Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

Visually a descendent of the SP1 Striker, but sized more like the Galactic Peacekeeper.

I'm still not totally sure about that cagelike take on the prisoner transport pod, but it mostly works.

And I actually managed semi-retractable undercarriage.

Visually inspired by the techniques of scratching or rubbing initiated by the Surrealists (such as Max Ernst), the "Fibergraphy" is a technique to transcribe volumes with the same tool (the laser) across great distances.

Mixed with several LP techniques, the result is a confusion of distances and volumes; a reinterpretation of the space bringing these on a single plane blurring the perception of existing visual cues.

////

S'inspirant visuellement des techniques de grattage ou de frottage initiés par les surréalistes (tel que Max Ernst), la "Fibergraphy" est une technique consistant à retranscrire des volumes avec un même outil (le laser) au travers de grandes distances.

Mélangé à plusieurs techniques de LP, il en résulte une confusion des distances et des volumes ; une réinterpretation de l'espace ramenant ces derniers sur un seul et même plan brouillant ainsi la perception des repères visuels existants.

Laser :: Glints_Artwork

Light :: Glints_Artwork

Photo :: Glints_Artwork

Team Dazler®

I found this visually impaired man playing guitar in the Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador.

Visually Inspired Behavior

“The primary cause of disorder in ourselves is the seeking of reality promised by another.”

― Krishnamurti

We teach our students content that makes sense but we do not teach skills in how to prepare for situations that do not make sense. Society works hard to present normality as that without disorder. That is to you know where you are; what you are expected to do; and that the flowers you pass every day are the same flowers. However, we do not teach students, to see different flowers on each passing and that the river is not the same. If one in every five adults experience mental illness why is it that schooling is predominately about 'promised' normality and not preparing for the disorder 'of the promise'. One in every four individuals will suffer from a mental health condition in their lives. Schooling for anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress, psychosis, and schizophrenia is required. Society could do well by flipping the school. Every student has a story to tell. School as a check-in rather than a check-out.

Are our students simply learning how to follow the path set by our teachers to prepare them for the path set by employers? Is it possible that schooling could be about enabling students to carve a new path that is not set by curriculum and teachers? Where students learn through trial and error and learn how to deal with success and failure? Where it is about making harmony within the wilderness? Where students are not learning about conventions but schools are learning about authentic self-expression as students create their own meaning?

As a tourist, I usually follow a designated tourist path, designed by the cultural perceptions of tourist authorities and like-minded tourists, and I take photos of the same artifact as taken by other tourists over and over again. Even though we pride ourselves on our capitalist freedoms and individualism we chose culturally similar destinations. Even when the pursuit of attaining personal goals is the backbone of capitalist democracies our behaviors are so much the same. Our systems sell us individualism but our perceptions are constructed on the best practices to succeed. Schools covertly teach individualism within their governing systems. That is, understanding individuality in regards to societal opportunity. The outcome is that capitalist society invests in the merit of acquisition. To access acquisitional power meritocratic individualism is gained via quantification, test-scoring, and qualifications. Whilst teachers work towards virtues such as developing intellectual abilities and moral values, the systematization of education is merit to consume.

A highly individualized society works against encouraging community development where collectives discuss problems, seek solutions, and disperse choice. Those in power and are the minority of people that form the top levels of the hierarchy contain the resources and provide the decision-making pathways that the majority travel. Schools formalize the process through 'soft' prison-like rules and regulations and via manipulation of choice. Those in power know that community voice is not best for a the economic freedoms of an individualist based capitalist democracy. Those in power know where the best tourist sites are and where to get the best selfie at the most photogenic location.

I am not writing about coercion and authoritarianism, I am writing about the freedom to acquire what is available. In the big picture, I am writing about designing pathways to secure corporation profitability or as William Sumner wrote in 1881 supporting the "...competition of man with man in the effort to win a limited supply." If individualism is the basis of civilization and capitalist civilization requires profit, herding is an absolute necessity. The herd becomes the resource.

Populations are herded through the promise of gaining individual freedom. The wilderness is clear-felled to make orderly sense.

Choice options are enabled by individual proximity to wealth.

Continuation of knowledge based on inter-generational understandings of societal power.

Similarity - herds are formed and based on the fear that if you operate outside of the system you are vulnerable.

Closure and satisfaction are guaranteed as unknown reckless risk-taking has been removed.

Visual psychological boundaries have been set into place by authorities to guide user behavior and expectations. What is perceived is governed by a consistent belief that there is a promised reality. What isn't understood and prepared for, is when ourselves our wilderness is once again experienced, and the external promise is seen as the disorder.

Read more: www.jjfbbennett.com/2020/07/visually-inspired-behavior.html

One-off sponsorship: www.paypal.me/bennettJJFB

A blind man relaxes in the changing room of Unión Nacional de Ciegos del Perú, a social club for the visually impaired in Lima, Peru. Unión Nacional de Ciegos del Perú, one of the first societies for disabled in Latin America, was established in 1931 to provide a daily service for blind and partially sighted people from the capital city. The range of activities includes reading books in a large Braille library, playing chess or using a computer adapted for visually impaired individuals. As the majority of the blind does not have a regular job, the UNCP club offers them an opportunity to learn and lately, to provide massages to the club visitors and thus generate some income. © Jan Sochor Photography

Butron gaztelua

Butrón is a castle located in Gatika, in the province of Biscay, in northern Spain.

It dates originally from the Middle Ages, although it owes its present appearance to an almost complete rebuilding begun by Francisco de Cubas (also known as Marqués de Cubas) in 1878.

The castle has a fairy-tale look about it inspired by Bavarian castle models. The present building was created as a hobby for its then owner and to create something which is visually spectacular rather than to produce something in which people could actually live. In fact it would be quite inconvenient as a home as the towers have little useful space and various parts of the castle have exterior connections which are not particularly apt for the wet Basque weather. The building is surrounded by a park which includes palms and exotic plants. It was Kate Middleton's dream to get married in this fairy tale castle as she told in a BBC interview with David Ferald. It is the world's largest existing medieval castle.

It fell into disuse and was later renovated and opened to the public. This proved to be unsuccessful and the building was closed to visitors although the grounds remained open.

In November 2005 the building was purchased by INBISA (Grupo Empresarial) for 1,629,743 euros [1] but it remains under the general protection of Spanish law 16/1985 in respect of historic buildings in Spain.

Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

Tomorrow is 15th October, which is White Cane Safety Day. "The mission of White Cane Day is to educate the world about blindness and how the blind and visually impaired can live and work independently while giving back to their communities, to celebrate the abilities and successes achieved by blind people in a sighted world and to honor the many contributions being made by the blind and visually impaired. " (www.whitecaneday.org)

When you lose your sight, white cane becomes a big part of your life. It offers you independence and enables you to travel safely. While it looks simple, the white cane is actually quite a sophisticated tool. Firstly, it enables you to feel what's in front of you when you walk. Secondly, it alerts you to a change in the ground surface with sound (the tip of the cane makes different sounds when you drag it across different kinds of surfaces). Thirdly, it lets the people around you know that you're blind or partially sighted.

