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The designer of the Salmamundi-class heavy cruiser is unknown. The manufacturer is unknown. The original commissioner of the design is unknown. In fact, very little about the origins of this particular class of vessel are known. The reasons for this are obvious: the Salmamundi is a pirate vessel. In fact, it is the only known vessel to be exclusivley operated by pirates and other criminals, as well as being, as far as could be determined, designed and built by them.
The Salmagundi prioritizes above all else speed. It Is one of the fastest type of ship in the galaxy, capable of outrunning almost anything else. The standard tactic for this ship seems to be to lie in wait in a heavily trafficked area with all systems bar minimal life support deactivated. Once the passive sensores detect prey, it jumps to life, running down its target, boarding, seizing all valuables before making its escape. For this purpose it also has large storing capacity.
The immense power it draws on to accelerate comes at a price, however, as its shields are very weak, and its armour barely that of a light cruiser. Its large size means that entire pirate crews can live on it, negating the need for a vulnerable home base, but it also means the capture or destruction of one results in an enormous loss for a pirate faction. In fact, only one has ever been captured intact, by the Tracy-Nimmer Corporation. Most tend to be crewed very aggressively, as most pirates prefer death to capture, which often as not is a slower, more painful death.
The main opposition to this vessel is the Vanguard-class types of the Tracy-Nimmer Corporation, as well as the Elicerent-class of the Nova Corporation. The Salmagundi is able to outrun nearly all opponents, except for the Vanguard-class, which is more than powerful enough to destroy a Salmagundi with ease. The one captured Salmagundi proved a treasure trove of information, which the Tracy-Nimmer Corporation graciously shared to interested parties, for a price.
The only other major threat to this ship class is one of the most creative, unique and bizarre ship type. The Elicirent-class is visually identical to the Asinus-class cargo hauler of the Nova corporation. However, it is filled with explosives and completely devoid of life, sending out false readings and signals to fool pirate scanners. Once a pirate vessel attaches to board, the Elicirent simply blows up, usually taking the entire pirate crew along with it. A brilliant solution from a much smaller corporation that has neither the time or resources to build its own fleet of escorts. The concept was so successful that other companies soon copied it with their own designs. From then on any such decoy ship was simply called an Elicirent regardless of its actual design or class.
Such a huge influx of danger to pirates and criminals directly led to the Great Securing, whereafter only a few pirates, the most desperate or crafty ones, remained set in their ways and continued to wage their own, private war against honest citizens of the galaxy. But year after year, there are less and less of them...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzRm4K7NZm0&feature=related
Troubled Mind - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
( Strongly adivsed to watch this outstanding and unique video )
The architect is ...
Quite possibly
Suffering from ...
A troubled mind
or
Is a Tim Leary disciple !
:-)
g
Components like stickies, index cards and the note sheets work best for my brain to keep on top of projects and actions. Plus, it's easier to sort and prioritize, then physically check these off by pitching in recycling or flipping over to re-purpose.
w00t! Pushing 2300 views!
Participants in the Prioritizing Mental Health session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 May. Congress Centre - Ignite. Copyright: World Economic Forum/ Valeriano de Domenico
Our brewery produces very diverse and ingenious varieties of beer. We produce both low fermentation beers (lager) and high fermentation beers (ale). The latter varieties result from playful variations of different barley, wheat, and hops combinations. We pay special attention to the choice of top quality raw ingredients. When selecting hops we try to prioritize the exceptionally high-quality Slovenian hops but when we are looking for a particular aroma we reach for foreign aromatic hops from around the world.
Our brewery is also known for offering its costumers an innovative selection of beers. We like to explore exciting new brewing ingredients and people’s openness to different, unconventional tastes. This encourages us to occasionally brew honey beer made with local honey, chestnut beer made with handpicked chestnuts, or play with spices and additives of a perfectly natural origin and locally-sourced. Examples of this include beer with spruce tips, beer with an addition of mint, beer with ginger, beer brewed from potatoes and beans etc. Our imagination knows no bounds.
Our production keeps growing year in, year out and so does the quality, and the broad spectrum of our beers. The foundation of our business is a contented and driven work team that uses its energy to push the boundaries and build a stable and successful company. In 2016 we received a formal recognition of our work by being awarded a bronze medal for our pale ale beer at an international beer competition in Ireland.
We are the first brewery that offers the service of brewing beer for other brands, following their own recipes. Our partners use our facilities and together we are raising the bar for the drinking culture in Slovenia, and spreading the love of beer beyond our borders.
Location:
Just next to main road from Ljubljana to Črnomelj in Lokve village.
*****
Pivovarna Vizir je pionir na področju craft pivovarstva v Sloveniji. V lastni pivovarni sedaj varimo zelo različne in z domišljijo dopolnjene stile piva. Proizvajamo tako piva spodnjega vrenja (lager ali ležak) kot tudi piva zgornjega vrenja (ale piva). V slednjih stilih se poigravamo z različnimi kombinacijami ječmena, pšenice in hmelja. Posebno pozornost posvečamo izbiri surovin, da so le te vrhunske. Prednost pri izbiri hmeljev dajemo izredno kvalitetnim slovenskim hmeljem, kadar pa je potrebna posebna dišava, pa posežemo tudi po tujih, aromatičnih hmeljih iz celega sveta.
Naša pivovarna je znana tudi po tem, da ponuja našim pivcem drugačna piva. Na tak način radi raziskujemo kaj vse se lahko uporabi pri varjenju piva in kako dovzetni so ljudje za drugačne, nenavadne okuse. Tako občasno zvarimo tudi medeno pivo z belokranjskim medom, kostanjevo pivo iz ročno nabranega kostanja ali pa se poigramo z začimbami in dodatki, ki so povsem naravni in iz naše neposredne okolice. Tak primer je pivo s smrekovimi vršički, pivo z dodatkom mete, pivo z ingverjem, pivo, zvarjeno iz krompirja in fižola itd. Skratka, domišljija pri nas nima meja. Proizvodnja našega piva raste iz leta v leto, s tem pa tudi kvaliteta in širok spekter naših piv. Temelj našega podjetja tako tvori zadovoljna in zagnana delovna ekipa, ki s svojo energijo premika meje in gradi stabilno in uspešno podjetje. V letu 2016 smo tako dobili tudi uradno potrditev, saj je naše pivo stila pale ale osvojilo na mednarodnem tekmovanju piv na Irskem bronasto medaljo.
The South Gare Fisherman's Association (SGFA) is a prominent organization based in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England. It has a rich history that spans several decades and has played a crucial role in the fishing industry in the region. In this article, we will delve into the history of the SGFA, highlighting its formation, development, challenges, and contributions to the local community.
Formation and Early Years:
The origins of the South Gare Fisherman's Association can be traced back to the mid-20th century when a group of local fishermen came together to address the common issues and concerns they faced in their profession. The association was officially established in the early 1950s, with its headquarters situated near the South Gare breakwater, a vital fishing spot along the North Sea coast.
At its inception, the SGFA aimed to provide a unified voice for the local fishermen and protect their interests. The organization quickly gained recognition and support from the fishing community, and its membership steadily grew over the years. The association's primary objectives included promoting sustainable fishing practices, advocating for the welfare of its members, and fostering a sense of camaraderie among local fishermen.
Challenges and Adaptations:
The South Gare Fisherman's Association faced numerous challenges throughout its history, many of which were tied to the changing dynamics of the fishing industry. In the 20th century, technological advancements and evolving fishing regulations posed significant hurdles for traditional fishing communities like Redcar. The SGFA had to adapt to these changes to ensure the survival and prosperity of its members.
One of the most significant challenges faced by the association was the decline in fish stocks in the North Sea. Overfishing and environmental factors had a detrimental impact on the availability of fish, which affected the livelihoods of local fishermen. To tackle this issue, the SGFA actively collaborated with marine biologists, environmental agencies, and government bodies to advocate for sustainable fishing practices and conservation efforts.
Furthermore, the association played a crucial role in navigating the complex web of fishing regulations imposed by national and international governing bodies. It provided its members with up-to-date information on fishing quotas, licensing requirements, and safety standards. Additionally, the SGFA organized training programs and workshops to educate fishermen about new techniques, equipment, and regulations, enabling them to adapt to the changing industry landscape.
Community Engagement and Welfare:
Beyond its role in representing the interests of fishermen, the South Gare Fisherman's Association has been deeply involved in community engagement and welfare initiatives. The organization recognized the importance of supporting the local community and fostering a sense of solidarity among its members.
The SGFA actively participated in various community events, including charity fundraisers, local festivals, and educational programs. It collaborated with schools, community centers, and other organizations to promote awareness about the fishing industry and the marine environment. The association also facilitated opportunities for the younger generation to learn about fishing traditions, heritage, and the importance of environmental stewardship.
Moreover, the SGFA prioritized the welfare of its members. It established a support network that provided financial assistance, counseling services, and healthcare benefits to fishermen and their families during times of hardship. The association also campaigned for improved safety measures and lobbied for better working conditions, ensuring that the well-being of its members remained a top priority.
Modern-Day Contributions:
In recent years, the South Gare Fisherman's Association has continued to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the fishing community. The organization has embraced technological advancements, such as satellite navigation systems and advanced fishing equipment, to enhance the efficiency and safety of its members' operations.
Furthermore, the SGFA has actively promoted sustainable fishing practices and environmental conservation. It has collaborated with scientific institutions and environmental organizations to collect data on fish populations, monitor marine habitats, and implement measures to protect endangered species. The association has also advocated for responsible fishing methods and supported initiatives aimed at reducing the industry's carbon footprint.
Additionally, the SGFA has expanded its role as a guardian of fishing heritage and traditions. It has established a fishing museum and archive, showcasing artifacts, photographs, and stories that document the rich history of the local fishing industry. The association has also been involved in the preservation and restoration of historic fishing vessels, ensuring that future generations can appreciate the legacy of Redcar's fishing heritage.
Conclusion:
The South Gare Fisherman's Association has played a vital role in the fishing industry of Redcar, North Yorkshire, England. Throughout its history, the association has faced numerous challenges but has consistently adapted to changing circumstances. It has successfully represented the interests of local fishermen, promoted sustainable practices, and actively engaged with the community.
The SGFA's commitment to the welfare of its members and the preservation of fishing traditions has made it a revered institution in the region. As the fishing industry continues to evolve, the association remains dedicated to supporting its members, advocating for their interests, and ensuring a sustainable future for the fishing community in Redcar and beyond.
North Yorkshire is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East regions of England. It borders County Durham to the north, the North Sea to the east, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the south-east, South Yorkshire to the south, West Yorkshire to the south-west, and Cumbria and Lancashire to the west. Northallerton is the county town.
The county is the largest in England by land area, at 9,020 km2 (3,480 sq mi), and has a population of 1,158,816. The largest settlements are Middlesbrough (174,700) in the north-east and the city of York (152,841) in the south. Middlesbrough is part of the Teesside built-up area, which extends into County Durham and has a total population of 376,663. The remainder of the county is rural, and the largest towns are Harrogate (73,576) and Scarborough (61,749). For local government purposes the county comprises four unitary authority areas — York, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and North Yorkshire — and part of a fifth, Stockton-on-Tees.
