Pentagon leaders often speak of the need for disruptive technologies in the Fleet to mitigate the risks of shrinking defense budgets, declining U.S. military technological superiority and improving adversary capabilities. Last week, a remarkable example of disruptive innovation occurred. How did the Navy react? It simply reaffirmed its unimaginative plan to send its carrier-launched drone to the boneyard—and potentially sentence the aircraft carrier to a similar fate.

The Navy’s test carrier drone, the X-47B UCAS-D (Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator), recently participated in the first-ever fully autonomous aerial refueling at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Though the implications of this engineering feat are wide-ranging and not wholly known at this point, successful demonstration of unmanned aerial refueling does shed light on several ongoing arguments about the future of U.S. military aviation.

First, the success of X-47B in breaking engineering barriers supports the expansion of unmanned aviation both within the carrier air wing and throughout the military as a whole. This is an autonomous aircraft as opposed to remotely piloted, and it just completed one of the most difficult tasks to perform with another aircraft through refueling. The Department of Defense has been working on developing a stabilized drogue to enable more reliable aerial refueling, but the X-47B did not even use this new system. Rather, the autonomous aircraft did all the work itself, demonstrating incredible feedback sensitivity.

Perhaps the reason there is not more fanfare or appreciation for the leap ahead in technological advancement is because the successful demonstration of autonomous aerial refueling, for some, supports an argument for replacing more F-35 Joint Strike Fighter carrier variants with X-47B-like platforms. There is a suggestion that such a progression would put the Navy’s sixth-generation fighter (F/A-XX) in jeopardy, a program which enjoys considerable support within the naval tactical aviation community. In this budgetary environment, relying on proven technologies—like those in the X-47B program—is a far better bet than the imagined, untested technologies in the yet-to-begin F/A-XX program.

Further, Pentagon leaders are fighting with Congress—specifically Chairmen John McCain, Mac Thornberry, and Randy Forbes—about what those unmanned combat aircraft should do in a program called the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS). Should the UCLASS merely serve as the eyes and ears of the aircraft carrier with limited strike capability in only non-contested environments, or should it be capable of striking enemies through their denied zones?

Last week, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus weighed in, commenting bluntly that the F-35C “almost certainly will be the last manned strike fighter aircraft the Department of the Navy will ever buy or fly.” This would seem to signal his strong support for the transition to unmanned platforms, especially for deep penetrating strike missions. Coincidentally (or not), Secretary Mabus last week also created two new civilian and military positions to focus solely on unmanned systems within the Navy to recognize the untapped potential of these types of platforms.

The UCAS-D’s successful autonomous refueling means that its impressive range of 2,400 miles can now be extended by tanker, thus allowing the carrier drone to carry vastly more ordnance. Already the X-47B carries about 85 percent of the payload of a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter—and carries it three times further. Even if tankers must turn around at 600 miles from the outer edge of an adversary’s denied zone, this breakthrough capability gives the X-47B enough “legs” to deliver true firepower anywhere US commanders want, especially if the ordnance delivered is capable of extended range flight of its own.

Without a refuelable UCLASS in the future carrier air wing, the Navy might as well take the “strike” out of carrier strike group. A key value of an aircraft carrier is its ability to accept new planes when the character of warfare changes, something it has done remarkably well for over seven decades. That change is happening now, and failure to procure a strike version of the UCLASS renders the Navy’s investment in new aircraft carriers far less cost-effective.

Outside of the carrier air wing, autonomous aerial refueling could result in several other force employment changes. For instance, the Marine Corps is currently putting the finishing touches on its program to develop a tanker variant of the V-22 Osprey. Combining tanker Ospreys with refuelable low-end land-based drones could result in much-improved reconnaissance abilities for the austere Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces that have become a staple of American forward presence. The Army has already developed a manned-unmanned teaming system for its Apache helicopters to control drones. Tanker V-22s could implement a version of the same to control and refuel fleets of unmanned aircraft and achieve true persistent surveillance. Even within the Navy—which will soon have V-22s onboard carriers to deliver supplies—the possibilities are enticing and need to be explored further through testing and experimentation.

These are only a small subset of the possibilities that opened up over the skies of Pax River last weekend. To fully exploit such disruptive technology, the Department of Defense should open access to the UCAS-D program to aviators from every service. Despite a long record of achievement, the Navy still maintains that it will shut down the UCAS-D program and send the X-47B to the aircraft boneyard in Arizona with less than a quarter of its rated flight hours used up. This is a true waste. As we suggested in 2013, the Navy should reconsider this policy and allow creative military thinkers to continue experimental testing of the two planes beyond fiscal year 2016.

The rhetoric of Secretary Mabus points the Navy in the right direction for the future. Now, he must follow through with action. Extending the UCAS-D test program and refining UCLASS requirements toward a high-end strike aircraft would cement Mabus’ legacy and truly put the Navy on the path to continued dominance in the future.

And with advance to REALITY COPY there’s certainly no way of changing this perception only enforcing it, nothing in reality is good enough for “REALITY COPY” that is just another paradox that is not futuristic.

We might be still skeptical about the arrival of REALITY COPY, but its only before its sold at the supermarkets.

What would happen after “Reality Copy” when the progress of all possible levels of true “reality copy” (in technical sense, not psychologically-philosophical) are achieved. The reality hence is copied and sealed.

Technology won’t stop there… one wonders. What is next.

In political sense when reality in representation is something embraced by conservative social power than with “reality copy” the conservative power is the dominating from the social point of view having new level of reality and it’s copy to be controlled.

*seems like the only possibly alternative to REALITY COPY could be ultra radical Invisibility)

In principle the artist aims to deform the reality subjectively to create not the “reality copy” lacking such skills but to convey the artistic poetic goal of expressing whatever given artist wants to express.

In a matter of “reality copy” what is left for the artist to argue with and deform… to question and test… Nothing really changes socially except for more pressure applied to the issue of dealing with self-image and tools to “sell” When a person changes the image the higher the technology the more transformed is the final product.

The progress of mental growth is just as conservative as control on the “visual image of reality” and its copy.

The ongoing technological progress is irreversible as it carries percent of good with bad,

It is common knowledge how for instance internet is benefit and at the same time does damage. A person who knows about the addiction and suffers would acquire the knowledge and hope from the place the person suffers the internet of course.

Same thing is with photography and video. Reality copy would add more psychological problems to the present but create more visual attraction of true-life experience with whatever could be rediscovered in Lifecopy style. Probably is benefits pornography since it will continue same as consumption of food. The basic things… Consumerism benefits since it is super-trained for “instant reach” affect and will commercially exploit the “reality copy” to sell more of “reality copy” gadgets the phones, screens, etc.

New generation of people will repeat the cycle in new technological means of having “reality copy” as nothing new but similar to any visual information currently available.

The creative people are the ones BEHIND the time it seems in a matter of “reality copy” and being unable to have anything is an alternative.

The Invisible alternative is the ONLY ONE to question “reality copy”

That is the power of UNKNOWN.

Techno progress can deal in “reality” bringing higher resolution to the fore to sell new generation of phones and gadgets.

But it really doesn’t change the philosophical issue of questions asked by philosophers, what is life, what is art, why do we live. Questions remain unanswered when techno progress veils those questions with the promise that higher technology would bring the end to all unanswered questions and answer them for people.

So far the techno advance puts the artistic, literary and philosophical field out of business. As when people get the toys (gadgets) and the playground (the podium of internet) the art is irrelevant and completely disconnected from the social phenomenon of self-representation. Art is not interested to question something with no philosophical substance to it.

The commercial art is willing to supply more stuff for consumerism. If its reality-copy than someone empowered by financial wealth (born rich) would come up with more decorative solutions that could serve REALITY COPY in needed fashion, add more details to the “reality set” to those who can afford it.

Same way it is now when people with means live with more things.

“Reality Copy” of people without means would look just as it is in reality, gray and unexciting. To help people without means the software would offer “decoration” solutions to add the faux details able to transform the surroundings to less depressing. It would enter the person into “life copy” of vacation at Caribbean resorts… etc.

What in such situation could be philosophically questioned, if nothing changed in human morality, but techno advance manage to involve people into self-entertainment to such degree that a person is no longer interested to read books about other people or watch movies and hear news. Self-promotion is the ongoing and time-consuming thing. One has to research the “popular” topics.

As to participating in reality activities, there’s the issue of not having time for anything that doesn’t deal with self-promotion and earning a living.

ART commerce is growing commercially going Industrial since supplying consumer goods is always rewarding in sales. On the other hand this and techno revolution reduces interest of writers and philosophers to dig in depths where there is no depth. It makes such people disengaged with the process. When there are no critical voices to the established situation or some few art critics pretend to do what is expected of them – know about current situation not only on the art scene but at large - socially, and have strong voice against the trends that contribute to the lowering of culture. There’s no more liberal freedom since nobody reads the newspapers. Even if the working critics were principal enough to write articles and books they know their voice would not be heard. They are not vociferous about anything at all because there’s a concept of supporting and art endavour since art is in decline and anything that relates to art needs their support.

There are no voices to oppose the current situation for many reasons such as no younger people would be interested in such undertaking also for many reasons of being disoriented in expectation of techno changes or living their me-life.

The young ones are the invisibility movers, every day someone who is young, information and internet savvy adds the invisibility statement to their online identity. I saw it on tumblr and Iheart. (samples year web address – source)

Art consumer goods sell and make the seller get the goods since sale is the rule.

Art critics silently agree and actually it seems if they even try to disagree there is nothing in art that presently shows any direction against the established art situation.

There isn’t anything not saying a serious claim to deny aesthetic values of the art present and past, to turn away from any influence and history by the fashion avant-garde to question than resuscitate (bring back from death) art that lost vitality and practically is a dead art of dominating taste in an authoritarian culture and conformity.

Bring new blood to reinvent the art into weapon against the outlived old and positioning itself as direct opposition AGAINST art that represents culture of the present time.

Culture of consumerism that turned into visual consumerism with the help of internet is hard to oppose and challenge in any attempt of making bid public art spectacle, won’t challenge any concept but serve certain need for entertainment.

