long as we do not have an effective treatment or a vaccine, we should not rule out a second outbreak of Covid-19 in autumn or winter and that the only means we have to fight the evolution of the pandemic are screening and tracing. If that system of contact tracing and isolating sick people is no longer manageable because there are too many cases, we have no other solution than to break the chains of transmission by ensuring social distancing again. Is this a heads up for a second lockdown? I guess the outlook is not all rosy and it could very well be that I will continue picturing and documenting window drawings for a while – Meulestedesteenweg, Ghent, Belgium
I've read about the issues when a DX lens is used on an FX body (we're talking, of course, Nikon here) and decided to see for myself.
I put a Tamron AF 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD B016N lens on my D750. I shot mostly with the "Auto DX crop" enabled. The problem with those shots is that they were cropped more than I expected. I'd say that pretty close to half of what showed in the viewfinder was cropped out, and the photo that was produced was not what was seen in the viewfinder. I ended up retaking many photos to include some of the previously-cropped areas. Usually that involved simply taking a wider-angled photo. That kind of defeats the purpose of the zoom lens.
This photo was taken after disabling the "Auto DX crop". I had read that doing this might cause some serious vignetting. I think this vignetting is actually quite manageable, as long as you pretend you're using one of the old View-Masters or looking at your photos displayed on a 1950s television.
Conclusion: I need to buy an FX zoom lens.
This photo was taken in the usually-photogenic Saguaro National Park in 2018, not the 1950s. It wasn't colorized, either.
This flower sits right outside my bedroom window and I have kept an eye on it for the five months we have lived in our house. It has prevailed through snow and rain.
In our previous home, I failed miserably as a gardener despite a plethora of good intentions. The yard was just too big. We had an acre of grass and I couldn't keep up with it. Sometimes it would take an entire day just to get the mowing done.
When we moved, the scale of everything was a better fit for me and the yard was much more manageable. Each day, when I looked out at this rose, this little engine that could, I was inspired to get it right this time around.
The sun was shining bright yesterday and there was a distinct hint of spring in the air. I could hear the neighboring kids laughing on swings and the sound of lawn mowers being fired up. I joined the party myself and bought two bird feeders and a hummingbird feeder and then spent the rest of the day in the yard cleaning up most of the remaining debris from Fall/Winter.
Not only does it look good but it feels good for the soul. The red rose looked particularly beautiful yesterday almost like it noticed and approved my good work.
Onwards...
Recipe:
1. iPhone 4s
2. Natural light
3. Hipstamatic app
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Canon EOS 6D - f/5.6 - 1/250sec - 105mm - ISO 100
Cotinus coggygria 'Young Lady'
- Cotinus coggygria, syn. Rhus cotinus (Eurasian smoketree, smoke tree, or smoke bush) is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae, native to a large area from southern Europe, east across central Asia and the Himalayas to northern China.
It is a multiple-branching shrub growing to 5–7 m (16–23 ft) tall with an open, spreading, irregular habit, only rarely forming a small tree. The leaves are 3-8 cm long rounded ovals, green with a waxy glaucous sheen. The autumn colour can be strikingly varied, from peach and yellow to scarlet.
The flowers are numerous, produced in large inflorescences 15–30 cm (5.9–11.8 in) long; each flower 5-10 mm diameter, with five pale yellow petals. Most of the flowers in each inflorescence abort, elongating into yellowish-pink to pinkish-purple feathery plumes (when viewed en masse these have a wispy 'smoke-like' appearance, hence the common name) which surround the small (2-3 mm) drupaceous fruit that do develop.
‘Young Lady’ is a compact, shrubbier version of the European species. In comparison to the species, it is perhaps best noted for its more manageable size, its respectable bloom at an early age (hence the cultivar name) and its more floriferous and ornamentally attractive bloom.
- Bij de pruikenboom Cotinus coggygria verwijzen zowel de Latijnse als de Nederlandse naam naar het wonderlijke fenomeen van deze struik (van nature dus geen boom, maar eerder een struik).
In het voorjaar is er nog weinig aan de hand, wanneer de Cotinus coggygria bloeit met pluimen onopvallende kleine groene bloemen. De blaadjes vallen snel af, maar de behaarde bloemsteeltjes groeien daarna gewoon door. Deze behaarde steeltjes vormen midden in de zomer pluizige bossen die lijken op pruiken of rookpluimen (coggygria betekent ‘rookboom’). Ze zijn violet van kleur en steken vaak mooi af bij de bladeren. Een tweede attractie van deze boom is het mooie blad, met name de herfstkleur van geel tot rood.
De variëteit 'Young Lady' is een mooie struik met grote, veerachtige, pruikachtige vruchtstelen, die in de zomer al sieren. De heester heeft een bossige grillige opgaande vorm.
De herfstkleur van deze heester is prachtig oranje-scharlakenrood. De bloemen zijn geel, groen in 20 cm lange pluimen , van april tot juli.
A few years ago I made a Doctor Who Team-Up Infographic. It was OK, but it didn't come out the way it looked in my head and I never really liked the design.
So I finally took the time to redesign it, and add the additional team-up episode that aired in 2013 (timely I know, but hey, I'm busy).
Obviously you'll have to view "Original Size" to read the text.
Every now and then the Doctor faces a situation that even he can't tackle alone. That's when he uses his TARDIS to go back in time and recruit his past selves for help. Think of it as your 30 year old self using a time machine to get your 20 year old self to help you move your couch.
So far most of my infographics have been 12" x 18." I knew I'd never fit all this info into that size, so I decided not to worry about it, and just let the material dictate the height.
For non-fans of the show, those circular symbols in the background are Gallifreyan words.
There was a lot of moving around of elements and rewriting of text to get everything just right. I'm a lot happier with this version.
As fun as these team-up episodes are, historically there's always been some sort of problem with each one, making them less than perfect. For example, in The Three Doctors, actor William Hartnell (who played the First Doctor) was in poor health and was only able to interact with the other Doctors via a view screen, so it was really just two Doctors running around. Pity.
Then in The Five Doctors, Hartnell had sadly passed away and was replaced by actor Richard Hurndall. He did a good job, but naturally it just wasn't the same. Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor, declined to participate, and appears for only a few seconds through the magic of stock footage. Baker has recently said he regrets his decision.
