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[druidx]

SPC Challenge Four

Universe: Astyria's Star (Original) CW: Politics Words: 930 Context: This was written in 2010 for the Protagonize Summer Prose Challenge - a challenge designed to lead you through some world-building exercises. I do not recall what the prompt for Challenge Four was.

“Settle please, Councillors. Settle please,” the Chancellor called out. “I know this isn’t anywhere near as pleasant as Gont Point, but we must make do in the present circumstances.”

Astyria glanced around the more modern building - shining glass, varnished wood and precious steel - that had been commandeered for the council’s emergency use. It seemed to have been some kind of theatre, given the tiered seating and the dais on which the Chancellor was sat. Slowly around her, the noise subsided, as the council took its seats and stopped its chattering.

“I now call this session to order,” the chancellor began. Astyria leaned over to the woman sitting next to her. “Councillor Breaken,” she whispered, “I really don’t see why I am here.” “Please, call me Saris,” the councillor whispered back. “And you are here because the council has requested an update from all the contractors working on a solution to our current problem. Since you are in my constituency, you get to come along with me.” “Even the backup plan?” The councillor looked at Astyria. She was a strong looking woman, Astyria thought. Heavily tanned, with high cheekbones, her intricately carved Mother-of-Perl collar helped show off the status she held. “Especially the backup plan,” Saris whispered. Astyria gave a small sigh as Breaken returned her attention to the session, and began to look over the assembled councillors.

Many of them she had never seen before, but there were a few she recognised from the news - those with Coalescences of over twenty islands. However, given the importance of this meeting, not only were all the councillors and guests like herself present, but also the heads of each island. The room was packed with an array of hues of skin and cloth, and some thoughtful administrator had arranged the seats geographically. Far to her left sat the ones who lived closest to Arctus: their skins white turning to olive. Most of their clothing was in bright, primary colours, because (Astyria had once been told) many of the plants they used would only grow in the colder climates of the north. As her eyes followed the curve of the seating, she saw how the majority of the central seats were taken up by those like herself - light to medium tanned. Astyria smiled, recalling the night she’d helped Joishi with his homework, explaining that their planet had an axis tilt of 35º which meant the best places to live were on the numerous islands a few hundred miles from the equator.

There were a few colonised islands closer to the equator, their representatives sitting not much further to her right. They didn’t tend to wear much of anything if they could help it, and what they did wear was usually white or the sandy colour of unbleached fabrics, standing out in stark contrast to their ebony skin.

Astyria turned her attention back to the session. “And so,” a man on the dais was saying, “with expected resources evaluated to be very low by the time the generation ships are made, we have attempted to make each one a self-contained ecosphere so that the little we will have to take with us is not wasted.” One of the other councillors stood up, an older man from the Northern end of the room. “Of course,” he said. “We would hope this would be the case anyway. Do you see many synthesised products in this room, sir? Even with some of our newer technologies making resources more readily available for exploitation, oil and metals are still precious gifts, not to be used frivolously.” There was a murmur of assent from the room.

“Obviously, councillor, we would not dream of wasting these assets. The majority of the materials used will be things we can harvest directly from the seas or beaches. After all one of the major components of the nano-factories used to build the elevator and the ships is silicon, a direct derivative of sand. Everything we plan on using, right down to the power generation, will be - for what it’s worth now - sustainable, or used with as little wastage as possible.” “So, if we do in fact have to leave, we will be leaving the planet mostly intact?” “Yes, councillor. Though it would be more beneficial if we were able, once the entire population was aboard a generation ship, to be able to nanofactor the planet and take with us more materials.”

A darker tanned woman stood up. “And what if parts of the population want to stay - do you propose nanofactoring them as well?” she asked. “Well, no...” The engineer looked at the Chancellor for help. “That, I think, is a debate for another time. Thank you, Tolen,” said the Chancellor. The man nodded and moved back to his seat. “I believe we have thoroughly established that the planet may well be unsalvageable. The issue now becomes: do we continue our efforts to evade the latest acid age, or do we move to commence building the elevator, and the generation ships, at once and proceed directly with transporting the world’s populous to Astyria’s Star?” A thrill ran through Astyria at hearing her name mentioned, but the Chancellor was continuing, “We will now take a short break. Please discuss what you have heard, then we will vote on the matter when we reconvene.”

“You see my dear?” Saris said to Astyria as the council began to rise and shuffle out to the refreshment area. “That is why you are here.”

[aj-the-psycho]

The Band of Rotten: Chapter 5

THE NOBLEMAN ON THE RUN

Summary: Remy agreed to pull a heist to steal Baylen's ship back and sail to America. What ended up happening was not found anywhere in his plans.

Ao3 Link

France, 1860

He woke up with a sore hip. His auburn hair was a mess and his eyes were sticky. He had expected to see the sailor lying down across from him, but Baylen was nowhere to be seen. He sat up, leaning against the wooden wall of the shed behind him. Thin rays of light filtered through the glassless windows, giving the small room a warm ambiance. His hand found something wet; a mold from the rotten wood. He cringed in disgust, bolting up immediately. He stumbled on his own feet, falling backwards. He braced for impact only to be caught by a hand against his back, stopping his fall.

“When did you get here?” Remy righted himself, stepping away in a haste away from the sailor. “I thought you left.”

“I haven’t gotten my ship back. I’m still asking that favor from you, so no, I’m not leaving.” Baylen gave him an easy smirk, turning away to look out the window. “I never left this pathetic shed in the first place.”

“You were watching me sleep?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you look pretty in your sleep.”

“You are—you’re absolutely disgusting.” Remy refused to acknowledge the rising heat on his face. ‘It must be from the sun,’ he thought to himself. He cleared his throat, composing himself. “So, you told me last night that you knew me.”

“And I do.”

“How?”

“Let me just show you.”

They stepped outside under the sun. Baylen led them further down, closer to the shore. Remy followed with hesitance. If this sailor knew him, there would be a chance that other people in this tiny town to know him, too. But that’s impossible. He had been very careful when he left home, not to leave any clue as to where he went. He tried not to think of it, focusing on the sailor walking in front of him instead. He was tall—half a head taller than Remy himself—and he walked with a confident gait. Half his head was wrapped in a dirty white cloth, his messy hair sticking out from under it. From what he could see, Remy didn’t think this Baylen fellow to look like a sailor at all. Of course, he wouldn’t be sure only seeing from the loose tunic Baylen wore that was tucked into the waistband of his dark-yellow, almost brown pants.

They stopped in the middle of the town where a great statue of a swordfish stood, posing majestically as if breaching out of water. Baylen looked around, before spotting what he was looking for.

“Wait here,” Baylen said briefly, walking over to a tree where a piece of paper was nailed onto its trunk. He ripped the paper and walked back to where Remy stood. “Here it is. Missing person: Remedio Arlotti. Age twenty-one. Son of Enrico Arlotti, the fine nobleman of Northern Italy.”

As Baylen read the flyer, Remy creased his forehead with worry. He clenched his hands tightly, trying not to burst into tears. He steeled himself, taking a deep breath before taking the flyer from Baylen’s hand. He read the words carefully over and over, the meaning not getting through his head. He saw the inscription at the bottom of the page. Paying reward, it read. He refused to read the number before crumpling the paper in his hands and throwing it to the ground harshly.

“Hm… can’t imagine why you’re upset,” Baylen said sarcastically, eyes fixed on the visible waters in the distance.

“We have to go, now.”

Remy marched to the beach, not caring if Baylen followed or not. He had to go now before they find him. He flinched when he felt a strong grip on his wrist, yanking it back as though the touch had burned him.

“Do not touch me.”

“Alright,” Baylen said, taking a step back and raising his arms in mock defeat. “I understand you are upset. I do not know why you are here, and I do not wish to know. Now, I am as excited as you are on getting my ship back, but we do not have a plan.”

“But we have to leave this instant.”

Remy watched as Baylen took a deep breath, walking back and forth in a small circle. He tried thinking of an idea himself. He was about to say something when Baylen cut through his thought. With a big, childish smile that could only be described as enthusiastic, Baylen clapped his hands loudly.

Baylen took the crumpled flyer from the ground. “I have a plan!”

**********

“This has got to be the worst plan anyone has ever had,” Remy mumbled as he threw his shoes into a boat. He climbed in after it, getting the two oars from the floor of the boat. There was a sack, too, full and heavy.

“If you have a better idea, this is the best time for you to tell me,” came a muffled noise from behind him. He kicked in that general direction, earning a small cry of pain. He gave himself a satisfied smile of victory.

“What was that for?”

“Shut it.” Remy placed the oars at the side of the boat and started rowing slowly. “I’ve never rowed a boat before. This is hard.”

Baylen chuckled before all noises died off. The ship does not look too far off the coast, but in truth it is further into the ocean than one might expect. It made sense, of course. If the ship was too close to shore the hull will graze the sand and the ship will be as good as stranded. The sun was not too high in the morning sky, but the heat was enough to bother Remy. Drops of sweat started to make their way down his temple and back. The splash of water lapping gently against wood was rather relaxing, in rhythm with the sway of the boat on water.

After some time of rowing, they were finally close enough to the ship. Remy could see the full size of the ship up close. From the shore, it appears small with its sails drawn. Now, he could see the impressive size of the ship, bigger than his own father’s merchant ship. Speaking of, this ship did not look like any other he had seen before. It looked like a merchant ship, but not quite. There were small square doors at the side of the ship which only meant the ship had canons. A gun boat? Odd for a merchant ship to have those. The usual white sails were grey instead, but perhaps it was dirty so they appear darker. The name of the ship was written in an elegant calligraphy at the side of the ship: Le Destin Doré.

“Hey!” He shouted, waving his arms wildly in the hopes of gaining attention. “Hey, up there! I need your help!”

The pirate crew were having quite the big argument on the ship. When they heard the voice of a young man, one of them approached the side of the ship, telling the others to wait. He leaned over, seeing a lone man on a boat, waving his arms.

“Who are you?” The pirate asked sternly.

“Uh, sorry. I need your help. I will pay you a good amount if you are willing!”

The pirate was silent for a moment before shouting back. “Alright. But you will keep your promise of our pay?”

“Of course!”

The pirate turned his back as he started to shout orders to the crew. Soon, a rope ladder was thrown along the side of the ship for Remy to climb. He looked down on the sack on the boat, sighing in frustration and impatient.

“I’m sorry. This sack I have is full of provision. Food and all. It is quite the heavy load,” Remy explained. “Would you mind pulling it up with a rope?”

Another moment, the end of a rope was thrown onto the boat, and Remy tied the fabric of the sack with it. He let the crew pulled it, the weight of the sack slamming against the side of the ship once in a while. Remy could only cringe as he watched the sack swing back and forth, crashing against the ship. He climbed the ladder and hopped onto the wooden floor of the ship. The dark wood was oddly clean, though wet with sea water. He had imagined a pirate ship would be dirty and slimy, perhaps even smelly.

From the stern to bow, he could see about eighteen pirates all standing on guard. Two more were sitting on the mast of the sails and another one spying from the crow’s nest. Perhaps looking out if Remy brought an ally with him to bring down the crew. Fully aware of his position, Remy felt exposed being surrounded by burly pirates ready to attack at any second. One in particular, the only woman he could see on the ship, standing with an arrogant air by the wheel. The pirate who had spoken to him earlier took a  few steps closer, inspecting him with careful precision.

