As a result of my hectic schedule, I have not been shooting much. When I do find small intermittent pockets of time to exercise the eye, it has been with my long neglected Hexar with the CV Ultron 28mm f/2 (on t-loan from Edwin). The Ultron is a beautiful lens of stellar construction - much heftier and beefier than the Color-Skopa but still very manageable and compact. I have not gotten completely used to the 28mm FOV but it does offer a surprisingly new way of seeing and composing. And as with all wide-angles, it is very effective when zone-focusing. At f/8 everything from 1.5m to a hair shy of infinity is in focus, so really it is just pointing and shooting.

 

On a separate note, I found a fantastic rubberised hot-shoe spirit lever for my Hexar. I like that it sits almost flush with the top, maintaining the low-profile of my camera. It also fits very snugly and completely fills the gap within the hot-shoe. As such, it affords more protection against moisture than the usual plastic cover. Aside from use in landscape shots, the spirit-lever would be useful for preventing mangled horizons when shooting from the hip. I bought mine from the affable David, who runs an amazingly well-curated store called Good Poison which stocks Brady Bags, J.Myers and many other lust-inducing offerings.

My 2013 Classic Belle 12'' Doll has been completely deboxed. She is standing, supported by a Kaiser doll stand (not included with the doll), and is photographed from various angles.

 

The 2013 Classic Belle doll has many differences from the 2012 model, but looks very similar, and is a somewhat improved doll. The only major change is to her legs, from fully articulated hard plastic legs to rubber legs with internal knee joints and fixed angled feet. There are a minor changes to her hair, face, dress and shoes. She is also missing her gloves. The features that haven't changed are her head mold, torso and arms.

 

Her head mold is identical to last year's doll. Her face is almost identical, with some subtle changes. Her green eyes have gotten darker, with the elimination of the ring of light green around her pupils, leaving just dark green around her pupils. Her pupils a touch larger. She has three short thick lashes over each eye, and silver eyeshadow, as before. Her eyebrows are a darker shade of brown, but the same thickness and length. A small be very significant change is the smoothing of the arch in her eyebrows, so they no longer have an ''evil'' wiggle. She has a short straight nose. She has gentle open mouthed smile, with a thin upper lip and full lower lip, painted in bright pink. Both her nose and mouth are unchanged from last year. Finally she has heavier application of pink rouge on her cheeks. Her face is just a beautiful as last year's doll, but is now friendlier looking with the changes in her eyebrows and eyes.

 

Her brown hair is medium length, but is shorter and much less voluminous than before. Gone are the two curls dropping down the sides of her face. There is a small bun at the top, as before. There is a small ponytail coming out of the back of the bun, whereas last year the ponytail was longer and lower down her the back of her head. The bulk of her hair is gently curving, and is gathered up in a large curl at the end, which is gelled to keep it in shape and in place. Other than the curl, her hair is soft and smooth. Rather than reaching her waist and spreading out beyond both her shoulders, her hair is now reaches the middle of her back, and is contained within the width her shoulders. It is much neater looking and manageable, as long as the curl at the end is not disturbed.

 

Her golden yellow satin dress is similar in design to the 2012 version, but there are some significant differences. The gold organza shoulder straps are very similar, but now they are wrapped lower down her shoulders, thus being more movie accurate. I had to adjust her left strap to make it lower, to match the right strap. Her bodice is now glitter free, but has the same design, with a V-shaped waist. The skirt is now much less voluminous, and has a pattern of glittering gold roses, instead of the gold glitter being sprayed in a random pattern. The gold organza decoration around the middle of the skirt is now only in the front, whereas the 2012 doll had the decoration go completely around the skirt. But as with last year's doll, the ruching is only in the front. At least the golden rose pattern continues to the back of the skirt. The skirt is about the length as before, but since the 2013 doll is on her tippy toes rather than her feet flat on the floor, the skirt doesn't quite reach the floor. The new dress holds its shape much better, due to the glitter giving the skirt more stiffness. The old dress is more movie accurate, and its volume is very impressive, but it requires a petticoat (which is not included) to keep its shape.

 

Her shoes are flats as in the old doll, but they are a little shorter, and a paler shade of yellow. With her fixed angled feet, she should have gotten high heels, as the 2011 and earlier dolls had.

 

She no longer has any accessories, as her full length gold satin gloves are gone.

 

Her body is fully articulated in the arms, but now has the rubber legs of 2011 and earlier dolls, which has internal knee joints and fixed angled feet. Her hip joints allow her to sit down with her legs together and her back straight up, unlike the 2012 doll with the fully articulated but defective legs. But her knees can only bend about 40 degrees, so her legs stick out when she is sitting. The leg joints are also much stiffer, so she is in a much more natural position when placed standing in a Kaiser doll stand. Her angled rubber feet also make her about 1/4 inch taller than the 2012 doll, who had flat feet.

 

The packaging for the dolls is much improved. The box art has been completely redesigned, with beautiful decorations unique to each Princess (actually for each movie), and a cameo of the animated movie character. The boxes are the same height and width, but are 1/2'' flatter, making them smaller and lighter. The packaging restraints are simplified, especially with a reduced use of T-tags, so the deboxing is quicker and easier, and there is less damage to the doll. Belle's box has rose and Cogsworth images with a yellow background.

 

The 2013 Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection, released on June 10, 2013. They consist of 11-12'' articulated dolls of the 11 official Disney Princesses, from Snow White to Merida, as well as Princes, Villains and Sidekicks. I now have all 11 Princesses, Queen Elinor, Charlotte and Gaston. I will photograph them boxed, during deboxing and fully deboxed. I will also post reviews and comparative photos.

 

Classic Disney Princess Belle Doll - 12''

US Disney Store.

Released online June 10, 2013.

Purchased online June 13, 2013.

Received June 24, 2013.

$14.95 (was on sale for $10 at time of purchase).

 

Trip Day 3: July 15th

 

This was our campsite in a town and on a lake called Island Pond, Vermont. It was a huge lake, despite the name. It was also just past and below those trees. We had our pick of sites here, which was nice. We woke up on Wednesday relieved that there were only a few puddles around the edges inside the tent. We had put our clothes in garbage bags just in case, thankfully!

 

Packing up with things are wet is never fun, but at least it had stopped raining. The sand on everything was annoying, but manageable. On we drove through to New Hampshire, which if we blinked we might have missed since we went west to east across the very narrowest part. It was beautiful, though, going up and through a very mountainous and rocky area. Then we had the joy of going on a completely under construction road...like, from scratch under construction. We would go along on dirt and rocks for a 1/4 mile then get stopped by a worker to wait for opposing traffic to come through. This happened about 5 times before we were finally on a paved road again!

 

Then we were in Maine! We made our way east to Belfast, ME and then turned north on Route 1 along the coast. We marveled at how many B&B's and Inns there were and I wondered how we'd find camping when the GPS only listed Inns. All of a sudden I saw the large sign for Camden Hills State Park with a big CAMPING and arrow, so I swung in and said, "Let's see if they have room!"

 

Turned out to be perfect and probably the nicest state park I've ever been in (not that I've been in that many, but still). We paid for 2 nights and went to set up and have dinner. That night we both had the best nights' sleep of the trip. I don't think I woke up at all, in fact! We went to bed probably around 9:45 (if that!) and woke up at 6:45 or so. It was so nice to know we didn't have to pack anything up yet. We had arrived.

How to create a low maintenance garden

Design and planning

Start by looking at how much input you can make to the garden and the features or functions that are most important to you. Not everything need be lost. For example, if growing your own vegetables is high on the priority list, keep a veg patch that will meet your needs while minimising activity elsewhere such as replacing lawn with paving or a rose garden with a shrub border.

 

Also try to position features that are more labour intensive closer to the house or the shed so you’re not wasting a lot of effort walking, carrying or barrowing items up and down the garden. Consider installing a water point close to where you are most likely to need it (e.g. a greenhouse). Equally, it may be that an automatic irrigation system, especially for lots of pots and planters, could take a lot of stress out of watering.

 

Some design decisions will not be so obvious. A living hedge may require clipping every year but if kept to a manageable height this might in the long run be less onerous than having to paint and replace wooden fencing.

 

Plant choice

There is no such thing as a ‘no maintenance’ plant but many hardy evergreens, once established, will require little care. Ensure you check the expected mature height and spread, otherwise pruning may be necessary if the space is too small for the plant.

 

Lawns (or alternatives to them)

Seven steps to a low-maintenance lawn;

 

Let the grass grow long. Consider keeping a small area of short grass in the most formal area of garden but reduce the amount of cutting in other areas. Experiment with different frequencies of cut; some parts may be acceptable with being mown just once a fortnight, while some ‘wilder’ areas could be left unmown between March and September. Introduce a sense of purpose to long grass by mowing a path through the centre or a strip at the edge. You can even add interest by introducing wildflower plug plants into the sward.

Stop collecting the clippings. By allowing the clippings to drop back onto the grass, less time and effort is needed to empty the box. The lawn will also need feeding less as some of the nutrients will return in the fallen grass. To reduce problems with unsightly strips of brown, dead grass sitting on the surface of the lawn, mow as regularly as possible. It may be worth investing in a ‘recycling’ or 'mulching' mower which is designed to chop the clippings before returning them to the lawn.

Replace fine turf with a harder-wearing seed or turf mix. Fine or high quality turf will required more input in the form of aerating, scarifying, feeding and mowing than more durable lawn mixes. Look for seed or turf that is described as ‘amenity’, ‘multi-purpose’, ‘hard wearing’ or simply ‘low maintenance’. Some mixes include micro clovers to help reduce the need to water and feed.

Be more relaxed. Relax weeding, feeding and moss control – such a lawn will be more of a visual patchwork but will often stay greener for longer when stressed by drought or waterlogging and is perfectly acceptable for many gardeners. It is also more likely to support a greater variety of wildlife.

Install permanent edging solutions. This will reduce the need for hand edging. There are many styles and materials to choose from including Everedge, Rite Edge and Smart Edge. Or at the very least look for edging shears that incorporate a collection box.

Consider using a professional lawn maintenance company. If budget allows, getting in the professionals to keep on top of your lawn can take a weight off your mind and even free you up to get on with those other ‘nicer’ gardening jobs.

Artificial turf. Something of a taboo subject for many gardeners but artificial turf has a role to play. Modern artificial turf can be reasonably realistic and there is usually a choice of styles on offer.

Remove small fiddly, narrow areas, to cut down on edging and reduce time and effort spent manoeuvring mowers.

Use a mower with a wider cut and more capable power unit, or even consider 'Robot Mowers', that mow unattended.

There is, however, no getting around the fact that lawns are one of the most intensive features in a garden so there may be no choice but to replace with an alternative. This might mean turning the area over to gravel, paving, decking or bark.

 

Borders and weed control

Much routine work in the garden involves weed control in borders and the maintenance of herbaceous perennials (e.g. staking, cutting back, lifting and dividing). It makes sense, therefore, to replace some or all perennial beds with shrubs.

 

Shrubs are easy to plant through a weed-suppressing membrane. Overlay this with an attractive mulch such as bark or gravel and it may be several seasons before weeding or topping up of the mulch is required. Weed seedlings are unlikely to get a hold in the mulching material but if they do can be easily hoed off. Once established, these beds are also unlikely to require regular watering.

 

And if you are concerned that shrubs may limit your choice, think again as there are many interesting shrubs to choose from.

 

Ponds and water features

Reduce the need for pumps and filters by not introducing fish into the pond. Fish-free ponds or wildlife ponds often settle into a good natural balance, and suffer from blanket weed and algae problems less frequently too.

 

Don’t be afraid of natural succession. Rather than the arduous task of removing silt from the bottom of a pond every few years, consider allowing your pond to fill in. Or deliberately convert a pond into a bog garden to reduce tasks such as removing leaves, cleaning out, planting or pulling out blanket weed.

 

Avoid very shallow water features that quickly dry out and need topping up.

 

No dig method

On soils that naturally have a good soil structure, the ‘no dig’ approach can be very effective. This method minimises cultivation of the soil through the use of organic weed-suppressing mulches (e.g. bark, garden compost, municipal compost, rotted manure or even, when better alternatives are lacking, cardboard overlaid with grass-clippings) and avoidance of compacting the soil through walking on it unnecessarily.

 

Things to avoid

When looking for shortcuts in the garden there are some simple things to avoid. These include;

 

Lots of containers. Containers need lots of maintenance, from planting up, repotting and feeding, to watering and handling. If you do opt for planters, try to use larger ones with greater volume of compost as these should dry out less quickly

Large numbers of tender plants. These require seasonal tasks such as lifting, winter wrapping, moving to a protected environment or annual propagation. Instead, look for plants that are deemed fully hardy which can be left outdoors year round

Bedding plants and temporary plantings. Traditional bedding schemes can offer great colour but are very seasonal and can take a lot of work, especially if you are growing your plants from seed or having to grow on plug plants in a greenhouse before planting out. Moving away from bedding to borders with permanent plantings would help eliminate this dependency. Similarly, if you’ve had success with wildflower annuals, for example, why not consider sowing a perennial meadow instead to avoid annual sowing?

Wrong plant, wrong place. Don’t insist on growing rhododendrons on a chalky soil, or bog plants in a windswept dry garden. Equally, remember that lawn grasses are really plants suited to open conditions so lawns in shade, especially under trees, will always be difficult to keep to an acceptable quality

Large specimen plants. Buying and planting semi-mature plants may seem like a quick route to an instant garden but aftercare can be more onerous. Younger plants will often establish in half the time and require less attention to watering and staking

Fast-growing hedges. Choose slower growing hedging plants such as yew (Taxus baccata) or holly (Ilex aquifolium) when planting or replacing hedges

Plants requiring regular or intensive pruning. This might include trained fruit trees or a wall-trained wisteria. Consider bush forms of fruit or a self-clinging climber such as climbing hydrangea instead

Fine lawns. See solutions in section above

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.

Please view LARGE.

 

Strobist: Lumopro LP160 @ 1/4 and 35mm camera right (on the ground, maybe 20ft from subject) fired via Alienbee triggers.

 

I've decided, as a result of being reminded by my last two photo projects how much I really love making stuff (which often takes a back burner to earning money in order to survive), that I am beginning a 52 week project. It's about 6x more manageable and realistic than a 365 project, and I'm certain I need a reason to make weekly photography a life or death priority. I'll probably be late in creating things once in a while, but I'll do my best to post a new photograph every Tuesday. I don't plan on following any particular theme, although I'd like to be lighting each photo and focusing on a person or multiple people. I might stray from this, but what counts is that I'm shooting, right?

 

Anyway, this is my first actual attempt at something slightly narrative, although it's not the first narrative piece I've ever planned. I think the true strength of a narrative or tableau lies in attention to details and a comprehensive design. This photograph doesn't really have those things, but there were several beginnings of an idea behind what we shot, as well as some collaboration between myself and my subjects. Let me know what you think!

 

www.codyslr.com

Red-Tailed Hawk - eyeing the neighbor's chickens.

 

This fellow landed on our neighbor's fence and was carefully scrutinizing the chickens in his yard. After some careful consideration he evidently decided that Roger (the rooster) was too big of a load to handle and he flew off to find some more manageable prey.

 

Nikon D7100

Sigma AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro

The Sklar Bunionectomy is unique within the world of Podiatry. As a brand, it has become our guiding trademark and it embodies all that characterizes our work at Foot First Podiatry. We are committed to the tradition of the bunionectomy but we have taken it one step further with our innovative surgical techniques. The Sklar Bunionectomy is minimally invasive and is engineered to allow for immediate weight bearing, so our patients walk right away. It requires no crutches or casts. Aesthetically, rewarding our patients a beautiful, virtually scar free foot.

