View allAll Photos Tagged useful
A build for the Lands of Roawia LEGO Castle game. It's based on a real medieval kitchen at Hever Castle (see the model here).
-------------------
Something wasn’t right, besides what Lord Sorely Meyrick, the Duke of Ainesford, was blabbing on about; no that cook…he was taking far too long to clean up the ale he himself had spilled. And Captain Tavish was certain he was pausing to listen to what was being said on the Speaker's Floor, strictly against the rules for “the help”. The grizzled archer nudged Baron Munro sitting next to him, but Sir Caelan barely noticed as he listened to Meyrick's speech and replied, “Can you believe what Sorely Lost here is advocating? Full compliance with Chartres! No wonder he lost the Battle of Ainesford so badly…”
Tavish shook his head in mild frustration and got up to check on that cook, but he had barely made it halfway there when the cook suddenly collected his rags and left. Now that was entirely too coincidental…
The Captain headed down the hallway to find him but was immediately accosted by the two ever-present and intellectually-challenged guards waiting there. Security at the Great Congress of Lenfald was incredibly tight; no one except the castle guards themselves were allowed any weapons whatsoever, and all the delegates and staff were sequestered inside the castle for the duration of this critical assembly. Upon seeing the archer they held out their halberds to stop him, but Tavish was way ahead of them. “Ah, there you are my good lads, I am here to report an illegal weapon, one of the delegates has a knife, I clearly saw it. Here, let me point him out.”
Excited that they finally had something real to do, the two looked like dogs waiting to go fetch a thrown stick. The Captain deliberately motioned at the middle of the delegates on the far side of the largest hall in all of Lenfald, and pointed indiscriminately, “there, that one wearing dark green.” The two were halfway across when they realized nearly every delegate there was wearing the official color of Lenfald.
The archer entered the Great Kitchen impatiently as he searched for the man, to no avail; he wasn’t there. It was incredibly busy in the hot room, but there was one cook removing the entrails from a goose who he grabbed by the arm after the man objected to his presence. “Did a cook just rush through here?”
“Oh no, I haven’t seen a cook all day!" he spit out sarcastically. "Look about you mate, you’re in a kit…” he didn’t get any farther as he was suddenly and violently shaken.
“Tall, thin, muscular, with a goatee and a deep tan like he has been in the…” a sinking feeling hit Captain Tavish as he finished his own sentence, “…desert.”
“Oh, the new bloke,” the cook muttered resentfully. “Yeah, he’s in the side kitchen over there.”
“New bloke? But the staff has been sequestered!”
“Aye but we ran short a’ help and contracted from outside…”
Now Tavish’s stomach was turning, and not from the sight of the goose’s entrails. He shot down the side hall and found the door to the secondary kitchen locked from the inside. He was not a slight man however and he burst through it after four body slams, only to face an arrow shot at him. Quickly turning to present a smaller target the shot barely missed, and he then plunged into the small kitchen. It had two ovens, one to his left and another to his right with a window facing the outer ward of the castle. A massive pot of some concoction was bubbling away in that fireplace, and two cooks were to his left, down and bleeding in front of the other oven. To his right across a table full of foodstuffs and dishes stood the dubious cook, now smoothly knocking another arrow. As Tavish reached for a large pot to try and deflect the shot, the cook instead leveled the shot at the window and fired the arrow out of it.
Instantly Tavish knew he had just lost, for two things came to his eye; the arrow had a note tied to it — the spy had just successfully gotten the word out as to whatever he had heard. And the other thing was personally alarming; the cook had an Areani tattoo on the inside of his arm—this was going to be one bloody fight, perhaps the Captain's last.
So he didn’t wait, and threw the pot at him as hard as he could, catching the spy in the ribs. That should have doubled him over, but the darker man barely noticed it. He produced a curved Loreesi dagger from inside his shirt and a second knife and attacked with both, while Tavish grabbed a kitchen knife and jar of seeds, and the two went at each other with full force. The jar wound up shattered as it absorbed a crushing blow from the dagger, and Tavish gave him a brutal slash across the shoulder, which again the Areani barely seemed to notice. In the flurry, the archer had sustained four bloody cuts from the spy and knew he wouldn’t last long against this seemingly inhuman opponent.
Then the Areani reacted to something over Tavish’s shoulder and a jar came flying out of nowhere and hit the spy in the head, shooting flour everywhere, clouding up the air. Sir Caelan then dashed by the Captain and attacked the cook with a meat cleaver, a sight that would have been hilarious if it weren't for the circumstances of their opponent being a deadly Loreesi agent.
Even dazed the Areani fought like a lion until Tavish grabbed a small iron pot and slammed it into the side of his head. Still the spy stood, but wavered. The temporary lull in the action allowed the sound of the bubbling pot to come through, and both Sir Caelan and Tavish simultaneously had the same idea, grabbing the spy by the arms and shoving him toward the fire. They forcefully pushed the Areani's head down into what turned out to be a lovely pea soup, now at full boil. The spy struggled mightily as he burned, but both his opponents held on until he went limp.
“We need to question him, I think,” Caelan barely managed and finally Tavish relented, letting the man fall to the floor with horrendous second-degree burns now all over his head and face, also covered in a slimy green.
The two friends stood huffing from their exertion until Baron Munro finally blurted, “You left just when the Duke was getting interesting…”
"I doubt that very much." Tavish stumbled to the window and cursed. “The blighter must have shot right over the outer wall. Jig’s up now; whatever was on that note is surely gone.”
Just then the same two guards who had stopped the Captain earlier now slammed into the kitchen. They took in the Areani, the mess, and the two hurt cooks to their right and looked furiously at them. Sir Caelan only waved at the spy on the floor and by way of explanation stated indignantly, “He ruined the soup.”
Two days later, a man dressed in fine red clothing stood on a tower of the King’s Castle, and held out his arm expectantly. A bird came down swiftly and alighted on his arm, and he gently caressed the falcon. He then unfastened the message tied to its leg and began reading carefully. His brow furrowed slightly after reading a few lines; then a calmness came over him. He looked towards the vast horizon and paused to consider everything that had taken place in the last few weeks. Prince Jarius then tucked the message into his pocket and, carrying the bird with him, walked purposely towards the stairs of the tower.
---------------------
This was a build to advance the Global Storyline in the Lands of Roawia LEGO Castle game. Hope you like it! 100% LEGO.
youtu.be/4SNTZlIPooI Beautiful music for relaxation, this music is great to listen to calm yourself down while chilling out on a great day. This music also great for stress relief. This music is also great background music while having a massage at a spa or doing yoga exercise. This music is very relaxing and calming. Stress Relief - Knowing when you are stressed is the first thing in dealing with it and getting rid of stress entirely. Identifying situations that are stressful and reducing or avoiding them is helpful. Once you have been able to identify stressful situations or times in the day you can then learn to use stress relief music as a stress relief tool. Being tense is not pleasant at the greater end of the scale, but many people justify it at the lesser end, as a form of motivation and enthusiasm. The reality is when are relaxed listening to stress relief music you will think more clearly, make better decisions and have overall better performance. That's where listening to some of the music on Beautiful Music, naturally designed for Stress Relief, is perfect. By listening while you work, study or when you need to wind down and take a few deep breaths, you can stay relaxed, calm and clear minded for all the tough work you have ahead. Stress relief music can be relaxing music, meditation music or study music. Stress relief can be had with a good laugh. Stress relief can be had with hard exercise. Stress relief can be achieved with sex. But the most simple is our music for stress relief. Subscribe and get your daily dose of stress relief. #StressRelief #StressReliefMusic Calming Music - In a state of calm you are at your best, right? So listen to our beautiful calming music every day and be calm, stay calm and be happy. When you feel calm you can go about your day with joy, making the world around you a better place, a calm place. Calming music including calm music, relaxing calm music, calm music for stress relief is good for relaxation, yoga, meditation, study, work, and healing. Calm music good for sleep, relaxation and massage. Keep Calm and……. #CalmingMusic #KeepCalm #CalmMusic Yoga - Music for yoga is a very important part of a good yoga routine or successful yoga studio. Having the right music to keep breathing rhythmically and relax the mind to feel a deep stretched is exactly what our yoga music will do. All Yoga Music from Beautiful Music has been designed to let your muscles relax and enter deep calming, soothing state, in line with your relaxed mind. Background Yoga Music is very useful for classes if you practice at home or have a yoga studio. #YogaMusic #MusicforYoga Spa - Beautiful Music has loads of Spa Music, relaxing music and calm music for day spa, massage, yoga. You are most welcome to play this music in your Health Spa, Massage Center or Healing Center. We would appreciate your support if you would like to buy and download from our site, then we can continue to create more awesome Spa Music. Achieve a pleasant environment for staff, customers, guests and encourage ultimate relaxation with Spa Music. Healing - Healing music is a wonderful tool for healing emotional trauma. Many of our tracks will help you search deep inside yourself, relax and make peace with those emotions that need some attention and healing music. The music alone can be the catalyst for healing, bringing one into the feeling or emotion that needs a little love and attention to be resolved. This healing music is perfect to listen to while doing yoga exercises, reiki or any other healing practice. Being in a relaxed, calm state will allow you to restore your natural vitality, our healing music will do just that. #HealingMusic Thanks for supporting our channel! We love creating music to help people in their lives, in stressful situations, in need of rest or focus and concentration. Thanks for watching our videos, you can also follow us on other social media sites below. Join Us On Facebook: ift.tt/2a3mWaE Join Us On Twitter: twitter.com/bmusicssr Join Us On Facebook: ift.tt/2auZdVR Join Us On Tumblr: ift.tt/2aVZv4S For more information about where to purchase or listen to our music such as Spotify, Google Play, Amazon etc. check out the “About” section of our YouTube channel. Copyright Healing4Happiness. All rights reserved.
the Perthshire winter approaches - 4X4 time! This is the "useful" beemer, the convertible is less useful but more fun: flic.kr/p/Q4jY2d
From Wiki:
The wreck that can be seen off the harbour is the coaster SS Vina which was used for target practice by the RAF before sinking in 1944. The Vina was built at Leith by Ramage & Ferguson in 1894, and was registered at Grangemouth. She was a coast-hugging general cargo ship which would have worked the crossings between the east coast of England and through to the Baltic states.
As she neared the end of her useful seagoing life in 1940, Vina was requisitioned as a naval vessel for wartime use, carrying a crew of 12. With Great Yarmouth being a strategic port on the east coast, the ultimate fate for the ship would have been to have had her hold filled with explosives, and destroyed at the mouth of the harbour, thus blocking entry in the event of Nazi invasion. However, as this threat passed, she was taken out of service and towed up the east coast towards Brancaster where she was used as a target for the RAF before the planned invasion of Normandy.
The ship was subsequently sunk and the wreck remains on the sandbank to this day. Numerous efforts have been made to retrieve the wreckage as the ship was not only a danger to navigation, but also an attraction to the holiday makers on Brancaster beach who regularly walked out to the vessel's remains at low tide. Lives have been lost due to these ill-advised actions and the local lifeboats and RAF rescue helicopters have been pressed into service on many occasions each summer.
Removal efforts have long been abandoned due to the excessive costs involved. One ambitious suggestion involved blowing the remains up, but it was calculated that so much explosive would be needed, the subsequent explosion would have broken every window in Brancaster and Brancaster Staithe. A touch apocryphal maybe, but, even so, the wreck is destined to spend many more decades on the sands before time and tide eventually erode it completely.
The tide was coming in so I didn't try to get any nearer :-) reading the above I'm glad!
Not particularly groundbreaking or anything, just an LDD example to show one of my go to methods for smooth surfaces with studs in two directions.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, RAW / Lightroom CC
Fuji X Secrets Workshops & Blog
Read the X-Pert Corner blog.
Useful (e)books on Fujifilm cameras:
The Fujifilm X-T10 – 115 X-Pert Tips
The Fujifilm X-T1 – 111 X-Pert Tips 2nd edition with Firmware 4
The Fujifilm X-E2 – Beyond the Manual
Mastering the Fujifilm X-E1 and X-Pro1
Save 40% with coupon code XPERT40
Die Fujifilm X-T10. 115 Profitipps.
Die Fujifilm X-T1. 111 Profitipps. 2. Auflage mit Firmware 4
USAF C-130 Hercules Propeller Driven Cargo Plane Returns to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
The plane can fly home non-stop from anywhere in the world.
I did not have a camera with me, so I used my iPhone 12 Pro Max at its longest focal length.
Cropped and post processed in Apple’s Photos app.
The cropping is obviously beyond the useful resolution of this lens and sensor chip.
______________________________
C-130 Hercules military transport plane heading east over my house and turning south to approach the Davis-Monthan AFB runway from the southeast to the northwest.
