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Pink collage

A few nice picture collage images I found:


Pink collage
picture collage
Image by вιℓ∂ƒяєυ∂є
Facebook/Twitter/CS-CreativArt/joy-with-pictures

XP Data Execution Protection (DPE) protects me from Windows Explorer (1 of 2)

Some cool free photo software images:


XP Data Execution Protection (DPE) protects me from Windows Explorer (1 of 2)
free photo software
Image by Nemo's great uncle
Friday, my new Dell laptop arrived.
Saturday morning, I installed ZoneAlarm. (I've used their free firewall on every machine for years and their antivirus product on my old laptop for two.)
Every since, whenever I try to access MyDocuments, MyComputer, Recycle Bin, Unused Desktop Items, and other special Windows folders—or open the Quick Launch folder—Windows Explorer crashes. (Not shown is the third message that sometimes appears from the Dr Watson debugger.)

Especially galling is the fact that these folders include Control Panel. In other words, I have no way of configuring my system or uninstalling software. I can't post any photos, however, because Start|Settings|Control panel simply flashes the screen as Explorer crashes and then promptly reloads.

Updates

Clicking the "What should I do?" leads to the following description of Understanding Data Execution Prevention (DEP), the apparent culprit.

…memory locations that only Windows and other programs should use…
Unlike a firewall or antivirus program, DEP…
How can I tell if DEP is available on my computer?
To open System Properties, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.

Alas, if DEP is crashing Windows Explorer, there is no way to open Control Panel.(sigh)

The "memory locations that only Windows… should use" is especially rich since Windows Explorer is the archetypical Windows program, alway running. You can turn it off, but the OS will instantly reload it.

FWIW, I disabled ZoneAlarm yesterday, but no improvement. Uninstalling ZoneAlarm and rebooting between James' first two comments did nothing but turn the Windoze firewall ON. Double-clicking Recycle Bin still causes DEP to shut down Windows Explorer. No access to Control Panel either. I assume because it involves Windows Explorer, a program that DEP hates with a vengeance.

FWIW, this is my third XP machine. The three-year-old laptop (Toshiba) with the dead hard drive was XP. My two-year-old desktop (Dell) is XP. Neither has DEP to protect me from Windows Explorer.

My "no way to open Control Panel" was the problem. The solution was to bypass that folder (opened in Windows Explorer) by right-clicking on MyComputer and then choosing Properties to access the System Properties control panel directly.

Thanks to James for keeping me on the problem instead of just letting it slide.


Cubase from Musician's Friend (1 of 2)
free photo software
Image by jdwarrick
Cubase SE software from Musician's Friend, photo 1 of 2
09/13/2007: My "non-returnable" copy of Cubase software from Musician's Friend arrived damaged. Fortunately, it appears to just be cosmetic.
(photo taken with cellphone camera)

UPDATE: Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Stefanie) - 09/25/2007 02:09 PM

Dear Musician,

Thank you for your recent inquiry. We are extremely sorry about the damage done to your product. We can assure you that it will not happen again. To show our gratitude for receiving and keeping a damaged product, we have credited you back .00 for your troubles.

If there is anything else we can do for you, please feel free to let us know.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any more questions or concerns.

We appreciate you choosing Musician's Friend.

1-800-391-8762


MF question reference number '070914-000201'.


It reflected forever
free photo software
Image by Mona Loldwoman (Look for the good)
4 photos
sunset reflection for test of Panarama Pros free software. Which I did not post, it loaded the pics out of sequence, twice. It wouldn't let me verify before making the panorama and took it ...f o r e v e r.
This is thru Picasa mosaic maker and cropped in HP camera software, cleaned up in Paint pro 8. Twenty times faster than Panarama Pros even with using the 3 programs.

ezimba-web- Textures - Old Fabric

Check out these photo editor free images:


ezimba-web- Textures - Old Fabric
photo editor free
Image by krossbow
ezimba is a web site that can apply different imaging effects.
www.ezimba.com/index.html

I used one picture for all the effects just for consistency for comparison. The title for each photo consists of the category of the effect and the name of the effect. Some effects would be better used on a different image. There are some effects also that appear to do the same thing in different effect categories.

Ezimba also has a Facebook app, Google Android app, and a free iPhone app. Please note that the free iPhone app puts a small logo on the edited image. You can buy the paid ezimba app and not have the logo.

Nice Image Database photos

Some cool image database images:


Pixfav-Images You Love to View
image database
Image by PixFav.com
Great Collection of Pictures from allover the Internet.Our Database has Thousands of Inspiring Pictures...@ Pixfav.com


Pixfav-Images You Love to View
image database
Image by PixFav.com
Great Collection of Pictures from allover the Internet.Our Database has Thousands of Inspiring Pictures...@ Pixfav.com

Green Bokeh

Some cool digital photos images:


Green Bokeh
digital photos
Image by fs999
Pentax K-5 • 80 ISO • Pentax DA* 50-135mm F2.8 SDM
Hoya Pro1 Digital Filter Close-Up N°3


La Vie en Rose*
digital photos
Image by fs999
Pentax K-7 • Pentax DA* 200mm f:2.8 ED SDM
Hoya Pro1 Digital Filter Close-Up N°3
Dörr Combi TTL Macro Flash

*Grace Jones


Orange Mécanique
digital photos
Image by fs999
Pentax K-7 • Pentax DA* 200mm f:2.8 ED SDM
Hoya Pro1 Digital Filter Close-Up N°3
Dörr Combi TTL Macro Flash

Common wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus) [Passport Photo]

Check out these passport photo images:


Common wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus) [Passport Photo]
passport photo
Image by gynti_46
Passfoto der Ringeltaube !
Sie hat absolut ruhig gesessen und hat nicht einmal geblinzelt - so wünscht sich das der Fotograf bei jeder Fotosession und speziell beim Anfertigen von Passfotos.

Common wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus) Ringeltaube (11)


#Foto #Fotofix #automat #Passbild #fun #funny #picture #passport #Photo #freiburg #Hbf #teenager #gaudi #joke #hoax :-)
passport photo
Image by Nitram75

Minolta DiMage 5 Digital Camera

Check out these digital picture frames images:


Minolta DiMage 5 Digital Camera
digital picture frames
Image by Capt Kodak
Manufactured 2001 by Minolta Camera Co. of Osaka, Japan. An “SLR-Like” 3.3 Megapixel digital camera. It used a Minolta GT 35mm to 250mm (equivalent in 35mm film camera) f/2.8-3.5 lens and a 1/1.8 inch CCD to produce a 3.3 Megapixels or 2048x1536 pixels image. Storage was to Compact Flash cards or MicroDrive. It had a TTL metering system selectable to either 256 Segment Metering, Center-Weighted Average or Spot mode. This supported operation modes of full Program, Aperture preferred automatic, Shutter preferred automatic and fully manual. It also had special program “Scene” modes: Portrait, Sports, Sunset, Night and Text. It simulated ISO ratings of 100 to 800. It was NOT interchangeable lens, but did give the feel of a small 35mm SLR. It could shoot continuously for at approx. 1.1 fps for 4 images and supported shutter speeds up to 1/2000 of a second. There was no optical viewfinder—it used an electronic viewfinder using a Ferroelectric LCD (4.8mm, 71,000 24-bit color pixels) that could be swiveled upwards through 90 degrees, provided a frame coverage of 100%, had diopter adjustment and an automatic mode to detect locality of eye to turn it on. In short—you could see all the information that would normally be displayed on the 1.8 inch TFT LCD on the back of the camera in the viewfinder—even in bright sun! It used high end Minolta accessories such as dedicated flash units and wired remote controls. It could focus as close as 4 inches in macro mode. It had a small built-in flash which could perform red-eye reduction or do fill flash outdoors. It used contrast detection to focus, allowing the user to select from 3 "wide area" auto selected zones or a Spot AF - flex focus point (movable focus point). Manual focus was provided by an electronic "focus by wire" ring at rear of lens barrel. In short—you could do just about anything you could do with a high end 35mm SLR on the market at that time EXCEPT change the lens. It was powered by four AA cells—your choice of Alkaline, Lithium or NiMH rechargeables.