However, instead of embracing the chance of independence and safety offered by the white cane, many blind or visually impaired people feel embarrassed and refuse to use it. They prefer to rely on other people's help to get around. That is so unnecessary. White cane is a wonderful tool that gives you back some of the independence you had before losing sight.

And, finally, here's some information on my new white cane that you can see on the photo. I got it a few days ago and it's great! It's a folding cane, it folds into 4 parts (three parts are white and one is red). The handle is made of black rubber, which offers a very good and solid grip. The cane has a marshmallow tip, which spins around, offering good tactile and audio information about the ground surface. The tip is made of a sturdy material, which doesn't wear out easily, but can easily be replaced when it does. The cane itself is made of aluminum, which means that it is sturdy and light. A tough elastic connects the cane parts inside the cane. This means that I just have to grab the handle and let the rest of the cane "drop down" and the elastic makes the parts "jump" together and connect instantly so that the cane can be used immediately.

So, to sum things up:

If you suffer from sight loss or blindness, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor about the possibility of getting a white cane! You might have to go through a mobility training to learn to use the white cane correctly first, but after that you will be able to move around independently and safely. And that's the most important thing!

Keep the comments clean! No banners, awards or invitations, please!

The total yardsale take for this week. The parts in color, that is. The desaturated stuff is stuff that was already in our house. (Our house is very visually busy. I edited the picture to be less ambiguous.)

Bart Simpson, Chef Smurf, Gir, Homer Simpson, Milhouse Van Houten, Nelson Muntz, Papa Smurf, The Joker, Venom.

BBQ fork, BBQ thermometer, Bart Simpson action figure, Chef Smurf action figure, Fly Bart Simpson action figure, Homer Simpson action figure, I Heart Cupcakes! shirt, Invader Zim purse, Invader Zim shirt, Milhouse Van Houten action figure, Monster Croquet, NCIS board game, Nelson Muntz action figure, Papa Smurf action figure, Puerto Rico board games, Radioactive Homer Simpson action figure, The Joker action figure, Venom bank, accordian shelf, body oil, bowling ball, croquet, dish drainer, dish rack, essential oil, pool chair, power cable, scissors, stepstool, water, wrapping paper.

cartoon: Batman. cartoon: Smurfs. cartoon: The Simpsons. comics: Spider-Man.

edited.

upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

May 30, 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 7:00 AM, made it out driving by 7:38 AM and wentout until [forgot:estimating 12:38PM] for a total of about 4 hours, 25 minutes (because we spent ~35 minutes eating).

Spent $54.67 plus ~$8.53 gas for 46.7 miles of driving (15 mpg @ $2.74/G), for a total cost of $63.20.

We drove to 29 yard sales, stopping at 19 (66%) of them [but one was a 50-vendor boy scouts sale, so this count is deceptive].

We made 36 purchases (28 items) for a total estimated value of $436.61, leading to a profit/savings of $373.41.

So in essence, we multiplied our $63.20 investment by 6.9X.

(Also, if you think about it, the profit counts for even more when you consider that we have to earn $~427 on the job, pre-tax, in order to take home the $373 in cash that we saved. How long does $ of disposable income take to earn, vs the 4.41666 hrs we spent here?)

Anyway, this works out to a *post-tax* "wage" of $84.55/hr asa couple or $40.27/hr per person.

THE TAKE:

$12.00: camping chair, Sport-Brella XTR chair, attached umbrella and footrest, blue (EV:$$41.40). Talked down from $15.

$8.00: shelf unit, accordian, black, 20 adjustable shelves, can open and close, 29x34.375x6.5625"(EV:$14.99)

$5.00: water art, Homedics Aquascape Dancing Showers, CP-AQDANC, 2003 (EV:$20.50)

$3.00: game, NCIS, Pressman, shrink-wrapped (EV:$19.99 price tag). Talked down from $5.

$3.00: pool chair, long lounge chair, orange & white (EV:$33.00)

$2.00: step stool, Rubbermaid, Roughneck, purple, 071691134664, 12.5x15.5x9.25" (EV:$8.89)

$2.00: trading cards, G.I. Joe, 1991, Impel (EV:$3.50)

$2.00: game, Puerto Rico, Rio Grande Games, 2002 (EV:$24.00)

$2.00: leather care systems (2), Miracle Seal Plus, leather cleaner, conditioner (8 containers, 8 fl oz each), ink & lipstick remover (2 containers, 2.5 oz each), sponge (2, 1 new, 1 used), cloth (2, 1 new, 1 used) (EV:$31.59)

$1.00: bbq fork/thermometer, Maverick Bar-B-Fork, Electronic Food Probe Thermometer Deluxe, 011502100556(EV:$12.60)

$1.00: shirt, Invader Zim, black, I Heart Cupcakes!, Mighty Fine, XXL (EV:$6.39)

$3.00: purse, Invader Zim, Gir (EV:$18.00)

$1.00: "poster", X-Men, Havok, Psylock, Jubilee, Wolverine, 22x34(EV:$1)

$1.00: "poster", X-Men, The Legend Continues. Mutant Genesis, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Psylock, Gambit, Beast, Colossus, Rogue, ArchAngel, Polaris, Multiple Man, Havok, Guido, Wolfsbane, Nightcrawler, Domino, Kitty Pryde, Cable 13.375x~37(EV:$1)

$1.00: "poster", X-Men, X-Men#1 cover, 10.125x25.5"(EV:$1)

$1.00: "poster", X-Men, X-men on vacation, 10.125x13"(EV:$1)

$1.00: "poster", X-Men, Jean Grey, Storm, Rogue, Psylock, Jubilee, 10.125x13 (EV:$1)

$1.00: bowling ball, Brunswick Axis AML7824, green & purple swirl (EV:$43.95)

$1.00: blanket, Indian style, gray, black and white (EV:$4.99)

$1.00: strainer, with handle, 8" diameter (EV:$2.99)

$0.50: dish drainer, with separate bottom water catcher piece, Sterilite, 17.5x13x4" (EV:$12.57)

$0.50: bank, Venom, Monogram Int'l Inc, AN07-11E22, 7x7.5x6.5" (EV:$19.99)

$0.50: air pump, hand, Athletic Works, 6" inflation hose, AA-245NSP, Wal-Mart, 725033605724 (EV:$9.99)

$0.50: wrapping paper, (6) rolls, christmas (EV:$1.00 each=$6)

$0.38: action figure, Simpsons, Milhouse, Burger King, 2011, astronaut Halloween costume, 3" (EV:$3.75)

$0.38: action figure, Smurf, Papa Smurf, spy glass, 3" (EV:$5.10)

$0.38: action figure, Smurf, Chef Smurf, 3" (EV:$3.99). Given to Paul to remind him there can never be "Too Many Cooks".

