Stability, prosperity!

Former attack bomber, "Orbital Lance" class, designed for scouting in the outer atmosphere, blasting away defences with two autocannons and dropping whatever kind of bomb it has loaded. Decommissioned and sold as a recreationel vehicle for the very, very rich. The current owner refitted it with guns, tried to pass it off as a medical craft and gave it an all-caps name to further piss of any registering authorities. He is currently leaving a refueling station in a hurry with resupply lines dangling about.

This thing was a huge pain to take photos of, I feel like I only have to look at it too much and it will fall apart. I noticed too late in the game that some connections were very flimsy and that my light box was way too small. It was my most challenging build so far, not only because of the many differently angled polygons.

All in all it was very fun to build, I overcame many obstacles and now feel more confident to build bigger ships (this one measures 70 studs after all).

Despite it's rough looks and the mediocre photography I hope you all like this and/or maybe you have some advice on how to identify stability issues early in the build?

Oh and props go to Matt Rowntree whose amazing entry for SHIPtember 2017 gave me the idea of building in technic scale.

Stability while riding is fair, but event weight distribution is key between the bike and panniers, particularly as all the weight is behind the rear axle.. If one side is heavier than the other, it can induce some wobble in the bars when hitting bumps. When it's dead even, there is little affect on handling

Salem, located at the mouth of the Naumkeag river at the site of an ancient Native American village and trading center, was first settled by Europeans in 1626, when a company of fishermen from Cape Ann led by Roger Conant arrived.

Conant's leadership had provided the stability to survive the first two years, but he was immediately replaced by John Endecott, one of the new arrivals, by order of the Massachusetts Bay Company. Conant graciously stepped aside and was granted 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land in compensation.

These "New Planters" and the "Old Planters" agreed to cooperate, in large part due to the diplomacy of Conant and Endicott. In recognition of this peaceful transition to the new government, the name of the settlement was changed to Salem, a hellenized form of the word for "peace" in Arabic سلام (salaam) and Hebrew שלום (shalom).

In 1628, Endecott ordered that the Great ("Governor's") House be moved from Cape Ann, reassembling on what is now Washington Street north of Church Street. When Higginson arrived in Salem, he wrote that "we found a faire house newly built for the Governor" which was remarkable for being two stories high. A year later, the Massachusetts Bay Charter was issued creating the Massachusetts Bay Colony with Matthew Craddock as its governor in London and Endecott as its governor in the colony. John Winthrop was elected Governor in late 1629, and arrived with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, beginning the Great Migration.

In 1639, Endecott's was one of the signatures on the building contract for enlarging the meeting house in Town House Square for the First Church in Salem. This document remains part of the town records at City Hall. He was active in the affairs of the town throughout his life. Samuel Skelton was the first pastor of the First Church of Salem, which is the original Puritan church in North America. Endecott already had a close relationship with Skelton, having been converted by him, and Endecott considered him as his spiritual father.

Title page of A Modest Enquiry Into the Nature of Witchcraft by John Hale (Boston, 1702)

Roger Conant died in 1679, at the age of 87; a large statue commemorating him stands overlooking Salem Common. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Most of the accused in the Salem witch trials lived in nearby "Salem Village", now known as Danvers, although a few lived on the outskirts of Salem. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of present-day Beverly. Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea were once parts of Salem.

William Hathorne was a prosperous businessman in early Salem and became one of its leading citizens of the early colonial period. He led troops to victory in King Philip's War, served as a magistrate on the highest court, and was chosen as the first speaker of the House of Deputies. He was a zealous advocate of the personal rights of freemen against royal emissaries and agents.

Puritans had come to Massachusetts to obtain religious freedom for themselves, but had no particular interest in establishing a haven for other faiths. The laws were harsh, with punishments that included fines, deprivation of property, banishment or imprisonment.

One of the most widely known aspects of Salem is its history of witchcraft allegations, which in many popular accounts started with Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, and their friends playing with a Venus glass and egg. Salem is also significant in legal history as the site of the Dorthy Talbye trial, where a mentally ill woman was hanged for murdering her daughter, because at the time Massachusetts made no distinction between insanity and criminal behavior. The story of the girls in Salem experimenting with fortune-telling is, however, apocryphal.

William Hathorne's son, Judge John Hathorne, came to prominence in the late 17th century. People generally believed witchcraft to be real. Nothing caused more fear in the Puritan community than people who appeared to be possessed by demons, and witchcraft was a serious felony. Judge Hathorne is the best known of the witch trial judges, and he became known as the "Hanging Judge" for sentencing witches to death.

In 17th century colonial North America, the supernatural was part of everyday life, for there was a strong belief that Satan was present and active on Earth. This concept emerged in Europe around the fifteenth century and spread to North America when it was colonized. Witchcraft was then used by peasants, who invoked particular charms for farming and agriculture. Over time, the idea of white magic transformed into dark magic and became associated with demons and evil spirits. From 1560 to 1670, witchcraft persecutions became common as superstitions became associated with the devil. In "Against Modern Sadducism" (1668), Joseph Glanvill claimed that he could prove the existence of witches and ghosts of the supernatural realm. Glanvill wrote about the "denial of the bodily resurrection, and the [supernatural] spirits".[5] In his treatise, he claimed that ingenious men should believe in witches and apparitions; if they doubted the reality of spirits, they not only denied demons, but also the almighty God. Glanvill wanted to prove that the supernatural could not be denied; those who did deny apparitions were considered heretics for it also disproved their beliefs in angels.[6] Works by men such as Glanvill and Cotton Mather tried to prove to humanity that "demons were alive",[7] which played on the fears of individuals who believed that demons were active among them on Earth.

Men and women in Salem believed that all the misfortunes were attributed to the work of the devil; when things like infant death, crop failures or friction among the congregation occurred, the supernatural was blamed. Because of the unusual size of the outbreak of witchcraft accusations, various aspects of the historical context of this episode have been considered as specific contributing factors.

River Dart Dittisham South Hams Devon.

Up there as one of the my most memorable mornings besides the River Dart.

Feeling quite blessed and privileged witnessing such a beautiful spring morning unfold.

A battle between spearmen in a dream represents a blow of fate, a mishap, or a calamity. The way to avoid such a mishap is by spending money and efforts on God’s path. Such a battle also could mean an attack against one’s religion,a calumny, or mocking another person’s faith, or speaking ill of righteous people, or being sarcastic about religion, or it could mean slander, defamation, confuting someone, defaming him, vilification, or making libelous statements against someone. If one sees himself stabbing someone with a spear, a sword, a lance, or a wooden post in a dream, it means making or publishing libelous statements about someone, and in that case, he is the assailant and he is liable for his actions, also he will be subjected to the same destiny. If one stabs, wounds, or threatens someone with any of the above weapons, or if he points them toward the other person but does not attack him in the dream, it means that he will be tempted to slander or defame him, then he will withhold himself from doing so. If one sees people fighting with spears in a dream, it means that a plague will strike that place, or it could mean rising prices. If one sees them rebelling against the government in the dream, it means that prices will fall….

In a dream, a lance represents a branch of wood, stability based on one’s strength, or stepping away from the wrong path. A lance in a dream also represents a woman, a child, testifying to the truth, or going on a journey. A lance in one’s hand in a dream represents a grand son or a blessed son who will grow to preside over people and defend them with his own life. A broken lance in a dream represents an incurable deficiency or a disease that will inflict one’s child. Carrying a lance while riding a horse in a dream means authority with honor. If someone denies his ownership of a lance in a dream, it means an accident or a betrayal. If the lance belongs to a brother, then it means a calamity. If one does repair a broken lance in a dream, it means recovering from an illness. A lance without a spearhead in a dream means the death of one’s brother or child. A lance in a dream also represents a brother or a friend who will part with his brother or friend, or it could mean loss of one’s job. Walking with a lance in one’s hand in the middle of a marketplace in a dream means walking or strolling with one’s son. As for a pregnant woman, a metal lance means that she will deliver a girl, and that she will receive a gift of money or a present after her birth from other daughters. Carrying a lance with a flag raised on top of it in a dream means attaining a position that will earn fame. If one is challenged by someone holding a lance against him in a dream, it means that someone will hurt him with his words, or slander his family. Owning an extra lance in a dream means having a brother or a friend who will stand for one’s defence when needed. A long spear means injustice, or it could mean good health. If one bleeds from a wound caused by a lance in a dream, it means that he will be compensated for pain and suffering, or that he will return home from a longjourney. Multiple wounds from a lance in a dream mean financial compensation, though the source of money is loathsome. Fighting one’s enemies with a lance means earning dirty money. A person holding a lance in a dream also represents a teacher, an educator, or someone who helps his brothers and friends. (Also see Javelin)…

dreamingthedreams.com/meanings/spear/

books.google.fr/books?...

Evelyn Underhill - 2012 - ‎Aperçu - ‎Autres éditions

There is a further excuse for this apparently eccentric proceeding, however, in the fact that the language of alchemy was ... Then there is the Vessel, or Athanor, in which the transmutation of base metal to gold took place : an object whose exact nature is veiled in much mystery. ... terms, is more often than not disguised in a strange heraldic and zoological symbolism dealing with Lions, Dragons, Eagles, ...

Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Germany

German architect Heike Hanada designed a minimalist concrete museum to celebrate the Bauhaus in Weimar, where the design school was founded 100 years ago. The building is dedicated to the design school creates a physical cultural presence for the Bauhaus in the German city where it was based between 1919 and 1925. Located near the Nazi-era Gauforum square and the Neue Museum Weimar, the Bauhaus Museum is a simple five-storey concrete box broken only with its entrance and a couple of windows. The enclosing shell of light-grey concrete lends the cube stability and dynamic solidity. Equally spaced horizontal grooves run around the facades of the museum, with the words "bauhaus museum" repeated in a band near the top of the building. Hanada designed the museum to be a public building for the city and has attempted to clearly connect it to the neighbouring park. With elements such as plinths, fasciae, portals, stairways and a terrace to the park, the architecture incorporates classical themes that underscore its public character.

The museum contains 2,000 m2 of exhibition space, which will be used to display around 1,000 items from the Weimar Bauhaus collection. A shop and entrance hall is located on the ground floor, with a cafe and toilets below, and three floors dedicated to telling the story of the Bauhaus above. Each of the galleries overlooks double-height spaces and are accessed from a long ceremonial staircase that stretches the height of the building. The visitors ascend a succession of interchanging open spaces and staircases until they finally arrive at the top floor where they are presented with an unobstructed view of the park. The cascading staircases are encased by ceiling-high walls and function as free-standing, enclosed bodies in the interior space. The collection is arranged to inform visitors about the history of the design school, with the gallery on the first floor dedicated to its origins in Weimar and the Bauhaus manifesto that Walter Gropius wrote in 1919. The second floor has exhibits that show how these ideas were implemented, with galleries dedicated to each of the Bauhaus directors – Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe – at the top of the building.

The museum in Weimar has opened to coincide with the centenary of the Bauhaus, which was established in the city in 1919. The school was forced to relocate from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius designed a new school building for the institution. Following a short time based in Berlin the school closed for good in 1933. Although only open for just over a decade, the Bauhaus is the most influential art and design school in history. The ideas and people associated with the school had an incredible impact on design and architecture, and to mark its centenary we created a series exploring its key works and figures.

Must attribute with link to: www.ptpioneer.com

Image of a girl working out Outside In a park doing dumbbell military presses while sitting on a stability ball.

PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 19, 2020) Seaman Hau Tran, from Killeen, Texas, walks the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) searching for foreign object debris before the ship conducts amphibious operations. New Orleans, part of Expeditionary Strike Group Seven (ESG 7), along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)

desert; stone; nature; relax; background; zen; sky; balance; way; tranquil; group; rock; pebble; concept; sun; stability; focus; color; selective; hot; rough; infinity; perspective; objects; natural; meditative; travel; weather; relaxation; peaceful; peace; symbol; sunny; spirituality; tradition; beautiful; mountains; canary; islans; surface; blocks; texture; backgrounds; park; landscape; adventure; high; terrain; outdoors; granite; geology; trail; silent; route;

The Liverpool-class, designed by James Barnett, was derived from the 35 ft 6 in Self-righting motor-class and had many similarities with it. Lifeboatmen at many stations preferred non-self-righting boats due to their better stability and the Liverpool-class was designed to be light enough for carriage launching at these stations.

A single-engined version entered service in 1932 and was powered by an RNLI designed, Weyburn Engineering built AE6 six-cylinder 35 hp petrol engine mounted in a watertight compartment. Like all early motor lifeboats, the Liverpool-class carried an auxiliary sailing rig and had a drop keel just forward of the engine room. 28 boats were built between 1931 and 1941.

