Mad in America (and the world)
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A view looking south on N. Dye from E. Jackson St. at the east side of the Virden Square. Nearly all of the commercial buildings in this block date to the late 19th and early 20th century.
While most of Virden is situated in Macoupin County, the northern most part of the city is in Sangamon County. The Macoupin County portion of Virden is part of the St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Sangamon County portion is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Virden was 3,249 at the 2020 census.
― George Orwell "1984"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHbke-fYKM
Sony α7SII+Nikkor 50mm ƒ/1.8 AIs
© Ivan Herrador
Molenaarsgraaf is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Molenlanden, and lies about 11 km west of Gorinchem.
In 2001, the village of Molenaarsgraaf had 414 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.041 km², and contained 143 residences. The statistical area "Molenaarsgraaf", which also can include the peripheral parts of the village, as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 1110.
Molenaarsgraaf was a separate municipality until 1986, when it became part of Graafstroom. Latterly it has been part of Molenwaard since 2013.
A view looking northwest on Edwards St. toward 3rd St. in Henry's business district. Earlier in this series we looked at the building across 3rd St. on the left. The large three story building across 3rd St. on the right also worth noting. Known as the Watercott's Building, it was once the home of The Watercott Store, a locally important department store founded in Henry in 1877.
Henry is a city in Marshall County, Illinois. The population of Henry was 2,320 at the 2020 census. The city is considered part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its slogan, "Best Town in Illinois by a Dam Site," is derived from the city's distinction of having the first lock and dam built on the Illinois River.
Van Wert is a city in and the county seat of Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio. The population was 10,846 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Van Wert Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Lima-Van Wert-Wapakoneta, Ohio Combined Statistical Area. Van Wert is named for Isaac Van Wart, one of the captors of Major John André in the American Revolutionary War.[8] A center of peony cultivation, Van Wert has hosted the annual Van Wert Peony Festival on and off since 1902. Van Wert is home to the first county library in the United States, the Brumback Library. It also has a thriving community art center the Wassenburg Art Center and the award-winning Van Wert Civic Theatre.
Wishing all the best for this 2020 that just start!
“Let go of what was and embrace what to be.” “Every New Year brings its sacred blessings.” Lailah Gifty Akita.
Marina del Rey is an unincorporated seaside community in Los Angeles County, California, with a marina that is a major boating and water recreation destination of the greater Los Angeles area. The marina is North America's largest man-made small-craft harbor and is home to approximately 5,000 boats. The area is a popular tourism destination for water activities such as paddle board and kayak rentals, dining cruises, and yacht charters. This Westside locale is approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Santa Monica, and 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Los Angeles International Airport.
The harbor is owned by Los Angeles County and is operated by the County's Department of Beaches and Harbors. The population was 8,866 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Marina del Rey as a census-designated place (CDP).The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The Los Angeles Times said in a 1997 editorial that the harbor is "perhaps the county's most valuable resource".
Marina del Rey. California.
Oakland California is across the bay from San Francisco and like all big cities it never sleeps. One can only prayer to be at the right place at the right time. If not you could be another statistic . Homicide rates and crime is high. It always has been . It was rough growing up many moons ago and even more so now.
Statistically about 10% of Brewer's Blackbird females have a white eye. I find it even more infrequent. Englebright Lake, Nevada Co, California on 21 February 2018.
Trevi Fountain is the most beautiful fountain in Rome. Measuring some 20 meters in width by 26 meters in height, Trevi Fountain is also the largest fountain in the city.
The origins of the fountain go back to the year 19 B.C., in which period the fountain formed the end of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct. The first fountain was built during the Renaissance, under the direction of Pope Nicholas V.
The final appearance of the Trevi Fountain dates from 1762, when after many years of works at the hand of Nicola Salvi, it was finalized by Giuseppe Pannini.
Interestingly enough, the name of Trevi derives from Tre Vie (three ways), since the fountain was the meeting point of three streets.
There is an interesting myth about the Trevi Fountainoriginating in 1954 with the movie "Three Coins in the Fountain," goes like this:
If you throw one coin: you will return to Rome.
If you throw two coins: you will fall in love with an attractive Italian.
If you throw three coins: you will marry the person that you met.
In order to achieve the desired effect, you should throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder.
An interesting statistic is that approximately a million euros worth of coins are taken from the fountain each year. Since 2007 this money has been used to support good causes.
« L’inflation, impôt pour les pauvres, prime pour les riches » !!!
(Cette citation est généralement attribuée à François Mitterrand)
Elle renvoie au caractère régressif de l’inflation, la hausse des prix touchant, en effet, davantage les ménages les plus modestes.
Les taux d’inflation calculés par les instituts statistiques, comme l’INSEE en France, constituent des moyennes élaborées à partir de l’observation des prix d’un panier de consommation standard … ils masquent ainsi des disparités pouvant être fortes entre les ménages.
Cet effet hétérogène de la hausse des prix sur les ménages est lié au fait que les paniers de consommation diffèrent d’un ménage à l’autre …
Ainsi, les ménages les plus modestes consacrent une part plus importante de leur budget à l’alimentation et l’énergie !
Or, ce sont les prix des biens alimentaires et de l’énergie qui généralement tirent l’inflation vers le haut 🤔
L’inflation peut donc être qualifiée « d’impôt sur les pauvres », dans la mesure où elle rogne davantage le pouvoir d’achat des ménages les plus modestes 😟
____________PdF___________________________________
"Inflation, tax for the poor, bonus for the rich"!!!
(This quote is generally attributed to François Mitterrand)
It refers to the regressive nature of inflation, the rise in prices affecting, in fact, more the most modest households.
The inflation rates calculated by statistical institutes, such as INSEE in France, constitute averages worked out from the observation of the prices of a standard consumption basket... they thus mask disparities that can be strong between households.
This heterogeneous effect of rising prices on households is linked to the fact that consumption baskets differ from one household to another...
Thus, the most modest households devote a larger share of their budget to food and energy!
However, it is the prices of food and energy that generally drive inflation up 🤔
Inflation can therefore be described as a "tax on the poor", insofar as it further erodes the purchasing power of the poorest households 😟
This image reminds me of some that you get with edge-detecting artistic filters, but the curious thing is that it is created just using ‘statistical’ stacking and blend modes, with a little general tonal adjustment.
Five captures were stacked in Affinity Photo though you can do the same in Photoshop. My initial objective in taking the images was to get rid of the pedestrians that were wandering around. If you stack a number of images using the Median function then provided the pedestrians are moving about you can usually get rid of them without any selections and painting. The median function works by taking the most common value for a particular pixel in the stacked images and using that in the result.
But then my brain aroused itself from its usual torpor (concerning!) and asked ‘what if I just….’ (extremely worrying!). So I tried some of the other stacking functions, some of which gave interesting results.
This image is a combination of a Median stack, with no pedestrians, and Variance stacks which had dark ghosts of the people wandering about, blended together a number of times using various blend modes. Some of the ghosts appeared twice in different places :)
But what you really want to know is where the images were taken (I realise that I’m kidding myself). This is the Bridge of Sighs in Oxford. It joins two parts of Hertford College across New College Lane. It’s named after the famous Venice bridge. Cambridge also has a Bridge of Sighs so I am sure there was a bit of rivalry going on as there often is between these two universities.
I was a bit disappointed to discover that this particular bridge was relatively new, constructed in the 20th century (around 1914 - the Cambridge one predates it by almost 90 years).
