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I rescued this antique tripod from an interior design shop a couple of years back, just before they turned it (can you believe) into a lamp stand!!! It's amazingly versatile, breaks down into manageable pieces and is extremely sturdy. And as a kind of novelty, I'm planning to cannibalise a modern ball-head to adapt it for use with a modern camera.
Should I feel the need to visit the Product Development Centres based at Ford's Melbourne Headquarters, from Geelong, the traffic is either Sunday-afternoon light or terrible.
One saving grace of terrible traffic, is that it gives me more time to look longingly at the lovely white-and-lime tractors and harvesters at the local CLAAS distribution centre, next to the highway. (Incidentally, the distribution centre nestles just besides the highway overpass used in 'Mad Max' where the message is phoned in that the hell-razing, post-apocalyptic bikies are heading in to town - but that is another story.)
In an earlier LUGNuts challenge that focused on food-related and on farm vehicles - Challenge 37 'The Food We Eat', I took delight in building various model s from the CLASS Tractor range, in miniland scale. This resulted in some nice (and very large), lime tractors. An absence of time, large wheels & tires, and lime Lego, left a few model untried, including the magnificent CLASS XERION, a double steering axle, giant wheeled behemoth, with a swiveling cab so it can go forwards, backwards, AND sideways - AWESOME.
The XERION will have to wait for another challenge somewhere down the line.
The other CLAAS with which I was captivated appears periodically in the distribution yard, and is equally magnificent. This model is the equally enormous CLAAS JAGUAR Harvester. I am a little bit sad that it can only go forward, but it makes up for this in being able to carry all sorts of crazy cutting, slicing and dicing tools on the front end. I have modeled only two here the Maize Cob Silage (MCS), designed to harvest corn/maize type plants, and the more traditional spinning long blade harvester type tool. There are more cool tools too, so they may be modeled for adaptation to the MotorCity-scale JAGUAR shown here.
One key difference from the Challenge 37 tractors, and the JAGUAR Harvester shown here is the scale. The sheer size of the real JAGUAR - 6.6 metres long (20 ft), and 3.8 metres tall (10.5 ft), not including any tool attachments, make it a seriously big entity. Maybe I will get to a Miniland-scale JAGUAR someday, but for now, I display the model in a more manageable 1:28 (MotorCity scale).
Incidentally, the Lego Group have also released a Harvester in the past few years under the 'City' line. One of the images shows this model (Nr. 7636). My JAGUAR was loosely based on this model for size and tool compatibility, and also as an example of the customisation of original Lego models that can add a dose of individual creativity to Lego modeling.
The point of this?
This CLAAS JAGUAR model has been created for Flickr LUGNuts 68th Build Challenge - 'A Baker's Dozen', to the sub-theme Nr. 11. 'Any tractor or combine harvester'.
I think I've ridden past this one a couple of times at its 'home', so thought I'd get a shot while I could. Not remarkable, but one I could imagine disappearing without me capturing. I think I've heard of the 'Atlas' previously, but I don't know any details. A lowly 8v motor in this one with just 68bhp, manageable enough for this to have covered around 100k miles.
On the edge of the southern old town of Chur. Lindenquai on the left and Plessurquai on the right, the road to Arosa where the Rhaetian Railway also runs. The old "Bear Wagon" has been enqueued somewhere between the multiple units again. There is even a stop here that is served by the Arosabahn. Instead of taking the bus, you can also take the train to get here. From the main station on foot through the old town it is only about 700 meters. The paths in the city of Chur are manageable. Switzerland, Sep 25, 2021.
Leyland National 207 was a sprightly twenty one year old when seen on Wallgate, Wigan, in September 1994.
New to Ribble in 1973 as 389, it joined the 'New' North Western company that was formed out of the split of Ribble to make the operation more manageable for looming privatisation and the break up of the NBC.
Nessaea Aglaura
Butterfly World
Coconut Creek, FL
Thanks to Leppphotos for the ID.
It's been so long since I'd been out shooting thanks to my bum foot and then, a tumble down the stairs got my tailbone area to hurting. I was feeling a little better and feeling the itch to go out, so I went to Butterfly World today thinking it was a manageable place to take a "test run". It turns out even that was too much. My body definitely let me down. My foot pain reared its head again, but that wasn't the worst of it. When I crouched down to take a picture, the pain in my lower back registered off the scale. By the time I left I was hobbling. I got a few keepers before crying uncle, but I went home knowing that my photo taking days are on hold. Not happy!
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No use without permission.
After spending the morning at Gullfoss--perhaps Iceland's most famous waterfall, on a whim, I headed into Iceland's interior on highway 35--one of the very few roads leading to the interior that isn't designated "F"--i.e., where an all-wheel drive with high clearance is needed. The interior is an entirely different beast from the coastal areas. There are virtually no inhabitants for one thing, and many areas get very little rain, rendering them sub-arctic deserts with virtually no vegetation. This particular spot clearly had plenty of vegetation, though no trees. I had taken a side road off highway 35 toward a lake (Hvítárvatn)--a road that was designated "F," but which turned out to be manageable in my little Ford Fiesta. After only 1/2 mile or so, however, I came upon a locked gate, so hiked the remaining mile or so to the lake. This photo was looking back (east, I think) from whence I came. The mountain's name is Blafell, I believe.
Snowball fight! 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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View more of my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
View my photography profile on Google Plus: New York City photography by Vivienne Gucwa
To purchase any of my work view my site gallery for info here.
To use any of my photos commercially, simply click the link which reads "Request to license Vivienne Gucwa's photos via Getty Images". This link can be found on the bottom right corner of the page of the photo you are interested in using.
Plumbago capensis is an evergreen shrub that will grow as a vine if tied to a trellis. Cape plumbago is a native of South Africa.
Pale blue 1 inch flowers bloom in phlox-like clusters all year long. The fruit is a sticky bur.
Plumbago capensis need at least 4 hours of full sun per day with night temperatures of 45 to 50°, day temperatures of 60 to 80°. Humidity of 40 to 60% is desirable. Plant cape plumbago in a compost that consists of 2 parts loam to 1 part peat moss to 1 part sand. Keep the compost evenly moist. Feed established plants monthly with a balanced fertilizer diluted to half the strength recommended on the label. Cape plumbago responds well to heavy pruning to thin the plant and to keep it within a manageable size.
