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A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.
The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.
Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.
The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.
Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.
In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.
In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
This musical phenomenon comes to Theatr Clwyd for the first time thanks to Tip Top Productions.
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. “Prologue – Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” additional material written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe; ”Memory” additional material written by Trevor Nunn.
The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year—the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories to Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life. Among the candidates are the aging theatre cat, Gus; the rocker, Rum Tum Tugger; and the once-glamorous Grizabella, now but a faded memory of her former self.
Boasting a score that includes Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory, this compelling fable takes audiences to a fantastical world that can only exist in the theatre. Cats has been performed worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. The original West End production ran for 21 years and the original Broadway production ran for 18 years
For tickets and more info see:
This musical phenomenon comes to Theatr Clwyd for the first time thanks to Tip Top Productions.
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. “Prologue – Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” additional material written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe; ”Memory” additional material written by Trevor Nunn.
The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year—the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories to Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life. Among the candidates are the aging theatre cat, Gus; the rocker, Rum Tum Tugger; and the once-glamorous Grizabella, now but a faded memory of her former self.
Boasting a score that includes Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory, this compelling fable takes audiences to a fantastical world that can only exist in the theatre. Cats has been performed worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. The original West End production ran for 21 years and the original Broadway production ran for 18 years
For tickets and more info see:
Infographic #001 – Global Map of Social Web
www.globalwebindex.net/latest/index.php/2009/11/26/infogr...
Mashable is highlighting this amazing data visualization / info
graphic from TrendStream (http://www.trendstream.net/) who also do the
Global Web Index (http://www.globalwebindex.net/). Alright, I admit
it, this is cheating. It isn't really a cool toy itself, but it is
about cool toys. :) And I am such a sucker for visualizations
andinfographics, just love them.
This is a nice tight way to look at how different cultures are using
social media in different ways, and the relative importance, both to
local users and to the impact on the global social media community.
Two caveats on that.
First, China, because they've locked down so much internet access at
the border, does not have the impact on the global community that you
would expect from them having both the largest population of social
media users AND the largest percentage of that population! Second,
this is only looking at the social WEB, and does not include mobile
use of the same social tools, meaning this is not a comprehensive look
at the social media space.
Aside from those, here is a quick snapshot view.
Countries with the biggest social media presence internationally:
United States / China, meaning basically the USA has the largest
presence for now. If China gets smart and unlocks their borders, they
will likely dominate everyone else.
Countries for which the social media impact is pervasive throughout
their culture:
China
India
Brazil
Russia
South Korea
Mexico
Who's missing? Well, Japan is using mostly mobile (the wave of the
future, folks, so pay attention!). That means they don't show up as
web based users, but they are probably major players in the social
media space, just not in the way it is being measured here.
Now, of these big users, who is using what (since the various
countries are using social media in very different ways).
United States = social network (eg. Facebook) / pics (eg. Flickr)
China = pics / blogs
India = pics / social network
Brazil = social network / pics
Russia = pics / social network / video
South Korea = pics / blog
Mexico = pics
What about our linguistic neighbors, the other English speaking
countries? How do they compare to the USA's behaviors with social
media? Well, basically Australia and the UK are very similar to the US
in percent of population engaged with social media and the preferred
types of tools. Canada is very similar, but with a higher percentage
of their population engaged.
Basic takeaway? Pictures are WAAAAYYYYY more important for marketing
to and engaging with other countries than I had ever imagined.
Vastitude explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.
The exterior of Vastitude is a simple rectangular structure that hosts a complex three-dimensional grid of LED lights suspended inside parallel mirrors, creating the illusion of a deep, vast ‘field of lights’.
Users interact with the installation in real-time through a dedicated social media portal. When users direct their posts to the installation system, it will translate the user’s post into values that control the colour, speed and type of animation that will be displayed.
Artists: Cox Richardson Architects and Planners (Andrew Butler (Australia) / Danny Nguyen (Australia) / Rob Asher (South Africa / Mitchell Page (USA) / Adrian Taylor (USA)
Collaborator: Rebekah Collins (Australian)
A local Tucson McDonald's has become the site of a concerted effort by a web-based group of loonies demanding that a replica of a Tyranosaurus Rex (in place for 30 years) be removed because they believe it discourages religious belief in a "young earth" literal interpretation of the Bible. The restaurant owners have also resisted the fringe group's recommendation that, short of removal of the offensive effigy, it be labeled as a "fictional character"--ironically, they apparently have no problem with the larger-than-life Ronald McDonald that also graces the property.
Angel wings over the war memorial
Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2013 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography
I was super happy with this nifty idea. Just thought it was soo cute =p
I had a package of these cupcake toppers that were unused form my rookie days. I ripped one of the figures from his web base and bickity bam! AWESOME!!
full moon over san francisco
Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact details
Copyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography
Vastitude explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.
The exterior of Vastitude is a simple rectangular structure that hosts a complex three-dimensional grid of LED lights suspended inside parallel mirrors, creating the illusion of a deep, vast ‘field of lights’.
Users interact with the installation in real-time through a dedicated social media portal. When users direct their posts to the installation system, it will translate the user’s post into values that control the colour, speed and type of animation that will be displayed.
Artists: Cox Richardson Architects and Planners (Andrew Butler (Australia) / Danny Nguyen (Australia) / Rob Asher (South Africa / Mitchell Page (USA) / Adrian Taylor (USA)
Collaborator: Rebekah Collins (Australian)
www.clickconnectgo.com/treasures-of-pondicherry/
What keeps a person all agog and hooked on to glee is a journey. For most, it’s a trip that makes them a tranquil soul and keeps their life frabjous. With no space for doubt, travelling provokes amicability in one’s behaviour and exploring new places gives rise to more skills. Coupled with a visit to a beatifying destination, the moments get converted well-nigh into euphoric state. When it comes to such a place, Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry), casually referred to as ‘Pondy’, holds one of the top positions to offer intense happiness and excitement to its guests.
Pondicherry is a union territory located in Tamil Nadu, the south-eastern state of Bharat. If it’s your first step in South India, there is whole lot to get excited about. If you dig into the history, it states that the territory took place in records after the colonial rule by British, Portuguese, French, and Dutch. France ruled over Pondy until 1954 and the impact is still reflected through the French dialect used by some people. Well, the next section brings the whole shebang including the challenges tourists may face; let’s read on.
I personally believe solo travelling is the best way to rejuvenate the soul. I, however, was accompanied by a large group of friends who were on the brink of 20’s and were avid for having a glimpse of pretty Pondy. You can also whisk away with your sweetheart and experience a peachy tryst once again. Golly! By a surprising coincidence during a get together, we finally planned to make it in December last year which undoubtedly is the best time to enjoy Pondicherry. You can experience a pleasant Pondy trip from October to March. You can also plan the trip between July to September (Monsoon) if you love to (who doesn’t?) soak in the drops showered by rain; nonetheless, despite rainy season, this place is hot and humid. During rest of the year, Pondy is obsessed by comparatively more heat and humidity hence lacks the potential to show its best.
We got air tickets booked from New Delhi (IGI Airport) to Chennai. No matter where you are coming from, you need to land in Chennai. Well, it was a fine Sunday morning when our flight was scheduled to take off. We avoided packing more than two bags each. You prolly know the hassles that may create due to too much of luggage. However, since it was winter season, we kept some light woollens with us; you also never avoid paying heed to the choice of clothes according to the season.
With so much excitement, we reached airport and festinated to catch the flight. Right after the departure we began yearning for sumptuous South Indian food, engaging culture, and scenic beauty. After duration of approximately 2h 40m, we got landed at Chennai airport. Subsequently, after checking out, we pushed our way through the throng on taxi stand outside the airport. We couldn’t find a polyglot, therefore, encountered language issues. You can see everyone speaking Tamil around you. Taxi drivers approached us to drive us to the desired destination; however, the language left us entirely confused.
Fortunately, we had pre-booked a car through Zoomcar, a group that provides a car on rent with a deposit of Rs. 5000 as security. The amount is non-refundable in case of accident or damage to the car. Therefore, it is recommended to take pics of the car as a proof and check meter reading to avoid pesky arguments. It provides both web based as well as mobile based applications. The latter is easy, fast, and time effective. Tariff varies depending on the class of car you choose. We opted for a Honda City and paid accordingly. Zoomcar includes unlimited fuel in its tariff and also suggests you to keep the receipt if you have fuelled the car by some extra litres. Note that no discount is offered and charges are a bit high during peak season.
We bore the total bill of Rs.12360 (approximately) for 3 days and 22 extra hours for a distance of 574 Kilometres. If hours were exceeded, extra money would be charged accordingly. You may also consider opting for a taxi from Uber, OLA, Meru, et cetera.
Visitors also take trains or buses that run frequently at fixed intervals from Chennai to Pondicherry; Volvo bus facility is also available which indeed is a comfortable option.
A Journey of Taste and Unique Flavours (Pondicherry)
Our first journey to cover at Chennai included breezy beach which is a serene place to be at. The charisma of this place is beyond the hustle & bustle of the city. It, however gets over-crowded on weekends. I have been an ardent fan of the food served by Sarvana Bhavan at Delhi and wished to experience it on its own land. So, in the evening, we couldn’t resist our temptation and entered Hotel Sarvana Bhavan. The service was unbelievably quick, and before we knew it, our order was before us. We took every bite with relish, beginning with a round of delicious kaima idli with raita, 14 idly with sambhar ghee which was followed by Kara Dosai and Kal Dosai. Next, a fresh lime soda and sweet lassi added a punch to the meal, but it was kaima idli that won the hour.
Marina Beach is just opposite to it; a complete hot and humid place. Not recommended for tourists. The parking guys dont issue a receipt; therefore, they do not vouch for the safety of your vehicle. Moreover, the way to beach is unpleasant or I must say it’s terrible to be here. Next, we decided to shop to boost up our mood and found our way to Pothys store. It is a nice and big shopping hub where you can buy garments, silk saris, and lungis as souvenir. Another happening shopping place is Express Avenue Mall where we hung out for hours. If you have enough time like we had, visit the mall for a grand shopping experience.Well, before heading to Pondy, we first decided to drive through some of the popular destinations in Chennai. We first dug into a south Indian plate at Murugan Idli Shop, ‘temple of idli’. However, our appetite for South Indian forced us to tickle our taste buds at Adyar Ananda Bhawan where we experienced ambrosial food with yummy coconut chutney.