“Introduce yourself. I will do the same.”

“Uhm… I’m Remedio Arlotti,” Remy said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. He took a folded flyer from his pocket and gave it to the pirate. “I am an Italian nobleman. I seem to have made the wrong choice to flee from home, so I need you to take me back.”

“I am not refusing, but are you aware who and what we are? Are you sure you want to ask for our help?”

“Yes. In return, there will be a price to pay for you.” Remy slowly gained confidence, leveling the pirate with a stoic gaze—though his eyes still shifted with uncertainty and dread. “They are offering you seventy-thousand Lira, correct? That is a lot of money if converted to Franc.”

“How much exactly?” The pirate asked, eyes dancing with interest.

“Does it matter?”

“Alright then.” The pirate took another step closer, eyeing the grey sack that now sits by Remy’s foot. He looked up again, giving Remy a surprisingly warm smile. “I’m René Xavier.”

“Are you the captain?”

René seemed to be surprised by Remy’s question. The pirate looked behind to where the woman stood by the wheel. She only shrugged in response. He looked back to Remy and gave him another smile. “It seems I am. Now, may I check what’s in that sack? We have a policy here, just to make sure we’re safe.”

“You’re welcome to inspect.”

Before René had any time to crouch down to see what’s inside, Remy kicked the sack hard. Baylen tore through the thin fabric with a small, sharp knife—Remy’s. He jumped and flipped into a standing stance with a smirk. He ripped the white fabric covering his face quickly, throwing it at René’s face as a distraction. The pirates, all caught off guard, took their weapons and charged.

Remy, weaponless, faced a pirate without defense. Lucky, he was much smaller than the pirate. He ducked as a pirate swiped with his fist. Remy landed a punch on the pirate’s sternum, pulling his sword as well. He moved in a flash, stopping right behind the pirate and bashed his skull with the handle of the sword. One down.

On the other side of the ship, Baylen sliced a pirate’s thigh. The pirate knelt down in pain and grabbed the collar of his tunic, sending him slamming down against the wooden floor. He rolled, punching the pirate’s junk and kicking his head. Soon, another one came at him. He pulled their arm. Now off balanced, the pirate fell face first and a kick to the neck did the job. Turning to walk into the captain’s cabin, the woman-pirate jumped in front of him. She kicked his leg only for him to give a blow to her stomach.

“Use the knife, Baylen,” she said cooly as she pulled out her sword. “I dare you.”

“Oh, you don’t want me to.”

Standing by the ship’s main mast, Remy was pushed off balance. He rolled, pulling another pirate’s leg, sending said pirate falling as well. He stood, running at full speed towards the edge of the ship. He dragged another crew-member along the way, and with his momentum threw him overboard. He turned back only to be faced by René. He hesitated. The man seemed nice enough.

“He lied to you,” René took a cautious step closer. “Do you even know who he is?”

“I don’t. But it doesn’t matter.”

“Does it?” René looked Remy up and down with careful attention. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Remy charged forward, aiming at René’s neck with the sword in his hand. René dodged the attack, catching Remy’s dominant arm and twisting it behind his back. Remy let out a sharp cry, hand going slack. The sword in his grip fell. René kicked him at the back of the knee.

“Your attack is predictable. You should have moved more quickly, but thank you as you gave me time to think,” René mocked with a satisfied huff. “I really tried to be nice, because clearly you don’t know what you’re doing. But you’re not giving me another reason to be nice, so I won’t be.”

“Let go of me!” Remy shouted. René let his arm go, but not before he had a secure grip on the collar of Remy’s tunic. “You know, a man with morale like you would do so much better outside a pirate ship.”

“I am no man.” René sounded conflicted and somewhat upset.

“A woman?” Remy mocked.

“Not that either.”

“You’re confusing.”

“Believe me. I’m confused as you are.”

Without another word, René dragged Remy to the middle of the ship. He was shoved harshly, landing flat on his chest right by the mast. He took Remy’s chin, forcing him to look up from where he lay to watch Baylen fight against the woman-pirate. The rest of the crew who were uninjured or thrown overboard watched in silence as she finally landed a tough blow on Baylen’s temple. He stumbled and fell on his back. The woman put her boot against his chest, keeping him from rising back up.

“You lose this time, Baylen,” she said loudly with a satisfied smile. She pointed her sword at his neck. “As you will always do without us.”

“Wait, you know each other?” Remy asked in confusion. How could a sailor be familiar with a pirate?

“Of course we know him.” René answered him with a shake of his head and made eye-contact with Baylen, letting disappointment shine through. “He’s our old captain.”

**********

“You lied!” Remy shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Baylen. He turned, walking back and forth in an erratic circle. “How could—how could anyone—ugh! How dare you!”

“Hm… he always lies.” The woman—Collette, her name was—said from where she sat in the captain’s cabin, leaning against a wall. “Don’t expect anything else.”

“To be fair, you weren’t truthful about who you were either,” Baylen retorted, completely ignoring Collette’s comment. He was sitting on his bed in the cabin without his tunic as he tends to his wound after the fight.

“Yes, but I never said I was someone I am not!”

“Alright, settle down.” René walked across the room, standing between them. “This is all just a misunderstanding, so let’s talk like adults.”

“No,” Collette stood, approaching Baylen with a scowl. “He shouldn’t have betrayed us in the first place. Stop lying for once.”

“You don’t know why I did what I did. All you know is what you want to see.”

“Is that so? What’s your reason, then? Greed? You just wanted all the money for yourself.”

“That is not true! You—”

“As if anything you will say now is true!”

“You don’t know that!”

“You two need to stop this instance.” René said sternly, cutting through their argument. “You know, Baylen, if you’re just a little more truthful then this wouldn’t have happened. She’s right and you know it.”

“Oh, I see. You, too!” Baylen shouted in anger, rising to stand.

“You betrayed us!” René interjected.

“I have a reason! I needed that money.”

“But that’s not how you go about doing it, Bay. There are rules here.”

“Screw the rules.”

Remy was lost to their conversation. He stepped outside the chamber into the evening. They had been having this meaningless conversation all throughout the day. The sky was dark now, but the stars didn’t shine through. The clouds in the distance rumbled. There was going to be a storm in a few days. He walked solemnly to the edge of the ship, leaning forward over the railing. He stared at the reflection on the still water. He could see the town in the distance. Torches burned along the beach, glowing bright against the dark.

A thud.

He looked to his side in surprise. Collette now stood next to him, her back against the railing. Remy looked at her with a bewildered expression. She seemed to understand his question, pointing at the rope she held in one hand. She swung herself from the deck down to where Remy stood, so it was no wonder she made no sound.

“What’s your name again?” She asked.

“Remy.”

“So,” she started, glancing at him with curiosity. “How did you get tied up with Baylen? He was only gone for about four days and now he’s here with a new friend.”

“He offered to—to sail me to America.” Remy looked back at the reflection on the water again. If his mother could see him now—messy and sticky with sweat—she would have scolded him. “I was supposed to help him steal the ship.”

“We need him, as odd as that sounds.” Collette looked down on her hands. “No one around knows how to be a captain as good as he is. The day he went away, the crew became chaotic. We didn’t know how to coordinate and work together well enough to even try to sail away.”

“That’s why you’re still here by the coast,” Remy said with a nod, finishing her train of thought. “Uh, miss Bonheur—”

“Just Collette is fine.”

“Alright then, um, earlier René told me that he’s neither a man nor a woman. What does that mean?”

“Hm, yes. I don’t know how to explain that, but the more you know them the more you’ll understand.”

“Them?”

“Yes. Neither a man nor a woman.”

Before there was another word exchanged between them, the door to the captain’s cabin opened. Baylen stepped out, walking over to where the other two stood. He had given a nod to Collette before she quickly disappeared down into the crew’s quarters. Remy and Baylen stood side by side. The tension between them lingered.

“Why don’t we head to my cabin? Have some tea and then we can talk.”

Remy was ready to refuse. He had wanted to leave right away, find another way to go to America. Though at the mention of tea, he nodded. He will leave after tea. Tea always fixes everything.

Prologue Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9

[electricadrianaaa-blog]

Checklist: The most important backpack stuff

You want to go backpacking, but what do you take with you? During your backpack trip you need other things than when you go on a sun holiday or city trip. How about a sleeping bag or a tent? Regardless of whether you travel for a few weeks or longer, with our tips and this backpack checklist you will have everything you need during your trip.

For the first time backpacking you need to do quite a lot of shopping. The advantage is that you can use these backpacks with every new trip. This way you don't have to worry about walking in your shoes the second time you bring them with you. Which gear you need is partly determined by your destination, but there are a number of things you need all over the world.

The most important backpack items

1. Identification and travel documents We don't have to tell you to bring your passport. A bank card is also essential, and a credit card can also be very useful. Don't forget to bring your driving licence and possibly an international driving licence. Other important travel documents are vaccination certificates, travel insurance documents, visas and your medical passport - you can request these from the GGD or your doctor. The most important documents can be conveniently stored in a travel wallet.

2. Luggage organizers and labels for your luggage With luggage organizers you can divide everything you take with you into handy bags or cases. Not only can you organize clothing, but also accessories such as toiletries and possibly the accessories of your camera. Luggage tags are not only useful during a flight or train ride, but also to recognize your backpack when it lies between several backpacks in a hostel.

3. Tent A tent is not only your bedroom during nights in the wilderness, it is also a piece of protection against the elements. Many backpackers set out with a two-person tent for that extra bit of space. These tents usually weigh between 1 and 2.5 kilos, but there are models that are even lighter. If you decide to travel from hostel to hostel, you could also backpack without a tent.

4. Backpack and daypack Backpacking is not called backpacking for nothing - you go out with a backpack. Just like tents, backpacks vary from very light to heavier sturdy models that allow you to comfortably carry more kilos. Don't forget to bring a 'daypack': a smaller backpack with the most important stuff for that day. So you don't have to carry your entire backpack with every activity.

5. Sleeping bag Your sleep is extremely important if you want to resume your journey fresh and fruity the next day. A good sleeping bag is probably the most expensive thing you buy for your trip, but if used properly it can last for years. Sleeping bags come in many shapes and sizes. From soft plush for cold regions like Scandinavia to a lightweight summer duvet for warm climates like South America. You can also buy a slim sleeping bag or a spacious sleeping bag. Our tip: don't save on your sleeping bag!

6. Sleeping mat After choosing your sleeping bag, it is to choose a sleeping mat. A sleeping mat is mainly meant to prevent your body from coming into contact with the cold ground. How well insulated a sleeping mat is is expressed in R, which stands for thermal resistance. The higher the R value, the more insulation the sleeping mat offers.

7. Jacket and possibly raincoat A good coat is indispensable during your trip. In warm climates, a light jacket can be enough to protect you from the weather and dirt. In colder climates, a good jacket is even more important. Unless you go backpacking through the desert, a raincoat is also an important piece of clothing to take along. Even if no rain is predicted, there is no harm in bringing at least a waterproof poncho. If you're going to spend a long time in heavy weather, a hard shell jacket can be a smart choice. These are made to protect you from severe weather like storms for a longer period of time. For most backpackers, however, a softshell jacket offers enough protection.

