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.

New Renault Clio Estate shares the same dynamic breeding as the hatchback but has its own distinct identity. This model has the aesthetic design cues of shooting brakes but also dials in practicality and versatility for good measure.

// Nouvelle Renault Clio Estate possède le style à part des breaks de chasse. Largement marqué par un style emprunt de dynamisme, ce modèle s'appuie également sur les notions de fonctionnalité et modularité.

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

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.

Skoda is now a division under the Volkswagen group, but is has a long history, having been founded in the Czech Republic in 1895 as Laurin & Klement. In 1948 the company was nationalised as Skoda Auto during the Soviet occupation. A joint Venture with the Volkswagen group commenced in 1991.

The Octavia 1U, shown here, was launced in late 1996 as the marques return to larger family cars, though the model did in fact share its underpinnings (the PQ34 platform) with the Golf MkIV - the Skoda was noticeably larger.

At the time it was noted the values espoused by Skoda in their cars matched well with the traditional Volvo virtues of safety, practicality, conservative looks and efficiency.

The Octavia was produced with a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines of 1.4L to 2.0L, producing between 60 PS and 193 PS (44 kW and 142 kW).

The Octavia Type 1U was replaced by the Type 1Z in 2004, again sharing a VW platform, this time the PQ35 underpinning the Golf MkV.

Porsche 993 RSR Cup (1995-98) Engine 3800cc H6 Production 1014 (=46923 C2, 14114 C4, 5978 Turbo + Total 993 Production 68029)

# 58 Peter Fairbairn (RSA), Peter McLean (GB), Tony Littlejohn (GB). A N OTHER

Team: GT Classics

Racing in the Britcar 24 hours

PORSCHE SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690528015...

The 993 was introduced in 1995 replacing the Porsche 964 models. Designed by Tony Hatter, the model differentiates the two and four wheel drive cars with the title C2 and C4. When introduced the cars were powered by a 272bhp version of the 3.6 litre H6 engine, from 1995 the power was increased to 285 bhp with a VarioRam -equipped engine.

The Carrera RS was introduced as a lightweight variant of the C2, featuring a naturally aspirated 3800cc H6 engine and a power output of 300bhp, On the outside it is easily distinguishable by a special non-retractable rear wing, small front flaps and 3-piece 18-inch aluminium wheels. The headlight washers were deleted for weight saving reasons. Inside the rear seats were removed, and special racing seats and spartan door cards were installed. Sound proofing was also reduced to a minimum.

The RSR was more track orientated and has limited road practicality. equipped with a welded roll cage and certain comfort features such as carpets, power windows, air conditioning and radio were deleted. Externally it sports a larger rear wing and deeper chin spoiler than the standard RS.

Shot 01:10:2011 at the Britcar 24 hour meeting, Silverstone REF: 80-203

Please do not forget to visit the Flag Counter on the link below to record a visit from your country. So far 52 countries (last new country Austria and 32 US states last new State Michigan) Last new overseas visitor Italy last new US state visitor Pennsylvania

s04.flagcounter.com/more/VIv

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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.

1-12-13 Wyndham Street Races

The Multistrada 1200 is a motorcycle manufactured by Ducati since 2010. The engine is a retuned version of the Testastretta from the 1198 superbike, now called the Testastretta 11° for its 11° valve overlap (reduced from 41°). All models include throttle by wire, selectable engine mapping (full power with sensitive or relaxed throttle response, and reduced power with relaxed throttle response) and traction control adjustable through eight levels, called DTC (Ducati Traction Control).

The bike comes in three equipment levels, the base, the S-Sport and the S-Touring. The S models include ABS (optional on standard model) and electronically adjustable suspension, called DES (Ducati Electronic Suspension). The S Sport model features carbon fiber air intakes, cam belt covers and rear hugger, while the S Touring model comes with heated grips, hard luggage and a center stand.

Over 10,000 units were sold in the first year.

The Multistrada 1200 won the 1205 Division of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2010, 2011 and in 2012. In 2012 a Spider Grips Ducati Team Multistrada ridden by Carlin Dunne achieved the first sub 10 minute time for a motorcycle with a 9:52.819, only a bit over a second slower than the 2011 overall record.

Source: Wikipedia

Staff Bikes: Ducati Multistrada - What a year!

That’s it. Time to send my Multistrada 1200S back. And I’ve never been sadder to see a bike go. It fits into my life perfectly and that’s saying something as I’ve owned, run and tested just about every single bike built in the last 17 years.

Even after running two Multistrada 1200s (the first one was written off by a colleague) in the last two years, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly this bike gets you from A-to-B if you’re in a hurry.

And, as road bikes go, there are few finer and even fewer that would transport you 100 miles with such ease and grace, whether flying solo or fully-laden, two-up.

With 150bhp on tap there’s always enough power to wake you up, but the way it delivers it smoothly and progressively with just a little hit of extra power at the top end to make the front wheel lift is special.

But more than that it’s about the package. The comfort, the near perfect riding position, the wind protection (as long as you have an £80 Ducati higher screen), and the feeling you get from the rear tyre as the electronic traction control kicks in…

We’ve done loads of track days (running at the front of the fast group in a shower of sparks and rear wheel slides at some of them), toured Ireland, commuted, ridden through a winter together, had weekends away in the Lakes two-up and away with the boys to places like Weston’s beach race.

It’s been spanked round our test track, run flat out on the dyno, speed tested and still it comes back for more. I fail to think of any bike that I would like more. I just hope one day I can find the money for another one in my garage.

WHAT WE LIKE:

First proper GS rival, but braking and power are in another league.

Tank after tank of comfort.

Handling can be adjusted at the touch of a button, and enough for track days if required. Just.

Engine modes allow you to calm your day, or liven it up.

Styling still looks futuristic two years on.

Practicality, all-round, do-anything quality.

Electronic suspension means no more fiddling with screwdrivers.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:

Slight furring around brake pedal, gear lever.

Pannier catches are simply not good enough.

Fuel economy drops rapidly when fitted with full exhaust system.

Headlight can never be adjusted down enough.

Holes in handguards need taping up in winter.

THE FACTS

Ducati Multistrada 1200S, £14,995

Value now: £10,250

Mileage: 9250

Fuel economy: 41mpg

Power (claimed): 150bhp

Dry weight: 199kg

...and flash....and by a window.....and with ASA3200

Art is close to the heart of every French person, and it is an imperative in France that everything is presented aesthetically: food, cars, packaging, architecture, gardens, drink, electronics. The beauty of France has always been the beauty. The downside is that practicality and function comes a very poor second, but still the nation that gave us Concorde, Versailles, Monet and the Citroen D6 survives. In recent years, France has provided the world with very little of the latest technologies; few other people consider beauty over function. Believe me, if Windows had been invented by the French it would have taken five hours to boot up your PC, but it would also have retuned your TV, parked your car and walked the dog in the meantime. But sometimes, aesthetics can simply go too far and practicality is not just relegated but eliminated. Perhaps the best example is in the brand new Musée du quai Branly, which is an architectural masterpiece on the outside but useless on the inside. I can hardly think of a good word to say about this museum, which is particularly sad as it is perhaps the museum I would most love to love. The arts of Africa, Asia and Oceania particularly interest me, and it should have been the highlight of my annual holiday.

On the bright side, at least the French can be congratulated for creating the first museum in the world that is easier for blind people to navigate than those with full vision, thanks to the multitude of braille panels. In short, much of the collection is mediocre, the lighting makes it physically impossible to read any of the sparse text (in small black print on a dark brown background), with seemingly no sense of order of any kind and poor maps and signposting. If you find anything of interest, it is largely by accident.