As it’s heavily processed I thought I would post it for Sliders Sunday.
Thanks for taking the time to look. I hope you enjoy the image. Happy Easter and happy Sliders Sunday :)
Amazing statistic of the New York City is that in Manhattan alone there are an estimated 280,000 dogs residing on the island and double that quantity in the outer boros of Queens and Brooklyn. Being smitten by dog love myself the proud owner of the two sweet mixed breed pooches, I often find my ‘street’ photography is of lovable canines. In the largely concrete jungle that is Manhattan, it’s amazing to see dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds being walked. In the few green spaces on the island, many include dog parks within their confines. I seen dogs in the dogs as early as 5 AM (I walk my guys that early if I have to go into the office early or drive my youngest daughter to the train station) and in Washington Square Park after mid-night. Manhattan in particular poses challenges because a larger portion of the population relies primarily on public transportation, unlike us NY suburbanites in northern Jersey, north New York counties (Rockland and Orange) and Long Island, many don’t own motor vehicles. Owning a canine is a wonderful rewarding experience, but also is a large responsibility that requires forethought . My kids and I having moved in the last year, number 1 on the list is, places that will accept pets, then the question is how big. Well Manhattan those queries resonate even more, even if you find a dog friendly building, the bathroom situation, how do you walk the dog? Full time job? Going to be difficult. That’s why budgeted into the care and upkeep of a pooch dog walkers are a must. Added cost is also a factor, the vets, the groomers, tend to charge a bit more. That why it’s important when considering a dog, that a lot of consideration is taken with all the factors that play into having a loyal four legged companion. This consideration and calculation does not happen some times and the city sponsored and private animal shelters in New York City are full of dogs who at first seemed like a good idea, but then reality set in and became sadly expendable. Dogs are loyal, full of love and always happy to see you, I’ve had my two for 8 and 7 years and adore them. They require attention and time, they are living creatures and if they don’t get a decent amount of attention, they will act up.
I love capturing dogs living and interacting in the city. This dog was a bit tired and was on the lap of his female caretaker happy as could be in Washington Square Park people watching; totally cool.
Captured on an Olympus E-5 with an Olympus Zuiko 70-300mm F4.0-5.6 zoom lens processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
208 N Main St
Delphos, OH 45833
United States
Delphos is a city in Allen and Van Wert counties in the U.S. state of Ohio approximately 14 mi (23 km) northwest of Lima and 13 mi (21 km) east of Van Wert. The population was 7,101 at the 2010 census.
The Allen County portion of Delphos is part of the Lima Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Van Wert County portion is part of the Van Wert Micropolitan Statistical Area.
151
Januari 8...statistical one of the coldest days of the year in Holland...in my younger days I was scating at that time of year and three months later the daffodils started blooming....
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists nine key symptoms of narcissism. To be diagnosed, a person must exhibit at least five of these traits:
Grandiose sense of self-importance
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Belief that they are “special” and unique
Need for excessive admiration
Sense of entitlement
Interpersonally exploitative behavior
Lack of empathy
Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of them
Demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes
He ticks all the boxes, does he not? He should be in therapy before his lunacy becomes the new normal. Leica M8, Voigtlaender NC 1.4/35.
Dave and Lee were both peering into dusty looking bags, brows furrowed, pulling out metallic black objects with bits of glass on them. These, I explained to them, were cameras. Their cameras in fact. “Do you remember cameras?” I asked. It was the pair of them that dragged me into this hobby. They looked a bit confused at this question and carried on talking about the football season that by now was all but finished for another year. “Would Ollie Watkins leave the Villa Lee? Apparently he’s a boyhood Arsenal fan and the Gunners desperately need to beef up their striking options.” Lee decided not to be too worried about the prospect of his team’s centre forward leaving for pastures new in the summer. “What’s this thing again?” “It’s a camera. You bought it on eBay, remember? What have you got now? Ooh a Pentax. You haven’t had a Pentax before have you?”
Getting these two to make themselves available at the same time and come out to play for an evening used to be so simple. Ten years ago, we’d be racing home from work, piling into Lee’s trusty old red Renault Kangoo (or Kenneth as he fondly called him), and pottering off to the coast for sunset, where Lee and I would usually end up pitching our tripods on the same square yard of rock in front of the lighthouse or whatever, and Dave, fine art degree at Liverpool Polytechnic and all, would ignore the obvious subject and wander off to do something interestingly creative with a thicket of brambles or a patch of nuclear green gunge in the shallows. If we were statistical samples, Dave would pretty much always be the outlier, and he’d usually produce what Lee and I would grudgingly concede was the shot of the night.
Nowadays, these gatherings have become almost as impossible as herding cats. Whenever I would attempt to wake up the Whatsapp group, one would be responsive and make appropriate noises while the other would remain electronically taciturn and a general sense of inertia would crawl across the entire enterprise once again. They’d take turns at being Mr Positive and Mr Ignoramus and I’d give up and go out on my own. Over the past three or four years these regular outings had almost all but died, replaced by flurries of shutter activity on the occasional residential field trip outside the county. The team at Morrison’s Cafe in Buxton are still counting the profits from our visit to the Peak District last May. Even now, we had one planned for Dartmoor in a couple of weeks, but Dave’s employers have decided to launch two new products at once, despite being short of key personnel, and he’s had to bail on the month entirely. So now we’re hoping to go at the start of September, when the colours should be a bit more interesting, and just before I head to Sweden for another photography jolly. It’s a busy old life you know.
But on Monday there was a pleasing sense of enthusiasm as the pair of them arrived and piled into my car - Kenneth is sadly long gone - for the short trip to Godrevy. Maybe we’d go down to Porth Nanven in a month or so when the white nights are here, we agreed. The field car park was open until nine, so we pulled up in front of the sea, where we sat, catching up with each other’s news. I wondered whether either of them would take the next step and actually get out of the car before it was time to go to the pub. Eventually we descended the steps down to the rocks to the right of the beach, where the tide was full. Late April is a good time to take a shot here when the sea is all over the foreground and the sun is creeping into the left hand side of the frame. But not so much when there are people everywhere. We moved on to where I really wanted to go this evening. The scramble down the cliff. “Remember that time we came down here when there was an amazing sunset?” “Yes, that was the first time we found this spot. Got some great shots that night but I deleted all my raw files afterwards.” That was ten years ago in fact. I don’t delete raw files anymore - not unless they’re complete duds.
An hour later, in time honoured fashion, Lee and I were standing on the same patch of rock taking more or less exactly the same shot, while Dave was a hundred yards to our left, facing in the opposite direction and shooting the sea moving in and out of a deep gully, although he’d forgotten his step up ring and couldn’t use his filters. “Do either of you by any chance have a 67-72?” We didn’t, but we each agreed that we might have one lying around somewhere at home, which wasn’t much use now. All was well in the world - well except for Dave not having brought all of his kit with him. He says he hasn’t got anything worth sharing, while Lee declared he was going to take another look. He at least must have an image to post here. He was standing in the same place as me, using the same filters. As for Dave, he’ll suddenly decide he’s got a masterpiece after all. We’re used to this reticence in demonstrating his genius in the editing suite. We await with bated breath. Will either of them post an image for the first time in forever?
It was time for the pub, three pints of Sea Fury and the customary appraisal of one another’s images from the evening. Dave left his camera in the car. He’s obviously still warming up. At least we were all out together again. That’s the best thing about it. A jolly boy’s outing to Godrevy on a beautiful spring evening with the entire summer ahead of us, and the prospect of more to follow soon.