Now was the time to get back to our itinerary. The drive to Pondicherry can be dangerous because of no availability of lights on the narrow highway at night, we planned a sojourn at Mahabalipuram.
We had enough leeway while proceeding towards Mahabalipuram, therefore, visited Madras Crocodile Bank that justifies the name to the full extent. Especially when you are with kids, it’s a must visit place which is popular to have contained a huge bank of crocodiles and snake pits; an absolute interesting place.
A Date with Ancient India - Mahabalipuram (Pondicherry)
Mahabalipuram measures the distance of approx. 56 kilometres from Chennai that took us hardly an hour to reach there. Golden Sun Hotel & Beach Resort was our stay point that charged us Rs. 2200 for a night. An old city Mahabalipuram is located in Kancheepuram district and is known for consisting of ancient temples and stone carved monuments. Therefore, we found it worth it to spend some time at Mahabalipuram and experience the glimpse of this ancient land. It cannot be gainsaid that Mahabalipuram is among the most loved cultural heritage sites of India. If you are culturati, you will fall head over heels in love with the sites offered by this age old town.
Shore Temple
The Shore Temple was the first destination we chose to touch. Lo and behold! This amazing place made me believe in the unlimited potential of human. The 1400 years old temple, perfectly situated on the sea shore dates back to Pallava Dynasty and has the images of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Lord Vishnu, and Nandi carved on its walls. When the sun rises, the natural glow hovers over the water surface and demonstrates what real beauty truly stands for. The temple consists of two main shrines namely Vishnu Shrine and Shiva Shrine. It is believed that the Vishnu Shrine was built first. It has a flat roof. There are a number of narrow pathways within the temple that connect the two shrines. We were just wondering how many generations have gone through these narrow paths. We first entered Shiva Shrine that has its face directed towards east at the sea.
Through a narrow path we entered the Vishnu Shrine that is popular for Lord Vishnu’s sleeping posture. Here, Lord Vishnu is lying in Ananta Shayana pose; therefore, the shrine is named as ‘Narapathisimha Pallava Vishnugruham’. The entry fee for the temple is Rs. 10 per person that also includes entry fee to Panch Rathas. The temple is 7 days open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. There is no entry fee for the kids below fifteen years. Visit duration is 30 minutes.
Mahabalipuram boasts 8 Cave Temples namely Varaha, Tiger, Krishna, Panchpandava, Trimurti, Mahishasuramardini, Atiranachanda, and Kotikal built by Pallava dynasty in 7th century. A fine and detailed rock cutting makes these caves a true demonstrator of finest ancient Indian art.
An Evening with Krishna’s Butterball
Krishna's Butterball is another interesting attraction to see. The Butterball of 5 meters diameter is balanced on a smooth slope & defies the laws of Physics. We enjoyed underneath the rock for a while and clicked many candid pics.
Towards Happier HoursOther attractions that we explored include Arjuna’s Penance, Pancha Rathas, and beaches. Wherever you go, almost all sites are coverable on foot so you can stroll along the city. Mahabalipuram has now been declared as UNESCO world heritage site.
Next day we started off our journey to Pondicherry at 5.30 AM with an amazing gut feeling. Since Pondicherry is located approx. 131 kilometres far from Mahabalipuram, it took us around two hours and a few minutes to reach there. Supported by scenic destinations, mouth-watering food, and lovely coastline, Pondicherry is a small town and allows visitors to explore and enjoy on foot.
It was early morning and no restaurant was open; on asking people around, we were told that restaurants start serving from 9:00 AM onwards. Till then we satiated our hunger with the snacks we had and quenched our thirst with a small amount of water left with us. We then proceeded to French Guest House that we found a nice place to stay. The guest house is located near to Promenade beach promising to provide a breath-taking view. For corporate travellers, Le Royal Park is a good choice that offers a pool and good amenities. More importantly, this place offers everything at commendable prices. An interesting feature of Le Royal is its mid-night buffet that is available till 2.30 AM. If you are not hungry at supper time, the buffet turns out to be your true companion and that too at a very reasonable price. However, the hotel most of the times encounters traffic in front of it, making it a bit unpleasant for tourists.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram (Pondicherry)
After freshening up, we had tasty bites of breakfast and discussed our plan for rest of the day. We then found our way around the city beginning with Aurobindo Ashram which is also a centre for education. The Ashram opens from 8:00 AM to 12 noon and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The highlights at the Ashram include:
Samadhi: Visit the inner courtyard to see the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and his disciple Mirra Alfasa whom Sri Aurobindo considered the divine mother and entitled her as ‘The Mother’. She was French and recognized that Sri Aurobindo was the one whom she had been seeing in her vision, and became the lifetime disciple.
Art Gallery: The Art Gallery was named ‘The Studio’ by the Mother who had keen interest in arts and painting. The gallery consists of paintings and photographs from the Mother’s collection and the paintings made by the people of Ashram. It opens from 9.00 AM to 11.00 AM, 3.00 PM to 4.00 PM.
Bureau Centre: Dedicated to visitors, Bureau Centre features an exhibition that explains the life of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, a detailed map of Pondicherry, video programs, and information about the Ashram.
Library: Recognized as an intellectual sanctuary by the Mother, the Library possesses eighty thousand books in twenty five languages.
The Ashram society also provides accommodation for visitors; however, it is easily available for Ashram guests only. Others need to get reservations in advance.
Near to Ashram (almost 7 km. drive) there is Auroville that welcomed us as warmly as if it had received instructions from nature to engulf us with ecstasy. Yes, this place is worth forgetting the routine life you live and living the life you always dreamt of. This place was established by The Mother and is adorned with utmost peace and spiritual atmosphere. Auroville is worth a stay of at least 4-5 days, cherish freedom, and give yourself a treat to live a little. We unfortunately didn’t have enough time so had to come back after spending a few hours out there. Additionally, the day just turned perfect owing to the murky weather. Auroville is often frequented by foreigners. The place is richly decorated with a beautiful beach known as Auroville beach; an ideal place to spend a spectacular, calm, and splendid evening. If possible, hire a scooty at Pondy to add more joy to your experience in the town. However, do not forget to bargain and limit them to max. Rs. 200 as the scooty rent varies between Rs. 150-200.
Time to Enjoy French Bites (Pondicherry)
After a busy yet enthralling day, we felt ravenous. Voila! Baker Street, a French Bakery served as a saviour. Tuna sandwich, doughnuts, mushroom puffs and other French delicacies satiated us. The restaurant provides WIFI connection; it is, however, better to take away. We enjoyed each French bite at Promenade Beach (Pondicherry Beach) that is a walk only zone at night. Taking a stroll or sitting by the beach and getting fresh air is an incomparable experience. The beach is a great place to be, surrounded by fascinating shops, water beyond, outstanding view, and relax.
While doing quite a little walking, we found a Gandhi statue and a sea facing restaurant named Le Cafe, a number of chaiwalas and chaatwalas, making it a more happening place. We enjoyed local chaats while celebrating tickling sounds of roaring waves.
At supper hour, we chose to taste the offerings of Le Café restaurant. It’s an open restaurant next to the beach where we enjoyed yummy cuisine while having a look at different facets of the sea. Though the restaurant draws many customers owing to its location and quality of food, the service was up to the mark despite good crowd; staff is quite attentive. Skipping the starters, we directly starved for the main course. Being a pure veggie, I ordered BBQ Paneer Tikka that pleased me with every spoonful. There is a variety for non-vegetarians, such as Chicken Tikka, Prawns, and much more. Following, our desire for Apple Tartlet remained disappointed as it was not as good as it should have been.
An important thing to keep a sincere check on is prices of food or any other item. Be it Pondicherry, Chennai or other places in South India, if you are a North Indian, you must possess good bargaining skills to avoid yourself from being looted.
An Italian Lick (Pondicherry)
With a wonderful experience throughout the day at Pondy, our tired body begged us to hit the hay. We drove to the hotel and had a sound sleep. The next morning, we woke up to glowing sun. Over breakfast, we decided to rush to the market and shop for local things.Ibaco is another nice ice-cream parlour which is located on Villianur Main Rd. It takes hardly 15 minutes to cover the distance from Promenade Beach to Ibaco. Other ice-cream shops are Richy Rich Snowflakes Ice Cream Parlour, etc.
Pondicherry houses local markets, boutiques, and Ashram shops most of which are located at MG road and Nehru Street. Special things worth buying at Pondy include arts & handicrafts, paper mache, room aromas, fragrance candles, bags and soaps that you can keep as souvenirs or present to your friends. We bought a bagful of aromatic items from a boutique at Auroville. There are several similar outlets at Pondicherry as well. Sunday market with vendors sitting alongside the street offers a good reason to spend an interesting time. From cheap clothes, shoes, bags to metal plates and pots, everything available in market makes people go gaga.
In the evening we were set to head to Paradise Beach, aka Plage Paradiso Island, one of the best beaches in India. In order to reach the beach, we had to first reach Pondicherry-Cuddalore highway which is approx. 7 kilometres far from the main city. From here a regular boat rode us to the island of Paradise Beach in 15-20 minutes.
With calm surroundings, array of tall coconut trees, incredible sound of sea waves and breeze, and picturesque landscape, the very much quintessential island, Paradise Beach is a hidden surprise. Playing and having fun at the beach like happy kids made us extremely happy. Sitting like someone with no worries and taking a deep breathe filled my heart with a feeling of immense pleasure and appreciation for everything our planet offers. Visit this paradise in the evening and stay thankful to this place for offering you such an amazing piece of peace. The time of over 3 hours spent at Paradise Beach is unforgettable. It’s a must visit place especially for those who love swimming. Along with a joyous time, we didn’t forget examining the zoomcar and taking clicks for an easy refund.
Cheers! (Pondicherry)
Our last activity at Pondy included enjoying liquor sips. Believe it or not but a large number of people visit Pondicherry for buying liquor. With the ‘no tax’ tag, the cheap liquor has made Pondy the cynosure of all alcoholics. After getting awesomely greeted by the Paradise Beach, now was the time to get into a restaurant cum bar. We were told by locals of a place named LB2 Lounge located on the La Bourdonnais Street. It’s a good place to enjoy night life as the lounge is open till 12 midnight. We chose to begin with cocktails; those guys undoubtedly have a good hand with cocktails. Our cocktail was coupled with the duo of starters – white sauce pasta and some fries that were later accompanied by a bottle of wine. The best things about the lounge include full of life ambience, good music played at standard sound levels, and comfortable sitting arrangement. However, it sounds sad that despite having everything up to the mark these people are a bit slow when it comes to service. You may have to wait for little more time than you thought.
