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This is the precise tree where Emperor Chongzhen and his principal eunuch, Cheng'en, ended their lives together by hanging themselves. (More information at the bottom of these notes.)

 

Jingshan Park is, along with Beihai Park, one of two optimal sites for getting a panoramic view of the Forbidden City. Both parks were historically built as imperial gardens, hence their appeal to modern Beijingers and tourists alike.

 

Specifically, Jingshan Park is immediately to the north of the Forbidden City across the street from the former palace’s Shengwu Gate on the north wall. (As all visitors to the Forbidden City are now required to enter through the south (Meridian) gate and exit through the north gate, Jingshan Park is the first site they see.

 

Jingshan Park’s history outdates that of the Forbidden City. The massive palace grounds were built in 1420, but this park’s history dates back roughly a thousand years, having been built during the Liao and Jin Dynasties (roughly early 12th century).

 

The park is about 230,000 square meters (not terribly big, but a comfortable size all the same) and enjoys the honor of being in the geographic center of old Beijing. The main feature of the park is Jingshan Hill, which is 94.2 meters tall. The walls and palace gates from the Jin Dynasty are quite well-preserved, as are architectural complexes from the ensuing Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

 

Atop Jingshan Hill are five pavilions, representing the five directions (north, south, east, west, center) of Chinese culture. The highest, and centrally located, pavilion is Wanchun (Everlasting Spring) Pavilion. Guanmiao (Wonder Appreciation) Pavilion and Zhoushang (All-Round View) Pavilion lie to the east of Wanchun and Jifang (Gathering Fragrance) and Fulan (Panoramic View) Pavilions are to the west.

 

From Wanchun Pavilion, there is a wonderful panoramic view of Beijing. To the east, you can easily see in the distance (unless it’s a really, really smoggy day) to the CCTV building. The Forbidden City dominates the foreground to the south. Tiananmen Square and Qianmen would be directly behind that and off to the southwest in the distance is the National Performing Arts Center. Immediately to the west is Beihai Park and its outstanding white dagoba (whence the other panoramic views of the area are to be found). The view to the north of Wanchun Pavilion is dominated by hutongs and highlighted by Gulou (Drum Tower) with Zhonglou (Bell Tower) obscured immediately behind that. Farther beyond the hutongs and the towers are modern, nondescript high rise buildings.

 

Jingshan Park is a delight year-round. Having more than 10,000 peonies, the park is abloom come spring. Lotuses take center stage in summer, while fruit and chrysanthemum buds make appearances in autumn. There are many evergreens in the park so, even in winter, there is color to be found.

 

An interesting (albeit morbid) historical footnote to the park is this: At the end of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, there was a peasant uprising led by Li Zicheng. He broke into the city (aided by Manchus) to overthrow the emperor. As Emperor Chongzhen realized his days were numbered, in the 17th year of his reign, he decided to take his own life. He escaped the Forbidden City, found his way across to this park and, along with a faithful eunuch, hung himself from a tree in the eastern part of the park. The eunuch did the same. (Who went first and who went second isn’t recorded. Yet, they did seem to make copious notes about where the two had hung themselves to the point where the exact tree is identified to this day in the park.) Thus ended the Ming Dynasty and began the Qing. (If memory serves me correctly, the Manchus basically ended up using Li Zicheng to help bring the Ming to an end and supplant themselves as the rulers during the Qing Dynasty. For the common reader, the Manchus are easily identifiable in movies and TV shows as the folks where the men have their hair pulled back in very long braids and almost look bald from the front. Think of Chow Yun-Fat from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as an example.)

 

Description to be precised, sooner or later

 

Precise Next Generation Design and Stout Construction

The Swell Surf System utilizes high-speed rams to adjust 5/16-inch stainless steel blades laser cut and bent to control water turbulence off the rear of the boat's running surface. The specially designed trailing edge of these blades, or flaps as these types of elements are referred to in a fluid dynamics, create a vortex-effect behind the boat resulting in specific wave shapes. Different angels of deployment of the blades create custom effects in the water turbulence to swell-up Skim and Barrel waves. Swell blades benefit from a shot peen finish, a strengthening process commonly utilized in aeronautical construction, to increase the fatigue life of the piece. The Swell System is mounted and held together by a series of stainless steel through-bolts and stainless brackets for an extremely stable platform for wave making. The Swell Surf System is available on 2014 Supra SA and SC wake boat models only.

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

The kit and its assembly:

This is a what-if model, but, as usual, it is rooted in reality – to be precise in the German late-war plans to mate the Ta 152(H) with the mighty Jumo 222 engine. I do not know what the official service designation would have been, but this combo would have resulted in a powerful fighter – AFAIK, German engineers’ calculations indicated a performance that would have been comparable with the post-WWII F4U-5!

 

Creating a model of such this paper aircraft called for some serious conversion work and ended almost in a kitbashing. The starting point became a (cheap) Mistercraft Fw 190D-9 kit, and I originally planned this model to be a Fw 190 variant, but eventually this turned into a Ta 152, since it would better match up with the late war time frame.

