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izzy-b-hands · 5 years ago

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Aten Pt. 4

Onwards we go with this story, where it ends...well I think I’m supposed to know. But we aren’t done yet, I know that much. Got a bit more in me for this one!

Based Ahk’s footwear in part of this off of these: https://www.ysl.com/us/shop-product/men/shoes-sandals-culver-sandals-in-smooth-leather_cod11808611cu.html#dept=men_nouveautes

Also, you may notice in this that I took some liberty with historical accuracy and also accuracy on things like metal-working. Normally, I’d have found a way to make it work, but also that version of things majorly ruined it here, if I’m honest. No one except a few people want to read like...the history of metal-working (me lmao.) So I sort of dipped over and around all that and made it work so we wouldn’t lose the plot as much, hopefully it worked out okay!

My love to all who read/like/reblog!

“I don’t miss this bit.”

Aten laughed, then sniffled as they snuggled in bed, the sun trickling in through the small window of the bedroom. “Morning breath? Feeling groggy?”

Ahk nodded, and cuddled closer into Aten’s shoulder. “Do we have to get up?”

“Not yet. I’m skipping classes today since I still feel gross, so there’s no rush to be anywhere.”

And that was perhaps the best thing he had heard in ages as he let Aten hold him close, until the sun hit his skin.

He couldn’t help it; it had been so long. He was out of bed like a shot, opening the blinds and letting the sun hit him fully. At some point, they’d both stripped out of their shirts, and the warmth on all that bare skin was overwhelming.

He didn’t realize that he’d dropped to his knees, or that he was crying until he felt Aten’s arms around him, pulling him up and holding him tight.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay. Larry told me about the tablet, what can happen, but you said you have it switched so you’re safe, remember? And you are, you’re just fine.”

“I know,” he couldn’t fight back the sobs. “But I had forgotten. It’s so warm, so bright. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now.”

Aten led him into the living room, where he pulled aside the other set of blinds so the room was flooded with sunlight, and he lost himself for a good few minutes.

He thought only of the opera then, of Akhenaten, who had raised ire in his monotheistic worship of the sun, and while he couldn’t necessarily justify all that had happened during the other pharaoh's reign, he could in that moment understand the elation, the joy of it, could see why the Aten had captured him so strongly.

Especially because as he found himself at the window, on his knees, bent over so his head was at the floor, in a worshiping position he hadn’t taken for literally thousands of years, the Aten warming his living skin, his Aten was beside him in a similar pose.

He knew it was incredibly unlikely that his Aten followed anything like the religion his people had in the past, but that he would join him, would try, would sit in the moment of ecstasy and happiness with him, made him weep with joy even harder.

It was at least a half hour, even after he’d sat back up, Aten again pulling him close, before he was back to himself again, able to speak.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to, and I can’t imagine the sun made you feel better, ah, you should be in bed sleeping still-”

“I’m all good,” Aten said softly. “I should thank you. That was...I don’t know how to describe it, it felt powerful and cleansing and I’ve never...I’m not a religious guy, but that was...I just feel really good right now, and kind of emotional and...yeah.”

The ringing of Aten’s phone interrupted their smiles and giggles, and he was reluctant to let Aten go to answer it.

“We gotta go,” Aten said. “C’mon. Uh...shoot. We should really shower, but I told Larry we’d be right over...fuck.”

“What?”

“I guess he sent a photo of the tablet to the restoration dude? And he’s freaking out because he doesn’t think he can fix it without possibly making it worse or breaking another part of it, so Larry is freaking out and he’s thinking you’ll freak out, and now I’m freaking out and-”

“Okay, just...stop using that phrase for a moment,” Ahk soothed.

“I’m sorry, I’m frea-”

“I know, it’s okay,” Ahk said, interrupting Aten before he could wind up again. “This isn’t great news but..I’ve had this idea. In my head since we met, and I think it could work. But you’re right, we’ll need to be with the tablet, with Larry to help us. I’ll also need some tools and gold...I can melt down some of the other artifacts probably, they’re basically mine at this point...”

“Ahk!”

“What? They are, and do you know how much is in storage at the museum? They won’t notice it missing, and it should be in a museum back in my home anyway, but I digress,” Ahk tutted. “We reused things all the time back at home, if we needed the raw materials for something else.”

“I...that’s a fair point. It kind of goes against everything I’ve been learning, to destroy an artifact,” Aten sighed.

“I know. But I’m going to use it all to make a new one, and fix the tablet. And the new one will be for us only. Text Larry, tell him we’re going to get cleaned up and ready, then we’ll be over. Tell him to have a coffee or something, get breakfast and stop freaking out.”

Aten nodded before dashing off to the shower, then immediately coming back out of it. “Water won’t work.”

“Sorry?”

He shrugged. “There’s no water! I’ll have to call my landlord...”

“If this works,” Ahk said gently. “Then we are moving somewhere nicer. I’ll figure it out, we just are.”

“What do you have...”

“Go get dressed,” Ahk instructed with a smile. “I’ll just stay in this, since I don’t really have anything else.”

“My closet is open,” Aten said, then sniffled, and Ahk felt bad making him leave when he still wasn’t feeling well.

“You surprise me then. Grab me something too, and I’ll wear it. I trust your judgement.”

He sat with the pen and paper from his bag as Aten dashed off again to the bedroom, and started his work. He was far from an expert in this, and it had to be done just right, just so.

But he was feeling confident. If this worked, they would both benefit, even if their relationship ever ended.

***

At the museum, Larry was a wreck, standing in front of Ahk’s exhibit, where a ‘under construction’ sign had been placed.

“What took you so long?”

“We had to get dressed,” Ahk said, and watched as Larry’s eyes widened and took in the sight in front of him.

Aten, as it turned out, had a variety of nice things hidden in his closet that he wore when he wasn’t in class or sitting at home, and while some of it was baggy on Ahk, it was better than walking around in sweats 24/7.

A loose soft black tank top, with a white linen shirt unbuttoned over it and acid-washed skinny jeans that were tight enough he’d struggled to get them on even with Aten’s help, plus a pair of sandals that Aten had told him he certainly didn’t have to wear, there was a reason they’d stayed at the back of his closet for so long. But Ahk liked them. They were gaudy and plain brown leather with an odd set of straps, and utterly unlike anything he’d worn before, and now he found he didn’t want to take them off.

“You...certainly did. But we’ve gotta figure this out, now, because I can’t keep the rest of the staff off of your exhibit for much longer, and the restoration expert wants me to like, quarantine your exhibit and I really need to sleep and-”

“Breathe. I’ve got an idea. But I do need your help, and then I promise after we’ve fixed this you can go home and sleep,” Ahk interrupted, placing a hand on Larry’s shoulder. “Go get the tablet. I’m going to sneak into the back storage and get some of the artifacts I know won’t be missed.”

Larry stared at him blankly. “Why?”

“You’ll see later. And then Aten here is going to see if his college has access to the tools I need, and I believe it does?”

Aten nodded, then shook his head. “Like...like a forge? I don’t know if...no, mine doesn’t, but I think Buffalo State does, or they offer something to do with metal working? But that’s six hours away.”

“Road trip it is, then!” Ahk smiled, and left them to it as he wandered down the halls towards the storage area.

Luckily, it was empty of any other staff as he strode through the Egyptology section, taking whatever smaller and insignificant trinkets he could find, offering up a silent prayer and thanks to wherever the object’s owner was in the afterlife for letting him use it. He didn’t need a lot, just enough to execute his plan and fix the original tablet.

Even so, the clinking of the artifacts in the backpack borrowed from Aten was loud as he joined Aten and Larry outside of the museum.

“Why...why is the tablet in a plastic bag?”

“I couldn’t find anything else!” Larry fussed. “We gotta go, before they notice-”

“They won’t, it’s fine,” Aten said. “I sort of...wrote a note. As if it was from the restoration expert. They probably don’t remember what his handwriting looks like, right?”

“What did you say in it?” Ahk asked, smiling at Aten’s blushing.

“That we took it to be fixed elsewhere because we needed special tools, but that it would be returned as soon as possible, and also that he came back just for this because of his dedication to your exhibit. So, as long as nobody calls him and finds out he’s still not in the city, it’ll be fine.”

Larry sighed miserably. “This is not fine. This was the game plan?!”

“It’s all going to be fine. Just...don’t drop that,” Ahk said, carefully watching the strain of the tablet’s weight in the bag. “Maybe hold it just...normally. Not with the handles?”

Larry looked down at the bag and nodded. “Right. Now, we do have better news than us trying to drive six hours away.”

“One of my friends on the way out of town does metal-working, he said we can borrow his stuff,” Aten said cheerfully. “I know it isn’t like, top grade, but the other option is that we sneak onto a campus...six hours away...”

“That’s fair,” Ahk said. “I’m not “top grade” either, when it comes to this. If my father knew I’d learned anything of metal work of any sort...”

“You could have learned how to weave and pissed him and like, literally everyone else off too,” Aten replied.

Ahk smiled softly. “I did, but only my mother knew about that.”

He laughed as Aten held his hand up for a high five, while Larry cocked his head like a confused dog.

“Is this some...academic joke, thing? It is, isn’t it? Ya know, just because I haven’t had time to read all those plaques in there, and the pamphlets, and whatever-”

“Larry, it’s fine. In my time, weaving was usually restricted to women, and things like metal-working to those not living in a palace. That’s all,” Ahk interrupted his rant before it could start. “We should get going. You need sleep.”

Larry simply nodded, and they piled into the cab that had pulled up near them, honking incessantly, that Ahk figured Aten and Larry must have called.

It was a shorter ride than he’d expected to the home of Aten’s friend, who didn’t question anything of what they were doing, somehow. He simply smiled, led them to his equipment in his garage and showed the rest in the backyard, and left them to it.

“You two go rest; you both need it,” he instructed, taking the tablet from Larry as he took in the equipment. It was more modern than what he was used to, not by much (the craft could only change so much, after all), but enough that he was slightly nervous he might fail.

But he couldn’t.

And as Larry and Aten left him to rest on the backyard furniture, he convinced himself he wouldn’t.

Even as it felt dicey, melting down the other artifacts and working to repair the tablet, his linen shirt tossed aside away from the work area, his tank top tucked into his jeans so he might not somehow manage to set himself on fire (he counted out not a single horrible possibility; it had been so long since he’d done it all.) Even as he worked to create the other two new artifacts, mini-tablets, sized just right to be worn as a necklace. One for him, and one for Aten.

It took the day, and by the end of it all he was a messy; sweaty and tired and half afraid he’d somehow messed up, and he wasn’t even really done yet.

“Larry,” he called as he brought the tablet back over. “Be careful with it. It’s hardened, but...just be careful with it for the next few hours to be safe.”

Larry, with his mouth open, drool falling from it, didn’t stir. Nor did Aten, in a similar pose. It was almost artful, the way they mirrored each other in lounging and snoring volume, but Ahk was too tired to appreciate it for more than a moment.

“Okay. That’s fine, I’ll tell you later,” he sighed, gently setting the tablet on the small open part of the concrete slab the furniture was on, so it might not be disturbed, putting the two mini tablets beside it.

As he dropped near the concrete slab into the grass, he heard a laugh.

“All done?”

Aten’s friend was leaned out of the back sliding door of the house, and shook his head at the scene. “They passed out literally before you were even a foot away, you know that right? I knew Tristan was sick, but what about that one?”

Ahk looked to Larry and chuckled. “Night shift.”

The friend nodded, and strode out to join him on the grass. “I used to do that. No wonder he’s whipped, if he came straight here.”

“He did. Larry’s a good friend,” Ahk said softly. He’d really only ended up needing Larry along to transport the tablet, and he felt a bit bad now, having dragged him with when he was clearly exhausted. “So is Aten. A good...”

“Boyfriend? He is, but he’s always had shit taste in men,” the friend laughed. “Except for now.”

“I pass your test then,” Ahk said. “Good to hear,....”

“Owen. And yeah, thus far, you have. He absolutely raves about you, man. I mean, look. I was married once, before I went back to school, and met Tris-Aten. And even at our most in love, I can’t think of a time I raved about my husband like that. I know you two haven’t been together long, but...I think it’s a good sign. He finally found someone good for him.”

Ahk nodded. “And I for myself. I certainly hope he’ll find what I’ve done good for him.”

Owen raised an eyebrow, and gestured to the tablets. “Larry and Aten told me a little bit of what was going on, some wild shit. Presuming they weren’t fucking with me about the magic stuff-”

“All true,” Ahk said. “And the smaller two there? After I can perform the right spell in the moonlight tonight, and then one tomorrow in the morning, they’ll be just as much magic, and grant Aten and I the ultimate gift.”

“...the big tablet brings you to life, and is what keeps you alive,” Owen said slowly.

Ahk nodded.

“So the little ones are gonna...no fucking way.”

“Fucking way,” Ahk smiled. “It can be changed, of course, if a certain small square on the tablet is turned. If either of us would tire of living. But I can’t imagine I ever will, so long as I’m with him. I just hope he feels the same.”

Owen’s gaze was soft, gentle as he chuckled. “I’m pretty positive he does. Doesn’t mean there won’t be ups and downs, I’ll tell you that now. Nothing is ever that easy. But if you’re for real, and you guys have all of time to like, talk shit out and work out arguments and all that...then I think you’ll have a fantastic time together, while the rest of us are long gone and rotting.”

“You’re much too poetic to be an archaeology major,” Ahk smirked.

“Not sure if that’s a compliment or a dig, or both, but thanks,” Owen laughed. “And I’m not, actually. English major who needs more credits, got offered the chance to take some lower and mid-level courses in other program areas, and suddenly there I am watching a bunch of guys like Aten freak out over bones and junk. You gotta come to class one day and watch him, it’s the dorkiest shit, but the best.”

“I’d like that,” Ahk said, and meant every bit of it. The idea of getting to watch Aten in his element, learning and sharing knowledge and being adorable the whole time, was a beautiful one.

“I’m gonna drag these guys inside, if you wanna help,” Owen said, and gestured to the still-snoring pair nearly falling off of the lawn furniture. “Then you can do your thing out here once the moon comes out, and come bed down yourself. You guys are welcome to stay into tomorrow too; this was always too much house for me, so someone has to enjoy all the space.”

He let Owen literally tackle Larry, who seemed as reluctant to move or wake as Ahk figured possible.

Aten wasn’t much different, even when Ahk pressed soft kisses to his neck.

“Hm? You done already? That was fast,” Aten slurred as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Darling, it’s nearly nine at night,” Ahk whispered. “Come on. Owen has offered us shelter for the night and into tomorrow, and you need an actual bed.”

“You gonna be in it?”

“Later, sure. I’ve got one last thing to do to the tablets, then I’ll be in,” Ahk smiled.

“Tablets?”

