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At 9 a.m. this morning, FriendFeed launched a new user interface at beta.friendfeed.com/. The new beta site will run in parallel with the current version of FriendFeed at friendfeed.com at least for a while.
The biggest difference between the old version of FriendFeed and the new version is the introduction of live scrolling updates. I had early access to the new beta site over the weekend and spent some time playing around with it.
Here are my initial thoughts.
1. Live Updating. I tried playing around with this and have mixed feelings about it. Sometimes I really like it. It feels more intuitive and interactive. Other times it's harder to put into words why I don't feel like I like it, but the word that keeps popping into my head is seasickness. A lot of the problem here is that I'm following a ton of people (over 6,000) and so the user interface just scrolls too fast some of the time. Too fast for me to read on my main FriendFeed page. It feels chaotic and I can't keep up. I found that late at night it is slower and more manageable but during prime time it was too fast.
Fortunately for me (and others) there is a pause button which allows you to turn this feature off and manually refresh the page like you did with the old version. Live updating works much better on my smaller lists. I'm sure there are some that will really digg this new feature though, especially since most people are not trying to follow over 6,000 like I am. I'm interested in hearing Robert Scoble's observations about this feature as well as he follows even more people than I do. This new feature is turned on by default.
I suspect that most of the time I'll have live updating turned on but that during especially busy times I'll turn it off.
2. A new design and interface with much more emphasis on your avatar. I have to say I love the new UI. I think the new UI looks much cleaner -- beautiful looking with easy on the eyes rounded corners and the what not. I'm assuming Kevin Fox deserves some of the kudos for this new design, but whoever worked on it, hats off to you.
I think one of the things that hurt the old version of FriendFeed was that it just felt too complicated and even a bit clunky. Even though I never thought it was too complicated for me, I heard that complaint from people a lot. All of the little service icons could be intimidating.
Now FriendFeed has dropped the service icons and focused much more on the individual user avatar. It feels a bit more like Twitter now in that regard. I actually like this and think that it will make FriendFeed much less intimidating to people. I also suspect that females with attractive avatars are likely to see a significant spike in followers on this new version. ;)
3. Direct messaging comes to FriendFeed. With this new user interface, FriendFeed has now introduced direct messaging. This small but super powerful new feature is much bigger than I think people will realize at first. I think FriendFeed direct messaging could eventually replace a lot of my email personally. Some of the people behind GMail are on the FriendFeed team so I expect good things from their direct messaging service. It's nice how FriendFeed shows you a little number next to your Direct Mail menu, much nicer than "YOU'VE GOT MAIL!" But the real power of direct messaging in Friendfeed is that it really incorporates a whole new way to communicate via email. It's far more collaborative with the live updating.
One of the things I hate about email is that once I send a message it's gone. Frequently I'll send an email and then realize I made a typo or misspoke or wish I could in some way edit it. With FriendFeed you can. You just go back into the message and change whatever you meant to say. Because all of the messages are grouped together it's much easier to follow and track conversations directly than traditional email.
Direct messaging on FriendFeed almost feels more like a chat/mail hybrid than anything. I found that just using this new service for one day that it was one of the stickier things I've seen on FriendFeed. I've seen very little spam on FriendFeed so far and FriendFeed's direct messaging feels a lot more fun than regular old email.
4. Filters. Filters rock. One of the most exciting ways to use FriendFeed is to filter interesting ways to view all of the vast repository of information and data it has become. One of my favorite filters is scanning FriendFeed for entries with the word "photography" in them with five likes or more. I've found some super interesting photographers and photography related stuff on the internet that way.
In the past I actually just made a bookmark for this and would go to the bookmark myself. It's nice to have it built right into my main FriendFeed Interface. It will be interesting to see the FriendFeed community builid and share custom filters over time. I suspect that there are many hidden gems out there that we don't even know about yet. But in the meantime, check out a few of these filters that I've already created for myself personally: all Flickr posts, all Zooomr posts, all posts on FriendFeed with 5 likes or more, all Flickr posts with 5 likes or more, posts mentioning the word neon with 1 like or more. These are just a few examples. The sky's the limit here really. If you've got some great filters yourself please leave them in the comments.
5. Profiles. Although they are very rudimentary, FriendFeed has now added the ability for you to add a description to your profile page. I've been a big proponent of profiles coming to FriendFeed for a while. Initially I was a bit disappointed with the profile description because earlier yesterday in the beta it was limited to 50 characters. I set my original profile description as "I hate 50 character limit profiles." But then after I direct messaged Bret Taylor, one of the FriendFeed Founders, about this, Bret extended the character limit and so now I'm able to fit the same tagline that I'm using on Twiter: "Quiet Observer of Modern Nihilism with Box that Captures Light." Thanks to Bret and the team for giving us a little bit more room for our profile descriptions.
I do think it would be interesting to see FriendFeed add a city or zipcode field in the profile info as well that could then be used to create a list of suggested users in your geographic area.