The introduction of tractors to assist with carriage launching enabled the RNLI to consider a heavier, twin-engined version of the Liverpool-class and a prototype was ordered but it was destroyed in an air raid at the builder's yard at Cowes in May 1942. Production got underway early in 1945 and the boat was powered by two 18 hp Weyburn AE4 four-cylinder petrol engines mounted in a watertight compartment. The extra redundancy of twin engines reduced the need for auxiliary sails. 31 boats were built between 1945 and 1954, the last 21 of which were powered by 20 hp Ferry Kadenacy FKR3 diesels.

The 8-ton Liverpool-class could achieve a speed of 7.5 kt. They had a range of 220 km and carried a crew of seven.

Like all but two of the 32 later twin-screw variants, the last of the class, Grace Darling (above) was built by Groves & Guttridge at their yard at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. From completion in 1954, she initially served at North Sunderland until 1967 when she was placed in the RNLI's reserve fleet. In 1971 she became operational again at Youghal, County Cork, in the Republic of Ireland, serving there until she was retired in 1984. During her career, she was launched operationally 106 times and saved 34 lives.

Now part of the National Register of Historic Vessels, Grace Darling can be seen in the Covered Halls at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent.

I've previously documented that when Adventure Travel held the contract for TrawsCymru Service T1c between Aberystwyth and Cardiff, Aberystwyth-based Mid Wales Travel provided the drivers. Coaches from the Mid Wales fleet would also substitute for Adventure Travel vehicles in the event of failures.

Mid Wales became the replacement contractor from April 2023, and a further two year contract was awarded from September 2023.

The company owns a pair of PSVAR-compliant Plaxton Panther 3-bodied Volvo B8Rs that were new in 2022, and these would often appear as substitutes in Adventure Travel days. After a few months of operating in all-white livery, YX22 LWA has recently received the two-tone grey and red TrawsCymru livery.

This November 2023 shot was taken at the Bowen Arms stop in North East Swansea, on the border of the City & County of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, as she was waiting time for a few minutes when Cardiff bound.

Olivier Blanchard, Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department of the IMF and Robert Zoellick, Senior Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and former World Bank Group President speak during the luncheon conversation at the High Level Conference on Latin America - Rising Challenges to Growth and Stability in a Shifting Global Environment on Monday, June 1 at IMF Headquarters in Washington, D.C. IMF Photo/Ryan Rayburn

OKINAWA, Japan (Aug. 27, 2020) Landing Craft, Air Cushion 10, center, assigned to Naval Beach Unit 7, arrives at White Beach from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of America Expeditionary Strike Group, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)

EAST CHINA SEA (Aug. 5, 2020) An MH-60S Seahawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 conducts underway replenishment training with the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to maintain security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Cavenaile)

L2.05W0.82H1.14M120 • Cₓ0.2 • 0.5MW, 3,156Nm @12kHz, η>99%

EVBM18kg Li₂O₂ 40M୧ 720MJ • 679kph • 0-100kph→0.5s 5.665g₀

If you rode the rest of your life and really became the best that you could be, you would never ride like l ride.

S.S. LaBeouf in W.O. Stone 2010: WS: Money never sleeps.

Cfr. notes (1-18) over the above image.

NOTES

1. Windscreen-integrated MR-HUD + 3D holographic dashboard. 2. C-ABS, AWTVS, s-ϑ-v sensors on front & rear wheels. 3. Öhlins FGR300 Carbon ⌀60×S130 mm AS front fork. 4. 355mm T5 CCTi front brake vented discs. 5. Brembo GP5 front brake 4-piston fixed calipers. 6. 220mm T5 CCTi rear brake vented disc @ dx side. 7. Brembo GP5 rear brake 2-piston fixed caliper @ dx side. 8. BST GP Tek front + rear wheels (1.7+2.4 Kg). 9. 120/60ZR17 front tire. 10. 200/55ZR17 rear tire. 11. 525 17/46 drive chain. 12. 66.4° steering head angle. 13. 200° front/rear cameras. 14. Öhlins Carbon BDB50 S117mm AS rear shock absorber. 15. AWARHD. 16. M winglets provide 160N @300kph. 17. ϑ°ₘₐₓ 70°. 18. Lateral battery packs with the additional function of gyroscopic stabilizers.

Pₘₐₓ = Fₓ v = 2⁻¹ Cₓ A ρ vₘₐₓ³ → vₘₐₓ = ∛(2Pₘₐₓ Cₓ⁻¹ A⁻¹ ρ⁻¹) ≅ 678.6 km/h (A, frontal area ≅ 0.5 m²). Actual performance would depend on various factors, including aerodynamics, traction, and mechanical limitations. In this simplified model, v primarily depends on P and Cₓ rather than on M, and vₘₐₓ remains the same even with a slightly higher OAM.

REFERENCES

D.A. Vincenzi & al. 2024: Human factors in simulation & training.

M. Ghafarian & al. 2023: Dynamic Vehicular Motion Simulators.

B. González-Arcos & P.J. Gamez-Montero 2023: MotoGP airflow redirectors.

K. Wiński & A. Piechna 2022: Sport motorcycle CFD.

E. Frœse & al. 1985: Le parc (Street Hawk OST).

D. Byrne & al. 1983: This must be the place.

K. Gamble & al. 1973: For the love of money.

ÆM · EGP 2019 · 無限 神電八 2019 TT0 · LS218 2013 · ZM DSR-BF

BMW ÆM 2017 · DUCATI V21L · MOTOROiD 2017 · I/MI-B · TF · SA

Stark Varg SM 2025

This is a picture of a decaying Saguaro Not the wooden "SLATS" that run up the inside to give the cactus stability. Thes were used by ancient desert dwellers for construction.

an historic house in Canterbury

Playing with collage and architecture.

En las patas delanteras, los camaleones tienen dos garras en la parte exterior y tres en la parte interior, mientras que en las patas traseras tienen tres garras en la parte exterior y dos en la parte interior.

On the front legs, chameleons have two claws on the outside and three on the inside, while on the hind legs they have three claws on the outside and two on the inside.

Les caméléons ont deux griffes à l'extérieur et trois à l'intérieur des pattes avant, tandis que les pattes arrière ont trois griffes à l'extérieur et deux à l'intérieur.

Los camaleones (Chamaeleonidae) son una familia, de pequeños saurópsidos (reptiles) escamosos. Existen cerca de 161 especies de camaleones, la mayor parte de ellas en África al sur del Sáhara. En América se llama a menudo camaleones a lagartos de las familias Polychrotidae y Dactyloidae, que aunque pueden cambiar de color, no guardan ningún parentesco con los verdaderos camaleones.

Son famosos por su habilidad de cambiar de color según las circunstancias, por su lengua rápida y alargada, y por sus ojos, que pueden ser movidos independientemente el uno del otro.

En 2015, Glaw reelaboró la división familiar en dos subfamilias:

Familia Chamaeleonidae: Subfamilia Chamaeleoninae (camaleones típicos, de los Géneros Bradypodion, Calumma, Chamaeleo, Furcifer, Kinyongia, Nadzikambia, Archaius, Trioceros)

y Subfamilia Brookesiinae (camaleones enanos, de los Géneros Brookesia, Rhampholeon y Rieppeleon)

Los camaleones varían grandemente en tamaño, desde los pequeños camaleones de la familia Brookesia que miden menos de 3 cm de largo hasta los grandes de 80 cm como el Calumna parsonii. La especie más pequeña vive en la isla de Nosy-bé en Madagascar es Brookesia minima y en su fase adulta difícilmente supera el centímetro y medio. Muchos de ellos tienen adornos en la cabeza o en la cara como protuberancias nasales e incluso cuernos como en el caso de Trioceros jacksonii o largas crestas en la parte superior de la cabeza como Chamaeleo calyptratus. Muchas especies presentan dimorfismo sexual y los machos suelen estar más adornados.

Las características principales que son compartidas por toda la familia son la estructura de sus patas, los ojos, la falta de oído y la lengua. Aunque no tengan oído externo son capaces de detectar vibraciones y sonidos de baja frecuencia, de unos 200Hz.

La familia tiene cada pata dividida en dos "dedos" principales con un suave recubrimiento al centro. Estos dedos están equipados con fuertes garras que le permiten trepar por troncos y ramas. Algo interesante es que tienen dos garras en la parte exterior y tres en la parte interior en las patas delanteras. Y en cambio, tres garras en la parte exterior y dos en la parte interior en las patas traseras.

Se mueven con extrema lentitud. Para atrapar a su presa utilizan la lengua, la cual puede ser extremadamente larga y muchas veces supera en longitud a su propio cuerpo. Consiguen lanzar su larguísima lengua protráctil como un proyectil, con una velocidad y distancia sorprendentes, hasta casi un metro en algunas especies. Con su punta pegajosa atrapan los pequeños animales, principalmente insectos, de los que se alimentan, ingiriéndolos inmediatamente enteros, como es común en los reptiles. Sólo con la ayuda de la fotografías de alta velocidad es posible observar ese proceso en detalle.

Su piel es rica en queratina, lo que presenta una serie de ventajas (en especial, la resistencia), pero igual que en otros reptiles, exige mudas periódicas como única forma de restaurarla.

Los ojos es lo que más los distingue entre los reptiles. Los camaleones poseen un rango oculomotor muy grande de unos 180° horizontalmente y 90° verticalmente. Los párpados están unidos entre sí por una estructura circular única de ápice redondeado, que rodea por completo el ojo, adoptando así una forma cónica. Cada ojo está recubierto por un párpado que se fusiona con el globo ocular siguiendo de cerca sus movimientos y deja libre solo una pequeña área circular en el centro, la correspondiente al iris y la pupila. Sus ojos se encuentran colocados en los laterales de la cabeza lo que les permite tener una vista panorámica. Pueden mover sus ojos, grandes y globosos, de manera independiente, lo que les brinda una visión de casi 360°, con un pequeño punto ciego tras la cabeza. Cuando la presa es localizada ambos ojos convergen en la misma dirección dándoles una visión estereoscópica y una percepción de profundidad.

En su retina solo poseen conos y no bastones, lo que les permite una buena visión diurna y excelente percepción de los colores, pero una deficiencia en la vista nocturna. Por esta razón los camaleones solo cazan durante el día.

La mayoría de camaleones son ovíparos, pero existen también especies ovovivíparas (normalmente del género Trioceros) . Una vez que la hembra está lista para poner los huevos (3-6 semanas después de la fecundación), desciende hacia el suelo y comienza a excavar un hueco de 5 a 30 centímetros dependiendo la especie. Luego, entierra los huevos y deja el lugar. La cantidad de huevos depositados varía de especie en especie desde el Brookesia con 2 a 4 huevos hasta el Chamaeleo calyptratus que pone de 30 a 60 huevos. Los huevos tardan en incubar de 6 a 8 meses, a excepción de Calumma parsonii, en cuya especie la incubación dura 18 meses. Los camaleones alcanzan la madurez sexual entre 4/5 meses y 8/10 meses (aunque el Calumma Parsonii llegan a su madurez sexual entre los dos y tres años). Pueden vivir entre 4 o 5 años, si bien algunas especies de gran tamaño como los Trioceros melleri y los Calumma parsonii pueden llegar a vivir hasta los 15 años.

La mayor parte de los camaleones habitan en África y en Madagascar, aunque algunas especies también se encuentran en partes del sur de Europa, Sri Lanka, India y Asia Menor. Diferentes especies habitan diferentes ambientes, como montañas, junglas, sabanas y a veces desiertos y estepas. Se cree que los individuos que viven en los sectores mediterráneos europeos derivan de ejemplares introducidos por el hombre en épocas remotas.

Los camaleones viven, en su mayor parte, en ambientes forestales, pero también se hallan algunos en matorrales, y algunas especies viven en el suelo, debajo de las hojas. Pueden pasar de un árbol a otro gracias a la habilidad prensil de su cola y de sus patas.

En la península ibérica sólo vive el camaleón común (Chamaeleo chamaeleon), que se encuentra en puntos muy concretos de la geografía española, como en Andalucía (en la costa desde Huelva hasta Almería existen poblaciones fragmentadas en varios puntos) o la Región de Murcia y en Portugal, concretamente en el Algarve; también hay poblaciones en Italia y Creta. Otra especie que se puede encontrar en Europa es el camaleón africano (Chamaeleo africanus) con algunas pequeñas poblaciones al suroeste del Peloponeso en el sur de Grecia, donde se cree que es una introducción desde la antigüedad, posiblemente desde Egipto.