Two items of note: First the lens—what a lens! It’s the Minolta GT lens made up of 16 glass elements in 13 groups, 2 anti-dispersion elements, 2 aspherical elements and was multi coated. This lens proved to be a real winner for Minolta. It graces not only the DiMage 5, but the 7, 7i, 7Hi, A1, A2 and A200.

Second, the DiMage 5 and 7 have the distinction of NOT having a UV filter permanently affixed to the front of the CCD sensor. What does this mean? With the application of a Dark Red 092 (89B) Infrared filter to the front of the camera, you can take true infrared pictures!

See also: www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Konica_Minolta/minolta_dim...


Black Frame
digital picture frames
Image by StefZ
> -----Original Message-----
> From: andraz ***** [mailto:andraz.*****@gmail.com]
> Sent: 29 May 2007 16:12
> To: ********@gmail.com
> Subject: Photo experiement
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I am a photography student working on an experiment which requres
> as many pictures taken from different digital cameras in complete
> darkness. So, if you own a digital camera and you are willing to
> help please do the following: set your camera to lowest ISO
> setting possible, set the timer and put the camera in a box or
> somewhere else where there will be no light available. After the
> picture is taken, please send it to andraz.*****@gmail.com. thanks.
>
> andraz
>
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.1/822 - Release Date:
> 28/05/2007 11:40

Endgame

Check out these edit image images:


Endgame
edit image
Image by litratcher
Although I don't play the game, I love the beauty of chess pieces. For this shot, I set up two small mirrors perpendicular to each other and placed the chess board as the "third wall" to give some context and pattern in the reflected images. I sharpened the image, added levels, and applied the "accented edges" filter for additional effect. I like the painterly effect it gives the shot. Based on Kim's ideas, I made some changes: www.flickr.com/photos/litratcher/7467375726/in/photostream


Testing out the new flickr export
edit image
Image by wader
I edited this picture in image tricks and I'm uploading it to test out the new flickrexport for mac.


IMG_7358
edit image
Image by jball359
*Edit: converted to sRGB

Nice Edit Photos photos

A few nice edit photos images I found:



Pick me, pick me !
edit photos
Image by Stevekin
Edit of original by Dunni1
For FIX MY PIC.

Best viewed large ;)

Nice Image Library photos

A few nice image library images I found:


Minnie Tittell Brune [as the Duke of Reichstadt in Edmond Rostand's play "L'Aiglon"] / The Talma Studios, 374 George Street, Sydney [1904-1908]
image library
Image by State Library of New South Wales collection
Format: Platinotype

Find out more about this photograph: acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=440019

Search for more great images in the State Library's collections: acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/SimpleSearch.aspx

From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales: www.sl.nsw.gov.au



Dame Nellie Melba outside the Gresham Hotel, Brisbane
image library
Image by State Library of Queensland, Australia
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Date: ca. 1909

View this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/85126
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: pictureqld.slq.qld.gov.au/

In The Wind (Hipstamatic Contest Entry)

A few nice photo contest images I found:


In The Wind (Hipstamatic Contest Entry)
photo contest
Image by DeeAshley


Snuggle Buddy (Hipstamatic Contest Entry)
photo contest
Image by DeeAshley


La Vista Hermosa (Hipstamatic Contest Entry)
photo contest
Image by DeeAshley

Nice Image Gallery photos

A few nice image gallery images I found:


Sweet, Sweet Galaxy by Pip & Pop
image gallery
Image by Karen Roe
Smiths Row, The Market Cross, Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1BT
Tel: +44 (0) 1284 762081

We are happy to welcome Australian artists Tanya Schultz, Nicole Andrijevic and John Kassab to Smiths Row in what is their first major British show. Schultz and Andrijevic have worked in collaboration since 2007 using the alias Pip & Pop and this is their second collaboration with sound artist Kassab.

Sweet sweet galaxy is a unique installation depicting an infinite psychedelic landscape. An amalgamation of numerous materials including coloured sugar, fine sand, cake decorations, origami, found objects, LED lights and sound, this colourful sensory kingdom will be constructed directly in the gallery space in early January.

The soundscape, created in collaboration with Melbourne-based John Kassab, adds another layer of immersion to the audience experience and sense of being transported to a faraway or imagined place. Whilst the soundscape adds to the narrative of the imagined landscape, interpreting the sounds with sugar has been central to Pip & Pop's process when working with John.

The sugar used in this exhibition has been kindly donated by Silverspoon. As the sole producers of homegrown British sugar the company supports 1200 East Anglian beet farmers. According to Dan Gough of Silverspoon: "the sugar used in this exhibition was grown an average of 30 miles away from the gallery".


Sweet, Sweet Galaxy by Pip & Pop
image gallery
Image by Karen Roe
Smiths Row, The Market Cross, Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1BT
Tel: +44 (0) 1284 762081

We are happy to welcome Australian artists Tanya Schultz, Nicole Andrijevic and John Kassab to Smiths Row in what is their first major British show. Schultz and Andrijevic have worked in collaboration since 2007 using the alias Pip & Pop and this is their second collaboration with sound artist Kassab.

Sweet sweet galaxy is a unique installation depicting an infinite psychedelic landscape. An amalgamation of numerous materials including coloured sugar, fine sand, cake decorations, origami, found objects, LED lights and sound, this colourful sensory kingdom will be constructed directly in the gallery space in early January.

The soundscape, created in collaboration with Melbourne-based John Kassab, adds another layer of immersion to the audience experience and sense of being transported to a faraway or imagined place. Whilst the soundscape adds to the narrative of the imagined landscape, interpreting the sounds with sugar has been central to Pip & Pop's process when working with John.

The sugar used in this exhibition has been kindly donated by Silverspoon. As the sole producers of homegrown British sugar the company supports 1200 East Anglian beet farmers. According to Dan Gough of Silverspoon: "the sugar used in this exhibition was grown an average of 30 miles away from the gallery".


Sweet, Sweet Galaxy by Pip & Pop
image gallery
Image by Karen Roe
Smiths Row, The Market Cross, Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1BT
Tel: +44 (0) 1284 762081

We are happy to welcome Australian artists Tanya Schultz, Nicole Andrijevic and John Kassab to Smiths Row in what is their first major British show. Schultz and Andrijevic have worked in collaboration since 2007 using the alias Pip & Pop and this is their second collaboration with sound artist Kassab.

Sweet sweet galaxy is a unique installation depicting an infinite psychedelic landscape. An amalgamation of numerous materials including coloured sugar, fine sand, cake decorations, origami, found objects, LED lights and sound, this colourful sensory kingdom will be constructed directly in the gallery space in early January.

The soundscape, created in collaboration with Melbourne-based John Kassab, adds another layer of immersion to the audience experience and sense of being transported to a faraway or imagined place. Whilst the soundscape adds to the narrative of the imagined landscape, interpreting the sounds with sugar has been central to Pip & Pop's process when working with John.

The sugar used in this exhibition has been kindly donated by Silverspoon. As the sole producers of homegrown British sugar the company supports 1200 East Anglian beet farmers. According to Dan Gough of Silverspoon: "the sugar used in this exhibition was grown an average of 30 miles away from the gallery".

Nice Photo Software photos

Some cool photo software images:


Blue-roofed Japanese House
photo software
Image by JapanDave
Today’s photo is the upper half of a Japanese House built in a somewhat traditional style. I like the roof. You don’t see blue roof tiles much in the States.

You can also see some other features common to Japanese houses. A gate enclosing the yard, a closely trimmed pine tree, and the front door. Nice looking, eh?

japandave.com/2010/06/blue-roofed-japanese-house/


Japanese Neverland
photo software
Image by JapanDave
Today’s photo is a bit of nice green space in Okazaki, taken after a good rain so everything was green and fresh. Don’t you just love that feeling of newness after the rain ends?

It’s not easy to find spots like this in a Japanese city. Most spaces are usually packed full of.. everything. As for the places that do escape buildings, they often get covered by concrete. They have a thing for concrete here.

I’m often asked, even by people who have lived in Okazaki all their lives, how I find these spaces. Lots of walking. I don’t have a car, the bus and train system in Okazaki isn’t too hot, so I walk everywhere. Not only is it good for exercise, but you do run across some very nice spots that most folks tend to miss.

Even in our private oasis here, reality is intruding. Note the huge condos and the power-lines. Oh well. A bit of a neverland is better than none at all.

japandave.com/2010/05/japanese-neverland/


Mountain
photo software
Image by Davide Restivo
Somewhere near Palermo.