In The Two Doctors, actor Patrick Troughton had aged visibly since his tenure on the series, and his hair had gone almost completely gray. This was distracting to say the least, since he was supposed to be the same age as the last time we saw him. This would have been such an easy fix— all they had to do was dye his hair black. Does hair dye not exist in England?
The Day Of The Doctor is marred by problems as well— namely the absence of the Ninth Doctor. In the episode, The Moment brings the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors back in time to show the War Doctor the massive guilt he'll experience if he destroys Gallifrey.
But Ten and Eleven don't seem all that guilt-ridden or damaged, seeing as how they spend a good amount of screen time joking around with one another. The Ninth Doctor was the one closest to the tragedy and the one who always had an air of sadness and tragedy about him. He'd have been a great example for The Moment to have used. So why wasn't he in the episode?
Unfortunately actor Christopher Eccleston, who played the Ninth Doctor, has some sort of beef with the BBC and refuses to reprise the role. That's his business of course, but you'd think he could have set aside his differences for the sake of the fans. Story-wise it makes no sense for him to not be in the episode, and hurts it overall.
I knew that show runner Stephen Moffat's plots were overly convoluted and needlessly complicated, but nowhere was that more evident than when I started writing up the synopsis for The Day Of The Doctor. I was able to distill the other episodes down to a few short paragraphs. It took many times that to try and explain Day, even after leaving out a ton of stuff.
I kept whittling away at it and slashing elements until I got it down to a manageable size. You may notice that the Zygon subplot, that takes up a good amount of the run time, is barely mentioned in my synopsis. That's because I realized it's completely superfluous. It has absolutely nothing to do with the overall War Doctor plot line and could be edited out of the show completely without harming the episode one bit. Such are Stephen Moffat's scripts.
Hopefully there won't be any more team-ups for a while, so I won't have to update it again.
There have been several other team-ups in the various Doctor Who audio books, novels and comics, but I'm just listing the more well known televised ones.
Drawn and designed all in InDesign.
Want to see more? Check out my new blog! All the cool kids are doing it!
Note: The headline writer for the following piece was being too generous. Trump's son-in-law has no business being in government.
Trump’s son-in-law has no business running the coronavirus response.
By Michelle Goldberg
Opinion Columnist
The Washington Post
April 2, 2020
Reporting on the White House’s herky-jerky coronavirus response, Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman has a quotation from Jared Kushner that should make all Americans, and particularly all New Yorkers, dizzy with terror.
According to Sherman, when New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, said that the state would need 30,000 ventilators at the apex of the coronavirus outbreak, Kushner decided that Cuomo was being alarmist.
“I have all this data about I.C.U. capacity,” Kushner reportedly said. “I’m doing my own projections, and I’ve gotten a lot smarter about this. New York doesn’t need all the ventilators.” (Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top expert on infectious diseases, has said he trusts Cuomo’s estimate.)
Even now, it’s hard to believe that someone with as little expertise as Kushner could be so arrogant, but he said something similar on Thursday, when he made his debut at the White House’s daily coronavirus briefing: “People who have requests for different products and supplies, a lot of them are doing it based on projections which are not the realistic projections.”
Kushner has succeeded at exactly three things in his life. He was born to the right parents, married well and learned how to influence his father-in-law.
Most of his other endeavors — his biggest real estate deal, his foray into newspaper ownership, his attempt to broker a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians — have been failures.
Undeterred, he has now arrogated to himself a major role in fighting the epochal health crisis that’s brought America to its knees. “Behind the scenes, Kushner takes charge of coronavirus response,” said a Politico headline on Wednesday.
This is dilettantism raised to the level of sociopathy.
The journalist Andrea Bernstein looked closely at Kushner’s business record for her recent book “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power,” speaking to people on all sides of his real estate deals as well as those who worked with him at The New York Observer, the weekly newspaper he bought in 2006.
Kushner, Bernstein told me, “really sees himself as a disrupter.” Again and again, she said, people who’d dealt with Kushner told her that whatever he did, he “believed he could do it better than anybody else, and he had supreme confidence in his own abilities and his own judgment even when he didn’t know what he was talking about.”
It’s hard to overstate the extent to which this confidence is unearned.
Kushner was a reportedly mediocre student whose billionaire father appears to have bought him a place at Harvard.
Taking over the family real estate company after his father was sent to prison, Kushner paid $1.8 billion — a record, at the time — for a Manhattan skyscraper at the very top of the real estate market in 2007.
The debt from that project became a crushing burden for the family business. (Kushner was able to restructure the debt in 2011, and in 2018 the project was bailed out by a Canadian asset management company with links to the government of Qatar.)
He gutted the once-great New York Observer, then made a failed attempt to create a national network of local politics websites.
His forays into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — for which he boasted of reading a whole 25 books — have left the dream of a two-state solution on life support.
Michael Koplow of the centrist Israel Policy Forum described Kushner’s plan for the Palestinian economy as “the Monty Python version of Israeli-Palestinian peace.”
Now, in our hour of existential horror, Kushner is making life-or-death decisions for all Americans, showing all the wisdom we’ve come to expect from him.
“Mr. Kushner’s early involvement with dealing with the virus was in advising the president that the media’s coverage exaggerated the threat,” reported The Times. It was apparently at Kushner’s urging that Trump announced, falsely, that Google was about to launch a website that would link Americans with coronavirus testing.
(As The Atlantic reported, a health insurance company co-founded by Kushner’s brother — which Kushner once owned a stake in — tried to build such a site, before the project was “suddenly and mysteriously scrapped.”)
The president was reportedly furious over the website debacle, but Kushner’s authority hasn’t been curbed.
Politico reported that Kushner, “alongside a kitchen cabinet of outside experts including his former roommate and a suite of McKinsey consultants, has taken charge of the most important challenges facing the federal government,” including the production and distribution of medical supplies and the expansion of testing.
Kushner has embedded his own people in the Federal Emergency Management Agency; a senior official described them to The Times as “a ‘frat party’ that descended from a U.F.O. and invaded the federal government.”
Disaster response requires discipline and adherence to a clear chain of command, not the move-fast-and-break-things approach of start-up culture.
Even if Kushner “were the most competent person in the world, which he clearly isn’t, introducing these kind of competing power centers into a crisis response structure is a guaranteed problem,” Jeremy Konyndyk, a former U.S.A.I.D. official who helped manage the response to the Ebola crisis during Barack Obama’s administration, told me.
