Here's a nicely kept Mercedes 300 TD station wagon from the early eighties. To the best of my knowledge, it was the first wagon M-B ever sold in this country, and it had a trubodiesel engine.

Because I associated premium car bands with coupes and sedans only, the idea of a Benz wagon (or "variant," as they say in Germany and the rest of Europe) seemed like a contradiction in terms to me. Lincoln wagons were unheard of, Imperial wagons were nonexistent, and the only wagon Cadillac offered was a hearse! But a posh, well-appointed wagon with room for the rugrats and the rug remnants for their bedrooms obviously appealed to the urban professionals that bought them. Now even Cadillac has a station wagon, the SRX (it's called a SUV crossover, but it's really a wagon!) and other luxury marques have long since followed suit.

Photographs by Paul Russell

Learn more about Steve's work: visitsteve.com/

ABOUT THE PROJECT

(from the SPACES catalog)

Starting a conversation about Capitalism is like walking up to a stranger and asking, “Can I talk to you about Jesus?”

The word “capitalism” is a red flag. And for good reason—pretty soon either some dude is talking your ear off about “The System” or aggressively confronting you about taxes. Ugh.

At the same time, capitalism is discussed every day using euphemisms like “jobs,” “job creation,” “the business climate,” and discussing whatever “crisis” is deemed relevant; a housing crisis, financial crisis, social security crisis, tax crisis, or fill- in-the blank crisis. But the whole is rarely a topic of frank discussion—much less alternatives or meaningful reform.

As a culture, we need the vision and boldness it takes to discuss the problem itself. The idea that “there is no alternative” to the way our world works takes away our ability to dream. As citizens we need the courage to begin these discussions on order to move on to new and better visions for the future.

But what to do? Start a conversation about capitalism and friends edge away slowly, and strangers even faster.

This is what art is for. This is what art does well. It creates a space where new ideas and perspectives can be explored. A space unlike any other.

Throughout my artistic career I’ve challenged myself to take on difficult subject matter in ways that are engaging and fun. I’ve found humor and popular culture can open doors to difficult but worthwhile subjects and enable us to envision and move toward new, utopian futures.

The sign starts here in Cleveland and will tour the US leading up to and beyond the 2012 presidential election. People who vote will be given the opportunity to have their portrait taken and give a short statement about why they voted the way they did. There will be a book, website, and videos that document people’s interactions and thoughts.

I’m excited that this piece takes on what for most Americans is a taboo, or even nonexistent subject: whether global, hegemonic capitalism actually works for most people. But whew, talking about that is boring! And telling people what to think is worse! This sign gets passers by to participate in deceptively simple vote (True/ False) which only pretends to offer resolution. Every aspect of the interaction draws them in to more complex questions and conversations, leading to new thoughts and ideas about a better world!

For 50 years it has been unacceptable, politically, in the United States to ask what is basically a straightforward question. We have a particular economic system, it’s called capitalism. We have every right as a society to ask of that system, is it working? Is it working for us? Do the benefits and the costs balance themselves out in a way that says, do we want to keep this system? Or that says, we want to change this system? Or that says, we ought to look at an alternative system. We’ve been afraid to ask that question. We’ve been afraid to have public debates—that’s the legacy of the cold war. We can’t afford anymore to not do that. We have to raise the question.

I shall call thee, "Baby Bump and the Fall Foliage."

Don't be deceived. My "bump" is virtually nonexistent in the mornings, but after I eat lunch, it grows to about this size. So this bump is probably more of a "food bump."

GTWL: Autumn

Memory is at once existent and nonexistent. Memories rest in our minds until the time we must recall them. Memories seem solid. KNOWN. But they are so fragile that in a moment they are gone. SHATTERED. They shift with the light that colors events and change as others move into their space. Our friends can only experience our memories from the angle we give them. Memories leave marks in our brains of the stops along our paths -- a mark for each moment -- yet some are so deeply imbedded that we cannot recall them. THEY WAVER, yet we base our lives on our memories.

Dedication… Art has always been a part of my life and a lot of interesting things have come from it. I moved to a different State for a few years to go to college. I wasn't feeling the vibe there but stuck it out till the end. The element of realness was nonexistent being around a bunch of rich, privileged, spoiled kids. COUNTERFEIT was the major stepping stone that made me realize art can actually take you somewhere, and on a side note my high school art teacher can suck my dick. I got the Tattoo across my back as a reminder of where I come from, who I am and the entity that made me believe in myself. RIP COUNTERFEIT… The foundation fell apart but I've stayed doing what I do, Stimulating the optics. KAFKA*Prjct is a fresh start and a new mission since 2007. Stay tuned.

Cedars of Lebanon State Park is a state park in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It consists of 900 acres situated amidst the 9,420-acre Cedars of Lebanon State Forest. The park and forest are approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Lebanon, Tennessee.

Cedars of Lebanon State Forest is known for its cedar glades, a unique type of ecosystem that has adapted to the thin (or nonexistent) soil layers that often occur in the eastern Central Basin. These glades are typically flanked by thick stands of red cedar, a type of juniper tree that can survive in soil layers too thin to support most large wooded plants. The presence of the red cedar in the basin reminded the region's early Euro-American settlers of the Lebanese cedar forests of Biblical fame.

Cedars of Lebanon State Forest is underlain by Ordovician period limestone, formed roughly 460 million years ago from calcareous ooze deposited by a primordial sea that once covered Middle Tennessee. Weathering of this rock has led to the creation of karst formations such as joints, underground streams, caves, and sinkholes, which are common throughout the park and forest. The forest is located in a flat section of the Central Basin characterized by thin soil layers where the limestone bedrock is often exposed.

Cedar glade communities have adapted to the basin's harsh barrens, where the soil is too thin to support most plant types, especially large wooded plants. The glades are typically open areas resembling rock or gravel-strewn meadows. Most glades include small areas of bare rock where nothing grows, gravelly areas where only grasses grow, and patches of very thin soil that support shrubs and small red cedars. Cedar glades are typically surrounded by stands of red cedar known as cedar thickets. Beyond the cedar thickets, the soil is thick enough to support a hardwood forest consisting primarily of oak and hickory.

The cedar glades of Cedars of Lebanon State Forest are home to 350 plant species, 29 of which are endemic to the cedar glades. Flowering plant species living in the glades include the formerly endangered Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis), the Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), Limestone flame flower (Phemeranthus calcaricus), Gattinger's Prairie Clover (Dalea gattingeri), Glade Phlox (Phlox bifida), and Nashville Breadroot (Pediomelum subacaule). Nonflowering plants include reindeer moss and glade moss. Along with the red cedar, trees in the surrounding forest include white oak and shagbark hickory. Wildlife chiefly consists of rodents and birds.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedars_of_Lebanon_State_Park

Communal refuse collection point, Atyrau, Kazakhstan.

In the same district as the previous photo, but closer to the Ural river, more single storey houses are built around a grid system.

Large bins such as this can often be found, serving as communal collection points for household waste, in lieu of limited or nonexistent municipal services.