The Mastercraft/Mistercraft kit appears to be an indigenous mold and not a re-issue of a vintage kit. At first glance the parts look pretty crisp, but the kit has some serious fit and flash issues. Another selling point is the detailed decal set, which comes in three sheets and encompasses a lot of stencils – even though the instructions where to place them are not consistent, and there are even 1:48 scale(!) markings included. But that’s a Mastercraft/Mistercraft standard, anyway…

 

Well, the basis was sound and the kit would, in any event, be thoroughly modified. From the OOB kit, fuselage, wings and stabilizers were taken, as well as the landing gear and some other bits.

 

The wings were extended, in order to keep overall proportions with the new, much more massive engine cowling balanced (see below). Not an easy stunt, but I was lucky to have recently bought a set of resin Doppelreiter tanks from Airmodel which were just perfect to cover the cuts and seams on the upper wing surfaces. Inside of the wings, a styrene strip secured stability while the lower wing surface was sculpted with putty and the trailing edge of the outer wing panels was cut down by 1 mm, so that the wings’ outlines match again. Some further PSR work was necessary to blend the slipper tanks into the wings, forming the upper side of the modifications, but in the end the whole thing looks quite good.

 

The fuselage lost both its original engine and the tail. The latter is a donor part from a Frog Ta 152H (Revell re-boxing), but mating it with the Mistercraft Fw 190D was not easy because the fuselage shapes of the two kits are totally different! I also used the Mistercraft stabilizers because they were markedly bigger than the same parts from the Ta 152 kit!

 

The Jumo 222 front end was simulated with parts from the spares box, and it is a bit exaggerated. Actually, the Jumo 222 was hardly bigger (in both length and diameter) than the Fw 190D’s Jumo 213 V12 engine! The cowling and the radiator for my conversion came from a Frog He 219 engine nacelle (Revell re-boxing, too) which is utterly dubious. The nacelle parts were turned upside down and integrated into the slender Fw 190 front fuselage with several layers of putty.

Inside of the cowling, a radiator plate from an Italeri Fw 190D was mounted, together with a styrene tube adapter for the new propeller. The latter was scratched, using a drop tank as spinner and single propeller blades from the Mistercraft Fw 190D, plus one donor blade from the Frog Ta 152H kit, which had to be trimmed in order to match the other blades. But with some paint, no one will tell the small differences…

 

Once the bigger engine was integrated into the fuselage, the exhaust system had to be added. In real life, the Jumo 222 would have featured three clusters with two rows of four exhaust stubs, distributed evenly around the cowling. Using a drawing of this arrangement as benchmark, I started with square cuts for the cluster openings. From the back side, styrene sheet closed the gaps and offered a basis for the exhaust stubs. These were improvised with H0 scale roofing shingles – each of the 24 exhaust stubs was cut individually into shape and size and then glued into the respective openings on the upper flanks and under the engine. Finally, styrene sheet was used to create small spoilers and heat shields. The result is certainly not perfect, but comes close to what the real world arrangement would basically have looked like. In a final step, two air intakes for the two-stage supercharger, scratched from sprue material, were added to the flanks.

 

The cockpit remained OOB, simple as it is, as well as the landing gear, but the canopy was modified in order to allow a presentation in open position. This meant that the OOB canopy had to be cut in two parts and that the model’s spine had to be cut away, making place for a donor canopy (the late, bulged variant, IIRC from an Italeri Fw 190D-9). Internally the fuselage gap was filled with putty and the headrest had to be modified, too, but the conversion turned out to look better than expected.

 

As a small cosmetic improvement, the molded gun barrel stumps in the wing roots were replaced with hollow steel needles, and the outer guns were completely removed.

 

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

Rolls-Royce’s automotive principles are precise and conclusive, directed to continuously build opulent vehicles that satisfy the souls of their eclectic class of wealthy owners. From American mattress distributors to Middle Eastern Princes to Japanese artists, the ideological beliefs, business savvy and success of each customer is as diverse as the convergence of people and cultures in New York City. For this reason, the British purveyor of finely-crafted machines from Goodwood, England, always reinvents itself and influences the planet with stately chariots such as the breathtaking Wraith Black Badge, which we recently experienced for a long weekend in my hometown of Silver Spring, MD.

Zoom details from 1726 ' Hortus Botanicus ' by engraver William Williams.

 

The most precise drawings of these gates I have seen in the public realm to date. The colour seems to match existing stone

in current day 2024.

 

An 1821-1830 painting by artist & draughtsman Augustus Charles Pugin ( father of future architect Augustus Welby Pugin, born iin 1812 ) shows the Oxford Botanic Garden’s Danby Gate in colour.

 

Learn more here: Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Botanic_gate.jpg

 

Love these old images ... some TLC ... Latin replaced with English.

 

COPYRIGHT

All Copyrights of this Public Domain image remain with :

Harvard University Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Collection.

 

The image can be used only for educational & research purposes. This is a new historic series: HISTORIC OXFORD BOTANIC GARDEN.

 

(we do not sell images ... at this time).

 

ENTRY GATE

This gate is named the Danby Gate in honour of the creator of the garden Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby.

 

It remains in tact, minus the 2 statues.

 

SIDE GATES

Both the East & West gates exist in current day 2024.

 

COLOUR

William Williams original colour is shown.

 

WILLIAM WILLIAMS

Welsh architectural draughtsman, engraver and delineator William Williams created the iconic 1732-1733 ' Oxonia Depicta ' collection.