Statistically it looks like February is going to be the one of the coldest on record in Toronto...Low tonight -31C (-24F) with the windchill - and statistically I'm just about done with winter...
Happy Fence Friday! HFF
With this post I am beginning a new series on Delavan, a city in Tazewell County, Illinois. This Central Illinois community is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area. Delavan's population at the 2020 census was 1,924. Delavan, a rural, agricultural community, derives its name from Edward C. Delavan (1793-1871), a wealthy businessman from Albany, New York who devoted much of his fortune to promoting the temperance movement.
The photos in this short series will focus on the Delavan Commercial Historic District. When the district was added in 1991 to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), 20 of the 26 buildings listed were contributing properties.
The oldest buildings in the district, two simple brick commercial structures, were built around 1860. The remaining buildings were mainly built later in the 19th century, with a few built during the early 20th century. The buildings mostly have either Italianate or vernacular commercial designs, as was typical for commercial buildings of the period. Several of the buildings feature decorative metal elements such as storefronts, cornices, and window treatments. One notable exception to this design trend is the Masonic Hall at 401 Locust Street, which has a Queen Anne design featuring a large turret. This building will be featured in a future post.
This first photo was taken from the intersection of Locust and Fourth St. looking north at the west side of the 300 block of S. Locust St. The buildings in this block are:
323 S. Locust (left, on the northwest corner of Locust and Fourth St)
This building, erected in 1880, housed the Baldwin Bank which operated until 1932. A post office was located in the rear of the building in the early 1900s. Recently renovated as a distillery, the building is currently for sale.
321 S. Locust (second from corner)
Also erected in 1880, this building is part of 323 and is very similar in cornice and window treatment. The building housed a restaurant operation for many years with numerous proprietors. It later became a shoe store, and then an insurance agency.
319 S. Locust (third from corner)
This single story building originally was occupied by a drug store. Over the years it has been home to two groceries, including an A&P (think frosted cinnamon raisin bread), two paint stores, and the Delavan Community Historical Society which occupies the space today.
317 S. Locust (fourth building from corner)
This building was constructed in 1902 as a men's clothing store. A decade later the building was repurposed as a shoe store. The building also was the home of two appliance stores, including one that sold televisions. The local telephone exchange once had offices on the second floor. A sign hanging in front of the building tells us it was recently used as The Harvest Cafe, but that business is now permanently closed.
313-315 S. Locust (two-story red brick building fifth from corner)
This highly versatile, circa 1888-1910 building has two store fronts. In the early 1900s this was a harness shop, followed by a mortuary, then a restaurant, a Catholic parish center, and was temporarily used by the Tazewell County National Bank while their new building was being erected. More recently one side of the building was occupied by the now closed Hometown Wine & Spirits, while the other side is a bar and restaurant known as The Exchange.
311 S. Locust: Built in the early 1900s, this building was once the Savoy Theatre. In later years it was a hardware store, drug store, grocery store, Ben Franklin store, and a flower shop.
Up to this point, all of the aforementioned buildings are contributing properties in the historic district. Now for the two non-contributing properties:
307-309 S. Locust: This two-story building with a modern, light tan facade, was built in 1900 and saw use as a succession of hardware stores into the early 1970s. It then became a variety store, and now is a Maytag Appliance Store. The remodeling of the front facade is the reason for the building's non-contributing status.
301 S. Locust: The final property on this block, a one-story tan-brick building built for First Farmer's State Bank on the southwest corner of Locust and Third St., is non-contributing due to being more recent construction.
Well, trans-something anyway… (I can see 2023 is not going to be a good year for titles already … sigh)
This is my first post for a few weeks (Happy Christmas and New Year everyone - remember those?). Fittingly it’s a contrivance for Sliders Sunday.
In this image, it’s the concept of stacking three ICMs (using statistical stacking rather than in in-camera multi-exposure) and then using blend modes to combine different stacking results (median, mean, range, variance etc).
Gobbledegook? No matter. I’m not sure the result worked though, as usual, fun was had along the way…
By the way, it’s the village church and churchyard. I just knew you were wondering ;)
Thanks for looking again. Hope you find something interesting to enjoy here, Happy Sliders Sunday and 100x :)
For my video; youtu.be/EYjdhzzAQmE?si=fi-HC7rUrdHMQqw1
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
The MV Seaflyte is a passenger ferry built in 1993 that formerly operated for Fullers360 in Auckland, New Zealand
STATISTIC time
Between 2001 and 2019, an estimated 33,000 Afghan troops and police and 31,000 Afghan civilians were killed. More than 3,500 troops from the NATO-led coalition were killed during that time, and 29 countries were represented among the dead.
since the beginning of the 21st century
war has broken out
amongst just a few
nations:
the Democratic republic of Congo
Civil war in Syria
Yemen
Nigeria Boko Haram
Iraq
Afghanistan
Darfur
Ukraine
Few Americans even know about this
nor care nor even know where these nations are situated!
a protest
March
about 25 years ago
in
Manhattan
Photography’s new conscience
For my video; youtu.be/EYjdhzzAQmE?si=fi-HC7rUrdHMQqw1
Two images merged,
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
The New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa is a maritime museum in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on Hobson Wharf, adjacent to the Viaduct Harbour in central Auckland. It houses exhibitions spanning New Zealand's maritime history, from the first Polynesian explorers and settlers to modern day triumphs at the America's Cup.
© All rights reserved
# 355 Explore on Tuesday, December 11, 2007
(since we started tracking this statistic on April 19, 2006)
Thames at Swinford from the island
Petaluma’s history is deeply tied to eggs—so much so that it was once known as the “Egg Basket of the World” and the “Egg Capital of the World.”
In the mid-to-late 1800s, Sonoma County's mild climate, rolling hills, and access to Bay Area markets made the Petaluma area ideal for poultry farming. By the 1850s and 1860s, local farmers were already shipping large quantities of eggs to San Francisco.
A remarkable statistic from Petaluma's peak years: with a population of only about 6,000 people in 1918, the town claimed enough production to average roughly 75,000 eggs per resident per year.
Statistical truth has been revealed: French people gained 2,5 kg (5 pounds) during the Covid19 lockdown and I gained less than one pound, an evidence that this world is unfair. Ask to people in African slums, they will confirm.
Location: Dya's scent of the Carribean
For my video; youtu.be/6CeqTD5ctJE?si=ADAWQV4p6rwExfic
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
For my video; youtu.be/EYjdhzzAQmE?si=fi-HC7rUrdHMQqw1
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
The New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa is a maritime museum in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on Hobson Wharf, adjacent to the Viaduct Harbour in central Auckland. It houses exhibitions spanning New Zealand's maritime history, from the first Polynesian explorers and settlers to modern day triumphs at the America's Cup.
The 1924 Devonport Steam Ferry. It ran between Bayswater and Auckland until the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened in 1959. After minor ferry runs in Devonport, it was laid up in 1967, sank in 1980, and was scrapped in 1981.
Today 17 babies will die, the tragic victims of stillbirth or neonatal death. This is a statistic that is seeing no signs of decreasing, and behind each number is a family rocked to the foundations by the death of their baby.
This shocking figure, the loss of 6,500 babies every year, is something the public is not generally aware of. Most people think stillbirths don’t happen in the 21st century. Yet stillbirth in the UK is 10 times more common than cot death.
At Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, we feel this number of deaths is totally unacceptable. We have launched the Why17? campaign to raise awareness of this devastating loss and to ask the question:
“Why are 17 babies a day dying and what can be done to halt this national tragedy?”
“I just want to raise awareness of stillbirth. I had no idea that this could happen to me
1) Follow this link, fill in your details to email your MP to make them aware of the parliamentary launch of Why17? on March 4th 2009: www.why17.org/Get-Involved/Contact-your-MP.html
2) Add your name to the list of supporters (petition) : www.why17.org/Pledge-Your-Support.html
3) Make a contribution: donate online; buy a window sticker / wristband / balloon; or plan a sponsored event. More ideas here: www.why17.org/Get-Involved.html
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. As of 2019, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales is located in central Florida, west of Lake Kissimmee and east of Tampa.
The land around the present city was surveyed in 1879 by Sidney Irving Wailes, who changed the name of a lake, then known as Watts Lake, to Lake Wailes.
The city of Lake Wales was established near the lake in 1911–12, planned by the Lake Wales Land Company. The spelling Wales was used for the city, although the lake is still generally spelled Lake Wailes. Allen Carleton Nydegger, a Civil Engineer, was contracted by the Lake Wales Land Company to plot out the community of Lake Wales. He and his crew camped on the shores of Crystal Lake and spent months plotting out the new community. In 1925 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad built a new line from Haines City joining lines to Everglades City. A depot was opened on this line at Lake Wales. The City of Lake Wales was officially incorporated in April 1917.
In 2004, Lake Wales endured the effects of three hurricanes which came through the area: Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne. The three hurricanes brought hurricane-force winds to the Lake Wales area within a space of 44 days. In 2017, Hurricane Irma brought more hurricane-force winds to Lake Wales.
The town lies near the geographical center of the Florida peninsula. Lake Wales is located on the Lake Wales Ridge,[8] a sandy upland area running roughly parallel to both coasts in the center of the peninsula. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36 km2), of which 13.4 square miles (35 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (4.71%) is water.
Lake Wales is located in the humid subtropical zone of the (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). In 2004, the eyes of Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne all passed near the town. Virtually all physical damage has been restored.
Local attractions in the area include:
*Bok Tower Gardens
*Camp Mack's River Resort
*Spook Hill, an optical illusion which makes a car in neutral appear as if it is traveling uphill (gravity hill)
*The commercial historic district in the heart of the old town contains important examples of architecture from the period of the Florida land boom of the 1920s. The district's tallest building, the Hotel Grand, has been boarded up for many years but has been purchased and is in the process of being restored.
*The Lake Wales Museum and Cultural Center is a history museum funded by a public-private partnership. It offers exhibits and artifacts from the pre-Columbian era to modern.
*Grove House, the visitor's center for the agricultural cooperative Florida's Natural (located across from the company's processing plant).
*Chalet Suzanne This attraction has closed.
The Shrine of Ste Anne des Lacs
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wales,_Florida
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
Aus dem Volkpark Schöneberg schauen wir auf eine U-Bahn-Station der U4 von Innsbrucker Platz zum Nollendorf Platz. Hinter den Bäumen ragt der Turm des Rathaus-Schöneberg hervor.
Das Rathaus Schöneberg war von 1949- 1993 Regierungssitz von West-Berlin und der alliierten Verbindungsoffiziere. Hier tagte auch das Abgeordnetenhaus von West-Berlin.
In dem Turm ist die Freiheitsglocke installiert, seit dem 21.Oktober 1950 läutet sie jeden Tag um 12:00 Uhr.
Das Rathaus galt während der deutschen Spaltung als weltweites Symbol für den Freiheitswillen der geteilten Stadt".
Von dem Balkon, nicht sichtbar auf diesem Foto, hat John F. Kennedy, an die auf dem Platz vor dem Rathaus stehende Bevölkerung West Berlins sein berühmt gewordenes Bekenntnis "Ich bin ein Berliner" gerichtet! Der John-F.-Kennedy-Platz hieß, bevor er zu Ehren drei Tage nach Ermordung Kennedys umbenannt wurde, Rudolph-Wilde-Platz!
Heute ist es der Sitz der Bürgermeisterin von Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Tagungsort der Bezirksverordneten-Versammlung BVV und der Verwaltung des Bezirkes.
Einen sonnigen Mittwoch, liebe Freunde!
Wikipedia:
Mit rund 892 km² Gesamtfläche ist Berlin so groß wie die deutschen Städte München, Stuttgart und Frankfurt am Main zusammen.
Die Stadt vereinigt zwölf Bezirke mit unterschiedlich geprägten Stadtquartieren und Zentren. Ein Viertel der Berliner Stadtfläche sind Wälder und Parks, fast ein Zehntel Seen, Flüsse und Kanäle.
Der Stadtstaat ist gleichzeitig Bundeshauptstadt und bildet mit seinem Großraum einen im nationalen und europäischen Maßstab bedeutenden Metropolen- und Ballungsraum.
(Quelle: Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg, 2009)"
From the Volkpark Schöneberg we look at an underground station of the U4 from Innsbrucker Platz to Nollendorf Platz. Behind the trees is the tower of the town hall of Schöneberg.
The town hall of Schöneberg was the seat of government of West Berlin and the allied liaison officers from 1949 to 1993. The House of Representatives of West Berlin also met here.
The Liberty Bell has been installed in the tower and has been ringing every day since October 21, 1950 at 12:00 noon.
During the German division, the town hall was regarded as a worldwide symbol of the "will to freedom of the divided city".
From the balcony, not visible in this photo, John F. Kennedy addressed his famous confession "I am a Berliner" to the people of West Berlin standing on the square in front of the city hall! John F Kennedy Square was named Rudolph Wild Square before it was renamed in honor of three days after Kennedy's assassination!
Today it is the seat of the mayor of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, venue of the district ordinances meeting BVV and the administration of the district.
A sunny Wednesday, dear friends!
Wikipedia:
With a total area of around 892 km², Berlin is as large as the German cities of Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt am Main put together.
The city unites twelve districts with different districts and centres. A quarter of Berlin's city area are forests and parks, almost a tenth lakes, rivers and canals.
The city state is also the federal capital and, with its metropolitan area, forms an important metropolitan area and conurbation on a national and European scale.
(Source: Berlin-Brandenburg Statistical Office, 2009)".
www.berlin.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/3560314-3558930-rathaus...
Frequently, I have got away. As if a guardian angel intervened. As if this angel knew that it was not yet my turn. But it happened that often that, statistically, it does not make any sense anymore. And the guardian angel may be a nice figment of my imagination anyway. And, maybe, next time will be my turn. And that would be as it should be. I am living on borrowed time. And some of it is and was, precious indeed. I have no authority over the time that is left, but I am responsible for it - or, if we include the guardian angel, co-responsible. Fuji X-Pro3.
For my video; youtu.be/EYjdhzzAQmE?si=fi-HC7rUrdHMQqw1
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
Historic Dilworth Building at the corner of Queen Street and Customs Street West in downtown Auckland, New Zealand.
Silver first-generation Subaru Impreza wagon, likely from the mid-to-late 1990s.
Built in 1902 according to Realtor.
"Sault Ste. Marie (/ˌsuː seɪnt məˈriː/ SOO-seint-ma-REE) is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 14,144 at the 2010 census, it is the second-most populated city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette. It is the central city of the Sault Ste. Marie, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Chippewa County and had a population of 38,520 at the 2010 census.
