make silly faces!

Like this!

So. Here we go again. I am SO determined to complete this project. I think this is my fourth try at it?

I had this really awesome shot lined up. I went out. I shot some selfies. I came home and edited for 3 hours. And it looked horrible. Mostly because I haven't had my glasses since January and my eyesight has gotten worse since them. I cannot see ANYTHING. Everything is blurry. So I can't aim my autofocus right and I can't manually focus properly. Hell, this shot is probably either blurry or over sharpened because since I can't see, I tend to overcompensate with the sharpening. Anyway. I scratched my first idea and pulled out my lamp to do head shots. And I kept getting these really out of focus shots! And now I can't tell if there's something wrong with my autofocus or if it's just my eyesight. I got really frustrated and almost gave up and then out of nowhere I started taking goofy silly faced pictures. And they came out! And you know what? It put me in a better mood. So when you feel upset or angry or frustrated, look in a mirror and make silly faces. I promise it will make you feel better!

Also - are there any other November starters?

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Not related to this photo, but I wanted to tell you about an interesting search that we were called out on, last night. It was for a 13-year old girl that had overdosed on her medications for bi-polar disease. We were unable to locate her, but we think that we covered the area around her house well and are fairly confident that she is not there.

The interesting part that I wanted to share is how we used technology to aid us in a thorough search. Coincidentally, I just happened to be playing with www.local.live.com to try to figure out where this photo, that my friend Denise had posted, was shot, when we got the call from the San Diego Police Department, and that is the tool we used on the search.

We had recently decided to keep Jan's laptop at the ready, so we scooped it up on the way out the door, and set it up when we arrived on scene. I plugged in our "air card", a device that lets us access the Internet, using regular cell phone connections, but we didn't need it, because there were about half a dozen wireless access points (which are much faster) available and the first one I tried was open, so I used that. As a side note, if you use a wireless router in your home, I urge you to be sure that you protect it, so that no one else can access it, without the key, because they can get into your computer if you don't. The laptop turned out to be an invaluable tool, because with the clarity that was available, we could easily see the open space around the house that the girl went missing from and plan where to send the teams, as well as debrief them when they returned, since they could just point to the areas that they covered.

Besides the laptop, we used the GPS units in our cars to give us spoken turn by turn directions to the house, handheld GPS to track where the teams had been (which could have been uploaded into the laptop to provide a better visual picture, had we needed that), commercial radios that were provided by a grant from a local philanthropic group, and cell phones to communicate with each other. Technology certainly made our jobs easier and enabled us to search safer and more efficiently.

[Update] The girl was found about an hour after we left. Fortunately, she was not in our search area.

www.darckr.com/username.php?username=8725806@N08View On Black

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Fr..fr...fr...frustration! Frustration Frustration

I have life, ordinary wife. I have car, a favourite bar

I have job, a moderate wage. I get the pains that come with age.

I am so ordinary

I have child, she goes wild. I have home, a mortgage of my own

I have hobby, but it's nothing very special. I do the garden, I watch girls.

I am so ordinary

I have life, I have cage. I'm going bald, I want to tell the world.

I've done nothing, I've achieved nothing. I work for a firm, but I want to burn it down, down.

I am so ordinary I am so ordinary

I was born, one day I'll die. There was something in between.

I, I don't know what or why.

I'm a man, I want to break a rule. I am a no, no, no, no, no, no, nobody, everybody's fool.

I am so ordinary

Frustration (x4)

I'm so tired of endless art, love stories. I'm beginning to not give a damn.

I wish I could reach right out for the untouchable. Film starring Bruce, John Wayne, Elvis Presley. Experiment with cocaine, LSD and set a bad bad example.

Live a little, run a harem, be a tiger. Meet Bo Derek and be her Tarzan.

Reach, reach out out. Live, live, live! Die, die, die! I, I, I, I wanna die!!!!...

Frustration, oh Frustration (x3)

I wanna die, I wanna die, die, die, die, die, die, d..d..d..die, die, die

Frustration I wanna die

Frustration by Soft Cell

See where this picture was taken. [?]

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GHOSTS OF THE PRAIRIE

HAUNTED ILLINOIS

BLOODY HISTORY OF CAVE-IN-ROCK

The History & Hauntings of Southern Illinois

The rivers and waterways of southern Illinois have always played a dominant role in its history and folklore. The early settlers, like the French, established themselves along the rivers and later, farmers would come to realize how much more simple it was to use the river to transport grain to market. The era of the steamboat created towns like Chester, Elizabethtown, Cairo, Metropolis, Golconda and Shawneetown. These towns became shipping ports with flour and lumber mills and even an iron foundry in Grand Tower. Travelers came to the towns by boat and hotels and establishments on the riverfront flourished.

Many stories have emerged from the rivers and the towns surrounding them, of wrecks, lawlessness, pirates and even ghosts. Perhaps the most famous pirate location on the river was an outlaw hideout called Cave-in-Rock, which is located along the Ohio River at the southeastern edge of the state. The cave became the stronghold of pirates who plundered flatboats on the river and who murdered and robbed travelers. It was also here, around 1800, that a robber named Samuel Mason began operating a tavern and gambling parlor in the cave. He used whiskery, cards and prostitutes to lure travelers in off the river and many of these customers found themselves beaten, robbed and sometimes dead, after tying up at the crude wharf.

Cave-in-Rock, located close to the town of the same name, was a perfect place for criminal enterprises along the river. At that time, it boasted a partially concealed entrance and a wide view up and down the river. The cave is about one hundred feet deep, with a level floor and a vertical chimney that ascends to the bluff above.

Samuel Mason operated here for several years. He was said to be a man of gigantic size and possessing no conscience, he killed for both pleasure and profit. He also operated along the Mississippi River and on the fabled Natchez Trace, a series of trails in the south that became known as a haven for thieves and pirates. Eventually a reward was offered for Mason, $1000 dead or alive, and a hatchet was put into his back by one of his own men. This traitorous wretch never collected the reward though as he was in turn killed by other members of the gang. Mason’s cronies eventually scattered to the wind and other outlaws took their place at Cave-In-Rock.

The pirates were also said to have preyed upon ferryboat passengers at Ford’s Ferry, a few miles upriver. The ferryman himself, James Ford, was said to have been in league with the pirates. He was also said to be one of the “slave catchers” in the employ of John Hart Crenshaw. Ford eventually came under attack by the vigilante “Regulators” and this would lead to his demise. One night, in 1834, he was having dinner at the home of a Mrs. Vincent Simpson, the widow of one of Ford’s men. He was eating his food at the table and someone brought him a candle and asked that he read a letter aloud for him. Using the candle as a signal, the “Regulators” outside opened fire, aiming between the logs of the cabin. Ford died with 17 bullets in his body!

For years after his death, the slaves told stories about how Jim Ford had died and “landed in Hell head first”. At his funeral, attended only by his widow, a few family members, neighbors and some slaves, a terrible thunderstorm came up. Just as Ford’s coffin was being lowered into the ground, lightning flashed and a deafening clap of thunder filled the air, causing one of the slaves to loose his grip on the rope holding the coffin. The box dropped into the grave head first and wedged there at a strange angle. The heavy rain that began to fall made it impossible to move the casket, so it was covered over the way that it had fallen. This left Ford to spend eternity standing on his head.

Ford’s death would not bring an end to the thievery at Cave-in-Rock. Many of the remaining pirates continued to prey on travelers from the sanctuary of the cave, while others joined with villains like John Murrell and his “Mystic Band”. Murrell was a “slave catcher”, thief and murderer, who killed his first man when he was only sixteen. He later died after serving time in prison.

By the late 1830’s, most of the outlaws, pirates and counterfeiters were driven away from Cave-in-Rock and the bloody past of the place began to fade with time. As years passed, the cave became more of a recreation area than a den of thieves and remains a natural attraction in southern Illinois today. The legends have never died completely though and many still remember the area’s blood-soaked past... and the stories of ghosts. In years gone by, travelers passing on the river often claimed to hear the keening moans of the dead echoing out from the mouth of the cave. These same cries are still sometimes reported today. Do these eerie voices belong to the crime victims of long ago, who were lured to their death at Cave-in-Rock? That answer remains as mysterious as the history of the cave itself.

(C) Copyright 2002 by Troy Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

From Wikipedia:

The Cave

Cave-in-Rock's primary feature is a striking 55-foot-wide cave, formed by water. The first European to come across it was M. de Lery of France, who found it in 1739 and called it "caverne dans Le Roc".

History

From the 1790s to the 1870s the area around Cave-in-Rock was plagued by what historians as early as the 1830s referred to as the "Ancient Colony of Horse-Thieves, Counterfeiters and Robbers", and better known today due to Otto Rothert's history early in the 20th Century as the "Outlaws of Cave-in-Rock".

Other names for the cave include Rocking Cave, Rock-and-Cave and House of Nature.

In 1790 counterfeiters Philip Alston and John Duff (John McElduff) used the cave as some type of rendezvous, though details are scarce. Although folklore printed in 19th Century histories failed to establish a prior connection between the two men, both lived in the area of Natchez, Mississippi, at the start of the Revolutionary War.

By the arrival of Samuel Mason at the cave in 1797 Duff was living upriver a few miles either at Battery Rock, or across the Ohio River at what would become Caseyville, Kentucky. Mason had previously made Diamond Island and Red Banks his headquarters. In 1797 he moved his base of operations to the cave and made it the home of river pirates. Two of Mason's brothers had been business partners of Duff at Kaskaskia, Illinois, in the 1780s.

James Wilson is the next leader of the Cave-in-Rock band, and may have been the Wilson who married one of Capt. Mason's nieces. In 1799 he's remembered for installing a sign reading "Wilson's Liquor Vault and House of Entertainment" over the cave entrance. Rather than be the actual leader he may have simply been the front man for the operation.

By this time in either 1798 or in the spring of 1799 Duff and his associates had been making salt (or looking for silver) at the Great Salt Springs area along the Saline River in southeastern Illinois. Soldiers from Fort Massac captured him and three of his men named Blakely, Hazle and Hall. The soldiers took their captives by boat down the Saline River to the Ohio, and then down the Ohio to below the cave. Although the old histories don't explain why they stopped at the cave, subsequent events indicate it may have taken place during the spring of 1799 when Wilson was running his operation, thus making the stop one of refreshment and entertainment. During the stop Duff and his men escaped and captured the soldiers. They placed them tied up in the boat and pushed the boat into the river to float downstream to the fort.

The infamous Harpes also reached the cave region in the spring of 1799. They were Big Harpe and Little Harpe, who were considered by many historians to be brothers Micajah and Wiley Harpe, though some sources provide different names and indicate they were first cousins instead. Contemporary references often left off the (e) at the end of their name. They are associated with two separate stories at the cave and one at the infamous Potts Spring area to the north.

The first story involves them pushing a young couple off the top of the cliff. They survived. The second involves an act of piracy where only one man survived. Later he was forced off the cliff as well, this time involving a horse. The Potts Spring story is simply recalled as a murder of two or three hunters.

Mason and Wilson's time at the cave may have come to an end during the summer of 1799 when attacked by a group of bounty-hunters/vigilantes under the leadership of Capt. Young who called themselves, "The Exterminators".

No contemporary accounts show the cave occupied by river pirates in the first decade of the 19th Century, but the outlawry continued as the Harpes retreated back into Kentucky, Mason traveled downriver and began to focus on highway robbery along the Natchez Trace, and Duff was killed by assassins on June 4, 1799. By the middle of the decade church services were being held in the cave. These Christians eventually formed Big Creek Baptist Church, the first church organized in southeastern Illinois in 1807.

The next generation of outlaws in the region fall either under the Sturdivant Gang, a group of counterfeiters based at Sturdivant Fort on top of the bluffs overlooking the Ohio River at what is now Rosiclare, Illinois; or the Ford's Ferry Gang led by James Ford based a few miles upriver from the cave at what became known as Ford's Ferry, Kentucky. The Potts Inn stories take place during this time as well.

Law enforcement officials led three raids against Sturdivant Fort in 1822 and 1823. Although it's not clear what happened following the raids, the gang disappears from the area by 1830. The Ford's Ferry Gang was broken up following the mysterious deaths or murders of James Ford's two sons followed by his own assassination in 1833.