Overall I'm very happy with the new FriendFeed. I think it represents a simpler more elegantly designed user interface and a huge step forward for the service and for the company. I think this new interface will give FriendFeed much more mainstream appeal and really shows that FriendFeed is the clear leader in the microblogging and lifestreaming space right now.
If you would like to follow me on the new FriendFeed beta you can do that here.
- tamarind-glazed Swai fish fillet
- fresh corn salad
- watermelon rind pickles
- Vietnamese summer roll with bresaola
This pile of ventilation ducts were taken from the building on the right, and the same building is shown in this link. The building was purchased recently by SolarWorld, a company that makes solar panels. This company will be a great addition to the City of Hillsboro, Oregon.
The machinery on the left in the photo is used to crush the metal into manageable sized cubes for hauling to a recycler.
I can not emphasise how amazed I still am by this doll. I just spent SO many nights absolutely being frustrated by her and hated how difficult she was to work on in terms of sculpt and colour.
But I’m just so utterly amazed, I finally was able to *work* with her sculpt, and I can really appreciate her gorgeous cheekbones and her strong jaw and nose.
I ended up cutting her ultra long hair to just under her butt so it’ll be manageable but otherwise I’m happy I took the plunge to recustomize her.
The ONLY editing I did to the pictures was reducing them from the size I shoot in SL (4000×3500) down to a 1024 size manageable for the blog and Flickr. There’s been no cropping, no liquifying, no adjusting contrast or color balances or any of the other Photoshop tools I use on a regular basis.
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
Today I cycled 35.7km on the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) from Lake Cowichan (The Foot) to the Kinsol Trestle. Dustin organized the operation and I acted as tour guide. Having made a profound study of the history of this railine over the past two-years and having cycled its entire length -- albeit in manageable sections -- I consider myself an expert on the subject, while managing to maintain a degree of modesty in the process.
It was a brilliant idea Dustin came up with to cycle the entire 35km, northern section of the TCT in one go. It was a bit much for me but I made it and Dustin found several geocaches along the trail while waiting for me to catch up. We departed The Foot at 10:30a.m. and arrived four-and-a-half hours later at Kinsol. We both drove our cars and bikes to Riverside Road parking at Kinsol then put our rides on one car and drove to The Foot where we offloaded and hit the trail.
We took lunchbreak at the marvelous Marie Canyon Trestle and chowddown on our chicken teriyaki sandwiches from Subway in Lake Cowichan at 11:30. One of the highlights of this cycling experience for me, was seeing the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) preserved the TCt section of the old Canadian National Railway (CNR) from Pine Street Trailhead by constructing a new trailhead beside Hammond Street (off the King George St. round-about).
Northward from this point on the original CNR right-of-way (ROW), houses have been built where the tracks once lay. The ROW is not visible again until one climbs the bank on the northwest side of Northshore road beyond the City Limits (actually, Township) heading out-of-town toward Youbou. The section of trailed saved between Pine and Hammond streets is only approximately 400m, the CVRD is to be commended for doing so.
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).
Paddled out with a friend and my Nikons v camera hoping to cool off and get some fun ones. Waves were a fun couple feet and manageable to shoot and paddle at the same time. Summer is coming to an end and winter is right around the corner!
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
A fit and flare style of women top in Cherokee Collection. In a v-neck features with bias binding edges on it and sleeves. It has two front pockets and two patch pockets wherein you can keep your items sevure and manageable. To complete the look it has side vents and a center back length of 26 inches.
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
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St. Mellion Golf Club's 2014 Mens & Ladies Club Championships started on the hottest day of the year so far, temperatures were well into the the thirties for the Saturday medal round on the Kernow Course. Mike Bush had set out some of the toughest pins ever seen on a course that was firm and bouncing. The temperatures were a little cooler for the second medal round on the legendary Nicklaus Course making the course much more manageable, although being the Nicklaus it was never going be easy! The presentation of prizes was hosted on the Nicklaus 18th green afterwards by Club Captain Robin Hancock and Lady Captain Sue Poole. A great weekend of Golf.
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To view the rest of my Photography Collection click on Link below:
www.flickr.com/photos/nevillewootton/sets
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Photography & Equipment sponsored by my web business:
We are UK's leading Filter Specialists, selling online to the Plant, Agricultural, Commercial Vehicle and Marine Industries.
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PLEASE NOTE: I take Photographs purely as a hobby these days so am happy to share them with anyone who enjoys them or has a use for them. If you do use them an accreditation would be nice and if you benefit from them financially a donation to www.sightsavers.org would be really nice.
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I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
Ham was moist, sandwich a little larger than I prefer, but considerably more manageable than some gigantic monsters I've had to grapple within this neck of the woods.
At Marina Pastry
2723 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
I managed to capture and manipulate the blue lately, but it's an unpredictable little fucker. Also always on top layer so it's *impossible* to shade. Still trying to figure out a way to make it manageable and also look good.
