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Mafia dice requires each player to have 5 dice. The first player rolls their dice, passes any 6s to the player on their left and removes any dice showing a 1 from the game. Play continues with the player on the left. The game continues in this manner until one player is left with no dice and thus wins the game.
Developed with Darktable 3.6.0.
Jixi Mining Bureau's 'SY' 2-8-2 No.1446 has come to the rescue of sister 'SY' 0950 to shift its wagons on the icy tracks out of the Didao landsale yard during the morning of 4th January 2010 as workers make their way on and off shift.
© Copyright Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use any of these images without my explicit permission
My latest project...A Canon IIIb.
This camera much like the early Leica's, has a two piece top plate. This requires a complete tear down to get to all the parts required for painting. A real PITA!!
On this one, the curtains were shot and the chrome had seen better days. A perfect candidate for rebuilding/refinishing.
Camera painted with Cerakote.
DeKalb County (North Druid Hills), Georgia, USA.
22 October 2020.
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▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
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One of my favorite catches of the 2022 summer vacations at my family up north.
SM42-349, the last of all SM/SU42 locomotives in PolRegio's fleet in the old Przewozy Regionalne's livery, was deployed for around 3 days in August to run one pair of trains on the Ostbahn between Chojnice and Tczew instead of a Pesa Link, which broke down. Here the evening train can be seen leaving Czersk on the way back to Chojnice, which once used to be called Konitz.
This required me to wake up at 4am to take a train from the tricity to the Ostbahn, spend a whole day there and return back home around 1am the next day, nevertheless I find that it was worth every drop of tear and sweat :).
Also check out the picture of the morning train in Starogard Gdański here
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
Battleship Texas is the last remaining battleship that participated in both World War I and World War II. Over her service life, the Navy repeatedly outfitted the ship with cutting edge technology. Fate spared Battleship Texas as she fought in two wars. Now she is fighting for survival against age and rust.
Powerful weapon
ship launch_800p.jpegLaunching the ship in 1912 (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives)
The U.S. Navy com-mis-sioned USS Texas on March 12, 1914. She was the most powerful weapon in the world, a complex product of an industrial nation emerging as a force in global events.
In 1916, USS Texas became the first U.S. battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns. She was also the first to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers. These early computers increased firing accuracy.
In World War I, USS Texas joined the 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet early in 1918. Her duties included laying a North Sea mine barrage, responding to German High Seas Fleet maneuvers, and helping prevent enemy naval forces from cutting off Allied supply lines.
Late in 1918, she escorted the German Fleet to its surrender anchorage.
Retooled ship
Two sailors swabbing the deck.Swabbing the deck (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives)
In 1925, the Navy opted to modernize USS Texas instead of scrapping her. This meant con-vert-ing the ship to run on fuel oil instead of coal. Tripod masts and a single stack replaced the ship’s cage masts and two smoke stacks. Torpedo blisters added another layer of protection to the ship’s waterline.
USS Texas received one of the first radars in the U.S. Navy in 1939. With new anti-aircraft guns, fire control and communication equipment, the ship remained an aging but powerful asset in the U.S. naval fleet.
World War II
Baker-Bryant German Shell031_800p.jpgCaptain Baker and Admiral Bryan pose with the unexploded German shell (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives).
USS Texas became flagship of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet before World War II. She had a close call in 1941 while on "Neutrality Patrol.” German Submarine U-203 had the ship in its sights and asked permission to fire. Adolf Hitler eventually denied permission to engage the ship, or any other U.S. ship.
Fate spared the battleship again when Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941: She was safe in Maine. The United States entered World War II soon after.
During the war, USS Texas fired on Nazi defenses in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Shortly afterward, German coastal defense artillery near Cherbourg hit the ship twice. The first shell exploded, injuring 12 and killing one. This was the only combat fatality ever aboard USS Texas. The second shell hit the ship, but did not explode. The Navy deactivated this “lucky shell” and returned it to the ship as a good luck charm.
After repairs, the battleship shelled Nazi positions in Southern France before transferring to the Pacific. There she lent gunfire support and anti-aircraft fire to the landings on Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Final mission
Berthing the ship_800p.jpgTugboats bring the battleship to her final resting place in 1948 (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives).
After Japan’s surrender, USS Texas carried soldiers stationed across the Pacific home from war.
When she completed her final mission, the state of Texas acquired the ship. On April 21, 1948, Battleship Texas was decom-missioned, and became a memorial ship.