Even after the death of Ford, outlaws remained. Isaiah L. Potts operated Potts Inn on the Ford's Ferry Road in Illinois north of the cave where travelers checked in, but sometimes failed to check out. The legend of Billy Potts, the returning son murdered unknowingly by his father, likely took place in the months following Ford's assassination. Records show the elder Potts and his wife separating in 1834 or 1835.

Eason Bigsby or Bixby also took up counterfeiting in Hardin County in the decades following the Sturdivants. His attack on his wife Anna in an effort to find out where her first husband's money was buried dates to the early 1860s and led to the legends of Anna Bixby, her treasure and her ghost. She actually survived running off of a cliff in the dark. She's remembered in the 21st Century as the namesake for the Anna Bixby Women's Center in nearby Harrisburg, Illinois.

Although not completely connected to the Ancient Colony, the Logan Belt Gang terrorized Hardin County in the 1870s and 1880s until Belt himself was assassinated.

Pop Culture

Popular culture recalls the river pirate history in scenes from Walt Disney's Davy Crockett and the River Pirates, and the MGM classic How the West Was Won. Both filmed at the cave as well as Battery Rock. In 1997, The History Channel show, "In Search of History" also filmed at the site for an episode entitled "River Pirates"."

Geography

Cave-In-Rock is located at 37°28′12″N, 88°9′59″W (37.470050, -88.166297).GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²). 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (7.14%) is water.

Here's an intersting story about America's first serial killers that crossed this area many times:

www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/history/harpe_...

Explored #286 (7/17/2021). Thanks!

Delton'a a small village, between lakes that used to be resorts but are now mostly suburban. The town's certainly got a Central Business District--a supermarket, schools, a library, a church, a post office, bars, even a little industry--but the place lacks the row of red brick Main Street commercial buildings we usually associate with midwestern downtowns.

Four decades back my parents owned cottages on one of those lakes, so while Delton doesn't exactly feel like home, it's certainly more familiar to me than, say, Hastings.

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A year ago yesterday my brother unexpectedly landed in the hospital, for tests & observation, and I took this photo during a brief stop at Delton's supermarket on my way to visit him in Kalamazoo. Most of the day's photographs were taken from the hospital parking ramp, either of the lot itself or of the cemetery which neighbors the hospital campus. The best of the parking ramp pix became the 366 Snaps photo; under the thoroughly distracted circumstances, it was pretty good. This was the sort of day that kills photo-a-day projects.

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This photograph is an outtake from my 2012 photo-a-day project, 366 Snaps.

Number of project photos taken: 23

Title of "roll:" Borgess

Other photos taken on 10/15/2012: none, unless you count the color snaps at the end of the 366 Snaps roll I took of the year's last daylily after returning home.

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The Great Famine in Ireland of 1845 - 1847 was caused by the 'potato blight'. Nearly half the population died or fled the country. Many people in the parish of Kilronan, Co. Roscommon fled to the mountains so that they could live above the 'briar line'. The briar, it seems, was the main carrier of blight spores.

These people lived in terrible conditions in make-shift mud shacks in the hills where they tried to grow potatoes in little plots of mountain given them by the natives of the Arigna area.

The crop was poor and huge numbers died from hunger, TB, exposure and famine fever.

In September of 1847, four people, who came to the area from Ballyfarnon to eke out a living in the hills, died. Their friends set out to bring them 'home' to Kilronan Cemetery. When they got to the top of 'Stantons Brea' they could go no further because they were so weak. They stopped at a small house here to shelter for the night. Next morning it was discovered that two of the bearers had died during the night. Two or three people from the house had also recently died but were not buried. The remaining people were worn out and not able to proceed to Kilronan Graveyard with the corpses. The best they could do was bury all nine in a common grave beside the small house where at least they could 'look down on their home place'.

In 1995, a mass was celebrated at the grave for these famine victims and for all the victims of the Kilronan parish and surrounding are.

10-20mm wide-angle lens. ISO 100. 0.5 seconds at f/11.

(this pic was taken last night on my bed)

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Bailey returned to the Vet today. He is in the early stages of kidney insufficiency.

His blood creatinine and sodium levels were elevated.

His white blood cell count was normal, indicating no infection, in his body.. ie bladder/kidneys.

His urine analysis, had blood in the urine, but no bacteria, or crystals. So no infection.

His blood pressure was also elevated today, taking into account the vet "fear factor."

So he was put on 1) Fortekor tablets (benazaprilhydrochloride... 2nd generation angiotensinn converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor) 2.5 mg a day.

If his blood pressure remains high it could further stress/damage his kidneys.

2) an electrolyte solution (chicken flavor! ;) to add to his food 75 cc's a day.

3) KD = Science diet wet food... so we can easily add the electrolyte sol.

We will return in 2 weeks to have hi BP rechecked, and in one month for a recheck of his blood tests.

The vet definitely feels his spraying problem was NOT related to his high blood creatinine. I have all copies of all his labs from last Dec to now. They were all normal even when he was spraying.... with the exception of yesterday's blood work.

TODAY... He seems to be feeling a bit better. I even got him to purr, and he showed some interest in his fave toy.... Cat Prancer toy....(Cardboard thingy on a wire)

He LOVED his wet KD food mixed with the electrolyte sol. and his BP pill.

So this is ALL a plus!!!!! :-))

Again thanks to all my Flickr friends for all the love and support you've shown me and my Bailey Boy.... and Jakey too.

Thanks for all the emails as well. I will try to email you back as soon as I can.

Bailey Boy and me are resting together on my bed now.

I just got a cortisone injection in my left knee, and booked surgery for October. ;-(

What a pair.. LOL.

Thank goodness for "normal" Jake. :-D

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Crummock Water lays still, sentries guard her shore from ravages of approaching foe.

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Seventeen days. That's what it took for me to get these shots!

For over two weeks I'd been stalking this bird every single day ... under difficult conditions ... one of which has been particularly excrucriating. In that time, I'd gotten lots of images but hadn't uploaded any because they were taken from a distance and the quality was terrible ... you know, like those you see taken by a paparazzi of some celebrity or other from about a half mile away. :-) I even shot her on at least four separate occasions with fish that she caught ... again, taken from a distance and so not uploaded. Persistance finally paid off, though and I managed to get some shots I'm extremely happy with. These are just two of them.

By the way, I was curious to see how many times I've pushed the shutter on my Nikon D300, so I checked this particular shot. There have been quite a few more since, but this one was the 105,004 th. That's since December, 2008, so I suppose that's not too bad ... averages out to almost 77 shots per day. :-) This shot, though, considering the time and difficulty involved in getting it, is perhaps my favourite of the whole bunch ... or, if not, then it's definitely in the top five of those shots.

You'll perhaps notice that sexual dimorphism is reversed with these Kingfishers ... the female is more colorful than the male rather than the other way around.

Please check out the second shot, too, if you have time.

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Una estrella para iluminar la magia de esta noche de tantas ilusiones para los más pequeños. Joya verde y viva que flota en las lagunas de aguas más limpias, quizá reflejo de las estrellas que hoy guiarán el camino de los Reyes Magos hacia el corazón de los niños que los esperan impacientes haciendo con su inocencia promesas de mejora.

Una estrella para iluminar con magia y por qué no, con inocencia también, los sueños y los deseos de los mayores, deseos de salud, de paz y de felicidad.

Micrasterias rotata es un alga que crece en las aguas más limpias de las lagunas, cerca de la cumbre de las montañas, cerca de las estrellas del cielo, es el equilibrio y es la belleza y representa todas esas hermosas ilusiones puestas en esta noche mágica.

…Que se cumplan para todos…

Con especial cariño para todos mis sobrinos y para mis hijos que todavía viven estas ilusiones…y para todos los pequeños.

La fotografía procede de unas muestras recogidas en las inmediaciones de la Laguna de Peñalara y ha sido tomada con 400 aumentos empleando la técnica de campo oscuro.

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Pile - dwelling in Port Moresby - Papua New Guinea.

Paalwoningen in de hoofdstad Port Moresby - Papoea Nieuw Guinea.

Niet mogelijk om er even rond te wandelen! Niet veilig!

Dangerous to walk around!

Papoea-Nieuw-Guinea is een land in Oceanië dat het oostelijk deel van het eiland Nieuw-Guinea beslaat. Het grenst aan Indonesië en ligt ten noorden van Australië. De hoofdstad is Port Moresby.

uit:

nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papoea-Nieuw-Guinea

Papua New Guinea is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies, out of a population of just under 7 million. It is also one of the most rural, with only 18% of its people living in urban centres. The country is one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.

The capital is Port Moresby.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea

View On Black---------------------------------------- Clika aquí para ver Mejor

.

.La garza real europea (Ardea cinerea) es una especie de ave pelecaniforme de la familia Ardeidae nativa de Europa y de Asia templada, incluso partes de África. Es residente en zonas templadas pero muchas migran en verano a zonas más frías y en invierno a zonas más cálidas.

Características

Es un ave grande, parada mide 90 a 100 cm de altura, con una envergadura de alas de 1,70 a 2 m y un peso de 1 a 2 kg. Su plumaje es mayormente gris arriba, y algo blanco debajo. Los adultos tienen la cabeza blanca con un copete negro superciliar y una cresta delgada, en los juveniles toda la cabeza es gris. Tiene un pico fuerte rosa-amarillento, brillante cuando adultos. Tiene un vuelo lento, con su largo cuello retraído (forma de S). Cuando extiende su cuello, el pico semeja una cuchara. Esto es característico de las garzas y garcetas, y los distingue de las cigüeñas.

Está muy relacionada y es similar a la garza real americana Ardea herodias, que difiere en ser algo más grande, y pardos sus flancos y finales de ala. La garza de cara blanca australiana Ardea novaehollandiae es a veces incorrectamente llamada "garza real".

Comportamiento

La sp. crece en colonias, en árboles cerca de espejos de agua, o áreas inundables, y aún es capaz de anidar en juncales. Hace un nido compacto de ramitas.

Caza y come en aguas bajas, peces, ranas con su largo y afilado pico. Las garzas son capaces de coger pequeños mamíferos y pájaros. Su dieta también incluye invertebrados acuáticos. Frecuentemente espera que la presa se aquiete para atraparla, o puede lentamente cazar al acecho.

Su llamada es un fuerte graznido "fraaank".

PARIS.- ile Saint-Louis ... Les Oiseaux ...

>> Large View || My Flickriver <<

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We did the shoot with the leaf as well but it was giving me trouble so I switched out for the lighter more versital D90. but I did want to put up some of the pictures that I took with the leaf. This is just an outline I will be posting pictures as the tattoo progresses.

Strobist: Norman D24 with four strobes. Two large softboxes back and to the sides one beautiy light (small softbox) up and center and A gridspot hairlight.

Maymia RZ Pro II w/ 90mm F2.8

Leaf Aptus 65

www.seanporto.com

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Places / Germany / Baden-Wurttemberg / Tuebingen

Highest position: 255 on Friday, January 9, 2015

original!

bighugelabs.com/scout.php?mode=history&id=16041233569

Mondphase und Mondstand

am

8.1.2015

stand der Mond im Sternzeichen:

Löwe ♂

bei (Phase):

abnehmendem Mond (3. Viertel)

abnehmend bis

bis Dienstag 20.01.2015 -

--------

1. Vollmond:

2015

Schneemond

war am 5-1- 2015 - 6:00 Uhr

Nutzen Sie Voll- und Neumondtage als Fastentage ( z.B. Saftfasten o.ä.) bis zum Dienstag 20.01.2015.

Stimmt!

Effi

Auch wenn Sie Sportlernahrung oder Nahrungsergänzung zu sich nehmen, wird es wahrscheinlich nicht schaden, den Mond zu berücksichtigen ;-)

Raspberry ketone

Das Himbeer-Keton kommt auch im Tabakrauch vor, wobei es im Tabak selbst nicht gefunden wurde.