In a New York Times article, "For a New Paris Museum, Jean Nouvel Creates His Own Rules", journalist Nicolai Ouroussoff provides a more upbeat review, but then maybe he visited when the lights were switched on. Some of the political issues surrounding the collections at the Branly are aired here by a former Minister of Culture and Tourism of Mali (scroll down for it), while the Australian Art Review gushes - possibly without ever having visited the place.

The central feature is a ‘tower of musical instruments’ from around the world, and the guide book crows about this marvel. It seems to have escaped their attention that the musical instruments are stacked on shelves, four metres from you, behind glass. If I want to see musical instruments in that fashion, I can watch a TV programme with the sound turned off and stand in the garden looking in.

Much of the main floor is divided up by odd walls made of dark brown carbon-fibre: it’s like having an art gallery in some kind of giant model of an intestinal tract. Sprinkled along these wall are tiny TV screens showing movies, but of what we have absolutely no idea. If you wait you may – but in the Branly there is no guarantee – discover what is on. Again, if I want to discover culture on a TV screen, I can do this from the comfort of my own home.

The collection is grouped by area of the world, but there is no obvious attempt to provide interpretation or any kind of theme that would help to understand what you are admiring. In true Francophone political correctness, much has been made of the importance of understanding foreign cultures and art as a means of creating better understanding of the similarities and differences around the world. But if nothing is explained, then it just remains a pretty piece of jewellery or a scary mask, and we learn nothing. To make matters worse, in this quest to create a theme of understanding and appreciation of the riches of Asian, African and Oceanian art and culture, they left behind in the rump of the Musée de l’Homme the very exhibitions that would provide a platform and the starting point for both our cultural and social similarities and differences. The prehistoric exhibits and the exhibition on mankind around the world have been left, decaying, in the Palais de Chaillot, while the Musée du quai Branly lacks (among a lot of other things) the frame of reference for what it presents.

The Musée du quai Branly is a mess, a total unmitigated disaster and worth visiting to see how crass modern museums can be: it is, however, a useful case study in how not to design a museum. Almost unbelievably, one of the museum’s own commentaries arrogantly states how far removed it is from traditional museums. The designers and the curators of the Branly would do well to reflect on whether theirs meets any criteria on which museums could perhaps be measured: interpretation, display, lighting, access, ease of navigation, entertainment or education. It is possible to create museums that are far-removed from the traditional, without screwing it up completely: there are many in most countries around the world.

by Andrei Nedelea, on March 19, 2019, 08:00

Love it

+ Unrivaled handling in the segment

+ Looks very good from any angle

+ Three-cylinder engine doesn’t ruin it

Leave it

- Interior starting to show its age

- Doesn’t have the best rear legroom

- It’s a car that’s defined by how it is specced (and you can get it wrong)

www.topspeed.com/cars/bmw/2019-bmw-118idriven-ar184703.html

BMW will soon stop production of the current, second-generation, F20/F21 1-Series, a model that is a truly unique proposition in the compact hatchback segment. What sets it apart from all other similar rivals is the fact that it has a longitudinally mounted engine and most examples are rear-wheel drive (although some xDrive-equipped models were also sold). This engine and drivetrain layout dominates the driving experience, and it turns the current 1-Series into a peerless car in its segment. And, it’s not rear-wheel drive just for the sake of it, because it handles like a true rear-wheel-drive car should, blending a surprisingly playful rear end when you want it to be, with a reassuring, surefooted feel when you want grip.

My 2019 BMW 118i five-door hatchback tester was also quite an interesting proposition because its power plant only has three cylinders and a displacement of 1.5-liters. However, thanks to turbocharging, the three-pot is surprisingly apt at moving the car and, since the engine is small and light, it improves the car’s overall handling characteristics.

While BMW 1-Series models have always looked quite good from the side and from a rear three-quarter view, their front fascia was never what we’d call pretty. The same was true for this F20/F21 1-Series in its pre-facelift form as its face looked like a puffer fish on acid. Now, thankfully, BMW has finally made a 1-Series with a pretty face, elegant headlights, and an overall more dignified look.

On the other hand, the pre-facelift model’s much smaller rear light clusters did look a bit better to me than the new and much wider ones.

So, in my view, the perfect looking current 1-Series would need to have the facelifted model’s front end styling (and especially its headlights), but the rear end of the pre-facelift model.

There’s nothing to complain about from any other angle, though, and I think the 1-Series is especially pleasant to look at from the side, with its long hood and passenger compartment that starts noticeably further back than on more common front-wheel-drive hatchbacks. In other words, the 1-Series has great proportions, and it doesn’t really have a bad angle. Or, I didn’t find one, anyway.

Its footprint is still comparable to that of a seventh-gen VW Golf - it is 4.32 meters (170 inches) long, 1.76 meters (69.3 inches) wide and 1.42 meters (55.9 inches) tall. It is, therefore, longer, lower, and wider than the Golf, but not by much in any area. Yet, it looks quite different mainly due to its longer hood and comparably smaller greenhouse.

Overall, there is little to dislike about the current 1-Series’ exterior design, even if the car you’re looking at isn’t decked out in full Motorsport kit.

It has great proportions, that long hood that just makes it look so much fancier than any other hatchback of this size, and nice details.

2019 BMW 1 Series Exterior Dimensions

Length

4329 MM (170.43 Inches)

Width

1,765 MM (69.48 Inches)

Height

1,421 MM (55.94 Inches)

Wheelbase

2,690 MM (105.90 Inches)

Track, front/rear

1535 / 1569 MM (60.43/61.77 Inches)

Ground clearance

140 MM (5.51 Inches)

On the outside, there is nothing to really date the 1-Series, but once you step inside, you will immediately feel like you’re in a car conceived in the previous decade. It’s not bad by any means, and there’s no faulting its practicality, but it’s not amazing either.

Quality of materials is very good, even if there is more scratchy plastic than you’d find in a 3-Series - it feels substantial and premium too.

What my tester was missing is the cool M Sport steering wheel - the helm it came with has one of the thinnest rims I’ve ever tried, and it just didn’t sit well in my hands. It’s way too thin, but then again, if you opt for the M Sport model, some may think that it’s too thick, but I say it’s much more suitable for a fun-to-drive, sporty car like this one. Plus it also significantly lifts the ambiance inside.

My tester was also a bit dark and lacking in character inside - there were no design or color flourishes anywhere in the cabin, and it could have really used them. I did like the look and feel of the silver trim on the dash and door panels - it looked and felt like real aluminum; very pleasant to touch.

The front seats were not the most basic ones you can get in the 1-Series, but they are the most basic electric ones available.

They offer a good mix of comfort and grip through the corners, but I really didn’t like the cheap-feeling upholstery or the fact that you cannot extend the thigh support. That’s such a nice feature that I always take advantage of in vehicles that have it and, to me, it felt less like being in a BMW just because of that omission.

Long distance comfort proved excellent, though, and even passengers in the back found it more than bearable to be back there for more than an hour. This is a big improvement over the first-gen 1-Series model that was really cramped in the back - it wasn’t a car people would have willingly wanted to travel in the back of for long. It was actually quite surprising how spacious the current 1-Series is in contrast to the old one - it’s a big difference not just in terms of legroom, but also headroom as well.