 

This image is 298 years old, as of the Mar2024 uploading to our photostream.

 

Image Title: Hortus Botanicus - entry gate details

Image Date: 1726

Draughtsman & Engraver: William Williams

Image Source: Harvard University - Dumbarton Oaks Research & Study Collection

 

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

Warangal Fort, in the present-day Indian state of Telangana, appears to have existed since at least the 13th century CE. Although precise dating of its construction and subsequent enhancements are uncertain, historians and archaeologists generally accept that an earlier brick-walled structure was replaced with stone by Ganapatideva, who died in 1262, and that his successors – Rudramadevi and Prataparudra II – added to its height and added gateways, square bastions and additional circular earthern walls prior to the latter's death in 1323. This places the construction towards the end of the Kakatiya period. There were later modifications between the 15th and 17th centuries, comprising principally the addition of barbicans to the four gates in the stone wall and the creation of gates in the outer earthern wall.

 

Remnants of the structure can be seen today near to the town of Warangal, which was the Kakatiya capital. The Archaeological Survey of India has listed the remains as a Monument of National Importance.

_____________________________

 

The 12th and the 13th centuries saw the emergence of the Kakatiyas. They were at first the feudatories of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana, ruling over a small territory near Warangal. A ruler of this dynasty, Prola II, who ruled from A.D.1110 to 1158, extended his sway to the south and declared his independence. His successor Rudra (A.D.1158--1195) pushed the kingdom to the north up to the Godavari delta. He built a fort at Warangal to serve as a second capital and faced the invasions of the Yadavas of Devagiri. The next ruler Mahadeva extended the kingdom to the coastal area. In A.D.1199, Ganapati succeeded him. He was the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Velanati Cholas in A.D.1210. He forced the Telugu Cholas of Vikramasimhapura to accept his suzerainty. He established order in his vast dominion and encouraged trade.

 

As Ganapati Deva had no sons, his daughter Rudramba succeeded him in A.D.1262 and carried on the administration. Some generals, who did not like to be ruled by her, rebelled. She could, however, suppress the internal rebellions and external invasions with the help of loyal subordinates. The Cholas and the Yadavas suffered such set backs at her hands that they did not think of troubling her for the rest of her rule.

 

Prataparudra succeeded his grandmother Rudramba in A.D.1295 and ruled till A.D.1323. He pushed the western border of his kingdom up to Raichur. He introduced many administrative reforms. He divided the kingdom into 75 Nayakships, which was later adopted and developed by the Rayas of Vijayanagara. In his time the territory constituting Andhra Pradesh had the first experience of a Muslim invasion. In A.D.1303, the Delhi Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji sent an army to plunder the kingdom. But Prataparudra defeated them at Upparapalli in Karimnagar district. In A.D. 1310, when another army under Malik Kafur invaded Warangal, Prataparudra yielded and agreed to pay a large tribute. In A.D.1318, when Ala-ud-din Khilji died, Prataparudra withheld the tribute. It provoked another invasion of the Muslims. In A.D.1321, Ghiaz-ud-din Tughlaq sent a large army under Ulugh Khan to conquer the Telugu country then called Tilling. He laid siege to Warangal, but owing to internal dissensions he called off the siege and returned to Delhi. Within a short period, he came back with a much bigger army. In spite of unpreparedness, Prataparudra fought bravely. For want of supplies, he surrendered to the enemy who sent him to Delhi as a prisoner, and he died on the way. Thus ended the Kakatiya rule, opening the gates of the Telugu land to anarchy and confusion yielding place to an alien ruler.

 

The Kakatiya period was rightly called the brightest period of the Telugu history. The entire Telugu speaking area was under the kings who spoke Telugu and encouraged Telugu. They established order throughout the strife torn land and the forts built by them played a dominant role in the defence of the realm. Anumakonda and Gandikota among the `giridurgas', Kandur and Narayanavanam among the `vanadurgas', Divi and Kolanu among the `jaladurgas', and Warangal and Dharanikota among the `sthaladurgas' were reckoned as the most famous strongholds in the Kakatiya period. The administration of the kingdom was organized with accent on the military.

 

Though Saivism continued to be the religion of the masses, intellectuals favoured revival of Vedic rituals. They sought to reconcile the Vaishnavites and the Saivites through the worship of Harihara. Arts and literature found patrons in the Kakatiyas and their feudatories.

 

WIKIPEDIA & WIKIMAPIA

 

Oh, Sperms... Such tiny little creatures in chains with a "zombie behavior" and a precise objective, probably the most feared living thing on this planet. They are responsible for moments of great happiness, or anxiety depending on the circonstances.

 

Unexpected pregnancy is an issue that's becoming more and more common as days pass by, almost crossing the "banality" line. So I thought that maybe it was the right time to start seeing it as a special celebration date.

 

This is my contribution for you that must give important news for someone you care about, a "greetings card". No more tension or postponing it, this card is as easy to use as the one you received on your birthday or last christmas. Just print it, write your personal message on the back and send it (or deliver it by person if you can't resist to see the reaction). Its a special occasion and you should celebrate it!