His breath froze in his throat. He’d hoped Aten would be tired enough to not ask about it until the next day.

“Yes. I fixed the original, and with the rest of the gold, I-just come look.”

He led Aten to the tablets, and put the one bearing his name, both his legal name and nickname, into Aten’s hand.

“For me? This is cool,” Aten said as he turned it around in his hands, examining the delicate and careful hieroglyphs Ahk had painstakingly inscribed into the gold. “Wait, lemme test out my language skills here. No laughing if I get it wrong! Okay, so...oh, there’s my name! And my nickname, neat. And...”

Aten’s eyes bulged, and Ahk swore his heart had ceased beating yet again.

“Immortality. If I’ve got this right, and please tell me right now if I don’t, I turn this little panel in the upper left, and the same sort of magic that keeps you alive in the day and night, will make me...”

Ahk nodded. “I know, this is perhaps the most forward and way too forward of a thing to do. But...even if we’d ever part ways, I’d want you to have it. To have the option, the choice. No one else has this, except for me, and I-I don’t want it to be that way. I want to share it, with someone I want to share everything with.”

Aten’s eyes were still wide.

“Please don’t be mad,” he found himself whispering.

“Mad?” Aten scoffed. “Are you kidding? This is...holy shit! This is the coolest, and that isn’t even scratching the surface. It’s amazing! I mean, look, I’ve had past boyfriends try and find cool shit to get me, but no one ever hand made me something that could make me immortal. Like, the bar was never that high of course, because none of them could do that, but...I love it. I love you. I think I’m gonna cry.”

He already was as he hugged Ahk, who found himself crying too. “Oh thank goodness. I was terrified you might be upset, or not like it, or something. I still have to finish the spells on them, but after that, they’ll be ready to go. I had to alter the original just a bit too, in order for mine to work.”

“How so?”

Ahk sighed. “Well. I have it written on the original now that the magic will only apply to the inhabitants of the museum from tomorrow forward. It ends for myself an hour or so after the sun is fully risen tomorrow, then the magic from my new little tablet here takes over; which is why I have to stay up and get these two ready.”

“I’ll stay up with you,” Aten said through a yawn.

Ahk took the tablet from him and left both of them by the big one on the ground as he led Aten towards the house. “No, you’re going to sleep. You need it.”

“It isn’t fair, that you should have to stay up late on one of the first nights you actually get to sleep,” Aten protested. “Let me stay up with you.”

“Tell you what,” Ahk said as they walked quietly through the house, past Larry draped on the living room couch, and passed a closed bedroom door where he figured Owen was. A sign, handwritten and taped on the wall, directed them to the guest room. “You can make it up to me in a few days when you’re well again, and can keep me up all night long, just you and me.”

Aten smiled and sighed as he sat on the bed in the guest room. “You can’t tease me with that and just go.”

“Have to, my love. The night is clear, and I need the moon for this to work, and I can’t keep her waiting,” Ahk said. “Rest easy; you get to watch me walk away. It’ll give you good dreams.”

“Cheeky,” Aten giggled, and Ahk carried the sound with him as he went back outside, fetching his linen shirt from where he’d forgotten it in the garage and closing the garage door before heading to the tablets.

This bit, at least, was easy. The words came quickly, and he could feel the magic surge as he worked, the moonlight soft on his skin. He was no priest, nothing like the men who’d worked on the original tablet, but he got the sense the gods weren’t so picky anymore. The world had changed, and so had worship, and any tie to what had been before was grabbed tightly. It was a nice, if somewhat odd feeling, a shock of power and pure emotions leaving him a bit shaken as he finished the spells on all three tablets; new spells for the new two, and an update to the original.

He sat in the moonlight then, willing himself to stay awake even as his eyes screamed for sleep. It was almost a good feeling, to be tired, to actually need sleep. At the same time, it was a battle he couldn’t lose, he reminded himself as he lay back on one of the lawn lounge chairs.

He could just rest his eyes for a moment, nothing more.

Just a moment.

#text post #LeeH writes #NATM fic #ahkmenrah fic #ahkmenrah x oc

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climatesamurai · 3 years ago

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Interview: Mahua Acharya, MD & CEO, Convergence Energy Services Ltd.

In an exclusive interview with Climate Samurai , Mahua Acharya, MD & CEO, Convergence Energy Services Ltd. shared about the company , carbon credits, business models around the second life of batteries and more. Here is the excerpt - You started heading CESL at a time when most of the companies were facing COVID 19 heat and economic turbulence that wrecked the spine of many firms, how has been the journey for CESL during this timeframe and how did you manage to float through? The disruptions around Covid 19 were both good and bad, from a business point of view. CESL was formed in November 2020 and the year-end slowdown, plus slowdowns from Covid 19 gave me the time to learn about the parent company EESL and the two projects that CESL inherited from the parent. It also gave me time to build a business plan, speak with people, plan the organization and its structure, develop a strategy and its business offerings. We hit the ground running, finding little cracks in the travel openings and meeting slots to pitch CESL offerings to Government clients. Things picked up speed very quickly in the new year, and we managed to crack businesses in two wheelers, move ahead on a 110MW project in Goa, build out a business in e-mobility for the Governments of Goa and Kerala, and also earn mandates for places like Leh/Ladakh. Wherever and whenever possible, CESL continued to work on the ground to enable quality and timely delivery of commitments. We made sure that our team's physical and mental health continued to stay strong. We used whatever time we had to reach out to people, understand their needs, help organize for vaccines, and encourage people to take time out if they needed to take care of their families, many of whom were affected by Covid 19. I have been fortunate to have a team that is dedicated and hardworking. - How CESL is bringing together India’s green sectors and initiatives to deliver on its goals? Can you please elaborate how the carbon credits being used by a government company? And, what is the current scenario, the development, plan, engagement in the carbon market and supply of this carbon credits? The energy sector and the electricity sector, in particular, are transitioning in an unprecedented way. It is estimated that energy demand in 2040 in India will rise by 250%, largely due to population growth and urbanisation. More than 40% of the energy supplied will be from renewable sources, as solar and wind reach grid parity, the cost of storage becomes affordable, and countries pursue decarbonisation pathways. Concerns around climate change are likely to make coal, a less preferred option for baseload power and issues related to proliferation and safety may not allow nuclear power to fill the baseload gap. In a further unprecedented way, overlaps with electric mobility have started to take place through multiple uses of batteries for charging cars and selling power to the grid. Against this backdrop, the convergence of three traditional “sectors” namely- power, energy storage, and transportation is set to take place. As the world (and India) moves towards electric mobility, battery storage solutions at charging stations will get widely adopted and will be commercially viable. Climate finance, utilised and designed properly, will play an important role in enhancing the commercial viability of solutions as many are currently sub-commercial. On carbon credits, CESL is developing a base of carbon credits for all of its programs. Take the case of Gram Ujala – a lighting replacement program where LEDs are sold at Rs 10 only to consumers in rural India. The efficiency gains are significant as these LEDs replace old filament lamps, and the ten rupee price makes it affordable to rural homes. This program is based entirely on revenue from carbon credits. Carbon finance has been integrated into all our models and based on the economics, it plays either a catalytic role or a binary role – i.e., make or break an investment because carbon revenues are the only source of income. In decentralised solar, carbon finance will be used to offset the cost of replacing old pumpsets. Carbon finance is a crucial source of revenue to enable the shift to E-Mobility. - Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicles and storage are pushed by the governments across the globe for larger scale adoption. However, afterlife of all these have serious and adverse impact on the environment and climate both. These together set to create urgency for immense recycling and afterlife management services. Does CESL have any plan to dive into this recycling segment, how does it plan to solve the upcoming massive environment crunch and how geared up is the organization? CESL is actively investing in energy storage solutions by associating with technical partners to redesign solutions. CESL is also at the forefront of policy development and recommendations to enable energy storage solutions for the Indian markets. With regards to electric mobility, our goal is to provide an impetus for Indian car/bike manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc., to gain efficiencies of scale and drive down costs, create local manufacturing facilities, grow technical competencies for the long-term growth of electric mobility in India. There is considerable overlap between e-mobility and battery storage, through multiple uses of batteries for charging cars and selling power to the grid. Secondly, the used batteries from EVs can be repurposed for a second life, with potential off-grid and residential applications. With the decentralised solar programme, we provide affordable clean energy to households in remote areas where proper power supply has been a problem. While DISCOMs benefit from cheaper power and better serviceability, governments save on subsidy costs. Farmers and consumers benefit from access to renewable energy and save up on electricity bills. We are exploring business models around the second life of batteries. We want to promote a circular economy – make sure the material is still usable after their transportation life is completed. There is no market in India – and in most places across the world – for second-life batteries. This is still very new – only a few companies are investing in pilot solutions, and we want to be one of them – because we would like to build an environmentally responsible business. In our businesses, we urge and sometimes require companies to have a take-back or buyback scheme, require and monitor the safe destruction of old material and so on. And we remain open to new ideas. - Since 2005 the emissions trading for climate change has been going on and today, according to World Bank over 64 carbon pricing initiatives has been implemented. The total value of global carbon markets jumped 20% last year to a record 229 billion euros ($277 billion). Can you share with our readers how crucial is the design of trading programmes for their success and what are the design principles that needs to be considered? The current carbon market is valued at USD 277 Bn and the average price of allowances in the European Union is Euro 35/ton. The design of trading programme is critical to their success, as they determine the transaction costs as well as the uncertainty and risk inherent in the trading system. There are plenty of learnings to use—from regulators, scheme operators, participants, auditors, and financiers. There are five design principles that are worth considering: - Design for maximum reach: Deciding whether a scheme is an allowance trading or a credit trading scheme, or both. Credit trading allows emissions reductions above and beyond business-as-usual to be certified as tradable. Allowance trading works by defining an aggregate emissions cap and authorizes tradable quantities of emissions under the cap. Generally speaking, schemes that have allowed both have been the most successful, though care ought to be taken to reduce the regulatory barriers to credit trading. Allowing opt-ins would be a good idea. This is a provision that allows otherwise uncovered sources to enter the program once their uncertainties have been resolved with the regulator. When the time is right, allow for international linkages. Permitting linkages with other international schemes will allow for the discovery of the lowest transaction costs, increase liquidity and options for participation. All this will eventually maximize the scope of scheme coverage, and provide other benefits—such as international markets, access to other forms of capital, and so on. All these mechanisms will ultimately result in maximizing the total quantity of greenhouse gas emissions capped and reduced. - Design for flexibility: Since the carbon price can vary, costs to participants can be unknown. Allowing mechanisms such as banking of emissions reductions, or the use of offsets gives participants the flexibility to decide which option to use. Banking of credits over a (regulated) period of time allows industries the flexibility to decide things like the price of acquisitions, timing of major investments, or their (degree of) competitiveness in the marketplace. Depending on the scheme, fungibility with other environmental commodities, such as energy efficiency certificates, can be used to meet compliance needs, at least to the extent it is not detrimental to environmental performance, i.e., it does not dilute the cap. - Keep it dynamic and in sync with the economy: Carbon credit prices in the EU emissions trading scheme fell from Euro 30 each to an all-time low of Euro 3 in 2013. Chief amongst the reasons that led to this drop was the economic recession that preceded it, and the subsequent drop in emissions—and hence a (reduced) need for allowances. It was not until 2015 that the EU introduced a corrective measure, and not until 2018 where appropriate revisions were made that allowed prices to come back up again. (This was done by adjusting the supply of allowances to be auctioned). Prices have since been on the rise—deliveries on March 29, 2021, closed at 42 euros. - Think long, think stable: One of the shortcomings of the Kyoto regime is that the commitment period was not long enough. By the time companies started to integrate the notion of a carbon price into their decision-making and discussions reached boardrooms, there were only a few years of the market left. For clean energy projects where gestation periods were long, the lack of a long enough runway triggered discussions around market continuity barely a few years after the scheme started. In contrast, the EU emissions trading scheme had/has compliance periods that progressively increased—giving companies enough certainty to plan, integrate and make investment decisions knowing regulators treated the carbon price seriously and the market was there to stay. Businesses need long time horizons to plan, make investments and decide corporate strategy. Institutions and policymakers need to design accordingly; the climate problem is a long-term issue, anyway. - Keep it simple and transparent: The transaction costs associated with implementing and managing an emissions trading scheme rise with the number of rules, exceptions to rules, and constraints. As transaction costs rise, the number of trades falls—and as the number of trades falls, the cost savings achieved by the program also decline. Deviations from simplicity should only be allowed when such deviations further climate goals. - Gram Ujala is a new scheme launched by CESL that will be supported by carbon finance, can you please share more about the scheme, the progress and it’s reach in terms of area covered. Will the LED Bulbs be available throughout the year in the villages and what will be the savings in terms of electricity units? How and when do you plan to cover all the villages in the country with this scheme? Under the Gram UJALA scheme, CESL is offering rural households to exchange their incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs at an affordable cost of INR 10 per bulb. Consumers can exchange their 60 watt incandescent bulb with a 7 watt LED bulb and 100 watt incandescent bulb with a 12 watt LED bulb for INR 10 per bulb. The bulbs being offered under the Gram Ujala initiative are energy efficient LED bulbs that consume 88% percent less electricity as compared to incandescent bulbs. Switching to LED bulbs will lead to energy savings, monetary savings, and a marked reduction in carbon emissions. We have recently resumed distribution after the second wave of the pandemic in Arah and Buxar districts of Bihar; and Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Newadhiya, Pura Raghunathpur, and Bhadohi districts in UP. As on date, we have distributed more than 14 lakh LED bulbs. As much as INR 69.12 crore have been saved because of this programme. Additionally, the scheme has helped in avoiding peak demand of 55.84 MW. The number of bulbs distributed, savings made, etc. can be tracked on the dashboard: http://gramujala.ceslindia.co.in/ After Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Gram Ujala will be taken to Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and West Bengal. The total potential across the county is an additional 300 million bulbs, and is implementable, provided a sufficient level of carbon finance is achieved. - What will be the major highlights of growth for your company in 2021-22? - Electric Mobility (1st in the country offering all kinds of vehicles to different sets of clients – Individuals, institutional bodies, ULBs, DISCOMs, STUs etc.) - Launch of major tender for Electric bus procurement basis Grand Challenge document and directions from NITI/DHI. - Launch of Battery Energy Storage system program offering a host of multofold benefits to the DISCOMs - Company will increase its solar capacity – as a milstone of minimum assets of 500 MW on ground in decentralised solar space (which no one else in the country has) - Completion of Solar project in Ladakh (Solar Power plant and a very innovative Solar powered carport)– achieving a milestone to the road of “Carbon Neutral Ladakh” set by Hon’ble PM of India We are attempting to bring together independent sectors such as renewable energy and energy storage to ramp up areas like domestic lighting, energy efficient cooking, and e-mobility. Business models focus on optimising assets, monetising, stacking multiple values, and using innovative financial structures to deliver at scale. As of now, we have partnered with governments in the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, the northeastern state of Meghalaya, and even Ladakh in the extreme north. We look forward to intensifying these partnerships both qualitatively and quantitatively. We look forward to achieving greater milestones by enhancing our research and implementing Internet of Things (IoT) to make our offerings more energy-efficient, cost-efficient, and definitely, futuristic. A lot of this can be achieved by shifting our thinking from a damage-reducing perspective to regenerating and enhancing one. - The global economic turbulence and pandemic has almost paralyzed the auto and renewable energy industry globally, what do you think is the need of the hour to help the industry get back to the track and help meet the Government’s renewable energy and electric vehicle targets? India is still at a very nascent stage of EV transition and the path to implementation is ridden with challenges. While the government is prioritizing the shift towards clean mobility with a series of reforms under the FAME II scheme, there is still scope for improvement to establish a seamless EV ecosystem in India. The industry requires a standalone and focused approach towards EVs, including funds for research and the setting up of a manufacturing base. Additionally, there is a tremendous need for incentives to kick-start the production of lithium-ion cells in India. The Government should emphasize on materials like lithium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, and graphite to help reduce costs, and help in the indigenisation of battery packs. As India embarks on its journey to become a manufacturing hub by 2026, e-mobility presents a massive opportunity for growth. Indigenous manufacturing is the only solution to resolve and reduce the cost parity existing in the current regime. The next few years will be crucial in driving the EV narrative in India. Hence, the OEMs and government need to ensure on-ground implementation of the new and existing schemes to facilitate ease of sourcing, manufacturing, and financing in the EV value chain, further encouraging the buyers to purchase EVs. - How will you make batteries affordable? Is the battery swapping – the key to sustainable environment? While battery storage is technologically the most superior solution to energy savings, its costs are too high for applications in formative stages. The union government has undertaken concerted steps and has set up the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage, which seeks to establish large-scale, export-competitive integrated batteries and cell-manufacturing giga-plants in India through a Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP). This will enable a decrease in the prices of energy storage in the country and also boost indigenous manufacturing. Issuance of Preferential Market Access (PMA) guidelines for battery procurements is another potential measure that can bring down the cost. This would also encourage the domestic manufacturing of batteries in India. Through partnerships with key technical partners, we are making way for opportunities to redesign solutions with battery storage capacity. CESL is at the forefront of policy development and recommendations to enable energy storage solutions for the Indian markets. Battery swapping has the potential to considerably reduce the wait time of charging by mimicking the experience of fuel pumps. It can also optimise Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), reduce resource intensiveness, act as demand responsive units for DISCOMs, and in the future, become an enabler for smart grid, among others. However, we are currently still in the nascent phase of exploring its utility and will be able to gauge its full potential with increased adoption. - CESL has been playing significant role in implementation of EVs, however the motive to implement these green vehicles are not complete until there is green charging infra in the country. Can you please share with our readers about and if the company is working towards developing green charging infrastructure, how many has been developed and the roadmap. CESL has recently entered into agreements and MoUs with state governments of Goa, Kerala and AP to procure over 30,000 two- and three-wheelers. This is the first entry into the 2W and 3W segments in the country, with solutions uniquely designed to deliver affordable financial solutions to buyers. In addition, we have signed an agreement with Andhra Pradesh to provide 25 thousand electric 2 wheelers in the state. These electric vehicles will be provided to state government employees of Andhra Pradesh. Electric 2-wheelers will boost energy and financial savings and hopefully, more and more people will also make a shift to EVs. Read the full article