We of course wanted to carry liquor for our friends, for which we were given the reference of PAPSCO, a government organization that supplies liquor and food products. The PAPSCO wholesale store at Pondy provides authenticated liquor at cheaper prices. We also bought the world class Amrut Fusion Single Malt whisky for just Rs. 2200. It was another moment to express gratitude to the great Pondy. Make sure you don’t get trapped by any unauthenticated and fraudulent liquor supplier. They will give you lower quality products at higher prices. In the next slot of hours, we went back to hotel room, did some chit-chat, and celebrated our last giggles at Pondy till the moment we were ready to drop. Another thing that may be pesky for some and interesting for others is wearing lungi which is the traditional bottom wear in South India. Lungi will act as a saviour while you cross the border with liquor by private vehicle. Cops usually do not restrict people wearing lungi at the border, holding an opinion that lungi people are locals. In case of carrying different attire, chances are higher that you may be nabbed by cops and it will take hours for you to deal with the situation with no guarantee if you will be allowed to take the liquor with you.
Adieu Pondy
Next morning, while buckling up for a journey back to Chennai, we realized that the charm and serenity was short-lived. To outsiders, it may be a barren town, but it is a home to amazing people, scenic beauty, rich culture, and cheap pegs we have ever encountered. Hope to come back again with an ample time and date Pondicherry for long.
While reminiscing about the beautiful moments, we finally reached Chennai, headed to zoomcar centre, left the car in good condition and got back the deposited security. We then proceeded to the airport and caught flight that was scheduled to depart at 8:00 PM.
Helpful Tips:
Try the mushroom buns (tastes like an omelette)
Taste the Masala Bread at Adyar Bhawan (Spicy)
Raw mango on streets
Buy perfumes & lungis as souvenirs
Hire a Scooty or Bike to commute withing Pondy
Experience the stay at a French Guest House
Buy tax free alcohol
Guest Houses Links:
www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1055323-Reviews-...
patriciaguesthouse.wordpress.com/
www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1908811-Reviews-...
www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1600492-Reviews-...
www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d2374480-Reviews-...
www.yatra.com/hotels/hotels-in-pondicherry/la-maison-blan...
www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1603369-Reviews-...
farm dam
Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography
Thanks to a flickr friend... discovered a web based photo editor... playing around with it... eventually I'll have to get a real program... having fun... bear with me... Thanks for the inspiration Dee Dee!!!!
A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.
The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.
Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.
The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.
Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.
In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.
In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album
Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.
Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.
Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.
epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album
Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.
Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.
Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.
A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.
The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.
Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.
The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.
Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.
In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.
In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
ANOREXIA TABLEAU
Damselfly Chair
Reassembled, carved and wood-burned chair bones; mirror platform
Spill
Beaded bracelets created by college students and family members in Kansas, Minnesota, and Illinois
Haunted
Headphones; audio recordings and sound compositions: No One Could Make Me Eat, Frightened to Death, Ana Wants
A skeletal, distressed, cut up wooden chair personifies the painful emptiness experienced by victims of eating disorders.
Spilled on the floor are hundreds of intestine-like, blood red, white and blue beaded bracelets, like those sometimes worn by “Pro-Ana” or “Pro-Mia” members. Fueled by the Internet and social media, this disturbing ‘secret society’ trend presents eating disorders as desirable behavior and simply a “lifestyle choice.” Along with virtual communities, these web-based groups provide effective starvation technique tips and post ‘thinspiration’ images of anorexic celebrities and models. They encourage those battling eating disorders to ‘stick with it,’ and can trigger relapse for those in recovery.
Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness. A person with the disease has a dangerously low body weight and thinks about food constantly, but limits the amount eaten to gain a sense of control over their lives. 12% of people who develop anorexia will die from complications. The mortality rate for eating disorders is 12 times higher than that of all other illnesses for females 15-24 years old. 85% of anorexics and bulimics are female, but the incidence in males is growing. Only one in ten people with an eating disorder receives treatment.
October 1998: Open Diary begins and pioneers reader commenting
March 1999: LiveJournal started
July 1999: Pitas launches the first free build your own blog web tool.
August 1999: Pyra releases Blogger which becomes the most popular web based blogging tool to date, and popularizes blogging with mainstream internet users
June 2001: b2\Cafelog starts being built by a few unemployed hackers
October 2001: Movable Type released
August 2003: TypePad launches for the non-technical masses
May 2003: www.wordpress.org begins as a branch of the b2\Cafelog code, and quickly becomes the most popular self-hosted blogging engine
December 2005: www.wordpress.com launches
July 2006: Microblogging tool Twitter launched
October 2006: Vox Released by Six Apart
March 2007: Tumblr microblogging tool launches
Parked trailer full of crushed cars ready for their final journey to the recycling plant.
A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.
The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.
Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.
The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.
Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.
In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.
In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
. . . flight to Bangkok
________________________
The Airbus A340 is a long-range, four-engine, wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed and produced by the European aerospace company Airbus. The A340 was assembled at Toulouse, France. It seats up to 375 passengers in the standard variants and 440 in the stretched -600 series. Depending on the model, it has a range of between 6,700 to 9,000 nautical miles (12,400 to 16,700 km; 7,700 to 10,400 mi). Its distinguishing features are four high-bypass turbofan engines and three-bogie main landing gears.
The A340 was manufactured in four fuselage lengths. The initial variant, A340-300, which entered service in 1993, measured 63.69. The shorter -200 was developed next, and the A340-600 was a 15.96 metres stretch of the -200. The -600 was developed alongside the shorter A340-500, which would become the longest-range commercial airliner until the arrival of the Boeing 777-200LR. The -200 and -300 models were powered by the 151 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf) CFM56-5C, while the 267-kilonewton (60,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500 was the exclusive powerplant for the extended-range -500 and -600 models. The initial A340-200 and -300 variants share the fuselage and wing of the twin-engine Airbus A330 with which it was concurrently designed. The heavier A340-500 and -600 are longer and have larger wings.
Launch customers Lufthansa and Air France placed the A340 into service in March 1993. In September 2011, 379 orders had been placed (not including private operators), of which 375 were delivered. The most common type were the A340-300 model, with 218 aircraft delivered. Lufthansa is the biggest operator of the A340, having acquired 59 aircraft. The A340 is used on long-haul, trans-oceanic routes due to its immunity from ETOPS restrictions; however, with reliability and fuel efficiency in engines improving, airlines have gradually phased out the type in favour of the more economical Boeing 777 twinjet, while Airbus has positioned the larger variants of the Airbus A350 as a successor. Airbus announced on 10 November 2011 that A340 production had been concluded.
DEVELOPMENT
BACKGROND
When Airbus designed the Airbus A300 during the 1970s, it envisioned a broad family of airliners to compete against Boeing and Douglas, two established US aerospace manufacturers. From the moment of formation, Airbus had begun studies into derivatives of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term goal. Prior to the service introduction of the first Airbus airliners, Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9. A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10. It was a smaller aircraft that would be developed into the long-range Airbus A310. Airbus then focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, which resulted in the Airbus A320 family, which was the first digital fly-by-wire commercial aircraft. The decision to work on the A320, instead of a four-engine aircraft proposed by the Germans, created divisions within Airbus. As the SA or "single aisle" studies (which later became the successful Airbus A320) underwent development to challenge the successful Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-9 in the single-aisle, narrow-body airliner market, Airbus turned its focus back to the wide-body aircraft market.
The A300B11, a derivative of the A310, was designed upon the availability of "ten ton" engines. It would seat between 180 and 200 passengers, and have a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km). It was deemed the replacement for the less-efficient Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s still in service. The A300B11 was joined by another design, the A300B9, which was a larger derivative of the A300. The B9 was developed by Airbus from the early 1970s at a slow pace until the early 1980s. It was essentially a stretched A300 with the same wing, coupled with the most powerful turbofan engine at the time. It was targeted at the growing demand for high-capacity, medium-range, transcontinental trunk routes. The B9 would offer the same range and payload as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, but would use between 25% to 38% less fuel. The B9 was therefore considered the replacement for the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.
To differentiate the programme from the SA studies, the B9 and B11 were redesignated the TA9 and TA11 (TA standing for "twin aisle"), respectively. In an effort to save development costs, it was decided that the two would share the same wing and airframe; the projected savings were estimated at US$500 million (about £490 million or €495 million). The adoption of a common wing structure also had one technical advantage: the TA11's outboard engines could counteract the weight of the longer-range model by providing bending relief. Another factor was the split preference of those within Airbus and, more importantly, prospective airliner customers. Airbus vice president for strategic planning, Adam Brown, recalled,
North American operators were clearly in favour of a twin[jet], while Asians wanted a quad[jet]. In Europe, opinion was split between the two. The majority of potential customers were in favour of a quad despite the fact, in certain conditions, it is more costly to operate than a twin. They liked that it could be ferried with one engine out, and could fly 'anywhere' - ETOPS (extend-range twin-engine operations) hadn't begun then.
DESIGN EFFORT
The first specifications of the TA9 and TA11 were released in 1982. While the TA9 had a range of 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km), the TA11 range was up to 6,830 nautical miles (12,650 km). At the same time, Airbus also sketched the TA12, a twin-engine derivative of the TA11, which was optimised for flights of a 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) lesser range. By the time of the Paris Air Show in June 1985, more refinements had been made to the TA9 and TA11, including the adoption of the A320 flight deck, fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system and side-stick control. Adopting a common cockpit across the new Airbus series allowed operators to make significant cost savings; flight crews would be able to transition from one to another after one week of training. The TA11 and TA12 would use the front and rear fuselage sections of the A310. Components were modular and also interchangeable with other Airbus aircraft where possible to reduce production, maintenance and operating costs.Airbus briefly considered a variable camber wing; the concept was that the wing could change its profile to produce the optimum shape for a given phase of flight. Studies were carried out by British Aerospace (BAe) at Hatfield and Bristol. Airbus estimated this would yield a 2% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. However, the plan was later abandoned on grounds of cost and difficulty of development.
Airbus had held discussions with McDonnell Douglas to jointly produce the aircraft, which would have been designated as the AM 300. This aeroplane would have combined the wing of the A330 with the fuselage of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. However, talks were terminated as McDonnell Douglas insisted on the continuation of its trijet heritage. Although from the start it was intended for the A340 would be powered by four CFM56-5 turbofan engines, each capable of 25,000 pounds-force (110 kN), Airbus had also considered developing the aircraft as a trijet due to the limited power of engines available at the time, namely the Rolls-Royce RB211-535 and Pratt & Whitney JT10D-232.