It is one of the most expensive natural flavor components used in the food industry. The natural compound can cost as much as $20,000 per kg.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himbeerketon

4-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)butan-2-on, Frambinon, Oxyphenalon, Rheosmin

Summenformal: C-10 H-12 O-2

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Views about 10.000 clicks

tags/views10000/

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listed on

www.flickr.com/explore/2015/01/08

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THE EXPLORE GROUP

From Raw-file, ".CR2", aka "Canon-Raw-File"

converted by Faststone viewer IMG_2911

- hand-held

- with hands fixed on the wall,

- taken with the articulated display control

as good as it gets

Besser ging es nicht!

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Jetzt bin ich mit der Canon SX60 d'accord.

Diese angemessene Qualität einer Bridge Kamera wollte ich unbedingt haben.

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Canon PowerShot SX60 HS,

Canon, PowerShot, SX60, HS, Bridgecamera, bridge, camera, Canon PowerShot SX60, Canon SX60,Powershot SX60,SX60HS,eagle1effi, Powershot SX60,

Vorteil raw

Record Mode CR2+JPEG

Continuous Drive- Continuous 4.8 fps

postprocessing

Raw lässt sich 50% nachschärfen

JPG nur 15%

-

Camera Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

www.flickr.com/search/?q=sx60

Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)

Aperture f/6.5

Focal Length 247 mm ~1365 mm analog 35 mm film

ISO Speed 100

Exposure Bias - 1/3 EV

..

daily

File Number 612-2911

...

How do you actually visit the full 500 Explore list of any past date?

December 2014

www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/2015/01/

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Ahora en Biodiversidad virtual y hace poco en El País -en pdf- gracias a Elisabet Sans. También en la web de la Fundación Biodiversidad

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Si ayer Netrium interruptum era el alga cebra , hoy el alga estrella Micrasterias , se asoma por la ventana de esta galería. Es posible, eso sí, que Micrasterias truncata sea una de las menos estrelladas junto con M. oscitans dentro de este grupo de pequeñas joyas que son los désmidos, pero eso apenas importa, pues todas ellas conservan su hermosura, desde que comienzan a formarse hasta que su alma verde se desvanece.

La mayoría de las especies hermanas del género Micrasterias viven en lagunas de aguas ácidas o en turberas y son extremadamente sensibles a la contaminación. La lluvia ácida y la presencia de diferentes compuestos químicos en el agua ha hecho que muchas de ellas hayan desaparecido en el norte y centro de Europa. Por fortuna, las lagunas de montaña, alejadas de fuentes de contaminación, atesoran todavía una gran variedad de estos organismos que se recortan como pequeños soles verdes entre las gotas de agua de las lagunas de montaña.

Micrasterias truncata es una de las especies de menor tamaño dentro del grupo y sus extremos casi planos y sin apenas dientes son características particulares a las que se debe el nombre específico de esta alga.

Hoy Micrasterias está a punto de completar su desarrollo después de haberse dividido. Son dos estrellas gemelas que flotan unidas hombro con hombro, no se independizarán hasta haber finalizado completamente su crecimiento. De momento seguirán así, juntas, ayudándose mutuamente para poder flotar, equilibradamente, este equilibrio de la simetría es una constante en su vida, sin él, posiblemente no habría estrellas.

Micrasterias truncata parece que no quiere despegarse de su alma gemela, necesitará todavía un tiempo madurar, cuando sus dos mitades pequeñas igualen a las grandes se harán independientes y brillarán en el firmamento de agua de las lagunas.

Micrasterias truncataha venido junto con otras estrellas desde la Laguna de Cebollera, en la vertiente soriana de dicha sierra, cerca de Molinos de Razón, para mostrarse aquí fotografiada a 400 aumentos con la técnica de campo oscuro.

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☁ la nube negra de una justicia pervertida en nuestro país, movida por la envidia y la venganza, permanecerá aquí, hasta que soplen los vientos limpios que todos necesitamos. La Justicia es uno de los cimientos necesarios para la Paz. Desde aquí todo nuestro apoyo al Juez Baltasar Garzón -el buen Juez de Saramago- y a las personas de buena voluntad como él que trabajan por la Justicia.

José Saramago: Ni leyes ni Justicia

Martín Pallín

Firmas de apoyo en Facebook

Radio Nacional Holandesa

www.goear.com/listen.php?v=3e2a5eb

Navidad. Para algunos, una fiesta, una celebración, reunión con familia, cenas con amigos, compañeros de trabajo, fechas de engordar unos cuantos kilos, de paseos por la plaza Mayor...

Para otros, una acentuación de la soledad que sufren, de la marginación por no cumplir los requisitos necesarios para pertenecer a la sociedad consumista.

Cuántos pasaremos por delante de personas así, con nuestras bolsas de regalos y de langostinos, a nuestra casita calentita...

Sí, es cierto; nuestro trabajo nos cuesta mantener ese estatus, esas comodidades.

Pero no es menos cierto que algunos no tienen la oportunidad siquiera de poder intentarlo, pues necesitas una plataforma desde la que impulsarte, como por ejemplo la casa de tus padres.

En la utopía de un mundo ideal, nada podríamos celebrar sabiendo que todo ésto sigue sin solución.

Sí, yo cenaré en una casa calentita, con mi familia, incluso viajando fuera de España una semana, a conocer Londres. Todo un lujo impensable para estas personas, que se conformarían con la mitad de la mitad...

Pero soy consciente de todo ésto, y aunque en parte podría tener la conciencia más o menos tranquila, por diferentes cosas que hago por ayudar, no la acabo de tener del todo, porque de manera individual no se consigue demasiado, así que aprovecho para pedir que si os cruzáis con alguna de estas personas, ayudéis un pelín, con lo que sea.

Y con lo que sea, me referiero a "con lo que sea", porque una vez me comentó una de estas personas que lo que peor llevaba al principio ( antes de que todo le diese igual ), era que la gente no se dignara ni a mirarle, y una sonrisa ni te cuento, era pedir demasiado.

El dinero soluciona muchas cosas, pero no todo. hacerle sentir a alguien que no está solo, y que no es invisible, yo he descubierto que se agradece infinitamente más que unos euros.

Pero unos euros también valen, eh?

Vaya mundo, en el que si no tienes nada, no eres nada.

Así de tremendo es;

"Si no tienes nada, no eres nada"

Manda cojones.

.

View On Black

Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles. The first car to be named Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini.[5] They acquired premises at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car in March 1915. Production could not start because of the outbreak of World War I, and Martin joined the Admiralty and Bamford the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company.

Aston Martin Mk II 1935

Aston Martin 2-Litre 2/4-Seater Sports 1937

[edit] Inter war years

After the war the company was refunded at Abingdon Road, Kensington and a new car designed to carry the Aston-Martin name. Bamford left in 1920 and the company was revitalised with funding from Count Louis Zborowski. In 1922, Bamford & Martin produced cars to compete in the French Grand Prix, and the cars set world speed and endurance records at Brooklands. Three works Team Cars with 16 valve twin cam engines were built for racing and record breaking: chassis number 1914, later developed as the Green Pea; chassis number 1915, the Razor Blade record car; and chassis number 1916, later developed as the Halford Special. Approximately 55 cars were built for sale in two configurations, long chassis and short chassis. The company went bankrupt in 1924 and was bought by Lady Charnwood, who put her son John Benson on the board. The company failed again in 1925 and the factory closed in 1926, with Lionel Martin leaving.

Later that year, Bill Renwick, Augustus (Bert) Bertelli and a number of rich investors, including Lady Charnwood, took control of the company and renamed it Aston Martin Motors, and moved it to the former Whitehead Aircraft Limited works in Feltham. Renwick and Bertelli had been in partnership some years and had developed an overhead cam 4 cylinder engine, using Renwick's patented combustion chamber design, and had tested it in an Enfield Allday chassis. It was the only 'Renwick and Bertelli' motor car made. It was known as 'Buzzbox' and survives to this day.

They had planned to sell this engine to motor manufacturers, but having heard that the Aston Martin car was no longer in production they realised that they could capitalise on the reputation of the Aston Martin name (what we would now call the brand) to give themselves a head start in the production of a completely new car.

Between the years 1926 and 1937 Bertelli was the technical director of Aston Martin, and the designer of all subsequent Aston Martin cars during this period, these being known as the 'Bertelli cars'. They included the 1 1/2 litre 'T-type', the 'International, the 'Le Mans, the 'MKII' its racing derivative the 'Ulster, and the 2 litre 15/98 and its racing derivative the 'Speed Model'.

Mostly open two seater sports cars and mostly bodied by Bert Bertelli's brother Enrico (Harry)a small number of long chassis four seater tourers, dropheads and saloons were also produced.

Bertelli was very keen to race his cars and he was a very competent driver. One of the very few motor manufacturers to actually sit in and race the cars he designed and built, the competition no doubt 'improved the breed' and the 'LM' team cars were very successful in national and international motor racing including at Le Mans and the Mille Miglia.

Financial problems reappeared in 1932 and the company was rescued by L. Prideaux Brune who funded it for the following year before passing the company on to Sir Arthur Sutherland. In 1936, the company decided to concentrate on road cars. Car production had always been on a small scale and until the advent of World War II halted work only about 700 had been made. During the war years aircraft components were made.

[edit] The David Brown era

1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III

In 1947, David Brown Limited bought the company under the leadership of managing director Sir David Brown—its "post-war saviour". David Brown also acquired Lagonda that year, and both companies shared resources and workshops. In 1955, David Brown bought the Tickford coachbuilding company and its site at Tickford Street in Newport Pagnell, and that was the beginning of the classic series of cars bearing the initials "DB". In 1950, the company announced the DB2, followed by the racing DB3 in 1957 and the Italian-styled 3.7 L DB4 in 1958. All the cars established a good racing pedigree for the firm, but the DB4 was the key to establishing the company's reputation, which was cemented by the famous DB5 in 1963. The company continued developing the "grand touring" style with the DB6 (1965–70), the DBS, and the DBS V8 (1967–72).

[edit] 1970s - Changing ownership

Despite the cars' appreciation in value, the company was often financially troubled. In 1972, it was sold to a company called Company Developments Ltd., backed by a Birmingham-based consortium, and chaired by chartered accountant and company director William Willson, (MBE).[6] The company was resold in 1975 to North American businessmen Peter Sprague and George Minden. The new owners pushed the company into modernising its line, producing the V8 Vantage in 1977, the convertible Volante in 1978, and the one-off William Towns-styled Bulldog in 1980. Towns also styled the futuristic new Lagonda saloon, based on the V8 model.

In 1980 Aston-Martin had plans, which did not materialize, to buy MG, which they would have utilized as a sister marque, probably building smaller sports cars. Ideas were plotted to design a new model and they revealed to the press their approach to an 'updated' '1981' model MGB.

As worldwide sales of Aston Martin shrank to three per week, chairman Alan Curtis together with fellow shareholders American Peter Sprague and Canadian George Minden, had almost chosen to shut down the production side of the business and concentrate on service and restoration. Curtis attended the 1980 Pace sponsored Stirling Moss benefit day at Brands Hatch, and met fellow Farnham resident Victor Gauntlett.