The centre of the county contains a wide plain, called the Vale of Mowbray in the north and Vale of York in the south. The North York Moors lie to the east, and south of them the Vale of Pickering is separated from the main plain by the Howardian Hills. The west of the county contains the Yorkshire Dales, an extensive upland area which contains the source of the River Ouse/Ure and many of its tributaries, which together drain most of the county. The Dales also contain the county's highest point, Whernside, at 2,415 feet (736 m).
North Yorkshire non-metropolitan and ceremonial county was formed on 1 April 1974 as a result of the Local Government Act 1972. It covered most of the North Riding of Yorkshire, as well as northern parts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, northern and eastern East Riding of Yorkshire and the former county borough of York. Northallerton, as the former county town for the North Riding, became North Yorkshire's county town. In 1993 the county was placed wholly within the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
Some areas which were part of the former North Riding were in the county of Cleveland for twenty-two years (from 1974 to 1996) and were placed in the North East region from 1993. On 1 April 1996, these areas (Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton borough south of the River Tees) became part of the ceremonial county as separate unitary authorities. These areas remain within the North East England region.
Also on 1 April 1996, the City of York non-metropolitan district and parts of the non-metropolitan county (Haxby and nearby rural areas) became the City of York unitary authority.
On 1 April 2023, the non-metropolitan county became a unitary authority. This abolished eight councils and extended the powers of the county council to act as a district council.
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority held its first meeting on 22 January 2024, assumed its powers on 1 February 2024 and the first mayor is to be elected in May 2024.
The geology of North Yorkshire is closely reflected in its landscape. Within the county are the North York Moors and most of the Yorkshire Dales, two of eleven areas in England and Wales to be designated national parks. Between the North York Moors in the east and the Pennine Hills. The highest point is Whernside, on the Cumbrian border, at 2,415 feet (736 m). A distinctive hill to the far north east of the county is Roseberry Topping.
North Yorkshire contains several major rivers. The River Tees is the most northerly, forming part of the border between North Yorkshire and County Durham in its lower reaches and flowing east through Teesdale before reaching the North Sea near Redcar. The Yorkshire Dales are the source of many of the county's major rivers, including the Aire, Lune, Ribble, Swale, Ure, and Wharfe.[10] The Aire, Swale, and Wharfe are tributaries of the Ure/Ouse, which at 208 km (129 mi) long is the sixth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river is called the Ure until it meets Ouse Gill beck just below the village of Great Ouseburn, where it becomes the Ouse and flows south before exiting the county near Goole and entering the Humber estuary. The North York Moors are the catchment for a number of rivers: the Leven which flows north into the Tees between Yarm and Ingleby Barwick; the Esk flows east directly into the North Sea at Whitby as well as the Rye (which later becomes the Derwent at Malton) flows south into the River Ouse at Goole.
North Yorkshire contains a small section of green belt in the south of the county, which surrounds the neighbouring metropolitan area of Leeds along the North and West Yorkshire borders. It extends to the east to cover small communities such as Huby, Kirkby Overblow, and Follifoot before covering the gap between the towns of Harrogate and Knaresborough, helping to keep those towns separate.
The belt adjoins the southernmost part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the Nidderdale AONB. It extends into the western area of Selby district, reaching as far as Tadcaster and Balne. The belt was first drawn up from the 1950s.
The city of York has an independent surrounding belt area affording protections to several outlying settlements such as Haxby and Dunnington, and it too extends into the surrounding districts.
North Yorkshire has a temperate oceanic climate, like most of the UK. There are large climate variations within the county. The upper Pennines border on a Subarctic climate. The Vale of Mowbray has an almost Semi-arid climate. Overall, with the county being situated in the east, it receives below-average rainfall for the UK. Inside North Yorkshire, the upper Dales of the Pennines are one of the wettest parts of England, where in contrast the driest parts of the Vale of Mowbray are some of the driest areas in the UK.
Summer temperatures are above average, at 22 °C. Highs can regularly reach up to 28 °C, with over 30 °C reached in heat waves. Winter temperatures are below average, with average lows of 1 °C. Snow and Fog can be expected depending on location. The North York Moors and Pennines have snow lying for an average of between 45 and 75 days per year. Sunshine is most plentiful on the coast, receiving an average of 1,650 hours a year. It reduces further west in the county, with the Pennines receiving 1,250 hours a year.
The county borders multiple counties and districts:
County Durham's County Durham, Darlington, Stockton (north Tees) and Hartlepool;
East Riding of Yorkshire's East Riding of Yorkshire;
South Yorkshire's City of Doncaster;
West Yorkshire's City of Wakefield, City of Leeds and City of Bradford;
Lancashire's City of Lancaster, Ribble Valley and Pendle
Cumbria's Westmorland and Furness.
The City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council formed the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority in February 2024. The elections for the first directly-elected mayor will take place in May 2024. Both North Yorkshire Council and the combined authority are governed from County Hall, Northallerton.
The Tees Valley Combined Authority was formed in 2016 by five unitary authorities; Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland Borough both of North Yorkshire, Stockton-on-Tees Borough (Uniquely for England, split between North Yorkshire and County Durham), Hartlepool Borough and Darlington Borough of County Durham.
In large areas of North Yorkshire, agriculture is the primary source of employment. Approximately 85% of the county is considered to be "rural or super sparse".
Other sectors in 2019 included some manufacturing, the provision of accommodation and meals (primarily for tourists) which accounted for 19 per cent of all jobs. Food manufacturing employed 11 per cent of workers. A few people are involved in forestry and fishing in 2019. The average weekly earnings in 2018 were £531. Some 15% of workers declared themselves as self-employed. One report in late 2020 stated that "North Yorkshire has a relatively healthy and diverse economy which largely mirrors the national picture in terms of productivity and jobs.
Mineral extraction and power generation are also sectors of the economy, as is high technology.
Tourism is a significant contributor to the economy. A study of visitors between 2013 and 2015 indicated that the Borough of Scarborough, including Filey, Whitby and parts of the North York Moors National Park, received 1.4m trips per year on average. A 2016 report by the National Park, states the park area gets 7.93 million visitors annually, generating £647 million and supporting 10,900 full-time equivalent jobs.
The Yorkshire Dales have also attracted many visitors. In 2016, there were 3.8 million visits to the National Park including 0.48 million who stayed at least one night. The parks service estimates that this contributed £252 million to the economy and provided 3,583 full-time equivalent jobs. The wider Yorkshire Dales area received 9.7 million visitors who contributed £644 million to the economy. The North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales are among England's best known destinations.
York is a popular tourist destination. A 2014 report, based on 2012 data, stated that York alone receives 6.9 million visitors annually; they contribute £564 million to the economy and support over 19,000 jobs. In the 2017 Condé Nast Traveller survey of readers, York rated 12th among The 15 Best Cities in the UK for visitors. In a 2020 Condé Nast Traveller report, York rated as the sixth best among ten "urban destinations [in the UK] that scored the highest marks when it comes to ... nightlife, restaurants and friendliness".
During February 2020 to January 2021, the average property in North Yorkshire county sold for £240,000, up by £8100 over the previous 12 months. By comparison, the average for England and Wales was £314,000. In certain communities of North Yorkshire, however, house prices were higher than average for the county, as of early 2021: Harrogate (average value: £376,195), Knaresborough (£375,625), Tadcaster (£314,278), Leyburn (£309,165) and Ripon (£299,998), for example.
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added for North Yorkshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.
Unemployment in the county was traditionally low in recent years, but the lockdowns and travel restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on the economy during much of 2020 and into 2021. The UK government said in early February 2021 that it was planning "unprecedented levels of support to help businesses [in the UK] survive the crisis". A report published on 1 March 2021 stated that the unemployment rate in North Yorkshire had "risen to the highest level in nearly 5 years – with under 25s often bearing the worst of job losses".
York experienced high unemployment during lockdown periods. One analysis (by the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership) predicted in August 2020 that "as many as 13,835 jobs in York will be lost in the scenario considered most likely, taking the city's unemployment rate to 14.5%". Some critics claimed that part of the problem was caused by "over-reliance on the booming tourism industry at the expense of a long-term economic plan". A report in mid June 2020 stated that unemployment had risen 114 per cent over the previous year because of restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic.
Tourism in the county was expected to increase after the restrictions imposed due the pandemic are relaxed. One reason for the expected increase is the airing of All Creatures Great and Small, a TV series about the vet James Herriot, based on a successful series of books; it was largely filmed within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The show aired in the UK in September 2020 and in the US in early 2021. One source stated that visits to Yorkshire websites had increased significantly by late September 2020.
The East Coast Main Line (ECML) bisects the county stopping at Northallerton,Thirsk and York. Passenger service companies in the area are London North Eastern Railway, Northern Rail, TransPennine Express and Grand Central.
LNER and Grand Central operate services to the capital on the ECML, Leeds Branch Line and the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line. LNER stop at York, Northallerton and on to County Durham or spur over to the Tees Valley Line for Thornaby and Middlesbrough. The operator also branch before the county for Leeds and run to Harrogate and Skipton. Grand Central stop at York, Thirsk Northallerton and Eaglescliffe then over to the Durham Coast Line in County Durham.
Northern operates the remaining lines in the county, including commuter services on the Harrogate Line, Airedale Line and York & Selby Lines, of which the former two are covered by the Metro ticketing area. Remaining branch lines operated by Northern include the Yorkshire Coast Line from Scarborough to Hull, York–Scarborough line via Malton, the Hull to York Line via Selby, the Tees Valley Line from Darlington to Saltburn via Middlesbrough and the Esk Valley Line from Middlesbrough to Whitby. Last but certainly not least, the Settle-Carlisle Line runs through the west of the county, with services again operated by Northern.
The county suffered badly under the Beeching cuts of the 1960s. Places such as Richmond, Ripon, Tadcaster, Helmsley, Pickering and the Wensleydale communities lost their passenger services. Notable lines closed were the Scarborough and Whitby Railway, Malton and Driffield Railway and the secondary main line between Northallerton and Harrogate via Ripon.
Heritage railways within North Yorkshire include: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, between Pickering and Grosmont, which opened in 1973; the Derwent Valley Light Railway near York; and the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. The Wensleydale Railway, which started operating in 2003, runs services between Leeming Bar and Redmire along a former freight-only line. The medium-term aim is to operate into Northallerton station on the ECML, once an agreement can be reached with Network Rail. In the longer term, the aim is to reinstate the full line west via Hawes to Garsdale on the Settle-Carlisle line.
York railway station is the largest station in the county, with 11 platforms and is a major tourist attraction in its own right. The station is immediately adjacent to the National Railway Museum.
The main road through the county is the north–south A1(M), which has gradually been upgraded in sections to motorway status since the early 1990s. The only other motorways within the county are the short A66(M) near Darlington and a small stretch of the M62 motorway close to Eggborough. The other nationally maintained trunk routes are the A168/A19, A64, A66 and A174.
