View allAll Photos Tagged pincer
Well, Codey wanted me to spoil his prototype surprises, so I gave in and decided to post his whole loot.
It'll ship out soon broski.
#Isn'tJokeranAwesomeFriend?
Bernardo Daddi (Borgo San Lorenzo, circa 1290 - Florence, 1348) - Triptych (1340-51) - tempera and gold on wood - Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan
Nel pannello centrale del trittico è raffigurata la Madonna con il Bambino assisa su un trono impreziosito da un drappo d’onore rosso, decorato da motivi floreali dorati. Gesù tiene nella sinistra una melagrana e protende la mano destra per afferrare il cardellino posato sulla sinistra di Maria: il cardellino e la melagrana sono due simboli che alludono rispettivamente alla Passione e alla Resurrezione di Cristo. In basso, ai piedi dei gradini del trono, figurano, a sinistra san Giovanni Battista, che regge con la mano sinistra un sottile crocifisso rosso ed è vestito con la tradizionale veste di pelo di cammello e con un mantello celeste; a destra un santo diacono che indossa una dalmatica rossa e tiene nella destra una foglia di palma, simbolo del martirio, e nella sinistra un libro dalla legatura di colore blu: si tratta con ogni probabilità di Lorenzo, che Bernardo Daddi è solito rappresentare con questi attributi. Più in alto, in piedi sul gradino superiore del trono, sono raffigurate quattro sante: a sinistra, Apollonia indossa una veste gialla, ha la corona in testa e tiene nella destra la tenaglia che stringe un molare – allusiva al suo martirio, durante il quale le furono asportati i denti –, mentre Lucia, con una veste blu e un mantello rosso che le copre il capo, tiene in mano una lampada accesa, attributo che richiama il suo nome (luce - Lucia). A destra compaiono due sante coronate: la prima, che indossa una veste rossa e un manto blu, con la sinistra afferra i lembi del mantello, mentre ha la mano destra chiusa a pugno e protesa in avanti. Probabilmente in origine la santa sosteneva un attributo, oggi scomparso. La quarta santa indossa una veste di colore giallo-verde e tiene nelle mani la foglia di palma e un libro: potrebbe identificarsi con Caterina d’Alessandria, una delle più rappresentate fra le sante martiri nella pittura italiana del Medioevo – sebbene non sia visibile in questo caso la ruota dentata, strumento del suo martirio che spesso la accompagna, e che permette di riconoscerla infallibilmente –, ma potrebbe anche trattarsi di Reparata, patrona di Firenze, che è solitamente raffigurata con questi attributi. Nello sportello di sinistra è dipinto in alto l’Arcangelo Gabriele con un ramo di giglio in mano, inginocchiato su un drappo rosso posato sul pavimento decorato con motivi floreali dorati, molto simili a quelli che impreziosiscono il drappo d’onore del trono della Vergine. In basso è raffigurata la Natività: sotto il tetto di un’umile capanna, che accoglie il bue e l’asino, la Vergine sta adagiando il Bambino nella mangiatoia avvolgendolo delicatamente nel velo che si è levata dalla testa. Il pannello di destra è invece decorato in alto con la Vergine annunziata, che si ritrae spaventata, la mano destra levata, per il sopraggiungere dell’angelo, ed è seduta su un cuscino appoggiato per terra; nella stanza di Maria è appeso un drappo rosso decorato con motivi floreali dorati, identico a quello su cui è inginocchiato l’angelo annunziante. Sotto l’Annunciata è raffigurata la Crocifissione, con i Dolenti, Maria e san Giovanni Evangelista ai lati della croce, lungo la quale scorre copiosamente, in due rivoli paralleli, il sangue di Gesù, che si raccoglie in una prima pozza e quindi, più in basso, in una seconda, che assume l’aspetto di un teschio rossastro deformato e inquietante, allusione alla morte di Gesù e allo stesso tempo probabile riferimento alle ossa di Adamo. Le scene narrative sono vivaci e ricche di notazioni naturalistiche come ad esempio l’atteggiamento di timidezza e di stupore della Vergine annunciata, che si ritrae all’indietro; il gesto del pastore che, abbagliato dalla luce emanata dall’angelo, si fa ombra con la mano all’altezza degli occhi; la tenerezza affettuosa con cui la Madonna depone il piccolo Gesù nella mangiatoia; il dolore e la disperazione espressi dalla Vergine e da San Giovanni Evangelista nella Crocifissione
The central panel of the triptych depicts the Madonna and Child seated on a throne embellished with a red drape of honor, decorated with gilded floral motifs. Jesus holds a pomegranate in his left hand and extends his right hand to grasp the goldfinch resting on Mary's left. The goldfinch and the pomegranate are two symbols that allude to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ respectively. Below, at the foot of the steps of the throne, there are, on the left, Saint John the Baptist, who holds a thin red crucifix in his left hand and is dressed in the traditional camel's hair robe and a blue cloak; on the right, a holy deacon wearing a red dalmatic and holding a palm leaf in his right hand, the symbol of martyrdom, and in his left hand a book with a blue binding: this is probably Lorenzo, whom Bernardo Daddi used to represent with these attributes. Higher up, standing on the top step of the throne, are four saints: on the left, Apollonia wears a yellow robe, has a crown on her head and holds in her right hand the pincer gripping a molar - an allusion to her martyrdom, during which her teeth were removed -, while Lucia, wearing a blue robe and a red cloak covering her head, holds in her hand a lighted lamp, an attribute that recalls her name (luce - Lucia). On the right are two crowned saints: the first, wearing a red robe and a blue cloak, grasps the edges of her cloak with her left hand, while her right hand is clenched into a fist and stretched forward. Probably originally the saint held an attribute, which has now disappeared. The fourth saint wears a yellow-green robe and holds a palm leaf and a book in her hands. She could be Catherine of Alexandria, one of the most represented martyr saints in Italian painting of the Middle Ages - although the cogwheel, the instrument of her martyrdom that often accompanied her and that allows her to be recognized infallibly, is not visible here - but she could also be Reparata, the patron saint of Florence, who is usually depicted with these attributes. In the left-hand flap, the Archangel Gabriel is painted at the top with a lily branch in his hand, kneeling on a red drape laid on the floor decorated with gilded floral motifs, very similar to those that embellish the drape of honor on the throne of the Virgin. The lower panel depicts the Nativity: under the roof of a humble hut, which houses the ox and the donkey, the Virgin is laying the Child in the manger, delicately wrapping him in the veil that she has taken off her head. The right panel is instead decorated at the top with the Virgin Announced, who withdraws frightened, the right hand raised, for the arrival of the angel, and is sitting on a cushion resting on the ground, in the room of Mary is hanging a red cloth decorated with floral motifs gilded, identical to that on which the announcing angel is kneeling. Under the Annunciation is the Crucifixion, with the Sorrowful, Mary and St. John the Evangelist at the sides of the cross, along which flows copiously, in two parallel streams, the blood of Jesus, which collects in a first pool and then, lower down, in a second, which takes on the appearance of a reddish skull deformed and disturbing allusion to the death of Jesus and at the same time likely reference to the bones of Adam. The narrative scenes are lively and rich in naturalistic notations such as the attitude of shyness and astonishment of the Virgin announced, who retreats backwards; the gesture of the shepherd who, dazzled by the light emanating from the angel, casts a shadow with his hand at eye level; the affectionate tenderness with which the Madonna lays the baby Jesus in the manger; the pain and despair expressed by the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist in the Crucifixion.
Narvik Railway Station, Narvik, Norway.
Narvik has a double personality. On the one hand, its location is spectacular, pincered by islands to the west and mountains in every other direction, while spectacular fjords stretch north and south. At the same time, heavy industry casts a pall of ugliness over the rather scruffy downtown area – the town was founded in 1902 as the port for the coal-mining town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and the trans-shipment facility bisecting the city still loads several million tonnes of ore annually from train wagons on to ships.
For video, please visit youtu.be/bdLhJdj4Zes
Narvik, Norway.