I finally managed to get out and shoot! Sunrises are a lot more manageable now with the shorter days... I knew that the tide was going to be a little low, but it was a fun session nonetheless.

 

Thanks for your time.

© Copyright Camillo Berenos. All rights reserved.

 

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.

It looked to be a good day for a hike in the foothills east of the Rocky Mountains, except for some wind. Snow was patchy on the trail in the lower reaches, but still manageable with just our boots. Once past the junction with Prairie Link Trail, we had to don our spikes to continue. A kilometre from the summit, however, the ridge had been swept free of snow, and we were back with just our boots without spikes. The same winds that kept the snow off the ridge top returned to pester and annoy us, cooling us down. We walked just over 18 km's, gaining just over 800 m's, and taking 5 1/4 hours to so.

The European Service Module provides electricity, water, oxygen and nitrogen, and thermal control as well as propelling the spacecraft.

 

This structural test model is used for testing purposes before installing the real thing. It is as close to the flight version as possible while keeping costs and development time manageable. The structure and weight are the same, while mass equivalents stand in for electronics boxes not needed for the series of tests.

 

The model was installed under a test version of the Crew Module Adapter, and sits on the Spacecraft Adapter that will attach Orion to its launch vehicle. This is the first time the European hardware has been physically connected to NASA’s elements.

 

The service module will be shaken at NASA’s Plum Brook station in Sandusky, Ohio, USA, to recreate the vibrations of launch, as well as being subjected to acoustic and shock environments.

BOX DATE: None

APPROXIMATE RELEASE DATE: 2012

MANUFACTURER: M.G.A.

DOLLS IN LINE: Cloe; Yasmin; Sasha; Jade

SPECIAL FEATURES: Stand plays music

 

PERSONAL FUN FACT: Of all the girls I have from this collection, Jade has the best quality stuff. Even her wigs are more manageable by far. That's not to say that they felt amazing straight out of the package. On the contrary, the texture of the nylon felt rough and gross. So I had to flat iron them thoroughly in order to make them feel/look sleek. It wasn't an easy task, since you need a lot of tension in order to flat iron properly. The wigs don't stay on the dolls' heads well, so I had to flat iron them separately (which was a very tricky task). I prefer Jade with the blonde wig, but both sit on her head kind of funnily. It's a cool concept, but I think it needed better execution in order to work. Jade's ensemble is actually stellar quality. I wasn't expecting that since these dolls looked rather cheap in stores. Her pants are a thick denim (it's a shame the bottoms aren't hemmed. The jacket reminds me of the Rock Angelz..I think it's the snake print. And of course how could I forget these fabulous shoes?!! The Style Starz all came with unique shoe molds that were extra tall (kind of like the Sea Stunnerz later on).

Julia had a plate of the Panfried Salmon and Yakiniku Nigiri. They are that good.

 

Both simple slices of protein, grilled to just melt the fatty bits and practically slide down your throat!

 

Dinner with Jennie and David, omakase-style at the sushi counter.

 

Shira Nui 不知火

247 Springvale Rd

Glen Waverley VIC 3150

(03) 9886-7755

Lunch Tue-Sat noon-2pm. Dinner Tue-Sun 6pm-10pm

 

Reviews:

- Shira Nui, by Dani Valent, Epicure, The Age May 22, 2007 Sit at the sushi counter. Order the omakase

- Shira Nui By Jane Faulkner, Epicure, The Age October 10, 2005 Shira Nui is worth crossing town for.

- Fusion without power By John Lethlean, The Age August 5 2003 At Shira Nui, only certain types of sushi will be delivered to the table, so fanatical is the chef. The full range is available only to a manageable group of sushi-bar diners. He makes; you eat immediately; then he makes again. This is the omakase menu, a sushi-only degustation that is the purest, most pleasurable dining experience I have had all year.

- Shira Nui ... again - TummyRumbles by mellie on May 17th, 2009

- Shira Nui - Miettas

Age Good Food Guide 2010 Score: 14.5/20

Age Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 14.5/20

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide "A nondescript Glen Waverley shopping strip is not the obvious place to seek boundarypushing Japanese food, but Shira Nui's camouflage partially explains its 'hidden treasure' status"

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 15/20

Age Good Food Guide 2006 score 15/20

Age Good Food Guide 2005 score 14/20

AGFG 2004, score 14/20

- Shiranui - UrbanSpoon

- Shira Nui - Your Restaurants

Now i know better not to rely on weather forecast too much.

It was supposed to rain all weekend, and maybe it did, but for the most part of the day saturday the weather was manageable w/ maybe a little bit cold wind, and sunday was just gorgeous outside, that sunset was awesome! Except ofcourse it was already too late, i had already cancelled my model shoot the day before. Bummer.

So i'm back to taking more light bokeh shots instead, til you get sick of it :p

I found the fabric a long time ago, it's a Spandex, which is impossible to sew ( for me at least).

So I sewed it onto a thin foam and that way it became more manageable. Now the skirt is kind of a thicker neoprene-like texture( really cool)

The attached top in a black velvet corsage with fur trim and a leather belt with the decorative accent button/buckle in front. the corsage is lined with muslin and the dress closes in the back with 3 snap buttons.Voila! Amelia wears it well with her black Sling Back Shoes

IDP's from Tikrit and Ramadi.

The refugee flow to the wealthy continent of Europe is just the tip of the iceberg. It's a minor crisis compared to the real refugee crisis hitting Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, where resources are not so plenty as in Europe. Belgium is not overwhelmed by a flood of refugees like Kurdistan. Many internal Iraqi refugees from areas which have been taken by IS flee to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Most refugees remain in the region, and within the sphere of influence of the conflicts of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Browse through these photos by photographer Baram Maaruf and you might get a better understanding of the scope of the "crisis" in Europe: limited and perfectly manageable. It's a not a "refugee crisis", but a crisis of "political will".

 

ARBAT IDP CAMP

Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp is located outside the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It is one of the most overcrowded refugee camps in Iraq. The camp was supposed to house 800 displaced Iraqi families, but now there are more than 2000 families (23.000 people). In each tent there are several families. It was established for Syrian refugees as a transit camp, but it turned into a camp for internally displaced Iraqi refugees. As the crisis in Iraq enters its second year with no political or military solution in sight, the government and aid groups are being forced to seek longer-term humanitarian solutions for the more than three million displaced by violence across the country.

 

ASHTI CAMP

It’s a short drive to a new camp location just five km away: Ashti Camp. UNHCR and its partners began to move residents to better-equipped facilities in June 2015. Ashti camp, was recently completed and will eventually accommodate some 1000 families who will be moved from Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. They are displaced Iraqis sheltering in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It looks like the foundation of a new village. Instead of pitched upon packed earth, tents here rest on poured concrete foundations. Plumbing is underground and electric wiring runs along poles that neatly follow the camp's grid layout.

 

ARBAT PERMANENT CAMP

The third refugee camp is a permanent camp for 6000 Syrian refugees, mainly Kurds from Kobani and Qamishlo. It looks like a village with paved roads, electricity wires, shops, little brick houses. Even though the whole “village” looks miserable, it is much “better” compared to Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp.

This amazing mural is being painted by Jackson, Mississippi artist Jason Jenkins and is located at 214 South State Street Jackson, MS 39201. I plan on going by there soon and getting an updated version.

 

This was made from 32 images stitched together as a panoramic. The original is 32,000 pixels wide. This version is a more manageable 20,000.

Hilo de la Fotohistoria en Pullip .es:

LENN AND SAWL SNEEK OUT(1 of 1) /

LA ESCAPADA DE LENN Y SAWL (1 de 1)

  

(Read in order, this is: SHOT/FOTO 02 of 49) PAG: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49.

 

FOTOSTORY: In English / En Español

Lenn: Pffffffffffff (I'm booooored... All the fucking day here encased in this crappy showcase, sooo funny... ¬¬ this is like a kick in my ass! -fuuu- Betrayer sucker of Cíen... He's lastly playing my balls too much... he prefers to stay laid at Sun's shelf instead of being in mine, isn't it? Rejecting friends, right? Fine... ¬¬ And what's worse, the lapdog of Takedummy all the fucking day chasing him and licking his ass. Takedummy let's do this, Takedummy let's see that... As far as I'm concerned you both can screw each other, you may find out you even like it... It's not a problem at all to find new friends... ¬¬

Let's see, that one is new, isn't it? He doesn't look like the preppy kilo-dick or the queeny of Valo. He's kinda look of a child, but well, better, he'll be more manageable XD)

Ville: (The new guy is so cute... :) )

Soichiro: (Incredible the conditions I have to study... not only I don't have the minimum space required to have some privacy, but I have to stay with such lurid people... How many does he had? I think it's the same one cigarette, made of everlasting plastic... T_T They should forbid to smoke in showcases... It's a close room and we also have to stay here like canned food... I must be stinking out tobacco... u_u I'll fill a complaint sheet to take on Sheryl... ò_ó )

/

Lenn: Pufffffffffffff (Me aburrooooo... Todo el puto día aquí encerrao en la mierda vitrina esta, que divertido... ¬¬ es para morirse de asco! -fuuu- Mierda de Cíen traidor... Últimamente me está tocando demasiado la pera ya... prefiere estar emparrado en el estante de Sun en vez de en el mio, no? Dejando tirado a los colegas, verdad? Muy bien... ¬¬ Y encima el perro faldero del Takemierdas ese todo el puto día detrás suya comiéndole el culo. Que si Takemierdas vamos a hacer esto, Takemierdas vamos a ver lo otro... Por mi como si os dais por culo, que a lo mejor os gusta y todo... Será por amigos que puedo encontrar... ¬¬

Aver, ese de ahí es nuevo no? No parece ni pijotero como el poya-kilo ese ni moñas como Valo. Tiene un poco pinta de crío, pero mira, mejor, más manejable XD)

Ville: (Que mono es el niño nuevo... :) )

Soichiro: (En que condiciones tengo que estudiar... que además de no tener un espacio con un mínimo de intimidad tengo que estar encerrado al lado de esta gente pintoresca...Cuantos debe llevar ya? Yo creo que es el mismo maldito cigarro que como es de plástico no se acaba nunca... T_T Deberían prohibir fumar en las vitrinas... que encima que es un recinto cerrado tenemos que estar como sardinas enlatadas... debo de echar un pestazo a tabaco... u_u Rellenaré una hoja de reclamaciones para quejarme a Sheryl... ò_ó )

 

LINKS:

- Las FOTOHISTORIAS de Sheryl en el Foro de Pullips: Pullip .es

- Sheryl Photostories at Flickr

We no longer have a Disney Store where I live, so my sweet boyfriend purchased this doll from his local Disney Store!

 

I love that she is jointed and comes with Pascal (and a paint brush!). She has so much hair which I find very manageable, but sheds rather easily! I wouldn't reccomend brushing her hair.

 

Refugees from Kobanê.

The refugee flow to the wealthy continent of Europe is just the tip of the iceberg. It's a minor crisis compared to the real refugee crisis hitting Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, where resources are not so plenty as in Europe. Belgium is not overwhelmed by a flood of refugees like Kurdistan. Many internal Iraqi refugees from areas which have been taken by IS flee to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Most refugees remain in the region, and within the sphere of influence of the conflicts of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Browse through these photos by photographer Baram Maaruf and you might get a better understanding of the scope of the "crisis" in Europe: limited and perfectly manageable. It's a not a "refugee crisis", but a crisis of "political will".

 

ARBAT IDP CAMP

Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp is located outside the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It is one of the most overcrowded refugee camps in Iraq. The camp was supposed to house 800 displaced Iraqi families, but now there are more than 2000 families (23.000 people). In each tent there are several families. It was established for Syrian refugees as a transit camp, but it turned into a camp for internally displaced Iraqi refugees. As the crisis in Iraq enters its second year with no political or military solution in sight, the government and aid groups are being forced to seek longer-term humanitarian solutions for the more than three million displaced by violence across the country.

 

ASHTI CAMP

It’s a short drive to a new camp location just five km away: Ashti Camp. UNHCR and its partners began to move residents to better-equipped facilities in June 2015. Ashti camp, was recently completed and will eventually accommodate some 1000 families who will be moved from Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. They are displaced Iraqis sheltering in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It looks like the foundation of a new village. Instead of pitched upon packed earth, tents here rest on poured concrete foundations. Plumbing is underground and electric wiring runs along poles that neatly follow the camp's grid layout.

 

ARBAT PERMANENT CAMP

The third refugee camp is a permanent camp for 6000 Syrian refugees, mainly Kurds from Kobani and Qamishlo. It looks like a village with paved roads, electricity wires, shops, little brick houses. Even though the whole “village” looks miserable, it is much “better” compared to Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp.

Taking a walk on the dikes at Venlo that narrow the Meuse River to a manageable waterway, I noticed the pretty early wildflowers of Lamium purpureum. The light was not very good for photos. So I went out again this morning and had a very pleasant hour or so as the sun was rising.

Urtica iners - inert nettle (that is to say: non-stinging fire) - was a name for this plant. It's not a nettle at all, of course, but was thought to look similar. Abraham Munting (1626-1683) in his massive 'Description' gives a long list of synonyms among which 'Haanekop' (Henhead) and 'Verkeerd Neetelkruyd' (Inverted Nettle). Although he usually mentions rather a lot of uses for the plants he describes, for our Lamium he remarks only that bruised in red wine it will alleviate 'roode Loop', 'bloody flux' or dysentry, a major pest in his times.

The word 'Lamium' is said to go back on the name of the female monster Lamia from Libya of Greek mythology, who had a great appetite for children. With a bit of imagination, the purple flower resembles an open maul. Purple Archangel, on the other hand, might just refer to the Archangel Jeremiel, the Angel of Mercy, who is thought to inhabit a Purple Divine Ray.

Whatever...

Most people today regard our plant as a weed. The descriptive literature is full of words like 'pest', 'weed', 'infest', 'it must be controlled', 'wily weed', 'eradication'...

But for me it was pure Purple Beauty this morning even though it measures only about 1,5-2 by 5-6 mm.

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

Originating in China, the Limequat (Citrus x floridana) is cultivated in Japan, Israel, Spain, and Malaysia. In the United States, the Limequat is grown in Florida and California. The self-fertile Limequat is almost everbearing with heavy crops of oval-shaped, lemon-colored fruit, larger than both of the parents. The flesh is juicy, acidic and high in Vitamin C.

 

There are 3 (three) original varieties of Limequat, resulting from different crosses between a Key Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and a Kumquat (Citrus fortunella). They were produced in Florida and named Eustis, Lakeland, and Tavares (could be a Lemon X Kumquat hybrid) in honor of the Florida cities of the same names. They are grafted onto Flying Dragon dwarfing rootstock (Poncirus trifoliata) syn. (Citrus trifoliate) to attain manageable heights desired in dooryard trees and container gardening.

 

Because of the parentage, Limequats are much cold hardier than the Key Lime and are much less susceptible to disease than the Key Lime.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a display of few Eustis Limequats in various stages of ripeness, compared with a 2.54cm (1inch) coin.

 

Limequat 'Eustis'

Citrus japonica 'Marumi' X Citrus aurantiifolia

Family Rutaceae

 

Rockledge

Florida

USA.

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

Railways of Great Britain

This start of another one of my collections, although I have posted a few in the past.