Invisible art of Paul Jaisini stands against all that is dominating and culturally regressive in the present, false visual multiplicity that imply democracy and absence of segregation in visual sphere, all inclusiveness.

On so many levels Paul Jaisini brings knowledge of how the present condition reflect on a mind. (non-linear thinking, information processing, constant analysis is the advanced state of high analytical creative mind /osd, adad is the side effect but there are more worse side effects) Shows the burst to create in manifestation of genius mind (can do any task without training) but unable to maintain the creative process as wholesome, bored with the immediate results. Invisibility is theoretical stability and result of high impact activity that gives fast result of creativity and genius realized in art. Then instability in the fact of the created art un--preserved and lost, destroyed.

On a lower level of people who start building some blog with enthusiasm dedicating time, research than abandoning it to become digital graveyard demonstrates inability to continue and search for new. Inability to face what yesterday seemed interesting and capture someone’s mind to give the creative boost.

(fast life, no sleep, high tech knowledge, constant search for new, unsatisfied… new is old – altogether supports “CONSUMERISM” when buying is haul more than physically needed, quantity is the need for new.

Invisible art as a concept seem to attract wide public and elite in such diametrically opposed combination, of people without high aesthetics in mind or the complete opposite illuminati-culturati. People with average or below average taste and aesthetic requirements are as interested and supportive as the elite. When it comes to someone in the middle- another phenomena, quite often those who are educated and intelligent take a stand against even one mention of the art being possibly somehow invisible.

These people respond very well and willing to agree with the concept as Invisible art is brought to them by mass media. In the beginning I was using internet to send out essays and saw the proof that as avant-garde wanted to reach people who never acquired artistically developed taste the invisible art was and now is more than ever suits their taste even to degree of obsession.

That’s adds insult to injury when nobody even pay attention and there’s nothing to offer as the alternative.

They want something tangible as the alternative, the grown philosophy to brew in the minds of people and artists as the sign of time.

The invisibility is the idea that has the power to antagonize the “reality copy” but not in a sense that is widely used in the present time. To express social isolation in case of the teens as seen on tumblr. (examples and variations of Invisibility trend in primitive pictures shared every day in such huge quantities no art publication ever knew, teens and pre-teens are those with passion among the rest of us, when they spread the word it goes far, same as the early internet time, when the word would go far distances to large number of people)

Historically known of the episodes when many artists tried to create the so-called invis art but it really didn’t involve much creativity except for the concepts they came up with, but in reality it involved the reduction of visual means and performance art when the audience came up with more ideas acting around the non-existent artwork than the artist.

Personally I discovered high interactive value of the “PRESUMED” invisible painting when I was getting a lot of responses with very interesting commentaries from the people who actually insisted I was sending them info about the invisible artworks. I never made any claims when sending written essays. People decided for me and probably this is the best way for the interactive dialogue to let people decide.

The only known versions of invisible artworks would be not something that can turn into a philosophical school of thought but random reductions of visual means of various artists. It all came to same MOA that involved frames etc., not the process of creativity or life long creativity that would show how such artistic philosophy develops and what various periods of the artist’s life produce by his belief in his artistic style.

The known precedents of exhibiting so-called invisible art were always random statements that never continued to develop in a distinct style.

What one usually expects is a blank canvas, a picture with some written ideas which is more a topography art, a picture that is in a wrapping of covered up and is a found object art. The only known artists who continued wrapping is Christo but his art is not considered invisible even though he hides or attempts to hide what is inside the wrapping….

Recently same as in more distant periods in time many artists are trying to reduce their visual means. There’s a difference though. In previous times artists ventured into reduction of visual means with more ease. The artworks from older times with reduced visual means had much less labor and look less worked on.

Now the reduction of visual means is something that doesn’t fall under the artistic philosophy when an artists trying to prevent an overkill of the visual imagery.

If Rothko worked on his abstract painting laboriously than in current standards his work would be considered not sale’s worthy. Now to be sale-worthy the abstraction is worked to show a lot of workmanship. Surely Rothko doesn’t want anyone to see a lot of workmanship quite the opposite, he wanted his paintings to look fresh and not overdone. And in current standards he would have to toil on every dot in his painting to perfect it.

Today’s abstract paintings look like very hard-worked on simulations of surfaces that look like some textures (varieties of plain or distressed surfaces /stone and whatever is the decorative surfaces of abstracts, patterns that are used in interior design.

Overworked, machine-like is expensive looking enough to sell in the gallery but it creates a certain amount of fatigue in time. The commerce knows about it, the fatigue would bring the art buyer to buy more to add some new life to the art collection ed infinitum.

Art commerce wants more art collectors in the times when art is selling and makes money and should be called what it is – decorative luxury items.

Art or luxury decorative items was always meant for people with wealth and they always wanted to get their money worth.

When abstract painting is done in a manner to be worthy of selling price it is not creativity of conceptual thought and has no abstracted meaning. The craft of simulating surfaces is widely known and is used in interior design. When it is unique that no other craftsman can repeat it is recognized nearly as jewelry and rag-making, etc. All the items that cost money due to the high workmanship and hours, months and sometimes years of creation. Same way was built the historical hand-made furniture. Same way the current abstract decorations will hold in time. It is made for someone as rich as royalties but it doesn’t mean that it has anything to do with artistic creativity, the most mysterious and unexplained human phenomenon.

So anyone who is interested to earn money as a maker of such luxury items and be able to place them in the store for sale – the art gallery, can come up with own recipe for surface replica and start working will find a paying job on the art scene nowadays...

It doesn’t involve questioning of morals, times and life. It involves many hours of working and ability to produce varieties of the same surfaces in good taste. Instead of questioning human spirituality, or questioning art means that someone considers irrelevant and outdated, not for any breakthrough to create something revolutionary new.

I chose this shot of the Raptor for this rant because it does not glorify the technological marvel that it is. It shows the culmination of the 20 year+ path it took to get to this picture. Here it shows a Raptor taxing out for a sortie over the Nellis ranges amongst its operational stablemates. The F-22 has come a LONG way to deliver the goods and now, once its capability is just being understood Secretary Gates and the Obama Administration TERMINATED THE PROJECT in favor of the F-35. Here is my response to a fraternity brother who wrote me in response to today's cuts. He stated he is happy that the money is going more towards the troops on the ground and not these flying overpriced techno-dream machines. To his credit he served heroically 18 months in iraq during the worst of the Shiite uprising. Please take the time to read it and tell me your thoughts on today's events.

______________________________

You are right right, our ground troops need a much higher focus going forward. But Gates has not given them that at the expense of the F-22. No he actually cut our battalions from a goal of 48 to 45 and shelved the badly needed Future Combat System that would give the ground guys "netcentric" 21st century technology. OH but he did increase Pentagon bureaucracy by a HUGE margin.

Why is the F-22 needed.

1.) Although 183 airframes seems like a lot, it is NOT. If we were to go to war tomorrow it would only leave a SUSTAINED force of about 30-40 jets that would be combat ready at any given time. The rest believe it or not are stuck in training, upgrades, depot, systems testing or tactics development. Each raptor carries 8 missiles, 6 of which (beyond visual range AIM-120Cs) would be used if everything goes RIGHT. If it does not the other 2 (AIM-9M) plus the 480rds of 20mm are for self defense. In other words after 6 shots the raptor runs. Further they usually volley 2 AIM-120Cs per target. That leaves a real world potential kill probability of 3 airframes per sortie against a serious threat. Raptors fight in divisions of 4 at a time so that is 12 enemy aircraft destroyed before they have to re-arm. This is NOT ENEOUGH CAPABILITY AGAINST THREATS SUCH AS CHINA OR EVEN LOWER TIER FOES WITH CRUISE MISSILES. Enemies will now know that all they have to do is saturate the Raptor to break through to our high value assets (AWACS, JSTARS, TANKERS, NETWORK RELAY AIRCRAFT, CARRIERS, GARRISONS ETC.) it simply is not enough capability for first day of war scenarios.

2.) The Raptor can do things the F-35 cannot. The F-35 can only carry 4 AIM-120s with no close in heaters like the AIM-9X (Infra Red homing and highly maneuverable). That means the F-35 can only kill 2 targets at beyond visual range with high probability of kill. Further only the USAF version of the F-35 will carry and internal gun for self defense close in.

3.) The Raptor can supercruise (obtain sustained supersonic speed without gas guzzling afterburner) the F-35 cannot. The F-35 is a heavy single engine aircraft that is not even as maneuverable as an F-16 in certain areas of the flight envelope. It has no thrust vectoring for super maneuverability and is not as stealthy nor stealthy in all aspects like the F-22. Simply it is not even close to a replacement for air superiority. They are apples and oranges.

4.) The F-15 is old, if we retain 173 "GOLDEN EAGLES" with the new Electronically Scanned Array Radars (APG-63V3) along with other upgrades it will only be ON PAR with the Suckhoi Su-27 derivatives that are being exported by Russia RIGHT NOW. The upgraded F-15s will rely on the F-22 using its supercomputer listening and targeting technology to forward targets to it to shoot beyond visual range. If you don’t have enough F-22s to maintain battlefield persistence then these upgraded Eagles will have a greater possibility of be destroyed.

5.) THE BIG ONE: WHY DO WE NEED THE F-35 IF WE HAVE ENOUGH RAPTORS????????

WE DONT. It is a handout to industry. If we had enough F-22s we could kick down the door of the enemy in the first hours of war, destroying all their aircraft in the air and on the ground as well as the enemy's air defense networks (yes the F-22 is a FANTASTIC bomber too when paired against modern integrated air defense systems). Instead of buying the F-35 we could buy new block F-16s and F/A-18E/Fs at HALF the cost of an F-35. Once air superiority is obtained, you don’t need stealth, you need reliable proven platforms to SUPPORT THE WARFIGHTER ON THE GROUND.

