Armenian Orthodox Christmas mass and procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 18, 2011. Church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Rolls Royce 102EX (2011)

Registration Number 276 XUW

Proable VIN number VIN SCA1S68426UX08123.

ROLLS ROYCE SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690651737...

Rolls Royce 102EX (also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE)); is an experimental Rolls Royce. Built as a rolling test bed as to the practicalities of alternative energy.

Powered by two 145-kilowatt motors, one at each rear wheel, for a total of 590 pound-feet of torque, the 102EX has a range of about 125 miles per charge. This battery system is used in conjunction with two water-cooled motors and 3-phase battery chargers.

Rolls Royce claims the 102EX has the largest passenger car battery in the world, with a peak current of 850A and overall capacity of 71kWh. Rolls Royce put the whole kit into the original engine and gearbox compartments of the Phantom, so there was no massive re-engineering of the vehicle's floorboards or chassis.

In contrast, the interior design is largely the same as that used in the current Phantom model. A twelve month world tour to show off the car and test it in different conditions, around the world, was due to terminate in 2012

It is reputed to have a top speed of around 100mph and a 0-60mph quicker than the 6.75ltr Phantom Coupe.

The plan to produce 102 EX was reported to be cancelled due to compromises in charging time and driving range

Shot at The Goodwood Festival of Speed 01:07:2011 Ref: 76-543

s04.flagcounter.com/more/VIv

Please do not forget to visit the Flag Counter on the link above to record a visit from your country. So far 53 countries (last new country Luxembourg and 32 US states last new State Michigan) Last new overseas visitor USA last new US state visitor Michagan

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With its wild wings, futuristic curves, and total lack of practicality, the Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione was the quintessential concept car. A radically designed prototype, the Competizione combined typical Ferrari values of charm, charisma, and technically advanced engineering prowess.

The Dino name in the Competizione's title is in reference to Enzo Ferrari's son, Dino. When Ferrari first developed a V6 engine for the 1957 Formula 2 series, he named it Dino. After that, the name of Enzo's son was used to designate six-cylinder and lower-cost Ferraris. The 206 nomenclature used on Ferrari's 1967 prototype indicates that it was built on a 206 S chassis. The 206 S was a capable racing car, with a body that resembled that of the V12-powered 330 P3. Using 206 S chassis #10523 to underpin the Competizione gave the car racer roots that were rarely seen on concept cars. The Dino 206 Competizione distinguished itself as a concept that was not just functional, but built on a thoroughly race-proven chassis.

That proven chassis was endowed with four wheel disc brakes, front and rear independent suspension, and an advanced steel space frame design that gave high strength in a lightweight package. The total weight of the 206 Competizione was just 1,400lbs, making even its small engine more than enough to create an unquestionably fast car.

The Dino V6 used in the Competizione displaced just 2.0-liters, but was able to generate 218bhp. Peak power was reached at redline, which was 9,000rpm. The lower rotational inertial of the small V6 gave an even higher redline than the V12 mounted in the 330 P series. The V6 was constructed of aluminum and mounted amidships within the space frame of the prototype, as it was in the standard 206 S. A 5-speed transaxle directed the engine's power to the rear wheels.

Despite its racing car foundation, the Dino 206 Competizione was not created to compete. As a dedicated concept car, it was created to showcase excellent design and possible styling cues for Ferrari's future. The Competizione had an advanced appearance that flaunted the talents of a young designer named Paolo Martin. Only 23 when he designed the car, the Competizione came very early in Martin's career. He later would admit he felt 'a very strong emotion' as he watched his project unfold into a true supercar.

Paolo Martin was working under Pininfarina when he developed the Competizione's styling, so the car wears Pininfarina 'f' badges. Pininfarina was also responsible for the construction of the prototype's body. Martin's shape was free of hard edges, with abundant curves and a large glass area with a circular cross-section. Viewed from some angles, the odd shape of the car's glass lends the greenhouse a bubble-like appearance. This is particularly evident from the front, where the vast windshield sweeps up and to the sides like a bulbous take on a jetfighter's canopy.

The Competizione had exaggerated mid-engined proportions, with a short, low nose and a long, high tail. The front lighting fit the shape perfectly, with transparent, aerodynamic coverings over clusters of three lights. The light clusters were angled down towards the center of the car's nose. The lighting's covers blended seamlessly with the unusually round curve at the front of the car, and combined with front vents ahead of the large windshield to create a design that looked organic, but not earthly. From the front, the design had a cartoonish look that was exotic and alien, as if the Competizione was designed on a different planet to resemble some distant species.

Distinctive spoilers added to the effect. Though the strange spoilers didn't seem out of place on the car, they almost looked as if they were tacked on as an afterthought. This was not surprising, as Paolo Martin himself admitted that the spoilers 'were added only at the last minute, since the Management thought the design had to be enriched.' The spoilers used black wings attached to the body by metal arms that looked too much like pieces from an Erector Set to match the rest of the design.

All of the vents and air intakes found on the Dino 206 Competizione—and there were plenty—blended gracefully with the smooth curves on which they were placed. They looked like gills, and they enhanced the car's alien image. A single windshield wiper protruded like a tentacle reaching towards the windshield. Gullwing doors with a huge glass area contributed to the otherworldly effect, as did the jarring, bright yellow paint that covered the prototype's aluminum skin.

James Glickenhaus, a wealthy car collector with a special interest in Ferraris, recently became the first private owner of the Dino 206 Competizione. The car had been kept in Pininfarina's museum for over thirty years until a purchase was agreed upon in 2007 and Glickenhaus bought the stunning vehicle. Since Glickenhaus purchased the car, it has been shown with success and driven regularly.

[Text from Conceptcarz.com]

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z17222/Ferrari-Dino-206-Compe...

This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione (s/n 10523 - Carrozzeria Pininfarina - 1967) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 94th Build Challenge, - "Appease the Elves Summer Automobile Build-off (Part 2)", - a design challenge combining the resources of LUGNuts, TheLegoCarBlog (TLCB) and Head Turnerz.

The Piaggio Ape (pronounced "ah-peh" - Italian for bee ) is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle first produced in 1948 by Piaggio.

At the end of WWII, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked modes of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio, came up with the idea of building a light three wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo. The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. In the early sale brochures and adverts the vehicle was referred to as the VespaCar or TriVespa and cost 170.000 liras. The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements. The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.

Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to sit one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door on each side is provided, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.

The vehicles comes in various configurations such as vans and pickups for load carrying and autorickshaw (Tuk-tuk) for human transportation. More recently Piaggio have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young.

Ape Calessino Electric Lithium Values of environmental awareness and respect, which are key in the strategy of the Piaggio Group and in its research and development activities, have now led to the creation of a new zero environmental impact version of the Ape Calessino.The idea of being in touch with nature and with the surrounding environment inspired an evolution in the concept of mobility embodied by Ape Calessino better than any other vehicle. Introducing the electric Ape Calessino Electric Lithium.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium offers the same features and elegance as the conventional engine version. The electric version gains its own unique livery, with an elegant blue and white two-tone color scheme for the bodywork and canvas elements. The same two-tone scheme is echoed in the interior, with cream colored upholstery trimmed with blue piping.Since its launch, Ape Calessino has been met with a genuine fondness and a reputation as a mobility solution that breaks free of the frenetic rhythms of modern life to rediscover values of friendship and conviviality. Exclusive and elegant, yet practical and sturdy just like every other Ape; the bodywork of the new Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is given a double cataphoresis painting treatment, making it even more resistant to the corrosive action typical of the humid, saline conditions of a seaside environment.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is the perfect vehicle for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd with original elegance and in complete harmony with the surrounding environment.The new electric Ape Calessino combines the practicality, elegance and agility that have made the Ape Calessino such a hit with capability of accessing zones usually prohibited to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, such as areas of particular natural and environmental importance, historical town centers and restricted traffic areas.This makes Ape Calessino Electric Lithium an indispensable tool, for instance, for resorts, hotels and tourism operators intending to offer their guests a fun and distinctive shuttle service that can reach the centre of a cultural city, fend for itself in the hustle and bustle of a medieval town centre or wind its way along the panoramic routes of a beautiful Mediterranean island with equal ease. With a range of 75 Km, all of these destinations and more are easily within reach of the Ape Calessino Electric Lithium, in total respect for the environment and cocooned in silence: electric drive means that Ape Calessino is not just a zero emissions vehicle, it is also completely silent, so that its occupants can enjoy the beauty of a nature to the full or travel through densely populated centers without causing even the slightest disturbance.The Aenerbox system also offers another advantage: the battery does not discharge while the vehicle is not in use, even if left for prolonged periods. This is a significant benefit, especially considering the typically seasonal nature of the tourism industry, for example, and goes hand in hand with remarkable longevity. The life cycle of these batteries is an incredible 15 years (or more than 800 recharge cycles for a total of approximately 60,000 Km), compared with the 7-10 years of a conventional battery system.Built in a series of just 100 examples, the most exclusive Ape of all time is destined for a design-conscious clientele that appreciates Italian style. But this is not just an extremely functional vehicle; it is also a true collector's piece, as highlighted by the numbered plate making it even more exclusive. Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is on sale, on Italian market, at € 19,900 (VAT not included).

Outside, the Avantime looks like nothing else. The front is almost normal, but the back reminds me of the front of a tugboat, with its wrap-around glass.

You can't be a wallflower in an Avantime, and that's just what Renault counts on.

Future classic for less than £10,000

The Matra-built Avantime was an interesting concept - combining MPV accommodation with coupe-like interior and frameless two-door construction. It was built for two years, and a mere 8557 were made, making it something of a commercial failure, and that makes the Avantime perfect candidate for future classic.