 

More on www.luisfelipebueno.com

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

The precise location of that first church has been lost. The present building dates from the time of Pope Sixtus III (432 - 440) and contains many ancient mosaics from this period. Its form so exactly follows the conventions of an imperial basilica it has at times been taken for one.[9] The Athenian marble columns supporting the nave are even older, and either come from the first basilica, or from another antique Roman building; thirty-six are marble and four granite, pared down, or shortened to make them identical by Ferdinando Fuga, who provided them with identical gilt-bronze capitals.[10] The 14th century campanile, or bell tower, is the highest in Rome, at 240 feet, (about 75 m.). The basilica's 16th-century coffered ceiling, to a design by Giuliano da Sangallo, is said to be gilded with Inca gold presented by Ferdinand and Isabella to the Spanish pope, initially brought by Christopher Columbus[citation needed], Alexander VI (something which factually is erroneous, since the Inca empire was conquered during the reign of Charles V). The apse mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is from 1295, signed by the Franciscan friar, Jacopo Torriti. The Basilica also contains frescoes by Giovanni Baglione, in the Cappella Borghese.

  

The Piazza dell'Esquilino with the apse area of Santa Maria Maggiore.

  

The Borghese (or Pauline) Chapel

The 12th-century façade has been masked by a reconstruction, with a screening loggia, that were added by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743, to designs by Ferdinando Fuga that did not damage the mosaics of the façade. The wing of the canonica (sacristy to its left and a matching wing to the right (designed by Flaminio Ponzio) give the basilica's front the aspect of a palace facing Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore. To the right of the Basilica's façade is a memorial representing a column in the form of an up-ended cannon barrel topped with a cross: it was erected by Pope Clement VIII immediately after the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of Protestants, though today it is reputed to celebrate the end of the French Wars of Religion [1].

The Marian column erected in 1614, to designs of Carlo Maderno is the model for numerous Marian columns erected in Catholic countries in thanksgiving for remission of the plague during the Baroque era. (An example is the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, the Czech Republic). The column itself is the sole remaining from Constantine's Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine in Campo Vaccino, as the Roman Forum was called until the 18th century [2]; Maderno's fountain at the base combines the armorial eagles and dragons of Paul V.

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

It's not straightforward to decide on the precise roofing company as all the companies claim to be the most effective and promote in the same manner. Thankfully, the article beforehand mentioned can function a helpful, continuing useful useful resource for anybody thinking about taking excellent care of their roof. With hosted VoIP phone service you'll be able to utterly eradicate even distant chances of missing essential enterprise calls throughout peak business hours. These concerns must be questioned previous to agreeing to buy roof insurance to make certain you might be having the insurance coverage coverage you need. Gutters- The purpose of guttering is to effectively channel rain water from the roof in the direction of a downpipe which in flip carries it right down to floor degree after which into the drainage system.

 

Visit here:

 

Roofing North Hollywood CA

roofrepairnorthhollywood.com

(818) 945-0859

11402 Victory Boulevard

CA 91606

 

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 (Tokina Version)

 

One thing I've noticed while removing the lens was that there's no stop, you can move it beyond the click point and the mounting point. (if you keep holding down the lens release button). Probably not good for the camera, so I'll try to not do that...

Replacing my ancient Wacom Art Pad, which dates back to when I had desktop Apple computers many years ago, was a task well overdue.

 

Using a tablet does take a bit of getting used to at first but once you have it mastered, there is no going back. Editing photos becomes so much more precise. It is a bit like making the leap from taking your pictures in JPEG to taking them in RAW- a whole range of new possibilities opens up.

 

It is as if the Wacom Intuous 5 touch, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop were made for each other!!

 

PS As a bonus,the touch versions act like a giant trackpad on which you can use all the gestures that are instantly familiar to Apple MacBook Pro and Apple Touchpad users.

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

Tank Infantry Mark III, Valentine IX (E2000.577)

The precise identity of this tank is not clear, all identification marks having been removed many years ago. It stood outside the Army Base at Long Kesh in Northern Ireland for many years, subsequently moving to the Maze Prison and Lisanelly Camp, Omagh.

It was subsequently acquired by Vickers Defence Systems and restored to running order in Newcastle using the engine from our Valentine Archer (E1969.43). In due course it was offered to the Tank Museum on loan and ultimately, in March 2002 was gifted to the Museum.

The Valentine Mark IX was upgunned to fit a 57mm (six-pounder) gun into the turret although this did not leave enough room for a co-axial machine gun and in any case, with just a two-man turret crew the tank was very difficult to fight.

Our tank carried the number T123358 on the turret which is correct for the type but not necessarily for this actual vehicle. Mark IX Valentines saw service in North Africa and some may have been suppplied to Russia but by 1943 the Valentine had been replaced in front line service by more modern vehicles and was either being relegated to secondary roles or supplied to other countries such as Portugal.

The Valentine development started without a specification from the War Office (hence the absence of an army designation), as a private design by Sir John Carden, and was submitted on February, 10, 1938, to the authorities. By then, the Matilda II had been chosen for production, but the Valentine was something different.