Today, Battleship Texas is a floating museum and the last remaining U.S. battleship of her kind. She stands as a memorial to the bravery and sacrifice of the servicemen who fought in both world wars.
The battleship is both a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Ensuring her future will require a concerted effort from Texas citizens and businesses. Luck has gotten her this far, but now it’s up to Texans to save Battleship Texas.
Taken from; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/battleship-texas/park_history
© All rights reserved — any use, reproduction, or curation requires prior written permission via Flickr mail.
This morning, after the rain, I checked the BBC weather forecast before heading out to Bradgate Park, which showed sunshine over the Leicestershire region. Once again, the BBC did not let me down.
Spring always reminds us of the awakening of the earth — the end of a harsh winter reflected in a burst of colour across the landscape. Especially the pre-fruit season tones of the trees bring a quiet sense of joy.
For me, the first sign of spring is always the migration of swallows from Africa. They travel thousands of kilometres, return to build their nests, raise and train their young, and then head back to Africa to spend the winter.
Another fascinating aspect of spring is witnessing duck, goose, and swan families. Every year I observe how the young are protected, fed, and guided, and how both parents share responsibilities. Watching these first steps into life always reminds me of my own family.
Today was no different. Thirteen Mallard ducklings were following their mother, and I captured this moment together with two photographer friends. However, we chose not to get too close so as not to disturb their natural behaviour. Therefore, I am sharing a single documentary frame of this large family.
On my way back, I encountered another scene — a mother Mallard with a single duckling. Under the title “First Steps into Life,” I photographed their feeding moment on green grass.
Using my Nikon 500mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter, reaching 700mm, I was able to record these moments from a respectful distance.
Upon entering Bradgate Park, I was greeted by a Jackdaw on the park sign, followed by a Robin generously offering its song and presence. A Goldcrest then revealed itself within the pine trees.
Nature in spring is built upon such a delicate balance — for those who are able to see it…
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.
© All rights belong to R. Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission.
If you are interested in purchasing or licensing them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.
Lens & support:
Nikon AF-S TC-14E III — hand-held or monopod, SPORT VR enabled.
Aperture set to f/8, full focal length.
All images were converted from RAW to JPEG.
During long walks, I use either a Nikon cross-body strap or a monopod.
Monopod setup:
Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod
Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head (Standard Lever)
Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF
Your comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to explore! 😊
With apologies to you know whom … I simply could not resist showing this little levitation gem enhanced by some cool rim light. Does not look too shabby in large either. What happened is that the resident squirrel received a visit from his south-american cousin, the flying squirrel. Family being what it is, and not to offend the south-american machismo, he pretended to be genuinely impressed by his cousin’s antics. But as soon as his cousin had left, he came over and in a conspiratorial voice whispered to me “Come watch this and bring your camera”. I had nothing better to do at the time, actually, I rarely have anything better to do at any time, and moved the Adirondack chair into position and observed his masterful command of levitation in some pretty cool lighting conditions. Truth be told, we were at this for about an hour and these lighting conditions occurred for only about 5 minutes.
I have a huge problem here. During my research for catchy tunes I came across this Elvis song that has absolutely nothing to do with this image. You may have noticed that does happen from time to time. What to do? I could just ignore this dilemma and post the song but the squirrel sprang to my aid and invoked an old light incantation whose origin is shrouded in mystery to this day. He turned to the sun and whispered "Kiss me Quick" …
10 Screened-in Porch Planning Tips t.co/eyjhbAgYLk Building a screened-in porch requires careful planning… t.co/KkR6x76qjD (via Twitter twitter.com/NLZCleaningLI/status/808430698059223041)
Sunrise on Sprague Lake
Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado
June 2020
Rocky Mountain NP is a real paradise on summer. If you'd like to go now, It is required entry permit or camping reservation to enter . I was lucky to be able to book my camping spot at the Moraine Park Campground at the last moment. Can't wait to go back.
Yes a Giant african snail in the Philippines, but not only, it's pretty wide spread now throughout the pacifique and asia.
It's latin name: Achatina fulica
Identification: Full grown Achatina fulica reach up to 20 cm in length and 12 cm in maximum diameter. The dark and light brown (sometimes more of a cream color) swirls wrap around its cone like shell. Its convex body allows for about 7 to 9 whorls. The outlines of the whorls fluctuate from narrow to broad even within the same colony. An adult Achatina Fulica’s lip opening is generally very thin and sharp. The shell itself is thick and strong if healthy (needs a high calcium diet). The rest of the body resembles a slug like appearance with a variance in color.
Original Distribution: Achatina fulica originates from coastal East Africa particularly Kenya and Tanzania. First sightings occurred before the 1800’s.