Long-distance coach services are operated by National Express and Megabus. Local bus service operators include Arriva Yorkshire, Stagecoach, Harrogate Bus Company, The Keighley Bus Company, Scarborough & District (East Yorkshire), Yorkshire Coastliner, First York and the local Dales & District.
There are no major airports in the county itself, but nearby airports include Teesside International (Darlington), Newcastle and Leeds Bradford.
The main campus of Teesside University is in Middlesbrough, while York contains the main campuses of the University of York and York St John University. There are also two secondary campuses in the county: CU Scarborough, a campus of Coventry University, and Queen's Campus, Durham University in Thornaby-on-Tees.
Colleges
Middlesbrough College's sixth-form
Askham Bryan College of agriculture, Askham Bryan and Middlesbrough
Craven College, Skipton
Middlesbrough College
The Northern School of Art, Middlesbrough
Prior Pursglove College
Redcar & Cleveland College
Scarborough Sixth Form College
Scarborough TEC
Selby College
Stockton Riverside College, Thornaby
York College
Places of interest
Ampleforth College
Beningbrough Hall –
Black Sheep Brewery
Bolton Castle –
Brimham Rocks –
Castle Howard and the Howardian Hills –
Catterick Garrison
Cleveland Hills
Drax Power Station
Duncombe Park – stately home
Eden Camp Museum –
Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway –
Eston Nab
Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo –
Helmsley Castle –
Ingleborough Cave – show cave
John Smith's Brewery
Jorvik Viking Centre –
Lightwater Valley –
Lund's Tower
Malham Cove
Middleham Castle –
Mother Shipton's Cave –
National Railway Museum –
North Yorkshire Moors Railway –
Ormesby Hall – Palladian Mansion
Richmond Castle –
Ripley Castle – Stately home and historic village
Riverside Stadium
Samuel Smith's Brewery
Shandy Hall – stately home
Skipton Castle –
Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications –
Studley Royal Park –
Stump Cross Caverns – show cave
Tees Transporter Bridge
Theakston Brewery
Thornborough Henges
Wainman's Pinnacle
Wharram Percy
York Castle Museum –
Yorkshire Air Museum –
The Yorkshire Arboretum
“We are hoping for transparency in the upcoming elections. We expect to elect a leader that will focus on the wellbeing of the Somali people, prioritize addressing the plight of the poor people as well as generating employment opportunities for the youth,” Shambow Khalif, a kiosk owner in Mogadishu, Somalia, on February 15, 2016. AMISOM Photo / Ilyas Ahmed
our 100 year old stucco has needed paiting and repairs for 10 years and for past five Kris has waited as I said "oh I'll do it next summer" while prioritizing building a sauna, chicken coop and treehouse movie theater.
so now kris made it a priority to get someone else is painting the house which is probably for the best anyway :-)
now we’re under the gun to pick a color, have looked at dozens of samples on the house AND NOW IT’S THE VERY LAST DAY TO MAKE A DECISION!
decisions were decided but we went with a tricky blue and we're still not 100% sure it's the "right" blue!
Members of the Maryland Air National Guard 175th Logistics Readiness Squadron work with members of the Maryland Office of Preparedness and Response March 19, 2020, to prepare and load medical supplies and equipment at the Maryland Strategic National Stockpile location. All assets provided are prioritized for health care workers and hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Christopher Schepers)
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030819 - WASHINGTON DC., Managing Director and Chairwoman of the IMF Christine Lagarde and Interim WBG President Kristalina Georgieva engage in a conversation on their pioneering leadership and challenges they and other women have faced, the economic issues they’re dealing with and how they prioritize gender both through operations and in walking the talk within the IMF and WBG.
Photo: World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie
deux [2] de trois six cinq.
okay, trying to figure out editing process still!
"she NEEDS to sort out her priorities." that would be Ron talking to Harry about how Hermione has poor prioritization (she said it would be worse to be expelled from Hogwarts than get eaten by Fluffy). i'm only blabbing about this because i should be working on my history presentation that's due tomorrow but instead drifted over to picture taking. meaning i have poor prioritization as well although not as school-oriented as that Hermione. oh well...
and sorry if prioritization is not a word, i just don't know.
DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station Marine Unit rescued 13 individuals who attempted to cross the Rio Grande River, Sept. 3. At approximately 10:20 a.m., Border Patrol agents spotted a group of suspected illegal aliens attempting to cross the Rio Grande River near the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. Due to the river’s depth and swift current, responding agents assisted the group, including several small children on board their vessel. “Del Rio Sector agents continue to remain vigilant and prioritize safety for all people encountered,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “The river can be extremely dangerous for those who attempt to traverse it. Smugglers continue to put other lives in danger for their own financial gain.” Agents rescued a total of 13, including six children, all Honduran nationals. All 13 were offered medical assistance, however, no injuries were reported. The group was transported to the Eagle Pass South Station and processed per CBP guidelines. Border Patrol agents in the Del Rio Sector have already rescued over 470 individuals in fiscal year 2019, after only 125 total rescues for fiscal year 2018. Nationally, the Border Patrol has over 4,200 rescues in fiscal year 2019, compared to 3,661 in fiscal year 2018.
Photo provided by: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
To help keep people safe and re-establish the movement of critical goods and services following severe flooding and landslides, the Province is taking temporary measures to ensure fuel (gas and diesel) is prioritized for essential vehicles, while keeping it available to British Columbians.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/25774
The Abolition of Sex
An unabashed American feminist lawyer lays out how trans ideology is abolishing biological sex in favor of gender identity now being written into law. She points out that gender ideology wants to abolish sex whereas feminists want to abolish gender. Gender is a prison that keeps women in a position of subservience to men is what feminists are saying.
The term “gender identity” has no legal definition so can mean anything which makes it very hard to protect woman (and men) on the basis of their sex. As has been done in the past. This is of concern to the author because of the issue of women’s safety. Specifically of men being allowed into women’s bathrooms, changing rooms and locker rooms where women and girls expect to have privacy and security from male bodied persons. She addresses how if passed the Equality Act would prioritize gender identity over biological sex and thus no one would have the legal right to protect women’s spaces from men.
The following are court cases used to support Biden’s executive act.
Bostock vs Clayton case in 2020 in which two gay men sued for wrongful termination on the basis of their sexual orientation and won. Then followed Aimee Stephens case suing for sex discrimination owing to his transgender status. He was employed at a funeral home. When he came out as female and insisted that he should be able to wear the women’s uniform and use the women’s restroom he was fired. WolF the feminist organization defended women’s sex based rights by stating that 1) sex does not mean gender identity, 2) sex stereotyping is unlawful, 3) and would have dangerous implications for women’s employment, education and other arenas, 4) a ruling in favor would result in government compelled speech i.e. pronouns. The court specifically limited its ruling to Title VIII the employment sector. Biden expanded this to mean all sectors of society. It also did not include protection of gender identity only transgender status.
Gloucester County School Board vs Grimm (2020). Gavin Grimm a MtF student sues for the right to use the boys bathroom even though a gender neutral bathroom was available. Appeals court declares that a transgender identity is ambiguous. WoLF argues that enshrining gender identity would destroy the concept of sex discrimination but lost. Bostock ruling is now extended to Title IX in the Fourth Court Circuit. Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolinas.
Doe vs Boyertown School District (2017). A boy Joel Doe plus others sues his school for allowing girls in locker room per the girls gender identity. The judges forbid the use of the phrase “opposite sex” because it interfered with the concept of gender identity and the students lost twice. The Supreme Court refused to take the case. Thus the question of whether schools can legally acknowledge the material reality of sex. Thus no more single sex facilities in schools in the Third Circuit—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the Virgin Islands.
Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools filed 2021. Four female track athletes sued because two boys were being allowed to compete as girls. Judge forbids the boys to be referred to as male, only as transgender females. He was asked to recluse himself but denied that motion. Thus severing judgement from material reality. Subjective belief is more important than objective scientific truth when deciding matters under the law. Case dismissed because boys had graduated. Girls appealed. Case still pending in Second Circuit court.
Hecox v. Little. Idaho signs into law the Fairness In Women’s Sports Act in 2020 along with 37 other states. A man claiming transgender status sues aided by ACLU describing him as an “adult woman” and that gender identity is a medical term and argues that sex is an internal, innate sense and that biological sex is imprecise. He wins. Sex is abolished. The state and two female athletes appeal. The Ninth Circuit sends it back to find out if still relevant since Hecox had dropped out of college.
B.J.P. v. West Virginia State Board of Education filed 2021. Another younger boy who was on puberty blockers sues the state for its woman’s sports law. And again the court blocks the law by deeming biological sex irrelevant.
Other issues: Reporting crime and crime statistics. Health statistics and research. Abolition of sex in journalism thus obscuring material reality. Also the prisons and women’s shelters. And the erasure of lesbians. Lesbian family shot in 2016 by trans woman Dana Rivers protesting Michfest. Lesbians are erased and can’t find each other.
Cancelling of dissenting feminists through deplatforming. The social media version of the medieval scold. A woman, Thistle Petersen charged with disorderly conduct and property damage as a hate crime for placing a sticker with the words “TERF collective “on a media box. Dismissed on first amendment grounds.
Preferred pronouns mandated city wide in San Francisco in 2021. Not yet challenged under First Amendment.
Ohio 2019. Professor of Philosophy Nicolas Merriwether sues school for disciplining him over his refusal to use a trans students pronouns. He lost but won an appeal.
Kara posits that the goal of the gender industry is to abolish material reality in order to favor lived experience over objective reality in order to “create a new reality of godlike freedom in which all have the ability to remake themselves in their own projected freedom”. Motivated by “the denial of nature and the limits it places on our ability to reimagine ourselves and the world”.
She quotes analysis of Foucault as having claimed that societal contingencies such as age of consent just happened by chance as opposed to being intentionally set by society. And quotes Judith Butler that women are discriminated against not because of exploitation by men, but because of the existence of the sex binary.
Kara’s theory of why this academic virus escaped from the lab is due to three factors. 1) The invention of the word transgender. 2) The explosion of corporate driven tech and medical practices. 3) The thorough embrace of the sexual exploitation of women and girls by the Left.
Points out that the word “transgender” created a fantasy that individuals could transcend gender norms, but was still attached to gender stereotypes so was more style than substance while successfully abolishing biological reality. The AGP driven industry objectifies women because being a sex object is what turns them on. Forced feminization is erotic. Turns women out of their category and turns them into a concept that anyone can inhabit.
The investment project will finance the first of three prioritized corridors of the planned regional rapid transit system (RRTS) network in India's National Capital Region (NCR). The Delhi-Meerut RRTS will pass through the densely populated sections of the NCR, connecting Delhi to Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The 82-kilometer corridor will provide safe, reliable, and high-capacity commuter transit services between various locations along the corridor. The investment project will finance rail track, signaling, station buildings, and maintenance facilities. It will also support capacity and institutional development of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), a joint venture company of the Government of India and states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, that is mandated to implement the RRTS project across the NCR.