[edit] 1980s - Victor Gauntlett

Gauntlett bought a 10% stake in Aston Martin for £500,000 via Pace Petroleum in 1980, with Tim Hearley of CH Industrials taking a similar share. Pace and CHI took over as joint 50/50 owners at the beginning of 1981, with Gauntlett as executive chairman. Gauntlett also led the sales team, and after some development and a lot of publicity when it became the world’s fastest 4-seater production car, was able to sell with success the Aston Martin Lagonda into Persian Gulf states, particularly Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.[7]

Understanding it would take some time to develop new Aston Martin products, they bought Tickford to develop automotive products for other companies. Products included a Tickford Austin Metro, a Tickford Ford Capri and even Tickford train interiors, particularly on the Jaguar XJS.[7] Pace continued sponsoring racing events, and now sponsored all Aston Martin Owners Club events, taking a Tickford engined Nimrod Group C car owned by AMOC President Viscount Downe, which came third in the Manufacturers Championship in both 1982 and 1983. It also finished seventh in the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans race. However, sales of production cars were now at an all time low of 30 cars produced in 1982.[7]

As trading became tighter in the petroleum market, and Aston Martin was requiring more time and money, Gauntlett agreed to sell Hays/Pace to the Kuwait Investment Office in September 1983. As Aston Martin required greater investment, he also agreed to sell his share holding to American importer and Greek shipping tycoon Peter Livanos, who invested via his joint venture company with Nick and John Papanicalou, ALL Inc. Gauntlett remained chairman of the AML company 55% owned by ALL, with Tickford a 50/50 venture between ALL and CHI. The uneasy relationship was ended when ALL exercised options to buy a larger share in AML; CHI's residual shares were exchanged for CHI's complete ownership of Tickford, which retained development of existing Aston Martin projects. In 1984, Titan the main shipping company of the Papanicolaou’s was in trouble, so Livanos's father George bought out the Papanicolaou's shares in ALL, while Gauntlett again became a shareholder with a 25% holding in AML. The deal valued Aston Martin/AML at £2 million, the year it built its 10,000th car.[7]

Although as a result Aston Martin had to make 60 members of the workforce redundant, Gauntlett bought a stake in Italian styling house Zagato, and resurrected its collaboration with Aston Martin.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage from The Living Daylights

In 1986, Gauntlett negotiated the return of fictional British secret agent James Bond to Aston Martin. Cubby Broccoli had chosen to recast the character using actor Timothy Dalton, in an attempt to re-root the Bond-brand back to a more Sean Connery-like feel. Gauntlett supplied his personal pre-production Vantage for use in the filming of "The Living Daylights," and sold a Volante to Broccoli for use at his home in America. Gauntlett turned down the role of a KGB colonel in the film, however: "I would have loved to have done it but really could not afford the time."[8]

Although the company was doing well, Gauntlett knew it needed extra funds to survive in the long term. In May 1987, Gauntlett and Prince Michael of Kent were staying at the home of Contessa Maggi, the wife of the founder of the original Mille Miglia, while watching the revival event. Another house guest was Walter Hayes, vice-President of Ford of Europe. Despite problems over the previous acquisition of AC Cars, Hayes saw the potential of the brand and the discussion resulted in Ford taking a share holding in September 1987.[9] In 1988, having produced some 5,000 cars in 20 years, a revived economy and successful sales of limited edition Vantage, and 52 Volante Zagato coupes at £86,000 each; the company finally retired the ancient V8 and introduced the Virage range - the first new Aston launched in 20 years.

Although Gauntlett was contractually to stay as chairman for two years, his racing interests took Aston back into sports car racing in 1989 with limited European success. However, with engine rule changes for the 1990 season and the launch of the new Aston Martin Volante model, Ford provided the limited supply of Cosworth engines to the Jaguar cars racing team. As the "small Aston" DB7 would require a large engineering input, Ford agreed to take full control of Aston Martin, and Gauntlett handed over the company chairmanship to Hayes in 1991.[10] In 1992, the Vantage version was announced, and the following year the company renewed the DB range by announcing the DB7.

[edit] The Ford era

Ford placed Aston in the Premier Automotive Group, substantially invested in new manufacturing and quickly ramped up production. In 1994, Ford opened a new factory at Banbury Road in Bloxham. In 1995, the company produced a record 700 vehicles. Until the Ford era cars had been produced by hand coachbuilding craft methods, such as the English wheel. In 1998 the 2,000th DB7 was built, and in 2002 the 6,000th, exceeding production of all previous DB models. The DB7 range was boosted by the addition of V12 Vantage models in 1999, and in 2001 the company introduced the V12-engine Vanquish.

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, Aston Martin introduced the AMV8 Vantage concept car. Expected to have few changes before its introduction in 2005, the Vantage brought back the classic V8 engine to allow the company to compete in a larger market. 2003 also saw the opening of the Gaydon factory, the first purpose-built factory in Aston Martin's history. Also introduced in 2003 was the DB9 coupé, which replaced the ten-year-old DB7. A convertible version of the DB9, the DB9 Volante, was introduced at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. In 2006, the V8 Vantage sports car entered production at the Gaydon factory, joining the DB9 and DB9 Volante.

In December 2003 Aston Martin announced it would return to motor racing in 2005. A new division was created, called Aston Martin Racing, which became responsible, together with Prodrive, for the design, development, and management of the DBR9 program. The DBR9 competes in the GT class in sports car races, including the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.

[edit] Sale by Ford

In 2006, under mounting financial pressure, an internal review of costs and realisable value on investment led Ford to consider divesting itself of parts of its Premier Automotive Group. After suggestions of selling Jaguar Cars, Land Rover or Volvo Cars, Ford appointed UBS AG to sell Aston Martin by auction. At the end of August 2006, Ford announced that it would be willing to sell all or part of Aston Martin. Bill Ford said: "As part of our on going strategic review, we have determined that Aston Martin may be an attractive opportunity to raise capital and generate value".[11]

The first round of the auction closed on 30 November 2006.[12] One of the four survivors was Syrian-born billionaire Simon Halabi,[13] while the Australian bid included James Packer, Australia's second richest man.[14] The German auto newspaper Autobild reported on 2 February 2007 that the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH had bought the company for an undisclosed sum. The paper cited "anonymous, but well-placed sources" with the information. It was later reported by Autocar magazine that LVMH had denied the news as "rubbish".

[edit] 2007 - A new era begins

On 12 March 2007 a consortium led by Prodrive chairman David Richards purchased Aston Martin for £475m/$848m.[15] Prodrive has no financial involvement in the deal.[16] Ford will keep a stake in the company (valued at £ 40 million / $ 70 million). The consortium also consisted of John Sinders, an Aston Martin collector; and two Kuwaiti investment companies, Investment Dar and Adeem Investment Co.

On 19 July 2007 the last car, a Vanquish S, was produced at the Newport Pagnell plant. Nearly 13,000 cars had been made there since 1955. All production was concentrated at Gaydon, with the old premises in Tickford Street remaining in Aston Martin ownership as the restoration and service department.[17]

Aston Martin has also boosted its worldwide appeal by opening more dealers in Europe, as well as branches in China for the first time in its 93 year history in Beijing and Shanghai. This has brought their dealership programme to 120 dealers in 28 countries.[18]

On 1 September 2008, Aston Martin announced the revival of the Lagonda marque. A concept will be shown in 2009, coinciding with the brand's 100th anniversary. The first production cars should come in 2012.[19]

In December 2008, Aston Martin announced that it would cut its 1850 workforce by 600.[20]

[edit] 2009 - Return to Le Mans

In January 2009 it was announced that the company was entering the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours race as a factory team in the prestigious LMP1 division. After competing throughout the 2008 season with a Lola B08/60 LMP1 Coupe under the Charouz Racing banner, Aston Martin will use a slightly modified Lola LMP1 design for their programme. Three Lola-Aston Martins have been entered in the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours by Aston Martin but only two have been confirmed with sponsorship. Aston Martin will also compete in the complete Le Mans series with the Lola-Aston Martin LMP cars, starting at Barcelona in early April. The programme got off to an unfortunate start at the pre season Paul Ricard test on March 8 when Tomas Enge destroyed the 007 car in an accident. Aston Martin Racing have subsequently taken delivery of a new Lola to replace the written off chassis.

View On Black

Ford was launched in a converted factory in 1902 with $31,000 in cash (approximately US$704 thousand, adjusted for inflation) from twelve investors, most notably John and Horace Dodge, who would later found the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company. Henry Ford was 40 years old when he founded the Ford Motor Company, which would go on to become one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, as well as being one of the few to survive the Great Depression. The largest family-controlled company in the world, the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100 years.

During its early years, the company produced a range of vehicles designated, chronologically, from the Ford Model A (1903) to the Model K and Model S (Ford's last right-hand steering model)[1] of 1907.[2] The K, Ford's first six-cylinder model, was knows as "the gentleman's roadster" and "the silent cyclone", and sold for US$2800 (approximately US$65.4 thousand, adjusted for inflation);[3] by contrast, around that time, the Enger 40 was priced at US$2000,[4] the Colt Runabout US$1500,[5] the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout[6] US$650, Western's Gale Model A US$500,[7] and the Success hit the amazingly low US$250 (approximately US$5.84 thousand, adjusted for inflation).[8]

The next year, Henry Ford introduced the Model T. Earlier models were produced at a rate of only a few a day at a rented factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, with groups of two or three men working on each car from components made to order by other companies (what would come to be called an "assembled car"). The first Model Ts were built at the Piquette Road Manufacturing Plant, the first company-owned factory. In its first full year of production, 1909, about 18,000 Model Ts were built. As demand for the car grew, the company moved production to the much larger Highland Park Plant, and in 1911, the first year of operation there, 69,762[9] Model Ts were produced, with 170,211 in 1912.[10] By 1913, the company had developed all of the basic techniques of the assembly line and mass production. Ford introduced the world's first moving assembly line that year, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours 40 minutes (and ultimately 1 hour, 33 minutes),[11] and boosted annual output to 202,667 units that year[12] After a Ford ad promised profit-sharing if sales hit 300,000 between August 1914 and August 1915,[13] sales in 1914 hit 308,162, and 501,462 in 1915;[14] by 1920, production would exceed one million a year.

These innovations were hard on employees, and turnover of workers was very high, while increased productivity actually reduced labor demand.[15] Turnover meant delays and extra costs of training, and use of slow workers. In January 1914, Ford solved the employee turnover problem by doubling pay to $5 a day, cutting shifts from nine hours to an eight hour day for a 5 day work week (which also increased sales; a line worker could buy a T with less than four months' pay),[16] and instituting hiring practices that identified the best workers, including disabled people considered unemployable by other firms.[17] Employee turnover plunged, productivity soared, and with it, the cost per vehicle plummeted. Ford cut prices again and again and invented the system of franchised dealers who were loyal to his brand name. Wall Street had criticized Ford's generous labor practices when he began paying workers enough to buy the products they made.[18]

Ford assembly line (1913)

While Ford attained international status in 1904 with the founding of Ford of Canada, it was in 1911 the company began to rapidly expand overseas, with the opening of assembly plants in England and France, followed by Denmark (1923), Germany (1925), Austria (1925),[19] and Argentina (1925),[20] and also in South Africa (1924)[21] and Australia (1925) as subsidiaries of Ford of Canada due to preferential tariff rules for Commonwealth countries. By the end of 1919, Ford was producing 50 percent of all cars in the United States, and 40% of all British ones;[22] by 1920, half of all cars in the U.S. were Model Ts. (The low price also killed the cyclecar in the U.S.)[23] The assembly line transformed the industry; soon, companies without it risked bankruptcy. Of 200 U.S. car makers in 1920, only 17 were left in 1940.[24]

It also transformed technology. Henry Ford is reported to have said, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." Before the assembly line, Ts had been available in a variety of colors, including red, blue, and green, but not black. Now, paint had become a production bottleneck; only Japan Black dried quickly enough, and not until Duco lacquer appeared in 1926 would other colors reappear on the T.[25]

In 1915, Henry Ford went on a peace mission to Europe aboard a ship, joining other pacifists in efforts to stop World War I. This led to an increase in his personal popularity. Ford would subsequently go on to support the war effort with the Model T becoming the underpinnings for Allied military vehicles.

[edit] History of the blue oval

The Ford oval trademark was first introduced in 1907. The 1928 Model A was the first vehicle to sport an early version of the Ford script in the oval badge. The dark blue background of the oval is known to designers as Pantone 294C. The Ford script is credited to Childe Harold Wills, Ford's first chief engineer and designer. He created a script in 1903 based on the one he used for his business cards. Today, the oval has evolved into a perfect oval with a width-to-height ratio of 8:3. The current Centennial Oval was introduced on June 17, 2003 as part of the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company.[26]

[edit] Post-World War I developments

In 1919, Edsel Ford succeeded his father as president of the company, although Henry still kept a hand in management. Although prices were kept low through highly efficient engineering, the company used an old-fashioned personalized management system, and neglected consumer demand for improved vehicles. So, while four wheel brakes were invented by Arrol-Johnson (and were used on the 1909 Argyll),[27] they did not appear on a Ford until 1927. (To be fair, Chevrolet waited until 1928.)[28] Ford steadily lost market share to GM and Chrysler, as these and other domestic and foreign competitors began offering fresher automobiles with more innovative features and luxury options. GM had a range of models from relatively cheap to luxury, tapping all price points in the spectrum, while less wealthy people purchased used Model Ts. The competitors also opened up new markets by extending credit for purchases, so consumers could buy these expensive automobiles with monthly payments. Ford initially resisted this approach, insisting such debts would ultimately hurt the consumer and the general economy. Ford eventually relented and started offering the same terms in December 1927, when Ford unveiled the redesigned Model A, and retired the Model T after producing 15 million units.