They also double as incinerators - waste is burnt in situ, and seeing a smouldering alien is not uncommon.

Very cool house but fugly outside, no garage or driveway. Unclear if it's properly heated or insulated, it was 45 degrees in there and we want to go for a second tour when the heat is on. This is the huge dining room, pillars to the left lead to similarly enormous living room w/ tiny weird carpeted "office" room (barely big enough to hold a toy chest and a chair.

I don't know, this place has other issues. Upstairs bedrooms have short ceilings (like 7 feet instead of 8, but you feel squished) and crappy/nonexistent closets. Carpet upstairs needs replacing. We wouldn't get approved for a loan until a banister is put in on the stairs. There is no driveway, no garage. No basement for storage, but we could easily use an extra upstairs bedroom for storage, like we do now. Exterior could be painted from its hideous mustard color to be a bit more palatable. Yard is wet, mossy and dark, not suited for gardening, can't do much about that.

Photographs by Paul Russell

Learn more about Steve's work: visitsteve.com/

ABOUT THE PROJECT

(from the SPACES catalog)

Starting a conversation about Capitalism is like walking up to a stranger and asking, “Can I talk to you about Jesus?”

The word “capitalism” is a red flag. And for good reason—pretty soon either some dude is talking your ear off about “The System” or aggressively confronting you about taxes. Ugh.

At the same time, capitalism is discussed every day using euphemisms like “jobs,” “job creation,” “the business climate,” and discussing whatever “crisis” is deemed relevant; a housing crisis, financial crisis, social security crisis, tax crisis, or fill- in-the blank crisis. But the whole is rarely a topic of frank discussion—much less alternatives or meaningful reform.

As a culture, we need the vision and boldness it takes to discuss the problem itself. The idea that “there is no alternative” to the way our world works takes away our ability to dream. As citizens we need the courage to begin these discussions on order to move on to new and better visions for the future.

But what to do? Start a conversation about capitalism and friends edge away slowly, and strangers even faster.

This is what art is for. This is what art does well. It creates a space where new ideas and perspectives can be explored. A space unlike any other.

Throughout my artistic career I’ve challenged myself to take on difficult subject matter in ways that are engaging and fun. I’ve found humor and popular culture can open doors to difficult but worthwhile subjects and enable us to envision and move toward new, utopian futures.

The sign starts here in Cleveland and will tour the US leading up to and beyond the 2012 presidential election. People who vote will be given the opportunity to have their portrait taken and give a short statement about why they voted the way they did. There will be a book, website, and videos that document people’s interactions and thoughts.

I’m excited that this piece takes on what for most Americans is a taboo, or even nonexistent subject: whether global, hegemonic capitalism actually works for most people. But whew, talking about that is boring! And telling people what to think is worse! This sign gets passers by to participate in deceptively simple vote (True/ False) which only pretends to offer resolution. Every aspect of the interaction draws them in to more complex questions and conversations, leading to new thoughts and ideas about a better world!

For 50 years it has been unacceptable, politically, in the United States to ask what is basically a straightforward question. We have a particular economic system, it’s called capitalism. We have every right as a society to ask of that system, is it working? Is it working for us? Do the benefits and the costs balance themselves out in a way that says, do we want to keep this system? Or that says, we want to change this system? Or that says, we ought to look at an alternative system. We’ve been afraid to ask that question. We’ve been afraid to have public debates—that’s the legacy of the cold war. We can’t afford anymore to not do that. We have to raise the question.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October.

However, with the end of hostilities in Europe in May 1945 the P-51E contract was cancelled, as well as the option for more aircraft. Altogether only 363 lightweight P-51Es were completed and reached frontline units, exclusively operating with the 8th and 9th Fighter Command.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 33 ft 3 in (10,15 m)

Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11,28 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4,08 m)

Wing area: 234 sq ft (21,81 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 66(2)-215

Empty weight: 5,792 lb (2.630 kg)

Loaded weight: 7,268 lb (3.300 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 9,559 lb (4.340 kg)

Maximum fuel capacity: 419 US gal (349 imp gal; 1,590 l)

Powerplant:

1× Packard V-1650-9 liquid-cooled V-12 with 2-stage intercooled supercharger,

delivering 1,380 hp (1,030 kW), 2,218 hp (1,655 kW) WEP with Water methanol injection,

driving a Hamilton Standard constant-speed, variable-pitch three blade propeller with

a 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) diameter

Performance:

Maximum speed: 472 mph (760 km/h; 410 kn) at 21,200 ft (6,500 m)

Cruise speed: 362 mph (315 kn, 580 km/h)

Stall speed: 100 mph (87 kn, 160 km/h)

Range: 1,650 mi (1,434 nmi, 2,755 km) with external tanks

Service ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,800 m)

Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s)

Wing loading: 39 lb/sqft (192 kg/m²)

Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (300 W/kg)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6

Recommended Mach limit 0.8

Armament:

4× 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 400 RPG

A pair of underwing hardpoints for a pair of drop tanks

or bombs of 100 lb (45 kg), 250 lb (113 kg) or 500 lb (226 kg) caliber

The kit and its assembly:

A project that was more complex than obvious at first glance. The plan was to create a “missing link” between the WWII P-51D and its lightweight sibling P-51H, which came too late in WWII to take seriously part in any combat. There actually were some “interim” designs, which paved the way (the F, G and J models), with lightweight hulls or different engines. My plan was to adopt some details of these aircraft to create the fictional P-51E.

For a look that subtly differs from the well-known P-51D I decided light-headedly to bash two Academy models together: a P-51D hull, mixed with the wings and tail from a P-51B/C kit, plus some inter-kit and external donors. What sounds simple turned out to be a major surgery task, though, because both kits are totally different, produced with individual moulds and few interchangeable parts! Even details which you’d expect to me identical (e. g. wing tip and tail shape) differ markedly.

For the P-51E kitbash the fuselage with cockpit, engine and radiator bath was taken from the P-51D, while the tail and the wings were taken from the P-51B/C, because they were slightly bigger, “edgier”, lacked the fin fillet and featured only four machine guns in the wings. Mating these parts called for many adaptations and massive PSR, though. To change the look further I removed the small wing leading edge extensions, for a completely straight edge, and the cowling was changed to look like a mix of the P-51F and J prototypes. The carburetor intake disappeared and a part of the P-51D spinner was used to extend the fuselage a little. A completely new three-blade propeller was scratched, using a Yokosuka D4Y spinner, a piece from an ESCI Ka-34 Hokum main rotor, and clipped blades from a Hasegawa F5U. A styrene tube was added to hold the propeller’s new metal axis. To compensate for the longer nose the rear fuselage a 2mm section of the P-51D hull was retained in front of the transplanted P-51B/C tail (which is a separate hull section, the -D has an integral tail).

The original exhausts were replaced with resin aftermarket pieces for P-400 Airacobra from Quickboost - for which the nose extension paid out, because the V-1710 exhaust arrangement is longer than the Merlin's.