Narvik has a double personality. On the one hand, its location is spectacular, pincered by islands to the west and mountains in every other direction, while spectacular fjords stretch north and south. At the same time, heavy industry casts a pall of ugliness over the rather scruffy downtown area – the town was founded in 1902 as the port for the coal-mining town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and the trans-shipment facility bisecting the city still loads several million tonnes of ore annually from train wagons on to ships.
For video, please visit youtu.be/bdLhJdj4Zes
Furrow Orbweavers are commonly found throughout the UK often near fresh water, they tend to build webs between low grass and shrubbery. The Furrow Orbweaver has a very distinct body pattern with a “V” shape on the abdomen and a “pincer” like shape above it. During most of the day the Furrow Orbweaver will hide in a web retreat with an opening at the bottom masked with plant and animal matter. Once they emerge from their retreat in the evening, they begin rebuilding a web trap. Like most arachnids the females are larger with an average body length of 13mm while the males only grow up to 8mm.
This photo is a handheld stack of 8 shots taken with the Laowa 100mm 2:1 macro and the Raynox DCR-250 on a Sony A6300 (APS-C). Image setting were 1/160, f5.6, ISO 160 with a Godox V1 Flash @ ¼ and a Cygnustech Macro Diffuser. The image was processed in lightroom, photoshop and Topaz Denoise.
Please visit my personal website to see my full collection of images at jrs.photos/
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The gray heron reaches a body length of 90 to 98 centimeters[1] and usually weighs between 1 and 2 kilograms. Well-fed birds can exceed 2 kilograms, emaciated specimens only weigh up to 810 g.[2] The wingspan is between 175 and 195 centimeters. There is no noticeable sexual dimorphism. However, the males are slightly larger on average. With this appearance, it is very similar to the North American great blue heron, which occupies a similar ecological niche as the European gray heron.
Flying gray heron on the Krughorn in the European bird sanctuary Westlicher Forst Düppel in Berlin seen from below
The gray heron's plumage is white on the forehead and skull, grey-white on the neck and ash gray with white bands on the back. It has black eye stripes, three long black tufts forming a plume, a triple row of black spots on the foreneck, and black pinions. The long beak is yellowish and turns brownish at the top of the beak. The cere is yellow and turns green towards the eye. However, individual individuals can deviate significantly from this gray heron-typical plumage and have a different distribution pattern. The three long front toes are spread wide apart on the stilt leg and prevent sinking into the soft ground. The beak type is the pincer beak.
The gray heron has only a very stunted preen gland. Instead, he possesses powder feathers on his chest and groin, which he occasionally rubs his head on, crumbling them. The resulting powder is very fatty and is spread over the body to keep it dry. The powder downs constantly grow back and do not fall out during moulting.
The departure is often initiated with a few jumps. Gray herons fly with slow wing beats and a head pulled back to the shoulders and an S-shaped neck. The neck is stretched out only during take-off and landing. During the flight, a loud, harsh chräik can be heard regularly. When walking quickly, a balancing movement of the neck can be observed. When foraging for food, they usually walk slowly with their necks stretched out.
Der Graureiher erreicht eine Körperlänge von 90 bis 98 Zentimetern[1] und wiegt meist zwischen 1 und 2 Kilogramm. Gutgenährte Vögel können 2 Kilogramm überschreiten, abgemagerte Exemplare nur bis zu 810 g wiegen.[2] Die Flügelspannweite beträgt zwischen 175 und 195 Zentimeter. Ein auffälliger Geschlechtsdimorphismus besteht nicht. Die Männchen sind im Durchschnitt allerdings etwas größer. Er gleicht mit diesem Aussehen sehr dem nordamerikanischen Kanadareiher, der dort eine ähnliche ökologische Nische wie der europäische Graureiher besetzt.
Fliegender Graureiher am Krughorn im Europäischen Vogelschutzgebiet Westlicher Forst Düppel in Berlin von unten gesehen
Das Gefieder des Graureihers ist auf Stirn und Oberkopf weiß, am Hals grauweiß und auf dem Rücken aschgrau mit weißen Bändern. Er hat schwarze Augenstreifen sowie drei lange schwarze Schopffedern, die einen Federbusch bilden, eine dreifache schwarze Fleckenreihe am Vorderhals sowie schwarze Schwingen. Der lange Schnabel ist gelblich und geht auf dem Schnabelfirst ins Bräunliche über. Die Wachshaut ist gelb und wird Richtung Auge grünlich. Einzelne Individuen können von diesem Graureiher-typischen Gefieder jedoch deutlich abweichen und ein anderes Verteilungsmuster aufweisen. Die drei langen Vorderzehen sind am Stelzenbein weit auseinander gespreizt und verhindern das Einsinken in den weichen Untergrund. Der Schnabeltyp ist der Pinzettenschnabel.
Der Graureiher besitzt nur eine sehr verkümmerte Bürzeldrüse. Stattdessen besitzt er Puderfedern an der Brust und in den Leisten, an denen er gelegentlich seinen Kopf reibt und sie damit zerbröselt. Das entstehende Pulver ist sehr fetthaltig und wird über den Körper verteilt, um ihn vor Nässe zu schützen. Die Puderdunen wachsen ständig nach und fallen auch nicht während der Mauser aus.
Der Abflug wird oft mit einigen Sprüngen eingeleitet. Graureiher fliegen mit langsamen Flügelschlägen und bis auf die Schultern zurückgezogenem Kopf und einem s-förmig gekrümmten Hals. Nur während des Abflugs und bei der Landung ist der Hals vorgestreckt. Während des Fluges ist regelmäßig ein lautes, raues chräik zu hören. Beim schnellen Gehen ist eine balancierende Halsbewegung zu beobachten. Während der Nahrungssuche schreiten sie in der Regel langsam mit vorgestrecktem Hals.
Wiki
The last of my flowers for a few days, while I wait for the next crop, of cistus, aquilegia and lathyrus, to come into bloom. These acid-green Euphorbia have been out for weeks, but their intricate flowers also take weeks to develop. They start with four pincer-like florets and one large ball-like stalk. That doesn't seem to do much, but then cup-like flowers appear (usually a pair). They keep their flower-heads until the winter, when I usually scatter them as I'm very happy for them to brighten up shady bits of the garden.
Built for the 2025 Time for Crab collab, this years crab is a combat crustacean who will trap you in a pincer movement and pummel you into pâté!
Scanned lith print.
Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 120mm/f4 macro. March 6, 2021.
Fomapan 100 in Adox Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1h.
Fomatone MG 131 in Moersch Polychrome Kit:
1. Moersch Easy Lith 1+10
2. Siena + additives (probably very tired Siena)
Fixed in Moersch ATS alkaline fixer.
Short dip in Selenium 1+9.
Found this specimen under a piece of wood. As you can see the wood was covered in some kind of whitish mold. The pseudoscorpion was frequently sticking its pincers into the mold and also moved some of it to its chelicera (the small pincers directly on its head). It has some of the white stuff still sticking to its left pincer (right in the image).
And here it is, another digital MOC commission, done for lovely ghost-mantis!
She commissioned me to do my revisions of two of her favorite Elemental Creatures - Uxar and Ketar.
As you all can see, I took a very drastic approach. They do not look anything like their sets, and both me and Ghost-Mantis are okay with that.
I made Uxar to look like both a moth and a dragonfly, with fluffy body and long tail.
As for Ketar, I just made him a scorpion which he supposed to represent. I am quite proud of this segmented back and organic pincer design.
* * *
If you like what I do and you want to see me create your OC, a favorite Bionicle Character, or something else, feel free to look up my Commission Info! I also now have a Patreon page, so please consider supporting!
Narvik Railway Station, Narvik, Norway.
Narvik has a double personality. On the one hand, its location is spectacular, pincered by islands to the west and mountains in every other direction, while spectacular fjords stretch north and south. At the same time, heavy industry casts a pall of ugliness over the rather scruffy downtown area – the town was founded in 1902 as the port for the coal-mining town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and the trans-shipment facility bisecting the city still loads several million tonnes of ore annually from train wagons on to ships.
For video, please visit youtu.be/bdLhJdj4Zes
China, Xian, "Muslim Food Street", the collective name for a number of streets behind the "Drum Tower" in the Muslim Quarter.