Plumbago capensis,Gelsomino azzurro o Pianta del piombo (perché si credeva che curasse l’avvelenamento da piombo)
Comprende circa dieci specie di piante coltivate per la gradevole fioritura estiva e per la possibilità di essere utilizzate come rampicanti, per ricoprire graticci, spalliere o muri, o come tappezzanti per gli angoli rocciosi del giardino.
The main path from the parking lot to an inviting bench was manageable by my 91 year old mother using a 4-wheel rollator. This portion of the path is wide enough for a wheelchair.
The path makes a 0.7 mile loop, but the branches off this main path to the bench looked a bit rough for the rollator and probably would be too narrow for a wheelchair.
The parking lot is small and rough, especially where the paved driveway ends. Take it slow and pay attention to the drop at the end of the pavement and you won't have a problem.
The best part of this little state park is no bicycles, no dogs, no motorized vehicles, no picnic tables, no restrooms. It is just an idyllic grove of redwoods with few visitors and a great place for someone with mobility challenges to commune with nature.
Find it on Google Maps here:
The streets of midtown Manhattan were rather empty 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!).
--
View more of my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
View my photography profile on Google Plus: New York City photography by Vivienne Gucwa
To purchase any of my work view my site gallery for info here.
To use any of my photos commercially, simply click the link which reads "Request to license Vivienne Gucwa's photos via Getty Images". This link can be found on the bottom right corner of the page of the photo you are interested in using.
Here is a comparison between my Taurus Model 85T Revolver in .38 Special (+P) and my Kel-Tec P3AT in .380 Auto.
The Taurus 85T frame is made of Titanium, which makes it much lighter than a comparable steel-framed snubnose revolver. It is part of the Taurus "Total Titanium" series of snubnose revolvers designed for concealed carry. I don't think this particular model in "Stealth Gray" is currently available. The 85T trigger group, hammer and barrel are made from steel, and the grip is rubber.
The Kel-Tec P3AT has a steel slide, barrel and trigger group. The frame is made of aluminum alloy, and the grip is made of a Dupont high-impact polymer. Both handguns are made to be very light within their respective design class. Both have features to keep the effects of recoil manageable. The Taurus has a ported barrel, and the Kel-Tec has the combination of the locking mechanism, the lighter caliber, and the overall balance.
From the Kel-Tec Website:
"The P-3AT is a semi-automatic, locked breech pistol, chambered for the .380 Auto cartridge. It has been developed from our highly successful P-32 pistol with negligible increase in weight and size. The slidestop has been eliminated and the magazine capacity reduced to 6 rounds due to the larger cartridge."
"The firing mechanism is double action only. The magazine has a 6 round capacity. The KEL-TEC P-3AT is the lightest .380 Auto pistol ever made. Thanks to its locking dynamics and superior ergonometry, perceived recoil and practical accuracy are comparable to much larger guns."
I can personally vouch for the truth of the Kel-Tec claims. It's made in the USA! However, I also like the Taurus revolver very much. It's not as compact, but it's very light because it's made of Titanium. The Model 85T is no longer made, presumably because the all-Titanium construction is too costly to be competitive. The new, similar model has a slightly lighter, aluminum-alloy frame, and it costs considerably more than what I paid for this all-Titanium handgun.
Taurus makes fine handguns, and mine is no exception. It is an extremely accurate snub-nose revolver.
I know it's back-lit but I still rather like this imposing view of Armstrongs Mill in Ilkeston, and I don't think there would be too many times when the sun was both on the front and high enough to make the shadows manageable. Unique Frieghtliner 66623 'Bill Bolsover' is seen heading north along the Erewash Valley line with the 6M90 02:57 West Thurrock to Hope cement empties. Wednesday the 19th of August 2015.
1989 Austin Metro City 3-door.
A 6R4 replica fitted with a 1998cc engine.
Anglia Car Auctions, King's Lynn -
"V5 Present
MoT Apr 2020
Chassis number: SAXXFDNB1BD774449
The vendor advises that the previous owner commenced the building of this car in 2012, taking five years to complete. To reduce the amount of modifications to the body in order to fit the engine in the rear, an MG TF subframe was used which is almost identical to that of a Metro but with benefit of coil springs. All parts fitted are either MG or Rover including the engine and gearbox taken from a Rover 600 Turbo. The vendor decided that he wanted lots of power and in 2017 sent the engine to Scholar Racing Engines when racing pistons, Piper cams, larger turbo, a one‑off dry sump kit and programmable ECU were fitted at a cost of £8,415. The gearbox was rebuilt using better racing bearings. At that time, the car was able to reach 500 bhp on full boost. In 2018 new stage 2 racing clutch and new radiator were fitted. At the end of that year, the engine was down‑tuned on a rolling road to a more manageable power which means the engine and turbo are not at full capacity although the car is still amazingly quick. The V5 states the correct 2.0 litre engine. It has been used for track events and hill climb time trials for a few years now. The mileage is recorded at 45,472."
Sold for £14,840 including premium.
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.
Noun. zawn (plural zawns) (regional Britain) A deep and narrow sea-inlet in the British Isles, especially Cornwall and the south-west, cut by erosion into sea-cliffs, and with steep or vertical side-walls.
And this one is at Levant on the far west coast of Cornwall .
Levant Mine stands in a superb location on the edge of a cliff near St Just, Cornwall. A restored steam engine supplies the power for the historic beam engine which stands at the core of the mine buildings. The famous Levant beam engine is the only example still in steam at a copper or tin mine. It is housed in a small winding engine house on the very edge of the cliffs.
Visitors can take an underground tour of the shafts and 'dry' tunnels under the mine buildings, view the winding and pumping shafts, and see the electric winding engine.
Levant Mine offers a wonderful glimpse into the mining industry which did so much to shape Cornish history. This history has been recognized by the Unesco World Heritage scheme, and Levant Mine forms part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site. A short walk along the cliffs leads you to another historic mine; Botallack Mine, also owned by the National Trust. We've taken the walk, and it took us about 20 minutes, passing through ruined mine workings and along the top of the cliffs with dramatic coast views.
The first Levant Mine was begun around 1743, but the current mine was founded in 1820 by a consortium under the directorship of Lewis Charles Daubuz and Mr John Batten. Levant Mine originally mined copper, but in 1835 a large tin deposit was discovered, and the mine expanded to include both substances. Between 1820 and 1930 the mine was highly successful in both copper and tin production, extracting over 130,000 tons of copper ore during that span.
The mine tunnels extend over a mile out under the Atlantic Ocean, and the deepest shaft is 350 fathoms below the sea. The clifftop ruins cover an area of 30 acres, another indication of the sheer scale of operations here.