Painting and markings:

I wanted a typical, potentially colorful USAAF livery from early 1945 for this what-if aircraft model. This meant that the aircraft would have a NMF livery, and Invasion Stripes or other ID markings were already removed or not applied to new aircraft anymore. Camouflage had been omitted from 1945, too. As squadron markings I went for the 357th FG red-and-yellow nose markings; these came with Academy’s P-51B/C kit, but I replaced them with decals from a Mistercraft/Intech kit from The Stash™ because their shape was simpler and would (probably) better match the modified lower nose. Searching for later P-51Ds of this group revealed that the aircraft hardly carried any other colorful marking, though – just the tactical code, and maybe some personal markings.

To keep in style I adapted this basis, using a tone called “White Aluminum (RAL 9006)” from a Duplicolor rattle can as an overall basis, but added a thin red edge to the olive drab (Revell 46) anti-glare panel, created with generic decal stripes. The rudder as well as the wing tips were painted in red, an official 363rd FS ID marking, as a counterbalance to the prominent nose, too.

The propeller spinner was painted free-handedly, in an attempt to match the checker decal's colors. Some hull panels were painted in a darker shade of aluminum to make the model look mo0re lively, and some post-shading with Humbrol Matt Aluminum Metallizer was done to improve that effect, too. Cockpit and landing gear wells were painted in a bright green zinc chromate primer tone.

Decals and markings were puzzled together from various sources. Finding a suitable 'B6' code fpr the 363rd FS was tough, but I was eventually able to scratch it from 'P9' codes from two Academy P-47D kits/sheets! BTW, the horizontal bar above the aircraft's individual letter was a real world marking for a second aircraft that bore this tactical code within the unit. The nose art/tag was also donated from an Academy P-47, the yellow font matches the rest of the unit colors well.

The anti glare panel and the propeller blades received a matt varnish coat, while the rest of the hull was covered with a mix of matt and a little semi-gloss varnish - contemporary Mustang photos from 1945 suggest that, despite being bare metal, the aircraft were not polished or shiny at all, yet the aluminum would have some reflections. I think that the final overall finish looks quite good. As a final step I added some light soot stains behind the exhausts and the machine gun orifices, and dry-brushed some silver on edges/areas where paint could have flaked in real life. Not much, but it adds to the overall impression of a used aircraft.

A more demanding project than meets the eye. Bashing the two Mustang kits for a fictional new one might have been a smart idea, but it turned out to be a nightmare because the two 1:72 Mustand Academy kits are totally incompatible. Additionally, the mods I made are VERY subtle, it takes a keen eye to recognize the lengthened hull, the modfied cowling and the cleaner tail. The three-blade prop is the most obvious thing, and with it, from certain angles, the P-51E reminds somewhat of a Yak-9? Probably due to the intake-less cowling and the (for a Mustang) unusual prop? The livery looks plausible and colorful, though. :D

Somalia is often described as the world's original failed state – a lawless country that has been engulfed in conflict for more than 20 years. According to women in Somalia saying that one of the greatest risk to women's lives is not war, but birth. One of the most dangerous things a woman in Somalia can do is to become pregnant. When she does, her chances of survival drop considerably due to the nonexistent antenatal care, nonexistent medical supplies, the extraordinarily poor healthcare available and the lack of infrastructure. A woman's lifetime risk of dying from maternal causes here is 1 in 14. This is one of the highest rates in the world, second only to Afghanistan. When a woman is due to give birth, she just waits for delivery, praying she doesn't die in the process.

Add to this the constant risk of getting shot or raped, as well as the ubiquitous practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) – something 95% of girls aged 4 to 11 face – make women's lives in Somalia almost unlivable.

More about womens world www.flickr.com/photos/noomad/sets/72157629934029865/

da Il cavaliere inesistente di Italo Calvino

from The Nonexistent Knight by Italo Calvino

ABSOLUTELY BETTER ON BLACK

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

Posters and Art Prints are now available @ ArtFlakes

Copyright © Francesca Alviani All rights reserved

Thanks for visiting!

Regal Westchester Commons (66,000 square feet)

361 Perimeter Drive, Westchester Commons, Midlothian, VA

Opened April 17th, 2009

Pictured: auditorium 3, capacity 134

The next day's movie time brought me back to the Westchester Commons Regal. I view this place as the little brother of the Commonwealth Regal not too far away: both are megaplexes in power centers right off Virgina State Route 288, they dominate the Chesterfield/Midlothian region (AMC Dine-In feels like its' own thing to me), and they both feature a consistent-look across all of their auditoriums. The smaller auditoriums at Westchester are accessed via a hallway like what you see in this photo, which leads to the stadium level and places the seating directly in front of the screen into a pit. The walls don't really have curtains, but instead are red square pads pieced together that presumably soundproof the auditoriums better. Screen masking appears to be nonexistent, unfortunately. My movie choice for this visit was Stillwater.

This fighter doesn't exist. It has an ejectable seat, flick fire missiles and other missiles. I know, lots of missiles, here's a video of it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd5H6bZNybU

Finnegan's Point tent pads

A small number of settlements sprang up quickly on the trail to serve Stampeders and packers. Aside from Dyea, each of these were nonexistent or only seasonal before 1897.

Finnegan's Point, a small resting place between Dyea and Canyon City, was the first such encampment. Since it was not commonly used as an overnight stop, it did not evolve into the boomtowns that were found farther along the trail.

Chilkoot Trail Cultural Landscape Report

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska

Day 68 of the 365 Journey. As I drove to work this morning, I looked at thermostat and it read 72 degrees. As it was only 6:30 in the morning, everything screamed SCORCHER! Had there only been a slight breeze it would have made the outrageous heat a tad bit bearable. However as it was, the breeze was nonexistent. After work I rushed home, grabbed the hose, and sprayed myself as if I was one of the puppies trying to avoid overheating. The title was originally “TRIPLE DIGITS”, however something about it just screamed “NIKE AD”. HAHA, so there ya have it!

(DISCLAIMER:Not affiliated with NIKE in any way shape or form)

Tomorrow should be about 10 degrees cooler…..WHEW!

Strobist:

Shutter Speed 2s

Aperture F32

ISO 100

Focal Length – 40mm

White Bal – Auto

Lighting – Flashpoint Monolight 1220 at 2/5 Power with 45’’ Shoot thru Umbrella at at subject 85 Degrees (approx 5ft forward).

More architectural whimsy. This sandstone sculpture and medallion decorate the entrance to the Santa Barbara courthouse. They represent agriculture and industry, which were historically important in Santa Barbara. These days, agcriculture is all but nonexistent in Santa Barbara itself. If it were carved today, she'd probably be holding a bottle of wine, which is the county's biggest agricultural commodity.

I love the fellow depicted as "industry" inside the medallion. Trains chug in front of him, he sports a winged cap, and he holds a ship in one hand and a fistful of electrical bolts in the other. These days, his left hand would hold a yacht, and the other might have a shopping bag or a plate of fancy grub to go with Lady Agriculture's bottle of wine.