Read more on:
Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Investment Project
Every year in 50 countries across the world, more than 5 million mothers and children die from preventable conditions and their economies lose billions of dollars to poor health and nutrition. This is in large part due to a significant financing gap for health and nutrition.The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) is a multi-stakeholder partnership that is helping governments in low-income countries transform how they prioritize and finance the health and nutrition of their people. The GFF supports governments to bring partners together around a country-led plan, prioritizing high-impact but underinvested areas of health, such as primary health care, nutrition, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The GFF partnership supports countries by:
1. Developing an investment case and implementation plan for prioritizing reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition and a strong primary health care system;
2. Strengthening a country-led platform that aligns all key stakeholders around this investment case and plan; and
3. Mobilizing and coordinating the financial resources needed to accelerate progress for the most vulnerable populations, often in the hardest-to-reach regions.
The GFF Trust Fund acts as a catalyst for financing, with countries using modest GFF Trust Fund grants to significantly increase their domestic resources alongside World Bank financing, aligned external financing, and private sector resources.The work of the GFF partnership touches the lives of women and girls in some of the worldʼs poorest countries and regions. The photos in this exhibit tell just Photo © Dominic Chavez/GFF
McGee, Charles (1924–2021)
Abstract Drawing
Pastel and chalk on paper
Support size: 14 5/8 x 12 3/8 inches; Image size: 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches
During his long life Charles William McGee was an artist interested in diverse subjects and skilled with many different materials. He was also a dedicated teacher and active member of his community—a “mover and shaker”—who made art for public spaces, organized exhibitions, and taught college students, as well as local youths and incarcerated individuals.
McGee was born on a sharecropper’s farm belonging to his grandfather near Clemson, South Carolina. He had little formal schooling and no art education before his move to Detroit in 1934, another example of the Great Migration. Once relocated he took art classes at the public library and was given a scholarship by the Detroit Institute of Arts to take evening drawing classes. Students drew from works in the museum’s collection, about which McGee said: “the museum was freeing, and I was in heaven. It opened up a whole new world.”
Unfortunately, McGee’s formal education ended in the tenth grade with the death of his mother. He was employed on a Works Progress Administration painting project before taking a factory job in the foundry and learned how to handle metal—a critical skill that served him well later when he made large-scale sculptures. Between 1943 and 1947 McGee served in the United States Marines and was stationed in the South Pacific as part of an all-Black supply company. He also worked in the laundry where he became acquainted with different fabrics, information that proved useful when he began making collages. Following his military service McGee returned to Detroit and took another job on an auto industry assembly line until the early 1950s when he shifted to the United States Army Tank Automotive Center. He was employed as a draftsman there until 1967.
Using the GI Bill, McGee took classes as a part-time student for ten years at the Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies). He also became involved in the Black art scene in Detroit where Hughie Lee-Smith was active. McGee continued to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts where in 1955 he saw Jacob Lawrence’s John Brown series. In late 1967 he quit his industry job and began a yearlong sojourn in Barcelona, enrolling first at the municipal Escuela Massana, but shortly afterward moving on to another school where he concentrated on printmaking. He saw work by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró and became enchanted by “the texture of living, the colors, [and] the oldness of everything” in Spain.
Upon his return to Detroit, in 1969 McGee opened Gallery 7, for the specific purpose of exhibiting Black art and selling African masks. He also organized the Charles McGee School of Art, where volunteer instructors taught Black youth. The school remained active until 1974. During the spring term of 1970 he was one of twelve Black artists in residence at the University of Delaware. At Eastern Michigan University in Lansing he first served in a similar position in 1969 before becoming a tenured faculty member until his retirement in 1987. In 1978 McGee founded the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit and received the first Michigan Foundation for the Arts (now the Michigan Council) award. In 2008 the Kresge Foundation honored him with the first Eminent Detroit Artist award.
Initially a painter who depicted African and Egyptian infused imagery, McGee also enjoyed experimenting in a variety of materials and techniques: he had a non-objective phase on shaped canvases, made collages, and did large scale charcoal drawings; he also dabbled in plaster, which gave texture to his surfaces, as well as neon for reliefs. In addition, he was responsible for several large public commissions crafted from aluminum, both in relief and large, freestanding sculptures. He explained his goals: “Discovering solutions that transform mundane public spaces into lively, aesthetic, people-friendly environments is the will or force that motivates my work. … I am convinced that public art has a responsibility to educate, to maintain integrity, and to act in the service of its audience.”
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All the Small Things
TJC Gallery, Spartanburg SC
February 19, 2025 – April 4, 2025
thejohnsoncollection.org/all-the-small-things/
Size matters in art. The scale of a work when seen in person can be an essential ingredient in its visual impact. And the received canon of fine art in the West has a clear bias for BIG things—from the monumental statuary of antiquity to the massive canvases in the contemporary art scene. Indeed, for the past four hundred years, artists have been highly incentivized to “go big,” as larger works commanded more prestige. Within the hierarchy of art genres inherited from the seventeenth century and the standardized measurements that evolved in the art industries of the nineteenth century, the largest canvases and commissions have traditionally been reserved for imposing landscapes and full-length portraits. Against this grain, the present exhibition celebrates the wondrous world of small art—in this case, paintings of no more than twenty inches.
Why might an artist work on a small scale? For some the motivation may be economic. Larger paintings mean more material costs, from more paint to bigger frames and heftier shipping prices. Thus, the size of an artwork potentially reveals unequal financial challenges faced by, for instance, women artists, self-taught artists, or artists of color. At the same time, the cheaper costs of smaller works make them well-suited for preliminary studies (as with Aaron Douglas’s The Toiler) or for trial efforts with new styles and techniques (such as Theodoros Stamos’s experiments with abstraction in Flow). Smaller art is more portable, making it ideal for artists working in the plein-air tradition or those working rapidly for tourist markets. Finally, although petite paintings have historically been relegated to subjects considered mundane or insignificant, these small works can instead confer an intimacy and humanity for the artist and viewer alike.
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See also: www.flickr.com/photos/ugardener/albums/72177720322921517/
THE JOHNSON COLLECTION - A Private Collection for Public Good
thejohnsoncollection.org/the-collection/
Sharing the art it stewards with communities across the country is The Johnson Collection’s essential purpose and propels our daily work. Much more than a physical place, TJC seeks to be a presence in American art, prioritizing access over location. Since 2013, the collection’s touring exhibitions have been loaned twenty-five times, placed without fee in partner museums with a combined annual attendance of over 1.2 million visitors. In its showcase of over 1,000 objects, TJC’s website functions as a digital museum, available anywhere and anytime.
What began as an interest in paintings by Carolina artists in 2002 has grown to encompass over 1,400 objects with provenances that span the centuries and chronicle the cultural evolution of the American South.
Today, The Johnson Collection counts iconic masterworks among its holdings, as well as representative pieces by an astonishing depth and breadth of artists, native and visiting, whose lives and legacies form the foundation of Southern art history. From William D. Washington’s The Burial of Latané to Malvin Gray Johnson’s Roll Jordan Roll, the collection embraces the region’s rich history and confronts its complexities, past and present.
.The contributions of women artists, ranging from Helen Turner—only the fourth woman elected to full membership in the National Academy of Design in 1921—to Alma Thomas—the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at a major national museum in 1972—are accorded overdue attention, most notably in TJC's most recent publication and companion exhibition, Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection. Landmark works by American artists of African descent such as Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, William H. Johnson, Leo Twiggs, and Hale Woodruff pay homage to their makers' barrier-defying accomplishments. Modern paintings, prints, collages, and sculpture created by internationally renowned artists associated with the experimental arts enclave of Black Mountain College, including Josef Albers, Ruth Asawa, Ilya Bolotowsky, Elaine de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Kenneth Noland, and Robert Rauschenberg highlight the North Carolina school's geographic proximity to the collection's home.
Hailed by The Magazine Antiques as having staged a "quiet art historical revolution" and expanding "the meaning of regional," The Johnson Collection heralds the pivotal role that art of the South plays in the national narrative. To that end, the collection's ambitious publication and exhibition strategies extend far beyond a single city's limit or a territorial divide.
Since 2012, TJC has produced four significant scholarly books—thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated investigations of Southern art time periods, artists, and themes: Romantic Spirits: Nineteenth Century Paintings of the South (2012); From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason (2014); Scenic Impressions: Southern Interpretations from the Johnson Collection (2015); and Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection (2018). These volumes are accompanied by traveling exhibitions that have been loaned without fee to partner museums with a combined annual attendance of over 1.7 million visitors.
Smaller curated presentations rotate at the collection's hometown exhibition space, TJC Gallery. Individual objects are regularly made available for critical exhibitions such as La Biennale di Venezia, Afro-Atlantic Histories, Outliers and American Vanguard Art, Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College, 1933-1957, Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful, Riffs and Relations: African American Artists and the European Modernist Tradition, and Bold, Cautious, True: Walt Whitman and American Art of the Civil War Era and featured in important publications and catalogues, including The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Art & Architecture, and The Civil War and American Art.
In 2016, the state of South Carolina honored The Johnson Collection with the Governor’s Award for the Arts, its highest arts distinction. The commendation paid tribute to the Johnson family's enduring contributions: "Equally dedicated to arts advancement and arts accessibility, the Johnsons generously share their vision, energy, passion and resources to benefit the arts in South Carolina."
"Who can say what ignites a passion? Was it those three red roses frozen in blue? An awakened connection to one's geographical roots? Perhaps the familiarity of the road to Nebo? The nucleus of what was to become our collection was formed by such seemingly unrelated catalysts. Looking back, it was always the sense of place that drew George and me to beautiful pictures—pictures that capture not only the glorious landscape of the South, but that also enliven its unique culture and dynamic history." ~Susu Johnson, Chief Executive Officer.'
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"If you’re looking for a vibe, this is where you’ll find it. Spartanburg is one of South Carolina’s most established, respected, progressive, and diverse art communities with everything from the fine arts—ballet, symphonies, and opera—to the cutting edge—street performers, graffiti, and dance mobs.
Experience the Cultural District
Downtown Spartanburg has even been designated as a cultural district by the South Carolina Arts Commission. Within the cultural district, you can walk to and enjoy world-class art galleries, studios, music venues, breweries, culinary arts, local literature publishers, coffee shops, libraries, museums, and more. Regardless of when you visit, you’re likely to encounter live music in the streets, featuring jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, or beach music.
Come experience how we put the art in SpARTanburg."
Thousands of Nurses Hold National Day of Action Aug. 5 to Save Lives During COVID-19 and Beyond
As firsthand witnesses and actual victims during this COVID-19 crisis of a health care and economic system that prioritizes money over people, registered nurse members of National Nurses United (NNU) held on Aug. 5 more than 200 actions inside and outside hospital facilities in at least 16 states and the District of Columbia to demand that our elected leaders, government, and hospital employers take immediate action to save lives.