Vickers engineers basically tried to enhance their A10 Cruiser tank design, with a dramatic increase in protection (up to 60 mm/2.36 in). This choice allowed the use most components and parts of the already produced Cruiser I and II, therefore creating an efficient and cheap solution to the need of new infantry tank models. By then, the Matilda II was found to be far costlier than the Matilda I, and not suitable for mass-production. Comparatively, the Valentine seemed a good compromise. The name itself still is a mystery. It could have originated either from Sir John Carden’s middle name, or the date of its first submission (St. Valentine day), or a composed Vickers factory codename, though most historians agree that Valentine was just a simple codename during development.

The Mark I set the tone for the entire series of eleven main variants, with many sub-variants, and a staggering total of 8300 units. The main armament and turret design, as well as the engine and protection, were continuously improved while keeping roughly the same general appearance until 1945. The Mk.I was recognizable by its original two-man turret and 2-pdr (40 mm/1.575 in) gun. From the start, a coaxial Besa machine-gun constitued the secondary armament. The crew consisted of only three men due to the cramped interior, and the commander was also busy as gun loader, machine-gunner and radio operator. The production was rushed to such point that many problems were later detected and fixed with the next Mk.II. The main engine was the AEG A189 petrol delivering only 135 hp, and the hull was riveted. 350 were delivered in all, most seeing action in Libya, while others stayed at home for training.

 

Tankfest by World of Tanks - 24.-25.6.2016

The Tank Museum - Bovington, UK

Worlds biggest and best live display of historic armour, living history, and much more at the Home of the Tank - The Tank Museum, Bovington, United Kingdom.

 

More from Tankfest:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen2/albums/72157670621...

More from me:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen

Tankfest videos:

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIGRHBJyGQb3PpXwFlOKve2OUJ...

My Imgur galleries:

grendelb.imgur.com/

   

The kit and its assembly:

This is a what-if model, but, as usual, it is rooted in reality – to be precise in the German late-war plans to mate the Ta 152(H) with the mighty Jumo 222 engine. I do not know what the official service designation would have been, but this combo would have resulted in a powerful fighter – AFAIK, German engineers’ calculations indicated a performance that would have been comparable with the post-WWII F4U-5!

 

Creating a model of such this paper aircraft called for some serious conversion work and ended almost in a kitbashing. The starting point became a (cheap) Mistercraft Fw 190D-9 kit, and I originally planned this model to be a Fw 190 variant, but eventually this turned into a Ta 152, since it would better match up with the late war time frame.

The Mastercraft/Mistercraft kit appears to be an indigenous mold and not a re-issue of a vintage kit. At first glance the parts look pretty crisp, but the kit has some serious fit and flash issues. Another selling point is the detailed decal set, which comes in three sheets and encompasses a lot of stencils – even though the instructions where to place them are not consistent, and there are even 1:48 scale(!) markings included. But that’s a Mastercraft/Mistercraft standard, anyway…

 

Well, the basis was sound and the kit would, in any event, be thoroughly modified. From the OOB kit, fuselage, wings and stabilizers were taken, as well as the landing gear and some other bits.

 

The wings were extended, in order to keep overall proportions with the new, much more massive engine cowling balanced (see below). Not an easy stunt, but I was lucky to have recently bought a set of resin Doppelreiter tanks from Airmodel which were just perfect to cover the cuts and seams on the upper wing surfaces. Inside of the wings, a styrene strip secured stability while the lower wing surface was sculpted with putty and the trailing edge of the outer wing panels was cut down by 1 mm, so that the wings’ outlines match again. Some further PSR work was necessary to blend the slipper tanks into the wings, forming the upper side of the modifications, but in the end the whole thing looks quite good.

 

The fuselage lost both its original engine and the tail. The latter is a donor part from a Frog Ta 152H (Revell re-boxing), but mating it with the Mistercraft Fw 190D was not easy because the fuselage shapes of the two kits are totally different! I also used the Mistercraft stabilizers because they were markedly bigger than the same parts from the Ta 152 kit!

 

The Jumo 222 front end was simulated with parts from the spares box, and it is a bit exaggerated. Actually, the Jumo 222 was hardly bigger (in both length and diameter) than the Fw 190D’s Jumo 213 V12 engine! The cowling and the radiator for my conversion came from a Frog He 219 engine nacelle (Revell re-boxing, too) which is utterly dubious. The nacelle parts were turned upside down and integrated into the slender Fw 190 front fuselage with several layers of putty.

Inside of the cowling, a radiator plate from an Italeri Fw 190D was mounted, together with a styrene tube adapter for the new propeller. The latter was scratched, using a drop tank as spinner and single propeller blades from the Mistercraft Fw 190D, plus one donor blade from the Frog Ta 152H kit, which had to be trimmed in order to match the other blades. But with some paint, no one will tell the small differences…

 

Once the bigger engine was integrated into the fuselage, the exhaust system had to be added. In real life, the Jumo 222 would have featured three clusters with two rows of four exhaust stubs, distributed evenly around the cowling. Using a drawing of this arrangement as benchmark, I started with square cuts for the cluster openings. From the back side, styrene sheet closed the gaps and offered a basis for the exhaust stubs. These were improvised with H0 scale roofing shingles – each of the 24 exhaust stubs was cut individually into shape and size and then glued into the respective openings on the upper flanks and under the engine. Finally, styrene sheet was used to create small spoilers and heat shields. The result is certainly not perfect, but comes close to what the real world arrangement would basically have looked like. In a final step, two air intakes for the two-stage supercharger, scratched from sprue material, were added to the flanks.