As per the mid-life refresh, BMW gave the 1-Series the sexier dials from the 2-Series coupe, and they do make a big difference to how you feel behind the wheel. They certainly look fancier than the typical BMW dials the 1-Series used to come with - without them, my tester’s cabin would have been positively dreary.

Practicality levels are high inside the 1-Series, thanks to large door bins on all four doors, a cavernous glove box, center armrest cubby, and smaller cubbies for your smaller possessions - like the small compartment to the left of the steering wheel or the one in front of the automatic gearbox selector stick.

BMW says the 1-Series has 360 liters (12.7 cubic feet) of cargo capacity with the rear seats up.

With the seats folded, that increases to 1,200 liters (42.3 cubic feet) - it’s not the biggest in the segment, but it’s not small enough to warrant being criticized.

Infotainment was displayed on the smallest screen available for the 1-Series, one that doesn’t offer touch functionality. But it does the job of displaying information very well and browsing through its menus is not a chore using the swivel wheel and shortcut buttons control method - it’s quick, intuitive, and it’s definitely one of the least distracting on the market. The system itself is not the latest one that BMW just launched in 2018, but even this older generation iDrive does the job very well.

This model year of BMW 118i is powered by a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder that develops 134 horsepower at just 4,400 rpm (that’s very diesel-like, even though you can rev the engine out to 6,000 rpm), while its peak torque of 220 Nm (162 pound-feet) arrives between 1,250 - 4,300 rpm. What do those numbers feel like on the move, trying to motivate a car that weighs 1,380 kilograms (3,042 pounds)?

Well, in conjunction with the optional eight-speed gearbox, it feels like it has just enough power not to be called slow. Its claimed zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 8.5 seconds is also just about good enough (and it sounds about right for its power to weight ratio of 97 horsepower per ton), as is its top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph.)

From behind the wheel, the car seems like it wants to accelerate more in the lower part of the rev range, where both the torque and power peaks are located.

You really could drive it under 5,000 rpm, and it would still feel just about quick enough. The automatic gearbox does take it to the red line when you floor it, though, and while acceleration does feel like it tapers off a bit at the top end of each gear, progress is still swift. If, however, you want it to feel closer to a proper sports car, then you might want to pay a bit extra for the more muscular 120i.

BMW claims the 118i, with the automatic gearbox, returns 6.2 l/100km, equivalent to 37.9 U.S. mpg on the combined cycle. My real world economy figure, after driving the car in and out of the city, came in at around 8.5 l/100km, still a respectable figure, especially given the fact that I didn’t try to drive it in a particularly economical fashion. Its tank can hold a maximum of 52 liters (13.7 U.S. gallons)

Around the bends, my 118i tester felt like it was on rails, even though it was still on winter tires that were definitely out of their temperature comfort zone in the unusually hot late February weather we experienced here this year. Even so, the 118i felt very surefooted most of the time, and with determined prod of the accelerator, you could even get its tail to slide out a bit, even with all of the safety systems activated.

Steering is definitely a high point of the 1-Series driving experience because it is sharp and direct, as we’ve come to expect from BMWs.

Yet, thanks to its shorter wheelbase, it feels just that little bit more maneuverable than the larger 3-Series. Braking performance was pretty good, although the brakes are nothing to write home about - they do the job of stopping the car, but in some instances, when you’re driving quicker, you do feel like some bigger rotors and stronger calipers up front would certainly help out.

Body control is, for the most part, good, but for my taste, the suspension feels a bit too soft. There isn’t really unexpected roll as much as there is pitch and dive under hard braking or hard acceleration. It could do with a firmer setup, and it wouldn’t be rendered uncomfortable, especially since comfort is actually a strong point of this car. With more body control, it would be even better around twisty bits, and it would instill even more confidence in the driver.

2019 BMW 118i Drivetrain Specifications

Engine Config./No. of cyls./valves

in-line / 3 / 4

Effective capacity

1,500 cc

Stroke/bore

85.8 / 77.0

Compression ratio

10.5:1

Max. output

134 HP @ 4,400–6,450 RPM

Max torque

162 LB-FT @ 1,250–4,300 RPM

0 - 100 km/h (62 mph)

8.5 seconds

Top Speed

210 km/h (130 mph)

In Europe, the 118i kicks off at just over €27,000, but my tester came in at €38,000. And, inside it really didn’t look like it had €11,000 worth of options over a standard one, with its electric but very basic looking seats, the thin steering wheel, and the lack of any design or color flourishes anywhere in the cabin.

But, the difference went elsewhere. The automatic gearbox, for instance, a €2,050 option, is well worth having as it makes the car smoother and the whole driving experience feels more premium with it. The adaptive full-LED headlights were €1,650, the electric seats €974, the Harman/Kardon sound system another €810, and the 17-inch Y-spoke wheels added another €513. And, there’s a plethora of cheaper options that would take far too long to list here that bump the price to the aforementioned value.

Conclusion

Buying a 1-Series BMW, in general, is a great idea as the car can really feel like something special if specced right. I know this because I have driven several 1-Series models before, including the hot M140i. I know their interior can look great, and with the right paint/wheels combo, the exterior can be great as well.

My tester had a rather strange spec. It didn’t feel like a car with €11,000 worth of options on it. I would have spent that money completely differently, and I first would have specced some proper sporty seats (even without electric adjustment), the M Sport steering wheel (a €256 option and well worth the money), the black headliner to really make it feel sporty, as well as some sort of colored, contrasting trim to liven up the interior.

I did like the way the car looked in silver, and the 17-inch wheels were also a great fit for it. But it would obviously have looked better with an M Performance body kit, but even with the standard bumper, the wheels did enough to make it look pleasantly sporty.

You’d buy the 118i over the equivalent front-wheel-drive rivals from Mercedes, Audi, Infiniti, or Volvo specifically because you value the extra control and tactility provided by a sorted rear-driven car. And the current 118i is a sorted rear-driven car, so you won’t go wrong in that respect. You’re also buying a car that is the last of its kind and one that never really had any real rivals to contend with - people who wanted the 1-Series just wanted a small BMW that still felt like a BMW.

Since it’s due for replacement this year and the new model will share its platform with the MINI range, you’re essentially buying a bit of history. Maybe in a couple decades’ time, when their numbers will have thinned out, these 1-Series models might just become classics. They also have a lot of potential for modifications, and you don’t even have to look at the aftermarket scene as you can probably find upgraded OEM parts from other more expensive models that will fit it.

If you buy one, just make sure to spec it in such a way that it brings out this car’s best characteristics - it’s a fun, frisky rear-drive hatchback that can easily paint a smile on your face. If you get one specced just right, that smile might even turn into an ear-to-ear grin, and I doubt the replacement model will be as good in that respect.

Bolster House

2820 Eldridge Avenue

Bellingham , WA

Queen Anne Style

Tradition has it that Mr. Bolster, who had an interest in a local brickyard, built this house as a showplace to advertise the practicality of brick as a building material since it would allow the most elegant of style and be fire proof as well. James E. Bolster built the two and one half story Queen Anne house in 1890. Now painted purple, the red brick used to construct the house can be seen in the two chimneys.

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

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.

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.

What happens when you take a compact front-wheel drive family hatchback, rip out the engine from the front, strip out the back seats, and put a 252 BHP 2,946 cc V6 engine in the back instead, setting it up so that it drives the rear wheels? You get this.

This is the RenaultSport Clio V6. It discards practicality with reckless abandon, eschewing such niceties as fuel economy, seating, luggage capacity, a tight turning circle, and soft ride comfort. This is a sports car, not for getting your weekly shopping. It's for taking to the track, or for driving down twisty back-roads.