“So you could have Trump and Kushner and Pence and the governors all be the smartest people in the room, but if there are multiple competing power centers trying to drive this response, it’s still going to be chaos.”
Competing power centers are a motif of this administration, and its approach to the pandemic is no exception.
As The Washington Post reported, Kushner’s team added “another layer of confusion and conflicting signals within the White House’s disjointed response to the crisis.” Nor does his operation appear to be internally coherent. “Projects are so decentralized that one team often has little idea what others are doing — outside of that they all report up to Kushner,” reported Politico.
On Thursday, Governor Cuomo said that New York would run out of ventilators in six days. Perhaps Kushner’s projections were incorrect. “I don’t think the federal government is in a position to provide ventilators to the extent the nation may need them,” Cuomo said. “Assume you are on your own in life.” If not in life, certainly in this administration.
www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/opinion/jared-kushner-coronavi...
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Trump is responsible for our unfolding coronavirus disaster
Michael Gerson
The Washington Post
July 6, 2020
The United States is entering dangerous, uncharted territory. With a little more than 4 percent of the world’s population, our country has about 25 percent of coronavirus infections.
Over the course of five months, more Americans have lost their lives to this disease (127,000 and counting) than died in World War I (116,516).
New infections have reaccelerated and are rising toward some unknown peak.
And we have a president who doesn’t appear to give a damn.
How did we get here? The story is relatively simple.
Through shutdowns and social distancing, Americans flattened the curve of new infections. But we plateaued at a very high level — roughly 20,000 a day during most of May. (Contrast this with France, which flattened the curve to a plateau of roughly 400 daily cases.)
Then came Memorial Day. Many Americans — with the encouragement of some politicians — took this as the mental end of the crisis phase. On May 25, there were roughly 18,000 new infections. On June 25, it was 40,000. Six days after that, 53,000.
And a few weeks from now, the Fourth of July harvest of stupidity will be revealed.
On the second upswing of the first wave — where we currently stand — the profile of the disease has changed.
Because nursing homes are better protected and the elderly have adhered to pandemic hygiene, the average age of someone infected by the disease has fallen by roughly two decades.
Though a significant number still need hospitalization, fatality rates are lower. America is doing a better job shielding the most vulnerable.
But there are two problems.
First, following covid-19’s assault on the body, a significant number of younger people end up with long-term health complications.
One doctor I know says that 40-year-old patients he has treated sometimes end up climbing stairs like wheezing senior citizens. Researchers warn of lingering damage to the brain.
President Trump’s claim that 99 percent of covid-19 cases are “totally harmless” is a cruel lie.
Second, allowing the exponential spread of the disease will eventually make protecting the vulnerable an impossible task. All our islands of safety for the ill and elderly are endangered when the sea level of infection rapidly rises.
Many Americans simply don’t understand what exponential growth means. Three million infections can quickly bloom to 10 million infections, and higher. Even with a relatively low fatality rate, this could easily leave more than half a million Americans dead.
Who is responsible for this unfolding national disaster?
It starts at the top, where Trump has been a determined and creative ally of the virus.
In mid-April, the president simultaneously endorsed a strategy for gradual, prudent reopening of the economy and began egging on populist advocates of immediate reopening. It was clear to everyone where his sympathies truly lay.
Rather than bucking up governors to continue shutdowns until the burden of disease was manageable, Trump undercut them for his own (perceived) benefit.
Foolish, reckless governors quickly got the message that economic recovery was more urgent than pandemic responsibility.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) actually stripped localities of the authority to issue stay-at-home orders so no one could resist his aggressive reopening plan.
But even governors who demonstrate concern about people’s lives have found many Americans — particularly younger Americans — increasingly resistant to basic pandemic precautions.
The successful control of infectious disease — using bed nets against malaria, adhering to AIDS medications, social distancing to inhibit the spread of the novel coronavirus — is ultimately a matter of individual behavior.
Successful attempts to improve such behavior on a large scale require a consistent message from all the commanding heights of a culture — the medical profession, the government, the church and the media.
The default position for many Americans is a robust individualism that leads to suspicion of government mandates. Overcoming this natural tendency requires energetic persuasion.
In the coronavirus crisis, the medical profession has done its job by providing the facts.
But the government (see Trump), the church (see Trump’s evangelical enablers) and the media (see Fox News and talk radio) have encouraged broad skepticism about essential health measures. In the process, they have created a right-wing constituency for preventable death.
There are two options here. Either Americans will be rudely jerked toward sanity by the sight of rapidly filling graves, or leaders of determination and talent will rise above the self-destructive strife and make deliverance from illness and death a unifying national cause.
The president has left this role vacant. It needs filling.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-responsible-for-...
The grabber mech is one of four mechs planned for Mechtober 2021.
After the Scanner Mech has located scrap to salvage and the Cutter Mech has chopped it into more manageable chunks, the Grabber Mech moves in and loads it into the Hauler Mech.
I just wanted to share with everyone my vintage fair store because I know how much of a nightmare it is to try and get on the sim. Because I'm so last minute, I actually didn't even finish setting up when the fair opened and only manage to finish today when the lag became manageable.
Thanks!
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Having left the steel rolling mill ex BR class 03 no. 03 027 runs light engine from Queenborough Rolling Mill to Queenborough Wharf at Rushenden Point on the River Swale estuary. The loco generally shuttled back and forth with one or two bolster wagons fetching loads of scrap rails from the Wharf.
The steel mill seen in the background at Queenborough was acquired secondhand from Italy and reassembled to start production of re-bar in 1977. The company formerly known as Shipbreaking Queenborough Ltd changed to Queenborough Rolling Mill Co. Ltd on 25/08/72 ahead of the steel plant opening. After breaking up scrap boats in the 1960 and 70's efforts largely switched to dealing with redundant rails delivered from British Rail which were cut into manageable lengths at Queenborough Wharf.
Railways of Great Britain
This start of another one of my collections although I have posted a few in the past
I have taken quite a few images over the years of Old Steam, Diesel and Electric engines and after sorting out probably 3,000 plus, I’ve now got it down to a more manageable number.