Todos los camaleones son animales diurnos. Su periodo de mayor actividad es la mañana y el crepúsculo. Los camaleones no son cazadores activos. En vez de eso, prefieren quedarse horas inmóviles, esperando que una presa pase por allí. Se alimentan básicamente de artrópodos y de pequeños vertebrados. En cautividad, también comen frutas como papayas, plátanos, y hasta crías de roedores. Pero esa dieta solo es válida para animales adultos: las crías son casi exclusivamente insectívoras.

Los camaleones viven la mayor parte de sus vidas en solitario, y son bastante agresivos contra otros miembros de su misma especie. El hábito solitario solo es abandonado en la época de apareamiento, cuando el macho desciende de los árboles en busca de hembras.

Los camaleones pueden morder cuando se les provoca, pero el mordisco no es muy doloroso y en caso de que se produzca no reviste ningún riesgo, basta con desinfectar la zona como cualquier otra herida o rasguño.

Algunas especies de camaleón son capaces de cambiar de color, lo que es su característica más famosa.

Al contrario de lo que algunos creen, no son incoloros, ni mudan de color solo de acuerdo con el del ambiente; en realidad, el cambio de su color básico expresa más a menudo una condición fisiológica (relacionada con la temperatura o la hora del día) o una condición psicológica (provocada por la proximidad de un eventual adversario o pareja).

El cambio de color también tiene un papel importante en la comunicación durante las luchas entre camaleones: los colores indican si el oponente está asustado o furioso. Pueden variar los colores, desde rojizo hasta verdoso.

Accidentalmente, el cambio de color puede ayudar a la ocultación del animal, aunque esta no es una ocurrencia frecuente, y sí ocasional.

Los camaleones tienen células pigmentarias especializadas en varias capas de la dermis, bajo su epidermis externa y transparente. Las células de la capa superior, llamadas cromatóforos, contienen pigmentos amarillos y rojos. Bajo la de los cromatóforos hay otra capa cuyas células pigmentarias, los guanóforos, contienen una sustancia cristalina e incolora, la guanina. Los guanóforos reflejan, entre otras cosas, el color azul de la luz incidente. Cuando la capa superior con sus cromatóforos determina un color amarillo, la luz azul reflejada por los guanóforos se tiñe de verde (azul + amarillo). Aún más abajo se encuentra una capa rica en melanóforos, cargados del pigmento oscuro llamado eumelanina que también tiñe la piel humana. Estos melanóforos regulan el brillo, es decir la cantidad de luz reflejada. Todas estas células pigmentarias pueden regular la distribución de los pigmentos que contienen, ampliándola o contrayéndola, lo que da lugar su vez a las diferencias de brillo, tonalidad y dibujo que distinguen a los camaleones.

En la simbología de algunas tribus africanas, el camaleón es un animal sagrado, visto como el creador de la raza humana. Nunca muere, y cuando se encuentran alguno en el camino, lo apartan con precaución, con miedo a las maldiciones.

En el mercado de mascotas, Trioceros jacksonii y Chamaeleo calyptratus son de lejos los más comunes y se los encuentra frecuentemente criados en cautiverio. También podemos encontrar Furcifer pardalis, Furcifer lateralis, Calumma parsonii, Trioceros quadricornis y Trioceros melleri.

La mayoría de las especies está listada en el CITES, lo cual indica que su exportación está prohibida o sujeta a estrictas cuotas de exportación en sus países nativos. Sin embargo, la falta de órganos de control en los países nativos hace que esta lista pierda efectividad.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaeleonidae

Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, being capable of shifting to different hues and degrees of brightness. The large number of species in the family exhibit considerable variability in their capacity to change color. For some, it is more of a shift of brightness (shades of brown); for others, a plethora of color-combinations (reds, yellows, greens, blues) can be seen.

Chameleons are distinguished by their zygodactylous feet, their prehensile tail, their laterally compressed bodies, their head casques, their projectile tongues, their swaying gait, and crests or horns on their brow and snout. Chameleons' eyes are independently mobile, and because of this the chameleon’s brain is constantly analyzing two separate, individual images of its environment. When hunting prey, the eyes focus forward in coordination, affording the animal stereoscopic vision.

Chameleons are adapted for climbing and visual hunting. The use of their prehensile tail offers stability when they are moving or resting while on a branch in the canopy; because of this, their tail is often referred to as a "fifth limb". Another character that is advantageous for being arboreal is how laterally compressed their bodies are; it is important for them to distribute their weight as evenly as possible as it confers stability on twigs and branches in the trees. They live in warm habitats that range from rainforest to desert conditions, with various species occurring in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, and across southern Asia as far as Sri Lanka. They have been introduced to Hawaii, California, and Florida.

In 1986, the family Chamaeleonidae was divided into two subfamilies, Brookesiinae and Chamaeleoninae.

Under this classification, Brookesiinae included the genera Brookesia and Rhampholeon, as well as the genera later split off from them (Palleon and Rieppeleon), while Chamaeleoninae included the genera Bradypodion, Calumma, Chamaeleo, Furcifer and Trioceros, as well as the genera later split off from them (Archaius, Nadzikambia and Kinyongia). Since that time, however, the validity of this subfamily designation has been the subject of much debate, although most phylogenetic studies support the notion that the pygmy chameleons of the subfamily Brookesiinae are not a monophyletic group.

While some authorities have previously preferred to use this subfamilial classification on the basis of the absence of evidence principle, these authorities later abandoned this subfamilial division, no longer recognizing any subfamilies with the family Chamaeleonidae.

In 2015, however, Glaw reworked the subfamilial division by placing only the genera Brookesia and Palleon within the Brookesiinae subfamily, with all other genera being placed in Chamaeleoninae.

Some chameleon species are able to change their skin coloration. Different chameleon species are able to vary their coloration and pattern through combinations of pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow, turquoise, and purple. Chameleon skin has a superficial layer which contains pigments, and under the layer are cells with very small (nanoscale) guanine crystals. Chameleons change color by "actively tuning the photonic response of a lattice of small guanine nanocrystals in the s-iridophores". This tuning, by an unknown molecular mechanism, changes the wavelength of light reflected off the crystals which changes the color of the skin. The color change was duplicated ex vivo by modifying the osmolarity of pieces of white skin.

Color change in chameleons has functions in camouflage, but most commonly in social signaling and in reactions to temperature and other conditions. The relative importance of these functions varies with the circumstances, as well as the species. Color change signals a chameleon's physiological condition and intentions to other chameleons. Because chameleons are ectothermic, another reason why they change color is to regulate their body temperatures, either to a darker color to absorb light and heat to raise their temperature, or to a lighter color to reflect light and heat, thereby either stabilizing or lowering their body temperature.

Chameleons tend to show brighter colors when displaying aggression to other chameleons, and darker colors when they submit or "give up". Some species, particularly those of Madagascar and some African genera in rainforest habitats, have blue fluorescence in their skull tubercles, deriving from bones and possibly serving a signaling role.

Some species, such as Smith's dwarf chameleon, adjust their colors for camouflage by the vision of the specific predator species (bird or snake) by which they are being threatened.

Chameleons have two superimposed layers within their skin that control their color and thermoregulation. The top layer contains a lattice of guanine nanocrystals, and by exciting this lattice the spacing between the nanocrystals can be manipulated, which in turn affects which wavelengths of light are reflected and which are absorbed. Exciting the lattice increases the distance between the nanocrystals, and the skin reflects longer wavelengths of light. Thus, in a relaxed state the crystals reflect blue and green, but in an excited state the longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange, green, and red are reflected.

The skin of a chameleon also contains some yellow pigments, which combined with the blue reflected by a relaxed crystal lattice results in the characteristic green color which is common of many chameleons in their relaxed state. Chameleon color palettes have evolved through evolution and the environment. Chameleons living in the forest have a more defined and colorful palette compared to those living in the desert or savanna, which have more of a basic, brown, and charred palette.

Chameleons primarily live in the mainland of sub-Saharan Africa and on the island of Madagascar, although a few species live in northern Africa, southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece), the Middle East, southern India, Sri Lanka, and several smaller islands in the western Indian Ocean.

Chameleons inhabit all kinds of tropical and mountain rain forests, savannas, and sometimes deserts and

steppes.

The typical chameleons from the subfamily Chamaeleoninae are arboreal, usually living in trees or bushes, although a few (notably the Namaqua chameleon) are partially or largely terrestrial. Most species from the subfamily Brookesiinae, which includes the genera Brookesia, Rieppeleon, and Rhampholeon, live low in vegetation or on the ground among leaf litter. Many species of chameleons are threatened by extinction. Declining chameleon numbers are due to habitat loss.

Chameleons are preyed upon by a variety of other animals. Birds and snakes are the most important predators of adult chameleons. Invertebrates, especially ants, put a high predation pressure on chameleon eggs and juveniles. Chameleons are unlikely to be able to flee from predators and rely on crypsis as their primary defense. Chameleons can change both their colors and their patterns (to varying extents) to resemble their surroundings or disrupt the body outline and remain hidden from a potential enemy's sight. Only if detected, chameleons actively defend themselves. They adopt a defensive body posture, present an attacker with a laterally flattened body to appear larger, warn with an open mouth, and, if needed, utilize feet and jaws to fight back. Vocalization is sometimes incorporated into threat displays.

Chameleons are popular reptile pets, mostly imported from African countries like Madagascar, Tanzania, and Togo. The most common in the trade are the Senegal chameleon (Chamaeleo senegalensis), the Yemen or veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis), and Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii). Other chameleons seen in captivity (albeit on an irregular basis) include such species as the carpet chameleon (Furcifer lateralis), Meller’s chameleon (Trioceros melleri), Parson’s chameleon (Calumma parsonii), and several species of pygmy and leaf-tailed chameleons, mostly of the genuses Brookesia, Rhampholeon, or Rieppeleon. These are among the most sensitive reptiles one can own, requiring specialized attention and care.

The U.S. has been the main importer of chameleons since the early 1980s accounting for 69% of African reptile exports. However, there have been large declines due to tougher regulations to protect species from being taken from the wild and due to many becoming invasive in places like Florida. They have remained popular though which may be due to the captive-breeding in the U.S. which has increased to the point that the U.S. can fulfill its demand, and has now even become a major exporter as well. In the U.S. they are so popular, that despite Florida having six invasive chameleon species due to the pet trade, reptile hobbyists in these areas search for chameleons to keep as pets or to breed and sell them, with some selling for up to a thousand dollars.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameleon

SASEBO, Japan (Aug. 9, 2020) Landing craft, air cushion 30, assigned to Naval Beach Unit 7, prepares to enter the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) as the ship conducts amphibious operations. Germantown, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)

STABILITY , Peace & Development , with His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse , is what Sri Lanka needs !

South Surrey, BC Canada

A catamaran is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stabilized craft, deriving its stability from its wide beam, rather than from a ballasted keel as with a monohull boat.

Catamarans typically have less hull volume, smaller displacement, and shallower draft than monohulls of comparable length.

The two hulls combined also often have a smaller hydrodynamic resistance than comparable monohulls, requiring less propulsive power from either sails or motors. The catamaran's wider stance on the water can reduce both heeling and wave-induced motion, as compared with a monohull, and can give reduced wakes.

Sailing Catamarans have evolved from the small boats that you see in races on the shoreline into large ocean-going cruisers capable of carrying dozens of people. Catamarans have become increasingly popular because they are faster, more stable and can carry more loads than their monohull counterparts.

Resources: Wikipedia; Deepsailing.com/blog/sailing-a-catamaran

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Thank-you for your visit, and please know that any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

Sonja

The Pyramid/Tesla Energy Connection

Nikola Tesla regarded the Earth as one of the plates of a capacitor, the ionosphere forming the other plate. Recent measurements have shown that the voltage gradient between the two is 400,000 volts. With this principle, he said he was able, through his invention, to provide free energy to anyone, inexhaustible in quantity, anywhere on earth. That is why he had built a first prototype, the Wardenclyffe Tower, in which was to apply his famous pyramid effect. What is it exactly?