#ProtectNurses
#SaveLives
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 20: VP of Science & Technology at Pharmavite Dr. Susan Mitmesser speaks onstage during the Women's Wellness Prioritized session at BlogHer 22 Health on May 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for BlogHer)
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This series of images delves into the enigmatic beauty and layered history of Venice, Italy, through an abstract lens, employing the scumbling and dry brush oil painting techniques. Each piece is a study in contrasts and textures, evoking the city's unique spirit and its constant dance with the elements. The use of cold, detached atmospheres alongside distressed and weathered surfaces speaks to the resilience and survival of Venice amidst its challenges. The incorporation of "havencore" and "warmcore" elements, along with a palette that prioritizes white and saturated blues, adds depth and emotion, inviting viewers to experience the city's dual nature of refuge and exposure.
The artworks move beyond traditional representations, infusing each scene with dramatic intensity and hyperbolic expressions to capture the essence of Venice's struggle and splendor. Labor is depicted not just as a physical act but as a poignant part of the city's soul, rendered through rough gesturalism that strips away the gloss to reveal raw, compelling truths. The dazzling chiaroscuro and striking contrasts of light and dark masterfully highlight the city's architectural marvels and the ephemeral beauty of its everyday moments, creating a harmonious chaos that is both unsettling and captivating.
This series aims to transport viewers to a Venice reimagined, where the interplay of light and shadow, the richness of saturated pigment pools, and the tactile quality of the painting techniques combine to offer a new perspective on the familiar. Through these images, Venice is seen as a living, breathing entity, marked by centuries of wear but standing resilient, its beauty undimmed by the passage of time. The absence of heavy paint strokes emphasizes the subtlety and complexity of the city's narrative, inviting a closer look and deeper reflection on its enduring allure and the stories etched into its very stones.
Poem: The Quiet Hours
In the quiet hours of the fading night,
Where shadows dance in the moon's soft light,
And the world whispers in tones so slight,
There lies a beauty unseen, out of sight.
Beneath the velvet cloak of the starry sky,
Where dreams take wing, and thoughts fly high,
The silent streets hold secrets, by and by,
As the gentle breeze sings a lullaby.
In the heart of the forest, where ancient trees stand,
Their leaves tell tales of a distant land,
A place where time holds still its sand,
In the quiet hours, so grand and so bland.
By the murmuring streams, under the watchful moon,
Where flowers bloom in the light of June,
The night unfolds its hidden boon,
In whispers of the dark, a silent tune.
In the quiet hours, there's a deep connection,
A moment of peace, in introspection,
A journey within, in quiet reflection,
Finding solace in nature's perfection.
As dawn breaks, and the night fades away,
The quiet hours gently sway,
Leaving behind the tales of the grey,
In the warmth of the coming day.
Haiku: Twilight's Whisper
Twilight's soft whisper,
Day and night's fleeting kiss,
Silent beauty speaks.
With coastal and southwestern BC facing heavy rainfall while recovering from severe flooding, the Province is extending the temporary measure to prioritize fuel for essential vehicles and the provincial state of emergency.
Learn more:
This series of images delves into the enigmatic beauty and layered history of Venice, Italy, through an abstract lens, employing the scumbling and dry brush oil painting techniques. Each piece is a study in contrasts and textures, evoking the city's unique spirit and its constant dance with the elements. The use of cold, detached atmospheres alongside distressed and weathered surfaces speaks to the resilience and survival of Venice amidst its challenges. The incorporation of "havencore" and "warmcore" elements, along with a palette that prioritizes white and saturated blues, adds depth and emotion, inviting viewers to experience the city's dual nature of refuge and exposure.
The artworks move beyond traditional representations, infusing each scene with dramatic intensity and hyperbolic expressions to capture the essence of Venice's struggle and splendor. Labor is depicted not just as a physical act but as a poignant part of the city's soul, rendered through rough gesturalism that strips away the gloss to reveal raw, compelling truths. The dazzling chiaroscuro and striking contrasts of light and dark masterfully highlight the city's architectural marvels and the ephemeral beauty of its everyday moments, creating a harmonious chaos that is both unsettling and captivating.
This series aims to transport viewers to a Venice reimagined, where the interplay of light and shadow, the richness of saturated pigment pools, and the tactile quality of the painting techniques combine to offer a new perspective on the familiar. Through these images, Venice is seen as a living, breathing entity, marked by centuries of wear but standing resilient, its beauty undimmed by the passage of time. The absence of heavy paint strokes emphasizes the subtlety and complexity of the city's narrative, inviting a closer look and deeper reflection on its enduring allure and the stories etched into its very stones.
Poem: The Quiet Hours
In the quiet hours of the fading night,
Where shadows dance in the moon's soft light,
And the world whispers in tones so slight,
There lies a beauty unseen, out of sight.
Beneath the velvet cloak of the starry sky,
Where dreams take wing, and thoughts fly high,
The silent streets hold secrets, by and by,
As the gentle breeze sings a lullaby.
In the heart of the forest, where ancient trees stand,
Their leaves tell tales of a distant land,
A place where time holds still its sand,
In the quiet hours, so grand and so bland.
By the murmuring streams, under the watchful moon,
Where flowers bloom in the light of June,
The night unfolds its hidden boon,
In whispers of the dark, a silent tune.
In the quiet hours, there's a deep connection,
A moment of peace, in introspection,
A journey within, in quiet reflection,
Finding solace in nature's perfection.
As dawn breaks, and the night fades away,
The quiet hours gently sway,
Leaving behind the tales of the grey,
In the warmth of the coming day.
Haiku: Twilight's Whisper
Twilight's soft whisper,
Day and night's fleeting kiss,
Silent beauty speaks.
SUN VALLEY - LAFD responded to 9360 North Telfair Avenue at 1:02 AM on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 for an auto fire that spread into nearby vegetation. Firefighters prioritized the brush first, then extinguished the burning auto, without injury. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
© Photo by Ismael Miranda
LAFD Incident: 060921-0073
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
On January 25, 2022 a coalition of community organizations under the banner Climate Can't Wait 2022 gathered outside Governor Hochul's office in midtown Manhattan to demand that the state legislature and governor prioritize climate justice in the 2022 budget and legislative session. (Photo by Erik McGregor)
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In project management, a timebox is a period of time in which to accomplish some task. The end date is set in stone and may not be changed. If the team exceeds the date, the work is considered a failure and is cancelled or rescheduled. Some timeboxes allow the team to adjust the scope of the task in order to meet the deadline.
Timeboxes are used as a form of risk management for tasks that easily run over their deadlines. Timeboxes are commonly used in agile software development to manage software development risk. In agile development, the team is repeatedly tasked with producing a releasable improvement to software, timeboxed to a specific number of weeks.
When considering the traditional triple constraints of Project management (time, cost and scope) the time and cost constraints are fixed in this type of project contracting, but the scope (requirements) constraint is not. Therefore, timeboxing is the favorable type of contracting for projects in which the deadline is the most critical aspect and when not all requirements are completely specified upfront. A lack of detailed specifications typically is the result of a lack of time, or the lack of knowledge of the desired end result (solution). In many types of projects, and especially in software engineering, analyzing and defining all requirements and specifications before the start of the realization phase is impossible.
The advantages of timeboxing over working with more traditional methods - in which there is a need to specify all details and features upfront - are that work can be started on the actual solution, or product, sooner, because less requirements and specifications gathering is necessary upfront. There is also a better structure for allowing for new insights that are developed during the project to be reflected in the end result.
This goes hand-in-hand with MoSCoW prioritization of deliverables. Time Boxing is a core element of the rapid application development software development process and of DSDM.
Time boxing and agile software development techniques go hand-in-hand: With time boxing regular delivery of working software is ensured, and agile software development ensures the delivery of the highest priority value as defined by the stakeholders.
15 February 2016, Rome, Italy - FAO International Symposium on “The Role of Agricultural Biotechnologies in Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition”. Parallel Session 3.1. Social and economic impacts of agricultural biotechnologies for smallholders: Taking stock of the evidence and prioritizing future assessments. FAO headquarters (Green room).
Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.
Target appears to have prioritized Lego sales. From top to bottom: Star Wars, DC & Marvel, Minecraft, Disney Princesses, and last but least Trolls
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, was an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. In 1951, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation obtained a license agreement to build the F-86F Sabre. In a major departure from the North American blueprint, it was decided that the CA-27 would be powered by a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.7, rather than the General Electric J47. In theory, the Avon was capable of more than double the maximum thrust and double the thrust-to-weight ratio of the US engine. This necessitated a re-design of the fuselage, as the Avon was shorter, wider and lighter than the J47.
To accommodate the Avon, over 60 percent of the fuselage was altered and there was a 25 percent increase in the size of the air intake. Another major revision was in replacing the F-86F's six machine guns with two 30mm ADEN cannon, while other changes were also made to the cockpit and to provide an increased fuel capacity.
The prototype aircraft first flew on 3 August 1953. The production aircrafts' first deliveries to the Royal Australian Air Force began in 1954. The first batch of aircraft were powered by the Avon 20 engine and were designated the Sabre Mk 30. Between 1957 and 1958 this batch had the wing slats removed and were re-designated Sabre Mk 31. These Sabres were supplemented by 20 new-built aircraft. The last batch of aircraft were designated Sabre Mk 32 and used the Avon 26 engine, of which 69 were built up to 1961.
Beyond these land-based versions, an indigenous version for carrier operations had been developed and built in small numbers, too, the Sea Sabre Mk 40 and 41. The roots of this aircraft, which was rather a prestigious idea than a sensible project, could be traced back to the immediate post WWII era. A review by the Australian Government's Defence Committee recommended that the post-war forces of the RAN be structured around a Task Force incorporating multiple aircraft carriers. Initial plans were for three carriers, with two active and a third in reserve, although funding cuts led to the purchase of only two carriers in June 1947: Majestic and sister ship HMS Terrible, for the combined cost of AU£2.75 million, plus stores, fuel, and ammunition. As Terrible was the closer of the two ships to completion, she was finished without modification, and was commissioned into the RAN on 16 December 1948 as HMAS Sydney. Work progressed on Majestic at a slower rate, as she was upgraded with the latest technology and equipment. To cover Majestic's absence, the Colossus-class carrier HMS Vengeance was loaned to the RAN from 13 November 1952 until 12 August 1955.
Labour difficulties, late delivery of equipment, additional requirements for Australian operations, and the prioritization of merchant ships over naval construction delayed the completion of Majestic. Incorporation of new systems and enhancements caused the cost of the RAN carrier acquisition program to increase to AU£8.3 million. Construction and fitting out did not finish until October 1955. As the carrier neared completion, a commissioning crew was formed in Australia and first used to return Vengeance to the United Kingdom.
The completed carrier was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Majestic on 26 October 1955, but only two days later, the ship was renamed Melbourne and recommissioned.