I’m starting with English Engines. Some of these images could be 25 years old. Many were transferred from negatives via a scanner so the quality will not be as good I would like. I have put them all through Photoshop to get rid of the most glaring issues
Apologies to those enthusiasts if I don’t get the right engine with the right Railway, they were taken a long time ago, some of them have moved on and my memory is not as good as it was.
Happy viewing.
This was one of my favourite Restored Railways to go to, simply because of the great variety of engines.
Kraków zoological garden in the Wolski Forest.
Opend in 1926 has grown from a small menagerie to a 20 hectare park offering visitors the chance to see nearly 1500 animals of almost 300 species, but still manageable in size.
Four dogs appear to squabble over the last remains of a dik-dik. They are in fact working with each other to break the carcass down into manageable chunks.
Laikipia wilderness camp, Feb 2016.
Olympus EM-1, 4/3 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 + EC-14 @ 283mm, F5.6, 1/640, ISO 800
Beaver fall gone awry on the Jemez River. Quite an ambitious undertaking.
I remember once being perplexed upon seeing five piles of chips spaced almost exactly four feet apart near a stream in the woods. Finally I spotted a freshly chewed tree stump. What I was seeing was the remains of the tree the beaver had fallen. The chip piles were from the thing taking the fallen tree down to six manageable sections which were carted off.
I can only hope that this “Limited Time Magic” event is looked at closely and expanded into something more long term and reoccurring. The fireworks show was absolutely stunning and overwhelming, especially during the finale. The absolute highlight of the night was this show, by far. This was my first time seeing Hollywood Studios fireworks, and I’m making it a point to not miss another one again. So cool!
This is a 2-shot composite of both the fireworks, and a foreground long exposure of the buildings and hat. Without a 72”+ tripod (I have a 66”), shooting above heads is nearly impossible, and of course, a 6’6” tall gentleman settled in front of my frame about 10 minutes before show start… it is what it is…
Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not in our favor, and the winds sent all the firework smoke straight our way, making the 2nd half of the show very difficult to clearly photograph. The finale was insane, but both a near highlight-blowout for me (as I wasn’t expecting such a huge finale) and in a complete haze of smoke. It was still an incredible finale!
The event itself is filled with mixed emotions. The overwhelming response from the simple volume of guests that nearly closed the front gates and did close the parking lot for hours was clear evidence of the popularity and virility of this Limited Time Magic event. There were points of pandemonium and lots of uncomfortable get-to-know-your-smelly-neighbor cattle periods, but once the fireworks were done, but event cleared out pretty much to a manageable level.
The meet & greets were ridiculous, with people waiting 2+ hours for a photo with some rare and never-before-seen villains in person. No way was I going to wait in line for that, so I just grabbed shots of them between guests. It was pretty cool seeing Oggie-Boogie and Shan-Yu, no doubt, but I rather wait 2 hours for fireworks (which I only setup 30 minutes before BTW).
It was great seeing old photo friends and meeting new ones throughout the event. Can’t wait to see everyone’s work!
Snow and hanging lights in the East Village during winter storm Nemo.
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Camera: Sony a99 | Lens: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
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I live for snowstorms in New York City. So you can just imagine how bummed I was last winter season when we barely got any snow. Growing up in New York City, I remember quite a few blizzards and its with fond nostalgia that I always wish for at least one great snowstorm during the winter. New York City is extra beautiful when covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
When I heard that winter storm Nemo (also known as the Blizzard of 2013, February snowstorm and other terms) was going to deliver some gorgeous white flakes from the sky I was more than ready for it. The photos in this set are not edited the way I would normally edit them. I just basically imported them into Lightroom and adjusted some contrast in a few cases from the RAW files. I will most likely go through the photos here plus others that I am not posting and give them the Vivienne treatment at some point. I am just floored at how incredible it was to shoot the snow with the Sony a99. I did go out of my way to protect it despite it being weather-sealed since it isn't technically my camera and since my lenses also needed protection. I must have been quite a sight in my ski-mask, enormous scarf, giant winter boots and a camera covered in plastic. :) It seemed like I had an easier time shooting in this snowstorm than in the two blizzards that I took photos in back in 2010 and 2011. I think it's because the wind was far more manageable and because I was out before the blizzard hit with full force. While the snow was heavy, the winds were easy to deal with in some respects since the gusts were few and far between.
I decided to walk from where I live on the Lower East Side all the way to Times Square since I do this particular walk frequently and know all of the spots I have always wanted to capture in the snow. I had a blast! The wind did get stronger and stronger as I got closer to Times Square and by the time I made my way home it was full-on blizzard conditions so I think I went at the optimal time. I somehow managed to take photos in the East Village, around Union Square, Chelsea (in truth, I had really hoped that the Empire State Building would be visible but it was completely hidden by the snow and lack of visibility), 5th Avenue, Midtown, the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, Bryant Park (which was absolutely ethereal in the snow) and finally Times Square.
And so, the photos here are pretty much almost straight out of the camera save for a few tweaks to levels, no fancy tinkering (but I can't wait to do so!).
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View more of my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
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Explore 61
26/10/07 : my meeting at the bank went really well and my long term plan has been split into two manageable steps. i have 9 months or so to do research, then next summer i'll kick things off properly. hurrah. so i treated myself to a quick play on the way home. i pass this little playground every day pretty much. it's quite boring really. bit it looks pretty this time of year thanks to the leaf fall. i think, anyway.
It looked to be a good day for a hike in the foothills east of the Rocky Mountains, except for some wind. Snow was patchy on the trail in the lower reaches, but still manageable with just our boots. Once past the junction with Prairie Link Trail, we had to don our spikes to continue. A kilometre from the summit, however, the ridge had been swept free of snow, and we were back with just our boots without spikes. The same winds that kept the snow off the ridge top returned to pester and annoy us, cooling us down. We walked just over 18 km's, gaining just over 800 m's, and taking 5 1/4 hours to so.
Name: Macken
na Bellisario.
Hometown: Verona, Italy.
Currently Living: San Francisco, CA.
Pros: My good figure and ability to pose perfectly for any kind of shots, and of course my perfectly manageable face features.
Cons: My attitude sometimes does not help me at all, but I know how to get my sh*t together when something's overly dramatic.
Biggest Competition: None that I can think off right now, all though there are some fierce models around here.