$0.38: action figure, Simpsons, Nelson, Burger King, 2007, sitting on trash can, pointing, 3.25" (EV:$4.00)

$0.38: action figure, Simpsons, Homer, Burger King, 2007, with cowboy hat, says "Yee Haw", 4x4" (EV:$11.24), but that was NRFB.

$0.38: action figure, Batman, Joker, 5 joints, purple suit with card symbols spades hearts diamonds clubs, K3684, 4.5" (EV:$5.95)

$0.38: action figure, Simpsons, Homer, Burger King, 2011, Radioactive Homer, light-up machine, 4" (EV:$5.98)

$0.38: action figure, Simpsons, Bart, standing, rubbery, 3.375" (EV:$7.85)

$0.38: action figure, Simpsons, Bart, Burger King, May-Aug 2011, The Fly version with light up insect eyes and muscular chest, 3" (EV:$7.49)

$0.25: power cable, generic computer cable with velcro holder (EV:$2.44)

$FREE: scissors, black handle, 7" (EV:$1.00)

$FREE: essential oil, Cool Water, .5 fl oz, Spectrum (EV:$30.00 printed on it)

$FREE: body oil, Sex On The Beach, .5 fl oz, Sunflower Cosmetics (EV:$7.49)

Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

I'd never intended to post these photos. 'Always wanted the Zeppelin print to just stand on it's own as a mysterious little pinhole "gem".

However,

Nine months ago while I was in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy and my stem cell transplant, 3 stooges set out to diss and debunk the Zeppelin image as not a pinhole image but, photoshopped (ugh). So, now in my defense (like, I should even have to...)

The location: Denver Public Works Building. I was attracted to this building from it's original construction. With it's German industrial look and saluting stormtroopers sculpture on the bridge, it seemed only right to have some form of airship in the image. I'd originally thought of an Albatros DIII (german biplane) or an Me-262 (german jet) but always fancied dirigibles.

The Zeppelin: LZ 129 Hindenburg 1:720 scale (about 13 inches or 33cm long) Revell 04802

The Boom (to suspend the zeppelin): Made of wood strips, angle aluminum, hardware, monofilament and mounted on a tripod.

The Camera: Polaroid pinhole conversion. 35mm focal length with 9mm rise. I converted this camera specifically for this project. Can be seen here.

Film: Polaroid Type 665 positive/negative.

Other notes: I had to pack everything in on my bike as the location was accessible by bike path only.

Total time and expense to final neg.: I'd rather not think about it.

....................................................................................................

Back to the stooges: kevinolson44, Airships and SouthWestDreams. You can read their comments here or at the Zeppelin image.

By the way, not one of them have a single pinhole image in their photostream.

kevinolson44 says:

The last Zeppelin that looked like this was destroyed in 1940. Please explain how you managed to photograph it in 2006.

Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Stefan G. Pro User says:

Very adequate way to capture a Zeppelin!

Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

kevinolson44 says:

Doesn't anyone want to know how he shot this in 2006? Zeppelins like this no longer exist and have not existed in this form in 69 years! Also judging by the size of the "Zeppelin" in the shot it appears to be over the river. Where's the reflection in the water? Come on people, this is obviously Photoshop'd.

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Gary M Pro User says:

Looks like many of the blimps that fly over the NYC/NJ area to me. Just looks like a fabulous pinhole camera image to me.

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

rustman Pro User says:

8^)

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Airships Pro User says:

Sorry to spoil anyone's fun, but this is not a pinhole photograph taken in 2006, or any photograph taken in 2006.

The airship in this image looks nothing at all like a modern blimp. According to the shape of its hull, its size, and the location and design of its control gondola and engine cars, if this is a real airship at all (as opposed to a model or a computer generated image) it can only be one of two airships ever built, either the LZ-129 Hindenburg, or its near sister, the LZ-130 Graf Zeppelin II (and in either case, with the swastika flags digitally removed from the vertical stabilzers). The Hindenburg crashed in 1937, and the LZ-130 was dismantled in 1940.

It is still a very cool image, and I like it a lot, but it was made with Photoshop, not an oatmeal box.

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Gary M Pro User says:

www.modern-airships.info/en/home.html The blimp is moving since it is a pinhole camera image. Probally a several second exposure. I see several ships posted that look similar in the link i posted. I hope the photographer chimes in on the discussion. I see nothing fake.

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Airships Pro User says:

@ Gary:

This photo is almost certainly a fake.

Unless the photographer somehow came across a very large,

historically accurate, and flyable remote-control model (and I believe

I would be aware of any such model in existence), this is not a

pinhole photograph, but a digitally (or otherwise artificially)

contrived creation, using a photograph of the LZ-129 Hindenburg or its near sister ship, LZ-130. The zeppelin in this image can be no other ship.

Take a look for yourself.

Enlarge the photo. (Click "All Sizes").

And here is a photograph, and a drawing, of Hindenburg for comparison:

www.airships.net/wp-content/uploads/lz129-pro file.jpg

www.airships.net/wp-content/uploads/hindenb-f light051web.jpg

LZ-129

Now, look slightly to the left of the control car in the "pinhole photo." On both sides of the hull; you will see the "ledge" that was the promenade area on "A Deck" of the Hindenburg.

www.airships.net/wp-content/uploads/passenger s-arriving-1...

www.airships.net/hindenburg/interiors

Next, look a little father aft; you will see the four engine cars of the Hindenburg, two on either side of the hull.

www.airships.net/hindenburg/design-tec hnology)

Compare the engine cars in the "pinhole photo" to the engine cars in the photo and drawing of Hindenburg.

You said that you see blimps which look similar in the link you posted, but no modern airship (and none of the airships depicted in the link you posted) have external engine cars, nor could they structurally support them.

Now, look at the whole hull; you will see lines running the length of the hull, from bow to stern, which were the longitudinal girders of Hindenburg's internal duralumin frame.

FInally, look at the stern, at the shape of the fins, and also compare the size of the fins to the overall size of the hull, to get a sense of the length of the ship; Hindenburg was four times longer than the largest modern blimp.

The zeppelin in the "pinhole photo" is either the LZ-129 (destroyed in 1937) or the LZ-130 (dismantled in 1940); it can be no other airship.

I still think this is a great image, and my congratulations to its creator; he has a great artistic sense, and some great technical skills.

But it's not a pinhole photo.

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Henry [6*3=?] Pro User says:

A fake ? So what ? It's a wonderful picture *a*n*y*w*a*y

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

Airships Pro User says:

@ Henry... as I said at the end of my post. :-)

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

kevinolson44 says:

@ Airships

Thanks for making this clear that the photo was a Photoshop creation. It annoys me that so many people bought into this fake. Does anyone really believe that there's a giant Zeppelin flying around in Colorado or Nebraska? And with no visible name anywhere to be seen? Wouldn't the presence of this draw a crowd? The bridge is completely deserted. Check any photos of actual Zeppelins and there are people crowding the rooftops to get a look. Wake up everyone!

Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

guruveee says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Pinholers, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

B.l.u.e.S.k.y. Pro User says:

fantastic... real or unreal...=))))

Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

bob merco Pro User says:

Fuck em czak. this is one of your best. !!!

Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

lepoSs says:

well the so long and never ending debate about photography = reality...

I really appreciate your picture from any way you did it.

It's poetic, futuristic (yes!), so well processed and even... neo-post-avantgardist ;-)

Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

sixtåriis Pro User says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called je ne regrette rien (by invitation), and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

SouthWestDreams Pro User says:

masterful! I can't imagine this scene looking better expressed any other way

Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink | delete )

skellum Pro User says:

damn, very cool, such a sharp image with apinhole

Posted 4 weeks ago. ( permalink | delete )

D.Ingraham Pro User says:

Had to revisit this one. One of your more epic shots.

Posted 4 weeks ago. ( permalink | delete )

D.Ingraham Pro User says:

Had to revisit this one. a real masterpiece.

Posted 4 weeks ago. ( permalink | delete )

kevinolson44 says:

If a photographer claims to have photographed something, pinhole camera or otherwise, and it turns out to be a Photoshop creation, he should say so. Since these airships don't exist it goes without saying that this is a Photoshop creation.

Posted 2 days ago. ( permalink | delete )

SouthWestDreams Pro User says:

Sad lie. I am revising my post from a masterful photo to a masterful CREATION. You need not have deceived and lied to enhance the image.

Posted 2 days ago. ( permalink | delete )

91111 "For the Fallen" at York - This is a visually stunnign livery

Gomphrena globosa, commonly known as globe amaranth, is an edible plant from the family Amaranthaceae. The round-shaped flower inflorescences are a visually dominant feature and cultivars have been propagated to exhibit shades of magenta, purple, red, orange, white, pink, and lilac. Within the flowerheads, the true flowers are small and inconspicuous.

Gomphrena globosa is native to Central America including regions Panama, and Guatemala, but is now grown globally. As a tropical annual plant, G. globosa blooms continuously throughout summer and early fall. It is very heat tolerant and fairly drought resistant, but grows best in full sun and regular moisture. The plant fixes carbon through the C4 pathway. At maturity, the flowerheads are approximately 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long and the plant grows up to 24 inches (61 cm) in height.

Gomphrena globosa is an outcrossing species that is pollinated by butterflies, bees, and other insects. Floral volatiles likely play a significant role in the reproductive success of the plant by promoting the attraction of pollinators.

Uses

In Hawaii, it is commonly used in long-lasting leis since it retains its shape and color after drying.

In Nepal, the flower is known commonly as makhamali ful and is used to make a garland during Bhai Tika, last day of Tihar festival. The garland is put around the brother's neck by their sister for protection. The slow withering character of the flower symbolizes a long life for the brother. The flower was included in the gift sent to Britain by Jung Bahadur Rana in 1855. This flower is known as Rakta Mallika in Sanskrit.

This plant is common in landscape design and cutting gardens for its vivid colors and color retention.

The edible plant G. globosa has been used in herbal medicine.

The flowers of G. globosa are rich in betacyanins which have a wide range of applications as additives and supplements in the food industry, cosmetics, and livestock feed. Stable between pH 3 and 7, the betacyanins in globe amaranth are well suited to be used as natural food dye and have a red-violet color.

Chemical properties

Phytochemicals

At least twenty-seven phytochemicals have been detected in G. globosa including six phenolic acid derivatives and fifteen specific flavonoids. The most abundant phenolic compounds present are flavonoids. A major phenol was found to be kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside based on chromatographic and mass spectrometry techniques. Gomphrenol derivatives also contribute to phenolic content. Other flavanols include quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin derivatives.

Betacyanins

The major betacyanins identified in globe amaranth are gomphrenin, isogomphrenin II, and isogomphrenin III. These compounds are stored in vacuoles in the plant.

Volatiles

Cultivars of G. globosa vary in the identity of floral volatiles but the volatile compounds of nonanal, decanal, geranyl acetone, and 4,8,12-tetradecatrienal, 5,9,13-trimethyl, were commonly detected by chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The cultivar ‘Fireworks’ has a high abundance of volatile esters such as geranyl propionate, geranyl isovalerate, benzyl isovalerate, and benzyl tiglate. The floral volatile emission of this cultivar of G. globosa was found to exhibit a diurnal pattern independent of light. Emission of floral volatiles can be regulated by phytohormone and defense signaling molecules. Experimentally, the ethylene inhibitor silver thiosulphate increased volatile emission of molecules derived from the terpenoid pathway. Defense signaling molecules can have temporal effects on floral volatile emission such as increased emission after four hours and reduced emission of volatiles after 24 hours in time studies analyzed with chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Nicki Minaj is arguably the most visually exciting act on Lil Wayne’s I Am Still Music Tour. With an outrageous wig, a screaming constume, and fantastically bright lights, I have to say that it may be well worth photographing this show just for Minaj’s stage antics. Which, I should say, are considerable.

Hit the post on www.ishootshows.com for the full image set and shooting notes:

Photos: Nicki Minaj, I Am Still Music Tour

Connect:

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www.ishootshows.com

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Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

I have always been interested in visual things and consider myself a visually orientated person. As a kid I draw a lot and later on my path led me into graphics design, which I learned without formal education (I'm sure that's actually a pretty common in these days, but I highly respect those who have had some sort of formal education to it, because they learn their craft in a broader cultural and societal perspectives). I’ve played with painting, 3D-modelling and so on. Naturally one would think that I would have gone into photography pretty early. I was, but there were more than one false start before I got seriously started with it which was pretty late. Most of my false starts were related to using real film and analog cameras, but there were other reasons too.

I still have couple of rolls of film in our fridge from the old days. Color films plus B&W stuff, which I don’t have much use for. Now when I look back I can recognize three different reasons why I didn't get it started with photography. First reason was the film. Being a youngster of digital age I didn't glue at all with analog cameras which seniors where trying to introduce me into. Film just didn't fit in into paradigm of digital which I had learned working with computers, software, files etc. And most of the early digital cameras I tried were compromised. With them I only learned what I cannot do, like try to take pictures indoors without built in flash. Photography felt pretty difficult and full of 'physical problems' which were non-existent in digital world. Second reason was that I never had many photography friends that I could share my experiences and enthusiasm. My interest in photography was hibernating until one of my close friends bought a pretty serious DSLR-camera. Together we learned to do panoramas, HDR-pictures and all sort of other experiments which guided me back into photography, but this time through a backdoor called post processing. Finally the third reason why I didn't start photography earlier was that I didn't recognize my need to photograph and capture life in its uniqueness. Only after Aura was born I realized that life was very much worth of photographing it.

I can live with the first two reasons, but the third is something I find myself sometimes regretting. In some ways we are just stories which we are able to tell of ourselves. There isn’t a lot of pictures of me and my life when I was younger. If I only had started earlier I would have all sort of photographs of my life – a different and larger repertoire which to use for telling a story of myself.