Current Distribution: Giant African Snails can be found in most southern hemisphere countries, eg. throughout Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Australia, New Zealand, South America. In addition, these snails have been identified in Southern, Southeastern and Eastern Asia, Polynesia and other Pacific Islands, West Indies and the United States. Typically, Giant African Snails have been found along the coastline and in southern states of the USA. However, sightings have also occurred in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. These snails thrive in humid, tropical climates.
Site and Date of Introduction: As indicated in the map below, introduction of Giant African Snails dates back to the early 1800’s. These snails spread throughout East Africa into Ethiopa, Somalia, Mozambique, and Madagasar. Interestingly, they were not sighted in northern Africa until the late 1980’s.
The first occurrence of these snails outside of Africa was Bengal, India in 1847. Since then, the Giant African Snail has been transported mistakenly and purposefully throughout the countries listed in the above section.
Giant African Snails were first spotted in the US in the late 1940’s around San Pedro, California. Many of these snails were affixed to cargo imported to the US. Over 50 interceptions occurred within a ten year span (from 1948-1958) in the California ports.
In 1958, a young boy stashed Giant African Snails into his suitcase from his travels in Hawaii returning to California and driving to Arizona. Once the snails were discovered in his belongings, they family released them to the outdoors. Another very similar incident occurred in 1966, where another young boy visiting Hawaii decided to take a few Giant African Snails home to Miami, Florida to keep as pets and were released into the family’s garden. The Florida State eradication process took 10 years costing over one million dollars.
These snails continue to enter the US through illegal trade or in shipping containers and in plant shipments from the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and other Pacific Islands. Inspectors fairly easily identify these snails, intercept them and eradicate them.
Ecological Role: Achatina fulica forage on over 500 different plant species. During less favorable conditions (dry, cool), they nest in lose soil for during their period of hibernation. One may postulate that this behavior promotes health in the soil as the soil is churned and as matter from the snail settles into the soil. However, with over population, the snails destroy and pollute their surroundings, including the soil.
Benefit(s): Giant African Snails contribute to the degradation of animal matter. In addition, the Giant African Snail provides nutrients to the India glowworm Beetle; specifically to the larvae (male larvae consume 20 to 40 Achatinas; female larvae eat 40 to 60 Achatinas during their development). Other beetle species consume the Achatina fulica, such as the lampyriad and the coprine beetle.
The hermit crab is one of the most dangerous predators to the Achatina fulica and has been known to use the shell as its home. The coconut crab also views the Achatina fulica as a delicacy. The domesticated duck along with a vast variety of other bird species forage on Giant African Snails. Other mammals such as the wild pig prey on Achatina fulica.
Threat(s): The Giant African Snails’ greatest lethal threat to humans is eosinophilic meningitis. This condition is caused by the rat lungworm parasite, angiostrongylus cantonesnsis. Most often this parasite is transferred by eating the snail, as some humans consider snails a delicacy. In addition the Giant African Snail can carry the gram-negative bacterium, aeromonas hydrophila, causing a wide variety of symptoms, especially in persons with a weak immune system.
Giant African Snails cause great economic peril to farmers due to their propensity in consuming large amounts of crops/plants. Their diet consists of over 500 different plant species. A wide variety of horticulture and medicinal plants are known to be attacked by this snail. Not only does this decrease the income for agricultural producers, but it also impacts their living conditions (often requiring relocation) and decreases food and medical resources for humans, animals and other species.
The economic consequences persist in eradicating these creatures, sometimes costing millions of dollars. Another economic penalty involves the decrease in tourism. As noted earlier, Giant African Snails thrive in warm, tropical conditions – often tourist destinations.
Detail from the logo of a well known world wide furniture supplier, where assembly is always required. Explore! Thank you everyone.
Signs, Adelaide, South Australia.
Detailed macro photograph of cutting a millimetre small mustard seed with a small sharp scalpel blade.
“cut the mustard” This expression meaning “to succeed; to come up to expectations; reach the required standard”
This might require a bit of explaining! :)
So, as you all may know, because I have said a thing or two over the past few days, about a part for my gear bag that I have orderd and the UPS tracking says I should get it tomorrow! But I wanted to do a star trail tonight! And I wanted to do one tonight because when I orderd the part, it said the 6th! Oh, then we had to have a holiday, so that was extended to tomorrow. Now, how was that for a long story short! Now, what did I take a picture of?