 

The cockpit remained OOB, simple as it is, as well as the landing gear, but the canopy was modified in order to allow a presentation in open position. This meant that the OOB canopy had to be cut in two parts and that the model’s spine had to be cut away, making place for a donor canopy (the late, bulged variant, IIRC from an Italeri Fw 190D-9). Internally the fuselage gap was filled with putty and the headrest had to be modified, too, but the conversion turned out to look better than expected.

 

As a small cosmetic improvement, the molded gun barrel stumps in the wing roots were replaced with hollow steel needles, and the outer guns were completely removed.

 

In this photo I took a precise photo of girl that has caught my attention on modernism. I wanted to interpret the photography style of Paul Strand while adapting my own process into this portrait. Modernism nowadays is about shaggier hair, simple clothing, but also expressing the character through different poses that seem unique. Just as how Paul Strand wants his subjects to be surrounded by the surroundings they live in; I’ve also implemented this method into my portrait to capture their self. With the touches, I dilated the color of the portrait into black and white to match the aesthetic of the old modernism and the present modernism. The lighting was also touched so that the subjects’ shadow could “pop-out”.

As to why I chose Paul Strand as my Photographer reference, it is because the way how he interprets and creates his work. From wanting to create mysterious portraits into socially getting close with his portrait subject in order to capture the full photo of the person and their life.

 

Fitment Specifications

Wheels: Chevy Precise

Finish: Hand Brushed

24" w/ 9" Outer Lips

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

The kit and its assembly:

This is a what-if model, but, as usual, it is rooted in reality – to be precise in the German late-war plans to mate the Ta 152(H) with the mighty Jumo 222 engine. I do not know what the official service designation would have been, but this combo would have resulted in a powerful fighter – AFAIK, German engineers’ calculations indicated a performance that would have been comparable with the post-WWII F4U-5!

 

Creating a model of such this paper aircraft called for some serious conversion work and ended almost in a kitbashing. The starting point became a (cheap) Mistercraft Fw 190D-9 kit, and I originally planned this model to be a Fw 190 variant, but eventually this turned into a Ta 152, since it would better match up with the late war time frame.

The Mastercraft/Mistercraft kit appears to be an indigenous mold and not a re-issue of a vintage kit. At first glance the parts look pretty crisp, but the kit has some serious fit and flash issues. Another selling point is the detailed decal set, which comes in three sheets and encompasses a lot of stencils – even though the instructions where to place them are not consistent, and there are even 1:48 scale(!) markings included. But that’s a Mastercraft/Mistercraft standard, anyway…

 

Well, the basis was sound and the kit would, in any event, be thoroughly modified. From the OOB kit, fuselage, wings and stabilizers were taken, as well as the landing gear and some other bits.

 

The wings were extended, in order to keep overall proportions with the new, much more massive engine cowling balanced (see below). Not an easy stunt, but I was lucky to have recently bought a set of resin Doppelreiter tanks from Airmodel which were just perfect to cover the cuts and seams on the upper wing surfaces. Inside of the wings, a styrene strip secured stability while the lower wing surface was sculpted with putty and the trailing edge of the outer wing panels was cut down by 1 mm, so that the wings’ outlines match again. Some further PSR work was necessary to blend the slipper tanks into the wings, forming the upper side of the modifications, but in the end the whole thing looks quite good.

 

The fuselage lost both its original engine and the tail. The latter is a donor part from a Frog Ta 152H (Revell re-boxing), but mating it with the Mistercraft Fw 190D was not easy because the fuselage shapes of the two kits are totally different! I also used the Mistercraft stabilizers because they were markedly bigger than the same parts from the Ta 152 kit!

 

The Jumo 222 front end was simulated with parts from the spares box, and it is a bit exaggerated. Actually, the Jumo 222 was hardly bigger (in both length and diameter) than the Fw 190D’s Jumo 213 V12 engine! The cowling and the radiator for my conversion came from a Frog He 219 engine nacelle (Revell re-boxing, too) which is utterly dubious. The nacelle parts were turned upside down and integrated into the slender Fw 190 front fuselage with several layers of putty.

Inside of the cowling, a radiator plate from an Italeri Fw 190D was mounted, together with a styrene tube adapter for the new propeller. The latter was scratched, using a drop tank as spinner and single propeller blades from the Mistercraft Fw 190D, plus one donor blade from the Frog Ta 152H kit, which had to be trimmed in order to match the other blades. But with some paint, no one will tell the small differences…

 

Once the bigger engine was integrated into the fuselage, the exhaust system had to be added. In real life, the Jumo 222 would have featured three clusters with two rows of four exhaust stubs, distributed evenly around the cowling. Using a drawing of this arrangement as benchmark, I started with square cuts for the cluster openings. From the back side, styrene sheet closed the gaps and offered a basis for the exhaust stubs. These were improvised with H0 scale roofing shingles – each of the 24 exhaust stubs was cut individually into shape and size and then glued into the respective openings on the upper flanks and under the engine. Finally, styrene sheet was used to create small spoilers and heat shields. The result is certainly not perfect, but comes close to what the real world arrangement would basically have looked like. In a final step, two air intakes for the two-stage supercharger, scratched from sprue material, were added to the flanks.