At the time this Phase 2 model was launched (in 2003), it was the world's most powerful production hot hatch. It will accelerate to 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds and can attain a top speed of 153 MPH. The V6 engine being situated just a short distance behind the driver, and driving the rear wheels instead of the front wheels, gives this car a much different driving experience than the standard Clio.

There were only 1,309 examples of the Phase 2 model built between 2003 and 2005. This example was registered in 2004. Being as rare as they are, they seem to hold their value very well - as I write this (July 2023), most seem to be selling for between £30,000 and £60,000.

This car was parked in a row of other sports cars, on display, as part of Peterhead Week.

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.

I really needed something to pick up what was turning out to be a rather gloomy day.

Thankfully this came into my life, parking itself nowhere other than the end of my street of all places!

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!

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!

Built in the final year of the Silver Shadow I, I consider Shadows such as this to be the last of the truly great Rolls Royces as following this the cars became much more run-of-the-mill.

For starters, the magnificent chrome bumpers that line this one were replaced on the Silver Shadow II by compound bumpers to address American safety legislation, and the two ditch lights seen under the headlamps were placed below the bumper on a rather vulgar looking chin spoiler. Although done in the best interests of road safety, it certainly made these cars look less than stellar.

But this wonderful little roadside gem though shows what the Silver Shadow was all about, chrome everywhere!

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.

Well this was a lovely surprise on the way back to my place, what many consider to be either the last of the good Rollers, or the first of the bad one, the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

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!

This particular example is one of the rarer Silver Shadow I's, distinguishable by the chrome bumpers and raised ditch-lights that were discontinued in 1977 in order to conform to the stringent American safety regulations.

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The Riviera design team in collaboration with 4D Designs have created the 50 SMY, a remarkably spacious new yacht and brimming with unique features. This sophisticated new design draws on the heritage of Riviera’s larger and very successful 64, 68 and 72 Sports Motor Yacht models.

Among the key sports motor yacht design elements are a foredeck that transforms from tender storage to sunlounge, a sports cockpit, an all-weather mezzanine seating area that affords alfresco dining and entertainment, a stately three-sided glass-enclosed flybridge, and a full-beam master stateroom as centrepiece of a three-stateroom, twin-bathroom accommodation plan – all in a hull measuring 15.4 metres in length.

“Our sports motor yacht design is in a league of its own, as they bring many different yacht designs together for the first time in one yacht. A Riviera SMY has the attributes of a passage maker, pilothouse, motor yacht, and convertible sports fish, all in one.

“The new 50 SMY has considerable internal volume for its size, with multiple living areas and a tremendous amount of practicality and versatility,” Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst says of the 50 SMY.

“She’ll comfortably handle long coastal passages, while being equally adept at serving as a luxurious family, fishing and entertainment yacht with highly efficient planing performance – perfect for day boating and weekending.”

Sydney Australia couple Darrel and Linda Hall were quick to pre-order a new 50 SMY ahead of its formal announcement, one of many purchasers to do so off the plan. She will be their fifth Riviera in the past 10 years.

“We wanted to go to an enclosed flybridge,” Darrel explains. “We go boating with our kids, who are both 19. They bring along friends, so the extra living space you get with an enclosed flybridge is a real bonus – it’s a place to escape to so easily with an internal staircase, and you have the ability to be higher and to see further ahead at sea.”

A new breed of motor yacht

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

It wasn't until we went and watched the arrival of The Torch in our town that I began to get excited about the Olympic Games, by which time there was no hope of obtaining reasonably priced tickets to, well, anything. So, when cheap tickets to this session of paralympic athletics appeared on the website, I jumped on them and reasoned I'd deal with the practicalities of everything to do with getting there and managing two children there on my own when I actually had to.

I thought it was a really interesting session - we saw all of the long jump and medal ceremony, the final and medal ceremony of the women's shot put (which had a Team GB athlete in it), some javelin, some running/sprinting, some wheelchair events...

The atmpsphere inside the stadium was incredible. The noise from the crowd had a real 'booming' quality that just hadn't come across on television. I hadn't realised either that loud music is played even while the athletes are competing. The rhythm of the crowd's noise (and mexican wave!) was broken somewhat for the near silence needed for the blind long jumpers, who I found fascinating.

I loved it there, I'd go back today, even just to explore the Olympic Park (which we didn't get to do, more on that later) but there is just NO WAY I would attempt this again with the children. No way. It was just a catalogue of little things that made the day incredibly stressful: -

- firstly getting us all out of the door with all our carefully packed bags etc for 7.30am

- tube journey went okay. The driver tannoyed that Stratford Station was incredibly congested so we really ought to get off at West Ham 'and cross the footbridge' to the Olympic Park. Okay, I thought, that seems sensible and the footbridge sounds fun. Got outside West Ham station to see signs telling us it was a TWENTY FIVE minute walk from that point. With a 6 and a 4 year old. E saw the signs and *freaked*. But with the heavy flow of people behind us it was near impossible to double back and get on a train to Stratford.

- The route was very clearly marked and set out, even portaloos on the way. We stopped for a toilet break, Hugo was *obsessed* with the little flushy handle lever thing to the point he wouldn't let go of it, didn't listen to me/concentrate and his shorts ended up in a big puddle of (what I hope was just) water on the cubicle floor. This gave him a reasonable excuse to recommence whinging.

- Hugo very much liked the metal barricade fencing along the route. He went a bit Rainman and HAD to touch every.single.bar of the fencing. This made for very slow progress.

- The security clearance sections were well managed and fast moving. I'd remembered to just bring empty water bottles to fill up inside so strolled right through the sections where people were having to hand over liquids. Our bags went through the scanners okay, there was some hushed muttering over my bag though. I thought nothing of it, had loads of metal eg camera, phone etc in it. They asked me if I had any liquids. "No, none", I said as I fished out my empty water bottle to show them. "No juice boxes, cartons...?", they asked. And then it dawned on me that when I'd packed the children's lunch box the previous evening, on complete autopilot I packed two cartons of juice. Doh. They were confiscated *weep* but the lovely, lovely security superviser came over, had a look and let me keep them. I could have hugged him.

- I did really dislike the fact that water fountains were so cynically scarce to force as many people as possible to buy drinks.

- The children moaned all the way through the session. They were bored. They were hungry. They were so so so so so so SO hungry. And bored. They wanted to go home. They wanted to curl up under the seat and just go to sleep (really. Well that's what they said, there was no evidence of that actually happening). They fidgeted and squirmed and actually for the most part played with the little light box things on the back of their seats, and didn't even pretend to watch what was going on.

- and then to top it all, on the way out of the stadium, Hugo jumped down the stadium stairs and cut his knee open. Cue Gamesmakers running over to ask if we needed first aid. We didn't, but you'd never have guessed it from H's performance. So I had to mostly carry him out of the park (but still with the barrier-touching obsession going on), and take a detour into Stratford Westfield's M&S for cakes in order to get home.

I think perhaps they were just a bit too little to get much out of it tbh. Or perhaps what's really needed is a 1:1 adult:child ratio. Am very disappointed I didn't get to explore the park some more or fully concentrate on the events we saw. But, for all that, it's a once in a lifetime event and we made it. They will always be able to say, "we were there"!

These trips to Tesco are proving worthwhile - must go more often! This was kindly snapped by the future Mrs 431 while I took care of the driving.