....she is a "real Nutcracker", with a hammer she cracks the polished walnuts much faster than with a pincer-like nutcracker.
The streets became a tourist scenic spot, famous for its traditional foods, cultural activities & unending lines of restaurants & food stalls, sampling from an extensive variety of local dishes.
The Muslim food in Xian can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, 618-907 & established its special characteristic recipes consisting mainly of beef & mutton, complementing with a variety pastry Items.
★★★★★ It is notable in the entire area & thousands of people strolling daily through the streets here, there is no trash laying around, the streets are clean since no disposable plates, bowls, cutlery etc. are used to serve any kind of food.
It simply proves that it is possible & the streets, places do not have to look like a garbage dump after an open-air activity ★★★★★
The city Xian in the Shaanxi province became worldwide known depicting the sculptures of the terracotta armies, surounding the grave of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, buried in 210–209 BCE.
Local farmers in the Lintong District discovered the figures in 1974, dating from approximately the late third century BCE.
Also acknowledged is Xian, for its City Wall of the ancient capital of China, also known as the fortifications of Xian enclosing the city centre area. The wall now stands 12 mtr tall, 12-14 mtr wide at the top, 15-18 mtr wide at the bottom. The north & the south wall 4,23 km each, the shorter east & the west wall of the rectangular 2,64 km each side, the wall covers 13.74 km in total length with a deep trench surrounding it. Every 120 mtr there is a flanking tower, which extends out from the main wall, altogether there are 98 ramparts. The distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side.
The rectangle of the wall is also one of the largest & most complete ancient Military Defence Systems in the World.
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The common chameleon is an arboreal lizards, using its pincer-like feet to hold onto branches of trees and shrubs. It is well known for being able to change color and for blending in with its environment. And this specimen clearly tries to do that.
Food consists of mainly insects, with very occasionally some fruit.
Total length can be up to 40 cm, with females often larger than males.
Their range extends from some parts of Southern Europe to North Africa and tthe Middle East. In Israel two subspecies are found:
Chamaeleo chamaeleon recticrista (North of Beersheba)
Chamaeleo chamaeleon musae (South of Beersheba)
This one was found in the Negev desert, Israel
Designed by Military, Vehicle, and robotics engineers in Detroit. One of the turning points of WWIII. Fits one person. Used mainly for seek and destroy missions and clearing fronts.
Armed with a Hydraulic Multi-purpose pincer, EGF HPC.
A project I've been obsessevly slaving over for the past four days.
Amittedly, it's not the greatest picture. I just can't get good shots of mechs.
"Lost/stolen. One lft claw. Blue on fore-pincer. Woke up after party and gone. May include part of my shoulder. Of no use to anyone but owner."
Monastero di San Nicolò L'Arena
Il grande scalone a tenaglia di Girolamo Palazzotto, adorno di stucchi neoclassici.
Monastery of San Nicolò L'Arena
The large pincer staircase by Girolamo Palazzotto, decorated with neoclassical stuccoes.
IMG_3079m
Back in the day I thought the set was very plasticky and wasn’t the biggest fan. Looking back with hindsight, he seems to have aged well (if you keep the connectors intact).
The lack of a sword was always a big problem for me as it must have been cut pretty early in the design of the set but still somehow made its way into the movie and promotional material.
Arms were heavily retooled to add some much needed bulk and distance those shoulder spikes. At least now he can be posed with a lesser risk of slicing his head off. Tweaks were also made to the torso and the sword was built especially for him (Boggarak pincer had to be cut).
Italien / Belluno - Col di Lana
In the background you can see the Marmolada.
Im Hintergrund sieht man die Marmolata.
Teriol Ladin
From Pieve di Livinallongo you get to the village of Palla. The itinerary is dedicated to the fallen soldiers in World War One. It meanders in a circular route around the Col di Lana. The path has particular historical and naturalistic value, and it develops at an altitude between 2000 and 2200 m without steep inclines, once you get through the initial climb. It is advisable to take the trail counter-clockwise for two reasons: first, because the view in front of us is spacious and wide; second because there is a long incline that is better to take on climbing while we are still fresh, rather than downhill after the tour when we are more tired.
(dolomiti.org)
The Col di Lana is a mountain of the Fanes Group in the Italian Dolomites. The actual peak is called Cima Lana and situated in the municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana (German: Buchenstein) in the Province of Belluno, Veneto region.
History
World War I
During World War I the mountain, alongside the neighbouring Monte Sief, was the scene of heavy fighting between Austria-Hungary and Italy. It is now a memorial to the War in the Dolomites.
During the years of 1915/16, Italian troops from 12 infantry and 14 Alpini companies repeatedly attempted to storm the peak, defended first by the German Alpenkorps and later by Austro-Hungarian regiments. These attempts resulted in heavy losses; 278 Italians died due to avalanches alone. On 8 November 1915 the Italians, under the command of Lt. Col. Giuseppe Garibaldi II conquered the summit but then could only mount a weak defence with rag-tag units against a well orchestrated pincer manoeuvre: the top of the Col di Lana fell back to Austro-Hungarian troops early the next day. A terrible winter then set in, doing its fair share of killing. However this is not the only reason that the Italians dubbed it "Col di Sangue", "Blood Mountain". Like all sides in the First World War, the Italian Army sought to conquer the summit with relatively large forces, paying a high price in casualties.
In 1916, Col di Lana became the site of fierce mine warfare on the Italian Front. Lieutenant Caetani of the Italian engineers developed a plan for mining the peak, which was executed silently using hand-operating drilling machines and chisels. At the start of 1916, the Austro-Hungarian army learned through an artillery observer on Pordoi Pass that the Col di Lana summit had been mined. The Austro-Hungarians began a counter mine, and exploded this on 6 April 1916. The counter mine was, however, too far away from the Italian explosive tunnel. This was laid with five tonnes of blasting gelatin. On the night of 16/17 April 1916, the 5th Company of the 2nd Tyrolean Kaiserjäger regiment was relieved by the 6th Company, under Oberleutnant Anton von Tschurtschenthaler. The struggle reached its zenith on the night of 17/18 April 1916, when at around 23:30 the summit was blasted. The Austro-Hungarians under Tschurtschenthaler then had to surrender the mountain; however they were able to maintain a position on Monte Sief, which is linked to Col di Lana by a ridge, which was cut in two by a mine fired on 21 October 1917 by Austro-Hungarian soldiers, thereby obstructing the Italian breakthrough in the area.
Memorial
Today a memorial chapel stands on the summit as a memorial to the soldiers that fell in battle. The remains of a barracks and decaying gun and communications trenches have been left behind from the war. There is also a small war museum on the mountain.
The route is from Pieve di Livinallongo (1,465 m) via the Rifugio Pian della Lasta (1,835 m); there is a road as far as the hut.
(Wikipedia)
Von Pieve di Livinallongo aus geht es zum Ortsteil Palla. Die Wanderung, die den Gefallenen des 1. Weltkriegs gewidmet ist, führt um den Col di Lana herum. Dieser Weg ist historisch und landschaftlich besonders interessant und verbleibt nach dem Steilstück gleich am Anfang stets zwischen 2.000 m und 2.200 m Höhe ohne starke Steigungen und Gefälle. Wir empfehlen, hier gegen den Uhrzeigersinn zu wandern: erstens wegen der weiten Aussicht, die wir vor uns haben; zweitens wegen eines langen Abschnitts den Sie besser am Anfang der Wanderung, ausgeruht und bergauf als am Ende, schon müde, bergab gehen.
(dolomiti.org)
Der Col di Lana (ladinisch Col de Lana) ist ein 2462 m s.l.m. hoher Berg in der Fanesgruppe in den Dolomiten. Er liegt bei Livinallongo del Col di Lana (deutsch: Buchenstein) in der Provinz Belluno (Italien).
Der Berg war wie der benachbarte Monte Sief im Ersten Weltkrieg zwischen Österreichern und Italienern heftig umkämpft und ist heute ein Mahnmal des Krieges in den Dolomiten.