Age: 17
Why did you decide to join?: I was looking for a BNTM to be in and I think this is the perfect one to start my modellng career.
Style: Ever since I was a little girl I loved fashion and I'm really into what's hot now. It's spring and I've been loving those High-low skirts! My style changes according to the season, and what VOGUE says is in right now!
Obama listens to a question during a roundtable this morning on Sand Hill Road.
Quotes:
“We have an economy that is doing well for some. But we have greater inequality than any time since the Guilded Age.
We may be the first generation where our children inherit an America that is a little poorer and a little meaner than before.
I am a risky proposition. If you ask who will likely win the election, I’d consider myself still an underdog. The press may not think so, but I do. But the upside is enormous. The way the race is emerging, it’s between me and Hillary. In her attack on my experience, she is saying ‘I know how things are done. I can manage the existing system.’ I am saying the system needs to change. That’s my pitch. If you agree that more of the same is not sufficient, then I am your best bet. If the status quo is manageable, then you have other choices.
This will be a sequential race, like it was for Kerry in the primary. It’s all up for grabs in the early states. Democratic primary voters are not inspired by Hillary, but they respect her. I do better with Independents and Republicans. With Hillary, the Democrats know what they are going to get. They are not yet sure if they can hand me the keys to the car.”
Question on math & science education:
“A whole generation got into math and science because of Apollo. The President has to talk about it in a way that has not been done recently. It’s a subtle thing. In the last several years, I have been shocked by the degree of anti-intellectualism that has been promulgated by the Bush Administration. He jokes about being a C student. ‘I’m not big on science. I know what I think.’ Kids absorb that. I’d like to spend eight years extolling the importance of science and technology and problem solving and critical thinking.”
“Part of the job of the next President is to make the Federal Government cool again. We have lost so much talent in Federal agencies. What smart kid is saying ‘my goal is to work in the patent office.’ They think it’s a bureaucracy.”
(gotta run; more later)
These electrical cables are rated to carry a hefty 15,000 volts. I was curious about this pickup truck full of cable segments and interrupted my bike ride to enquire. The friendly workers explained this was a temporary cable supplying power a condo under construction nearby. It is being replaced by a permanent cable. Their job was to cut it into manageable segments and transport it for recycling. There is a lot of copper which has value.
china
Documentary Portrait, A 92 yrs old senior lady dwelling alone among some remainded few untouch old houses along the river bank of zhu jia jiao "朱家角". As time pass by, the major habitat typically their house had mainly evolve into beautiful shop houses cater for business purpose as a tourist chain attraction. Our family love to sit along these lovely cozy coffe house n those clever, uniquely face-lifted shop with attractive frontage. Is definetely a highly recommended attraction to spend a leisure day strolling around the site recharging one's discomfort mind n regain blissfull soul.
I'm truelly glad I had such rare opportunity to be invited n speak to few approachable old chatty folks n briefly understand some of their earlyhood story. To me, is an amazing livelihood dwelling isolated away from family n old neighbors giving up for priority of money sake. A small comfort zone which divide mainly in 2 patition call home sweet home for these widow which form into little manageable living room within step entering the main door n a sleeping bed struggling the winter cold at night is always beyond my experience to survive. The chill at day are acceptable cold but the season of snow may brought unbelievable freeze staying in such condition. This are the instant concern as a new visitor entering their practice of decent living but not about any brand of fridge or TV now.
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Technical Details:
Non HDR, simple blending techniques process by CS5 software.
Basic Standard Gears I rely for Landscape
Canon EOS 5D Mark2 (a full frame ideal for interpolating landscape image).
Tokina 16-28 F2.8 ultra wide lens.
Tripod (keep possible sharpness n ability to focus for most idealistic desire composition)
Release cable (reduce hand contact n fully manage desire exposure timing)
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And now for something completely different…
From the onset, this was clearly going to be an experimental portrait. Like my last stranger portrait (#157 – Erika), I met Rebecca at a new age art festival that was being held at night. Also like Erika, my intention was to use the available ambient lighting, which was primarily colored spot lights. Unlike the other portrait, this image was captured outdoors where the wind was literally howling. In fact, one of the main things that attracted me to Rebecca was her short hair, which I thought would make capturing an image in the wind storm a little more manageable. She was immediately game for the photoshoot stating that she was a photographer as well. I had to take several different shots of her, each time trying to adjust the camera settings and her position with regard to the light so that I could achieve reasonable focus and an even lighting of her face. On the seventh attempt, I was confident that I had achieved those two goals, so we wished each other well and went off on our separate ways.
When I got home and downloaded the files I immediately went to my final image. I hated it. Although I had achieved my two goals of focus and even lighting, the portrait did not look good at all. I quickly occurred to me that achieving a regular type portrait in these irregular conditions was a fool’s wish. The lighting (which consisted of an orange and a pink spotlight) as well as the wind resulted in an image that was entirely unflattering to my model. The sharp focus of the image only accentuated the unpleasantness. I played with the color and the white balance, and the more adjustments I made to try to make the portrait look ‘normal’, the poorer it looked. The worst thing about the portrait was despite the crazy conditions, the portrait came across as boring and uninteresting. After a while I decided to give up. This bummed me out because it has been ages since I have elected not used a stranger portrait that I I’ve obtained.
A few days later I returned to the folder to see if there was any hope for the portrait although I knew that it was a lost cause. Before I closed the folder for good, I browsed over the rest of the images from this shoot, and this image caught my eye. With the hot spots and a soft focus, it was the exact opposite of my original ‘go to’ shot, but it seemed to capture the moment so much better. More importantly, this image intrigued me and I found it interesting to look at. I started to play with the image in Lightroom, but soon realized that attempting to normalize this image was the wrong path. I re-centered everything back to original, and with the exception of a slight crop (bottom edge) and a tweak to the clarity, this is essentially the raw image that I captured with my camera.
I enjoy viewing all kinds of portraiture, and I often find myself admiring the work of photographers willing to break the rules and step out of the box for the sake of artistic expression. For a long time I’ve considered creating portraits that are more of a graphical rendering versus an accurate and technically sound representation of the subject. However, I always find that when it is time to click the shutter, letting go of the reigns of sharp focus and other photographic standards is a nearly impossible feat for me. I now find that it is Just as hard to submit such a portrait as a representation of my work. I knew that entering this particular photographic situation was a trip into uncharted waters for me. At worst I suppose that this image represents an experiment gone awry to be chalked up as a hot mess learning experience. On the other hand, at best this portrait may be a further extension of my personal artistic reach. Frankly, I am not entirely sure which it is.