#batteries #businessmodelsaroundsecondlifeofbatteries #carboncredits #Carbonfinance #ElectricVehicles #EVs #India’sgreensectors #MahuaAcharyaCESL #MahuaAcharyaMDandCEOConvergenceEnergyServicesLtd.#recycling #renewableenergy

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trillgutterbug · 7 years ago

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how to: dye your hair funky colours!

full disclosure, i’m not remotely a professional, but i’ve been dyeing my hair every colour under the sun for 10+ years and i’ve figured out a few things along the way that might benefit some people who are just starting out, or some old hats who might just be interested in my process!

first of all, those fancy instagram girls with the ombre and the rainbow ringlets and pastel fades and so forth all get their hair done at a salon. all of em! if you want that kind of quality finicky work, you gotta shell out the big bucks. i’ve done some pretty funky looks myself, usually basic ombre or streaks, but lbr you can really only get so fancy in your own bathroom with drugstore products, which is what i use

i have very limited experience using more “natural” colours (never done them on myself) and those sorts of dyes are fundamentally different from the funky coloured ones. most importantly, the natural colours are a lot more caustic. you need to mix them properly, have plenty of ventilation, protect your skin, and you definitely don’t want to leave them on for too long lest you melt your hair and give yourself a chemical burn. by contrast, the funky ones (or at least all the ones i’ve used, such as manic panic, punky colors, etc) are all very mild and won’t burn or melt anything. they’re actually a very strong conditioner and are quite good for your hair! this makes a difference because you can leave the dye sitting in your hair for as long as you want (longer is in fact better), plus it really helps perk your hair back up if you’ve freshly bleached it

if you are bleaching your hair, follow the directions in the box except for one thing: do it over somewhat damp hair. this makes the bleach spread a lot better and you won’t need to use quite as much. if you’re bleaching out a previous dye colour..... good luck to you, my friend. some bleaches do great, others fucking suck, but either way you probably won’t get a fully clean colour stripping if you’re taking out dye. choose your new colour accordingly, keeping in mind that you may need to cover up an older colour to some degree

this is the bleach that i use and in my experience it does the best job of removing old dye. i remember which one it is bc the model looks like paris hilton ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

also, if you are bleaching your hair before dyeing, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD make sure you shampoo the hell out of your hair in between. if any bleach is left over, it will wreck your dyejob. hop in the shower, scrub out the bleach, shampoo once or twice, and rinse well

whether or not you’re bleaching, apply your dye to freshly washed damp hair. shampoo your hair, do NOT apply conditioner, then towel dry and/or let air dry for ~10 minutes. don’t apply any styling products

here i am not actually naked but yall don’t need to know about that

i always mix my dye with conditioner. doing this makes 100-500% more usable product. unless it’s an extremely thin/pale colour, or has a shitty formula, this stuff is always hella pigmented. i mix mine at least half-and-half with conditioner, but sometimes with as little as 1/4th dye (like i’m a fancy motherfucker and measure or something, ha). the darker the colour the more conditioner you can add without compromising the end result. i just use cheap conditioner from the dollar store for this, but whatever you’ve got will work

(yes that is my golden throne in the background)

get yourself a bowl you don’t mind wrecking/a ceramic dish you can handwash helpful cat

today i’m just doing a touchup of my current colour, so this is my second use of this bottle. it’s already about 50/50 conditioner

grab some gloves so you can stick it to the man

slap your glop together and mix it up

now, i highly recommend either being naked or wearing old ratty clothing for this process because you WILL make a mess. this shit doesn’t come out of clothing, but if you get it on the counter/floor/wall/cat, don’t be alarmed, it will fade after a couple weeks. a mr clean magic eraser will get rid of it in a jiffy, although i wouldn’t suggest using that on the cat

if you’re really committed, get some vaseline and lube up your poe dameron action figure apply it around your hairline and ears to protect yourself from smears. i’m way too fucking lazy to do that 9 times outta 10 but i have in the past and it works like a charm

slather the dye mixture on your head! not a lot of finesse required here, just make sure it gets everywhere fairly evenly. if you can, get someone to check the back of your head for missed spots or use some hand mirror magic to check for yourself. for some reason i find that i usually miss my temples and the sides of my head most often

pile it all up on top of your head, secure it with a hair tie if you feel like it, and tie a plastic bag around it if you think you won’t be able to keep your hair off the back of the couch/your pillow/the dog/whatever. unlike doing this “greenhouse” technique with bleach or a natural-colour dye, this stuff won’t make your head overheat and cause chemical burns, so that’s a plus!

if you’re a lazy fuck like me and didn’t use vaseline, don’t panic. grab a dark coloured washcloth, get it hot and wet (aw ye), and scrub the hell out of any dye smears on your skin. they’ll come right off if you get to them fast enough

like so

let it sit for at least 20 minutes. like i said before, longer is better. i’ve left mine in for hours before, but lbr that’s just laziness. watch an episode (or six) of something on netflix, read a book, do ya damn homework, fold some origami, idk do whatever the fuck you want

rinse it out! it’s up to you whether you use shampoo at this point or not. personally i don’t, because the more you shampoo dye the faster it fades, and as mentioned i’m lazy and i want to do this drudgery as infrequently as possible. be warned, if you don’t shampoo right now, your scalp will stay dyed until whenever you do, which may or may not be something that bugs you. and until your hair dries it might bleed a little colour

you might want to wear a clean pair of gloves for this so you don’t get it all over your hands. also your tub WILL get stained, there’s no avoiding it, but DON’T WORRY i promise it will fade in a week or two!

you don’t necessarily need to condition at this point, since you basically just did an hour-long deep condition, but if you freshly bleached your hair you might want to anyway. it needs all the help it can get!

red and pink dyes are TERRIBLE for staining your skin! i did my hair bright red for canada day one year and the process of rinsing stained my entire back and legs bright red! which on the one hand was apt, but otoh made me look patriotic, which was very embarrassing. if you have a detachable showerhead, i recommend kneeling by the tub, leaning over, and rinsing it out that way so it doesn’t have the opportunity to make your entire body look like satan’s asshole

dry and style as usual

for future washes, using cool/cold water will keep the dye from fading as fast. for no reason other than some absolutely inexplicable and life threatening medical emergency will i ever wash my head in cold water, but all power to anyone who’s that dedicated to their aesthetic

a couple stylists have told me that you can add a bit of dye to your regular conditioner and use it like a mini touchup every time you wash your hair. i haven’t done this personally because it sounds like a bit of a mess, but it seems legit enough

and that’s about it! ombre/streaks are pretty self-explanatory, it’s just the same process done only on specific parts of your hair. the one thing i will say is that i highly recommend doing a darker colour on the bottom and a lighter one on top, if you can, so that when you rinse it the darker colour doesn’t run into the lighter one

if you really fuck up somehow (unlikely tbh), just cover everything up with a darker colour. not the end of the world

good luck my dudes!

#hair dyeing #dye #funky hair #colorful hair #long post

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emilyzh2019-blog · 6 years ago

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How To See The Northern Lights in Iceland

Photography Tips

Have you ever dreamed about seeing the colorful aurora borealis dancing in the night sky? Here’s how to find & photograph the amazing Northern Lights in Iceland!

Witnessing the magic of the northern lights at least once is a bucket-list experience for most people. I’ve been lucky enough to see and photograph the “Aurora Borealis” multiple times in a few different countries — including Iceland.

The northern lights can transfix you for hours, watching their mysterious green glow dance in the sky over the mountains or the sea.

Tracking down and shooting amazing photos of the northern lights in Iceland is always a top priority when I visit!

However many people don’t realize that this incredible natural phenomenon can often be elusive and unpredictable.

Yes, even in a famous aurora-friendly country like Iceland.

So to help you improve your chances, I’ve put together this guide on how to see and photograph the Northern Lights in Iceland. I’m going to share a few tips on how to find them, where to see them, as well as the camera settings and editing techniques I use.

Hopefully, you can capture great photos of this incredible phenomenon too!

Northern Lights Photography Guide

Experience the Magic of the Aurora!

How To Find The Northern Lights In Iceland

So why are the northern lights so difficult to see, even in Iceland? Well, it’s because there are many different factors involved.

For the optimal northern lights experience, you need a combination of dark skies, clear weather, and strong aurora activity. Ensuring that all these requirements come together takes some planning.

Seek Out Dark Skies

For the same reason star-gazing is better when it’s dark out, viewing the northern lights is best in the dark too. Light pollution from cities & towns hinders the experience.

Yes, you might be able to see the lights from Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik occasionally. However you’ll have more luck in the countryside away from man-made light sources.

Avoid The Full Moon

If you can, try to avoid seeking out the northern lights during a full moon. The brightness of the moon can make it more difficult to see the aurora in the sky.

Also, remember that the moon rises and sets like the sun. So you can try and time your northern lights hunting when the moon is hidden away below the horizon for maximum darkness.

My favorite smartphone app for checking the moon rise and moon set schedule around the world is called The Photographer’s Ephemeris.

That said, sometimes a little bit of moonlight from a 1/4 moon can light up the background landscape just enough to create some spectacular images too!

Wait For Clear Weather

If the weather is overly cloudy, you won’t be able to find the northern lights. So pay attention to the weather forecast, especially cloud cover (infrared satellite maps help a lot).

While you might still see some aurora lights if it’s only partly cloudy, you’ll have the best chance when there are no clouds at all.

My favorite smartphone app for checking cloud cover conditions around the world is called MeteoEarth.

Check The Aurora Forecast

Because aurora activity comes down from the sun in space, scientists are able to predict how strong it will be by looking at our sun’s solar wind, and the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field. This “KP-Index�� ranges from 0-9.

In my experience, you might have some luck seeing the northern lights in Iceland when the KP Index is 3 or 4. If you are lucky enough to be there when a solar storm hits (KP 5+), then you’ll have quite a show!

My favorite smartphone app for predicting the aurora is called My Aurora Forecast Pro.

It gives push notifications when there’s a chance to see the lights near you!

For worldwide aurora predictions, Space Weather Ovation is also good.

Self-Drive vs. Group Tour

You should be able to go hunting for the northern lights on your own by renting a car in Iceland. Another option is renting a camper van, which allows you to get far away from towns and their street-light pollution.

Experience driving in snow is helpful if you’re visiting Iceland in the winter, as conditions can sometimes be very harsh. Big snowstorms are common.

I prefer exploring on my own, as it gives me the freedom to stay out all night or move locations on a whim.

However, if you don’t feel comfortable driving in Iceland at night, there are plenty of organized northern lights tours available too.

How To See The Northern Lights in Iceland

Best Time To See Northern Lights

Iceland’s best season to see the northern lights is the fall/winter months from September to April. The absolute darkest months are between November & February, but these months can also have the worst weather.

Remember that you need a combination of darkness away from towns, clear skies, and strong aurora activity to see the northern lights.

Witnessing Iceland’s northern lights during summer months is pretty rare, due to almost 20 hours of sunlight per day near the arctic circle.

The more time you spend in Iceland, the better your chances are of spotting the lights. If you’re only visiting on a 2-day stopover, you’ll need a LOT of luck to see them. I recommend spending at least 7 days in Iceland if you want to find the northern lights.

Even then it can be difficult. Some people can visit Iceland multiple times and never see them!