[edit] Lincoln Motor Company

On February 4, 1922 Ford expanded its reach into the luxury auto market through its acquisition of the Lincoln Motor Company, named for Abraham Lincoln whom Henry Ford admired, but Henry M. Leland had named the company in 1917. The Mercury division was established in 1938 to serve the mid-price auto market.[29] Ford Motor Company built the largest museum of American History in 1928, The Henry Ford.

Henry Ford would go on to acquire Abraham Lincoln's chair, which he was assassinated in, from the owners of the Ford Theatre. Abraham Lincoln's chair would be displayed along with John F. Kennedy's Lincoln limousine in the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, known today as The Henry Ford. Kennedy's limousine was leased to the White House by Ford.

[edit] Fordlândia

Main article: Fordlândia

In 1928, Henry Ford negotiated a deal with the government of Brazil for a plot of land in the Amazon Rainforest. There, Ford attempted to cultivate rubber for use in the company's automobiles. After considerable labor unrest, social experimentation, and a failure to produce rubber, and after the invention of synthetic rubber, the settlement was sold in 1945 and abandoned.

[edit] The Great Depression

During the great depression, Ford in common with other manufacturers, responded to the collapse in motor sales by reducing the scale of their operations and laying off workers. By 1932, the unemployment rate in Detroit had risen to 30%[30] with thousands of families facing real hardship. Although Ford did assist a small number of distressed families with loans and parcels of land to work, the majority of the thousands of unskilled workers who were laid off were left to cope on their own. However, Henry Ford angered many by making public statements that the unemployed should do more to find work for themselves.

This led to Detroit’s Unemployed Council organizing the Ford Hunger March. On March 7, 1932 some 3,000 - 5,000 unemployed workers assembled in West Detroit to march on Ford's River Rouge plant to deliver a petition demanding more support. As the march moved up Miller Road and approached Gate 3 the protest turned ugly. The police fired tear gas into the crowd and fire trucks were used to soak the protesters with icy water. When the protesters responded by throwing rocks, the violence escalated rapidly and culminated in the police and plant security guards firing live rounds through the gates of the plant at the unarmed protesters. Four men were killed outright and a fifth died later in hospital. Up to 60 more were seriously injured.[31]

[edit] Soviet Fords and the Gorki

In May 1929 the Soviet Union signed an agreement with the Ford Motor Company. Under its terms, the Soviets agreed to purchase $13 million worth of automobiles and parts, while Ford agreed to give technical assistance until 1938 to construct an integrated automobile-manufacturing plant at Nizhny Novgorod. Many American engineers and skilled auto workers moved to the Soviet Union to work on the plant and its production lines, which was named Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ), or Gorki Automotive Plant in 1932. A few American workers stayed on after the plant's completion, and eventually became victims of Stalin's Great Terror, either shot[32] or exiled to Soviet gulags.[33] In 1933, the Soviets completed construction on a production line for the Ford Model-A passenger car, called the GAZ-A, and a light truck, the GAZ-AA. Both these Ford models were immediately adopted for military use. By the late 1930s production at Gorki was 80,000-90,000 "Russian Ford" vehicles per year. With its original Ford-designed vehicles supplemented by imports and domestic copies of imported equipment, the Gorki operations eventually produced a range of automobiles, trucks, and military vehicles.

[edit] World War II

President Franklin Roosevelt referred to Detroit as the "Arsenal of Democracy." The Ford Motor Company played a pivotal role in the allied victory during World War I and World War II. As a pacifist, Henry Ford had said war was a waste of time, and did not want to profit from it. He was concerned the Nazis during the 1930s might nationalize his factories in Germany. During the Great Depression Ford's wages may have seemed great to his employees but many of the rules of the factories were very harsh and strict. Those were tense times for American companies doing business in Europe. In the spring of 1939, the Nazis assumed day to day control of Ford factories in Germany.

With Europe under siege, Henry Ford's genius would be turned to mass production for the war effort. After Bantam invented the Jeep, the War Department handed production over to Ford and Willys. When Consolidated Aircraft could at most build one B-24 Liberator a day, Ford would show the world how to produce one an hour, at a peak of 600 per month in 24 hour shifts. The specially-designed Willow Run plant broke ground in April 1941. At the time, it was the largest assembly line in the world, with over 3,500,000 square feet (330,000 m2) under one roof. Edsel Ford, under severe stress, died in the Spring of 1943 of stomach cancer, prompting his grieving father to resume day-to-day control of Ford. Mass production of the B-24 began by August 1943. Many pilots slept on cots waiting for takeoff as B-24s rolled off the line.[34]

In the United Kingdom, Ford built a new factory in Trafford Park, Manchester during WW2 where over 34,000 Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engines were completed by a workforce trained from scratch.

[edit] Post-World War II developments

At the behest of Edsel Ford's widow Eleanor and Henry's wife Clara, Henry Ford would make his oldest grandson, Henry Ford II, President of Ford Motor Company.

A Ford Taurus, one of Ford's best-selling models. In its 21 year lifespan, it sold 7,000,000 units. It is the 4th best selling car in Ford's history, behind only the F-150, the Model T, and the Mustang.

Henry Ford II served as President from 1945–1960, and as Chairman and CEO from 1960–1980. "Hank the Deuce" led Ford to become a publicly traded corporation in 1956. However, the Ford family maintains about 40 percent controlling interest in the company, through a series of Special Class B preferred stocks.

In 1947, Henry Ford died. According to A&E Biography, an estimated 7 million people mourned his death.

Ernest R. Breech was hired in 1946 and became the Executive Vice President. Then later became Board Chairman in 1955.

In 1946, Robert McNamara joined Ford Motor Company as manager of planning and financial analysis. He advanced rapidly through a series of top-level management positions to the presidency of Ford on 9 November 1960, one day after John F. Kennedy's election. The first company head selected outside the Ford family, McNamara had gained the favor of Henry Ford II, and had aided in Ford's expansion and success in the postwar period. Less than five weeks after becoming president at Ford, he accepted Kennedy's invitation to join his cabinet, as Secretary of Defense.

In the 1950s, Ford introduced the iconic Thunderbird in 1955 and the Edsel brand automobile line in 1958. Edsel was cancelled after less than 27 months in the marketplace in November 1960. The corporation bounced back from the failure of the Edsel by introducing its compact Ford Falcon in 1960 and the Mustang in 1964. By 1967, Ford of Europe was established.

Lee Iacocca was involved with the design of several successful Ford automobiles, most notably the Ford Mustang. He was also the "moving force," as one court put it, behind the notorious Ford Pinto. He promoted other ideas which did not reach the marketplace as Ford products. Eventually, he became the president of the Ford Motor Company, but he clashed with Henry Ford II and ultimately, on July 13, 1978, he was famously fired by Henry II, despite Ford posting a $2.2 billion dollar profit for the year. In 1979 Philip Caldwell became Chairman, succeeded in 1985 by Donald Petersen.

Harold Poling served as Chairman and CEO from 1990-1993. Alex Trotman was Chairman and CEO from 1993-1998, and Jacques Nasser served at the helm from 1999-2001. Henry Ford's great-grandson, William Clay Ford Jr., is the company's current Chairman of the Board and was CEO until September 5, 2006, when he named Alan Mulally from Boeing as his successor. As of 2006, the Ford family owns about 5 percent of Ford's shares and controls about 40 percent of the voting power through a separate class of stock.[35]

In December 2006, Ford announced that it would mortgage all assets, including factories and equipment, office property, intellectual property (patents and trademarks), and its stakes in subsidiaries, to raise $23.4 billion in cash. The secured credit line is expected to finance product development during the restructuring through 2009, as the company expects to burn through $17 billion in cash before turning a profit. The action was unprecedented in the company's 103 year history.

Tai O

Lantau Island

Hong Kong

View " Tai O " On Black & Large

Tai O,

Tai O (traditional Chinese: 大澳) is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.

History

Nearby archaeological sites date back to the Stone Age, but permanent, and verifiable, human settlement here is only three centuries old. Stories that would be impossible to substantiate have Tai O as the base of many smuggling and piracy operations, the inlets of the river providing excellent protection from the weather and a hiding place. In early 16th century, Tai O was once occupied shortly by Portuguese during Battle of Tãmão. At nearby Fan Lau, a fort was built in 1729 to protect shipping on the Pearl River. Smuggling of guns, tobacco, drugs and people remains a documented illegal activity both into and out of mainland China.

When the British came to Hong Kong, Tai O was known as a Tanka village. During and after the Chinese Civil War, Tai O became a primary entrypoint for illegal immigration for those escaping from the People's Republic of China. Some of these immigrants, mostly Han Chinese, stayed in Tai O, and Tai O attracted people from other Hong Kong ethnic groups, including Hoklo (Hokkien) and Hakka.

Reclamation at Tai OCurrently the fishing lifestyle is dying out. While many residents continue to fish, it barely provides a subsistence income. There is a public school on the island and most young people move away when they come of age. In 2000 a large fire broke out destroying many residences. The village is now mostly squatters huts and dilapidated stilt houses.

Tourism

Also known as the "Venice of Hong Kong", Tai O is also a hot tourist spot for both foreigners and residents of other parts of Hong Kong, despite damage by a fire in July 2000. The pang uk, a kind of stilt house, built right over the waterway are still quite scenic. A rope bridge tended by local women used to be quite popular with visitors, but it has been replaced with a steel pedestrian bridge.

The traditional salted fish and shrimp paste and storefronts at Tai O. For a small fee, some residents will take tourists out on their boats along the river and for short jaunts into the sea. Many tourists come to Tai O specifically to take these trips to see Chinese white dolphins. It is also a good place to see the sunset.

_________________________________

Tai O (chinois traditionnel : le 大澳) est une ville de pêche, en partie située sur une île du même nom, du côté occidental de l'île de Lantau à Hong Kong.

Les emplacements archéologiques voisins remontent à l'âge de pierre, mais la vérifiable vie humaine ici est de seulement trois siècles. Les histoires impossibles à verifier ont eu Tai O pour base dans beaucoup d'opérations de contrebande et de piraterie, l'entree du fleuve assurant l'excellente protection contre le temps et une cachette. Au XVIème siècle, Tai O a été par le passé occupé par le Portugais pendant la bataille de Tãmão. Dans le voisinage Fan Lau, un fort a été construit en 1729 pour protéger l'expédition sur le fleuve de perle. La contrebande des pistolets, du tabac, des drogues et des personnes demeure une activité, source documentaire illegale, dans et hors de la Chine continentale.

Quand les Anglais sont venus à Hong Kong, Tai O a été connu comme village de Tanka. Pendant et après la guerre civile chinoise, Tai O est devenu un point d'entrée primaire pour l'immigration illégale pour ceux s'échappant de République populaire de Chine. Certains de ces immigrés, la plupart du temps Chinois de Han, restés dans Tai O, et Tai O ont attiré des personnes d'autres groupes ethniques de Hong Kong, y compris Hoklo (Hokkien) et Hakka.

Récupération à Tai OActuellement le style de vie de pêche s'éteint. Tandis que beaucoup de résidants continuent à pêcher, il fournit à peine un revenu de subsistance. Il y a une école d'Etat sur l'île et la plupart des jeunes s'écartent quand ils en ont l'âge. En 2000 un grand feu a éclaté détruire beaucoup de résidences. Le village est maintenant la plupart du temps des huttes de squatters et des maisons délabrées sur pillotis.