A curious bit of history goes along with these carvings. The sculptor, and Italian named Ettore Cadorin, had moved to Santa Barbara just before the infamous 1925 earthquake, which leveled most of the buildings in town. Having been trained in Venice and Paris, Cadorin was an easy favorite for the contract to do the sculpture work for the new courthouse.

Within days of the earthquake, Cadorin launched a campaign to convince the city that it should be "rebuilt in high artistic style.” Moreover, the city should rebuild “even the houses which are not damaged, but are ugly, and would spoil the whole effect.”

Santa Barbara now advertises itself as California's Riviera, although some argue that the city is excessively vain about appearance. Houses are mostly whitewashed with orange-tile roofs, which adds a homogeneous look to the city. Hot pink or electric blue houses are zoned out of existence. Cadorin would have approved.

Photo by Oscar Leiva/Silverlight

Comasagua is located in southwestern El Salvador in the Balsamo coastal range between San Salvador and La Libertad departments. The Balsamo Range is a coffee producing area with 3,452 coffee farmers with 33,502 ha of coffee. These coffee-dominated watersheds on the south slopes of the Balsamo mountain range are the water sources and recharge areas for water sources for the towns and villages in the upper watershed plus numerous fast-growing tourist cities and towns in the coastal zone directly south of Comasagua, including the city of La Libertad. The high elevation coffee farms in Comasagua produce high quality coffee. Nevertheless, most farms have yields far below potential and investment continues to be limited. Coffee rust hit many of these farmers severely in 2012.

There has never been a significant water resource management program in this area; the water issues are serious and highly conflictive within these watersheds. Collaboration between municipalities, communities and coffee producers is considered weak to nonexistent.

There's a lot disturbing about the current era of American history, but one of the most troublesome trends is the seeming increase in the number of people who claim willingness to take arms against the government in some sort of full-scale rebellion. These people illustrate the adage about not knowing history. They'd do well to educate themselves about what happened during the winter of 1777-1778, when a bunch of disorganized yahoos who'd gotten themselves in the middle of a war decided to hole up at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. (Of course, the yahoos would eventually win that war, in part because they weren't going up against people with missiles and F-22s.)

A Patriotic American would likely take umbrage at my description of George Washington's Continental Army as "disorganized yahoos," but it doesn't take a very close read of history to see that this is exactly what they were. They'd emerged as a fighting force from numerous bands of colonial militias made up largely of local weekend warrior types, men who had day jobs but stood ready to play soldier after-hours if they needed to defend their specific corner of their specific colony. But the militias of Massachusetts had performed well enough when fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775 that in June the Continental Congress in Philadelphia stopped arguing about things long enough to turn them into an actual army. They did this mostly by saying, "Hey, militia guys! You're an army now." They didn't really add any money for training or equipment or anything, because despite our affection for the phrase, "Freedom isn't free," Americans have a long tradition of not wanting to pay for anything.

The Patriots fought through the winter of early 1776 and into the spring and summer. They crossed the Delaware River near Trenton in December, 1776, and spent that winter camped in Morristown, New Jersey. They fought again through the summer and fall of 1777, when they lost Philadelphia to the British. Then winter came on strong, and Washington's army was forced to settle down in about as unreasonable a place as they could find. Washington put them atop a couple of forested hills near the site of an old iron forge, and they set about building what shelter they could.

Of course, they'd been running around New Jersey and Pennsylvania now for a year and a half, and they were tired and worn. Their gear was falling apart. Their clothes were shredded, and only a third of them had shoes. Supply lines were tenuous, and there wasn't much supply to send anyway, so they lived mostly on flour and water paste. Starvation and disease ran rampant through the camp. Morale was nonexistent, and desertions were common. Of 12,000 soldiers who camped at Valley Forge that winter, 2,500 would never see the spring.

We found Andrew Linn drifting around in the almost nonexistent breeze in his Puddle Goose, using plans from Michael Storer as inspiration, but adding significant personal touches.

This will by my confession

Often feeling depression

Because I am not with that one

Instead I am with none

I am a lonely heart

Slowly falling apart

Becoming rather distant

Almost nonexistent

Evaporated into the air

Forever in despair

Contemplating my obsessions

These were my confessions

- Confession, by Ryan Martinez

for Pavla

www.behance.net/gallery/21033047/Nonexistent-Vodka

for Pavla

www.behance.net/gallery/21033047/Nonexistent-Vodka

Taken for June 09 MSH - Persona Non Grata.

According to Wikipedia - Persona non grata literally means 'an unwelcome person', it is a term used in diplomacy with a specialized and legally defined meaning. In non-diplomatic usage, calling someone 'persona non grata' is to say that he or she is ostracized, so as to be figuratively nonexistent.

After struggling for ideas for this category I thought what better way to illustrate it than with a featureless nonexistent person.

Dylan next to the Apollo 11 (?) command module at the Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. May have been a Gemini capsule -- memory imperfect, notes nonexistent

I apologize for the crappy picture...

While helping me upgrade a multimedia projector, my colleague found this cable splice in the false ceiling. Besides the fact the cable is not plenum-rated (jacket can melt and create toxic gases in the event of a fire), the integrity of the shield is nonexistent at the splice.

We ran a new cable to make things right.

On the Greenbush Line.

So why is this station called a "junction" when there's only 1 line here? And why is it called Nantasket (old name for the town of Hull) when it's located in Hingham? "Nantasket Junction" is the historic name for this station when it was on the Old Colony RR (and later the NY, NH & H RR Old Colony division.) It was a junction of the Boston-Scituate line (same one as the current Greenbush line) and the now-nonexistent Nantasket Line that went from here to Pemberton Point at the northern tip of Hull.

A one-off, this little car was allegedly actually used for a number of years. I don't suppose the brakes were very impressive, but it has one heck of a cooling system for its Indian V-twin motorcycle engine.

The combination of essentially nonexistent braking and a food processor for a front bumper may have made this unpopular with local pedestrians.

Russian infantry training with flamethrower sappers.

It is not clear if the flamethrower is a static or portable model. In the center of the photo, sappers in heavy fireproof suits can be seen.

They appear to be waiting to take turns at the flamethrower; one is seen running to the right.

The flameproof overalls were copies of the British Suit, Anti-liquid Fire, Pattern 3023/1918.

Photos of Russian flamethrower sappers in action are virtually nonexistent.

"may the smell of burning oil & defeat live on forever in our hearts"

Betty the Barina was a car, she was a car in the same way that a Turd Sandwich is still a sandwich.

Betty I will miss your faulty CV joints, your nonexistent brake pads, the one working indicator, the window winder that snapped off in my hand one evening, the windscreen wipers that only had 2 settings; fast and super fast and had to be turned off by timing it just right that you flicked the switch when they got to the bottom. I will miss the smell of burning oil and melting clutch, the big coolant stain on the passenger side floor (my bad), the non-existent air-conditioning, the shitty shitty shitty radio & its coat hanger aerial. Most of all, I'll miss the massive oil stain you were creating on our garage floor.

Betty the Barina, may you continue to piss people off in car heaven!

PS - Betty was still going strong when we traded her in and bought a new car today!