Kämpfe 1915/16
12 italienische Infanterie- und 14 Alpini-Kompanien unternahmen 1915/16 immer wieder verlustreiche Versuche, den zuerst vom Deutschen Alpenkorps und dann von Österreichisch-Ungarischen Truppen besetzten Gipfel zu stürmen, wobei allein durch Lawinen 278 Italiener ums Leben kamen. Doch nicht nur deshalb bekam der Berg von den Italienern auch den Namen „Col di Sangue“, „Blutberg“. Die italienische Armee versuchte wie alle anderen kriegführenden Parteien des Ersten Weltkriegs, durch den Einsatz von verhältnismäßig vielen Soldaten den Gipfel zu erobern, wobei große eigene Verluste in Kauf genommen wurden.
Der als Pionier eingesetzte italienische Leutnant Gelasio Caetani entwarf schließlich den Plan zur Unterminierung des Berges, die geräuscharm mit Handbohrmaschinen und Meißeln erfolgte. Anfang 1916 erkannten die Österreicher durch einen Artilleriebeobachter am Pordoijoch, dass der Berggipfel unterminiert wurde. Die Österreicher begannen, einen Gegenstollen anzulegen, und sprengten diesen am 5. April 1916. Diese Gegenmine war allerdings zu weit entfernt vom italienischen Sprengstollen. Dieser wurde mit 5 t Sprenggelatine geladen. In der Nacht vom 16. auf 17. April 1916 wurde die 5. Kompanie des 2. Regiments der Tiroler Kaiserjäger durch die 6. Kompanie unter Oberleutnant Anton von Tschurtschenthaler abgelöst. Ihren Höhepunkt fanden die Kämpfe in der Nacht vom 17. auf den 18. April 1916, als der Gipfel um 23:30 Uhr gesprengt wurde. Die Österreicher unter von Tschurtschenthaler mussten den Berg daraufhin aufgeben; sie konnten sich jedoch am Monte Sief, der mit dem Col di Lana durch einen Gipfelgrat verbunden ist, behaupten und so einen italienischen Durchbruch in dieser Gegend verhindern.
Auf dem Gipfel befindet sich heute eine Kapelle zum Andenken an die im Krieg gefallenen Soldaten. Aus der Kriegszeit sind noch verfallene Schützen- und Laufgräben und einige Barackenreste erhalten, und es gibt ein kleines Museum über die Kämpfe.
Wegenetz
Ein Anstieg erfolgt von Pieve di Livinallongo (1465 m) über das geschlossene Rifugio Alpino auf dem Pian della Lasta (1835 m); bis zur Hütte gibt es einen Fahrweg. Die Rundumsicht schließt im Norden die weiteren Gipfel der Fanesgruppe, im Osten die Tofane und die Nuvolaugruppe, im Südosten die Civettagruppe, im Südwesten die Marmolatagruppe und im Westen die Sellagruppe ein.
Wolkenkreuz
Aus dem Jahr 1915 wird eine kreuzförmige Wolkenformation über dem Col di Lana berichtet, die als "Wolkenkreuz vom Col di Lana" ("Nube a forma di croce") bekannt ist. Andere Quellen datieren die Erscheinung mit September 1938 als Vorbote der Katastrophe des Zweiten Weltkriegs, aber auch als Zeichen der Hoffnung auf die Vergänglichkeit der "gottlosen Ideologie des Nationalsozialismus".
(Wikipedia)
an old photo reloaded from my trip to hawaii this summer. i enhanced the dark tones. i think it looks better now.
The Åndalsnes landings were a British military operation in 1940, during the Norwegian Campaign of World War II. Following the German invasion of Norway in April 1940, a British Army expeditionary force was landed at Åndalsnes, in Romsdal, to support Norwegian Army units defending the city of Trondheim. British forces were also landed at Namsos, north of Åndalsnes, in a complementary pincer movement. The British landings were unsuccessful and the Allies suffered a significant defeat at Åndalsnes.
A touch of history:
700 private boats sailed from Ramsgate in England to Dunkirk in France between 26 May and 4 June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo, helping to rescue more than 338,000 British and French soldiers who were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk during the Second World War.
The situation of the troops, who had been cut off from their advance into France by a pincer movement from the German army, was regarded by the British prime minister Winston Churchill as the greatest military defeat for centuries; it appeared likely to cost Britain the war, leaving the country vulnerable to invasion by Germany.Because of the shallow waters, British destroyers were unable to approach the beaches, and soldiers were having to wade out to the warships, many of them waiting hours shoulder deep in water.
On 27 May, the small-craft section of the British Ministry of Shipping telephoned boat builders around the coast, asking them to collect all boats with "shallow draft" that could navigate the shallow waters. Attention was directed to the pleasure boats, private yachts and launches moored on the River Thames and along the south and east coasts. Some of them were taken with the owners' permission – and with the owners insisting they would sail them – while others were requisitioned by the government with no time for the owners to be contacted. The boats were checked to make sure they were seaworthy, fuelled, and taken to Ramsgate to set sail for Dunkirk. They were manned by Naval Officers, Ratings and experienced volunteers. Very few owners manned their own vessels, apart from fishermen and one or two others.
When they reached France, some of the boats acted as shuttles between the beaches and the destroyers, ferrying soldiers to the warships. Others carried hundreds of soldiers each back to Ramsgate, protected by the Royal Air Force from the attacks of the Luftwaffe.
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Candid street shot Shaldon Devon on the Teign estuary.
Back in the day I thought the set was very plasticky and wasn’t the biggest fan. Looking back with hindsight, he seems to have aged well (if you keep the connectors intact).
The lack of a sword was always a big problem for me as it must have been cut pretty early in the design of the set but still somehow made its way into the movie and promotional material.
Arms were heavily retooled to add some much needed bulk and distance those shoulder spikes. At least now he can be posed with a lesser risk of slicing his head off. Tweaks were also made to the torso and the sword was built especially for him (Boggarak pincer had to be cut).
A photo sent to me showing a modified refuse front loader with Tink Mfg. "Claw" pincer bucket used for curbside leaf collection. The Claw bucket is normally mounted on a front-end loader, making this arrangement very unique. Ford C-Series chassis.
The headlands crowd in at a low-tide Sunset on Nolton Haven in delicious Pembrokeshire; scrumptious!
Hand-held & exiting at the gallop; late for dinner! :-0
Narvik, Norway.
Narvik has a double personality. On the one hand, its location is spectacular, pincered by islands to the west and mountains in every other direction, while spectacular fjords stretch north and south. At the same time, heavy industry casts a pall of ugliness over the rather scruffy downtown area – the town was founded in 1902 as the port for the coal-mining town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and the trans-shipment facility bisecting the city still loads several million tonnes of ore annually from train wagons on to ships.
For video, please visit youtu.be/bdLhJdj4Zes
Belted Kingfishers live mostly on a diet of fish including sticklebacks, mummichogs, trout, and stonerollers.
When it spots a fish or crayfish near the surface, it takes flight, dives with closed eyes, and grabs the prey in its bill with a pincer motion.
Belted Kingfishers digest the bones and scales they consume, but by the time they leave the nest they begin disgorging pellets of fish skeletons and invertebrate shells.
Narvik, Norway.
Narvik has a double personality. On the one hand, its location is spectacular, pincered by islands to the west and mountains in every other direction, while spectacular fjords stretch north and south. At the same time, heavy industry casts a pall of ugliness over the rather scruffy downtown area – the town was founded in 1902 as the port for the coal-mining town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and the trans-shipment facility bisecting the city still loads several million tonnes of ore annually from train wagons on to ships.
For video, please visit youtu.be/bdLhJdj4Zes
Like to see these pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157627765541022/s...
Yamdrok Yutso ཡར་འབྲོག་གཡུ་མཚོ་ yar 'brog g.yu mtsho
The sacred lake of Yamdrok Yutso (4408 m) is revered as a talisman, supporting the life-spirit of the Tibetan nation. It is said that should its waters dry, Tibet will no longer be habitable. By far the largest lake in South Tibet ( 754 sq km ), the pincer-shaped Yamdrok Yutso has nine islands, one of which houses a monastery and a Padmasambhava stone footprint. Within its hook-shaped western peninsula, there is another entire lake, Dremtso and beyond its southeast extremity yet another, named Pagyutso.