6.) The F-22 is a "known" weapon system. In other words it is PROVEN to be highly effective, flying today, in production and beating all the goals set out in its genesis. The F-35 has only flown 200 hours in a pre-production prototype configuration, yet the DoD and Lockheed have ALREADY put it into full production!!!! Its insane and unprecedented. The F-22 took 8 years of FLIGHT testing in this stage to be validated and reach initial operational capability. DoD has bypassed TESTING because we need it now and partner export countries need it yesterday. In reality the aircraft will be YEARS over schedule and we are throwing HUGE money away building an invalidated aircraft yet alone a vetted integrated weapons system. Remember the grounding of the F-15s last year leaving the US with its pants down do to cracks in the forward "longeron" structural booms? Well these types of flaws can now be tested for over years of evaluation. This is especially scary for the F-35 because they literally lightened up its structure dramatically so it could meet the weight qualification needed for the vertical takeoff version intended for the marines. The F-15 was originally OVER built in true McDonald Douglas fashion and after 30 years it experienced airframe ending cracks. The F-35 is under built from the get-go and UNTESTED and will need to last 30 years!!!! Good luck.

7.) The F-35 is a one size fits all airframe. The F-22 is a thoroughbred built to KILL ANYTHING. The F-35 is a compromise in every since of the word. I mean do you really think the Marines are going to keep such a fragile aircraft flying in dusty desert environment while keeping up the radar absorbent materials? Have you ever seen a deployed USMC AV-8B harrier? They DO NOT win the housekeeping seal of approval! NO WAY. PIPEDREAM. Its an overcomplicated solution for marines especially that will result in low availability rates and high costs.

8.) The F-35 is made to be exported to tens of allied nations like the F-16 was. We will order over 2500, the partner nations another 1000 or more. We don’t need this weapon system, but our industry does. So DoD, instead of buying enough raptors to gain full air supremacy while SAVING money buy purchasing rugged and cost effective F-16s, AV-8Bs, F/A-18E/Fs decides to purchase a high risk, over complicated one size fits all airframe in order to make Lockheed a little bit more wealthy and ensuring our weapons exports for the next couple of decades. In effect saying, SCREW THE WAR FIGHTER WHILE SLEEPING WITH THE BIGGEST OF ALL DEFENSE CONTRACTORS. Its stupid, expensive and a bad choice for America.

9.) As far as costs go, you site a flyaway cost of over 150million, you are right. But what you don’t mention is that the first HUNDREDS of F-35s will cost the US almost as much money for much less capability! Yes that’s right the F-35 will cost well over 125million for first decade of lots! Only after hundreds and hundreds have been built will cost come down to almost twice that of a well equipped F-16!!!!! This is NOT a cost effective piece of machinery. No, very much the opposite! It is a poster child for the DoD’s “capability creep” that is PARALYZING good weapon systems by making them too expensive to field in appropriate numbers.

10.) Does it really make sense to have a stealth techno marvel giving air support to grunts months after the aerial opposition has been dismantled? NO! Why pay the huge premium of an all stealth force when the Raptor, B-2, UCAVs, and cruise missiles can do the job more cost effectively? We need to go back to the classic Hi-lo mix of airframes. The high end to kick down the door, the low end to make sure the forward air controllers always have something with weapons ready to deliver above troops in contact’s heads.

In essence this is not an argument about redistributing funds from the air to the ground but what to BUY for the air! The answer is F-22s AND reliable, tried and trusted platforms that are cheap to build and operate. Instead, we have a one size fits all force for very NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL threat profiles which we face around the world. Its dangerous, near sighted, distracting, expensive, biased toward corporate America and not the war fighter and its just plane WRONG.

Remember you don’t need an F-22 until you really need an F-22!

My thoughts.

Ty

***NOTE: READ THROUH THIS BLOG, AN AMZING SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAVE PRETTY MUCH COME TO PASS EXACTLY AS STATED.

Somewhere between technological singularity and ecological singularity

francois-quevillon.com/w/?p=5242

Quelque part entre la singularité technologique et la singularité écologique

francois-quevillon.com/w/?p=5231

Firearm was a notorious, technologically-advanced bounty hunter who continuously threatened the Hero Factory. Firearm is a mercenary more than capable of carrying out assignments but lacking in the ambition to mastermind his own agenda.

Shortly before the betrayal of Von Ness, Firearm came to operate exclusively out of the Delta Quadrant, gaining experience as a mercenary and branching out his services. For some time, Firearm established his headquarters along the edge of the Necron Expanse, a vast region of frontier space with no stars systems for 200 lightyears. Following the success of Hero Factory in the galactic neighborhood, Firearm was able to inflate his service charges exponentially, with bounty hunters coming in short supply.

Over the course of his career, Firearm has utilized a number of weapons and gadgets to carry out his assignments, initially starting with standard issue Meteor Blasters and later diversifying to carry heavily customized gear for each mission. Most prominently, he has been known to carry a modified Combat Rifle looted from a Makuhero Industries factory.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Firearm has been known to keep several extensive weapons and ammunition caches on planets around the Delta Quadrant, often containing launchers looted from Heroes or other criminals.

Straight out of the camera.

Manufacturer: Rogue Automotive, Fear Motorsports

Nationality: American

First assembled: Summer 2216

Birthplace: Lemont, Illinois

Engine: 2 Electric Motors w/ Ultrafire HT1 mircoturbine

HP: 1,700+ HP

0-60: 1.4 seconds

Top speed: 300+ MPH

In the 23rd century, humanity has advanced immensely on a technological scale ever since the automobile was invented. Fantastic leaps everywhere from computer to medical science, to aviation and space studies. Humanity has even reached out to other worlds, as Mars is now colonized and in the process of being terraformed. The car itself has advanced as well. The standard family hauler of 2214 is a multimillion-dollar hypercar compared to what was sold a century prior. What's under the hood; however, hasn't changed much. Evolved yes, but the internal combustion engine has soldiered on since it was conceived, and though other power plants have seen usage on the road, they have yet to take off like the internal combustion engine has, if they ever will to start. Nor has anything radical been done. The most ambitious try at a change of pace in recent times was the 2213 Harrier Varsovian, which simply put, is nuclear. When the 2215 Chicago Auto Show rolled around however, one of the most ambitious, innovative, and outright insane cars took the automotive world by complete surprise. Rogue Automotive of Illinois was always an analogue-focused brand, and never seemed big on change. Chicago is essentially their home turf, so they absolutely needed to bring something to the 2215 auto show, also considering they got their launch there many years prior with the unveiling of the well received Firepower GT, their first ever hypercar. Leaked maps of the autoshow's floorplan showed at Rogue's booth something called "Forward", flanked by a Firepower GT and XLR Blazefury, Rogues only 2 hypercars. Many speculated "Forward" to be the next great hypercar from Rogue, and on the show's very first day, the speculations were proven true. Rogue's Supernova T was unveiled to the roaring cheers of the audience and flashing cameras of the press. The Supernova had the looks, and it's easy to figure out it'll have the speed, but Rogue states there's far more to it. They brag that it's a technological masterpiece, and rightly so. You see no matter what angle you look at the new Supernova, you're looking at the engine in a sense. The Supernova uses a material called Callistine, a mineral from the Jupiter moon where it gets it's namesake from. Callistine is super-reactive to sunlight, producing high amounts of electricity from even the most brief exposures. Callistine has seen small usage in cars before, but not in the way the Supernova does. Before it was just sheets wired up to an electric motor. With the Supernova, the Callistine is crushed down into dust and mixed in with the paint, not only giving the paint a stylish metallic look, but still producing electricity even in this small state. A nervous system of receivers under the body takes the electricity and powers two electric motors moving the front and rear wheels, making the Supernova Rogue's first AWD hypercar. With this impressive usage of actual alien materials, the Supernova can truly call itself a space-age car, hence it's name which also keeps with the heat/fire theme of the previous names for Rogue's hypercars. Rogue emphasizes on this by calling it a Callistine-powered car instead of a solar-electric powered car. There's one little extra to the Supernava that gives it an extra boost over every other hypercar. It's AWD system is rear-dominant, thanks to a mid-mounted hydrogen powered mircoturbine working in tandem with the Callistine during sport/track modes, hence the "T" in the name. The Callistine alone produces over 1,000 HP and according to Rogue an "planet cracking" amount of torque, the turbine throwing in an extra 700 HP into the mix, for a total power output of 1,700+ BHP at the Supernova's peak. An entirely different galaxy from Rogue's previously-seen V10 combustion engines. 0-60 takes an organ-crushing 1.4 seconds, and top speed, though unreleased, is stated to be "faster than the outgoing Blazefury at it's best" which is the FCGT trim that topped out at 302 MPH. Handling aspects are based off of and improved from the information gained from studying the outgoing FCGT, therefore the Supernova will still be a fantastic track vehicle even with it's colossal power. All this immense power and incredible technology will come at a price, clearly. Rogue themselves speculate a $600-$800K pricetag, if not more. Interestingly enough as well, even though it's considered the Blazefury's successor, the Supernova will be produced alongside the Blazefury until the Blazefury's production run is complete, which Rogue states won't happen until late 2216. Another interesting note about the Supernova T is that Rogue "already has plans" to race it, and an LM version should be expected "very, very soon".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Big thanks to Steven Stone for the editing.

The Nuva archer is a skilled warrior and technological wonder. The concept was brought about by General Taka's imagination and executed by the hands of the most skilled matoran. This archer differs from traditional archer units in that he does not need to carry his ammunition on his body during battle. His "arrows" or bolts are stored, generated, and replinished within his technologically advanced left arm which coordinates with the "crossbow" or bolt thrower that he wields. The bolt thrower is one of a kind and is viewed as a breakthrough in modern weaponry. Though quite bulky, the bolt thrower allows the archer to fire single highly charged energy bolts, which have the power to penetrate light/medium armor, at a rate of 1.5 seconds. After firing 10 bolts the archer's arm requires a cool down period which lasts approximately 8 to 10 seconds. Once completed, the archer may continue raining destruction down upon the enemy. The archer's built-in optical system allows the archer to target enemy's from a greater distance than the typical archer. The Nuva archer's advanced weaponry and overal engineering give the Nuva army a great advantage on the battlefied when facing overwhelming numbers.