On 27 January 1986, the Airbus Industrie Supervisory Board held a meeting in Munich, West Germany, after which board-chairman Franz Josef Strauß released a statement, "Airbus Industrie is now in a position to finalise the detailed technical definition of the TA9, which is now officially designated the A330, and the TA11, now called the A340, with potential launch customer airlines, and to discuss with them the terms and conditions for launch commitments". The designations were originally reversed because the airlines believed it illogical for a two-engine jet airliner to have a "4" in its name, whilst a quad-jet would not. On 12 May 1986, Airbus dispatched fresh sale proposals to five prospective airlines including Lufthansa and Swissair.
PRODUCTION AND TESTING
In preparations for production of the A330/A340, Airbus's partners invested heavily in new facilities. Filton was the site of BAE's £7 million investment in a three-storey technical centre with an extra 15,000 square metres of floor area. BAe also spent £5 million expanding the Chester wing production plant by 14,000 m2 to accommodate a new production line. However, France saw the biggest changes with Aérospatiale starting construction of a new Fr.2.5 billion ($411 million) assembly plant, adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, in Colomiers. By November 1988, the first 21 m pillars were erected for the new Clément Ader assembly hall. The assembly process, meanwhile, would feature increased automation with holes for the wing-fuselage mating process drilled by eight robots. The use of automation for this particular process saved Airbus 20% on labour costs and 5% on time.
British Aerospace accepted £450 million funding from the UK government, short of the £750 million originally requested. Funds from the French and German governments followed thereafter. Airbus also issued subcontracts to companies in Austria, Australia, Canada, China, Greece, Italy, India, Japan, South Korea, Portugal, the United States of America, and the former Yugoslavia. The A330 and A340 programmes were jointly launched on 5 June 1987, just prior to the Paris Air Show. The order book then stood at 130 aircraft from 10 customers, apart from the above-mentioned Lufthansa and International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Eighty-nine of the total orders were A340 models. Over at McDonnell Douglas, ongoing tests of the MD-11 revealed a significant shortfall in the aircraft's performance. An important carrier, Singapore Airlines (SIA), required a fully laden aircraft that could fly from Singapore to Paris, against strong headwinds during mid-winter in the northern hemisphere. The MD-11, according to test results, would experience fuel starvation over the Balkans. Due to the less-than-expected performance figures, SIA cancelled its 20-aircraft MD-11 order on 2 August 1991, and ordered 20 A340-300s instead. The MD-11 failed commercially and unsuccessfully competed with the A340.
The first flight of the A340 occurred on 21 October 1991, marking the start of a 2,000-hour test flight programme involving six aircraft. From the start, engineers noticed that the wings were not strong enough to carry the outboard engines at cruising speed without warping and fluttering. To alleviate this, an underwing bulge called a plastron was developed to correct airflow problems around the engine pylons and to add stiffness. European JAA certification was obtained on 22 December 1992; FAA followed on 27 May 1993.
ENTRY INTO SERVICE AND DEMONSTRATION
Airbus delivered the first A340, a -200, to Lufthansa on 2 February 1993. The 228-seat A340-200, named Nürnberg, entered service on 15 March. The A340s were intended to replace aging DC-10s on the airline's Frankfurt–New York services. Meanwhile, Air France took its first A340-300 on 26 February, the first of nine it planned to operate by the end of the year. The A340 replaced the Boeing 747s on Paris–Washington D.C., flying four times weekly. Coincidentally, the first Air France A340 was the 1000th Airbus aircraft to leave the Toulouse facility since the consortium's beginning.
During the Paris Air Show, on 16 June 1993 an A340-200 named The World Ranger took off for a round-the-world demonstration and publicity-stunt flight. The aircraft, carrying 22 persons, had been modified for the flight, including the addition of five center tanks. Taking off at 11:58 local time, The World Ranger made only one stop en route – in Auckland, New Zealand – and arrived back in Paris 48 hours and 22 minutes later, at 12:20. The flight broke six world records at the time. Among the six was the longest non-stop flight by an airliner, when the aircraft flew 19,277 kilometres (10,409 nmi) from Paris, arriving in Auckland in record time. The A340 would hold this record for a total of 12 years; in 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR flew from Hong Kong eastward toward London, successfully completing a 21,602 kilometres (11,664 nmi) journey.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND END OF PRODUCTION
During the 1990s, the A340-300 was challenged by the more fuel-efficient Boeing 777-200ER twinjet. In addition, airlines were looking for replacement aircraft for their 1970s-era Boeing 747-100s and -200s, so Airbus investigated a stretched airframe in the form of the A340-400X. This proved unpopular, as the CFM56 engines were at the limits of their growth capability and the range would have decreased to around 10,000 km (5,400 nmi). A new plan to develop an A340 variant with a larger wing and engine combination was decided upon. Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General Electric competed to be selected as the supplier of the new engine to power the type; talks between General Electric and Airbus over an exclusive engine arrangement collapsed in 1997 following disagreement over cost and risk-sharing. Airbus ultimately decided to adopt a variant of the Rolls-Royce Trent engine series, which was viewed as cost-effective as it did not involve developing an independent power plant. In April 1996, Airbus announced that it would offer a stretched variant of the aircraft, designated as the A340-600. The A340-500/600 would be developed as ultra-long range (ULR) aircraft.
During the 2000s, sales slowed despite the introduction of the A340-500 and A340-600 and their high gross weight variants, the A340-500IGW and A340-600HGW, respectively as the Boeing 777-200LR and -300ER began to dominate the long-range, 300-400 seating sector. Airbus confirmed in January 2006 that it had conducted studies into developing an A340-600E (Enhanced). Airbus projected that it would be more fuel-efficient than earlier A340s, closing the 8–9% disparity with the Boeing 777 via the use of the new Trent 1500 engine as well as technologies derived from the A350 programme. In 2007, Airbus predicted that another 127 A340 aircraft would likely be produced through 2016, the projected end of production.
On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced the end of the A340 program. At that time, the company indicated that all firm orders had been delivered. The decision to terminate the program came as A340-500/600 orders came to a halt, with analyst Nick Cunningham pointing out that the A340 "was too heavy and there was a big fuel burn gap between the A340 and Boeing’s 777". Bertrand Grabowski, managing director of aircraft financier DVB Bank SE, noted "in an environment where the fuel price is high, the A340 has had no chance to compete against similar twin engines, and the current lease rates and values of this aircraft reflect the deep resistance of any airlines to continue operating it”. Airbus has positioned the larger versions of the A350, specifically the A350-900 and A350-1000, as the successors to the A340-500 and A340-600.
As a sales incentive amid low customer demand during the Great Recession, Airbus had offered buy-back guarantees to airlines that chose to procure the A340. By 2013, the resale value of an A340 declined by 30% over ten years, and both Airbus and Rolls-Royce were incurring related charges amounting to hundreds of millions of euros. Some analysts have expected the price of a flight-worthy, CFM56-powered A340 to drop below $10 million by 2023. As an effort to support the A340's resale value, Airbus has proposed reconfiguring the aircraft's interior for a single class of 475 seats. As the Trent 500 engines are half the maintenance cost of the A340, Rolls-Royce proposed a cost-reducing maintenance plan similar to the company's existing program that reduced the cost of maintaining the RB211 engine powering Iberia's Boeing 757 freighters. Key to these programs is the salvaging, repair and reuse of serviceable parts from retired older engines. Airbus could offer used A340s to airlines wishing to retire older aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400, claiming that the cost of purchasing and maintaining a second-hand A340 with increased seating and improved engine performance reportedly compared favourably to the procurement costs of a new Boeing 777.
DESIGN
The Airbus A340 is a widebody twin-aisle passenger airliner which, along with its sibling the A330, has the distinction of being the first truly long-range aircraft to be produced by Airbus. It is powered by four FADEC turbofan jet engines, optimized to perform long distance routes. The A340 had built upon developments made in the production of earlier Airbus aircraft and as such shares many features with those aircraft, such as a common cockpit design with the Airbus A320 and A330; as the aircraft was developed at the same time as the A330 the two aircraft employ many similar components and sections, such as identical fly-by-wire control systems and similar wings. Both before and after the A340 entered revenue service, the features and improvements that were developed for the type were usually shared with the A330, a significant beneficial factor in performing such programs.
The A340 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane, the wing itself is virtually identical to that of the A330. The wings were designed and manufactured by BAe, which developed a long slender wing with a very high aspect ratio to provide high aerodynamic efficiency.[Nb 1] The wing is swept back at 30 degrees and, along with other design features, allows a maximum operating Mach number of 0.86. The wing has a very high thickness-to-chord ratio of 12.8 per cent, which means that a long span and high aspect ratio can be attained without a severe weight penalty. For comparison, the rival MD-11 has a thickness-to-chord ratio of 8–9 per cent. Each wing also has a 2.74 m tall winglet instead of the wingtip fences found on earlier Airbus aircraft. The failure of International Aero Engines' radical ultra-high-bypass V2500 "SuperFan", which had promised around 15 per cent fuel burn reduction for the A340, led to multiple enhancements including wing upgrades to compensate. Originally designed with a 56 m span, the wing was later extended to 58.6 m and finally to 60.3 m. At 60.3 m, the wingspan is similar to that of the larger Boeing 747-200, but with 35 percent less wing area.
The flight deck of the A340 is a glass cockpit, based upon the control systems first used on the smaller A320. Instead of a conventional control yoke, the flight deck features side-stick controls. The main instrument panel is dominated by a total of six cathode ray tube monitors which display information to the flight crew; on later aircraft these monitors have been replaced by liquid crystal displays. Flight information is directed via the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) and systems information through the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM). The aircraft monitoring system is connected to various sensors throughout the aircraft and automatically alerts the crew to any parameters detected outside of their normal range; pilots can also manually inspect systems of their choosing at any time. The information display system is designed to be easily interpreted and give a clear picture of the aircraft's operational status. Instead of paper manuals, electronic CD-ROM-based manuals are used; Airbus offers web-based updates to electronic documentation as an option.