Également connu comme « Venise de Hong Kong », Tai O est également une place touristique importante pour les étrangers et les résidants d'autres parties de Hong Kong, en dépit des dommages par un feu en juillet 2000. La douleur R-U, un genre de maison sur pillotis, établi bien au-dessus de la voie d'eau sont toujours tout à fait scénique. Un pont de corde tendu par les femmes locales était tout à fait populaire avec les visiteurs, mais il a été remplacé par un pont piétonnier en acier.

Les poissons et la pâte et les devanture de magasin salés traditionnels de crevette à Tai O. Pour de petits honoraires, quelques résidants prendront des touristes sur leurs bateaux le long du fleuve et pour des promenades courtes dans la mer. Beaucoup de touristes viennent à Tai O spécifiquement pour prendre ces voyages pour voir des dauphins blanc chinois. C'est également un bon endroit pour voir le coucher du soleil.

________________________________

Camera: Canon EOS 30D

Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/2000)

Aperture: f/4

Focal Length: 17 mm

ISO Speed: 100

Unsharp Mask, Tonemapping using LucisArt, Selective Color, adding a vignette+some textures (thx to SolStock )

Info:

Exposure: 1/ 50 Sec.

Aperture: f/1.4

ISO-Speed: 200

Focal Length: 30 mm

Lens: Sigma 30mm 1.4 DC HSM

View large

View On White

La Casa de las Siete Chimeneas es uno de los pocos ejemplos de arquitectura civil del siglo XVI que quedan en Madrid. Fue proyectada y construida entre 1574 y 1577 por el arquitecto Antonio Sillero para Pedro de Ledesma, secretario de Antonio Pérez. Poco tiempo después, en 1583, la casa fue adquirida por el comerciante genovés Baltasar Cattaneo. Desde entonces la casa fue popularmente conocida como «casas de Cataño». Tres años después este genovés mandó al arquitecto Andrea de Lurano realizar la primera ampliación del inmueble, resultando un caserón de planta rectangular, de dos alturas y un tejado a cuatro aguas rematado por siete chimeneas.

De estas chimeneas le viene el nombre a la casa, y también entorno a ellas se ha ido originando una serie de leyendas que nada tuvo que ver con la realidad, como por ejemplo, la que decía que las siete chimeneas representaban los siete pecados capitales, o que la casa sirvió de reclusión a una hija ilegítima de Felipe II y que después de muerta todavía habitaba en ella su espíritu.

Lo único cierto es que en 1590 el doctor Francisco Sandi y Mesa compró la casa y fundó en ella el mayorazgo de la familia de los Colmenares, desde 1716 Condes de Polentinos, siendo de su propiedad hasta 1881. En el siglo XVIII su nueva función de residencia nobiliaria conllevó la realización de algunos cambios, como la ampliación del antiguo caserón con la construcción de un edificio anexo, transversal, que hoy da, no por casualidad, a la actual calle de Colmenares, resultando en conjunto una planta en forma de «L». Durante esta época también fue residencia del famoso Marqués de Esquilache, contra quien el pueblo madrileño se amotinó en 1766 dejando las huellas de su descontento en la casa.

De nuevo en 1874 el arquitecto Agustín Ortiz de Villajos realizó una nueva reforma, pero la casa no tardaría mucho tiempo en volver a tener colgados los aparejos de obras, pues con su venta al financiero Jaime Girona en 1881, se convertiría en la futura sede del Banco de Castilla. Para este propósito, al año siguiente el arquitecto Manuel Antonio Capo emprendió la reforma de las fachadas y restauró la casa devolviéndola su aspecto original, sin que ello implicara transformar profundamente las construcciones que se habían ido añadiendo a la antigua casa.

Durante el siglo XX la casa siguió acogiendo sedes bancarias, fue declarada Monumento Histórico-Artístico en 1948 y fue otra vez reformada en 1957 por los arquitectos Fernando Chueca Goitia y José Antonio Domínguez Salazar. Desde la década de 1980 hasta la actualidad es sede del Ministerio de Educación y Cultura.

La Casa de las Chimeneas fue declarada en Monumento Histórico Artístico en 1948.

La nueva legislación de patrimonio trajo consigo un nuevo nivel de protección, y en 1995 es declarada Bien de Interés Cultural.

View On Black

Why was the original VW Beetle so popular?

The original VW Beetle was many things: cute, dependable, inexpensive, easy to work on and enduring. But it was not fast. One has to admire the original Volkswagen Beetle car. The car name was cute and the car was so counter culture, going against any other styling cues of other car manufacturers in the 1960s, that it was a hit for VW and the people. Yes the Volkswagon Beetle was so popular that Volkswagen reestablished production of the Beetle, and you can still buy a new Beetle today, albeit a modern version of the old classic.

I came across these old cars while riding my bike on the "Kissing Bridge Trail."

Ver grande sobre fondo negro I View large on black

Cuando hace aproximadamente un mes, comencé a editar el material de la Semana Santa 2008, tristemente me encontré con esta fotografía, que me hizo recordar con amargura el lamentable fallecimiento de Oscar Raúl Rodrigo, acontecido pocos días después de haberle sido hecha esta foto, con su pequeña en brazos, durante la celebración de la Procesión del Domingo de Rerrurrección.

Y al mirar la foto, los ojos de la niña se me clavaron como dardos en el alma por la profunda tristeza que me ocasionó el verla tan feliz y despreocupada en los brazos de su padre, ajena a lo que el trágico destino le tenía deparado a su familia. Quiere ser esta humilde foto un pequeño homenaje a Oscar Raúl, y a su familia en general, y un pequeño regalo para su preciosa hija, ya que en en la imagen se intuye todo el cariño de su padre hacia ella.

Mas fotos en éste monográfico:

Valladolid Semana Santa 2008

Mas fotos en éste monográfico:

A una tinta

Mas fotos en éste monográfico:

Gentes

G o l d e n H o u r

This morning I went to Sausalito to watch the sun rise. I had my doubts, and expected heavy fog -but I figure it would still be nice to watch the sun rise. I have not done that in a long time. Plus, taking pictures during blue hour is nice, but golden hour -mmm, golden hour.

A couple months back I came to this same place -Ah, Sausalito revisited.

My alarm went off at 5AM. I did not even hit the snooze button. I packed my things in to the trunk of my car and headed to my local donut shop. Picked myself up a sugar donut for me to indulge in later while I wait for the sun rise. I did rack up some karma coins though (Thanks Seo!). On my way out of the shop I looked at the change I had crumpled in my hand. Something was not right. I did a quick mind squeezing calculation in my head.

Donut: $0.85

Tendered: $ $10.00

Change: $19.15

I returned the excess money to the cashier. He was pretty thankful.

As I made my way over the Golden Gate Bridge it became clear that yes, there is going to be fog. A lot of it. I didn't count myself out quite yet. It was a nice, and leisurely drive along "Historic Sausalito."

I spent the next hour and a half patiently waiting for the sun to make it's debut for the day. I ate that sugar donut I picked up earlier. Wonderful. Even though my arteries probably clogged a little :) I spent the rest of my time lounging on the dock. And yet again, I found myself without a flashlight. It were a bit creepy when I couldn't see anything. Near pitch black except for some small ankle level lamps every 30ft or so.

Sure enough, at 7:05 the sun showed itself. Well, kind of. There was fog. I could feel the sun trying to push past the fog ... "I'm here ... I'm here!!!" But it could have been worse. So that said, I'm glad I got to see what I did. It was nice. Cold though.

The tide was significantly lower this time around when compared to the last time I came -it was interesting to see the pilings in a slightly different manner.

I'll try this again when the weather is a bit more cooperative.

View On White

Hilo de la Fotohistoria en Pullip .es: THE DATE (1 of 1) /

LA CITA (1 de 1)

(Read in order, this is: SHOT/FOTO 23 of 36) PAG: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36.

FOTOHISTORY: In English / En Español

Reira: What are you talking about Shin? I... I need you! I need to see you!!! (No please, this is not happening...) Why are you telling me all this?? Sheryl created me with this feelings for you, I can't change what I feel in one day!!

/

Reira: Pero que dices Shin? Yo... yo te necesito! Necesito verte!!! (No por favor, esto no está pasando....) Porqué me dices esto?? Sheryl me creó con estos sentimientos hacia ti, no puedo cambiar lo que siento de la noche a la mañana!!

LINKS:

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

- Sheryl Photostories at Flickr

- Ayrin and Sheryl PHOTOSTORIES at Flickr

- Saw Canceled and Sheryl PHOTOSTORIES at Flickr

Please View On Black and/or View On White

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is by far the most common species that breeds in the eastern half of North America, although most states have sporadic Rufous sightings, and Bob and Martha Sargent have banded eight other hummingbird species as winter visitors to five southeastern states. Ruby-throats are intensely inquisitive and thus easily attracted to feeders, where males in particular typically display aggressive territoriality toward rival hummers, other birds, and even insects such as bees, butterflies, and sphinx moths. They quickly become accustomed to human presence, and will swoop down to investigate red articles of clothing, possibly as potential food sources. Feeders hung at windows attract as many visitors as ones farther from structures, and the bird that claims a feeder as its territory may spend much of the day perched nearby, guarding the food source against intruders. Many hummingbird watchers find "Hummer Warz" endlessly entertaining, although the chases are obviously serious business to the hungry birds. For a short period immediately after fledging, a female will tolerate the presence of her own young at the feeder, but they are soon treated the same as other adult birds - as rivals in pursuit of the food necessary to prepare for the fall migration.

Courtship is apparently very brief, if it exists at all, and once mated the female raises the young alone. The walnut-sized nest, built by the female, is constructed on a foundation of bud scales attached to a tree limb with spider silk; lichens camouflage the outside, and the inside is lined with dandelion, cattail, or thistle down. The nest will stretch to contain the growing nestlings, and may sometimes be reused (rebuilt) the following year.

Two white, pea-sized eggs are laid two or three days apart, which the female will incubate from 60 to 80 percent of the day for 12-16 days. Reports of the duration of the nestling phase vary from 14 to 31 days, the wide range possibly varying with the availability of food; 18-23 days is normal. when they leave the nest, the chicks are considerably larger than their mothers: they may weigh 4.5 grams, while poor Mom is down to only 2.5 g after the stress of raising them. Since the mother starts incubating the first egg as soon as it's laid, that chick will hatch and fledge earlier than its sibling; it will remain close to the nest until the other chick is ready to fly. After leaving the nest, fledglings are fed by their mother for about 10 days. It is thought that Ruby-throats live as long as 12 years, but the average is probably 3-5 years.

Physical Description

Average length: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)

Average weight: 1/8 ounce (3.1 g)

Body temperature: 105°-108°F (40.5°-42.2°C)

Wing beats: 40-80 per second, average about 52

Respiration: 250 per minute

Heart rate: 250 beats/min resting; 1200 beats/min feeding

Flight speed: 30 mph (48 kph) normal; 50 mph (80 kph) escape; 63 mph (101 kph) dive

Plumage

Adult male: Emerald green back, iridescent ruby red gorget (throat) that may appear black under some lighting conditions, gray flanks, forked tail with no white. Smaller than the female.

Adult female: Emerald green back, white breast and throat, rounded tail with white tips. Larger than the male, with longer bill.

Juveniles: Young of both sexes look like the adult female. In August and September, young males may develop some red spots in the gorget.

Molts: One complete molt per year, which may start during the fall migration and continue into March. Young males acquire full ruby gorgets during their first molt.

Gender identification is simple if the light is right: the brilliant red gorget of the male is unmistakable. More commonly, though, the shape and presence of white on the tail is a more reliable field mark.

Distribution and Migration

Ruby-throats breed throughout eastern to midwestern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Most winter in Mexico, Central America, and on Caribbean islands, although a few remain in the Gulf states and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Most researchers accept a remarkable non-stop crossing of the Gulf, taking 18-20 hours. They arrive at the coast in late February or early March, and follow the development of spring flowers northward, reaching my home in Morganfield, Kentucky on April 20 +/- 2 days. Males migrate earlier than females, in both directions; some adult males start south as early as JUly. Our female breeding birds leave here (Morganfield, Kentucky) in September, with the young of the year following; the last juveniles depart abruptly at first frost (mid-October). By mid-November the fall migration is essentially completed throughout North America.