8. Walking shoes Bring good walking shoes and don't forget to walk in a few weeks before departure. Are you planning on walking a lot in a warm climate? Then you can also consider a pair of sturdy slippers such as Birkenstocks. They won't replace your walking shoes, but it can be very nice to let your feet air without bothering your feet or back.

9. Pocket knife A good pocket knife is indispensable during backpacking. So you always have a serrated knife, nail scissors, bottle opener and much more within reach!

10. Garbage bag One of the best tips we've ever had: take a garbage bag with you. A garbage bag takes up almost no space, and always comes in handy. You can use it to sit on when the ground is wet or to store wet clothes.

11. Sunglasses Sunglasses come in handy in every climate. Make sure you bring good sunglasses with UV protection, so that the eyes and skin around your eyes do not get irritated if you spend a longer period of time in the bright sun. Also bring a sturdy storage bag, so your sunglasses won't be damaged if they're wandering around somewhere in your backpack.

12. Sunscreen and aftersun In warmer climates, sunburn and aftersun are essential. If too much skin is burnt, it can make you sick, and if it burns heavily, even blisters can appear on the skin. Instead of aftersun, you can also use a wet cloth to cool the skin when burned.

13. Neck cushion Especially if you get on the plane several times a month during your trip, a nap can be a good way to shorten the journey. Domestic flights in countries like Australia can just take a few hours. There is also a chance that you will have to bridge a night during your outward or return journey. A neck cushion is not a luxury if you want to sleep in a hare while flying!

14. Health kit Think of a first aid kit, which you can supplement with a strip of paracetamol and diarrhoea inhibitors. Don't forget to bring anti-mosquito spray or pest repellent. To prevent dehydration in case of diarrhoea or nausea, you may want to take ORS with you. With this you can quickly fill a lack of water, sugars and salt.

15. Toiletries Besides a well-equipped first aid kit, the standard toiletries are also a must during your backpack trip. Think of a (new) toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shower gel, body wipes and hand-disinfectant. Tweezers can also be very useful if they are not on your Swiss pocket knife. Don't forget to bring a sturdy toiletry bag to store everything. Do you wear lenses or glasses? To be on the safe side, bring along reserves

16. Cap In many places in the world it can cool down considerably at night. A hat can be very comfortable while sitting under a clear starry sky around a campfire. If you quickly get cold hands or travel to a colder climate, gloves are also indispensable.

17. World plug, socket and power bank By bringing a world plug and socket, you can charge all your devices with one world plug. You simply plug your devices into the Dutch socket, which you can power anywhere in the world thanks to a world plug. Are you away from a power outlet for a longer period of time? Then take a power bank with you on a trip!

18. Camera During your trip you want to capture the most beautiful beaches and places of course. Nowadays we all have a camera with us on our smartphone. Whether you need a camera depends mainly on the quality of your smartphone camera and how important it is to you. Even the most expensive smartphones can't compete with the sharpness and clarity of even a simple compact camera, but it's an extra accessory to take with you.

A single camera is usually better at taking pictures in dark environments. Are you going to a region with clear skies and lots of sunlight? Then a smartphone camera is a great way to take photos for a photo book. Do you also want to take photos in the evening or capture the northern lights on the sensitive image? Then a separate camera may be worth considering.

19. Cooker Whether you need cooking utensils depends very much on your way of travelling. For example, if you travel from hostel to hostel in Southeast Asia, you can go to cheap local eateries where you can eat well. If you go backpacking in Scandinavia, a camping stove can be indispensable. These vary from small compact for a quick snack (some weigh less than 2 grams) to robust and powerful for a whole meal. Important considerations are the type of edge fabric and the design of the cooker.

Think carefully about what you are going to prepare on the way. Will you only use it for quick meals and alternate with local eateries? Do you want to be able to make coffee on the go? You can eat warm meals directly from the packaging, but for ingredients you need a pan again. Make sure you buy it separately or it's an all-in-one system. Don't forget to bring a lighter and cutlery!

20. Snacks Meals are important, but snacks are just as important! During a trip in the jungle a biscuit or cracker can give you just that little bit of energy to get through the afternoon in a good mood. Because it is dried, it can also be kept for a very long time. Make sure you don't take too salty cookies, because that only makes you thirsty. Fortunately, healthy snacks have become more and more popular in recent years, so there is plenty of choice for a delicious snack during your trip.

21. Water bottle and water filter Water is essential during your trip or activity. You can bring a traditional drinking bottle, but there are also special bottles with hoses with which you can drink while walking. Make sure that your plastic water bottle is BPA-free and that thermos are made of stainless steel. By taking a water filter with you, you will always have clean drinking water nearby. Especially in areas where animal or human waste is dumped in nature, a water filter is not an unnecessary luxury. There are water filters that work with gravity, but there are also handy press filters with which you can quickly fill a bottle.

22. Headlight The latest and our favorite accessory is a headlamp. If you ever forget it, it won't happen to you a second time. When exploring caves or going on nightly trips, a strong headlamp is no luxury. Most backpackers, however, only need a simple headlamp of a few tens. Before buying, look at the number of lumens, (the amount of light the lamp can generate) and the battery life. Don't forget to bring extra batteries!

Other stuff

These are the most important things to take along, but of course there are plenty of other things you can take along. Think of a good book or headphones for music, but also lip balm if you quickly suffer from dry lips. Depending on how active you are during your adventure, you can also bring a hiking shirt, hiking pants and light jacket on long treks. In areas with little or no range, it can be useful to bring a compass or GPS for easy navigation. If you like to walk, a mini folding seat can also be a great accessory to take with you. It weighs almost nothing and is often so compact that it won't bother you if it hangs on your backpack or daypack. After a long walk to the top of that beautiful hill, the whole group will be jealous of your seat, while they have to sit with their backs in the wet grass.

[jeremystrele]

These Are The Very Best Of Australia’s Handcrafters and Makers!

These Are The Very Best Of Australia’s Handcrafters and Makers!

TDF Design Awards

Lucy Feagins

Liam Fleming, Graft Vase Series. Photo – Grant Hancock. Siân Boucherd, Oyster Shell. Photo – Yvonne Doherty.

Liam Fleming, Graft Vase Series

Though appearing separate, each mould-blown elements of these cubic glass vases is actually a distinct part,  fused with another to create a single, stacked body. To make these asymmetrical, geometric pieces, Liam Fleming uses the traditional incalmo (meaning ‘graft’ in a Venetian dialect) technique, wherein two or more elements made of different coloured glass are melded together to create one solid vessel. This process allow Liam to experiment with colour combinations in a contemporary composition, while still retaining a continuous form.

Liam draws on the colour theories of twentieth century artists Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Piet Mondrian to explore how colour and form can aesthetically express the tempo of music. He makes all pieces with his assistant, Alex Valero, in Adelaide!

Siân Boucherd, Oyster Shell

This decorative sculpture is woven from organic fibres and mimics the flow of moving water.

In this self-initiated project, Siân Boucherd uses traditional basketry techniques to create a contemporary, amorphous form. The art object was made from raw raffia, hemp, sisal and wool which had been ethically or sustainably sourced. The soft, billowing shape recalls ancient natural formations which have been chiselled with the ebb and flow of time.

Tantri Mustika, Lithify. Photo – Boby Corica. Szilvassy, Aether. Photo – Emily Weaving.

Tantri Mustika, Lithify

The Melbourne-based ceramicist’s collection of opulent ceramic vases is a celebration of the complex chemical transformation that occurs when clay becomes solid rock. This process of turning sediment into stone is called lithification.

Tantri Mustika‘s series of large works were made using coils – a freeform sculpting technique in which lengths of pliable clay are wound into rings and stacked atop another to form the body of the vessel. Tantri initiated this ancient building technique alongside a process of clay handstaining, to illuminate the natural texture of her work. In this trip of ancient techniques, she aims to modernise a less popular side of her craft.

Szilvassy, Aether

Shari Lowndes of Szilvassy draws on science, Classical philosophy and cultural notions of place to explore spirituality through material form.

Inspired by her family’s migration to Australia in the wake of the 1952 coup d’état in Egypt, the Melbourne based ceramicist has discovered a deep connection to the Australian landscape. Inspired by this attachment, Shari has created 12 delicate, functional forms to express her relationship with the natural world. The earthen qualities of the Aether collection are explored through subtle variations in terracotta tones.

Daisy Watt and Samantha Seary, Holding Light. Photo – Daisy Watts.

Daisy Watt and Samantha Seary, Holding Light

This project by Daisy Watt and Samantha Seary tests the strength of two fragile materials when fused together as one.

In order to explore the intersection between cloth and glass, the pair of textile artists have created a handwoven textile of multi-layered cloth, which encases hand-cut and copper-wrapped coloured glass pieces within its delicate pockets. The construction of this new fabric compound is a study in raw materiality.

James Lemon, Pest Chairs. Photo – James Lemon. Kirsten Perry, The Lost Homes of Soft Boiled Beings. Photo – Kirsten Perry.

James Lemon, Pest Chairs

Created as part of an exhibition challenging designers to think about more radical solutions around recyclability and waste, James Lemon’s Pest Chairs offer new material and aesthetic possibilities within design.

Handbuilt from stoneware clay, glaze and toothpaste (!), these large-scale ceramic sculptures are an homage to humble yet sophisticated insect architecture such as anthills, termite mounds and beehives. These sculptures aim to shift the focus from the ‘humanness’ of design to preexisting natural structures.

Kirsten Perry, The Lost Homes of Soft Boiled Eggs

Influenced by mollusc shells and coral, Kirsten Perry’s underwater-inspired ceramic vessels are an experiment in texture, technique and scale. Using her own slip-cast plaster mouldings and a mid-fire glaze, Kirsten is able to create shapes otherwise impossible in handmade ceramics. Every fold, cut, slice and impression can be seen on the surface.

Georgina Proud, Glass Houses. Photo – Georgina Proud.

Georgina Proud, Glass Houses

Following her return from a ceramics residency in Japan, Georgina Proud set out to include found objects within her clay creations. In a bid to recreate the sea glass she uncovered while scavenging at the beach, she crafted smoothed glass shards from bottles found in her own recycling waste, to insert into her designs. She added pieces of this fake sea glass to her fine white porcelain forms, which then melted during the firing process to create a different coloured glaze.

By incorporating foraged rocks, ash and glass in her clay bodies, Georgina’s series of simple ceramic vessels highlights the harmonic effect of clashing materials and glazes.

Nicolette Johnson, Assemblage

It’s no secret that we’re BIG fans of Nicolette Johnson’s work, but recently, she’s taken her practice to another level.

Desperate to unlock the creative part of her brain that had stagnated during the lockdown period earlier this year, Nicolette began moulding shapes and objects out of clay to stick to small, hand thrown vases. These working pieces eventually became the larger, relic-like Assemblage vases.

The collection of coiled stoneware vessels with attached hand-formed sculptures are a continuation of her experimental oeuvre, yet something totally new unto themselves. Nicolette draws from the motifs of surrealist and constructivist art movements to create her designs.

Cut Throat Knives, Imprint. Photo – Rebecca Newman. Tjunkaya Tapaya of Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Tjanpi Teapot. Photo – Isobel Egan.

Cut Throat Knives, Imprint

From the combined craftsmanship of a bladesmith and a leathersmith, Cut Throat kitchen knives are superbly balanced and customised down to the handle colour for each individual buyer. The Imprint collection is a series of bespoke metal utensils made from steel and polished timber, with the infinite options for size, colour and shape customisation. Each knife comes with a handmade leather sheath.