Many measures were taken from the start of the A340's design process to reduce the difficulty and cost of maintenance, which was reportedly half of that of the earlier Airbus A310 despite the increase in size. The aircraft's four engines featured improved controls and monitoring systems that enabled engine parameters to be more readily checked and avoid unnecessary early removals; the four-engine approach also avoided the stringent ETOPS requirements such as more frequent inspections. The A340 also has a centralised maintenance computer which provides comprehensive easily understandable systems information, which can be transmitted in real-time to ground facilities via the onboard satellite-based ACARS datalink. Some aspects of the maintenance, such as structural changes, remained unchanged, while increased sophistication of technology in the passenger cabin, like the in-flight entertainment systems, were increased over preceding airliners.
OPERATIONAL HISTORY
The first variant of the A340 to be introduced, the A340-200, entered service with the launch customer, Lufthansa, in 1993. It was followed shortly thereafter by the A340-300 with its operator, Air France. Lufthansa's first A340, which had been dubbed Nürnberg (D-AIBA), began revenue service on 15 March 1993. Air Lanka (later renamed Sri Lankan Airlines) became the Asian launch customer of the Airbus A340; the airline received its first A340-300, registered (4R-ADA), in September 1994. British airline Virgin Atlantic was an early adopter of the A340; in addition to operating several A340-300 aircraft, Virgin Atlantic announced in August 1997 that it was to be the worldwide launch customer for the new A340-600. The first commercial flight of the A340-600 was performed by Virgin in July 2002.
Singapore Airlines ordered 17 A340-300s and operated them until October 2013. The A340-300s were purchased by Boeing as part of an order for Boeing 777s in 1999.[75] The airline then purchased five long-range A340-500s, which joined the fleet in December 2003. In February 2004, the airline's A340-500 performed the longest non-stop commercial air service in the world, conducting a non-stop flight between Singapore and Los Angeles In 2007, Singapore Airlines launched an even longer non-stop route using the A340-500 between Newark and Singapore, SQ 21, a 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi) journey that was the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world. The airline continued to operate this route regularly until the airline decided to retire the type in favour of new A380 and A350 aircraft; its last A340 flight was performed in late 2013.
The A340 was typically used by airlines as a medium-sized long-haul aircraft, and was often a replacement for older Boeing 747s as it was more likely profitable. Airbus produced a number of A340s as large private jets for VIP customers, often to replace aging Boeing 747s in this same role. In 2008, Airbus launched a dedicated corporate jetliner version of the A340-200: one key selling point of this aircraft was a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km). Airbus had built up to nine different customized versions of the A340 to private customer's specific demands prior to 2008.
The A340 has frequently been operated as a dedicated transport for heads of state. A pair of A340-300s were acquired from Lufthansa by the Flugbereitschaft of the German Air Force; they serve as VIP transports for the German Chancellor and other key members of the German government. The A340 is also operated by the air transport division of the French Air Force, where it is used as a strategic transport for troop deployments and supply missions, as well as to transport government officials. A one-of-a-kind aircraft, the A340-8000, was originally built for Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. The aircraft was unused and stored in Hamburg until it was procured by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of the House of Saud, and later sold to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, then-President of Libya; the aircraft was operated by Afriqiyah Airways and was often referred to as Afriqiyah One.
In 2008, jet fuel prices doubled compared to the year before; consequently, the A340's fuel consumption led airlines to reduce flight stages exceeding 15 hours. Thai Airways International cancelled its 17-hour, nonstop Bangkok–New York/JFK route on 1 July 2008, and placed its four A340-500s for sale. While short flights stress aircraft more than long flights and result in more frequent fuel-thirsty take-offs and landings, ultra-long flights require completely full fuel tanks. The higher weights in turn require a greater proportion of an aircraft's fuel fraction just to take off and to stay airborne. In 2008, Air France-KLM SA's chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon disparagingly referred to the A340 as a "flying tanker with a few people on board". While Thai Airways consistently filled 80% of the seats on its New York City–Bangkok flights, it estimated that, at 2008 fuel prices, it would need an impossible 120% of seats filled just to break even. Other airlines also re-examined long-haul flights. In August 2008 Cathay Pacific stated that rising fuel costs were hurting its trans-Pacific long-haul routes disproportionately, and that it would cut the number of such flights and redeploy its aircraft to shorter routes such as between Hong Kong and Australia. "We will ... reshap[e] our network where necessary to ensure we fly aircraft to where we can cover our costs and also make some money." Aviation Week noted that rapid performance increases of twin-engine aircraft has led to the detriment of four-engine types of comparable capacity such as the A340 and 747.
By 2014, Singapore Airlines had phased out the type, while Emirates Airlines decided to accelerate the retirement of its A340 fleet. International Airlines Group, the parent of Iberia Airlines (which is also the operator of the last production A340 built), is overhauling its A340-600s for continued service for the foreseeable future, while it is retiring its A340-300s. The IAG overhaul featured improved conditions and furnishings in the business and economy classes; the business-class capacity was raised slightly while not changing the type's overall operating cost. Lufthansa, which operates both Airbus A340-300s and -600s, concluded that, while it is not possible to make the A340 more fuel efficient, it can respond to increased interest in business-class services by replacing first-class seats with more business-class seats to increase revenue.
In 2013, Snecma announced that they planned to use the A340 as a flying testbed for the development of a new open rotor engine. This test aircraft is forecast to conduct its first flight in 2019. Open rotor engines are typically more fuel-efficient but noisier than conventional turbofan engines; introducing such an engine commercially has been reported as requiring significant legislative changes within engine approval authorities due to its differences from contemporary jet engines. The engine, partly based on the Snecma M88 turbofan engine used on the Dassault Rafale, is being developed under the European Clean Sky research initiative.
VARIANTS
There are four variants of the A340. The A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993 for the -200. The A340-500 and A340-600 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. All variants were available in a corporate version.
A340-200
The -200 is one of two initial versions of the A340; it has seating for 261 passengers in a three-class cabin layout with a range of 13,800 kilometres (7,500 nmi) or seating for 240 passengers also in a three-class cabin layout for a range of 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi). This is the shortest version of the family and the only version with a wingspan measuring greater than its fuselage length. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C4 engines and uses the Honeywell 331–350[A] auxiliary power unit (APU). It initially entered service with Air France in May 1993. Due to its large wingspan, four engines, low capacity and improvements to the larger A340-300, the -200 proved heavy and unpopular with mainstream airlines. Only 28 A340-200s were produced. The closest Boeing competitor is the Boeing 767-400ER.
One version of this type (referred to by Airbus as the A340-8000) was ordered by the prince Jefri Bolkiah requesting a non-stop range of 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi). This A340-8000, in the Royal Brunei Airlines livery had an increased fuel capacity, an MTOW of 275 tonnes (606,000 lb), similar to the A340-300, and minor reinforcements to the undercarriage. It is powered by the 150 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf) thrust CFM56-5C4s similar to the -300E. Only one A340-8000 was produced. Besides the -8000, some A340-200s are used for VIP or military use; users include Royal Brunei Airlines, Qatar Amiri Flight, Arab Republic of Egypt Government, Royal Saudi Air Force, Jordan and the French Air Force. Following the -8000, other A340-200s were later given performance improvement packages (PIPs) that helped them achieve similar gains in capability as to the A340-8000. Those aircraft are labeled A340-213X. The range for this version is 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi).
As of April 2016, there are 11 Airbus A340-200s in service, of which 6 are used in government fleets.
A340-300
The A340-300 flies 295 passengers in a typical three-class cabin layout over 6,700 nautical miles (12,400 km). This is the initial version, having flown on 25 October 1991, and entered service with Lufthansa and Air France in March 1993. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C engines and uses the Honeywell 331–350[A] APU, similar to the -200. Its closest competitor is the Boeing 777-200ER. The A340-300 will be superseded by the A350-900. 218 -300s were delivered in total.
The A340-300E, often mislabelled as A340-300X, has an increased MTOW of up to 275 tonnes (606,000 lb) and is powered by the more powerful 34,000 lbf (150 kN) thrust CFMI CFM56-5C4 engines. Typical range with 295 passengers is between 7,200 to 7,400 nautical miles (13,300 to 13,700 km). The largest operator of this type is Lufthansa, who has operated a fleet of 30 aircraft. The A340-300 Enhanced is the latest version of this model and was first delivered to South African Airways in 2003, with Air Mauritius receiving the A340-300 Enhanced into its fleet in 2006. It received newer CFM56-5C4/P engines and improved avionics and fly-by-wire systems developed for the A340-500 and -600.
As of April 2016, there were 135 Airbus A340-300s in service.
A340-500
The A340-500 was introduced as the world's longest-range commercial airliner. It first flew on 11 February 2002, and was certified on 3 December 2002. Air Canada was supposed to be the launch customer, but filed for bankruptcy in January 2003, delaying delivery to March. This allowed early deliveries to the new launch customer, Emirates, allowing the carrier to launch nonstop service from Dubai to New York—its first route in the Americas. The A340-500 can fly 313 passengers in a three-class cabin layout over 16020 km (8650 nm). Compared with the A340-300, the -500 features a 4.3-metre fuselage stretch, an enlarged wing, significant increase in fuel capacity (around 50% over the -300), slightly higher cruising speed, a larger horizontal stabilizer and a larger vertical tailplane. The centerline main landing gear was changed to a four-wheel bogie to support additional weight. The A340-500 is powered by four 240 kN (54,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 553 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331–600[A] APU. It was the world's longest-range commercial airliner until the introduction of its direct rival, Boeing 777-200LR, in February 2006.
Due to its range, the -500 is capable of travelling non-stop from London to Perth, Western Australia, though a return flight requires a fuel stop due to headwinds. Singapore Airlines used this model (initially in a two-class, 181-passenger layout, later in a 100-passenger business-only layout) for its Newark–Singapore nonstop route, SQ 21: an 18-hour, 45-minute "westbound" (really northbound to 130 km (70 nm) abeam the North Pole; then south from there across Russia, Mongolia and People's Republic of China), 18-hour, 30-minute eastbound, 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi) journey that was the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world, this flight route ceased operation in 2013. The Singapore Airlines -500 is the first aircraft to include a corpse cupboard, used for storing the body of a passenger who dies during a flight.
The A340-500IGW (Increased Gross Weight) version has a range of 17,000 km (9,200 nmi) and a MTOW of 380 t (840,000 lb) and first flew on 13 October 2006. It uses the strengthened structure and enlarged fuel capacity of the A340-600. The certification aircraft, a de-rated A340-541 model, became the first delivery, to Thai Airways International, on 11 April 2007. Nigerian airline Arik Air received a pair of A340-542s in November 2008, using the type to immediately launch two new routes, Lagos–London Heathrow and Lagos–Johannesburg; a non-stop Lagos–New York route began in January 2010. The A340-500IGW is powered by four 250 kN (56,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans.
