Newport, Rhode Island gained a reputation as a playground for the rich and is home to some of the most impressive mansions from America's gilded age, but the area has always been home to a working maritime industry, as well, with a rich nautical history. Castle Hill Light is small at only 34', and far from opulent, but it performs its duty with the steadfast resolve of a New England waterman, regardless of the conditions.

Remotely located at the end of Ocean Drive, this granite guardian is an active navigation aid for all vessels entering the East Passage of Narragansett Bay between Conanicut Island (seen in the background) and Aquidneck Island.

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Sacred fountain, overlooking a rocky coast, at the northern tip of the bay of the deceased. The water of this spring is incredibly high in vibratory rate. It is said that the journey to the afterlife begins in the bay, that the relics of the missing Druids were transported by boat to their tomb located on the island of Sein, on the day of the dead, all the drowned meet together and seek those whom they loved on earth.The souls are sometimes fires on the ocean, sometimes beings, who, by series of seven, emerge waves and launch a call, sometimes peaceful spirits forming a long procession, who will pray in the chapel of the living.

It was also said that the waters of the wells are purified by the moon, when they have been poisoned by the sun.

This fountain had the reputation of calming rheumatic pains.

The day of forgiveness, the sick did not hesitate to soak in the basin to obtain healing.

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Fontaine sacrée, surplombant une côte rocheuse, à la pointe nord de la baie des trépassés. L'eau de cette source est incroyablement élevée en taux vibratoire.On dit que le voyage vers l'au-delà commence dans la baie, que les reliques des druides disparus furent transportées par bateau jusqu'à leur tombe située sur l'ile de Sein, que le jour des morts, tous les noyés se réunissent et cherchent ceux qu'ils aimaient sur terre.Les âmes sont tantôt des feux sur l'océan, tantôt des êtres, qui, par série de sept, surgissent des vagues et lancent un appel, tantôt des esprits pacifiques formant une longue procession, qui vont prier dans la chapelle des vivants.

On raconta aussi que les eaux des puits sont purifiées par la lune, lorsqu'elles ont été empoisonnées par le soleil

Cette fontaine avait la réputation de calmer les douleurs rhumatismales.

Le jour du pardon, les malades n'hésitaient pas à se tremper dans le bassin afin d'obtenir la guérison.

Featuring:

Bauhaus Ophelia Suit

Truth Azalea hair

Avada Stiletto Nails Sumeria - available at BIGGIRL through 10-Dec

Avada Genevieve Earrings - available at Tres Chic through 10-Dec

Rozoregalia Narusaza Rings

Fantasy World Princess Crown

Full details at Grumpy Kitten

Clover's reputation has waxed and waned over the last century. Once considered a sign of a well-managed lawn, clover came to be considered a weed only after broadleaf herbicides hit the market.Today, gardeners are growing wise to the plant's many benefits. They plant clover to improve soil health, attract beneficial insects, and promote a healthy lawn.

More can be found at www.americanmeadows.com/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/clove...

The reputation of this “resistance nest”, situated in Colleville, stems from the fact that the US landing forces suffered enormous losses as a result of the defensive fire of this strongpoint.

I have to remind a lot of kids around Halloween that black cats aren't scary and they aren't bad luck. Black cats have the most docile characteristics of any cats genetically so the idea that they would have developed a bad reputation is not based on Science or reality!

Here's a cat from Vancatver, Catada!

**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO6YL09T8Fw

Overalls get a bad reputation for being homely or for not being feminine enough.

Not this [WM] Ianthe Outfit with its paired top & overalls – for it bares the perfect amount of skin for you to look incredibly sexy and feel feminine all at once.

There’s also no denying it. This Ianthe Outfit breaks the mold when it comes to overalls- for its design is more stylish than ever before. Yes, the dungarees you once rocked in your youth are cool once again... and this gorgeous Ianthe outfit is proof in the pudding!

This Outfit is a LIMITED NEW RELEASE PROMO!

FITS:

- Belleza Gen.X Curvy

- eBody Reborn

- Kupra

- Legacy + Perky

- Maitreya

FATPACK 33 COLORS

Taxi to WellMade Store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Capri/153/157/3501

[WellMade] Your home for Second Life fashion.