Tjunkaya Tapaya of Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Tjanpi Teapot

Tjanpi Desert Weavers is an Indigenous governed and directed social enterprise of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council (NPYWC), which represents over 400 women artists from the NPY lands (a region across the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia).

Tea is ever-present in the lives of Anangu (Aboriginal people) across the NPY lands. When making art, telling stories, facilitating a meeting, undertaking cultural ceremonies, or holding sorry camps – a fire is made and everyone drinks tea together. The teapot is where activities begin and end, and has become an object of great importance to the social fabric of community life.

Tjunkaya Tapaya’s ‘Tjanpi Teapot’ provides a playful representation of this important element of Anangu life. Her unique expression, form and exquisite use of colour demonstrates her mastery of weaving with native grasses and aptitude for funnelling social reflection through her craft.

We’re proud to partner with heritage Australian brand Laminex to realise The Design Files + Laminex Awards program 2020.  Laminex is Australia’s leading supplier of modern laminates, quality engineered stone, timber panelling and more. Find out more here.

Winners of the The Design Files + Laminex Design Awards 2020 + Laminex will be announced November 5th!

[gospacegay]

LRTIHEW: Part Twenty Five

The title stands for “Longest Rusame Thing I Have Ever Written”.

First Chapter: https://gospacegay.tumblr.com/post/165808913233/lrtihew-part-one

Previous Chapter: https://gospacegay.tumblr.com/post/166625960863/lrtihew-part-twenty-four

There is swearing, fluff, smut, insanity, and lord knows what else.

Ivan flushed a little, excited to see his dearest companion. Sweeping Alfred into an entirely unprofessional hug, the giant of a nation squeezed hard before letting go. “Oof! Glad to see you too!” Alfred chuckled, willing in the exchange. Canada watched silently, brows raised. “Bad news first.” Ivan finally replied, resuming his calm composure.

“Okay. Japan is out. He declared neutrality. Poor little guy ran out of steam I guess. That and Tokyo was bombed. It's a mess. The International headquarters for Nintendo was wrecked! I'm so sad! I don't even know when the next Pokemon game is going to come out now! How am I supposed to collect them all?” Alfred complained, going off track like usual.

Canada cleared his throat, glaring at his brother. America looked confused a moment, then grinned. “Oh... good news! I brought cookies... and Mattie is being the best bro ever. He won't help with the fighting, but he was going to offer medical services or something. Also... I got permission to use nuclear bombs... if we absolutely had to.” The airy conversation went serious in a second, not suiting Alfred at all.

Truthfully, Ivan was having a hard time stopping his boss from using nuclear warfare. It was horrendously expensive and doubled global cancer rates. Ivan was finally getting his cancerous impulses under control. His famous chain smoking ways was now a pack of cigarettes daily. Before, if Russia was stressed, he'd burn through heaps of smokes.

Accepting the box of almond cookies, the Russian became lost in thought. The worst conclusion became the most clear. “Alik, walk with me. Follow if you must Matvey, but beware. You walk with monsters.” Ivan warned, as deadpan as ever. Alfred followed, being unusually mature. Canada, hesitated, then chased after to catch up.

They walked to the edge of the military camp, only ten miles from the Chinese border. Fresh pits in the grassy landscape revealed recent battle. Gazing at the beautiful destruction, Ivan looked to his freckled companion. He would speak in English, if only to appease Alfred. “I am going to use the bomb, Alfred. I do not wish to, but... I have no choice.” Ivan said solemnly. “You always have a choice. The bomb... It is excessive.” Canada protested, quite brave today.

“I have to agree with Mattie here.” Alfred agreed. Ivan sighed, looking at the ground. “Ever since I became politically neutral, People have become less afraid of me. Most of Europe is beginning to like me again. Unfortunately my former states now see me as weak. They sap my strength everyday with their lesser battles. I will be eventually destroyed, if only for the oil deposits I own.” He explained, expression pained.

“We could fend them off, we could... I don't know... conquer a few little guys to set an example.” America offered, putting a reassuring hand on Ivan's shoulder. Appreciating the gesture, Ivan chuckled. “No Alik. As the USSR, I beat, starved, and tortured many. It did nothing to stop their will.” the ash blonde replied, comfortable enough with their unique bond to share such sensitive topics. Canada dragging along was less than welcome, but he was basically America's emotional baggage handler as it was.

“But... the bomb is so extreme! Japan was afraid to look at me for decades after I hit him with two” Alfred opposed, surprisingly conservative about nuclear use.

Ivan shook his head ruefully, replying. “No. You don't understand. I am a landlocked nation with oil, uranium, coal, and steel. I need to be feared, or I will be destroyed by my neighbors. I don't have a military big enough to even fully defend myself. That is the situation I am in Alik. I do not have the luxury of two oceans to protect me. I don't have the luxury of friendship, or vacations. I do not have the luxury of being... myself. I need the bomb. Any bomb. I need to be feared.”

“But... it can't be that bad.” Alfred protested, stubborn as ever. “Fourteen. I am bordered with fourteen other countries across eleven time zones. If it's not China, it will be someone else.” Ivan argued, becoming irritated. Why did America have to be so dense?

Alfred looked despondent, then angry. “So that's it? You have to run off and bomb shit and stop being friends because of what... some need to be scary? That's fucking stupid. I reject it, and you can fuck off.” he snarled, arms crossed. Canada looked pensive, glancing at his younger sibling. Ivan giggled, delighted his companion was so concerned over their friendship. It made the northern nation feel so warm and giddy.

Switching to his native tongue, Russia leaned in and grabbed Alfred playfully. “No worries, Alik. You saved my life twice, and recovered my body once. I will always be thankful, and happy to see you. We are kin born of blood and battle, our bond strengthened in the fires of war.” Ivan assured with a soft half lidded gaze, affection blatantly obvious. He kissed Alfred on the cheek just once, a quick thing, then let go.

Alfred blushed madly, lost for words. “I... umm... okay.” the honey blonde stammered, caught off guard. “Now, if all is settled on that matter. Let us discuss drop sites in the tent. This heat is terrible in uniform.” Ivan cheered in English, clapping his hands together. “What? What was that?” Canada asked with furrowed brows. “It's... Everything is great. Let's go talk about... that.” Alfred murmured, looking slightly shocked. The scene was adorable to watch. Ivan distantly wondered how fried Alfred's brain would become from a real kiss. The ancient Russian's libido perked up vaguely at the idea, long neglected for decades.

“I don't want to be any part of this.” Canada objected, shoving his hands in his jean pockets. He headed off to the temporary airstrip, head held high. “You should come with me.” Ivan purred, tugging Alfred along by his sleeve. The urge to taste and conquer his companion burned fiercely in the Russian's mind, not fading at all. Normally he had much better control over such things as kissing and touching. Today was just random he supposed.

“Guess I can forgive you for using bombs. Man, I feel uncomfortable with picking the spots to use it...” Alfred admitted, his wits mostly returned. “Just... Please don't bomb Beijing. I know its a sound strategy, but neither side hasn't even lost a million yet. Twenty four million live there, it would be horrible.” the honey blonde continued sadly. Ivan disliked Alfred being so upset, lifting his face to match the Russian's purple gaze. Summer blue looked away, distraught.

There was little else to say about the heavy subject. They walked back slowly to the camp center, side by side. “I have to go, but take care of yourself, okay?” Alfred said, his usual cheer and pomp returning. With a whine, Ivan trapped his American companion. “No, no, just a minute.” Russia protested, physically dragging Alfred inside the tent office.

Ivan locked in a real kiss, aching for touch. His sunflower's lips were so soft and perfect. Shivering from the sensation Ivan squeezed Alfred closely. “Take care of yourself, and eat healthy... and don't be afraid to visit.” Ivan whispered, desperation hurrying his touches. The second kiss was more forced and exploratory but still willing. Alfred groaned into it, blushing a beautiful shade of pink.

“The same goes for you. Don't... don't kill too many people while I'm gone... and if you get lonely, don't fucking talk to a stuffed cat. Call me instead. Maybe we could visit California and beach bum for a day...” Alfred replied after gasping from another kiss. Three wasn't enough. Ivan wanted a hundred kisses, he wanted everything. Feverish with the need to mate, Ivan pressed closer. He whimpered from frustration, his constrained cock trapped in tight fabric.

As suddenly as it began, the improvised make out session ended. Alfred held Ivan at arms length, looking pained. “I need to think, and I'm about to wreck my nice work pants. So... I'm going to go, okay?” he said, trying to convince himself more than Ivan.

Somewhat clouded by lust, Ivan strained against his captor. “If you must. I could always use help by the desk.” He offered in a husky voice. Preferably, he needed to bend Alfred over the desk. Fucking him senseless, exploring and tasting. The thought was a dominating one. “Not today, big guy.” Alfred dismissed, gone as fast as he arrived. Once again alone, Ivan was now stuck with a moral dilemma and a raging erection. At least one of these things was easy to resolve.

[perksofwifi]

Historic Trans-Am 1968 Ford Mustang Gets New Life As Vintage Racer

Ford Motor Company engineer Ed Hinchcliff raced in the SCCA Trans-Am series as an independent from 1966 to 2003. A member of Ford Motor Company’s Special Vehicle Operations family (his other claim to fame was that he was one of the lead fabricators on the team that built LBJ’s presidential Lincoln), Hinchcliff was privy to much of the technology and developmental pieces that Ford and Kar-Kraft Inc. created for Ford’s factory-sponsored Trans-Am racing programs.

This article was originally featured on Hot Rod. For more stories like this, check out the Hot Rod Network.

Although Hinchcliff is widely known for his Grabber Blue 1970 Boss 302 Trans-Am Mustang, that was not by any means his first Trans-Am race car. Pictured for your review is the former Hinchcliff/Ross 1968 Trans-Am Mustang coupe (raced by Hinchcliff as car No. 76), currently owned, restored, and vintage-raced by San Diego, California, speed equipment merchant J. Bittle from the JBA Speed Shop Inc. According to Bittle, this Mustang was an important breakout car in Hinchcliff’s storied career.

  Race action then and now. The vintage photo was taken in February 1969 at the Citrus 250 in Daytona Beach, where Rusty Jowett’s Camaro chased Ed Hinchcliff with Peter Gregg’s Porsche in hot pursuit. The color photo shows current owner J. Bittle at the 2018 Shelby American Automobile Club SAAC-43 national convention at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. Bittle placed Fifth in Saturday’s vintage race. Chasing him is First Place qualifier and Second Place finisher Ken Sittner and his 1968 Shelby G.T. 350.

“Ed Hinchcliff was one of the longest active SCCA Pro drivers in the history of the class, retiring in 2003,” Bittle says. “I bought the ex–Ed Hinchcliff and Steve Ross Trans-Am Mustang in 1998, a good 30 years after the car’s debut at the July 3, 1968, Paul Revere 250 NASCAR Grand American at Daytona Beach, where the coupe finished in eighth place. Hinchcliff would race his 1968 Mustang for two years, experiencing reasonable success in Grand American, NASCAR GT, and SCCA Trans-Am races [a total of 10] prior to selling the car to Ross, who raced the coupe through 1970 and took it to the 1970 SCCA National Run-Offs at Daytona Beach.