I have taken quite a few images over the years of Old Steam, Diesel and Electric engines and after sorting out probably 3,000 plus, I’ve now got it down to a more manageable number.

I’m starting with English Engines. Some of these images could be 25 years old. Many were transferred from negatives via a scanner so the quality will not be as good I would like. I have put them all through Photoshop to get rid of the most glaring issues

Apologies to those enthusiasts if I don’t get the right engine with the right Railway, they were taken a long time ago, some of them have moved on and my memory is not as good as it was.

Happy viewing.

 

Actually 1/87 scale to be accurate meaning small enough to be manageable which is just as well as so many companies made these types of promotional trucks during the 2000's. Mainly for the German market there must be literally thousands and thousands of them to collect.

A rather smart and fully licensed Iveco Stralis cab with lots of intricate detailing. Part of a Michael Schumacher Collection branded set. The casting itself was quickly copied by Global Way International. Mint and boxed.

Sprawling outwards and sky-scrapering upwards, Chile's capital, Santiago, is immense. Its central core, however, is manageable and relatively small - a roughly triangular area bounded by the Rio Mapocho on the north. It is a city of grand thoroughfares and plazas, lined with public buildings and churches and circled by parks. The grid town plan imposed by the Spanish, however, is conducive to traffic jams and pollution. The Virgin Mary guards the city from the peak of the 860m (2821ft) Cerro San Crist?bal, part of the Parque Metropolitano recreational area.

 

The city's attractions include the colorful Mercado Central, the historical center of Plaza de Armas, the pedestrian mall of Paseo Ahumada (haunt of buskers and peddlers) and the late-colonial and block-filling Palacio de La Moneda - former mint, presidential residence and the site of Allende's last stand. Santiago has plenty of museums, including the beautifully arranged Pre-Colombian Museum and the Museo de Santiago, which documents the city's present sprawl with dioramas and reconstructions"

 

I decided to follow the "Walking Tour" recommended by the "Lonely Planet" South American (2002) handbook. It took me most of the day (from 10.00am to 4.00pm). I started at the famous Palacio de la Moneda, the Government Palace that was first built as headquarters of the Royal Mint (hence its name). It was just outside my first metro stop. The largest building erected by the Spanish government during the 18th century, the Palace was criticized for being too ostentatious, but today it's considered one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in Latin America.

 

The Helmets and uniform fo look a 'bit' NAZI.... sorry - Prussian

  

Read more at my blog: www.irish-guy.com/2003_07_28_archive.html and www.irish-guy.com/2003_07_29_archive.html and www.irish-guy.com/2003_07_31_archive.html

Refugees from Kobanê.

The refugee flow to the wealthy continent of Europe is just the tip of the iceberg. It's a minor crisis compared to the real refugee crisis hitting Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, where resources are not so plenty as in Europe. Belgium is not overwhelmed by a flood of refugees like Kurdistan. Many internal Iraqi refugees from areas which have been taken by IS flee to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Most refugees remain in the region, and within the sphere of influence of the conflicts of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Browse through these photos by photographer Baram Maaruf and you might get a better understanding of the scope of the "crisis" in Europe: limited and perfectly manageable. It's a not a "refugee crisis", but a crisis of "political will".

 

ARBAT IDP CAMP

Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp is located outside the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It is one of the most overcrowded refugee camps in Iraq. The camp was supposed to house 800 displaced Iraqi families, but now there are more than 2000 families (23.000 people). In each tent there are several families. It was established for Syrian refugees as a transit camp, but it turned into a camp for internally displaced Iraqi refugees. As the crisis in Iraq enters its second year with no political or military solution in sight, the government and aid groups are being forced to seek longer-term humanitarian solutions for the more than three million displaced by violence across the country.

 

ASHTI CAMP

It’s a short drive to a new camp location just five km away: Ashti Camp. UNHCR and its partners began to move residents to better-equipped facilities in June 2015. Ashti camp, was recently completed and will eventually accommodate some 1000 families who will be moved from Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. They are displaced Iraqis sheltering in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It looks like the foundation of a new village. Instead of pitched upon packed earth, tents here rest on poured concrete foundations. Plumbing is underground and electric wiring runs along poles that neatly follow the camp's grid layout.

 

ARBAT PERMANENT CAMP

The third refugee camp is a permanent camp for 6000 Syrian refugees, mainly Kurds from Kobani and Qamishlo. It looks like a village with paved roads, electricity wires, shops, little brick houses. Even though the whole “village” looks miserable, it is much “better” compared to Arbat Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp.

I wanted a way to carry around my hub bluetooth usb and memory card system while keeping everything manageable. Everything is set in velcro so if need be cables can be pulled and devices pulled. If the cables had not have been zip tied even the cables can be unwound from their position and wound back in. The memory card slot uses a mini usb end so I also have a mini-usb connector to connect to my phone and to my camera when downloading pictures. The pda on top allows for the earlier makezine.com hack of showing an auxiliary display.

During the National Socialist dictatorship from 1938 to 1945 was in this building the place of execution, in which women and men from Austria as well as from many other European countries were beheaded for their political beliefs, national origin or because of their faith. Honor to all of the Victims! The city of Graz in 1988. Austrian League for Human Rights

 

Während der Nationalsozialistischen Gewaltherrschaft von 1938 bis 1945 befand sich in diesem Gebäude jene Hinrichtungsstätte, in der Frauen und Männer aus Österreich wie aus vielen anderen Europäischen Ländern wegen ihrer politischen Überzeugung, nationalen Herkunft oder wegen ihres Glaubens enthauptet wurden. Ehre Allen Opfern! Die Stadt Graz 1988. Österreichische Liga für Menschenrechte

 

(further information you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)

History and judicial organization

The Revolution of 1848 marked also the Austria jurisdiction of that time in a substantial manner with manifestations that act to the present day. The with this associated judicial organization brought then - here particularly interesting - most of all four court levels or court types: District Courts, Higher Civil Courts (Landesgerichte), Higher Regional Courts (Oberlandesgerichte) and a Supreme Court. To those four kinds of courts, the procedures of first instance - differentiated by sum in dispute or seriousness of the offense - and the review of judicial decisions on appeal were distributed in a manageable manner. That in the course of this the (only) Supreme Court already at the time of the monarchy could be found in Vienna is understandable, that it remained there from 1918 until today (apart from the period of National Socialism) is known.

The next level below the Supreme Court was and is formed by the High Regional Courts. In 1855 there were in the whole Empire nineteen, today there are four in Austria, namely in Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck and Graz. They act primarily as appellate courts. Next come the so-called courts of first instance. This generic term was necessary because there were, besides the regional courts also district courts - partly later - special courts for commercial, youth, labor and social welfare cases or should be. Of all these existed at the time of the monarchy, of course, already a significant number, in the area of ​​present-day Austria were originally seventeen, today there are twenty after the Juvenile Court in Vienna had been dissolved in 2003 (Federal Law Gazette 30/2003). The district of the Higher Regional Court of Graz accounts for the Regional Court for Civil Matters and the National Criminal Court in Graz, the Klagenfurt Regional Court and the Regional Court of Leoben. The lowest level eventually was formed by the district courts. "Lowest" in this context is of course no rating but merely an expression of the position in the structure of jurisdiction. In Styria there were initially 45 district courts, including the district of the Provincial Court of Leoben 22 (Reich Law Gazette 339/1849). Those were merged over time. District courts are now still in Schladming, Liezen, Murau, Judenburg, Mürzzuschlag, Bruck/Mur and Leoben. Aside from court consolidations, modifications of the district sizes, responsibility shifts caused by changes in the value limits and also renamings there were naturally in the past 160 years repeatedly also suggestions or ideas for actual substantive changes of this Court System. For example, there was talk of dissolving the Courts of First Instance and to distribute their agendas to the district courts. Or these courts should be strengthened and therefore waived of the Higher Regional Court. Nothing of it gained majority, the from the mid-19th Century stemming basic system remained established and is valid until today .

 

THE REGIONAL COURT LEOBEN

After creating the legal basis for the new judicial organization, it was now about to implement them. It arose the familiar question of "where" and "with whom". The decision for Leoben was already on 25th July in 1849 published (Reich Law Gazette 339/1849) and also the top management for Upper Styria was very soon decided. As of 28/12/1849 the previous "Council of the Styrian state law" Dr. Heinrich Perissutti was appointed President of the Provincial Court of Leoben. He took on 18 February 1850 in Graz his oath of office and actually was taking up activities on 4 April 1850. He moved - then granted - to Leoben, there is evidence that he had lived at Unteren Platz, house number 121 (today Timmerdorfer lane 2). The accommodation question for the court in Leoben also could be settled successfully in a short time. This should move into the former Dominican monastery (now Land Registry 60327, Leoben register number 103), a building that was owned by the city of Leoben and the judiciary has been left to everlasting time for its own purposes (Treaty of 11 August 1853). This had to be adapted but only for the new task and it did take some time but, that is to say early summer 1856.

The aforementioned modifications of the judicial organization were in the first years in Leoben area relatively noticeable. Firstly, the High Regional Courts of Graz and Klagenfurt were merged with headquarters in Graz (1852 enacted and 1854 implemented) and on the other hand it came to a "downgrating" as to the label of the Provincial Court Leoben to a "district court" (19 January 1853).

The First World War, the downfall of the monarchy, the First Republic and the Corporate State brought in Upper Styria as to judicial organization only one significant, lasting change. The district courts Aflenz, Mautern and Obdach were merged with neighboring courts (Federal Law Gazette 187/1923, 276/1923). With the seizure of power by the Nazis in 1938 but went down the country's independent judiciary. Justice solely "In the name of the German people" should be distributed and probably to some extend it had a different status than before. Pure terminologically, the county court became a Higher District Court, the district courts have mutated into local courts (Journal of Laws for the country Austria 350/1938). What changed further was the area of ​​the district. The Ausseerland was separated from Styria and the Gau (administrative district) of "Upper Danube" and thus to the district of the Higher District Court in Wels assigned.

After the end of the Second World War it came to the restoration of the on 13 March 1938 existing judicial organization, Bad Aussee, therefore, returned to the district of the Court of Leoben (State Gazette 47/1945). There were other changes. The most significant over time was probably that the1946 set up labor courts, which had replaced the earlier commercial courts, together with the arbitration courts of the Social Insurance and the mediation courts on 1 January 1987 merged in the ordinary jurisdiction (Federal Law Gazette 104/1985).

As already indicated, the terminology of the Leoben Court of Justice was subject to alterations. Beginning of 1849 had been created among other things the "Higher District Court" Leoben. With Order of 19 January 1853 (Reich Law Gazette 10/1853) to "District Court" downgraded, the Nazis transformed the term from 13 August 1938 (Journal of Laws for the country of Austria 350/1938 ) into "Higher District Court". The Court Organization Act of 3 July 1945 (State Gazette 47/1945) re-established the "District Court", until on the first of March 1993 the time came that the most original denomination "Higher District Court" was again brought back to life (Federal Law Gazette 91/1993). Without that during the whole period of the responsibilities and tasks anything really notheworthy would have changed, the Court in Leoben got three different names in five time periods.

justiz.gv.at/web2013/html/default/2c94848540b9d489014174b...

There was just so much going on in this image that I had to remove the color to make it manageable.

 

Harer, Ethiopia

Pale pink heart ornaments made of wool from felted sweaters. I've been making one every other night or so. It's a manageable pace for me while I adjust to having baby number 4 in the house.

The ICON A5 is an American amphibious light-sport aircraft designed and produced by ICON Aircraft. A concept aircraft was first flown in 2008, and creation of the production tooling began in December 2012. The first production aircraft made its first flight on July 7, 2014, and made its public debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on July 27, 2014.

 

Number built 23

Unit cost

US$389,000 (fully equipped, 2018 price)

 

The A5 is a high-wing flying boat-type amphibious monoplane with a carbon fiber airframe and retractable undercarriage. It seats two people in an enclosed 46-inch-wide (116.8 cm) cockpit and is powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912 iS engine driving a three-bladed pusher propeller. Dornier-style sponsons provide hydrodynamic stability, housing the retracted main landing gear, and act as a step for crew and passenger. The wings can be folded aft for ground transport and storage. The factory installed equipment includes an angle of attack indicator as a safety enhancement for stall awareness, a feature not usually found in general aviation aircraft. A whole-airframe Ballistic Recovery Systems parachute is optional, except for in U.S.-registered A5s where it is mandatory, due to ICON's exemption to the U.S. LSA weight limit. The A5 uses many different design elements to provide a manageable stall recovery.

 

La Jolla, Concours D'Elegance, 2018,

Village, San Diego, California, USA

 

For my video; youtu.be/fegjdf97kU8

Copyright - All Rights Reserved - Black Diamond Images

 

This video shows a number of methods of feeding bees during the inevitable periods when drought or absence of flowering trees make it difficult for bees to maintain colony strength.

One of the introduced pest species that now impact beehives is the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida). It can be seen in this video.

If not controlled it contaminates the hive by laying its eggs in the cells of the comb. Ultimately these eggs hatch to be maggots which develop into beetles. Small Hive Beetle can be difficult to eliminate entirely however installation of a tray in the base of the hive containing vegetable oil is as effective a method as is currently available. The hives do however need regular maintenance to keep the numbers of beetles manageable. Out of control infestations ultimately could result in colony collapse.

 

My family were among the first white settlers on the NSW Mid North Coast and no doubt survived much hardship in establishing homes and businesses. Survival depended on having a range of personal attributes, stoicism and resilience being among them. However without knowledge of the climate, soil, land and forests as well as the skills to plan, farm and build effectively early pioneers would inevitably certainly have been defeated.

From the outset the early pioneers would certainly have recognised the importance of beekeeping as a necessary contribution to their survival effort. Therefore its no surprise that beekeeping has been passed down through the generations.

My brother, seen here in this video, is an enthusiastic amateur beekeeper (Planet Nectar) and he manages about 25 hives, as does another brother.

They both came by their interest in beekeeping having grown up in the business, as I did, having been expected to lend a hand in our parents commercial beekeeping business.

As commercial beekeepers (Honeygold Apriaries) they operated with up to 1000 hives at various times.

My father, soon to turn 98, continued to maintain at least 100 hives until well into his 80's and while my bothers have no intention of becoming commercial beekeepers they at least keep the family tradition alive.

An uncle's family are also commercial beekeepers having drifted into it when dairying declined. They are nowadays migratory beekeepers managing in excess of 1000 hives. They follow the honey flows right across the Australian east coast and hinterland no matter where trees or crops are flowering.

Another uncle also ran up to 100 hives as a sideline and several cousins also operated smaller numbers of hives as amateur beekeepers.

 

Drought and increasing disease issues associated with commercial beekeeping in recent years have certainly tested the skills and resolve of beekeepers across NSW and elsewhere.

While honey production remains the core business of large beekeeping operations many commercial beekeepers survive by transporting their hives long distances overnight to various fruit growing areas to help pollinate commercial orchards, without which, hand pollination would be an enormously costly and inefficient way of growing fruit or other crops.

In some countries this process of placing pollination hives in commercial orchards and food crop growing areas has managed to keep whole food producing industries viable.

In those countries where bee killing diseases exist they ultimately sound a death knell to the hives and beekeepers know that their hives will not survive the season due to disease killing their hives (colony collapse disorders).

These beekeepers need to operate at scale to ensure they have a regular turnaround of hives to meet the annual increasing demand for bees as vectors of pollination.

Climate change, drought and disease have increasingly impacted the beekeeping industry the world over and stringent biosecurity measures are now both urgent and essential if the industry is to survive and see global food security guaranteed.