The Common Merganser has a reputation for being a very hardy waterfowl member and will as long as the water stays open, winter further north than most other waterbirds and tend to prefer a habitat of freshwater versus saltwater.

Their breeding territory ranges across most of our northern forests from Alaska to Newfoundland. They tend to be a quiet species unless disturbed or when they are active in their courtship period. Sometimes they are cavity nesters, sometimes they use man-made nesting boxes and sometimes they nest on the ground where a clutch can contain anywhere from 6 - 17 eggs.

They are one of the more socialites of waterfowl and can be found in huge flocks on open lakes and will accept other species of diving ducks within their flock.

This hen is escorting a clutch of 7 juveniles upriver.

❤ New Post Featuring LsR Moda

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♡ LsR Moda Marketplace♡

Vancouver has the reputation of City of Glass. This is Hilton tower in the downtown area. I shot this from the hotel room I was staying. It is across the street of this Hlton. Since I didn't bring my 17-40L all the way to Vancouver, I was only able to get the half of the tower here with my 24-105L.

Large View On Black

San Francisco has maintained its reputation as a center of cultural bohemianism. In earlier years it had drawn writers from Mark Twain to Jack London, and it became a center for the 1950s beat poets and for the Haight-Ashbury hippie counterculture that peaked with the 1967 “Summer of Love.”

youtu.be/JaoMgaBafFg

The reputation of this lens is rather mixed and, frequently, a lack of sharpness has been highlighted. It is true to say that, among the many primes Fuji has produced for its x-mount cameras, this one is generally more on the average side. However, if you treat it well, it will produce the goods. And, for a wide-angle lens, this one is very light and portable. A walker in the field, Kensworth, Bedfordshire.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO6YL09T8Fw

HAIR - Doux, Jennie

JACKET - Mimikri

PANTS - ONYX LEATHERS, Boho Pants

New from Zanze @ Rock Your Rack

Blogger - justaspoonfulofpsycho.blogspot.com/2016/10/if-you-need-me...

Wordpress - xjadepantherx.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/if-you-need-me-ill...

Facebook - www.facebook.com/Just-a-Spoonful-of-Psycho-1069871446357543/

The reputation of this lens is rather mixed and, frequently, a lack of sharpness has been highlighted. It is true to say that, among the many primes Fuji has produced for its x-mount cameras, this one is generally more on the average side. However, if you treat it well, it will produce the goods. And, for a wide-angle lens, this one is very light and portable. A field in Kensworth, Bedfordshire.

Thistles have a bad reputation for their spiny personality, but these formidable wildflowers shine as favorite nectar and host plants for many bees and butterflies, including swallowtails. This one seemed popular with a Palamedes Swallowtail butterfly along with a skipper, don't know the kind and two little green bees (Or wasp)

enjoying its Bounty. Found a Bumble bee on another one. A Monarch Butterfly on yet another and a black swallow tail butterfly on another one.

The roadside in Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area in Osceola County is lined with thousands or at least hundreds of these prickly wildflowers!

Don't know what kind of thistle it is either.

Update: Robert Simons tells me this is the native Florida thistle known variously as purple thistle, yellow thistle, and bull thistle. The Latin name is Cirsium horridulum. Thanks Robert!

Also been advised that the Skipper is a "Twin-spot skipper".

Thanks to Mary Keim for identification on the skipper.

Guapa

'My Reputation has never been Worst... So you Must Like Me for Me.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCXGJQYZ9JA

The Common Merganser has a reputation for being a very hardy waterfowl member and will as long as the water stays open, winter further north than most other waterbirds and tend to prefer fresh water to salt water.

Their breeding territory ranges across most of our northern forests from Alaska to Newfoundland. They tend to be a quiet species unless disturbed or during the courtship period. Sometimes they are cavity nesters using man-made nesting boxes and sometimes nest on the ground. A nest can contain a clutch of anywhere from 6 - 17 eggs.

Their elongated bodies make it much easier for them to tote their young on their backs while swimming.

They are one of the more social of waterfowl and can be found in huge flocks on lakes and will accept other species of diving ducks within their own flocks.

This species is our most widespread and abundant merganser and is often referred to as a "Fish Duck".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1IAnGfMoKE

La mauvaise réputation (Georges Brassens)

The Bad Reputation (Georges Brassens)

In a village without pretention

I have a bad reputation

Whether i bother or stay quiet

I pass for an I-dont-know-what!