I hope you guys enjoy this one! Building him really inspired me to go back and revamp General Taka and the Nuva Infantry, so stay tuned for those guys in the future! Thanks for all of your support this past year! Looking forward to the next year!

Technological Coffin

Check my website: photography.marcinbaran.com

DDC-Technological Dog!

Poetography-Dog

I had to use this photo and quote because with Shizandra it isn't true! She is very aware of the camera. Whenever I set her up for a photo she goes into her "pose mode!" She is so aware of what's going on around her. So perhaps Border Collies are the exception to this rule? She posed for me with my Fuji X-30. She got a cookie too!

Technological progress in the air, and in the hand, as a traveler converses on his mobile telephone while passing by an exhibit on the history of United Airlines at San Francisco International Airport.

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | North American P-51C, "Excalibur III":

On May 29, 1951, Capt. Charles F. Blair flew Excalibur III from Norway across the North Pole to Alaska in a record-setting 10½ hours. Using a system of carefully plotted "sun lines" he developed, Blair was able to navigate with precision where conventional magnetic compasses often failed. Four months earlier, he had flown Excalibur III from New York to London in less than 8 hours, breaking the existing mark by over an hour.

Excalibur III first belonged to famed aviator A. Paul Mantz, who added extra fuel tanks for long-distance racing to this standard P-51C fighter. With it Mantz won the 1946 and 1947 Bendix air race and set a transcontinental speed record in 1947 when the airplane was named Blaze of Noon. Blair purchased it from Mantz in 1949 and renamed it Excalibur III, after the Sikorsky VS-44 flying boat he flew for American Export Airlines.

Gift of Pan American World Airways

Manufacturer:

North American Aircraft Company

Date:

1944

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 11.3 m (37 ft)

Length: 9.8 m (32 ft 3 in)

Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)

Weight, empty: 4,445 kg (9,800 lb)

Weight, gross: 5,052 kg (11,800 lb)

Top speed: 700 km/h (435 mph)

Materials:

Overall: Aluminum

Physical Description:

Single seat, single engine, low wing monoplane, World War II fighter modified for racing.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport:

On July 15, 1954, a graceful, swept-winged aircraft, bedecked in brown and yellow paint and powered by four revolutionary new engines first took to the sky above Seattle. Built by the Boeing Aircraft Company, the 367-80, better known as the Dash 80, would come to revolutionize commercial air transportation when its developed version entered service as the famous Boeing 707, America's first jet airliner.

In the early 1950s, Boeing had begun to study the possibility of creating a jet-powered military transport and tanker to complement the new generation of Boeing jet bombers entering service with the U.S. Air Force. When the Air Force showed no interest, Boeing invested $16 million of its own capital to build a prototype jet transport in a daring gamble that the airlines and the Air Force would buy it once the aircraft had flown and proven itself. As Boeing had done with the B-17, it risked the company on one roll of the dice and won.

Boeing engineers had initially based the jet transport on studies of improved designs of the Model 367, better known to the public as the C-97 piston-engined transport and aerial tanker. By the time Boeing progressed to the 80th iteration, the design bore no resemblance to the C-97 but, for security reasons, Boeing decided to let the jet project be known as the 367-80.

Work proceeded quickly after the formal start of the project on May 20, 1952. The 367-80 mated a large cabin based on the dimensions of the C-97 with the 35-degree swept-wing design based on the wings of the B-47 and B-52 but considerably stiffer and incorporating a pronounced dihedral. The wings were mounted low on the fuselage and incorporated high-speed and low-speed ailerons as well as a sophisticated flap and spoiler system. Four Pratt & Whitney JT3 turbojet engines, each producing 10,000 pounds of thrust, were mounted on struts beneath the wings.

Upon the Dash 80's first flight on July 15, 1954, (the 34th anniversary of the founding of the Boeing Company) Boeing clearly had a winner. Flying 100 miles per hour faster than the de Havilland Comet and significantly larger, the new Boeing had a maximum range of more than 3,500 miles. As hoped, the Air Force bought 29 examples of the design as a tanker/transport after they convinced Boeing to widen the design by 12 inches. Satisfied, the Air Force designated it the KC-135A. A total of 732 KC-135s were built.

Quickly Boeing turned its attention to selling the airline industry on this new jet transport. Clearly the industry was impressed with the capabilities of the prototype 707 but never more so than at the Gold Cup hydroplane races held on Lake Washington in Seattle, in August 1955. During the festivities surrounding this event, Boeing had gathered many airline representatives to enjoy the competition and witness a fly past of the new Dash 80. To the audience's intense delight and Boeing's profound shock, test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston barrel-rolled the Dash 80 over the lake in full view of thousands of astonished spectators. Johnston vividly displayed the superior strength and performance of this new jet, readily convincing the airline industry to buy this new airliner.

In searching for a market, Boeing found a ready customer in Pan American Airway's president Juan Trippe. Trippe had been spending much of his time searching for a suitable jet airliner to enable his pioneering company to maintain its leadership in international air travel. Working with Boeing, Trippe overcame Boeing's resistance to widening the Dash-80 design, now known as the 707, to seat six passengers in each seat row rather than five. Trippe did so by placing an order with Boeing for 20 707s but also ordering 25 of Douglas's competing DC-8, which had yet to fly but could accommodate six-abreast seating. At Pan Am's insistence, the 707 was made four inches wider than the Dash 80 so that it could carry 160 passengers six-abreast. The wider fuselage developed for the 707 became the standard design for all of Boeing's subsequent narrow-body airliners.

Although the British de Havilland D.H. 106 Comet and the Soviet Tupolev Tu-104 entered service earlier, the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 were bigger, faster, had greater range, and were more profitable to fly. In October 1958 Pan American ushered the jet age into the United States when it opened international service with the Boeing 707 in October 1958. National Airlines inaugurated domestic jet service two months later using a 707-120 borrowed from Pan Am. American Airlines flew the first domestic 707 jet service with its own aircraft in January 1959. American set a new speed mark when it opened the first regularly-scheduled transcontinental jet service in 1959. Subsequent nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco took only 5 hours - 3 hours less than by the piston-engine DC-7. The one-way fare, including a $10 surcharge for jet service, was $115.50, or $231 round trip. The flight was almost 40 percent faster and almost 25 percent cheaper than flying by piston-engine airliners. The consequent surge of traffic demand was substantial.

The 707 was originally designed for transcontinental or one-stop transatlantic range. But modified with extra fuel tanks and more efficient turbofan engines, the 707-300 Intercontinental series aircraft could fly nonstop across the Atlantic with full payload under any conditions. Boeing built 855 707s, of which 725 were bought by airlines worldwide.

Having launched the Boeing Company into the commercial jet age, the Dash 80 soldiered on as a highly successful experimental aircraft. Until its retirement in 1972, the Dash 80 tested numerous advanced systems, many of which were incorporated into later generations of jet transports. At one point, the Dash 80 carried three different engine types in its four nacelles. Serving as a test bed for the new 727, the Dash 80 was briefly equipped with a fifth engine mounted on the rear fuselage. Engineers also modified the wing in planform and contour to study the effects of different airfoil shapes. Numerous flap configurations were also fitted including a highly sophisticated system of "blown" flaps which redirected engine exhaust over the flaps to increase lift at low speeds. Fin height and horizontal stabilizer width was later increased and at one point, a special multiple wheel low pressure landing gear was fitted to test the feasibility of operating future heavy military transports from unprepared landing fields.

After a long and distinguished career, the Boeing 367-80 was finally retired and donated to the Smithsonian in 1972. At present, the aircraft is installated at the National Air and Space Museum's new facility at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Gift of the Boeing Company

Manufacturer:

Boeing Aircraft Co.

Date:

1954

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Height 19' 2": Length 73' 10": Wing Span 129' 8": Weight 33,279 lbs.

Physical Description:

Prototype Boeing 707; yellow and brown.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France:

The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation, the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems.

In 1976 Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, the Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hours - half the time of a conventional jet airliner. However its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.

In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft's retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight. This aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.

Gift of Air France.

Manufacturer:

Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale

British Aircraft Corporation

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 25.56 m (83 ft 10 in)

Length: 61.66 m (202 ft 3 in)

Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)

Weight, empty: 79,265 kg (174,750 lb)

Weight, gross: 181,435 kg (400,000 lb)

Top speed: 2,179 km/h (1350 mph)

Engine: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each

Manufacturer: Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale, Paris, France, and British Aircraft Corporation, London, United Kingdom

Physical Description:

Aircaft Serial Number: 205. Including four (4) engines, bearing respectively the serial number: CBE066, CBE062, CBE086 and CBE085.

Also included, aircraft plaque: "AIR FRANCE Lorsque viendra le jour d'exposer Concorde dans un musee, la Smithsonian Institution a dores et deja choisi, pour le Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace de Washington, un appariel portant le couleurs d'Air France."

Contax T3 Kodak 400UC

sf/ca 2011

www.terrybarentsen.com

Photo:Fpurkhalter, modèle:Leeloo Wayne, Design/Retouche:Montage:AXIA Agence de communication (Stéphane Benedetti)

Georges Méliès’ 1902 film, Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon), is one of the first science-fiction films ever made. The story is about the president of an astronomy club, Professor Barbenfouillis, who, along with five other astronomers, builds a bullet-like capsule to go to the moon. There they discover a civilization called the Selenites, who the astronomers find, are easily killed by throwing them to the ground, where they explode. The Selenites eventually capture the Earthlings and take them to their king. Barbenfouillis kills the king, and the group escapes back to their capsule, which ultimately makes it back to Earth.

As an artist, I wondered how I could capture the experience of the Ukrainian people to Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked attack on their country. As I thought about it, Méliès’ iconic image of a bullet-shaped spaceship hitting the man on the moon in his eye came to mind one night as I brushed my teeth.