Manufacturer: Yamato Motor Corporation

Nationality: Japan

First assembled: December 8th, 2044

Birthplace: Tochigi, Japan

Engine: 2.4 L Turbocharged Three-Rotor/ Dual AC Synchronous E-Motors

HP: 820

0-60: 2.4 seconds

Top speed: 225.00 MPH

Despite accounting for such a large piece of the global automotive industry, genuine supercars out of Japan are a rarity. Not nonexistent by any means, but for a part of the world that is so instrumental to car culture across the globe you'd expect more. Of course alot of the greatest sportscars ever created hail from the Land of the Rising Sun, but very few fit the traditional definition of a supercar despite some reaching supercar-levels of performance. For the few bona-fide Japanese supercars out there however, they're considered some of the greatest cars to not only come out of the eastern hemisphere, but some of the greatest the world has ever seen. Yamato Motor Corporation, probably the biggest name in the Japanese automotive industry, predictably gave the world one of these few Japanese supercars. What they gave is one of the most revered driver's cars ever conceived and something that influenced their performance and motorsports programs decades after it first appeared.

The story of Yamato's supercar begins in the mid-1980s within the depths of Yamato's R&D division. Engineers were experimenting with different engine and chassis layouts to test their viability for future products, and one project was a hacked-up economy car with its engine placed behind the driver and powering the rear wheels. Data from this project would go on to influence some rallycar projects, but engineers had so much fun working with this frankenstein platform that higher-ups in the company were convinced to develop a pure sportscar. A couple concept cars and some consultation from race car drivers working under Yamato at the time, and the XSP (eXperimental Sportscar Prototype) project began in earnest. With a robust and highly-decorated motorsports team alongside some of the greatest engineers in the business backed by one of the largest R&D departments in the industry, Yamato had about the best development resources available to them and used them liberally. The fruits of their labors would hit the public eye in the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, creating quite the splash with the automotive press. The Yamato Raijin had made its grand debut, and it stole the show wherever it went. Yamato went with the name "Raijin" after the Shinto god of lightning, not just to hint at the car's lightning-quick performance, but to compliment the "lower-tier" Fujin sportscar Yamato was producing at the time. In Shinto faith, Raijin and Fujin are depicted as brothers, so it only made sense for Yamato to reflect this with their two dedicated performance cars. And what a performer the Raijin was. Yamato outright targeted Italian supercar maker Scaletti when developing the Raijin, intending to provide on-par or greater performance figures while offering something more usable, reliable, and affordable. When the Raijin reached production a year later in 1990, reception was near-universal where it was more or less agreed that it crushed the goals Yamato was aiming for. Special mention was given to the Raijin's frame, which was meticulously fine-tuned to be as lightweight as possible while providing laser-precise handling. The punchy, high-revving flat-6 engine was also unlike anything else on the road with plenty of innovative firsts at the time such as titanium connecting rods and forged pistons. Despite this motorsports-born performance credentials, the Raijin was also a practical and reliable daily driver, notably with a fighter jet-inspired canopy that offered great visibility for a supercar in that era. As it was developed by Yamato's motorsports division, predictably it would end up going racing where it would gain even more race victories for the company. Overall the Raijin would turn out to be a fantastic success for Yamato that would greatly influence their future performance cars and even other marques across the globe. While the first-gen Raijin would cease production in the early-2000s, the nameplate's popularity would never really fall, and Yamato certainly wasn't foolish enough to forget it.

The Raijin would return in the late 2010s as a more tech-focused hybrid-powered supercar, offering a glimpse of 7-figure technology for a 6-figure price. It was a great car by all regards, but with the bar the original Raijin set there was no way this new generation was going to have the same universal acclaim. After a few years the second-gen Raijin would cease production, and it would be decades before Yamato would try their hand at a supercar again. Their motorsports and R&D division wouldn't slow down, however, and would expand their knowledge and resources all the way up until the 2040s. International automotive press would be set off when something was spotted at Twin Ring Montegi in Togichi, Yamato's test track of choice for their racing projects. An obviously mid-engined supercar in heavy prototype camo was frequently spotted doing test laps around the circuit. The spotters noted a distinctly high-pitched engine note that was unlike the boxer-style engines Yamato commonly used for their high-performance models. They also noted that sometimes while it was driving, it made no sound at all outside of tire noise. The prototype camo was very effective at hiding the car's design, but even then many enthusiasts noted from the spy shots that it seemed to carry some design cues from older Raijin generations. This in turn would spark common speculation that this strange new car was Yamato resurrecting the legendary nameplate for a 3rd time. Speculation was all anybody had until the 2044 Tokyo Motor Show came up. To nobody's surprise but to everyone's excitement, the speculation was true. Flanked on both sides of the stage by prior Raijin generations, Yamato revealed the 3rd-generation Raijin supercar to the world. While this new generation visually respected its past, it was clearly looking towards the future. Yamato stated that while the Raijin name was a historically-significant one to not just themselves but the Japanese auto industry as a whole, this latest-and-greatest Raijin was the result of them throwing all their most advanced research and technology into one platform, taking it from a supercar to nearly reaching into hypercar territory.

The amount of advanced tech that went into developing the latest Raijin is outright daunting to get into, so its best to cover the highlights. The greatest is the new powertrain by far. Like the previous generation the new Raijin is a hybrid, utilizing internal combustion and electrification together. The electric component is a pair of motors powering both the front and rear wheels, making the Raijin AWD. The Raijin is of course capable of electric-only mode, that thanks to a high-capacity solid-state battery pack located directly behind the cabin, gives it a range of 400 miles per charge. What makes the powertrain of the new Raijin so noteworthy is the internal combustion component. Previous generations used some iteration of Yamato's long-running flat-6 platform. The latest Raijin has broken this norm by dumping pistons entirely in place of utilizing a new rotary engine, specifically a 2.4 liter 3-rotor inspired by some of Yamato's historic LM Prototypes. Yamato went with a rotary engine for a few reasons. The compact size and light weight was optimal for the packaging of the Raijin while also helping mitigate the weight gain of the hybrid platform. Rotaries are also high-revving and produce the most power per displacement, which doesn't need much explaining why that's good to have in a supercar. To give it even more power Yamato grafted a single turbo to this new powertrain, which they even prominently display in the back, exposed just behind the rear wing with the car's muffler attached to its other end. The most unique thing about the Raijin's rotary engine has to be its construction. Each one of these engines is assembled by hand by master craftsmen called a "Takumi". The assembly doesn't take place in a typical manufacturing line, but in a special "clean room" that is temperature controlled down to the thousandth of a degree, and so sanitized even a brain surgeon would find it a bit overkill. Sanitation is taken so seriously that there's an outright "airlock" engineers have to go through to enter the room. All this is to minimize parts expanding or retracting during assembly, and to avoid molecular imperfections. After roughly 20 hours of assembly, including about 2 towards post-assembly inspection and testing, what you get is an engine making 700 HP on the nose. Combined with the electric component's 120 HP, the latest Raijin is good for a formidable 820 HP. What's really impressive is the Raijin's advance computers governing this power, and how it determines how much power should be going to each wheel under hard driving, with millions of subtle alterations being made in a second to provide optimal performance. Very much supercar stuff, but power isn't solely where Yamato's technological might went when making the new Raijin.