A minigraph demonstrating the workflow of digital dentistry with 3D printing technology. The flow chart shows how scalable and manageable the implementation of 3D printing is to dental practices and labs.
Free for use under Creative Commons license. If you use this image, please link to "formlabs.com/blog/moving-from-analog-to-digital-workflows-in-dentistry" in your attribution.
Back in 1991 when season tickets were still affordable, but all seater stadia were coming in for good reason, I suggested a way keeping the tickets affordable and manageable for LFC fans while still raising revenue for the club.
I can't recall the price back then but my idea was to buy the 91/92 tickets as normal but then start paying monthly by standing order/dd for subsequent season tickets.
At least Peter Robinson, a true gentleman, had the decency to reply.
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
September 2006.
Last week I separated the bw self-portraits into one single, easy-manageable set and it feels so good to re-organize a little bit, doesn't it?
Pamper your hair with the goodness of Honey!
This luscious Manuka Honey Anti Ageing Conditioner with pure Active Manuka Honey is blended with Keratec IFP, a purified protein derived from New Zealand's sheep's wool. Proven as an anti ageing compound the Keratec IFP provides a protective film on the hairs surface preventing ozone damage to the cuticle.
This unique formula helps to keep hair surface healthy, adds volume and shine and maintains hair manageability and youthfulness.
This Manuka Honey product is Paraben free, contains no mineral oil and is not tested on animals.
That doesn't mean I stopped taking pictures. I was able to use my much more manageable Windows Phone to get more shots. This is that main path in Ueno that I mentioned earlier that I bet looks gorgeous when the cherry blossoms are out.
FOLSOM,Calif. — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District is leading the way for flood control on the American River. A new highly engineered spillway at the historic Folsom Dam is a civil works project under construction by the Sacramento District. The spillway will allow for more manageable water releases from Folsom Lake to the lower American River. This will provide a greater safety net for flood control in the Sacramento Valley. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
I love shooting seascapes, but it's tough right now to get out at sunset to capture those exciting colors. Luckily, shooting the beach at night seems to be just as satisfying, and a lot more manageable time-wise!
You just need a relatively low tide to expose some good rocks, and a mostly full moon to provide light, both of which I had on this night in December.
At f/5.6 and ISO 200, a 6 minute exposure seemed to be the sweet spot. I pride myself in my ability to enjoy solitude, but I have to admit the 6-minute exposures got to me. I used the count down timer on the iPhone to time it, so I'd get an alarm when six minutes was up, but I still found myself anxiously checking the timer every 30 seconds. Next time I'll have to bring a friend, or maybe a book and a reading light or something :).
One lesson learned--with these long exposures, make sure there's plenty of room between you and the tide line. During this shot, I watched the tide slowly creep closer and closer to my tripod. There were two especially far-reaching waves that sent water up past one leg of the tripod. This caused the sand to settle and the leg to sink ever-so-slightly. The result is very noticeable in the stars and the oil rigs--you can even make out how it moved twice!
The tide was coming in quickly and threatening to trap me at the end of this point, so I didn't get a chance to retake. I like the image enough that I decided to just leave it for now, though, and do better next time :).
Check out my blog post for an in-depth look at how I edited this shot.
I finally picked the right pair of eyechips for her, they're gonna stay brown ^_^ Also I've straightened her hair a bit and conditioned it again. It's more manageable now.
I do not really like her natural Obitsu body, it doesn't seem like a good fit with her original skin tone. hopefully I can give her a Marrone Brown Skin Obitsu soon :3
Dr Summit Shah People often deal with their allergy symptoms for years without seeking treatment. Many symptoms are manageable with antihistamines and decongestants, especially for those who only experience symptoms seasonally. However, for some, the symptoms either become severe enough or last long enough that they disrupt the ability to live a normal life. In those cases, you should consider seeking treatment. Allergy doctor, Dr Summit Shah, specializes in allergy diagnosis and treatment that affect both adults and children. Control your symptoms. Dr Summit Shah can help you tame your runny nose and itchy eyes and even stop an allergic reaction before it starts. Give us a call now at (614) 401-2397. Or you can visit our website for more details. ift.tt/2fnYWBC Premier Allergy Dr. Summit Shah Summit Shah MD Premier Allergy Dr. Summit Shah Allergy Doctor Premier Allergy in OH Premier Allergy Columbus OH
Hello friends! Moving day is almost upon us! I'm unsure of when I'll realistically be able to open slots up after this, so i've done it a wee bit early. (I'm sorry!)
We will not be selling through etsy for the foreseeable future. The fees are murder alone but combined with paypal fees too, we're losing a lot of money. Instead you can now access our store via our website. frappzillastudio.net/
There are a few last wigs that need completing the first week of November so these will get priority of course.
November slots are due to be completed and sent out by the very end of the month. We ask that you allow an extra week at the start of December, just incase. Obviously this is a busy time of year for the post too so we cannot guarantee they will be there for Christmas but we will try our best!