The mines closed in 1930, and the beam engine fell silent for over 60 years until it was restored by a team of volunteers dubbed 'the Greasy Gang'.
WHAT TO SEE
Levant Mine is particularly well-known for its 'man engine', and ingenious steam-driven system for transporting miners up and down the shaft. The man engine was supported by a long rod, with platforms attached for miners to get on and off at different levels. Disaster struck in 1919 when the rod broke and collapsed down the shaft, killing 31 men. It was never repaired. The man engine shaft was closed and the miner's bodies never recovered. You can descend a set of steps to the man engine entrance and look down the shaft.
The Count House ruins
Near the entrance to the shaft are the remains of a miner's bath, set into the concrete surface of the ruined miner's dry. Miners could only work about 6 hours at a time in the depths of the mine shafts, in part because it took so long to reach the working face and return. When they did return, naturally enough they were covered in dust and dirt. They took it in turns to bath in the open tub, so you can imagine that by the time the last man got in the water was filthy.
Visitors can watch a short film on the history of the site and explore on your own, but I highly recommend taking one of the free tours led by a National Trust volunteer. Our guide was excellent, and really made the history of the mine and the life of the miners
come alive. The tour takes in the engine shaft, the Count House, Winding Engine House with its restored beam engine, Pumping Engine House, Count House, Miners Dry, and the area where girls and women worked above ground to break the ore into more manageable pieces.
Levant is famous for " The Greasy Gang " - but that is another story and for another picture !
Luxembourg this morning. I love the views from the terraces located near the Law Courts.
I wanted to try a new stitching software and so I took as many as 12 images using a 70-200mm zoom lens. I think the stitching was pretty good even though I hand held the camera. The final file was enormous, I have to see if I can produce something more manageable for my computer.
© Sarah Allegra
My regular viewers will probably remember that May 12th is Invisible Illness Awareness Day, or ME Day, in my house, for short. It's a big day in the chronic illness community; it's our Superbowl. Getting a new photo shot for this May 12th was an enormous challenge and there were many times I was sure it wouldn't happen. I started planning this months ago, as I seem to always be scrambling at the last minute and I was determined to NOT do that this year. Then, eight weeks ago, I began getting a recurring fever which took up nearly all my already limited time. So I downgraded the first concept I had into something more manageable. And the fevers continued. This can't possibly last forever, I thought, and came up with another, simpler concept that would work with the time I had left. And the fevers continued.
So things went on until I was able to shoot this image just three days ago. Getting an image turned around, even one without heavy compositing, can take weeks for me. I crammed and pushed my body more than is probably wise considering the fragile state of my immunity, but I got it DONE. Hah! Take THAT, ME!
This self portrait is drawing from the historic plague doctors and the iconic masks they would wear. I recently finished re-reading a favorite book of mine, Doomesday Book by Connie Willis, part of which takes place during the bubonic plague of the middle ages. No mask-wearing doctors appear in it, but the thought was fresh in my mind. That combined with the current Covid-19 pandemic, the scarcity of masks, thinking about immune systems and how easily they can be gotten around by a determined germ... and this was the visual that came to mind.
Of course, a May 12th image wouldn't be complete without it tying in to my experience with having ME(short for myalgic encephalomyelitis; a debilitating neuro-immune disease with no treatment or cure). This year, I asked myself, how could I explain what it feels like to have an incurable illness to someone who's never experienced such a thing? For once, a large portion of the world has actually had a small taste of ME, due to Covid-19. The way Covid has forced you to stay inside, rarely see other people, isolate, protect yourself from any potential germs, taken away your livelihood, these are all hallmarks of nearly every chronic immune-compromised illness. Except that for us, social distancing will never end. Our isolation will never end. We will never go back to work. This is our reality for the rest of our lives.
This is not the life I want to live. No one wants to live forced into a cage, denied the things that make life meaningful and enjoyable. But still, this IS my life right now. Until a cure can be found. I'd gladly take even a treatment. But the medical world has almost nothing to offer me or the millions and millions of others with ME (not to mention all the other disabling diseases like MS, fibromyalgia, Crohn's, EDS and so many more). I cannot break this cage; I cannot pick the lock and let myself out to freedom. But I can scream inside it. I can shout and bang on the bars until someone notices; until enough people notice. And once they notice, they will start demanding freedom for us too.
And maybe, someday, I can actually leave behind this dirty, nasty, bug-infested prison and feel the sun on my face again before I die.
Our illnesses are invisible, but we often feel invisible too. When you drop out of society, only your close friends and family will notice. People who've never met you have no idea that there's a Sarah-shaped void where I used to be; they simply fill it. Chronic illness hides you in its shadows as you're unable to leave your house. I will not be kept secret; I will demand attention and action. ME is an iron mask and shackles, hiding my identity, my potential and my value as a human being. I will not be hidden anymore. The mask is coming off and there WILL be change.
If you would like to be a part of this change, please read my blog post for more information about how you can be the ally we desperately need! You can learn more about ME and other invisible illnesses, there's a petition you can sign, the Millions Missing campaign you can join, excellent documentaries you can watch for free, images you can use as your avatar for the day (or longer!), or, if you'd like, you can donate to ME Action, an organization doing great things for people with ME.
But if you do nothing else, I ask this of you: believe people when they tell you they're sick, even if they don't look like they are. Not every illness manifests outward signs. Just acknowledging that ME is real, despite me (and others) still looking "healthy" on the outside is a huge step forward. Every person in the world afflicted with these evil, insidious illnesses will thank you, starting with me. <3
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I decided to keep it a more manageable size for my first attempt at this pattern. I will definitely make a queen size quilt in this pattern in the future but with the colors more "controlled." This was so much fun!
C Level refers to the last of three levels which had been mined for coal on the east slope of Cascade Mountain before this area belonged to the park. It is rightly one of Banff's premier hikes, as it has views, flowers, animals, and a trail that is manageable for most.
Part of my Straight Out Of the Camera Series.
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.
Larry did this hike solo, as Ben had a soar knee from our last cross-country ski outing. In order to get to Mt Loder, you cross Doorjamb Mountain summit en route. The wind was up today, as it often is on this route. Thankfully it was just manageable, and Larry completed this double summit scramble in under 4 hours roundtrip.