Admiral Ackbar watches as Poe Dameron prepares to test the new starfighter prototype, nicknamed the Pincer for its peculiar shape, in the Resistance outpost in Kaldahan.
Lower Manhattan, 9:28 PM. The air is muggy, ensured by a constant drizzle that pelts the brick and mortar labyrinth. On a particular branch of this urban stretch sits a defunct sauna which, in outward appearance, is of no more import than its neighbors.
Through the natural drum of the downpour, a series of unorganized whirs and clanks can be identified, and then, a disproportionate shape lurches out of the grey veil and stalks along the parking lot on tall, winding stabilizers. It is a man riding atop them, his torpid state in opposition with the arms’ erratic lunging. They allow him to descend gradually as he reaches the awning outside the dead establishment, and the ensemble of flesh and machinery bobs to a standstill.
With an efficiency gained through repetition, Doctor Otto Octavius commands a tentacle to pluck the damp trilby from his head, resulting in a few droplets tagging his neck. He huffs, and sways a little like he wishes a bed would catch him. Then his lower-left pincer punches the lock out of the door and he lumbers inside.
Rain patters against the panes and roof. The sauna’s interior is even heavier than it is out in the streets; clearly, the back rooms are not out of service, nor locked. The light implements, on the other hand, are characteristically dark.
“Sauron!” barks the arrival. “It’s a dungeon in here! … Even Warren’s lairs aren’t this repellent…”
Over the din of the weather, a response slithers to Octavius’ ears:
“I hear now that thou wouldst barter with me. What is thy price?”
“Quoting the Silmarillion, hmph. So you do take your name from Tolkien,” a blasé Octavius verifies. “I happen to be aware of the swift betrayal met by the character offered the same. Come to think of it, it was the undoing of his companions as well. Showing our hand a tad early, are we?”
“As if.”
Sounding like a heavy tarp being splayed, something unfolds from the rafters above the waiting room, to Octavius’ left. It swoops down, and across to the reception area. Octavius sizes up the wide figure; its only prominent features in the gloom are three points, devilishly crowning its shoulders and head.
“Plead your case, Doctor, and I, Sauron, will be the godsend to your campaign.”
One of Octavius’ claws snips at the air. “It’s you who needs to impress me, Doctor.”
“Bah!” Sauron screeches. “You were not already satisfied by my resume?!”
“As for my ‘price’,” Octavius reprimands, “I submit to you a part to play in removing the thorn in our sides: Spider-Man. My end of the bargain was final; your contribution is what we will be reviewing.”
This ruffles Sauron. “I just wanted to say the quote, damn you!”
Octavius, frowning, flips open the dossier provided by a tentacle rooting through his trench coat. “Firstly, you claim a kill on one of the X-Men operatives. ‘Cannonball’.”
“Yes. Full disclosure: He came around.”
“From dying.”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it just the way?” Octavius muses, continuing. “Flight capabilities. Energy-draining touch. Expertise in genetic modification. Professional hypnotherapist, and by extension, able to turn desired targets against one an-“
“FFFFIRE-breathing!” reminds Sauron, as he belches out a cone of flame over the duo’s heads. His form—that of an anthropomorphic pteranodon—is brilliantly exposed for an instant.
Octavius rubs the indentations on his nose, made by his shades. “I have a man that flies. I expect to be bringing in more that specialize in illusions and biological weapons. Should I become truly desperate, I do, regrettably, know a particularly intolerable vampire. With ALL of these candidates, in fact, I have greater familiarity, than I do you. Bearing this in mind… tell me why I might have need of you.”
“Did I not breathe fire before your mammalian eyes?!”
“I’m enthralled,” Octavius snarls. “You have thoroughly wasted my time. Good night!”
“I have the Spider-Man’s true name!” Sauron squawks after his departure.
“YOU-“ Octavius’ arms rattle, and he slams the door shut, jerking back around. “LEAD WITH THAT! BLAZES, MAN!”
Sauron hops over to a specific drawer in the front desk, crestfallen. “Just once I would like fire-breath to seal the deal.”
“How on Earth could you know the man behind the wall-crawler’s mask?”
“As it were: By saving his life. My other half did, that is.”
Octavius looks at his claws. They look back. “Your marital partner..?”
“What?” Sauron blinks softly, then shakes his beak. “… No, my former identity, Karl Lykos; that veritable pheasant! He banished himself to the Savage Land, allowing himself no interaction with superpowered persons, that which must be consumed to bring forth my glorious form!”
He produces a videotape from the drawer, and motions for Octavius to follow him to the flatscreen intended for patrons. There, Sauron had seemingly brought his own cassette player. Octavius’ lower-right tentacle sighs.
Sauron pops in the tape. “But much to Lykos’ dismay, the Savage Land beckoned adventurers. Spider-Man arrived and, unprepared for the trials that awaited him, was transformed, by the mutant Brainchild, into a feral arachnoid beast-“
“Why couldn’t he have contacted me?..” laments Octavius.
“-and was set loose upon the nobler natives of the Savage Land. Lykos prevented a massacre by sapping the false mutation from the Spider-Man, but at the cost of unleashing me! Lykos witnessed the vigilante’s face as he reverted… and I was freed.”
“And you managed to put the face to a name, how? Lykos knew his alter-ego?”
Sauron tuts. “Now now, if I told you everything, it would take no time at all for a man of your acuity to piece things together… and—my usefulness expired—you would cast me off.”
“Like a broken. Crayon,” says Octavius darkly.
“In that event, I shall keep my leverage! Ah, it wasn’t rewound.” Sauron pecks at his remote, and the VCR begins complaining.
“Armed with this secret,” Sauron resumes, “I made my way to New York. The brief ’taste’ I got of the Spider-Man’s power told me that he was… an individual kind of delicacy; the likes of which, I have found in only the most astonishing of X-Men. A full meal of one such person… I imagine it could facilitate my control over Lykos for years. A decade, even.”
“The X-Men, again,” Octavius notes the recurring topic, unsure. “Are you yourself, categorically, a ‘mutant’?”
“A titan among mortals, created by a metamorphic virus carried by apex organisms that were thought to be long-extinct!” boasts Sauron. “Oh yes, but ‘mutant’ will do. Blasphemy! Lumping me in with the same barbarians that…”
Sauron irascibly tosses around more cables.
“‘That’, what?” Octavius presses.
“Never mind, you! See here, my near-triumph over our common enemy!”
On cue, the display’s fuzzy picture and static subsides into the rustling of foliage. The camera was being pushed in short bursts through dense grass. Narrating the footage was an extraordinarily phony English accent; it was Sauron’s.
“It is here, in the undergrowth, where we will have a chance-“
Sauron grunted from behind the camera, likely performing a leopard crawl.
“-to spot Ka-Zar’s courtship ritual with the She-Devil.”
Sauron—not in the video—starts mashing buttons feverishly. Octavius grimaces.
“Never before has this unique mating behavior been documented to be released to the general… oh. Oh balls.”
The choppy audio picks up the far-off bellows of a woman, then those of a man. The camera view is shown shuffling for a moment, when a wooden spear embeds itself in the muck, inches from the lens. The visuals blur, and flapping can be heard. Then a very deep, feline snarl. Then a girlish yawp from Sauron. The last image is of two rows of pure-white incisors, when present-day Sauron finally locates the fast-forward feature.
The rain still beats down while the tape zips along.
“I was feeling silly.”
“You are detestable.”
“Yes, well… never let it be said that Sauron, Master of Malice, was too much the Boy Scout!” the villain recovers. “NOW, see here…”
The video plays at regular speed, and one of Sauron’s hands is seen clutching a mason jar, turning it over to agitate the sizable arachnid it houses. The creature has an atypically vibrant exoskeleton, and repeatedly attacks the glass at the slightest upset of its prison. The chuckling of both Saurons harmonizes.