See where this picture was taken. [?]

www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/mining/levant.php

Levant Mine is located 2 miles north of St.Just and is bounded to the east by Geevor Mine, to the west by Wheal Unity and to the south by Spearn Moor and Spearn Consols mines. Levant appears as a mine in its own right on maps dating from 1748 on and consists of an amalgamation of several smaller and more ancient concerns. Their names such as Boscregan and Unity live on as shaft names. What we would consider today as modern Levant was formed in about 1820 by a group of investors - known in the trade as 'mining adventurers', who agreed to raise the sum of £400 by purchasing 80 shares at £5 each.

Two of the main investors in the company were Lewis Charles Daubuz and Mr John Batten. Their leadership along with some excellent prospecting helped the company to locate a large copper deposit at a depth of 20 fathoms (120 feet) below the surface. The adventurers rapidly got a handsome return on their investment and further exploratory work was carried out. From 1835 Levant began raising tin and was soon to become an important tin producer too. In the period 1820 to 1930 Levant produced over 130,000 tons of copper ore of high (10%) grade and 24,000 tons of black tin. In 1912 5,278 ounces of silver and 4 ounces of gold were also sold.

Levant swallowed up the nearby mine of Spearne Consols - now known as Higher Bal. Shafts were opened up at Angwin's shaft, Tresize's shaft, Goldsworthy's shaft and Batten's shaft. The underground workings of Levant extended out under the sea but in general due to the bedrock being the impervious greenstone there were very few problems with flooding.

A 'man engine' was installed on Daubuz's shaft in 1856 reached by a tunnel from the Miner's Dry. The shaft subsequently became known as engine Shaft one of only a dozen or so installed in Cornish mines. The journey time from surface to work place was radically reduced from over an hour to less than half an hour in most cases. The workers arriving fresher and more ready for work into the bargain. Along with all the new shafts and the installation of the man engine all the usual associated surface buildings sprang up around the site - stamps, both Cornish stamps and Californian stamps types; a calciner for roasting the ore and a mill area containing rag frames and buddles.

Levant is quite unusual amongst Cornish mines in one respect as it did use pit ponies for a short time from 1893 to tram the ore on the main 278 fathom (below adit) tramming level some 1600 feet underground. Levant is also remembered for the Levant Mine Disaster in October 1919. The second worst loss of life underground in a Cornish mine. 31 men were lost when the man engine snapped and fell down through the shaft.

View On Black

So I went out to buy a mask today for a picture somewhat like this. It didn't really come out how I planned it to come out =/

But this is what I got.

I'll try something better with the mask tomorrow.

Perfect by nature

Icons of self indulgence

Just what we all need

More lies about a world that

Never was and never will be

Have you no shame? Don't you see me?

You know you've got everybody fooled

Look here she comes now

Bow down and stare in wonder

Oh how we love you

No flaws when you're pretending

But now I know she

Never was and never will be

You don't know how you've betrayed me

And somehow you've got everybody fooled

Without the mask, where will you hide?

Can't find yourself lost in your lie

I know the truth now

I know who you are

And I don't love you anymore

It Never was and never will be

You don't know how you've betrayed me

And somehow you've got everybody fooled

It never was and never will be

You're not real and you can't save me

Somehow now you're everybody's fool

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u55fpsbzAfk

View On Black

Cornelian Cherry does this mean "Armenian Cherry blossoms" why not, LOL!! Blooming young trees at the new Park.

Wiki:

It is a medium to large deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5-12 m tall, with dark brown branches and greenish twigs. The leaves are opposite, 4-10 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin. The flowers are small (5-10 mm diameter), with four yellow petals, produced in clusters of 10-25 together in the late winter, well before the leaves appear. The fruit is an oblong red drupe 2 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, containing a single seed.

The fruit is edible, but the unripe fruit is astringent. The fruit only fully ripens after it falls from the tree. When ripe, the fruit is dark ruby red. It has an acidic flavour which is best described as a mixture of cranberry and sour cherry; it is mainly used for making jam, makes an excellent sauce similar to cranberry sauce when pitted and then boiled with sugar and orange, but also can be eaten dried. In Azerbaijan and Armenia, the fruit is used for distilling vodka.

Dancing with the Stars: Results, tonight

American Idol !! Usher is on!! SOOC, just cropping and resizing!!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting!!

Real nice here

Cuidado que escupe!!!!

Nuevas galerías en www.mariorubio.com y www.fotografonocturno.com

Discover the New galleries

Canal TV en YOUTUBE NightPhotography

En compañía de mi amigo Carles de www.terradeningu.com en el curso del fin de semana pasado en Prades (Tarragona)

Y aprovecho también para agradecer su amabilidad a Rafa por sacarnos de la autovía perdida a altas horas de la madrugada después de pasar 10 horas en el aeropuerto de Barajas por culpa de Iberia y llegar a mi destino casi 12 horas más tarde de lo previsto.

Exif:

White light and a light painting tool.

Cursos de fotografía nocturna

Hilo de la Fotohistoria en Pullip .es: Naruto VS Sasuke

(Read in order, this is: SHOT/FOTO 01 of 23) PAG: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

FOTOHISTORY: In English / En Español

Naruto: It's true!!! Why you never trust me? T^T

Sakura: That's what you won with sweat and effort since the day Sheryl finished you. You really came out like the real character... ¬¬ You better shut up or I'll kick your ass.

Sasuke: XDDDDDDDDD (Eat that! XDDD)

/

Naruto: Es verdad!!! Por qué nunca me crees? T^T

Sakura: Es lo que te has ganado con esfuerzo y sudor desde el día que te acabó Sheryl. Desde luego has salido fiel al personaje... ¬¬ Más te vale estarte callado o te daré una patada en el culo.

Sasuke: XDDDDDDDDD (Chupate esa! XDDD)

LINKS:

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

- Sheryl Photostories at Flickr

- Hilo de Naruto en Grupo en el Foro: miPullip

- See more photos at: Renske‘s Flickr

Looks Best In Large On Black

Ok, I went to town on this one and I think it worked out. Lots of tweaking and playing on this one; eyes, face, sky, simplified the background (bye bye power lines, building and railing). I kind of owe it to Nick as he's waited very patiently since August to get these shots.

I really like how it turned out. My only slight beef is that in lightening the darker side of Nick's face I've actually made him look heavier than he does in the original shot.

Strange isn't it what light can do?

Haven't heard from Nick yet what he thinks. Hopefully he'll like it.

BTW this is not an HDR shot, this is a single shot tonemapped in the method I described in my previous post.

Should I have removed the concrete wall as well?

If you're interested in contacting Nick he can be found on Model Mayhem here

ModelMayhem # 1168286

UPDATE: Nick likes it.

www.darckr.com/username.php?username=9099757@N05

Eine Spektralfarbe ist jener Farbeindruck, der durch monochromatisches Licht im sichtbaren Teil des Lichtspektrums entsteht. Sie ist in jedem Farbton die intensivste, mithin reine Farbe.

Das Spektrum (als Begriff der Farblehre) ist die Gesamtheit aller Linien und Banden bestimmter Frequenz. „Weißes Licht“ ist im physikalischen Sinne (und praktisch kaum realisierbar) ein aus allen Wellenlängen des sichtbaren Spektralbereichs energiegleich gemischtes Licht. Meist versteht man darunter Tageslicht (Sonnenlicht) sowie die Normlichtarten mit ihren unterschiedlichen Farbtemperaturen. Die von einer energiegleichen Lichtquelle erzeugte Farbempfindung heißt exakterweise „unbunt“.

Durch Brechung am optischen Prisma, durch Beugung an Gittern oder in Interferenz gelingt es, "weißes Licht" in (einzelne) Spektralfarben zu zerlegen. Spektralfarben als monochromatisches Licht können bei geeigneten Emissionsvorgängen auch direkt entstehen (Natriumdampflampe, Laser).

Newton stellte diesen Sachverhalt in seinen Opticks dar, nach ihm sind es die sieben Spektralfarben: Rot, Orange, Gelb, Grün, Blau, Indigo, Violett. Für Goethe dagegen war das "weiße Licht" das Ursächliche.

Eine besondere Bedeutung kommt der "weißen Strahlung", also der energiegleichen Strahlung in der Photometrie und verwandten Gebieten zu. Hier ist es wichtig in den notwendigen (betrachteten) Wellenlängenintervallen diese Eigenschaft zu erreichen. Für die Messung der Augenempfindlichkeitskurve ist neben der energiegleichen Strahlung sogar eine quantenintensitätsgleiche Strahlung erforderlich. Solche Messungen dienen der Ableitung von Normspektralfarbwerten.

Die Zapfenzellen in der menschlichen Netzhaut (sowie auch anderer Lebewesen) besitzen je nach Typ unterschiedliche Empfindlichkeitsspektren, die bestimmte Bereiche des empfangenen Lichtspektrums abdecken. Die Verarbeitung der von den Zapfen stammenden Signale wandelt die empfangenen Spektren in wahrgenommene Farben um. Da die Gewichtung der Spektralanteile von den Wahrnehmungsbereichen der Zapfentypen abhängt, ist auch die Farbwahrnehmung direkt davon abhängig. Wird etwa von LEDs ein nahezu monochromatisches Licht dargeboten, so wird diese Lichtfarbe als sehr rein (gesättigt) und hell wahrgenommen, also als Spektralfarbe. Im Falle des menschlichen Sehens gibt es kein Lichtspektrum, das nur einen einzigen Zapfentyp reizt. Da sich die Bereiche der Zapfentypen überschneiden, werden immer mehrere Typen gleichzeitig angesprochen.

Der Spektralfarbenzug nach CIE wird in der Normfarbtafel mit der Purpurgeraden ergänzt, die allerdings Mischfarben enthält. Physikalisch gibt es für Purpurtöne keine zugehörigen Spektralfarben. Diese werden nur bei gemischter Wahrnehmung von kurz- und langwelligen Licht gesehen. Im CIE-Diagramm entspricht den Purpurtönen mit höchster Sättigung diese Purpurgerade. Prinzipiell sind alle nicht spektralen Farben Mischfarben.

Die menschliche Farbwahrnehmung bei Tagessehen (Photopisches Sehen) ist auf drei Rezeptortypen für kurze, mittlere und lange Wellenlängen begrenzt. Manche Tiere, vor allem Vögel, wie die Tauben, besitzen vier Farbrezeptoren. Dadurch können sie mehr Farbvarianten und Farbarten als ein Mensch unterscheiden. Andere Tierarten, wie Hunde, besitzen nur zwei Typen von Farbrezeptoren. Das führt zu einem kleineren Umfang an unterscheidbaren Farbtönen.

Am langwelligen roten Ende des sichtbaren Spektrums grenzt der Bereich des unsichtbaren infraroten Lichtes an. Durch den stetigen Übergang in der Empfindlichkeit auf reizende Wellenlängen ist diese Grenze fließend (zwischen 720 nm und 830 nm) und unterliegt individuellen Schwankungen. Dies wird im Wesentlichen durch den chemischen Aufbau des Rhodopsins (Sehpurpur) bestimmt. Der wahrgenommene Farbton ändert sich ab 650 nm nur geringfügig.

Der infrarote Bereich des Spektrums wird als Wärmestrahlung bezeichnet, obwohl jede absorbierte elektromagnetische Strahlung ihr Energieäquivalent als Wärme erzeugt, egal ob es sich um längstwellige Radiostrahlung oder um harte (sehr kurzwellige) Gammastrahlung handelt. Die Wärmewirkung von Infrarot- und Radiostrahlung wird von Menschen direkt durch andere Rezeptoren wahrgenommen. Die Eindringtiefe der Strahlung wiederum ist wellenlängenabhängig. Nahe Infrarotstrahlung dringt nur wenige Millimeter in den Körper ein, Radiostrahlung wird im gesamten Körper umgesetzt. Dieser Effekt wird bei der Kurzwellenbestrahlung genutzt, um innere Organe zu erwärmen.