In April 2016, there were 8 A340-500s in service.
A340-600
Designed to replace early-generation Boeing 747 airliners, the A340-600 is capable of carrying 379 passengers in a three-class cabin layout 13,900 km (7,500 nmi). It provides similar passenger capacity to a 747 but with 25 percent more cargo volume, and at lower trip and seat costs. First flight of the A340-600 was made on 23 April
2001. Virgin Atlantic began commercial services in August 2002. The variant's main competitor is the 777-300ER. The A340-600 will eventually be replaced by the A350-1000.
The A340-600 is 12 m longer than a -300, more than 4 m longer than the Boeing 747-400 and 2.3 m longer than the A380. It held the record as the world's longest commercial aircraft until February 2010 with the first flight of the Boeing 747-8. The A340-600 is powered by four 250 kN (56,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331–600[A] APU. As with the -500, it has a four-wheel undercarriage bogie on the fuselage centre-line to cope with the increased MTOW along with the enlarged wing and rear empennage. Upper deck main cabin space can be optionally increased by locating facilities such as crew rest areas, galleys, and lavatories upon the aircraft's lower deck. In early 2007, Airbus reportedly advised carriers to reduce cargo in the forward section by 5.0 t to compensate for overweight first and business class sections; the additional weight caused the aircraft's centre of gravity to move forward thus reducing cruise efficiency. Affected airlines considered filing compensation claims with Airbus.
The A340-600HGW (High Gross Weight) version first flew on 18 November 2005 and was certified on 14 April 2006. It has an MTOW of 380 t and a range of up to 14,630 km (7,900 nmi), made possible by strengthened structure, increased fuel capacity, more powerful engines and new manufacturing techniques like laser beam welding. The A340-600HGW is powered by four 61,900 lbf (275 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 560 turbofans. Emirates became the launch customer for the -600HGW when it ordered 18 at the 2003 Paris Air Show; but postponed its order indefinitely and later cancelled. Rival Qatar Airways, which placed its order at the same airshow, took delivery of only four aircraft with the first aircraft on 11 September 2006. The airline has since let its purchase options expire in favour of orders for the Boeing 777-300ER.
In July 2015, seven airlines worldwide operated A340-600s. In April 2016, there were 77 A340-600s in service
OPERATORS
A total of 227 aircraft (all A340 variants) were in airline service in July 2015 with operators Lufthansa (41), Iberia (24), South African Airways (17), Swiss International Air Lines (15), Air France (13), Virgin Atlantic (11), Etihad Airways (11), Cathay Pacific (8), Scandinavian Airlines (8), and other airlines with fewer aircraft of the type.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS
As of September 2015, the A340 has never been involved in a fatal incident, although there have been five hull losses:
20 January 1994 – an Air France A340-200 registered F-GNIA was burnt out after a fire started during servicing at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
24 July 2001 – an A340-300 of SriLankan Airlines was destroyed on the ground at Bandaranaike International Airport; being one of 26 aircraft which were damaged or destroyed during a major attack upon the airport by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militants.
2 August 2005 – Air France Flight 358, a crash and fire after A340-300 F-GLZQ overran runway 24L at Toronto Pearson International Airport while landing in a thunderstorm. The aircraft slid into Etobicoke Creek and caught fire. All 297 passengers and 12 crew survived; 43 people were injured, 12 serious.
9 November 2007 – an Iberia Airlines A340-600 was badly damaged after sliding off the runway at Ecuador's Mariscal Sucre International Airport. The landing gear collapsed and two engines broke off. All 333 passengers and crew were evacuated via inflatable slides, and there were no serious injuries. The aircraft was scrapped.
15 November 2007 – an A340-600 was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at Airbus' facilities at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport. During a pre-delivery engine test, multiple safety checks had been disabled, leading to the non-chocked aircraft accelerating to 57 km/h and colliding with a concrete blast deflection wall. The right wing, tail, and left engines made contact with the ground or wall, leaving the forward section elevated several meters and the cockpit broken off; nine people on board were injured, four of them seriously. The aircraft was written off and was later used at Virgin Atlantic's cabin crew training facility in Crawley. It was due to be delivered to Etihad Airways.
20 March 2009 – Emirates Flight 407 was an Emirates flight flying from Melbourne to Dubai-International using an A340-500. The flight failed to take off properly from Melbourne Airport, hitting several structures at the end of the runway before eventually climbing enough to return to the airport for a safe landing. The occurrence was severe enough to be classified an accident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
WIKIPEDIA
354/365: Did I ever mention how I hate arranging timetables? Our campuses new web-based tutorial allocation software opened that day and left me cracking my head for a whole day, working on a timetable that's good for the next four months of campus life. It didn't help that we had timetable clashes, adding to the whole mess.
Danbo watched me as I scuffle through timetable sketches, endless windows of excel spreadsheets and Messenger conversations. His brain went out before mine did. =(
“‘Vastitude’ explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.
“The exterior of ‘Vastitude’ is a simple rectangular structure that hosts a complex three-dimensional grid of LED lights suspended inside parallel mirrors, creating the illusion of a deep, vast ‘field of lights’.
“Users interact with the installation in real-time through a dedicated social media portal. When users direct their posts to the installation system, it will translate the user’s post into values that control the colour, speed and type of animation that will be displayed.
“The choices for input are infinite, and users are encouraged to explore the ways that different inputs are translated as creative effects when processed by the installation.
“The result is a representation of the vastness of space, the endless variation of cultural expression and the ready availability of vast data resources.
“The team of artists who created ‘Vastitude’ is made up of passionate computational designers working in the architecture industry. Their aim is to create an architectural design piece that is elegantly interactive and allows for the largest possible diversity of inputs.
“Visitors viewing the installation should look to rolling text at the top of the structure where they can learn more about its possibilities and also obtain an indication of who is currently affecting ‘Vastitude’.”
#TravelTuesday with Guest Photographer Bob Wick through Southeastern Utah’s Red-Rock Riches!
Moab, Utah is synonymous with slickrock canyons and public land adventure sports. One could fill a novel with nearby public land recreation opportunities within a stone’s through of town. But for this trip, we’ll use Moab as a jumping off point to head further south into more remote canyons and mesas of Southeast Utah.
Between Moab and Montecello is the immense Canyon Rims Recreation Area. It offers top-of-the-world vistas of vast the labyrinth of Colorado River Canyons including several BLM wilderness study areas and the east side of Canyonlands National Park. The BLM maintains two primitive campgrounds on the rim, which are open from May to October and can serve as a base for exploration – although the views from the campgrounds themselves are so spectacular that there is no need to go far for stunning photo opportunities. More adventurous explorers can search the canyon rims for that perfect photo angle in the ever-changing light on the multi-hued red rocks.
Next, continue south to Cedar Mesa to visit one of the most significant cultural history locales in North America. This area was occupied by Ancestral Puebloan Native Americans, often called the “Anasazi”, between 800 and 2,000 years ago. Remains from their civilization are located throughout the canyons that dissect the mesa, and it is very moving and humbling to stand among them. Cliff dwellings, graineries and other structures are extremely well preserved and perched under overhangs in the cliffs. Amazing pictographs and petroglyphs can also be found here. All of the sites require moderate to arduous hikes into the canyons and even multi-day backpacks are popular in Grand Gulch. Due to the significance and fragility of the sites, you must obtain a permit for use of the area and numbers are limited during peak seasons. Plan ahead and also stop by the Kane Gulch Visitor Center for the latest information.
Driving further south along Cedar Mesa, Highway 261 eventually reaches a lip that seems like the end of the earth – the mesa drops 1100 feet straight down to the desert below with the buttes and spires of Monument Valley visible in the distance. The curiously named “Moki Dugway”, a bit of a white-knuckle route carved into the escarpment, allows you to drive down the cliff face to the valley below. A short drive further takes you to the Valley of the Gods, a hidden gem with scenery similar to that of nearby Monument Valley. Valley of the God’s isolated buttes, towering pinnacles and tall cliffs offer endless photo angles. A 17 mile drive circles the valley and more adventurous ecplorers can go into the Road Canyon Wilderness Study Area for backcountry hikes.
Photo Tips: Often the best and most unique photo angles in Utah’s canyon country and other western landscapes require traveling far off the pavement on remote back roads, then hiking away from your vehicle. I often use web-based aerial image programs (like Google Earth) to scout areas before trips for the best potential photo spots. Safety should always be front in these remote places. Even renowned western author and explorer Edward Abbey spoke of some close calls in the desert in his book Desert Solitare. I always tell someone where I am going with as many specifics as I can. Most importantly I tell them when I plan to be out and when I will contact them. I always carry a GPS emergency locator unit, and I can use that to check in with family each night while on extended trips when I am out of cell range. I also carry enough clothing and water to be able to be on my own without help for several days. Finally, I mark my vehicle location with a GPS waypoint so that I can find it when I am hiking back in the dark after an evening photo shoot!
epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album
Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.
Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.
Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.
The amazing turquoise waters of the Broome pearling ground ...
Looking to take 4 liked minded enthusiastic photographers/travelers on a 10day best of California Tour in 2017 ... If you think you would be interested please let me know via a massage ...
Copyright © 2016 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography
Unless you believe it's inevitable that you have a chip in ya... you might want to read this book.
RFID everywhere. It's coming, it's here and before long if we don't draft laws to limit the extent RFID can be used tracking people... then you can kiss freedom goodbye forever.
This ain't no joke.
Right now Wal Mart has over twice as much data stored as the internet.
Imagine this figure in Ten years including the goverment, Dept. of Defense, military and all corporations.
Big Brother is Here.
I WILL CONTINUE TO ADD SPYCHIPS NEWS LETTERS TO THIS POST AS THEY COME IN.
________________________________________________
RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification. RFID uses tiny computer
chips, some smaller than a grain of sand, to track items from a
distance. Big business and big government want RFID chips to replace the
bar code. The chips can be embedded in ATM cards, sewn into the seams
of pants, or woven into shirt labels without their owners' knowledge.
The information on these chips can be read secretly, without your
permission, right through your purse, backpack or wallet.
Why Fight RFID?
Big business wants to use RFID to chip, number and track every item on
the planet -- every can of Coke, every car tire, every book, every
garment. They want to know where everything is at all times. By
association, they will be able to know very private details about the
people who buy, wear and interact with those products.