As always, if you're not a patient person, we probably are not the shop for you. While we have streamlined our systems a lot and only taking on a manageable workload, sometimes we have a few complications; running out of specific colours or unable to achieve the custom shade on the first go. Blends, Bangs, Ombre's and extended lengths can take a lot longer, so orders with any of those additions, will need to be prepared to wait. Since every wig is tailor made to the customer, sometimes things do take a while, especially with a complex design.
We will really be trying to get wigs out at least weekly, or every few days and orders will be sent direct since we won't have any of the silly batch shipping business we've had to use in France.
All in all, its been a tough few months but once we get to our new place, everything is going to run much smoother.
Thank you all for the continued support. If you have any questions feel free to message me here, flickr or via the contact form on the site. Please expect a delay with replies with the move almost upon us though
Cockpit of Sepecat Jaguar XZ375 "The Avid Guardian Reader" on display at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum.
This Jaguar is a genuine Gulf War veteran and has been repainted in the colours it wore when it operated from Manama / Bahrain International Airport during the conflict in 1991.
The Cockpit Collection was started by the then Warrant Officer Mick Jennings MBE, now Community Relations Officer, in 1996 with the intent of preserving our aviation heritage at a manageable level.
After the closure of RAF Coltishall these cockpits were moved to the Norwich Aviation Museum.
Conflict is uncomfortable but necessary. Without facilitation, it isn’t manageable.
Meeting Design: For Managers, Makers, and Everyone, Hoffman, Kevin M., 2018, New York: Two Waves Books twowavesbooks.com/book/meeting-design/
Today I cycled 35.7km on the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) from Lake Cowichan (The Foot) to the Kinsol Trestle. Dustin organized the operation and I acted as tour guide. Having made a profound study of the history of this railine over the past two-years and having cycled its entire length -- albeit in manageable sections -- I consider myself an expert on the subject, while managing to maintain a degree of modesty in the process.
It was a brilliant idea Dustin came up with to cycle the entire 35km, northern section of the TCT in one go. It was a bit much for me but I made it and Dustin found several geocaches along the trail while waiting for me to catch up. We departed The Foot at 10:30a.m. and arrived four-and-a-half hours later at Kinsol. We both drove our cars and bikes to Riverside Road parking at Kinsol then put our rides on one car and drove to The Foot where we offloaded and hit the trail.
We took lunchbreak at the marvelous Marie Canyon Trestle and chowddown on our chicken teriyaki sandwiches from Subway in Lake Cowichan at 11:30. One of the highlights of this cycling experience for me, was seeing the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) preserved the TCt section of the old Canadian National Railway (CNR) from Pine Street Trailhead by constructing a new trailhead beside Hammond Street (off the King George St. round-about).
Northward from this point on the original CNR right-of-way (ROW), houses have been built where the tracks once lay. The ROW is not visible again until one climbs the bank on the northwest side of Northshore road beyond the City Limits (actually, Township) heading out-of-town toward Youbou. The section of trail saved between Pine and Hammond streets is only approximately 400m, the CVRD is to be commended for doing so.
Between Spain and the Azores the sea was a bit more lively but manageable in the Epic, though I suspect juggling woud be a bit more difficult on the ship.
Another shot with my 14mm lens and testing to see how wide the angle I was able to pull. The distortion is quite manageable and the field of view is absolutely amazing. Have I mentioned that this thing also does an outstanding job with the colors.
Their is a bit of fuzziness on this image, but I was shooting a 3 shot HDR without a tripod at an aperture of F20. Their will be a bit of "shake" in that +2 exposure.
FWIW: I was standing in the tree that is seen in the fringe of the photo.
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Towards the end of WWII, large, piston-engined flying boats had been used exctensively in th bepatrol and bomber role, but with the advent of the new jet engine technology, engineers in several countries started to explore the new propulsion type's potential in different areas - including seaborne usage.
Towards the end of WWII and the far-stretched conflict theatre in the Pacific, the flying boat as well as float planes still had a large appeal due to their independence from airfields. This offered a lot of tactical flexibility. On the other side, the jet engine promised (much) higher speeds, but with the relative higher weight of early jet-driven aircraft (more fuel was needed, and more engines, as thrust was relatively low) a seaborne type would also avoid the need for a prepared and long airstrip to operate.
The United Kingdom was one nation that looked seriously into this kind of aircraft, and Saunders Roe presented in 1943 the proposals for a plane that should actually make it to the hardware stage: the SR.1/A, which made its maiden flight in 1947. The Soviet union also undertook some studies, but fighters remained just proposals. Eventually OKB Beriev would produce several sea-borne, jet-powered patrol bombers (e .g. the R-1 experimental plane, and later the Be-10 flying boat), which actually entered service.
In the USA, studies for a jet-powered fighter fyling boat gained momentum during the final stages of WWII. Convair developed the 'Skate' for the US Navy, a heavy night fighter, and Boeing designed a competitive concept. In parallel, and towards the end of the forties, heavier flying boats for maritime patrol were requested by the Navy - and with them a lighter, single-seat fighter that could escort them, or be used as an interceptor to defend improvised forward maritime bases. Using this type as a fast, ship-borne reconnaicssance aircraft was also envisioned.