You probably won’t see the northern lights if you’re bar hopping in Reykjavik.

A primary reason why I was able to capture such great photos of the aurora borealis is that I stayed outside all night, for multiple nights, driving around searching for them. It takes some dedication.

For example, when I visited Iceland’s famous plane wreck in the middle of the night.

Where To Look For The Aurora

The best places to see the northern lights are in the northern latitudes. Think near the Arctic Circle.

The best viewing latitudes are between 68 degrees north to 74 degrees north. This includes Iceland. But some other good locations are the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Greenland, Russia, Alaska, and Canada are also prime northern lights travel destinations.

Remember To Look North!

While it may seem obvious, remember to look North! The lights dance along the magnetic bands near the arctic circle, so you need to keep your eyes North to see them.

Often the lights start off weak at first, slowly increasing in intensity.

Weak aurora activity will look grey to the naked eye. Much like wispy clouds or fog moving in the wind. They can be easy to miss if you don’t realize it.

Aim your camera at the grey stuff and shoot a long-exposure photo (20 seconds or so). If those “clouds” come out green in your image, they aren’t clouds! You’re witnessing a weaker version of the northern lights.

The stronger the aurora activity, the brighter the colors will be.

The most common northern lights color you’ll see is green. However, if you’re lucky, they can also be blue, red, and orange depending on which atmospheric gasses happen to be prevalent.

Driving the Ring Road – 13 Seconds, f/4.0, ISO2000

Northern Lights Photography Tips

Once you find the Aurora, capturing decent images of it is a whole new challenge. Here are some tips to help you photograph the northern lights in Iceland.

Best Photography Gear

In most photography situations, the quality of your gear doesn’t matter too much. However for northern lights & star photography, it does.

Here’s a list of recommended gear you’ll want to produce some great low-light shots.

Digital Camera with Manual Mode & High ISO Capability

Wide Angle Lens (24mm or wider) with Fast Aperture (2.8 – 4.0 minimum)

Sturdy Tripod

2-3 Extra Batteries

Cold Weather Clothing

Hand-warmer Heat Packs

You’ll want a quality camera (brand doesn’t really matter) with a large sensor for minimal noise at high ISO settings.

A wide angle lens aids in photographing large landscapes with the night sky.

A fast lens aperture allows the maximum amount of ambient light to enter your lens.

Sturdy travel tripods allow you shoot long exposures without producing camera shake.

Extra batteries give you the flexibility to stay out all night waiting for peak activity — plus cold weather drains them faster.

How To Focus Your Camera At Night

Even with the best camera gear and knowledge of the optimal settings, without proper focus, your northern lights photos won’t come out crisp/clear.

There are a few different methods for focusing your camera at night, but my favorite is to focus on a distant landmark (like mountains) on the horizon.

This is easier to do right before the sun sets, so it isn’t too dark.

Most cameras have an infinity focus setting (∞), but it’s not always accurate. Zoom in as much as possible and adjust the focus manually if needed.

Once you have it locked in, remember to switch “autofocus” off and don’t touch the lens focus ring. Sometimes it helps to “tape” down your focus ring so you don’t move it by accident later.

Video Tutorial: Photographing The Northern Lights

youtube

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for new Adventure Travel Videos! (Click to watch Northern Lights 101 – How To Photograph The Aurora on YouTube)

Northern Lights Camera Settings

Make sure to watch the video above for examples of my camera settings.

Because the intensity of the light and amount of movement is constantly changing, you’ll have to experiment with your settings throughout the night.

Your camera should be set in Manual Mode, giving you the power to change each particular setting on its own.

IMAGE FORMAT Most professional photographers shoot in RAW format rather than JPG, as it provides the maximum amount of information allowing for greater flexibility with post processing later.

It’s not necessary, but it does give you more wiggle room when editing the images.

APERTURE (F-STOP) You want to capture as much light as possible, so use the widest (fastest) aperture your lens has. I recommend an aperture between F4.0 and F2.8.

To learn more about aperture, click here.

SHUTTER SPEED Depending on how fast the lights are moving, or how bright they are, you’ll want to adjust your shutter speed (exposure) accordingly. Anything from 2 seconds to 13 seconds is a good place to start.

The faster the lights are moving, the shorter the shutter speed should be. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a massive blob of the overexposed green sky…

ISO The last setting you should adjust for northern lights photos is ISO. Increasing ISO allows your sensor to capture more light. The downside is that the higher your ISO is, the more sensor noise you’ll get, resulting in a grainy image.

Generally, I shoot my northern lights photos using an ISO of 1000 – 4000 which seems to work best.

Before Processing

After Processing

Post-Processing Your Aurora Images

Once you have a decent image, you can enhance your Iceland northern lights photos with post-processing software. I personally use a combination of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop, but there are others.

They all basically do the same things. How much processing you do to your photos is a matter of preference. Remember, art is subjective! You and I may not like the same things.

Post-processing is a huge topic though, so I’ll just give you a super quick overview of what I did to enhance my northern lights images to really make them pop.

Adjust White Balance

Increase Exposure

Brighten Shadows

Brighten Whites

Darken Highlights

Increase Clarity, Vibrance, and Saturation

Adjust Curves

Noise Reduction

Sharpening

Happy Northern Lights Hunting!

The Iceland northern lights photography featured in this post was captured in the fall, over multiple trips while driving around Iceland’s famous Ring Road.

The lights would usually start off weak, increasing in intensity over the course of a few hours. The best shots were captured at peak aurora activity, which usually only lasted for about 10-15 minutes.

Patience & dedication is soooo important for northern lights photography… you need to stick around long enough for the good stuff to show itself.

With a little planning, a lot of waiting, and a dash of luck, you too can witness this amazing natural phenomenon in Iceland called the northern lights.

There’s nothing like seeing the northern lights in person! It’s magic. ★

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Car Hire is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. Also read my tips for driving in Iceland.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.

Enjoy This Post? Pin It!

READ MORE PHOTOGRAPHY & ICELAND TIPS

I hope you enjoyed my guide to the photographing the northern lights in Iceland! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more photography related articles that I recommend you read next:

I shot many of my aurora photos while driving around Iceland. To do the same, I’ve created a free Iceland ring road travel guide!

Improve your photography with my best beginner travel photography tips. It’s not always about the gear!

When you’re ready to start planning your adventure in Iceland, make sure to read about where to stay while you’re there.

Is Instagram ruining travel? I think it’s causing some big problems for us all…

Not sure what camera to bring on your trip? Learn how to choose the perfect travel camera for any budget.

Have any questions about seeing the northern lights in Iceland? Or how to photograph them? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

#><div #333333;color:FFFFFF;border-top-left-radius:1px;border-top-right-radius:1px #292929;border-radius:3px>Travel

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lastrites-prosecutor · 6 years ago

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Learn about methods to give good results with importing electronics and similar products and services

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killingdoll · 7 years ago

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Warnings: spoilers (but I guess by this time most viewers have already watched the season finale), inappropriate jokes, careless language, messing up the order of events

Let me begin by saying that I’m not OK with the season finale, much less with the fact that it was intended to be the series finale. It’s emotional, yes. It’s heart-wrenching, yes. It concludes the story in some way but still leaves the door open for future possibilities, yes. Putting them aside, there’re several things that I’m not OK with.

I’m not OK with the way things are crammed into a 40-something-min episode while it should have been two-hour long. As a result, it seems rather rushed and even some crucial scenes are cut off (I’m talking about the Marcel-Vincent and Marcel-Josh scenes that are in the stills but ain’t in the episode.)

I’m not OK with the way the Hollow is subdued so easily as if she was a mere joke (what? Pixie dust in the face?!). I expected a more epic and an extensive show of her powers combined with Hope’s. Should have been something massive right? But she just… what? Resurrected Dominic (only to be killed some screen time later – Hello Dominic. Goodbye Dominic.), a few light bulbs, sent a few sparks and… that’s it.

I’m not OK with way the Hollow’s followers are destroyed so quickly and effortlessly. They’re all witches for God’s sake; they’re not even putting a little fight, all lambs waiting to be baked. Geez.

I’m not OK with the siblings not having proper farewell to one another (except Klelijah and Freybekah – sort of). Should have given them more screen time since they’re supposed to be separate always and forever.

I’m not OK with Klaus having been away from his daughter for five fucking years, only to be with her for a few short weeks before having to stay away from her for another decade.

I’m not OK with Hope and Klaus not having a proper goodbye. Damn it, if the man’s not going to see his daughter for ten years at least let him hold her and kiss her.

I’m not OK with this being the series finale. They cannot start a series with “Family is power” and end it with the family disintegrated. It’s disrespectful to fans who’ve fallen in love with “Always and forever” and stayed with this series even though at times it ripped our hearts in two. They’d better fix it in the next season. How about a grown up Hope find and smash the Hollow piece inside each sibling so the family can be together again.

Ten years is a long time. I’m gonna miss Vincent.

I’m not OK with the episode spending a significant portion of screen time angsting over Freya’s turning and then not actually doing it. I guess it’s necessary to cement Freya and Keelin’s relationship but can they shorten it a little so there’s more for whichever I’ve mentioned above.

I’m not OK with Hayley sending Hope to the Salvatore school. Firstly, as I’ve mentioned in my earlier rants, there’s currently no legitimate witch at that school and we shall not pretend that Alaric and Caroline have sufficient knowledge regarding magic. Secondly, sending Hope there for safety is a marvelous idea because Mystic Falls is the safest place on earth, where just happened to have Hell’s gate, cannibalistic sirens, not to mention the ‘Devil’ himself. And let’s not forget for the span of eight seasons Mystic Falls has been a beacon for supernatural mayhems. Yup, utterly, totally safe.

I still don’t care about Alaric and Caroline.

I’m not OK with Elijah’s forgetting his memories of his family. That’s like erasing the very core of his existence – a way of killing him without killing him. Seriously, do the writers hate Elijah so much not only did they kill him and wipe out his entire sire line now they have to erase his memories?! I’m all for Elijah to be happy and free from burdens and to find peace but imho, true peace has to be realized by the individual themself, like they’ve either vanquished or made peace with their demons and come to terms with their condition, not by magical memory wiping. It’s picking the easy and lazy way, which is a method that shouldn’t be employed by any dignified writers.

I’m not OK with how in the end, Klaus’s worst fear is realized. He’s utterly alone, without his family or his soulmate. And this is how the writers intended to end the series. Why must they torment Klaus so? What has he done to invoke their wrath?

I’m not OK… actually I’m OK with Haylijah They were doomed the moment Plec made that ‘feminist’ statement. Now that Elijah has pretty much forgotten about Hayley, let’s hope he finds a (or a few) new love interest(s) and maybe create a new sire line.

I’m low-key not OK with Marcel nor learning that his adopted daughter has come back to life and nobody bothers to fill him on it. Not even Davina. At least give him a call, will you?

Now, onto the things that I find OK about this season finale:

At least the unnecessary love triangle between Rebekah-Marcel-Sofya officially ends. I was low-key hoping for a threesome but am actually glad Marcel chooses to be with Bex.

Kol and Davina have their happy ending with neither of them getting killed again. Now if Kol’s engaged to Davina, things can get a bit awkward since Bex is with Marcel (engaged, likely?), since y’know, Kol and Bex are siblings while Marcel and Davina are father and adopted daughter. Nope, totally not weird.

Elijah’s thriving in his new career as a musician playing in a bar for tips. Although it’s not genuine peace he’s enjoying, seeing him indulging his hobby gives me a smile.

Looks like I’m contradicting myself here. Can’t help it. I’m contradictory by nature.

The sheer amount of Klelijah in this season finale makes my Klelijah heart nearly burst out of my chest. Every line, every gesture between them is beautifully heart-wrenching. It hurts, but in the fantastic way, to see your ship both doomed and propelled by the writers. Doomed in a sense that they’re not allowed to be in the same room again and Elijah’s taken drastic measures so he will not instinctively run to Klaus. Doomed in a sense that he does not even recognize his little brother to whom he’s basically dedicated his whole life. Propelled in a sense that despite Vincent’s warning, it’s Klaus that runs to Elijah just to see if his beloved brother is doing OK. Propelled in a sense that this episode was meant to be the conclusion of the whole series and of all the various relationships in this show, they chose to end it with a beautifully crafted Klelijah Not Klamille, not Klayley or Haylijah or any other romantic ships, it’s this ship that is endgame. It comes a full circle that in the pilot, Elijah came to look for Klaus and in the finale, Klaus finds Elijah. And that smile. My words will not do that smile justice.

—

Since this is the last rant for this season (don’t know if I’m gonna do a weekly rant for season 5), let’s go over a few plus and minus things:

Plus (+):

“I will carry you with me” promise realized

Mentions of Cami throughout the season and Klaus’s reaction

Hayley’s full wolf form

Freya getting a love interest

Hope as a little girl who is “7, not stupid”

Hope’s interactions with Hayley, Klaus, Marcel, Freya

Hope doing magic

Davina’s resurrection. Funny that both she and Kol have died and been brought back to life twice.

Origin story of the Werewolf curse

A decent villain who poses a constant threat to our ‘heroes’ (and manages to kill one of them), whose defeat requires the heroes to brush aside their differences and unite to fight against her

KLELIJAH RISES!!!!!

Minus (-):

The season only has 13 episodes.

Klaus still not showing his full wolf form. Come on, how long do we have to wait?

Freya’s love plot is bordering on Stockholm Syndrome and seems a bit rushed (like they thought it was the last season and had only 13 episodes so they had to speed things up).

Lack of interaction between Hope and Elijah as well as between Hope and Rebekah while the former was the first one to fight for her life and the latter took care of her during her eight first months

Decent as she may be, the Hollow lacks the charisma to be a great and memorable villain. True to her name, she’s rather ‘hollow’ in terms of personality – or let’s say she has no personality whatsoever. She also has no clear motive aside from wanting more powers (for what purpose?). Moreover, she seems to be a bit overrated by Vincent’s constant warnings that she’ll destroy New Orleans (and the world for that matter) when resurrected but when it does happen, she just goes around wrecking some (minor) havoc like killing a bunch of witches and then dying.

The untied plot thread involving Eva and Vincent’s unborn child. It is introduced in third episode as a potentially important plot thread and never mentioned again after that.

Unnecessary ties to The Vampire Diaries

Elijah’s death and the eradication of his entire sire line

Elijah’s magic-induced amnesia. Elena Gilbert anyone?

Elijah’s treatment in overall, which is steadily becoming Stefan-esque

The end of “Always and Forever”

Hope and Hayley moving to Mystic Falls

Haylijah We all know what the real reason is.

Where’s Aurora? What happened to her? At least give us some conclusion about her fate.