Palermo

Cool Photo Sites images

A few nice photo sites images I found:


Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: SR-71 Blackbird (starboard profile)
photo sites
Image by Chris Devers
See more photos of this, and the Wikipedia article.

Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird:

No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71, the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War.

This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time during 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 kilometers (2,124 miles) per hour. At the flight's conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Designer:
Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson

Date:
1964

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Overall: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 55ft 7in. x 107ft 5in., 169998.5lb. (5.638m x 16.942m x 32.741m, 77110.8kg)
Other: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 107ft 5in. x 55ft 7in. (5.638m x 32.741m x 16.942m)

Materials:
Titanium

Physical Description:
Twin-engine, two-seat, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft; airframe constructed largley of titanium and its alloys; vertical tail fins are constructed of a composite (laminated plastic-type material) to reduce radar cross-section; Pratt and Whitney J58 (JT11D-20B) turbojet engines feature large inlet shock cones.

Long Description:
No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71 Blackbird. It is the fastest aircraft propelled by air-breathing engines. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War. The airplane was conceived when tensions with communist Eastern Europe reached levels approaching a full-blown crisis in the mid-1950s. U.S. military commanders desperately needed accurate assessments of Soviet worldwide military deployments, particularly near the Iron Curtain. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's subsonic U-2 (see NASM collection) reconnaissance aircraft was an able platform but the U. S. Air Force recognized that this relatively slow aircraft was already vulnerable to Soviet interceptors. They also understood that the rapid development of surface-to-air missile systems could put U-2 pilots at grave risk. The danger proved reality when a U-2 was shot down by a surface to air missile over the Soviet Union in 1960.

Lockheed's first proposal for a new high speed, high altitude, reconnaissance aircraft, to be capable of avoiding interceptors and missiles, centered on a design propelled by liquid hydrogen. This proved to be impracticable because of considerable fuel consumption. Lockheed then reconfigured the design for conventional fuels. This was feasible and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), already flying the Lockheed U-2, issued a production contract for an aircraft designated the A-12. Lockheed's clandestine 'Skunk Works' division (headed by the gifted design engineer Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson) designed the A-12 to cruise at Mach 3.2 and fly well above 18,288 m (60,000 feet). To meet these challenging requirements, Lockheed engineers overcame many daunting technical challenges. Flying more than three times the speed of sound generates 316° C (600° F) temperatures on external aircraft surfaces, which are enough to melt conventional aluminum airframes. The design team chose to make the jet's external skin of titanium alloy to which shielded the internal aluminum airframe. Two conventional, but very powerful, afterburning turbine engines propelled this remarkable aircraft. These power plants had to operate across a huge speed envelope in flight, from a takeoff speed of 334 kph (207 mph) to more than 3,540 kph (2,200 mph). To prevent supersonic shock waves from moving inside the engine intake causing flameouts, Johnson's team had to design a complex air intake and bypass system for the engines.

Skunk Works engineers also optimized the A-12 cross-section design to exhibit a low radar profile. Lockheed hoped to achieve this by carefully shaping the airframe to reflect as little transmitted radar energy (radio waves) as possible, and by application of special paint designed to absorb, rather than reflect, those waves. This treatment became one of the first applications of stealth technology, but it never completely met the design goals.

Test pilot Lou Schalk flew the single-seat A-12 on April 24, 1962, after he became airborne accidentally during high-speed taxi trials. The airplane showed great promise but it needed considerable technical refinement before the CIA could fly the first operational sortie on May 31, 1967 - a surveillance flight over North Vietnam. A-12s, flown by CIA pilots, operated as part of the Air Force's 1129th Special Activities Squadron under the "Oxcart" program. While Lockheed continued to refine the A-12, the U. S. Air Force ordered an interceptor version of the aircraft designated the YF-12A. The Skunk Works, however, proposed a "specific mission" version configured to conduct post-nuclear strike reconnaissance. This system evolved into the USAF's familiar SR-71.

Lockheed built fifteen A-12s, including a special two-seat trainer version. Two A-12s were modified to carry a special reconnaissance drone, designated D-21. The modified A-12s were redesignated M-21s. These were designed to take off with the D-21 drone, powered by a Marquart ramjet engine mounted on a pylon between the rudders. The M-21 then hauled the drone aloft and launched it at speeds high enough to ignite the drone's ramjet motor. Lockheed also built three YF-12As but this type never went into production. Two of the YF-12As crashed during testing. Only one survives and is on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The aft section of one of the "written off" YF-12As which was later used along with an SR-71A static test airframe to manufacture the sole SR-71C trainer. One SR-71 was lent to NASA and designated YF-12C. Including the SR-71C and two SR-71B pilot trainers, Lockheed constructed thirty-two Blackbirds. The first SR-71 flew on December 22, 1964. Because of extreme operational costs, military strategists decided that the more capable USAF SR-71s should replace the CIA's A-12s. These were retired in 1968 after only one year of operational missions, mostly over southeast Asia. The Air Force's 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (part of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) took over the missions, flying the SR-71 beginning in the spring of 1968.

After the Air Force began to operate the SR-71, it acquired the official name Blackbird-- for the special black paint that covered the airplane. This paint was formulated to absorb radar signals, to radiate some of the tremendous airframe heat generated by air friction, and to camouflage the aircraft against the dark sky at high altitudes.

Experience gained from the A-12 program convinced the Air Force that flying the SR-71 safely required two crew members, a pilot and a Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO). The RSO operated with the wide array of monitoring and defensive systems installed on the airplane. This equipment included a sophisticated Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) system that could jam most acquisition and targeting radar. In addition to an array of advanced, high-resolution cameras, the aircraft could also carry equipment designed to record the strength, frequency, and wavelength of signals emitted by communications and sensor devices such as radar. The SR-71 was designed to fly deep into hostile territory, avoiding interception with its tremendous speed and high altitude. It could operate safely at a maximum speed of Mach 3.3 at an altitude more than sixteen miles, or 25,908 m (85,000 ft), above the earth. The crew had to wear pressure suits similar to those worn by astronauts. These suits were required to protect the crew in the event of sudden cabin pressure loss while at operating altitudes.

To climb and cruise at supersonic speeds, the Blackbird's Pratt & Whitney J-58 engines were designed to operate continuously in afterburner. While this would appear to dictate high fuel flows, the Blackbird actually achieved its best "gas mileage," in terms of air nautical miles per pound of fuel burned, during the Mach 3+ cruise. A typical Blackbird reconnaissance flight might require several aerial refueling operations from an airborne tanker. Each time the SR-71 refueled, the crew had to descend to the tanker's altitude, usually about 6,000 m to 9,000 m (20,000 to 30,000 ft), and slow the airplane to subsonic speeds. As velocity decreased, so did frictional heat. This cooling effect caused the aircraft's skin panels to shrink considerably, and those covering the fuel tanks contracted so much that fuel leaked, forming a distinctive vapor trail as the tanker topped off the Blackbird. As soon as the tanks were filled, the jet's crew disconnected from the tanker, relit the afterburners, and again climbed to high altitude.

Air Force pilots flew the SR-71 from Kadena AB, Japan, throughout its operational career but other bases hosted Blackbird operations, too. The 9th SRW occasionally deployed from Beale AFB, California, to other locations to carryout operational missions. Cuban missions were flown directly from Beale. The SR-71 did not begin to operate in Europe until 1974, and then only temporarily. In 1982, when the U.S. Air Force based two aircraft at Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall to fly monitoring mission in Eastern Europe.

When the SR-71 became operational, orbiting reconnaissance satellites had already replaced manned aircraft to gather intelligence from sites deep within Soviet territory. Satellites could not cover every geopolitical hotspot so the Blackbird remained a vital tool for global intelligence gathering. On many occasions, pilots and RSOs flying the SR-71 provided information that proved vital in formulating successful U. S. foreign policy. Blackbird crews provided important intelligence about the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and its aftermath, and pre- and post-strike imagery of the 1986 raid conducted by American air forces on Libya. In 1987, Kadena-based SR-71 crews flew a number of missions over the Persian Gulf, revealing Iranian Silkworm missile batteries that threatened commercial shipping and American escort vessels.