Check out the rest of the stranger street portraits in my project at Paco's 100 Strangers Project and find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
Colombo is a huge, sprawling city, which can be visited any time of year due to its tropical climate. The traffic can feel somewhat overwhelming at first but it is organised and much more manageable when compared to other major cities of South and Southeast Asia. On a clear day, it’s difficult to miss the Lotus Tower dominating Colombo’s skyline.
The dark exhaust plume from a Denver & Rio Grande Western freight drifts almost horizontally in a gusty west wind as the train works its way north along the 5-mile hairpin-shaped section of track in the Los Pinos River Valley. Although the 64-mile line between Antonito, CO and Chama, NM takes a pretty long, circuitous route, following the contours of the hills, this particular stretch of the line is perhaps the most extreme detour that the track takes, in order to keep the grades manageable. It's also one of the more spectacular landscapes in which to photograph the trains.
This frame was captured during an October 2024 photo shoot on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which on this day, featured the former D&RGW K-36 Locomotive #489. The train is pictured at about Milepost 324.4, just a short distance south of the Los Pinos River Trestle.
Playing with colours with an eye to what I currently have in bricks, and what is cheaply Cracklinked. Not sure which ones I like the most (top left is the leader at the moment), I guess it depends what I decide the base colour is for the body. I like the way the bright colours hit up against the black but then again, on the bottom right scheme, using tan for an earthy, grounded colour and then bright accents looks wicked.
The beak could be very long (40 suds) or maybe the tail is really long (like the real Quetzal bird). Either way, it helps break up the daunting, solid mass of a whole SHIP into smaller sections. As long as I can mount the wings and tail and make it secure, it makes everything else more manageable for me.
I imagine it'll have a tongue cannon, missiles under-wing and the cockpit maybe in the head or something.
High capacity, rapid-firing PDW.
* This is my entry for the PDW competition.
EDIT - Horizontally flipped the ACOG scope to allow the magwell to function.
"The following information is classified. Only those with Level 8 clearance may view this file." ~ Female Computer System Voice
An experimental PDW developed at the GR Secondary Weapon Branch, assisted by Tara Farrynheim Sho, chambered in the recently developed and employed 6.4x41mm F/BM-01 dual armor-piercing/explosive round. F/BM stands for Farrynium/Black Mercury, which are the jacket material and core payload respectively.
The newly discovered element 119, Farrynium, is several times denser, stronger, and by extension, heat resistant than the widely used titanium-tungsten alloy used on barrels and older armor piercing rounds. Field tests indicate that these rounds, at 150 meters range, will easily penetrate three ballistic gel bodies protected by CRISAT Kevlar vests, with each body having 10 meters of space - it will even punch through EOD suits with ease.
The synthesized Black Mercury chemical compound is made from thricium oxide, liquid uranium, and various other heavy metals. When subject to an electric shock, it violently detonates, with explosive power comparable to 3.5 tons of TNT, per milliliter. This special compound is used for bullet propulsion and the secondary explosion.
Farrynium is the only known metal to withstand the massive explosive force created from the black mercury, and so the casing has a thin farrynium interior, and a brass exterior, to reduce weight and costs.
Each bullet also has a microchip guidance system, similar to the M51 MCDS, intended for use with the supplied FCS, to determine when to release, arm, and trigger the black mercury payload. Without the FCS, it will arm and detonate after it passes through one target or thick surface.
The magazine and the reload system is also unique - a 133-round top-loaded casket magazine with a 90 degree bend on the internally tapered end. To reload, a handgun mag release-style latch-release is pressed, causing the magwell to rise and the magazine to be reloaded slightly popped out. Remove the old magazine and insert a new one, then simply push down on the magwell to lock it back into place.
Lastly, the fire selector is not ambidextrous, but rather there are two selectors - the left side has the safe, semi, burst, and auto selectors, and the right side other controls the number of rounds fired in the burst fire mode. Also, on the underside of the stock, which contains the electric charge firing system, has a rate reducer, which reduces the monstrous fire rate of 2000 RPM, to a more manageable 1000.
Text and GR insignia created via MS Paint.
Making her way from the section house at Osier toward her next stop at Cumbres Pass, Denver & Rio Grande Western K-36 #489 works west around the sweeping horseshoe curve at Long Creek (MP 321.0.) For much of the 64-mile journey from Antonito, CO to Chama, NM, the old D&RGW San Juan Extension literally follows the contours of the hills above Los Pinos Creek, taking many little, horseshoe and hairpin-shaped detours like this one, in order to keep the grade to the 10,000 ft. high Cumbres Pass manageable. The two towns are physically about 34 miles from each other, so the railroad route required very nearly doubles the distance.
This image was captured during an October 2024 photo shoot on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which featured the 1925-vintage K-36 #489 on this day. This locomotive is one of two K-36s which the railroad has converted from coal-firing to oil-firing, to help mitigate the wildfire risk during dry seasons.
Waimanu Valley, Island of Hawai’i
Continuing the story of my Hawaiian backpacking trip - I’d just hiked 10 strenuous miles, taken photos of the valley at sunset, and my foot was touched by a creepy crawfish and I eeeek’d like a little girl and went to sleep.
Waking up in a secluded paradise the next morning was pretty great too. I took some pretty cool abstract-ish photos of the valley wall reflecting onto the wet black sand beach that I'm looking forward to putting together. We had originally planned to stay in the valley another night but we saw storm clouds a-brewin' and sadly decided to pack up camp early and cross the river, which is kind of a process with only one dry bag. It was like one of those elementary school math problems where you have a boat and a river and only so many people and things can cross and come back at a time. Anyway, we didn’t want to leave the valley too early so we hung out on the beach for a couple hours, then started hiking back up the steep valley wall. About 3 miles away there was a nice pavilion with a roof and floor we would stay at, ensuring we'd be dry and have only 7 miles the next day to hike. Of course, it started to absolutely downpour as we were hiking up so we got pretty soaked. Luckily it was a warm rain, or we would probably have been in danger of hypothermia. Also, the trail stayed pretty in-tact with all the roots and rocks keeping the mud together.