I’ve been making posters about the sorry state of American political discourse for over a decade in the guise of the Chamomile Tea Party. Directly after Putin’s invasion, Donald Trump displayed his love for the Russian autocrat, saying, “The problem isn’t that Putin is smart. Of course, he’s smart. But the real problem is our leaders are dumb.” Fox News’ Tucker Carlson has been so pro-Putin during the war, the Russian Department of Information and Telecommunications Support issued a memo to Russian media commentators to feature Carlson’s comments in their reporting. Trump’s and Carlson’s comments are meant for domestic political gain at best and treason at worst. Early in the conflict, I designed a poster that focused on Trump’s infatuation. But as the war has gone into its third week, and as more innocent people are being targeted and killed by the Russian army, I wanted to comment on the war itself. And Méliès’ iconic image became my entry point.

Some scholars see a pointed anti-imperialist sentiment to Méliès’ film: one people invade another, killing them without regard to their culture and with no interest in living in peace with them or learning their ways. Film scholar Matthew Solomon says of the film:

The last two scenes . . . really make this clear. The medal ceremony with all of the posturing by the explorers, who have been so inept and violent; the captured Selenite on a leash that is beaten with a stick until it dances for the cheering crowd; and the statue of the conqueror Barbenfouillis with his foot firmly planted on the head of an unhappy vanquished moon: all that points to a highly ironic take on exploration and, with it, imperialism.

The New York Times opinion columnist, Ross Douthat, has made a provocative connection between Putin’s land grab and the geopolitical world of the late 19th century. Some have called the Russian President’s actions anachronistic, typical of the imperialist consolidation between the end of the 1800s and the middle of the 1900s. Douthat goes one step further, suggesting Putin represents “our transition to a kind of retro-future, in which crucial elements of the Victorian age are superimposed on our era’s very different social, cultural, and technological landscape.” The difference is that globalization is much greater now, and any disruption has a more significant impact. In addition, it was much easier for 19th-century empire builders to claim “public legitimacy for imperialism, conquest, and autocratic rule.” Today, these leaders confront challenges to their conduct by couching their intentions as democratically elected leaders who simply deny they’re invading their neighbors. Putin has prohibited the media from using “war” or “invasion” to describe Russia’s military actions. Those who do so are subject to arrest.

There is a direct line between Méliès’ film, Putin’s intentions, and Douthat’s critique. I kept that in mind as I constructed my illustration. I took his iconic moon image and placed Putin’s face in it. Here on Earth—in Ukraine—the foreground is the reality they/we face now. The artillery on the left stands in for Ukrainians’ reply to Putin’s aggression, and the wounded Putin is the result. The war is not going as Russia’s military planned.

What has become the de facto Ukrainian reaction to his attack, Go fuck yourself, became the perfect text for this image. Despite the tattered Ukrainian flag, Ukrainians’ determination to save their country and Volodymyr Zelensky’s social media ridicule of Putin’s army have served as rallying cries for his people and many of us who watch with unprecedented media access to the atrocities.

But Douthat is warning us we are in unchartered territory. The American right’s embrace of Putin, a disquieting shift from the Cold War, is further proof we are standing on a very different and shaky foundation. The threat of a nuclear war might limit this crisis. But in the hands of a cornered, irrational, and retro-thinking expansionist, nothing is guaranteed. Like Professor Barbenfouillis and his colleagues, we are finding ourselves in a new world where traditional rules of engagement may not apply even when we think they do.

Feel free to pass this poster on. It's free to download here (click on the down arrow just to the lower right of the image).

See the rest of the posters from the Chamomile Tea Party! Digital high res downloads are free here (click the down arrow on the lower right side of the image). Other options are available. And join our Facebook group.

Follow the history of our country's political intransigence from 2010-2020 through a seven-part exhibit of these posters on Google Arts & Culture.

The technological magic of opening a car door without fumbling for my key which is always at the bottom of my bag.

43/52 in 2022 challenge: technological

Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong

Classic Motorshow, Bremen

Not only a very rare Porsche 959, but one of the original prototypes Porsche used for development testing of the components that would be fitted to these technological marvels. The ad below can tell you the specific history of this prototype so I won’t regurgitate that here, but the short version is that this prototype was involved in ABS and tire testing at the high-speed ring in Nardo, Italy. Once 959 production was completed and the prototype was retired from testing service it was returned to the Porsche factory for a full refurbishment before making its way to its first private owner. Its ownership history appears to be fully documented, with much of that history spent in collections in Japan, prior to its current availability. The 959, of course, is one of Porsche’s most historic cars, most famously for the way in which it challenged the Ferrari F40 for supercar supremacy in its day. The two car makers took very different approaches to their supercars with Porsche following its generally tack of combining the best of luxury, technology, and performance in a single package while the F40 stripped out seemingly everything to offer the purest driving expression Ferrari could manage in a road car. While never really the prettiest of machines, the 959 served as a testament to Porsche’s engineering capabilities and provided a testing bed for many features that would make their way to the 911 over the years that followed. The 959 prototypes, like the one seen here, were built off of the 930 chassis and used in a variety of development settings. Reportedly 29 total were built and it is believed that 10 have survived.

Text from the ad:

This is the most advanced road Porsche ever built and one of the most impressive in the automotive history. « Porsche engineers were given a goal and set free, the 959 put Porsche on the map when it came to innovative automotive technology. There were 934s and 935s, and even the 956/962, but to put it all together in a street car was unheard of. It was a major factor in moving Porsche’s racing prowess from the track to the street. ». How come a better explanation from the 959’s genesis could be ? This is the one from Dieter Landenberger, the head of Porsche historical archives.

In 1981 there was a big change at the head of Porsche with the replacement from Ernst Fuhrmann by Peter Schultz, a new direction and strategy were given then. Fuhrmann in the mid 70s thought the 911 was going to an end and stopped its development to focus on the front engined cars ( 924/928/944 ) but Schultz thought very different. In 1981 he gave the green light to work on the project of a « Super » 911 with the aim of building a Group B racing version complying with the all-new FIA regulations. The car was designed and built at the Porsche Motorsport department at Weissach and a prototype called « Gruppe B » shown at the 1983 Frankfurt show. It was an immense success with its amazing specifications and design, many though this could never be turned into a road car. It took another two years of development and testings to have the production car ready and to list a few of the « world premieres » it had : four wheels drive, ABS 4 channels, twin turbos, tyre pressure monitoring, adjustable torque balance front/rear from 20 to 80%, 17 inches wheels, adjustable ride height, 6 speeds gearbox and so on. The 959 was so advanced technologically that it immediately sat new standards in terms of performance and drivability. The production car launched in 1986 had 450 HP and 317km/h as top speed and ran the standing km in only 21,7 sec, beating the 288 GTO by 2secs. Porsche always have the habit of validating a new technology via Motorosport and in 1986, Jacky Icks won the Paris – Dakar race and René Metge / Claude Ballot Léna won their class at Le Mans and finished 7th OA with race prepared 959s, which other car did it ? The fabulous 959 is the first step and rolling laboratory of the 911’s rebirth. According to Porsche only 292 of them were built ( as per comparaison Ferrari built 1311 F40s ) and all sold on pre order. This is one of the rarest Porsche ever built and probably the most charismatic of their road cars.

This is a quite a unique opportunity in a dealer career to offer a Porsche factory prototype, considering they normally don’t come to the market, being destroyed or keep at the museum. This mind boggling 959, chassis number WPOZZZ93ZFS010067 was built in 1985, given the internal code « V1KOM » and registered BB-PW481. In 1985 Helmutt Bott ( head of the 959 development ) has taken 29 930 chassis from the Porsche factory to turn them in Weissach ( Porsche Motorsport dept ) into the 959 Pre-production prototypes and these were called « F,N or V ». These 29 prototypes were the latest ones and used for media coverage, crash tests and road tests. This car is one of the the 7 « V – Series » which were assigned to the road tests, this particular one was used for ABS and tyre development. Unfortunately most of the 29 Prototypes were destroyed and scrapped at the end of the 959 program.

« 10067 » is one of the 4 959 prototypes survivor and one of the only two road going ones. Interestingly enough, the first owner was Professor Tachio Saito, who happened to be a close friend of Ferry Porsche. He noticed chassis 10067 during a visit to the factory whilst translating a book that Dr Porsche had written (Helmut Bott’s personal 959 was the preceding chassis, number 10066). As the founder of the Porsche Owners’ Club of Japan, as well as its first president, Professor Saito was more than qualified as one of Porsche’s preferred customers. A copy of factory correspondence, dated 4 December 1989 and addressed to Saito, refers to certain tasks to be undertaken by the factory prior to his acquisition of this prototype. The letter was written by Herr Willrett, believed to be Elmar Willrett, who was a Porsche engineer who was deeply involved in the development of both the 935 and 935 racing engines and who worked under Rolf Sprenger in the « Sonderwisches » (Special Wishes) Program. The document suggests that this car was to be prepared for display purposes, with functional brakes and steering. Once an agreement was settled, Porsche A.G. completed the restoration of the car, and after 16 months, Professor Saito took delivery of his prototype 959.

The professor maintained the 959 for only a short period of time, until noted collector Hideyasu Ohba, of Tokyo, Japan, acquired it for his collection of historic Porsches. In 2000, Mr Ohba sold this car to Minoru Miura, of Chiba, Japan. In 2006, still in Japan, the 959 was then acquired by Mr Shigeru from the Miura Collection. The car went to another 2 hands before coming up to the market via Art & Revs.

Being an original Protoype, this car comes with its pre-production magnesium wheels, « Denloc » Dunlop tires, brakes and some lightweight panels. All the production 959s were delivered with Bridgestone RE71 tires, the Dunlops were not retained though they incorporated a world premiere with a kind of « Run Flat » technology. The car is now only 400km and can only be described as being in new condition. It is fully working and was the subject to a recent overhaul and driven for 5 km.

Porsche factory no longer releases any Prototype to the public, this is a unique opportunity to acquire one.

Las zonas de aguas profundas o de geología compleja son lugares en los que se localizan hidrocarburos y a los que se puede acceder en la actualidad gracias a la innovación tecnológica y a las nuevas técnicas de Exploración y Producción.

Más info en:

www.repsol.com/es_es/corporacion/conocer-repsol/nuestra-a...

Complex areas of deepwater geology are places where certain hydrocarbons are accessible today thanks to technological innovation and the new techniques of exploration and production.