It's Already Started
Wal-Mart is already putting spychips on products. They've been caught
putting RFID tags in Lipfinity lipstick boxes, and just last week we
found an RFID tag on Hewlett-Packard printer/scanner packages in TEXAS!
You can see what we found by visiting our site at
www.spychips.com/protest/walmart/walmart-protest-details.....
_________________________________________________
Sleuths Crack Tracking Code Discovered in Color Printers
By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Page D01
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/18/...
__________________________________________________________
Here's a News Letter from the SPYCHIPS author:
From: newsletter@nocards.org
Subject: Anti-RFID rally at Wal-Mart this Saturday in Dallas
Date: October 13, 2005 9:17:28 PM CDT
To: newsletter@nocards.org
Dear CASPIAN Members and supporters:
I'm flying into Dallas today for a showdown in the Lone Star State.
It's time to take a stand against spychipping companies and their RFID
tagging activities, and Wal-Mart is at the top of our list. They've
begun brazenly selling RFID-tagged items right under the noses of Texas
shoppers, and it needs to stop.
We're organizing this weekend to send Wal-Mart a clear message:
"Don't mess with Texas! No Spychips in the Store!"
My Spychips co-author, Liz McIntyre, and I will be on hand to help local
CASPIAN members alert the public and the media to Wal-Mart's use of RFID
in stores. We will lead a rally outside of a Dallas Wal-Mart Super
Center Saturday to raise awareness of RFID and demand that the company
immediately stop selling spychipped products.
For more details, see:
www.spychips.com/protest/walmart/walmart-protest-details....
Wal-Mart is the 800-pound gorilla of the retail industry, and other
retailers follow its lead. (We've just learned that Best Buy is
considering item-level RFID tagging for 2006. We're betting they'll
rethink those plans once they get hit with a consumer backlash of their
own!) By taking a stand now, we can prevent the spread of these tags.
I have organized five protests since I founded CASPIAN in 1999, and
every one has been a completely positive experience. People bring their
families, their golden retrievers, and their shared love of freedom, and
they leave with the satisfaction that only comes from taking a stand for
what's right. That's a lot in this increasingly apathetic world. And it
feels great.
We now have over 10,000 CASPIAN members around the world and plan to
work with local communities to organize similar events elsewhere. We
know you will prove us right when we say that Americans and people
everywhere else across the globe will fight back against big corporate
plans to number and track us all.
Let's show them that it won't be as easy as they think.
In freedom and with high hopes,
Katherine Albrecht
CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering)
www.spychips.com // www.nocards.org
Co-author of "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to
Track Your Every Move with RFID"
====================================
CASPIAN: Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering
Opposing supermarket "loyalty" cards and other retail surveillance
schemes since 1999
You're welcome to duplicate and distribute this message to others who
may find it of interest.
=====================================================================
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CASPIAN mailing list, click the
following link or copy and paste it into your browser:
www.nocards.org/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi
If you have difficulty with the web-based interface, you may also
subscribe or unsubscribe via email by writing to:
admin@nocards.org
=====================================================================
Sleuths Crack Tracking Code Discovered in Color Printers
By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Page D01
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/18/...
It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it isn't. The pages coming out of your color printer may contain hidden information that could be used to track you down if you ever cross the U.S. government.
Last year, an article in PC World magazine pointed out that printouts from many color laser printers contained yellow dots scattered across the page, viewable only with a special kind of flashlight. The article quoted a senior researcher at Xerox Corp. as saying the dots contain information useful to law-enforcement authorities, a secret digital "license tag" for tracking down criminals.
The content of the coded information was supposed to be a secret, available only to agencies looking for counterfeiters who use color printers.
Now, the secret is out.
Yesterday, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco consumer privacy group, said it had cracked the code used in a widely used line of Xerox printers, an invisible bar code of sorts that contains the serial number of the printer as well as the date and time a document was printed.
With the Xerox printers, the information appears as a pattern of yellow dots, each only a millimeter wide and visible only with a magnifying glass and a blue light.
The EFF said it has identified similar coding on pages printed from nearly every major printer manufacturer, including Hewlett-Packard Co., though its team has so far cracked the codes for only one type of Xerox printer.
The U.S. Secret Service acknowledged yesterday that the markings, which are not visible to the human eye, are there, but it played down the use for invading privacy.
"It's strictly a countermeasure to prevent illegal activity specific to counterfeiting," agency spokesman Eric Zahren said. "It's to protect our currency and to protect people's hard-earned money."
It's unclear whether the yellow-dot codes have ever been used to make an arrest. And no one would say how long the codes have been in use. But Seth Schoen, the EFF technologist who led the organization's research, said he had seen the coding on documents produced by printers that were at least 10 years old.
"It seems like someone in the government has managed to have a lot of influence in printing technology," he said.
Xerox spokesman Bill McKee confirmed the existence of the hidden codes, but he said the company was simply assisting an agency that asked for help. McKee said the program was part of a cooperation with government agencies, competing manufacturers and a "consortium of banks," but would not provide further details. HP said in a statement that it is involved in anti-counterfeiting measures and supports the cooperation between the printer industry and those who are working to reduce counterfeiting.
Schoen said that the existence of the encoded information could be a threat to people who live in repressive governments or those who have a legitimate need for privacy. It reminds him, he said, of a program the Soviet Union once had in place to record sample typewriter printouts in hopes of tracking the origins of underground, self-published literature.
"It's disturbing that something on this scale, with so many privacy implications, happened with such a tiny amount of publicity," Schoen said.
And it's not as if the information is encrypted in a highly secure fashion, Schoen said. The EFF spent months collecting samples from printers around the world and then handed them off to an intern, who came back with the results in about a week.
"We were able to break this code very rapidly," Schoen said.
__________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2005
RFID PROMOTER SHAMED INTO REMOVING MISLEADING CLAIM FROM WEBSITE
Medical Products Company PDC Slammed by Revelations in "Spychips"
In the first of what will likely be many reverberations from a new book
about RFID, a global RFID applications company has been shamed into
removing a misleading claim from its website. California-based Precision
Dynamics Corporation (PDC) advertised that its RFID-enabled hospital
wristband could help remedy the leading cause of medical errors, which
it claimed was "patient misidentification."
The PDC website featured a page titled "Why RFID is Critical" with a
bold heading purporting to explain "Why hospitals need to be on board
with RFID." There the company wrote, "The leading cause of death due to
medical errors is caused by patient misidentification, and specimen or
medication misidentification." The quote was attributed to a report by
noted medical researchers Dr. Mark Chassin and Dr. Lucian Leape.
There was only one problem: The claim was not true.
While researching their new book, "SPYCHIPS: How Major Corporations and
Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," authors Katherine
Albrecht and Liz McIntyre contacted Dr. Leape to investigate PDC's
claims. In a scathing written response, Dr. Leape called PDC's statement
a "complete misrepresentation." Dr. Leape went on to say that "one might
even say [PDC's claim is] a lie, in that it clearly is intended to
deceive."
PDC's misleading claim was exposed when "Spychips" hit the bookstores
earlier this month. Ziff Davis Retail Center Editor Evan Schuman picked
up the story from there, launching a mini investigation of his own. He
reported his findings in a recent CIOInsight article where he wrote,
"When Ziff Davis contacted PDC, the claim was still on their Web site
and they promised to get back to us with an explanation. No one ever did
but the claim has magically vanished from their site."
The book has set off a firestorm in the RFID community. Not only is PDC
scrambling to cover its tracks, companies like NCR are attempting to
distance themselves from their own promotional materials exposed in
"Spychips." In a recent interview with Wired News, NCR executive Richard
Beaver downplayed the company's plans for price changing shelves that
discriminate against bargain shoppers, calling them "concept documents"
designed to merely provide "thought leadership" in the RFID sphere.
"This is just the start of the corporate distress," predicts McIntyre.
"PDC and NCR aren't the only privacy bad boys whose embarrassing
statements are brought to light in our book. Other companies like IBM,
Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, BellSouth, and Philips will also have
some explaining to do when people read about their patent pending ways
to use RFID to track people through the things they wear, carry and
throw away. Consumers will realize these companies have an RFID agenda
that should concern us all."
Ziff Davis' Schuman apparently concurs. He called Spychips "a stunningly
powerful argument against plans for RFID being mapped out by government
agencies, retail and manufacturing companies," since it "effectively
debunks many of the top arguments about why RFID is not a privacy
worry." He added, "The authors Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre use
vendors' own patent filings to show their thinking, such as an IBM
filing titled 'Identification and Tracking of Persons Using RFID-Tagged
Items.'" He also chided Philips for a patent application that talks
about placing RFID tags in shoes so they can be detected by RFID
scanners embedded in floors.
Schuman gave this advice to companies caught red-handed by the authors:
"A little subtlety is probably not a bad idea when trying to patent
ideas that your PR people are denying you're thinking about."
It may be a bit too late for that.
Evan Schuman's complete review of Spychips can be read at CIOInsight:
www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,1875343,00.asp
To see the archived PDC web page with the medical misstatement visit:
web.archive.org/web/20041130083736/http://www.pdcorp.com/...
To see the "page not found" message at the original location of the
misstatement visit:
www.pdcorp.com/rfid/hc_why_rfid.html
=========================================
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Albrecht (kma@spychips.com) 877-287-5854
or
Liz McIntyre (liz@spychips.com) 877-287-5854
CASPIAN Consumer Privacy
www.spychips.com // www.nocards.org
=========================================
Late 2015 and early 2016, there was a free web-based service that could be used to compile a 3 x 3 collage of 9 Instagram images. The images were selected from the posts made during 2015 by the nominated Instagram user. The posts were ranked according to the number of "likes".
As we start 2017 and reflect upon 2016, a modified service has been created to produce the equivalent collage for Instagram posts made during 2016. The URL for the 2016 service is ihttps://2016bestnine.com
At the same time, the service for 2015 has been resurrected and can be accessed at the URL ihttps://2016bestnine.com
----------
To add value to this exercise, I have provided below the titles for the images, together with links to the relevant posts on Flickr.
[ N.B., You might be asking yourself - Why have I included links to posts on Flickr rather than Instagram? I post the same images on Flickr and Instagram, but the posts on Flickr have a longer description with background information for the image. Also, the posts on Flickr have higher quality images and better viewing options than Instagram. ]
All in all, the results are an interesting (!?!) take on my "best" images. There are many other metrics by which "best" could be defined. I intend to compile my own "best" nine images for 2015 and 2016. After a cursory scan of my Instagram posts for 2015 and 2016, I expect that there will be very limited overlap between the results presented here and with my own selection of favorites. I shall be judging my "best" images on a combination of technical photographic criteria and the circumstances that are portrayed. I would make the point that these metrics are qualitative, and as such, couldn't be amenable to implementation as an automated service.