______________________________
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_C-130_Hercules
C-130 Hercules
Straight-wing, four-engine turboprop-driven aircraft overflying water
USAF C-130E
Role: Military transport aircraft
National origin: United States
ManufacturerLockheed
Lockheed Martin
First flight23 August 1954
Status: In service
Primary users:
United States Air Force
United States Marine Corps
Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced: 1954–present
Number built: Over 2,500 as of 2015[1]
Unit cost
C-130E $11.9 million[2]
C-130H $30.1 million[3]
Variants:
AC-130 Spectre/Spooky
Lockheed DC-130
Lockheed EC-130
Lockheed HC-130
Lockheed Martin KC-130
Lockheed LC-130
Lockheed MC-130
Lockheed WC-130
Lockheed L-100 Hercules
Developed into: Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin.
Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medivac, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130),for
airborne assault,
search and rescue,
scientific research support,
weather reconnaissance,
aerial refueling,
maritime patrol, and
aerial firefighting.
It is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over forty models and variants of the Hercules, including a civilian one marketed as Lockheed L-100, operate in more than sixty nations.
The C-130 entered service with the U.S. in the 1950s, followed by Australia and others. During its years of service, the Hercules family has participated in numerous military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations. In 2007, the C-130 became the fifth aircraft—after the English Electric Canberra, B-52 Stratofortress, Tu-95, and KC-135 Stratotanker—to mark 50 years of continuous service with its original primary customer, in this case, the United States Air Force. The C-130 Hercules is the longest continuously produced military aircraft at over 60 years, with the updated C-130J Super Hercules being produced today.[4]
Contents [hide]
1Design and development
1.1Background and requirements
1.2Design phase
1.3Improved versions
1.4More improvements
1.5Later models
1.6Next generation
1.7Upgrades and changes
1.8Replacement
2Operational history
2.1Military
2.2Civilian
3Variants
4Operators
5Accidents
6Aircraft on display
6.1Australia
6.2Canada
6.3Colombia
6.4Indonesia
6.5Norway
6.6Saudi Arabia
6.7United Kingdom
6.8United States
7Specifications (C-130H)
8See also
9References
10External links
Design and development[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2014)
Background and requirements[edit]
The Korean War, which began in June 1950, showed that World War II-era piston-engine transports—Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars, Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Curtiss C-46 Commandos—were inadequate for modern warfare. Thus, on 2 February 1951, the United States Air Force issued a General Operating Requirement (GOR) for a new transport to Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild, Lockheed, Martin, Chase Aircraft, North American, Northrop, and Airlifts Inc. The new transport would have a capacity of 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in a cargo compartment that was approximately 41 feet (12 m) long, 9 feet (2.7 m) high, and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. Unlike transports derived from passenger airliners, it was to be designed from the ground-up as a combat transport with loading from a hinged loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage.
A key feature was the introduction of the Allison T56 turboprop powerplant, first developed specifically for the C-130. At the time, the turboprop was a new application of turbine engines that used exhaust gases to turn a propeller, which offered greater range at propeller-driven speeds compared to pure turbojets, which were faster but consumed more fuel. As was the case on helicopters of that era, such as the UH-1 Huey, turboshafts produced much more power for their weight than piston engines. Lockheed would subsequently use the same engines and technology in the Lockheed L-188 Electra. That aircraft failed financially in its civilian configuration but was successfully adapted into the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol and submarine attack aircraft where the efficiency and endurance of turboprops excelled.
Design phase[edit]
The Hercules resembled a larger four-engine brother to the C-123 Provider with a similar wing and cargo ramp layout that evolved from the Chase XCG-20 Avitruc, which in turn, was first designed and flown as a cargo glider in 1947.[5] The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter also had a rear ramp, which made it possible to drive vehicles onto the plane (also possible with forward ramp on a C-124). The ramp on the Hercules was also used to airdrop cargo, which included low-altitude extraction for Sheridan tanks and even dropping large improvised "daisy cutter" bombs.
The new Lockheed cargo plane design possessed a range of 1,100 nmi (1,270 mi; 2,040 km), takeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine shut down. Fairchild, North American, Martin, and Northrop declined to participate. The remaining five companies tendered a total of ten designs: Lockheed two, Boeing one, Chase three, Douglas three, and Airlifts Inc. one. The contest was a close affair between the lighter of the two Lockheed (preliminary project designation L-206) proposals and a four-turboprop Douglas design.
The Lockheed design team was led by Willis Hawkins, starting with a 130-page proposal for the Lockheed L-206.[6] Hall Hibbard, Lockheed vice president and chief engineer, saw the proposal and directed it to Kelly Johnson, who did not care for the low-speed, unarmed aircraft, and remarked, "If you sign that letter, you will destroy the Lockheed Company."[6] Both Hibbard and Johnson signed the proposal and the company won the contract for the now-designated Model 82 on 2 July 1951.[7]
The first flight of the YC-130 prototype was made on 23 August 1954 from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. The aircraft, serial number 53-3397, was the second prototype, but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to Edwards Air Force Base; Jack Real and Dick Stanton served as flight engineers. Kelly Johnson flew chase in a Lockheed P2V Neptune.[8]
After the two prototypes were completed, production began in Marietta, Georgia, where over 2,300 C-130s have been built through 2009.[9]
The initial production model, the C-130A, was powered by Allison T56-A-9 turboprops with three-blade propellers and originally equipped with the blunt nose of the prototypes. Deliveries began in December 1956, continuing until the introduction of the C-130B model in 1959. Some A-models were equipped with skis and re-designated C-130D.
As the C-130A became operational with Tactical Air Command (TAC), the C-130's lack of range became apparent and additional fuel capacity was added in the form of external pylon-mounted tanks at the end of the wings.
Improved versions[edit]
A Michigan Air National Guard C-130E dispatches its flares during a low-level training mission
The C-130B model was developed to complement the A-models that had previously been delivered, and incorporated new features, particularly increased fuel capacity in the form of auxiliary tanks built into the center wing section and an AC electrical system. Four-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers replaced the Aeroproducts three-blade propellers that distinguished the earlier A-models. The C-130B had ailerons with increased boost—3,000 psi (21 MPa) versus 2,050 psi (14 MPa)—as well as uprated engines and four-blade propellers that were standard until the J-model's introduction.
An electronic reconnaissance variant of the C-130B was designated C-130B-II. A total of 13 aircraft were converted. The C-130B-II was distinguished by its false external wing fuel tanks, which were disguised signals intelligence (SIGINT) receiver antennas. These pods were slightly larger than the standard wing tanks found on other C-130Bs. Most aircraft featured a swept blade antenna on the upper fuselage, as well as extra wire antennas between the vertical fin and upper fuselage not found on other C-130s. Radio call numbers on the tail of these aircraft were regularly changed so as to confuse observers and disguise their true mission.
The extended-range C-130E model entered service in 1962 after it was developed as an interim long-range transport for the Military Air Transport Service. Essentially a B-model, the new designation was the result of the installation of 1,360 US gal (5,150 L) Sargent Fletcher external fuel tanks under each wing's midsection and more powerful Allison T56-A-7A turboprops. The hydraulic boost pressure to the ailerons was reduced back to 2050 psi as a consequence of the external tanks' weight in the middle of the wingspan. The E model also featured structural improvements, avionics upgrades and a higher gross weight. Australia took delivery of 12 C130E Hercules during 1966–67 to supplement the 12 C-130A models already in service with the RAAF. Sweden and Spain fly the TP-84T version of the C-130E fitted for aerial refueling capability.
The KC-130 tankers, originally C-130F procured for the US Marine Corps (USMC) in 1958 (under the designation GV-1) are equipped with a removable 3,600 US gal (13,626 L) stainless steel fuel tank carried inside the cargo compartment. The two wing-mounted hose and drogue aerial refueling pods each transfer up to 300 US gal per minute (19 L per second) to two aircraft simultaneously, allowing for rapid cycle times of multiple-receiver aircraft formations, (a typical tanker formation of four aircraft in less than 30 minutes). The US Navy's C-130G has increased structural strength allowing higher gross weight operation.
More improvements[edit]
Royal Australian Air Force C-130H, 2007
The C-130H model has updated Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, a redesigned outer wing, updated avionics and other minor improvements. Later H models had a new, fatigue-life-improved, center wing that was retrofitted to many earlier H-models. For structural reasons, some models are required to land with certain amounts of fuel when carrying heavy cargo, reducing usable range.[10] The H model remains in widespread use with the United States Air Force (USAF) and many foreign air forces. Initial deliveries began in 1964 (to the RNZAF), remaining in production until 1996. An improved C-130H was introduced in 1974, with Australia purchasing 12 of type in 1978 to replace the original 12 C-130A models, which had first entered RAAF Service in 1958.
The United States Coast Guard employs the HC-130H for long-range search and rescue, drug interdiction, illegal migrant patrols, homeland security, and logistics.
C-130H models produced from 1992 to 1996 were designated as C-130H3 by the USAF. The "3" denoting the third variation in design for the H series. Improvements included ring laser gyros for the INUs, GPS receivers, a partial glass cockpit (ADI and HSI instruments), a more capable APN-241 color radar, night vision device compatible instrument lighting, and an integrated radar and missile warning system. The electrical system upgrade included Generator Control Units (GCU) and Bus Switching units (BSU)to provide stable power to the more sensitive upgraded components.[citation needed]
Royal Air Force C-130K (C.3)
The equivalent model for export to the UK is the C-130K, known by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as the Hercules C.1. The C-130H-30 (Hercules C.3 in RAF service) is a stretched version of the original Hercules, achieved by inserting a 100 in (2.54 m) plug aft of the cockpit and an 80 in (2.03 m) plug at the rear of the fuselage. A single C-130K was purchased by the Met Office for use by its Meteorological Research Flight, where it was classified as the Hercules W.2. This aircraft was heavily modified (with its most prominent feature being the long red and white striped atmospheric probe on the nose and the move of the weather radar into a pod above the forward fuselage). This aircraft, named Snoopy, was withdrawn in 2001 and was then modified by Marshall of Cambridge Aerospace as flight-testbed for the A400M turbine engine, the TP400. The C-130K is used by the RAF Falcons for parachute drops. Three C-130K (Hercules C Mk.1P) were upgraded and sold to the Austrian Air Force in 2002.[11]
Later models[edit]
The MC-130E Combat Talon was developed for the USAF during the Vietnam War to support special operations missions in Southeast Asia, and led to both the MC-130H Combat Talon II as well as a family of other special missions aircraft. 37 of the earliest models currently operating with the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) are scheduled to be replaced by new-production MC-130J versions. The EC-130 Commando Solo is another special missions variant within AFSOC, albeit operated solely by an AFSOC-gained wing in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and is a psychological operations/information operations (PSYOP/IO) platform equipped as an aerial radio station and television stations able to transmit messaging over commercial frequencies. Other versions of the EC-130, most notably the EC-130H Compass Call, are also special variants, but are assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC). The AC-130 gunship was first developed during the Vietnam War to provide close air support and other ground-attack duties.
USAF HC-130P refuels a HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter
The HC-130 is a family of long-range search and rescue variants used by the USAF and the U.S. Coast Guard. Equipped for deep deployment of Pararescuemen (PJs), survival equipment, and (in the case of USAF versions) aerial refueling of combat rescue helicopters, HC-130s are usually the on-scene command aircraft for combat SAR missions (USAF only) and non-combat SAR (USAF and USCG). Early USAF versions were also equipped with the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, designed to pull a person off the ground using a wire strung from a helium balloon. The John Wayne movie The Green Berets features its use. The Fulton system was later removed when aerial refueling of helicopters proved safer and more versatile. The movie The Perfect Storm depicts a real life SAR mission involving aerial refueling of a New York Air National Guard HH-60G by a New York Air National Guard HC-130P.
The C-130R and C-130T are U.S. Navy and USMC models, both equipped with underwing external fuel tanks. The USN C-130T is similar, but has additional avionics improvements. In both models, aircraft are equipped with Allison T56-A-16 engines. The USMC versions are designated KC-130R or KC-130T when equipped with underwing refueling pods and pylons and are fully night vision system compatible.
The RC-130 is a reconnaissance version. A single example is used by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, the aircraft having originally been sold to the former Imperial Iranian Air Force.
The Lockheed L-100 (L-382) is a civilian variant, equivalent to a C-130E model without military equipment. The L-100 also has two stretched versions.
Next generation[edit]
Main article: Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
In the 1970s, Lockheed proposed a C-130 variant with turbofan engines rather than turboprops, but the U.S. Air Force preferred the takeoff performance of the existing aircraft. In the 1980s, the C-130 was intended to be replaced by the Advanced Medium STOL Transport project. The project was canceled and the C-130 has remained in production.