Nevertheless, I don't harm anyone

By following the path of the little guy.

But the brave people do not like

others to follow another path than them,

No, the brave people do not like

Others to follow another path than them.

Everyone talks trash about me,

Except the mutes, that goes without saying.

On Bastille Day

I stay in my cozy bed.

The music that marches on,

Does not concern me.

Nevertheless, I don't harm anyoneBy not listening to the Bugle that sounds.

But the brave people do not like,

Others to follow another path than them.

No, the brave people do not like,

Others to follow another path than them.

Everyone points at me

Except the people with no arms, that goes without saying.

When I cross an unlucky thief

Chased by a hick

I throw the leg, and why keep it quiet,

The hick finds himself on the ground.

Nevertheless, I don't harm anyone

By letting run the thieves of apples.

But the brave people do not like

Others to follow another path than them,

No, the brave people do not like

Others to follow another path than them.

Everyone rushes at me

Except those without legs, that goes without saying.

No need to be Jeremiah

To guess what fate is promised me

If they find a rope to their liking

They will put it around my neck

Nevertheless, I don't harm anyone

By following the path that leads to Rome

But the brave people do not like

Others to follow another path than them,

No, the brave people do not like

Others to follow another path than them.

Everyone will come to see me hung

Except the blind, of course!

Late this afternoon in Sydney.

Tuesday, 5th March, 2024.

Photographed from Woolcott Street, Waverton.

Half an hour before sunset.

SO today my 6.30pm work appointment at Bella Vista was cancelled. Perfect. It was a clear and sunny afternoon. So I drove to the harbourside via the M7, M2 and the mega expensive Lane Cove Tunnel. I decided on Waverton for my sunset photographs, and parked on Woolcott Street for this image, before shifting to the Berrys Bay Lookout on Larkin Street.

And that's where I ran into a group of English backpackers from Newcastle (in England). All women in their early to mid 20s. I sometimes meet the most amazing people on my photo excursions. And it's always so unexpected.

And, oh, for the backpacking girls from Newcastle who all love AC DC (as I do, of-course) here is 'Wild Reputation' by AC DC.

So play it LOUD:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZE89NFYb04

Anyway, we got talking about Sydney and they declared that our city had "a wild reputation". I was a tad bemused by that because I think Sydney is, on the whole, rather tame!!

But anyway, the girls mentioned that Newcastle has a bridge, the Tyne Bridge, that is exactly like the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Now how could that be? But check this:

www.google.com/search?sca_esv=b679d9581e4a3aee&rlz=1C...

And wait, there's more - the Tyne bridge was actually constructed four years before our bridge. Really? You learn something new every day. And both bridges were designed by London firm 'Mott, Hay and Anderson'. Wow!!

So after taking sunset pictures of the harbour from the Berrys Bay Lookout we went to the nearby Commodore Hotel, on Blues Point Road, for some drinks and pizza. And I will now definitely have to visit Newcastle, somewhere over in England, because I think that's where the real "wild reputation" exists. Let's go....

My Canon EOS 5D Mk IV with the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens

Processed in Adobe Lightroom and PhotoPad Pro by NCH software.

Squirrels often have a bad reputation as being a nuisance in gardens and campsites. However, they are smart survivors and I am taking lessons from them this winter. It looks like restrictions are going to get tighter in our province so today I am going to stock up on essentials to survive harsher winter weather and possible empty shelves at the grocery stores again. Nuts are something I love to eat and now that I am home more, I don’t need to worry about nut allergies! So I will squirrel away a good supply of those for the winter. I’ll try to get creative with lentils and chickpeas, too. If we find out that supplies are getting even more scarce by spring, I can always dig up my tulip bulbs and eat those. My parents did that during the war. Some fancy restaurants offer special tulip based recipes in the spring that you pay a premium price for! Yup, it’s not a bad idea to take some lessons from the squirrel. 😉

I have a reputation for loosing my gloves and hats (and sometimes umbrellas, too, if I ever use one) at a regular basis ... usually on the streetcar / tram, on the mountains or somewhere else out and about taking photos

... I don't mind wearing odd / different gloves (and socks) though, so I don't throw away the single ones ; ))

And there are actually columns dedicated to all the lonely gloves out there on "out of frame" (a student-edited platform for all things untold, unseen and forgotten, so they say):

The Lonely Glove Phenomenon: What is a Lonely Glove?