I had no intention of taking my camera out in that heavy rain, but at one point on that 3 mile wet stretch the rain started to let up a little. I looked over and saw an absolutely gorgeous scene that is this photo. Sometimes I am lucky to just look up and see a scene and my brain immediately composes a photo. Most of the time good photos require exploration and experimentation and hard work, but this was one of those satisfying times where it was just right there. The rain made for a really cool, hazy atmosphere amongst the massive trees and the underbrush framed the scene nicely. I dug out my camera and tripod from the dry bag and somehow I was able to pull off a 4 second exposure without getting water on my lens and without the tree leaves blowing too much. As I was looking around for other compositions, the deluge resumed. I packed up my stuff and we trudged on toward the pavilion.
Arriving in it felt like heaven. We wringed out all of our wet things and then wringed them out again. The rain continued into the night but we stayed bone dry thanks to the “luxurious” roof and floor (backpacking sure makes you appreciate the little things in life). The next morning there was no rain. Somehow we got a sliver of cell phone reception and saw there was rain forecast for noon, so we got up before dark and started hiking to make it back dry. Long story short, we did. Hiking back down the Z-trail wasn’t as physically strenuous as going up it, but I kept slipping on its loose rocks, even with trekking poles. That kinda took a mental toll as each treacherous step made me afraid I would slip and hurt myself, or worse, my camera :) I grit my teeth and continued on. How do you eat an entire elephant? One step at a time. That’s what I always say. We crossed the river in Waipio Valley, which was much higher after all the rain but still pretty manageable. We saw wild horses and wild naked hippie children and then walked back up the steepest road in America. It was difficult and slow-going, but walking on the flat, consistent pavement felt like a treat after a couple miles loose rocks and sand. We made it to the top without a problem.
We plunked down in the car, peeled off our sweaty clothes and blasted the AC. We took hand sanitizer showers (surprisingly effective) and found the nearest laundromat to wash our still-wet clothes. We had our first meal at a Portuguese restaurant that tasted like pure bliss. Then we went to an AirBNB for the night, which was absolutely amazing. It used to be an old dance hall but a very nice old hippie lady turned it into a house and an orchard. This orchard apparently contains the oldest macadamia trees in Hawai'i, whose nuts we helped ourselves to. She had a secluded outdoor shower, which felt even better than it sounds. She had friends over and cooked all of us fish tacos with fresh food from her orchard, which we ate by candlelight. She used to be a professional chef so it was fantastic. Her boyfriend was a lead engineer at the famous observatories on the big island, so it was very interesting to hear about the trials and tribulations of that line of work. We drank wine, got along well, and chatted into the night (which for this earlybird means like 10pm). The next morning we had fresh fruit and cacao coffee and said our goodbyes. That was the absolute best way we could have spent the night after a tough backpacking trip, and I will always look back on those 3 days very fondly.
That’s the story, but I still have a few photos from that trip I will post so stay tuned!
See more photos, find social media links, and support me and get digital wallpapers and prints at www.brentgoesoutside.com
Captured: February 2018
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: Nikon 16-35 f/4
Settings: ISO100, 27mm, f/11, 4 sec
This is my main wedding bag. Not an efficient use of space, but it’s set up to work quickly. It’s also a manageable weight. In addition I take a lighting case with 2 quantum q-2’s and 2 turbo batteries.
As with my previous SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera) exercises, the ONLY editing I did was to reduce the size from the snapshot in SL (4000×3500) down to a 1024 size manageable for the blog and Flickr. There’s been no cropping, adjustments, or texturizing.
slicesoflifesl.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/sooc-insanity-par...
I think as a photographer it's an interesting concept/challenge in putting yourself in the firing line. I don't do it because i'm vain etc This was to try a softbox off camera flash setup combined with natural light in order to create a nice lighting effect to the face and eyes. As I shoot more and more people now it's good to know what's effective and quickly manageable in a variety of spaces. Self portraits with a shallow dof are always tricky, but I have a good system now.
As I look back at myself here it's funny as I see the scars that line my temples and remind me of childhood chickenpox and how we nearly lost my brother to it when we were boys....
the cedars are back!!! Well these aren't them but the American Robins like these berries as well;) Hope to post a few more soon.
The tree is a "Winter King Hawthorn - Crataegus viridis". I've had my eye on these this winter, I've been thinking about getting some in hopes of attracting the Cedars from the activity I saw last year. I had been a bit disappointed until now, I hadn't seen much going on at all even though they were "full" of red beautiful berries "all" winter long, just gorgeous. Maybe the "mild winter had something to do with it but between the cedar waxwings and the American Robins they are now almost completely gone in just two to three days!! I think I'll be looking into these wonderful trees again. We have quite a few here at the hospital and so far they are very manageable, about 8 feet tall with a nice arching spread of about the same and full of berries over the winter! They also have a nice "exfoliating" bark.
A food vendor rolls his food cart along the empty snow-covered street in Times Square during winter storm Nemo.
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Camera: Sony a99 | Lens: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
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I live for snowstorms in New York City. So you can just imagine how bummed I was last winter season when we barely got any snow. Growing up in New York City, I remember quite a few blizzards and its with fond nostalgia that I always wish for at least one great snowstorm during the winter. New York City is extra beautiful when covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
When I heard that winter storm Nemo (also known as the Blizzard of 2013, February snowstorm and other terms) was going to deliver some gorgeous white flakes from the sky I was more than ready for it. The photos in this set are not edited the way I would normally edit them. I just basically imported them into Lightroom and adjusted some contrast in a few cases from the RAW files. I will most likely go through the photos here plus others that I am not posting and give them the Vivienne treatment at some point. I am just floored at how incredible it was to shoot the snow with the Sony a99. I did go out of my way to protect it despite it being weather-sealed since it isn't technically my camera and since my lenses also needed protection. I must have been quite a sight in my ski-mask, enormous scarf, giant winter boots and a camera covered in plastic. :) It seemed like I had an easier time shooting in this snowstorm than in the two blizzards that I took photos in back in 2010 and 2011. I think it's because the wind was far more manageable and because I was out before the blizzard hit with full force. While the snow was heavy, the winds were easy to deal with in some respects since the gusts were few and far between.