Actually, most enthusiasts have already cottoned on to the Avantime, with a small and appreciative cult following building up around it. Ironically, the Avantime's values are already strong compared with contemporary Renaults - you only need to see the number of sub-£1000 Vel Satis cars out there for sale to see why.

The Avantime was introduced for 2001 alongside the aforementioned Vel Satis. Supposedly combining the styling of a 2+2 coupe with the space of minivan, the Avantime concept was conceived by former Renault co-operative Matra, who dabbled in Formula 1 racing while building computers, bicycles, missles, and the Espace van. Matra intended the coupe-van-thing to cater to a younger generation of buyers who, as they saw it, grew up with the Espace and didn't want to grow too far apart from it.

Le Quement handled the styling and came up with a large-butted one-box shape with a pillarless daylight opening, a massive retractable glass roof, and huge doors. It was something that was truly unlike anything ever built before by an automaker, a huge two-door van that was guaranteed to leave onlookers with the most confused look on their faces. No one could figure out if they were looking at a car, a small land-fairing cruise liner, or something sculpted by Picasso turned into a parade float.

Though the design wasn’t without its engineering issues, Renault bested the better part of them with some interesting solutions. For example, the Avantime used a space frame made of strengthened aluminum to retain structural integrity in a side impact collision in spite of the fact there weren’t b-pillars. The huge doors used a clever double-hinged design to keep them manageable in tight parking situations. To keep weight down, the lower body panels were all composite.

Aside from the neat engineering details, the best part of the Avantime was it’s so called “grand air” mode in which all of the windows and the big sunroof were retracted for a very convertible-like experience. The feature was activated with the simple push of a button on the headliner. It was this particular experience that Avantime owners would come to treasure most in their cars.

The entire package came at a hefty cost though. Engineering costs for the Avantime’s double hinged doors and semi-convertible design racked up at a whopping 224€ million back at the turn of the century (about $286 million US dollars then and $358 million today). Those engineering costs would also be passed on to the buyer with the base sticker price starting at 29,000€ (about $37,000 USD then, $46,000 USD today). With a sticker price like that, those young, Espace-loving buyers that the Avantime was supposed to attract couldn’t afford it. Their parents, which could, weren’t interested because of the odd styling and general lack of practicality. The Avantime also faced in-house competition from the Vel Satis, whose appearance looked more conventional in comparison.

Sales of the Avantime totaled up to just 8,557 cars in May 2003, at which point the plug was pulled due to Matra’s decision to leave the automotive market partially due to the money lost developing and building the Avantime and Renault’s growing disinterest for the model. In contrast, sales of the Vel Satis equaled up to 62,201 cars during it's production run from 2001 - 2009 (an average of about 7,000 cars a year).

The Avantime’s polarizing styling and concept coupled with its very costly but clever engineering and poor sales definitely make this one of the most jaw-dropping failures ever in the automotive industry.

Investment rating £££

We’ve all read those stories of barn finds, those dusty hunks of metal that are unearthed from some ramshackle barn and then sold at auction for tens of thousands. And if like me you’ve ever found yourself saying, ‘I used to have one of those, now look what they are worth, I should never have sold it!’ Then maybe you’ve also caught yourself wondering if there are any cars today that will be worth more, not less, money in the future?

The big question is; now that we are in an age of global mass production and platform technology, will any car ever appreciate in value again?

Well I think the answer is yes and whilst I’m not guaranteeing unlimited wealth and fortune in the future, if you have some cash to spend then maybe you should be investing in the Renault Avantime.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a tugboat? The Avantime had an identity crisis from day one and that’s what killed it off, it should only ever have been a concept car. With just two doors its life as a people carrier was always limited, whilst its lack of ground breaking technology meant it never matched up to its futuristic styling. But a decade after its launch the Avantime is getting a new lease of life. Well-kept examples are now pretty sought after.

A field test of vintage and vintage-styled equipment for an upcoming "expedition" planned for the summer.

Unlike the first field test, this second outing resulted in no equipment failures. I did, however, again have a problem with heel blisters, although less severe than during the initial hike in the "big boots." The second outing was of longer distance and duration -- about three miles in total -- with considerably more scrambling up and down slopes.

I have not yet repaired my leather whip holder, so for practicality I secured the whip with plastic zip ties. Not "period authentic," I know, but it worked.

I'm debating over "the look," or specifically, "the hat" to wear during the actual expedition: this safari-style fedora, or the pith helmet. Either one is appropriate circa-1910 style, so it really comes down to which hat the chicks think makes me look dreamier.

;-p

Armenian Orthodox Christmas mass and procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 18, 2011. Church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas Celebration at the Church of the Nativity, West Bank town of Bethlehem January 6, 2011. Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) still use the old Julian calendar, so the celebrate Christmas on January 7th. The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna. Most people go to Church on Christmas day.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Another major European introduction for 1982 was the all-new 700 series from Volvo. Designed to replace the 200 series (itself derived from the 100 series of 1966), the 700 was produced alongside for 12 years. The two models are very close in exterior dimension.

The 700 underwent minor exterior changes to become the 900 series in 1991, notably a smoother front end treatment and revised rear treatment on the sedan. The sedan also received an independent rear suspension, with the estate car retaining a live rear axle. The 900 series was futher revised and named the S90/V90 in 1997 in line with Volvo's new naming convention. The model finally went out of production in 1998. The sedan models were subsequently replaced by the front-wheel-drive Volvo S80.

The engine line up included 4-cylinder, 4-cylinder turbocharged (one of the first major turbocharged passenger car ranges) and carryover vee-six cylinder engines shared with PSA and Renault. The 900 series later replaced the V6 with an inline six developed as part of a modular engine design of inline 4, 5 and 6-cylinder engines.

At launch the car was strongly criticised for its overtly rectilinear styling. The car matched the style that was popular in North America at the time, including a near vertical rear window. Unfortunately for Volvo this was the model year introduction of a key competitor, the Audi 100, which was notably aerodynamic in form.

This styling theme does have its advantages, with large windows and good visibility. It also provides ample space as an estate car. The model was popular with middle-class families with children, dogs etc, and are now considered 'Lifestyle' families.

Volvo's success in this market segment was later eroded by SUV and 'crossover' vehicles which emphasised the adventure part of the lifestyle image without being any more practical as a family car. Volvo went on to launch a vehicle in the crossover segment in place of the 900 wagon, the XC90. This model was very well recieved for its family practicality relative to other vehicles in the luxury crossover segment.

This miniland scale model has been created using Lego Digital Designer for Flickr LUGNuts 43rd build challenge - 'Plus or Mius Ten' - celebraing vehilces produced ten years before or after the birth year of the modeller. In this case 1982.

by meandmybentley ift.tt/1QomjuR

Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle auf dem Ölberg in Jerusalem. Westerwelle warnt vor Eskalation im Nahost-Konflikt.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Im Land der Mauer, Mathias Platzeck in Bethlehem

Dr. Michael Bröning has presented his book and moderated the discussion, The Politics of Change in Palestine: State-Building and Non-Violent Resistance.

“The Politics of Change in Palestine” discusses these changes. The book contradicts the prevalent myth that incompetent, corrupt, and uncompromising Palestinian decision-makers are responsible for the lasting stalemate in the Middle-East Peace Process. The book highlights recent political developments in Palestine that fundamentally redefine important parameters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These include the re-invention of Hamas, reforms within the Fatah movement, state-building efforts of the Palestinian Authority and the surge of non-violent resistance.

More Information available at:

change-in-palestine.com

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

310 Claydon Way is located in one of the finer neighborhoods of Sacramento. Having the advantage of being almost riverside, access to the American River Parkway and bicycle path is just one block from the home, providing lovely walks through incredible natural scenery and wildlife.

Year round, this beautiful neighborhood known as Wilhaggin, shows off its aesthetic pride with floral blossoms and blooms. Unlike other fine neighborhoods in the Sacramento area, Wilhaggin is mostly composed of sprawling single story dwellings. with wide streets, sidewalks and street lights.

The "ambiance" of this kind of neighborhood intention is palpable -- quietude, modest elegance, comfortable curb appeal, an abundance of mature and establish landscaping and shade trees.

Back when these houses were made in the sixties -- before magazine living lifestyle took over and replaced practicality with the discomforts of looking sharp -- strong bones and durability were time-honored architectural concepts. Pleasing oneself was more important than pleasing the neighbors, so the focus of the aesthetic addressed things like "hot summers", "colder winters" and the need for shade and light.

There were many independent builders at that time who became famous for their designs and also for their creative concepts for creating ideal settings for a river-living climate.

Among those that rose to fame, Lewis & Bristow are known for their comfortable living designs that centered around poolside appreciation. Shaped like a "U", 310 Claydon Way has three giant sliders that open up onto a giant back yard patio. The patio has roll-down awnings for late afternoon sun shade but also lends itself to an outside office or enclosed dinner-time eating.

The automated irrigation system has just been completely restored and upgraded. Other changes that have been done recently include brand new carpet, new paint and a remodeled entry way.

The grounds are fully established and mature. There are an abundance of roses and azaleas which bloom seasonally. The redwood trees on the property and surrounding the property in the backyard are invaluable for shade and beauty.

And 310 Claydon Way is loaded with all manner of little details of this nature which make it easy to maintain with a minimal amount of work. A truly beautiful home with over 3100 square feet, 310 Claydon way has been called "Shangri La" and has particularly great appeal to a buyer who loves outdoor living as much as indoor living.

BASIC DETAILS:

2 car garage

It's a four bedroom home with the following breakdown:

2 bedrooms

Gigantic master suite with walk in closet

a fully functioning 15' x 22' sky-lighted with bay windows live/work studio suite or playroom nursery (wet bar sink in studio and giant bathroom with shower).

Pool

Established landscaping and strategically placed and invaluable Sequoia trees.