“Before stowing aboard a ship braving the Drake Passage, I stowed with me a deadly specimen: One of many ready-made weapons housed by the Savage Land,” Sauron explains proudly. “Aggressive on her best days, and positively bloodthirsty when she’s carrying her young.”
A zoom-in showcases scores of fibrous pouches speckle the animal’s abdomen.
“My plan was direct. Elegant. No extraneous moving parts… so to speak.”
The perspective cuts to Sauron’s feet lighting on the uppermost ledge of an apartment building.
Octavius shoves past Sauron to absorb every pixel on the monitor. “This is where he lives? Where is this??”
Sauron ignores him. “The first snag came up before I even began. Spider-Man somehow saw me coming.”
Doctor Octopus’ concentration on identifying any landmarks on the skyline is broken. He squints at Sauron, almost disgusted. “That’s half of his act: Sensing things. I’m sorry, how many times did you say you actually fought-“
“Watcha doin’ up here, bud? Migration been rough this year?”
Sauron rack-focused to Spider-Man, on the adjacent ledge.
“Orchestrating your demise, morsel. You and I have a dinner engagement.”
Sauron smiles approvingly at his own delivery in the video. “I had that one written beforehand.”
Spider-Man tilted his head. “Oh hey, you’re recording this? Hi future-me, who’s going to be looking at this and finding all of bird-man’s embarrassing shower karaoke.”
“Lord above, he doesn’t shut up for anyone,” Octavius mutters.
The screen rocks from Sauron hobbling to a ventilation duct. “Mock your doom. Mock Sauron the Unspeakable! But YOU will be the one caught in a web this time.”
Sauron brandished the jar containing his spider.
“Awww…” Spider-Man cooed at it, wiggling a finger playfully. “Here’s the thing: I don’t have your Ring of Power or whatever you’re here for, but I’m going to have to insist you round up any and all Shelobs you have on your person and hit the road. I’m telling you, they’ve got a serious policy about pets, the guy two doors down from me had to have a friend look after his chinchilla for-“
“Quit your drivel! I am antagonizing you!”
“-of course Ms. Rasmussen has an emotional-support dog, that’s really the only exception! Hey! If your spiders help you detect low blood-sugar, you may be able to convince the landlord-“
“Enough!” Sauron crowed. His wicked smile could practically be heard through the recording. “They’re waking up.”
“That’s ominous,” Spider-Man decided. “‘kay I’ll take that now.”
The vigilante’s web-shooters both fired; the left, snaring the spider’s glass, and the right tangling around Sauron’s wing, and part of the camera’s lens. Before Spider-Man could reel in his catch, Sauron coughed up a fiery jet that snapped the sticky band leading to the jar, then dashed the vessel straight through the grating of the duct beside him.
The eyes on Spider-Man’s mask enlarged. “Oh god!”
He sprang after the lost jar, but the camera swirls and Sauron’s great wingspan blindsided the hero back onto the gravel at the far end of the roof. Sauron jabbed through the remaining webbing as his adversary rolled upright. Spider-Man didn’t try for the vent again; he flipped over the ledge, calling,
“Storks are really supposed to deliver babies wrapped in blankets! Just sayin’!”
Sauron pursued, capturing the image of Spider-Man swinging himself through a window two stories below.
“This,” Octavius commentates, “is not… entirely uninspired. Having him chase thousands of tiny tasks with minds of their own…”
“… so that he’s too distracted and tired to stop my killing stroke,” Sauron finishes.
The escapade carried on with Sauron peaking into the apartment. Spider-Man had interrupted a family of four’s board game.
“I’m real sorry but I need you to call the hospital,” he appealed to the parents, “tell them there might be a whole bunch of people with venomous spider bites at this location! You need to help me get everyone… where’s all the vents in-“
A clump of infant spiders dropped out of the hallway air conditioning system and spread like water across the wood flooring. The family screamed, and Spider-Man yanked a bookcase off the wall to spin one-hundred-and-eighty degrees on its corner and flatten the horde. He then webbed over the vent.
“REALLY sorry,” he apologized again. “Please go, bang on doors, and don’t let these things get on you!”
Spider-Man perked up as if he heard something, and immediately launched through the front door. Sauron clambered inside, trailing the family as they too exited. From the apartment entryway, the mic picked up Spider-Man’s cries for the building to be evacuated. Bouncing from one room to the next, he would pound on and occasionally break open the door in order to block off the endless invasion of hatchlings. Soon after multiple tenants had become wise to the situation, the fire alarm was activated.
Sauron kept his distance all the while, observing Spider-Man’s fatigue from his unabating alertness. The hero traversed the walls; back and forth he sped, several minutes into fighting the disaster and only just now moving on to clear the next floor of danger. Back and forth, for all the good he could do. His shouts had grown hoarse. Back and forth.
“EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET OUT! … -J’s going to burn me at the stake when this story makes the ne… ‘-ider-Man unleashes minions on unsuspecting families!’… -lding that dumb coffee mug, and using that voice, too!”
Doctor Octopus appears bored with the uncut footage. “Let’s cut to the chase, yes?”
“This… is the chase… Oh, very well,” Sauron begrudgingly conforms, realizing Octavius’ limbs are poising threateningly.
The tape skips, and Spider-Man—defending a male resident—is facing a kitchen teeming with the newborn killers. Sauron had been gradually encroaching on his prey as the exertion took its toll on the web-slinger’s faculties, and had now barged through the home’s entrance, meters away.
To make an example, the monstrous hybrid roasted some of the furnishing to his left, then pointed the camera back to Spider-Man.
“Are you quite through?”
“Running late, dear,” Spider-Man shot back unenthusiastically.
He bumped the civilian out the window to their backs, hastily calculating and fastening to the poor man a web that would rappel him to the street. The hero salvaged his own fall with three fingertips on the sill, shifting his momentum with a kick that would send him into the next apartment over. Sauron, anticipating the maneuver, crossed his room with a combative glide and ripped down the dividing wall, right onto the arriving Spider-Man, who was pummeled by insulation, a metal stud and a full china cabinet.
Sauron put the heat on his opponent by slicing his shin. Spider-Man retaliated with more webbing, but his larger rival shielding himself with the backs of his wings, then subsequently pulled the young man—and his left-hand web-shooter—into his waiting beak, which wedged into the gadget, rendering it inoperative. This was followed up by a stab to the do-gooder’s abdomen, pinning him to the carpet for agonizing seconds. The villain then gripped Spider-Man by the throat, a portion of which was no longer even negligibly protected by red and blue spandex, due to a tear. The captive choked and flailed. As his very life-force was being stripped, Sauron relished his prize off-camera.
“Ah. As good as I remembered.”
Spider-Man built up some vitality, and cracked him over the jaw. Sauron’s taloned foot put the second web-shooter out of the fight.
“Rest now,” Sauron chided. “Rest. It’s possible you saved them all; isn’t that a lovely thought? And you can always hope the first-responders are prepared. The spider’s toxicity is of a most exotic variety, however…”
Spider-Man’s words were strangled. “You endangered all these people… AAUGH… to get to me. Big…”
One hand tore free from Sauron’s trap,
“BIG”
and then the other.
“Mistake,” he said ferociously, as though possessed by an unrevealed, primal side of himself.
He took Sauron’s webbed wings in each fist, shredding palm-sized sheets out of them. Now it was Sauron who screamed. The image quakes violently from a wild blast of fire. The screen then goes blue.
The sauna is again silent; even the rain has moved on. Sauron hangs his head.
Octavius starts at the blank display, feeling cheated. “Well?”
“I fled! Time had run out, and there was no leeway in my plan for trading blows. It was only for his incomplete commitment to rescuing the building that the Spider-Man gave me up.”
Sauron hits “Eject”.
“I failed to factor in that his concern for bystanders might be as emboldening, as much as detrimental, to him.”
“There is much to repurpose with this course of action. Your efforts are commendable,” Octavius praises, but seems perturbed. “… In all my years, trying to best him, I’ve never seen him use his adhesion so… ruthlessly.
“It wasn’t that alone,” Sauron corrects. “It burned. Enough to undermine my own hold. These mutants, they’re full of such surprises. Tricky little devils.”