More info on :

www.repsol.com/es_es/corporacion/conocer-repsol/nuestra-a ...

for show in L.A. at Junc. This is connected to part two but it's 11x17 so both sides had to be scanned separately.

My 2013 Go Pro Hero 3 Black Edition and my 1984 JVC GR-C1.

The JVC was actually the smallest VHS camcorder you could buy back in 1984, with basic retail price of £1500, about £4000 in todays money.

Classic Motorshow, Bremen

Not only a very rare Porsche 959, but one of the original prototypes Porsche used for development testing of the components that would be fitted to these technological marvels. The ad below can tell you the specific history of this prototype so I won’t regurgitate that here, but the short version is that this prototype was involved in ABS and tire testing at the high-speed ring in Nardo, Italy. Once 959 production was completed and the prototype was retired from testing service it was returned to the Porsche factory for a full refurbishment before making its way to its first private owner. Its ownership history appears to be fully documented, with much of that history spent in collections in Japan, prior to its current availability. The 959, of course, is one of Porsche’s most historic cars, most famously for the way in which it challenged the Ferrari F40 for supercar supremacy in its day. The two car makers took very different approaches to their supercars with Porsche following its generally tack of combining the best of luxury, technology, and performance in a single package while the F40 stripped out seemingly everything to offer the purest driving expression Ferrari could manage in a road car. While never really the prettiest of machines, the 959 served as a testament to Porsche’s engineering capabilities and provided a testing bed for many features that would make their way to the 911 over the years that followed. The 959 prototypes, like the one seen here, were built off of the 930 chassis and used in a variety of development settings. Reportedly 29 total were built and it is believed that 10 have survived.

Text from the ad:

This is the most advanced road Porsche ever built and one of the most impressive in the automotive history. « Porsche engineers were given a goal and set free, the 959 put Porsche on the map when it came to innovative automotive technology. There were 934s and 935s, and even the 956/962, but to put it all together in a street car was unheard of. It was a major factor in moving Porsche’s racing prowess from the track to the street. ». How come a better explanation from the 959’s genesis could be ? This is the one from Dieter Landenberger, the head of Porsche historical archives.

In 1981 there was a big change at the head of Porsche with the replacement from Ernst Fuhrmann by Peter Schultz, a new direction and strategy were given then. Fuhrmann in the mid 70s thought the 911 was going to an end and stopped its development to focus on the front engined cars ( 924/928/944 ) but Schultz thought very different. In 1981 he gave the green light to work on the project of a « Super » 911 with the aim of building a Group B racing version complying with the all-new FIA regulations. The car was designed and built at the Porsche Motorsport department at Weissach and a prototype called « Gruppe B » shown at the 1983 Frankfurt show. It was an immense success with its amazing specifications and design, many though this could never be turned into a road car. It took another two years of development and testings to have the production car ready and to list a few of the « world premieres » it had : four wheels drive, ABS 4 channels, twin turbos, tyre pressure monitoring, adjustable torque balance front/rear from 20 to 80%, 17 inches wheels, adjustable ride height, 6 speeds gearbox and so on. The 959 was so advanced technologically that it immediately sat new standards in terms of performance and drivability. The production car launched in 1986 had 450 HP and 317km/h as top speed and ran the standing km in only 21,7 sec, beating the 288 GTO by 2secs. Porsche always have the habit of validating a new technology via Motorosport and in 1986, Jacky Icks won the Paris – Dakar race and René Metge / Claude Ballot Léna won their class at Le Mans and finished 7th OA with race prepared 959s, which other car did it ? The fabulous 959 is the first step and rolling laboratory of the 911’s rebirth. According to Porsche only 292 of them were built ( as per comparaison Ferrari built 1311 F40s ) and all sold on pre order. This is one of the rarest Porsche ever built and probably the most charismatic of their road cars.

This is a quite a unique opportunity in a dealer career to offer a Porsche factory prototype, considering they normally don’t come to the market, being destroyed or keep at the museum. This mind boggling 959, chassis number WPOZZZ93ZFS010067 was built in 1985, given the internal code « V1KOM » and registered BB-PW481. In 1985 Helmutt Bott ( head of the 959 development ) has taken 29 930 chassis from the Porsche factory to turn them in Weissach ( Porsche Motorsport dept ) into the 959 Pre-production prototypes and these were called « F,N or V ». These 29 prototypes were the latest ones and used for media coverage, crash tests and road tests. This car is one of the the 7 « V – Series » which were assigned to the road tests, this particular one was used for ABS and tyre development. Unfortunately most of the 29 Prototypes were destroyed and scrapped at the end of the 959 program.

« 10067 » is one of the 4 959 prototypes survivor and one of the only two road going ones. Interestingly enough, the first owner was Professor Tachio Saito, who happened to be a close friend of Ferry Porsche. He noticed chassis 10067 during a visit to the factory whilst translating a book that Dr Porsche had written (Helmut Bott’s personal 959 was the preceding chassis, number 10066). As the founder of the Porsche Owners’ Club of Japan, as well as its first president, Professor Saito was more than qualified as one of Porsche’s preferred customers. A copy of factory correspondence, dated 4 December 1989 and addressed to Saito, refers to certain tasks to be undertaken by the factory prior to his acquisition of this prototype. The letter was written by Herr Willrett, believed to be Elmar Willrett, who was a Porsche engineer who was deeply involved in the development of both the 935 and 935 racing engines and who worked under Rolf Sprenger in the « Sonderwisches » (Special Wishes) Program. The document suggests that this car was to be prepared for display purposes, with functional brakes and steering. Once an agreement was settled, Porsche A.G. completed the restoration of the car, and after 16 months, Professor Saito took delivery of his prototype 959.

The professor maintained the 959 for only a short period of time, until noted collector Hideyasu Ohba, of Tokyo, Japan, acquired it for his collection of historic Porsches. In 2000, Mr Ohba sold this car to Minoru Miura, of Chiba, Japan. In 2006, still in Japan, the 959 was then acquired by Mr Shigeru from the Miura Collection. The car went to another 2 hands before coming up to the market via Art & Revs.

Being an original Protoype, this car comes with its pre-production magnesium wheels, « Denloc » Dunlop tires, brakes and some lightweight panels. All the production 959s were delivered with Bridgestone RE71 tires, the Dunlops were not retained though they incorporated a world premiere with a kind of « Run Flat » technology. The car is now only 400km and can only be described as being in new condition. It is fully working and was the subject to a recent overhaul and driven for 5 km.

Porsche factory no longer releases any Prototype to the public, this is a unique opportunity to acquire one.

Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII.

The abbey is a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust and part of the designated Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Foundation

After a dispute and riot in 1132 at the Benedictine house of St Mary's Abbey, in York, 13 monks were expelled (among them Saint Robert of Newminster) and, after unsuccessful attempts to form a new monastery were taken under the protection of Thurstan, Archbishop of York. He provided them with land in the valley of the River Skell, a tributary of the Ure. The enclosed valley had all the natural features needed for the creation of a monastery, providing shelter from the weather, stone and timber for building, and a supply of running water. After enduring a harsh winter in 1133, the monks applied to join the Cistercian order which since the end of the previous century was a fast-growing reform movement that by the beginning of the 13th century was to have over 500 houses. So it was that in 1135, Fountains became the second Cistercian house in northern England, after Rievaulx. The Fountains monks became subject to Clairvaux Abbey, in Burgundy which was under the rule of St Bernard. Under the guidance of Geoffrey of Ainai, a monk sent from Clairvaux, the group learned how to celebrate the seven Canonical Hours according to Cistercian usage and were shown how to construct wooden buildings in accordance with Cistercian practice.

Consolidation

After Henry Murdac was elected abbot in 1143, the small stone church and timber claustral buildings were replaced. Within three years, an aisled nave had been added to the stone church, and the first permanent claustral buildings built in stone and roofed in tile had been completed.

In 1146 an angry mob, annoyed at Murdac for his role in opposing the election of William FitzHerbert as archbishop of York, attacked the abbey and burnt down all but the church and some surrounding buildings.The community recovered swiftly from the attack and founded four daughter houses. Henry Murdac resigned as abbot in 1147 upon becoming the Archbishop of York and was replaced first by Maurice, Abbot of Rievaulx then, on the resignation of Maurice, by Thorald. Thorald was forced by Henry Murdac to resign after two years in office. The next abbot, Richard, held the post until his death in 1170 and restored the abbey's stability and prosperity. In 20 years as abbot, he supervised a huge building programme which involved completing repairs to the damaged church and building more accommodation for the increasing number of recruits. Only the chapter house was completed before he died and the work was ably continued by his successor, Robert of Pipewell, under whose rule the abbey gained a reputation for caring for the needy.

The next abbot was William, who presided over the abbey from 1180 to 1190 and he was succeeded by Ralph Haget, who had entered Fountains at the age of 30 as a novice, after pursuing a military career. During the European famine of 1194 Haget ordered the construction of shelters in the vicinity of the abbey and provided daily food rations to the poor enhancing the abbey's reputation for caring for the poor and attracting more grants from wealthy benefactors.

In the first half of the 13th century Fountains increased in reputation and prosperity under the next three abbots, John of York (1203–1211), John of Hessle (1211–1220) and John of Kent (1220–1247). They were burdened with an inordinate amount of administrative duties and increasing demands for money in taxation and levies but managed to complete another massive expansion of the abbey's buildings. This included enlarging the church and building an infirmary.

Difficulties

In the second half of the 13th century the abbey was in more straitened circumstances. It was presided over by eleven abbots, and became financially unstable largely due to forward selling its wool crop, and the abbey was criticised for its dire material and physical state when it was visited by Archbishop John le Romeyn in 1294. The run of disasters that befell the community continued into the early 14th century when northern England was invaded by the Scots and there were further demands for taxes. The culmination of these misfortunes was the Black Death of 1348–1349. The loss of manpower and income due to the ravages of the plague was almost ruinous.