This is my iPad! :) And this is the "Star Walk" app that I have been using to guide me with the stars at night. So, if I could not go out and get my star trail, I went to my app to get my star trail! :) It has a really cool thing where you can set the stars in motion. So, I set them into slow motion and took my 30 second exposure of it! :) So, I think this is a total of 16 hours, a guess, or so of star trails! What it would look like if you were able to keep the sky dark for that long any way! The star in the center, yep, the north star. I guess the big arrow that says N is also a dead give away that that is NORTH! :) So, any way, I hope you enjoy. I would have to say this is by far my most creative 365 image as of yet! :)
More info . . . . Wikipedia .
The existing design of the Piazza del Campidoglio and the surrounding palazzi was created by Renaissance artist and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1536–1546. At the height of his fame, he was commissioned by the Farnese Pope Paul III, who wanted a symbol of the new Rome to impress Charles V, who was expected in 1538. This offered him the opportunity to build a monumental civic plaza for a major city as well as to reestablish the grandeur of Rome. Michelangelo's first designs for the piazza and remodeling of the surrounding palazzi date from 1536. His plan was formidably extensive. He accentuated the reversal of the classical orientation of the Capitoline, in a symbolic gesture turning Rome’s civic center to face away from the Roman Forum and instead in the direction of Papal Rome and the Christian church in the form of St. Peter’s Basilica. This full half circle turn can also be seen as Michelangelo’s desire to address the new, developing section of the city rather than the ancient ruins of the past. An equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius was to stand in the middle of the piazza set in a paved oval field. Michelangelo was required to provide a setting for the statue and to bring order to an irregular hilltop already encumbered by two crumbling medieval buildings set at an acute angle to one another. The Palazzo del Senatore was to be restored with a double outer stairway, and the campanile moved to the center axis of the palace. The Palazzo dei Conservatori was also to be restored, and a new building, the so-called Palazzo Nuovo, built at the same angle on the north side of the piazza to offset the Conservatori, creating a trapezoidal piazza. A wall and balustrade were to be built at the front of the square, giving it a firm delineation on the side facing the city. Finally, a flight of steps was to lead up to the enclosed piazza from below, further accentuating the central axis.
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This is a panorama along about 60° of the northern summer Milky Way from Cepheus at left, to Cygnus at centre and at right. It frames the great variety of bright and dark nebulas in this region of the sky, notably:
- the circular IC 1396 nebula at left in Cepheus with the orange Garnet Star,
- the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) just left of centre,
- and the IC 1318 complex around Gamma Cygni just right of centre.
The dark Funnel Cloud Nebula, aka Le Gentil 3, is at left between IC 1396 and NGC 7000, while the dark region to the right (south) of NGC 7000 is the Northern Coal Sack, though to the eye, as here, that area does not appear as dark as the Funnel Cloud area.
The bright Cygnus Starcloud is right of centre, where we are looking down the Milky Way's spiral arm we live in. It is bordered below by the Cygnus Rift of dark lanes in the Milky Way which continue south into Aquila.
The small (on this scale) Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380) and Lion Nebula (Sh2-132) are at far left in Cepheus.
The small round red Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146, is at the end of a thin lane of dark dust, B168, or the Dark Cigar, at bottom left, while the tiny green Dumbbell Nebula, M27 in Vulpecula, is just visible at bottom right.
This is a stitch using Photoshop's Photomerge function of 10 segments, each segment a stack of 8 to 10 exposures of 1-minute each with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2 on the red-sensitive Canon Ra camera at ISO 800. All on the Star Adventurer tracker.
The camera was turned to portrait orientation to align the long dimension of the frame across the width of the Milky Way for greater east-west coverage. This required moving the camera by only 5° from segment to segment to ensure enough overlap. I used a ball head with an additional panorama azimuth motion with degree gradations on it to faciliate panning along the Milky Way following the galactic equator using just one simple motion.
The lens had an 82mm URTH Night broadband light pollution reduction filter on it to help increase contrast and bring out the nebulas. No narrowband filters were used here. Even so, most of the contrast enhancement was in processing with the application of a Nik Collection 6 Pro Contrast filter, plus curves with luminosity masks, and a Nebula Filter action in PhotoKemi Startools actions.
Taken from home on a fine though not fully transparent night on May 14/15, 2023 when the time for shooting this area was limited due to the short spring night. Two more segments shot to the right farther down the Milky Way were too blue and struck by dawn twilight to be usable.
No tunnels or walls were required to reach this spot. I made my first visit to a location near Mexico, PA on Saturday March 4th and immediately fell in love with this scene. Here 15J eases into a curve parallel to the Juniata River which flows out of the scene on the left. The Tuscarora Mountain Range in the background completes the scene.