Building on lessons learned, Lockheed Martin modified a commercial variant of the C-130 into a High Technology Test Bed (HTTB). This test aircraft set numerous short takeoff and landing performance records and significantly expanded the database for future derivatives of the C-130.[12] Modifications made to the HTTB included extended chord ailerons, a long chord rudder, fast-acting double-slotted trailing edge flaps, a high-camber wing leading edge extension, a larger dorsal fin and dorsal fins, the addition of three spoiler panels to each wing upper surface, a long-stroke main and nose landing gear system, and changes to the flight controls and a change from direct mechanical linkages assisted by hydraulic boost, to fully powered controls, in which the mechanical linkages from the flight station controls operated only the hydraulic control valves of the appropriate boost unit.[13] The HTTB first flew on 19 June 1984, with civil registration of N130X. After demonstrating many new technologies, some of which were applied to the C-130J, the HTTB was lost in a fatal accident on 3 February 1993, at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, in Marietta, Georgia.[14] The crash was attributed to disengagement of the rudder fly-by-wire flight control system, resulting in a total loss of rudder control capability while conducting ground minimum control speed tests (Vmcg). The disengagement was a result of the inadequate design of the rudder's integrated actuator package by its manufacturer; the operator's insufficient system safety review failed to consider the consequences of the inadequate design to all operating regimes. A factor which contributed to the accident was the flight crew's lack of engineering flight test training.[15]
In the 1990s, the improved C-130J Super Hercules was developed by Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin). This model is the newest version and the only model in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J model has new turboprop engines, six-bladed propellers, digital avionics, and other new systems.[16]
Upgrades and changes[edit]
In 2000, Boeing was awarded a US$1.4 billion contract to develop an Avionics Modernization Program kit for the C-130. The program was beset with delays and cost overruns until project restructuring in 2007.[17] On 2 September 2009, Bloomberg news reported that the planned Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) upgrade to the older C-130s would be dropped to provide more funds for the F-35, CV-22 and airborne tanker replacement programs.[18] However, in June 2010, Department of Defense approved funding for the initial production of the AMP upgrade kits.[19][20] Under the terms of this agreement, the USAF has cleared Boeing to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) for the C-130 AMP. A total of 198 aircraft are expected to feature the AMP upgrade. The current cost per aircraft is US$14 million although Boeing expects that this price will drop to US$7 million for the 69th aircraft.[17]
An engine enhancement program saving fuel and providing lower temperatures in the T56 engine has been approved, and the US Air Force expects to save $2 billion and extend the fleet life.[21]
Replacement[edit]
In October 2010, the Air Force released a capabilities request for information (CRFI) for the development of a new airlifter to replace the C-130. The new aircraft is to carry a 190 percent greater payload and assume the mission of mounted vertical maneuver (MVM). The greater payload and mission would enable it to carry medium-weight armored vehicles and drop them off at locations without long runways. Various options are being considered, including new or upgraded fixed-wing designs, rotorcraft, tiltrotors, or even an airship. Development could start in 2014, and become operational by 2024. The C-130 fleet of around 450 planes would be replaced by only 250 aircraft.[22] The Air Force had attempted to replace the C-130 in the 1970s through the Advanced Medium STOL Transport project, which resulted in the C-17 Globemaster III that instead replaced the C-141 Starlifter.[23] The Air Force Research Laboratory funded Lockheed and Boeing demonstrators for the Speed Agile concept, which had the goal of making a STOL aircraft that can take off and land at speeds as low as 70 kn (130 km/h; 81 mph) on airfields less than 2,000 ft (610 m) long and cruise at Mach 0.8-plus. Boeing's design used upper-surface blowing from embedded engines on the inboard wing and blown flaps for circulation control on the outboard wing. Lockheed's design also used blown flaps outboard, but inboard used patented reversing ejector nozzles. Boeing's design completed over 2,000 hours of windtunnel tests in late 2009. It was a 5 percent-scale model of a narrowbody design with a 55,000 lb (25,000 kg) payload. When the AFRL increased the payload requirement to 65,000 lb (29,000 kg), they tested a 5% scale model of a widebody design with a 303,000 lb (137,000 kg) take-off gross weight and an "A400M-size" 158 in (4.0 m) wide cargo box. It would be powered by four IAE V2533 turbofans.[24] In August 2011, the AFRL released pictures of the Lockheed Speed Agile concept demonstrator. A 23% scale model went through wind tunnel tests to demonstrate its hybrid powered lift, which combines a low drag airframe with simple mechanical assembly to reduce weight and better aerodynamics. The model had four engines, including two Williams FJ44 turbofans.[23][25] On 26 March 2013, Boeing was granted a patent for its swept-wing powered lift aircraft.[26]
As of January 2014, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force Research Lab are in the early stages of defining requirements for the C-X next generation airlifter program to replace both the C-130 and C-17. An aircraft would be produced from the early 2030s to the 2040s. If requirements are decided for operating in contested airspace, Air Force procurement of C-130s would end by the end of the decade to not have them serviceable by the 2030s and operated when they can't perform in that environment. Development of the airlifter depends heavily on the Army's "tactical and operational maneuver" plans. Two different cargo planes could still be created to separately perform tactical and strategic missions, but which course to pursue is to be decided before C-17s need to be retired.[27]
Operational history[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2014)
Military[edit]
USMC KC-130F Hercules performing takeoffs and landings aboard the aircraft carrier Forrestal in 1963. The aircraft is now displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation.
The first production aircraft, C-130As were first delivered beginning in 1956 to the 463d Troop Carrier Wing at Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma and the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart AFB, Tennessee. Six additional squadrons were assigned to the 322d Air Division in Europe and the 315th Air Division in the Far East. Additional aircraft were modified for electronics intelligence work and assigned to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany while modified RC-130As were assigned to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) photo-mapping division.
In 1958, a U.S. reconnaissance C-130A-II of the 7406th Support Squadron was shot down over Armenia by MiG-17s.[28]
Australia became the first non-American force to operate the C-130A Hercules with 12 examples being delivered from late 1958. These aircraft were fitted with AeroProducts three-blade, 15-foot diameter propellers. The Royal Canadian Air Force became another early user with the delivery of four B-models (Canadian designation C-130 Mk I) in October / November 1960.[29]
In 1963, a Hercules achieved and still holds the record for the largest and heaviest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.[30] During October and November that year, a USMC KC-130F (BuNo 149798), loaned to the U.S. Naval Air Test Center, made 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings and 21 unassisted take-offs on Forrestal at a number of different weights.[31] The pilot, LT (later RADM) James H. Flatley III, USN, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his role in this test series. The tests were highly successful, but the idea was considered too risky for routine "Carrier Onboard Delivery" (COD) operations. Instead, the Grumman C-2 Greyhound was developed as a dedicated COD aircraft. The Hercules used in the test, most recently in service with Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) until 2005, is now part of the collection of the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.
In 1964, C-130 crews from the 6315th Operations Group at Naha Air Base, Okinawa commenced forward air control (FAC; "Flare") missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos supporting USAF strike aircraft. In April 1965 the mission was expanded to North Vietnam where C-130 crews led formations of B-57 bombers on night reconnaissance/strike missions against communist supply routes leading to South Vietnam. In early 1966 Project Blind Bat/Lamplighter was established at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. After the move to Ubon the mission became a four-engine FAC mission with the C-130 crew searching for targets then calling in strike aircraft. Another little-known C-130 mission flown by Naha-based crews was Operation Commando Scarf, which involved the delivery of chemicals onto sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos that were designed to produce mud and landslides in hopes of making the truck routes impassable.[citation needed]
In November 1964, on the other side of the globe, C-130Es from the 464th Troop Carrier Wing but loaned to 322d Air Division in France, flew one of the most dramatic missions in history in the former Belgian Congo. After communist Simba rebels took white residents of the city of Stanleyville hostage, the U.S. and Belgium developed a joint rescue mission that used the C-130s to airlift and then drop and air-land a force of Belgian paratroopers to rescue the hostages. Two missions were flown, one over Stanleyville and another over Paulis during Thanksgiving weeks.[32] The headline-making mission resulted in the first award of the prestigious MacKay Trophy to C-130 crews.
In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, as a desperate measure the transport No. 6 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force modified its entire small fleet of C-130Bs for use as heavy bombers, capable of carrying up to 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) of bombs on pallets. These improvised bombers were used to hit Indian targets such as bridges, heavy artillery positions, tank formations and troop concentrations.[33][34] Some C-130s even flew with anti-aircraft guns fitted on their ramp, apparently shooting down some 17 aircraft and damaging 16 others.[35]
The C-130 Hercules were used in the Battle of Kham Duc in 1968, when the North Vietnamese Army forced U.S.-led forces to abandon the Kham Duc Special Forces Camp.
In October 1968, a C-130Bs from the 463rd Tactical Airlift Wing dropped a pair of M-121 10,000 pound bombs that had been developed for the massive B-36 bomber but had never been used. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force resurrected the huge weapons as a means of clearing landing zones for helicopters and in early 1969 the 463rd commenced Commando Vault missions. Although the stated purpose of COMMANDO VAULT was to clear LZs, they were also used on enemy base camps and other targets.[citation needed]
During the late 1960s, the U.S. was eager to get information on Chinese nuclear capabilities. After the failure of the Black Cat Squadron to plant operating sensor pods near the Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base using a Lockheed U-2, the CIA developed a plan, named Heavy Tea, to deploy two battery-powered sensor pallets near the base. To deploy the pallets, a Black Bat Squadron crew was trained in the U.S. to fly the C-130 Hercules. The crew of 12, led by Col Sun Pei Zhen, took off from Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in an unmarked U.S. Air Force C-130E on 17 May 1969. Flying for six and a half hours at low altitude in the dark, they arrived over the target and the sensor pallets were dropped by parachute near Anxi in Gansu province. After another six and a half hours of low altitude flight, they arrived back at Takhli. The sensors worked and uploaded data to a U.S. intelligence satellite for six months, before their batteries wore out. The Chinese conducted two nuclear tests, on 22 September 1969 and 29 September 1969, during the operating life of the sensor pallets. Another mission to the area was planned as Operation Golden Whip, but was called off in 1970.[36] It is most likely that the aircraft used on this mission was either C-130E serial number 64-0506 or 64-0507 (cn 382-3990 and 382-3991). These two aircraft were delivered to Air America in 1964.[37] After being returned to the U.S. Air Force sometime between 1966 and 1970, they were assigned the serial numbers of C-130s that had been destroyed in accidents. 64-0506 is now flying as 62-1843, a C-130E that crashed in Vietnam on 20 December 1965 and 64-0507 is now flying as 63-7785, a C-130E that had crashed in Vietnam on 17 June 1966.[38]
The A-model continued in service through the Vietnam War, where the aircraft assigned to the four squadrons at Naha AB, Okinawa and one at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan performed yeoman's service, including operating highly classified special operations missions such as the BLIND BAT FAC/Flare mission and FACT SHEET leaflet mission over Laos and North Vietnam. The A-model was also provided to the South Vietnamese Air Force as part of the Vietnamization program at the end of the war, and equipped three squadrons based at Tan Son Nhut AFB. The last operator in the world is the Honduran Air Force, which is still flying one of five A model Hercules (FAH 558, c/n 3042) as of October 2009.[39] As the Vietnam War wound down, the 463rd Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wing B-models and A-models of the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing were transferred back to the United States where most were assigned to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units.
U.S. Marines disembark from C-130 transports at the Da Nang Airbase on 8 March 1965
Another prominent role for the B model was with the United States Marine Corps, where Hercules initially designated as GV-1s replaced C-119s. After Air Force C-130Ds proved the type's usefulness in Antarctica, the U.S. Navy purchased a number of B-models equipped with skis that were designated as LC-130s. C-130B-II electronic reconnaissance aircraft were operated under the SUN VALLEY program name primarily from Yokota Air Base, Japan. All reverted to standard C-130B cargo aircraft after their replacement in the reconnaissance role by other aircraft.
The C-130 was also used in the 1976 Entebbe raid in which Israeli commando forces carried a surprise assault to rescue 103 passengers of an airliner hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. The rescue force — 200 soldiers, jeeps, and a black Mercedes-Benz (intended to resemble Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin's vehicle of state) — was flown over 2,200 nmi (4,074 km; 2,532 mi) almost entirely at an altitude of less than 100 ft (30 m) from Israel to Entebbe by four Israeli Air Force (IAF) Hercules aircraft without mid-air refueling (on the way back, the planes refueled in Nairobi, Kenya).