This fighter was to be capable of a similar performance to land-based fighters in this class, like the F-80 or the F-86. The dsuccessful evelopment of the SR.A/1 in the UK had been keenly observed, and the concept of a jet-powered flying boat fighter appeared feasible and appealing.
One company to respond to the USN request was Curtiss, who already had experience with float planes like the Model 82 (SOC) and the Model 97 (SC 'Seahawk') - both rather pathfinder aircraft than true combat types, though. Curtiss designed its Model 101 around two J47-GE-11 jet engines, each rated at 2.359 kN (5.200 lbf) of thrust.
The Model 101's layout was rather concentional, with a deep, single step boat hull that would house a huge amount of fuel for the requested long range escort capability. The J47-GE-11-engines (the same which powered the B-47 bomber) were placed in nacelles, at the highest point of the gull wings.
As an innovative step, the Model 101 featured swept wings - the first time ever that this was tried on a flying boat. On the tips of the wings with a 35° sweep, slats and large flaps, fixed stabilizer floats were mounted. The large fin was swepts as well, and the horizontal stabilizers were placed as a T-tail high on the fin, clear of any jet turbulence or spray water.
The pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit under a bubble canopy, which offered good view, even though the massive engine nacelles blocked much of the side and rearward field of view.
The Model 101 was armed with four 20 mm (0.79 in) M3 autocannons in the nose section, with 200 RPG. An A-1CM gunsight which used an AN/APG-30 radar to automatically compute the range of a target was housed in a small radome in the nose tip. Under its inner wings, just outside of the engines, hardpoints allowed an external ordnance of up to 4.000 lb (1.816 kg), including bombs of up to 1.000 lb calibre, eight HVAR missiles, drop tanks or even two torpedos.
Curtiss received a go-ahead and two prototypes were built during 1948. First taxi runsd tok place in late 1947, the maiden flight of prototype #01 was on February 6th 1948, the second aircraft followed only three weeks later on 1st of March 1948 - and the tests were soon halted. Both aircraft suffered from severe purpoising at 80% of the take-off speed, and this problem almost resulted in the loss of prototype #01. This was a new problem, as such high take-off speeds had never before been encountered on water, and the phenomenon was called the 'hydro-dynamic instability barrier': essentially it was unstable aquaplaning.
First attempts to solve the problem were elevator compensation and tailplane incidence angle adjustments. This helped, but the aircraft remained unstable during take-off and landing - it was not before November 1948 that modifications were made to the planing bottom of prototype #02.
This brought the purpoising to a manageable level, but did not fully cure it. Disaster struck on February 12th 1949, when the still unmodified first prototype was lost in a starting accident: the aircraft started purpoising during take-off, hit a wave with the left side stabilizer swimmer, suddenly veered off towards the left, pitching down with the nose and toppling over at more than 120mph, ripping off the left wing and the whole tail section. Miracuously, test pilot Simon Pritchard escaped alive from the sinking wreck (even though heavily injured), but the XFC-1 #01 had to be written off and any high speed ground tests were suspended..
Flight tests were resumed in June 1949 after a bottom step venting system had been introduced, and this measure finally cured the instability problem. In the meantime, two more airframes had been built: one with more powerful J47-GE-23 engines (with 2.631 kN/5.800 lbf each, these were introduced to the other two prototypes during 1950, too) and another one for static tests.
Further trials followed during 1950 and in early 1951 the re-engined machine #02 even became supersonic in a dive. While the Model 101 (which received the USN designation XFC-1 and was christened 'Oceanhawk') was up to the original specifications it was clear that it could not compete with land-based aircraft - essentially, it offered a similar performance to the land-based F-86, but the XFC-1 needed two engines for that, was much less agile and still needed a complex infratsructure to operate properly. Its independence from land bases was still its biggest selling point, though, so the development was kept up.
At that time, the USN issued a specification for a supersonic flying boat, and NACA understook a study that a Mach 2 aircraft would be feasible until 1955. This rendered the Oceanhawk more or less obsolete, as it could not keep up with this requirement, and the XFC-1 program was finally closed in 1953. Eventually, the Convair XF2Y Sea Dart would be the next (and final) step on the way to a seaborne jet fighter.
Anyway, the remaining two XFC-1 prototypes were not scrapped but allocated to the USN's test squadrons. Prototype #02 and #03 were handed over as UFC-1 to Air Development Squadron VX-4 "Evaluaters" at Point Mugu, California, together with the static airframe #04 which was used for spares. Both aircraft were used as chase planes, observation platforms and target tugs. Machine #02, for instance, took part in the evaluation program of the Martin P6M SeaMaster flying boat in 1955, and was then modified for several tests with hydroski installations under the fuselage. On the other side, machine #03 was used in the development of remote drone and target tug control equipment, being re-designated DFC-1.