  

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER19: The zoo's male panda, Tian Tian, shown Monday December 19, has been "power walking" lately, indicating he could be entering breeding phase. The Smithsonian's National Zoo announced a major donation to fund the giant panda program today from David Rubenstein at a press conference at the zoo. (photo by Dayna Smith/ImageSmith Media).

 

David M. Rubenstein donated $4.5 million to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to fund the giant panda program for the next five years. In appreciation, the giant panda complex—home to giant pandas Tian Tian (male) and Mei Xiang (female)—will be named the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. In addition, young conservation biologists in the U.S. and in China who are awarded National Zoo fellowships for their work to save this endangered species will be named “David M. Rubenstein Fellows.” The gift will be used to fund conservation efforts in China, reproductive science, professional training programs, giant panda care at the Zoo, upgrades to the Zoo habitats and public education.

 

“On behalf of the Zoo Advisory Board, we are most grateful to David for his generous gift, which keeps the beloved giant pandas at the National Zoo for Washington, D.C., and all Americans to enjoy,” said John Marriott, chair of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Advisory Board. “More importantly, his generosity will enable us and our Chinese partners to continue our conservation work to give this critically endangered species the chance to survive in its native habitat.”

 

Rubenstein, co-founder and managing director of The Carlyle Group, has been a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents since 2009. “We are honored to be part of a cherished program that brings joy to millions of people and draws together two great nations working to preserve these magnificent and gentle giant pandas,” said Rubenstein.

The gift allows the Zoo’s animal care and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s scientific team to proceed with the five-year science plan established with their Chinese colleagues from the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The science plan has specific goals: to examine the creation and impact of corridors to link fragmented habitats that will benefit giant pandas and other wildlife species, including promoting genetic diversity; examine how to restore habitats, especially those where pandas appear to be making a comeback; provide advice on giant panda reintroduction; examine the potential impact of transmissible diseases on giant pandas and other wildlife species, including providing advice on implementing new programs associated with a Wildlife Disease Control Center being built in Sichuan Province; and continue research on giant panda reproduction and management, because, although there has been major success in Chinese breeding centers, some pandas still experience reproductive challenges.

 

This last goal extends to the Zoo’s pair of pandas who have only produced one cub, Tai Shan, via artificial insemination in 2005. SCBI scientists evaluated all panda breeding records and found that no female individual has successfully reproduced after five consecutive failures. Since Mei Xiang falls into that category, the SCBI team formed a 2012 breeding plan with some variations. “It’s important that we use modern biomedical tools to try and make sure that every genetically valuable individual panda reproduces,” said Pierre Comizzoli, SCBI reproductive physiologist.

 

The 2012 giant panda breeding plan was done in collaboration with Chinese colleagues. Most notably, the Zoo will receive frozen semen from the San Diego Zoo this year. The frozen semen will be from Shi Shi (now deceased). The frozen semen will be used only in the event that the pandas do not mate successfully and if Tian Tian’s semen is not of sufficient quality for an artificial insemination. Additional details of the breeding plan include: panda keepers continue to house the pandas separately as they would live in the wild although they are rotated throughout all the yards, panda keepers continue the animal training and exercise regimens to improve their stamina, alterations are being made to the facility to create smaller and more manageable breeding areas, all unnatural night light in the building has been eliminated and the indoor panda exhibit is closed to the public at 4:30 p.m.

 

Tian Tian, the male panda, has already exhibited preliminary rutting behaviors (“powerwalking”/patrolling, urine hopping, scent marking and some vocalizations). Keepers expect these behaviors to increase over time. Mei Xiang has yet to exhibit any estrous behaviors. Last year at this time, she was beginning to show early behaviors such as scent marking, restlessness and vocalizations.

 

The Giant Panda Habitat consists of panda outdoor and indoor living spaces, an outdoor exhibit in the conservation plaza, an indoor exhibit and a research center. The animal spaces are designed to replicate the panda’s natural environment with rock and tree structures for climbing; grottoes, pools and streams to keep the pandas cool; and shrubs and trees to offer them privacy. The habitats serve as both a display and a learning opportunity. The layout of the yards allows visitors to stand inches away from the pandas to observe them, as well as learn about conservation and reproduction efforts. A video camera system, the popular panda cam, also allows people to watch the pandas in real time on their own computers, offering a personal experience for those who cannot visit the Zoo.

 

# # #

 

A Houston record low temperature for the date of April 2nd was set just one week ago at Bush Intercontinental Airport, breaking the previous record low temperature for this date (38F degrees) set in 1996.

 

Today? Sweltering! 91F must surely be getting close to breaking whatever the record H-Town high is for April 9th. Fortunately the forecast high temperatures for the remainder of the month are back down to a more manageable 70s and 80s. However, daytime highs are very unlikely to be 'cool' again until the end of November.

Railways of Great Britain

This start of another one of my collections, although I have posted a few in the past.

I have taken quite a few images over the years of Old Steam, Diesel and Electric engines and after sorting out probably 3,000 plus, I’ve now got it down to a more manageable number.

I’m starting with English Engines. Some of these images could be 25 years old. Many were transferred from negatives via a scanner so the quality will not be as good I would like. I have put them all through Photoshop to get rid of the most glaring issues

Apologies to those enthusiasts if I don’t get the right engine with the right Railway, they were taken a long time ago, some of them have moved on and my memory is not as good as it was.

Happy viewing.

 

Going through some of my old books today. The one on the far left "South Wind" dates to 1926 compared to the recent Kobo version of "Heaven and Hell" by Don Felder of the Eagles. We have certainly come a long ways in technology. I do enjoy to keep some hard cover books on hand such as these but love the convenience of having a few hundred books on these little Kobos. It's a cool, rainy day here again today so those of you who complained about the hot sunny days, must be happy now. As for me, I loved the hot weather and my Fibromyalgia was so much more manageable during those hot days. Have a great day Flickr friends. "D"

In Denmark among common folk, it is a well known fact that one should stay clear away from bogs in the morning when, as we say in Denmark, ”Når mosekonen brygger”, which directly translated to british Oxford English mean, ”When the bog wife is brewing.”

  

Thus taking pictures only from a safe distance I soon ran out of ”angles” and since I am not quite without my own magic I dared venture (as the pictures should prove) as far as to the reeds.. A feat which would make any ordinary danish girl gasp in disbelief as to the bravery (or insanity) of such daring and dangerous venture.

  

Armed only with my tripod I silently entered the thick mist and approached the lake shore with the inbreed skill of a viking ranger. Through the heavy mist I clearly heard the giant spoon with which the bog wife stir together foul smelling things, of such unspeakable character I would be banned from Flickr even mentioning a single one. It smelled like.. well.. like bog really! But before my luck ran short, I started shooting and after only taking a few shots, I to my fear realized 2 things. First I became aware that the shutter sound on the camera was turned on and second, the distinct sound of the bug wifes spoon slushing carcases around her stew had ceased and was replaced by a slushy squealing noise squirming through the bog and moving in my direction.

  

Surely you think with both my own personal magic and being a ninja, a single bog wife would be manageable at least to survive. But you must keep in mind that in my possession have been trusted a priceless Nikon S560 Vintage, which in the midst of a desperate bog-combat-situation easily could get wet or even damaged and thus forever lost to the world. It is of course a philosophical question = Should one have the right to buy a stradivarius only to destroy it? I think not. And thus having only the safety of my Nikon Leicavarius at heart, I fled for my... or rather of course to be more precise, in order to preserve this sacred relic, I felt it my duty to set aside my own personal ego for the sake of the greater digital photographic good. So to be honest you see. I simply had no other choice than to make a speedy strategic withdrawal. So I ran, as we say in Denmark, ”Alt hvad remme og tøj kunne holde”. Meaning ”Olympic swift”.

  

If you are not a dane, you might perhaps think to believe that there is no such thing as a bog wife, real magic or even mulatto Ninja Viking Transvestites.

  

But remember this is Denmark land of not only fairies, but of tales as well.

 

A long planned visit to Leeds to record the church.

 

Leeds is just off the M20, and nearby to Leeds Castle, which means the roads are often busy. St Nicholas is on the main road leading up the down, but before the road gets narrow as it winds between the timber framed houses. Thankfully there is good parking next door, so we were able to get off the main road and out of the traffic, as unbeknown to us, there was a classical music show on that night, and most of Kent were going and in the process of arriving.

 

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One of the largest twelfth-century towers in Kent. The arch between tower and nave is of three very plain orders with no hint of the usual zigzag moulding of the period, and is so large that a meeting room has recently been built into it. The nave has three bay aisles and short chapels to north and south of the chancel. The outstanding rood screen was partially reconstructed in 1892, and runs the full width of nave and aisles - with the staircase doorways in the south aisle. That the chancel was rebuilt in the sixteenth century may be seen by the plain sedilia through which is cut one of two hagioscopes from chapels to chancel. The north chapel contains some good seventeenth- and eighteenth-century tablets and monuments. The stained glass shows some excellent examples of the work of Heaton, Butler and Bayne (south aisle) whilst there is an uncharacteristically poor example of the work of C.E. Kempe & Co. Ltd. in the north aisle. The church has recently been reordered to provide a spacious, light and manageable interior with excellent lighting and a welcoming atmosphere without damaging the character of the building.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Leeds

 

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LEEDS

IS the next parish southward from Hollingborne. Kilburne says, that one Ledian, a chief counsellor to king Ethelbert II. who began his reign in 978, raised a fortress here, which was called in Latin, from him, Ledani Castrum, and in process of time in English, LEEDS. This castle was afterwards demolished by the Danes, and continued in that situation till the time of the Norman conquest.

 

THE PRESENT CASTLE is situated at the southeast boundary of this parish, adjoining to Bromfield, which includes a part of the castle itself. It is situated in the midst of the park, an ample description of it the reader will find hereafter. The Lenham rivulet takes its course through the park, and having supplied the moat, in which the castle stands, and the several waters in the grounds there, and having received into it the several small streamlets from Hollingborne, and one from the opposite side, which comes from Leeds abbey, it flows on, and at a small distance from Caring street, in this parish, adjoining to Bersted, the principal estate of which name there belongs to the Drapers company, it turns a mill, and then goes on to Maidstone, where it joins the river Medway. The high road from Ashford and Lenham runs close by the outside of the pales of Leeds park, at the northern boundary of the parish next to Hollingborne, and thence goes on towards Bersted and Maidstone, from which the park is distant a little more than five miles; here the soil is a deep sand, but near the river it changes to a black moorish earth. Southward from the castle the ground rises, at about three quarters of a mile south-west from it is Leeds abbey, the front of which is a handsome well-looking building, of the time of queen Elizabeth. It is not unpleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, and is well watered by a small stream which rises just above it, and here turns a mill. It is well cloathed with wood at the back part of it, to which the ground still keeps rising; adjoining to the abbey grounds westward is Leeds-street, a long straggling row of houses, near a mile in length, having the church at the south end of it; here the soil becomes a red unfertile earth much mixed with slints, which continues till it joins to Langley and Otham.

 

LEEDS was part of those possessions given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux; accordingly it is thus entered, under the general title of that prelate's lands, in the survey of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.

 

Adelold holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Esiedes. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and twenty-eight villeins, with eight borderers, having seven carucates. There is a church, and eighteen servants. There are two arpends of vineyard, and eight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty bogs, and five mills of the villeins. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth sixteen pounds, the like when be received it, now twenty pounds, and yet it pays twentyfive pounds. Earl Leuuin held it.

 

Of this manor the abbot of St. Augustine has half a suling, which is worth ten shillings, in exchange of the park of the bishop of Baieux. The earl of Ewe has four denns of this manor, which are worth twenty shillings.

 

The mention of the two arpends of vineyard in the above survey, is another instance of there having been such in this county in early times, some further observations of which the reader will find in the description of the parish of Chart Sutton, not far distant, and he will likewise observe, that at the above time the bishop of Baieux had a park here, which he acquired by exchange with the abbot of St. Augustine, who must therefore have had possessions here before that time.

 

On the bishop of Baieux's disgrace, about four years after the taking of the above-mentioned survey, this estate, among the rest of his possessions, became consiscated to the crown.

 

After which it was granted by king William to the eminent family of Crevequer, called in antient charters Creveceur, and in Latin, De Crepito Corde, who at first made Chatham in this county their seat, or caput baroniæ, i. e. the principal manor of their barony, for some time, until they removed hither, being before frequently written Domini de Cetham.

 

Robert, son of Hamon de Crevequer, who had probably a grant of Leeds from the Conqueror, appears to have held it of the king, as of his castle of Dover, in capite by barony, their barony, which consisted of five knight's sees, being stiled Baronia de Crevequer . (fn. 1) He erected the castle here, to which he asterwards removed the capital seat of his barony. This castle being environed with water, was frequently mentioned in antient writings by the name of Le Mote. In the north-west part of it he built a chapel, in which he placed three canons, which on his foundation of the priory of Leeds, in the 19th year of king Henry I. he removed thither.

 

His descendant, Hamon de Crevequer, lived in the reign of king Henry III. in the 19th year of which, he was joined with Walterand Teutonicus, or Teys, in the wardenship of the five ports, and the next year had possession granted to him of the lands of William de Albrincis or Averenches, whose daughter and heir Maud he had married. He died in the 47th year of king Henry III. possessed of the manor of Ledes, held of the king in capite, as belonging to his barony of Chatham; upon which Robert, his grandson, viz. son of Hamon his son, who died in his life-time, succeeded him as his heir, and in the 52d year of that reign, exchanged the manor of Ledes, with its appurtenances, together with a moiety of all his fees, with Roger de Leyburne, for the manors of Trottesclyve and Flete. He lest William de Leyburne, his son and heir, who in the 2d year of king Edward I. had possession granted to him of the manor of Ledes, as well as of the rest of his inheritance, of which Eleanor, countess of Winchester, his father's widow, was not endowed. (fn. 2)

 

His son, William de Leyborne, observing that the king looked on the strength of this fortress with a jealous eye, in the beginning of king Edward Ist.'s reign reinstated the crown in the possession of both the manor and castle; and the king having, in his 27th year married Margaret, sister of Philip, king of France, he settled them, being then of the clear yearly value of 21l. 6s. 8d. among other premises, as part of her dower. She survived the king her husband, who died in 1307, and in the 5th year of the next reign of king Edward II. by the king's recommendation, appointed Bartholomew de Badlesmere, a nobleman of great power and eminence, and much in that prince's favor, governor of this castle. (fn. 3) She died possessed of them in the 10th year of that reign; on which they came once more into the hands of the crown, and in the beginning of the next year the king appointed Bartholomew de Badlesmere, above-mentioned, governor of this castle, as well as of that of Bristol. In the 11th year of that reign, the king granted to him in see, this manor and castle, and the advowson of the priory of Ledes, in exchange for the manor of Addresley, in Shropshire. Being possessed of great possessions, especially in this county, he was usually stiled, the rich lord Badlesmere of Ledes. Being pussed up through ambition and his great wealth, he forgot his allegiance, and associated himself with the earl of Lancaster, and the discontented barons; which the king being well informed of, resolved, if possible, to gain possession of this strong fortress of Ledes: to effect which, under pretence of the queen's going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, she set forward for that city with a large train of attendants, and, with a secret intention of surprising this castle, sent her marshal with others of her servants, to prepare lodging for her and her suit in it. The lord Badlesmere's family, that is, his wife, son, and four daughters, were at that time in it, together with all his treasure, deposited there for safety, under the care of Thomas Colepeper, the castellan, who refused the queen's servants admittance, and on her coming up, peremptorily persisted in denying her or any one entrance, without letters from his lord. The queen, upon this, made some attempt to gain admittance by force, and a skirmish ensued, in which one or more of her attendants were slain, but being repulsed, she was obliged to relinquish her design, and to retire for a lodging elsewhere.