During the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas) of 1982, Argentine Air Force C-130s undertook highly dangerous, daily re-supply night flights as blockade runners to the Argentine garrison on the Falkland Islands. They also performed daylight maritime survey flights. One was lost during the war. Argentina also operated two KC-130 tankers during the war, and these refueled both the Douglas A-4 Skyhawks and Navy Dassault-Breguet Super Étendards; some C-130s were modified to operate as bombers with bomb-racks under their wings. The British also used RAF C-130s to support their logistical operations.
USMC C-130T Fat Albert performing a rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO)
During the Gulf War of 1991 (Operation Desert Storm), the C-130 Hercules was used operationally by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, along with the air forces of Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the UK. The MC-130 Combat Talon variant also made the first attacks using the largest conventional bombs in the world, the BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" and GBU-43/B "Massive Ordnance Air Blast" bomb, (MOAB). Daisy Cutters were used to clear landing zones and to eliminate mine fields. The weight and size of the weapons make it impossible or impractical to load them on conventional bombers. The GBU-43/B MOAB is a successor to the BLU-82 and can perform the same function, as well as perform strike functions against hardened targets in a low air threat environment.
Since 1992, two successive C-130 aircraft named Fat Albert have served as the support aircraft for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Fat Albert I was a TC-130G (151891),[40] while Fat Albert II is a C-130T (164763).[41] Although Fat Albert supports a Navy squadron, it is operated by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and its crew consists solely of USMC personnel. At some air shows featuring the team, Fat Albert takes part, performing flyovers. Until 2009, it also demonstrated its rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) capabilities; these ended due to dwindling supplies of rockets.[42]
The AC-130 also holds the record for the longest sustained flight by a C-130. From 22 to 24 October 1997, two AC-130U gunships flew 36 hours nonstop from Hurlburt Field Florida to Taegu (Daegu), South Korea while being refueled seven times by KC-135 tanker aircraft. This record flight shattered the previous record longest flight by over 10 hours while the two gunships took on 410,000 lb (190,000 kg) of fuel. The gunship has been used in every major U.S. combat operation since Vietnam, except for Operation El Dorado Canyon, the 1986 attack on Libya.[43]
C-130 Hercules performs a tactical landing on a dirt strip
During the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the ongoing support of the International Security Assistance Force (Operation Enduring Freedom), the C-130 Hercules has been used operationally by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the United States.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), the C-130 Hercules was used operationally by Australia, the UK and the United States. After the initial invasion, C-130 operators as part of the Multinational force in Iraq used their C-130s to support their forces in Iraq.
Since 2004, the Pakistan Air Force has employed C-130s in the War in North-West Pakistan. Some variants had forward looking infrared (FLIR Systems Star Safire III EO/IR) sensor balls, to enable close tracking of Islamist militants.[44]
Civilian[edit]
A C-130E fitted with a MAFFS-1 dropping fire retardant
The U.S. Forest Service developed the Modular Airborne FireFighting System for the C-130 in the 1970s, which allows regular aircraft to be temporarily converted to an airtanker for fighting wildfires.[45] In the late 1980s, 22 retired USAF C-130As were removed from storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and transferred to the U.S. Forest Service who then sold them to six private companies to be converted into air tankers (see U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal). After one of these aircraft crashed due to wing separation in flight as a result of fatigue stress cracking, the entire fleet of C-130A air tankers was permanently grounded in 2004 (see 2002 airtanker crashes). C-130s have been used to spread chemical dispersants onto the massive oil slick in the Gulf Coast in 2010.[46]
A recent development of a C-130–based airtanker is the Retardant Aerial Delivery System developed by Coulson Aviation USA . The system consists of a C-130H/Q retrofitted with an in-floor discharge system, combined with a removable 3,500- or 4,000-gallon water tank. The combined system is FAA certified.[47]
Variants[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2014)
C-130H Hercules flight deck
A U.S. JC-130 aircraft retrieving a reconnaissance satellite film capsule under parachute.
C-130s from the: U.S., Canada, Australia and Israel (foreground to background)
RAAF C-130J-30 at Point Cook, 2006
Brazilian Air Force C-130 (L-382)
For civilian versions, see Lockheed L-100 Hercules.
Significant military variants of the C-130 include:
C-130A/B/E/F/G/H/K/T
Tactical airlifter basic models
C-130A-II Dreamboat
Early version Electronic Intelligence/Signals Intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT) aircraft[48]
C-130J Super Hercules
Tactical airlifter, with new engines, avionics, and updated systems
C-130K
Designation for RAF Hercules C1/W2/C3 aircraft (C-130Js in RAF service are the Hercules C.4 and Hercules C.5)
AC-130A/E/H/J/U/W
Gunship variants
C-130D/D-6
Ski-equipped version for snow and ice operations United States Air Force / Air National Guard
CC-130E/H/J Hercules
Designation for Canadian Armed Forces / Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft. U.S. Air Force used the CC-130J designation to differentiate standard C-130Js from "stretched" C-130Js (Company designation C-130J-30s).
DC-130A/E/H
USAF and USN Drone control
EC-130
EC-130E/J Commando Solo – USAF / Air National Guard psychological operations version
EC-130E – Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC)
EC-130E Rivet Rider – Airborne psychological warfare aircraft
EC-130H Compass Call – Electronic warfare and electronic attack.[49]
EC-130V – Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) variant used by USCG for counter-narcotics missions[50]
GC-130
Permanently Grounded "Static Display"
HC-130
HC-130B/E/H – Early model combat search and rescue
HC-130P/N Combat King – USAF aerial refueling tanker and combat search and rescue
HC-130J Combat King II – Next generation combat search and rescue tanker
HC-130H/J – USCG long-range surveillance and search and rescue
JC-130
Temporary conversion for flight test operations
KC-130F/R/T/J
United States Marine Corps aerial refueling tanker and tactical airlifter
LC-130F/H/R
USAF / Air National Guard – Ski-equipped version for Arctic and Antarctic support operations; LC-130F previously operated by USN
MC-130
MC-130E/H Combat Talon I/II – Special operations infiltration/extraction variant
MC-130W Combat Spear/Dragon Spear – Special operations tanker/gunship[51]
MC-130P Combat Shadow – Special operations tanker
MC-130J Commando II (formerly Combat Shadow II) – Special operations tanker Air Force Special Operations Command[52]
YMC-130H – Modified aircraft under Operation Credible Sport for second Iran hostage crisis rescue attempt
NC-130
Permanent conversion for flight test operations
PC-130/C-130-MP
Maritime patrol
RC-130A/S
Surveillance aircraft for reconnaissance
SC-130J Sea Herc
Proposed maritime patrol version of the C-130J, designed for coastal surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.[53][54]
TC-130
Aircrew training
VC-130H
VIP transport
WC-130A/B/E/H/J
Weather reconnaissance ("Hurricane Hunter") version for USAF / Air Force Reserve Command's 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron in support of the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center
_________________________________
A couple of useful links that relate to this photo: extreme-macro.co.uk/hdmi-matrix/ and extreme-macro.co.uk/field-monitor/
Another potentially useful chart I've put together from various sources, with a bit of a guess (optimistic?) for new Ektachrome (which I haven't shot yet!)
Obviously, for times over a minute or so these times are a guide, given the increasing gaps in time between 1/3 stops.
Sorry the photo is slightly blurry. Anyway, yeah. Flecktarn. This will be useful to get good at, since not only is it modern but it is just about the same as WWII Pea Dot camo.
So yeah, expect to see more of this, I only have 1 modern combat fig for this planned, but in the future there will be a nice few WWII Germans with an assortment of this and Oakleaf.
And the real thing has another color, its a dark green, so in the future I will put in a layer of dark green pattern. I left it out this time to keep it a little more simple, since this is only my first try.
Yeah yeah, I'll add boots later.
Cheers!, and Happy Holidays! ; j
Perched on my very useful- & not jus for posing- step ladder!
Here's another pic from my 2010 archives!
This is another slinky, clingy one sleeve gray leopard print lycra spandex minidress with shirring at the sides & a bat wing sleeve from greatglam.com that I've matched up with my Osé Retina black lurex fishnet hose from hosieree.com over Hanes Alive Barely There support hose from onehanesplace.com and those super thigh high platform stocking boots from electriqueboutique.com.
Its too bad that Osé has gone out of business because I really loved their Retina pantyhose with their sparkly lurex threads and I can't find anything like them anymore! If you know of something like them out there would you please let me know?
To see more pix of me in other tight, sexy and revealing outfits click this link:www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/
To see more pix of me in sexy boots click here: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157622816479823/
To see more pix of me in other outfits from Great Glam click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157621973539909/
To see more pix of me in clingy strapless & one shoulder minidresses click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157624466432948/
To see more pix of me wearing shiny silver ensembles click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157622346231067
DSC_3447-75
Nest Invader. Coelioxys afra. Almost certainly a nest parasite of Megachile. Collected in the Netherlands.
Photo license: CC-BY-SA. This photo can be reused as you wish. When doing so, please credit the creator (USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab) and the source (Naturalis Biodiversity Center) and adaptations must be shared under the same terms.
The specimen in this photo is provided by Naturalis Biodiversity Center in The Netherlands. For inquiries please contact: Frederique Bakker, email: frederique.bakker@naturalis.nl.
This image is part of the photo series ‘Cool bees of The Netherlands’. For more information: marten.schoonman@naturalis.nl
~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{0}}}}}}~~~~~~~~~~
All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.
Photography Information:
Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde
You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML
Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:
Best over all technical resource for photo stacking:
Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World:
www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/...
Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Maryland:
bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf
Basic USGSBIML set up:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY
USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4
Bees of Maryland Organized by Taxa with information on each Genus
www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections
PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up:
Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques:
plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU
Excellent Technical Form on Stacking:
Contact information:
Sam Droege
sdroege@usgs.gov
301 497 5840
MAGLEV impact site, this is something that takes plant carbon and converts it to bird food. Orthopterans are famous for this and drive many ecosystems sometimes to outbreak levels, sometimes like this little Tettrigid (am basing this ID on my college taxonomy courses). Sadly this (and several 10s of other orthopterans of the area could be gone if the MAGLEV Train and train yard as sited on this public land. Picture by Cole Cheng. ~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{0}}}}}}~~~~~~~~~~
All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.
Photography Information:
Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde
You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML
Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:
Best over all technical resource for photo stacking:
Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World:
www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/...
Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Maryland:
bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf
Basic USGSBIML set up:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY
USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4
Bees of Maryland Organized by Taxa with information on each Genus
www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections
PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up:
ftp://ftpext.usgs.gov/pub/er/md/laurel/Droege/How%20to%20Take%20MacroPhotographs%20of%20Insects%20BIML%20Lab2.pdf
Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques:
plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU
Excellent Technical Form on Stacking:
Contact information:
Sam Droege
sdroege@usgs.gov
301 497 5840
Neorigami and Origami-Shop launched a new - Inter-forum useful model challenge.
my next try )) look here - forum.loveorigami.info/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=666&st...
elephant hide
20-60cm
This model is very useful in practical application - has many variations and it is very easy to prepare. It all depends on how many sections you need to carry round objects ("a" x "b", and - the number of horizontal sections, b - number of sections in the vertical) ... This may be not only eggs, can carry tennis balls, golf balls, billiard balls, etc.
Thanks to organizers!))
Abstract view of the the Sawtooth Mountains reflected in Stanley Lake. Reflection only, useful for backgrounds
At least that is what we hear from the media. I've never been called OCD but I do like some nice angles and order. Of course, sometimes I just cannot be bothered. I don't think I am OCD because I don't do something over and over until I get it 'right'.
Hello there. Relevant comments welcome but please do NOT post any link(s). All my images are my own original work, under my copyright, with all rights reserved. You need my permission to use any image for ANY purpose.
Copyright infringement is theft.
Battle of Durrough: Making Allies
—————————
A story of rebellion to tyranny, from Lands Of Roawia. Sorry for the long story, it was necessary for character development.
——————————————————————————————————————————
“They should be somewhere right around here.” Wallace said, keeping his voice low.
“Are you sure?” Mirranda asked quietly.
“Positive.” He whispered back.
Haymar glanced around. “There’s no sign of them. We should continue along a little farther.”
Following Haymar’s meeting with Sir Caelan Munro and Duke Cartney , he returned to Locvale, to tell everyone of the plan of action. Upon his return, Wallace, who had been scouting the surrounding area, for several days, informed Haymar that he had discovered the presence of someone else, in the area. Fearing that they were Queen’s Soldiers, he had investigated further, and finally located them.
“Well?” Haymar had asked. “Were they Queen’s Soldiers or not?”