The Lonely Glove Phenomenon: Lonely Glove Locations

Cherish and protect your gloves ! : )))

Crazy Tuesday - theme of February 22, 2022: Single

😄 HaPpY CrAzY Tuesday 😄

I don't give a damn about my reputation

You're living in the past; it's a new generation

And a girl can do what she wants to do

And that's what I'm gonna do

And I don't give a damn about my bad reputation

Oh no, not me

        – The Hit Girls, Bad Reputation

I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation

You're living in the past, it's a new generation

A girl can do what she wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do

An' I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation

Bad Reputation-- Joan Jett

Credits: TUMBLR

♫ Joan Jett - Bad Reputation

One of the local pubs just over the bridge.

Nearby are small shops to visit and more.

The inn has seven en suite bedrooms, each with colour television, telephone, tea and coffee tray and hair drier.

In selecting your bedroom, you can choose to overlook the river at the front of the house, or the green fields backed by the mountains at the rear of the house.

Besides the dining-room, there is a large lounge with an open fire and two attractive small bars.

The Tanronnen has long held a reputation for its high standard of cuisine and the homely and cosy atmosphere. Packed lunches are provided on request. The inn is open all year round and the dining-room is open to non-residents.

Hair: Love- Reputation new

Eyes: -Uni cult- Madness Eyes -Aenigma- new

Chain: Richb Navia face Chain -Aenigma- new

Top: -Cubir Cherry- {Dooboo} Top Leather

Skirt: -Cubir Cherry- Nora latex -Afterglow- new

Heart: -Fika- Mekaniskt Heart

Bacdrop: -The bearbed- House vives / That goove -Men only- new

Pose: Quantum Sorcerer new

Magic: -Kokoro- Cyber 01 Holding -Cyber fair- new

The reputation of this lens is rather mixed and, frequently, a lack of sharpness has been highlighted. It is true to say that, among the many primes Fuji has produced for its x-mount cameras, this one is generally more on the average side. However, if you treat it well, it will produce the goods. And, for a wide-angle lens, this one is very light and portable. Mary the Virgin, Kensworth, Bedfordshire.

-vibe-

_________

*scene/items worn can be located in tags.

**pose edited

Taken @Ravenmore

Isotta Fraschini quickly established a reputation for innovation and high-quality craftsmanship. Its legacy is often attributed to its eight-cylinder luxury cars built during the 1920s, but it was many years earlier that the company forged its reputation for motor racing. Leading the charge in the engineering department was Giustino Cattaneo who developed the Tipo I Corsa in 1907, which competed at the Coppa Florio that year and emerged victoriously. A year later, in modified form, it won the Targa Florio. Following these victories, Isotta Fraschini designed a high-performance, lightweight, road-going car called the Tipo FE Voiturette. Several high-horsepower models followed and were particularly popular with U.S.-based enthusiasts.

The United States market was important to Isotta Fraschini and they made considerable efforts to promote their cars, most often through racing endeavors. In 1908, placed second in the Vanderbilt Cup, and were victorious in several other events including the Briarcliff Trophy, Savannah Trophy, and the Lowell Cup. In preparation for the Indianapolis 500, Isotta Fraschini Motor Co. of New York commissioned the Tipo IM. Six examples were built in the spring of 1913, wearing designs inspired by the KM and TM models.

The Isotta Fraschini Tipo IM was powered by an aircraft-inspired overhead cam, a 16-valve engine with a revised bore and stroke ratio, and a displacement size of 7,238 cubic centimeters. Its 7.2-liter displacement allowed it to comply with the limit set for American racing events. The 135 horsepower produced at 2,350 RPM was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. Another advanced feature was the four-wheel braking system. The suspension was comprised of a solid front and a live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs all around.

As production was winding down, production was delayed due to a strike at the factory. Despite the setbacks, the factory was able to fulfill its American contracts. The cars were sent to Le Havre, France, and loaded onto the Lusitania on April 29th. They arrived in New York on May 24th and were sent to Indianapolis by express train, just in time to participate in qualifying sessions.