 

The king, chagrined at the failure of his scheme, and highly resenting the indignity offered to the queen, sent a force under the earls of Pembroke and Richmond, to besiege the castle; (fn. 4) and those within it finding no hopes of relief, for though the lord Badlesmere had induced the barons to endeavours to raise the siege, yet they never advanced nearer than Kingston, yielded it up. Upon which, the lady Badlesmere and her children were sent prisoners to the tower of London, Thomas Colepeper, the castellan, was hung up, and the king took possession of the castle, as well as of all the lord Badlesmere's goods and treasures in it. But by others, Thomas de Aldone is said to have been castellan at this time, and that the castle being taken, he, with the lord Badlesmere's wife, his only son Giles, his daughters, Sir Bartholomew de Burgershe, and his wife, were sent to the tower of London by the king's order; and that afterwards, he caused Walter Colepeper, bailiff of the Seven Hundreds, to be drawn in a pitiable manner at the tails of horses, and to be hung just by this castle; on which Thomas Colepeper, and others, who were with him in Tunbridge castle, hearing of the king's approach, sled to the barons.

 

After which the lord Badlesmere, being taken prisoner in Yorkshire, was sent to Canterbury, and there drawn and hanged at the gallows of Blean, and his head being cut off, was set on a pole on Burgate, in that city. Upon which the manor and castle of Leeds, became part of the royal revenue and the castle remained in a most ruinous condition till the year 1359, anno 34 Edward III. in which year that munisicent prelate, William of Wickham, was constituted by the king, chief warden and surveyor of his castle of Ledes, among others, (fn. 5) having power to appoint all workmen, to provide materials, and to order every thing with regard to building and repairs; and in those manors to hold leets and other courts of trespass and misdemeanors, and to enquire of the king's liberties and rights; and from his attention to the re-edisying and rebuilding the rest of them, there is little doubt but he restored this of Leeds to a very superior state to whatever it had been before, insomuch, that it induced king Richard to visit it several times, particularly in his 19th year, in which several of his instruments were dated at his castle of Ledes; and it appears to have been at that time accounted a fortress of some strength, for in the beginning of the next reign, that unfortunate prince was, by order of king Henry IV. sent prisoner to this castle; and that king himself resided here part of the month of April in his 2d year.

 

After which, archbishop Arundel, whose mind was by no means inferior to his high birth, procured a grant of this castle, where he frequently resided and kept his court, whilst the process against the lord Cobham was carrying forward, and some of his instruments were dated from his castle of Ledes in the year 1413, being the year in which he died. On his death it reverted again to the crown, and became accounted as one of the king's houses, many of the principal gentry of the county being instrusted with the custody of it:

 

In the 7th year of king Henry V. Joane of Navarre, the second queen of the late king Henry IV. being accused of conspiring against the life of the king, her son-in-law, was committed to Leeds-castle, there to remain during the king's pleasure; and being afterwards ordered into Sir John Pelham's custody, he removed her to the castle of Pevensey, in Sussex.

 

In the 18th year of king Henry VI. archbishop Chichele sat at the king's castle of Leeds, in the process against Eleanor, duchess of Gloucester, for forcery and witchcrast.

 

King Edward IV. in his 11th year, made Ralph St. Leger, esq. of Ulcomb, who had served the office of sheriff of this county three years before, constable of this castle for life, and annexed one of the parks as a farther emolument to that office. He died that year, and was buried with his ancestors at Ulcomb.

 

Sir Thomas Bourchier resided at Leeds castle in the 1st year of king Richard III. in which year he had commission, among others of the principal gentry of this county, to receive the oaths of allegiance to king Richard, of the inhabitants of the several parts of Kent therein mentioned; in which year, the king confirmed the liberties of Leeds priory, in recompence of twentyfour acres of land in Bromfield, granted for the enlargement of his park of Ledes.

 

In the 4th year of king Henry VIII. Henry Guildford, esq. had a grant of the office of constable of Leeds castle, and of the parkership of it; and in the 12th year of that reign, he had a grant of the custody of the manor of Leeds, with sundry perquisities, for forty years. He died in the 23d year of that reign, having re-edisied great part of the castle, at the king's no small charge.

 

But the fee simple of the manor and castle of Leeds remained in the hands of the crown, till Edward VI. in his 6th year, granted them, with their appurtenances in the parishes of Leeds, Langley, and Sutton, to Sir Anthony St. Leger, lord deputy of Ireland, to hold in capite by knight's service.

 

His son, Sir Warham St. Leger, succeeded him in this manor and castle, and was afterwards chief governor of Munster, in Ireland, in which province he was unfortunately slain in 1599, (fn. 6) but before his death he alienated this manor and castle to Sir Richard Smyth, fourth son of Thomas Smyth, esq. of Westenhanger, commonly called Customer Smyth.

 

Sir Richard Smyth resided at Leeds castle, of which he died possessed in 1628, and was buried in Ashford church, where there is a costly monument erected to his memory.

 

Sir John Smith, his only son, succeeded his father, and resided at Leeds castle, and dying s. p. in 1632, was buried in this church; upon which his two sisters, Alice, wife of Sir Timothy Thornhill, and Mary, of Maurice Barrow, esq. became his coheirs, and entitled their respective husbands to the property of this manor and castle, which they afterwards joined in the sale of to Sir T. Culpeper, of Hollingborne, who settled this estate, after his purchase of it, on his eldest son Cheney Culpeper, remainder to his two other sons, Francis and Thomas. Cheney Culpeper, esq. resided at Leedscastle for some time, till at length persuading his brother Sir Thomas Culpeper, of Hollingborne, (then his only surviving brother, Francis being dead. s. p.) to cut off the entail of this estate, he alienated it to his cousin Sir John Colepeper, lord Colepeper, only son of Sir John Culpeper, of Wigsell, in Sussex, whose younger brother Francis was of Greenway-court, in Hollingborne, and was father of Sir Thomas Culpeper, the purchaser of this estate as before-mentioned.

 

Sir John Colepeper represented this county in parliament in the 16th year of king Charles I. and being a person, who by his abilities had raised himself much in the king's favor, was made of his privy council, and chancellor of the exchequer, afterwards master of the rolls, and governor of the Isle of Wight. During the troubles of that monarch, he continued stedfast to the royal cause, and as a reward for his services, was in 1644 created lord Colepeper, baron of Thoresway, in Lincolnshire.

 

After the king's death he continued abroad with king Charles II. in his exile. During his absence, Leeds-castle seems to have been in the possession of the usurping powers, and to have been made use of by them, for the assembling of their committee men and sequestrators, and for a receptacle to imprison the ejected ministers, for in 1652, all his estates had been declared by parliament forfeited, for treason against the state. He died in 1660, a few weeks only after the restoration, and was buried at Hollingborne. He bore for his arms, Argent, a bend ingrailed gules, the antient bearing of this family; he left by his second wife Judith, daughter of Sir Thomas Culpeper, of Hollingborne, several children, of whom Thomas was his successor in title and estates, and died without male issue as will be mentioned hereafter, John succeeded his brother in the title, and died in 1719 s. p. and Cheney succeeded his brother in the title, and died at his residence of Hoston St. John, in 1725, s. p. likewise, by which the title became extinct; they all, with the rest of the branch of the family, lie buried at Hollingborne. Thomas, lord Colepeper, the eldest son, succeeded his father in title, and in this manor and castle, where he resided, and having married Margaret, daughter of Signior Jean de Hesse, of a noble family in Germany, he left by her a sole daughter and heir Catherine, who intitled her husband Thomas, lord Fairfax, of Cameron, in Scotland, to this manor and castle, with his other estates in this neighbourhood.

 

The family of Fairfax appear by old evidences in the hands of the family to have been in possession of lands in Yorkshire near six hundred years ago. Richard Fairfax was possessed of lands in that county in the reign of king John, whose grandson William Fairfax in the time of king Henry III. purchased the manor of Walton, in the West Riding, where he and his successors resided for many generations afterwards, and from whom descended the Fairfax's, of Walton and Gilling, in Yorkshire; of whom, Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Gilling, was created viscount Fairfax, of the kingdom of Ireland, which title became extinct in 1772; and from a younger branch of them descended Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Denton, who lived in queen Elizabeth's reign, and changed the original field of his coat armour from argent to or, bearing for his arms, Or, 3 bars gemelles, gules, surmounted of a lion rampant, sable, crown'd, of the first, and was father of Sir. T. Fairfax, who was, for his services to James and Charles I. created in 1627 lord Fairfax, baron of Cameron, in Scotland. He died in 1640, having had ten sons and two daughters; of whom, Ferdinando was his successor; Henry was rector of Bolton Percy, and had two sons, Henry, who became lord Fairfax, and Bryan, who was ancestor of Bryan Fairfax, late commissioner of the customs; and colonel Charles Fairfax, of Menston, was the noted antiquary, whose issue settled there.

 

Ferdinando, the second lord Fairfax, in the civil wars of king Charles I. was made general of the parliamentary forces, and died at York in 1646. His son, Sir Thomas Fairfax, succeeded him as lord Fairfax, and in all his posts under the parliament, and was that famous general so noted in English history during the civil wars, being made commander in chief of all the parliamentary forces; but at last he grew so weary of the distress and confusion which his former actions had brought upon his unhappy country, that he heartily concurred in the restoration of king Charles II. After which he retired to his seat at Bilborough, in Yorkshire, where he died in 1671, and was buried there, leaving by Anne, daughter and coheir of Horatio, lord Vere of Tilbury, a truly loyal and virtuous lady, an only daughter; upon which the title devolved to Henry Fairfax, esq. of Oglesthorpe, in Yorkshire, his first cousin, eldest son of Henry, rector of Bolton Percy, the second son of Thomas, the first lord Fairfax. Henry, lord Fairfax, died in 1680, and was succeeded by his eldest son Thomas, fifth lord Fairfax, who was bred to a military life, and rose to the rank of a brigadier-general. He represented Yorkshire in several parliaments and marrying Catherine, daughter and heir of Thomas, lord Colepeper, possessed, in her right this manor and castle, and other large possessions, as before-mentioned. (fn. 7)

 

He died possessed of them in 1710, leaving three sons and four daughters, Thomas, who succeeded him as lord Fairfax; Henry Culpeper, who died unmarried, in 1734; and Robert, of whom hereafter. Of the daughters, Margaret married David Wilkins, D. D. and prebendary of Canterbury, and Francis married Denny Martin, esq. Thomas, lord Fairfax, the son, resided at Leeds-castle till his quitting England, to reside on his great possessions in Virginia, where he continued to the time of his death. On his departure from England, he gave up the possession of this manor and castle, with his other estates in this neighbourhood, to his only surviving brother, the hon. Robert Fairfax, who afterwards resided at Leeds-castle, and on his brother's death unmarried, in 1782, succeeded to the title of lord Fairfax. He was at first bred to a military life, but becoming possessed of Leeds castle, he retired there, and afterwards twice served in parliament for the town of Maidstoue, as he did afterwards in two successive parliaments for this county. He was twice married; first to Marsha, daughter and coheir of Anthony Collins, esq. of Baddow, in Essex, by whom he had one son, who died an instant; and, secondly, to one of the daughters of Thomas Best, esq. of Chatham, who died s. p. in 1750. Lord Fairfax dying s. p. in 1793, this castle and manor, with the rest of his estates in this county, came to his nephew the Rev. Denny Martin, the eldest son of his sister Frances, by Denny Martin, esq. of Loose, who had before his uncle's death been created D. D. and had, with the royal licence, assumed the name and arms of Fairfax. Dr. Fairfax is the present possessor of this manor and castle, and resides here, being at present unmarried.

 

A court leet and court baron is held for the manor of Leeds, at which three borsholders are appointed. It is divided into six divisions, or yokes as they are called, viz. Church-yoke, Ferinland-yoke, Mill-yoke, Russerken-yoke, Stockwell-yoke, and Lees-yoke.

  

Things were getting out of hand, so spent about 2 weeks re-organizing the 'ol bricks. reduced the 'working' collection by about 20k bricks by taking out a lot of the colors and parts I never use. hopefully more manageable now. - and less brick wear from rummaging through mixed part bins.

"Embrace the thing you fear most and break it down into the smallest manageable parts and conquer one step at a time. This will create momentum. Momentum feeds the next and allows you to break through your fears, your dramas, your bad habits and patterns until you are able to uncover your true self that is perfection at its core." - J. M. Donovan

So here’s my Savers Find Pinkie Pie all cleaned up and detangled. I decided to not make her mane show accurate but rather restored her hair to be more manageable.

 

on Instagram ift.tt/2tXreNd

1-12-13 Wyndham Street Races

 

TOP SPEED REVIEW:

 

Not long ago, the Japanese motorcycles were considered the uncontested leaders of sport motorcycles and nobody had the guts to challenge them. However, this situation has changed after BMW entered the battle. Its first super sport bike, the S 1000RR was not only a completely newcomer, but it was also so strong and technological advanced that it made any other bike look like defenseless scooter.

 

THE ABS

The Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-10R ABS superbike combines anti-lock braking with the numerous technological benefits of the class leading ZX-10R. And it does it with rider-sensitive, race-bred attributes derived from competing and winning at the highest levels.

 

Kawasaki has developed a new electronic steering damper for the 2013 ZX-10R ABS sportbike, in joint cooperation with Öhlins. Controlled by a dedicated ECU located under the gas tank cover, this new damper reacts to the rate of acceleration or deceleration, as well as rear wheel speed, to help provide the ideal level of damping force across a wide range of riding scenarios. The variable damping provides optimum rider feedback by enabling the use of lower damping forces during normal operation, without sacrificing the firm damping needed for high-speed stability. The result is a light and nimble steering feel at low speed, as well as superior damping at higher speeds or during extreme acceleration/deceleration. The anodized damper unit incorporates Öhlins’ patented twin-tube design to help ensure stable damping performance and superior kickback absorption. It is mounted horizontally at the front of the fuel tank and requires very few additional components and ads almost no weight compared to last year’s steering damper.

 

At first, anti-lock braking might seem a touch out of place on a purebred sportbike. But this system was designed from the start to maximize performance. And when you consider the many benefits provided by the amazing electronic and hardware technology available today, it begins to make a lot of sense.

 

Think of it: You’re braking for a blind, decreasing-radius corner after a long day of sport riding. Shadows are long and you’re tired, so you don’t notice a patch of sand until it’s too late to correct. But instead of tucking as you continue braking through the sand, your front tire maintains most of its traction, as the anti-lock braking system intervenes until the surface improves – allowing you to arc gracefully into the corner, a little wiser and a lot more intact physically than you might have been riding a non-ABS motorcycle.

 

Kawasaki calls its anti-lock system KIBS – or Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System. The use of “intelligent” is apropos, too, considering just how smart the KIBS is. It all starts with the smallest and lightest ABS unit ever built for a motorcycle, one designed by Bosch specifically with sport bikes in mind. It’s nearly 50 percent smaller than current motorcycle ABS units, and 800 grams lighter, adding only about 7 pounds of weight compared to the non-ABS machine, a pound of which is accounted for by the larger battery.