Sault Ste. Marie was settled as early as 1668, which makes it Michigan's oldest city and among the oldest cities in the United States. Located at the northeastern edge of the Upper Peninsula, it is separated by the St. Marys River from the much-larger city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The two are connected by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, which represents the northern terminus of Interstate 75. This portion of the river also contains the Soo Locks, as well as a swinging railroad bridge. The city is also home to Lake Superior State University.
For centuries Ojibwe (Chippewa) Native Americans had lived in the area, which they referred to as Baawitigong ("at the cascading rapids"), after the rapids of St. Marys River. French colonists renamed the region Saulteaux ("rapids" in French).
In 1668, French missionaries Claude Dablon and Jacques Marquette founded a Jesuit mission at this site. Sault Ste. Marie developed as the fourth-oldest European city in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains, and the oldest permanent settlement in contemporary Michigan state. On June 4, 1671, Simon-François Daumont de Saint-Lusson, a colonial agent, was dispatched from Quebec to the distant tribes, proposing a congress of Indian nations at the Falls of St. Mary between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Trader Nicolas Perrot helped attract the principal chiefs, and representatives of 14 Indigenous nations were invited for the elaborate ceremony. The French officials proclaimed France's appropriation of the immense territory surrounding Lake Superior in the name of King Louis XIV.
In the 18th century, the settlement became an important center of the fur trade, when it was a post for the British-owned North West Company, based in Montreal. The fur trader John Johnston, a Scots-Irish immigrant from Belfast, was considered the first European settler in 1790. He married a high-ranking Ojibwe woman named Ozhaguscodaywayquay, the daughter of a prominent chief, Waubojeeg. She also became known as Susan Johnston. Their marriage was one of many alliances in the northern areas between high-ranking European traders and Ojibwe. The family was prominent among Native Americans, First Nations, and Europeans from both Canada and the United States. They had eight children who learned fluent Ojibwe, English and French. The Johnstons entertained a variety of trappers, explorers, traders, and government officials, especially during the years before the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States.
For more than 140 years, the settlement was a single community under French colonial, and later, British colonial rule. After the War of 1812, a US–UK Joint Boundary Commission finally fixed the border in 1817 between the Michigan Territory of the US and the British Province of Upper Canada to follow the river in this area. Whereas traders had formerly moved freely through the whole area, the United States forbade Canadian traders from operating in the United States, which reduced their trade and disrupted the area's economy. The American and Canadian communities of Sault Ste. Marie were each incorporated as independent municipalities toward the end of the 19th century.
As a result of the fur trade, the settlement attracted Ojibwe and Ottawa, Métis, and ethnic Europeans of various nationalities. It was a two-tiered society, with fur traders (who had capital) and their families and upper-class Ojibwe in the upper echelon. In the aftermath of the War of 1812, however, the community's society changed markedly.
The U.S. built Fort Brady near the settlement, introducing new troops and settlers, mostly Anglo-American. The UK and the US settled on a new northern boundary in 1817, dividing the US and Canada along St. Mary's River. The US prohibited British fur traders from operating in the United States. After completion of the Erie Canal in New York State in 1825 (expanded in 1832), the number of settlers migrating to Ohio and Michigan increased dramatically from New York and New England, bringing with them the Yankee culture of the Northern Tier. Their numbers overwhelmed the cosmopolitan culture of the earlier settlers. They practiced more discrimination against Native Americans and Métis.
The falls proved a choke point for shipping between the Great Lakes. Early ships traveling to and from Lake Superior were portaged around the rapids in a lengthy process (much like moving a house) that could take weeks. Later, only the cargoes were unloaded, hauled around the rapids, and then loaded onto other ships waiting below the rapids. The first American lock, the State Lock, was built in 1855; it was instrumental in improving shipping. The lock has been expanded and improved over the years.
In 1900, Northwestern Leather Company opened a tannery in Sault Ste. Marie. The tannery was founded to process leather for the upper parts of shoes, which was finer than that for soles. After the factory closed in 1958, the property was sold to Filborn Limestone, a subsidiary of Algoma Steel Corporation.
In March 1938 during the Great Depression, Sophia Nolte Pullar bequeathed $70,000 for construction of the Pullar Community Building, which opened in 1939. This building held an indoor ice rink composed of artificial ice, then a revolutionary concept. The ice rink is still owned by the city." - info from Wikipedia.
Now on Instagram.
A Fishing Vessel that was built in 1979 sailing under the flag of Cook Is.
Her carrying capacity is 777 t DWT and her current draught is reported to be 6.9 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 82.25 meters and her width is 13.5 meters.
Viaduct marina,
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
For my video; youtu.be/6CeqTD5ctJE?si=ADAWQV4p6rwExfic
Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand
The vessel Kiwi Challenge is a famous trans-Atlantic rowboat housed in the permanent collection of the New Zealand Maritime Museum (located on the waterfront in Auckland, New Zealand).
The Victory: Built as a plywood kitset rowboat, it was rowed to victory by New Zealanders Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs in the inaugural 1997 Trans-Atlantic Rowing Challenge. They rowed virtually non-stop for 41 days from the Canary Islands to Barbados, finishing 6 days ahead of the runner-up.
Today 17 babies will die, the tragic victims of stillbirth or neonatal death. This is a statistic that is seeing no signs of decreasing, and behind each number is a family rocked to the foundations by the death of their baby.
This shocking figure, the loss of 6,500 babies every year, is something the public is not generally aware of. Most people think stillbirths don’t happen in the 21st century. Yet stillbirth in the UK is 10 times more common than cot death.
At Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, we feel this number of deaths is totally unacceptable. We have launched the Why17? campaign to raise awareness of this devastating loss and to ask the question:
“Why are 17 babies a day dying and what can be done to halt this national tragedy?”
“I just want to raise awareness of stillbirth. I had no idea that this could happen to me
1) Follow this link, fill in your details to email your MP to make them aware of the parliamentary launch of Why17? on March 4th 2009: www.why17.org/Get-Involved/Contact-your-MP.html
2) Add your name to the list of supporters (petition) : www.why17.org/Pledge-Your-Support.html
3) Make a contribution: donate online; buy a window sticker / wristband / balloon; or plan a sponsored event. More ideas here: www.why17.org/Get-Involved.html
"Sault Ste. Marie (/ˌsuː seɪnt məˈriː/ SOO-seint-ma-REE) is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 14,144 at the 2010 census, it is the second-most populated city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette. It is the central city of the Sault Ste. Marie, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Chippewa County and had a population of 38,520 at the 2010 census.
Sault Ste. Marie was settled as early as 1668, which makes it Michigan's oldest city and among the oldest cities in the United States. Located at the northeastern edge of the Upper Peninsula, it is separated by the St. Marys River from the much-larger city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The two are connected by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, which represents the northern terminus of Interstate 75. This portion of the river also contains the Soo Locks, as well as a swinging railroad bridge. The city is also home to Lake Superior State University.
For centuries Ojibwe (Chippewa) Native Americans had lived in the area, which they referred to as Baawitigong ("at the cascading rapids"), after the rapids of St. Marys River. French colonists renamed the region Saulteaux ("rapids" in French).