House-wide vacuuming system.

Attic exhaust fan system and shade awnings.

Built in cabinetry throughout.

It is the fragrant lack of practicality that makes high-heeled shoes so fascinating: in terms of static mechanics they induce a sort of insecurity which some find titillating. If a woman wears a high-heeled shoe it changes the apparent musculature of the leg so that you get an effect of twanging sinew, of tension needing to be released.

Stephen Bayley

An odd little thing, I must admit I'd never seen or heard of this model until seeing three in one day. It turns out it's essentially a Suzuki Alto with a splash of South Korean flair and the predecessor to the popular Matiz.

The boxy but inoffensive shape probably stirs up a lot of practicality, although with less than 50bhp from its 800cc engine it won't set the world alight.

Today, I traded my Olympus 45mm f/1.8 for the new Olympus 25mm f/1.8. It was hard to do but the practicality of the 25mm far outweighed the 45mm's everyday usage. I felt like the build quality is similar, autofocus speed is similar, and though it's still early in my use of the lens, the image quality seems to be similar too. Since I can't keep both, I leaned on how much use a 50mm equivalent would have in my everyday shooting. So, sad to say, I have to leave you behind, 45mm. We had some good times.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Oly 25mm f/1.8

In September 1977 Mercedes-Benz introduced their first factory-built wagon model as part of the W123 range.

The T-Series was available with the same engine range as the saloon, but featured the extra practicality of the wagon body form, frequently supplemented by the fitment of a 3rd row of rearward facing seats.

The model shown here the 300 TD Wagon, was fitted with a 3.0 L 5-cylinder Diesel engine, and is based on the car owned by the parent of one of my friends in the 1980s. They had a large family, and the 7-seat wagon was a very sensible proposition for carrying some of the family in one go (eight kids, so there was a second car as well).

Power output of the diesel engine was limited, based on numbers alone the car seems woefully under-powered by today's standards. But having driven a similar W123 sedan 300 D, the car moved along well enough.

The W123 reange was replaced by the W124 in 1985, and the new model range also included a high-capable wagon model.

Kop Hill Climb centenary 2010

The Jaguar D-Type, like its predecessor the C-Type, was a factory-built race car. Although it shared the basic straight-6 XK engine design (initially 3.4L and eventually uprated to 3.8 litres in the late fifties) with the C-Type, the majority of the car was radically different. Perhaps its most ground-breaking innovation was the introduction of a monocoque chassis, which not only introduced aircraft-style engineering to competition car design, but also an aeronautical understanding of aerodynamic efficiency. The D-Type was introduced purely for competition, but after Jaguar withdrew from racing, the company offered the remaining, unfinished chassis as the roadgoing Jaguar XKSS, by making changes to the racers: adding an extra seat, another door, a full-width windshield and primitive folding top, as concessions to practicality. However, on the evening of 12 February 1957, a fire broke out at the Browns Lane plant destroying nine of the twenty five cars that had already been completed or in semi-completion. Production is thought to have included 53 customer D-Types, 18 factory team cars, and 16 XKSS versions.

Prices

The first factory production D-Type (XKD-509) was sold at Bonhams auction for £2,201,500 in July 2008. The previous highest confirmed price was £1,706,000, set in 1999.

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Benjamin Stein, Die Leinwand (The Canvas)

An Event of the DAAD

Reading

Wed, 29.12.2010, 19:00

Goethe-Institut Jerusalem

in German

Based on the scandal of Benjamin Wilkomirski's falsified Holocaust memoir, this novel deals with the unreliability of memory and the struggle for identity. Two stories are told from both ends of the book. In one of the stories Amnon Zichroni, an Orthodox Jew who grew up in Israel and becomes a psychoanalyst in Zürich, encourages Minsky, a supposed Holocaust survivor, to write down his memories. The other story is about East German journalist Jan Wechsler who tries to expose Minsky's memoirs as false. In the centre of the book a confrontation takes place when the two narrators, Amnon Zichroni and Jan Wechsler, meet one another.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas Celebration at the Church of the Nativity, West Bank town of Bethlehem January 6, 2011. Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) still use the old Julian calendar, so the celebrate Christmas on January 7th. The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna. Most people go to Church on Christmas day.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Although the Dolomite proved to be both refined and rapid, competitors such as the BMW 2002 had a performance advantage which was costing Triumph dearly, both in terms of sales and prestige. To remedy this, Triumph unveiled the Dolomite Sprint in June 1973. A team of engineers led by Spen King developed a 16-valve cylinder head with all of the valves being actuated using a single camshaft rather than the more normal DOHC arrangement. The capacity was also increased to 1,998 cc (122 cu in), and combined with bigger carburettors the output was upped to 127 bhp (95 kW). This represented a significant increase over the smaller 1850cc variant, however it fell short of the original target of 135 bhp (101 kW).

Despite BL engineers being able to extract a reliable 150 bhp (112 kW) from test engines, the production line was unable to reliably build the engines to the same level of quality, with production outputs being in the region of 125 bhp (93 kW) to 130 bhp (97 kW). This led to the original model designation, the Dolomite 135, being replaced at short notice with the Sprint name.

As a result of this new engine the Dolomite Sprint has a claim to be the world's first truly mass-produced multi-valve car, and the design of the cylinder head won a British Design Council award in 1974.[5] Performance was excellent, with 0–60 mph taking around 8.4 seconds, with a maximum speed of 119 mph (192 km/h). Trim was similar to the 1850, with the addition of standard alloy wheels (another first for a British production car), a vinyl roof, front spoiler, twin exhausts and lowered suspension. By now seats were in cloth on the 1850, and these were also fitted to the Sprint.

As a result of the increase in power brought by the new engine, the rest of the driveline was upgraded to be able to withstand the extra torque. The gearbox and differential were replaced by a version of those fitted to the TR and 2000 series cars, albeit with a close ratio gearset in the gearbox. The brakes were upgraded, with new pad materials at the front, and the fitment of larger drums and a load sensing valve at the rear. Other changes over the standard Dolomite included the option of a limited slip differential. The optional overdrive and automatic transmission from the 1850 model were also offered as option on the Sprint.

At launch the Sprint was priced at £1740, which compared extremely well to comparable cars from other manufacturers. Prospective buyers would have been hard pressed to justify the extra £1000 cost of the BMW 2002 Tii which offered similar performance. The four door practicality of the Sprint also made it a very attractive proposition for the young executive choosing his first company car. The press gave the Dolomite Sprint an enthusiastic Reception. Motor summarised its road test (subtitled "Britain leads the way") with glowing praise:

...the Sprint must be the answer to many people's prayer. It is well appointed, compact, yet deceptively roomy. Performance is there in plenty, yet economy is good and the model's manners quite impeccable. (...) Most important of all, it is a tremendously satisfying car to drive.

From May 1975 overdrive and tinted glass were fitted as standard. In addition, all Sprints were fitted with a body side trims, a plastic surround for the gearlever and a driver's door mirror. Headrests were now available as an optional extra. From March 1976 headrests, a radio and laminated windscreen were fitted as standard. In 1978 laminated windscreens became a standard fitment and in 1980, to comply with UK legislation, twin rear fog lamps were also fitted as standard.

For my video; youtu.be/FgL5LQqEZkk

The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to present a collection of hand-carved, hand-painted birds and other animals, made by Japanese national Masato Wayne Sumida while interned at Poston War Relocation Center in La Paz County, Arizona. The exhibition, in the Armory’s Mezzanine Galleries, opens on Sunday, October 13, 2013 and runs through Sunday, January 26, 2014. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 7-9pm. A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida has been organized by Armory’s Gallery Director / Chief Curator Irene Tsatsos.

Poston War Relocation Center was located on a reservation three miles east of the Colorado River, was the largest Japanese internment camp, and was known for its poor sanitation and the unsettling relations between the interned Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado Native Americans who remained on the land after its repurposing. Masato Wayne Sumida lived at Poston for nearly 4 and a half years, from May 27, 1941 to November 20, 1945.

Sumida’s exquisite carvings – between 1” and 5” – depict a variety of brightly colored small animals, including fish and squirrels, but most are ornately painted birds. He made numerous carvings of mallards, cardinals, swans, owls, and more – each similar, yet with its own unique personality.

Sumida’s practice was associated with gaman, the Japanese Zen Buddhist term that refers to the idea of bearing through suffering with dignity and patience. During WWII, it also became synonymous with the objects made by the men and women who were held in the internment camps. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, ethnic Japanese were notified that they would be relocated within a week and that they were to carry everything they would need with them. Upon arrival at the camps, men, women, and children were housed in small rooms scantily furnished with a single light bulb, a wood burning stove, and cots. At first, people met their basic needs making chairs, knives, and posts on which to hang laundry. As their internment persisted, their production turned away from everyday practicalities and developed into an art form that symbolized their resilience and composure.

Masato Wayne Sumida’s beautiful carved and painted objects had been in safekeeping by his granddaughter Wendy Al and her husband, the artist Billy Al Bengston, after being found stored in a large trash can in her grandparents’ garage. Many Japanese-Americans of the era neglected to speak of the period, and the gaman made during internment were often given away, some sold at garage sales, or forgotten in storage spaces waiting to be rediscovered by the artists’ descendants decades later. Sumida’s son, Paul, recalls giving the birds, which were fashioned into earrings, brooches, and lapel pins, to his teachers as gifts.

Masato Wayne Sumida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on October 13, 1903 and was orphaned at an early age. When he was 14 years old he took a boat to Mexico, arriving there illegally. He later swam across the Rio Grande River to enter the US. Before being interred Sumida lived in Boyle Heights, CA, where he worked as a gardener. After his release, he settled in Gardena, CA and took work as a sign painter. He was married to Hisako Sumida, who survived him. Masato Wayne Sumida died on September 12, 1995. The Sumida family members rediscovered the objects following Hisako’s death in 1999. Billy Al, seeing the objects for the first time, was overwhelmed by their creativity and beauty and launched the family’s efforts to preserve the collection.