The new Raijin's frame is built from nanocomposites on aluminum subframes, with the body also being made entirely from nanocomposites. Nanocomposites aren't new for high-performance vehicles, but its how these composites are constructed that makes the difference. Said nanocomposites consist of carbon and titanium that offer excellent strength and weight advantages. Yamato utilizes a 3D loom to weave these materials together, which helps further increase the strength of the assembled parts while significantly cutting down on the volume of materials needed to make the parts in the first place. 3D looms are also not new tech, but the one Yamato utilizes is working with nanocomposites. Threads of carbon and titanium so thin one can hardly see with the naked eye, yet Yamato's loom is able to weave them with surgical precision to create lightweight high-performance parts. This weight shedding is needed as outside of the hybrid powertrain adding some weight, other components like the suspension system also give the Raijin a bit of heft. Yamato has taken a heavily-modified variant of the "Sleipnir" electromagnetic suspension from the ultra-luxury Millennium sedan and gave it to the Raijin. While in the Millennium this system was meant to make the ride as sublime as possible, in the Raijin it makes real-time split-second adjustments during hard driving to determine the optimal setup. This is helped by the same computers that control where the Raijin's power goes. Each individual shock will never have the exact same stiffness or softness in a turn while the system is set in sport mode or above. Of course since this system first saw use in a luxury cruiser, a highway setting is available to give the Raijin Grand Tourer-levels of road comfort. Another thing that helps with both performance and ride comfort is the wheels. Each rim on a Raijin is forged from a single piece of Magnesium. Yamato chose Magnesium instead of a lighter nanocomposite for a few reasons. Magnesium is simply more affordable by every regard, able to be more easily repaired or refurbished. Magnesium also has better vibration dampening, providing better ride quality and handling. And finally, magnesium is great for heat transfer, able to take heat from the brakes during hard driving and move it to the tires to keep them warm and grippy. Various active aero elements throughout the Raijin also help to direct airflow to precise areas to either give the Raijin optimal performance in either straight-line speed or under more track-focused conditions. The body and aero of the Raijin was primarily designed by Yamato's in-house design A.I in wind tunnel testing to both offer the best aerodynamics while offering a design with the great cabin visibility the Raijin was famous for. Again, this aero is controlled by the Raijin's advanced computers, which speaking of, is a quantum-based CPU developed in-house by Yamato's electronics division. Considering all the ultra-precise tasks it has to manage, Yamato going big on the CPU was outright necessary. Especially to give the driver a proper readout of the Raijin's speed. With how high the rotary engine revs and how quickly it can get to said revs, a regular rev counter wouldn't cut it. And with the electric components to the powertrain giving the Raijin incredible acceleration, a normal speedometer wasn't going to cut it. 0-60 in the latest Raijin is in the lower 2 seconds, and 0-120 in just over 6. Overall it'll hit its electronically-limited top speed of 225 MPH in little over 20 seconds. With numbers like that, its safe to say the latest Raijin more than deserves to share a name with a god of lightning.

When the latest Raijin was released, it was met with mixed reception. Obviously the overall performance was lauded, with many reviewers making note of its unorthodox powertrain, impressive acceleration and refined handling characteristics. Many also appreciated the advanced technology that went into its design and production. Others weren't so receptive to Raijin's reliance on tech, saying that all the driver aids and electrification to the powertrain diluted the driving feel. The Raijin was also scrutinized for its pricetag, which at $350,000 per unit was considerably more than previous generations and even comparable sportscars on the market. Many fans of the Raijin nameplate went as far as to say the new model didn't deserve to carry the name. However, some looked at the price and pointed out that the latest Raijin was offering 7-figure tech at a 6-figure price bracket not unlike the generation it succeeded, which was hard to argue with considering everything it provided. With its hybrid setup and well-designed interior, many also noted how comfortable of a daily driver it was. Again, much like prior generations of the Raijin. Whatever anyone thought of the latest Raijin, it was still a success in Yamato's eyes. It was an exciting demonstration of their technological ability, making it the perfect "halo model", and it sold well enough, too. Yamato would make 500 Raijins annually, with large quantities of them selling quickly.

I had to include this photo for old times sake. I found this Gameboy while I was home over Thanksgiving break. I could not believe how unfortunate the images and graphics were, and for the color? More like nonexistent color! Video games today have become so much more advanced over the last 15 years from when I received this as a Christmas gift.

The Giant's Causeway in Ireland. An interesting natural formation, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a shot taken from the causeway itself, looking inwards. The mountains in the back surround the causeway, while behind me was the tempestuous sea. The weather that day was mercurial, with every 15 minutes bringing rain or shine alternately. After 30 minutes at the causeway (not nearly enough time for my shooting) a downpour started, forcing me and my camera to run for nonexistent cover. Fortunately, I had a spare poncho which my camera bag fit under, so my equipment was spared. Needless to say, I was soaking wet on the bus back.

The idea of developing and running your home business may be interesting; however, there will still be challenges to surmount. If you truly want to run a successful home business, use the following advice to your advantage.

When you launch your home-based business, email your family members, pals and colleagues to let them understand about your new venture. Give them something free of cost or offer a fantastic price cut to get them considering your new business. Encourage them to spread the word about your new business. There is nothing quite as effective as personal referrals.

Before you start selling anything, you should make certain to find out what the price variety for it is in the current market. Consider the prices of comparable products, and purpose to slightly undercut the competition. It is very important to bear in mind that no matter what, you should highlight the good aspects of your business and not the adverse aspects of other businesses.

Find a forum to join that's major topic is home business. You will be able to interact with other company owner. Other people running a home business will understand your situation. They will be the best people to share information with and receive good advice from.

If you aren't sure what you would like to do, look online for home business suggestions. But enjoy out. The Internet is also an area where scams abound. Be careful. Always check to see if the information you want is available somewhere else free of cost. You should also enjoy out for complex scams that offer access to nonexistent work for a fee, or tuition for on the internet courses that are ineffective. If an offer sounds unbelievable, it's probably a scam.

Develop a detailed home business plan. Your business plan isn't repaired; you can change it in response to market realities, or even put it aside. However, your plan will work as a guide map when you're getting started, and will be a convenient tip of what you 'd like to accomplish with your business. Your business plan should be continually progressing.

Keep an accurate accounting of all financial records of your business. If the IRS wants to audit your business, things will be a lot much easier if you have specified records available. These records can also give you a clear peek of how you are doing month to month.

Your family requires to be supportive of your home business. Establishing a home business can be incredibly time consuming, and often comes with a fantastic bargain of stress. If your family members are not ready to help and support you, even just by giving you alone time to work, you will not be able to successfully run a home business.

Promote your home business by utilizing SEO strategies. For people who wish to market online to a large network of individuals, SEO work is essential. Many different tips exist for carrying out SEO on your own, and there are many resources out there that can assist you.