In the meantime, the rather political decision had been made to equip Melbourne with an indigenous jet-powered aircraft, replacing the piston-driven Hawker Fury that had been successfully operated from HMAS Sydney and HMAS Vengeance, so that the "new jet age" was even more recognizable. The choice fell on the CAC Sabre, certainly inspired by North American's successful contemporary development of the navalized FJ-2 Fury from the land-based F-86 Sabre. The CAC 27 was already a proven design, and with its more powerful Avon engine it even offered a better suitability for carrier operations than the FJ-2 with its rather weak J47 engine.
Work on this project, which was initially simply designated Sabre Mk 40, started in 1954, just when the first CAC 27's were delivered to operative RAAF units. While the navalized Avon Sabre differed outwardly only little from its land-based brethren, many details were changed and locally developed. Therefore, there was also, beyond the general outlines, little in common with the North American FJ-2 an -3 Fury.
Externally, a completely new wing with a folding mechanism was fitted. It was based on the F-86's so-called "6-3" wing, with a leading edge that was extended 6 inches at the root and 3 inches at the tip. This modification enhanced maneuverability at the expense of a small increase in landing speed due to deletion of the leading edge slats, a detail that was later introduced on the Sabre Mk 31, too. As a side benefit, the new wing leading edges without the slat mechanisms held extra fuel. However, the Mk 40's wing was different as camber was applied to the underside of the leading edge to improve low-speed handling for carrier operations. The wings were provided with four stations outboard of the landing gear wells for up to 1000 lb external loads on the inboard stations and 500 lb on the outboard stations.
Slightly larger stabilizers were fitted and the landing gear was strengthened, including a longer front wheel strut. The latter necessitated an enlarged front wheel well, so that the front leg’s attachment point had to be moved forward. A ventral launch cable hook was added under the wing roots and an external massive arrester hook under the rear fuselage.
Internally, systems were protected against salt and humidity and a Rolls-Royce Avon 211 turbojet was fitted, a downrated variant of the already navalized Avon 208 from the British DH Sea Vixen, but adapted to the different CAC 27 airframe and delivering 8.000 lbf (35.5 kN) thrust – slightly more than the engines of the land-based CAC Sabres, but also without an afterburner.
A single Mk 40 prototype was built from a new CAC 27 airframe taken directly from the production line in early 1955 and made its maiden flight on August 20th of the same year. In order to reflect its naval nature and its ancestry, this new CAC 27 variant was officially christened “Sea Sabre”.
Even though the modified machine handled well, and the new, cambered wing proved to be effective, many minor technical flaws were discovered and delayed the aircraft's development until 1957. These included the wing folding mechanism and the respective fuel plumbing connections, the landing gear, which had to be beefed up even more for hard carrier landings and the airframe’s structural strength for catapult launches, esp. around the ventral launch hook.
In the meantime, work on the land-based CAC 27 progressed in parallel, too, and innovations that led to the Mk 31 and 32 were also incorporated into the naval Mk 40, leading to the Sea Sabre Mk 41, which became the effective production aircraft. These updates included, among others, a detachable (but fixed) refueling probe under the starboard wing, two more pylons for light loads located under the wing roots and the capability to carry and deploy IR-guided AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, what significantly increased the Mk 41's efficiency as day fighter. With all these constant changes it took until April 1958 that the Sabre Mk 41, after a second prototype had been directly built to the new standard, was finally approved and cleared for production. Upon delivery, the RAN Sea Sabres carried a standard NATO paint scheme with Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and Sky undersides.
In the meantime, the political enthusiasm concerning the Australian carrier fleet had waned, so that only twenty-two aircraft were ordered. The reason behind this decision was that Australia’s carrier fleet and its capacity had become severely reduced: Following the first decommissioning of HMAS Sydney in 1958, Melbourne became the only aircraft carrier in Australian service, and she was unavailable to provide air cover for the RAN for up to four months in every year; this time was required for refits, refueling, personnel leave, and non-carrier duties, such as the transportation of troops or aircraft. Although one of the largest ships to serve in the RAN, Melbourne was one of the smallest carriers to operate in the post-World War II period, so that its contribution to military actions was rather limited. To make matters worse, a decision was made in 1959 to restrict Melbourne's role to helicopter operations only, rendering any carrier-based aircraft in Australian service obsolete. However, this decision was reversed shortly before its planned 1963 implementation, but Australia’s fleet of carrier-borne fixed-wing aircraft would not grow to proportions envisioned 10 years ago.
Nevertheless, on 10 November 1964, an AU£212 million increase in defense spending included the purchase of new aircraft for Melbourne. The RAN planned to acquire 14 Grumman S-2E Tracker anti-submarine aircraft and to modernize Melbourne to operate these. The acquisition of 18 new fighter-bombers was suggested (either Sea Sabre Mk 41s or the American Douglas A-4 Skyhawk), too, but these were dropped from the initial plan. A separate proposal to order 10 A-4G Skyhawks, a variant of the Skyhawk designed specifically for the RAN and optimized for air defense, was approved in 1965, but the new aircraft did not fly from Melbourne until the conclusion of her refit in 1969. This move, however, precluded the production of any new and further Sea Sabre.
At that time, the RAN Sea Sabres received a new livery in US Navy style, with upper surfaces in Light Gull Gray with white undersides. The CAC Sea Sabres remained the main day fighter and attack aircraft for the RAN, after the vintage Sea Furies had been retired in 1962. The other contemporary RAN fighter type in service, the Sea Venom FAW.53 all-weather fighter that had replaced the Furies, already showed its obsolescence.
In 1969, the RAN purchased another ten A-4G Skyhawks, primarily in order to replace the Sea Venoms on the carriers, instead of the proposed seventh and eighth Oberon-class submarines. These were operated together with the Sea Sabres in mixed units on board of Melbourne and from land bases, e.g. from NAS Nowra in New South Wales, where a number of Sea Sabres were also allocated to 724 Squadron for operational training.
Around 1970, Melbourne operated a standard air group of four jet aircraft, six Trackers, and ten Wessex helicopters until 1972, when the Wessexes were replaced with ten Westland Sea King anti-submarine warfare helicopters and the number of jet fighters doubled. Even though the A-4G’s more and more took over the operational duties on board of Melbourne, the Sea Sabres were still frequently deployed on the carrier, too, until the early Eighties, when both the Skyhawks and the Sea Sabres received once more a new camouflage, this time a wraparound scheme in two shades of grey, reflecting their primary airspace defense mission.
The CAC 27 Mk 41s’ last carrier operations took place in 1981 in the course of Melbourne’s involvements in two major exercises, Sea Hawk and Kangaroo 81, the ship’s final missions at sea. After Melbourne was decommissioned in 1984, the Fleet Air Arm ceased fixed-wing combat aircraft operation. This was the operational end of the Sabre Mk 41, which had reached the end of their airframe lifetime, and the Sea Sabre fleet had, during its career, severely suffered from accidents and losses: upon retirement, only eight of the original twenty-two aircraft still existed in flightworthy condition, so that the aircraft were all scrapped. The younger RAN A-4Gs were eventually sold to New Zealand, where they were kept in service until 2002.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 1 in (11.3 m)
Height: 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)
Wing area: 302.3 sq ft (28.1 m²)
Empty weight: 12,000 lb (5,443 kg)
Loaded weight: 16,000 lb (7,256 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 21,210 lb (9,621 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Avon 208A turbojet engine with 8,200 lbf (36.44 kN)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 700 mph (1,100 km/h) (605 knots)
Range: 1,153 mi, (1,000 NM, 1,850 km)
Service ceiling: 52,000 ft (15,850 m)
Rate of climb: 12,000 ft/min at sea level (61 m/s)
Armament:
2× 30 mm ADEN cannons with 150 rounds per gun
5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of payload on six external hardpoints;
Bombs were usually mounted on outer two pylons as the mid pair were wet-plumbed pylons for
2× 200 gallons drop tanks, while the inner pair was usually occupied by a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder
AAMs
A wide variety of bombs could be carried with maximum standard loadout being 2x 1,000 lb bombs
or 2x Matra pods with unguided SURA missiles plus 2 drop tanks for ground attacks, or 2x AIM-9 plus
two drop tanks as day fighter
The kit and its assembly:
This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.
This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?
The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.
While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.
The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!
Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.
For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.
The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.
A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!
Painting and markings:
From the start I planned to give the model the late RAN A-4Gs’ unique air superiority paint scheme, which was AFAIK introduced in the late Seventies: a two-tone wraparound scheme consisting of “Light Admiralty Grey” (BS381C 697) and “Aircraft Grey” (BS 381C 693). Quite simple, but finding suitable paints was not an easy task, and I based my choice on pictures of the real aircraft (esp. from "buzz" number 880 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, you find pics of it with very good light condition) rather than rely on (pretty doubtful if not contradictive) recommendations in various painting instructions from models or decal sets.
I wanted to keep things simple and settled upon Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231) and Light Blue (FS 35414), both enamel colors from Modelmaster, since both are rather dull interpretations of these tones. Esp. the Light Blue comes quite close to Light Admiralty Grey, even though it should be lighter for more contrast to the darker grey tone. But it has that subtle greenish touch of the original BS tone, and I did not want to mix the colors.
The pattern was adapted from the late A-4Gs’ scheme, and the colors were dulled down even more through a light black ink wash. Some post-shading with lighter tones emphasized the contrast between the two colors again. And while it is not an exact representation of the unique RAN air superiority scheme, I think that the overall impression is there.
The cockpit interior was painted in very dark grey, while the landing gear, its wells and the inside of the air intake became white. A red rim was painted around the front opening, and the landing gear covers received a red outline, too. The white drop tanks are a detail I took from real world RAN A-4Gs - in the early days of the air superiority scheme, the tanks were frequently still finished in the old USN style livery, hence the white body but fins and tail section already in the updated colors.
The decals became a fight, though. As mentioned above, the came from an ESCI kit – and, as expected, the were brittle. All decals with a clear carrier film disintegrated while soaking in water, only those with a fully printed carrier film were more or less usable. One roundel broke and had to be repaired, and the checkered fin flash was a very delicate affair that broke several times, even though I tried to save and repair it with paint. But you can unfortunately see the damage.
Most stencils and some replacements (e. g. the “Navy” tag) come from the Sword FJ-3. While these decals are crisply printed, their carrier film is utterly thin, so thin that applying esp. the larger decals turned out to be hazardous and complicated. Another point that did not really convince me about the Sword kit.
Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some soot stains were added around the exhaust and the gun ports with graphite.
In the end, this build looks, despite the troubles and the rather exotic ingredients like a relatively simple Sabre with Australian markings, just with a different Navy livery. You neither immediately recognize the FJ-3 behind it, nor the Avon Sabre’s bigger fuselage, unless you take a close and probably educated look. Very subtle, though.
The RAN air superiority scheme from the late Skyhawks suits the Sabre/Fury-thing well – I like the fact that it is a modern fighter scheme, but, thanks to the tones and the colorful other markings, not as dull and boring like many others, e. g. the contemporary USN "Ghost" scheme. Made me wonder about an early RAAF F-18 in this livery - should look very pretty, too?