[Rant] The Feast of All Sinners – The Originals 4×13 Warnings: spoilers (but I guess by this time most viewers have already watched the season finale), inappropriate jokes, careless language, messing up the order of events…

#elijah mikaelson #freya mikaelson #hayley marshall #hope mikaelson #klaus mikaelson #klaus x elijah #klelijah #kol mikaelson #original groupies #rebekah mikaelson #the originals

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ladystylestores · 5 years ago

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Why Phantom: Covert Ops is one of the most immersive VR games of 2020

I’ll confess, I wasn’t sure nDreams was capable of pulling off its ambitions for Phantom: Covert Ops.

For years the U.K.-based VR developer, one of the first brave/crazy enough to dedicate itself exclusively to the platform, seemed to zig-zag from near miss to significantly wider miss. The Assembly was a good-natured story-driven adventure that felt old before its time, and Shooty Fruity provided likable produce-murder entertainment for as long as that sounds like it would last. The less said about Danger Goat, the better. Nearly a decade on from its first VR experiments, it feels like the studio hasn’t built the reputation it sought so long ago.

Consider this some cautiously optimistic speculation, then: Phantom: Covert Ops might just sail over that line and then keep on swimming (or rather, paddling). It arrives on Oculus Quest and Rift on June 25.

Stealth steps up

Every time I play Phantom, I come away more convinced that we haven’t just got a modestly entertaining and novel approach to VR stealth here but a genuine contender for the genre’s best entry yet. You surely know by now that the entire game places players in a kayak, which they steer through a hostile, Cold War-era naval yard overrun by a crazed Russian separatist. You’ll silently skulk from level to level, sabotaging important equipment that, as luck would have it, just happens to be right by the water. It sounds ridiculous, and if you stopped to think about it for too long, you’d find enough holes in the practicality of the concept to sink an armored gunship. But that isn’t really the point.

The point is that, when you slip into the world of Phantom, there are considerably fewer barriers to immersion than you’ll find in almost any other VR game. This is something you’ll hear us drive home again and again in the run-up to the game’s June 25 launch. When we play Half-Life: Alyx, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, or any other well-regarded VR title, we are constantly suspending our disbelief, accepting immersion-breaking concessions with movement or interaction in order to get a “full” gaming experience in VR. With Phantom, that doesn’t happen nearly as much.

Moving on

Above: Phantom Covert Ops

Image Credit: nDreams/Oculus

Sitting in a chair and using motion controls to paddle through reeds, taking one end of an oar to push yourself off from a wall, or grabbing a side and pulling yourself into position — all of this feels distinctly convincing in a way we don’t normally experience. It’s equal parts authentic and intuitive, offering truly human-powered movement mostly without the strange disconnect that comes from moving your virtual self while your real self stays in one place. I only say mostly as I don’t believe that contrast will ever completely vanish in any VR game for current systems, but it’s certainly diminished here. Plus constant paddling is, quite rightly, a bit of a workout.

Also there are other means of movement you might not expect the game to have considered. You can strafe by pushing your paddle away from you, for example, and you can fine-tune turns by keeping one side in the water as you drift. There is at least some degree of simulation here, even if the game occasionally makes some smart cuts in the name of accessibility, like holding a button for sharp turns.

Gone, too, are the magic over-the-shoulder backpacks and impossibly deep inventory systems. Every weapon, sidearm and ammo pack is given a home either on your person or the kayak itself. Your long-range rifle rests to one side but, if you’re suddenly discovered, an instinctive reach for your chest will summon a pistol to silence anyone trying to sound an alarm.

Sensible sneaking

Above: I’m on a boat.

Image Credit: Oculus

One of the big downfalls of immersion in a lot of VR stealth games is AI. Enemies are great at sticking to patrol routes and spotting you but, once they do, things tend to go a bit haywire. With Phantom, the barrier between you and your enemies, plus the thoughtful systems in place, make this less of an issue. Enemies are scattered on island platforms and walkways, removing their ability to give chase.

On top of that, the game gives you the necessary indicators to stay hidden. A built-in interface in your kayak will let you know when you’re obscured or exposed, and the radar flashes yellow and red cones for when enemies are suspicious or aware of your presence. Little ideas like this help reduce much of the confusion.

Evolving environments

It’s also important to highlight Phantom’s great work in environmental design. In the first level, you progress from boggy swamps with forgotten wrecks and crumbling scenery dotting the water’s edge. Slowly but surely, you make your way behind enemy lines, and brutalist architecture makes itself more and more apparent. We’ll be interested to see how this element evolves to inject some variety as you explore more of the base over the course of the game.

Paddling it home

That’s all just one side to Phantom, though. Immersion is one thing, compelling gameplay is another, but based on the few hours I’ve spent with the game’s opening levels, I remain pretty encouraged this will hold up where others haven’t. However that pans out, though, Phantom: Covert Ops has already proven itself to be one of the most immersive VR experiences we’ll see this year. Just keep your fingers crossed it’s one of the best ones, too.

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foodoliplife · 5 years ago

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Your puppy Has Seen Me Naked, does he have?

I adore chaturbate Fido, but does he need to be regarding the bed although we have intercourse?

The ladies I’ve slept using this 12 months experienced a few things in keeping: dogs and studio flats. We never considered the awkwardness with this combination until it absolutely was far too late.

Josie was initially, a Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix as well as a wreck that is emotional. In her own protection, she ended up being usually kept alone for very long amounts of time and, well, something that little is justified with its mania. Whenever her owner finally did get home, Josie would yap incessantly until someone petted her. She had been like a furry noisy alarms. Ring, ring, band, and then silence the minute you rolled over and laid a hand on her behalf.

That’s all she wanted. One hand. You didn’t have to pet her. Any contact would do.

I didn’t hate Josie. She wasn’t mean or snobbish as some little dogs are generally — just in a fight that is constant attention. As well as in that battle, neither of us had been doing well.

The chemistry between her owner and me ended up being less a firework and much more a lighter that is old works every sixth movie, but that didn’t stop us from getting into a lazy singles contract to finish up at each and every other’s flats a few evenings per week.

The time that is first slept together, things went efficiently with one exception: Josie wouldn’t stop barking. So her owner reached down, plucked her up and sat her in the bed, where she became more uncomfortable as she understood the thing that was taking place. Every few minutes to see if we had finished by the end, she had gone silent, peeking over a pillow.

We hardly noticed her that very first time. My attention ended up being somewhere else, and achieving her in the sleep seemed preferable to her sound recording of high-pitched yapping. Nevertheless when it just happened a 2nd, 3rd and time that is eighth Josie grew harder to disregard. We imagined things from her viewpoint, particularly in those horrifying moments whenever we made attention contact.

We might not need minded just as much if she ended up being just when you look at the space. But regarding the sleep? That felt too close. Plus, Josie ended up being too tiny to obtain straight straight down on her very very own so that it had been significantly of a hostage situation.

One evening, as Josie’s owner and I also had been switching roles, we unintentionally kicked her from the mattress; we viewed my neck in horror to visit a nose as well as 2 small paws come out of sight. I happened to be mortified. Her owner viewed and shrugged.

“It’s OKAY,” she said. “She’s genuine fluffy.”

And now we returned at it.

I possibly could have recommended to Josie’s owner that individuals simply take her from the bed or at least place a tiny blindfold over her eyes, but i did son’t wish to further intrude regarding the intimate relationship between animal and owner (a relationship more powerful than the main one we shared, in the end). And I also figured she knew Josie much better than I did. Perhaps that forsaken look in her eyes ended up being, uh, normal?

2 months in, the energy started initially to slow between Josie’s owner and me personally. Things finished because they many times do in this era, with an unanswered text. Josie wasn’t the only person into the available space with communication problems.

Listen: William Jackson Harper Reads Dog that is“Your Has Me Naked”

The next few months of solitude took some modification. The kind of dependable hookup I had with Josie’s owner had been a rarity for me personally. Losing it had been like getting the restaurant just about to happen walk out company. Now, on peaceful evenings whenever my relationship ice box ended up being bare, I’d to find out another thing or go to sleep hungry — usually the latter.

I became relieved once I came across some body months later on, and many more relieved whenever she was met by me dog, Rigatoni. Like Josie, he had been component Chihuahua, but he’d none of her psychological hangups. He had been a good kid and he knew it. Their strut had bounce. If I’d an eighth of Rigatoni’s self-confidence, I’d be president the next day.

Their owner and I also met for a dating application, and that is how she came across Rigatoni too, on some type of animal adoption software in which you swiped yes or no on pets. Under normal circumstances, being practically chosen alongside a animal might have believed unsettling, but plainly she had great style in dogs and it also had been flattering to stay such company that is good. Whatever quality caused her to swipe yes on Rigatoni, we hoped, has also been noticeable in my own profile.

He chaperoned us on virtually every outing and I also didn’t mind a little. He arrived on a single of y our very first times, a trip into the beach, and guarded our towel although we swam. He nestled as much as my chest afterward — all sandy and that is warm I happened to be delighted at their approval.

We finished up straight back at her (tiny) destination later on together with just been kissing for the few seconds whenever she pulled straight straight right back, gasped and stated, “You’re so strange!”

I happened to be horrified she was talking not to me but to Rigatoni, who had suddenly appeared over my shoulder with a menacing look until I realized.

That became the theme of y our next few times. We might be kissing and then I’d notice, “Toni!” and change to see her dog searching in the nose like he wanted to punch me.

There clearly was nowhere to cover up; the apartment ended up being too little. I might never ever recommend locking him into the restroom; she might have sooner locked me personally into the restroom. And I also comprehended. He had been unique.

Once we moved through the sofa towards the bed, I happened to be disappointed to understand he could leap through to their own. Rigatoni ended up being a fellow that is agile, unlike Josie, wasn’t afraid to intervene. He would not bite, but he’d you will need to grab me personally together with his small T-rex hands and wrestle me personally away from their beloved master.

“You’re making everybody uncomfortable!” she would shout as he had me personally by the ankle like just a little Greco-Roman wrestler. You can begin to see the conflict on their face, the push and pull between obedience and security. Appropriate as soon as we thought we had effectively sidetracked him with a doll, he’d leap on the sleep such as for instance a key solution representative and place himself between us.

But also Rigatoni had their cost — a meat-flavored bone tissue — that may often purchase us 20 moments. Afterwards, he’d leap right right straight back on the bed and cast disapproving looks our means until he got sleepy.

Rigatoni wasn’t exactly an aphrodisiac, but their heart was at the place that is right. If some one would definitely stop me personally from making love, I happened to be happy to understand your time and effort originated in virtuous motives. it might were even even worse. Whenever my ex-girlfriend and I utilized to see my youth house, my children dog would come across the restroom as if he had been searching truffles, snatch my utilized condoms through the trash, then drop them within the many heavily trafficked area of our home.

Courtship never been possible for me. I have discovered the procedure to emotionally be high-risk and exhausting. This hasn’t aided that nature it self appears dedicated to my celibacy. Recently, my sex life has believed just like a reverse snowfall White scenario; I’m scared I’ll unbutton my jeans and each woodland creature within a radius that is 5-mile come crashing through the screen, clutching embarrassing center college pictures of me inside their paws and talons.

Whenever I meet a lady, we can’t assist but wonder just what creature waits in her own apartment, wanting to make our encounter more embarrassing for me personally than it currently seems.

I’ve been thinking lot about a romantic date We continued with a lady between Josie and Rigatoni. We had talked all day, gone in one bar to some other and viewed the sunset over a couple of Moscow mules. We laughed. She snorted. I discovered myself hearing her as opposed to scrambling to think about a brand new subject to maintain the discussion going. The hamster wheel of my brain really stopped rotating, so when that occurs we get excited as it signals one thing more severe is beingshown to people there.

#food #recipe #Your puppy Has Seen Me Naked #does he have?

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wasilewskitbfrostzn64insura-blog · 5 years ago

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itsworn · 7 years ago

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Jamie Marsh’s 1993 Ford Mustang Fox-body is a Roush Stage 3 Tribute

“The car was built to be a reliable driver, while still handling the occasional autocross or track day,” says Jamie Marsh from Lancaster, South Carolina. “The upgraded brakes and springs, along with the added power of the supercharger, have made the car a fast, reliable weekend warrior.”

Jamie’s Fox-body started life as your run of the mill Performance White 5.0 LX hatchback with an AOD. Since the car first rolled into the dealership brand new, this 1993 5.0 LX has always been a part of Jamie’s life. It all started senior year of high school when his best friend, Isaac Rush, received the then brand-new Fox-body as a graduation present. Jamie even tagged along to the dealership with him to pick it up. Senior year was full of memories in the Fox-body, and after that Isaac used it to commute to and from Wilmington for college for several years after that.

During those college years, the LX fell victim to wheel thieves, and at the expense of the insurance company, Jamie’s friend opted to forego the standard silver ponies, and ordered some factory summer edition white ponies as a replacement.

Not completely content with the Pony R wheels, he vigorously searched for a set of 1999-2004 18-inch Roush wheels to complete the 1993 RS3 look. After a long search, he found a set of flaking 18×9 Roush wheels that he completely stripped down and refinished in a shade of white that almost perfect matches the 20-plus year old factory color.

After college graduation in Wilmington, the car made its way to Virginia Beach. Always wanting a five-speed manual, the car was retired from daily driving duties and was swapped over using a fresh factory Ford T-5Z with all accompanying hardware. Soon it was sporting FRPP B springs, FRPP shorty headers, 3G alternator, Kenny Brown subframe connectors, and 3.73 gears. The interior was given an Auto Meter Ultra-lite amp; oil; and water gauges below the radio; and a FRPP shift knob.

As most of us know, life goes on and time changes things. Isaac was soon was engaged, and he lost interest in the car. Jamie purchased the car from him in 2008. “I had just wrecked my Honda autocross/road race car, and was looking to mod this thing to autocross and track,” Jamie explains.

Getting straight to work, Jamie swapped over to 1995 front spindles and hubs and fitted the front with 13-inch Cobra brakes and installed 5-lug drums on the rear. For better handling, he added Steeda competition springs and caster camber plates from Maximum Motorsports. He then swapped out the shorty headers for MAC longtubes, a MAC 2.5-inch x-pipe, and one-chamber Flowmaster mufflers and tailpipes. To set off the exterior, he went with a set of Chrome 2003 Cobra wheels.

Fast forward to 2010, and Isaac expressed interest in buying the car back. “I had other projects at the time, and didn’t mind one bit,” Jamie said. Isaac requested a set of factory Ford Bullitt wheels in place of the chrome 2003 Cobras, and Jamie was happy to help.

Three years had gone by, Jamie’s longtime buddy decided to buy some land and build a house and the car was offered back to Jamie yet again. “In April of 2013, I drove the car through snow and crazy weather to bring the car back home to stay this time. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the car, but I did have a polished Vortech SQ supercharger that was intended for a previous project, so that was a definitely part of the master plan,” Jamie tells us.