The 1913 Indianapolis 500 was the third year of the event, and it was the substantial monetary rewards that attracted U.S. and European factory-backed teams. The Isotta Fraschini team had the most modern and sophisticated machinery that they were capable of producing, and the lineup of drivers was equally impressive, consisting of Targa Florio winner Vincenzo Trucco, American racer 'Terrible' Teddy Tetzlaff, and two-time Vanderbilt Cup winner Harry Grant. Ray Gilhooley was hired as the relief driver, and he was lent a Tipo KM, which he drove prior to the start of the race in exhibition laps.

In the end, it was the lack of preparation and fine-tuning that proved to be the Achilles Heel of the Tipo IM's effort, having been prepared during the midst of the labor strike. The demise of all three cars was attributed to minor mechanical issues, with Grant leaving on Lap 14 due to a split gas tank. Trucco had the same issue but his car held up to Lap 39 before he bowed out of the race. Tetzlaff's carried the torch for Isotta Fraschini through lap 118 when a broken drive chain ended his day.

The car driven by Tetzlaff returned to Indianapolis 500 a year later and was entrusted to Ray Gilhooley. On Lap 41, the Isotta suffered a tire blowout in Turn 3, which ensnared the drive chain. The car spun wildly and ejected the driver and riding mechanic in the process, eventually coming to a stop on tires in the infield.

In many ways, these were the end and pinnacle of an era, and at the same time gave a glimpse into the future. The chain drive system was archaic and the front wheel brakes were thoroughly modern. Had they not succumbed to mechanical issues, it would have been interesting how history would have recorded their accomplishments at Indy.

by Daniel Vaughan - Jun 2021

Racing image above attributed to Conceptcarz

BTW, this car sold for 2.6 million dollars in 2019! You might say that was the ultimate win! :)

This quarry gained a reputation for poor working conditions and was known locally as "The Slaughterhouse". Between 1875 and 1893 there were 21 deaths in Cwmorthin out of a workforce of around 550. Following the passing of the Metalliferous Mines Act 1872, all mines were required to keep records of their operations, and to report fatal injuries, some details of the men and boys employed, and the output of the mine. Like many slate mines, Cwmorthin argued that it was a quarry, and that the law did not apply to them.

Life in the barracks at most quarries was uncomfortable but at Cwmorthin conditions were generally considered the worst in the industry. They were overcrowded, damp and squalid and there were no washing facilities apart from the nearest stream.

Part of the series "Welsh slate quarries":

www.flickr.com/photos/fransvanhoogstraten/albums/72177720...

62 refers to its length of 6,20 m. In 2008 its price was €432,250.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybach_57_and_62

I discovered this car in the Kreta quarter, a substandard housing neighbourhood in Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna. Favoriten hasn't exactly a good reputation, but the Kreta quarter's reputation is even much worse.

KAKLIK CAVE - or PAMUKKALE under ground

Pamukkale has a world-wide reputation. Kaklik Cave on the other hand is less known. Although I am a native of the region, it is only recently that I have come to know Kaklik Cave. It has been discovered in recent years. Kaklik Cave is 36 km from Denizli, a city in southwest Turkey. If you are travelling eastward from Denizli take a detour of 4 km when you reach Kaklik intersection on the highway. Just follow the road signs to the cave. It's located at 37°51'22.25"N 29°23'6.59"E.

Chemical sedimentation processes similar to those found in Pamukkale are also at work here in Kaklik Cave. There is a slight difference to the composition of the water though. Upon entering the cave you smell a strong scent of sulphur or rotten egg. I am not a chemist or geologist, so I can only make an educated guess. Here there is a greenish formation on the rocks that may be due to bacterial growth or merely a chemical process. The pools and travertines are stunningly similar to those in Pamukkale although at a smaller scale. Unfortunately Wikipedia has no entry on the subject at the time of this writing.

Kaklık Mağarası veya Yeraltı Pamukkale'si

Pamukale'yi duymayanımız yoktur. Ama bir Denizli'li olarak Kaklık Mağarası'nı ben de son yıllarda duydum, ve ilk defa 2006'da gördüm. O zaman uygun bir kameram olmadığı için resmini çekememiştim. Şimdi çok şükür bir NIKON D60 ım var. Dün bol bol resim çektim.