"The lines of force of the electric charge additioned to the fields from the sun act on the walls of a pyramid.The magnetic equipotentials show a high magnetic density in the summit. The voltage of the electric field increases of 100 V per meter. The terrestrial negative field reaches its maximum value at the summit of the pyramid; at the top of the pyramid of Giza, the voltage is 14,600 V. This pyramid is itself a capacitor, it accumulates an electrical charge. If an excess load is added, a discharge occurs at the top, and, as we know currently, that top was adorned with a solid gold capstone, an excellent conductor."Tesla wanted his tower to be high to increase the voltage at the top. He wanted to create an artificial lightning in the tower. In the discharge tube of a natural flash , the temperature rises to 30 000 ° C. Tesla did not want to manage such high temperatures because it is a waste of energy. Tesla's Wardenclyffe tower would have used a transformer to produce a high voltage, which would have generated, instead of a natural lightning, a "discharge of high energetic ion abundance".To accentuate the pyramid effect, he had imagined to give the tower the octagonal shape of a pyramid topped by a half sphere. Why octogonal? Tesla does not explain, but when we read his memoirs, we understand that he sensed a scientific discipline that did not yet exist, geobiology, and the theory of waves of forms. From the perspective of traditional physics, the fact that the tower is octagonal is insignificant. It could be square or have an infinite number of faces, that is conic. "In all cases the voltage would have been the same, its shape just gave it stability." This raises two objections. The octagonal shape is not a guarantee of stability comparing to the square shape. If he was really looking for stability, a hyperbolic rise, like that of the Eiffel Tower, would have been better suited. The octagonal shape has very special wave characteristics, it is possible that this pure genius sensed it without being able to theorize it.As for the square shape of the pyramids, the engineer Gustave Eiffel has chosen it for his tower, precisely because it is a guarantee of stability, as the four legs and the widening elevation. Built in 1889, our national tower was already fairly well known to be his model. As Wardenclyffe Tower, the Eiffel Tower has a pyramid effect which makes it pick at the top, even without a storm, a DC current. Its lightning rod "makes" thus some electricity that goes down in a cable to be delivered to the earth.This waste is not limited to the Eiffel Tower. All roofs and metal frames make the same production, stupidly given to the earth. The Vril energy is free, it is its biggest flaw in a world of profit. The fact that it is completely environmentally friendly and inexhaustible has no interest for the capital. The fact that it is beneficial for both the human mind and the health of people, animals and plants thanks to the virtues of water of lightning, has even much less interest for profiteers. Unfortunately, Tesla was never able to finish his tower. He did not have the opportunity to carry out the planned experiments on Long Island that sought to bring rain in the deserts. Others before him had managed that. We know that Egypt has not always been desertic. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that "Egypt is a gift of the Nile." But it was in the 5th century BC. Since then, its climate has not changed much, and yet it has not always been so. The predynastic Egypt was rather a gift of the pyramids... "In the pre-dynastic period, the Egyptian climate is much less arid than it is nowadays. Large areas of Egypt are covered with savanna and traversed by herds of ungulates. The foliage and wildlife then are much more prolific and the Nile region is home to large populations of waterfowl. Hunting is a common activity for the Egyptians and it is also during this period that many animals are domesticated for the first time."

www.apparentlyapparel.com/news/the-pyramid-energy-tesla-c...

"....If we could produce electric effects of the required quality, this whole planet and the conditions of existence on it could be transformed. The sun raises the water of the oceans and winds drive it to distant regions where it remains in state of most delicate balance. If it were in our power to upset it when and wherever desired, this mighty life-sustaining stream could be at will controlled. We could irrigate arid deserts, create lakes and rivers and provide motive power in unlimited amount. This would be the most efficient way of harnesing the sun to the uses of man......" ( Nikola Tesla, June 1919 )

Nikola Tesla, inventor of alternating current motors, did the basic research for constructing electromagnetic field lift-and-drive aircraft/space craft. From 1891 to 1893, he gave a set of lectures and demonstrations to groups of electrical engineers. As part of each show, Tesla stood in the middle of the stage, using his 6' 6" height, with an assistant on either side, each 7 feet away. All 3 men wore thick cork or rubber shoe soles to avoid being electrically grounded. Each assistant held a wire, part of a high voltage, low current circuit. When Tesla raised his arms to each side, violet colored electricity jumped harmlessly across the gaps between the men. At high voltage and frequency in this arrangement, electricity flows over a surface, even the skin, rather than into it. This is a basic circuit which could be used by aircraft / spacecraft.

The hull is best made double, of thin, machinable, slightly flexible ceramic. This becomes a good electrical insulator, has no fire danger, resists any damaging effects of severe heat and cold, and has the hardness of armor, besides being easy for magnetic fields to pass through.

The inner hull is covered on it's outside by wedge shaped thin metal sheets of copper or aluminum, bonded to the ceramic. Each sheet is 3 to 4 feet wide at the horizontal rim of the hull and tapers to a few inches wide at the top of the hull for the top set of metal sheets, or at the bottom for the bottom set of sheets. Each sheet is separated on either side from the next sheet by 1 or 2 inches of uncovered ceramic hull. The top set of sheets and bottom set of sheets are separated by about 6 inches of uncovered ceramic hull around the horizontal rim of the hull.

The outer hull protects these sheets from being short-circuited by wind blown metal foil (Air Force radar confusing chaff), heavy rain or concentrations of gasoline or kerosene fumes. If unshielded, fuel fumes could be electrostatically attracted to the hull sheets, burn and form carbon deposits across the insulating gaps between the sheets, causing a short-circuit. The space, the outer hull with a slight negative charge, would absorb hits from micrometeorites and cosmic rays (protons moving at near the speed of light). Any danger of this type that doesn't already have a negative electric charge would get a negative charge in hitting the outer hull, and be repelled by the metal sheets before it could hit the inner hull. This wouldn't work well on a very big meteor, I might add.

The hull can be made in a variety of shapes; sphere, football, disc, or streamlined rectangle or triangle, as long as these metal sheets, "are of considerable area and arranged along ideal enveloping surfaces of very large radii of curvature," p. 85. "My Inventions", by Nikola Tesla.

The power plant for this machine can be a nuclear fission or fusion reactor for long range and long-term use to run a steam engine, which turns the generators. A short range machine can use a hydrogen oxygen fuel cell to run a low-voltage motor to turn the generators, occasionally recharging by hovering next to high voltage power lines and using antennas mounted on the outer hull to take in the electricity. The short-range machine can also have electricity beamed to it from a generating plan on a long-range aircraft / spacecraft or on the ground.

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nov. 24, 1987, Vol 109, No. 328, "The Forever Plane" by Geoffrey Rowan, p. D1, D7.)

("Popular Science", Vol 232, No. 1, Jan. 1988, "Secret of Perpetual Flight? Beam Power Plane," by Arthur Fisher, p. 62-65, 106)

One standard for the generators is to have the same number of magnets as field coils. Tesla's preferred design was a thin disc holding 480 magnets with 480 field coils wired in series surrounding it in close tolerance. At 50 revolutions per minute, it produces 19,400 cycles per second.

The electricity is fed into a number of large capacitors, one for each metal sheet. An automatic switch, adjustable in timing by the pilot, closes, and as the electricity jumps across the switch, back and forth, it raises it's own frequency; a switch being used for each capacitor.

The electricity goes into a Tesla transformer; again, one transformer for each capacitor. In an oil tank to insulate the windings and for cooling, and supported internally by wood, or plastic, pipe and fittings, each Tesla transformer looks like a short wider pipe that is moved along a longer, narrower pipe by an insulated non-electric cable handle. The short pipe, the primary, is 6 to 10 windings (loops) of wire connected in series to the long pipe. The secondary is 460 to 600 windings, at the low voltage and frequency end.

The insulated non-electric cable handle is used through a set of automatic controls to move the primary coil to various places on the secondary coil. This is the frequency control. The secondary coil has a low frequency and voltage end and a maximum voltage and frequency end. The greater the frequency the electricity, the more it pushes against the earth's electrostatic and electromagnetic fields.

The electricity comes out of the transformer at the high voltage end and goes by wire through the ceramic hull to the wide end of the metal sheet. The electricity jumps out on and flows over the metal sheet, giving off a very strong electromagnetic field, controlled by the transformer. At the narrow end of the metal sheet, most of the high-voltage push having been given off; the electricity goes back by wire through the hull to a circuit breaker box (emergency shut off), then to the other side of the generators.

In bright sunlight, the aircraft / spacecraft may seem surrounded by hot air, a slight magnetic distortion of the light. In semi-darkness and night, the metal sheets glow, even through the thin ceramic outer hull, with different colors. The visible light is a by-product of the electricity flowing over the metal sheets, according to the frequencies used.

Descending, landing or just starting to lift from the ground, the transformer primaries are near the secondary weak ends and therefore, the bottom set of sheets glow a misty red. Red may also appear at the front of the machine when it is moving forward fast, lessening resistance up front. Orange appears for slow speed. Orange-yellow is for airplane-type speeds. Green and blue are for higher speeds. With a capacitor addition, making it oversized for the circuit, the blue becomes bright white, like a searchlight, with possible risk of damaging the metal sheets involved. The highest visible frequency is violet, like Tesla's stage demonstrations, used for the highest speed along with the bright white. The colors are nearly coherent, of a single frequency, like a laser.

A machine built with a set of super conducting magnets would simplify and reduce electricity needs from a vehicle's transformer circuits to the point of flying along efficiently and hovering with little electricity.

When Tesla was developing arc lights to run on alternating current, there was a bothersome high-pitched whine, whistle, or buzz, due to the electrodes rapidly heating and cooling. Tesla put this noise in the ultrasonic range with the special transformer already mentioned. The aircraft / spacecraft gives off such noises when working at low frequencies.

Timing is important in the operation of this machine. For every 3 metal sheets, when the middle one is briefly turned off, the sheet on either side is energized, giving off the magnetic field. The next instant, the middle sheet is energized, while the sheet on either side is briefly turned off. There is a time delay in the capacitors recharging themselves, so at any time, half of all the metal sheets are energized and the other half are recharging, alternating all around the inner hull. This balances the machine, giving it very good stability. This balance is less when fewer of the circuits are in use.

Fairly close, the aircraft / spacecraft produces heating of persons and objects on the ground; but by hovering over an area at low altitude for maybe 5 or 10 minutes, the machine also produces a column of very cold air down to the ground. As air molecules get into the strong magnetic fields that the machine is transmitting out, the air molecules become polarized and from lines, or strings, of air molecules. The normal movement of the air is stopped, and there is suddenly a lot more room for air molecules in this area, so more air pours in. This expansion and the lack of normal air motion make the area intensely cold.

This is also the reason that the aircraft / spacecraft can fly at supersonic speeds without making sonic booms. As air flows over the hull, top and bottom, the air molecules form lines as they go through the magnetic fields of the metal sheet circuits. As the air molecules are left behind, they keep their line arrangements for a short time; long enough to cancel out the sonic boom shock waves.

Outside the earth's magnetic field, another propulsion system must be used, which relies on the first. You may have read of particle accelerators, or cyclotrons, or atomsmashers. A particle accelerator is a circular loop of pipe that, in cross-section, is oval. In a physics laboratory, most of the air in it is pumped out. The pipe loop is given a static electric charge; a small amount of hydrogen or other gas is given the same electric charge so the particles won't stick to the pipe. A set of electromagnets all around the pipe loop turn on and off, one after the other, pushing with one magnetic pole and pulling with the next, until those gas particles are racing around the pipe loop at nearly the speed of light. Centrifugal force makes the particles speed closer to the outside edge of the pipe loop, still within the pipe. The particles break down into electrons, or light and other wavelengths, protons or cosmic rays, and neutrons if more than hydrogen is put in the accelerator.

At least 2 particle accelerators are used to balance each other and counter each other's tendency to make the craft spin. Otherwise, the machine would tend to want to start spinning, following the direction of the force being applied to the particles. The accelerators push in opposite directions.

As the pilot and crew travel in space, outside the magnetic field of a world, water from a tank is electrically separated into oxygen and hydrogen. Waste carbon dioxide that isn't used for the onboard garden, and hydrogen (helium if the machine is using a fusion reactor) is slowly, constantly fed into the inside curves of both accelerators.

The high-speed particles go out through straight lengths of pipe, charged like the loops and in speeding out into space, push the machine along. Doors control which pips the particles leave from. This allows very long-range acceleration and later deceleration at normal (earth) gravity. This avoids the severe problems of weightlessness, including lowered physical abilities of the crew.

It is possible to use straight-line particle accelerators, even as few as one per machine, but these don't seem as able to get the best machine speed for the least amount of particles pushed out.

Using a constant acceleration of 32.2 feet per second per second provides earth normal gravity in deep space and only 2 gravities of stress in leaving the earth's gravity field. It takes, not counting air resistance, 18 minutes, 58.9521636 seconds to reach the 25,000 miles per hour speed to leave the earth's gravity field. It takes about 354 days, 12 hours, 53 minutes and 40 seconds (about) to reach the speed of light - 672,487,072.7 miles per hour. It takes the same distance to decelerate as it does to speed up, but this cuts down the time delay that one would have in conventional chemical rocketry enormously, for a long journey.

A set of super conducting magnets can be charged by metal sheet circuits, within limits, to whatever frequency is needed and will continue to transmit that magnetic field frequency almost indefinitely.

A short-wave radio can be used to find the exact frequencies that an aircraft / spacecraft is using, for each of the colors it may show whole a color television can show the same overall color frequency that the nearby, but not extremely close, craft is using This is limited, as a machine traveling at the speed of a jet airliner may broadcast in a frequency range usually used for radar sets.