Right around the same time, another good friend had picked up an old Roush intake at the Autofair in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Sam at Out to Pasture Pony Parts. “None of us really knew anything about it, but I did know this would make the perfect centerpiece for my build,” Jamie says. “We hadn’t seen one in person, and I was able to talk my friend out of it and started researching. Luckily, the intake was mostly complete. It still had some of the key pieces to make it work.”

The metal gaskets were intact, as well as the intake specific fuel rail. With it being set up for a supercharger, Jamie knew it was meant to be. After doing some digging, he found out that the intake was taken from a 1995 Roush Stage 3 Mustang out of a performance shop in California. It also sported serial number 0007 out of just 100 of these intakes produced.

“According to a reputable Roush forum, only 18 were put on Roush turnkey cars, hence the serial numbers,” Jamie explains. “The remaining intakes were put on sale to the public but didn’t sell well due to the price. They sold kits to fit Fox cars, but were mainly intended for the 1994-1995 models.” That’s when Jamie found out that he had a rare piece on his hands.

The initial plan was to install the Roush intake with the Vortech SQ supercharger and leave the car stock otherwise, but then he thought, “How is anyone going to know about my special piece of history under the hood?” That’s when the idea came to life of building the car around the Roush intake and to make his very own version of what a Roush Stage 3 may have looked like back in 1993 if Jack Roush had made a turnkey car.

“The first step, the installation of the intake, was more difficult than anticipated,” Jamie said. The intake was huge, and it required things that had to be procured that he wasn’t aware of until after they had started the process. Jamie and a friend decided to do the install a week before Mustang Week 2013, and they ended up pushing hard to get it finished. For the intake to work on the Fox, it needed two 1994-1995 style valve covers without oil fill holes, a 1994-1995 throttle linkage, and TPS.

“I had very little time and was lucky enough for Mike at East Coast Mustang to get me everything that I needed,” says Jamie. “Along with the intake, we installed GT40 heads reworked by Kannapolis Engine Service, a MSD Digital 6AL, a Contour dual fan setup, an upgraded aluminum radiator, 340lph in-tank fuel pump, 42 lb/hr injectors, the previously mentioned Vortech SQ supercharger, and an Auto Meter boost gauge mounted Roush-style in the AC vent.

After that, Jamie added 1995 Cobra 11.65-inch rear brakes to complement the front 13-inch Cobra brakes already in place. To tie everything together, Rob from Powercurve Motorsports got the car in at the last minute and got it tuned and ready just in the nick of time for Mustang Week. While there, the car made 419 horsepower and 401 lb-ft torque, even with the stock cam and stock rockers.

After the week full of Mustangs and sunshine in Myrtle Beach, Jamie decided it was time finish off the look. He purchased a set of Corbeau LG1 seats and harnesses, and Matt at Fox Mustang Restoration rewrapped the rear seats in matching fabric.

Fast forward to Mustang Week 2015, Jamie submitted a photo and a short description to Gibson exhaust as they were searching for a display car. Jamie was lucky enough to display his Roush tribute Fox-body as their Mustang Week display car to show off their new BMF muffler series. “Gibson exhaust sent me a pre-production handmade set of their new BMF mufflers before Mustang Week, and the car was started and revved numerous times during the event, and everyone loved the sound,” Jamie tells us.

In the summer of 2016, he was contacted by Mike Rey, the marketing director for Roush, who had seen his car at Mustang Week and offered a personal invitation for Jamie’s car to be displayed at the Mustang Memories show at the Ford World Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. The car would sit in a special section dedicated to 40 years of Roush. “I was beside myself, but knew that the 11-hour drive, hotel and traveling expenses, and time off work were probably more than I could afford, and I had to politely turn him down. As soon as a couple of friends heard about the opportunity, they told me that I had to go. They graciously helped me with the expenses, and we made the August trip. It was awesome to be parked right next to the Roush trailer in my creation with these other beautiful Roush cars,” Jamie said. Jamie was presented with the Roush sponsor award for the show.

The biggest highlight Jamie’s build came earlier this year at a Roush Fenway fan appreciation day. He had taken the day off to attend the event hoping to take a piece off his car for Jack Roush himself to sign. Upon arrival, he was told to park in a grassy area, which required driving over a 3-inch concrete curb. Jamie knew the car couldn’t make it over and tried to back out of it. After some trouble with the parking attendant, Jamie ran into Lyle Sturgis from Tindol Ford, one of the key organizers of the event, and he recognized the car. Lyle told Jamie to go ahead and park beside the other Roush Mustangs at the event. “All of the actual parking spots were full so Lyle directed me right between the display and the other Mustangs, and then asked if I would like Jack Roush to sign my car. I couldn’t say yes fast enough!”

Jack was going to be spending a few moments with each Roush owner and sign their cars. Jack went down the row of newly purchased Roush Mustangs and as he reached Jamie’s car, his first words were, “I don’t remember building this car.”

“Lyle introduced me to Mr. Roush, and I began to explain to him what I had done. He told me the car looked good, and that I had done a good job. He then went on to sign my dash and Roush intake.” Jamie explains. “I knew at that moment that I had done something right.” A big thank you goes to out his high school friend Isaac for selling him the car and giving a great starting point for his creation, longtime friend Billy White and his dad Rick White for their help turning wrenches, East Coast Mustang’s Mustang Mike for the hard to find parts, Kannapolis Engine Service for the great work on the heads, and Rob at Powercurve Motorsports for a reliable and safe tune, his wife, Barrie, and son, Cooper, for having patience with his hobby, and last but not least, thank you to all the members of Southeastern Foxbodies for all of the support and friendships.

The post Jamie Marsh’s 1993 Ford Mustang Fox-body is a Roush Stage 3 Tribute appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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giantsfootball0 · 7 years ago

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Final Thoughts: Vikings vs. Buccaneers

Remember that time Anthony Barr was a one-man wrecking crew on the first play of overtime against Tampa Bay in 2014? It was Week 8, the Vikings were 2-5 and had lost three straight, and Tampa Bay scored 13 points in the 4th quarter to take a lead before the Vikings kicked a field goal as time expired in regulation to push the game to overtime.

Barr took over from there.

On the first snap of overtime, Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon found tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins for what looked to be a solid drive-starting play. Barr chased Seferian-Jenkins down, forced a fumble, scooped up the fumble and sprinted 27 yards for a touchdown. It was the first game-winning fumble-return touchdown in franchise history and it capped what was a great game for Barr. The rookie linebacker tallied nine tackles, a sack, three quarterback hurries, one pass defensed and the forced fumble and fumble recovery. The effort garnered Barr NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and it was one impressive week in what was an awesome rookie season.

That season, Barr totaled 99 tackles, 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, three passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles – all in 12 games.

Barr has been a steady producer for the Vikings defense since his debut season, but he battled through injuries during the 2015 and 2016 offseasons and that left many wondering what could’ve been had he been able to participate in an offseason program and training camp without also dealing with some sort of ailment. Well, he was healthy for all of the 2017 offseason and his first two games of the regular season have reflected that. He had eight tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss in the opener against New Orleans and then in Week 2 he was largely responsible for containing one of the NFL’s most lethal offensive weapons – Le’Veon Bell. In 31 touches, Bell racked up fewer than 100 yards and was held out of the end zone. With Barr in his hip pocket all day, Bell caught four passes for only four yards and averaged only 3.2 yards per carry.

We don’t know what Barr’s assignment(s) will be this week against Tampa Bay, but it’s clear he’s on a bit of a roll right now and very few people inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday would be disappointed if Barr had the kind of impact he’s had on the first two games, or the kind of impact he had the last time the Vikings played the Buccaneers.

Let’s get to a few more final thoughts from the week that was.

Bradford ruled out; Keenum will start Sunday

There will be no game day drama this week. Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer rule quarterback Sam Bradford out for Sunday’s game, meaning Case Keenum will start his second straight game for the Vikings. Everyone wants to know more detail about Bradford’s injury and timeline for return, but Zimmer declined to give any specifics about it because his focus remains on winning Sunday’s game over Tampa Bay; plus, he’s admitted he’s not clairvoyant.

For his part, Vikings Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur seems to have this extended quarterback quandary reduced to a pretty simple proposition.

“Well, the challenge is to put together a plan that can attack the defense that you’re facing and then within that plan trying to utilize the plays that fit the skillset of the quarterback playing,” Shurmur said. “That’s pretty much it.”

Zimmer, Koetter set to match wits over Rhodes, Evans matchup

Anyone who’s spent time thinking about the Vikings-Buccaneers matchup is anticipating a showdown between cornerback Xavier Rhodes and wide receiver Mike Evans. And that one-on-one matchup will come to fruition often on Sunday. But as we saw in this week’s Vikings GamePlan film segment with Pete Bercich, the Buccaneers like to line up Evans all over the formation – wide to each side, in the slot, in the short slot and in motion. So, will Rhodes travel with Evans? Will he travel with Evans to the slot? If not, does Rhodes stay on one side when Evans is in the slot or does Rhodes then pivot to DeSean Jackson when Evans is in the slot? This is a chess match between defensive and offensive minds and it’ll be fun to watch Zimmer and Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter match wits.

Everson’s engine is running hot!

Sack Daddy is off to a great start. Everson Griffen has tallied 3.0 sacks in two games and he’s been nearly unblockable as he starts a 2017 season that follows a 2016 season in which he was NOT the team’s sack leader. That distinction went to Danielle Hunter, who had 12.5 sacks. Griffen had 8.5, a very good season-long number, and make no mistake that Griffen is very pleased with his younger teammate’s success. But Griffen cares about his performance, he is dedicated to his craft, he wants to be respected and he wants to be great. Tampa Bay will be on the lookout for No. 97. It will either not matter and Griffen will continue ransacking the backfield, or Tampa Bay will compensate to help the left side handle Griffen and Hunter will be more freed up to get after the quarterback.

A win on Sunday would…

– Improve the Vikings record at U.S. Bank Stadium to 7-3. You have to win your home games in this League, and the Vikings are doing that in their new building. Cleaning up at home is imperative now, as the Vikings begin on Sunday a stretch of four games in five weeks on their home turn before playing six of their final nine games on the road.

– Improve the Vikings record versus NFC teams in 2017 to 2-0. All the games matter, but games against division opponents matter most and games against conference opponents matter almost as much.

About that Vikings run defense

Many people lamented the Vikings run defense a year ago. But I never thought it was really that bad. They held their first six opponents, including the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans – both top 10 rushing offenses by season’s end – to below their would-be per-game rushing average. There were some hiccups in there, though. At any rate, 2017 is a new season and the run defense has been on point. The Vikings have held opponents to 3.0 yards per rush, seventh-best in the NFL, and they haven’t allowed a run longer than 11 yards all season.

The quietest record setter ever

Leave it to Marcus Sherels to set a Vikings team record in the quietest fashion ever. The soft-spoken Sherels broke the record for Vikings career punt returns yards last week, passing Leo Lewis. Sherels now has 1,822 career punt return yards and will have 14 games to add to that total in 2017. Sherels is as unassuming a pro athlete as you’ll ever meet, but don’t confuse that soft-spoken nature for weakness or ambivalence. He’s as competitive and dedicated as they come. He broke into the League the hard way, as an undrafted free agent, and seven years later he’s still kicking – ‘er returning. The guy no one wanted coming out of the University of Minnesota back in 2010 is now the guy no one can beat out of a roster spot because of his prowess on special teams as a punt returner and gunner.

Stat of the week

The Vikings defense has held opponents to just two of nine (22.2%) on red zone possessions. What should be noted with this stat is that the Vikings defense has faced formidable offenses – Drew Brees and the Saints and Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, offenses that scored touchdowns at 66% and 54% clips, respectively, in the red zone a season ago.

Three threats

Gerald McCoy – The total package at defensive tackle. Big and powerful with strength and leverage combined with a quick first step and explosiveness to penetrate the backfield. McCoy is a handful and is a defender offenses will game plan around. He can ruin the game if you’re not careful.

DeSean Jackson – Speed. So much speed. A great complement to Mike Evans. Zimmer noted this week that Jackson has the speed and quickness to take a short pass and turn it into a long touchdown and then he also has the deep speed to take the top off a defense.

Lavonte David – Another Buccaneer with speed. Zimmer has praised the Buccaneers linebacker corps for their speed and David is a big reason for that. He’s a tackling machine, he can play in space and he can cover the pass.

Your mail

So much for that revamped offensive line. Leaking like a sieve. New Orleans defense was clearly an inferior NFL-caliber unit.

— Jack Grace

Hall of Famers one day and trash the next. That is life in the NFL. Everyone loved that new-look Vikings offensive line after the 29-19 win over New Orleans, and now after some struggles while playing the Steelers on the road and on a short week with a backup quarterback, it’s like that group has never done anything worthwhile. Let’s give it time to breathe here before we make final judgments.

I hear a lot of praise for Trae Waynes’ performances from week-to-week but I seem to continually watch him try to catch up to receivers and cause flags to fly. Even going back to the preseason games against Seattle and San Francisco, he seemed to be struggling. Do you think it’s time we start to look at another option for the number two corner spot? Skol!

— Glenn Johnson

Waynes has games where he plays well, such as Week 1 this season. He also has games where he gives up too many big plays and commits too many penalties. It’s fair to wonder when his development will take hold and he’ll take that next step, but I believe it’s unfair to jump ship with him. He has too much talent and too good of coaching right now to give up on him. I believe Waynes will be everything this defense needs him to be for the majority of the 2017 season.

How do you asses the overall performance of the secondary in Pittsburgh? And should we be concerned going forward? The long pass interference penalties look like a serious concern for a team that plays Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at least twice a year. Were they symptomatic of some deeper issues or young players not developing as hoped?

— Jim Lee

They gave up too many penalties and a few big plays. Those mistakes have to be corrected. But Le’Veon Bell had four receptions for four yards and Brown was basically a non-factor. Tight end Jesse James didn’t have a touchdown after scoring twice the week prior. Roethlisberger had fewer than 100 yards passing at halftime. All of that illustrates a great effort by the pass defense, but those penalties and a few big plays muddy the picture a bit. I think they’ll be fine and are in a good place heading into Week 3.

Quote of the week: Pat Shurmur

Reporter: Did you do anything special with Dalvin on ball security?

Shurmur: A: We work on ball security with all the players every day. It’s like shaving, if you don’t it eventually you don’t look good. I think it’s something that we work on and every player that touches the ball needs to finish the down with it.

I love analogies, especially original ones. Thanks, coach Shurmur, for making Thursday’s press conference less mundane than it could have been. That’s two weeks in a row that Shurmur is the quote of the week. We might be onto something here.