As pointed out, being your own boss and following your dreams is very interesting to many people. Performing the tips shared here will help make a home business prosper in a big way.

It is crucial to bear in mind that no matter what, you should highlight the good aspects of your business and not the adverse aspects of other businesses.

A good protective step you can take when establishing a home business is to rent a PO box and use it as your business address. It can be a good idea to set up your own home business network to conveniently connect with other businesses. Talking improperly about rivals is never good business; simply build up your own business.

To keep track of your business, open a checking account strictly for the business. www.empowernetwork.com/webmillionaire/blog/best-home-base...

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October.

However, with the end of hostilities in Europe in May 1945 the P-51E contract was cancelled, as well as the option for more aircraft. Altogether only 363 lightweight P-51Es were completed and reached frontline units, exclusively operating with the 8th and 9th Fighter Command.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 33 ft 3 in (10,15 m)

Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11,28 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4,08 m)

Wing area: 234 sq ft (21,81 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 66(2)-215

Empty weight: 5,792 lb (2.630 kg)

Loaded weight: 7,268 lb (3.300 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 9,559 lb (4.340 kg)

Maximum fuel capacity: 419 US gal (349 imp gal; 1,590 l)

Powerplant:

1× Packard V-1650-9 liquid-cooled V-12 with 2-stage intercooled supercharger,

delivering 1,380 hp (1,030 kW), 2,218 hp (1,655 kW) WEP with Water methanol injection,

driving a Hamilton Standard constant-speed, variable-pitch three blade propeller with

a 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) diameter

Performance:

Maximum speed: 472 mph (760 km/h; 410 kn) at 21,200 ft (6,500 m)

Cruise speed: 362 mph (315 kn, 580 km/h)

Stall speed: 100 mph (87 kn, 160 km/h)

Range: 1,650 mi (1,434 nmi, 2,755 km) with external tanks

Service ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,800 m)

Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s)

Wing loading: 39 lb/sqft (192 kg/m²)

Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (300 W/kg)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6

Recommended Mach limit 0.8

Armament:

4× 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 400 RPG

A pair of underwing hardpoints for a pair of drop tanks

or bombs of 100 lb (45 kg), 250 lb (113 kg) or 500 lb (226 kg) caliber

The kit and its assembly:

A project that was more complex than obvious at first glance. The plan was to create a “missing link” between the WWII P-51D and its lightweight sibling P-51H, which came too late in WWII to take seriously part in any combat. There actually were some “interim” designs, which paved the way (the F, G and J models), with lightweight hulls or different engines. My plan was to adopt some details of these aircraft to create the fictional P-51E.

For a look that subtly differs from the well-known P-51D I decided light-headedly to bash two Academy models together: a P-51D hull, mixed with the wings and tail from a P-51B/C kit, plus some inter-kit and external donors. What sounds simple turned out to be a major surgery task, though, because both kits are totally different, produced with individual moulds and few interchangeable parts! Even details which you’d expect to me identical (e. g. wing tip and tail shape) differ markedly.

For the P-51E kitbash the fuselage with cockpit, engine and radiator bath was taken from the P-51D, while the tail and the wings were taken from the P-51B/C, because they were slightly bigger, “edgier”, lacked the fin fillet and featured only four machine guns in the wings. Mating these parts called for many adaptations and massive PSR, though. To change the look further I removed the small wing leading edge extensions, for a completely straight edge, and the cowling was changed to look like a mix of the P-51F and J prototypes. The carburetor intake disappeared and a part of the P-51D spinner was used to extend the fuselage a little. A completely new three-blade propeller was scratched, using a Yokosuka D4Y spinner, a piece from an ESCI Ka-34 Hokum main rotor, and clipped blades from a Hasegawa F5U. A styrene tube was added to hold the propeller’s new metal axis. To compensate for the longer nose the rear fuselage a 2mm section of the P-51D hull was retained in front of the transplanted P-51B/C tail (which is a separate hull section, the -D has an integral tail).

The original exhausts were replaced with resin aftermarket pieces for P-400 Airacobra from Quickboost - for which the nose extension paid out, because the V-1710 exhaust arrangement is longer than the Merlin's.

Painting and markings:

I wanted a typical, potentially colorful USAAF livery from early 1945 for this what-if aircraft model. This meant that the aircraft would have a NMF livery, and Invasion Stripes or other ID markings were already removed or not applied to new aircraft anymore. Camouflage had been omitted from 1945, too. As squadron markings I went for the 357th FG red-and-yellow nose markings; these came with Academy’s P-51B/C kit, but I replaced them with decals from a Mistercraft/Intech kit from The Stash™ because their shape was simpler and would (probably) better match the modified lower nose. Searching for later P-51Ds of this group revealed that the aircraft hardly carried any other colorful marking, though – just the tactical code, and maybe some personal markings.

To keep in style I adapted this basis, using a tone called “White Aluminum (RAL 9006)” from a Duplicolor rattle can as an overall basis, but added a thin red edge to the olive drab (Revell 46) anti-glare panel, created with generic decal stripes. The rudder as well as the wing tips were painted in red, an official 363rd FS ID marking, as a counterbalance to the prominent nose, too.

The propeller spinner was painted free-handedly, in an attempt to match the checker decal's colors. Some hull panels were painted in a darker shade of aluminum to make the model look mo0re lively, and some post-shading with Humbrol Matt Aluminum Metallizer was done to improve that effect, too. Cockpit and landing gear wells were painted in a bright green zinc chromate primer tone.

Decals and markings were puzzled together from various sources. Finding a suitable 'B6' code fpr the 363rd FS was tough, but I was eventually able to scratch it from 'P9' codes from two Academy P-47D kits/sheets! BTW, the horizontal bar above the aircraft's individual letter was a real world marking for a second aircraft that bore this tactical code within the unit. The nose art/tag was also donated from an Academy P-47, the yellow font matches the rest of the unit colors well.

The anti glare panel and the propeller blades received a matt varnish coat, while the rest of the hull was covered with a mix of matt and a little semi-gloss varnish - contemporary Mustang photos from 1945 suggest that, despite being bare metal, the aircraft were not polished or shiny at all, yet the aluminum would have some reflections. I think that the final overall finish looks quite good. As a final step I added some light soot stains behind the exhausts and the machine gun orifices, and dry-brushed some silver on edges/areas where paint could have flaked in real life. Not much, but it adds to the overall impression of a used aircraft.

A more demanding project than meets the eye. Bashing the two Mustang kits for a fictional new one might have been a smart idea, but it turned out to be a nightmare because the two 1:72 Mustand Academy kits are totally incompatible. Additionally, the mods I made are VERY subtle, it takes a keen eye to recognize the lengthened hull, the modfied cowling and the cleaner tail. The three-blade prop is the most obvious thing, and with it, from certain angles, the P-51E reminds somewhat of a Yak-9? Probably due to the intake-less cowling and the (for a Mustang) unusual prop? The livery looks plausible and colorful, though. :D

Jos is wading through the swamp of Pick Naming Conventions and nonexistent standards.