“After the 1970 season was over, the H&R Mustang went to Mexico and was raced in the Pan American Road Races by the Shelby De Mexico S.A. race team driver Freddy Tame,” Bittle continues. “After languishing for a number of years, the car was brought back to the States by Rick Nagel and Mark Gillette with intentions of founding a Shelby American Automobile Museum. When that project didn’t pan out, the car was sold to Craig Conley and Chris Liebenberg, and I bought it from them.”

Concealed beneath that twin-snorkel air intake is a 1968 G-code four-bolt-main Ford 302W engine stuffed with a set of 12.33:1-compression domed forged-aluminum pistons, Crower H-beam connecting rods, and a Crower forged-steel crank. Exhaust exits via a set of 1968 Shelby Trans-Am headers.

Up to 1967, Ford had the upper hand in Trans-Am racing with its 289. But GM’s entry into the class, with the 302-powered Camaros, meant that Ford needed more power. At that point the Boss 302 engine was little more than a set of engineering blueprints. Ford borrowed a page from its NASCAR engine program and developed a new four-bolt-main, 302W block (C8FE-6016-B) with “tunnel port” cylinder heads (C8FE-6090-A). The term refers to the 3.8-inch, round-shaped intake ports, which took the path of least resistance straight to the combustion chambers, with the pushrod tubes running through the ports. Talk about a heavy breather!

Valve size would also increase. The intake valves went to 2.12 inches in diameter compared to the 289’s 1.77 inches, and the exhaust valves would increase to 1.54 inches in diameter compared to the 289’s 1.44. These heads used a set of shaft-mounted nodular-iron rocker arms lubricated via specially revised (from the standard Ford 302W) oil passages.

Fuel delivery was handled by two Holley 540-cfm four-barrel carburetors mounted in tandem, while a Ford transistorized ignition took care of the spark. That was essentially the top end of the 302W Tunnel Port Ford engine.

The real power maker is below that twin 615-cfm-Holley-fed Ford high-rise intake. Bittle’s coupe is fitted with a set of Ford (C8FE-6090-A) tunnel port cylinder heads equipped with 2.12/1.60-inch (intake/exhaust) valves operated by T&D shaft rocker arms and a Crower solid roller camshaft. The 302 is capable of producing 475 hp at 7,500 rpm and 362 lb-ft at 5700 rpm.

The short-block included a set of 12.5:1-compression forged-aluminum domed pistons pressed on to H-beam connecting rods at one end and a forged-steel 302 crankshaft at the other. A special 8-quart, high-volume, wet-sump oil pan with NASCAR oil pickup handled lubrication. The race version of the 302 Tunnel Port (there was also a street version for homologation purposes) featured a solid-lifter cam. Estimated power on the 302W Tunnel Port was 420 hp at 8,500 rpm and 320 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. Backing this up was a Hurst-assisted close-ratio Ford Top Loader four-speed transmission sending power through a 3.91- to 4.57-geared (depending on track) Detroit Locker rearend with 31-spline axles.

Historically, Ford’s 302W Tunnel Port engine was less than successful. Jerry Titus, defending his 1967 SCCA Trans-Am title, wheeled the Shelby Racing Company 1968 Tunnel Port Mustang (car number 1) into the winner’s circle for the 0-2 class at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona, while the rest of the season was pretty much Penske/Donohue/Sunoco all the way to the championship. However, we would like to think that much of the engine technology was jointly shared between the Ford factory team and Hinchcliff.

A concealed breather tank is neatly tucked behind the factory Mustang cowl support brace.

The Hinchcliff/Ross Mustang also bears the distinction of having been used as a camera car, with Hinchcliff driving, in the 1969 movie Ford Flat Out. It still has the holes in its roof where the motion picture cameras were mounted to the top front hoop of the rollcage.

All told, it took the JBA team four years to restore the coupe. The restoration was completed just in time for the car to be shown at the Ford 100 invitational meet at Dearborn, where original owner/builder/driver Hinchcliff posed with the car. Bittle has been vintage-racing the Mustang ever since at select HMSA, SVRA, and SAAC events.

You may note that the Mustang today features standard sheetmetal while vintage photos show flared fenders. Says Bittle, “During the early days of Trans-Am, as cars aged they were updated, sometimes significantly. In its second year of competition, Ed added larger flares and oversized wheels and tires per rule revisions. Historic Trans-Am Racing requires we prepare the cars to reflect their first year in competition, so the original smaller, yet slightly flared, OE-appearing fenders are in use.”

Bittle’s office is fairly Spartan, with its NASCAR-spec rollcage, twin Shelby R-model race seats, Hurst shifter, Auto Power Safety Equipment items, Stewart-Warner instrumentation, and a Jones mechanical-drive tachometer. But that’s all any good driver needs to get the job done.

At a Glance 1968 Mustang Trans-Am Coupe Owned by: J. and Vickie Bittle, San Diego, CA Restored by: JBA Speed Shop, San Diego, CA Engine: 302ci/475hp Tunnel Port V-8 Transmission: Close-ratio Ford Top Loader 4-speed manual Rearend: Ford 9-inch with 31-spline axles, Detroit Locker, and track-dependent gearing Interior: Shelby R-model race seats, Auto Power safety equipment, Stewart-Warner gauges, Jones mechanical tachometer Wheels: 15×8 American Racing magnesium 6-spoke Daisy Tires: 6.00×15-inch front, 7.00×15-inch rear Goodyear Sports Car Specials Curb Weight: 2,820 lbs Performance: 12.67 at 115.1 quarter-mile, 1.019g skid pad, 168 mph top speed

In the trunk are a 25-gallon Fuel Safe bladder, an Optima RedTop battery, and a fuel regulator and electric fuel pump.

The holes in the roof were to accommodate the motion picture cameras used for the 1969 film Ford Flat Out. Years later those holes helped identify this as the car Hinchcliff drove during filming.

  Next to selling Ford speed equipment and related services, this is what J. Bittle likes doing best: He races the daylights out of the Hinchcliff/Ross Mustang at HMSA, SVRA, and SAAC events.

The post Historic Trans-Am 1968 Ford Mustang Gets New Life As Vintage Racer appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/historic-trans-am-1968-ford-mustang-enjoys-life-vintage-racer/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

[thegloober]

11 Must-See Places on St. Kitts Island

The following was created in partnership with Royal Caribbean. Check out the new sound of adventure on board their newest ship, Symphony of the Seas, sailing from Miami starting this November. Come Seek the Royal Caribbean.

With one of the longest written histories in the Caribbean, St. Kitts island stands out among its Caribbean brethren. Its massive fort, scenic railway, and 17th-century rum distillery give it a distinct feel, all set beside sugary beaches and rolling interior hills. Towering above it all is a 3,792-foot stratovolcano known as Mount Liamuiga, whose steamy slopes contain virgin tracts of tropical cloud forest that are ripe for exploration, just like the rest of the island.

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Which is exactly why Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas stops here. Sure, you could spend weeks exploring the world’s largest cruise ship, with its 18 decks, dozens of restaurants, and the tallest slide at sea. But it also brings families to bucket-list tropical destinations like St. Kitts. So what should your family do while docked here? Sit back, enjoy some time by the beach pool on deck 15, and read up for what to do while docked at St. Kitts.

MORE: Up Close and Personal With the World’s Largest Cruise Ship

1. Wingfield-Phillips Rain Forest Nature Trail

It’s time to explore the rich biodiversity of St. Kitts’ lush interior on a two-mile loop trail into the Wingfield River Valley. This valley, near Romney Manor, is part of the Central Forest Reserve National Park, which contains the last remaining area of tropical forest on the island. As you follow the spring-fed Wingfield River into the rainforest — marching to the soundtrack of groaning tree frogs — you’ll pass tropical plants such as heliconias, ferns, and palms. If the kids are up for it, you can also climb to a 350-foot ridge that offers a bird’s eye view over the verdant valley – a great spot for eying any vervet monkeys playing in the trees below.

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2. Brimstone Hill Fortress

The Unesco World Heritage-listed Brimstone Hill Fortress was here in 1690 that British forces began work on what would become one of the Caribbean’s most imposing citadels, a multilevel polygonal fort built of quarried basalt rock 800 feet above the sea. At one point housing more than 1,000 soldiers, the fort was abandoned in 1853 before restoration began in 1965. Today, it’s widely considered one of the best-preserved historical fortifications in the Americas, and a veritable time capsule for history lovers to explore. Grab an audio guide to get the most out of the tour.

3. Mount Liamuiga & The Black Rocks

The slopes of Mount Liamuiga, a 3,792-foot stratovolcano that towers above the entire island is a must-see for all adventure-seekers. To learn a bit of island volcanology, be sure to stop at the Black Rocks, a jagged rock formation on the northeastern coast near the small town of Saddlers. These statuesque rocks, battered by the pounding waves, materialized from solidified lava flowing down Mount Liamuiga during its last eruption more than 1,800 years ago. There are usually a few food and craft vendors here, and it makes a great spot to treat the family to some fresh coconut water, straight out of the shell.

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4. St. Kitts Chocolate Factory

St. Kitt’s is nicknamed Sugar City for good reason. Find out about its sweet history — and sample in the island’s wares — at the St. Kitts Chocolate Factory. If you sign up in advance for a tour of the factory, the kids can not only sample some of the confections, but also create their own handcrafted chocolate, which will be freeze-blasted for safe onward travels. All the while, everyone will learn about the centuries-old sugarcane industry that first put St Kitts on the map, bringing your journey across the island full-circle.

5.  Scenic Railway

The best way to see all of St. Kitts is on an 18-mile, two-hour trip that circumnavigates the island. Work began in 1912 on a narrow-gauge railway line that could transport sugarcane from plantations along the northern coastline of St. Kitts to sugar factories on the outskirts of Basseterre. Rather remarkably, the train remained in use right up until 2005 when it changed gears and began its new life as a tourist train. You will have to catch a 45-minute bus at La Vallée Station in Newton Ground to complete the tour (included in the ticket price), but it’s well worth the effort.

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The journey takes you alongside pounding surf, over steel bridges spanning deep canyons and past rippling fields of sugarcane that merge into distant dark-green forests. Along the way, you’ll also ride in the shadows of Mt. Liamuiga’s volcanic cone and pass small villages that offer a peek into the lives of everyday Kittitians. Included in the tour is guided commentary, complimentary drinks, and comfortable passage in double-decker train carriages. 

6. National Museum

Get some insight into the culture of St. Kitts at the National Museum, housed in the historic treasury building in Basseterre, which was built from hand-cut limestone in 1894. Inside you’ll find displays ranging from tools used by the island’s original Amerindian inhabitants to the elaborate costumes worn during the modern-day Carnival celebrations. This compact museum is nevertheless a worthy intro to St. Kitts – and a local architectural icon. 

7. Timothy Hill

Sir Timothy Hill is a quick and simple hike with a payoff of truly spectacular views. If St. Kitts is shaped like a wonky tennis racket, Sir Timothy’s Hill is located right at the throat with soaring views of both the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts. Stop at the overlook on top for the obligatory photo; it’s the kind of backdrop that will easily trigger Instagram-induced jealousy from your buds back home.

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8.  South Friars Bay

South Friars Bay is the gateway to the Southeast Peninsula and something of a hidden treasure with fewer crowds than many island beaches. Head to the southern end of this sandy strip where you can let the kids do as the local vervet monkeys do and play in the sand while you order them a lunch of barbecue chicken with plantains, rice, and beans. Get yourself some freshly caught conch fritters and a plate of fish tacos. And sure, why not, a piña colada for after. 