The title of this show, A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida, quotes a line of haiku from Yajin Nakao, a poet interned at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas:

Autumn foliage

California has now become

a far country

The tradition of haiku and other forms of poetry and writing persevered in the camps, where writers were able meet to discuss their works.

A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida runs in conjunction with the group exhibition Home Away, organized by Los Angeles-based independent curator Kris Kuramitsu, which highlights and contextualizes a group of artists that work in Los Angeles as well as other locations in Asia and Latin America, among them Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Mumbai, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.

nrhp # 87000865- Fort Missoula Historic District- Fort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce.[2]

Beginning in 1888, the fort was home to the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment (3rd Formation). While stationed at Fort Missoula, this unit tested the practicality of soldiers traveling by bicycles by conducting numerous training rides, with one ride all the way to St. Louis, Missouri. The Trans-America Bicycle Trail established in 1976 goes through Missoula, and covers some of the routes pedaled by the 25th Regiment.

During World War II Fort Missoula housed a prison camp for Italian POWs, who called the area Bella Vista.[3]

Fort Missoula was established as a permanent military post in 1877 and built in response to requests of local townspeople and settlers for protection in the event of conflict with western Montana Indian tribes. It was intended as a major outpost for the region; however, area residents also were quite aware of the payroll, contracts, and employment opportunities Fort Missoula would provide. Fort Missoula never had walls; rather, it was an "open fort," a design common for posts located west of the Mississippi. Open forts required troops to take the offensive and actively patrol the areas to which they were assigned.

Construction had barely begun when the Company Commander, Captain Charles Rawn, received orders to halt the advance of a group of non-treaty Nez Perce Indians. The Nez Perce, led by Chiefs Joseph, Looking Glass and others, simply went around the soldiers' hastily-constructed earth and log barricade in Lolo Canyon (later called "Fort Fizzle") and escaped up the Bitterroot Valley.

The 25th Infantry Regiment arrived at Fort Missoula in May 1888. The regiment was one of four created after the Civil War that were made up of black soldiers with white officers. In 1896, Lieutenant James Moss organized the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps to test the military potential of bicycles.[4] The corps undertook several short journeys – up the Bitterroot Valley by bicycle to deliver dispatches, north to the St. Ignatius area, and through Yellowstone National Park – before making a 1,900-mile (3,100 km) trip from Fort Missoula to St. Louis in 1897. The Army concluded that while the bicycle offered limited military potential, it would never replace the horse. The 25th Infantry returned to Missoula by train. When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, the 25th was one of the first units called to fight. The regiment served bravely in Cuba and the Philippines, but was reassigned to other posts after the war's end.

The efforts of Congressman Joseph Dixon of Missoula led to the appropriation of $1 million in 1904 to remodel Fort Missoula. A modern complex of concrete buildings with red tile roofs was constructed between 1908 and 1914, including a new Officer's Row, barracks, and Post Hospital.

The fort was used as a military training center during World War I, but was almost abandoned by 1921. However, it was designated as the Northwest Regional Headquarters for the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933.

Fort Missoula was turned over to the Department of Immigration and Naturalization in 1941 for use as an alien detention center for non-military Italian men (merchant seamen, World's Fair employees, and the crew of an Italian luxury liner seized in the Panama Canal).[5] Fort Missoula housed over 1,200 Italian internees, who referred to the fort as "Camp Bella Vista." The Italians worked on area farms, fought forest fires, and worked in Missoula until they were released in 1944. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 650 Japanese-American men who were considered high risk were interned at the camp. These men were questioned and quickly transferred to other internment camps.

The camp was used as a prison for military personnel accused of military crimes and other personnel awaiting court-martial following World War II.[6] After the post was decommissioned in 1947, many of the buildings were sold, dismantled, and removed from the site. For a number of years, Fort Missoula was a subinstallation under the accountability of Fort Carson, Colorado. The majority of the land is now in the hands of non-military agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and Missoula County (including the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula). Fort Missoula was formally decommissioned in April, 2001.[7]

from Wikipedia

First Drive 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 70th Anniversary. An important element of the Land Cruiser's redesign is the radical change of powerplant – no more V8s here. Before diesel models show up, the Land Cruiser arrived with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 packing direct injection. But the advanced engine is still a thirsty thing, gobbling up premium fuel with gluttonous abandon. Where the Land Cruiser 200 sucked down 15 to 20 liters of gas every 100 kilometers, the Land Cruiser 300 is no better. Even the addition of a ten-speed automatic can’t save the new model. Of course, the V6’s two turbochargers aren’t about efficiency, really. And each dollar, yen, or ruble Toyota invested in this engine pays off when it comes to motivating a 2.5-ton SUV. With 479 pound-feet of torque at just 2,000 rpm, the Land Cruiser can jump forward briskly, humiliating smaller “sportier” crossovers with a 6.8-second sprint to 62 miles per hour. Regardless of the speed limit, the Land Cruiser will happily charge toward it at breakneck pace. There’s some serious performance for a full-size SUV, and the bottom line is you won’t expect such sudden and brutal acceleration from an SUV that looks so much like a suitcase.

Experienced Land Cruiser drivers will no doubt wonder what the point of all this grunt is in an SUV, especially when previous examples had less-than-stellar brakes and poor handling dynamics caused by the high center of gravity. After all, the new Land Cruiser’s chassis is really the same as before: longitudinal frame, independent suspension with transverse arms at the front, and a continuous axle with longitudinal bars behind. Even the brake discs are the same size. But despite this similarity, Toyota still rethought every chassis component’s structure and managed to shave a substantial amount of weight off in the process. The result is far easier to drive at speed. The track was widened, the engine sits further behind the axle and lower in the bay, and the seat are further rearward. This better weight distribution and lower center of gravity are key to the new Land Cruiser’s poise at higher speeds. Even the brakes work better. You still need to apply a fair amount of pressure at times, but the effort required is progressive. The 70th Anniversary is best suited for asphalt, with 20-inch wheels and tires with thinner 55-series sidewalls, a self-locking rear differential, and a Custom drive mode.

Off the trial, the slopes, fords, and rocks don’t look particularly scary. However the flashy body kit reduces the approach angle from 32 degrees to just 24. No matter how experienced the driver, how carefully they attack an obstacle, the Anniversary cars were damaged without exception. The truck’s delicate 20-inch tires with Regular Dunlop Grandtrek AT30 Touring rubber are all-terrain in name only, and it was little surprise when I caught a side cut in a completely ordinary situation while driving evenly over a rocky rut. Constant fording and rock climbing caused the force-induced V6 engine to throw a message on the dashboard about a loss of traction control, warning us to visit a dealer. There was no check-engine light, but the performance diminished noticeably as if both turbos were on strike. And even if this was but one issue, it happened on multiple test units. Fortunately, all it took was a restart to bring things back to normal.

In a long traffic jam near Murmansk, a guy jumped out of his Toyota RAV4 and introduced himself as the owner of a Land Cruiser 200. He was eager to study the LC 300 and knew where to look, complaining about cheap faux wood, poor glove compartment lid, and flimsy door panels. He then finally noted that he had no faith in the twin-turbocharged V6, although as a whole, he argued the new Land Cruiser “is not spoiled.”

In general, Toyota closely watches the mood of Land Cruiser fans and owners. People are very loyal, and the brand has no right to go against them. But a revolution in the interior was not expected. People choose this car for pragmatic reasons and Toyota reworked the interior with that in mind, maximizing practicality with massive switches and knobs grouped together in functional zones.

I personally like this healthy conservatism as well, though Toyota did overdo it in some places. You can’t just take the display and stretch it out to 12.3-inches diagonally and leave an almost unchanged, archaic interface. Compare it with the screen of a child’s tablet and it becomes embarrassing for Toyota. Or take the monumental block of a center console – inside, under an armrest that opens both to the left and to the right is a cooler box. The Land Cruiser is not a vehicle that needs to make some annoying interior design statement, and yet here we are.

By the way, even with a slightly reduced body height, the LC 300 is as wide as the last-gen car and retains the same wheelbase. Even the rear seating is similar – I jumped from old car to new several times and couldn’t find any notable differences. There’s plenty of free space, but the second row remains a little bit cramped for long-legged passengers – one expects a more relaxing seating position in such a huge vehicle. While under way, relaxation comes from the soft suspension (worse with the 20-inch wheels, of course), ample sound insulation, and pleasant bonuses like separate second-row climate controls and available seat ventilation.

That rear bench folds in one quick movement, flipping forward to stand against the rear seats and forming a huge cargo compartment with a flat floor. It’s easier to get stuff out now, too, because the Land Cruiser lost the split tailgate. Lovers of trips out of town probably won’t be happy that there’s no longer a “bench” in the lower section of the rear hatch, though.

In a lot of ways, the new Land Cruiser is glamping on wheels – equally at home on a picnic as it is navigating the wilderness north of the Arctic Circle or then getting you from business meetings to muddy surroundings. And it’s downright pleasant on long stretches of highway. The LC 300 is an all-roader in the best understanding of the word.

But high-status versatility costs a lot of money. A weekend of glamping on the Sredny Peninsula costs at least 80,000 rubles per person. And the price for a new gas-powered Land Cruiser 300 starts at 5.6 million. But there is demand and a rush on inventory, along with greedy dealers marking up products. This doesn’t frighten LC worshipers, though, and new examples are rolling off dealer lots for 10 million rubles. This vehicle’s reputation works wonders.

Just the low morning sun, this before the rain arrived with a vengeance.