You have to wonder when you see something obscure like this what the story is. I mean, it's hardly going to be the easiest thing to get bits for when it goes wrong, something as mundane as a bent door or a broken suspension mount could be enough to put it off the road, so it's not exactly the obvious choice for someone with no interest in cars beyond cheapness and practicality; at the same time, these don't have an enthusiast following that I'm aware of.

Whatever, I'm glad to see it out and about, and long may it survive!

celebrations with solar car Stella from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven at the ceremonial finish in the herart of 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 ceremoniële finish in het centrum van 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)

For once a little practicality - no one plays ice hockey in the nude!

Enrico del Debbio, one of Mussolini's favorite architects, built the Stadio dei Marmi as part of the complex for celebrating the Deccenale, or 10 Year Anniversary of the Fascist Era (1932). It is still used today by the Italian Olympic Committee and other athletic organizations. One of the great wonders of the Republic is that it never purged Mussolini as thoroughly as Germany removed Hitler from public visibility.

For a modern political reuse of the Fascist monument, see this political poster from 2008. They're still arguing about the degree to which they ought to preserve, conserve, and restore this site, given its political past.

The whole group came up here today, though my photos are from 2 separate visits.

www.myspace.com/wholesalenashville

From Road and Travel (http://www.roadandtravel.com/roadtests/firstimpressions/2007/jeep-wrangler.htm) -

There is no graceful way to climb up and into a Jeep Wrangler. The angles are awkward, the height is high and the interior is anything but plush and comfortable. This, I realized, as I hiked myself up and behind the vehicle’s steering wheel around five o'clock on a Friday afternoon, incidentally dressed in a rather restricting skirt.

My first thought: This is not my type of vehicle. Yes, I look for function and practicality in a vehicle – and the Wrangler Sahara embodies both of these traits; but what it lacked, in my opinion, was the necessary ease associated with handling daily errands and long weekend drives. Wrangler’s rugged capabilities weren’t priority on my checklist of car

must-haves.

And then, on my long weekend drive to Bay City, Michigan, rain began to patter against the Wrangler’s windshield as I was cruising the expressway at 70 mph. After a few minutes, it fell harder, then harder yet, until the wipers were whipping to and fro at max speed. The windshield, which moments earlier seemed irritatingly close to my face and extremely vertical, was now a godsend, offering a close and clear view of lane markers, despite inclement weather.

The height of the muscular truck, which had before seemed cumbersome and distinctly guy-oriented, was now an attribute that I was thankful for – perched high enough above neighboring drivers to see what lay before me on the expressway.

As I drove, I counted the redeeming qualities of the Red Rock painted Wrangler Sahara, nipping my initial perceptions of the vehicle in the bud, one by one.

It was maneuverable, offering the height and function of a truck, without the dragging weight of a bed in back. It was roomy, offering four doors, five seats and plenty of cargo space with a clean interior too - no nonsense gadgets or unnecessary frills. It was safe, offering multi-stage front air bags, optional seat-mounted side air bags, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability, Electronic Roll Mitigation, ABS and side-impact door beams.

And one characteristic that nobody can deny – the new Wrangler carries on the classic sport attitude traditionally associated with Jeep. In it, one can’t help allowing a bit of the fun-loving, off-road attitude of Wrangler to rub off on them - especially if it's warm enough to ride minus the Freedom Top (Jeep's 3-piece modular hard top).

I had conformed. I may not be heading off to the next Camp Jeep or slapping on a “If you can read this, flip me over” bumper sticker, but I had grown a soft spot for the Wrangler Sahara that made my would-have-been taunting drive one of ease.

Switching on the high beams and considering the stability of the slightly frozen farm ground surrounding us, I turned to my passenger, who raised an eyebrow to my mischievous grin.

“Interested in a little off-roading?” I asked.

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.

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 Sleight of Mind Set Workshops | MindSways - April 2013

SEEING THROUGH ILLUSIONS

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Hi,

The Sleight of Mind Set Workshop is a one day, intimate learning experience where we will guide you through a number of principles. You'll learn the Principles of Mind Magic, the Framework of Mind Magic; we'll Explore Why and How Illusions Work, look at the role of MMI's (Multiple Moments of Interest, Interaction & Insight) and Thinking Fallacies. Most importantly though, you will Learn And Be Given a Number of Easy and Practical Tricks (with supporting materials) that you can take away with you and start performing and adding to your delivery the next day.

We wanted to make sure you'd get the best out of the one day experience, so we've packed months of one-to-one training sessions and years of our own experience into the day. The themes of the day are Innovation & Creativity, Practically Applied Advantage, Emotional Engagement, Show, Not Tell and the importance of Mystery, Magic and Surprise. For more information on the day, please see mindsways.com/SMS/ and for a brochure of what the day is about, please look at mindsways.com/SMS/#Brochure

TAPPING INTO POPULARITY

On the day we talk about the enduring allure and popularity that mystery, the paranormal and Mind Magic has. Magic is never far out of the popular sphere with Derren Brown filling theatres and drawing large TV audiences. Part of the popularity is down to the fact that it "May just be real". This is also shown by the new blockbuster film, Now You See Me.

This new film is based on the premise of what if the impossible was real. Starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher, the film shows the hold that magic has over our imagination. It also gives us an insight into how popular magic is, and a fascinating glimpse into what it would be like to have real powers. To see more about the film, please go to mindsways.com/SMS/#NowYouSeeMe.

Today, to stand out we need the personal touch and the sleight of mind set workshop is about tapping into this popularity of mind magic and adding value through your delivery and the personal touch.

Our aim is to make day informative, entertaining and practical for you. People have attended for many reasons including:

Curiosity (just how was that done)

Learning something new

Interest in how the mind works

Adding variety to enliven their presentations

New and different approaches

Something to impress others with

An increased reputation

A channel for their passion and fascination

Wider perspectives and experiences

The real power of Mind Magic and Psychological Artistry lies not with just the tricks, but the effect that the delivery of the tricks have on people, tapping into the emotions of mystery combined with the personal touch and firing off the silent questions. On the workshops and in the SNT kit, we give you the tricks, however, learning to use them with what you do is where the real power lies.

By delivering these tricks, you can evoke the making of the extraordinary. By combining the tricks with the energy of your words, your message and your personality, you make yourself stand out, stimulate fascination and create interest in you. This is when the real magic happens, in the theatre of the minds.

In communications theory the saying "it's not us, its them" has great importance. Likewise in Psychological Artistry and in our Sleight of Mind Set workshops these take on a very important role. For more on this, please go to mindsways.com/SMS/

THE FEEDBACK - What People Say

The feedback from the workshops have been extremely positive, with people (from last weeks workshops) saying things like:

"It really was most enjoyable and enlightening"

"Fantastic day... a great eye opener!"

"Another great course, with plenty to think about and over"

The workshops have been enjoyed and shown to be beneficial to many people over the past year. The events have been attended and proved to be relevant to people from a wide range of backgrounds including entrepreneurs, business consultants, health professionals, coaches of life, performance and sports, therapists, hypnotherapists, trainers etc.

This is an unorthodox approach to understanding human behaviour, illustrating and promoting our messages, and this is where the real power lies. As Marty Neumeier says in ZAG " Be Different - NO Really Different". For more on what people say, please see mindsways.com/WPS/

THEATRE OF THE MIND - Tricks on 3 Levels

On the workshop we uncover tricks, look at making a trick into an effect and making the effect into a piece that works for you. The three levels we work on are:

Effect of a trick - triggers "how did you do that?"

Analysis of a trick - triggers "why does this trick work? Why does the effect happen?"