9. White House Bay

The secluded White House Bay is a rocky beach with some of the best shore snorkeling on the island. While in the waters, you will take in vibrant reefs teeming with prismatic marine life, including rainbow parrotfish, queen angelfish, and blue tangs. It’s also a great spot for beginners hoping to explore a shipwreck, as the remains of a small tugboat are located just a few feet below the surface.

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10. Frigate Bay

Frigate Bay is the destination on St. Kitts for paddlers. Be sure to rent glass-bottom kayaks for a two-hour paddle along the perfectly placid waters of the Caribbean Coast. The kayaks fit one adult and one child comfortably, and offer incredible views of the coral below. Before you leave Frigate Bay, make sure to shop for some island-made art at Les Mains D’Or Pottery Studio. Local potter Arlene Skerritt works wonders with her hands, molding elaborate bowls, mugs, vases, and serving trays out of humble clay. You’ll also find imaginative island-inspired wall hangings (think flying seahorses and pucker-lipped fish) as well as few framed paintings. If you need a one-of-a-kind souvenir – or a present for someone back home – this is the spot.

11. Romney Manor 

Explore 400 years of island history at Romney Manor, located in Old Road Town, site of the first European settlement on St. Kitts. English settlers came into this area in the 1620s, planting cotton, indigo, and tobacco before moving on to sugar (as evidenced by the water-powered mill). The grounds of the adjacent Wingfield Estate are believed to contain the oldest intact rum distillery in the Caribbean, which was re-discovered in 2013 (archeological digs remain ongoing). Originally owned by Samuel Jefferson (the great-Great-GREAT grandfather of Thomas Jefferson), Romney Manor is today home to the Caribelle Batik, a world-renown textile house where you can purchase decorative wall hangings, kaftans, shirts and fabrics for back home.

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After your island adventures, it’s time to get back aboard the ship to enjoy all it has to offer — like the AquaTheater or The Ultimate Abyss, the largest slide at sea. Then, it’s off to paradise once again, on to your next island destination. Because that’s how Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas does vacation.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/11-must-see-places-on-st-kitts-island/

[itsworn]

Tom Collins’ 1967 Chevy II Nova Gasser Makes a Statement

Growing up in the ’60s was the perfect time to get indoctrinated into the world of hot rodding since auto manufacturers were filling the streets with some of the hottest muscle cars. For Tom Collins of Montross, Virginia, his earliest memories revolve around growing up on a small farm in Dublin, Maryland, where he first discovered his passion for anything mechanical. Starting out with go-karts and mini-bikes it wasn’t long till he was honing his driving skills by driving cars through the family fields long before getting his license. If something broke he and his buddies would tear it down, analyze the problem, and find a fix to get running again. Hopped-up cars ruled the streets in his town and as Tom describes it, “they were everywhere to be seen.”

The tuning point was seeing a local 1941 Willys Gasser in person on a regular basis with its straight-axle mile-high frontend, supercharged V-8, and its massive rear slicks. On his first visit to nearby Cecil County Dragway he stood in awe as the car roared to life and took on the competition launching down the quarter-mile. From there a sea of Gassers, Alterds, and A/FX racers would overtake his mind. He also spent plenty of time in Delta, Pennsylvania, hanging out at Jady’s Restaurant and watching plenty of late-night racing on Highway 74. As the years passed Tom became owner of Northern Neck Chevrolet in Montross and has owned plenty of aggressive cars, including a pair of Chevelles, but he never forgot the adrenalin rush he experienced watching Gassers run. He started a search for an early Chevy II Nova as a perfect candidate to capture the excitement of drag racing in the ’60s. A local friend happened to have a 1967 model that had been a drag car back in the ’70s. It had been gutted of its driveline and left in a garage for the last few decades. A deal was made and he hauled the car home to await its fate.

To create a period-perfect Gasser, he brought the car to Brian Bell and the team at B’z Rods in Beach Park, Illinois, to take on the build. Before long the car was torn down and ready for a fresh start. For a rock-solid base a custom frame was fabricated from 2×3-inch steel with one-off crossmembers and TIG-welded directly to the body. Out back a narrowed Strange Engineering 9-inch rear from Chassis Services in Waukegan was packed with 4.11 gears spinning matching 31-spline axles was suspended in place by B’z custom 54-inch ladder bars combined with their exclusive four-way track locater and Strange Engineering adjustable coilover shocks. Up front it’s pure nostalgia with B’z straight-axle subframe kit complete with axle, custom forged spindles, 29-inch parallel leaf springs, Vega box, and PRO tube shocks. To tame the beast a Strange Engineering dual master pushes fluid through stainless lines to Wilwood drilled and slotted discs with Dynalite four-piston calipers at each corner. Linking it to the street are classic E-T Fueler 15×12 wheels out back wearing Mickey Thompson ET Street bias-ply rubber with 15-inch front Rocket Racing Launcher wheels topped with Pro Trac/Coker rubber.

If you want a Gasser you’d better have plenty of go under the hood. Tom contacted Big Al’s Toy Box in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, to build a 540ci fire-breather starting with a Dart Big M Sportsman block filled with an Eagle 4340 forged steel crank linked to matching H-beam rods topped with JE forged 8.5:1 pistons. A COMP Cam sets the beat while a set of massaged Advanced Performance Engineering aluminum heads generate plenty of power. An 8-71 supercharger from The Blower Shop topped with a pair of Holley 950-cfm carbs seals the deal with 920 hp on the dyno. An MSD ignition lights the fire while custom zoomies from B’z dumps the spent gases. Power moves rearward thought an ATI Fuel Comp T400 trans with a 3,000-rpm stall to a custom driveshaft by Mark Williams.

The body was first blasted clean to outline any of the problem areas. Surprisingly the sheetmetal was in restorable condition and the team got busy first replacing the interior and trunk floors then moved onto metalfinishing the entire body and setting all the gaps. They followed by stretching the rear wheelwells 4.5 inches to accommodate the new slicks and filled all unnecessary holes in the firewall. While in bare metal the car went to Danny Ray’s Custom Auto Body in Gurnee to massage it to perfection and lay down a flawless coating of PPG 1982 Corvette White. Inside an eight-point rollbar keeps it safe while a stock dash holds a custom switch and gauge panel with Stewart Warner dials as well as a dash-mounted Sun tach. A Mooneyes steering wheel plots the course while shifts fly through a Hurst unit. B’z installed the black loop carpet and headliner while the final icing was by Seams Ridiculous of Montross, who trimmed the seats and panels in a wicked white roll and pleat accented by metalflake red and white vinyl. Additional custom fabrication and final assembly were completed by Gatton’s Garage of Montross. This is one Street Shaker that you’ll remember long after you see it.

The post Tom Collins’ 1967 Chevy II Nova Gasser Makes a Statement appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/tom-collins-1967-chevy-ii-nova-gasser-makes-statement/ via IFTTT

[odbusonline-blog]

Odisha Tourism – Find Best Places to Visit

Introducing Odisha -

Prehistoric architectural sightseeing wonders, magnificent ancient temples, sacred shrines, a plethora of historic attractions, a variety of water bodies and an incredible combo of art and culture – the picturesque state of Odisha (Previously known as Orissa) has everything to offer to appreciate travel enthusiasts of every kind.

Planning to Discover Odisha Tourism -

If you’ve thought to visit Odisha this vacation, rest assured that Odisha won’t disappoint you in every sense. But before that, you should think about a reliable transfer option to ride you altogether anywhere around Odisha. If you’re much confused on what to choose, you should consider Balangir to Bhubaneswar Bus Ticket Booking service to ensure a fun-filled, safe and comfortable trip throughout.

Again, if you’ve chosen a trusted platform for online bus ticket booking to visit in Odisha, you should decide where to start your vacation. Though Odisha boasts multitude arrays of sightseeing options to choose from, here we’ve narrowed down a few of them to help you plan out your holiday:

Bhubaneswar -

Bhubaneswar – the “City of Temples” is one of the most culturally effervescent cities around India. The sprawling capital city of Odisha preserves the perfect balance between upholding the age-old art and cultures and the changing modern times. As the name suggests, Bhubaneswar is home to a huge variety of temples like Lingraja Temple, Mukteswar Temple and also amazing tourist sights like State Museum, Bindu Sarovara, Nandan Kanan, Khandagiri, Udaygiri, Ratnagiri, Dhauli Temple etc.

Puri -

The sacred seaside site of Puri is just a few kilometers amazing drive away from the capital city of Odisha – Bhubaneswar. The holy land is famous for the majestic Jagannath Temple – a famous pilgrimage destination for Hindus and is an incredible part of the “Chardham Pilgrimages”. On a visit to Puri, you can indulge in marvelous sunrise and sunset over the Bay of Bengal from the popular Puri Beach. Even, you can enjoy a quick dip in the ocean or the sun bathe on the enthralling golden sands. While visiting Puri, don’t forget the nearby places of interest in terms of tourism like Lake Chilika, Pipili, Chandrabhaga, Konark Temple and Satapara.

Rourkela -

Located towards the northern part of Odisha, Rourkela stands out as the bustling township surrounded by splendid hills and rivers. The City of Rourkela is often regarded as the “Steel City” as it accommodates one of the biggest steel plants in India. Besides being a commercial hub, it’s also to vibrant contemporary urban culture boasting multitude of food courts, cinema galls, recreational parks like IG Park, Jubilee Park and other tourist attractions like the lovely Khandadhar Falls, the verdant gardens and temples of Hanuman Vatika. The Vaishnodevi Temple, The Vedvyas Temple etc.

Balasore -

Balasore is located around 194 kilometers away from the capital city Bhubaneswar. The city is known for its outstanding Chandipur beach. However, the climate at the beach is cool and romantic. Surely, you’ll get mesmerized by the sand-dunes that look extremely beautiful with a refreshing breeze creating a perfect ambiance to enjoy the beach at its best. Remember one thing that, the city of Balasore is the site for the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program's Integrated Test Range. Besides, you should visit the Panchalingeswar Temple, Jal Mahadev Temple etc. on your trip to Balasore.

Balangir -

Balangir is commercial hub in Odisha with a rich cultural heritage. The place is well-known for its beautiful setting with many old temples and shrines as well as the indigenous tribal people dwelling here since time immemorial. While exploring Balangir, don’t forget to visit the Harishankar Temple, Pataneswari Temple like sightings.

Berhampur -

Berhampur is an immense commercial town located in Ganjam district. Lies south of the Lake Chilika, it’s the trading center for the unqiue hand-woven Ikat silk. With the expanses of agriculturally fertile area surrounded by dense forest, Berhampur showcases its authentic and true sense to its travelers. However, it’s an award-winning experience to see weavers sitting in their looms in the busy market and shops selling silk fabrics as well as brass and bell metal ware, horn toys, wood carvings and carpets. In fact, the shrines of Jagannath and Nilakantheswar Shiva Temples and the Taratarini Temple in Berhampur are worth visiting.

Bargarh -

Bargarh is the administrative district of Odisha state situated in eastern region of India. This district is carved out the erstwhile district of Sambalpur in the year 1993. Bargarh is mainly famous for Dhanu Yatra – an annual drama-based open air theatrical performance celebrated across the 6 kilometer radius area around Bargarh Municipality.