Denizli - Afyon karayolunun 32. km'sinde trafik ışıklarından sola sapıp 4 km gidiyorsunuz. Düz ovada mağara görecegim diye beklemeyin, çünki mağara yer altında. Haritadaki yeri 37°51'22.25"N 29°23'6.59"E. Burada Pamukkale'deki kimyasal sedimentasyona benzer bir reaksiyon söz konusu olabilir. Travertenler Pamukkale'dekilere çok benziyor, sadece daha küçük. Konunun uzmanı olan arkadaşların katkılarını buraya ilave edebilirim.

The 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Gurney Nutting Streamline Coupé, flown from India to Monterey California just for the Concours.

Rolls-Royce had, at the time, developed a reputation as the makers of what was supposedly the ‘World’s Best Car’. However, after Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times between 1924 and 1930, Sir Henry Royce was charged up enough to decide on developing a ‘sporty’ car to rival the Bentleys. So after absorbing the financially bankrupt, but engineering rich firm, including WO himself (until he fled several years later to Lagonda to produce their amazing V-12). Henry Royce made his first foray into actual sporting models, the 'Continental' Phantom II. Keeping the Bentleys as the 'cheaper' Rolls, The Phantom II 'Continental' was designed to be self-driven over long distances at considerable speed, by a more sporting owner, the Phantom II Continentals were shorter, lighter and markedly quicker than the ‘full size’ Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs that were built to be chauffeur driven. Only 279 of these ‘sporty’ Rolls-Royces found buyers who were willing to pay a hefty premium over the already expensive Phantom IIs. Just six of the Phantom II Continentals found customers in India and only one still remains in the country.

Of the six, two were ordered by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Umaid Singh, who seemed to have had a penchant for Rolls-Royces, given that he ordered 18 over two decades. The last of the Phantom II Continentals to come to India though, was this Streamline coupe that you see here. Also from 1935, this car was in fact, the very last of the Continentals built. Chassis # 62UK features sublimely beautiful coachwork from J Gurney Nutting, the most flamboyant amongst the classically staid British coachbuilders of the era. Acknowledged as one of the best of the English stylists during the 1930s, J Gurney Nutting’s chief designer A E ‘Mac’ Macneil drew out a perfectly proportioned coupe that embodied the delightful leitmotif of the coachbuilder’s house style, with superb two-toning that amplified the flowing lines of this gorgeous automobile. And this is the original color combo! it was delivered to Bombay, India on the 18th of October 1935.

For the Rolls-Royce enthusiast, the Phantom II Continental is regarded as the finest from the pre-war era, and this car is easily one of the finest of the finest, and the unique colors always draw a large crowd.

AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!

The reputation of Magnasco,one of the most individual eighteenth-century painters,resides in the exuberance of his of his technique and the fantasy of his subject matter.Here people from the fringes of society have gathered to watch the spectacle of a man trying to teach a magpie to sing-an impossible task.The picture was probably painted when Magnasco was working for the Medici in Florence and was in contact with Sebastiano Ricci-the MET

Details --> www.alltheragesl.com/2019/01/22/fashion-entry-023/

The United States has a well-deserved reputation as a home for innovative and disruptive technologies, and during the turn of the 20th century, there was perhaps nothing more disruptive than the new-fangled technology known as the automobile. Eager to get in on the ground floor, car companies of every kind began sprouting up all over the country, often in the most unlikely of places. This included the small city of New Britain, Connecticut, where the Corbin Motor Vehicle Corporation called home from 1904 to 1912.

Though it produced just 600 vehicles during its 8-year tenure, Corbin left an indelible mark on a city that prides itself on its manufacturing history. In fact, New Britain is best known as the Hardware City, as it is home to the world headquarters of tool-making conglomerate Stanley Black & Decker. But it was the American Hardware Corporation, in conjunction with the Russel & Erwin Company, that bought out the Bristol Motor Car Company (also in Connecticut) and moved it to New Britain under the new name, Corbin Motor Vehicles.

The name was derived from Philip Corbin, founder and owner of American Hardware, as well as the driving force behind the formation of the car company. Having acquired the rights to a clever air-cooled engine design that employed a horizontal fan blowing air over 56 rows of steel fins around each cylinder casting, Corbin began production of two models priced between $2,000 and $2,650, which is about three-times the cost of Henry Ford’s famous Model T. The bespoke touring cars were soon joined by a roadster and a seven-passenger limousine.