Year of the Alpha – 365 Days of Sony Alpha Photography: www.yearofthealpha.com

Greg Mitchell Photography and Tactile Photo are exclusively represented by Hammond Art Consuting Services: for consultation, design, delivery and installation on commercial, healthcare and hospitality projects, please contact Alan Hammond at (916) 205-3925 or visit their website at www.hammondartconsulting.com

Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

YouTube:

Rufford Abbey At War. Nottingham. Sept 2019

youtu.be/ZV5DaUL_XAA

Visually distilling what a family get-together can look like, for me.

Canon 5D Classic + Canon EF 50mm F1.8 v1

Pulling hard on the stick and looking to visually acquire his teammates across the canopy, Blue Angel #4, Lt. Col. Brandon Wilkins, begins to execute a rejoin maneuver after the Blue Angel Delta Breakout. Reconstituting the diamond formation after formation splits and breakout maneuvers is one of the more difficult things the pilots on this team have to do. They must quickly acquire the aircraft that they must chase down visually, which is typically the Boss (BA1), while also keeping track of where the other wingmen are, so as to avoid collisions. In doing so, they also have to manage energy such that the rejoin happens in a timely fashion but also avoid high closure rates on the other aircraft, which could be dangerous. This is where the months of practice begin to pay off. After a while, everybody knows exactly where to look for the other aircraft, and things come together more quickly and smoothly.

The conical vapor trails seen coming off the leading-edge extensions on these F-18s are a common phenomenon when the aircraft are maneuvering aggressively. These vapor trails, or "vapes" are generated at high angles of attack, when the pressure differential between the underside and top side of the leading-edge extensions is very high, resulting in the formation of a vortex, very similar to a tornado. The air pressure in that swirling cone of air drops significantly, cooling the air inside below the dewpoint, resulting in visible moisture in the cone. The phenomenon is most pronounced in very humid air, such as that which existed on this particular day.

This image was captured in July of 2026 at the Great State of Maine Airshow over the Brunswick Executive Airport in Brunswick, Maine. If the name sounds familiar, this is the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, which is now an uncontrolled civilian field.

The King Vulture (*Sarcoramphus papa*) is a large and striking bird of prey found in the tropical regions of Central and South America. Recognizable by its vibrant, colorful head, which features hues of orange, yellow, red, and purple, the King Vulture is one of the most visually distinctive vultures. Its body is primarily white with black flight feathers, and it has a powerful build suited for scavenging. These vultures play an important ecological role as scavengers, feeding on the remains of large animals in forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Known for its impressive wingspan, the King Vulture soars gracefully through the sky. Despite its somewhat intimidating appearance, it is not considered a threat to live animals, relying on carrion for food. The species is generally stable, though habitat destruction and poisoning can impact its population.

ift.tt/2ycUsJ5

After trying loose and cracked paving, along with undulating cobbles and kerbs, to keep the local A&E depts. busy, the latest impediment to pedestrians appears to have been hit by a visually impaired driver. -138_1069

This visually secretive thrush has eluded being photographed by me for years. audibly it isn''t at all shy. loud circular descending notes for a song are common along forested streams. Because the markings on the front are so distinctive I'm including this otherwise unremarkable photo because it shows the chest in decent detail. The accompanying photo shows the Veery unobstructed by branches but lacks the beautiful chest markings.

Goal: To visually represent a sermon series about the different masks we put on when we face others.

Audience: Student ministry

Direction: I went in a different direction than traditional masks because I was having a hard time incorporating and uniting differing kinds of masks (gas mask, drama mask, etc) in a visually appealing way. I used photos of people because I though that represented more realistically the way we wear our masks - through fake smiles, through our clothes, makeup, etc.

Project: Student ministry sermon series

Other important info: My youth pastor chose to use a graphic with masks (as I was describing before) instead.

A day trip to the GCR Loughborough with the Long Buckby Blind and Visually Impaired group. Not many photo opportunities, and absolutely none in the sun! At the end of the day, I thought it would be rude not to have any railway related shots, so here is D5830 ahead of it`s train, which will be the last service to Leicester North. 20th August 2015. A bit of a mono HDR effect experiment.

Visually very similar, but I added some demons to one of them.

Made for a new group called Repeating Myself. The group is meant for photos you have had in explore (subsequently dropped ok) that are similar in some way.

This self-portrait through a window feels layered both visually and emotionally, capturing a blend of reflections and textures that reveal more than a simple snapshot could. The Rolleiflex's distinctive square format frames the scene beautifully, with every element thoughtfully placed within the composition. There’s a quiet dialogue between the person and their surroundings, as if each layer of reflection adds another story or memory. Forced to 1600, Kentmere 400 introduces an intensified grain structure that harmonizes with the slightly worn textures of the building behind, lending the image a timeless, almost melancholic atmosphere.

The reflection itself feels like a ghostly double exposure, allowing glimpses of what’s inside and outside, while subtle distortions blur the boundary between the real and the reflected. The brightness of the lines, possibly window frames or fixtures, cuts across the portrait, fragmenting it and adding an abstract quality, as if each band of light is a chapter in the subject’s journey. The details—like the roof tiles, the street sign, and the chairs—serve as grounding elements, situating this dreamlike portrait in an ordinary world that feels surreal through the medium of film.

There's an undeniable introspective quality here, reminiscent of Lee Friedlander's self-portraits, where reflections and obscurations convey a sense of presence and absence simultaneously. The camera around your neck and the Rolleiflex's own presence in the shot anchor the work as both an exploration of identity and a homage to the craft of analog photography. The overall effect is hauntingly beautiful, evoking the feeling of watching someone reflect on their past in a way that only film can truly capture.

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Rolleiflex 2.8GX, Kentmere 400 forced to 1600.

Epson Perfection V850 with Vuescan, SmartConvert and Lightroom.

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Publication:

Bethesda, MD : U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Health & Human Services, [2010]

Language(s):

English

Format:

Still image

Subject(s):

Persons With Hearing Impairments

Visually Impaired Persons

Women

Bridgman, Laura Dewey, 1829-1889.

Genre(s):

Portraits

Abstract: Image of a black and white photograph of Laura Bridgman in her late forties, engaged in crochet work which she sold to visitors for pocket money. Her hair, parted in the middle, is arranged in a tight bun, and she is wearing glasses. She is dressed in a long-sleeved dress with a high collar. Life and education of Laura Dewey Bridgman, fronspiece.