Here is an opened orange Habanero Chile showing the seeds inside. This chile has formidable heat, concentrated mostly in the white placental material that surrounds the seeds. If you remove the seeds and the white material you can see running down the back of the pod, the heat is manageable. I usually eat them in the form of Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce which is the salsa I've come to depend on - a proud product of Belize. This is my photo for the Macro Mondays group, with the theme of "Condiment". HMM! (San Marcos Pass, 15 April 2018)
Production: 1 of 159 (1931-1932).
During the 1920s and 1930s there were two coachbuilders with whom Alfa Romeo had the closest ties, Zagato and Touring, both of Milan. As the brand developed, it was these companies that could best interpret the chassis, and during this period they dressed the cars leaving the nearby factories with the most beautiful bodywork, akin to art forms of elegance. Touring has done very few “Coupe Royale” bodies on the 6c1750 GTC chassis of which this may be the only original survivor – the history of which has been known since 1949.
Chassis 101014832 is a 5th series car that was delivered as the 32nd car built in 1931 and was one of only 66 examples delivered that year, in a three-year production run of 159 units. It is known to have been sold new in its home country, where it survived the war years, first appearing in collector circles in October 1949 when it was imported into the UK and registered KXO 590. An old advertisement on file shows it in much the same form as today offered for sale through Character Cars of Wimbledon for the princely sum of £625 towards the end of 1950, a very high price for the period. According to the sales pitch, it has recently been “repainted, reupholstered and the brightwork replated.” Interestingly, that 1950 ad shows the car fitted with a rearward sloping 8c style radiator, as fitted today.
A chain of British owners followed, Arthur Finch between 1961 and 1962; John Cameron from 1963 to 1970 and possibly afterwards the famous collector and racer Hamish Moffatt. In 1983 it returned to Italy to join the Medici Brothers' collection for a short time, before entering the long-term custody of noted collector Alfredo Celli, who would keep the car for almost 30 years. At that time it was registered with the Automotoclub Storico Italiano and received a FIVA passport.
In 1995 it was a little tired and it was decided to treat it to a refresh, an exercise that led to a complete restoration. The owner was able to call on the services of Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni, the second generation of Touring's founder. In the course of the process it was revealed that the convertible top which had been sealed in a closed configuration for some time in the post-1950 period was indeed to be fully convertible and was returned to its original drophead Coupe Royale form.
The bodywork and cosmetics were entrusted to the esteemed workshops of Dino Cognolato, who converted the bodywork to reveal the original royal blue and black livery that the car now wears again. While the mechanical aspects were handled by respected engineer Gianni Torelli, whose versatile skills can handle the extremes of high-revving Italian twin-cam sub 1 liter engines, right up to the gargantuan Bugatti Royale of over a dozen liters.
The completion of this work took place in 1996, after which it was first exhibited at the then popular Louis Vuitton Classic in the Parc de Bagatelle in Paris, where its condition was immediately appreciated with a class victory of the 'Grandes Classiques des Années 20 & 30'.
After two more decades in Italian ownership, during which it continued to be displayed and enjoyed some nine years ago, it was put up for sale, and the Alfa arrived in the sympathetic hands of a well-known connoisseur and long-time 'Alfisti' in the UK Kingdom, of which it is offered today. Being an enthusiast of the brand and familiar with the aesthetics of these cars, he opted to return to the canted radiator version more common on the 8-cylinder cars, although the Celli-mounted upright original GTC radiator was the car accompanies.
Usability and reliability have benefited from work in the UK by Jim Stokes Workshops (upgraded oil and water pumps and carburettor jet conversion) and Neil Twyman Racing Ltd (re-wringing and re-commissioning). A longer rear axle ratio (3,9:1 from an 8C) is fitted instead of the 5:1, and the car travels very easily above the UK legal limit of 70mph, with a remarkable top speed of around 90mph, all that time manageable and docile for normal road use in modern traffic.
An owner wanting more competitive performance can opt for the engine upgrade now available from Jim Stokes Workshops, where 1750 engines now produce power comparable to that of the 8c in that period. But the engine is equipped with all original parts, including the correct Memini carburetor. Gearbox conversions from JSWL are also available to avoid the double declutching of the original.
Although it has a surprisingly modest capacity for a chassis of this caliber, thanks to its supercharger it was deemed to provide more than adequate performance for modern traffic, almost 90 years after it was produced. Judging by his performance and confidence in the car, after significant delays in shipping the car to the US earlier this year, the owner had no hesitation in simply driving the Alfa off the Savannah ship and straight to Amelia Island. That trip was covered in mostly torrential rain, but the car 'didn't miss a beat', covering the 130 miles in as many minutes!
This supercharged Grand Touring supercharged Alfa Romeo offers a wide range of driving options, from the Concours lawns to long-distance touring, or the Mille Miglia in a comfortable, fully convertible form and inimitable style. As Luigi Fusi noted in his reference book on the brand: “This car was in high demand by an elite of amateurs who liked comfort combined with sporty touring characteristics.” Or as Henry Ford is said to have said: “If an Alfa Romeo passes by, I raise my hat”!
Source: www.metropole.nl/
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Dutch entrepreneur Frans van Haren has a classic car collection that has won prizes at prestigious national and international competitions. Since 2017, he has been presenting his impressive car collection to a wider audience in the futuristic-looking, former furniture showroom 'Metropole' in Druten, the Netherlands.
The collection includes some four hundred cars, trucks and motorcycles, making it almost the largest car museum in the Netherlands.
Metropole Museum
Druten, the Netherlands.
A slice of my life in Night City (Cyberpunk 2077).
I'm playing on PC with a decent computer, so the glitches are pretty manageable. The game itself is fantastic: well-acted, high-stakes dialogue in a vibrant, living world. It makes me want to get chipped with some preem chrome.
A poignant scene, in the ‘Con Yard’ on 31 October 1983, as a contractor appears to be in deep thought, pausing for an undoubtedly welcome breath of fresh air and rest from fulfilling his arduous task of reducing what appeared to be a former Class ‘40’ to manageable pieces of scrap metal. The 1959-built ‘whistling giant’, Class ‘40’ 40037, was standing next in line, awaiting similar treatment, which was fulfilled during the following month.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
Started off sketching some flat serpent or snake designs on the left for my Aztek SHIP (this is a starfighter type, one or two seat style). I like the serpentine flow but if feels a little flat, I want a little bit more volume (not too much). So the right side was evolving the serpent into a lizard or alligator, small leg weapons. The bottom was a bird: very simple wing shapes but very colourful. 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.
Decided to take a stab at an HDR panorama for something a little different yesterday.