Broadcast Info

National Television: FOX (Ch. 9 Twin Cities)

Play-by-play: Thom Brennaman

Analyst: Chris Spielman

Sideline: Peter Schrager

Local Radio: KFAN-FM 100.3/KTLK-AM 1130

Play-by-play: Paul Allen

Analyst: Pete Bercich

Sideline: Greg Coleman, Ben Leber

The post Final Thoughts: Vikings vs. Buccaneers appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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magik-and-chaos · 7 years ago

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Background

Real Name: Sasha Bordeaux

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: Unnamed parents (deceased)

Group Affiliation: Checkmate. Former partner of the Batman, former Secret Service agent.

Base Of Operations: Checkmate bases.

Height: 5’8” Weight: 132 lbs

Eyes: Blue Hair: Pale blonde

Powers and Abilities

Bordeaux is a highly qualified, Secret Service-trained bodyguard and personal protection specialist. She is unusually driven, even for a professional. Bordeaux has proven able to sacrifice her own life for her principal.

Another asset is that she’s very good looking, and has the class and garde-robe to effortlessly join the parties of the rich and beautiful.

Sasha’s willpower was tested but not exceeded by one month of intensive training. This left her very fit physically, and with a solid base in standard Bat-skills – gymnastics, acrobatics, martial arts, fighting with batons, batarang throwing, moving across rooftops and via swing line, etc.

Sasha has now been trained further by Checkmate, but it is unknown if she was trained as a Pawn or Knight. At minimum she now has high-level commando and special forces training. Plus training in numerous espionage and black ops skills if she is a Knight.

History

Sasha Bordeaux’s parents died to a bomb in Jerusalem along with eight other tourists when she was twenty. She has no other family.

She became a Secret Service agent. As such she operated under the orders of Special Agent W. Walker. Walker considered her to be particularly gifted and driven, but probably his most insubordinate agent. Bordeaux might have made it to Presidential detail, which eventually went to be overseen by Walker. But she chose to quit and join the private sector.

After the No Man’s Land catastrophe , the board of Wayne Industries voted that Bruce Wayne should receive close personal protection at all times. Given the circumstances, an attack on their figurehead could mean serious losses on the stock exchange.

Lucius Fox personally oversaw the recruitment. He chose Bordeaux both for her exceptional skills and professionalism, and because her beauty would help Wayne swallow the pill. It helped, but not enough. Thus, Fox had to threaten to resign to have Wayne accept the bodyguard.

That vapid, famous playboy

Obviously, having a dedicated professional watch him 24/24 was a huge problem for the Batman. Even on the first day, he told her he had to answer nature’s call and vanished for much of the day. He eventually found the furious Bordeaux sitting on the steps of Wayne Manor in the evening.

As Bruce Wayne, he started becoming even dumber, clumsier and prone to goofs and disappearances than usual. But Bordeaux’s infernal dedication to her job made this more and more problematic. Furthermore, she soon realised that Wayne wasn’t around most nights.

During the following months, Bordeaux was confronted to various threats. A hit was ordered by the Penguin on Wayne’s star lawyer, as revenge over a previous defeat. Sasha’s quick reactions were the only thing to save Ms. Green and Bruce Wayne when the hit took place.

Mmmm… something’s wrong here

During Commissioner Gordon’s retirement dinner, Sasha noticed that Bruce was exceptionally heavy, muscular and observant despite his slouched posture and catastrophic apparent absent-mindedness.

The same night, Wayne turned the both of them into comic relief when he tripped and drenched Bordeaux and himself in sauce in front of the assembly. This is when Two-Face came in. Despite the odds, Ms. Bordeaux was ready to intervene, but Batman came next to her and told her to wait. Gordon defused the situation by the madman flip his coin.

Later, at a children’s hospital charity, Sasha was knocked out by Harley Quinn shortly after Wayne left the grounds.

On his end, Batman wasn’t doing well. He had alienated most of his allies, such as Nightwing (Dick Grayson) and Robin (Tim Drake), and could only count on Alfred and Oracle. That was the result of his cold, secretive, ruthless behaviour.

The lonely Wayne thus came to care about the smart, intense and beautiful Sasha. But, unable to learn his lesson, he coped by deciding he would take control of her.

You can’t handle the truth

Wayne started leaving subtle clues. With these, Sasha became certain that something was majorly fishy. He then had her discover some pieces of bat-gear in a suitcase of his, which led to taking the bodyguard to the Batcave to tell her she had become a problem.

However, Bordeaux remained doggedly determined to protect her principal, even if that meant guarding Batman at night. The discussion became surreal, as they both refused to admit that they were in love with each other.

Wayne told Bordeaux she’d have a month to prove herself by passing an intense, record-breaking training program. She defiantly accepted and succeeded, qualifying to follow the Batman on his nightly patrols without being dead weight.

Bordeaux, while focusing at first on her mission, quickly discovered how exhilarating the nightly acrobatics and fighting could be. She received her own costume, mask and utility belt, but wasn’t given a code name.

The Gotham Gladiatrix ? The Caped Crusaderette ?

A few times, she even operated alone. Bordeaux had redefined her mission of protecting Bruce Wayne to working for the Batman, becoming a clear substitute for Robin. She also filled a gaping hole in his personal life. Sasha insisted upon celebrating Christmas despite Bruce’s poor reaction.

In 2001, the Joker gassed the Slab, turning many of the metahuman prisoners there into green-haired, chalk-skinned maniacs. A woman named Cucilla became one of the infectees and became a lethal danger on the Gotham dockland.

The costumed Bordeaux managed to bring Cucilla down. She received the invaluable help of the Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), though Sasha had to fend off the Huntress’ bitter hostility toward Batman as well as her attempts to kill Cucilla.

But Cucilla secretly was a Checkmate agent on an undercover mission within the Slab. Once she was cured, she kept precise memories about the events. Thus, Checkmate soon had a pretty detailed entry on the nameless blonde partner of the Batman.

Bordeaux still worked for Wayne as a bodyguard. Thus, she operated along with the Batman to “protect Wayne” from the Scarecrow. The madman had gone postal whilst giving a motivational speech at Wayne Industries. Bordeaux also disarmed a disgruntled employee who wanted to kill Wayne after Lucius Fox had a stroke.

Though Bordeaux was quite proud of her accomplishments, this didn’t entirely dull her sharp analytical intelligence. She slowly grew certain that her discovery that Wayne was Batman hadn’t been an accident, and that he had been manipulating her.

Bruce Wayne, fugitive

At that point, Vesper Fairchild was apparently assassinated by Bruce Wayne. The devastated Wayne ended up in prison. Bordeaux was arrested without bail, and judged separately. Her career, and quite possibly her life, were now over.

Thus, even Sasha became tempted to give up on Wayne. That lasted until he briefly touched her shoulder, which washed the doubts away.

Bruce Wayne eventually fled. While he was a fugitive, the prosecution and police tried to destroy Bordeaux, having her listen numerous times to the tape of Fairchild’s last panicked phone call. They worked her hard as she was the only possible chink in Wayne’s legal defense, but she didn’t give an inch. She was eventually sent to Blackgate.

Prison life didn’t go particularly well. Sasha acquired enemies among the female prisoners, earning her multiple attacks in the courtyard. She had little hope of being free before she was at least in her 50s. Ms. Bordeaux came to the depressing realisation she had taken the greatest step for a bodyguard. She had taken the bullet, given her life to protect her principal.

For a crime she did not commit

Bruce Wayne was eventually judged innocent. He wanted his lawyers to free Bordeaux. But while still loyal, she had come to hate his guts for having manipulated her all along. She pridefully rejected all help and said she would defend herself, dooming herself to decades in the pen.

She was then approached by a CIA man. The agent told her he could instantly get her out of prison if she wrote a confession about witnessing Wayne kill Fairchild. After several days of terrible temptation and actually writing the letter, Bordeaux burned it. The letter she gave the Agency man instead read “go to Hell”.

In late 2002, a brawl with a prisoner who hated her ended badly. The woman punched Sasha in the guts with a heavy dumb bell. With a low key death wish, Bordeaux refused to go to the infirmary. She collapsed a few days later, blood oozing from her mouth. Internal organs had been ruptured from the blow.

The wound kept getting bigger until she died from internal haemorrhaging.

Checkmate ! (part 1)

Bordeaux’s corpse was claimed under suspicious circumstances by her non-existent family. Batman went crazy following the trail of Bordeaux, whom he suspected was not dead. He eventually determined she was being held by Checkmate. Meanwhile Ms. Midnight, the Black Bishop of Checkmate, was offering Sasha the chance to become a full time Checkmate agent.

She was perfect for them – ex-Secret Service, highly trained and talented, with an impeccable career, and trained by the Batman. Furthermore, they knew she had been the mysterious blonde vigilante operating in Gotham, as they had matched the Bordeaux file with the observation of “Cucilla”.Lastly, she had the undeniable advantage of being declared death.

Bordeaux, wanting to serve her country, accepted.

Checkmate ! (part 2)

However, there was a small problem. Batman was systematically wrecking Checkmate operations in and around Gotham, and deeply hacked their systems to check their records. He clearly had a mad on Checkmate, and wouldn’t let go until he knew where Bordeaux was. The Black Bishop saw that only Bordeaux could possibly stop him.

Bordeaux confronted Wayne. At first she was angry at him, accusing him of having used and discarded her. As the conversation went off the rails, they came to admit they loved each other. After an uncontrolled kiss, Wayne admitted how he had manipulated Bordeaux. He also admitted that it was because he loved her and was clumsily attempting to control and protect her.

Though Sasha was now aware of how much she loved Bruce, the situation was unsalvageable. Besides both now had lives which made any relationship impossible.

Thus Sasha Bordeaux walked away in distress, asking the badly shaken Bruce Wayne never to seek her again.

Checkmate and the Dark Knight

Since Checkmate knows that Sasha was Batman’s partner, they presumably know that Bruce Wayne is the Batman. Bordeaux’s handler, the Black Bishop, always made a big show of not asking Sasha to tell her the secret, but that’s presumably to mark her appreciation for Bordeaux’ samurai-like integrity. Sasha probably knows that they know, but obviously will never tell Checkmate.

Still, it is important to note that Checkmate has a terrible relationship with President Luthor. They have actively investigated CIA black bag ops launched by Luthor using narcotics-derived money, and have plainly admitted to the Batman they were extremely wary about the billionaire industrialist.

It is thus highly probable that any conclusions about the Batman’s identity have not been distributed to other government agencies.

Furthermore, it is quite likely that Oracle has access to Checkmate computers. Remember, she is a close ally of Amanda Waller. And the Wall is the US intelligence community’s 700 lbs gorilla.

Description

Bordeaux is a beautiful blonde in her late 20s with a determined air, natural elegance and an athletic body.

When she became a Checkmate member, her face was surgically reconstructed to change her looks, and she changed hair colour.

Personality

Sasha is actually a sensitive, caring, vital young woman with powerful emotions and a great capacity for love. But she hides her own emotions, even to herself.She remains a stern, deadly serious professional 24/24 over a vast variety of circumstances.

Her most obvious trait of character when she has her professional mask is her dedication. She will do *anything* to protect her principal and ensure they are always living under secure and controlled circumstances.

If the principal tries to deny her the proper amount of control and discipline, she become angry and bossy. She can accept authority, but this has clear limits. By nature she doesn’t take orders well since she knows she’s more competent at her job than most, and prefers to trust her own judgement.

One fine lass

Despite her control freak tendencies and her strong emotional reservation, she has a remarkable array of qualities. Sasha is smart, observant, stubborn, stable, compassionate, etc.. She is on the introspective side, and tends to analyze things a lot.

While she was in awe of the Batman, her drive was such she stood up to him repeatedly, insisting on accompanying him so she could protect him. Obviously, he was quite beyond even her abilities to protect. But Sasha is nothing if not a woman of duty, even under surreal circumstances and when nearly mentally broken.

Furthermore, Bordeaux took exception to most deadly violence in her vicinity. For instance, she was adamant in protecting the Jokerized Cucilla from the Huntress.

A rare glimpse of Sasha without her emotional rigidly was seen when she was pretty much hurled from a building by the Batman to learn how to use a de-cel swingline, and when she stopped her first street criminal with a precise acrobatic kick. She was flushed, super-enthusiastic and almost giggling – briefly resembling the 16-years old Spoiler in her reaction.

With some shortcomings

While she could deconstruct how Wayne had manipulated her, she ironically had trouble accepting that her main reason for loyalty was love. Even though it became obvious, at the latest, when he touched her in Blackgate.

But despite her obvious intelligence, she didn’t understand before it was too late that Bruce’s tortured actions were due to his love for her.

Due to her peculiar job, Sasha lives in solitude. This meant that her ambiguous relationship with Wayne made her as uneasy as he was.

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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What We Learned at Bristol (Plus More Photos)

This past weekend’s Short Track U.S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway felt like a marathon of racing. With over 300 cars on the premises, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that we were in for a lot of action. The massive rain delay on Sunday didn’t help us take much of a break from the track either.

When all was said and done, there was plenty to digest from the events that took place on Friday and Saturday. After a few days to gather our thoughts here are some of the take away points from Bristol.

Jeff Huneycutt:

The Internet is the Future

A decade ago every racing series that wasn’t NASCAR Cup, Truck or XFINITY was desperate for television coverage. But now companies like Speed51 and Dirt on Dirt are producing high-quality broadcasts available to anyone anywhere over the internet. They’ve effectively cut the big TV networks right out of the picture (pun intended) and their pay-per-view broadcasts are surprisingly affordable.

Trust Your Spotter

We saw a couple big hits that were completely avoidable. At Bristol the Compact and Street Stock classes weren’t allowed spotters. They should have been, but that’s a story for a different day. But even in the Modified at Late Model races we saw drivers plow into cars where there was enough time for the spotter to warn the driver so that he or she could have avoided the hit. Now, we aren’t sure if the team didn’t employ a spotter or if the driver simply didn’t pay attention, but either way a lot of expensive equipment got torn up needlessly.

The Modifieds Need More Grip

Modifieds are fun because they put a ton of power through tiny, hard tires. But at Bristol they were trying to carry a lot of speed with minimal grip. Skating around on hard tires on a small flat track is one thing, but at a high speed track like Bristol they simply could have used more rubber on the track.

Different Worlds

At Circle Track we spend our time with the Saturday night racers at Saturday night race tracks. Bristol is beautiful and having a dedicated (and air conditioned) media center in the infield is a luxury. We were even grateful because the fantastic PR staff at Bristol put out chips, peanut butter, jelly and a couple loaves of bread for lunch. We had to laugh when we overhead two mention how the short track racing press in attendance thanked them for such simple food but the usual NASCAR Cup media would have thrown a fit for not being fed a hot lunch. We were just happy just not to have to eat another concession stand hot dog.