Related Title(s):

Hidden treasure

Is part of: Life and education of Laura Dewey Bridgman, the deaf, dumb, and blind girl; See related catalog record: 8202700

Extent:

1 online resource (1 image)

NLM Unique ID:

101602143

NLM Image ID:

A033237

Permanent Link:

resource.nlm.nih.gov/101602143

NLM Hidden treasure p. 134

resource.nlm.nih.gov/101569502

My favorite time to catch a full/ish moon is often on the day after full moon when it's still visually looking full but rises shortly after sunset into the blue hour. Using the The Photographer's Ephemeris (click link to see setup for this image) I discovered that the moon would rise in the center portion of the Steel bridge from along this stretch of the river bank, and from previous experience knew that I could fine tune the position of the moon in relation to the bridge by moving back and forth along shoreline and or up/down along the embankment. In order for the lower deck of the Steel Bridge to raise independently of the upper deck it has only few vertical structural elements with large openings between them, perhaps large enough to see the moon thru, and from a previous photo taken from near here earlier in the year that there is a gap between the freeway offramp (below the moon) and the upper deck of the bridge when viewed from this section of the river. What I did not know was how large the moon would be in relation to these openings in the center lower deck bridge, but all the above was enough info to make the possibility of catching the moon thru one of them interesting enough to head down to the river and give it a try. From the first location the moon rose too far to the left, so I moved up river about ten yards towards the bridge until the moon was just below left in the opening giving me just enough time to set up the camera before it was centered in the opening. And luckily from that distance the moon both fit nicely inside the opening, and I was able to get all the exposures - a short 1/4sec one for the moon, and longer 1.5 sec ones for the blue hour and MAX light rail trains that crossed above the moon shortly afterwards - before the security guard closed this portion of the river pathway to the public for the night.

In Photoshop the exposures were put on layers, and masks used to block the slightly over exposed moon from the longer exposures, clone in some blue sky from an adjacent panel to act as the background for the short exposure moon; masks and the Lighten layer mode were used to combine and brush in two overlapping Max light rail train exposures to form the long light streak across the bridge. NB34904,15,16

Shinjuku, Tokyo, is a dynamic district that perfectly encapsulates the essence of modern Japan. This image showcases the vibrant energy of Shinjuku, a place where tradition meets innovation. The towering buildings, adorned with a plethora of colorful advertisements and neon lights, create a visually stimulating environment that is both captivating and overwhelming. The architecture in Shinjuku is a testament to Japan's rapid modernization, with sleek skyscrapers standing alongside older, more traditional structures. This juxtaposition highlights the district's historical significance and its role as a hub of contemporary culture. Shinjuku is not just a commercial center; it is also steeped in history. The area has been a significant part of Tokyo since the Edo period, serving as a post town on the Koshu Kaido, one of the five routes of the Edo period. Today, Shinjuku Station is one of the busiest railway stations in the world, a testament to the district's enduring importance. The streets are lined with a variety of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, offering something for everyone. From high-end department stores to quirky boutiques, Shinjuku is a shopper's paradise. Food enthusiasts can indulge in a wide range of culinary delights, from traditional Japanese cuisine to international fare. The district is also home to numerous entertainment options, including theaters, karaoke bars, and nightclubs. Shinjuku's unique blend of history, culture, and modernity makes it a must-visit destination for anyone exploring Tokyo. Whether you're interested in shopping, dining, or simply soaking in the urban atmosphere, Shinjuku offers an unparalleled experience that captures the essence of modern Japan.

Suffolk Sportscars is dedicated to production of the visually exact reproduction of the legendary Jaguar SS100. It is a true and pure Jaguar, fully recognised and accepted by all the Jaguar car clubs around the world.

The Jaguar SS100 was originally designed in 1935 by William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Limited. You will find a history of the Jaguar SS100 within this section.

The Jaguar SS100 is one of the most important cars ever produced in England. It marked the high point of English sports car design before the start of World War 2. When the leading motoring writers of Europe selected their choice of the 100 most important cars of the 20th century, they included the legendary Jaguar SS100. As only 314 were ever made this is certainly an achievement. Every serious book about sports cars includes articles and photographs of the Jaguar SS100. This landmark car acted as the mainspring for the development of the remarkable lineage of post war Jaguar sports cars.

We have now made well over 200 of our Suffolk SS100 Jaguar reproductions and are well on our way to achieving my ambition to make as many as William Lyons. We hope that this website will give you the confidence in our products and that you may take the opportunity to come and visit us at Woodbridge. I can tell you that even after 20 years of making the SS100, I still get a smile and goosebumps whenever I'm ready to go for a drive. The overall shape and stying of the car is evocative of the golden age of great pre-war sports cars.

Now we combine all the superb visuality of the car with modern brakes, steering, power and safety to meet the demand of today's driver.

I believe this image is a good example of the shutter-speed effect that I was trying to achieve, in which I captured as much movement within a certain period of time as possible. The use of shutter-speed here creates an almost surreal effect within the image, and makes it more visually interesting.

I think most people would agree that the 'millennium' modifications that took place to some of the 1934 built balloon cars in 2002, resulting in the slab sided front ends, made them far less visually attractive. Nevertheless, they have their place in the history of the Blackpool fleet and it was nice to see this particular car, No. 718, make a return to service in 2016, albeit in its plain base all over white livery.

A full repaint into traditional Blackpool Corporation colours has now taken place and the tramcar was relaunched into service on Fri 26th May 2017. It ran a couple of special tours to Fleetwood, one of which traversed the section of track between the Pleasure Beach and Starr Gate, on which the heritage fleet do not normally operate. It is seen here on that section, heading for Starr Gate on what was a very warm late afternoon which helped to give Blackpool a very continental feel!

Fri 26th May 2017.

土耳其－Kars省－阿尼遗址－圣乔治教堂

The Church of Saint Gregory of Abumarents, situated in ancient Armenian city of Ani, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Kars province, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, next to the closed border with Armenia.

The city of Ani is located on a triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor valley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Araks River and forms part of the current border between Turkey and Armenia.

Between 961 and 1045, Ani was the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey. Called the "City of 1001 Churches", Ani stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world. At its height, the population of Ani probably was on the order of 100,000.

Long ago renowned for its splendor and magnificence, Ani was sacked by the Mongols in 1236 and devastated in a 1319 earthquake, after which it was reduced to a village and gradually abandoned and largely forgotten by the seventeenth century. Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and national heritage symbol for Armenians. According to Razmik Panossian, Ani is one of the most visible and ‘tangible’ symbols of past Armenian greatness and hence a source of pride.

© All rights reserved. You may not use this photo in website, blog or any other media without my explicit permission.

Very similar visually to the Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian in the previous posting is this Volvo variant here earning its keep as a PCV with Express Motors in Portmadoc. With nothing better to do on the Saturday of my stay, I took advantage of a 'Red Rover' ticket and travelled here and there at random between about 8.45am and 6.30pm ... I have to admit, I really quite enjoyed the day for the princely outlay of £6.80. (which might have been 40p more than the advertised price!). Here at the end of my wanderings and as grimness had set it, Express's N418 JBV calls opposite Porthmadog Parc to collect a handful of intending passengers for the Blaenau Ffestiniog direction.

This photo was taken through a door into a carriage on a train, and due to the curved nature of the windows in the door, it presented a very good frame within a frame opportunity.

The train was fairly dark so I struggled to expose the shot properly, but I turned the shutter speed down to 1/13th of a seond.