 

KIBS is a multi-sensing system, one that collects and monitors a wide range of information taken from wheel sensors (the same ones collecting data on the standard ZX-10R for its S-KTRC traction control system) and the bike’s ECU, including wheel speed, caliper pressure, engine rpm, throttle position, clutch actuation and gear position. The KIBS’s ECU actually communicates with the bike’s engine ECU and crunches the numbers, and when it notes a potential lock-up situation, it tells the Bosch ABS unit to temporarily reduce line pressure, allowing the wheel to once again regain traction.

 

Aside from this system’s ultra-fast response time, it offers a number of additional sport-riding benefits, including rear-end lift suppression during hard braking, minimal kickback during ABS intervention, and increased rear brake control during downshifts. The high-precision pressure control enables the system to maintain high brake performance, proper lever feel and help ensure the ABS pulses are minimized.

 

Needless to say that the Japanese manufacturers were highly intrigued and the first samurai who challenged the Germans to a duel was Kawasaki.

 

Kawasaki’s anti S 1000RR weapon is the Ninja ZX - 10R. Packing a lot of advanced features and modern technologies, the bike is fast enough to compete with success against the German oppressor.

 

Despite the fact that nothing changed for the 2013 model year, except for some color schemes, the Ninja continues to be ahead of the pack when it comes to sporty performances.

 

Build on a nimble, lightweight chassis, The Kawasaki Ninja ZX - 10R ABS is “blessed” with a powerful 998cc inline four engine which cranks out 197 hp at 11500 rpm.

 

Among the most important features offered by the Ninja ZX - 10R, you’ll find the advanced Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC) and an intelligent ABS system which comes as an option ($1000).

 

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE:

The rest of the 2013 Ninja ZX-10R ABS is equally advanced. Complete with a powerful engine and lightweight chassis, it also boasts a highly advanced and customizable electronic system that allows riders to harness and experience the ZX-10R ABS’s amazing blend of power and razor-edge handling. The system is called Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control.

 

Motorcyclists have forever been challenged by traction-related issues, whether on dirt, street or track. And when talking about the absolute leading edge of open-class sport bike technology, where production street bikes are actually more capable than full-on race bikes from just a couple years ago, more consistent traction and enhanced confidence is a major plus.

 

The racing-derived S-KTRC system works by crunching numbers from a variety of parameters and sensors – wheel speed and slip, engine rpm, throttle position, acceleration, etc. There’s more data gathering and analysis going on here than on any other Kawasaki in history, and it’s all in the name of helping racers inch closer to the elusive “edge” of maximum traction than ever before. The S-KTRC system relies on complex software buried in the ZX-10R’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU); the only additional hardware is the lightweight speed sensors located on each wheel.

 

Unlike the KTRC system on Kawasaki’s Concours™ 14 ABS sport tourer, which primarily minimizes wheel slip on slick or broken surfaces as a safety feature, the S-KTRC system is designed to maximize performance by using complex analysis to predict when traction conditions are about to become unfavorable. By quickly but subtly reducing power just before the amount of slippage exceeds the optimal traction zone, the system – which processes every data point 200 times per second – maintains the optimum level of tire grip to maximize forward motion. The result is significantly better lap times and enhanced rider confidence – exactly what one needs when piloting a machine of this caliber.

 

The S-KTRC system offers three different modes of operation, which riders can select according to surface conditions, rider preference and skill level: Level 1 for max-grip track use, Level 2 for intermediate use, and Level 3 for slippery conditions. An LCD graph in the high-tech instrument cluster displays how much electronic intervention is occurring in real time and a thumb switch on the left handlebar pod allows simple, on-the-go mode changes.

 

The potent ZX-10R engine is a 16-valve, DOHC, liquid-cooled inline-four displacing 998cc via 76 x 55mm bore and stroke dimensions. This powerplant is tuned to optimize power delivery, center of gravity and actual engine placement within the chassis. Torque peaks at an rpm range that helps eliminate power peaks and valleys that make it difficult for racers and track-day riders to open the throttle with confidence.

 

A primary goal of Kawasaki engineers was linear power delivery and engine manageability throughout all elements of a corner: the entry, getting back to neutral throttle at mid-corner, and heady, controllable acceleration at the exit. Peak torque was moved to a higher rpm range, which eliminates the power peaks and valleys that make it difficult for racers and track-day riders to open the throttle with confidence.

 

Large intake valves complemented by wide, polished intake ports allow for controllable power delivery and engine braking, just the thing to smooth those racetrack corner entries and exits. Camshafts built from chromoly steel further contribute to optimized engine braking and more controllable power delivery. Lightweight pistons mount to light and strong connecting rods. Compression is a full 13.0:1.

 

A race-style cassette transmission allows simple trackside ratio changes. An adjustable back-torque limiting clutch assembly is fitted, which allows worry-free downshifts and corner-entry calmness.

 

Cramming all that fuel and air into this amazing engine is a ram air-assisted fuel injection system featuring large throttle bodies (47mm) and sub-throttle valves, a large capacity airbox (9 liters), secondary injectors that improve top-end power characteristics, and a large ram-air intake that’s positioned close to the front of the bike for efficient airbox filling and power.

 

The final piece of the ZX-10R’s power-production formula is a race-spec exhaust system featuring a titanium header assembly, hydroformed collectors, a large-volume pre-chamber containing two catalyzers and a highly compact silencer. Due to the header’s race-spec design, riders and racers looking for more closed-course performance need only replace the slip-on muffler assembly.

 

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION:

With the engine producing a massive quantity of usable and controllable power, engineers looked to the chassis to help refine handling and overall road/track competency. The aluminum twin-spar frame is an all-cast assemblage of just seven pieces that features optimized flex characteristics for ideal rider feedback, cornering performance and light weight. Like the frame, the alloy swingarm is an all-cast assembly, with rigidity matching that of the frame itself.

 

Chassis geometry offers excellent stability and handling quickness. The front end geometry – with rake at 25 degrees and trail at 107mm (4.21 in.) – allows light, quick handling and complements the engine’s controllable power and the frame and swingarm’s flex characteristics.

 

Highly advanced suspension at both ends helps as well. Up front is a 43mm open-class version of the Big Piston Fork (BPF). Featuring a piston design nearly twice the size of a conventional cartridge fork, the BPF offers smooth action, less stiction, light weight and enhanced damping performance on the compression and rebound circuits. This compliance results in more control and feedback for the rider – just what you need when carving through a rippled sweeper at your local track or negotiating a decreasing-radius corner on your favorite backroad.

 

Suspension duties on the ZX-10R are handled by a Horizontal Back-Link design that positions the shock and linkage above the swingarm. Benefits include mass centralization, good road holding, compliance and stability, smooth action in the mid-stroke and good overall feedback. The fully adjustable shock features a piggyback reservoir and dual-range (low- and high-speed) compression damping.

 

Lightweight gravity-cast three-spoke wheels complement the tire fitment. Up front, Tokico radial-mount calipers grasp 310mm petal discs and a 220mm disc is squeezed by a lightweight single-piston caliper in back. The result is powerful stops with plenty of rider feedback and the added confidence of the KIBS ABS system.

 

DESIGN & ERGONOMICS:

Finally, Kawasaki engineers wrapped all this technology in bodywork as advanced and stylish as anything on this side of a MotoGP grid. The curvy edges and contrasting colored and black parts create a sharp, aggressive image. Line-beam headlights grace the fairing while LED turn signals are integrated into the mirror assemblies. Convenient turn-signal couplers allow easy mirror removal for track-day use. The rear fender assembly holding the rear signal stalks and license plate frame is also easily removable for track days. High-visibility LED lamps are also used for the taillight and position marker.

 

The instrumentation is highlighted by an LED-backlit bar-graph tachometer set above a multi-featured LCD info screen with numerous sections and data panels. A wide range of information is presented, including vehicle speed, odometer, dual trip meters, fuel consumption, Power Mode and S-KTRC level, low fuel, water temperature and much more. For track use, the LCD display can be set to “race” mode which moves the gear display to the center of the screen.

 

The ZX-10R’s ergonomics are designed for optimum comfort and control. A 32-inch saddle, adjustable footpegs and clip-ons mean that this is a hard-core sport bike you can actually take on an extended sport ride – and still be reasonably comfortable doing so.

 

The old saying, “power is nothing without control” is certainly apt where open-class sport bikes are concerned. But when you factor in all the engine, chassis and ergonomic control designed into the 2013 Ninja ZX-10R, you begin to realize you’re looking at one very special motorcycle – one that can take you places you’ve never been before.

 

Genuine Kawasaki Accessories are available through authorized Kawasaki dealers.

 

SPECS:

Engine Four-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, DOHC, Four Valves Per Cylinder, Inline-Four

Displacement 998cc

Bore X Stroke 76.0 X 55.0 mm

Compression Ratio13.0:1

Fuel System DFI® With Four 47mm Keihin Throttle Bodies With Oval Sub-Throttles, Two Injectors Per Cylinder

Ignition TCBI With Digital Advance And Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control (S-KTRC)

Transmission Six-Speed

Final Drive Chain

Rake/Trail 25 Deg / 4.2 In.

Front Tire Size 120/70 ZR17

Rear Tire Size 190/55 ZR17

Wheelbase 56.1 In.

Front Suspension / Wheel Travel 43 mm Inverted Big Piston Fork (BPF), Adjustable Rebound And Compression Damping, Spring Preload Adjustability/ 4.7 in.

Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel

Horizontal Back-Link With Gas-Charged Shock, Stepless, Dual-Range (Low-/High-Speed) Compression Damping, Stepless Rebound Damping, Fully Adjustable Spring Preload / 5.5 In.

Front Brakes Kawasaki Intelligent Anti-Lock Braking (KIBS), Dual Semi-Floating 310 mm Petal Discs With Dual Four-Piston Radial-Mount Calipers

Rear Brakes KIBS-Controlled, Single 220 mm Petal Disc With Aluminum Single-Piston Caliper

Fuel Capacity 4.5 Gal.

Seat Height 32.0 In.

Curb Weight 443.2 Lbs.

Overall Length 81.7 In.

Overall Width 28.1 In.

Overall Height 43.9 In.

Color Choices - Lime Green/Metallic Spark Black, Pearl Flat White/Metallic Spark Black

 

Source: www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/kawasaki/...

Masonic Lodge 229 Albert Street Victoria Harbour, ON L0K 2A0

 

Masonic Broken Column.

 

www.phoenixmasonry.org/broken_column.htm

 

THE BROKEN COLUMN:

Short Talk Bulletin - Vol. 34, February 1956,

No. 2 - Author Unknown

 

The story of the broken column was first illustrated by Amos Doolittle in the "True Masonic Chart" by Jeremy Cross, published in 1819.

 

Many of Freemasonry's symbols are of extreme antiquity and deserve the reverence which we give to that which has had sufficient vitality to live long in the minds of men. For instance, the square, the point within a circle, the apron, circumambulation, the Altar have been used not only in Freemasonry but in systems of ethics, philosophy and religions without number.

 

Other symbols in the Masonic system are more recent. Perhaps they are not the less important for that, even without the sanctity of age which surrounds many others.

 

Among the newer symbols is that usually referred to as the broken column. A marble monument is respectably ancient - the broken column seems a more recent addition. There seems to be no doubt that the first pictured broken column appeared in Jeremy Cross's True Masonic Chart, published in 1819, and that the illustration was the work of Amos Doolittle, an engraver, of Connecticut.

 

That Jeremy Cross "invented" or "designed" the emblem is open to argument. But there is legitimate room for argument over many inventions. Who invented printing from movable type? We give the credit to Gutenberg, but there are other claimants, among them the Chinese at an earlier date. Who invented the airplane? The Wrights first flew a "mechanical bird" but a thousand inventors have added to, altered, changed their original design, until the very principle which first enabled the Wrights to fly, the "warping wing", is now discarded and never used.

 

Therefore, if authorities argue and contend about the marble monument and broken column it is not to make objection or take credit from Jeremy Cross; the thought is that almost any invention or discovery is improved, changed, added to and perfected by many men. Edison is credited with the first incandescent lamp, but there is small kinship between his carbon filament and a modern tungsten filament bulb. Roentgen was first to bring the "x-ray" to public notice-the discoverer would not know what a modern physician's x-ray apparatus was if he saw it!

 

In the library of the Grand Lodge of Iowa in Cedar Rapids, is a book published in 1784; "A BRIEF HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY" by Thomas Johnson, at that time the Tiler of the Grand Lodge of England (the "Moderns"). In this book the author states that he was "taken the liberty to introduce a Design for a Monument in Honor of a Great Artist." He then admits that there is no historical account of any such memorial but cites many precedents of "sumptuous Piles" which perpetuate the memories and preserve the merits of the historic dead, although such may have been buried in lands far from the monument or "perhaps in the depth of the Sea".

 

In this somewhat fanciful and poetic description of this monument, the author mentions an urn, a laurel branch, a sun, a moon, a Bible, square and compasses, letter G. The book was first published in 1782, which seems proof that there was

at that time at least the idea of a monument erected to the Master Builder.

 

There is little historical material upon which to draw to form any accurate conclusions. Men write of what has happened long after the happenings. Even when faithful to their memories, these may be, and often are, inaccurate. It is with this thought in mind that a curious statement in the Masonic newspaper, published in New York seventy-five years ago, must be considered. In the issue of May 10, 1879, a Robert B. Folger purports to give Cross' account of his invention, or discovery, an inclusion, of the broken column into the marble monument emblem.

 

The account is long, rambling and at times not too clear. Abstracted, the salient parts are as follows. Cross found or sensed what he considered a deficiency in the Third Degree which had to be filled in order to effect his purposes. He consulted a former Mayor of New Haven, who at the time was one of his most intimate friends. Even after working together for a week, they did not hit upon any symbol which would be sufficiently simple and yet answer the purpose. Then a Copper-plate engraver, also a brother, was called in. The number of hieroglyphics which had be this time accumulated was immense. Some were too large, some too small, some too complicated, requiring too much explanation and many were not adapted to the subject.

 

Finally, the copper-plate engraver said, "Brother Cross, when great men die, they generally have a monument." "That's right!" cried Cross; "I never thought of that!" He visited the burying-ground in New Haven. At last he got an idea and told his friends that he had the foundation of what he wanted. He said that while in New York City he had seen a monument in the southwest corner of Trinity Church yard erected over Commodore Lawrence, a great man who fell in battle. It was a large marble pillar, broken off. The broken part had been taken away, but the capital was lying at the base. He wanted that pillar for the foundation of his new emblem, but intended to bring in the other part, leaving it resting against the base. This his friends assented to, but more was wanted. They felt that some inscription should be on the column. after a length discussion they decided upon an open book to be placed upon the broken pillar. There should of course be some reader of the book! Hence the emblem of innocence-a beautiful virgin-who should weep over the memory of the deceased while she read of his heroic deeds from the book before her.

 

The monument erected to the memory of Commodore Lawrence was placed in the southwest corner of Trinity Churchyard in 1813, after the fight between the frigates

Chesapeake and Shannon, in which battle Lawrence fell. As described, it was a beautiful marble pillar, broken off, with a part of the capital laid at its base. lt remained until 1844-5 at which time Trinity Church was rebuilt. When finished, the corporation of the Church took away the old and dilapidated Lawrence monument and erected a new one in a different form, placing it in the front of the yard on Broadway, at the lower entrance of the Church. When Cross visited the new monument, he expressed great disappointment at the change, saying "it was not half as good as the one they took away!"