As the performance of space-based surveillance systems grew, along with the effectiveness of ground-based air defense networks, the Air Force started to lose enthusiasm for the expensive program and the 9th SRW ceased SR-71 operations in January 1990. Despite protests by military leaders, Congress revived the program in 1995. Continued wrangling over operating budgets, however, soon led to final termination. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration retained two SR-71As and the one SR-71B for high-speed research projects and flew these airplanes until 1999.

On March 6, 1990, the service career of one Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird ended with a record-setting flight. This special airplane bore Air Force serial number 64-17972. Lt. Col. Ed Yeilding and his RSO, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Vida, flew this aircraft from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging a speed of 3,418 kph (2,124 mph). At the conclusion of the flight, '972 landed at Dulles International Airport and taxied into the custody of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. At that time, Lt. Col. Vida had logged 1,392.7 hours of flight time in Blackbirds, more than that of any other crewman.

This particular SR-71 was also flown by Tom Alison, a former National Air and Space Museum's Chief of Collections Management. Flying with Detachment 1 at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Alison logged more than a dozen '972 operational sorties. The aircraft spent twenty-four years in active Air Force service and accrued a total of 2,801.1 hours of flight time.

Wingspan: 55'7"
Length: 107'5"
Height: 18'6"
Weight: 170,000 Lbs

Reference and Further Reading:

Crickmore, Paul F. Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1996.

Francillon, Rene J. Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1987.

Johnson, Clarence L. Kelly: More Than My Share of It All. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.

Miller, Jay. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. Leicester, U.K.: Midland Counties Publishing Ltd., 1995.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird curatorial file, Aeronautics Division, National Air and Space Museum.

DAD, 11-11-01


Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: SR-71 Blackbird with caption
photo sites
Image by Chris Devers
See more photos of this, and the Wikipedia article.

Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird:

No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71, the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War.

This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time during 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 kilometers (2,124 miles) per hour. At the flight's conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Designer:
Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson

Date:
1964

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Overall: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 55ft 7in. x 107ft 5in., 169998.5lb. (5.638m x 16.942m x 32.741m, 77110.8kg)
Other: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 107ft 5in. x 55ft 7in. (5.638m x 32.741m x 16.942m)

Materials:
Titanium

Physical Description:
Twin-engine, two-seat, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft; airframe constructed largley of titanium and its alloys; vertical tail fins are constructed of a composite (laminated plastic-type material) to reduce radar cross-section; Pratt and Whitney J58 (JT11D-20B) turbojet engines feature large inlet shock cones.

Long Description:
No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71 Blackbird. It is the fastest aircraft propelled by air-breathing engines. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War. The airplane was conceived when tensions with communist Eastern Europe reached levels approaching a full-blown crisis in the mid-1950s. U.S. military commanders desperately needed accurate assessments of Soviet worldwide military deployments, particularly near the Iron Curtain. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's subsonic U-2 (see NASM collection) reconnaissance aircraft was an able platform but the U. S. Air Force recognized that this relatively slow aircraft was already vulnerable to Soviet interceptors. They also understood that the rapid development of surface-to-air missile systems could put U-2 pilots at grave risk. The danger proved reality when a U-2 was shot down by a surface to air missile over the Soviet Union in 1960.

Lockheed's first proposal for a new high speed, high altitude, reconnaissance aircraft, to be capable of avoiding interceptors and missiles, centered on a design propelled by liquid hydrogen. This proved to be impracticable because of considerable fuel consumption. Lockheed then reconfigured the design for conventional fuels. This was feasible and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), already flying the Lockheed U-2, issued a production contract for an aircraft designated the A-12. Lockheed's clandestine 'Skunk Works' division (headed by the gifted design engineer Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson) designed the A-12 to cruise at Mach 3.2 and fly well above 18,288 m (60,000 feet). To meet these challenging requirements, Lockheed engineers overcame many daunting technical challenges. Flying more than three times the speed of sound generates 316° C (600° F) temperatures on external aircraft surfaces, which are enough to melt conventional aluminum airframes. The design team chose to make the jet's external skin of titanium alloy to which shielded the internal aluminum airframe. Two conventional, but very powerful, afterburning turbine engines propelled this remarkable aircraft. These power plants had to operate across a huge speed envelope in flight, from a takeoff speed of 334 kph (207 mph) to more than 3,540 kph (2,200 mph). To prevent supersonic shock waves from moving inside the engine intake causing flameouts, Johnson's team had to design a complex air intake and bypass system for the engines.

Skunk Works engineers also optimized the A-12 cross-section design to exhibit a low radar profile. Lockheed hoped to achieve this by carefully shaping the airframe to reflect as little transmitted radar energy (radio waves) as possible, and by application of special paint designed to absorb, rather than reflect, those waves. This treatment became one of the first applications of stealth technology, but it never completely met the design goals.

Test pilot Lou Schalk flew the single-seat A-12 on April 24, 1962, after he became airborne accidentally during high-speed taxi trials. The airplane showed great promise but it needed considerable technical refinement before the CIA could fly the first operational sortie on May 31, 1967 - a surveillance flight over North Vietnam. A-12s, flown by CIA pilots, operated as part of the Air Force's 1129th Special Activities Squadron under the "Oxcart" program. While Lockheed continued to refine the A-12, the U. S. Air Force ordered an interceptor version of the aircraft designated the YF-12A. The Skunk Works, however, proposed a "specific mission" version configured to conduct post-nuclear strike reconnaissance. This system evolved into the USAF's familiar SR-71.

Lockheed built fifteen A-12s, including a special two-seat trainer version. Two A-12s were modified to carry a special reconnaissance drone, designated D-21. The modified A-12s were redesignated M-21s. These were designed to take off with the D-21 drone, powered by a Marquart ramjet engine mounted on a pylon between the rudders. The M-21 then hauled the drone aloft and launched it at speeds high enough to ignite the drone's ramjet motor. Lockheed also built three YF-12As but this type never went into production. Two of the YF-12As crashed during testing. Only one survives and is on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The aft section of one of the "written off" YF-12As which was later used along with an SR-71A static test airframe to manufacture the sole SR-71C trainer. One SR-71 was lent to NASA and designated YF-12C. Including the SR-71C and two SR-71B pilot trainers, Lockheed constructed thirty-two Blackbirds. The first SR-71 flew on December 22, 1964. Because of extreme operational costs, military strategists decided that the more capable USAF SR-71s should replace the CIA's A-12s. These were retired in 1968 after only one year of operational missions, mostly over southeast Asia. The Air Force's 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (part of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) took over the missions, flying the SR-71 beginning in the spring of 1968.

After the Air Force began to operate the SR-71, it acquired the official name Blackbird-- for the special black paint that covered the airplane. This paint was formulated to absorb radar signals, to radiate some of the tremendous airframe heat generated by air friction, and to camouflage the aircraft against the dark sky at high altitudes.

Experience gained from the A-12 program convinced the Air Force that flying the SR-71 safely required two crew members, a pilot and a Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO). The RSO operated with the wide array of monitoring and defensive systems installed on the airplane. This equipment included a sophisticated Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) system that could jam most acquisition and targeting radar. In addition to an array of advanced, high-resolution cameras, the aircraft could also carry equipment designed to record the strength, frequency, and wavelength of signals emitted by communications and sensor devices such as radar. The SR-71 was designed to fly deep into hostile territory, avoiding interception with its tremendous speed and high altitude. It could operate safely at a maximum speed of Mach 3.3 at an altitude more than sixteen miles, or 25,908 m (85,000 ft), above the earth. The crew had to wear pressure suits similar to those worn by astronauts. These suits were required to protect the crew in the event of sudden cabin pressure loss while at operating altitudes.

To climb and cruise at supersonic speeds, the Blackbird's Pratt & Whitney J-58 engines were designed to operate continuously in afterburner. While this would appear to dictate high fuel flows, the Blackbird actually achieved its best "gas mileage," in terms of air nautical miles per pound of fuel burned, during the Mach 3+ cruise. A typical Blackbird reconnaissance flight might require several aerial refueling operations from an airborne tanker. Each time the SR-71 refueled, the crew had to descend to the tanker's altitude, usually about 6,000 m to 9,000 m (20,000 to 30,000 ft), and slow the airplane to subsonic speeds. As velocity decreased, so did frictional heat. This cooling effect caused the aircraft's skin panels to shrink considerably, and those covering the fuel tanks contracted so much that fuel leaked, forming a distinctive vapor trail as the tanker topped off the Blackbird. As soon as the tanks were filled, the jet's crew disconnected from the tanker, relit the afterburners, and again climbed to high altitude.