I spent Christmas vacation in Burma/Myanmar, like I did 15 years ago. At this time, photographiing local fishermen of Lake Inle was a real task, requiring preparation, organization and luck. 15 years later, with the development of mass tourism and social networks, you have plenty of so-called fishermen doing demonstrations every sunset for hords of tourists. I was part of them this time and just tried to get a nice composition
(Myanmar, Inle Lake, Dec.19)
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After the grey day, the grey weekend and the grey month we have had so far, a bit of colours will do me some good! Thanks for the colours graciously offered by this Yellow Warbler and its decor!
History
In 1900, Bayless Paper chose to construct a paper mill in the Freeman Run Valley. By 1909, the company realized that occasional dry seasons required a more reliable water source. After finding a small earthen dam to be inadequate, the T. Chalkey Hatton firm built a large concrete dam across the valley. The dam was 50 feet (15 m) high, 540 feet (160 m) long and cost $86,000 to construct.[1] It was designed to be thirty feet thick, but was built only twenty feet thick.
Within only a few months of its completion, problems were detected. The dam bowed more than 36 feet (11 m) under the pressure of the water it was holding and the concrete started cracking. The bowing was alleviated by using dynamite to blast a 13-foot (4.0 m) space for the excess water to spill over. The cracking was claimed to be normal because of the drying cement.
On September 30, 1911, the dam failed and destroyed the Bayless Pulp & Paper Mill as well as much of the town of Austin. The damage was approximately $10 million. It also resulted in the deaths of 78 people. The paper mill and dam were subsequently rebuilt, but the mill was lost in a fire in 1933. The new dam failed in 1942 with no loss of life. The dam was not replaced after the second failure.
A documentary about the dam disaster, featuring narration by Willie Nelson, was created by Mansfield University of Pennsylvania professor Gale Largey in 1999. It includes interviews with five survivors along with original newsreel footage.
From Wikipedia
The dedicated community based volunteers of RCMSAR 10 (Can Coast Guard Aux Pacific) near Sandheads conducting a search during a multi-agency SAR exercise.. On board is a mix of experienced and new crew learning the skills required. Station 10 supports the Canadian Coast in the provision of maritime search and rescue in the Stevenson and Richmond area..
Crimson Waxcap, Humphrey Head.
Hygrocybe punicea is a species of agaric (gilled mushroom) in the family Hygrophoraceae. It has been given the recommended English name of crimson waxcap. The species has a European distribution, occurring mainly in agriculturally unimproved grassland. Threats to its habitat have resulted in the species being assessed as globally "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Records of H. punicea from North America (where it is called scarlet waxy cap and occurs in woodland), East Asia, and Australia require further research to see if they represent the same species.
As soon as I saw Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh set, I knew I had to make him bounce. I soon realised that to make this happen would require Tigger to be on something elevated. So, the next logical thought was to build his treehouse around the technic contraption.
I tried to follow the style of the Winnie the Pooh set so that they could be displayed together. However, I ended up needing the leaves from Winnie's tree, leaving it a little bare!
Dodgy video uploaded here:
www.flickr.com/photos/kjw010/51124455178/in/dateposted-pu...
Title paraphrased from the famous line spoken by Roy Scheider from the 1975 film Jaws, but using the 'Royal We' and with a posh accent...
For Smile on Saturday theme 'Kings and Queens'.
No royalty were harmed in the making of this photograph.
A Gulf Fritillary enjoys a bit of nectar from and Ironweed blossom in the garden of good and evil at El. Franco Lee Park. Not the best of captures, but something to break up the monotony of the heron and lizard parade.
DSC00118uls
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-rail.
Copyright © 2014 by Craig Paup. All rights reserved.
Any use, printed or digital, in whole or edited, requires my written permission.
Yeah, it's happening, the haters are coming out.
We're Here - Photographs with unreasonably long names
2020.130
"A man requires but eight liters. A palm, then, equals five men. There are twenty palms out there—one hundred men.”
This is a relatively simple build. The actual scene from the movie is pretty plain, in that the textures are all smooth and tan. Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful scene. I added a lot of my own made up details and textures to try and break up all the tan color. I wanted to keep the build pretty small as well mostly because I do not have that many tan pieces. All around I am pretty happy with it. It isn't my best work and I was feeling kinda stumped on what else I could've added to it, but I still like it. I hope you enjoy!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hypolite_bricks/
Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCkfCU8fPh-DkkGv3maC7aVQ/videos