This is three separate 7 exposure HDR's merged in Photomatix Pro and stitched with ICE. It was about half an hour before sunrise and the light was quite a bit darker than it appears here.
Full size for reference: 7205 x 1890 or a more manageable 2048 x 537
The stitching worked reasonable ok. I think ICE got a little confused with the horizon line on the right, skewing the alignment a touch. I would've liked to fiddle with the Photomatix settings but just went with the preset output for uniformity. In the end it came together ok. Happy with the result for a first attempt.
So more HDR panoramas to come!
The house I grew up in is one of those little lights down there. When I was a younger chap, and after I'd learned how to drive, I would have come up here to soak in the night time views if ever I needed to get perspective on life. Much of my time was being spent down in those streets. All the worries and fears were being played out on this stage spread before me. Somehow looking down on them from above made them seem more manageable. And knowing that most of those lights were other homes, full of other people who themselves were dealing with things made me feel less alone. It's good to get a vantage point for life from time to time.
View large here: www.flickr.com/photos/luxvenit/8367909753/sizes/k/in/phot...
This is one of the three Cheetah brothers seen in Masai Mara.
Cheetah brothers normally form a coalition and stay together for life. The advantage of numbers are great and can easily take down bigger prey like Wildbeest and Impala. Whilst the lone female would rather go for a Thompson's gazelle which is smaller and more manageable.
Exif data auto added by theGOOD Uploadr
Camera Model : Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Exposure : 0.004 seconds
Aperture : f/5.6
ISO Speed : 100
Subject Distance : 25.5 meters
Lens: Canon EF 300mm f2.8 IS L USM
This is the NiSi S5 filter holder for filters of 150mm. It is the one I need to place filters in front of my ultra-wide angle, tilt-shift 19mm Nikkor lens (which I also used to take this photo). In addition, you need to buy a special attachment piece that is specially designed to fit onto the lens and it bulbous front element.
The filters are enormous and very costly, but the only solution when you need to use, say, a polarizer or and ND filter on that lens.
For all my other lenses, I use a V6 filter holder which hold 100mm filters —more manageable!
THE LUXURY CAR OF 2064- A rejected Motorland.com Article
Recently ,our friends at Hemmings Blog, posed a question of what cars will be like fifty years from today. I present my thoughts on the future of the luxury vehicle.
January 2064: The poor have indeed inherited the Earth, which is now a rotating dung ball. The wealthy, on the other hand, inherit Mars.
Controlling the resources of both worlds, The 1% has shrunk to a manageable 005%. Living in near divine splendor, they travel placidly between private palaces on gleaming obsidian highways called Inter-Estates.
After vast quantities of oil were found on the red planet, the only thing cheaper than gas became human life. Thus, The Comfort Industries are the main occupation for most. In this case, providing clean eco-friendly cycle power for the privileged few.
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Note The editor of a now defunct magazine found the above 'too negative...snarky...anti social ..."and refused to run it.
While my goal is always to provide 'innocent merriment", I apologize in advance to any wealthy Americans dwelling on Mars 50 years in the future who I might one day offend.
AP
Our Monarch’s Way walk yesterday was the muddiest so far! We squelched our way through loads of the stuff but no one got stuck... this was taken towards the end when we had managed to clean some off our boots, Hudson’s wellies had just had a good paddle through a puddle.
We are taking two years to walk the section between Stratford on Avon and Bristol in manageable chunks, this was walk twelve. As well as meeting up with friends and family we are also raising funds for Grassroots Suicide Prevention.
16/100
Designed and folded by me.
Medium: 32x32 cm^2 origamido-tissue
I know I have relatively recently posted a previous rendition of my Hermit Crab. However, this is more about a story I have with the previous rendition than it is about this one shown here.
This particular story will revolve around this hermit crab
About two months ago, my club adviser invited me to show some of my origami designs to commemorate East Asian Studies 70th anniversary. Thus, I gave her some of my sea creature designs, eleven in total including the previously mentioned hermit crab. As she was not present at the time, I had to leave the bag containing all my works and the appropriate credits by her door before she received them shortly and exhibited them afterwards.
Fast forward a few weeks later, I came to collect back the works that were exhibited. All of my folds came back except for one - my red and white hermit crab. It was missing.
According to my adviser, she exhibited them out in the open, arranging them in order, but with no display cases, or any sign indicating "Do Not Touch". Thus, it is very likely someone in my university stole my hermit crab off the display table.
There is nothing that accurately portrays my disappointment towards the person who took this. This hermit crab design takes at least 4 hours to do properly, not including the time it takes to prepare the double tissue paper. When you fold something that is your design, you form a bond towards it - it's almost like the works you make are your own children, as you are involved with every step of its inception and creation. To steal something that I have devoted time and energy into is to destroy this bond I made, not to mention completely disrespectful towards the origami folders, origami designers, as well as the origami community. For something that had many hours invested in, a part of you feels missing when someone chooses to take it away from you.
In all fairness, my adviser was negligent in her duties to ensure a safe exhibition, as she has failed to take precautions against this sort of behavior by protecting them in cases, or putting up a "Do Not Touch" sign. Nevertheless, she should not be at fault for this, because all my contempt should go to the person who stole an origami piece. You might argue that because there was no sign stating "Do Not Touch" nor display cases, a person can just take it, believing it was an origami giveaway on a table where origami is offered for free, rather than a proper exhibition. However, I trust my adviser that the origami was arranged in a way to indicate this is an exhibition, rather than a giveaway. If it were a giveaway, all my work would be clumped together in one big pile rather than be organized. And I know for a fact that the origami was not dumped in a pile. Also, this was the only origami piece to be stolen. If it were the case that people confused this exhibition as a giveaway due to the lack of signs, then more of my work would have been stolen. Since this crab was the only one known to be gone, it is clear that to the rest of the university, this is an exhibition, and not a giveaway.
You may also say, "you can just fold another one!" And I can fold another one just fine, given this is a design I am familiar with. But no two renditions will be the same. Each rendition I do takes a personality of its own, because the shaping folds have no reference points and are often left to the folder's feelings and desire. To lose a hermit crab rendition, or any other rendition, is to lose something that expresses its own unique personality and fingerprint that can never be captured even if by trying to fold a thousand times.