As we already noted however, there were many other automakers competing for the same, limited pool of wealthy buyers, so Corbin began entering his automobiles in races to showcase their performance. A Corbin would come in second place at the Dead Horse Hill Climb in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1908, reaching a top speed of 51 MPH during the mile-long, uphill race. Not exactly record-setting, as in 1906 the steam-powered Stanley Rocket went 127 MPH (no relation to New Britain’s Stanley Works), but it did encourage Corbin to enter the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race in Long Island.

By this time, Corbin had switched his cars to water-cooled engines as the technology evolved, and for the Vanderbilt Cup he hired famed racer Joe Matson. The Corbin “Cannonball” as it was called performed well for the first ten laps of the race, but a broken water pipe forced its early retirement, and Corbin settled for a 24th place finish out of 30 racers.

In a somewhat prophetic ending, as within two years Corbin production came to a halt in the Hardware City. Henry Ford’s Model T was dominating the market by this time, and without the funding to expand and compete, the company quietly closed up shop and became a car parts and service center.

At its height, Corbin had showrooms in its home city, as well as Manhattan and Boston, but today there are just a handful of examples that survive in small local car museums here and there. This includes the Corbin Cannonball, which has been restored and preserved for more than 100 years after it’s loss at the Vanderbilt Cup.

It’s a small but cherished piece of the history of the Hardware City.

Credit: Street Muscle

Sparrowhawk - Accipiter Nisus

Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.

The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World; while birds from the northern parts of the range migrate south for winter, their southern counterparts remain resident or make dispersive movements. Eurasian sparrowhawks breed in suitable woodland of any type, with the nest, measuring up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) across, built using twigs in a tree. Four or five pale blue, brown-spotted eggs are laid; the success of the breeding attempt is dependent on the female maintaining a high weight while the male brings her food. The chicks hatch after 33 days and fledge after 24 to 28 days.

The probability of a juvenile surviving its first year is 34%, with 69% of adults surviving from one year to the next. Mortality in young males is greater than that of young females and the typical lifespan is four years. This species is now one of the most common birds of prey in Europe, although the population crashed after the Second World War. Organochlorine insecticides used to treat seeds before sowing built up in the bird population, and the concentrations in Eurasian sparrowhawks were enough to kill some outright and incapacitate others; affected birds laid eggs with fragile shells which broke during incubation. However, its population recovered after the chemicals were banned, and it is now relatively common, classified as being of Least Concern by BirdLife International.

The Eurasian sparrowhawk's hunting behaviour has brought it into conflict with humans for hundreds of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations. The increase in population of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk coincides with the decline in House Sparrows in Britain. Studies of racing pigeon deaths found that Eurasian sparrowhawks were responsible for less than 1%. Falconers have utilised the Eurasian sparrowhawk since at least the 16th century; although the species has a reputation for being difficult to train, it is also praised for its courage. The species features in Teutonic mythology and is mentioned in works by writers including William Shakespeare, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes.

Male Eurasian sparrowhawks regularly kill birds weighing up to 40 g (1.4 oz) and sometimes up to 120 g (4.2 oz); females can tackle prey up to 500 g (18 oz) or more. The weight of food consumed by adult birds daily is estimated to be 40–50 g (1.4–1.8 oz) for males and 50–70 g (1.8–2.5 oz) for females. During one year, a pair of Eurasian sparrowhawks could take 2,200 house sparrows, 600 common blackbirds or 110 wood pigeons. Species that feed in the open, far from cover, or are conspicuous by their behaviour or coloration, are taken more often by Eurasian sparrowhawks. For example, great tits and house sparrows are vulnerable to attack. Eurasian sparrowhawks may account for more than 50% of deaths in certain species, but the extent varies from area to area.

Males tend to take tits, finches, sparrows and buntings; females often take thrushes and starlings. Larger quarry (such as doves and magpies) may not die immediately but succumb during feather plucking and eating. More than 120 bird species have been recorded as prey and individual Eurasian sparrowhawks may specialise in certain prey. The birds taken are usually adults or fledglings, though chicks in the nest and carrion are sometimes eaten. Small mammals, including bats, are sometimes caught but insects are eaten only very rarely.