In 1668, French missionaries Claude Dablon and Jacques Marquette founded a Jesuit mission at this site. Sault Ste. Marie developed as the fourth-oldest European city in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains, and the oldest permanent settlement in contemporary Michigan state. On June 4, 1671, Simon-François Daumont de Saint-Lusson, a colonial agent, was dispatched from Quebec to the distant tribes, proposing a congress of Indian nations at the Falls of St. Mary between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Trader Nicolas Perrot helped attract the principal chiefs, and representatives of 14 Indigenous nations were invited for the elaborate ceremony. The French officials proclaimed France's appropriation of the immense territory surrounding Lake Superior in the name of King Louis XIV.
In the 18th century, the settlement became an important center of the fur trade, when it was a post for the British-owned North West Company, based in Montreal. The fur trader John Johnston, a Scots-Irish immigrant from Belfast, was considered the first European settler in 1790. He married a high-ranking Ojibwe woman named Ozhaguscodaywayquay, the daughter of a prominent chief, Waubojeeg. She also became known as Susan Johnston. Their marriage was one of many alliances in the northern areas between high-ranking European traders and Ojibwe. The family was prominent among Native Americans, First Nations, and Europeans from both Canada and the United States. They had eight children who learned fluent Ojibwe, English and French. The Johnstons entertained a variety of trappers, explorers, traders, and government officials, especially during the years before the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States.
For more than 140 years, the settlement was a single community under French colonial, and later, British colonial rule. After the War of 1812, a US–UK Joint Boundary Commission finally fixed the border in 1817 between the Michigan Territory of the US and the British Province of Upper Canada to follow the river in this area. Whereas traders had formerly moved freely through the whole area, the United States forbade Canadian traders from operating in the United States, which reduced their trade and disrupted the area's economy. The American and Canadian communities of Sault Ste. Marie were each incorporated as independent municipalities toward the end of the 19th century.
As a result of the fur trade, the settlement attracted Ojibwe and Ottawa, Métis, and ethnic Europeans of various nationalities. It was a two-tiered society, with fur traders (who had capital) and their families and upper-class Ojibwe in the upper echelon. In the aftermath of the War of 1812, however, the community's society changed markedly.
The U.S. built Fort Brady near the settlement, introducing new troops and settlers, mostly Anglo-American. The UK and the US settled on a new northern boundary in 1817, dividing the US and Canada along St. Mary's River. The US prohibited British fur traders from operating in the United States. After completion of the Erie Canal in New York State in 1825 (expanded in 1832), the number of settlers migrating to Ohio and Michigan increased dramatically from New York and New England, bringing with them the Yankee culture of the Northern Tier. Their numbers overwhelmed the cosmopolitan culture of the earlier settlers. They practiced more discrimination against Native Americans and Métis.
The falls proved a choke point for shipping between the Great Lakes. Early ships traveling to and from Lake Superior were portaged around the rapids[8] in a lengthy process (much like moving a house) that could take weeks. Later, only the cargoes were unloaded, hauled around the rapids, and then loaded onto other ships waiting below the rapids. The first American lock, the State Lock, was built in 1855; it was instrumental in improving shipping. The lock has been expanded and improved over the years.
In 1900, Northwestern Leather Company opened a tannery in Sault Ste. Marie. The tannery was founded to process leather for the upper parts of shoes, which was finer than that for soles. After the factory closed in 1958, the property was sold to Filborn Limestone, a subsidiary of Algoma Steel Corporation.
In March 1938 during the Great Depression, Sophia Nolte Pullar bequeathed $70,000 for construction of the Pullar Community Building, which opened in 1939. This building held an indoor ice rink composed of artificial ice, then a revolutionary concept. The ice rink is still owned by the city." - info from Wikipedia.
Now on Instagram.
Explore Highest position: # 1 on Saturday, December 2, 2006
(since we started tracking this statistic on April 19, 2006)
Thank you all...!!!!
Bonxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components, as defined in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Bonk Disorders, DSM-IV code 1248.16.
These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry. Bonxiety is a generalized mood condition that can often occur without an identifiable triggering stimulus.
Explore #72 on Friday, August 6, 2010. Thank you all!
Madrid in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 149 at the 2000 census and 204 in 2010. Today, Madrid has become an artists' community with galleries lining New Mexico State Road 14 (the Turquoise Trail). It retains remnants of its history with the Mineshaft Tavern and the Coal Mine Museum.
Lead mines in the area around Madrid captured the interest of Roque Madrid in the 17th century. It is unclear whether the current name of the community comes from that of earlier residents or the capital of Spain. The dominant English pronunciation of the name differs from that of the Spanish capital, with emphasis on the first syllable: MAD-rid. Coal mining began in the area around 1835.
Anthracite coal breaker and power house buildings, Madrid, circa 1935. Anthracite coal was preferred for passenger trains, as it burned cleaner.
The coal deposits were called the Cerrillos Coal Bank following the arrival in early 1880 of the New Mexico & Southern Pacific Railroad (as the AT&SF in New Mexico was organized), named after the nearby mining and railroad town of Cerrillos Station. After a dozen years at the Coal Bank of wildcat, unpermitted, and unorganized mining the AT&SF acquired the property on December 10, 1891, and through purposefully-created subsidiaries solidified its control. The Cerrillos Coal & Iron Co. developed the layout for the town, mines, and facilities, and the Cerrillos Coal Railroad Co. built the 6.25 mi standard gauge spur from the AT&SF main line at Waldo Junction.
In late August 1892, the spur finally terminated at the relatively new mining camp of Keeseeville (an illegal trespass settlement, however one whose 20-acre plat had been approved by Santa Fe County). At the site of Keeseeville, which the Cerrillos Coal Railroad co-opted, the town of Madrid was built. More accurately the Cerrillos Coal Railroad transported-in, section by section, prefabricated wooden miner's cabins from as far away as Topeka, Kansas; there were insufficient carpenters and suppliers in the region to provide the instant infrastructure that was needed for the town.
Madrid celebrated its "founding" in 1895. Since the town was for the next 80 years wholly owned by a series of corporations, the town itself was never incorporated. In the late 1940s, the demand for coal withered: Natural gas gradually replaced coal as the preferred home-heating fuel, and the AT&SF was replacing its coal-fired steam locomotives with diesel-electrics. By 1954 the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company ceased to operate and most of the residents moved away. The railroad spur was removed shortly thereafter.
THE SIXTH EXTINCTION
Exerpts by Niles Eldredge
There is little doubt left in the minds of professional biologists that Earth is currently faced with a mounting loss of species that threatens to rival the five great mass extinctions of the geological past. As long ago as 1993, Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson estimated that Earth is currently losing something on the order of 30,000 species per year — which breaks down to the even more daunting statistic of some three species per hour. Some biologists have begun to feel that this biodiversity crisis — this “Sixth Extinction” — is even more severe, and more imminent, than Wilson had supposed.
Extinction in the past
The major global biotic turnovers were all caused by physical events that lay outside the normal climatic and other physical disturbances which species, and entire ecosystems, experience and survive. What caused them?
The previous mass extinctions were due to natural causes.
First major extinction (c. 440 mya): Climate change (relatively severe and sudden global cooling) seems to have been at work at the first of these-the end-Ordovician mass extinction that caused such pronounced change in marine life (little or no life existed on land at that time). 25% of families lost (a family may consist of a few to thousands of species).
Second major extinction (c. 370 mya): The next such event, near the end of the Devonian Period, may or may not have been the result of global climate change. 19% of families lost.
Third major Extinction (c. 245 mya): Scenarios explaining what happened at the greatest mass extinction event of them all (so far, at least!) at the end of the Permian Period have been complex amalgams of climate change perhaps rooted in plate tectonics movements. Very recently, however, evidence suggests that a bolide impact similar to the end-Cretaceous event may have been the cause. 54% of families lost.