After serving in these second line roles, both aircraft were finally scrapped in 1965 and replaced by land-based types.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 14.11 m (46 ft 6 1/3 in)
Wingspan: 12.46 m (40 ft 9 1/2 in)
Height: 4.10 m (13 ft 5 1/4 in)
Empty weight: 9.265 kg (20.408 lb)
Loaded weight: 16.080 kg (35.418 lb)
Powerplant:
2× J47-GE-23 engines, rated at 2.631 kN/5.800 lbf each
Performance
Maximum speed: 932km/h (577mph/503nm) at sea level
Range: 2.092 km (1296 ml)
Service ceiling: 13.450 m (44.040 ft)
Armament
4× 20 mm (0.79 in) M3 autocannons with 200 RPG.
Eight underwing hardpoints for a total external ordnance of up to 4.000 lb (1.816 kg), including bombs of up to 1.000 lb calibre, eight HVAR missiles, drop tanks or two torpedos.
The kit and its assembly:
This model is a complete fantasy aircraft, inspired by a TV documentation about sea plane projects in the USA and USSR after WWII. Among others, the Martin P6M SeaMaster and the Saro SR.1/A made an appearance, and I wondered how an escort fighter for the P6M would have looked like in USN service? Well, let's build one...
Making a flying boat is pretty tricky, and the whole thing was built from scratch and with lots of putty.
Basically, the following went into it, all 1:72 unless stated otherwise:
● Fuselage and cockpit from a Hobby Boss F-86E
● Floating bottom is the lower half of a Matchbox Heinkel He 115 swimmer
● Wings come from another Hobby Boss F-86E, but this time a Batch 30 aircraft with extended wing tips
● Vertical stabilizer comes from an Academy MiG-21F
● Horizontal stabilizers come from a 1:100 Tamiya Il-28 bomber
● Stabilzer swimmers come from a vintage box scale Revell Convair Tradewind kit
● Engine intakes and exhausts are resin parts from Pavla, replacements for a Hasegawa B-47 kit
● A massive beaching trolley, which actually belongs to the A-Model Kh-20M missile kit
Assembly went from fuselage over the wing roots, the improvised engine nacelles, outer wings and stabilizer swimmers, step by step. I had a vague idea of what the aircraft should look like, but the design more or less evolved, depending from what I had at hand.
For instance, the Il-28 stabilizers were late additions, as the original F-86 parts turned out to be much too small for the massive aircraft.
The cockpit was taken OOB, just a pilot figure was added and the canopy cut into two pieces, so that it could be displayed in an open position.
Around the hull, small mooring hooks made from wire were added, gun nozzles made from hollow needles, as well as some antennae, since the whole kit was rather bleak and simple.
The trolley was puzzled together from the parts supllied with A-Model's Kh-20M (AS-3 'Kangaroo') kit, but was modified (e. g. with different wheels) and adapted to the flying boat's hull. It fits perfectly in shape and design, though!
Painting and markings:
Nothing fancy, as a jet-powered flying boat fighter is unique enough. Design benchmark was again the P6M, and AFAIK these aircraft were painted in just two tones: FS16081, a very dark grey, with white undersides and a wavy waterline. They were definitively not blue of any sort, as one might think in the first place.
I started with the lower side - white is always difficult to apply, and in order to avoid any trouble I used stpray paint from a rattle can and used a very light grey instead of pure white. The latter has two benefits: it covers the surface much better than white, and the contrast is not so harsh - the grey still leaves 'room' for some dry-brushing with white.
Next step was the dark grey - I used Humbrol's 32, which is FS36081 and looks very good. Dry-brushing with Humbrol 79 (Dark Blue Grey) was used for some counter-shading, and after a black ink wash I also painted some panel lines with a mix of black and matt varnish onto the hull. That turned out to be a little much, but finally, when the decals were applied (wild mix from various aftermarket sheets and the scrap box), the overall impression became much better.
The trolley was simply painted in yellow and makes a nice contrast to the dark aircraft on top of it.
Both aircraft and trolley were additionally weathered with some dry-brushed rust and grinded graphite, and finally received a coat of matt varnish.
Cheap Mesquite Hotels
Cheap Mesquite Hotels Green Living: Quick Ways To Make It A Habit
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The debate around carbon emissions and climate change is very much in the public domain, and a lot of men and women are very aware of the relevant factors. Some of you may feel obliged to do something but you may not know what to do or where to begin. Fortunately, there are numerous relatively easy ways to lend a useful hand, without having to be a hero. A number of small things you can do are listed below.
[caption id="attachment_331" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cheap Mesquite Hotels The New Airport"][/caption]
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1. If manageable, use a laptop instead of a desktop computer Cheap Mesquite Hotels
Many people use computers today for a wide range of reasons. If you can use a laptop instead of a regular desktop computer then do so, as laptops are up to 50% more energy efficient in comparison to standard desktop PCs. There are also other benefits of working on laptops; they are portable, which means you can take them anywhere with you and work key word and they're cheaper.