The United States has a well-deserved reputation as a home for innovative and disruptive technologies, and during the turn of the 20th century, there was perhaps nothing more disruptive than the new-fangled technology known as the automobile. Eager to get in on the ground floor, car companies of every kind began sprouting up all over the country, often in the most unlikely of places. This included the small city of New Britain, Connecticut, where the Corbin Motor Vehicle Corporation called home from 1904 to 1912.

Though it produced just 600 vehicles during its 8-year tenure, Corbin left an indelible mark on a city that prides itself on its manufacturing history. In fact, New Britain is best known as the Hardware City, as it is home to the world headquarters of tool-making conglomerate Stanley Black & Decker. But it was the American Hardware Corporation, in conjunction with the Russel & Erwin Company, that bought out the Bristol Motor Car Company (also in Connecticut) and moved it to New Britain under the new name, Corbin Motor Vehicles.

The name was derived from Philip Corbin, founder and owner of American Hardware, as well as the driving force behind the formation of the car company. Having acquired the rights to a clever air-cooled engine design that employed a horizontal fan blowing air over 56 rows of steel fins around each cylinder casting, Corbin began production of two models priced between $2,000 and $2,650, which is about three-times the cost of Henry Ford’s famous Model T. The bespoke touring cars were soon joined by a roadster and a seven-passenger limousine.

As we already noted however, there were many other automakers competing for the same, limited pool of wealthy buyers, so Corbin began entering his automobiles in races to showcase their performance. A Corbin would come in second place at the Dead Horse Hill Climb in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1908, reaching a top speed of 51 MPH during the mile-long, uphill race. Not exactly record-setting, as in 1906 the steam-powered Stanley Rocket went 127 MPH (no relation to New Britain’s Stanley Works), but it did encourage Corbin to enter the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race in Long Island.

By this time, Corbin had switched his cars to water-cooled engines as the technology evolved, and for the Vanderbilt Cup he hired famed racer Joe Matson. The Corbin “Cannonball” as it was called performed well for the first ten laps of the race, but a broken water pipe forced its early retirement, and Corbin settled for a 24th place finish out of 30 racers.

In a somewhat prophetic ending, as within two years Corbin production came to a halt in the Hardware City. Henry Ford’s Model T was dominating the market by this time, and without the funding to expand and compete, the company quietly closed up shop and became a car parts and service center.

At its height, Corbin had showrooms in its home city, as well as Manhattan and Boston, but today there are just a handful of examples that survive in small local car museums here and there. This includes the Corbin Cannonball, which has been restored and preserved for more than 100 years after it’s loss at the Vanderbilt Cup.

It’s a small but cherished piece of the history of the Hardware City.

Credit: Street Muscle

The hilltop offers an unrivalled view of Gyantse town, and there is a small museum documenting the excesses of the British Younhusband expedition, which severely damaged the fortress in 1904. Restoration work at the fortress has taken place in recent years, but visitors have still occasinally found it difficult to gain acces.

The original fortress of Gyel-khar-tse (རྒྱལ་ཁར་ རྩེ་ rgyal khar rtse) is attributed to Pelkhor-tsen, son of the anti-Buddhist king Langdarma, who vainly sought to perpetuate the Yarlung Dynasty from West Tibet following the assassination of his father.

The walls of the present structure were reputedly built in 1268, following the rise to power of the Sakyapas, and in 1365 a palatial castle was founded on the hilltop by the local prince, Phakpa Pelzangpo (1318-1370), who had acquired influence at the court in Sakya through his reputation as a brave general in the southern military campaigns conducted by his Sakyapa overlords, and at Zhalu, where in 1350 he entered into a marriage alliance with the lords of Zhalu. As dowry he was granted the fiefdom of Changra, west of Gyantse, and he invited the great Buddhist master Buton Rinchendrub of Zhalu to reside in a temple which he had constructed there. In 1365, in addition to the Gyantse Castle, he also founded the Tsechen Chode (Shambu Tsegu) castle and temple complex at the entrance to the Gyantse valley and adopted it as his principal seat. The incarnation of Buton, Drubchen Kunga Lodro, also resided there.

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