The craft circuits override lower frequency, lower voltage electric circuits within and near their electromagnetic fields. One source briefly mentioned a 1941 incident, where a short-wave radio was used to override automobile ignition systems, up to 3 miles away. When the short-wave radio was turned off, the cars could work again. How many UFO encounters have been reported in which automobile ignition systems have suddenly stopped?

I figure that things would not be at all pleasant for drivers of modern cars with computer controlled engine and ignition systems. Computer circuitry is sensitive to small changes in voltage and a temporary wrong-way voltage surge may wipe the computer memory out. It could mean that a number of drivers would suddenly be stranded with their cars not working should such a craft fly low over a busy highway. Only diesel engines, already warmed up, and Stanley Steamer type steam engine cares are able to continue working in a strong electromagnetic field. In May, 1988, it was reported that the U.S. Army had lost 5 Blackhawk helicopters and 22 crewmen in crashes caused by ordinary commercial radio broadcasting overriding the computer control circuits of those helicopters. Certainly, computer circuits for this aircraft / spacecraft can and must be designed to overcome this weakness.

One construction arrangement for this craft to avoid such interference is for the metal sheet circuits to be more sharply tuned. Quartz or other crystals can be used in capacitors; in a very large number of low-powered, single frequency circuits, or as part of a frequency control for the metal sheet circuits.

The aircraft / spacecraft easily overrides lower frequency and lower voltage electric circuits up to a 6 mile wide circle around it, but the effect is usually not tuned for such a drastic show. It can be used for fire fighting: by hovering at a medium-low height at low frequency, it forms a double negative pole magnet of itself and the ground, the sides being a rotation of positive magnetic pole.

It polarizes the column of air in this field. The air becomes icy cold. If it wouldn't put the fire out, it would slow it down.

Tesla went broke in the early 1900's building a combination radio and electric power broadcasting station. The theory and experiments were correct but the financiers didn't want peace and prosperity for all.

The Japanese physicist who developed super conducting material with strong magnetism allows for a simplified construction of the aircraft / spacecraft. Blocks of this material can be used in place of the inner hull metal sheets. By putting electricity in each block, the pilot can control the strength of the magnetic field it gives off and can reduce the field strength by draining some of the electric charge. This allows the same amount of work to be done with vastly less electricity used to do it.

It is surprising that Jonathan Swift, in his "Gulliver's Travels", 1726, third book, "A Voyage to Laputa", described an imagined magnetic flying island that comes close to being what a large super conducting aircraft / spacecraft can be build as, using little or no electric power to hover and mover around.

www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/02files/Tesla_Saucer.html

Before our study group, Summerville, South Carolina #2, made a trip to A.R.E headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va., in April, 2009, Jerry Ingle, set into motion an ideal that generated a monumental synchronicity. For years, Jerry, a long-time member of our group, had been interested in Nikola Tesla. He saw many parallels between his talents and those of Edgar Cayce and hoped to somehow connect them. As a psychic, Edgar Cayce had been consulted by engineers about their inventions. Cayce was willing to help as long as it would ultimately be of service to humanity. While there are suggestions that both Thomas Edison and his former associate, Nikola Tesla, consulted Cayce separately; there is no documentation in the A.R.E. archives.

Nikola Tesla was an electrical engineer who invented the alternating current Niagara power system that made Edison's direct current obsolete. He sold Westinghouse 40 patents that broke the General Electric monopoly. In 1893 he demonstrated the use of wireless radio control with a torpedo-like boat. He invented wireless transmission of electricity, an electric car that ran by tapping into the electricity of the Earth, the microwave, and the TV remote control, just to name a few. A court recently ruled that while Marconi had been given credit for the invention of the radio and made a fortune on it, Tesla was the true inventor.

Tesla was concerned with harnessing nature to meet the needs of humankind and foresaw the end of World War I as a synthesis of history, philosophy, and science,. He had the amazing ability to construct a machine in his mind and then, by operating the device in his mind, make improvements to the design. He could develop and perfect his inventions by drawing only upon the creative forces, without actually touching anything material. Just as the Cayce readings suggest, "Mind is the builder, physical is the result."

Another inventor that Edgar Cayce met was a man named Marion L. Stansell. During World War I, while stationed in France, Stansell had a near death experience with a vision. During the experience, a "spirit guide" escorted him to another dimension where he was given a formula for a mechanical device. He was told that this device would save the planet from environmental destruction in the next millennium.

On February 1, 1928, Edgar Cayce gave a reading which confirmed that Stansell was able to see the blueprints for a revolutionary type of motor in his dreams and visions. According to the readings, the motor was designed in the spirit realm by De Witt Clinton, deceased governor of New York, who in his last incarnation was the force behind the development of the Erie Canal.

Stansell needed the assistance of Edgar Cayce to relay precise technical information from Clinton in the spirit realm to Stansell and a team of like-minded entrepreneurs in the material world. The Stansell motor readings were conducted over a two-year period. One could speculate that Mr. Cayce did the same for Nikola Tesla, and that these readings were a continuation of that work, but if so, there is no record of it.

Jerry believed that there was a deep connection between the work of Cayce and Tesla and their interest in the connection between electricity and psychic phenomena. At A.R.E., Jerry found his way to the vault, where the Cayce records are kept, hoping to discover a way to get these plans into the hands of present-day inventors.

There, he and an A.R.E. volunteer named Harry talked excitedly for some time about Tesla. Suddenly, a man came to the door of the vault. "Does anybody know if there was ever a connection between Edgar Cayce and Nikola Tesla?"

"Here is the guy who can tell you," said Harry as he pointed toward Jerry. Jerry turned to face Nikola Lonchar — the President of Nikola Tesla's Inventors Club, a man who was dedicated to locating and preserving Tesla's work. The organization was made up of scientists who wanted to be sure Tesla's work was not lost! This was the first visit to A.R.E. by anyone from the Tesla organization.

Jerry was able to supply the visitor with the information he needed. The two sat in the lobby of the A.R.E. Visitor Center, oblivious to their surroundings, talking about an interest that held them both captive. Jerry was invited to speak at the next Nikola Tesla Inventors conference.

Nikola Lonchar was at A.R.E. for only one day. During this small window of time, he and Jerry had converged at the same place, at the same time, both equipped with a desire to be of service to Cayce, to Tesla, and to humanity. That's synchronicity in motion.

www.edgarcayce.org/about-us/blog/blog-posts/synchronicity...

DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 24JAN14 - Philipp M. Hildebrand (L), Vice-Chairman, BlackRock, United Kingdom and Mario Draghi (R), President, European Central Bank, Frankfurt discuss during the session 'The Path from Crisis to Stability' at the Annual Meeting 2014 of the World Economic Forum at the congress centre in Davos, January 24, 2014.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Remy Steinegger

Pentax K1000

Fujifilm 400

Body & Head

Kalhene - ANYA BENTO fitted mesh Body + Head Updated v2.2 Demo is available

Skin: 7 Deadly s[K]ins - BOM - CHILE marshmellow

Izzie's Free BOM Updates III - LeLutka - Cheek Freckles (light) 70% past gift

Eyes: Le Forme Natural green Mesh Eyes Access GIFT

Eyes: LOGO Crystal Eyes - Blue 1 eBENTO Cake 3rd Anniversary

Izzie's - Free BOM Updates II - LeLutka - Eye Crease + Little Liner past gift

:.Fudge:. Opening Gift* Cute Poses! PLUS Bonus Poses & Make-up! - Peach Icecream Lip Smudge MP Gift

Hair:Tentacio Saturday Night Hair Dark Brown Gacha 50L a go

Hairbase: *barberyumyum*hairbase(Brown)in a group gift hair box

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Jeans: Scandalize Nessiha Jeans Nude (pack of 2) JEANS.JEAN. MAITREYA 15L current hunt prize

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Earrings: Bears Gone Wild SL17B - Stud bEarRing Left - by Randy Firebrand past gift

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Forest Fashion Friends - Baby Fox (RARE) by JIAN Gacha 50L a go

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an lar [poses] The Walled Series - Five MP Gift

Location

Breath of Nature, Serena Falls

STABILITY , Peace & Development , with His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse , is what Sri Lanka needs !

PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 1, 2020) The forward-deployed amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18), front right, the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) sail in formation. New Orleans, America and Germantown, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, are operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Walter Estrada)

Loss. A pretty big subject to cover.

Loss is something that we all experience at some time in our life. Be it, death, emotional loss, separation, loss of movement, of stability, of commitment, of communication, of spirituality, or even loss of dreams. Each thing is personal and is something we all handle differently.

But the one thing I think is true for everyone, is that in each loss, there is something to be thankful for.

The loss of a loved one - you can be grateful for the time you got to spend with them, for the memories you created and for the things you learnt from each other.

The loss of a dream - creates space to find a new dream. A bigger dream.

In each loss, there is always an opportunity to grow, and something you can grow from.

"Despite your sorrows, always be thankful for your blessings." ~ by Unknown

Psalm 34:17-20 The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken.

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I just have to mention, that this photo was crazy to take! I was in the mountains "modelling" for friend's photography assignments (see one here). It was quite a lovely day. Absolutely beautiful weather - a slight cool breeze, warm sun and amazing clouds.

That was until late afternoon.

Everything seemed to suddenly change as we watched the clouds roll in (you can see some of the photos of the crazy clouds on my instagram). There were a few storm warnings, although I really wanted to take a photo for the week. So myself, Lesley and Adam drove back to the location I wanted to shoot at (which was actually on the footpath of someone's front yard) and started to set up.

By this time it was practically dark, it was getting slightly foggy and cold, and you could see the dark, looming clouds quickly get closer and closer. So I got into the dress, set up my tripod, set up my shot and put a plastic bag over my camera (y'know, just in case)... The exact moment I started taking photos, it began to pour!

It was so cold out in the rain, but nothing would stop me from getting this photo.

This is the final product.

I want to say a massive, massive thank you to Lesley and Adam for braving the cold and the rain, for protecting my camera with a blanket and for being so supportive in that hectic moment. It (although a bit of a struggle) was actually a lot of fun, and is something I definitely won't be forgetting any time soon!

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It's the first shot I post here from my vacation with my darling in Karlovy Vary [Carlsbad] , it's a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km (80.78 miles) west of Prague. It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370. It is historically famous for its hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River).

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Canon 50D

Canon 50mm f1.8II

Me on Facebook

There was no ABS, no traction control, no electro-hydraulic paddle shifting, and no stability control. With a 201 mph top speed and 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds, no one was disappointed with the F40. Ferrari proposed only a limited run of 400 or so F40s, but the model's reception was overwhelming and the run kept growing until 1,315 were built by the time production ended in 1991.

The F40 was a simple machine that, like the greatest Ferraris of the past, relied upon its engine for its performance. Suspension and layout were conventional, and there were no serious attempts to employ cutting-edge technology. The F40 was good, sound, basic design, with a superb twin-turbocharged engine, aerodynamics heavily weighted toward downforce and stability, and generous use of lightweight composite materials. The chassis was - like the 125 built 40 years before - based on two large-diameter steel tubes. They were joined and stiffened by light, compound structures, to be sure, but the basic form was as rudimentary as the ones welded together in the Gilberto shops a generation before.

Competition was not in Ferrari's original plan for the F40, but Daniel Marin, managing director of French Ferrari importer Charles Pozzi SA, took the initiative and authorized Michelotto, the famed Padova Ferrari service centre, to construct a series of F40 LMs for racing under IMSA rules in the U.S. Just 19 were built.

These were followed by five official F40 GT's, also built by Michelotto to regulations for the Italian Supercar Championship and, as F50 GTE's, in the mid-'90s BPR GT series. The BPR Organization adopted air-restrictor regulations to handicap engine output and overall performance, but the lessons learned in the earlier competition F40s were applied to the limits of the rules in building the F40 GT's for these series. These few F40 GT's were much more highly developed race cars that were lighter, had better aerodynamics and sophisticated flat-floor ground effects, full ball-jointed suspensions, quick-fill fuel systems, wider wheels and tires, lower ride heights and other improvements that made them the most sophisticated of all the F40-based race cars, and potentially the fastest when relieved of their air-restrictor trumpets.

The GT programme was adopted by many owners independently and as a result a number of cars were privately converted (from a standard road car) over the years and successfully raced in various championships throughout the world. Such was the effectiveness of the basic design of the F40 that cars were seen out racing at a competitive level right through until the late 90's, when the cars were by then some ten years old! A remarkable feat.