I decided to walk from where I live on the Lower East Side all the way to Times Square since I do this particular walk frequently and know all of the spots I have always wanted to capture in the snow. I had a blast! The wind did get stronger and stronger as I got closer to Times Square and by the time I made my way home it was full-on blizzard conditions so I think I went at the optimal time. I somehow managed to take photos in the East Village, around Union Square, Chelsea (in truth, I had really hoped that the Empire State Building would be visible but it was completely hidden by the snow and lack of visibility), 5th Avenue, Midtown, the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, Bryant Park (which was absolutely ethereal in the snow) and finally Times Square.
And so, the photos here are pretty much almost straight out of the camera save for a few tweaks to levels, no fancy tinkering (but I can't wait to do so!).
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2011 Parks, 2011 10-Pack, 2011 Classic and 2012 Classic Belle 12'' Dolls compared.
Ranking of features:
Face: My favorite and the most movie accurate face is that of the 2011 Classic Belle, despite her "worried" look. The Parks and 10-pack dolls have almost identical faces, but are less accurate and have a blander expression. The 2012 Belle has the prettiest face, but is least movie accurate, and she looks too mature compared to the others. She would have a better choice as a fashion doll. A lot of people, including me, have said that her eyebrows make her look evil or cunning, but now I see sassiness.
Hair: None of the dolls' hairdos are especially movie accurate, but at least the 2012 Belle has much shorter hair than the others, though it should be a bit shorter to match the movie. Also it shouldn't be so voluminous, the bun should be larger, it shouldn't have the side curls, and finally should be neater. The 10-pack and 2011 Classic dolls have hair that is much too long, and too straight. At least the Parks doll has some curliness in her hair, and was very manageable.
Outfits: My favorite is the 2012 Belle's outfit, due to its beauty and accuracy. She is the only of these dolls to have gloves, and the glitter on the dress actually look pretty good. However, probably to cut costs, the back of the dress isn't ruffled. Also, the dress is stiff enough to stay reasonably poofy, but it would have been better and more movie accurate with a petticoat. As usual, the Parks doll has the most elaborate outfit with a petticoat to keep the skirt poofy, but it has embellishments that make it less movie accurate. Also she has sleeves rather than gloves. Finally the satin dress of the 10-pack doll is pretty and glitter free, but is too simple. The worst outfit is the glitter filled gown of the 2011 Classic Belle; it's only redeeming feature is that the tulle overskirt makes the gown stay poofy.
Shoes: I watched the ballroom scene again, and it seems that Belle is actually wearing flat yellow shoes that almost appear to be ballet slippers. So the most movie accurate shoes belong to the 2012 Classic doll. However, my favorite are the polished gold shoes of the Parks doll.
Articulation: Obviously with the new fully articulated legs, 2012 Belle is the winner here.
Overall Ranking: The 2012 Belle doll wins overall, although I wish her face was closer to that of 2011 Classic Belle, or Designer Belle. She is a very gorgeous doll to look at, but doesn't evoke the movie Belle to me.
Comparing various versions of the Disney Princess 12'' poseable dolls, from the years 2011 through 2012. They are all from my collection, and for each of the 10 Disney Princesses, the different models are posed side by side in group photos. They are viewed from the front, the back and with their skirts lifted to show their legs and shoes or feet (for those with skirts). I also include short reviews of the dolls.
The models shown are:
2011 Disney Parks Collection Princess Dolls (Pocahontas and Mulan not included). $18.95
2011 Disney Store Classic Film Collection Princess Dolls - 10 Doll Set for $99.50
2011 Disney Store Classic Princess Dolls - $12.50
2012 Disney Store Classic Princess Dolls - $14.50
The 10 Disney Princesses and their movies are:
Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)
Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)
Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)
Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989)
Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)
Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992)
Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995)
Mulan (Mulan, 1998)
Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)
Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010)
She's not necessarily beautiful and not particularly ugly. Just simple faced big head and somewhat manageable hair :)
After a great breakfast at a small cafe we took the Scenic Drive into Capitol Reef National Park. It's mostly a paved road until the very end but still manageable. We spent a few hours exploring the area. When we left Capitol Reef we decided to look for something new. I read about the Notom Road, east of the park, so we decided to check it out. Good decision. We went in about 12 miles before the road got rougher. Great scenery - it is the back side of the Waterpocket Fold - another area we need to check out. We then drove through some really desolate landscape before coming to the Hite Overlook. Great view of the Colorado River in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. After this we were going to visit some Indian ruins but took a wrong turn somewhere so we just headed to Cortez, CO for the evening. Good day.
I took these photos in April 2018 in south eastern Utah.
Here’s a close-up of the clip part of my clipboard, which obviously is the main reason I bought the thing. Unfortunately with the way the timing for this photoseries has worked out, I still have yet to post my image of the fixture sale area (I was hoping to be able to link back to it here as a reference, rather than uploading this beforehand), but it will be going up on Saturday. Long story short, though, there was an employee stationed at the fixture sales area, pricing items on the spot (not the conventional way of doing things, from what I’ve seen online, but I must admit my Memphis Kmart fixture sale purchase was also priced on the spot). I was hoping for something to remember the store by, particularly with the Sears logo on it, that was also a manageable size (the smaller the better, given all my other memorabilia isn’t exactly tiny!) and, ideally, a cheap price to boot. Upon spotting this clipboard, all of my major stipulations were met, so I didn’t even dig any further – I just proceeded to take it to the cashier to find out if I would luck out in the cheapness department, too. And thankfully, I absolutely did! She charged me a whopping 50 cents for this thing.
So, to recap – I was able to rid KSears of a clipboard for 50 cents at the closing Memphis Sears, and two shelf signs for 20 cents each at the closing Memphis Kmart. Considering some other fixture purchases put me out those figures in whole dollars, I’m a happy camper :) (I just hope “Rita” is okay with me owning what was quite clearly her clipboard, haha!)
(c) 2019 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
Just to continue on a recent one's title one might think.
Really though this is a Cordyline indivisa and I have no idea how it got the second part of its name.
This is pretty much the first time that I found one strutting its leaves at a manageable height.
And armed to the teeth
Cuz she would rather fall in chocolate
Than fall in love
Especially with me ♥
The Yacht Club, Owl City
So... Emma got another new wig today ^^;;; This should be her permanent wig, since its short and manageable XD