The HC110 is easy to measure at 1:60 from concentrate, whatever were Kodak thinking of with those dilutions, triumph of over thinking precision instead of practicality.

The Silvermax is rapidly becoming my favourite "slow" film. Not slow really 8iso is slow!!

The Western Outlaws Custom Shop does not focus its attention only on supercars. Sometimes customers want something with more urban chic and practicality.

Enter, Mini.

The BMW New Mini MkIII was the starting point, and Western Outlaws added from there. More power, more luxury, more wheel, more tire, more chic.

The end result is an inner-city ride worthy of the brand.

More go is reflected in the red highlights - air in, air out. As is the more slow, with the red insert brake cooling vanes.

More bling is reflected in the tan highlights, mixed in with real gold flakes - no imitation gold here!

Checkerboard roof. Gold rims. Gold speed stripes and Gold spoiler.

An iconic custom makeover.

This BMW New Mini MkIII has been created in Lego miniland scale for Flickr LUGNuts' 87th Build Challenge, - 'A Tale of Two Rivals', - a challenge to create automotive models in the livery of two fictional car modifying organisations. The Western Outlaws: Red Black, Tan. Or Eastern rebels: Yellow, Black and Dark Grey.

Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos leads the Orthodox Christmas procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 6, 2011.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Concert and exhibition opening in the evangelical Lutheran church of Augusta Victoria on The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, on Friday the 16th of December at 6 a clock pm. The exhibition is a complete Biblical cycle of both The Old- and The New Testament developed by the Norwegian, surrealist painter Håkon Gullvåg. The exhibition was in 2005 made as a temporary decoration for Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, which is the national sanctuary of Norway. The motifs will through this show “come home” to their historical context, and will be displayed in the church during both Christmas 2011 and Easter 2012.

Opening speeches will be held by H. E. the Norwegian Minister of Government Administration, Reform and Church affairs Rigmor Aasrud, and by the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land the Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan.

The concert that follows the exhibition opening will be held by the Norwegian chamber ensemble The Trondheim Soloists, the Norwegian musician and composer Henning Sommeroe, together with the Palestinian artist and composer Rim Banna.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

E26

Coys of Kensington

Techno Classica 2019

Essen

Deutschland - Germany

April 2019

BMW’s glorious M1 supercar is a rare mix of stunning performance and practicality. Whenever it has been compared to other high performance sports cars from the 1970s and 80s by the motoring press it is always the BMW which comes out on top.

The original concept was for a car which BMW could compete with in the Ferrari type market place, but which provided BMW-style reliability. However the Bavarian company were sufficiently aware of their inexperience in this field so Lamborghini was called in to design and develop the car, with the intention that they would be built under licence in the Sant’ Agata manufacturer’s factory. However at the crucial time Lamborghini went through one of their periodic financial crises and takeovers, so none of the production examples were actually built in Italy.

The bodywork was styled by Giugiaro’s, Ital Design; with stunning compact two door coupe coachwork which accommodated two occupants and a mid-mounted six cylinder twin cam 24 valve BMW Motorsport engine with fuel injection. In this application 277 bhp was coaxed out of the superb motor, allowing a maximum speed in excess of 160 mph. and a 0-60 mph. sprint in 5.5 seconds. Handling was vice less and reliability was excellent. Furthermore, levels of comfort were of a degree unheard of in a mid-engined supercar up till then.

This extraordinary BMW M1 was built to standard specification in 1979 and delivered to it’s first owner in Berlin the following year. In 1981 the car was purchased by renowned racing driver, Harald Ertl, the following year; at which point the car went through an extreme makeover! Developed in conjunction with British Petroleum who were looking to promote their new Autogas product, this unique M1 was hoping to break 300 km/h to set a new record. Using Gustav Hoecker Sportwagen-Service GmbH, Ertl had the M1 engine fitted with twin KKK turbochargers developing in the region of 410 bhp. On 17th October, 1981, Ertl managed to achieve a record breaking 301.4 km/h.

This wonderfully sleek and even more aggressively-styled M1 has recently been unearthed from a garage in East London, ‘lost’ for nearly a quarter of a century and coming to the market for the first time since 1993 ; this is possibly the rarest M1 in the models history. Undoubtedly a piece of motoring history and the subject of several magazine articles, this is a hugely interesting prospect for any serious enthusiast or collector.

The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to present a collection of hand-carved, hand-painted birds and other animals, made by Japanese national Masato Wayne Sumida while interned at Poston War Relocation Center in La Paz County, Arizona. The exhibition, in the Armory’s Mezzanine Galleries, opens on Sunday, October 13, 2013 and runs through Sunday, January 26, 2014. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 7-9pm. A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida has been organized by Armory’s Gallery Director / Chief Curator Irene Tsatsos.

Poston War Relocation Center was located on a reservation three miles east of the Colorado River, was the largest Japanese internment camp, and was known for its poor sanitation and the unsettling relations between the interned Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado Native Americans who remained on the land after its repurposing. Masato Wayne Sumida lived at Poston for nearly 4 and a half years, from May 27, 1941 to November 20, 1945.

Sumida’s exquisite carvings – between 1” and 5” – depict a variety of brightly colored small animals, including fish and squirrels, but most are ornately painted birds. He made numerous carvings of mallards, cardinals, swans, owls, and more – each similar, yet with its own unique personality.

Sumida’s practice was associated with gaman, the Japanese Zen Buddhist term that refers to the idea of bearing through suffering with dignity and patience. During WWII, it also became synonymous with the objects made by the men and women who were held in the internment camps. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, ethnic Japanese were notified that they would be relocated within a week and that they were to carry everything they would need with them. Upon arrival at the camps, men, women, and children were housed in small rooms scantily furnished with a single light bulb, a wood burning stove, and cots. At first, people met their basic needs making chairs, knives, and posts on which to hang laundry. As their internment persisted, their production turned away from everyday practicalities and developed into an art form that symbolized their resilience and composure.

Masato Wayne Sumida’s beautiful carved and painted objects had been in safekeeping by his granddaughter Wendy Al and her husband, the artist Billy Al Bengston, after being found stored in a large trash can in her grandparents’ garage. Many Japanese-Americans of the era neglected to speak of the period, and the gaman made during internment were often given away, some sold at garage sales, or forgotten in storage spaces waiting to be rediscovered by the artists’ descendants decades later. Sumida’s son, Paul, recalls giving the birds, which were fashioned into earrings, brooches, and lapel pins, to his teachers as gifts.

Masato Wayne Sumida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on October 13, 1903 and was orphaned at an early age. When he was 14 years old he took a boat to Mexico, arriving there illegally. He later swam across the Rio Grande River to enter the US. Before being interred Sumida lived in Boyle Heights, CA, where he worked as a gardener. After his release, he settled in Gardena, CA and took work as a sign painter. He was married to Hisako Sumida, who survived him. Masato Wayne Sumida died on September 12, 1995. The Sumida family members rediscovered the objects following Hisako’s death in 1999. Billy Al, seeing the objects for the first time, was overwhelmed by their creativity and beauty and launched the family’s efforts to preserve the collection.

The title of this show, A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida, quotes a line of haiku from Yajin Nakao, a poet interned at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas:

Autumn foliage

California has now become

a far country

The tradition of haiku and other forms of poetry and writing persevered in the camps, where writers were able meet to discuss their works.

A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida runs in conjunction with the group exhibition Home Away, organized by Los Angeles-based independent curator Kris Kuramitsu, which highlights and contextualizes a group of artists that work in Los Angeles as well as other locations in Asia and Latin America, among them Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Mumbai, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.

Hatred is not overcome by hatred; hatred is conquered by love, and so is the order of things from eternity. Unless your name is Henry Ford and Enzo Ferrari just let you down by having lunch with his lawyer and then not returning to the negotiating table. The story is of course known to every Ford and Ferrari enthusiast. Ford developed the GT40 and beat Ferrari fair and square at Le Mans. But the chance of ever buying a Ferrari has gone forever since that afternoon. Fortunately, both brands are still going strong today and Ford uses the GT40 every few years as an excuse to put the most extravagant and excellent sports car on the market. The previous Ford GT was actually a slightly larger GT40 with a huge V8 and a supercharger. This generation of Ford GT, on the other hand, is not a retro car but a futuristic spaceship that forgot to return to the pits after a successful race at La Sartre and pulled into your parking space. What a beautiful machine. This 2021 copy is a so-called Carbon Series. This means that the car is slightly lighter than the already very light “standard” Ford GT, the car has extra visible carbon, a Lexan engine compartment cover, no cup holders, carbon wheels, titanium wheel bolts and a stripe over the hood consisting of blank carbon.

The second generation Ford GT, as this car is referred to, is a car built at Multimatic in Canada. The base is a carbon fiber monocoque that is not only extremely stiff but also feather-light. The drive is provided by a 3.5 litre Ford Ecoboost V6. The engine produces 647 hp and enables the car to reach a top speed of no less than 347 kilometres per hour. The car was unveiled in 2016 and Ford immediately announced that it would be taking another shot at victory at Le Mans 50 years later. The Ford GT is therefore also one of the few cars that is basically designed as a race car and not as a street car. This means that for the designers the objectives were very clear in advance: this car must be able to drive as fast as possible at Le Mans and then we must be able to make the car street-legal with not too many adjustments. Finally, it should be noted that this is an almost unique opportunity to obtain a Ford GT Carbon Series. When Ford opened the order books for the GT, it was not the case that everyone could buy such a car, no, buyers had to go through a real application procedure to get a Ford GT. If Ford didn’t think the story was good enough, or the buyer didn’t like the GT, it wasn’t possible to buy one. In addition, buyers of the Ford GT were not allowed to resell the car shortly after purchase.