Air Force pilots flew the SR-71 from Kadena AB, Japan, throughout its operational career but other bases hosted Blackbird operations, too. The 9th SRW occasionally deployed from Beale AFB, California, to other locations to carryout operational missions. Cuban missions were flown directly from Beale. The SR-71 did not begin to operate in Europe until 1974, and then only temporarily. In 1982, when the U.S. Air Force based two aircraft at Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall to fly monitoring mission in Eastern Europe.

When the SR-71 became operational, orbiting reconnaissance satellites had already replaced manned aircraft to gather intelligence from sites deep within Soviet territory. Satellites could not cover every geopolitical hotspot so the Blackbird remained a vital tool for global intelligence gathering. On many occasions, pilots and RSOs flying the SR-71 provided information that proved vital in formulating successful U. S. foreign policy. Blackbird crews provided important intelligence about the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and its aftermath, and pre- and post-strike imagery of the 1986 raid conducted by American air forces on Libya. In 1987, Kadena-based SR-71 crews flew a number of missions over the Persian Gulf, revealing Iranian Silkworm missile batteries that threatened commercial shipping and American escort vessels.

As the performance of space-based surveillance systems grew, along with the effectiveness of ground-based air defense networks, the Air Force started to lose enthusiasm for the expensive program and the 9th SRW ceased SR-71 operations in January 1990. Despite protests by military leaders, Congress revived the program in 1995. Continued wrangling over operating budgets, however, soon led to final termination. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration retained two SR-71As and the one SR-71B for high-speed research projects and flew these airplanes until 1999.

On March 6, 1990, the service career of one Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird ended with a record-setting flight. This special airplane bore Air Force serial number 64-17972. Lt. Col. Ed Yeilding and his RSO, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Vida, flew this aircraft from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging a speed of 3,418 kph (2,124 mph). At the conclusion of the flight, '972 landed at Dulles International Airport and taxied into the custody of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. At that time, Lt. Col. Vida had logged 1,392.7 hours of flight time in Blackbirds, more than that of any other crewman.

This particular SR-71 was also flown by Tom Alison, a former National Air and Space Museum's Chief of Collections Management. Flying with Detachment 1 at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Alison logged more than a dozen '972 operational sorties. The aircraft spent twenty-four years in active Air Force service and accrued a total of 2,801.1 hours of flight time.

Wingspan: 55'7"
Length: 107'5"
Height: 18'6"
Weight: 170,000 Lbs

Reference and Further Reading:

Crickmore, Paul F. Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1996.

Francillon, Rene J. Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1987.

Johnson, Clarence L. Kelly: More Than My Share of It All. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.

Miller, Jay. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. Leicester, U.K.: Midland Counties Publishing Ltd., 1995.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird curatorial file, Aeronautics Division, National Air and Space Museum.

DAD, 11-11-01

Cool Photo Library images

Some cool photo library images:


Melrose Park (near Chicago), Ill, C&NWRR. William London has been a railroad worker 25 years - now working at the roundhouse at the Proviso yards (LOC)
photo library
Image by The Library of Congress
Delano, Jack,, photographer.

Melrose Park (near Chicago), Ill, C&NWRR. William London has been a railroad worker 25 years - now working at the roundhouse at the Proviso yards

1942 Dec.

1 transparency : color.

Notes:
Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.
Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.

Subjects:
Chicago and North Western Railway Company
World War, 1939-1945
Railroad employees
Railroad shops & yards
United States--Illinois--Melrose Park

Format: Transparencies--Color

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 12002-1 (DLC) 93845501

General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac

Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a34672

Call Number: LC-USW36-578

Raw 41

Some cool edit image images:


Raw 41
edit image
Image by tomoswyn
My edit for this week's raw edit of the week over at froknowsphoto - froknowsphoto.com/froknows/forum/42-raw-file-of-the-week/...

Took the image to lightroom, cleaned up the skin, softened up the skins some more then finished the edit in lightroom.


Guess what? (guessed/busted)
edit image
Image by ☺ Lee J Haywood
This is a crop of a larger image, from which you can try to guess what I've taken a picture of.

Since this has already been guessed, the answer is in the comments!


Virunga Mountains and Volcanoes Wallpaper
edit image
Image by sjrankin
ESA Evnisat image of the Virunga Mountains and volcanoes in the Conga.

Nice Photo Collages photos

Some cool photo collages images:



Crackle Rim
photo collages
Image by ArtByChrysti
You have permission to use these textures freely when you incorporate them into yournon-profit artwork, please be sure to follow the terms below:

- Image must be altered/incorporated into your artwork in some way.

- Please credit/link to me when using my textures.

Copy & paste this code for an easy credit:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
<b>FREE Textures </b>provided by: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrysti/">Chrysti </a>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

- If you wish to sell your images using these, please contact me for written permission first: note I will ask to see the finished work, and your use (print, article, etc) before granting permission.

Under NO circumstances may these textures be used for:

- CD collections that you sell, website stock that you offer, collage sheets or any other collection whether for profit, or not.

- Website backgrounds, sold, offered or used as an individual image. Link to my set if you wish to share these with others :-)

One last important note:

Only the images in my photostream with the terms of use clearly stated, and a CC license applied to them, are offered for your use. All other photos and artwork are off-limits for any downloading. I retain all copyrights to my work. Thanks!

If you use these, I'd love to see how! Feel free to leave a SMALL sized photo with it in my comments so I can visit easily!

Hope they inspire you & happy creating!

Thank You. Have a question? Just ask!

Nice Free Photo Editor photos

A few nice free photo editor images I found:


2008 Summer Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Beijing, China 同一个世界 同一个梦想 - U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program - FMWRC
free photo editor
Image by familymwr
www.armymwr.com

Olympic Opening Ceremony celebrates ‘One World, One Dream’


Date Posted: 8/12/2008

Photos and Story by Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs

(Cleared for public release)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) provides soldier-athletes the opportunity to compete toward qualifying for the United States Olympic team. Qualified soldiers must be nationally ranked in their chosen sport and be certified by the United States Olympic Committee at a world class level. Athletes join the program at least three years before the Olympic Trials. To be eligible for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, soldiers must currently be a member of the Active Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Soldiers must also be eligible to represent the USA in international competitions and demonstrate the potential to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team or U.S. Paralympic Team.


BEIJING – The elaborate Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad featured a display of China’s long and distinguished history and culture intertwined with the “One World, One Dream” theme of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

“Beijing, you are host to the present and the gateway to the future,” International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge proclaimed before a sellout crowd of 91,000 at National Stadium on Aug. 8. “Thank you.”

An audience of 400,000,000 was expected to watch the spectacle on television.

“Friends have come from afar, how happy we are,” is a well-known saying of Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), a famous Chinese educator and thinker whose thoughts deeply influenced later generations.

U.S. President Bush and wife Laura were among more than 80 world dignitaries in attendance, along with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bush became the first U.S. president to attend an Olympic Games outside of the United States while serving as Commander in Chief. His father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, also made history by occupying the chair of Chef de Mission of the U.S. Olympic Team, marking the first time the U.S. Olympic Committee has had an honorary chief of the mission.

The four-hour extravaganza featured 110 minutes of music, beginning with the fou, the most ancient Chinese percussion instrument made of clay or bronze. Manned by 2,008 performers, the fou-produced sound of rolling spring thunder greeted friends from all over the world.

The music was specially created by 18 composers for a production that displayed 15,153 sets of costumes in 47 styles. Some of the performers rehearsed for 13 months in preparation for one of China’s most magical nights.

Six hundred people were involved in the installation, direction, and safety supervision for a display of 11,456 fireworks set off from from 287 points atop the stadium and 8,428 more from 27 positions in the central area. Another 1,462 glowing and sparkling fireworks illuminated the upper rim of the stadium.

Gunpowder was invented in China during the Song Dynasty (960 AD-1276 AD). People used the ingredients for gunpowder as medicines for illnesses in ancient times; hence the name “gunpowder,” means “burning medicines.” The invention of gunpowder is one of China’s outstanding achievements in the history of human civilization that changed the course of world history.