Matt Panure:

Safety Concerns

When we first heard about the speeds being turned at Bristol, we were a bit concerned about the safety of the drivers. After all, most cars are designed for quarter-miles, third-miles and half-miles that don’t turn nearly the lap times of the 14-second range we saw this weekend.

Unfortunately, we had a few chances to see how the safety of the cars would hold up (more than we like to see). No situation was more frightening (in my mind) than Dillon Oliver’s crash during the Pro Late Model race where he took a hard right turn into the turn two outside retaining wall, then hit the inside wall, as well. I was sitting on the wall in turn one taking photos and could feel the impact. Not only was Oliver ok enough to get out under his own power, he was also ok enough to run to the pit of the other car in the altercation and let him know of his displeasure.

Credit goes to the chassis design and safety equipment of these race cars. Also, the SAFER barrier should get some credit here. The hit was extremely violent and the chassis (and barrier) absorbed the proper amount of impact. The car may be destroyed, but at least the driver wasn’t.

Let Me Tell Ya’ Something

To go with Jeff’s point – communication is key. We aren’t 100% sure of which drivers had spotters and which didn’t. We do know that some accidents looked completely avoidable if the driver had been told when to slow down or where to avoid the wreck.

For those drivers that weren’t allowed (or didn’t have) spotters, next time around it would be a good idea to have a Raceceiver. The Raceceiver is a one-way communication device where a track or series official can talk directly to the drivers in their cars. The official can let the drivers know when and where a caution takes place. Utilizing the Raceceiver might not stop all accidents, but it certainly could help prevent situations of a driver joining a wreck well after it had taken place.

Co-Sanction Cooperation

Sometimes having too many cooks in the kitchen just makes a big mess. Thankfully this wasn’t an issue at all this weekend. The Championship Racing Association, CARS Tour, Southern Super Series, NSTA Top Speed Modified Tour, and Vores Compact Touring Series did a spectacular job working with officials from Bristol. There were very few breaks in the action, and everyone was lined up on time and ready to go.

One of the best moments came Sunday when officials from Bristol announced that each of the three 100-lap features was to be split into a 51-lap segment and a 49-lap segment. After each 51, the next group would come out. This was done to make sure that each of the three features at least made it to halfway with the possibility of more weather on the way. Kudos to whomever came up with that idea, and kudos to everyone who executed it.

The Expense

It’s no secret this wasn’t a cheap trip for a lot of competitors – especially those who had unfortunate endings to their weekends. But we’re sure (or at least we hope) a lot of these competitors knew what they were getting into. The reality is that you can just as easily wreck a car at your local track, but the speeds of Bristol increase the odds of doing more damage.

Should the Short Track U.S. Nationals take place again in 2018, and you hope to attend, make sure you do some serious number crunching and check your budget. There are a number of big-time short track races that fall into this same category. If you can swing the opportunity to compete at Bristol, give it a shot. If it’s not in the budget, it’s not in the budget. Just make sure you plan accordingly.

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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Traditional Hot Rods—And Good Taste—Return to the 68th Grand National Roadster Show

“Dreadful,” “incoherent,” “baroque” … Detractors of “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) competition were not exactly sparing venomous adjectives to describe the vehicles, which battled during the first decade of the century. Back then, judging revolved around the alterations performed on each entry, without much consideration for subjective criteria. It all changed in 2011, when judges were instructed to incorporate new guidelines, emphasizing the driving position, profile, proportions, rim/tire ratios, theme of the build, and more. Seen as controversial by some, this reform allowed smartly constructed and esthetically balanced entries (and not necessarily the most exotic or perfect) to stand a chance of winning the Grand National Roadster Show’s ultimate accolade. Here we are, seven years later with arguably one of the best selections of contestants to vie for the AMBR award. Tastefully done traditional/retro creations represent the bulk of the field; in fact, many would deserve being featured in Hot Rod Deluxe. We let you peruse through our pictures to discover a few of the nominees, as well as the ultimate champion, Bruce Wanta’s terrific ’36 Packard. His name will now grace the pedestal of the massive 9-plus-foot-tall AMBR trophy. Yet, the three-day event had much more to offer, thanks to the neatly organized seven halls, which welcomed no less than 50,000 visitors. One of our favorite spots remained the Suede Palace, solely dedicated to traditional hot rods and customs, with several vintage drag cars thrown in for good measure. When inaugurated in 2006, the old tin building gathered a handful of rat rods; but more than a decade later, they’ve disappeared, being replaced with nicely finished and painted vehicles built with taste and a deep appreciation for history. Concerts and an assortment of vendors/artists contributed to the “Palace’s” excellent vibe, too. Launched in 1950, the GNRS remains the “Oldest and Longest Running Indoor Car Show in the World.” Promoter John Buck and his crew have done a great job perpetuating the legacy of our hot rod forefathers—this extravaganza should be on every gearhead’s bucket list!

Ain’t no hot rod: Mixing Art Deco styling and custom car traits, Bruce Wanta’s ’36 Packard (with disappearing top) might not fit everybody’s definition of a hot rod. Yet, Troy Ladd and his crew at Hollywood Hot Rods managed to create an amazing coachbuilt, which wowed the crowd—and AMBR judges who declared it the 2017 winner. For motivation, Bruce selected a Lincoln V12 flathead hoped up with a Latham supercharger and Hogan heads.

Outta Muroc: Built by Stoker’s Hot Rod Factory, Bill Grant’s “Muroc Roadster” appeared to be right out of a Don Montgomery book. Bill’s roadster stood out in a sea of Deuces entered in the AMBR competition, as he based his project on a ’28 A equipped with a ’32 Model B engine, with an original Miller overhead conversion. The stock frame retains mega-detailed mechanical brakes.

’68 all over again: Inspired by the hot rods from the 1960s, Don Lindfors homebuilt his “Boss ’32” AMBR entry based on a ’32 Ford Roadster pickup shell made by Brookville, later painted by Pete Santini. Motivation comes courtesy of a Ford Boss 351 Cleveland V8, topped with four Weber 48IDA lookalikes—their bodies hide a modern fuel injection system.

Trick truck: The crew of Goolsby Customs (Alabama) brought a strong AMBR contender, this ’32 Ford roadster pickup dubbed “The Time Merchant.” We fell in love with its excellent proportions and metallic color. Owned by Matthew Gordon, the little truck runs a beautifully detailed Oldsmobile Rocket “88” with tri-carburetors.

Canadian contender: We counted at least half a dozen cars from Canada, with one of them competing for the AMBR award—Gord and Carolina Gray’s ’32 roadster. The British Columbian couple based their exercise on a Brookville body that sits on a Kiwi Konnection chassis, while H&H handled the flathead’s assembly. Low-mounted headlights and a tilted windshield contribute to the vehicle’s aggressive appearance.

FirePower Power: Dan Peterson commissioned Austin Speed Shop, Texas to build him the “Hill Country Flyer” in hopes of winning the AMBR honor. Fitted with a DuVall-style windshield and Rocket Racing rims, his ’32 roadster relies on a healthy, quad-carbed 392ci Chrysler Hemi.

Heavy metal: James Hetfield, lead vocalist of the band Metallica, owns several tasteful rods and customs. His latest endeavor involves “Blackjack,” a ’40s-styled ’32 Ford jalopy running a 296ci flathead V8 with desirable early speed equipment: Osiecki heads, Edelbrock hi-rise intake, Harman & Collins mag. The AMBR nominee also features a windshield chopped 1-3/4 inches, along with a Carson-style top.

Suede ’n’ paint: The fully detailed flathead mill fed by dual Strombergs equips Josh Candler’s ’35 Ford three-window coupe. Behind it sits Micah Hope’s ’55 Studebaker truck nicknamed “Lunatone,” dressed in metallic blue by Martin Kolor & Style. The round shapes of these Stud haulers lend themselves beautifully to a custom treatment, don’t they?

One of 50: Under the watchful eye of Alex “Axle” Idzardi since 2006, only about 50 cars are selected to be displayed in the Suede Palace—it has become quite an honor to be part of these happy few. Among them: Jeremy Jack of Napa in Northern California, who drove “Pinched Penny,” his heavily chopped ’55 Oldsmobile Rocket.

Best of Show: The Suede Palace has its own Best of Show, and this year’s mark of distinction went to Mike Thompson, a member of the Estranged Car Club based in Oregon. Barris Kustom Shop chopped his ’32 Ford three-window coupe in 1951, whilst Gaylord’s Kustom Tops handled the upholstery that same year. Two NHRA legends, Don Rackemann and Joe Pisano, owned it back in the late ’50s to early ’60s. The black paint has held well since its last respray in 1981.

Dry lake spirit: Rich Roberts has had a long history with hot rods, starting in high school with a Cadillac-powered ’29 Ford roadster—he lost his license for six months for racing too much. He has also been drag racing since the ’60s. Here is his latest project car, a dry lake–inspired ’32 Ford roadster complete with tonneau cover and a flathead V8 with four-carb induction. Rich won the Suede Palace’s “Best Hot Rod” trophy.

Electracutioner: That’s what Beatniks Koolsville Car Club member Roger Trawick calls his ’62 Buick Electra, which incidentally went home with the Suede Palace’s “Best Custom” award. The two-tone coupe, created by Dave Hitchinson at Von Hitch Customs, features simple alterations, including a body sans handles and a set of Astro Supreme wheels.

Whata find: “They are still out there,” as John and Don Coleman will confirm. The duo purchased their ’32 Ford five-window in September of last year—and it came with a cool story. The previous owner (then aged 16) purchased the coupe from a Fresno, California, used car lot in 1950. It was his first car and he drove it until 1967, when he parked it alongside a barn. He later moved it to a shed, where the Coleman’s found it.

Steele steel: Marcus Edell is the proud caretaker of this historic hot rod known as “The Fred Steele ’28 Ford Model A Tudor,” soon to be featured in Hot Rod Deluxe. Fred bought the vehicle in 1949, later chopping the top 6 inches and adapting a 283ci V8 purchased new from the local Chevrolet dealer in 1958. The paint dates to 1961.

Spiteful Canadian: Displayed with the Estranged Car Club, Brad Anderson’s “Spiteful Special” hails from British Columbia. The ’34 Ford five-window model moves quickly thanks to a flathead V8 with Made in Canada Ford heads, nicely polished. Dual Stromberg 97s handle the air and fuel supply.

Funny Buick: Recognized as The World’s only Buick-powered Buick Funny car, Bruce Bohen’s restored “Ingénue” made a lasting impression on the drag racing hobby back in the ’60s. It ran a best e.t. of 7.79 at 191 mph, fueled by an 8-71 supercharger-fed 430ci V8. Parked next to it: Sebastian Rey’s 331ci ’62 Studebaker Lark, soon to be unveiled in Hot Rod Deluxe.

The other ’32: Several racers used small Bantam bodies when building their AF/R dragsters. Among them, Boyd Penington’s “Smog Rat” fitted with a 354ci Chrysler Hemi, a record holder that covered the quarter-mile in 9.00 seconds at 170 mph circa 1962-1964. What you see here is a re-creation of Boyd’s ’32 model, courtesy of Ron and Shelly Penington, together with Lee and Alberta Denning.

Like a Rollin’ Stone: Raced all over the Southwest in the ’50s by Carl Stone from Dallas, Texas, the “Rollin’ Stone” ’32 Ford has been restored as it appeared in 1958, both in Hot Rod magazine and Rod & Custom. Under the hood lurks a ’57 Chevy 283ci hooked to a ’39 Ford transmission with Lincoln Zephyr gears. You can find out more about the roadster in our January 2014 issue.

Goin’ Like Heck: Larry Frees’ “Mr. Chevy” ’55 was one of the most talked about cars in Building 9, devoted to tri-Chevys. Van Heck (the original owner, builder, and driver) purchased the vehicle in 1964. Both the coupe and matching ’55 Chevrolet 4400 Series truck were wrecked in 1976 on the way home from a track. After sitting in storage untouched for years, they received an extensive restoration.

Tricky top: British Columbia is a hotbed of hot rodding activity, as exemplified by John Foxley’s ’32 three-window coupe called “Rad Rose.” The unique shape of the top, chopped 5.5 inches, comes from the combination of several Ford components: ’34 5W front roof section, ’33 two-door sedan rear roof section, ’34 four-door doors stretched 6 inches and ’34 windshield. Six 94s sit atop the 355ci ’70 GM block.

Five-week trash: Diana Branch’s colorful “Honey Dew” was assembled in just over a month with help from family (including husband Tom) and friends. Her cool A-V8 blends a ’29 Ford roadster body, ’32 frame, ’40 Ford flathead, ’39 Ford gearbox, and ’40 Ford rear end.

In memory of Pete: So-Cal Speed Shop’s Pete Chapouris passed away shortly before the GNRS, so it seemed appropriate to display two of his best-known hot Rods: “Limefire,” which graced the cover of Rod & Custom in December 1988, in addition to “The California Kid.” The latter appeared in the made-for-TV movie The California Kid, starring Martin Sheen. Jason Slover of Peculiar, Missouri, has been the owner of the ’34 coupe for years.

Shampoo delivery: Around 1952-1953, Joe Bailon crafted this Ford pickup for the owner of Betty Elizabeth Shampoo, hence it will always be remembered as the “Shampoo Truck.” It started life as a ’49 sedan, modified with a lift-off top and a windshield chopped 3 inches. Other alterations include a body sectioned 5 inches, reshaped wheel openings, and ’46 Olds bumpers. The Car Speed and Style cover star is now in the hands of Bob Dron.

Roth’s Ford: Remember the weathered ’56 Ford F-100 that adorned HRD’s latest cover (January 2017)? Here it is again in its new, freshly completed two-tone PPG livery. Dave Shuten and the team at Galpin Auto Sports did a spectacular job restoring Ed Roth’s former shop truck for collector Beau Boeckmann. Artists Robert Williams and Van Franco respectively handled the paint on the dash and tonneau cover.

Soaking up the sun: Besides the 500 vehicles displayed indoor, the GNRS offered a huge outside show as well. One of the nicest lineups involved this group of 1920s and 1930s entries, led by Louis Stands’ red 327ci ’27 Ford roadster. Next to it, check out Brett Miller’s ’31 Model A, as well as Matt Kimmel and Isaac Bowser’s channeled ’34 Ford coupe, equipped with a 331ci ’55 Cad V8.

Patina’d cousins: In the foreground, that’s Nathan Sutton’s ’32 Fordor, a partially resprayed family hauler, which still features a lot of its ancient paint. To the left, the rare European ’32 Tudor owned by Stephan Szantai—it still wears most of its original paint, plus lettering applied before 1955. Both rides were displayed in the Suede Palace, respectively in 2015 and 2016, though Nathan and Stephan elected to display them during Saturday’s Drive-In event this year.

The post Traditional Hot Rods—And Good Taste—Return to the 68th Grand National Roadster Show appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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