Practicality of a trick - explores how you can use the tricks

This involves using a combination of Psychology, Neuroscience, Smart Thinking and the ideas, tools and techniques from Mind Magic. The principles and lessons are useful in understanding our belief systems, how we think and act. It is in our minds that we experience emotions, thoughts and actions. These are in turn determined by the silent questions we ask ourselves.

We use Mind Magic effects as a reflection of how the mind works. We use the 3 levels above as a lens to increase our understanding how our minds control our actions, emotions and thoughts. It is through this that our minds tell us stories that justify our actions. For more on this, please see mindsways.com/SMS/

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL ARTISTRY?

Psychological Artistry is the blending of the science of how we think, and the combination of:

Creating connection, rapport and emotions

Telling stories

Gaining and holding attention

Producing insights

Displaying human nature

Cognition

Show, Not Tell

Multiple Moments of Interest, Interaction and Insights (MMI's)

to create a method for successful communication. Therefore, Psychological Artistry is where science and art meet Mind Magic.

THE WORKSHOPS

All the workshops start at 10:00 a.m. and finish at 4:30 p.m. These are being held around the country, in:

London | 2nd May 2013

Birmingham | 7th May 2013

Doncaster | 31st May 2013

Bath | 22nd June 2013

Glasgow | 2nd July 2013

To register your place on the Sleight of Mind Set, please go to mindsways.com/SMS#BookNow

REGISTER YOUR PLACE NOW

In the workshop, we will explore how Psychological Artistry and Mind Magic provide important insights into how we think, how we learn and how we experience the world, whilst training you in the tricks of the trade.

On the Sleight of Mind Set Workshop, you will get:

The SMS Pack :- The materials you need to perform the tricks we go through on the day

The SNT Kit :- The Show, Not Tell Kit. For more information on this, please go to mindsways.com/SNT/

The Presentation :- A copy of the presentation we use on the day for your reference

The eBook :- Access to written material on the tricks, including scripts and tips on performance

Follow-up Support :- Email and phone access to the trainers for further training or advice

To register your place on the Sleight of Mind Set Workshop, please go to mindsways.com/SMS

George

P.S. The SNT kit is available separately. To see more, please go to mindsways.com/SNT/

P.P.S. The Fascination and The Fascination Pack is also available. For more, please see mindsways.com/the-fascinationand mindsways.com/TFP

07976 356 082

Iverley Road, Halesowen, United Kingdom, B63 3EP

Copyright © 2013 MindSways. All Rights Reserved.

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celebrations with solar car Stella from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven at the ceremonial finish in the herart of 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 ceremoniële finish in het centrum van 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)

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

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.

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

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.

Copyright © Kevin Cooper Photoline NUJ: Seamus McKee (BBC Radio Ulster) opened the conference and give context to the debate as chairperson of Business Rates Conference 2016 which took place on Tuesday, 12 January 2016 in Riddel Hall at Queen's University Belfast. Speakers included: Richard Johnston - Associate Director, NI Centre for Economic Policy, UU; David Sterling - Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance & Personnel; Stephen Kelly, Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI; Aodhán Connolly, Director, NI Retail Consortium, Seamus McAleavey â Chief Executive, NICVA, Derek McCallan â Chief Executive, NILGA, Followed by a panel discussion with David Sterling â DFP, Stephen Kelly â Manufacturing NI, Aodhán Connolly â NI Retail Consortium, Seamus McAleavey â NICVA, Derek McCallan â NILGA. After a short break the discussion continued with A system that it is fit for purpose: the practicalities involved: Brian McClure â Head of Rating Policy Division, Department of Finance & Personnel, Funding local services: a new system for securing businesses contributions: Martin McTague â Chairman, Local Government Committee, Federation of Small Businesses, Getting it right: the UK and international perspective:

David Magor OBE - Chief Executive, Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation. Finishing the final panel discussion was with: Brian McClure â Department of Finance & Personnel, Martin McTague â FSB and David Magor â IRRV. Seamus McKee, Chairperson of the conference made some concluding remarks before breaking for lunch. Business Rates Conference 2016, which was part of the Chambré Public Affairs âEye on the Hillâ series of policy events, provided participants with a unique insight into an important programme of reform. The conference offered context and analysis from the Minister, senior officials, sector leaders and noted experts, the conference is perfectly timed to inform responses to the consultation, which closes a fortnight later. On 26 October 2015, Finance Minister Arlene Foster launched a public consultation on a wide-ranging Review of Northern Ireland's Non-Domestic Rating System. The consultation asks questions that touch upon every sector in Northern Ireland, giving respondents the chance to provide imaginative suggestions to improve how revenue is raised locally. Key questions include whether the 100% exemption for charities should be maintained, and how the system could be changed to better suit the demands of local business. Because of the Departmentâs willingness to engage creatively with the business community and other stakeholders, this consultation represents a rare opportunity to influence major change. Business rating is a vital form of taxation, raising some £592m of revenue for regional and local Government in Northern Ireland. However, it is also a significant expense for the businesses that are the lifeblood of the local economy, and can act as a particular disincentive to smaller enterprises who want to invest and expand. At the other end of the spectrum, charities in Northern Ireland benefit significantly from the current rating system, enjoying a 100% rates exemption.

For the stylish parent who does not want to compromise on practicalities. Lots and lots of pockets, key fob, adjustable strap, zipper closure

Cinemateum Victoria - Ashkenaz - Director: Rachel Leah Jones, Israel 2007, 72min, Chinese and English Subtitles, A film about Aszkenazim – Jews of European origin – and the paradox of "whiteness" in Israel in comparison to Europe.

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.

A UNESCO site.

From the Inn’s website:

The Inn’s foundation is the creative genius of architect Robert C. Reamer, combined with the business savvy of hotelier Harry W. Child. Constructed between June 1903 and June 1904, the builders used raw materials harvested from the local area. Adapting sixteenth-century technology they produced a modern wilderness log cabin with electricity, steam heat, and indoor plumbing.

There was risk – borrowing money from a railroad, inviting wealthy railroad travelers to engage in a multi-day stagecoach tour to marvel at the wonders of Yellowstone, and offering a rustic hostelry at the end of the day. The design drew inspiration from nature, but departed from the norms of the time. From its five-hundred ton massive rhyolite chimney to the whimsical tree house at its 76½ foot peak, the Inn both charms and welcomes.

A few years after it opened railroads and early automobilists embraced the idea to “See America First” – a campaign that successfully turned the tourist tide from Europe to our nation’s scenic wonders. The Inn’s first addition, known as the East Wing (1913-1914), grew out of this increasing interest. Its plain exterior and more generic plaster-walled interior, also the work of R. C. Reamer, reflect the practicality and speed in which rooms were added.

Soon the gasoline-burners replaced the horse-drawn stages. The independence-loving automobilists embraced the privacy of cabins, and the park’s lodges grew in popularity. But five railroads still served Yellowstone. So the park’s transportation company, also under H. W. Child, motorized. Child again engaged Reamer to adapt the Inn with a new auto-centered front entrance and more additional guest rooms (West Wing, 1927).

Adapting to increased visitation was not the only thing the Inn has endured in its 116 years. The ups and downs of tourist numbers during both World Wars and the Great Depression meant temporary closures. Physical threats from the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake, the 1988 fire season, and dozens of harsh winters and heavy snow-loading have all been met. In the 1950s, and again in the 1970s, human decisions threatened the Inn’s future.