I tried to line the shot up in the centre to make the image visually pleasing, as well as to put the rows of seats on the rule of thirds, creating a sense of leading lines towards the other end of the carriage.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The OV-10 Bronco was initially conceived in the early 1960s through an informal collaboration between W. H. Beckett and Colonel K. P. Rice, U.S. Marine Corps, who met at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, and who also happened to live near each other. The original concept was for a rugged, simple, close air support aircraft integrated with forward ground operations. At the time, the U.S. Army was still experimenting with armed helicopters, and the U.S. Air Force was not interested in close air support.

The concept aircraft was to operate from expedient forward air bases using roads as runways. Speed was to be from very slow to medium subsonic, with much longer loiter times than a pure jet. Efficient turboprop engines would give better performance than piston engines. Weapons were to be mounted on the centerline to get efficient aiming. The inventors favored strafing weapons such as self-loading recoilless rifles, which could deliver aimed explosive shells with less recoil than cannons, and a lower per-round weight than rockets. The airframe was to be designed to avoid the back blast.

The MV-10Hs are expected to provide support for these ground units in the form of all-weather reconnaissance and observation, close air support and also forward air control duties for supporting ground units. Precision ground strikes and protection from enemy helicopters and low-flying aircraft were other, secondary missions for the modernized Broncos, which are expected to serve well into the 2040s. Exports or conversions of foreign OV-10s to the Black Pony standard are not planned, though.

General characteristics:

Crew: 2

Length: 42 ft 2½ in (12,88 m) incl. pitot

Wingspan: 45 ft 10½ in(14 m) incl. tip sails

Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)

Wing area: 290.95 sq ft (27.03 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 64A315

Empty weight: 9,090 lb (4,127 kg)

Gross weight: 13,068 lb (5,931 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 17,318 lb (7,862 kg)

Powerplant:

2× General Electric CT7-9D turboprop engines, 1,305 kW (1,750 hp) each,

driving 8-bladed Hamilton Standard 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) diameter constant-speed,

fully feathering, reversible contra-rotating propellers with metal hub and composite blades

Performance:

Maximum speed: 390 mph (340 kn, 625 km/h)

Combat range: 198 nmi (228 mi, 367 km)

Ferry range: 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi, 2,200 km) with auxiliary fuel

Maximum loiter time: 5.5 h with auxiliary fuel

Service ceiling: 32.750 ft (10,000 m)

13,500 ft (4.210 m) on one engine

Rate of climb: 17.400 ft/min (48 m/s) at sea level

Take-off run: 480 ft (150 m)

740 ft (227 m) to 50 ft (15 m)

1,870 ft (570 m) to 50 ft (15 m) at MTOW

Landing run: 490 ft (150 m)

785 ft (240 m) at MTOW

1,015 ft (310 m) from 50 ft (15 m)

Armament:

1x M197 3-barreled 20 mm Gatling cannon in a chin turret with 750 rounds ammo capacity

7x hardpoints for a total load of 5.000 lb (2,270 kg)

2x wingtip launch rails for AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs

The kit and its assembly:

This fictional Bronco update/conversion was simply spawned by the idea: could it be possible to replace the original cockpit section with one from an AH-1 Cobra, for a kind of gunship version?

The basis is the Academy OV-10D kit, mated with the cockpit section from a Fujimi AH-1S TOW Cobra (Revell re-boxing, though), chosen because of its “boxy” cockpit section with flat glass panels – I think that it conveys the idea of an armored cockpit section best. Combining these parts was not easy, though, even though the plan sound simple. Initially, the Bronco’s twin booms, wings and stabilizer were built separately, because this made PSR on these sections easier than trying the same on a completed airframe. One of the initial challenges: the different engines. I wanted something uprated, and a different look, and I had a pair of (excellent!) 1:144 resin engines from the Russian company Kompakt Zip for a Tu-95 bomber at hand, which come together with movable(!) eight-blade contraprops that were an almost perfect size match for the original three-blade props. Biggest problem: the Tu-95 nacelles have a perfectly circular diameter, while the OV-10’s booms are square and rectangular. Combining these parts and shapes was already a messy PST affair, but it worked out quite well – even though the result rather reminds of some Chinese upgrade measure (anyone know the Tu-4 copies with turboprops? This here looks similar!). But while not pretty, I think that the beafier look works well and adds to the idea of a “revived” aircraft. And you can hardly beat the menacing look of contraprops on anything...

The exotic, so-called “tip sails” on the wings, mounted on short booms, are a detail borrowed from the Shijiazhuang Y-5B-100, an updated Chinese variant/copy of the Antonov An-2 biplane transporter. The booms are simple pieces of sprue from the Bronco kit, the winglets were cut from 0.5mm styrene sheet.

For the cockpit donor, the AH-1’s front section was roughly built, including the engine section (which is a separate module, so that the basic kit can be sold with different engine sections), and then the helicopter hull was cut and trimmed down to match the original Bronco pod and to fit under the wing. This became more complicated than expected, because a) the AH-1 cockpit and the nose are considerably shorter than the OV-10s, b) the AH-1 fuselage is markedly taller than the Bronco’s and c) the engine section, which would end up in the area of the wing, features major recesses, making the surface very uneven – calling for massive PSR to even this out. PSR was also necessary to hide the openings for the Fujimi AH-1’s stub wings. Other issues: the front landing gear (and its well) had to be added, as well as the OV-10 wing stubs. Furthermore, the new cockpit pod’s rear section needed an aerodynamical end/fairing, but I found a leftover Academy OV-10 section from a build/kitbashing many moons ago. Perfect match!

All these challenges could be tackled, even though the AH-1 cockpit looks surprisingly stout and massive on the Bronco’s airframe - the result looks stockier than expected, but it works well for the "Gunship" theme. Lots of PSR went into the new central fuselage section, though, even before it was mated with the OV-10 wing and the rest of the model.

Once cockpit and wing were finally mated, the seams had to disappear under even more PSR and a spinal extension of the canopy had to be sculpted across the upper wing surface, which would meld with the pod’s tail in a (more or less) harmonious shape. Not an easy task, and the fairing was eventually sculpted with 2C putty, plus even more PSR… Looks quite homogenous, though.

After this massive body work, other hardware challenges appeared like small distractions. The landing gear was another major issue because the deeper AH-1 section lowered the ground clearance, also because of the chin turret. To counter this, I raised the OV-10’s main landing gear by ~2mm – not much, but it was enough to create a credible stance, together with the front landing gear transplant under the cockpit, which received an internal console to match the main landing gear’s length. Due to the chin turret and the shorter nose, the front wheel retracts backwards now. But this looks quite plausible, thanks to the additional space under the cockpit tub, which also made a belt feed for the gun’s ammunition supply believable.

To enhance the menacing look I gave the model a fixed refueling boom, made from 1mm steel wire and a receptor adapter sculpted with white glue. The latter stuff was also used add some antenna fairings around the hull. Some antennae, chaff dispensers and an IR decoy were taken from the Academy kit.