Mastering Layout, Mike Stevens on the Art of Eye Appeal. Copyright 1986. Approx. 8" x 10.75". I had followed Mike's career and untimely death through the pages of SignCraft magazine. Even though many sign artists featured in the magazine credit this book as having opened their eyes to proper sign design and layout, I was reluctant to purchase it, feeling I already knew how to prioritize copy on a sign. Recently, however, I decided I should at least investigate and read his design principles for myself. The book is still in print as a paperback, but of course that wouldn't do for me. I found an out of print first edition hardbound copy on ebay that stayed week after week with no one bidding on it. It couldn't compete with the new paperback copies of the same book for less than half the price. Finally the price was dropped to a level I felt I could justify and I purchased it. I am reading it now for the second time and attempting to slowly implement its design principles in my own work. I am so glad I sprung for the hardbound copy. Its true condition as seen in the picture above is much better than that reflected in the poor quality pic used to advertise it on ebay.
This series of images delves into the enigmatic beauty and layered history of Venice, Italy, through an abstract lens, employing the scumbling and dry brush oil painting techniques. Each piece is a study in contrasts and textures, evoking the city's unique spirit and its constant dance with the elements. The use of cold, detached atmospheres alongside distressed and weathered surfaces speaks to the resilience and survival of Venice amidst its challenges. The incorporation of "havencore" and "warmcore" elements, along with a palette that prioritizes white and saturated blues, adds depth and emotion, inviting viewers to experience the city's dual nature of refuge and exposure.
The artworks move beyond traditional representations, infusing each scene with dramatic intensity and hyperbolic expressions to capture the essence of Venice's struggle and splendor. Labor is depicted not just as a physical act but as a poignant part of the city's soul, rendered through rough gesturalism that strips away the gloss to reveal raw, compelling truths. The dazzling chiaroscuro and striking contrasts of light and dark masterfully highlight the city's architectural marvels and the ephemeral beauty of its everyday moments, creating a harmonious chaos that is both unsettling and captivating.
This series aims to transport viewers to a Venice reimagined, where the interplay of light and shadow, the richness of saturated pigment pools, and the tactile quality of the painting techniques combine to offer a new perspective on the familiar. Through these images, Venice is seen as a living, breathing entity, marked by centuries of wear but standing resilient, its beauty undimmed by the passage of time. The absence of heavy paint strokes emphasizes the subtlety and complexity of the city's narrative, inviting a closer look and deeper reflection on its enduring allure and the stories etched into its very stones.
Poem: The Quiet Hours
In the quiet hours of the fading night,
Where shadows dance in the moon's soft light,
And the world whispers in tones so slight,
There lies a beauty unseen, out of sight.
Beneath the velvet cloak of the starry sky,
Where dreams take wing, and thoughts fly high,
The silent streets hold secrets, by and by,
As the gentle breeze sings a lullaby.
In the heart of the forest, where ancient trees stand,
Their leaves tell tales of a distant land,
A place where time holds still its sand,
In the quiet hours, so grand and so bland.
By the murmuring streams, under the watchful moon,
Where flowers bloom in the light of June,
The night unfolds its hidden boon,
In whispers of the dark, a silent tune.
In the quiet hours, there's a deep connection,
A moment of peace, in introspection,
A journey within, in quiet reflection,
Finding solace in nature's perfection.
As dawn breaks, and the night fades away,
The quiet hours gently sway,
Leaving behind the tales of the grey,
In the warmth of the coming day.
Haiku: Twilight's Whisper
Twilight's soft whisper,
Day and night's fleeting kiss,
Silent beauty speaks.
030819 - WASHINGTON DC., Managing Director and Chairwoman of the IMF Christine Lagarde and Interim WBG President Kristalina Georgieva engage in a conversation on their pioneering leadership and challenges they and other women have faced, the economic issues they’re dealing with and how they prioritize gender both through operations and in walking the talk within the IMF and WBG.
Photo: World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie
Muni's red carpet which runs along Church Street, from Duboce Avenue to 16th Street, was painted red to clearly identify the center lanes prioritized for public transit and taxi's. | July 30, 2013
//dedicated to the spirit of 'being a woman'//
Woman & Earth... they share a lots of traits of life...
we can learn many a things which is not taught in schools/colleges..
both are creative, nurturing & powerful..
yet so sensitive & fragile... so needs our respect n care,
& not at all an entity to be taken granted for...
well, its peak-time to prioritize our way thinking as a whole human society...
as a human race... or else we will eventually reach that brink of total destruction of our only home...
& soon the inevitable will follow... the total wipe-out; extinction!!
Anyway, I love this song & its soul inspiring poetic lyrics...
hope i could explore more of the music world eventually...
with music in your heart, you are being content, happy & strong...
& thats what all matters, at the end of the day!
"mmmmm... mmmmm...
mmmmmmmmmmmm
i get wings to fly
oh, oh... i'm alive... yeah
when you call on me, when i hear you, breathe..
i get wings to fly, i feel that i'm alive.
when you look at me, i can touch the sky
i know that i'm alive, mmmmm ohhhhh ahhhhhh
when you bless, the day, i just drift away, all my worries die.
i'm glad that i'm.. alive
you've set my heart, on fire
filled me with love, made me a woman on, clouds above
i couldn't get, much higher
my spirit takes flight, cause i am alive, ohhhhh
when you call on me, when i hear you breathe
i get wings to fly (fly)
i feel that i'm alive (i'm alive)
when you reach for me, raising spirits high
god knows that, that i'll be the one, standing by
through good and, through, trying times
and it's only begun, i can't wait for the, rest of my life
when you call on me, when you reach for me
i get wings to fly, i feel that i'm alive, yeah
when you bless the day, i just drift away
all my worries die, i know that i'm alive
i get, wings to fly, god knows that i'm alive."
Singer: Celine Dion
Songwriters: Carlsson, Andreas / Lundin, Kristian
hmmm... so as this journey continues... hour to hour... day to day... year to year..
the small things... its those small small things...
which makes it meaningful 'n' beautiful all the time...
Wish you a great weekend..
Hope you enjoy this life, when you are.... Alive!
So come on.. ;-)
s/n 0585GT
240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm
• Very first of the second series 14-louver design
• One of nine examples built
• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug
• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification
• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering
• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction
• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta
The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.
The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.
Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.
With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.
This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.
Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.
Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.
In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.
On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”
Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.
[Text from RM Auctions]
www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658
This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.
This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.
to river.
"nothing will ever accidently drop. not from me. ever."
food > fetch.
and that is how all dogs prioritize.
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s/n 0585GT
240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm
• Very first of the second series 14-louver design
• One of nine examples built
• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug
• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification
• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering
• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction
• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta
The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.
The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.
Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.
With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.
This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.
Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.
Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.
In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.
On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”
Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.
[Text from RM Auctions]
www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658
This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.
This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.
04/52.
It was fun taking this camera out into the snowy weather. This is SOOC except for the crop. This has definitely been a hectic week, but I'm learning how to prioritize my time. Just have to take things in stride.
008
McKinsey Global Infrastructure Initiative Summit
Tokyo, Japan
Wednesday, October 19th, 2022
15:10–15:30
PRIORITIZING THE PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
The combined impacts of COVID-19 and net-zero commitments have resulted in an unprecedented disruption of the $11.6 trillion global infrastructure industry. Meeting net-zero targets will require the industry to transform project development and delivery to deliver a global portfolio of projects at an unprecedented scale and pace. What are the pivotal actions we need to take now to enable sustainable infrastructure for the decades to come?
Facilitators:
Tip Huizenga, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Co-chair, GII
Detlev Mohr, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Co-chair, GII
In this interactive session, Detlev and Tip will briefly frame the topic with a few slides to set the context. This will be followed by them asking the question to the audience, “What are the pivotal actions we need to take now to enable sustainable infrastructure for the decades to come?” The audience will be requested to discuss the question for ~7 minutes in their pods, submitting their ideas through the GII app to form a Word Cloud on the screen.
Photograph by McKinsey Global Infrastructure/Stuart Isett
***UPDATE**Doug and Tim always prioritize their agenda, and news flash....they found a great pair. Thank you both for your continued support!
Nice little character piece.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, was an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. In 1951, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation obtained a license agreement to build the F-86F Sabre. In a major departure from the North American blueprint, it was decided that the CA-27 would be powered by a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.7, rather than the General Electric J47. In theory, the Avon was capable of more than double the maximum thrust and double the thrust-to-weight ratio of the US engine. This necessitated a re-design of the fuselage, as the Avon was shorter, wider and lighter than the J47.
To accommodate the Avon, over 60 percent of the fuselage was altered and there was a 25 percent increase in the size of the air intake. Another major revision was in replacing the F-86F's six machine guns with two 30mm ADEN cannon, while other changes were also made to the cockpit and to provide an increased fuel capacity.
The prototype aircraft first flew on 3 August 1953. The production aircrafts' first deliveries to the Royal Australian Air Force began in 1954. The first batch of aircraft were powered by the Avon 20 engine and were designated the Sabre Mk 30. Between 1957 and 1958 this batch had the wing slats removed and were re-designated Sabre Mk 31. These Sabres were supplemented by 20 new-built aircraft. The last batch of aircraft were designated Sabre Mk 32 and used the Avon 26 engine, of which 69 were built up to 1961.
Beyond these land-based versions, an indigenous version for carrier operations had been developed and built in small numbers, too, the Sea Sabre Mk 40 and 41. The roots of this aircraft, which was rather a prestigious idea than a sensible project, could be traced back to the immediate post WWII era. A review by the Australian Government's Defence Committee recommended that the post-war forces of the RAN be structured around a Task Force incorporating multiple aircraft carriers. Initial plans were for three carriers, with two active and a third in reserve, although funding cuts led to the purchase of only two carriers in June 1947: Majestic and sister ship HMS Terrible, for the combined cost of AU£2.75 million, plus stores, fuel, and ammunition. As Terrible was the closer of the two ships to completion, she was finished without modification, and was commissioned into the RAN on 16 December 1948 as HMAS Sydney. Work progressed on Majestic at a slower rate, as she was upgraded with the latest technology and equipment. To cover Majestic's absence, the Colossus-class carrier HMS Vengeance was loaned to the RAN from 13 November 1952 until 12 August 1955.
Labour difficulties, late delivery of equipment, additional requirements for Australian operations, and the prioritization of merchant ships over naval construction delayed the completion of Majestic. Incorporation of new systems and enhancements caused the cost of the RAN carrier acquisition program to increase to AU£8.3 million. Construction and fitting out did not finish until October 1955. As the carrier neared completion, a commissioning crew was formed in Australia and first used to return Vengeance to the United Kingdom.
The completed carrier was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Majestic on 26 October 1955, but only two days later, the ship was renamed Melbourne and recommissioned.
In the meantime, the rather political decision had been made to equip Melbourne with an indigenous jet-powered aircraft, replacing the piston-driven Hawker Fury that had been successfully operated from HMAS Sydney and HMAS Vengeance, so that the "new jet age" was even more recognizable. The choice fell on the CAC Sabre, certainly inspired by North American's successful contemporary development of the navalized FJ-2 Fury from the land-based F-86 Sabre. The CAC 27 was already a proven design, and with its more powerful Avon engine it even offered a better suitability for carrier operations than the FJ-2 with its rather weak J47 engine.