Needless to say, this incident was such a depressing thing to go through for me. I was planning on taking the hermit crab, one of the designs I spent the most effort on, into OrigamiUSA's exhibition for something special. But because of the actions of one person unable to control his/her fingers, this dream was cut short. Words cannot express how much I was let down, and how ashamed I was at the ignorance of how much an origami folder goes through to make a single origami design. I have posted this to my university's lost and found group, but other than some likes and sad reactions, I did not get any leads. Because of this incident, it led me to rethink about my hobby, about whether people really do appreciate and understand the journey origami folders go through. It certainly was a long day during the day I discovered my work was stolen.
I really missed my 2nd origami hermit crab, so I folded this new one out of origamido backed with tissue paper for the white shell. I fixed the issue with the previous crab, where the shell did not cover all the way over the crab itself. Nevertheless, I feel the crab done in tissue paper was more manageable than the one in origamido, especially considering this design is very thick. I certainly hope that when I exhibit this in OUSA, nobody will deem this worthy of theft.
As a lesson to everyone who read this, please take the necessary precautions into protecting your works, especially in exhibitions where people are not familiar with origami! Get a display case, or prepare "No Touch" signs to make evident that origami works are to be respected as art pieces rather than "throwaway" things that don't take much effort. Be sure that the exhibitor is familiar with taking the necessary protections for origami pieces. For things like OrigamiUSA or JOAS, you can be confident that they take these precautions seriously - not to mention the primary audience consists of people who are familiar with and respect origami designers and will (almost) never take anything. I am focusing more on collegiate exhibitions, or any other organization not primarily involved with origami. I do not ever wish to see or hear anybody having to go through what I did.
Custom painted/modded Ak-47 GP-30
This is my second version of the AKGL, here I used an STG44 instead of the BW AK, and I used a spy pistol instead of a spy carbine(The spy carbine lines up much better, but the pistol was still manageable). All in all I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out, other than the slight alignments issue on the gp-30, but that's easily fixable next time by just going back to the spy carbine.
My First Version: [flic.kr/p/boNz5w]
An empty and ethereal Bryant Park covered in snow during winter storm Nemo in midtown Manhattan.
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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.
View my photography profile on Google Plus: New York City photography by Vivienne Gucwa
To purchase any of my work view my site gallery for info here.
To use any of my photos commercially, simply click the link which reads "Request to license Vivienne Gucwa's photos via Getty Images". This link can be found on the bottom right corner of the page of the photo you are interested in using.
the web says it was found in a garden in Lakenham in Norwich in 1794 ...so a very old apple variety indeed. Still going strong. Seems at home in 2021 in my garden.
For no good aesthetic reason, I am posting a bunch of pictures from today of some of the apples on the trees in our garden.
Nice time to look at them just now – mostly still quite small but swelling rapidly as we get to late summer.
My trees are on rootstock MM106 which is very common rootstock for non-dwarf trees and they are being grown as “half standards” (so first branch at 1.4M) which gives a tree big enough to produce a good crop but just manageable in a garden setting and reasonably easy to mow under with a ride-on. The trees are now 17 years old (planted as maiden whips in February 2004). I do tend to look at them a lot but don’t seem to photograph them as much as I might.
I have just registered for a 1-day course in cider making (along with 2 of my brothers) for late September down in Galway. So today looking at the apples with extra special interest. We need to bring 8kg of apples each to the course– so that is 24kg for the 3 of us. On looking around the trees this afternoon, I don’t think this will pose a challenge to achieve in 6 weeks’ time when the course is on.
The White Stripes - Jolene
Several 12mm images stitched together. - I uploaded the 'super huge' version of this twice by accident, this smaller size should be manageable.
NOTE! This image has a Wikipedia license. You can do whatever you want with it and don't need my permission. Go wild!
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World passenger airline routes. Data from Google Maps, Airlineroutemaps, and individual airline websites.
The map is generally correct, but not specifically correct. Planes can, and do, follow various routes. The level of traffic indicated is based on the number of airlines flying the route, not the total number of flights on the route. Also, routes are the most recent I could find, but many are still not current. Airlines make minor changes to their routes all the time.
This is not an original idea, many others have created similar maps, but I think this is the nicest. Hope you like it.
License is Creative Commons Attribution. You can do anything you like with the image, but it should be attributed with the following link:
Image created by a_trotskyite.
Reproductions and derivative works require attribution, transformative works do not.
Created with Adobe Illustrator.
Updated Feb 27, 2009. Background now white, fixed inconsistent appearance in some places, higher quality export from Illustrator, more manageable size.
Updated March 5, 2009. Flickr rendering was making the image fugly. Changed background to 2% gray, seems to be fixed. If you want a white background, open it in your favorite image editor and lighten it slightly.
There's a really big version of this at
Chassis n° ZFF76ZHB000203343
Estimated : CHF 2.600.000 - 2.800.000
Sold for CHF 2.185.000 - € 2.000.183
The Bonmont Sale
Collectors' Motor Cars - Bonhams
Golf & Country Club de Bonmont
Chéserex
Switzerland - Suisse - Schweiz
September 2019
"The LaFerrari is very possibly the world's fastest, most exciting hypercar. Which is some statement to make when there are machines such as the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder to contend with. The bottom line, however, is that LaFerrari has more power (a whopping 950bhp) and less weight to carry around than its prestigious rivals so figuratively, if nothing else, it quite clearly has the upper hand. Either way, this is the ultimate Ferrari..." – Autocar.
In today's increasingly environmentally conscious times, even supercar manufacturers have felt the need to polish up their 'Green' credentials. Seeking better fuel economy and reduced emissions, they have brought 'hybrid' technology to this previously exclusively fossil-fuels-only sector of the market. This has resulted in a 'win win' situation: these latest hypercars being more environmentally friendly while at the same time considerably more powerful than before.
Ferrari's first offering in this expanding category was the LaFerrari, a limited-edition coupé that entered production in 2013. Ferrari's last model with a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine, LaFerrari was the distillation of no fewer than nine design studies created during the process of its development. The car was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. Unusually, its styling had no input from Ferrari's long-term collaborator, Carrozzeria Pinifarina.
Clearly, a car evocatively titled 'LaFerrari' would have to have a V12 engine, a type of power unit used in the very first Ferrari of 1947 and for a glorious succession of the Italian factory's most famous models. The LaFerrari V12 displaced 6.3-litres and produced 789bhp, supplemented by an electric motor producing 161bhp for a combined output of 950 horsepower, the highest power output of any Ferrari road car. With the car is in motion, the electric motor's lithium-ion battery pack is charged by a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) as used in the current generation of Formula 1 cars. Power reaches the rear wheels (there's no four-wheel drive) via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. And if you didn't use those 950 horses all the time, there was also a useful decrease in fuel consumption, not that that would have interested the typical LaFerrari owner.