Since 1979, within the existing partnership between government ownership/oversight and concessioner financial commitments, the Inn has undergone three major periods of restoration/renovation – 1979-1988, 1992-1995, and 2004-2012. These included fire safety upgrades, two complete kitchen remodels, addition of bathrooms to guestrooms (except the original Old House), exterior re-shingling and re-roofing, and seismic stabilization. These necessary upgrades insure that we will enjoy this National Historic Landmark for decades to come.

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.

A circling of friends

First President

After a meeting period of over a year, nine women at the Virginia State Female Normal School formed a fraternity of sisters. Several social forces acted upon their gathering and their formation of a Greek-letter organization.

During this difficult post-war era, childhoods were characterized by a lack of money and very close family relationships. Because Virginia was one of the principle battlegrounds of the Civil War, youth faced a complete turnaround from previous years. The tight finances of times caused drastic social changes to families--an upheaval in educational traditions and a more realistic approach to the education of women.

When most families decided where their daughters should attend school and what type of education they should pursue, finances and close family relationships dictated they should stay close to home. Most women realized the practicality of the teaching profession, which was not strongly in conflict with their pasts and backgrounds. The fraternity founders chose the teaching profession, and they attended the Virginia State Female Normal School.

This group of women, once at school and among many other students, gathered together because they had similar beliefs and backgrounds. Each young woman travelled away from home for the first time and longed for close companionship of special friends. They tended to be a lively bunch of inquisitive and fun yet earnest students. Most were 15 to 16 years old. Yet this group showed a great deal of foresight. The nine young women knew the "something special" they shared would be lost if some means of continuing their group was not found. For the first school term, the women contemplated the special relationships of the group.

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One member, Maud Jones, wrote:

"For the whole year before our sorority was established, the need of such an organization was strongly felt. There wer six or seven of us who used to frequently meet together and talk over and try to devise some way by which we could unite into a helpful and congenial band. We knew we sadly needed something, but we had no idea just how that something was to be found. The beginning of session 1898-1899 found our little crowd again at the Normal (School) and just as eager as before, if not more so to find somthing to satisfy our desires."

The group formed a Greek-letter organization to perpetuate the friendships they found so important. The nine friends and Founders of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity are: The nine founders and first three pledges pose for their first official picture in 1899

Maud Jones (Horner)

Alice Bland Coleman

Ethel Coleman (Van Name)

Ruby Leigh (Orgain)

Frances Yancey Smith

Della Lewis (Hundley)

Helen M. Crafford

Alice Grey Welsh

Mary Jones (Batte)

The names in parenthesis indicate later appellations after marriage. They organized the Fraternity on October 15, 1898 at the Virginia State Female Normal School (which later became Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia). What began as a small group of friends desiring to add more permanence to their friendship in some deep and significant way surely has prospered and grown. Over the years, thousands of women of all ages have shared a common bond created by these nine innovative students.

Taken from the National New Member Manual.

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The beginnings of a greek world...

Invariably, those who have much in common find each other and develop friendships. This always has been so, but today involves a much more detailed process. Today, many such groups from all over the country are developing fraternal organizations as the United States has gained a vast American fraternity system.

At the State Female Normal School, a group of women formed one of the Greek organizations. While Maud Jones and some of her friends were attempting to "unite into a helpful, congenial band," another similar group formed a new organization with a Greek name. This new group, Kappa Delta, and Sigma Sigma Sigma, which followed shortly, undoubtedly spurred the young women to greater action.

The organizing women explain the greatest source of inspiration to form a fraternity came when one of the group's closest friends, Alice Coleman, was asked to join another forming organization. Although the State Female Normal School Students met informally for over a year, and might have easily considered those meetings official, they did not. First Rush

Thus the formal Greek organization began in earnest, and all meetings were secret night-time affairs by candlelight as the group tried to maintain anonymity. Virtually, it was impossible to keep the existence of their organization a secret. A gift tub of oysters from the father of the two members, Ethel and Alice Coleman, inspired the idea for an Oyster Stew Announcement Party, but the group needed a name.

The idea for a temporary name came from a member of one of the other groups who met the girls on campus one day. The story goes she raised her brows and, forming a question mark with her fingers, inquired, "Who are you?". Together the girls responded, "Yes, Who?, Who?, Who?" That is how the temporary name of the three question marks and the temporary signature "???" came to be.

As the group searched for a permanent name, the women took their first three pledges. They were Odelle Warren (Bonham), Ellen Baxter Armstrong, and Grace Elcan (Garnett).

Deciding not to rush the formation of the new organization, the women of Zeta Tau Alpha let a year follow before the Greek name and badge were chosen. The women realized the time necessary to explore Greek lore and to find the proper symbols to express their outlined ideals. The founders were very conservative in the developing stages of the fraternity's formation; this care is reflected in the size and strength of the organization.

The preamble of the first minute book of regular fraternity meetings stated clearly that Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity was organized October 15, 1898, at the State Female Normal School. This minute book sets forth definitely for the first time the colors, flower, and the motto, which was written in Greek and then translated.

forming sorority finds help from brothers

crest3.jpg

A group of young women forming a fraternity found help from two members' brothers. Nine women from Virginia State Female Normal School attempted to begin a Greek-letter organization. Because much planning goes into this type of endeavor, the enterprising women asked someone with experience for help as other women's groups did. Two of the women turned to their brothers, who were members of established men's groups, for guidance and assistance.

Maud Jones's brother was Plummer Jones. He was a member of Kappa Alpha and Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William and Mary. Giles Mebane Smith, Phi Theta Psi, and also a Phi Beta Kappa at William and Mary was the brother of Frances Yancey Smith. Both young men were completely familiar with the fraternity system and both were outstanding students with a great knowledge of Greek lore.

Our Nine Founders The two men decided to labor long and hard for the development of this women's fraternity. Mebane Smith, as he preferred to be called, suggested the name Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity, from the initial letters of the Greek motto upon which the organization was built. Mebane also provided information for the selection of the badge, the motto, and the patron goddess. Plummer Jones was responsible for the first revised and complete constitution. (The original was written by his sister during a period when the young women called their group ???.) Most important of all, Plummer Jones developed the ritual, including the initiation ceremony, the oath, and the opening and closing of the meetings.

With help from two brothers, the women were able to continue their group's gatherings. Maud Jones was the first elected president of Zeta Tau Alpha since the selection of the Greek name. Maud was acknowledged leader of the group and past president during the ??? period. She was a special leader whose strength lay in gentleness and kindness and who ruled through love and consideration. It was a tribute to the thoughtfulness of the group that Maud Jones was recognized and appreciated.

With such a president and finalized organization, the Fraternity had a new beginning. Maintaining high principles and an unquestionable integrity, the president remained above conflict in times of differing opinions and pronounced just decisions. Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity was fortunate to have leadership like this; her actions have set an example for succeeding generations.

Taken from the National New Member Manual.

a first in virginia

Zeta Tau Alpha was the first women's fraternity to be chartered in the state of Virginia as of March 15, 1902. The Fraternity holds the only charter ever granted by a special act of the state legislature. The story behind the political activity is intriguing and fascinating.

For the most part, Grace Elcan, Zeta's third pledge, is responsible for securing the charter. Several attempts were made to secure a charter before Grace decided to make it her personal project. Previously, the busy judges and legislators wouldn't be bothered with what they considered a trivial matter.

However, Grace was quite adept at political maneuvering for a young woman her age. She chose to meet the politicians on their home ground. Through a close friend of her father, she arranged to meet with Mr. Frank Moon, a young man with senatorial ambition.