Octavius’ demeanor is made irritable in an instant. “No… now this has been avoided far too long: Your obsession with the mutants. You mean to tell me you’ve thought Spider-Man is one of their kind??”
“Naturally. They worked side-by-side in the Savage Land-“
Octavius’ upper-right tentacle squeaks as a pained rodent would. The doctor’s face nearly glows red. “Know-nothing! … inept layman! You almost killed the Spider-Man, robbing the rest of us... when you have no quarrel with him?!”
“Do not try to disillusion me, Octopus!” Sauron rebukes. “You wish to get rid of me, but recycle my genius! Spider-Man is one of the Brotherhood, and I-“
“He is neither an X-Man nor part of that supremacist cabal… THOSE are separate entities too, you might be interested to learn!” growls Octavius, pacing as he does so. “They wear uniforms and start wars! Spider-Man helps old ladies with their grocery bags and throws the same three puns at you when you happen to be given the name ‘Octopus’ by the news!”
The gears turn in Sauron’s brain. “… I would… still very much like to feast on his energies…”
Octavius roars, hurling a magazine rack. “You’ve been cutting in on our vendetta… the TRUE foes of Spider-Man! How could you be so blinded to the obvious? What did the Brotherhood do to you warrant this utter lapse in reasoning??”
Sauron squirms, like a child caught fibbing. “Nothing. Nothing of-“
“WHAT, you boob?!” Octavius demands.
“They killed my wife!”
…
“They wanted my power, and they used me to kill my… my Tanya. Oh…”
Sauron burrows into the waiting room’s sofa, weeping.
Knee-deep in the exceedingly awkward interlude, Otto Octavius finds himself whisked into the past: An unprecedented, reflective condition for him, since having chosen this sinister path. A fateful day pierces the villain’s psyche. A particular laugh embraces a small, brackish heart, confronting him with a name he had hoped yet hated to drown.
“Mary.”
Sauron slurps up some snot. “Who?”
Octavius’ resentment of Sauron transitions to momentary pity. Pity, to envy. Envy, right back to resentment.
Octavius stares down at him. “Maybe there’s less distinction between you and Lykos than you’d care to admit, or maybe there never was a distinction. Whatever the case, whichever of you is in there, I’m speaking to a lovesick idiot! And your wife lies dead, waiting for you, still!”
“I-I don’t…”
“YOU SHOULD FEEL BLESSED! Having faces to put to the injustice! That she wasn’t taken from you by an accident, and all you have left is an abyss to yell into! You have the opportunity to exact your pound of flesh! Find the ones that wronged you… Get it RIGHT this time, and end them! Let your wife rest!”
“You…” Sauron sits up. “You should really see someone about these types of things.”
Octavius gnashes his teeth, and stomps toward the VCR player.
“What are you doing?”
“Collecting my compensation!” Octavius jiggles the device, unsure of how to dislodge the halfway-expelled cassette. “If you insist on being a useless dolt, I will use this tape to extract any and all clues to Spider-Man’s identity!”
Sauron dives for the tape, snatching it away and defensively backing into a potted fern. “No! My home movies are on there too!”
“Out of my way!”
Sauron’s mouth glows like a forge. “Never!”
Octavius curses in frustration. Weighing the odds, he gives it up and storms off once more through the parking lot.
Sauron peeks out from the business’ entrance. “W-where are you going?”
“To rethink EVERYTHING to do with how I will find competent applicants! Never, I repeat, NEVER contact me. And I do mean ‘ever’!”
The doctor’s lower-right tentacle waves a goodbye to Sauron. Octavius keeps grumbling, well out of earshot of his bane.
“Four hours walking through sewers… for this. Never again. They’ll come to me. I’m in charge. A nice office to work from… yes…”
***
“Aaaaalllright, so you’ve got your account’s password, bio, all of that how you want it?”
“I believe so,” Sauron acknowledges, nibbling on a claw.
“Great! You can click the ‘Complete’ button; it’ll be green,” Screwball instructs over the video chat.
Sauron complies. “… There are little hearts raining down.”
“That should mean you’re all set, let me refresh. Ooh, sweet PFP my guy!”
The icon shows Sauron lounging in a wingback chair, with a derby hat precariously positioned on his crest.
“Oh, yes, well-“ Sauron blushes.
“On. Fleek.”
“I really should repay you in some way,” maintains Sauron.
“Listen, you hold onto Spider-Boy’s real name for me if I’m ever hurting for views, and that’s payment enough.”
Sauron glances over his desk to at a folded Daily Bugle newspaper, preserved from years past: The last piece he had needed, to the puzzle of the person behind Spider-Man’s mask. In an undeservedly small article, abruptly detailed is an expedition, taken by the socialite Warren Washington III, into the mystifying, Antarctic region dubbed “the Savage Land”. As photographed, accompanying Washington had been the column’s own author: An unassuming journalist named Peter Parker. His was the face Lykos had seen appear on the monster that he stopped all that time ago, just before Lykos himself had become another monster needing to be cured.
“Certainly, but,” Sauron taps his mousepad, evaluating. “you’re sure you wouldn’t like me to put in a word for you with this alliance Octopus is convening?”
Screwball sticks her tongue out. “They’re way too mainstream, my audience would think I’m getting desperate. But hey, if you ever get back into a crime kick, I could always use a camera with wings!”
“My leave from supervillainy will be… quite extended. Recent events have caused me to, well, reconsider where I may find fulfillment.”
“C’est la vie. Caaatch you later, dino-dude!”
Screwball’s feed closes out.
“They’re not dinosaurs…” Sauron protests, but returns to his new media platform.
“A match, already? … ’madamedracheXO : 33, mutant : Self-made entrepreneur : Flexible with long-distance relationships, fire-breathing is big plus.’ Hmm.”
***
~ DOCTOR OCTOPUS’ nefarious exploits will return in INTERVIEW WITH AN OCTOPUS: BLACK CAT! ~
Italien / Belluno - Col di Lana
seen on the way to Setsas back to Valparola Pass. In the background you can see the Marmolada.
gesehen auf dem Weg vom Settsass zurück zum Valparola Pass. Im Hintergrund sieht man die Marmolata.
The Col di Lana is a mountain of the Fanes Group in the Italian Dolomites. The actual peak is called Cima Lana and situated in the municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana (German: Buchenstein) in the Province of Belluno, Veneto region.
History
World War I
During World War I the mountain, alongside the neighbouring Monte Sief, was the scene of heavy fighting between Austria-Hungary and Italy. It is now a memorial to the War in the Dolomites.
During the years of 1915/16, Italian troops from 12 infantry and 14 Alpini companies repeatedly attempted to storm the peak, defended first by the German Alpenkorps and later by Austro-Hungarian regiments. These attempts resulted in heavy losses; 278 Italians died due to avalanches alone. On 8 November 1915 the Italians, under the command of Lt. Col. Giuseppe Garibaldi II conquered the summit but then could only mount a weak defence with rag-tag units against a well orchestrated pincer manoeuvre: the top of the Col di Lana fell back to Austro-Hungarian troops early the next day. A terrible winter then set in, doing its fair share of killing. However this is not the only reason that the Italians dubbed it "Col di Sangue", "Blood Mountain". Like all sides in the First World War, the Italian Army sought to conquer the summit with relatively large forces, paying a high price in casualties.
In 1916, Col di Lana became the site of fierce mine warfare on the Italian Front. Lieutenant Caetani of the Italian engineers developed a plan for mining the peak, which was executed silently using hand-operating drilling machines and chisels. At the start of 1916, the Austro-Hungarian army learned through an artillery observer on Pordoi Pass that the Col di Lana summit had been mined. The Austro-Hungarians began a counter mine, and exploded this on 6 April 1916. The counter mine was, however, too far away from the Italian explosive tunnel. This was laid with five tonnes of blasting gelatin. On the night of 16/17 April 1916, the 5th Company of the 2nd Tyrolean Kaiserjäger regiment was relieved by the 6th Company, under Oberleutnant Anton von Tschurtschenthaler. The struggle reached its zenith on the night of 17/18 April 1916, when at around 23:30 the summit was blasted. The Austro-Hungarians under Tschurtschenthaler then had to surrender the mountain; however they were able to maintain a position on Monte Sief, which is linked to Col di Lana by a ridge, which was cut in two by a mine fired on 21 October 1917 by Austro-Hungarian soldiers, thereby obstructing the Italian breakthrough in the area.