This F40 was supplied new to Italy, being manufactured in 1989 and delivered in 1990 as a standard Non Cat & Non Adjust example. Some years later the car found its way to Japan where it was uprated and it is believed it raced in the Japanese GT series. More recently the car found its way back to Europe and has been subjected to a beautiful restoration at which time the car was repainted, had all four corners stripped and rebuilt, a full engine inspection and service, and an interior retrim.

As such, today the car is UK road registered and presented in superb concours condition throughout but importantly in its "GT" specification. This includes, lightweight clam shells front & rear, lightweight lower rear valence, "LM" style headlights & front clam shell with added radiator extraction ducts, "LM style sill Nasa duct, fully adjustable waste gate, revised engine management, big brakes & wheels, digital race dash, electric passenger window, fully adjustable suspension and "LM" venturi ducts & rear wing.

The car represents a fabulous potential track day assault weapon or even an F40 for the road with a bit more flare! For Enzo Ferrari's 40th anniversary as a constructor under his own name, he gave his design team a very simple instruction: 'Build a car to be the best in the world.' Time has shown that they complied. [DK Engineering web site]

DK Engineering Showcase Day 2015

photo rights reserved by B℮n

Khao Hin Thoen Stone Park is located in Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the narrowest part of Thailand, which is only 15 kilometers wide, close to the border with Myanmar Burma. Khao Hin Theun Stone Park is a hilly area where many large granite stones are stacked naturally. The fact that these large rocks appear to remain balanced despite their size and weight reminds us of the delicate balance and stability in nature. It is a reminder of the forces of nature and the unique geological processes that create such formations. These formations are often the result of centuries of geological processes, including erosion, sedimentation, landslides and other forces. It's amazing how nature can create these complex structures over time. From the top of the hill you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Gulf of Thailand and the surrounding coastline. Just a few kilometers away, at the Singkhon checkpoint, is the border with Myanmar; a route with rich historical significance as it once served as a military trail during the late Ayutthaya period. At the summit there is also a secluded temple built between three large massive granite boulders. Essentially an open cave, this temple is a hidden gem maintained by a lone monk. This venerable monk, now 78 years old, has been living here in solitude for more than 40 years. The temple and living area are built into the large boulders. Surrounded by lush green forests, this open temple cave also offers an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty and tranquility. Hiking trails are available for those who want to enjoy the natural environment. The peaceful surroundings and natural beauty make it a popular place for meditation and contemplation.

Khao Hin Thoen Stone Park, situated near Hua Hin,. The park is a remarkable natural wonder where numerous colossal boulders are ingeniously stacked, creating an extraordinary and unique attraction. As you explore, you'll discover narrow pathways that meander amidst these immense rocks and boulders. The ultimate ascent to the mountain's summit is well worth the challenging journey, as the vistas that await are genuinely awe-inspiring. From this vantage point, you can behold the Gulf of Thailand in the distance and gaze upon the picturesque landscape of the Hua Hin region below. The ascent itself is an unforgettable experience. Along the way, you'll encounter strangely shaped boulders and rocks, precariously balanced atop one another, leaving you in wonderment, as if they might teeter and tumble at any moment. Photo of Kanitha, Chada, BieJee and Chi.

Khao Hin Thoen Stone Park ligt in de provincie Prachuap Khiri Khan in in het smalste stukje van Thailand, dat slechts 15 kilometer breed is, dichtbij de grens met Myanmar (Birma). Khao Hin Theun Stone Park is een heuvelachtig gebied waar veel grote granieten stenen op natuurlijke wijze zijn gestapeld. Het feit dat deze grote rotsen in evenwicht lijken te blijven, ondanks hun omvang en gewicht, herinnert ons aan de delicate balans en stabiliteit in de natuur. Het is een herinnering aan de krachten van de natuur en de unieke geologische processen die dergelijke formaties creëren. Deze formaties zijn vaak het resultaat van eeuwenlange geologische processen, waaronder erosie, sedimentatie, aardverschuivingen en andere krachten. Het is verbazingwekkend hoe de natuur door de tijd heen deze complexe structuren kan creëren. Vanaf de top van de heuvel kunt u genieten van adembenemende panoramische uitzichten op de Golf van Thailand en de omliggende kustlijn. Slechts enkele kilometers verderop, bij het Singkhon-controlepunt, ligt de grens met Myanmar; een route met een rijke historische betekenis, omdat deze ooit dienst deed als militair pad tijdens de late Ayutthaya-periode. Op de top is ook een afgelegen tempel gebouwd tussen drie grote massieve granieten rotsblokken. Deze tempel, in wezen een open grot, is een verborgen juweeltje dat wordt onderhouden door een eenzame monnik. Deze eerbiedwaardige monnik, nu 78 jaar oud, verblijft hier al meer dan 40 jaar in eenzaamheid. De tempel en het woongedeelte zijn in de grote rotsblokken gebouwd. Deze open tempelgrot is omgeven door weelderige groene bossen en biedt ook de mogelijkheid om te genieten van de natuurlijke schoonheid en rust. Er zijn wandelpaden beschikbaar voor degenen die willen genieten van de natuurlijke omgeving. De rustige omgeving en de natuurlijke schoonheid maken het een populaire plek voor meditatie en contemplatie. Foto van Kanitha, Chada, BieJee en Chi.

PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 24, 2021) Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Ise (DD 182) sails in formation with forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thomas B. Contant)

Canada Air And Space Museum on 25th September 2015.

Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.

Bellanca Pacemakers were renowned for their reliability and weight-lifting attributes, which contributed to their successful operation in the Canadian bush. Canadian-operated Bellancas were initially imported from the United States, but later six were built by Canadian Vickers in Montreal and delivered to the RCAF, which used them mainly for aerial photography.

Many long-distance records were set by Bellanca monoplanes. Charles Lindbergh commissioned the Spirit of St. Louis only when he failed to acquire the second prototype Bellanca WB-2. This Bellanca, named Columbia, flew from New York to Germany only two weeks after Lindbergh’s famous flight. In 1931, a diesel-powered Bellanca set an unrefuelled endurance record of 84 hours and 33 minutes. A distinguishing feature of all Bellancas was the airfoil shape of the wing struts , which contributed additional lift and stability.

The Museum's aircraft is one of only two surviving Bellanca CH-300/CH-300 Pacemakers in the world. Built in 1929 by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation, it was sold to El Paso Air Service in Texas. Its Wright engine was replaced with a more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. engine in 1945. This CH-300 operated commercially in Texas, Mexico and Alaska almost without interruption between 1929 and 1964. It was still airworthy when the Museum purchased it in 1964, after twenty-eight years of bush flying in Alaska.

Airbus H125 (formerly AS355NP):

Twin-engine light helicopter with powerful engines.

Short-range, multipurpose helicopter.

High maneuverability and stability.

Capacity for up to 6 passengers or 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs) of cargo

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 26, 2018) Sailors assigned to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) and Marines assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) render honors to the Indian Navy destroyer INS Rajput (D 51) while conducting a cooperative deployment with the Indian Navy. Anchorage is deployed as part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th MEU. The Essex ARG/ 13th MEU is a capable and lethal Navy-Marine Corps team deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations to support regional stability, reassure partners and allies and maintain a presence postured to respond to any crisis ranging from humanitarian assistance to contingency operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan M. Breeden/Released)

I am the Storm

60 x 90 cm

Glass, beads, tiles, amethyst, stoneware, mirror, nuggets, TG, crockery and paper

Wedi backing

Grouted in dark lilac

The Great Goddess is not only the giver of life, she also takes it away. She is warmth, sustenance, shelter... she is storms, earthquakes, destruction. Mother Nature is not always gentle and kind - once unleashed, her rage is both awe inspiring and terrifying.

This mosaic shows one of her less peaceful aspects. Here, she is the storm. She is driving the storm, the storm is driving her. But she is also spinning out of control - no one can control the power of the storm, not even she herself. No one knows where its going or where the pieces will fall once it has blown itself out.

The swirls of the storm incorporate pictures of some of the scary, crazy, amazing, wonderful, terrible influences currently pulling our world in different directions. Whether the influences are for good or bad is a matter of opinion, where it will end a matter of speculation, but I know I'm not alone in feeling frightened. The storm however isn't frightened, she just is. Her face is an island of calm in the centre of all the surrounding chaos, she looks serene and joyous - who doesn't love a good storm?

The pictures within the mosaic are not in any particular symbolic order of up/down, right/left, good/bad, dark/light... I placed them where they fitted in best according to the colour of the mosaic.

On the top left hand side there's a picture of a cockroach. Cockroaches are not usually seen as forces for good, but I put it here as a hopeful image. It represents the life force in every living being. You often hear that after a nucular war the only suvivors would be the cockroaches - apparently that is not based on fact, but I do believe, if the worst comes to the worst and we manage to wipe out all of humankind and probably a large number of the other inahbitants of Earth while we're at it... I belive that life will continue in some form or other. And if its the cockroaches who survive, good for them.

Below that is the sun... from which we get warmth, light, vitamin D, solar flares, skin cancer, global warming... it shows us that behind the clouds of even the fiercest storm, the sun will still be shining. Admittedly it might take a while for it to get through after a nucular Winter, but it will be there.

Starting from the centre of the dark upper swirl the first image is of Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. I see her as an island of sanity and stability in the current political landscape. I think we should have far more women in postions of power, and btw, women are entitled to being just as falible as men are. I also think that a strong and united Europe is a very desirable thing in these times of shifting power balances. The world would probably be a better place if we had more politicians like Angela Merkel running things.

The next picture is of a woman wearing a niqab, standing for equal rights, obviously. But also against Islamophobia - I purposly chose a woman with a slightly challenging expression. I'm amazed at how much agression and fear a picture like this will often provoke. I once had a fascinating conversation with a women who wears a veil in public. She is articulate, intelligent, and has a great sense of humour. She wears a veil by choice because it is part of her culture and part of her belief system. I still object deeply to cultures that force women (or men) to cover up whatever parts of their anatomy - ours too! Free the nipple! But hating and fearing individuals because they are different is not the solution. So the niqab itself and the reactions to it disturb me about equally.

The next one is Malala - no need for explaination, right? A force for good against unbelievable odds, and an inspiration to us all. If she can still stand up fearlessly for what is right, after all she's been through, surely we can persevere and turn these current developments around!

Next up is a bunch of newspapers. They're from the UK in this case, but they stand for the press in general, all over the world. Some people think that journalists need to be controlled and persecuted... some think they should be free to write what they want about whatever they want. Some people think they always lie, some people think they're in the pockets of various interest groups. Its funny, I feel that in the last half year or so, journalists have moved from being shifty blighters who we need to keep a good eye on, to definitely absolutely being the good guys, a major defence against totalitarian regimes everywhere. This is a classic case of only appreciating something once you might loose it... Free press , please oh please lets keep free press!

Putin. What can I say? I do not like what is happening over there one little bit. I'd really rather not find out what he is working towards.

And on the right hand point of the upper swirl we have Trump. I was worried this mosaic would end up centered too much on the US, because the problems and challenges facing us are global. But lets face it, this mosaic was concieved and inspired by his election and his actions ever since. So yes, it is US centric.

Following the swirl, we come to the Pope. I am highly suspicious of organised religion, religious fundamentalism is resonsable for so much intollerance and hate the world over. So its very interesting that I included the heads of two major organised religions on this mosaic as forces for good. This current pope impresses me no end.

Next is a picture of two hands holding onto prison bars, sybolising lack or loss of basic freedoms for far too many people around the world, and fear that this will increase if things continue the way they seem to be headed now. Don't get me started on for profit prisons! How could that ever be a good idea???

To the left of the Goddess' arms we have the Damai Lama, the second religious leader on this mosaic. He was delt a very difficult hand and has against all odds become a figure who is rightfully admired and revered all the world over. I'm taking Tibet to represent anexed or supressed countries and peoples. China has a lot to answer for in this case and is certainly also observing current global developments with great interest.

Left of the Dalai Lama is a pile of books. Knowledge, or rather lack of it, is the root of many of the more sinister current trends. The books here are old, because knowledge and understanding of our past helps us understand the present and may help us shape the future.

The final image on this swirl is a selection of News outlet logos - representing free press again, but also internet comunication. It has never before been easier to get information on any topic whatsoever, it has proabably never been harder to suppress information either, or to spread false information... it has also never been harder to sift through all the information and try to decide what is true and what is fake. For better or worse, this is technology shaping our world today.

On the right hand side of the Goddess' hair there is a picture of some demonstrators in pussy hats from the women's marches in the US. It is inspiring to see people going out and standing up peacefully for what they believe to be right. Not only in the US, I had pictures of peaceful demonstrations from all over the place, but picked this one because... well: pussy hats, they are cool. Lets hope there are enough people who will continue to do so, that people will be legally allowed to do so... and that it will make a difference.