“The problem isn’t dying; the problem is figuring out how to live.” – Glenn Villeneuve ~ Alaskan survivalist living a subsistence lifestyle sixty-five miles above the Arctic Circle

It is understandable that we are afraid of death, it is one of the most humanistic emotions that we have. It is this fear that allows us to survive. But if all we are doing is just surviving, we are missing out on really living. The worst thing is not dying, it’s never really living at all.

Time will come and go without ever waiting for us to figure out what we are supposed to do with this life that we are given. It needs to be our goal to fathom our purpose as soon as possible in life so that we can take full advantage of as many days as possible.

There are many people all over the world who do not have the luxury to do anything else but survive. They struggle every day to stay afloat; they live life one breath at a time. It is our responsibility to those people to not waste a single second of our lives, to stop focusing on the bad and realize how much good we have around us. But no one can do that for us, no one can wake us up out of the dreary daze that has overtaken us. When need to wake up tomorrow, splash cold water on our face, and exclaim that this is my day, this is the day when I will truly live.

There are a lot of things to be afraid of, but what should top that list is wasting even one second worrying about the rest, instead of living for the best. The one thing that we have complete control over is how we deal with what life throws at us. We can curl up in a ball, we can put our heads in the sand, or we can embrace each moment like it may be our last. We owe it to those who do not have fresh food and water to drink, who do not have a roof over the heads and a bed to sleep in at night, to love each day, and to love each person we come across, because we have so much to be thankful for.

How do you live each day? Are you worried about dying, or are you worried about never truly living? People may remember how we died but they will never forget how we lived. The greatest joy in life comes from helping others realize how amazing their life can be, and we do this by being a living example of how great life really is.

If you’re not sure yet whether you’re living, or just surviving, concentrate on one thing: the person standing next to you. The best way to take full advantage of the moments you are given is to embrace your neighbor like you want to be embraced. When we focus on love, we do not waste a single day. It is your time to shine, your time to finally start living.

When we do it together nothing can stop us from figuring out how to live. Failure is nonexistent when we put our efforts into those around us. Love never fails, and neither do you. Live a life unshackled by the chains of unrelenting time, because now you have broken free.

(The Kenai River called Kahtnu in the Dena’ina language, is the longest river in the Kenai Peninsula of south central Alaska.)

#GlennVilleneuve

#QuoteOfTheDay

#LifeBelowZero

#StartLiving

#LoveOneAnother

@LifeBelowZeroPT

Not very good but they are my new favorite nonexistent couple :] comment if you take/use it please :)

for Pavla

www.behance.net/gallery/21033047/Nonexistent-Vodka

The C-208 is loaded with double 8" LF/MF and a single high energy 2" HF driver. Each enclosure is constructed of high grade birch ply-wood and is custom fitted with steel fly hardware that has been test rated for a 7:1 static load, hanging up to 16 enclosures in a single array. Our user friendly hardware allows for hanging and ground stacking applications, permitting the user to stack up to six enclosures.

All C-208 enclosures are hand wired using premium 14 gauge wire and Neutrik brand NL8 connectors. All drivers are built with cast fame baskets for strength and longevity. Our compression drivers have replaceable titanium diaphragms for superb sound quality, performance and durability. We use a standard phase plug design to control the isophasic wave form as well as a wave guide system for smooth coverage and coupling. Our components are designed and built to a commercial standard and have a proven track record on tours ranging from stadiums to festivals of up to 30 shows per month with practically a nonexistent failure rate.

All C-208 enclosures are equipped with a removable back panel that can be disconnected and replaced by an internal TVi multi channel "Class D" power amplifier module. Each power amplifier has a built in multi-channel processor that has been chamber tuned for the C-208 to achieve a flat response curve with pre set limiters, DSP and crossover points. One amplified C-208 enclosure will also power one additional non-powered C-208 enclosure in tri amp mode by daisy chaining an NL8 cable.

Stopped by the "Store Closing" sale last weekend. This store was depressing even before Sears announced it was closing. It's only worse now.

The sale just began, so the discounts were still pretty weak on most everything, and almost nonexistent (10%) on things like appliances and tools. Don't bother....

I've wanted to see this rock art panel for some time. It's not a terrible long hike, but the path up is pretty much nonexistent, steep, and rocky.

I'm completely disappointed in my photos. Compositions are bad and the colors are horrible. Might have been a combination of the color of the rock, the shadows, and time of day. They all turned out with some strange purple tint, as if the color balance is way off. Thank goodness I shot in RAW and was able to correct it somewhat.

First shots with Sony DSC-HX200V using panorama setting. Camera auto stitches five frames.

Mendon Ponds Park is owned and very poorly maintained by the County of Monroe, NY.

Unfortunately, this extraordinary property is rapidly deteriorating due to an egregious lack of care. Trails are not cleared of debris... signs are useless. Park maintenance is essentially nonexistent. They do have a marketing department. Seriously, the taxpayers are paying the salaries of a county parks marketing department.

Email Mendon Ponds Park complaints to: countyexecutive@monroecounty.gov

Gothic Armor

Date:

late 15th century; extensively restored and completed ca. 1926

Culture:

German and Italian

From the early nineteenth century through about the mid-twentieth century, it was not unusual to restore incomplete armor by combining elements from different armors, making missing pieces out of modern or reused old metal and decorating or redecorating pieces to match as needed. With objects in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, founding curator of the Arms and Armor Department Bashford Dean took a conservative approach for his day, having his armorers make, add to, or alter only those pieces he considered absolutely necessary to create an exhibitable display. In addition, the work done on the Museum’s pieces was usually signed and dated. For his private collection, however, Dean sometimes took a more liberal approach, delighting in composing armors out of disparate parts, augmented by whatever newly made or repurposed pieces were required to complete the ensemble he had in mind.

In this instance, Dean’s goal was to create a late German Gothic armor, a type often considered the pinnacle of armor-making. Complete and homogeneous examples were nonexistent on the art market by Dean’s time. Taking a superb late fifteenth-century helmet by the Landshut armorer Matthes Deutsch, and a nucleus of genuine torso, arm, and leg pieces, Dean’s craftsmen made this truly impressive and historically accurate representation of a German Gothic armor. As a result, about fifty percent of it is restoration. The plates are not signed, but we know from letters written at the time that some of the work was done by Leonard Hugel (1877–about 1935) and Harvey Murton (1907–2004) in about 1926. However, because of the extent of the restorations, only the helmet is regularly on permanent display today.

I'm gobsmacked by several things here. First, the light was nonexistent. Yet the Sony A7RII performed extremely well at incredibly high ISO. Second, using knowledge developed around a digital Zone System, I knew precisely where I wanted the tonal values and was able to place them accordingly. Third, I am happy to confirm the dynamic range of the sensor extends usefully to below Zone 0 (Zone -2!), even at such high ISO settings. Fourth, 1950s German optics can do the trick. These images were made using a triplet wide angle. Who would design such a thing and make it work? Micro-contrast is something to be seen, otherwise you wouldn't believe it.