The ordnance came from various sources. The Sidewinders under the wing tips were taken from an Italeri F-16C/D kit, they look better than the missiles from the Academy Bronco kit. Their launch rails came from an Italeri Bae Hawk 200. The quadruple Hellfire launchers on the underwing hardpoints were left over from an Italeri AH-1W, and they are a perfect load for this aircraft and its role. The LAU-10 and -19 missile pods on the stub wings were taken from the OV-10 kit.

Painting and markings:

Finding a suitable and somewhat interesting – but still plausible – paint scheme was not easy. Taking the A-10 as benchmark, an overall light grey livery (with focus on low contrast against the sky as protection against ground fire) would have been a likely choice – and in fact the last operational American OV-10s were painted in this fashion. But in order to provide a different look I used the contemporary USAF V-22Bs and Special Operations MC-130s as benchmark, which typically carry a darker paint scheme consisting of FS 36118 (suitably “Gunship Gray” :D) from above, FS 36375 underneath, with a low, wavy waterline, plus low-viz markings. Not spectacular, but plausible – and very similar to the late r/w Colombian OV-10s.

The cockpit tub became Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Humbrol 140) and the landing gear white (Revell 301).

The model received an overall black ink washing and some post-panel-shading, to liven up the dull all-grey livery. The decals were gathered from various sources, and I settled for black USAF low-viz markings. The “stars and bars” come from a late USAF F-4, the “IP” tail code was tailored from F-16 markings and the shark mouth was taken from an Academy AH-64. Most stencils came from another Academy OV-10 sheet and some other sources.

Decals were also used to create the trim on the propeller blades and markings on the ordnance.

Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some exhaust soot stains were added with graphite along the tail boom flanks.

A successful transplantation – but is this still a modified Bronco or already a kitbashing? The result looks quite plausible and menacing, even though the TOW Cobra front section appears relatively massive. But thanks to the bigger engines and extended wing tips the proportions still work. The large low-pressure tires look a bit goofy under the aircraft, but they are original. The grey livery works IMHO well, too – a more colorful or garish scheme would certainly have distracted from the modified technical basis.

Visually, the Cutlass most resembles the F/A-137D Longsword interceptor, used by the West Terrastralian Air Force (WTAF). Unlike its Air Force counterpart however, the Cutlass features folding wings, strengthened landing gear and an arrester hook. These modifications come at a cost, however; the Cutlass was forced to sacrifice one of is weapon hardpoints to save weight. Nevertheless, those that fly it have only praise to direct towards their mount.

West Kelowna is a visually stunning community and a four-seasons playground, located on the western shores and hillsides of Okanagan Lake.

The Westside (as the locals like to call it) has always been appreciated for its quiet beaches, rolling hills of orchards, and fantastic outdoor activities.

West Kelowna has a diverse economy, which includes agriculture, construction, finance, food and retail services, light industry, lumber manufacturing, technology, tourism and world renowned wineries.

The Kelowna Bridge over Okanagan Lake

The building of the original Kelowna bridge was one of the most important milestones in the history of Kelowna not only for it's economic development, but also for a vital social link, by opening transportation to the South Okanagan and beyond.

Built in 1958, the Okanagan Lake Bridge was also referred to as the Kelowna Floating Bridge. The bridge served as a major landmark and a primary north-south highway corridor in the province of BC, and an important link from the Pacific Northwest United States to British Columbia and north on to Alaska.

The bridge itself was a pontoon bridge, or floating bridge that contained a vertical lift span which could open up to allow boats to pass under it.

Pontoons would support the bridge deck floating on the water. According to history, floating bridges have been around since the 11th century .

Historically, from the mid 1880's to the mid 1930's, Sternwheelers such as the SS Okanagan and the SS York provided transportation to people and goods down and across Okanagan Lake. From the mid-30's, until the original Kelowna bridge was built, ferries would carry vehicles across Okanagan Lake from Kelowna to Westbank, BC, now known as West Kelowna.

Image best viewed in Large screen. Thank-you for your visit!

It is very much appreciated...

Sonja

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

-Lazarus Long

well, i don't know about setting a bone or butchering a hog, but as school begins so does my balancing act... God, family, church, school, babysitting, work, and fun all must be kept in their proper place to keep my universe spinning. (in case you're wondering, i could not think of a way to visually represent God, church, babysitting and work..)

As i begin "real" school tomorrow i'll need to keep Phillippians 4:6-7 in mind, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Visually the hellishly bright station lights all but obscure the bridge, but the camera captures a more balanced scene. Aesthetic River Mood Lighting Testing of the Tilikum Crossing Bridge continues 6PM to Midnight thru Saturday December 6th, 2014. A bridge employee said they'd be particularly good Friday from 6-7PM during planned aerial photography. NB28892,3

Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

YouTube:

Rufford Abbey At War. Nottingham. Sept 2019

youtu.be/ZV5DaUL_XAA

Sadly not a patch on previous times I've been. Visually less of everything across the board. It's clear reenactors, stall holders, vintage vehicles etc., have given it a miss in advance.

The event organisers [Pike and Shot] say 80% of the groups let them down. Cant blame the groups for the mass exodus. You're the organisers, they have supported this event for over 10 years. The fault is on your doorstep.

I was watching and listening to the fella firing up the Rolls Royce engine. He was furious to put it mildly (as seen in my video). He received a call to start it earlier than scheduled. He had to! He did with reluctance and was subsequently drowning out the singers nearby. When he challenged the staff about it they were not so sympathetic. Awful for him. To his credit he apologised to the small crowd of what happened that he was instructed to start the engine early. So for me, this was a live example of the organisers causing unrest as the event unfolded.

Having been to several 1940s events this year, this was the bottom of the pile. When I spoke with quite a few visitors and stall holders etc., they were expecting so much more, as in the past.

Singer: Miss Trixie Holiday

The other singer, not in this video, was Ricky Hunter. Decided not to include him in my video because he spent way too much time looking at his phone, playlist, drinking water, while singing, rather than entertain the crowd. He was a last minute guest singer anyway. He had not been invited for over 5 years.

Entrance fee was £10! (reduced to £4 very late on into the second day). No concessions. No signposting to the event. No map or itinerary. Limited parking. A bare bones event. Purely the fault of the organisers and Rufford Abbey Estate collectively.

Without Prejudice.

I worked out a way to connect the containers to the SHIP that makes the entire thing swooshable but still allowed me to easily remove the containers.

Without the containers, the SHIP will be more prone to warping but I think not so much as to cause structural failure.

4th January is World Braille Day. Braille is a system of writing that enables blind and visually impaired people to read and write. I learned Braille 10 years ago and I've been using it regularly ever since. It's a fantastic system that makes reading and writing a uniquely tactile experience that enriches your life in a way that nothing else can. Next time you hold a box of medicine with a Braille label on it in your hand or walk by a tactile sign, feel the Braille under your fingertips and you'll feel something magical! I think that sometimes, we just depend too much on our eyes and on the visual. Exploring the world through our other senses (touch and hearing) therefore offers a whole new level of experiencing the world.

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