The blue streak at the hight of her naval, from left to right: First off a LGBT rainbow fist. Equal rights for all... lets hope these rights will not be eroded in the US and that more people all over the world will be able to live and love freely the way they want. Although right now, in too many places, it seems to be going in the other direction.

The next picture is one of the boats in the Mediterranean full of refugees from Syria. It was very hard to choose some of these pictures, and this one, while I was sticking glass to it, then grouting and polishing the tess, I was aware that every little dot on that picture is a human being who has been through horrors I don't even want to imagine. These here are the "lucky" ones, the ones who made it to the Mediterranean and who were sighted before their boat capsized - if anyone who has to flee their country can ever be considered lucky.

The third picture in this row is a group of test tubes/flacons - science, knowledge, research, a blessing or a curse? On the one hand I am deeply in favour of scientific peer reviewed studies as a mothod for gaining knowledge on any subject you care to name. Research should be as independant as possible, but at the same time it is very expensive and can also lead to enormous profits. Letting the free market decide on prices for drugs - for instance - is evidently not a good idea. And don't get me started on for profit health care. That is rather a lot for a couple of test tubes to stand in for though, isn't it?

To the right of her navel there is a puddle of water covered by a film of oil. The colours are beautiful... oil-contaminated water not so much. Renewable energy sources, anyone?

Next is a picture of a whale, just because. These creatures are so fascinating, we know so little about them, and who knows if they'll even last long enough for us to learn more.

The final image in this row is Brexit - another shocking and unexpected vote, another "where on earth is this all going to end?" moment. Buckle up, because like it or not, we're going to find out.

The light strip of clouds from left to right: The first picture is of a bundle of banknotes, because so much nowadays comes down to money - lack of it, wanting more of it, having too much of it. Plenty of studies show that higher income inequality reduces the quality of life for both the haves and the have nots, but at the same time income inequality is increasing at an alarming rate all over. Go figure.

To the left of her knees is a "coexist" sign. I have nothing against any religions or beliefs, so long as they also respect mine. For goodness' sake just live an let live, why is this so hard?

Too much of religion seems to be about hating, suppressing and controling others.

To the right of her knees there's an image of five interlinking hands with five different skin colours. What goes for religion also goes for skin colour... live and let live, we're all in this together. Unfortunatey racism isn't just going to dissapper anytime soon.

The next one is more of the same: The black power sign, another inspiring instance of people standing up for their rights. Its nowhere near where it should be, work in progress... And like so much else here, in the current political climate, things will likely get worse before they get better.

Finally, an archve picture of an atomic mushroom cloud. Too many atomic bombs are in the hands of people who are too trigger happy by far. I don't even want to think about it. But unfortunately I do.

The last Swirl by her feet, starting from the right and working inwards: The first image is one of the most chilling to me. It is of a perfectly nice US family posing with their guns. Seriously, I just don't get the thing Americans have for guns. I live in a country where many housholds have a gun - but locked away for use in the case of war, not paraded around on a Sunday afternoon picknick!

The next is a Polar bear... who may soon become extinct because of global warming and the melting of the ice caps.

To the right of her feet is a lovely picture representing another whole mixture of politics and

religion, a conflict with no end in sight, which can stand for many more similar situations all over the world.

To the left of her feet: A wolf. Wolves are coming back to Switzerland after having been extinct here for many years, which is very cool. Then there are people who don't want them to make a comeback and keep shooting them. The kind of story that is playing out in many places around the world..

The picture right on the left of this swirl is one of the protestors of Standing Rock, a man on a horse facing a line of tanks. The outcome was sadly expected and disapointing, but what a heartwarming show of solidarity and pride in their heritage. People all over the world were rooting for them. Renewable energy sources, anyone?

Going on down: The Chinese Wall - standing in for all kinds of walls built between all kinds of boundries. History doesn't seem to show this to be a particularly successful way of going about things, but hey, people keep on trying.

The next image is of parched earth. Global warming, floods, draught... Is access to clean drinking water a right or a privelege? Will the earth be able to sustain an ever growing population?

The next is another very nasty picture: a sea turtle caught in piece of plastic. The amount of plasic in our oceans in horrendous, and that is another thing that is likely to get worse before it might one day hopefully get better.

The last image on this swirl is a tank. Because war. I don't want to live through one if at all possible. I'm sure a great many other people don't want to either. I expect people living in a war zone would really like it to stop. There are absolutley things worth fighting for... but lets try to work towards less wars, yeah?

The very last picture on the bottom left hand side is a small dandelion working its way through asphalt. Isn't it amazing how you can have six feet of concrete, and somewhere underneath there is a little seed just patiently waiting to work its way through? Life cannot be contained.

Breaking the tragedy of the horizon – climate change and financial stability.

Read the speech here:

www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/...

Copyright: Johnny Millar

Lego tracks have excellent strength when pulled. However, due to the way they're connected, they easily break apart when twisted. This happens both with 5-wide tracks, and 3-wide tracks as shown here. To limit twisting, I tend to support tracks on two sides instead of in the middle.

It's not obvious at first glance, but I do this with nearly all my tracked vehicles.

Though the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau had put the excellent MiG-15 fighter in production, giving the Soviet Union one of the best fighters of the early 1950s, MiG felt it could further improve on the design. The MiG-15 had shown itself to be unstable as it neared the speed of sound, and it was anticipated that further refinement could be done to the aircraft. As a result, MiG OKB began work on an improved MiG-15, referred to as the MiG-15-45 because of its primary characteristic, an improved swept wing. This new wing was thinner than that on the MiG-15, included wing fences for improved aerodynamics, and was swept at 45 degrees near the wingroot and to a slightly lesser degree at the wingtip, giving the new variant a distinctive “banana-wing” shape.

The fuselage was extended to incorporate an afterburner on the VK-1F turbojet, while a small ventral fin was added beneath the tail to further improve stability. While the MiG-17 could not quite break the sound barrier, it was very stable in most respects and kept the heavy armament and good all-around visibility of the MiG-15. The design changes were enough to warrant a new designation, so it became the MiG-17.

The first MiG-17 flew in January 1950, and despite the loss of the prototype to a fatal crash, low-level production soon began—low-level due to the urgent need for MiG-15s to fight in the Korean War. Not until after the war had ended did full-scale production begin on the MiG-17. By then, it was considered somewhat obsolescent: the supersonic MiG-19 was placed in production alongside the MiG-17, while work had begun on the MiG-21. Nonetheless, it was kept in production for the rest of the decade as the MiG-19 proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The MiG-17 was updated in 1953 after the Soviet Union captured a F-86F Sabre, and copied elements of the Sabre’s ejection seat and gunsight into the new fighter. It was dubbed “Fresco” by NATO. Attempts were made to build all-weather versions of the MiG-17 with mixed results; the all-missile MiG-17PM was reviled by its pilots due to a poor radar and worse missiles. The most common version was the day fighter MiG-17F.

The MiG-17’s combat debut was not auspicious, seeing action in the 1956 Suez War and the 1958 Quemoy Crisis. In the former, Egypt’s few MiG-17s were outnumbered and outflown by French and Israeli Mystere IV and Super Mystere fighters, while over the Taiwan Straits, People’s Republic of China MiG-17s were ambushed by Republic of China F-86Fs equipped with Sidewinder missiles. By 1960, production had ended, and the Soviet Union sold off most of its stock to client states, reequipping with more modern MiG-21s.

In 1962, the Soviet Union supplied the nascent North Vietnamese People’s Air Force with 36 MiG-17Fs as the nucleus of a new air force, and to offset the American-supplied Thai and South Vietnamese air forces. By 1965, when Operation Rolling Thunder began, these aircraft were sent against US Air Force and Navy fighters attacking the Thanh Hoa bridge. On 4 April 1965, a force of four MiG-17s shot down two F-105 Thunderchiefs to score the VPAF’s first victories of the war, but paid a heavy price, losing three out of the four to escorting F-100 Super Sabres and their own antiaircraft fire. The MiG-17 would remain the primary VPAF aircraft throughout Rolling Thunder, though it was gradually supplemented by the MiG-21. Since the MiG-17 was subsonic and lacked radar, it depended on ground radar to guide the pilot to the target, but once in a dogfight, the small, very manueverable, cannon-armed MiG had a definite advantage over American aircraft; only the F-8 Crusader came remotely close to matching it. A favorite tactic of MiG-17 pilots was to hide “in the grass” at low level and pick off any unwary American pilot, or attack during a bomb run when their opponents were at their weakest. It came as a rude surprise to American pilots that semi-obsolete aircraft were still capable of destroying the latest word in military equipment, and it pointed up the deficiencies in American air combat training.

MiG-17s accounted for about 50 USAF and Navy aircraft during Rolling Thunder, enough that when the Top Gun program was formed in 1969, A-4 Skyhawks were assigned specifically to simulate them. This was also secretly supplemented by two ex-Syrian MiG-17Fs captured by Israel in 1968 and given to the United States under Project Have Drill. One deficiency that was found in the MiG-17 was that, at high speeds and low altitudes, compressibility would set in and the aircraft became unresponsive to the controls. These lessons were put to good use when American strikes resumed in 1972. By this time, the VPAF had largely withdrawn its MiG-17s to training units, preferring the more modern MiG-19 and MiG-21. While the MiG-17 did account for a few more kills, they mostly ended up being shot down by better trained US Navy pilots and USAF F-4E pilots, who now had internal guns themselves. In the right hands, a MiG-17 was still a formidable opponent, as US Navy aces Randy Cunningham and William Driscoll found out on 10 May 1972, when a MiG-17 dueled in the vertical with their F-4J for nearly ten minutes before it was finally shot down.

After Vietnam, the MiG-17 had outlived its usefulness, and though it would see limited service in African brushfire wars and in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, what few air forces retained them relegated them to second-line and training units. A few persisted in the Albanian and North Korean air forces until 2000. 10,603 MiG-17s were built by the Soviet Union, Poland, and China, serving in 40 air forces; today, several hundred still remain in museums and in flyable condition, including 27 in the United States alone.

This MiG-17F is a Lim-5, the license-built version produced by WSK-Mielec for the Polish Air Force. Not unusally, not much can be found about this airframe, other than it was part of the Warhawk Air Museum's collection in Nampa, Idaho by 2018. It may still be flyable.

The markings are what is interesting about this particular MiG. It is painted as the first MiG-17 to be used by the USAF's 6513th Flight Test Squadron at Groom Lake--better known as the "Red Hats" at Area 51. The real MiG--which was also a Lim-5--was a Syrian example that accidentally landed in Israel in 1968. After a period of evaluation, Israel turned the aircraft over to the USAF, and it was subsequently based secretly at Groom Lake under Project Have Drill. Along with an ex-Iraqi MiG-21F-13 acquired around the same time (referred to as Have Donut), these aircraft allowed the US military to evaluate firsthand the strengths and weaknesses of aircraft used by the North Vietnamese. Have Drill and Have Donut would be secretly used against the first class of Top Gun graduates, allowing the Navy's fighter pilots to greatly improve their kill ratios over Vietnam; a small group of USAF pilots were also trained against the aircraft, though Red Flag would not be organized until after the end of the war.

The Have Drill MiG-17 retained its Syrian camouflage and nose "Bort" number, but added US insignia and red recognition stripes on the fuselage and wings. Given that most MiG-17s on display in the United States are either finished in bare metal or painted as North Vietnamese aircraft, this was a nice surprise at Warhawk.

Must attribute with link to: www.ptpioneer.com

Stability ball abdominal crunch

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 19, 2020) Seaman Yawo Afodagni, from Silver Spring, Md., directs the approach of Landing Craft, Utility 1666, from Navy Beach Unit (NBU) 7 into the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 6, 2020) Sailors assigned to the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) refuel an AH-1Z Viper helicopter assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 (Reinforced) during a visit, board, search and seizure exercise. America, flagship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, assigned to Amphibious Squadron Eleven, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Vincent E. Zline)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 19, 2020) Landing Craft, Utility 1666, from Navy Beach Unit (NBU) 7 enters the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)

When defenses against the most immediate forms of mental disturbance have been raised, the assimilation of the principles of "right conduct" arouses in the mind an "intimate, unalloyed joy" joined with the stability and sureness of one who feels himself in a state of "justice." For which we are given the simile of a lawfully crowned king who knows that his enemies are routed and that there is no threat of any kind to his sovereignty. We have also acquired the strengthened "neutrality" or "sidereality" of the mind that, thanks to the fourfold contemplation, has further freed itself and is now at the center of all its experience, both internal and external. At this point we undertake the really cathartic action whose aim is to neutralize, by degrees, any possibility of "combustion" and of self-abandonment to the multiple variety of "contacts."