Work on this project, which was initially simply designated Sabre Mk 40, started in 1954, just when the first CAC 27's were delivered to operative RAAF units. While the navalized Avon Sabre differed outwardly only little from its land-based brethren, many details were changed and locally developed. Therefore, there was also, beyond the general outlines, little in common with the North American FJ-2 an -3 Fury.
Externally, a completely new wing with a folding mechanism was fitted. It was based on the F-86's so-called "6-3" wing, with a leading edge that was extended 6 inches at the root and 3 inches at the tip. This modification enhanced maneuverability at the expense of a small increase in landing speed due to deletion of the leading edge slats, a detail that was later introduced on the Sabre Mk 31, too. As a side benefit, the new wing leading edges without the slat mechanisms held extra fuel. However, the Mk 40's wing was different as camber was applied to the underside of the leading edge to improve low-speed handling for carrier operations. The wings were provided with four stations outboard of the landing gear wells for up to 1000 lb external loads on the inboard stations and 500 lb on the outboard stations.
Slightly larger stabilizers were fitted and the landing gear was strengthened, including a longer front wheel strut. The latter necessitated an enlarged front wheel well, so that the front leg’s attachment point had to be moved forward. A ventral launch cable hook was added under the wing roots and an external massive arrester hook under the rear fuselage.
Internally, systems were protected against salt and humidity and a Rolls-Royce Avon 211 turbojet was fitted, a downrated variant of the already navalized Avon 208 from the British DH Sea Vixen, but adapted to the different CAC 27 airframe and delivering 8.000 lbf (35.5 kN) thrust – slightly more than the engines of the land-based CAC Sabres, but also without an afterburner.
A single Mk 40 prototype was built from a new CAC 27 airframe taken directly from the production line in early 1955 and made its maiden flight on August 20th of the same year. In order to reflect its naval nature and its ancestry, this new CAC 27 variant was officially christened “Sea Sabre”.
Even though the modified machine handled well, and the new, cambered wing proved to be effective, many minor technical flaws were discovered and delayed the aircraft's development until 1957. These included the wing folding mechanism and the respective fuel plumbing connections, the landing gear, which had to be beefed up even more for hard carrier landings and the airframe’s structural strength for catapult launches, esp. around the ventral launch hook.
In the meantime, work on the land-based CAC 27 progressed in parallel, too, and innovations that led to the Mk 31 and 32 were also incorporated into the naval Mk 40, leading to the Sea Sabre Mk 41, which became the effective production aircraft. These updates included, among others, a detachable (but fixed) refueling probe under the starboard wing, two more pylons for light loads located under the wing roots and the capability to carry and deploy IR-guided AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, what significantly increased the Mk 41's efficiency as day fighter. With all these constant changes it took until April 1958 that the Sabre Mk 41, after a second prototype had been directly built to the new standard, was finally approved and cleared for production. Upon delivery, the RAN Sea Sabres carried a standard NATO paint scheme with Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and Sky undersides.
In the meantime, the political enthusiasm concerning the Australian carrier fleet had waned, so that only twenty-two aircraft were ordered. The reason behind this decision was that Australia’s carrier fleet and its capacity had become severely reduced: Following the first decommissioning of HMAS Sydney in 1958, Melbourne became the only aircraft carrier in Australian service, and she was unavailable to provide air cover for the RAN for up to four months in every year; this time was required for refits, refueling, personnel leave, and non-carrier duties, such as the transportation of troops or aircraft. Although one of the largest ships to serve in the RAN, Melbourne was one of the smallest carriers to operate in the post-World War II period, so that its contribution to military actions was rather limited. To make matters worse, a decision was made in 1959 to restrict Melbourne's role to helicopter operations only, rendering any carrier-based aircraft in Australian service obsolete. However, this decision was reversed shortly before its planned 1963 implementation, but Australia’s fleet of carrier-borne fixed-wing aircraft would not grow to proportions envisioned 10 years ago.
Nevertheless, on 10 November 1964, an AU£212 million increase in defense spending included the purchase of new aircraft for Melbourne. The RAN planned to acquire 14 Grumman S-2E Tracker anti-submarine aircraft and to modernize Melbourne to operate these. The acquisition of 18 new fighter-bombers was suggested (either Sea Sabre Mk 41s or the American Douglas A-4 Skyhawk), too, but these were dropped from the initial plan. A separate proposal to order 10 A-4G Skyhawks, a variant of the Skyhawk designed specifically for the RAN and optimized for air defense, was approved in 1965, but the new aircraft did not fly from Melbourne until the conclusion of her refit in 1969. This move, however, precluded the production of any new and further Sea Sabre.
At that time, the RAN Sea Sabres received a new livery in US Navy style, with upper surfaces in Light Gull Gray with white undersides. The CAC Sea Sabres remained the main day fighter and attack aircraft for the RAN, after the vintage Sea Furies had been retired in 1962. The other contemporary RAN fighter type in service, the Sea Venom FAW.53 all-weather fighter that had replaced the Furies, already showed its obsolescence.
In 1969, the RAN purchased another ten A-4G Skyhawks, primarily in order to replace the Sea Venoms on the carriers, instead of the proposed seventh and eighth Oberon-class submarines. These were operated together with the Sea Sabres in mixed units on board of Melbourne and from land bases, e.g. from NAS Nowra in New South Wales, where a number of Sea Sabres were also allocated to 724 Squadron for operational training.
Around 1970, Melbourne operated a standard air group of four jet aircraft, six Trackers, and ten Wessex helicopters until 1972, when the Wessexes were replaced with ten Westland Sea King anti-submarine warfare helicopters and the number of jet fighters doubled. Even though the A-4G’s more and more took over the operational duties on board of Melbourne, the Sea Sabres were still frequently deployed on the carrier, too, until the early Eighties, when both the Skyhawks and the Sea Sabres received once more a new camouflage, this time a wraparound scheme in two shades of grey, reflecting their primary airspace defense mission.
The CAC 27 Mk 41s’ last carrier operations took place in 1981 in the course of Melbourne’s involvements in two major exercises, Sea Hawk and Kangaroo 81, the ship’s final missions at sea. After Melbourne was decommissioned in 1984, the Fleet Air Arm ceased fixed-wing combat aircraft operation. This was the operational end of the Sabre Mk 41, which had reached the end of their airframe lifetime, and the Sea Sabre fleet had, during its career, severely suffered from accidents and losses: upon retirement, only eight of the original twenty-two aircraft still existed in flightworthy condition, so that the aircraft were all scrapped. The younger RAN A-4Gs were eventually sold to New Zealand, where they were kept in service until 2002.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 1 in (11.3 m)
Height: 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)
Wing area: 302.3 sq ft (28.1 m²)
Empty weight: 12,000 lb (5,443 kg)
Loaded weight: 16,000 lb (7,256 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 21,210 lb (9,621 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Avon 208A turbojet engine with 8,200 lbf (36.44 kN)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 700 mph (1,100 km/h) (605 knots)
Range: 1,153 mi, (1,000 NM, 1,850 km)
Service ceiling: 52,000 ft (15,850 m)
Rate of climb: 12,000 ft/min at sea level (61 m/s)
Armament:
2× 30 mm ADEN cannons with 150 rounds per gun
5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of payload on six external hardpoints;
Bombs were usually mounted on outer two pylons as the mid pair were wet-plumbed pylons for
2× 200 gallons drop tanks, while the inner pair was usually occupied by a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder
AAMs
A wide variety of bombs could be carried with maximum standard loadout being 2x 1,000 lb bombs
or 2x Matra pods with unguided SURA missiles plus 2 drop tanks for ground attacks, or 2x AIM-9 plus
two drop tanks as day fighter
The kit and its assembly:
This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.
This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?
The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.
While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.
The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!
Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.
For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.
The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.
A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!
Painting and markings:
From the start I planned to give the model the late RAN A-4Gs’ unique air superiority paint scheme, which was AFAIK introduced in the late Seventies: a two-tone wraparound scheme consisting of “Light Admiralty Grey” (BS381C 697) and “Aircraft Grey” (BS 381C 693). Quite simple, but finding suitable paints was not an easy task, and I based my choice on pictures of the real aircraft (esp. from "buzz" number 880 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, you find pics of it with very good light condition) rather than rely on (pretty doubtful if not contradictive) recommendations in various painting instructions from models or decal sets.
I wanted to keep things simple and settled upon Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231) and Light Blue (FS 35414), both enamel colors from Modelmaster, since both are rather dull interpretations of these tones. Esp. the Light Blue comes quite close to Light Admiralty Grey, even though it should be lighter for more contrast to the darker grey tone. But it has that subtle greenish touch of the original BS tone, and I did not want to mix the colors.
The pattern was adapted from the late A-4Gs’ scheme, and the colors were dulled down even more through a light black ink wash. Some post-shading with lighter tones emphasized the contrast between the two colors again. And while it is not an exact representation of the unique RAN air superiority scheme, I think that the overall impression is there.
The cockpit interior was painted in very dark grey, while the landing gear, its wells and the inside of the air intake became white. A red rim was painted around the front opening, and the landing gear covers received a red outline, too. The white drop tanks are a detail I took from real world RAN A-4Gs - in the early days of the air superiority scheme, the tanks were frequently still finished in the old USN style livery, hence the white body but fins and tail section already in the updated colors.
The decals became a fight, though. As mentioned above, the came from an ESCI kit – and, as expected, the were brittle. All decals with a clear carrier film disintegrated while soaking in water, only those with a fully printed carrier film were more or less usable. One roundel broke and had to be repaired, and the checkered fin flash was a very delicate affair that broke several times, even though I tried to save and repair it with paint. But you can unfortunately see the damage.
Most stencils and some replacements (e. g. the “Navy” tag) come from the Sword FJ-3. While these decals are crisply printed, their carrier film is utterly thin, so thin that applying esp. the larger decals turned out to be hazardous and complicated. Another point that did not really convince me about the Sword kit.
Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some soot stains were added around the exhaust and the gun ports with graphite.
In the end, this build looks, despite the troubles and the rather exotic ingredients like a relatively simple Sabre with Australian markings, just with a different Navy livery. You neither immediately recognize the FJ-3 behind it, nor the Avon Sabre’s bigger fuselage, unless you take a close and probably educated look. Very subtle, though.
The RAN air superiority scheme from the late Skyhawks suits the Sabre/Fury-thing well – I like the fact that it is a modern fighter scheme, but, thanks to the tones and the colorful other markings, not as dull and boring like many others, e. g. the contemporary USN "Ghost" scheme. Made me wonder about an early RAAF F-18 in this livery - should look very pretty, too?
On January 25, 2022 a coalition of community organizations under the banner Climate Can't Wait 2022 gathered outside Governor Hochul's office in midtown Manhattan to demand that the state legislature and governor prioritize climate justice in the 2022 budget and legislative session. (Photo by Erik McGregor)