 

These claims of Cross-perhaps made for Cross-to having originated the emblem are disputed. Oliver speaks of a monument but fails to assign an American origin. In the Barney ritual of 1817, formerly in the possession of Samuel Wilson of Vermont, there is the marble column, the beautiful virgin weeping, the open book, the sprig of acacia, the urn, and Time standing behind. What is here lacking is the broken column. Thus it appears that the present emblem, except the broken column, was in use prior to the publication of Cross' work (1819).

 

The emblem in somewhat different form is frequently found in ancient symbolism. Mackey states that with the Jews a column was often used to symbolize princes, rulers or nobles. A broken column denoted that a pillar of the state had fallen. In Egyptian mythology, Isis is sometimes pictured weeping over the broken column which conceals the body of her husband Osiris, while behind her stands Horus or Time pouring ambrosia on her hair. In Hasting's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION AND ETHICS, Isis is said sometimes to be represented standing; in her right hand is a sistrum, in her left hand a small ewer and on her forehead is a lotus, emblem of resurrection. In the Dionysaic Mysteries, Dionysius is represented as slain; Rhea goes in search of the body. She finds it and causes it to be buried. She is sometimes represented as standing by a column holding in her hand a sprig of wheat, emblem of immortality; since, though it be placed in the ground and die, it springs up again into newness of life. She was the wife of Kronus or Time, who may fittingly be represented as standing behind her.

 

Whoever invented the emblem or symbol of the marble monument, the broken column, the beautiful virgin, the book, the urn, the acacia, Father Time counting the ringlets of hair, could not have thought through all the implications of this attempt-doubtless made in all reverence-to add to the dignity and impressiveness of the story of the Master Builder.

 

The urn in which "ashes were safely deposited" is pure invention. Cremation was not practiced by the Twelve Tribes; it was not the method of disposing of the dead in the land and at the time of the building of the Temple. rather was the burning of the dead body reserved as a dreadful fate for the corpses of criminals and evil doers. That so great a man as "the widow's son, of the tribe of Naphtali" should have been cremated is unthinkable. The Bible is silent on the subject; it does not mention Hiram the Builder's death, still less the disposal of the body, but the whole tone of the Old Testament in description of funerals and mournings, make it impossible to believe that his body was burned, or that his ashes might have been preserved.

 

The Israelites did not embalm their dead; burial was accomplished on the day of death or, at the longest wait, on the day following. According to the legend, the Master Builder was disinterred from the first or temporary grave and reinterred with honor. That is indeed, a supposable happening; that his body was raised only to be cremated is wholly out of keeping with everything known of deaths, funeral ceremonies, disposal of the dead of the Israelites.

 

In the ritual which describes the broken column monument, before the figure of the virgin is "a book, open before her." Here again invention and knowledge did not go hand in hand. There were no books at the time of the building of the Temple, as moderns understand the word. there were rolls of skins, but a bound book of leaves made of any substance-vellum, papyrus, skins-was an unknown object. Therefore there could have been no such volume in which the virtues of the Master Builder were recorded.

 

No logical reason has been advanced why the woman who mourned and read in the book was a "beautiful virgin." No scriptural account tells of the Master Builder having wife or daughter or any female relative except his mother. The Israelites reverenced womanhood and appreciated virginity, but they were just as reverent over mother and

child. Indeed, the bearing of children, the increase of the tribe, the desire for sons, was strong in the Twelve Tribes; why, then, the accent upon the virginity of the woman in the monument? "Time standing behind her, unfolding and counting the ringlets of her hair" is dramatic, but also out of character for the times. "Father Time" with his scythe is probably a descendant of the Greek Chromos, who carried a sickle or reaping hook, but the Israelites had no contact with Greece. It may have been natural for whoever invented the marble monument emblem to conclude that Time was both a world-wide and a time immemorial symbolic figure, but it could not have been so at the era in which Solomon's Temple was built.

 

It evidently did not occur to the originators of this emblem that it was historically impossible. Yet the Israelites did not erect monuments to their dead. In the singular, the word "monument" does not occur in the Bible; as "monuments" it is mentioned once, in Isaiah 65 - "A people...which remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments." In the Revised Version this is translated "who sit in tombs and spend the night in secret places." The emphasis is apparently upon some form of worship of the dead (necromancy). The Standard Bible Dictionary says that the word "monument" in the general sense of a simple memorial does not appear in Biblical usage.

 

Oliver Day Street in "SYMBOLISM OF THE THREE DEGREES" says that the urn was an ancient sign of mourning, carried in funeral processions to catch the tears of those who grieved. But the word "urn" does not occur in the Old Testament nor the New.

 

Freemasonry is old. It came to us as a slow, gradual evolution of the thoughts, ideas, beliefs, teachings, idealism of many men through many years. It tells a simple story-a story profound in its meaning, which therefore must be simple, as all great truths in the last analysis are simple.

 

The marble monument and the broken column have many parts. Many of these have the aroma of age. Their weaving together into one symbol may be-probably is-a modernism, if that term can cover a period of nearly two hundred years. but the importance of a great life, his skill and knowledge; his untimely and pitiful death is not a modernism.

 

Nothing herein set forth is intended as in any way belittling one of Freemasonry's teachings by means of ritual and picture. These few pages are but one of many ways of trying to illuminate the truth behind a symbol, and show that, regardless of the dates of any parts of the emblem, the whole has a place in the Masonic story which has at least romance, if not too much fact, behind it.

 

THE BROKEN COLUMN AND ITS DEEPER MEANING:

by Bro. William Steve Burkle KT, 32°

Scioto Lodge No. 6, Chillicothe, Ohio.

Philo Lodge No. 243, South River, New Jersey

 

The meaning of the Broken Column as explained by the ritual of the Master mason degree is that the column represents both the fall of Master Hiram Abif as well as the unfinished work of the Temple of Solomon[i]. This interesting symbol has appeared in some fascinating places; for example, a Broken Column monument marks the gravesite in Lewis County Tennessee[ii] of Brother Meriwether Lewis (Lewis & Clark), and a similar monument marks the grave of Brother Prince Hall[iii]. In China, there is a “broken column-shaped” home which was built just prior to the French Revolution by the aristocrat François Nicolas Henri Racine de Monville[iv]. Today “The Broken Column” is frequently used in Masonic newsletters as the header for obituary notices and is a popular tomb monument for those whose life was deemed cut short. Note that when I speak of The Broken Column here, I am referring to only the upright but shattered Column Base with its detached Shattered Capital, and not to the more extensive symbolism often associated with the figure such as a book resting on the column base, the Weeping Virgin (Isis), or Father Time (Horus) disentangling the Virgin’s hair. In this version the shattered column itself is often said to allude to Osiris[v]. While these embellishments add to the complexity of the allusion, it is the shattered column alone which I intend to address.

 

The Broken Column is believed to be a fairly recent addition to the symbolism of Freemasonry, and has been attributed to Brother Jeremy L. Cross. Brother Cross[vi] is said to have devised the symbol based upon a broken column grave monument dedicated to a Commodore Lawrence[vii], which was erected in the Trinity Churchyard circa 1813. Lawrence perished in a naval battle that same year between the Frigates Chesapeake and Shannon. The illustration of the broken column was reportedly first published in the “True Masonic Chart” by artist Amos Doolittle in 1819[viii]. There is however little evidence beyond the word of Brother Cross that the symbol was thus created[ix],[x].

 

Whether the Broken Column is a modern invention or passed down from times of antiquity is of little consequence; regardless of its origins the symbol serves well as a powerful allusion in our Craft, and as will be discussed, may have deeper meanings which align with other Masonic symbols which also incorporate images of columns and pillars.

 

Freemasonry makes generous reference to columns and pillars of all sorts in the work of the various degrees including the two pillars which stood at the entrance of Solomon’s Temple, the four columns of architectural significance, and the three Great Columns representing strength, beauty, and wisdom[xi]. The first mention of pillars in a Masonic context[xii] is found in the Cooke Manuscript dated circa 1410 A.D. The three Great Pillars of Masonry are of particular interest in this article even though it is the Broken Column and its deeper meanings which I ultimately intend to explore.

 

Three Great Columns:

 

The basis for the Three Great Columns can be traced to an ancient Kabalistic concept and a unique diagram found in the Zohar which illustrates the emanations of God in forming and sustaining the universe. The diagram also reflects certain states of spiritual attainment in man. This diagram, called the Sephiroth consists of ten spheres or Sephira connected to one another by pathways and which are ordered to reflect the sequence of creation. In accordance with Kabalistic belief Aur Ein Sof (Light Without End) shines down into the Sephiroth and is split like a prism into its ten constituent Sephira[xiii], eventually ending in the material universe. To discuss the Sephiroth in sufficient depth to impart a good understanding is well beyond the scope of this paper; however, a basic understanding of how the structure of the Sephiroth is related to the Great Columns is manageable, and is in fact essential to the subsequent discussion of the Broken Column. Be aware that the explanations I give are vast oversimplifications of a highly complex concept. In an attempt to simplify the concept, it is inevitable that some degree of inaccuracy will be introduced.

I would like to begin my discussion of the Three Great Columns by discussing the Cardinal Virtues. The Cardinal Virtues are believed to have originated with Plato who formed them from a tripartite division[xiv] of the attributes of man (power, wisdom, reason, mercy, strength, beauty, firmness, magnificence, and base kingship) presented in the Sephiroth. These concepts were later adopted by the Christian Church[xv] and were popularized by the treatises of Martin of Braga, Alcuin and Hrabanus Maurus (circa 1100 A.D.) and later promoted by Thomas Aquinas (circa 1224 A.D.). According to Wescott[xvi] the Four Cardinal Virtues are represented by what were originally branches of the Sepheroth:

“Four tassels refer to four cardinal virtues, says the first degree Tracing Board Lecture, these are temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice; these again were originally branches of the Sephirotic Tree, Chesed first, Netzah fortitude, Binah prudence, and Geburah justice. Virtue, honour, and mercy, another triad, are Chochmah, Hod, and Chesed.”

 

broken-column1

 

Thus we have a connection between the Cardinal Virtues and the Sephiroth. The Three Pillars of Freemasonry (Wisdom, Beauty, and Strength) are associated with the Cardinal Virtues[xvii] and also therefore with the Kabalistic concept of the Sephiroth[xviii]. I have provided an illustration of the Sepiroth in Figure 1. This particular version of the Sephiroth is based upon that used in the 30th Degree or Knight Kadosh Grade[xix] of the ASSR. The Sephiroth, incidentally is also called “The Tree of Life”. Each of the vertical columns of spheres (Sephira) in the Sephiroth are considered to represent a pillar (column). Each pillar is named according to the central concept which it represents; thus in Figure 1 we have the pillars Justice, Beauty, and Mercy left to right, respectively. The Sephiroth is a very elegant system in which balance is maintained between the Sephira of the two outermost pillars by virtue of the center pillar. Note also that traditionally the Sephiroth is divided into “Triads” of Sephira. In Figure 1 the uppermost triad, consisting of the spheres Wisdom, Intelligence, and Crown represent the intellectual and spiritual characteristics of man. The next triad is represented by the Sephira Justice, Beauty, and Mercy; the final triad is Splendor, Foundation, and Firmness (or Strength).

According to S.L. MacGregor Mathers[xx], the word Sephira is best translated to mean (or is best rendered as) “Numerical Emanation”, and each of the ten Sephira corresponds to a specific numerical value. Mathers also asserts that it was through knowledge of the Sephiroth that Pythagoras devised his system of numerical symbolism. While there are additional divisions and subdivisions of the Sephiroth, the concept which is of interest to us here is that God created the Material World or Universe (signified by the lowest Sephira, Kingdom) in a series of ordered actions which proceeded along established pathways (i.e. the connecting lines between the Sephira in our Figure). Each of the Sephira and each pathway are a sort of “buffer” between the majesty and power of God and the material world. Without these buffers, profane man and the material world he inhabits would meet with destruction. On the other hand, enlightened man is able to progress upwards along these pathways to higher level Sephira and to thereby achieve enhanced knowledge of the Divine. Tradition holds that man once was closer to the Divine spirit, but became corrupted by the material world, losing this connection (i.e. The fall of Man from Grace. Note also the reference to the Tree of Knowledge and possible connections to the Tree of Life). God uses the Sephiroth in renewing and sustaining the material universe. Each new soul created is an emanation of God and travels to materiality (physical existence) via the pathways established in the Sephiroth. In a similar fashion, the spirits of the departed return to God via these same pathways, making the Sephiroth the mechanism by which God interacts with the universe.

 

broken-column2

 

The Broken Column:

 

In Figure 2, I have redrawn the Sephiroth as an overlay of the Three Great Columns; however in this version the Pillar of Beauty is Broken. Note especially that the center pillar, the Pillar of Beauty in the Sephiroth has a gap between Beauty and Crown, in effect making this column a Broken Pillar[xxi]. I believe this “fracture” symbolizes Man’s separation from knowledge of the Divine, and an interruption in the Pathway leading from Beauty directly to the Crown (which symbolizes “The Vast Countenance”[xxii]).

 

I would also like to extrapolate that if the Broken Column indeed represents Hiram Abif as per the explanation given to initiates, then the two remaining columns would then correspond to Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre[xxiii]. Certainly the Sephira (Wisdom, Justice, and Splendor) which comprise the column of Justice align well with the characteristics traditionally associated with King Solomon. Tradition unfortunately does not address Hiram King of Tyre although we can assume that Intelligence, Mercy, and Firmness or Strength would be a likely requirement for a Monarch of such apparent success. The connection between the Three Great Columns and the three principle characters in the drama of the Third Degree does have a certain sense of validity. The “Lost Word” associated with Hiram Abif would then allude to the lost Pathway.

 

In so many of our Masonic Lessons we initially receive a plausible but quite shallow explanation of our symbols and allusions. Those who sense an underlying, deeper meaning tend to find it (Seek and you will find, knock and the door shall be opened). Perhaps in our ritual of the Third Degree, that which is symbolically being raised (restored) is the Pillar of which resides within us. If so, the Lost Word has then in fact been received by each of us. It only remains lost if we choose to forget it or choose not to pursue it.

 

[i] Duncan, Malcom C. Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor. Crown; 3 Edition (April 12, 1976). ISBN-13: 978-0679506263. pp 157.

 

[ii] “Meriwether Lewis, Master Mason”. The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation.

 

[iii] “WHo is Prince Hall ?” (1996). Retrieved December 5, 2008 from www.mindspring.com/~johnsonx/whoisph.htm.

 

[iv] Kenna, Michael. (1988). The Broken Column House at Désert de Retz in Le Desert De Retz, A late 18th Century French Folley Garden. Retrieved December 6, 2008 from Valley Daze. valley-daze.blogspot.com/2007/09/broken-column-house.html

 

[v] Pike, Albert. (1919) Morals and Dogma. Charleston Southern Jurisdiction. pp. 379. ASIN: B000CDT4T8.

 

[vi] “The Broken Column”. The Short Talk Bulletin 2-56. The Masonic Service Association of the United States. VOL. 34 February 1956 NO. 2.

 

[vii] Brown, Robert Hewitt. (1892). Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomy or the origin and meaning of ancient and modern mysteries explained. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1, 3, and 5 Bond Street. 1892.. pp. 68.

 

[viii] “Boston Masonic Lithograph”. Retrieved December 5, 2008 from Lodge Pambula Daylight UGL of NSW & ACT No1000. lodgepambuladaylight.org/lithograph.htm.