A painting scroll revealed the origin and development of China’s history and culture. Paper is another of the four great inventions of ancient China. As one child sang “A Hymn to My Country,” 56 children clustered around the National Flag of the People’s Republic of China to represent the country’s 56 ethnic groups. Immediately following, the famous Chinese painting “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” was visible on the stadium floor while the ancient stringed instrument, Guqin, provided the “Sounds of Utmost Antiquity.”

Cliff painting, earth pottery and bronze vessels were displayed to reflect artistic developments of the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC) and Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-221 BC).

The Great Wall was illustrated by smooth lines, both concise and vivid, with peach blossoms, romantic and enjoyable, that illustrated the sweet wishes of peace-loving Chinese people.

The “Silk Road” was an important vehicle for economic and cultural exchange between China and Western countries. More than 2,000 years ago, trade caravans of China set out from Chang’an (now Xi’an in Shaanxi Province) with expensive silk, crossed the Hexi Corridor, and entered the European continent.

More than 600 years ago, Zheng He of Ming Dynasty led seven shipping fleets with 27,000 people aboard a long voyage from Quanzhou that arrived in Western Asia and Eastern Africa, thus creating the well-known “Maritime Silk Road.” On opening night, a performer held an ancient compass, another of the four great inventions of ancient China.

In a later segment, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and 5-year-old Li Muzi welcomed a brand-new age. Lang is the first Chinese pianist to have long-term cooperation with first-class orchestras in Berlin and Vienna. He has played recitals in many of the most famous music halls in the world. During that performance, the kite was introduced as another Chinese invention.

An exhibition of Taiji manifested the integration of traditions and the future by illustrating the unity of man and nature. Taijiquan is the most representative shadow boxing among Chinese martial arts, characterized by the “combination of the dynamic and static and the interdependence of hardness and softness.”

The Eight Diagrams of Taiji symbolize eight natural phenomena – heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain and swamp – that represent the changes of all things on earth. A total of 2,008 Taiji performers formed a circle that illustrated grandness and consummation in the traditional Chinese concept.

As the program progressed, the smiling faces of children from around the world demonstrated the theme of “One World, One Dream.” A gigantic, 16-ton globe arose from the floor, adorned with 58 actors running on nine rings covered with an Olympic Torch pattern. The runners seemingly were free from gravity and full of magic, fantasy and bravery.

The march of nations featured Olympic athletes from 205 countries, led into the stadium by Greece (in accordance with tradition). The host team from China concluded the march of nations.
As Team USA entered they clearly received the loudest ovation of the evening – until Houston Rockets basketball star Yao Ming led the Chinese contingent into the stadium.

The throng representing 596 U.S. athletes occupied more than 100 meters of the running track. As U.S. Flag Bearer Lopez Lomong was rounding the turn, members of Team USA were still filing into the arena from the opposite end of the stadium.

After eight Chinese Olympians carried the Olympic Flag into the stadium, the banner was raised and The Olympic Anthem was played. Athletes' and officials' oaths were read, symbolic doves were released, and the Olympic Torch Relay concluded a 33-day journey abroad that covered 97,000 kilometers across five continents and 21 countries.

Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning ran 500 meters in about three minutes around the wall of the open-air stadium’s inner roof in what was possibly the most fascinating sight of the night. Supported by a cable, Ning at times appeared to be running on air before lighting the cauldron.

“Many would say that the Olympic Games are of great significance and have profound meanings,” said opening ceremony artistic director Zhang Yimou. “But I once heard someone say: ‘They are all our guests. We should make them happy.’”

"This answer, simple as it is, tells us that we are of one big family. The Opening Ceremony demonstrates the same spirit as we find in the theme song of the ceremony: You and me, from one world; we are family.

“I have never led such a huge team, with so many performers, staff and volunteers. You may not be able to see their faces clearly in this grand stadium and their names may not be printed on this beautiful brochure, but I know how hard they worked for tonight. At this very moment, what do they want to say to you, our distinguished guests, and to the audience all over the world? There is only one simple sentence: ‘From the bottom of my heart, I hope you will enjoy yourselves.’”

www.armymwr.com


2008 Summer Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Beijing, China 同一个世界 同一个梦想 - U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program - FMWRC
free photo editor
Image by familymwr
www.armymwr.com

Olympic Opening Ceremony celebrates ‘One World, One Dream’


Date Posted: 8/12/2008

Photos and Story by Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs

(Cleared for public release)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) provides soldier-athletes the opportunity to compete toward qualifying for the United States Olympic team. Qualified soldiers must be nationally ranked in their chosen sport and be certified by the United States Olympic Committee at a world class level. Athletes join the program at least three years before the Olympic Trials. To be eligible for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, soldiers must currently be a member of the Active Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Soldiers must also be eligible to represent the USA in international competitions and demonstrate the potential to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team or U.S. Paralympic Team.


BEIJING – The elaborate Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad featured a display of China’s long and distinguished history and culture intertwined with the “One World, One Dream” theme of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

“Beijing, you are host to the present and the gateway to the future,” International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge proclaimed before a sellout crowd of 91,000 at National Stadium on Aug. 8. “Thank you.”

An audience of 400,000,000 was expected to watch the spectacle on television.

“Friends have come from afar, how happy we are,” is a well-known saying of Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), a famous Chinese educator and thinker whose thoughts deeply influenced later generations.

U.S. President Bush and wife Laura were among more than 80 world dignitaries in attendance, along with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bush became the first U.S. president to attend an Olympic Games outside of the United States while serving as Commander in Chief. His father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, also made history by occupying the chair of Chef de Mission of the U.S. Olympic Team, marking the first time the U.S. Olympic Committee has had an honorary chief of the mission.

The four-hour extravaganza featured 110 minutes of music, beginning with the fou, the most ancient Chinese percussion instrument made of clay or bronze. Manned by 2,008 performers, the fou-produced sound of rolling spring thunder greeted friends from all over the world.

The music was specially created by 18 composers for a production that displayed 15,153 sets of costumes in 47 styles. Some of the performers rehearsed for 13 months in preparation for one of China’s most magical nights.

Six hundred people were involved in the installation, direction, and safety supervision for a display of 11,456 fireworks set off from from 287 points atop the stadium and 8,428 more from 27 positions in the central area. Another 1,462 glowing and sparkling fireworks illuminated the upper rim of the stadium.

Gunpowder was invented in China during the Song Dynasty (960 AD-1276 AD). People used the ingredients for gunpowder as medicines for illnesses in ancient times; hence the name “gunpowder,” means “burning medicines.” The invention of gunpowder is one of China’s outstanding achievements in the history of human civilization that changed the course of world history.

A painting scroll revealed the origin and development of China’s history and culture. Paper is another of the four great inventions of ancient China. As one child sang “A Hymn to My Country,” 56 children clustered around the National Flag of the People’s Republic of China to represent the country’s 56 ethnic groups. Immediately following, the famous Chinese painting “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” was visible on the stadium floor while the ancient stringed instrument, Guqin, provided the “Sounds of Utmost Antiquity.”

Cliff painting, earth pottery and bronze vessels were displayed to reflect artistic developments of the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC) and Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-221 BC).

The Great Wall was illustrated by smooth lines, both concise and vivid, with peach blossoms, romantic and enjoyable, that illustrated the sweet wishes of peace-loving Chinese people.

The “Silk Road” was an important vehicle for economic and cultural exchange between China and Western countries. More than 2,000 years ago, trade caravans of China set out from Chang’an (now Xi’an in Shaanxi Province) with expensive silk, crossed the Hexi Corridor, and entered the European continent.

More than 600 years ago, Zheng He of Ming Dynasty led seven shipping fleets with 27,000 people aboard a long voyage from Quanzhou that arrived in Western Asia and Eastern Africa, thus creating the well-known “Maritime Silk Road.” On opening night, a performer held an ancient compass, another of the four great inventions of ancient China.

In a later segment, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and 5-year-old Li Muzi welcomed a brand-new age. Lang is the first Chinese pianist to have long-term cooperation with first-class orchestras in Berlin and Vienna. He has played recitals in many of the most famous music halls in the world. During that performance, the kite was introduced as another Chinese invention.