Mr. Moon needed an opportunity to meet the people of Buckingham County where Grace lived, and Grace needed a friend in the legislature. The two reached an agreement--Grace and her family prepared a large barbecue to introduce Mr. Moon to his electorate. Mr. Moon made his speech, and of course, got elected. True to his word, the first bill he sponsored and piloted through special session of the state legislature was the act to incorporate Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity of the State Female Normal School of Farmville, Virginia. The event caused a great stirring in the Virginia press services.

One had only to read the following, recorded in Alpha Chapter's early minutes, to imagine the happiness and excitement the chapter must have felt:

"Let it be known that we received our charter from the legislature March 15, 1902, and have established two new chapters, one at Hanna More Academy, Reistertown, Maryland, and one [secretly] at Woman's College, Richmond. Truly this has been the crowning year of Zeta Tau Alpha."

Taken from the National New Member Manual.

Mary Campbell Jones Batte

Mary Campbell was never called anything but Cammie. She was the only daughter and her childhood was a merry one with five devoted brothers in attendance. She never knew the meaning of the word lonesome. Why she was not spoiled no one knew, but she wasn't. It was Cammie who was sent the famous strawberries by her admirer. She married S. Basset Batte and lived in Norfolk, Va. She had two sons. Mary Jones was the fourth Founder to die-December 3, 1957.

Hundreds of African Refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity for a Coptic Christmas. Bethlehem, Palestine, 6th January 2012.

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.

This Exhibit Runs Feb 15, 2017 — Sep 10, 2017

A native of the South Carolina lowcountry, Carew Rice (1899 – 1971) was the son of James Henry Rice, Jr., a noted conservationist and newspaper columnist. As a student in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Carew Rice discovered the art of cutting silhouettes and worked from the Depression era up until 1970, when he cut silhouettes for South Carolina’s Tricentennial celebration.

Rice subtly challenged viewers with reductive renditions of Old South nostalgia. His cautionary tales were grounded in conservative values, but he liberally embraced the field hands, chain gangs, and working-class lifestyles of marginalized minorities. His black subjects, sometimes peppered with Gullah dialect, were love letters to people he lived among and respected.

Being an artist of practicality as well as of principles, Rice also cut picturesque lowcountry landscapes, church architecture, wildfowl, and Charleston’s intricate wrought iron gates to produce commercially viable merchandise. Some of these scenes were applied to drinking glasses and stationery; some of his characters became templates for stuffed dolls for children. He traveled the world creating silhouettes of politicians, royalty, and ordinary folks, and he became well known throughout the South for portraiture, landscapes, and scenes of everyday life meticulously rendered in this unusual and exacting medium.

Wardop's Court: Situated to the east of Lady Stair’s Court formed in the 1890’s by the demolition of two small closes ( (Wardrop's to the NW and Paterson's to the SE) by Patrick Geddes (1892) is a clever evocation of its timber framed predecessor. The carved dragon brackets at the entrance and exit of the Court were restored in 2013. Two of the dragons were carved by Geddes’ 16 year old son Arthur, guided by the sculptor Alec Miller, who was with the Guild of Handicrafts, a key part of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Sir Patrick Geddes FRSE (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning and sociology. He introduced the concept of "region" to architecture and planning and coined the term "conurbation".

Very early on in his career Geddes demonstrated the practicality of his ideas and approach. In 1886 Geddes and his newly married wife purchased a row of slum tenements in James Court, Edinburgh, making it into a single dwelling. In and around this area Geddes commenced upon a project of "conservative surgery": "weeding out the worst of the houses that surrounded them…widening the narrow closes into courtyards" and thus improving sunlight and airflow. The best of the houses were kept and restored. Geddes believed that this approach was both more economical and more humane.

Caviar

Potato, gravlax, dill. (Decoded: Gravlax under a layer of potato-leek puree with a touch of dill oil. A bagel chip raft bearing American sturgeon caviar, quail egg, and pickled onion and a sprig of fresh dill.)

Notes: Other than being a little difficult to eat (neatly, that is), this was a great dish for me. It's "lox and bagels" on a more creative (and colourful) level.

The difficult part was that the cured salmon was underneath all of the potato-leek puree. Given the odd shape of the dish, it was hard to cut and arrange a bite that contained all of the elements. I was so afraid of wasting any of the caviar that I was tempted to scoop them up in one bite (by the way, that quenelle of caviar was *perfectly* shaped). Practicality aside, the flavors were spot on - I especially enjoyed the pickled onion, which I wish there was more of, or more evenly distributed; I think it was meant to sub-in for the cream cheese/sour cream element (the potato-leek gave lent its smooth, creaminess to that effect).

The quail egg was nicely boiled - the yolk was just shy of being set. The bagel chip was nominal, yet essential, for me, for texture. And, of course, it wouldn't have been lox and bagel without the bagel.

Read about this meal at the ulterior epicure.

The Fishtail Parka was first used by the United States Army in 1951 to help protect soldiers from the elements in the Korean War.

There are two main styles of fishtail parkas; the M-51 fishtail parka; and the M-65. The M stands for military, and the number is the year it was standardized. The name fishtail comes from the fact that the coat is longer at the back than it is at the front. This was so the coat could be tied around the upper legs, much like a Knochensack for added wind proofing as they are not, as some think, waterproof. The hood of the M-51 Fishtail Parka is integral to the jacket and folds down inside the jacket collar when not in use. The M-65 Fishtail parka has a detachable hood. Both types feature a removable liner. Designed primarily for combat arms forces such as infantry, they are to be worn over other layers of clothing; alone, the fishtail parka is insufficient to protect against "dry cold" (as used in the US military; see FM 31-70, Cold Weather Field Manual) conditions (i.e., below 14 deg. F.). On the other hand, the N-3B parka has more integral insulation and can be worn alone in colder temperatures than the fishtail parka. Because it has less insulation but is designed to fit loosely, it allows infantry more latitude to add or subtract layers underneath to adapt to changing weather or situational conditions than that allowed by the N-3B parka, which was designed for aircrews who typically worked under more static weather and geographic conditions. With proper additional insulating garments in the US military inventory, one can remain warm with the fishtail parka in -60 deg. F. temperatures. The fishtail parka has been replaced in the US military by the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS).

In the 1960s UK, the fishtail parka became a symbol of the mod subculture. Due to their practicality, cheapness and availability from army surplus shops, the parka was seen as the ideal garment for fending off the elements when on the mod's vehicle of choice, the scooter. Its place in popular culture was assured by newspaper pictures of parka-clad mods during the Bank Holiday riots of the 1960s (Wikipedia)

Furniture designed for comfort, practicality and portability is located around the building providing variety for users.

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.

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.

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.

Surely just coincidence, but great to see these two generations of 323F parked up next to each other. Both were a slightly off-beam way of doing the family hatchback thing, from experience with our 1989 323F I can say they did compromise on practicality for the sake of style. The following 323F became a much more sensible device.

For the stylish parent who does not want to compromise on practicalities. Lots and lots of pockets, key fob, adjustable strap, zipper closure

Trying to achieve minimal that's comfortable, not cold? The sophistication of the Michael Living Room reflects a rustic, masculine approach to modern living, combined with luxurious textures. This design style can travel easily throughout the entire home, whether yours is an urban condominium, or a traditional single-family residence. The environment includes all of the design elements that represent nature, including glass, metal, leather, and wood. Every detail of this living room design will complement your desire for simplicity, practicality, and a mature sense of style. So grab your glass of cognac, put on your favorite jazz album, and enjoy!

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