Memorial
Today a memorial chapel stands on the summit as a memorial to the soldiers that fell in battle. The remains of a barracks and decaying gun and communications trenches have been left behind from the war. There is also a small war museum on the mountain.
The route is from Pieve di Livinallongo (1,465 m) via the Rifugio Pian della Lasta (1,835 m); there is a road as far as the hut.
(Wikipedia)
Der Col di Lana (ladinisch Col de Lana) ist ein 2462 m s.l.m. hoher Berg in der Fanesgruppe in den Dolomiten. Er liegt bei Livinallongo del Col di Lana (deutsch: Buchenstein) in der Provinz Belluno (Italien).
Der Berg war wie der benachbarte Monte Sief im Ersten Weltkrieg zwischen Österreichern und Italienern heftig umkämpft und ist heute ein Mahnmal des Krieges in den Dolomiten.
Kämpfe 1915/16
12 italienische Infanterie- und 14 Alpini-Kompanien unternahmen 1915/16 immer wieder verlustreiche Versuche, den zuerst vom Deutschen Alpenkorps und dann von Österreichisch-Ungarischen Truppen besetzten Gipfel zu stürmen, wobei allein durch Lawinen 278 Italiener ums Leben kamen. Doch nicht nur deshalb bekam der Berg von den Italienern auch den Namen „Col di Sangue“, „Blutberg“. Die italienische Armee versuchte wie alle anderen kriegführenden Parteien des Ersten Weltkriegs, durch den Einsatz von verhältnismäßig vielen Soldaten den Gipfel zu erobern, wobei große eigene Verluste in Kauf genommen wurden.
Der als Pionier eingesetzte italienische Leutnant Gelasio Caetani entwarf schließlich den Plan zur Unterminierung des Berges, die geräuscharm mit Handbohrmaschinen und Meißeln erfolgte. Anfang 1916 erkannten die Österreicher durch einen Artilleriebeobachter am Pordoijoch, dass der Berggipfel unterminiert wurde. Die Österreicher begannen, einen Gegenstollen anzulegen, und sprengten diesen am 5. April 1916. Diese Gegenmine war allerdings zu weit entfernt vom italienischen Sprengstollen. Dieser wurde mit 5 t Sprenggelatine geladen. In der Nacht vom 16. auf 17. April 1916 wurde die 5. Kompanie des 2. Regiments der Tiroler Kaiserjäger durch die 6. Kompanie unter Oberleutnant Anton von Tschurtschenthaler abgelöst. Ihren Höhepunkt fanden die Kämpfe in der Nacht vom 17. auf den 18. April 1916, als der Gipfel um 23:30 Uhr gesprengt wurde. Die Österreicher unter von Tschurtschenthaler mussten den Berg daraufhin aufgeben; sie konnten sich jedoch am Monte Sief, der mit dem Col di Lana durch einen Gipfelgrat verbunden ist, behaupten und so einen italienischen Durchbruch in dieser Gegend verhindern.
Auf dem Gipfel befindet sich heute eine Kapelle zum Andenken an die im Krieg gefallenen Soldaten. Aus der Kriegszeit sind noch verfallene Schützen- und Laufgräben und einige Barackenreste erhalten, und es gibt ein kleines Museum über die Kämpfe.
Wegenetz
Ein Anstieg erfolgt von Pieve di Livinallongo (1465 m) über das geschlossene Rifugio Alpino auf dem Pian della Lasta (1835 m); bis zur Hütte gibt es einen Fahrweg. Die Rundumsicht schließt im Norden die weiteren Gipfel der Fanesgruppe, im Osten die Tofane und die Nuvolaugruppe, im Südosten die Civettagruppe, im Südwesten die Marmolatagruppe und im Westen die Sellagruppe ein.
Wolkenkreuz
Aus dem Jahr 1915 wird eine kreuzförmige Wolkenformation über dem Col di Lana berichtet, die als "Wolkenkreuz vom Col di Lana" ("Nube a forma di croce") bekannt ist. Andere Quellen datieren die Erscheinung mit September 1938 als Vorbote der Katastrophe des Zweiten Weltkriegs, aber auch als Zeichen der Hoffnung auf die Vergänglichkeit der "gottlosen Ideologie des Nationalsozialismus".
(Wikipedia)
The Netherlands - Zaandam
The Devil's coach-horse beetle (Ocypus olens - Stinkende kortschildkever) is probably not the most cheerful beetle species on earth. But he is a contemporary and has a perfect right to show that he is not too fond of my approach. This very common and widespread beetle is well known for its habit of raising its long and uncovered abdomen and opening its jaws, rather like a scorpion when threatened. Although it has no sting, it can give a painful bite with its strong, pincer-like jaws. if necessary It emits a foul-smelling odour, as a defensive secretion, from a pair of white glands at the end of its abdomen. © Tom Kisjes
Operation Infinity is a go.
In a stunning military move today, Federation forces have launched a land and sea attack in a classic 'pincer' movement to cut off UAC and IPC forces assaulting the city of Van. The Federation reports that initial progress was better than expected, and amateur video and pictures have surfaced showing Federation cavalry units in cities as such as Diyarbakir, Batman, and Ercis. Heavy fighting has also been reported in Hakkari.
ABOVE: A Federation soldier, caught on a security camera, comes under fire in an office building in Hakkari. Image put online at appox. 7:05 AM Eastern European Time.
Blue Yabby ( yabbie )
Description
Smooth shells and are a range of coloured depending upon the colour of their habitat (mud silt water etc) Their colour therefore ranges from greens to yellows, browns to blacks and red or Blue Mostly though the colours are drab due to them being found mostly in mud and silt Yabbies usually grow to a length of up to 150 mm depending upon conditions They have eyes on the end of little stalks They also have 3 sets of antennae which provide the yabby with the ability to touch things Yabbies have gills like fish so they can "breathe" under water Like most crayfish the Yabbies have 2 large "pincer like" claws at the front These are used mainly for defence against other Yabbies and predators as well as for grasping food, and for digging burrows Yabbies have 4 sets of "walking legs and a long thick "tail"
Insight: 142 Images @ 0.005mm. Processed through Zerene Pmax then Corel PPP X3 / small crop to left and bottom to make symmetry.
Notes: I'm not sure I totaly like this post as it's a little different from my original idea, in that there is now NO head!. While setting up this beast with a springy setting pin these fangs dislodged and took flight over my shoulder, after a quick grid search on the kitchen floor they were located, so as they were the main focus for the original post at 5X I thought i'll try a simple shot with them and see how my Oly 10x holds up around the edges on the FF sensor.
View for yourself:
www.flickr.com/photos/garythurgood/8666300996/sizes/k/in/...
Tools: Ping pong ball diffuser and 4 Leds / Olympus UM Plan FL 10x + 65mm tube / Raynox DCR-150 TL on 200mm belllows / Canon 5D MKII
Info: Forcipules are a unique feature found only in centipedes and in no other arthropods. The forcipules are not true mouthparts but modifications of the first pair of legs, forming a pincer-like appendage that are used in the capture of prey items, injecting venom and holding onto captured prey. See the many venom ducts at the darker pointy ends.
Réalisé le 28 mars 2020 à Leclercville, comté de Lotbinière, Québec.
La maxille supérieure de la bécasse est flexible i.e. qu'elle peut s'écarter pour pincer les proies sans devoir ouvrir tout le bec, autant au-dessus qu'en dessous du sol.
The woodcock's upper mandible is flexible, i.e. it can move upside to pinch prey without having to open the entire beak, both above and below the ground.
Cliquer sur la photo pour l'agrandir / click on the photograph to enlarge it.
Taken on March, 28th / 2020 in Leclercville, Lotbiniere county, Quebec.