Banharpali -

Banharpali is a small hamlet or village located in Lakhanpur Tehsil, Jharsuguda. It’s set in 37 kilometers west from the District Head Quarters Jharsuguda and 320 kilometer away from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Baripada -

Being a commercial hub around the Mayurbhanj district, Baripada is a famous town in Odisha flooded with tourists. Mainly a natural haven, Baripada boasts a lot of scenic locations that you can visit like Shimlipal National Park, Kichakeswari Temple, Jaranda Falls, Khiching Temple etc. No matter whether you are an adventure buff or natural tourism enthusiast, you’ll surely embrace the quaint little town on vacation.

Barbil -

Due to the influx of people from almost all states of India, Barbil enjoys an incredible cosmopolitan culture boosting Indian culture. Besides, it’s a popular industrialized town with a huge number of steel plants, iron ore pellet plants, ore crushers and mines. However, this place is very rich in iron ore and manganese ore. Visiting this industrial town on vacation can offer you a one-of-its-kind experience.

Sundargarh -

Sundergarh is recognized as an industrial district in the map of Odisha with Steel Plant, Fertilizer Plant, Cement factory, Ferro Vanadium Plant, Machine building factory, Glass and china clay factory, Spinning Mills etc. Apart from this, Sundergarh occupies an eminent position in the mineral map of Odisha as it’s rich in iron ore, limestone, dolomite, fire clay and manganese.

Bhawanipatna -

Bhawanipathan is the district headquarter of Kalahandi district in the Indian state of Odisha. Home to a huge array of temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon, it’s a sacred place to relax and unwind yourself on vacation. Even, the town is named after the presiding deity – Bhawani-Shankar.

Hirakud -

Hirakud Dam is built around the Mahanadi River and is about 15 kilometer away from Sambalpur district. Just behind the dam, there is a lake – Hirakud Reservoir – which is 55 kilometer long. Prior to the devastating floods of 1936, Sir M. Visveswaraya proposed a thorough investigation for storage reservoirs in the Mahanadi basin to handle the problems of flood around the Mahandi Delta. Keep in mind that, it’s one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects that started after India’s independence in Sambalpur, Odisha.

Conclusion -

Summer vacation is knocking at the door! Thinking where to visit in Odisha? Do you want to visit all these places on this vacation? If yes, consider bus ticket booking of ODBUS to help you reach anywhere in Odisha with peace of mind, comfort and luxury.

For immediate availability of our bus ticket booking facility, just browse ODBUS website today and find the best buses covering your desired destinations and routes.

Feel free to share your valuable suggestions in the comment section below or our Facebook , Google+ & Twitter and Instagram pages!

[jeremystrele]

The Best of Outdoor Living

The Best of Outdoor Living

Roundup

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

The façade of the Provan’s Mount Martha beach shack. Jeff has added awnings and pergolas to the existing site. The garden was designed in collaboration with Mud Design and Mowed in Australia. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The lush rooftop balcony of Owen Harris‘ Fitzroy home. North East corner of the balcony. To the left, Ficus longifolia ‘Ali’, and in the far corner, Cussonia spicata (tall tree with trunk). Outdoor dining setting by TAIT.  Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

The back garden in the Prahran home of Fiona Richardson and her family.  Butterfly chairs from Angelucci Twentieth Century, ‘Jil’ side table from Tait. Photo – Sean Fennessy.

Paul Bangay’s stunning house and grounds in country Victoria. The property and garden surrounds at Stonefields. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Inside fashion designer turned garden designer Ian McMaugh’s courtyard garden in Redfern. The orange tree in the centre of the garden provides both fruit, sun protection, privacy and MORE space for growing plants! Photo – Daniel Shipp. Production – Lucy Feagins/The Design Files and Georgina Reid/The Planthunter.

Paul Bangay’s country Victoria property, Stonefields. Various alcoves and contained spaces make up the larger scale garden and property at Stonefields. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The remarkable St Kilda home of Sandra Powell and Andrew King. Outdoor dining area – eyes by artist Rone. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Eddie Kaul and Richa Pant’s outdoor terrace in their Carlton home.  Photo – Eve Wilson.

Formerly belonging to renowned landscape designer, Edna Walling, Jen Vardy and family are now the custodians of this paradise in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs. The barn started life as a stable and garage, before being transformed into a home.  Photo – Annette O’Brien  for The Design Files.

Tim Ross and Michelle Glew-Ross’ Sydney home. The pool was here when Tim moved in, but the landscaping, paving and pool fence was added by Tim and Michelle after much consideration – in the end they chose to go with a frameless glass fence. The amazing yellow pool umbrellas were sourced by Michelle online and brought all the way back from LA in their boxes by Tim after taking his comedy show, ‘Man about the House’ to the US last year.  Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The outdoor setting of Matt and Carly Skinner’s mid-century Beaumaris home. Photo – Annette O’Brien.

The Westgarth Home of Bella Stagoll and family, designed by Melbourne architects Kennedy Nolan. North garden elevation, including fully retractable glass doors (they slide into a cavity to the right), bird’s beak steel fascia, and ghostly super graphic and circular moon gate linking the new entry courtyard. Photo – Annette O’Brien.

  With longer evenings upon us, and holiday time fast approaching, it’s a great time to give your outdoor space a little spruce up.

With a little forward planning, outdoor living and dining spaces really do have the capacity to function as an additional room, all summer long.  Here are a few simple ideas for maximising your outdoor space.

1. Vary up your seating options. It’s common to see a standard dining setting in outdoor spaces, but for a less formal approach, consider a cluster of lower, lounge style seating (we love canvas butterfly chairs, available from Angelucci 20th Century).  When hosting a garden gathering, flexibility is key – lightweight seats and versatile stools can be really handy to have on hand.

2. Get comfy. Weatherproof outdoor upholstery fabrics have improved in recent years, allowing for truly plush, comfy outdoor lounge seating that really stands up to the elements! We like Tait’s new ‘Trace’ outdoor furniture collection, designed by Adam Goodrum – it barely looks like outdoor furniture.

3. Throw some shade. Shade is always a necessity in the Australian summertime – aside from the usual market umbrellas (we love Basil Bangs offerings) consider a retractable shade, as seen at the Mount Martha beach shack of Jeff and Mariko Provan. Camoflage netting, available from army surplus stores, is another great idea seen in this home, offering partial shade / dappled light over the outdoor dining area.

4. Fire up. A fire pit can be a great centrepiece, and makes your outdoor space an enticing space even in the colder months. We love the example in Carly and Matt Skinner’s iconic mid century home – the artfully arranged stack of firewood makes a beautiful feature, too!

[jeniferdlanceau]

Movie explores Jonathan Tuckey's home in a former steel workshop in London

Filmmaker Tapio Snellman has documented the home of Jonathan Tuckey in this movie, which was created 14 years after the architect overhauled a 19th-century London workshop to create it.

The architect, who is the founder of London-based firm Jonathan Tuckey Design, renovated and extended the steel fabricator's workshop in 2002 to create a unique home for his family and their dog.

He left the bare brick walls tarnished with black marks and chose "simple and everyday" materials to rejuvenate the character of the building, but also because they would weather well.

Snellman, who shot the movie of Collage House in 2016, captures the ageing of these materials – including nicks and scratches on metal fixtures and doors by splitting the screen into four – a motif that continues throughout his film.

This photography taken by James Brittain when the project completed in the early 2000s shows how Tuckey overhauled the industrial building by partially demolishing walls to create a central courtyard

"The split-screen sequences talk about the occupants and about the way architecture is integrated seamlessly with family life and personal expression," Snellman told Dezeen.

"The four simultaneous views create one strong spatial impression without any single image dominating the effect," he added.

Both moving and fixed larch plywood panels clad the exterior, while beach plywood sheeting and concrete cover the floors within.

Douglas fir stud work was planed and left exposed to partition spaces. This enables zones of activity to be defined, while also maintaining openness throughout.

The architect restored the original beams in the ceiling and left the brick walls tarnished with black marks. Photograph taken by James Brittain at time of renovation

"Plywood has weathered beautifully on both the interior and exterior and the scuff marks of 15 years use now tell the personal story of the family," Tuckey told Dezeen.

"The concrete floors have patinated and subsequently become more beautiful," he continued. " The exposed brick was already there but continued to age gracefully as it was used to hang pictures and the kids used it to draw on it."

A space that forms a central part of Snellman's film is the open-plan kitchen-cum-dining room, which occupies the former workshop.

Here, he captures diagonal patterns of light that floods in through the long skylight between the original wooden bowstring beams restored by Tuckey.

Other materials chosen for their hardiness include concrete flooring and timber stud partitions. Photograph taken by James Brittain at time of renovation

He also showcases the daily life of the architect's family. As one of Tuckey's daughters opens the sliding glass doors that lead from the dining room to the garden, the architect rests on the central wooden island.

Focusing on details, the movie also shows the white enamel kitchen worktop running along one wall and the taps and pipes, which are made of copper.

Snellman contrasts colour footage with black and white in the film, as well as tracking members of the family through the house.

"The very controlled track shots try to eliminate the viewers awareness of the presence of the camera, as if the space would be seen at its most intimate, when no-one is present," the filmmaker told Dezeen.

Sliding doors open from the dining to the garden area, which features a small pond. Photograph taken by James Brittain at time of renovation

When renovating the building, Tuckey's aim was to maintain as many of the building's existing features as possible, while also creating plenty of playful spaces that catered to his then-young children.

He divided the long and narrow building, which widens at the southern end, into three parts. He also demolished one of the existing buildings to create a courtyard and a small pond.

The entrance hall and living area occupy the northern end with a mezzanine above, while the kitchen-cum-dining room occupies the central space.

A walkway links these spaces to the two-storey structure added to the southern side, which houses the bedrooms and a bathroom.

Tuckey's aim was to create playful spaces that catered to his children, like a stream running through the house. Photograph taken by James Brittain at time of renovation

Since the original renovation, Tuckey has reconfigured the arrangement of the bedrooms, as his now teenage daughters needed more space.

The children's bedrooms have moved upstairs from the downstairs, while the single room used by the parents was divided into two interconnected rooms.

A pair of hatches in the bedrooms open to the rooftop terrance, which was also only recently completed by the architect.

Related story

Doyle Gardens extension by Jonathan Tuckey features a criss-crossing wooden ceiling

Tuckey founded his studio in 2000, and has offices in London as well as Switzerland. Past projects include a black house extension, a renovated mews house and an archive for London's Southbank Centre.

The post Movie explores Jonathan Tuckey's home in a former steel workshop in London appeared first on Dezeen.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217598 https://www.dezeen.com/2017/02/13/movie-collage-house-jonathan-tuckey-home-19th-century-workshop-tapio-snellman-london-uk/

[philipbrideaux]

Phil and Marilyn: The Brideauxs in Ontario Part 2

The house was almost completely on fire. Phil Brideaux could see the flames from his car on the highway. It was about 4:15 AM on November 18, 1982 and Phil was, as usual, on the road. He was returning to Sault Ste. Marie from one his many business trips to Sudbury, Ontario, and was passing through the Garden River First Nation.

Phil wrenched the car over to the side of the road and jumped out before leaping over snowbanks and dashing toward the house. He likely did not have a plan in mind, likely was acting on instinct, and likely had no idea what he was in for. Another passing motorist, a man from Edmonton, happened by about the same time, and jumped out to join Phil. The two shouldered their way into the burning house.