Contacts wound; contacts consume by exciting the fire that burns the body and the mind, which nourishes the samsaric stem and prostrates the higher principle. "The fool, struck by force, perishes; the wise man, when struck, does not tremble," he remains intact, remains unshakable, remains elusive; we must become like the wise man. It is a question, then, of dealing a blow at the transcendental "desire" that lurks in the visual and other senses, in the khandha (the groups of the personality), in the elements, and which is corruption, disease, suppuration. All this must naturally take place, not on the psychological or moral plane, but on the existential and metaphysical one. The beginning of the process of alteration lies in the senses, which are likened to so many "wounds." (…) In order to "bandage the wounds" and neutralize the infection provoked by contacts, we must ensure that "the internal sight, the internal smelling, the internal hearing, the internal tasting, the internal touching, the internal thinking are not distracted," that is to say, that we are present in the sixfold seat of the senses in such a way that we can immediately prevent any self-relaxation, self-attachment, self-intoxication, any luring of ourselves by enjoyment. There will be, then, no further building of combinations, at first in the fundamental stem of the will, and then in the five stems of the personality." This is the essence of the new work of catharsis.

This work is based on what is known as the "watch over the doors of the senses," for which the canonical formula is: "Upon perceiving a form with the eye, the ascetic conceives no inclination, no interest. Since craving and aversion and damaging and harmful thoughts soon overcome the man who lives with the eye unguarded, he remains vigilant, he guards the eye, he remains vigilant over the eye." Upon hearing a sound with the ear, upon smelling an odor with the nose, upon tasting a flavor with the tongue, upon touching a contact with the body, upon representing to himself a mental state with the mind, he conceives no inclination, he conceives no interest. Since craving and aversion and damaging and harmful thoughts soon overcome the man who lives with his mind unguarded, he remains vigilant, he guards the mind, he remains vigilant over the mind." To fail in this vigilance at some point is to suffer the fate of the tortoise: when the tortoise unthinkingly put out one of its limbs a jackal seized it by that limb and carried it off to its ruin.

In this matter then, we have to come to grips with the samsaric entity with which we are associated and that constitutes our double, composed of thirst. A continually tightening circle closes round it. It is effectively likened to an enemy who, knowing that he cannot openly defeat his adversary, gets himself employed by him as a servant and gains his confidence so that he may then defeat him by treachery: this is the part that the illusory "I," created by identification, plays in us until the time of initiation into the doctrine of the Ariya.

That the discipline of the watch over the senses or binding the wounds leads to a higher liberation is shown by the simile of the man who has at a crossroads a thoroughbred team and can guide them wherever he pleases. The man who does not know or who forgets this practice is dominated by forms, sounds, smells, tastes, contacts, and thoughts, instead of being their master.

In another way this discipline can also he summed up by the word silentium: "to gird oneself with silence," silence in the technical and initiatory sense. Impressions are arrested at the periphery, at the limit of the senses. Between them and the "I" there is now a distance, a zone of "silence." We thus become endowed with that form of silence that consists of not pronouncing either the exterior word or the interior word, and this in turn implies not hearing, not seeing, not imagining. This theme has also been expressed in a popular form. It is, in fact, the deeper, hidden significance of the well-known statuette of the three sacred monkeys, one with the ears closed, one with the mouth closed, and one with the eyes closed: speak not, hear not, see not. And we may here also recall the curious hermetical formula: "Who has ears, let him open them [in the sense of a close watch on every impression], who has a mouth, let him keep it shut [in the sense of the aforesaid silence, of calm, intangible 'neutrality']."

It is thus that the conditions for further liberation and then for awakening the extrasamsāric principle are consolidated.

As the natural counterpart of the watch on the doors of the senses, a world of disintoxication is carried out within the zone that is now isolated, in order to eliminate or reduce those internal smoldering embers of agitation and self-identification that may be made to burst into life by external contacts. This is what is known as the removal of the five nīvarana, a term that means a "dross," a "hindrance," or an "impediment." The five nīvarana are: desire (kāmacchanda); hate or anger (vyāpāda); slothful idleness (thīna-middha); pride and impatience (uddhacca- kukkucca); doubtful uncertainty (vicikicchā).

The action of these five hindrances is clearly indicated by the following similes: it is like trying to look at one's reflection in water wherein all kinds of colors are mixed (desire), or in boiling water (hate and anger), or in water full of mud and moss (slothful idleness), or in water agitated by the wind (pride and impatience), or finally, in dark and murky water (doubt). Removal is effected by direct action of the mind on the mind, together with accurate and calm self-examination. The discipline is described in the texts in the following manner.

The ascetic finds a solitary place and begins to meditate. A well-known yoga position is counseled: sit with legs crossed and body straight upright. This traditional Indo-Aryan position is, however, only suitable if one is so accustomed to it that it is quite natural and requires no special effort and does not produce fatigue. In general, the position recommended for this, as for other contemplations, must be one of equilibrium, which does not have to be changed; it must have a kind of symbolical meaning of self-awareness and it must not demand efforts that would distract the mind.

It is fundamentally a more advanced development of the states already induced by sīla or "right conduct." The aim here is obviously to bring us to a deeper zone by means of the strengthened power of internal vision that we have gained through the preceding disciplines. It is a matter of attacking, to some degree, the sankhara, that is to say, the innate and congenital tendencies that come, in part, from the extra-individual heredity that we have assumed.

Here, too, the purity achieved at certain moments comes to be developed until it has almost attained a state of permanency. This is how we must understand what is known as the "threefold watch": "by day, walking and sitting, turn the mind away from disturbing things; in the first watch of the night, walking and sitting, turn the mind away from disturbing things; in the middle watch of the night, lie down on the right side, like the lion, one foot on the other, bringing to mind the hour of waking; in the last watch of the night, after arising, walking or sitting, turn the mind away from disturbing things."

This is a kind of continuous examination of consciousness. The yama, the watches of the night that are recognized in this discipline consist, according to the Buddhist tradition, of four hours each; the first runs from six until ten in the evening, the second from ten until two in the morning, the third from two to six in the morning. Thus, strictly speaking, the period of true sleep or of the state that in the common man would correspond to sleep is restricted to four hours only, from ten in the evening until two in the morning. In this we must not see an "ascetic" discipline in the Western sense of mortification: on the contrary, it is natural that in advancing along the road of illumination the need for sleep is considerably reduced, and this reduction produces no ill effect. Here, too, a unilateral "authoritarian" intervention would only serve to create states of fatigue and inattention unfavorable for spiritual life by day.

With attentive care of the "wounds" and with action taken against the hindrances or impediments, the zone of "silence" is strengthened, and a gradual interior increase of the extrasamsāric quality takes place therein; this increase should he aided by illuminated effort and it is related to the aforesaid "seven awakenings". These "awakenings" are the positive counterpart of the cathartic or prophylactic action, that is to say, they are a "defence against intoxication produced by action." The canonical formula is: "[The ascetic] rightly causes the awakening of mindfulness derived from detachment, derived from dispassion, derived from cessation [of the flux], ending in renunciation, he causes the awakening of investigation -of inflexible energy- of enthusiasm -of calm- of concentration -of equanimity, of these awakenings derived from detachment, derived from dispassion, derived from cessation, ending in renunciation."

Various interpretations of the place of these awakenings in the whole development are, nevertheless, possible. Their sense as a whole, indeed, reflects that of the four jhānas, of the contemplation that is to be performed in complete detachment from external experience. Here, however, we may understand them on a more relative plane, as a kind of transfiguration and liberation of faculties that are already pervaded by the element of bodhi, whence the expression bojjhanga. It must be realized that we are not dealing with a simple schematic enu¬meration, but rather with a series in which the meditation whereby they are appre¬hended should pursue an intimate causal linking of the single terms so that we are naturally led on from one to the next, and so that in the one we see the integration and resolution of its predecessors. Thus, we must first achieve nondistracted medita¬tion: then we must awaken the state of "mindfulness," fix it in the mind, develop it, master it, and see how this state leads to the second awakening and passes into "investigation," which may find support in some element of the doctrine; this inves¬tigation, when developed, fixed, extended, and mastered must lead on to the awak¬ening of "inflexible energy," whose perfect conquest should herald a state of spe¬cial, purified "enthusiasm," of purified joy. By further developing the meditation, we should realize that this enthusiasm, this joy, awakened and perfectly developed in a body that is becoming calm, in a mind that is becoming calm, will become resolved and liberated in the next awakening, which is that of "calm." When calm has been developed, extended, fixed, and mastered, "concentration" awakens; this, in its turn, when completely developed, becomes established and shines forth in the "equanimity" that is the seventh awakening.

These form a series of landmarks in meditation that is concerned with realization and they are connected by an inherent continuity. Through these, one is led in another way to the confirmation of what was already becoming established in the satipatthāna, the fourfold contemplation of detachment, that is to say, one is led to that impassibility that is qualified as "pure, clear, ductile, flexible, resplendent," but which has nothing to do-it should be noted-with the indifference of a blunt mind, with the indifference "of a fool, of an ignorant man, of an inexpert common man." For our part, we think it opportune to add that the state in question must on no account be confused with apathy, and that it develops together with a feeling of purified intellectualized and heroic joy, although this may at first seem difficult to understand. The Bhagavadgītā says: "When the mind, lamed by ascesis, becomes quiet; when [the ascetic], seeing the self in the self, rejoices in himself, knows that boundless joy which, transcending the senses, can only be ap¬prehended by the intellect and, when fixed in it, does not stir from the truth ... he knows that this detachment from union with pain is called yoga." At the same time, Buddhism speaks of a pleasure that is "like dung" when compared to that based on detachment, calm, and illumination (thus two kinds of joy are considered and contrasted. the one bound to life in the world, to mania, to enjoyment, the other to ascesis or to ultramundane states of detachment and of freedom from mania; and it is said that the second is the higher joy. "Extinction is the greatest joy.")

Furthermore, such sequences as these are frequent: "In the ascetic joy arises; this joy makes him blissful; being blissful, his body becomes calm: with the body calmed, serenity arises; in this serenity the mind comes to rest, becomes concentrated"; this is a preparation for the four jhāna. This is another sequence that has the character of a connected series, developing in an upward sense, not unlike that which, through the twelve nidana, led us downward to samsāric existence. The point of departure of this new series is, in fact, the state of suffering, of agitation, of contingency, which corresponds to the last nidāna of the descending path. Beyond it, there is the state of confidence; this leads to purified joy; then follows serenity, which gives place to bliss, passing on to equanimity - the term used here literally means also to vanish, to cease being in a place: it is a question of detached equilibrium. In this text the supreme realization has behind it a linked series in which special states of liberated joy play a particular part: a kind of joy that Plato contrasted with all mixed and conditioned forms of joy or of pleasure.

Let us quote another text that represents the state at which we may reckon to have arrived at this point of our exposition: „Concentration which knows neither increase nor decrease, which is not based on wearisome subjugation, which, because of its detached nature is constant, because of its constancy is full of bliss, because of its bliss cannot be destroyed — such concentration has suprene wisdom as its result.”

This should destroy the idea that the path of awakening is arid and desolate, that it kills all joy, that it offers only renunciation and destruction. That everyone whose furthest horizon is still within the effective, samsarically conditioned world should have this idea is quite natural but is of very little account.

A text reminds us that only an Awakened One can comprehend the Awakened One. An expressive simile demonstrates this: two companions leave a city together and reach a rock that one of them climbs. He says to the other: "I see from up here a wonderful view of gardens, woods, fields, and lakes," but the other retorts: "It is impossible, it is inadmissible, friend, that from up there you can see all that." Then the companion standing on the rock comes down, takes the other by the arm, makes him climb up on the rock and. after he has recovered his breath, asks him: "What do you then see, friend, standing on the rock?" The other replies: "I see a wonderful view of gardens, woods, fields, and lakes." "And your previous opinion?" "While I was obstructed by this great rock, I could not see what is now visible." It concludes: it is impossible that what is knowable, discernible, capable of achievement, capable of realization through detachment can be known, discerned, achieved, realized by one who lives among desires and who is consumed by desires." Quite apart from the higher "sidereal" principle. the Buddhist also knows the kind of joy that is contentedness, rejoicing, jubilation, enthusiasm, exultation, transport of the spirit and that, among others, is considered as "a factor of the great awakening”.

[Countering those who believe that the Buddhist road is one of desolation and aridity, Louis de La Vallée-Poussin most opportunely writes: “We must, rather, recognise that India is difficult when it comes to being and bliss; that as she puts being beyond existence, so she puts bliss beyond sensation.”]

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Julius Evola: The Doctrine of Awakening - Part II., Chapter 4. - Sidereal Awareness: The Wounds Close (excerpt)