“They were Outlaws, but they weren’t Galainir’s.” The other had replied, grinning. “Of all the Outlaw bands in Roawia, we had the good luck to be in the same area as this one.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense,” Haymar said, “Which band was it?”
“Only the band Travdon Dax is traveling with!” Wallace said, barely able to keep the excitement out of his voice.
“Who’s Travdon Dax?” Haymar asked, at a loss as to what was so important about him.
“Only the greatest Weapons Master to ever live!” Ivan, who, until this point, had been standing there silently, said. “He came from Garheim, but he was outlawed long ago, on suspicion that he was using magic. It was a lie, of course. The officials who outlawed him were just scared of his incredible skills. Since then, he’s traveled Roawia, sometimes by himself, sometimes with others, helping people. He’s become a legend. There’s a lot of tales told about him, mostly false, but one thing everyone can agree on; his fighting skills are unmatched.”
“If he’s in the area, we should try and find him, and convince him to help us. His help would be a big advantage.” Wallace put in.
Haymar thought for a moment. “Very well,” He said. “Wallace, Mirranda, and I will go find this ‘Weapons Master’, the rest of you, prepare the army to move out.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
Now, three hours later, Haymar, Mirranda, and Wallace were in the woods near the Aines River, scouring it for signs of the Outlaw band.
The three of them moved farther along, keeping quiet, and looking for tracks, Wallace in the lead, Mirranda following, and Haymar bringing up the rear.
“What are we going to do when we find them?” Mirranda asked quietly.
“Talk with them,” Haymar whispered back. “Try and convince them to fight for us.”
“They’re not going to do it for free. Outlaws always want something in return.” The other replied.
“Travdon Dax won’t.” Wallace said softly.
“Maybe not,” Mirranda said, “But the others will.”
“I’ll think of something.” Haymar said.
They lapsed into silence, continuing the hunt. Haymar stared at Mirranda, wondering how he could approach her, and tell her how he felt about her. She caught him staring.
“What?” She asked.
“Nothing.” Haymar said hastily. Focus. He chided himself. Mirranda gave him a funny look, but didn’t push the matter.
Hours passed. They found only occasional tracks, and they were indistinct, and led nowhere.
Midday came, and went. They stopped for a quick lunch, and then continued searching. They were half-way into yet another hour, when Wallace suddenly stopped, and motioned for silence. He crept forward, staying low. Haymar and Mirranda looked at each other. Had they finally found the Outlaws? Haymar certainly hoped so. They had spent almost a whole day out here, and couldn’t afford to spend another. The two of them stood in absolute silence, waiting for Wallace to come back, in a small grove of trees. He finally did, after about twenty minutes.
“Well?” Haymar mouthed at him. Wallace nodded. They had found them at last.
Mirranda grinned. “Finally.” She said, in a barely audible tone.
Wallace motioned for them to follow him, and they did, glad to have reached their quarry. They emerged from the grove, on the bank of a river. On the other side, was a small camp, with three people sitting around a fire. There were two tents set up, against a small rock wall.
As soon as they came out of the trees, one of the three sitting around the fire shot to their feet. The figure wore a black cloak and overcoat, with a brightly colored outfit beneath. With a shock, Haymar realized the figure was a young woman, with long, dark red hair. She had a longsword at her waist. Of the other two, one was clothed all in blue, and had shoulder-length, black hair. There were several weapons on and around him. The final one, also male, was bare-chested, with long, below shoulder-length blond hair. The upper half of his face was painted red, and he had a longsword over his back, a large knife across his chest, and a plain brown shield, and throwing hatchet, lying next to him.
They watched warily as Haymar, Mirranda, and Wallace approached. When they reached the edge of the bank, the woman called out to them. “Come no further. Who are you, and what do you want?” They stopped.
“Let me handle this.” Haymar said quietly, and moved forward. “I am Sir Haymar Glen, and I, and my two,” He stressed the word, “companions would like to speak with you.” He said.
She thought a moment. “Very well, but do not attempt to attack us,” She smiled. “It would be a fatal mistake.”
They crossed the river, and entered the camp. The red-haired woman remained standing, while the other two still sat around the fire, but Haymar could tell they hadn’t relaxed their guard.
“I am Aria Valewood.” She said. “What do you want to talk to me about?”
“I was told,” Haymar said, “By Wallace here,” He said, motioning to him, “That Travdon Dax was traveling with you. Is that true?”
The blue-clothed man spoke. “Yes.”
“Where is he?” Mirranda said.
“I am Travdon Dax!” Came the reply. “Why were you looking for me?” He asked.
“Before I answer that, how do I know I can trust you?” Haymar asked warily. The Outlaws exchanged glances.
“What could we, Outlaws, say that would assure you that you could trust us?” Aria asked.
“She’s right.” Mirranda muttered. Aria glared at her.
“What kind of Outlaws are you? are you more likely to rob travelers, or help them, if they’re in trouble?” Haymar asked.
“With a few exceptions, help them.” Travdon said. The three Lenfels looked at each other.
“Who’s the exceptions?” Mirranda asked, worried they were the exceptions.
“Would you help the people who had outlawed you?” A voice said, from the side. She spun in surprise. A man was walking towards them, wearing a helmet, and carrying a bronze-headed battle-axe. Mirranda gasped, and, lunging forward, hugged the man. “Carndan!” She cried, “I thought I’d never see you again!”
Haymar stared, in surprise. “Who’s Carndan?” He asked, hoping he wasn’t a former love.
She turned to him, tears of joy glittering in her eyes.
“Carndan is my older brother!” The shocking reply came.
“You have a brother?” Haymar said. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because,” Carndan said, “ I was outlawed when Mirranda was very young.”
“I thought him dead, so I never brought it up.” She said. Turning to her brother, she said, “But you’re not!”
“Only because of a lot of luck.” The other said. He motioned to the fire. “Come, let’s have a seat, and talk.”
They moved to the fire, and sat around it. “I would like to hear what you’re here for, Sir Haymar.” Carndan said, “And for what it’s worth, though I was wrongly outlawed, I’ll still fight for the factions, if only out of love for my sister.”
“What about the rest of you?” Haymar asked, looking around the fire.
“If it’s a noble cause, which I suspect it is, then I’ll fight.” Travdon said.
“It is a very noble cause,” Haymar said, “And I’ll say, it’s against Galainir.” There was silence for a moment. Then, the bare-chested man, whose name was Vard, spoke.
“In that case, I’ll fight.” That left Aria. She stared silently into the flames for several moments, before speaking.
“I, too, was wrongly outlawed.” She said. “I used to live in a small village, on the Lenfald-Loreos border. The son of the village head, he had his eye on me, for a long time. When I was of marrying age, he attempted to to get me to marry him, twice. I rejected him both times. The second time, he told me there wouldn’t be a third time. This puzzled me, as it seemed he desperately wanted my hand in marriage.” She looked up. “The next day, I found out why. He publicly accused me of practicing magic, and though I protested, everyone believed him, and not me. Thus, I was outlawed. So you see, I have no love for the factions.” She paused, and took a deep breath. “But two days ago I learned, that my village was burned to the ground by the Queen’s troops, and my old enemy had joined her army.” She looked straight at Haymar. “If you intend to hurt the Queen in some way, then I will join you.”
“I intend to do just that.” Haymar said, and preceded to tell them what they had planned, and why they needed them. When he was finished, there was silence for several minutes. Then, one by one, the outlaws all said yes. “My father has a large fief near here.” Haymar said. “In return for your help, I will make sure all of you are always welcome there.”
Mirranda and Wallace stared at him in shock. Aria’s head whipped around, to stare at him, in surprise.
“You could do that?” She asked quietly, as if afraid of saying it loud would cause the offer to disappear.
“Yes, I can,” The other said, “And I promise I will.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANIFESTO GLEITZEIT 2015
BY STELLY RIESLING
Featured below is another original art work of mine in homage to THE PIONEER OF INVISIBLE ART — PAUL JAISINI. Forget all the copycats that came after him — Master Paul Jaisini was the *FIRST* of a totally original concept and the *BEST*. My favorite thing about him is that he’s a voice, not an echo, which is quite rare.
DISCLAIMER: This is for anyone who is a hater OR wishes to better understand me, what I’m all about, so you can decide whether I’m weird or normal enough for you — a kind of very loose manifesto, rushed and unrevised, full of raw uncut emotion that I don’t like to be evident in my writing as lately I prefer a more professional, formal style, so we can consider this a rough draft of the more polished writing to come when I have extra time. I might return to this text later and clean it up or break it into separate parts. Right now it’s a long-winded hot mess, so if you manage to make any sense of it, BIG PROPS TO YOU. lol …and if you manage to read it ALL, you have my solemn respect!!! in a day when reading has been reduced to just catchy headliners and short captions of images once in a while. The consequence of this one-liner internet culture is non-linear, tunnel thinking, which is baaaaaad.
There lives among us a most enigmatic and charismatic creature named Paul Jaisini who led me into the wonderful world of art, not personally, but through descriptions of his artworks in essays written and published online by his friend, which painted the most fascinating images in my mind. Early on as a kiddo, I experimented with photography, simple point and shoot whatever looked attractive to me. Digital manipulation of my photographs with computer software followed… and somehow I learned useful drawing techniques along the way to combine existing elements with nonexistent ones, which allowed me to elevate the context for my ideas. Later, I started creating my own digital art from scratch for my friends and family as a favorite pastime. They would shower me with praise and repeatedly encouraged me to share my “different” vision with the rest of the world… it took a while and wasn’t easy to overcome the insecurity of not being good enough along with a gripping fear of being harshly criticized, but one day I woman-ed up and started publishing my work on the web, reminding myself that my livelihood didn’t depend on a positive reception.
Paul Jaisini’s role in all this has been to not disgrace myself, even if what I do is just a hobby. And I would never do him and other genius artists the disservice of calling myself a professional because I know I’ll never be as good as any of the GIANTS of pre-modern history. Be the best or be nothing, no middle ground.
People’s jealousy in the past, future and present over my obsessive love of Paul Jaisini, which they are well aware is purely plutonic, has caused them to despise the man and has made many relationships/friendships impossible for me. I refuse to have such people in my life because by harboring any negativity towards Paul, they unknowingly feel that way about me and express it to me. It’s their own problem for not realizing this. Paul’s new art movement, Gleitzeit, shaped me into the allegedly awesome girl I am today, giving my art more edge, more “sexy” because it refined my vision of the world and propelled me to attain the skills necessary to not dishonor my family name through tenacious pursuit of perfection. Since the beginning of my life, I attempted to depict what I saw in visual, musical and literal forms, but continuously failed without adequate training and determination. Paul Jaisini’s Gleitzeit was the answer to my prayers. Who I am today I owe mostly to him and his selfless ideals of the artverse that I’ve given unconditional loyalty to (he has this cool ability for hyper-vision to see whole universes, not itty bitty worlds, hence I call it an artverse instead of art world, with him in mind). So again, anyone who hates Paul Jaisini hates ME because, regardless of what he means to you, he is the most important person in my life for making me ME. The way a famous actor, dancer or singer inspires others to act, dance or sing, Paul inspired me to become a better artist, better writer, better everything. More people would understand if he was a household name because they’re wired to in society. But we’re inspiring each other all the time in our own little communities without being famous, so if someone has the ability to change even ONE person’s life immensely with creativity, it is a massive achievement. And passionate folks like myself are compelled to scream it from the cyber rooftops. So here I am. It’s whatever.
Furthermore, I’d like to address here a few pressing matters in light of some recent drama brought on by both strangers and former friends. To start, I never judge the passions, interests or likes of others, which are often in my face all over the place, so likewise they have no right to judge any of mine. It is quite unfortunate and frustrating how very little understanding and education the majority of people have or want to have. Their logic is as primitive as a chipmunk when it comes to promotion of fine art on the web: “spamming, advertising, report!” It’s their own problem that they fail to understand what it’s about due to the distorted lens through which they see the world or inability to think for themselves; an inherent lack of perception or inquisitiveness. Well, guess what? Every single image, every animation, every video, every post dedicated to Mr. Paul Jaisini and “Gleitziet” (to elaborate: a revolutionary new art movement Paul founded with his partner in crime and personal friend, EYKG, who discovered him and believed in him more than anyone) has an important purpose. Every one of those things you run across is a piece of a puzzle, a move in a game, an inch down a rabbit hole; the deeper you go, the more interesting it gets; the more levels you pass, the more clues unfold, the greater the suspense and nearer the conclusion (yet further). You earn awesome rewards like enlightenment, spiritual revelations, truths, knowledge, wisdom and the most profound reward of all: the drive to improve yourself to the absolute maximum, so an unending, unshakable drive. People often make a wrong turn in this cyber game and go back a few levels or get stuck. Those that keep on pushing, however, will come to find the effort has been worth it. And what awaits you in the end of it all? The greatest challenge to beating the game: YOUR OWN MIND. You will be forced to let go of every belief you held before you had reached the last level, to completely alter your mindset and perception of the world, of life, of yourself. But by the time you’ve gotten to that point, it will be as easy as falling off a cliff! (It is a kind of suicide after all — death and rebirth of spirit.)