This copy has German papers and is in absolute mint condition. The car comes with delivery miles and is beautifully executed. Black goes perfectly with the car’s sinister looks. The body is unmistakably recognizable as a Ford GT and yet almost incomparable with its predecessors. The carbon wheels are not only very beautiful but also very light. The finish of the car is of course as you would expect from a top product of this calibre. The paint is beautifully sprayed, the finish on the wheels is exceptional, the panels fit together sublimely everywhere and we are only talking about the exterior of the car. The interior is pure practicality. The steering wheel is equipped with many buttons to operate many vital functions of the car and makes driving the car a breeze. The ergonomics are of course perfect for each other and finding a good seating position is child’s play because the seat cannot be adjusted, but the steering column and the pedal box have to be adjusted. Unlike previous hardcore versions of the Ford GT, the Carbon Series is still equipped with the Ford Sync 3 system. This makes covering longer distances a wonderful activity. Things like air conditioning and an excellent sound system make the party complete.

In short, an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire a Ford GT Carbon Series and an absolute top opportunity for the serious investor.

Certainly one of the less well known Ferrari's, but one that holds a mixed reception in the hearts and minds of those who grew up with them. Some hail this car as an unloved gem of the 1980's Italian car builder, being the only production mid-engined sports car to feature 4 seats, whilst others consider it the worst car ever made by Ferrari, asking why people would want 4 seats in a mid-engined sports car when space in the back couldn't fit a bag of shopping!

The Mondial first made its appearance in 1980, being a replacement for the 208/308 GT4's, the last of the mighty Dino range. The "Mondial" name came from Ferrari's history, the 500 Mondial race car of the early 1950's. Despite its predecessor being Bertone styled, the Mondial saw Ferrari return to Pininfarina for styling.

Sold as a mid-sized coupé and, eventually a cabriolet, the car was conceived as a 'usable' model, offering the practicality of four seats and the performance of a Ferrari. The car had a slightly higher roofline than its stablemates, with a single long door either side, offering easy access and good interior space, reasonable rear legroom while all-round visibility was excellent. It also holds the distinction of being the only production automobile that has four seats, is mid-engined, and be a full convertible in automotive history.

The Mondial, produced in fairly high numbers for a Ferrari, with more than 6,100 produced in its 13 year run, and was one of Ferrari's most commercially successful models. The car body was not built as a monocoque in the same way as a conventional car, but instead the steel outer body was produced by the famous Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti, just down the road in nearby Modena, built over a lightweight steel box-section space frame. The engine cover and rear luggage compartment lids are in light alloy. The seats and interior were trimmed in Connolly hide, contrasting with the body colour. Most cars were painted rosso red, but some were black or silver, and a few were dark blue.

The car went through several generations in its 13 year life, the first being the Mondial 8, which featured a 3.0L Tipo F106B FI V8 producing 214hp. In all, 703 examples of this car were made in its 2 year production period, which cost $64,000 back then, but $183,000 now.

This was replaced by the Mondial QV (Quattrovalvole), which introduced a new four-valve head, the combustion chamber design was purportedly based on the early eighties Formula 1 engine. Again, the engine was shared with the contemporary 308 GTB/GTS QV, and produced a much more respectable 240hp. Appearance was largely as per the Mondial 8, although with red engine heads and prominent "quattrovalvole" script at the rear. In all, 1,145 coupés were built between 1982 and 1985.

The next version was the 3.2 Mondial, which increased the engine size to 3.2L Tipo F105C 4v V8, creating 266hp. Available in both Coupé and Cabriolet forms, styling was refreshed with restyled and body-coloured bumpers, similar to the 328 with more integrated indicators and driving lamps, and new alloy wheels with a more rounded face. The 3.2 also boasted a major interior update, with a more ergonomic layout and a more rounded instrument binnacle. Later cars, from 1987 onwards, also sported ABS brakes.The 1988 Mondial 3.2 would be the final model year that retained the relatively low maintenance costs of the 308/328 drivetrain, allowing major service items like timing belt and clutch replacement to be performed with the engine/transmission package still in the car. During its 1985 to 1989 production span, Ferrari produced 987 coupés and 810 cabriolets.

The final version introduced in 1989 was the Mondial t, being visually different from preceding Mondial models, the most recognisable being the redesign of the air intakes to a smaller, neater rectangular shape similar to that found on a 348. Additionally, the door-handles were of a visually different design, as were the front and rear bumpers which became body coloured. New front and rear wings cover wider tracks and are re-profiled to a fuller shape compared to preceding models, which feature a rolled lip. Between 1989 and 1993 Ferrari produced 858 coupés and 1,017 cabriolets.

The Mondial was eventually killed off completely in 1993, and, as mentioned, suffers from a mixed reception by Ferrari and motoring fans alike. While many admire its unique Pininfarina derived design and everyday versatility, the Mondial has amassed a cult following of enthusiasts, but is sometimes the target of derision due to what many consider the compromises, including its 4 seats, longer wheelbase and heavier weight. One notable complaint was made on Top Gear's 'The Worst Car in the World', where a very run down Mondial was assessed by James May, who commented on the fact that it was too small and too thirsty to be an equivalent to a regular family car.

Me personally, I prefer the looks of the later Mondial's, specifically the Mondial t, which does look like a fantastic open sports Ferrari with resemblances to the 348, although earlier ones do hold a place in my heart too for their looks and style.

The Piaggio Ape (pronounced "ah-peh" - Italian for bee ) is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle first produced in 1948 by Piaggio.

At the end of WWII, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked modes of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio, came up with the idea of building a light three wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo. The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. In the early sale brochures and adverts the vehicle was referred to as the VespaCar or TriVespa and cost 170.000 liras. The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements. The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.

Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to sit one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door on each side is provided, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.

The vehicles comes in various configurations such as vans and pickups for load carrying and autorickshaw (Tuk-tuk) for human transportation. More recently Piaggio have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young.

Ape Calessino Electric Lithium Values of environmental awareness and respect, which are key in the strategy of the Piaggio Group and in its research and development activities, have now led to the creation of a new zero environmental impact version of the Ape Calessino.The idea of being in touch with nature and with the surrounding environment inspired an evolution in the concept of mobility embodied by Ape Calessino better than any other vehicle. Introducing the electric Ape Calessino Electric Lithium.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium offers the same features and elegance as the conventional engine version. The electric version gains its own unique livery, with an elegant blue and white two-tone color scheme for the bodywork and canvas elements. The same two-tone scheme is echoed in the interior, with cream colored upholstery trimmed with blue piping.Since its launch, Ape Calessino has been met with a genuine fondness and a reputation as a mobility solution that breaks free of the frenetic rhythms of modern life to rediscover values of friendship and conviviality. Exclusive and elegant, yet practical and sturdy just like every other Ape; the bodywork of the new Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is given a double cataphoresis painting treatment, making it even more resistant to the corrosive action typical of the humid, saline conditions of a seaside environment.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is the perfect vehicle for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd with original elegance and in complete harmony with the surrounding environment.The new electric Ape Calessino combines the practicality, elegance and agility that have made the Ape Calessino such a hit with capability of accessing zones usually prohibited to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, such as areas of particular natural and environmental importance, historical town centers and restricted traffic areas.This makes Ape Calessino Electric Lithium an indispensable tool, for instance, for resorts, hotels and tourism operators intending to offer their guests a fun and distinctive shuttle service that can reach the centre of a cultural city, fend for itself in the hustle and bustle of a medieval town centre or wind its way along the panoramic routes of a beautiful Mediterranean island with equal ease. With a range of 75 Km, all of these destinations and more are easily within reach of the Ape Calessino Electric Lithium, in total respect for the environment and cocooned in silence: electric drive means that Ape Calessino is not just a zero emissions vehicle, it is also completely silent, so that its occupants can enjoy the beauty of a nature to the full or travel through densely populated centers without causing even the slightest disturbance.The Aenerbox system also offers another advantage: the battery does not discharge while the vehicle is not in use, even if left for prolonged periods. This is a significant benefit, especially considering the typically seasonal nature of the tourism industry, for example, and goes hand in hand with remarkable longevity. The life cycle of these batteries is an incredible 15 years (or more than 800 recharge cycles for a total of approximately 60,000 Km), compared with the 7-10 years of a conventional battery system.Built in a series of just 100 examples, the most exclusive Ape of all time is destined for a design-conscious clientele that appreciates Italian style. But this is not just an extremely functional vehicle; it is also a true collector's piece, as highlighted by the numbered plate making it even more exclusive. Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is on sale, on Italian market, at € 19,900 (VAT not included).

" A good heart is the Sun and the Moon; or rather, the Sun and not the Moon, for it shines bright and never changes."

William Shakespeare, Taurus.

Basic characteristics of sign:

Personal creed: I have

Negative/Feminine sign

Element: Earth

Energy: fixed

Psychological type: perceptive

Symbol: bull's head- linked to early Egyptians

Color: pastel shades

Body part: throat neck

Gemstone: Emerald

Metal: Copper

Flowers: Rose, foxglove, daffodil

Food: Peaches, fruit puddings, home cookin'

PEOPLE WITH TAURUS SIGNS ARE GENERALLY: Patient, reliable, warm-hearted, loving, persistent, artistic, gentle, loyal, domestic, discriminating, sensual.

ON THE OTHER HAND THEY CAN ALSO BE: Jealous, possessive, resentful, inflexible, self-indulgent, greedy.

TAUREANS LOVE: Security, stability, practicality, consistency, sex, routine, fine food, being a good provider.

THEY CAN'T STAND: Risks, cheating, waste, change, uncertainty, cheap wine and three day growth.