An exhibition of Taiji manifested the integration of traditions and the future by illustrating the unity of man and nature. Taijiquan is the most representative shadow boxing among Chinese martial arts, characterized by the “combination of the dynamic and static and the interdependence of hardness and softness.”

The Eight Diagrams of Taiji symbolize eight natural phenomena – heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain and swamp – that represent the changes of all things on earth. A total of 2,008 Taiji performers formed a circle that illustrated grandness and consummation in the traditional Chinese concept.

As the program progressed, the smiling faces of children from around the world demonstrated the theme of “One World, One Dream.” A gigantic, 16-ton globe arose from the floor, adorned with 58 actors running on nine rings covered with an Olympic Torch pattern. The runners seemingly were free from gravity and full of magic, fantasy and bravery.

The march of nations featured Olympic athletes from 205 countries, led into the stadium by Greece (in accordance with tradition). The host team from China concluded the march of nations.
As Team USA entered they clearly received the loudest ovation of the evening – until Houston Rockets basketball star Yao Ming led the Chinese contingent into the stadium.

The throng representing 596 U.S. athletes occupied more than 100 meters of the running track. As U.S. Flag Bearer Lopez Lomong was rounding the turn, members of Team USA were still filing into the arena from the opposite end of the stadium.

After eight Chinese Olympians carried the Olympic Flag into the stadium, the banner was raised and The Olympic Anthem was played. Athletes' and officials' oaths were read, symbolic doves were released, and the Olympic Torch Relay concluded a 33-day journey abroad that covered 97,000 kilometers across five continents and 21 countries.

Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning ran 500 meters in about three minutes around the wall of the open-air stadium’s inner roof in what was possibly the most fascinating sight of the night. Supported by a cable, Ning at times appeared to be running on air before lighting the cauldron.

“Many would say that the Olympic Games are of great significance and have profound meanings,” said opening ceremony artistic director Zhang Yimou. “But I once heard someone say: ‘They are all our guests. We should make them happy.’”

"This answer, simple as it is, tells us that we are of one big family. The Opening Ceremony demonstrates the same spirit as we find in the theme song of the ceremony: You and me, from one world; we are family.

“I have never led such a huge team, with so many performers, staff and volunteers. You may not be able to see their faces clearly in this grand stadium and their names may not be printed on this beautiful brochure, but I know how hard they worked for tonight. At this very moment, what do they want to say to you, our distinguished guests, and to the audience all over the world? There is only one simple sentence: ‘From the bottom of my heart, I hope you will enjoy yourselves.’”

www.armymwr.com


2008 Summer Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Beijing, China 同一个世界 同一个梦想 - U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program - FMWRC
free photo editor
Image by familymwr
www.armymwr.com

Olympic Opening Ceremony celebrates ‘One World, One Dream’


Date Posted: 8/12/2008

Photos and Story by Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs

(Cleared for public release)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) provides soldier-athletes the opportunity to compete toward qualifying for the United States Olympic team. Qualified soldiers must be nationally ranked in their chosen sport and be certified by the United States Olympic Committee at a world class level. Athletes join the program at least three years before the Olympic Trials. To be eligible for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, soldiers must currently be a member of the Active Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Soldiers must also be eligible to represent the USA in international competitions and demonstrate the potential to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team or U.S. Paralympic Team.


BEIJING – The elaborate Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad featured a display of China’s long and distinguished history and culture intertwined with the “One World, One Dream” theme of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

“Beijing, you are host to the present and the gateway to the future,” International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge proclaimed before a sellout crowd of 91,000 at National Stadium on Aug. 8. “Thank you.”

An audience of 400,000,000 was expected to watch the spectacle on television.

“Friends have come from afar, how happy we are,” is a well-known saying of Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), a famous Chinese educator and thinker whose thoughts deeply influenced later generations.

U.S. President Bush and wife Laura were among more than 80 world dignitaries in attendance, along with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bush became the first U.S. president to attend an Olympic Games outside of the United States while serving as Commander in Chief. His father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, also made history by occupying the chair of Chef de Mission of the U.S. Olympic Team, marking the first time the U.S. Olympic Committee has had an honorary chief of the mission.

The four-hour extravaganza featured 110 minutes of music, beginning with the fou, the most ancient Chinese percussion instrument made of clay or bronze. Manned by 2,008 performers, the fou-produced sound of rolling spring thunder greeted friends from all over the world.

The music was specially created by 18 composers for a production that displayed 15,153 sets of costumes in 47 styles. Some of the performers rehearsed for 13 months in preparation for one of China’s most magical nights.

Six hundred people were involved in the installation, direction, and safety supervision for a display of 11,456 fireworks set off from from 287 points atop the stadium and 8,428 more from 27 positions in the central area. Another 1,462 glowing and sparkling fireworks illuminated the upper rim of the stadium.

Gunpowder was invented in China during the Song Dynasty (960 AD-1276 AD). People used the ingredients for gunpowder as medicines for illnesses in ancient times; hence the name “gunpowder,” means “burning medicines.” The invention of gunpowder is one of China’s outstanding achievements in the history of human civilization that changed the course of world history.

A painting scroll revealed the origin and development of China’s history and culture. Paper is another of the four great inventions of ancient China. As one child sang “A Hymn to My Country,” 56 children clustered around the National Flag of the People’s Republic of China to represent the country’s 56 ethnic groups. Immediately following, the famous Chinese painting “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” was visible on the stadium floor while the ancient stringed instrument, Guqin, provided the “Sounds of Utmost Antiquity.”

Cliff painting, earth pottery and bronze vessels were displayed to reflect artistic developments of the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC) and Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-221 BC).

The Great Wall was illustrated by smooth lines, both concise and vivid, with peach blossoms, romantic and enjoyable, that illustrated the sweet wishes of peace-loving Chinese people.

The “Silk Road” was an important vehicle for economic and cultural exchange between China and Western countries. More than 2,000 years ago, trade caravans of China set out from Chang’an (now Xi’an in Shaanxi Province) with expensive silk, crossed the Hexi Corridor, and entered the European continent.

More than 600 years ago, Zheng He of Ming Dynasty led seven shipping fleets with 27,000 people aboard a long voyage from Quanzhou that arrived in Western Asia and Eastern Africa, thus creating the well-known “Maritime Silk Road.” On opening night, a performer held an ancient compass, another of the four great inventions of ancient China.

In a later segment, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and 5-year-old Li Muzi welcomed a brand-new age. Lang is the first Chinese pianist to have long-term cooperation with first-class orchestras in Berlin and Vienna. He has played recitals in many of the most famous music halls in the world. During that performance, the kite was introduced as another Chinese invention.

An exhibition of Taiji manifested the integration of traditions and the future by illustrating the unity of man and nature. Taijiquan is the most representative shadow boxing among Chinese martial arts, characterized by the “combination of the dynamic and static and the interdependence of hardness and softness.”

The Eight Diagrams of Taiji symbolize eight natural phenomena – heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain and swamp – that represent the changes of all things on earth. A total of 2,008 Taiji performers formed a circle that illustrated grandness and consummation in the traditional Chinese concept.

As the program progressed, the smiling faces of children from around the world demonstrated the theme of “One World, One Dream.” A gigantic, 16-ton globe arose from the floor, adorned with 58 actors running on nine rings covered with an Olympic Torch pattern. The runners seemingly were free from gravity and full of magic, fantasy and bravery.

The march of nations featured Olympic athletes from 205 countries, led into the stadium by Greece (in accordance with tradition). The host team from China concluded the march of nations.
As Team USA entered they clearly received the loudest ovation of the evening – until Houston Rockets basketball star Yao Ming led the Chinese contingent into the stadium.

The throng representing 596 U.S. athletes occupied more than 100 meters of the running track. As U.S. Flag Bearer Lopez Lomong was rounding the turn, members of Team USA were still filing into the arena from the opposite end of the stadium.

After eight Chinese Olympians carried the Olympic Flag into the stadium, the banner was raised and The Olympic Anthem was played. Athletes' and officials' oaths were read, symbolic doves were released, and the Olympic Torch Relay concluded a 33-day journey abroad that covered 97,000 kilometers across five continents and 21 countries.

Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning ran 500 meters in about three minutes around the wall of the open-air stadium’s inner roof in what was possibly the most fascinating sight of the night. Supported by a cable, Ning at times appeared to be running on air before lighting the cauldron.