Am kurzwelligen violetten Ende des sichtbaren Spektrums, bei Wellenlängen ab etwa 380 nm und kleiner, grenzt der Bereich des ultravioletten Lichtes an. Diese Wellenlängen rufen keine Reizung der menschlichen Rezeptoren hervor, deshalb ist ultraviolettes Licht unsichtbar. Aus dem gleichen Grund wie am infraroten Ende des Lichtspektrums ist die Sichtbarkeit der Strahlung zwischen 360 nm und 410 nm individuell und altersbedingt Schwankungen unterlegen, noch stärker als im infrarot-nahen Bereich. Die Pigmentierung der Hornhaut spielt hier eine große Rolle. Außerdem verfärbt sich mit zunehmendem Alter die Linse gelblich, wodurch kurzwelliges Licht stärker gefiltert wird.

Bei Operationen am grauen Star ist nach Entfernung der getrübten Linse die Filterwirkung beseitigt (aphakisches Sehen), was zu einer ausgeprägten Verbesserung der Wahrnehmung kurzer Wellenlängen führt. Nach Einsetzen der Kunststofflinse ist dieser besondere Effekt wieder aufgehoben.

A spectral color is a color that is evoked by a single wavelength of light in the visible spectrum, or by a relatively narrow band of wavelengths. Every wavelength of light is perceived as a spectral color, in a continuous spectrum; the colors of sufficiently close wavelengths are indistinguishable.

The spectrum is often divided up into named colors, though any division is somewhat arbitrary: the spectrum is continuous. Traditional colors include: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

Indigo is often omitted as simply a shade of blue/violet, and cyan was not included historically. The first division was by Newton, in his color wheel, and he used Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet; a mnemonic is ROYGBIV, as in a person named Roy G. Biv.

More info:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_color

oder Deutsch:

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spektralfarbe

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Update: In Lisbon, there are no big problems with the "Occupy Movement" camping in front of Parliament, since the group disassembles the tents and hides them early in the morning. The only pending problem is the payment of a licence for the permanent tent (the tent where the group meets and works, first image below). The group of Lisbon is peaceful and is respecting the neighbourhood and the police. So, the problems that are happening in the US and other European cities are not expected to be happening here.

See the iReport on CNN

The bad weather conditions have made the stay at the camping ground a real challenge for some of them. Yesterday night, it poured in Lisbon. I was at home and thought of these young people and thought "Poor souls!" When I asked them today how bad it was, they answered with a smile: "We didn't hear the rain..." It's so good to be so young and have dreams...!

Hilo de la Fotohistoria en Pullip .es: PULLIP.ES - BCN: Parc Güell - 03/04/2011

Meeting!! (2 of 3): Ville's Sessions/

Kedada!! (2 de 3): Las Sesiones de Ville

(Read in order, this is: SHOT/FOTO 08 of 18) PAG: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.

FOTOHISTORY: In English / En Español

Ren: (I supose I will have to stay with this new friend... I'm too shy to talk to the girls... I don't know them... U_U)

Ville: Sheryl, I know you love to take picturies of all of what I do, but do you think you could leave me alone just for a while? ^_^u Come on, you ought this to me, it's been so long since you took me out ;P

Sheryl: What for? ¬¬ don't begin like Lenn please... ^_^u I have enough with one ó_ò (This one has had seen what the other two did behind the bushes and now he wants his part... ^_^u Well DON'T Ò_Ó Why didn't I think twice before choosing the most horny guys I have to this meeting... whyyyyyyyy!! T^T)

/

Ren: (tendré que conformarme con este como amigo... me da vergüenza ir a hablar con las chicas...no las conozco... U_U)

Ville: Sheryl, ya sé que tienes que retratar todo lo que hago pero... no podrías dejarme un ratito a mi aire? ^_^u Vaaa, me lo debes, que hace mucho que no me sacas. ;P

Sheryl: Pa que? ¬¬ No me empieces como Lenn por favor... ^_^u que con uno tengo suficiente. ó_ò (Este ha visto lo que han hecho aquellos dos en los matorrales y quiere su ración... ^_^u pues NO! Ò_Ó Porqué no lo pensé antes de traerme a los dos taes más salidos que tengo a la quedada.... porqueeeeeeé!!! T^T)

LINKS:

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

- Sheryl Photostories at Flickr

SICA, Carlos. PHP com tudo. Rio de Janeiro: Ciência Moderna, 2011. 525 p.

Quantidade de exemplar: 1

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La Habana Vieja - Cuba

“I fanciulli gridando,

su la piazzola in frotta,

e qua e là saltando,

fanno un lieto rumore”

da “Il Sabato del villaggio” di Giacomo Leopardi

E’ una soleggiata Domenica di Pasqua all’Avana, passeggio per il centro quando vengo colto da una musica in lontananza. Pian piano questa si fa sempre più vicina: sono un gruppo di trampolieri mascherati e musicisti che improvvisano armonie dal ritmo latino-americano… con sé una folla di gente che balla e che aumenta, metro dopo metro, al loro passaggio. Unitomi alla “processione” mi accorgo di essere entrato in un altro mondo, come “Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie” noto persone tutte colorate che ridono, ballano, mi sorridono e mi fanno cenno di immergermi in quel baccanale, come ci fossero barriere invisibili tra lì e la calma del pomeriggio in città. Tra tutti, la prima persona che noto è il bimbo sulla foto, che correndo da un capo all’altro della folla, insieme ad altri compagni, si gode il suo “di’ di festa”.

--Rabindranath Tagore

Explore--3/28/10

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"How long does a monarch live?" "Why do monarchs migrate south?"

The answers to these two questions go hand-in-hand. Children ask them all the time. Most monarchs live from two to six weeks as an adult butterfly, but the Monarch's migration is the KEY to its yearly life cycle.

The total time frame for one butterfly's life cycle (one generation) is about 6-8 weeks . . . egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly. It grows inside the egg for about 4 days. It then munches milkweed and grows as a monarch caterpillar (larvae) for about 2 more weeks. The caterpillar's life inside the chrysalis (pupa) lasts about 10 days and its wonderful life as an adult butterfly lasts from 2 - 6 weeks.

February/March - hibernating monarchs in Mexico and southern California reawaken, become active, find a mate, begin the flight northward and lay their eggs. Finally they die. These special monarchs have lived about 4-5 months through the long winter.

March/April -the 1st generation monarchs are born -egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly;

May/June - the 2nd generation is born - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly;

July/August - the 3rd generation is born - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly;

Sept/Oct - the 4th generation is born - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly . . . but THIS generation does not die. It MIGRATES south and lives 6-8 months in Mexico or Southern California. They begin awakening and mating in February/March of the NEXT SPRING, and then lay their eggs! Withered and tattered from their migration and hibernation . . . they finally die.

The cycles goes on as the new baby caterpillars are born each spring and the cycle continues throughout the year into the next spring. MAGICAL and AMAZING!

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Ok. I have no problem with falling into deep snow (with my camera on a tripod in my hand), because i could not see a hole in the ground in the darkness. Also, temperatures below -10 C, a frozen camera (yes, it had an ice shield around) can be survived. BUT - if i get no acceptable photo for my efforts, i am really UPSET!

There was a little fog in the air tonight, not much. But it was enough to spray the lights of the town into the sky, and my intended winter startrail was spoiled. THIS SUCKS!

At least, i took a evidence shot of that damned light pollution, for not coming home with empty hands.

And, eh, i had to push this a little with a limited fractalius effect.

'Come Sail Away' On Black

Artist: Styx

Album: Return To Paradise

Title: Come Sail Away

I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea

I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me

On board, i'm the captain, so climb aboard

We'll search for tomorrow on every shore

And i'll try, oh lord, i'll try to carry on

I look to the sea, reflections in the waves spark my memory

Some happy, some sad

I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had

We live happily forever, so the story goes

But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold

But we'll try best that we can to carry on

A gathering of angels appeared above my head

They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said

They said come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

Come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

I thought that they were angels, but to my surprise

They climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies

Singing come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

Come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

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This was one of the most fasinating sights we saw as we broke away from the highway.

Rounding a curve we came across a crowd of people looking down into the water.

Being from the city we all thought someone must have surely drowned to draw such a crowd.

Brakes on, doors flying, camera's in hand, we were off with a bit of adrenaline flowing.

Alas when we got to the edge, all was well except for the mackererel. They were the ones fighting for their life and it looked like a lossing battle to me.

This was fishing like I have never seen. Two rather small motor boats where docked at the edge of the water with this giant net between them being held by several men. The men would pull on the netting, keeping it tight so that eventually the fish were all gathered in the center of the net.

Next came two more gentlemen with hand nets and they started scooping the fish out of the larger net while the men kept bringing that larger net in tighter and tigher. Fish were flying everywhere. Some managed to jump out of the little nets but not many.

To say we were fasinated with this process was an understatement. I have never seen a crew work so hard and work together so well for the good of the cause.

And yes Doc, I did feel bad for the little fish that ended up in the big boat. Fortuantaly I do understand that these men need to make a living and that people need to eat so I didn't shead any tears. I was brave and just took the photo's.

Actually it was a day I will never forget. A day that I learned that making a living off the land or the water is still quite difficult and backbreaking. A good lesson for me.

View large, on black for the full effect.

This launch pedestal is the most striking structure remaining at LC-34. It was built to hold the heft of a Saturn 1 or Saturn 1B rocket - basically the truncated upper stages of the epic Saturn V. Several launches and tests were performed here but this site is best known for the events of January 27, 1967 - the terrible tragedy of Apollo 1. Here three of NASA's brightest astronauts (Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee) were incinerated by a lone spark in their pressurized all-oxygen cabin atmosphere during a dry run.

After one final launch in 1968 the facility was dismantled and the service structures were razed. The remaining concrete pedestal was preserved as a memorial and affixed with two plaques commemorating the memory of the three revered astronauts that lost their lives here.

The plaques read:

LAUNCH COMPLEX 34, Friday, 27 January 1967, 1831 Hours. Dedicated to the living memory of the crew of the Apollo 1: USAF. Lt. Colonel Virgil I. Grissom, USAF. Lt. Colonel Edward H. White, II, U.S.N. Lt. Commander Roger B. Chaffee. They gave their lives in service to their country in the ongoing exploration of humankind's final frontier. Remember them not for how they died but for those ideals for which they lived.

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice so others could reach for the stars; Ad astra per aspera (a rough road leads to the stars); God speed to the crew of Apollo 1

God speed indeed.

In the distance is a United Launch Alliance service structure containing a Boeing Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) at the nearby Launch Complex 37B. This particular Delta IV is a Medium+ (4,2) variant carrying a weather satellite (GEOS-O) for NOAA into geosynchronous orbit and is scheduled to launch on June 26th, 2009 (as of June 6, 2009).

NOTE: Replaced the image with a color-corrected replacement on 03/08/2009. The original was a bit too purple for my liking and, as one of my favorite photos on my entire photostream, it deserved better. :)

Lonely mom needs you, LOOK! 👙➡️ Go!

14/08/08 - Lanzarote - Islas Canarias -

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View "Canary Islands Set" on Flickriver

View the Slideshow of "Canary Islands Set"

* Please use the time offered by darckr to make great, accurate, useful comments *

En grande

Los saltamontes pueden saltar grandes distancias con sus potentes patas traseras, y en algunas ocasiones también son capaces de migrar. Esta circunstancia se da cuando se concentran demasiados individuos en una misma zona. Ante la escasez de alimento, su organismo libera una serie de hormonas que fomentan la movilidad alar para que los individuos puedan desplazarse volando a otros lugares y evitar así la competencia intraespecífica por el alimento. Algunas especies, como Locusta migratoria y Schistocerca gregaria, se desplazan en grandes enjambres diezmando las cosechas.

Algunas especies producen ruidos audibles, usualmente frotando los fémures contra las alas o el abdomen o con el golpeteo de las alas en el vuelo. Si cuentan con órgano de audición, este se encuentra los costados del primer segmento abdominal. Las patas traseras son típicamente largas y fuertes, apropiadas para saltar. Generalmente cuentan con alas pero solo las traseras son membranosas y les permiten volar, mientras que las delanteras son coriáceas y no son útiles en el vuelo. Las hembras son de mayor tamaño que los machos.