Paul Jaisini does NOT, *I repeat* does NOT use mystery and obscurity to his advantage as a clever marketing ploy, no, he’s too next level for that with a consciousness so rich, he should wear a radioactive warning sign (he’ll melt your brain, best wear a tinfoil hat in his presence as I certainly would.) The statement he makes is loud and clear, hidden in plain site for those who take the time to connect the dots and have enough curiosity to fuel their journey into unknown territory (an open mind and flexible perception helps a lot). Actually, anyone with an IQ above 90 is sure to figure it out sooner or later. Hint: You don’t have to SEE an extraordinary thing with your eyes to know it exists, to understand it and realize its greatness — you can only feel it in your bone marrow, your spinal fluid, your heart and soul. The moment you do figure it out, as the skeleton key of the human soul, it will unlock the greatness and massive potential buried deep within, changing the doomed direction humanity is undoubtedly headed. I don’t speak in riddles, I speak in a clear direct way that intelligent humans will understand, so I’m counting on them.
GIG is an international group of artists and writers that support Paul Jaisini’s Gleitzeit. We started off as an unofficial fan club of Jaisini in 1996, comprised of only 6 individuals spanning 3 countries, and eventually escalated in status to an official fan group across the entire globe. A decade later it had grown to hundreds of fans. Nearly another decade later, there are thousands. Let’s not leave out another delightful group of vicious haters that have been around for nearly as long as us since the late 90s and have also grown in impressive numbers. Now, for the record (and please write this one down because I’m sick of repeating myself), Paul Jaisini himself is not part of our group and has nothing to do with us. He loves and hates us equally for butchering his name and making him appear as a narcissistic nut-job in his own words. He casts hexes on us for the blinding flash we layer over the art that members contribute to GIG — “disgusting-police-lights, seizure-inducing-laser-lightshow, bourgeois-myspace-effects retarded-raver shit” in Paul’s words. Ahh, how we love his sweet-talking us. In a desperate attempt to please him, those among us who make the art and animations have spent countless hours and sleepless nights trying to solve a crazy-complex quantum-physics type of equation = how to not create tacky or tasteless content. He does fancy some of it now, we got better, that’s something! In the reason stated below, our mission just got out of hand at some point.
What little is known about Paul Jaisini, even in all this time, is he’s a horrible perfectionist who slaughtered hundreds of innocent babies — I mean — artworks of remarkable beauty created by his own right hand (mostly paintings, some watercolors and drawings). He’s a fierce recluse who wants nothing to do with anyone or anything in life. But those few of us who know of an incredible talent he possesses (one could go as far as calling it a superpower), could not allow him to live his life without the recognition he FUCKING DESERVES more than any artist out there living today and, arguably, yesterday. We use whatever means necessary to reach more people, lots of flash and razzle-dazzle to lure them into our sinister trap of a higher awareness. Mwahaha! The visual boom you’ve witnessed in both cyber and real worlds, that is GIG’s doing — two damn decades of spreading an art virus — IVA. InVisibleArtitis… or a drug as in Intravenous Art. It’s whatever you want it to be, honey.
Our Gleitzeit International Group (GIG) started off innocently enough and gradually spiraled out of control to fight the haters, annoying the hell out of them as much as humanly possible. They don’t like what we do? WE DO MORE AND MORE OF IT. But never without purpose, without a carefully executed plan in mind collectively. If we have to tolerate an endless tidal wave of everyone’s vomit — e.g., idiotic memes and comics; dumbed-down one-liner quotes; selfies; so-called “art photography” passed through one-click app filters; mindless scribbles or random splatters by regular folks who have the nerve to call themselves serious/pro artists; primitive images of pets, babies, landscapes, random objects, etc… then people sure as shit are gonna tolerate what we put out, our animated and non-animated visual art designed for our beloved master, Paul Jaisini, who has shown us the light, the right path to follow, taught us great things and done so much for us — and so in our appreciation of him, we stamp his name on everything, for the sacrifices he has made in the name of art, to save our art verse, he’s a goddamn hero. There’s a book being written in his dedication where little will be left to the imagination about him.
If Paul Jaisini was as famous as Koons or Hirst, for example, people would know it’s not him posting stuff online with his name on it but fans creating fanart like myself among others. But noooooo, such a thing is unfathomable to most people - the promotion of another artist. Like, what’s in it for us? Uhh, nothing?? This is all NON-PROFIT bitches, the way art should be. It’s a passion FIRST, a commodity/commercial product/marketable item LAST and least. Its been that way for us since the early 90s to this day. Not a single member of GIG has sold an art work (neither has Paul Jaisini who’s a true professional) and we want to keep it that way. We do it for reasons far beyond ego. So advertising? Really? How the hell do you advertise or sell thin air, you know, invisible paintings, invisible anything? Ha ha, very funny indeed. The idea here is so simple, your neighbor’s dog can grasp it. Our motives: replace fast food for the mind with fine art, actual fine art. You know, creativity? Conscious thought? Talent? Skill? Knowledge? All that good stuff rolled into one to bring viewers more than a momentary ooohand aaahh reaction. Replace the recycled images ad nauseum; repetitious, worn-out ideas; disposable, gimmicky, money-driven fast art for simpletons. Stick with the highest of ideals and save the whole bloody planet.
Fine art is often confused with craft-making. This often creates bad blood between classically trained artists who put out paintings that leave a lasting impression, that make strong conversation pieces, that are thought-provoking and deep… and trained craftspeople whose skills are adequate to create decorative pieces for homely environments — landscapes, still lifes, animals, pretty fairies, common things of fantasy, and other simplicity. Skills alone are not enough for high art, you need a vision, a purpose, the ability to tell a story with every stroke of your brush that will both fascinate and terrify the viewers, arousing powerful emotions, illuminating. I have yet to see a visible painting in my generation that does anything at all for me, other than evoke sheer outrage and disgust. What a terrible waste of space and valuable resources it all is.
Paul Jaisini leads, we follow. He wishes to remain unknown - so do most of us. I’m next in line, slipping into recluse mode, no longer wanting to attach my face, my human image to my art stuff. I wish to be a nameless, faceless artist as well, invisible like P.J., and in his footsteps I too have destroyed thousands of my own artistic photography and digital art made with tedious, labor-intensive handwork. The whole point of this destruction is achieving the finest results possible by letting go of the imperfect, purging it on a regular basis, to make way for the perfect. I love what I do so it doesn’t matter, I know I’ll keep producing as much as I’m discarding, keeping the balance. Hoarding is an enemy of progress, especially the digital kind as there’s absolutely no limit to it. It’s like carrying a load of bricks on your back you’ll never use or need.
The watering down of creativity that digital pack ratting has caused as observed over the years is most tragic. For the creative individual, relying on terabytes of stock photos or OSFAP as I call them (Once Size Fits All Photos) instead of making your own as you used to when you had no choice, being 100% original, is a splinter in the conscience. It’s not evil to use stock of, say, things you don’t have access to (outer space, deep sea, Antarctica, etc.), but many digital artists I know today can’t take their own shot of a pencil ‘cause they “ain’t got no time for that!” How did they have time before? Did time get so compressed in only a decade?
Ohhhhh, and the edits, textures, filters, plug-ins and what-have-you available out there to everyone and their cats… are responsible for the tidal wave of rubbish that eclipses the magnificent light of the real talents.
I can tell you with utmost sincerity there is no better feeling on earth than knowing your creation is ALL yours, every pixel and dot, from the first to the last. It’s not always possible to make it so, but definitely the most rewarding endeavor. I’m most proud of myself when I can accomplish that.
Back to Paul Jaisini, from the start there have been a number of theories floating around on what his real story is. One of my own theories is that he stands for the unknowns of the world who can’t get representation, can’t get exhibited at a decent gallery because highly gifted/trained artists aren’t good enough - those kind of establishments prefer bananas, balloon dogs, feces, gigantic dicks/cunts, and all kinds of what-the-fucks…
So again, you don’t get the Paul Jaisini thing? That’s your problem. Don’t hate others for getting it. People are good, very good, at making baseless assumptions and impulsively spewing it as truth. They criticize and judge as if they’re high authorities on the subject yet they clearly lack education in fine art or art history and possess little to no talent or skill to back up their bullshit. My little “credibility radar” never fails. When they say I know this or I know that, I reply don’t say “I know” or state things as fact as a general rule of thumb - instead say “I assume/believe” and state the reasons you feel thus to appear less immature, especially about a controversial topic like invisible art. I have zero respect or tolerance for egomaniacs who think they know it all and act accordingly like arrogant pricks. Who can stand those, right? Once again, a good example would be: I, Stelly Riesling, believe everything I’ve written in this little manifesto to be correct based on personal experience and observation from multiple angles, thorough research and sufficient data collected from verifiable sources (and don’t go copying-pasting my own words back at me, be original). Just because you or I say so doesn’t make it so. Just because you or me think or believe so doesn’t make it true or right. I only ask that my opinions are regarded respectfully and whoever opposes them does so in a mature, civilized manner. We should only be entitled to opinions that don’t bring out the worst in us.
I don’t normally take such a position, but the time has come to stand up for what I believe in! It’s quite amusing and comical how haters think calling me names, attacking me or my interests or members of the project I’m part of for years is going to change something. It only makes more evident the importance of what I’m doing so I push on harder still.
Words of advise to those who can identify with me, with my frustrations over people’s reluctance to change their miserable ways, with our declining art world…
DON’T waste time on people who sweat the small stuff, whose actions are consistently inconsistent with their words. DO waste time on people who always keep their eye on the ball—the bigger picture of life.
Paul Jaisini’s invisible paintings are more than hype, more than your lame assumptions. Here’s one I got that’s pure gold: a cult! It started out as A JOKE OF MINE that was used against me. I told a then-good friend that he should come join our little “art cult” in a clearly lighthearted manner, and later he takes this idea I put in his head first and accuses me of being in an (imaginary) cult—the jokes on me eh?. But wait, aren’t cults religious? Our group consists of people around the world of different faiths (or none at all) so how could that ever work? If religion was about making fine (non-pop) art mainstream and bringing awesome, fresh, futuristic concepts to the collective consciousness, the world would not be so fucked up today because talent, creativity, originality and individuality would be the main focus, not superficial poppycock; those things would be praised and encouraged and supported in society by all institutions, not demonized and stigmatized.
Here is one thing I CAN state as solid fact: only one person close to Paul Jaisini knows the TRUE story, or at least some of it: EYKG. Everything else that has ever been said about him is myth, legend, gossip, speculation, the worst of which is said by jealous non-artists (wannabes, clones, posers, hang-ons, unoriginal ppl in general) and anti-artists (religious psychos, squares, losers and -duh- stupid ppl). Sadly, people are unable to see the bigger picture by letting their egos run their lives or repeating after others as parrots.
Commercial art, consumerism, and ignorance of the masses truly makes me want to curl up in a ball, not eat or drink or move until I die, just die in my sleep while dreaming of a better world, a world where real fine artists rule it with real fine art as they used to and life is beautiful once again….
Well I hope that settled THAT for now, or perhaps inadvertently made matters worse. I hope I didn’t sound too pissed from all these issues that keep popping up like penises on ChatRoulette… just got to me already! Can you tell? I had to put my foot down, stomp ‘em all!
To be continued, still lots more ignorance and pettiness to battle… Till then peace out my bambini. MWAH!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANIFESTO GLEITZEIT 2015
PROLOGUE
Paul Jaisini was like a messiah, as you wish, who saw/understood the impending end and complete degeneration of Fine art or Art become and investment nothing more than that. He predicted the bubble pops art when everybody would eventually become an artist, including dogs cats and horses, because they as kids followed the main rule: express yourself without skills or knowledge or any aesthetic concerns. J. Pollack started pouring paints onto canvases; Julian Schnabel, former cab driver from NY, suddenly decided he could do better than what he saw displayed in galleries, so he started gluing dishes on canvases; A.Warhol, an industrial artist who made commercial silk-screen for the factories he worked in, started to exhibit "Campbell's soup" used for commercial adds... and later the thing that made him an "American Idol": by copying and pasting Hollywood celebrities (same type of posters he made before for movie theaters).