“Many would say that the Olympic Games are of great significance and have profound meanings,” said opening ceremony artistic director Zhang Yimou. “But I once heard someone say: ‘They are all our guests. We should make them happy.’”

"This answer, simple as it is, tells us that we are of one big family. The Opening Ceremony demonstrates the same spirit as we find in the theme song of the ceremony: You and me, from one world; we are family.

“I have never led such a huge team, with so many performers, staff and volunteers. You may not be able to see their faces clearly in this grand stadium and their names may not be printed on this beautiful brochure, but I know how hard they worked for tonight. At this very moment, what do they want to say to you, our distinguished guests, and to the audience all over the world? There is only one simple sentence: ‘From the bottom of my heart, I hope you will enjoy yourselves.’”

www.armymwr.com

Cool Passport Photo images

Some cool passport photo images:


passport photo?
passport photo
Image by romsrini


Passport Photo
passport photo
Image by marquiroga


Passport Photo
passport photo
Image by robertsharp
page 306 image 3

Cool Photo Printer images

Some cool photo printer images:


hackNY spring 2013 student hackathon
photo printer
Image by hackNY
Photo by Matylda Czarnecka

The spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon brought in hundreds of students to Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science April 6-7 for 24 hours of creative collaborative hacking on New York City startups' APIs.

NYC Startups, selected by a student organizing committee, presented their technologies at the beginning of the event, after which students formed groups to work through the night implementing their own ideas for fresh hacks built on top of these APIs.

On Sunday afternoon students presented their projects to an audience including a judging panel featuring members of the NYC startup community, which selected the final winning teams.

Since April 2010, hackNY hosts student hackathons one each semester, as well as the hackNY Fellows program, a structured internship which pairs quantitative and computational students with startups which can demonstrate a strong mentoring environment: a problem for a student to work on, a person to mentor them, and a place for them to work. Startups selected to host a student compensate student Fellows. Students enjoy free housing together and a pedagogical lecture series to introduce them to the ins and outs of joining and founding a startup in NYC.

To find out what you missed at the spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon please do see our HackerLeague event page and blog post announcing the winners.

Special thanks to our spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon judges! And congratulations to the winners of the spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon!


For more information on hackNY's initiatives, please visit www.hackny.org and follow us on twitter @hackNY


hackNY spring 2013 student hackathon
photo printer
Image by hackNY
Photo by Matylda Czarnecka

The spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon brought in hundreds of students to Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science April 6-7 for 24 hours of creative collaborative hacking on New York City startups' APIs.

NYC Startups, selected by a student organizing committee, presented their technologies at the beginning of the event, after which students formed groups to work through the night implementing their own ideas for fresh hacks built on top of these APIs.

On Sunday afternoon students presented their projects to an audience including a judging panel featuring members of the NYC startup community, which selected the final winning teams.

Since April 2010, hackNY hosts student hackathons one each semester, as well as the hackNY Fellows program, a structured internship which pairs quantitative and computational students with startups which can demonstrate a strong mentoring environment: a problem for a student to work on, a person to mentor them, and a place for them to work. Startups selected to host a student compensate student Fellows. Students enjoy free housing together and a pedagogical lecture series to introduce them to the ins and outs of joining and founding a startup in NYC.

To find out what you missed at the spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon please do see our HackerLeague event page and blog post announcing the winners.

Special thanks to our spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon judges! And congratulations to the winners of the spring 2013 hackNY student hackathon!


For more information on hackNY's initiatives, please visit www.hackny.org and follow us on twitter @hackNY

Autunno nel monferrato

A few nice free photo software images I found:


Autunno nel monferrato
free photo software
Image by Stefano Pertusati
This is an HDR made with nik software - hdr Efex Pro. I find that the program offers many options: too many! I use a few commands in Photomatix and then processed with photoshop tiff file. The plug in of nik software is designed to make all the adjustments, making it almost unnecessary a passage in photoshop.

Prima per gli hdr utilizzavo photomatix, era ottimo: forniva un file con pochi comandi dopodichè si regolava il resto in photoshop. Nik software offre il plug in hdr efex pro che è ottimo: include ogni tipo di regolazione ma è impossibile con una 15ina di controlli riuscire a creare ciò che si vorrebbe. Quando usavo photomatix elaboravo il tiff in photoshop, programma che si conosce. ma se uso hdr efex pro devo mettere in conto qualche ora solo per imparare cosa comporti spostare un cursore a destra e a sinistra. Si, ORE, perchè l'elaborazione di un hdr, magari partendo da 6 foto, richiede un computer potente e nonostante io lo abbia è terribile dover far mille prove quando per creare un'anteprima il programma richiede circa 5 o 6 secondi.

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Spendo molto tempo dietro alla fotografia, se volete utilizzare una foto contattatemi.
I spend much of my free time for photography, if you want to use a photo contact me.

RECENT PHOTOS - foto recenti
INTERESTING PHOTOS - foto più interessanti
FAVORITE PHOTOS - le mie preferite


Uva in ottobre
free photo software
Image by Stefano Pertusati
This is an HDR made with nik software - hdr Efex Pro. I find that the program offers many options: too many! I use a few commands in Photomatix and then processed with photoshop tiff file. The plug in of nik software is designed to make all the adjustments, making it almost unnecessary a passage in photoshop.

Prima per gli hdr utilizzavo photomatix, era ottimo: forniva un file con pochi comandi dopodichè si regolava il resto in photoshop. Nik software offre il plug in hdr efex pro che è ottimo: include ogni tipo di regolazione ma è impossibile con una 15ina di controlli riuscire a creare ciò che si vorrebbe. Quando usavo photomatix elaboravo il tiff in photoshop, programma che si conosce. ma se uso hdr efex pro devo mettere in conto qualche ora solo per imparare cosa comporti spostare un cursore a destra e a sinistra. Si, ORE, perchè l'elaborazione di un hdr, magari partendo da 6 foto, richiede un computer potente e nonostante io lo abbia è terribile dover far mille prove quando per creare un'anteprima il programma richiede circa 5 o 6 secondi.

---------------------
Spendo molto tempo dietro alla fotografia, se volete utilizzare una foto contattatemi.
I spend much of my free time for photography, if you want to use a photo contact me.

RECENT PHOTOS - foto recenti
INTERESTING PHOTOS - foto più interessanti
FAVORITE PHOTOS - le mie preferite


Hdr sul Monferrato
free photo software
Image by Stefano Pertusati
This is an HDR made with nik software - hdr Efex Pro. I find that the program offers many options: too many! I use a few commands in Photomatix and then processed with photoshop tiff file. The plug in of nik software is designed to make all the adjustments, making it almost unnecessary a passage in photoshop.

Prima per gli hdr utilizzavo photomatix, era ottimo: forniva un file con pochi comandi dopodichè si regolava il resto in photoshop. Nik software offre il plug in hdr efex pro che è ottimo: include ogni tipo di regolazione ma è impossibile con una 15ina di controlli riuscire a creare ciò che si vorrebbe. Quando usavo photomatix elaboravo il tiff in photoshop, programma che si conosce. ma se uso hdr efex pro devo mettere in conto qualche ora solo per imparare cosa comporti spostare un cursore a destra e a sinistra. Si, ORE, perchè l'elaborazione di un hdr, magari partendo da 6 foto, richiede un computer potente e nonostante io lo abbia è terribile dover far mille prove quando per creare un'anteprima il programma richiede circa 5 o 6 secondi.

---------------------

Spendo molto tempo dietro alla fotografia, se volete utilizzare una foto contattatemi.
I spend much of my free time for photography, if you want to use a photo contact me.

RECENT PHOTOS - foto recenti
INTERESTING PHOTOS - foto più interessanti
FAVORITE PHOTOS - le mie preferite

DSCF0365.JPG

Check out these passport photo images:


DSCF0365.JPG
passport photo
Image by anselwu


DSCF0353.JPG
passport photo
Image by anselwu

Magazine Stand by FFX © florbela's foto.graphix -2623-12wtmrk.

Check out these photo magazine images:


Magazine Stand by FFX © florbela's foto.graphix -2623-12wtmrk.
photo magazine
Image by florbelas fotographix

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