Fourth major extinction (c. 210 mya): The event at the end of the Triassic Period, shortly after dinosaurs and mammals had first evolved, also remains difficult to pin down in terms of precise causes. 23% of families lost.
Fifth major extinction (c. 65 mya): Most famous, perhaps, was the most recent of these events at the end-Cretaceous. It wiped out the remaining terrestrial dinosaurs and marine ammonites, as well as many other species across the phylogenetic spectrum, in all habitats sampled from the fossil record. Consensus has emerged in the past decade that this event was caused by one (possibly multiple) collisions between Earth and an extraterrestrial bolide (probably cometary). Some geologists, however, point to the great volcanic event that produced the Deccan traps of India as part of the chain of physical events that disrupted ecosystems so severely that many species on land and sea rapidly succumbed to extinction. 17% of families lost.
How is The Sixth Extinction different from previous events?
The current mass extinction is caused by humans.
At first glance, the physically caused extinction events of the past might seem to have little or nothing to tell us about the current Sixth Extinction, which is a patently human-caused event. For there is little doubt that humans are the direct cause of ecosystem stress and species destruction in the modern world through such activities as:
-transformation of the landscape
-overexploitation of species
-pollution
-the introduction of alien species
And, because Homo sapiens is clearly a species of animal (however behaviorally and ecologically peculiar an animal), the Sixth Extinction would seem to be the first recorded global extinction event that has a biotic, rather than a physical, cause.
We are bringing about massive changes in the environment.
Yet, upon further reflection, human impact on the planet is a direct analogue of the Cretaceous cometary collision. Sixty-five million years ago that extraterrestrial impact — through its sheer explosive power, followed immediately by its injections of so much debris into the upper reaches of the atmosphere that global temperatures plummeted and, most critically, photosynthesis was severely inhibited — wreaked havoc on the living systems of Earth. That is precisely what human beings are doing to the planet right now: humans are causing vast physical changes on the planet.
What is the Sixth Extinction?
We can divide the Sixth Extinction into two discrete phases:
-Phase One began when the first modern humans began to disperse to different parts of the world about 100,000 years ago.
-Phase Two began about 10,000 years ago when humans turned to agriculture.
Humans began disrupting the environment as soon as they appeared on Earth.
The first phase began shortly after Homo sapiens evolved in Africa and the anatomically modern humans began migrating out of Africa and spreading throughout the world. Humans reached the middle east 90,000 years ago. They were in Europe starting around 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals, who had long lived in Europe, survived our arrival for less than 10,000 years, but then abruptly disappeared — victims, according to many paleoanthropologists, of our arrival through outright warfare or the more subtle, though potentially no less devastating effects, of being on the losing side of ecological competition.
Everywhere, shortly after modern humans arrived, many (especially, though by no means exclusively, the larger) native species typically became extinct. Humans were like bulls in a China shop:
-They disrupted ecosystems by overhunting game species, which never experienced contact with humans before.
-And perhaps they spread microbial disease-causing organisms as well.
The fossil record attests to human destruction of ecosystems:
-Wherever early humans migrated, other species became extinct.
-Humans arrived in large numbers in North America roughly 12,500 years ago-and sites revealing the butchering of mammoths, mastodons and extinct buffalo are well documented throughout the continent. The demise of the bulk of the La Brea tar pit Pleistocene fauna coincided with our arrival.
-The Caribbean lost several of its larger species when humans arrived some 8000 years ago.
-Extinction struck elements of the Australian megafauna much earlier-when humans arrived some 40,000 years ago. Madagascar-something of an anomaly, as humans only arrived there two thousand years ago-also fits the pattern well: the larger species (elephant birds, a species of hippo, plus larger lemurs) rapidly disappeared soon after humans arrived.
Indeed, only in places where earlier hominid species had lived (Africa, of course, but also most of Europe and Asia) did the fauna, already adapted to hominid presence, survive the first wave of the Sixth Extinction pretty much intact. The rest of the world’s species, which had never before encountered hominids in their local ecosystems, were as naively unwary as all but the most recently arrived species (such as Vermilion Flycatchers) of the Galapagos Islands remain to this day.
Why does the Sixth Extinction continue?
The invention of agriculture accelerated the pace of the Sixth Extinction.
Phase two of the Sixth Extinction began around 10,000 years ago with the invention of agriculture-perhaps first in the Natufian culture of the Middle East. Agriculture appears to have been invented several different times in various different places, and has, in the intervening years, spread around the entire globe.
Agriculture represents the single most profound ecological change in the entire 3.5 billion-year history of life. With its invention:
-Humans did not have to interact with other species for survival, and so could manipulate other species for their own use
-Humans did not have to adhere to the ecosystem’s carrying capacity, and so could overpopulate
-Humans do not live with nature but outside it.
Homo sapiens became the first species to stop living inside local ecosystems. All other species, including our ancestral hominid ancestors, all pre-agricultural humans, and remnant hunter-gatherer societies still extant exist as semi-isolated populations playing specific roles (i.e., have “niches”) in local ecosystems. This is not so with post-agricultural revolution humans, who in effect have stepped outside local ecosystems. Indeed, to develop agriculture is essentially to declare war on ecosystems - converting land to produce one or two food crops, with all other native plant species all now classified as unwanted “weeds” — and all but a few domesticated species of animals now considered as pests.
The total number of organisms within a species is limited by many factors-most crucial of which is the “carrying capacity” of the local ecosystem: given the energetic needs and energy-procuring adaptations of a given species, there are only so many squirrels, oak trees and hawks that can inhabit a given stretch of habitat. Agriculture had the effect of removing the natural local-ecosystem upper limit of the size of human populations. Though crops still fail regularly, and famine and disease still stalk the land, there is no doubt that agriculture in the main has had an enormous impact on human population size:
-Earth can’t sustain the trend in human population growth. It is reaching its limit in carrying capacity.
-Estimates vary, but range between 1 and 10 million people on earth 10,000 years ago.
-There are now over 6 billion people.
-The numbers continue to increase logarithmically — so that there will be 8 billion by 2020.
-There is presumably an upper limit to the carrying capacity of humans on earth — of the numbers that agriculture can support — and that number is usually estimated at between 13-15 billion, though some people think the ultimate numbers might be much higher.
This explosion of human population, especially in the post-Industrial Revolution years of the past two centuries, coupled with the unequal distribution and consumption of wealth on the planet, is the underlying cause of the Sixth Extinction. There is a vicious cycle:
-Overpopulation, invasive species, and overexploitation are fueling the extinction.
-More lands are cleared and more efficient production techniques (most recently engendered largely through genetic engineering) to feed the growing number of humans — and in response, the human population continues to expand.
-Higher fossil energy use is helping agriculture spread, further modifying the environment.
-Humans continue to fish (12 of the 13 major fisheries on the planet are now considered severely depleted) and harvest timber for building materials and just plain fuel, pollution, and soil erosion from agriculture creates dead zones in fisheries (as in the Gulf of Mexico)
-While the human Diaspora has meant the spread, as well, of alien species that more often than not thrive at the detriment of native species. For example, invasive species have contributed to 42% of all threatened and endangered species in the U.S.
Can conservation measures stop the Sixth Extinction?
Only 10% of the world’s species survived the third mass extinction. Will any survive this one?