Armenian Orthodox Christmas mass and procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 18, 2011. Church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

celebrations with solar car Stella from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven at the official time-finish just outside Adelaide on day six of the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, probably still leading in the Cruiser Class, although eVe Sunswift (UNSW) reached the finish earlier in total time count. Apart from time, in Cruiser Class also practicality and total driver-kliometers are counted (Stella usually took two to four people whereas Sunswift mostly one)

bevrijdende vreugde bij de studenten van zonne-auto Stella van Solar Team Eindhoven bij de officiële tijd-finish net buiten Adelaide tijdens de 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, waarschijnlijk aan de leiding in de Cruiser Class, alhoewel eVe Sunswift (UNSW) de finish eerder haalde, ook in totale tijdstelling. Echter behalve tijd wordt in de Cruiser Class ook de praktische ervaring van het rijden van de auto, en het aantal berijders-kilometers geteld (Stella had gewoonlijk twee tot vier berijders aan boord, terwijl Sunswift meestal met één reed)

Renault Type VB (1905) Engine 4399cc S4

Registration Number AA 1

RENAULT SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690632985...

Powered by a 20-30hp four cylinder 4.4 litre this Renault would have been a very prestigous and advanced car when new, and has a performance more than a match for far younger cars.

Its first owner was Lady Cheylesmore, a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Mary who kept it in regular use until 1919.

The Renault waas purchased by the Automobile Association in 1965 and bears that organisations private registration number AA 1. Cared for by the same custodian Dennis Bass since 1998.

This was also one of the cars that participated in the AAs Gaurds to Hastings demonstration run in 1909 an event organised to demostrate the practicality of motor transport to sceptical militaryauthorities..

Many thanks for a fantabulous 31,492,900 views

Shot 16.11.2014 at The National Exhibition Centre, Classic and Sportscar Show Ref 103-657.

Australia, Adelaide, 25-10-2015.

Bij de World Solar Challenge zijn wederom de teams van Eindhoven en Delft beide eerste geworden. Zonnewagens uit veel landen streden tijdens een tocht van 3000 km. midden door Australie.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven heeft gewonnen in de Cruiser klasse, waarin snelheid niet de enige factor is, ook het aantal meegereden passagiers en jury-oordeel over bv comfort, besturingsgemak en innovatie tellen mee. Ondanks de snellere tijd van het Japanse team van Kogakuin wint Eindhoven dus alsnog.

In de Challenger klasse was al bekend dat Nuon Solar Team uit Delft de winnaar was. Solar Team Twente werd nipt tweede.

foto: TU Eindhoven / Bart van Overbeeke.

At the World Solar Challenge the Dutch teams from Eindhoven and Delft have both won first place again. Solar Cars from many countries competed during a 3000 km. drive through Australia.

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven won in the Cruiser Class, where speed is not the only winning factor also number of passengers and practicality judgement also count. Cars are judged for space, driving comfort, innovation, etc. Despite the faster time by the Japanese team from Kogakuin, Eindhoven still wins.

In the Challenger Class it was already known that Nuon Solar Team from Delft won with Solar Team Twente (also Dutch) as a close second.

Cinemateum Victoria - Men on the Edge - Fishermen’s Diary, a film by Avner Faingulernt & Macabit Abramson, 2005, 90 Min., Hebrew/Arabic (English sub.)

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Concert and exhibition opening in the evangelical Lutheran church of Augusta Victoria on The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, on Friday the 16th of December at 6 a clock pm. The exhibition is a complete Biblical cycle of both The Old- and The New Testament developed by the Norwegian, surrealist painter Håkon Gullvåg. The exhibition was in 2005 made as a temporary decoration for Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, which is the national sanctuary of Norway. The motifs will through this show “come home” to their historical context, and will be displayed in the church during both Christmas 2011 and Easter 2012.

Opening speeches will be held by H. E. the Norwegian Minister of Government Administration, Reform and Church affairs Rigmor Aasrud, and by the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land the Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan.

The concert that follows the exhibition opening will be held by the Norwegian chamber ensemble The Trondheim Soloists, the Norwegian musician and composer Henning Sommeroe, together with the Palestinian artist and composer Rim Banna.

Shortly about me:

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Located at number 4. Murray Street, Colac's former post office is in a prime location at the gateway into the historical centre of the town.

Built in 1876 by the Public Works Department, it was extended in 1888 to reflect the Victorian Free Classical building that is seen today. It features a classical colonnade entrance, windows with attenuated vertical proportions, aedicules using prominent pillar detailing and a classically inspired clock over the entranceway.

The building has seen many changes over the years, as has its usage. The Colac telephone exchange commenced on the premises in 1904 with twenty-five subscribers.

Times have changed in Twentieth Century Colac, and the post office with a capacious dwelling for the postmaster became too large for the practicalities of the modern day business that Australia Post is, and they relocated to smaller, more modern and more central promises. Now the former Colac post office has found new life as a Chinese restaurant. However, because it is protected by the National Heritage Committee, no exterior advertising is permitted to be attached to the classical facade, which is why there are discreet signs in the upper floor windows and dainty Chinese lanterns hanging from the colonnade's arches. At night the clock, which still keeps good time, is illuminated by a violet coloured neon light that encircles the face.

Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).

The motel appears to be operating at the time this slide was taken (mid-1956), but is clearly still being constructed. The motel and service station were situated at about 53 Hauptstrasse Hauenstein-Ifenthal, Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. The motel buildings remain, but are in a state of fenced-off dereliction, and as at 2017 were slated for demolition. The service station is gone leaving only some concrete that shows where it was placed.

The hill from which this photo was taken was dug out and levelled in the early 1960s for a golf course.

As explained by the article below, The hotel eventually became a sex club.

The following is a story from the Solothurner Zeitung dated 5.1.2017 (the translation is by Google, hence the odd syntax).

"Changing "Bolero" story: Motel - Dancing - Night Club

The Motel Hauenstein would be 61 years old these days: "The opening was on January 26, 1956," remembers Rosa Rubitschung-Bitterli (82, Mümliswil), who grew up in the Hauensteiner "Löwen", on request without the slightest hesitation.

Why did you remember this date so much? "That was an incision for us because the motel was a competition for the 'lion'," she explains. The new motel was only a few hundred meters farther up the pass road than the "Lion", which had been run by Rosa Bitterli's father as a sideline farm and business.

Also to the reason why a modern motel was planned and built especially on the Hauenstein: "At that time it was intended that the highway should lead over the Hauenstein." Actually, the Motel Hauenstein was an excursion restaurant, service area and hotel operation initially a success. "On Sunday there was often a whole migration of peoples, when the Trimbacher came on foot on the stone and Hauenstein in the motel," recalls Rosa Rubitschung."

The main road Basel-Lucerne was part of the connection between Germany and Italy over the Gotthard. At the motel car park often held cars from Germany or other countries. Also overnight accommodations were in demand.

As you know, the A 2 was then not built by the Homburgertal and the Lower Hauenstein, but by the Diegtertal, with a cut between Eptingen and Hägendorf. With the opening of the Belchentunnel in December 1970, the pass traffic broke over the Hauenstein, in the motel on the pass began the decline.

Although new buildings were created in 1971 and 1974, the motel now lured with a Dancing. Apparently without any resounding success, because the owners changed, the restaurant was closed repeatedly. Several operators were involved in bankruptcy proceedings. So did the entertainment entrepreneur Peter Curti, who ran the night club "Bolero" at the motel, where prostitutes offered their services.

The sex club on the Hauenstein made headlines several times. Thus, in November 2001 at 6 o'clock in the morning a 40-year-old employee was found naked and frozen on the sidewalk in front of the Bolero at minus 3 degrees. Since September 7, 2012, the "Bolero" is finally closed. (CVA)"

And this from a German language arts magazine of the time (translated by Google):

"Rasthaus north-south: a look behind the scenes of the motel on the Hauenstein

Author (s): Object type:

Magazine:

[s.n.] Article

Olten New Years Papers

Volume (Year): 16 (1958)

PDF created on: 13.12.2021

Persistent link: doi.org/10.5169/seals-659582

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Rest house north-south

A look behind the scenes of the motel on the Hauenstein

This article should actually have belonged in the "Oltner Neujahrsblätter" 1957, which were dedicated to the subject of Hauenstein. Unfortunately, the documents were not available in time at the time, so we have to make up for the omission this year.

On one of those warm autumn evenings, which this year compensate us for the wet summer, we drive up to the Hauenstein when it gets dark. From the exit of the village you can already see the new rest house, which with its modern and timeless lines hugs the slope at the top of the pass, as if it had grown there. The spacious parking lot is almost empty on a working day at this time. Soon we will be sitting at the nicely laid table and enjoying the samples from the kitchen and cellar. Afterwards, the owner and landlord, Mr. Löliger, will join us. He willingly gives us information. We want to know how he came up with the idea of building a motel and why he chose the Hauenstein. “You see,” he says, “I was sick some time ago. During convalescence, I often drove up to this spot to refresh myself in the air and sun. I saw the many tourists who stopped up here and enjoyed the view. So the plan matured in me to build a rest house right here. I tried to tailor the American idea of the motel to European conditions and I believe that I have largely succeeded. "

Well, success has proven him right. With increasing astonishment we follow him through the building, where every detail is only intended to serve the whole. The thought work that was done here before the excavation for the foundation walls began is enormous. We hear that the architect only designed the outer walls, while the entire interior work, down to the smallest detail, is a joint effort by the Löliger family.

We're in the kitchen. Machine after machine, the most modern in every field. Automatic washing-up machine, ultra-modern oven, in which, in addition to the patisserie, all the bread required for the operation is baked. I was particularly taken with one machine. It contains liquid cream in a kettle, which is pressed through a tap under pressure, where it is inexplicably atomized and then flows down as a finished, stiff whipped cream. There is no question of hitting or swinging. It is the purest magic for the layman.