Years ago, when photographing firefighters, I learned that the problem with deliberately entering a house on fire without a self-contained breathing apparatus and some sort of Nomex fabric protection, is that you are putting yourself at great risk of being severely burned or asphyxiated. That’s because the interior of a burning wood frame structure bears no resemblance to dramatized depictions on television and movies: clear sight lines inside; spot fires burning here and there; breathable air; the ability to see and communicate with others; actors jumping through small banks of flames. The tropes are well known, but the real environment of a burning interior is completely hostile to survival.

The smoke from even a smaller fire contained in the corner of one room will eventually fill every cubic inch of a house, thick and black. You will not be able to see your hand in front of your face. You will have no idea what’s in front of you, or where you are. Even one lungful of smoke could knock you flat. Smoke is not a gas like carbon dioxide from a tailpipe. While it does contain poisonous gases, it’s mostly made up of tiny, solid, semi-combusted particles. The particles are hot, will coat the inside of your windpipe and lungs, will cause burning and swelling, and will quickly suffocate you if you are not pulled out in time.

The other problem is sometimes superheated air (of which one lungful will be fatal), or at least, very high heat from the flames. If you’ve ever been close to a building on fire, you may have felt the intense heat radiating off the structure. The heat alone can easily burn exposed skin if you are inside, and firefighters sometimes emerge from intensely burning structures with patches of first degree burns from any spot not fully covered by their bunker gear and Nomex hoods.

Absolutely none of this occurred to Phil, but he quickly found out. The two men made several forays into the house, being driven back each time by smoke, flames, and intolerable heat. Inside the house, six members of a family were trapped.

* * *

The first time I ever googled my name, I discovered another Phil Brideaux, whom I’d never heard of. I was named after my great grandfather, Philip John Brideaux (1866-1946), and yet here was another Philip John Brideaux from Sault Ste. Marie, and somehow associated with the Sault Steelers — a team in the Northern Football Conference league of Ontario.

Phil’s wife, Marilyn, was equally curious about me. She had two important questions on her mind when she messaged me: who the heck was I? And what was I doing with her husband’s name? And so it happened that I traveled to Sault Ste. Marie to meet Marilyn on a rainy, October weekend not long after the leaves had turned.

* * *

The area in and around Sault Ste. Marie reminds me of Bragg Creek, Alberta (near where I grew up), except for being punctuated by the searching fingers of the western end of Lake Superior. This region is part of the traditional lands of the Ojibwe people: the low, rolling, boreal foothills of the Canadian Shield curving around the taupe beaches and grey-blue lakescapes of Batchawana Bay. The city itself looks south over the St. Marys River towards Michigan, and west over Whitefish Bay — southeast of where the Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald broke in two and sank in a fierce winter storm in 1975.

At Sault Ste. Marie, you have the choice of taking the Trans Canada Highway east toward Sudbury, or north and then west to follow the long, curving shore of the lake to Thunder Bay. South will take you across the International Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and down Interstate 75 toward Saginaw and Flint, and eventually Detroit, far to the south.

These are the environs in which Edwin Charles Brideaux settled, after a winding journey that took him from Jersey, Channel Islands, to New England and then Québec. He was the second Brideaux to venture to Canada, having been preceded by my great grandfather Philip John (1866-1946), who worked briefly on the Gaspé Peninsula in the late 1880s, shortly before his subsequent adventures as an army cook in South Africa.

Edwin and his wife Phyllis Marie Chestle had six children, of which Philip John was the youngest. It might have been the case that Edwin and Phyllis decided to name Philip after Edwin’s uncle, Philip John Brideaux, of Hartford County, Connecticut (son of Elias Jean Brideaux the Elder, 1806-1877, of Jersey, Channel Islands). That’s because Edwin’s first trip to North America had been with his brother Walter to New England, where they worked on Philip John’s dairy farm.

Marilyn Baker met Phil in Sault Ste. Marie when he worked as a rail car checker for the Algoma Central Railway. “That meant that he went through a pair of running shoes every three months because he walked up and down the yard, checking the numbers of the cars and putting stickers on them that said ‘this car’s going on that train,’ and ‘this one’s going on that train.’ He did that for a number of years. Then he got a job with what then was called Dominion Bridge. And I don’t understand exactly what it was that he did there, but it’s now a subsidiary of Essar Steel Algoma,” Marilyn explains.

Marilyn and Phil married in June, 1968. It was clear to her that Phil took after his father Edwin’s temperament as a self-reliant man who preferred to forge his own path. “He didn’t like being told what to do,” she says. “He wanted to be his own boss. So he decided to quit working for other people and try ventures of his own. Some were successful, some were not!” She laughs.

One of those ventures was to become a distributor for Loto-Canada, a 1970s national lottery. Together they sold lottery tickets from Sault Ste. Marie to Tobermory, on the Bruce Peninsula. Phil also began working with the Soo Greyhounds, a team in the Ontario Hockey League, and then became heavily involved with the Sault Steelers football team. “He became President of the Executive,” says Marilyn. He was not only president, but sold team advertising, managed ticket sales and collection, manned the public address system at games, and managed the team’s travel for road games.

“And he drove their team bus,” she adds. “I think if they’d asked him to play he would have tried that too. He used to bring the bus home and park it in our driveway, when they’d come back from a road trip, and the kids would get paid a little to help clean the bus. And then all the shirts came into my basement, and I washed them and sewed them all back together. It was a family venture.”

By this time, Phil had become a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Junior Chamber of Commerce. With the lottery winding up, he moved on to a new venture: photography.

“He loved just wandering in the bush and taking pictures. He’d lie down on his stomach and take pictures of some little red berry attached to some leaf, or climb through brambles and everything, to get just the right picture of this little waterfall,” says Marilyn. “Sometimes it would take him a long time to either get to his destination or get home because he’d do all these little side-treks whenever he’d see something off the side of the highway.”

His business model was to offer his services as a school photographer, while also running a photo processing lab to handle the picture orders. True to his workaholic self, Phil began crisscrossing Northern Ontario, serving clients at primary and secondary schools, logging thousands of highway miles. However the competition was fierce, and growing all the time. By 1981, the business was failing, and Phil and Marilyn were forced to declare bankruptcy.

“We lost our house, we lost our vehicles, we lost everything. So we had to rent a house, which we did through 1982, when the bankruptcy was discharged. Phil went to work for one of his competitors as a school photographer to help pay the rent.”

But of course, Phil was already working on other ideas. The first was becoming a photographer-sales rep for a Toronto-based company which produced yearbooks for church congregations. When he wasn’t photographing for his school photography employer, he was on the road selling yearbook packages and photo services to churches around Northern Ontario.

And somewhere between folding his business and starting the new employment, he’d accidentally become a band manager for two acts in the entertainment business.

“Phil’s best friend’s wife had a friend who was a singer. And this singer was upset with her manager. Somehow or another Phil got pulled in, and became her new manager. And then she had another fellow that she knew who was on the music circuit as well. His name was Eric Shane, and he had a group called Eric Shane and the Shane Gang [everyone in the room laughs]. And he was looking for a manager too, so everything came together.”

With his two photo jobs and two management gigs, as well as his role with the Sault Steelers, Phil was very busy, and constantly on the road. “He was traveling all the time, and he’d have to go back and forth between communities in Northern Ontario and home here, so many times, that he was burning the candle at both ends,” says Marilyn.

* * *

Burning the candle at both ends was what Phil was doing the early morning of November 18, 1982 when he spotted the house fire.

In 1999, I photographed a group of firefighters as they kicked their way into a burning tenement building on Sherbourne Street in Toronto. Fully suited and carrying a charged handline, they fought their way upstairs to the source of the fire in a bedroom, and knocked it down. It wasn’t until they had ventilated the smoke out a broken window (by setting the hose spray to mist), that they discovered the body on the bed. Finding and rescuing people trapped inside a burning structure is difficult enough as it is for professional firefighters.

That’s why it’s a remarkable feat that Phil and the other man managed to get far enough inside the burning house to rescue one of the family members: a six-year old boy.

The other five members of the family, trapped in the flames, could not be reached, and did not survive.

* * *

Phil’s participation with the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Steelers reflected his dedication to the life of the community and its youth. His many business ventures reflected his dedication to supporting his family as a self-reliant entrepreneur who never wanted to depend on anyone else. Yet it’s hard to estimate the impact on the psyche of an extroverted man faced with what Phil faced in the early hours of that November day. He could not help but carry with him the memories of what he saw and heard in the fire, even as he forged ahead with his busy routine through the Christmas season of 1982. He was already tired out enough from his many responsibilities, as well as managing the bankruptcy. Now he would have this traumatic experience to process as well.

A little over two months after the fire, on the late afternoon of January 31, 1983, Phil was taking both school pictures and church pictures in Sudbury, and had to come back to Sault Ste. Marie to ensure that his singer’s gig at the Holiday Inn was finalized. He told Marilyn to expect him between 7:30 and 8:00 PM. It was a bright, sunny and mild winter afternoon as Phil drove west from Sudbury.

Somewhere around Espanola, he rolled down his driver side window to keep his weary eyes from drooping.

* * *

“I was over at a house five blocks from where we lived, doing my ceramic class, when they knocked on the front door,” says Marilyn quietly. “They tracked me down to that house. I was in the basement in my class, and the owner of the house said, ‘Marilyn there’s a couple of police officers at the door that want to talk to you.’ And as soon as I was walking up the basement stairs, towards the door, I knew what it was, because I saw Phil’s best friend, Bob, standing with the officers. And the first thing that went through my head was, I want my mommy!”

There’s a silence in the room. There are 33 years of grief and sadness bound up in the silence. Marilyn’s eyes are brimming over.

“At first, the police thought that Phil had come around the bend, and out from the shadow of a rock cut, into the afternoon sun. They thought perhaps he got disoriented. But when they did their reconstruction, the marks on the road and the location of the pieces of the two vehicles didn’t match that theory.”

The eastbound driver survived the collision, but with grave injuries.

* * *

Despite a February blizzard, people who knew Phil came from all over the region to his visitation. They stood in line, out in the cold, for an hour, to pay their respects. The turnout at his funeral the next day was equally large.

“The funeral procession from the church to the cemetery was so long that we had to have police cars at the front and police cars at the back,’ says Marilyn. “But that’s what happens I guess when you’re only 38 years old. And you still have a vast circle.”

* * *

Later that Spring, Marilyn accepted the Commissioner’s Citation for Bravery from the Ontario Provincial Police on behalf of Phil for his heroic actions in the Garden River house fire. Thirteen years later, Phil was inducted posthumously into the Northern Football Conference Hall of Fame for his many roles with the Sault Steelers. As a friend wrote in the Sault Star shortly after his death, “There is no question that he was the team’s most valuable member.”

Marilyn keeps a space for him in her home in Sault Ste. Marie, where she lives quietly next door to her children. Out of her abundant generosity, she lets me sleep in this room for my visit. I sit quietly and cautiously in the middle of the space, gazing at the photos, the awards and the mementos of the man with whom I share a name. Phil Brideaux is my third cousin, twice removed. And I’m certain his vibrant spirit still whistles in the wind through the boreal forests of Northern Ontario, and across the waters of Lake Superior and Georgian Bay.