The world’s ecosystems have been plunged into chaos, with some conservation biologists thinking that no system, not even the vast oceans, remains untouched by human presence. Conservation measures, sustainable development, and, ultimately, stabilization of human population numbers and consumption patterns seem to offer some hope that the Sixth Extinction will not develop to the extent of the third global extinction, some 245 mya, when 90% of the world’s species were lost.
Though it is true that life, so incredibly resilient, has always recovered (though after long lags) after major extinction spasms, it is only after whatever has caused the extinction event has dissipated. That cause, in the case of the Sixth Extinction, is ourselves — Homo sapiens. This means we can continue on the path to our own extinction, or, preferably, we modify our behavior toward the global ecosystem of which we are still very much a part. The latter must happen before the Sixth Extinction can be declared over, and life can once again rebound.
© 2005, American Institute of Biological Sciences. Educators have permission to reprint articles for classroom use; other users, please contact editor@actionbioscience.org for reprint permission. See reprint policy.
Paleontologist Dr. Niles Eldredge is the Curator-in-Chief of the permanent exhibition “Hall of Biodiversity” at the American Museum of Natural History and adjunct professor at the City University of New York. He has devoted his career to examining evolutionary theory through the fossil record, publishing his views in more than 160 scientific articles, reviews, and books. Life in the Balance: Humanity and the Biodiversity Crisisis his most recent book.
www.gc.cuny.edu/directories/faculty/E.htm
Articles and Resources on The Sixth Extinction
Consequences of the Sixth Extinction
The article “How Will Sixth Extinction Affect Evolution of Species?,” on our site, describes how the current loss of biodiversity will affect evolution in the long run.
www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/myers_knoll.html
BioScience Article
“Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.”
Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing both species and ecosystem services might be accomplished with common solutions. Yet it is unknown whether these two major conservation objectives coincide broadly enough worldwide to enable global strategies for both goals to gain synergy. In this November 2007, BioScience article, Will Turner and his colleagues assess the concordance between these two objectives, explore how the concordance varies across different regions, and examine the global potential for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously. Read the abstract, or log in to purchase the full article.
caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1641/B571009
Biodiversity in the next millennium
American Museum of Natural History’s nationwide survey (undated) “reveals biodiversity crisis — the fastest mass extinction in Earth’s history.”
cbc.amnh.org/crisis/mncntnt.html
National Geographic
A 2/99 article about the Sixth Extinction, with views from several leading scientists.
www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/9902/fngm/index.html
Extinction through time
Find out about cycles of life and death and extinction patterns through time.
www.carleton.ca/Museum/extinction/tablecont.html
Is Humanity Suicidal?
Edward O. Wilson asks us why we stay on the course to our own self-destruction.
www.well.com/user/davidu/suicidal.html
A Field Guide to the Sixth Extinction
Niles Eldredge writes in 1999 about a few of the millions of plants and animals that won’t make it to the next millennium. The second link takes you to the site’s main page, entitled “Mass Extinction Underway — The World Wide Web’s most comprehensive source of information on the current mass extinction,” which provides links to numerous other resources.
www.well.com/user/davidu/fieldguide.html
www.well.com/user/davidu/extinction.html
Global Environment Outlook 3
The United Nations Environment Programme released this major report in May 2002. The report collated the thoughts of more than 1,000 contributors to assess the environmental impact of the last 30 years and outline policy ideas for the next three decades. It concluded that without action, the world may experience severe environmental problems within 30 years. The entire report can be read online or purchased online.
www.unep.org/geo/geo3/index.htm
Test your environmental knowledge
A 1999 survey showed that only one in three adult Americans had a passing understanding of the most pressing environmental issues. How do you measure up? Explanatory answers provided.
www.youthactionnet.org/quizzes/global_environment.cfm
World Atlas of Biodiversity — interactive map
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the firstWorld Atlas of Biodiversityin August 2002. This link takes you to their online interactive map that helps you search for data about species/land/water loss, extinction over time, and human global development. Click on the “?” for a help page that explains how to interact with this map.
stort.unep-wcmc.org/imaps/gb2002/book/viewer.htm
The Sixth Great Extinction: A Status Report
Earth Policy Institute’s 2004 update on the status of loss of biodiversity.
www.earth-policy.org/Updates/Update35.htm
Books
» The Biodiversity Crisis: Losing What Countsby The American Museum of Natural History (New Press, 2001).
» The Sixth Extinction: Patterns of of Life and the Future of Humankindby Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin (Doubleday and Company, 1996).
Get Involved
The Biodiversity Project
You can choose a way to get involved in protecting biodiversity — from educational resources to community outreach.
www.biodiversityproject.org/html/resources/introduction.htm
The Nature Conservancy
Select a state from the menu and find out how you can become an environmental volunteer in that state.
Information for Action
“This website explains the environmental problems & offers solutions to fix them. There are many valuable resources available” including lobbying info, contacts database, & news updates.
Harmony
“Harmony Foundation is all about education for the environment. We offer publications and programs… ‘Building Sustainable Societies’ offers innovative training for educators and community group leaders to support local action on important environmental issues.”
Earth Talk: Environmental advocacy for professionals
This discussion community and learning network seeks to contribute to global ecological sustainability by enabling communication connections between those working on behalf of forests, water, and climate.
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Tiger Illustration by Dorothy Lathrop from
"Fierce-Face: The story of a tiger" by Dhan Gopal Mukerji (1936)
Appleton is a city in Outagamie (mostly), Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles (160 km) north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 72,623 at the 2010 census. Of this figure, 60,045 resided in Outagamie County, 11,088 in Calumet County, and 1,490 in Winnebago County. Appleton is the principal city of the Appleton, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area. Appleton is home to the two tallest buildings in Outagamie County, the Zuelke Building and the 222 Building, at 168 and 183 feet, respectively. Appleton serves as the heart of the Fox River Valley, and is home to the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Fox River Mall, Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, Appleton International Airport, and the Valley's two major hospitals: St. Elizabeth Hospital and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Appleton (better known as "Appleton Medical Center"). It also hosts a large number of regional events such as its Flag Day parade, Memorial Day parade, Christmas parade, Octoberfest, Mile of Music, and others.
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. Venice consists of a large section of mainland, as well as Venice Island just off the coast. The city is located south of Nokomis and north of Englewood. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,748. It is noted for its large snowbird population and was voted as a top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns by Coastal Living.
Venice is a principal city of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The area of Venice was originally the home of native people who lived more than 12,000 years ago. The 1800s is when the area saw the first wave of settlers. Venice was first known as Horse and Chaise because of a carriage-like tree formation that marked the spot for fisherman. In the 1870s, Robert Rickford Roberts established a homestead near a bay that bears his name today, Roberts Bay. Frank Higel arrived in Venice in 1883 with his wife and six sons. He purchased land in the Roberts' homestead for $2,500, equivalent to $69,000 in 2019, to set up his own homestead. Higel established a citrus operation involving the production of several lines of canned citrus items, such as jams, pickled orange peel, lemon juice, and orange wine. Higel established a post office in 1888 with the name Venice because of its likeness to the canal city in Italy where he spent his childhood.
During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, Fred H. Albee, an orthopedic surgeon renowned for his bone-grafting operations, bought 112 acres (45 ha) from Bertha Palmer to develop Venice. He hired John Nolen to plan the city and create a master plan for the streets. Albee sold the land to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and retained Nolen as a city planner. The first portions of the city and infrastructure were constructed in 1925–26.
Data originated from the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice,_Florida
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