When Paul Jaisini stood out against the Me culture in the US by burning all of his own 120 brilliant paintings (according to the then-new director of Fort Worth MoMa Museum, who offered hin an exhibition of his art in 1992, and later the Metropolitan Museum curator, Phillippe de Montebello, in 1994).Paul probably assumed all fellow true fine artists would join him or stand by him against corruption of the art world.
And after 20 years of his stand-off...the time has finally come today. Many artists and humanitarians around the world took a place beside him. His invisible Paintings became a synonym for the future reincarnation of fine art and long lost harmony. The establishment is in panic! The "moneybags" (as Paul Jaisini named them) are in panic, because they invested BILLIONS of dollars in real crap made by craftsmen. Now they realize that the reputation of American legends of expressionism was nothing but a copy of Russian avant-garde" Kazimir Malevich, Vasiliy Kandinsky and tens of others from France and Germany.. US tycoon investors were spending billions on "Me more original, than you". "Artist Shit" is a 1061 artwork by the Italian artist Piero Manzoni. The work consists of 90 tin cans, filled with feces. A tin can was sold for £124,000, 180,000 at Sothebys, 2007.
EPILOGUE
Before I resume promoting and admiring a very important art persona on today's international art arena, I'd like to clear up some BIG questions; people ask continuously and subconsciously, directly & indirectly: "Why does the name Paul Jaisini, flood the Internet in such "obnoxious" quantities that it's started suppressing some other activities that my friends might share with the rest of the Internet's Ego Me only Me www society? I can't just answer this... so I'll try to explain why I'm writing this: Jaisini's followers keep posting art and info about,
He IMHO the only hope in quickly decomposing visual fine art. "Paul Jaisini realized many years ago, in 1994, when he declared (at that time to himself only) the start of a New era, a New vision, that he is trying to redirect from the rat race, started by an establishment in post-war New York, long before the Internet culture.
Sub related information: Adolf Gottlieb, Mart Rothko, etc (after visiting Paris France in 1933):
"We must forget analytical art, we must express ourselves, as a 5 year old child would, without a developed consciousness. Forget about results - do what you feel, EXPRESS yourself with your own unique style"
With this statement Mark Rothko starts to teach his students, degeneration of fine art begins, and the generation of war of styles took a start signal of the material race, greatly rewarded by establishment "individual" - eccentric craftsmen - show business clowns.
Sub related Information: In the summer of 1936, Adolf Gottlieb painted more than 800 paintings, which was 20X more than he created in his whole art career as a painter, starting from the time of Gottlieb becomes a founding member of "The Ten" group in NYC "Group of Ten" was a very peculiar, enigmatic group... Based on a religious point of view;(where a human figure was prohibited from being created)
GLOSSARY
IN 1997, Paul Jaisini's best friend Ellen Y.K.Gottlieb started a cyber campaign by promoting on a very young Internet, back then, Paul Jaisini's burned paintings as Invisible Paintings, visible only through poetic essays. She and a handful of people saw his originals and were devastated that nobody could ever see them again. "We, his fans, believe that someday Paul will recreate his 120 burned paintings if he has any decency and moral obligation to his fans, who have dedicated decades to make it happen, for their Phoenix to rise from the ashes and the whole world will witness that all these years we spent to get him back to re-paint the Visuals again were not in vain," - said E.Y.K.Gottlieb in 2014 during the 20th anniversary celebration of Invisible Paintings to GIGroup in NYCity. So now, hopefully, this clears up why I and others do what we do - our "cyber terrorism" of good art, dedicated to Paul Jaisini's return, which is & and was our mission & our goal. We post good art to fight "troll art" which is worthless pics, after being passed through 1-click filters of free web apps. We are, in fact, against this www pops pollution, done with "bubble art" by the out of control masses with 5 billon pics a day: Pics of cats, memes, quotes,national geographic sunsets and waterfalls, not counting their own daily "selfies: and whatever self-indulging Me-ego-Me affairs, sponsored happily by photo gadget companies like Canon, Nikon, Sony...who churn out higher quality madness tools at lower cost.
This way Government taking away attention from the real world crisis of lowest morality & economical devastation. The masses are too easily re-engineered/manipulated by the Establishment PopsStyle delivered to them by pop music and Hollywood "super" stars. In 1992 Paul Jaisini's Gleitzeit theory predict such a massive, pops self-entertain madness, following technological explosion, but not in illusive scales.
Uber Aless @2015 NYC USA
NOTE Date's numbers and events can be slightly inaccurate.
#gleitzeit #paul-jaisini #invisible #painting #art #futurism #art-news,
"Precocial" and "altricial," two words describing the degree of development in young birds at hatching, are good examples of useful scientific jargon. They save ornithologists from repeatedly using phrases when single words will do. A precocial bird is "capable of moving around on its own soon after hatching." The word comes from the same Latin root as "precocious." Altricial means "incapable of moving around on its own soon after hatchling." It comes from a Latin root meaning "to nourish" a reference to the need for extensive parental care required before fledging in altricial species. If you consult some of the literature we have cited, you may sometimes see the term "nidifugous" used to describe precocial young that leave the nest immediately, and "nidicolous" to describe young that remain in the nest. All nidifugous birds are precocial, but some nidicolous birds are precocial, too-they remain in the nest even though capable of locomotion. web.stanford.edu
Successful beautiful shots are not only the merit of the photographer, but also the correct preparation of the model.
⠀
So, to create good shots, you need to:
Decide
on the location (where exactly you want to shoot: a beautiful winter forest, an outdoor ice rink, a cozy cafe, a themed studio or your own house);
Think about the style (what will your image be: classic or maybe creative and bright?);
📍Use accessories. They can complement your image, make it more harmonious, add personality and charm;
📍Relax and enjoy the moment. Don't forget that photography should be fun!
⠀
📣 Share your ideas and tips on preparing for photography in the comments!
⠀
Ph: @safronov_photo
⠀
#photoshootMoscow #weddingMoscow #weddingphoto #weddingmoscow #art #beauty #christmastree #event #fashiondesign #fawn #happy #pink #textile #thigh #NikonD800 #safronoviv_photo
The useful thing about level crossings for railway photographers is that the lowering of the barriers gives warning of the imminent approach of a train. What is not always clear though is the direction from which the train will come. I had the idea that I should be looking the other way when this gentleman on his bicycle kindly alerted me to the fast-moving train bearing down in the opposite direction. So it's thanks to Mr Orange-Spectacle-Frames that I was able to snap Class 1144 electric locomotive No. 1144 045 leading a northbound double-headed freight before it thundered past. Zell am See, Saturday 23rd July 2016.
Quality prints, greeting cards and many useful products can be purchased at >> kaye-menner.pixels.com/featured/sydney-skyline-illuminate...
June 2018, I went into the City of Sydney to view firsthand the spectacular VIVID SYDNEY, a festival of light, patterns, music and ideas.
This image is one of my long exposure photographs of the bright and pretty projections of light over the Sydney skyline. These colorful projections were continuously changing, illuminating the buildings in various pretty colors, making Sydney Harbour look like a piece of art with all the colorful reflections in the water.
A must see if you are in Sydney late May to mid June. It is held each year.
THE FINE ART AMERICA LOGO / MY WATERMARK WILL NOT SHOW ON PURCHASED PRINTS OR PRODUCTS.
[From Vivid Sydney site - www.vividsydney.com/ ]
"Vivid Sydney is a festival of light, music and ideas.
Vivid Light transforms Sydney into a wonderland of 'light art' sculptures, innovative light installations and grand-scale projections for all to enjoy - for free. It is a magical celebration of light-design excellence and the world's largest outdoor 'art-gallery': a unique Vivid Sydney experience.
Vivid Light engages lighting artists, designers and manufacturers from around Australia and the world to illuminate, interpret and transform Sydney's urban spaces through their creative vision.
KEFD 21/10/16 Wings Over Houston 2016
Delivered to U.S. Army Air Corp as 41-5709, 19??.
- Crashed while landing Fort Randall, Cold Bay, AK, September 26, 1942.
- Hulk stripped of useful parts and abandoned on airfield dump.
Dick Odgers, circa 1983.
- excavated from airfield dump, Cold Bay, AK.
Tom Reilly, Kissimmee, FL, 1988-1990.
Don Brooks/Brooks Aviation, Douglas, GA, June 1990-2001.
- Restoration to airworthy, Griffin, GA, 1996-1997.
Don Brooks/Liberty Foundation Inc, Atlanta, GA, 2002-2003.
- Restoration continued, Kissimmee, FL, 2003-2006.
Brooks Aviation Inc, Douglas, GA, June 5, 2003-2010.
- Registered as N2416X.
- Restoration completed, Douglas, AZ, 2009.
- First flight, flown by test pilot Eliot Cross, Douglas, AZ, August 25, 2009.
- Flown in U.S. Army Air Corp scheme as 11456/7.
Liberty Foundation Inc, Miami, FL, April 9, 2010-2012.
Walter Bowe, Sonoma, CA, January 28, 2013.
Zeus gathered all the useful things together in a jar and put a lid on it. He then left the jar in human hands. But man had no self-control and he wanted to know what was in that jar, so he pushed the lid aside, letting those things go back to the abode of the gods. So all the good things flew away, soaring high above the earth, and Elpis/Hope was the only thing left. When the lid was put back on the jar, Hope was kept inside. That is why Hope alone is still found among the people, promising that she will bestow on each of us the good things that have gone away.
Note: Unlike the famous 'Pandora's box' version of this story (which is attested as early as the eighth century B.C.E. by the Greek poet Hesiod), this version notably does not blame all the misfortune of the world on a woman.
Translation by Laura Gibbs for Oxford World's Classics
for Flickriver - Sophie Shapiro
I would like to thank everyone who takes an interest in my work. I am truly grateful and appreciate your ongoing support and positive feedback. Please take good care of yourselves in these uncertain times. Keep well, safe & inspired.
Kind regards,
Sophie
Fujifilm GFX 50S / Lightroom CC
Fuji X Secrets Workshops & Blog
Read the X-Pert Corner blog.
Useful (e)books on Fujifilm cameras:
The Fujifilm X-T20 – 125 X-Pert Tips
The Fujifilm X-T2 – 120 X-Pert Tips
The Fujifilm X-Pro2 – 115 X-Pert Tips
The Fujifilm X-T10 – 115 X-Pert Tips
The Fujifilm X-T1 – 111 X-Pert Tips 2nd edition
The Fujifilm X-E2 – Beyond the Manual
Mastering the Fujifilm X-E1 and X-Pro1
Save 40% with coupon code XPERT40
Die Fujifilm X-T2. 120 Profitipps.
Die Fujifilm X-Pro2. 115 Profitipps.
Die Fujifilm X-T10. 115 Profitipps.
i'm not a grat fan of ironing but I found the a great use for the ironing board.... when it's too cold in the conservatory to use the dining table to study.... Needs must
There has been a lighthouse on the cliff top east of Cromer since 1669. Before this time a light was shone from the top of Cromer parish church to act as a guide to passing shipping. Although this light was small it had always been useful, as had many similar ecclesiastical lights that were dotted around the coastline of Great Britain from medieval times.
It was Sir John Clayton who proposed a lighthouse at Cromer. In 1669 Clayton and his partner George Blake received from King Charles II a sixty year patent for the site and work began to acquire land and erect the lighthouses. Local landowner William Reyes leased them a parcel of land on the cliff top 'for the purpose of erecting a Lighthouse for the benefit of Navigation'. In 1676 Clayton reported to the King that the proposed lighthouse had been completed. It cost the partners £3,000, their patent would last for 60 years with specified rates to be paid by the owners of passing vessels, though dues were only paid voluntarily.
The patent of 1669 was granted to Clayton and Blake 'subject to them obtaining 500 shipmasters' signatures as to convenience and willingness to pay". At this time, the Brethren of Trinity House were rigorously opposed to the establishment of lighthouses by private individuals, seeing this as an encroachment on their own established rights; so they lobbied against Clayton's enterprise among ship owners, and raised numerous legal objections. As a result, it seems that Clayton's lighthouse at Cromer was never lit, and in 1677 he relinquished his patent rights. Nevertheless, it was still of some use as a daymark, and continued to be marked on Admiralty charts as 'a lighthouse but no fire kept in it' until it collapsed, as a result of coastal erosion, in around 1700.
Although Clayton's attempt had failed, individuals continued to maintain that a lighthouse at this site was essential, and several appeals were made to the Corporation of Trinity House. In 1718, Edward Bowell, gent. of Ipswich, petitioned them for the right to erect a light, appending 'a subscription of a great number of masters of ships using the coal trade and along that coast' indicating a willingness to pay the proposed light dues. The following year, it was resolved that
"... if the said Edward Bowell were content to pay the Corporation the rent of one hundred pounds per annum and would at his own charge erect and constantly maintain the proposed lighthouse he may then apply in the name of the Trinity House for a patent and the Corporation would grant him a lease for a term of 61 years commencing from the date of first kindling".