The self-service buffet separates the kitchen from the dining room. Mr. Löliger explains to us that this principle of self-service is the core of the whole organization. It enables him to serve up to four thousand guests a day with a small staff of staff at peak times. He has also set his own limits when it comes to menu selection. He doesn't want to run a specialty restaurant, but rather to offer passers-by and tourists a limited selection of well-prepared dishes that meet the average of his guests and still allow efficient kitchen work.

From the kitchen the path leads past the bright, colorful entrance hall into the lower room wing. If we had to choose a motto for this, it would be: "Clean - friendly - simple." The rooms, mostly equipped with 2 or 4 bunk beds and without exception with cold and warm water, some with a shower, are friendly and pretty despite their somewhat bare practicality. Everything you need to stay overnight is available, from the clothes hook to the connection for the electric razor, but no value is placed on additional comfort. They are bedrooms, functionally built in a logical manner. The traveler, who is used to the plush grandeur of the big hotels from the turn of the century, will first have to gulp three times before he realizes that one can sleep without them. Instead he will find to his astonishment that there is a very effective air conditioning system in each of these small rooms, which he would otherwise look for in most plush hotels.

A short flight of stairs leads up to the first floor. Right on the upper landing there is a small room for travelling business people. A few simple desks with typewriters enable the representative to deal with his correspondence in the evening. The adjoining upper room wing largely corresponds to the part below. A total of 24 rooms with a total of 72 beds are available to guests, which, according to the owner, were very well occupied throughout the summer and well into September.

The exterior of the house is no less generous than the interior. From the large terrace, when the weather is nice, the imposing picture that we know from all Jura heights is presented again and again. The two-tier parking lot is intended for 120 cars, but according to the police, 180 cars were parked around at the same time. There is a well-equipped petrol station with a service station facing the street, and next to it there is even an express bar for those who drive in a particularly hurry.

With a black coffee we sit together for half an hour in front of the open fire in the “Grotto”. The atmosphere of comfort that emanates from this room is really captivating. Shape, colors and decoration are matched to one another, and the crackling logs in the fireplace breathe everything with their twitching life. If we were asked for our opinion, only the jukebox would have to be removed, but a compact majority of the other guests probably think differently about that. We ask Mr. Loeliger whether he has had famous people in the house. “Yes, there are often those who come by here whose names have a good reputation in the big world. There are people from politics, film, the military and industry from many countries, but they are all looking for peace and anonymity here. They don't want to be anything but passing tourists. Most of the time they eat in the self-service room and get their own soup from the buffet. Her name is on the registration slip, but I won't let it show that I recognized her. In the morning they leave just as quietly, but many come back."

The motel is a child of our time. It does not want to compete with the long-established hospitality industry, but rather a necessary addition. It's not a vacation spot, it's a stage destination. It is a bit informal, geared towards practicality, and thus it corresponds to the younger generation from which its customers are mainly recruited".

Architect1956

The Zhongshan suit, or Mao suit as it is more commonly known in the West, remains a powerful sartorial signifier of China, despite the fact that it began disappearing from the wardrobes of most Chinese men and women, aside from government officials, in the early 1990s. For many Western designers, the appeal of the Mao suit rests in its principled practicality and functionalism. Its uniformity implies an idealism and utopianism reflected in its seemingly liberating obfuscation of class and gender distinctions. During the late 1960s, a time of international political and cultural upheaval, the Mao suit in the West became a symbol of an anticapitalist proletariat. In Europe, it was embraced enthusiastically by the left-leaning intelligensia specifically for a countercultural and anti-establishment effect.

[Met Museum]

Taken in the 'China: Through the Looking Glass' exhibition (May-September 2015).

This exhibition explores the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. In this collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art, high fashion is juxtaposed with Chinese costumes, paintings, porcelains, and other art, including films, to reveal enchanting reflections of Chinese imagery.

From the earliest period of European contact with China in the sixteenth century, the West has been enchanted with enigmatic objects and imagery from the East, providing inspiration for fashion designers from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent, whose fashions are infused at every turn with romance, nostalgia, and make-believe. Through the looking glass of fashion, designers conjoin disparate stylistic references into a pastiche of Chinese aesthetic and cultural traditions.

The exhibition features more than 140 examples of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear alongside Chinese art. Filmic representations of China are incorporated throughout to reveal how our visions of China are framed by narratives that draw upon popular culture, and also to recognize the importance of cinema as a medium through which to understand the richness of Chinese history.

[Exhibition description]

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Avenue, New York

In the 1950s, Alan Bloom began growing perennials in "island beds" rather than in traditional borders. By demonstrating this concept at his home gardens in Bressingham, he was able to show the world its beauty and practicality.

Inspired by the most traditional Sorel style, the Caribou men's boot has a full-grain leather upper, and no lining on the Kitchener Frost rubber shell, for men who want the look and practicality of Caribous, while feeling like they are wearing a comfortable trainer.

I was asked to create an arrangement for a lifestyle magazine based on the theme 'exotic'. There was no budget or time, so I used what was available in the shop. The final arrangement was photographed professionally and I will post the final picture once the magazine has been published.

It was an interesting experience, as the high quality image revealed all the flaws in my design, the kind of stuff that is hard too see otherwise, as making the design gives you a subjective view. It probably didn't help that I made the arrangement after already working for 12 hours that day!

Working in a commercial environment means speed/time and practicality are important and often seem like the enemy of creativity and quality. Finding the right balance is a continual struggle.

I can understand the appeal of creating a book, where a beautiful final image is the end goal, or even going on a course where you have the luxury to experiment and receive considered feedback/criticism.

Another major European introduction for 1982 was the all-new 700 series from Volvo. Designed to replace the 200 series (itself derived from the 100 series of 1966), the 700 was produced alongside for 12 years. The two models are very close in exterior dimension.

The 700 underwent minor exterior changes to become the 900 series in 1991, notably a smoother front end treatment and revised rear treatment on the sedan. The sedan also received an independent rear suspension, with the estate car retaining a live rear axle. The 900 series was futher revised and named the S90/V90 in 1997 in line with Volvo's new naming convention. The model finally went out of production in 1998. The sedan models were subsequently replaced by the front-wheel-drive Volvo S80.

The engine line up included 4-cylinder, 4-cylinder turbocharged (one of the first major turbocharged passenger car ranges) and carryover vee-six cylinder engines shared with PSA and Renault. The 900 series later replaced the V6 with an inline six developed as part of a modular engine design of inline 4, 5 and 6-cylinder engines.

At launch the car was strongly criticised for its overtly rectilinear styling. The car matched the style that was popular in North America at the time, including a near vertical rear window. Unfortunately for Volvo this was the model year introduction of a key competitor, the Audi 100, which was notably aerodynamic in form.

This styling theme does have its advantages, with large windows and good visibility. It also provides ample space as an estate car. The model was popular with middle-class families with children, dogs etc, and are now considered 'Lifestyle' families.

Volvo's success in this market segment was later eroded by SUV and 'crossover' vehicles which emphasised the adventure part of the lifestyle image without being any more practical as a family car. Volvo went on to launch a vehicle in the crossover segment in place of the 900 wagon, the XC90. This model was very well recieved for its family practicality relative to other vehicles in the luxury crossover segment.

This miniland scale model has been created using Lego Digital Designer for Flickr LUGNuts 43rd build challenge - 'Plus or Mius Ten' - celebraing vehilces produced ten years before or after the birth year of the modeller. In this case 1982.

Found this cherub in a dark alleyway near Waterloo Station. Not my first choice of parking spot for a Rolls Royce, but it seems to be doing well considering how immaculate it looks!

...or it hadn't been there very long...

...and I wouldn't recommend it stay much longer...

There's not much I can say about the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that hasn't already been said, a car that was styled and homed to perfection, a vehicle that took 3 months to build, comprised of 3 cow hides, 12 square feet of wood and laden with the finest Wilton carpets. If you owned a brand new one of these back in the 1960's and 70's, then you truly were someone special.

The Silver Shadow however, unlike its predecessors, was the most radical Rolls ever built, primarily due to the fact that unlike previous cars such as the Phantom and Silver Cloud, the car was built on a monocoque, with the body being built with the chassis, rather than in earlier instances where Rolls would provide the chassis, and then it was up to the owner to hire a coachbuilder such as Hoopers or HJ Muliner Park Ward, to build the body.

The Silver Shadow was also the first Rolls to be built with the idea of the owner being sat in the front rather than the back. The Silver Cloud was very much a passenger's car, being ferried from stately banquet to stately banquet by a chauffeur. This Silver Shadow on the other hand was a driver's car, powered by Rolls Royce's magnificent V8 engine it smoothly glided across the countryside with the grace and elegance of a stately home on wheels, and so popular was this chemistry of luxury and practicality, that they sold by the thousand. In total, 25,000 examples were built, and the design was incorporated into many other variations, including the Rolls Royce Corniche (a direct descendant of the Silver Shadow 2-door Coupe built by HJ Muliner Park Ward), the controversial Camargue (which was built on the same chassis as a Shadow), and the Bentley T series (basically a Shadow with Bentley badging and radiator grille).

Eventually, the Shadow ended production in 1980, being replaced by the simpler Silver Spirit and Silver Spur range, but the magnificent design of this classic British pedigree has kept it one of the most popular owner's cars in the world, now available for ownership at less that £10,000 in some instances!

The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel opened in 1931 and is a National Historic Landmark and charter member of Historic Hotels of America. This Cincinnati hotel features breathtaking French Art Deco that has been restored to its 1930's grandeur. With rare Brazilian rosewood paneling, indirect German silver-nickel light fixtures and soaring ceiling murals, our historic Cincinnati hotel is one of the world's finest examples of French Art Deco.