 

The cockpit remained OOB, simple as it is, as well as the landing gear, but the canopy was modified in order to allow a presentation in open position. This meant that the OOB canopy had to be cut in two parts and that the model’s spine had to be cut away, making place for a donor canopy (the late, bulged variant, IIRC from an Italeri Fw 190D-9). Internally the fuselage gap was filled with putty and the headrest had to be modified, too, but the conversion turned out to look better than expected.

 

As a small cosmetic improvement, the molded gun barrel stumps in the wing roots were replaced with hollow steel needles, and the outer guns were completely removed.

 

Designer: Cai An (才安)

1980s?

The crane operator's signals must be precise

Qizhong zhihui xinhao yao zhunque (起重指挥信号要准确)

Call nr.: BG E17/10 (IISH collection)

 

More? See: chineseposters.net

Buddy Brewer, SOASTA, Beyond Apdex: Defining a precise SLA for performance, keynote speaker, with wide shots of the audience from the balcony, Velocity; New York; 2015

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

Tank Infantry Mark III, Valentine IX (E2000.577)

The precise identity of this tank is not clear, all identification marks having been removed many years ago. It stood outside the Army Base at Long Kesh in Northern Ireland for many years, subsequently moving to the Maze Prison and Lisanelly Camp, Omagh.

It was subsequently acquired by Vickers Defence Systems and restored to running order in Newcastle using the engine from our Valentine Archer (E1969.43). In due course it was offered to the Tank Museum on loan and ultimately, in March 2002 was gifted to the Museum.

The Valentine Mark IX was upgunned to fit a 57mm (six-pounder) gun into the turret although this did not leave enough room for a co-axial machine gun and in any case, with just a two-man turret crew the tank was very difficult to fight.

Our tank carried the number T123358 on the turret which is correct for the type but not necessarily for this actual vehicle. Mark IX Valentines saw service in North Africa and some may have been suppplied to Russia but by 1943 the Valentine had been replaced in front line service by more modern vehicles and was either being relegated to secondary roles or supplied to other countries such as Portugal.

The Valentine development started without a specification from the War Office (hence the absence of an army designation), as a private design by Sir John Carden, and was submitted on February, 10, 1938, to the authorities. By then, the Matilda II had been chosen for production, but the Valentine was something different.

Vickers engineers basically tried to enhance their A10 Cruiser tank design, with a dramatic increase in protection (up to 60 mm/2.36 in). This choice allowed the use most components and parts of the already produced Cruiser I and II, therefore creating an efficient and cheap solution to the need of new infantry tank models. By then, the Matilda II was found to be far costlier than the Matilda I, and not suitable for mass-production. Comparatively, the Valentine seemed a good compromise. The name itself still is a mystery. It could have originated either from Sir John Carden’s middle name, or the date of its first submission (St. Valentine day), or a composed Vickers factory codename, though most historians agree that Valentine was just a simple codename during development.

The Mark I set the tone for the entire series of eleven main variants, with many sub-variants, and a staggering total of 8300 units. The main armament and turret design, as well as the engine and protection, were continuously improved while keeping roughly the same general appearance until 1945. The Mk.I was recognizable by its original two-man turret and 2-pdr (40 mm/1.575 in) gun. From the start, a coaxial Besa machine-gun constitued the secondary armament. The crew consisted of only three men due to the cramped interior, and the commander was also busy as gun loader, machine-gunner and radio operator. The production was rushed to such point that many problems were later detected and fixed with the next Mk.II. The main engine was the AEG A189 petrol delivering only 135 hp, and the hull was riveted. 350 were delivered in all, most seeing action in Libya, while others stayed at home for training.

 

Tankfest by World of Tanks - 24.-25.6.2016

The Tank Museum - Bovington, UK

Worlds biggest and best live display of historic armour, living history, and much more at the Home of the Tank - The Tank Museum, Bovington, United Kingdom.

 

More from Tankfest:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen2/albums/72157670621...

More from me:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen

Tankfest videos:

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIGRHBJyGQb3PpXwFlOKve2OUJ...

My Imgur galleries:

grendelb.imgur.com/

   

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

This new ultimate wake boat combines amazing wakes, precise handling, aggressive looks and a shockingly refined interior. The view from overhead is elegance, while the water-level vantage point is complete intimidation. The SA350, SA450 and SA550 have Indmar power behind their names. These models protect and project with Supra's new Barrage Front End while the Battle Prep Transom prepares you for action. Specific hull design and perfectly matched underwater gear take wake boat handling beyond better. Elevate even further with Supra Ride System (SRS) components like 900 pounds of hard sub-floor Liquid Lead Ballast and the new loaded Roswell Pro Edge Tower. Opt for 1,300-pounds of additional Flex Ballast from the factory and swamp the competition. The epitome of convenience and customization the SA has snap-out carpet with a fiberglass floor. The intricate upholstery design is only matched by the plush feel and durability of the NANO Block Technology (NBT) Vinyl surrounding multiple densities of foam. Hand-covered accents finish the performance look and the luxurious feel. Experience SA350, SA450 and SA550 shock and awe in person at a Supra Boats dealer near you.