A further complication arose as a result of the Papal Schism of 1378–1409. Fountains Abbey along with other English Cistercian houses was told to break off any contact with the mother house of Citeaux, which supported a rival pope. This resulted in the abbots forming their own chapter to rule the order in England and consequently they became increasingly involved in internecine politics. In 1410, following the death of Abbot Burley of Fountains, the community was riven by several years of turmoil over the election of his successor. Contending candidates John Ripon, Abbot of Meaux, and Roger Frank, a monk of Fountains were locked in conflict until 1415 when Ripon was finally appointed, ruling until his death in 1434. Under abbots John Greenwell (1442–1471), Thomas Swinton (1471–8), John Darnton (1478–95), who undertook some much needed restoration of the fabric of the abbey, including notable work on the church, and Marmaduke Huby (1495–1526) Fountains regained stability and prosperity.

At Abbot Huby's death he was succeeded by William Thirsk who was accused by the royal commissioners of immorality and inadequacy and was dismissed as abbot. He was replaced by Marmaduke Bradley, a monk of the abbey who had reported Thirsk's supposed offences, testified against him and offered the authorities six hundred marks for the post of abbot. In 1539 it was Bradley who surrendered the abbey when its seizure was ordered under Henry VIII at the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The abbey precinct covered 70 acres (28 ha) surrounded by an 11-foot (3.4 m) wall built in the 13th century, some parts of which are visible to the south and west of the abbey. The area consists of three concentric zones cut by the River Skell flowing from west to east across the site. The church and claustral buildings stand at the centre of the precinct north of the Skell, the inner court containing the domestic buildings stretches down to the river and the outer court housing the industrial and agricultural buildings lies on the river's south bank. The early abbey buildings were added to and altered over time, causing deviations from the strict Cistercian type. Outside the walls were the abbey's granges.[citation needed]

The original abbey church was built of wood and "was probably" two stories high; it was, however, quickly replaced in stone. The church was damaged in the attack on the abbey in 1146 and was rebuilt, in a larger scale, on the same site. Building work was completed c.1170.[11] This structure, completed around 1170, was 300 ft (91 m) long and had 11 bays in the side aisles. A lantern tower was added at the crossing of the church in the late 12th century. The presbytery at the eastern end of the church was much altered in the 13th century. The church's greatly lengthened choir, commenced by Abbot John of York, 1203–11, and carried on by his successor terminates, like that of Durham Cathedral, in an eastern transept, the work of Abbot John of Kent, 1220–47. The 160-foot-tall (49 m) tower, which was added not long before the dissolution, by Abbot Huby, 1494–1526, is in an unusual position at the northern end of the north transept and bears Huby's motto 'Soli Deo Honor et Gloria'. The sacristry adjoined the south transept.

The cloister, which had arcading of black marble from Nidderdale and white sandstone, is in the centre of the precinct and to the south of the church. The three-aisled chapter-house and parlour open from the eastern walk of the cloister and the refectory, with the kitchen and buttery attached, are at right angles to its southern walk. Parallel with the western walk is an immense vaulted substructure serving as cellars and store-rooms, which supported the dormitory of the conversi (lay brothers) above. This building extended across the river and at its south-west corner were the latrines, built above the swiftly flowing stream. The monks' dormitory was in its usual position above the chapter-house, to the south of the transept. Peculiarities of this arrangement include the position of the kitchen, between the refectory and calefactory, and of the infirmary above the river to the west, adjoining the guest-houses.

The abbot's house, one of the largest in all of England,is located to the east of the latrine block, where portions of it are suspended on arches over the River Skell.It was built in the mid-twelfth century as a modest single-storey structure, then, from the fourteenth century, underwent extensive expansion and remodelling to end up in the 16th century as a grand dwelling with fine bay windows and grand fireplaces. The great hall was an expansive room 52 by 21 metres (171 by 69 ft).

Among other apartments, for the designation of which see the ground-plan, was a domestic oratory or chapel,

1⁄2-by-23-foot (14 by 7 m), and a kitchen, 50-by-38-foot (15 by 12 m)

Medieval monasteries were sustained by landed estates that were given to them as endowments and from which they derived an income from rents. They were the gifts of the founder and subsequent patrons, but some were purchased from cash revenues. At the outset, the Cistercian order rejected gifts of mills and rents, churches with tithes and feudal manors as they did not accord with their belief in monastic purity, because they involved contact with laymen. When Archbishop Thurstan founded the abbey he gave the community 260 acres (110 ha) of land at Sutton north of the abbey and 200 acres (81 ha) at Herleshowe to provide support while the abbey became established. In the early years the abbey struggled to maintain itself because further gifts were not forthcoming and Thurstan could not help further because the lands he administered were not his own, but part of the diocesan estate. After a few years of impoverished struggle to establish the abbey, the monks were joined by Hugh, a former dean of York Minster, a rich man who brought a considerable fortune as well as furniture and books to start the library.

By 1135 the monks had acquired only another 260 acres (110 ha) at Cayton, given by Eustace fitzJohn of Knaresborough "for the building of the abbey". Shortly after the fire of 1146, the monks had established granges at Sutton, Cayton, Cowton Moor, Warsill, Dacre and Aldburgh all within 6 mi (10 km) of Fountains. In the 1140s the water mill was built on the abbey site making it possible for the grain from the granges to be brought to the abbey for milling.Tannery waste from this time has been excavated on the site.

Further estates were assembled in two phases, between 1140 and 1160 then 1174 and 1175, from piecemeal acquisitions of land. Some of the lands were grants from benefactors but others were purchased from gifts of money to the abbey. Roger de Mowbray granted vast areas of Nidderdale and William de Percy and his tenants granted substantial estates in Craven which included Malham Moor and the fishery in Malham Tarn. After 1203 the abbots consolidated the abbey's lands by renting out more distant areas that the monks could not easily farm themselves, and exchanging and purchasing lands that complemented their existing estates. Fountains' holdings both in Yorkshire and beyond had reached their maximum extent by 1265, when they were an efficient and very profitable estate. Their estates were linked in a network of individual granges which provided staging posts to the most distant ones. They had urban properties in York, Yarm, Grimsby, Scarborough and Boston from which to conduct export and market trading and their other commercial interests included mining, quarrying, iron-smelting, fishing and milling.

The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was a factor that led to a downturn in the prosperity of the abbey in the early fourteenth century. Areas of the north of England as far south as York were looted by the Scots. Then the number of lay-brothers being recruited to the order reduced considerably. The abbey chose to take advantage of the relaxation of the edict on leasing property that had been enacted by the General Chapter of the order in 1208 and leased some of their properties. Others were staffed by hired labour and remained in hand under the supervision of bailiffs. In 1535 Fountains had an interest in 138 vills and the total taxable income of the Fountains estate was £1,115, making it the richest Cistercian monastery in England.

After the Dissolution

The Gresham family crest

The Abbey buildings and over 500 acres (200 ha) of land were sold by the Crown, on 1 October 1540, to Sir Richard Gresham, at the time a Member of Parliament and former Lord Mayor of London, the father of Sir Thomas Gresham. It was Richard Gresham who had supplied Cardinal Wolsey with the tapestries for his new house of Hampton Court and who paid for the Cardinal's funeral.

Gresham sold some of the fabric of the site, stone, timber, lead, as building materials to help to defray the cost of purchase. The site was acquired in 1597 by Sir Stephen Proctor, who used stone from the monastic complex to build Fountains Hall. Between 1627 and 1767 the estate was owned by the Messenger family who sold it to William Aislaby who was responsible for combining it with the Studley Royal Estate.

Burials

Roger de Mowbray, 1st Baron Mowbray

John de Mowbray, 2nd Baron Mowbray

Abbot Marmaduke Huby (d. 1526)

Rose (daughter of Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester), wife of Roger de Mowbray, 1st Baron Mowbray

Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy

William II de Percy, 3rd feudal baron of Topcliffe

Becoming a World Heritage Site

The archaeological excavation of the site was begun under the supervision of John Richard Walbran, a Ripon antiquary who, in 1846, had published a paper On the Necessity of clearing out the Conventual Church of Fountains.In 1966 the Abbey was placed in the guardianship of the Department of the Environment and the estate was purchased by the West Riding County Council who transferred ownership to the North Yorkshire County Council in 1974. The National Trust bought the 674-acre (273 ha) Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate from North Yorkshire County Council in 1983. In 1986 the parkland in which the abbey is situated and the abbey was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was recognised for fulfilling the criteria of being a masterpiece of human creative genius, and an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history. Fountains Abbey is owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage. The trust owns Studley Royal Park, Fountains Hall, to which there is partial public access, and St Mary's Church, designed by William Burges and built around 1873, all of which are significant features of the World Heritage Site.

The Porter's Lodge, which was once the gatehouse to the abbey, houses a modern exhibition area with displays about the history of Fountains Abbey and how the monks lived.

In January 2010, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal became two of the first National Trust properties to be included in Google Street View, using the Google Trike.

Film location

Fountains Abbey was used as a film location by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark for their single "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" during the cold winter of December 1981. In 1980, Hollywood also came to the site to film the final scenes to the film Omen III: The Final Conflict.Other productions filmed on location at the abbey are the films Life at the Top, The Secret Garden, The History Boys, TV series Flambards, A History of Britain, Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, Cathedral, Antiques Roadshow and the game show Treasure Hunt. The BBC Television series 'Gunpowder' (2017) used Fountains Abbey as a location.

Taken at the Mineral Museum at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan.

for july 26th 2011, sooc. a little behind again.... woopppsss. this is my film camera, it's getting a lot of usage seeing as my t3i is with canon (:

my 365 project

Digital cameras of today are technological marvels, and capable of capturing images that even the human eye can't see. This thirty second exposure was shot at 6:30 am, well before sunrise and in nearly complete darkness - but the camera's sensor captured enough light to render the scene as if it were shot in broad daylight.

Location: Jensen Beach, Florida

For daily photos, updates and musings on all things photography - please like my Facebook page via the link below.

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You can also visit my website at:

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-30-

© All rights reserved. Please do not use or repost - words and images, intellectual property of Florida Life / Thüncher Photography.

Video footage of the TSSAA 5A State Championship game was shot throughout the evening by an older gentleman sitting near the top of the stands on the Farragut Admirals side of the field. I imagine he had a son or grandson playing for the Admirals who eventually came from behind to beat the Independence Eagles for a 5A State Title.