Designed by Ferrari's F1 technical director, Rory Byrne, the LaFerrari has a carbon fibre monocoque chassis with suspension at the front by double wishbones and at the rear by a multi-link system - pretty much the norm for the current generation of supercars. Any car with a 200mph-plus maximum needs plenty of stopping power, and the LaFerrari was equipped with Brembo's finest carbon-ceramic brakes. Ferrari claimed a top speed exceeding 349km/h (217mph), similar to the Enzo's top speed; however, the LaFerrari could accelerating from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in under 2.4 seconds and reach 300km/h (186mph) in 15 seconds, comfortably out-performing its predecessor. The factory also claimed that LaFerrari had lapped its Fiorano test track in 1:19.7, faster than any other road-legal Ferrari.
Electronic systems abound in even the humblest of modern hatchbacks, and as one would expect, the LaFerrari boasts just about every bit of automotive electrickery imaginable: electronic stability control; high performance ABS/EBD (anti-lock braking system/electronic brake distribution), EF1-Trac F1 traction control integrated with the hybrid propulsion system; E-Diff 3 electronic differential; and magnetorheological suspension dampers - all controlled by 21 computers. There was also active aerodynamics, the front and rear wings being adjustable on the move to provide either high or low downforce while also controlling cooling of the engine, gearbox, batteries, and brakes. More electronics were deployed in the cockpit in the form of a 12.3" (310mm) TFT digital dashboard display with a choice of three optional layouts capable of relaying data from the telemetry system. The steering wheel featured integrated controls, while the gearchange paddles were fixed directly to steering column.
One of the fortunate few to have driven a LaFerrari, Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe was mightily impressed when let loose in one at Fiorano. "The ride instantly feels spookily smooth and calm, the steering surprisingly light but bursting with a delicious, old school kind of feel. The brake pedal also feels light underfoot but is again rippling with feel. And the throttle response, the first time I go anywhere near the loud pedal is just outrageous; the car explodes down the back straight even on half throttle in fourth gear.
"And that's what you get when you integrate electric power with a thumping great V12. At low revs the electricity provides the torque, and provides it instantly, and from there on up – at about 3000rpm – the V12 takes over. Yet the transformation is so smooth you are never actually aware that it takes place. Instead, it feels like the car is powered by a 10-litre V12 that somehow has massive low rev response at the same time.
"And yet, in their way, the gearchange, the brakes, the steering, the turn in, the handling balance and the ride... they are all every bit as incredible as the engine – sorry the power source – and the acceleration it can produce."
Putting a 950 horsepower car weighing only some 1,255kg dry in the hands of mere mortals, as opposed to professional racing drivers, might be considered somewhat reckless, but in designing LaFerrari, its makers ensured that whatever the car did it did predictably. "You always know where you are with this car," declared Autocar. "And considering just how insanely fast it is, that is arguably its greatest achievement; being manageable."
Despite a price of £1 million each, all 499 examples planned had sold before the first had been delivered. However, merely having pockets of limitless depth was not alone sufficient for you to acquire a LaFerrari, which was only available to loyal customers vetted by Ferrari.
Representing a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of these fabulous Ferrari hypercars, the LaFerrari offered here was delivered new to Germany and is currently registered on a temporary Swiss plate. The car has covered only 894km from new and is presented in generally excellent condition, reflecting its sparing use. Finished in yellow with black interior, this spectacular LaFerrari comes complete with charger, tool kit, and Equatorial Guinea registration document and technical inspection.
We were looking forward to a good hike with mild temperatures and little wind. The winds were much higher than predicted, but manageable. There was much less snow than we would have thought, considering we've above average snowfalls for this year. While the wind was annoying, the fact that wet snow would often clump to our boots was very frustrating... With all the ups and downs, we gained just over 800 m's on this very undulating 10.3 km return distance hike, but took 6 and a half hours to complete. The loveliest surprise was herd of Rocky Mountain Sheep near the true summit.
++++++ Form Wikipedia +++++
Kalaw (Burmese: ကလောမြို့; Shan: ၵလေႃး [ka lɔ]) is a hill town in the Shan State of Myanmar. It is located in Kalaw Township in Taunggyi District.
Kalaw
ကလောမြို့
Kalaw 21.jpg
Kalaw is located in Myanmar
Kalaw
Location in Myanmar
Coordinates: 20°38′N 96°34′E
Country Myanmar
Division Shan State
Districts Taunggyi District
Township Kalaw Township
Population (2005)
• Religions Buddhism
Time zone MST (UTC+6.30)
OverviewEdit
The town was popular with the British during colonial rule. Kalaw is the main setting of the novel "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats" by Jan-Philipp Sendker.
The hill station is located at an elevation of 1320 metres, 50 km from the Inle lake. Kalaw is famous for hiking and trekking.[1]
Kalaw Train station sign altitude.
Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
A map of Myanmar
Myanmar map of Köppen climate classification.
Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E. As of February 2011, Myanmar consisted of 14 states and regions, 67 districts, 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts and 68,290 villages.
Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.[20]
In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Myanmar.[109] Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.[110]
The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Irrawaddy, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittaung rivers.[111] The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.[110] The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Irrawaddy valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
A clickable map of Burma/Myanmar exhibiting its first-level administrative divisions.
About this image
Myanmar is divided into seven states (ပြည်နယ်) and seven regions (တိုင်းဒေသကြီး), formerly called divisions.[112] Regions are predominantly Bamar (that is, mainly inhabited by the dominant ethnic group). States, in essence, are regions that are home to particular ethnic minorities. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Myanmar
The limestone landscape of Mon State.
Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone in central Myanmar is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The Northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have an average maximum temperature of 32 °C (89.6 °F).[111]
Environment
Further information: Deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar continues to perform badly in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with an overall ranking of 153 out of 180 countries in 2016; among the worst in the South Asian region, only ahead of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The EPI was established in 2001 by the World Economic Forum as a global gauge to measure how well individual countries perform in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The environmental areas where Myanmar performs worst (ie. highest ranking) are air quality (174), health impacts of environmental issues (143) and biodiversity and habitat (142). Myanmar performs best (ie. lowest ranking) in environmental impacts of fisheries (21), but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Myanmar also ranks 64 and scores very good (ie. a high percentage of 93.73%) in environmental effects of the agricultural industry because of an excellent management of the nitrogen cycle.[114][115]
Wildlife
Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[116]
Heavy logging since the new 1995 forestry law went into effect has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat.[117] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Myanmar (the Dry Zone), vegetation is sparse and stunted.
Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.[118] For a list of protected areas, see List of protected areas of Myanmar.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25% of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
Today we go down with a displacement, it's time for the small Speeder X Wasp scooter. A manageable speeder for small movements.
Not sure what to think of the Voigtlander Super Wide-Heliar 15mm f/4.5 Aspherical III lens. I really like the size, construction and rendering, however it vignettes heavily and the edges have a tendency to color shift to purple. Version III was supposed to address these issues (and it does to some extent on the A7 / A7S), but its still far from ideal on the A7R.
The color shifting and vignetting are most visible in the daytime sky or on white backdrops, but seem manageable on nighttime exposures such as this. More testing is necessary...
(20 second exposure)
[ website ]
The model you see here is being scrapped and I'm starting over in a new scale. But I'm proud of the progress I made, so I wanted to show it off!
After a lot of thought, I decided to start over in the UCS ISD scale (1:1455). This will shrink the model by 25%, making it a much more manageable build, and one which is more relevant to most people's collections. The reason it took so long to get here is because, being me, I've also decided to completely re-do every Star Wars ship I've made so far in this new scale as well.
The end result should make for a pretty nice SHIPtember though!
This set became available for purchase in the USA on August 1st, 2022. Many others have done detailed reviews including Tom Alphin at his brickarchitect.com site. However, as someone who has built his own scaled down LEGO model version of Khafre's pyramid at Giza and one who has studied the architecture and history of Ancient Egypt, I thought I would add my insight.
Basic stats:
Parts: 1476
Price: US $ 129.99.
Dimensions as Built:
Width: 13.75 in (35 cm)
Depth: 12.5 in (32 cm)
Height: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Weight: 4 lb (1.8 kg)
Scale: ~ 1/800.
Slope: 50.4 deg. (45 deg. angle on slope brick plus vertical bottom edge); Actual Great Pyramid has a slope of 51 deg. 50 min. 40 sec. (pretty close!)
MAKING A PYRAMID MORE INTERESTING.
When the designers at LEGO brainstormed ideas for a pyramid model, they were faced with the fact that a pyramid is actually pretty simple and may be considered rather boring as a LEGO build. Their solution was pretty impressive. Not only would the LEGO set include a cutaway to show some of the interior passages of Khufu's Great Pyramid, they also made the outer shell of the pyramid removable. This reveals a second version of the pyramid still under construction. Also in order to avoid a completely tan model, the set depicts the pyramid in ancient times when the white Tura limestone outer casing of the pyramid was still intact.
NOTE: THE SET GIVES YOU HALF A PYRAMID!
The cutaway is a great idea because it dispenses with the need to provide parts for the complete pyramid which would make the LEGO set more expensive. Instead you actually get only the eastern half of the pyramid facing the Nile river.
People complaining about having to purchase a 2nd copy of this set to get a complete pyramid should stop complaining and use Bricklink.com to order just the parts to extend the base for the other half of the pyramid and the equivalent parts used to build the outer shell of the eastern half of the pyramid.
THE PYRAMID COMPLEX.
The model includes aspects some people are not aware of with respect to Egyptian pyramids. On the east side of the pyramid is the Mortuary temple and closer to the Nile river was the Valley temple. A causeway connected the two; it even has a slight slope to it representing the elevation change from the Giza plateau to the Nile valley. The LEGO set designers had to scale down things quite a bit to make the set a manageable size but I give them kudos for including the pyramid complex and not just the pyramid. To the north of the causeway is a small village; perhaps for the workers or the priests who maintained the cult of Khufu for years after the king was sealed into his tomb. There is no archeological evidence of a row of sphinxes next to Khufu's causeway; however, much has been lost. Only traces of the temples still exist. The Great Sphinx remains of course and is next to Khafre's causeway just northwest of Khafre's valley temple.
INTERIOR PASSAGES AND CHAMBERS.
While I liked the idea of showing the interior of the pyramid, I was a little disappointed in the execution. Fortunately its LEGO, so with some parts substitutions, I redid steps 120 to 124 to add some of the relieving chambers which are so distinctive of Khufu's pyramid. I also went back and re-worked part of the rear of the base to add the rest of the descending passage and the subterranean chamber. Unfortunately, I did not have dark tan 33 deg. slopes and a reverse 33 deg. slope on hand so I substituted those parts in light gray for the time being. I skipped adding the well shaft and the "Ventilation shafts" for the Queen's chamber as they would be extremely difficult to render in this scale. The "ventilation shafts" extending up from the King's chamber may have served a symbolic purpose such as allowing the King's soul to ascend to the heavens. The shafts are really quite tall in this scale as the real ones are only 5-8 inches in cross section.
MISTAKE ON INSIDE COVER OF THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET.
Image my surprise when I saw the picture on the inside cover of the LEGO Great Pyramid of Giza instruction booklet that shows Khafre's pyramid and not Khufu's Great Pyramid!
This is not the first time someone has made this mistake. While Khufu's Pyramid is the tallest pyramid of Egypt as well as having the greatest base dimensions, Khafre very craftily built his pyramid nearby on ground that was 30 feet (9 meters) higher in altitude. Even though Khafre's pyramid has a smaller base dimension and is about 10 feet (3.2 meters) shorter, the apex is actually at a slightly higher altitude.
CONCLUSION:
This is a successful attempt to provide an interesting building set of a pyramid. It is a bit pricey but you also get a lot of parts. Best of all its LEGO, so you can recycle the parts for other creations or you can wait until the rumored chambers above the Grand Gallery are opened up and you can then update the LEGO model to match.
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Here's a hyperlapse video along the cycle super highway that's being built on the Embankment in central London.
This is made up of 389 photos taken with the Nikon DF. They were loaded into Lightroom for processing and then exported as jpeg files. Next they were loaded into Adobe After Effects and a "warp stablizer" effect applied to reduce the camera shake. After exporting it was then passed through the Adobe Media Encoder to create a more manageable file.
In the last 8 hours or so I've learned that manipulating images that are going to be used in a video is slow! The workflow around importing/exporting involves watching a lot of progress bars creep along for what feels like forever. I'm guessing I'll need some decent editing software (After Effect and Premier at a minimum) in order to do more of this, which is a pity as I've got the Lightroom/Photoshop cloud package from Adobe, and I suspect I'll have to sign up for the full blown creative cloud to get them...