2. If it's close enough, walk
One of the first things that pops into mind when I think of pollution is vehicle. Much pollution of the environment is due to the the release of toxic gases through the burning of a vehicle's fuel. Think of the great number of vehicles in use around the world every day, and you'll begin to understand the extent of the problem. By deciding to walk instead of drive, we can bring down the extent of detrimental emissions. Walk whenever the opportunity presents itself, but don't beat yourself up if it's not. If you need to head to the local convenience stores walk instead of getting the car out. You'll not just bring down emissions put out into the atmosphere but you will also save money on petrol and also get some workout out of it. Cheap Mesquite Hotels
3. When you are brushing your teeth, turn off the faucet
We use water all the time, from cleaning to laundry to keeping radiators warm so it's no wonder so much of it is wasted daily. Avoid wasting water the next time you are brushing your teeth, don't leave the water running. Consider of the amount of water goes to waste if you brush your teeth for two minutes with the tap on. A good idea is to just fill a cup with water and use that to rinse your mouth out as less water is squandered.
4. Do short showers instead of long baths
Baths use up a good deal more water and electricity than showers, so it helps save water to take a shower instead of a bath. But be careful, if you shower for more than 20 minutes, ! If you are unable to make your shower brief, it might be more wasteful than having a bath.
5. Remember to put the lights out
Try not to leave a light on in a vacant room. What's the point of lighting a room when no one is in there in the first place? Doing this is not only advantageous to the environment, but also to your wallet. When there's sunlight outside, don't turn on the inside lights because the sunlight will provide lots of light to your house.
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Adopting these simple tips won't leave you with holes in your pockets. Actually, they'll likely save you money. So heed the call - get started living green.
Omg I love love love them! I gave her a babybath-oil treatment, cut her ends, and straightened her hair with an iron and a towel ;) And it's soooo purdy and manageable! Love!
This kind of creek crossing gave me Palisade Creek flashbacks...even though this setup would have been much more manageable than that one!
When the economy blows a fuse, it is Dodd-Frank, not the Financial CHOICE Act, that will make sure recessions are short and manageable.
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
Houston, Texas
The Joint is one of my favorite food trucks in Houston. Out of the 50 or so choices available, I had to go with an old favorite. The bacon cheeseburger is the best in Houston, in my opinion. There were enough trucks and restaurant to keep the lines manageable.
To start with, I'll upload a single, unedited picture from each day of the trip to keep things manageable...
Comparing four 12'' Rapunzel play dolls by the Disney Store, released from 2012 through 2014. From left to right are the 2012 and 2013 Classic Rapunzel dolls, the 2013 Singing Rapunzel Doll, and finally the 2014 Rapunzel Classic 12'' Doll.
The best outfit by far is the 2014 one, which is more detailed and movie accurate than any of the others. It approaches the detail and accuracy of the original 2010 Rapunzel doll, or the current Parks doll. Although the 2012 doll has a fuller skirt, it doesn't keep its shape very well, and lacks the decoration and center panel of the other dolls, and the colors are all wrong. The 2013 doll has a similar outfit to the 2014, but lacks various details, such as the long sleeves, the floral decorations on center panel and the border of the outer skirt, and the deeper purple color of the skirt. The singing doll has both the wrong colors and is the bodice is the most simplified of all these four dolls.
All these dolls share that same face sculpt, but the face paint has been progressively improved over the years. The 2014 doll has a much warmer and prettier face than the others. The 2013 dolls have almost identical faces, except for pinker lips on the singing doll. The 2012 doll had a very awkward looking face, with eyes that looked to both glancing to her upper right, and staring straight ahead at the same time. Her lips formed a very unnatural looking smirk.
All the dolls have very long blonde hair that is straight and smooth, with a sideways bang over her forehead. However the 2012 had the longest hair, at about 12 inches, the other three dolls had 11 inch hair that didn't quite reach the floor. The swoosh bang was too severe in the 2013 dolls; it looks better in the 2012 and 2014 dolls. The 2012 and 2013 Classic dolls have excellent hair that was straight and smooth right out of the box, with very little combing needed to straighten out some strays. The 2013 singing doll and 2014 classic doll have hair that isn't quite so shiny and neat. The 2014 doll's hair got a little frizzy when I combed out the tangles. From the front, I think the 2014 doll has the best looking hair, as the the bang doesn't hide her face at all, and isn't too hardened by hair product. The 2014 doll has hair that is a littler darker in color than the other three dolls.
The 2013 and 2014 dolls have the same body, with fully articulated arms, but rubber legs and fixed angled feet. The 2012 doll has the problematic hard plastic legs with external knee joints and ball jointed ankles. She comes with flat soled purple shoes. The other dolls are barefoot, as was the movie character.
Here is my ranking of these four Rapunzel dolls, with their best features mentioned:
1. 2014 Classic Rapunzel. Best outfit by far and prettiest face, big overall improvement over 2013 dolls.