Later that year the new patent was duly issued by King George I, jointly to Bowell and to Nathaniel Life, Reyes's successor as the owner of the land. Dues were set to shipping at the rate of a farthing per ton of general cargo and a halfpenny per 25 cwt of Newcastle coal. The lighthouse was first lit on Michaelmas of that year; it was an octagonal brick tower, three storeys high, topped by a coal fire enclosed in a glazed lantern. In 1780 the lease, due to expire that year, was extended for a further period of 42 years.
Following the loss of several ships in a storm off the coast of East Anglia on 31st. October 1789, there was pressure on lighthouse owners to make improvements to their lights. At Cromer, the decision was taken to fit the tower with oil fired Argand lamps and parabolic reflectors, in place of the coal-fired brazier. When lit anew on 8th. September 1792, Cromer became only the second lighthouse in England, after St. Agnes in 1790, to display a revolving, flashing light, a novelty which is said to have provoked irritation among seamen at the time. The apparatus was driven by clockwork, and made a full revolution every three minutes, it had to be wound every five and a half hours.
In 1822, the period of the lease came to an end and Trinity House purchased the property outright, at the time it was still one of the most powerful lights on the English coast. The keepers at this time were two young women, who jointly received a pound a week plus benefits for their wage.
The lighthouse's position was becoming precarious due to rapid cliff erosion along this part of the North Norfolk coast. The sea's encroachment at the base of the cliff caused several land slips with serious slides recorded in 1799, 1825 and 1832. The latter encroachment prompted the building of a new lighthouse tower, further inland. Though extinguished, Bowell's tower remained standing for several years, eventually succumbing to the waves' actions in 1866 when, together with a sizeable portion of the cliff, it finally slipped down into the sea. With the expected destruction of the old lighthouse, plans to build a new lighthouse had been put into place long before the loss of 1866.
The present lighthouse was built half of a mile from the cliff edge, although it is now much closer, and came into operation in 1833. It is constructed of masonry and the tower is octagonal in shape and is 59 feet (18 m) tall. When built, the tower was topped by a much larger lantern than at present, it contained a revolving three sided array of 30 oil lamps, ten on each side, each mounted within a parabolic reflector, which consumed around 1,100 gallons (5,000 litres) of oil annually. The optical apparatus took three minutes to complete a full revolution, so the lighthouse continued to display one flash per minute. It was said to be visible up to a distance of 27 nautical miles (31 miles - 50 km).
By 1897 the equipment in the lantern had been upgraded, it now contained fourteen mineral oil lamps and reflectors, arranged in two divisions on either side of a frame which revolved on its vertical axis. It made a full revolution every two minutes, so preserving the lighthouse's characteristic of one flash every minute and had a range of 23.5 nautical miles (27 miles - 43.5 km).
In 1905 the lighthouse was converted to gas when it was connected to the town's gas supply. Cromer was the only sizeable Trinity House lighthouse to make use of town gas as an illuminate. The old reflector array was adapted, with upright low pressure Welsbach burners installed in the reflectors in place of the old Argand lamps. The speed of rotation was increased to one full revolution per minute, so as to display a flash every thirty seconds. Each lamp was rated at 7,000 candle-power, and the light was said to have a range of '20 miles to the horizon and from 15 to 18 miles beyond'.
in 1935 the light was part electrified, with some of the burners being replaced by electric lamps. For the next 23 years it was lit by a combination of domestic gas and mains electricity. In the mid 1950's the lighthouse still employed a rotating array of fourteen 21 inch reflectors, each housing either a gas mantle or an incandescent light bulb. It was by this time the last major lighthouse in Britain equipped with reflectors rather than lenses. Full electrification took place in 1958, when the array of reflectors was removed and a new optic was installed. At the same time the old lantern was removed and replaced with the current, much smaller one. The lighthouse now stands at a height of 59 ft. (18 m) tall and the light is 275 ft. (84 m) above sea level. In June 1990 the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation and is monitored from the Trinity House Operation Control Centre at Harwich in Essex. As a consequence of automation the lighthouse keeper's cottage alongside the tower is now let out as holiday apartment although the property is still owned by Trinity House.
The lighthouse gained Grade: II listed building status on 21st. January 1977. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 222545).
These are very useful garden plants, flowering in early summer.
They now come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colour forms as a result of plants breeders efforts. This long-spurred yellow version was photographed in my garden recently.
$35 ottoman/trunk that we got for $10. Very useful multi-use item.
Oranjello the cat, furniture, ottoman, trunk.
upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.
May 16, 2015.
... Read my blog at ClintJCL at wordpress.com
... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress.com
... Read my yard sale-related blogposts at clintjcl dot wordpress dot com/category/yard-sales/
BACKSTORY: Got up around 7:15AM, made it out driving by 7:51 AM and went out until around 1:30PM for a total of 5 hours, 39 minutes. Spent $73.00 plus ~$7.98 gas for 41 miles of driving (15.1 mpg @ $2.94/G), for a total cost of $80.98. We drove to 64 yard sales±, stopping at 22 (34%) of them. We made 49 purchases (50 items) for a total estimated value of $743.64, leading to a profit/savings of $662.66. So in essence, we multiplied our $80.98 investment by 9.18X. (Also, if you think about it, the profit counts for even more when you consider that we have to earn $~755 on the job, pre-tax, in order to take home the $662 in cash that we saved. How long does $662 of disposable income take to earn, vs the 5.65 hrs we spent here?) Anyway, this works out to a *post-tax* "wage" of $117.29/hr as a couple or $58.64/hr per person.
±THE TAKE:±
$10.00: furniture, storage chest/ottoman/trunk, brown leather, 32x17.5x16", with storage area (EV:$35.16)
$7.00: guitar, electric, red, Rockwood by Hohner, only has 2 strings(EV:$149.99)
$3.00: instrument, zither, Small World Toys, Toys That Toot, only has 1 pick, missing second pick and tuning key (EV:$9.99)
$3.00: boom box, Durabrand, model cd-2036, AM/FM cassette cd player (EV:$14.99)
$3.00: game, Horseshoes, Billard, Rodeo Model (EV:$31.49±)
$2.50: yard decoration, stone mushroom, maybe 8-10 inches high (EV:$±44.99±)
$2.00: game, Square Off, ±Parker± Brothers (EV:$±15.00±). Similar to ±Rubik's± Race.
$2.00: game, ±Rubik's± Race (EV:$±12.99±)
$2.00: baseball bat, wooden, Louisville Slugger 225YB, Powerized (EV:$±3.96 Goodwill price tag±)
$2.00: GPS, Garmin Nuvi 780, ICG014055, FCC ID: IPH-01278 IC: 1792A-01278, 10R-023994 (EV:$±29.49±)
$2.00: component video cable for Wii, 62606 (EV:$±1.69±)
$2.00: game, Tic Tac Toe beanbag toss, purple, including 5 beanbags (EV:$±14.99±)
$2.00: Inflatable Gigaball, Item# 6119, production date 201209 (EV:$±59.98±)
$2.00: swing, black, Game Time (EV:$±14.19±)
$2.00: swing, green (EV:$14.19)
$2.00: phone, retro, 10 memory speaker telephone, 10.25x9.5", Spirit of St Louis Collection Telephone Hands Free Speaker Retro Look (EV:$±14.58±)
$2.00: radio controlled helicopter, Helizone FireBird, #41164, 3 Channel Metal Frame Coaxial Helicopter, with USB charger (EV:$±19.99) A broken one was thrown in for free as parts.
$2.00: Guitar Hero guitar, Wii, 19 stickers, skull buttons (EV:$10.20)
$2.00: Guitar Hero guitar, Wii, 20 stickers (EV:$10.20)
$1.00: comic book, Gene Simmons Dominatrix, Lesson 4, IDW www.idwpublishing.com (EV:$3.99 price tag)
$1.00: comic book, Gene Simmons Dominatrix, Lesson 5, IDW www.idwpublishing.com (EV:$3.99 price tag)
$1.00: comic book, Gene Simmons Dominatrix, Lesson 6, IDW www.idwpublishing.com (EV:$3.99 price tag)
$1.00: liquor bottle, airplane sized, Tia Maria, from Jamiaca (EV:$12.67 based on $38 for 3 )
$1.00: liquor bottle, The Eternal City's Precious Liqueur, Chatham Importing Co, NY, 11222 (EV:$12.67 based on $38 for 3 ) www.chathamimports.com/sambuca.php
$1.00: liquor bottle, Queen's Castle, Blended± Scotch Whiskey, Brooks & Bohm (EV:$±12.67 based on $38 for 3 ±)
$1.00: liquor bottle, Grand Old Parr, ±Blended± Scotch Whiskey, 12 years old, MacDonald Greenlees LTD (EV:$±12.67 based on $38 for 3 ±)
$1.00: liquor bottle, Cheri-Suisse, Swiss Chocolate Cherry Liqueur (EV:$±12.67 based on $38 for 3 ±)
$1.00: liquor bottle, Vandermint Liqueur, Park Avenue Imports (EV:$±12.67 based on $38 for 3 ±)
$1.00: liquor bottle, Royal Chambord Liqueur, Pres Chamboro, France (EV:$12.67 based on $38 for 3 ), however (EV:$7.09 for just the empty bottle)
$1.00: liquor bottle, hoglano Enziein Crreme RSchmes, Anton RiemerSchmrs Munchen, Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen (EV:$12.67 based on $38 for 3±)
$1.00: wig, black with magenta streaks (EV:$±2.99±)
$1.00: plastic Grim Reaper ±scythe±, Rubie's Costume, 1994 (EV:$±5.40±)
$1.00: guitar, First Act Discovery, missing 3 strings, FG 186 [not FG 125], 31"x10" (EV:$1.04)
$0.50: action figure, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Raphael, McDonald's, 2007, shell opens, 5.25x2.25" (EV:$±.50±)
$0.50: action figure, ±Avatar±, 2009, 4 joints, battery operated, but maybe the batteries are dead. 5" tall (EV:$3.33)
$0.50: action figure, The Incredible Hulk, Burger King, 2008, 3x3.375" (EV:$±3.94±)
$0.50: action figure, ±Shrek±, Princess Fiona, McDonald's, 4.25x5", 3 joints, on/off switch and speaker on back don't seem to work (EV:$8.11)
$0.50: action figure, Fantastic Four, The Thing, Burger King, 2007, 5x4", 3 joints (EV:$±4.99±)
$0.50: stockings, fishnet, Music Legs, Style 973, black with rhinestones up the backseam (EV:$±10.80±)
$0.50: stockings, fishnet, Music Legs, Style 973, white with rhinestones up the backseam (EV:$±10.80±)
$0.50: stockings, fishnet, Music Legs, Style 973, red with rhinestones up the backseam (EV:$±10.80±)
$0.50: stud bracelet, Hot Topic (EV:$±3.00±)
$0.10: medical paper tape, Care One, 10yards (EV:$±3.49±)
$FREE: Indian feather headdress, 11 feathers, 2ft wide (EV:$±8.00±)
$FREE: coloring book, ±G.I. Joe±, Undersea Mission, Marvel Books, 1987, 02488501045 (EV:$±3.90±)
$FREE: sticker book, ±Batman±, DK (EV:$6.95 price tag)
$FREE: coloring book, ±Cartoon Network± Cartoon Cartoons, (EV:$2.99 price tag)
$FREE: Wiimote silicon sleeve skin, black (EV:$±1.77±) They asked for a dollar and when Carolyn tried to talk them down to $0.50, she said to just take it because she didn't want coins.
$FREE: bubbles, Super Miracle Bubbles, Imperial, 100 fl oz, about 60% full, 076666213481 (EV:$15.00 based on $4.00 for 16 fl oz)
$FREE: speakers (2), Panasonic, Model No. SB-AK520, Part No NX0224, Serial no. TN4CB089299 (EV:$18.00)
$FREE: action figure, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Michaelangelo, McDonald's, 2007, 5 joints, twisty action when squeezed, 4.5x3.5"(EV:$±4.31±)
This angle shows the Magic Carpet in its most useful configuration being used at the water line as a tender dock. For all but a couple of brief periods, Magic Carpet was on Deck 14 and closed. I was unimpressed until it came time to tender.
Useful Island, Antarctic
The chinstrap penguin is a species of penguin that inhabits a variety of islands and shores in the Southern Pacific and the Antarctic Oceans. Its name stems from the narrow black band under its head, which makes it appear as if it were wearing a black helmet, making it easy to identify. Other common names include ringed penguin, bearded penguin, and stonecracker penguin.