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Top row (L to R) ...
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Blue Hour Tranquility - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151206 @ 05:18
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23394067990/in/datepo...
Feijoa (Guavasteen) Flower - Acca sellowiana - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151126 @ 07:18
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23279491621/in/datepo...
Celestial Bodies Galore - Jupiter, The Moon, Venus, Mars - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151105 @ 05:02
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/22494743407/in/datepo...
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Middle row (L to R) ...
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Kangaroo Paw Flowers - Anigozanthos species - Forrest - ACT - Australia - 20151121 @ 06:24
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23196944435/in/datepo...
A Majestic Pre-dawn Blue Hour View Across Lake Burley Griffin - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151117 @ 05:12
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/22768953399/in/datepo...
A Faded Daffodil - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20150829 @ 11:05
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/20587072764/in/datepo...
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Bottom row (L to R) ...
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Inside a Daffodil - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20150829 @ 11:18
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/21026766046/in/datepo...
Exposing a Bearded Iris Flower - Forrest - ACT - Australia - 20151010 @ 06:11
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/21459624953/in/datepo...
Summer Blue Hour Morning Magic - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151205 @ 05:13
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23448049391/in/datepo...
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#MomentsForZen #MFZ #2015bestnine
Dublin City Centre.
I don't normally like using software or other digital mularkey of making a collage but somehow this works .. so intense was the story she was telling her friend they did not even notice me 4 feet away sitting there snapping.
Fujica ST801 SLR (1972)
EBC Fujinon 55mm F1.8 lens
Ilford HP5+ Film deved in XTOL 1:1
Straight Neg Scan cropped square
Picnik web based collage maker
Inspired by Dion Hinchcliffe's Web 2.0 illustrations, I made simpler ones for my upcoming workshop on Monday. In the diagram above, I explain how Prof. Alex Halavais fostered the collective intelligence of his communication theory class though blogs, wikis, and del.icio.us. Students conveniently read everything via RSS newsreaders and web-based aggregators.
epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album
Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.
Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.
Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.
Early winter mornings before even the coffee set make their appearance
Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2013 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography
initial concept for a web based widget to be used in outbound call centers to ease lead acquisition and streamline information cycles between call center operators and prospective leads
A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.
The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.
Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.
The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.
Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.
In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.
In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
Taken last May while traveling around the Victorian High Country. Inspired by the image I see of the Palouse in the USA and an landscape image of York taken by a Tony Hewitt.
No HDR.
Canon 5D Mrk II 8 image stitch
Please Check Out My Facebook Page, Blog and Website are accessible through my profile page
Copyright © Spool Photography.
This photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography
Parked trailer full of crushed cars ready for their final journey to the recycling plant.
A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.
The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.
Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.
The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.
Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.
In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.
In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
>> For Immediate Release
>>
>> Detroit International Jazz Festival receives $100,000 from Knight Foundation to support DJF's Jazz Planet
>>
>> Detroit, November 10, 2010 - The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded the Detroit International Jazz Festival (DJF) a $100,000 grant to help the festival reach a global audience through an exciting web-based initiative, DJF's Jazz Planet.
>> DJF's Jazz Planet - a streaming news magazine and music channel, featuring performances, news flashes, interviews and behind-the-scenes commentary from the 2010 Detroit International Jazz Festival - was created to showcase Detroit as a significant center for jazz, provide a platform for artists to share their projects, and develop a mainstream audience for jazz and the festival through the internet.
>>
>> Building upon the festival's year-round commitment to educational programming and events, the Knight Foundation grant will help DJF achieve the following goals:
>> . Engage communities on a global scale through social media;
>> . Develop an online portal of information and activity for jazz in Southeast Michigan;
>> . Provide opportunities for urban students to enhance skills, compete with their suburban counterparts and be inspired by great artists.
>>
>> "Our advocacy efforts for jazz and Detroit were magnified with the introduction of the Planet", says festival director Terri Pontremoli. "In addition to reaching hundreds of thousands of jazz fans around the globe, we were able to deliver an unsurpassed cultural experience to new audiences."
>>
>> "The festival is on the cutting edge of engaging new audiences," said Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation's vice president/arts. "The site allows the festival to expand its reach far beyond one stellar weekend in Detroit."
>>
>> Produced by ShowAds Network and in partnership with Livestream, DJF's Jazz Planet was full of spontaneity and fun, featuring interviews with artists and by artists, fan and student commentary, and segments of performances.
>>
>> In its first year, DJF's Jazz Planet reached 700,000 viewers in 157 countries. It went "live" at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the festival's opening night, with a 30-minute red carpet segment co-hosted by bassist Christian McBride and festival director Terri Pontremoli. Red carpet guests included: Detroit Mayor Dave Bing; Tower of Power's Emilio Castillo; and 2010 DJF artist in residence, pianist Mulgrew Miller.
>>
>> DJF's Jazz Planet highlights can still be seen on the festival website - detroitjazzfest.com/jazzplanet - through November 25, 2010.
>>
>> New video content featuring festival performances, jazz master classes and special interviews will be added to DJF's Jazz Planet in the coming months. Please visit the Jazz Planet Blog for details and updates on this project.
>>
>> About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation?
>>
>> The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote informed and engaged communities and lead to transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
>>
>> About Detroit International Jazz Festival
>>
>> The Detroit International Jazz Festival (DJF) is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. With an audience of 750,000, this free event has a $90M impact on the city. It is supported through foundation grants, individual donations, and customized sponsorships for businesses that benefit from exposure to DJF's large, diverse and educated audience. For more information visit www.detroitjazzfest.com.
>>
>> ###
>>
>> Contact:
>>
>> Chris Harrington, Detroit International Jazz Festival
>> (313) 289-9177
>>
>> Holly Myles, Eisbrenner Public Relations
>> (248) 554-3517
not my photos...
________________________________________________________
here is how you download it. you will have to copy and paste the following to your browser:
ftp://freebietutu%40mydoodlebugdesigns.com:birthdayinvite@ftp.mydoodlebugdesigns.com/
comes with instructions and copyright information. do not claim as your own or sell through any web-based card-making site. this is for personal use and use with your LOCAL clients!
Vastitude explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.
The exterior of Vastitude is a simple rectangular structure that hosts a complex three-dimensional grid of LED lights suspended inside parallel mirrors, creating the illusion of a deep, vast ‘field of lights’.
Users interact with the installation in real-time through a dedicated social media portal. When users direct their posts to the installation system, it will translate the user’s post into values that control the colour, speed and type of animation that will be displayed.
Artists: Cox Richardson Architects and Planners (Andrew Butler (Australia) / Danny Nguyen (Australia) / Rob Asher (South Africa / Mitchell Page (USA) / Adrian Taylor (USA)
Collaborator: Rebekah Collins (Australian)
USS GUARDIAN an Avenger-class mine countermeasures vessel was laid down on 8 May 1985 by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; launched on 20 June 1987; and commissioned on 16 December 1989. In 2010, she became the first mine countermeasures vessel in the Seventh Fleet modified for a mixed-sex crew, with separate head facilities.
On 17 January 2013, Guardian ran aground on Tubbataha Reef, in a protected area of the Philippines in the middle of the Sulu Sea. The vessel was turned and pushed further onto the reef by wave action.
To prevent further damage to the reef it was announced on the 29 January 2013 by the United States Navy that the ship would be cut into three sections on the reef prior to removal, resulting in the total loss of the $227 million vessel. USS Guardian was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 February 2013.
After removal of fuel and useful equipment, and after the upper superstructure was cut and lifted off of the minehunter, the wooden hull was sequentially chain-sawed into four sections and lifted off of the reef by the dynamic positioning crane vessel. The bow section was cut and removed by crane on 26 March 2013. It was originally planned to cut the hull into three pieces, but the stern section had to be cut in half again. The last stern section was removed by crane from Tubbataha Reef on 30 March 2013.
For additional information and photographs see the following web based articles
officerofthewatch.com/2013/01/22/uss-guardian-grounding/
www.stripes.com/news/pacific/uss-guardian-co-3-others-rel...
breakingdefense.com/2013/07/untold-tale-behind-uss-guardi...
A TRIBUTE TO COURAGE, DISCOVERY, AND LEADERSHIP
On the cold, rain-soaked morning of November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy awoke well prepared to speak to an eager Chamber of Commerce breakfast audience in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. But first he was scheduled to speak to thousands who had waited in the rain outside the Hotel Texas (now the Fort Worth Hilton) to hear the President. Each speech was remarkable. And each became historic beyond expectation.
These remarks were to be his final public speeches, imbuing the Fort Worth visit with extraordinary significance. This was the last time the nation heard the 35th President of the United States speak, and his themes on that historic day are as relevant today as they were in 1963.
To recognize the significance of these moments, the importance of his vision and the impact of his leadership, a public-private partnership in Fort Worth recently completed a decade-long effort to create a permanent exhibit to honor Kennedy.
The JFK Tribute in Fort Worth has at its center a heroic scale bronze sculpture of President Kennedy, created by the late Lawrence Ludtke. The sculpture is placed within an elegant granite plaza featuring photographic displays and selected quotes from a number of JFK’s historic speeches.
Visitors may experience the Tribute via a guided audio tour accessible by a mobile phone application and web-based educational materials, assuring worldwide access to remarks he made that day, events that occurred in Fort Worth and the geo-political challenges faced by the U.S. President at that time. Archival film of his visit and details that further explore how his ideals even now provide guidance and inspiration to generations are also available.
Hello!
The response we've been getting from everyone on Plurk and Flickr has made us even more excited. We've decided to go ahead and allow open enrollment into the Hogwarts: Your Story group in SL as it is intended to be for updates and general use.
We will also be distributing early applications via-notecard shortly before switching to web-based applications once the sim officially opens.
Stay tuned for news and we hope to see you all roaming the corridors soon!
-- H:YS Staff
PS Salvatore Otoro posted about us on his blog.
Old Street roundabout, London, is not a thing of beauty, but it has come to be known as Silicon Roundabout, after Silicon Valley, California, because of the cluster of technology and web-based companies that have gathered around it.
1. Web based, 2. Winter in Stavanger, 3. Magic Bubble, 4. Through The Bamboo Grove
Created with fd's Flickr Toys
epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album
Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.
Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.
Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.