 

Overall Length w/o Platform: 22' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform: 24' 6"

 

Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 27' 2"

 

Width (Beam): 100"

 

Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"

 

Draft: 26"

 

Weight - Boat only: 4,300 lbs

 

Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5,600 lbs

 

Capacity - Passenger: 10

 

Capacity - Weight: 1,400 lbs

 

Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals

 

Capacity - Ballast: 900 lbs (S) 1,300 lbs (O) = 2,200 lbs available from factory.

 

Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 345 HP-SA350, 450 HP-SA450, 550HP-SA550

When was the world's first railway laid? No one is quite confident on a precise date but simple rails have been used to guide vehicles for centuries, definitely as far back as the middle ages and possibly even in ancient Greece.

 

What is certain is that in the early 1600s a Nottinghamshire businessman called Huntingdon Beaumont came to Northumberland and laid rails from collieries near Blyth to a shipping point on the coast.

 

His waggonway used horses hauling wooden waggons on wooden wheels on wooden rails, however this was not a financial success. It did though provide the spark of progression from primitive wooden rails over short distances, to a railway network which would change Britain and the world forever.

 

Tyneside Roads

 

From the mid 1600 onwards waggonways and the Tyneside coal industry became linked so closely that they were known throughout the rest of Britain as 'Tyneside Roads'. A network of lines linked collieries on both sides of the Tyne to the river.

 

It is no coincidence that the North East was the area where waggonways took greatest hold, because canal building was impossible due to deep valleys and steep hills. What set the rail systems of Tyneside apart from all others was its use of the flanged wheel - a key element of the modern railway as we know it.

 

A revelation

 

When the Tanfield Railway - or waggonway as it was known at the time - was built in 1725, it was a revelation. Its massive engineering was unlike anything else in its era, or even since the Roman Empire. It was a triumph of engineering over nature, a clear signal that a new industrial age was upon the world, and that railways would play a massive part.

 

First laid down more than a quarter of a century before the first railway officially sanctioned by government, over 75 years before the first steam locomotive and a whole 100 years earlier than the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the Tanfield Railway is the world's oldest railway. We will be the first railway to celebrate our tricentenary in 2025.

Dorothy Ashby's precise and intricate solo harp playing is highlighted on the song "If It's Magic" from the classic album, Stevie Wonder's 1976 Motown Tamla LP "Songs In The Key of Life".

 

This landmark musical production was a two record album set plus an extended play 45 rpm single. The release of "Songs In the Key of Life" remains one of, if not the most significant and successful recording projects in Stevie Wonder's stellar career.

 

This album was hugely significant to the career of Dorothy Ashby because she is the sole musical accompaniment to Wonder's singing and harmonica playing on the beautiful song "If It's Magic". Ashby's sensitive and intricate positioning of individual notes on the harp supported and accentuated Wonder's beautiful vocals on this song. This musical duet was accomplished, (according to private papers written by Dorothy Ashby) after Stevie Wonder auditioned several harpists (including Alice Coltrane) for the assignment.

 

Stevie Wonder has recently said onstage in concert that of all the harp players that auditioned to play on his "Songs In Dorothy Ashby was the best. It has been suggested that Dorothy Ashby got the nod to play on the "If It's Magic" song only because Alice Coltrane was not available but according to both Stevie Wonder and Dorothy Ashby, this was not the case. Private notes written by Dorothy herself indicated that her selection to play on the song was the end result of a auditioning process that included Alice Coltrane but in the end, Alice Coltrane was not selected. Listening to the song I am much more inclined to believe Ashby's story because it is well known that Stevie Wonder is a very exacting musician who insists on the best from his fellow musicians. Stevie Wonder took almost two years to record this album. Wonder took his time to produce the best album of his career so it stands to reason that he would have waited for his first choice in terms of a harpist. Especially for a song that highlighted to skills of the harpist as much as the song "If It's Magic".

 

Stevie Wonder was producing the best albums of his career and artists were lining up to work with him at this time. The most widely held story is that Bill Withers (who had been recently produced by Dorothy Ashby) , personally recommended Dorothy Ashby to Stevie Wonder.

 

On the song "If It's Magic" Dorothy Ashby's signature style of individual and distinct note playing on the harp is evident. Alice Coltrane was much more inclined to strum the harp continuously when playing and that would not have worked as well in this song.

 

Dorothy Ashby's poignant singular harp playing along side Stevie Wonder's singing on "If It's Magic" was a high point on the album. "If It's Magic" was played on many stations nationwide and the attention that Dorothy Ashby received was probably the most that she had ever received ever.

One thing is certain, Dorothy Ashby was very much in demand as a session musician after the release of this album. In fact, Dorothy Ashby played harp on many records released on Motown Records that have not yet been documented.

  

Phidippus audax taking facial hair tips from his photographer rather than his stylist. (Naturally, I'm biased, but approve.)

 

This is a "winter" junper, in that I photographed it during the winter. Last January, to be more precise.Already one winter jumper spotted this past week, but it's been hanging up on high, on the walls near the ceiling. In the holiday spirit, I've left it to his own devices rather than relocate it for a photo shoot.

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