 

[ix] Folger, Robert B. Fiction of the Weeping Virgin. Retrieved December 6, 2008 from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon A.F. & A.M. freemasonry.bcy.ca/art/monument / fiction/fiction.html

 

[x] Mackey, Albert Gallatin & Haywood H. L. Encyclopedia of Freemasonry Part 2. pp. 677. Kessinger Publishing, LLC (March 31, 2003).

 

[xi] Claudy, Carl H. Introduction to Masonry. The Temple Publishers. Retrieved December 5, 2008 from Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry. www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/claudy4.html.

 

[xii] Dwor, Mark. (1998). Globes, Pillars, Columns, and Candlesticks. Vancouver Lodge of Education and Research . Retrieved December 6, 2008 from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon A.F. & A.M. freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/globes_pillars_columns.html

 

[xiii] Day, Jeff. (2008). Dualism of the Sword and the Trowel. Cryptic Masons of Oregon – Grants Pass. Retrieved December 6, 2008 from rogue.cryptic-masons.org/dualism_of_the_sword_and_trowel

 

[xiv] Bramston, M. Thinkers of the Middle Ages. Monthly Packet. Evening Readings of the Christian Church (1893). Ed. Charlotte Mary Yonge, Christabel Rose Coleridge, Arthur Innes. J. and C. Mozley. University of Michigan (2007).

 

[xv] Regan, Richard. (2005). The Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance. Hackett Publishing.

 

[xvi] Wescott, William ( ). The Religion of Freemasonry. Illuminated by the Kabbalah. Ars Quatuor Coronatorum. vol. i. p. 73-77. Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/aqc/kabbalah.html.

 

[xvii] MacKenzie, Kenneth R. H. (1877). Kabala. Royal Masonic Cyclopedia. Kessinger Publishing (2002).

 

[xviii] Pirtle, Henry. Lost Word of Freemasonry. Kessinger Publishing, 1993.

 

[xix] Knight Kadosh. The Thirtieth Grade of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and the First Degree of the Chivalric Series. Hirams Web. University of Bradford.

 

[xx] Mathers, S.L. MacGregor. (1887). Qabalah Unveiled. Reprinted (2006) as The Kabbalah: Essential Texts From The Zohar. Watkins. London. pp. 10.

 

[xxi] Ibid. Dualism of the Sword and the Trowel

 

[xxii] Ibid. Qabalah Unveiled .Plate III. pp. 38-39.

 

[xxiii] Duncan, Malcom C. Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor. Crown; 3 Edition (April 12, 1976).

 

You're always in for an interesting time when you start the most difficult model in the book by doing the opposite of the instructions - in this case, I built 5 complete frames, then almost all the interior vertices before any more outer triangles. I find bending internal connections into shape very difficult, so this felt more manageable to me. The dimensions are about 15% bigger than standard though, maybe that's why it was possible. In any case, it worked out great!

 

Designed by Byriah Loper

Folded by me

Hi Health Partner(s):

 

Hope you had a healthy-wise weekend. I've heard from many on Flickr this week! I was inspired by YOU. Thanks.

 

This past week, my successes included breaking my exercise routines into 15 minute segments. At the end of 15 minutes, I decided if I was hurting too much to continue.

 

My top days were 4 and 5 15 minute segments. I warmed up slowly with stretches. (1:15 of straight exercise included 15 minutes with home exercise equipment; 15 minutes of soft #1 pound weights; 15 minutes of my familiar #8 weights with only very slow, gentle, controlled movements; TWO-15 minute segments of dance "reward" to my favorite music ~ Gloria's CD). I felt wonderful and the end and because I was slow, gentle and cautious, the day after was totally manageable. That's my update. Would love to hear yours (thanks LLT and Red for writing yours).

 

Tomorrow I may not have time to upload my "Take Time for Health" Tuesday photo, so here it is.

 

Now I am challenging you:

My suggestion is to try doing one SMALL thing for your health that you didn't do last week. Then let me know what it is (you don't have to leave it in comments, you can flickrmail me . . . just try to do something a little better for your health this week than last week).

 

Check with your doctor first, if you haven't. Or contact a professional for ideas.

 

How about walking? The "Arthritis Foundation" has some wonderful articles and "Diabetes Today" does to . . . a person doesn't have to have either condition to be helped.

 

“If your goal is simply to improve your health, research substantiates as little as 30 minutes a day is sufficient activity to get health improvement, and that time can be split into three 10-minute bouts,” says Shirley Archer, health educator at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

 

Here's a link to an article that may inspire you to start something small (including that quote from Archer):

 

www.arthritistoday.org/fitness/walking/tips-and-strategie...

 

ALSO this includes a direct link where one can write to the AF and ask their own questions and get professional ideas.

 

Me? I'm just trying to figure my own solutions out . . . just like many of you.

 

I'm going to be very busy, but I'll be thinking of you, Health Partners.

 

Good luck!

Nighty ;->

nightshooter09

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We've been places… Ya thats for sure. We ended our trip with an overnight stay in Dallas Texas. After some severely overpriced food at the hotel and a great night sleep we were once again on an airplane. Having the flight broken up like it was really made the traveling easier. 3 hours for the first leg and 2 for the second made it much more manageable. While in line to board the flight, with 30 seconds to spare before stepping into the walkway the flight crew announces that the planes carry on compartments are nearly full and everyone left would have to check their rolling cases. Between Joyce and I we have a laptop, wireless keyboard and Wacom Tablet in one of the two suite cases. I wasn't sure which one had my tablet and after checking the wrong one I watch the "right" one plummet down the chute, and not at all gracefully. I momentarily snap knowing that my valuable and very much needed gear just dropped 15 feet down a chute to be man handled by what I can only imagine is some heavy metal listening, man with sever anger issues.

 

Other than the unfortunate checking of the bags, the flight was pretty much uneventful. We arrived in Palm Beach just after 5pm. We head down baggage claim to… well, claim our bags. Joyce's 50 shirts, pants, shoes and whatnot along with my lights, softboxes and vagabond had arrived yesterday with our original flight. I waited for to see the fate of our last minute checked baggage while Joyce went looking for the Baggage office. As I wait, I look out into the distance, only to see a young man in a green shirt the vaguely resembles my brother Shawn… What do you know… Who rolls up in a airport wheel chair? yes, my brother Shawn. Great entrance bro!

 

The luggage carousel jolts to life and soon enough out pops our bags. First thing i check is if my gear survived. Luckily it had not received any fatal blows. Joyce had recently returned from her quest without victory. The luggage office was closed for another 10 minutes. With Carry on luggage in tow including old trusty, the belt driven polka dotted handicapped suitcase, we made our way to the luggage office. We arrive to find it still closed. The sign on the door says "be back at 5:40" well that time comes and goes. Finally at 5 minutes to 6pm a lady walks up and unlocks the door. She grabs our bags and the first thing I check is the gear. Of course, TSA or as it should be called (we don't give two flying shits about your property and will go through it like a tornado) went through my bag. They failed to re strap the 20lb vagabond back into its proper secure spot, resulting in a wrecking ball being bounced around inside my case. I suppose I'm lucky that the only damage was to one of my softboxes. The rod broke causing the box to now be more like a tent. I can fix it but that of course it's not the point. I complained but was given a basic "so sorry, not our fault… heres the number to TSA" Ya I know how well that will go. Its the government, which means I can go Fuck myself. They don't have customer service, they have a put up, shut up or get out kind of mentality. I'll just fix it myself.

 

So with the airline behind us we set out for home. First thing we notice is that Shawn had driven the Jeep to the point of running on fumes. The computer said "0 miles till empty" Correct me if I'm wrong but that sounds like a bad thing! his response… "uh… the gas light just came on 2 miles before the airport" um… no there buddy, it comes on well before that and we all know that! Its not like we wouldn't have reimbursed you for gas money.

 

If you stop reading this entry I understand since it seems as if I have nothing good to say. Truth is… I really don't. My Lightroom Catalog (the program which stores, organizes and processes each one of my photos) quite and corrupted on me mid shoot. Then to make matters worse my computer refused to restart. In the end I had to hard reset the computer causing it to default to factory settings. All my shortcuts, customizations and tweaks are gone!

 

I'm not having a good night and if this is Florida's way of saying "welcome home" I'm not laughing and if Florida had balls I'd kick them right now.

 

The picture tonight is suppose to represent the extent of our air travel for the trip. Never have I racked up so many tickets during one trip. Seems like every trip to the flight desk gave us another set of tickets. I didn't even show them all as both Joyce and myself were nervous about handing the 1400.00 worth of travel vouchers. With the luck I've been having they may spontaneously combust.

 

My stomach hurts, my nerves are shot. What a way to be welcomed back…

 

Lighting:

 

AB800 Beauty Dish. Boomed Overhead at 6:00. 1/4 power

AB800 7inch Reflector 2:00 Full power

Triggered via Cyber Syncs

 

Oh… and Flickr re evaluated my stream and now feels its safe for your eyes, even while at work. However, there were some repercussions, each one of my 32 photos on Explore (top 500) were removed and my total views nearly broke though the floor, plummeting from over 3000 a day to under 500. I say… whatever, I don't care nearly as much as I used to. I like my work, I do it for me.

 

2014 Gore Aussie Muscle Mania Car Show (12-4-14)

 

By the time of the release of the VJ Valiant, Chrysler’s market share was in its fourth consecutive year of decline. There was therefore much pressure on the stylists to ensure the face-lifted VJ arrested the decline.

 

The new look was heralded by Chrysler as being “Years ahead of its time”, it clearly wasn’t, but the question of whether it could around the flagging fortunes of Chrysler in Australia remained. The VJ’s sheet metal remained unchanged over the outgoing VH, styling changes being restricted to a grille makeover, round headlights and revamped tail lights.

 

The major mechanical improvement was an electrical ignition system which became standard on the Regal, Charger XL and 770 and Chrysler. This was the first time this feature had been offered in an Australian built car. But apart from these handful of improvements, the VJ remained very much the car of old.

 

One of the difficulties Chrysler was facing were the perceived build quality problems inherent in the VH, so the marketers set about confirming to the public that the VJ was a well sorted and now tried and tested quality alternative, offering more features and refinements than the competition.

 

Advertising campaigns of the day focused on the new body finishing techniques which included the use of rust-proofing primer, along with higher paint application quality. Chrysler also knew the cost of offering such a broad line-up of models was significantly affecting the cost of manufacture, so some rationalisation was needed.

 

When the dust had settled, there Pacer had been dropped, along with the Ranger XL, Regal 770 and Charger R/T. With the different machinations applicable to each of these models, Chrysler had effectively brought its model line-up down from 56 to a more manageable 18, and to fill any perceived gaps in the line-up the Chrysler executives were confident that by adding to the options list any Chrysler purchaser would still be able to leave the showrooms with their own very individual motor car.

 

It is worth noting the other, albeit small changes introduced with the VJ. It was one of the first locally manufactured cars to switch to the use of a metric calibrated speedometer, while the steering wheel featured a flatter rim at the bottom, supposedly to give more leg room to the driver. In a decision unfathomable today, except perhaps considering the fuel crisis of the early 1970’s, to no longer produce high performance Chargers was a travesty. Much lesser cars, such as the Falcon Superbird and 6 cylinder Monaro’s were able to eat away at the Charger’s market share, this after it leading the two-door sales charts the preceding year.

 

Visually there were very few changes from the VH to VJ Charger, in fact you pretty much had to be looking at the car head on, so that you could see the new grille, to identify it as the latest model. The new grille had a pillar effect and 178mm round headlights. The front turn indicators were mounted on the guards using body-coloured bezels, while the tail lights also came in for a makeover.

 

Inside the trim was improved and a larger range of colours was offered. There were only three basic models available, the Charger, Charger XL and Charger 770, although the standard features list was improved and the number of options available increased. All Six-Pack and V8’s had a front anti-roll bar and swinging rear quarter windows, and all excluding the base 215 engined Chargers were fitted with the new electric ignition system. A sports pack enabled the buyer to lift the XL to almost VH R/T specs. Gone was the lower priced 265 Hemi option, the six-pack and 318 V8 being the only muscle car options.

 

The Flagship Chrysler by Chrysler:

 

The flagship Chrysler by Chrysler CJ was announced in March and put on sale in early April. As with the Valiant line-up, the Chrysler was visually almost identical to the CH model, although the hand-painted coach line was deleted, while the sill and wheel arch mouldings that were previously available only as an option became standard fare. Cars fitted with vinyl roofs were fitted with lower mouldings to give the whole car a lowered look. Carried over too were the engine options, coming standard with the Hemi 265ci engine with the 360 5.9 litre V8 engine available as an option.

 

The commercial vehicle range was added to with the release of a low budget Dodge badged utility which was virtually identical to the Valiant model. The utes had revised grilles and round headlights. The 215 Hemi was standard on both, and the Valiant had a slightly higher level of equipment. VJ prices started at $2849 for the 215 Valiant four-door, with the Regal 245 (with electronic ignition) coming in at $3600 and the Regal Hardtop at $3765 - the top of the line Chrysler by Chrysler sold for $4925. The Charger prices started at $2970, rising to $3995 for the Charger 770. The Regal Hardtop was $3765, while at the commercial end the Dodge utility was $2565 and the Valiant utility was $2640.

 

Chrysler finished 1973 with a 9.5% market share, its lowest ever, and far from the halcyon days of the R and S Series where the waiting list ensured Chrysler had pretty much pre-sold every car to roll off the production line. The “Big Three” was no more, with Toyota now assuming 3rd position on the sales charts, and Chrysler now knowing that they were in trouble. In a counter offensive similar to the Battle of the Bulge, 1974 would see Chrysler lift standard equipment levels across the VJ range.

 

Fitted to all models (excluding the utes) were front power assisted disc brakes, front seat retractor safety belts, speed windscreen-wiper blades, a sound-deadening package, door reflectors, a glove-box lock and anti-roll bar. In August 1974 came the release of the limited run (of 500) Chager “Sportsman” models. Available only in “Vintage Red”, the Sportsman featured a bold white exterior striping and a distinctive roof treatment. It was fitted with the Hemi 265 engine coupled to a foud-speed manual gearbox. Plaid cloth inserts were incorporated into the seat trim, and other extras fitted.

 

By productions end, some 90,865 VJ Valiant’s had been manufactured. It was a good car, and arguably deserved better recognition from the buying public, but the Japanese manufacturers were quickly gaining a strong foothold in the Australian automotive marketplace with their “fully loaded” yet cheaper versions. The weaker of the “Big Three” had succumbed to their industrial might, and now questions were being asked as to the viability of the manufacturer.

(ref: www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_info_chrysler_valiant_v...)

 

318 V8 Engine Specs:

Capacity: 318 cubic inches (5.2 litres)

Type: Conventional, watercooled four stroke, reciprocating piston type with 8 cylinders

Configuration: Front mounted, longitudinal, OHV, 90° Vee, "wedge" head

Head: Pushrod and rocker actuated ohv with two valves per cylinder

Fuel System: Carter two barrel downdraft type carburettor

Bore and Stroke: 3.91 x 3.31 inches (99.314 x 84.074 mm)

Power: 230 bhp (172 kW) at 4400 rpm

Torque: 340 lb-ft (461 Nm) at 2400 rpm

Compression Ratio: 9.2:1

Valve Timing

Intake

opens: 10° BTC

closes: 50° ABC

duration: 240°

Exhaust

opens: 58° BBC

closes: 10° ATC

duration: 248°

Firing Order: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

Radiator Capacity: 26 pints

Oil Pan

Without filter: 6.6 pints

With filter: 8.3 pints

(ref: www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/valiant_vj_cj_technical_spe..