2. 2013 Classic Rapunzel. Very nice hair, big overall improvement over 2012 doll.
3. 2013 Singing Rapunzel. Very nice hair, but plain outfit.
4. 2012 Classic Rapunzel. Longest and most manageable hair, fullest skirt, but needs a petticoat to keep it full.
I had the pleasure of attending the Carnevale in Venice in February 2011 - what a great experience! This was about my 4th or 5th Carnevale and they keep getting better. Many of the masked characters recognized me from prior years and gave me great access for photos. I also had the chance to shoot with many others; some in masks and costumes, some face paintees, and some faces in the crowd - great fun. Because of the large number of photos I took during the Carnevale I will use a separate set for each day to make it manageable. These photos are from my first day there, Sunday, 27 February 2011.
Seems "Surfo Planing" was not just for the girls in the 1930s:
The Brisbane Courier
Tuesday 28 March 1933
Youth in Sport
Juniors in the Limelight
Youthful Surf Expert
Gordon Doniger, younger brother of Joe, the well known Kirra performer, is probably one of the youngest surf club members in the State, his age being 13. Young Doniger, although yet too young to secure his surf awards, has demonstrated on numerous occasions his capabilities in the surf, and in the opening junior surf handicap of the present season in Kirra. In November last, won from the scratch mark in fine style. On the top of the waves Gordon is already looked upon as an expert, being capable of handling the "big stuff" with the best of them. In the new pastime of surfo-planing he is one of the most proficient performers, his recent displays, particularly on Sunday last, being brilliant. Young Doniger is as keen as mustard in his surf work, and is looked upon as a formidable contender for the Birdsail Cup, which will be decided next month.
Queensland State Archives Item ID ITM1102832
For five decades, the humble surfoplane was a comforting part of the Australian summer - an ingenious but simple device that helped generations of grommets grow confident enough in the waves to become surfers or surf-lifesavers.
But, says John Ruffels, a Bondi postman and amateur historian, the dramatic story of the surfoplane's inventor, Ernest Smithers, a Bondi doctor, has been largely forgotten.
Next week, Ruffels will give an illustrated talk on the surfoplane and the eccentric physician who devised it.
He stumbled on Smithers's story on his postal round when he delivered a letter to Dawn Ping, the widow of Dr Aubrey Ping, one of the early "test pilots" of the surfoplane, an inflatable floatation device made of rubber, which Smithers first demonstrated on Bondi Beach in 1933.
What surprised Ruffels was the range of the doctor's ingenuity. "He also invented the true-slice breadknife, the stainless steel steak tenderiser and the Capsulex contraceptive gel," Ruffels says. "They were an odd mix but, like the surfoplane, they were all designed to give people confidence."
Ruffels says Smithers began his working life as a court stenographer before deciding to study for the leaving certificate at night school. He studied medicine at the University of Sydney before falling out with the authorities. Despite being married, with two young children, he set off to Scotland to complete his studies before returning to Australia.
Short of cash, he took a part-time job at Palm Beach, where he bought, repaired and sold yachts. There he encountered canvas floatation devices that were used to keep the yachts afloat while they were being repaired.
"He used the floatation devices to get ashore," Ruffels says. "On another occasion, he had a go on one of those huge surfboards, which had just come into fashion in the 1920s, unwieldy things made of redwood or balsa."
By combining the two concepts, Smithers came up with the idea of a much shorter, more manageable inflatable device that could be used easily in the surf. However, it took eight years, and many different prototypes, before he was ready to launch the final, four-tube surfoplane in 1933.
His hero, the aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, proved a critical backer when Smithers was trying to persuade councils to allow him to hire out surfoplanes on beaches in Sydney.
By February 1934 the first official surfoplane race had been held at Coogee Beach, and soon the device was a popular feature of beach holidays in many countries, including Britain, South Africa and New Zealand.
The surfoplane remained popular until the 1970s, and many emerging surfers, including Nat Young, Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew and Tom Carroll, learnt their surfing skills on one before progressing to a surfboard.
In the 1950s Smithers's design was refined by North Australian Rubber Mills, which introduced a model with handles.
Smithers made little money from his inventions, however.
"He was a bit of a hippie," Ruffels says. "He would invent all this wonderful stuff then sell the rights for very little."
Smithers died in 1976, about the time manufacture of the surfoplane ended, but in 2001 three Newcastle businessmen bought the rights and began manufacturing new, highly coloured versions.
However, the day the surfoplane came of age was February 6, 1938 - the infamous Black Sunday, when five people drowned at Bondi Beach and 250 were rescued.
Rescuers were handed surfoplanes, who in turn gave them to people who had been washed out to sea. "The fact that they had something to hang on to probably saved a lot of people," Ruffels says, "but half of them shouldn't have been out there in the first place." Using surfoplanes had made them overconfident in the surf.
Steve Meacham: Lifesaving's unsung hero brought to life
SMH.com, September 7, 2007.