This image was focused directly on the screen of the video camera with a shallow enough depth of field to have a defocused background where the actual game was taking place.

Technical Information:

Camera - Nikon D7200 (handheld)

Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom

ISO – 2000

Aperture – f/8

Exposure – 1/60 second

Focal Length – 100mm

The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France:

The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation, the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems.

In 1976 Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, the Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hours - half the time of a conventional jet airliner. However its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.

In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft's retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight. This aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.

Gift of Air France.

Manufacturer:

Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale

British Aircraft Corporation

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 25.56 m (83 ft 10 in)

Length: 61.66 m (202 ft 3 in)

Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)

Weight, empty: 79,265 kg (174,750 lb)

Weight, gross: 181,435 kg (400,000 lb)

Top speed: 2,179 km/h (1350 mph)

Engine: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each

Manufacturer: Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale, Paris, France, and British Aircraft Corporation, London, United Kingdom

Physical Description:

Aircaft Serial Number: 205. Including four (4) engines, bearing respectively the serial number: CBE066, CBE062, CBE086 and CBE085.

Also included, aircraft plaque: "AIR FRANCE Lorsque viendra le jour d'exposer Concorde dans un musee, la Smithsonian Institution a dores et deja choisi, pour le Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace de Washington, un appariel portant le couleurs d'Air France."

"PARALLEL" entry .. inspired a recent computer crash.. presenting an opportunity to look inside the box

30/100... 100 x: The 2015 Edition... Week 15 - Parallel.

Negative Space Project

#38 "Technology" "115 Pictures in 2015"

Olympus XA2 +Kodak Ektachrome Extra 100 (Expired)

Technological marvel of the 31st century.

Jessie sez:

"We live in amazing times of technological advance where there is even new kinds of munny being produced!

I has just sent Porshie Beetle under the door into Brushtail's headquarters at 1 Rodent Way, The Skirting Board, Vienna, whose door is marked "Strictly No Admittance to the Public", 'cos I can hear machinery inside running 24/7 and am curious to know what is going on in there.

I has just received his official report back and it makes fascinating reading. The machines there are turning out a new type of bank note that have a duck's head printed on them instead of pictures of the Queen! Each banknote also has a little microchip that can be scanned by a special reader to check if it is counterfeit or not. If you scan the note through the reader, it makes a Quack-Quack sound LOL! Now, what's the point of all this you may well ask - hmmmm ..... let me think now -----

Oh. I see! IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK; THEN IT IS A DUCK!

This is simply another illegal get-rich-quick scam perpetrated by that AWFUL and irrepressible but creative BRUSHTAIL MOUSIE!" 🐭

P.S. there is already a queue of naive BunBuns forming outside of Brushtail's secret H.Q. They are all clutching their precious Bitecoins in their little front paws ready to exchange for their allocation of the new Duck-Quack currency. Would you invest your hard-earned cash in this new scam - SORRY! - investment opportunity? This new Duck-Quack currency nonsense makes even crypto-currency look like a world-class stable currency! Will they ever learn? 😂

Amanda-Yolanda Mousie, Brushtail's personal assistant, is standing at the door exchanging Bitecoin for this new marvellous financial instrument. Amanda tests each individual Bitecoin using her sharp little teethy-pegs to bite them. If the coins survive the test, she then exchanges them for HUGE wads of the new Duck-Quack currency in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 100 Gazillion notes!

Disclaimer:

"Careful now little Bunbuns!!

Brushtail Mousie Holdings is NEITHER regulated by the Financial Services Authority NOR the Securities and Exchange Commission and the value of your investment is NOT guaranteed. The value of your investment can fall as well as rise and your eventual returns may amount to less than your original investment. It is recommended therefore that you consult a qualified financial adviser BEFORE you fall for this scam - SORRY! - invest in this wonderful get-rich-quick opportunity!"

Kyle Bruckmann

...

CD :

Kyle Bruckmann

Technological Music Vol. 2

Entr'acte

E192

Design by Allon Kaye

Use Hearing Protection

GMA

Well, she's a tongue twisting storm

She'll come to the show tonight

Praying to the light machine

She wants my honey not my money

She's a funky-thigh collector

Laying on electric dreams

Well, come on, come on

We've really got a good thing going

Well, come on, well, come on

If you think we're gonna make it you better hang on to yourself

Castello - Cagliari

Heritage Class Race Rover

After a society-wide technological renaissance, the Blacktron Empire made an attempt to re-brand itself in a positive light to the intergalactic community. Part of its public relations campaign included entering this rover in the Galactic Terrestrial Rover Racing League. The Avenger II became the symbol of progress in the new Blacktron. Powered by a magnetonium reactor, and utilizing state of the art guidance systems, the Avenger II gave even the M-Tron SP-41 a run for its money.

Can you tell which two 1991 Blacktron II sets were used?

For more on the origin of the GTR-RL, watch the video trailer.

The GTR-RL is organized into three classes of racing rovers.

Heritage class rovers are built using only elements available to the theme of the racer. (i.e. a space police 1 race rover would be built using only parts from the 1989 space police theme.) Heritage class rovers represent Lego space themes up through the insectoid theme of 1998-99.

Modern class rovers are built in the same way, but represent Lego space themes from the 2001 theme Life on Mars, through present day space themes.

Unlimited class rovers are built with an unrestricted element palette and can represent Collectible Minifig themes or fan themes such as Pinktron and Suntron, etc

Check out more Race Rovers

For TLC Sept 2014 (Technologic). More info - wp.me/p49kPp-6I

la galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a Milano

- Sir, Can I ask you a thing!

- Well Lomax I am in the middle of a fight with the Pirat captain, but sure, why not!

- Now I know we are in a movie, since this is the very same room we were in at last mission, only slightly altered with different props, and also we caught them of guard so the director didn´t have time to dress the enemies as proper space-pirates these guys suits look like 17th century, I bet they were filming a pirat movie before!

This happened in the previous episode:

- Sir, can I ask you a thing?

- Lomax, why now when we have narrowed down the nasty boss in his throne room!

- eh Sorry boss, it is just that I start to see a theme in this work, I know I am just a rookie, but I have started to see this theme!

First we board a ship or venture in to a base, then we fight all the foot soldiers and evade the traps then we find the big boss in some purple, red or similar throne room just waiting for us...

why? then he has a small speech and we start fighting him and then he dies and we win!

- (Big Boss) Welcome my Heros, so you found me at last, you have been fighting well.....

Kiyosato Lake (清里湖・Kiyosato-ko) in Yamanashi Prefecture stands out among the numerous reservoirs I have visited in the Kanto Plain. Initially, I found some of the embankment’s appearance somewhat unattractive, but little did I know that there was a fascinating reason behind its unique design.

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The Hive At Nanyang Technological University (NTU's Learning Hub)

Technological progress continues in the Tanzimat Empire.

Well ,for me anyway. Went to Helsby to photograph the 6F91, the emptied sand wagons from Ince and Elton Glassworks. While waiting took a shot ,with the smartphone of the 1D35 Transport for Wales service, from Manchester Airport to Llandudno Junction, running with 175104. Tried to get the red berries on the tree in, and the semaphore signals, the double aspect signal being one of only two on the Natioal Network!

Refreshment coming via a trademark cup !!

Over the long march of biological and now technological evolution, we have finally reached a survival gate — we have enough computational power to model the trajectory all Near-Earth Objects (NEO's) that could threaten life on Earth. This was not possible in the year 2000, or any time over the prior millennia. We have made a million-fold improvement in computation in just the past 20 years. So, we can see the future and predict decades in advance of an impact event and then give the NEO a nudge such that it misses Earth entirely.

It’s not like the movies, where you have an asteroid on final approach and try to blow it up somehow (that just turns a rifle into a shotgun blast); instead, you launch a rocket to rear-end it and change its velocity ever so slightly. Integrated over years, that small delta-v makes all the difference. In short, asteroid defense does not end with a bang, but merely a nudge. That is, if you know what you are doing!

The non-profit B612 (with co-fiounding astronauts Ed Lu and Rusty Schweickart) did a webinar and demo of their ADAM simulation tool for calculating asteroid orbit propagation. They gave me permission to share the unpublished work of their Asteroid Institute tech team. Here's an unlisted video showing the sim seen here.

Rusty Schweickart, the first Lunar Module Pilot summarizes: “We live in a remarkable time in history. We can change the trajectory of the solar system, ever so slightly, and protect life on Earth"

Mapping the Final Frontier with ADAM (Asteroid Decision Analysis + Mapping):

The ADAM project runs on the Google Compute Engine to provide a cloud platform for large-scale orbital dynamics. Small errors in the initial velocity vector measurements can expand over decades to very different outcomes, especially when gravitational slingshots around the planets occur. So, they run thousands of Monte-Carlo simulations over an array of starting conditions, creating a distribution of points, as seen in the images here, some hitting Earth (red) or a near miss (green). The distribution of endpoints gives a probability of deep impact. As a heuristic patch to some insane computational complexity, we can calculate a probability for the long term, which narrows like a hurricane forecast cone to a certainly as time advances.

To reach an accuracy of a few kilometers over many decades, it’s not just the complexity of an n-body problem. They had to model effects such as the curvature of space-time due to General Relativity, the non-sphericity of the Sun, the gravitational asymmetry of the planets, moons and larger asteroids, as well as the non-isotropic thermal re-radiation from rotation of the asteroid.

So so the good news: we can do this today, and with each passing year of Moore's Law, we can look further into the future, moving from decades to a 100 years. The further you can see, and the more precisely, the easier the nudge becomes.

For input to the model you just need a series of at least three sample points (but more is better). And we are about to get a whole lot better at that. Starting in 2022, LSST will observe ~600,000 asteroids every night, and discover new asteroids at 10X today’s rate. This will accentuate the computation-bounded problem of using this torrent of data.

There is something poetic about the computational defense of humanity. And something that rhymes with history. The Space Race of the 60s was won computationally, not by brute force heavy-lift, which would have favored the Soviets.

Survival is computational. Intelligence allows us to see the future.