Funny, though, that all through the ages, artists and inventors have looked to birds for inspiration, and copied their means of flight: wings.
Sometimes only wings, like Icarus, and angels, and at least one medieval monk jumping with just wings from a tower. Da Vinci’s proposed flight engine had flapping wings.
Yet in 1882, 20 years before the Wright brothers used double wings, M. Robida projected that his flying machines could do without any.
A few of these have what look like little rotating paddles, more like fins, for guidance, than anything big enough to provide lift… same with the tiny propellers at the rear.
I don’t see any smoke, rotors, or jet streams, suggesting some sort of alternate power.
I’d love to know what his plan proposes for keeping them in the air.
Rigid airships are different from blimps.
The gondola houses everything for propelling and steering the former, everything and everyone else is inside the structure above.
Looks like there might be a market for a “sandblower”. Something that would vacuum up the sand on the windward side of the highway and blow it over to the leeward side (where it would end up anyway, after covering the highway). Wear would probably be a problem, so it would take a pretty robust design not to break down in all that grit. A team of them could keep a whole family busy and fed almost forever, although self-driving blowers will be the thing of the future.
You mean a family would be out in the blazing desert sun, as a team, blowing sand across the road in a “wildlife park”?
I think they have huge maintenance l vehicles for that, and probably do it at dawn, before it gets too hot. Daytime temps are over 100° F all year, probably over 110 in August.
Night would be better, but it might be too windy, undoing their work as they go.
I have no idea why the people in the photo have jackets on.
Some places in the desert do get cold at night, but I didn’t think Dubai did, being on the Mediterranean. We never wore jackets in Libya.
“Occasionally some are cleared”
Some people see problems, some people see business opportunities. Selling road clearing vehicles to sheiks sounds at least as plausible as selling band instruments and uniforms to form a boys band in Iowa. {^¿^}
I searched it, but found no information, only sites where it was used as an illustration for a blog or an article or poem.
No artist’s name, no location, nor description of the subject matter.
What I did find, as well, is dozens and dozens of similar paintings…. many for sale as prints, or jigsaw puzzles, on mugs, tote bags,v and magnets.
It’s absolutely amazing how many many artists and illustrators have chosen to portray an old fashioned bookstore, with lit-up multi-paned windows, at night or in the snow or the rain.
So many I started to think it might be a popular subject for AI illustrations… but while I didn’t examine many, I didn’t see reason to suspect any of them in particular.
The sea spider video from yesterday.
That was a learning experience.
I would have thought that colder water would have made them smaller not bigger.
I don’t think I miscounted the legs on the one in Tuesday’s video, so maybe it lost one and unlike the juvenile (proper term?) ones it could not re-grow it; apparently they all do have eight legs (or more) when they start out. I counted the legs on three of them and the count was always came out to eignt.
I say again, they’re interesting creatures.
Thanks.
Anyone who’s read the early Discworld books will know that the Unseen University’s Librarian was one of the wizards who got caught up in a magical accident and was transformed into a Orangutan. The Librarian likes being an Orangutan, and resists all attempts to change him back into a human.
.
Well if this fellow’s not named “J. Edgar” then the universe is out of whack.
I’ll betcha he will “hoover” up any snacks that you drop!
..
I had to blow it up, but i got it.
Looks like a rehearsal.
Do I see two Freds?
…
Wheeee!
(At east he’ll land in water if anything goes wrong…)
….
He had an amazing sense of aerodynamics for 1882!
I find it curious that most of the aircraft appear to be designed to resemble fish.
Pretty cool little craft…
Funny, though, that all through the ages, artists and inventors have looked to birds for inspiration, and copied their means of flight: wings.
Sometimes only wings, like Icarus, and angels, and at least one medieval monk jumping with just wings from a tower. Da Vinci’s proposed flight engine had flapping wings.
Yet in 1882, 20 years before the Wright brothers used double wings, M. Robida projected that his flying machines could do without any.
A few of these have what look like little rotating paddles, more like fins, for guidance, than anything big enough to provide lift… same with the tiny propellers at the rear.
I don’t see any smoke, rotors, or jet streams, suggesting some sort of alternate power.
I’d love to know what his plan proposes for keeping them in the air.
A wing and a prayer.
But there are no wings… So I guess just a prayer?
Little tiny blimps?
Maybe, but they’re awfully small for carrying that much weight.
Airships I’ve seen have huge balloons and tiny gondolas… but then, this fellow is imagining the future.
Maybe he thinks they’ll discover better gasses.
Rigid airships are different from blimps.
The gondola houses everything for propelling and steering the former, everything and everyone else is inside the structure above.
Looks pretty much like traffic today, just about as congested and confused.
,
“Follow the asphalt brick road…/”
Looks kinda desolate.
I thought this was some sort of artsy composition for a magazine or an ad…. maybe joining two photos…
But no… it’s a real road to Dubai, one of many, most built in an area called a wildlife preserve, but essentially just sand.
When the winds blow, this is what happens… an almost constant occurrence.
Occasionally some are cleared, but most of the time, they’re covered in drifts of sand, which is ok, cos almost nobody drives on them.
Where’re they gonna go? It’s just more sand…
To Dubai… the big city just ahead.
Maybe going home to or visiting small dusty villages in the desert… probably a lot less in that direction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_11_road_(United_Arab_Emirates)
Looks like there might be a market for a “sandblower”. Something that would vacuum up the sand on the windward side of the highway and blow it over to the leeward side (where it would end up anyway, after covering the highway). Wear would probably be a problem, so it would take a pretty robust design not to break down in all that grit. A team of them could keep a whole family busy and fed almost forever, although self-driving blowers will be the thing of the future.
Sorry… I’m not sure I’m following.
You mean a family would be out in the blazing desert sun, as a team, blowing sand across the road in a “wildlife park”?
I think they have huge maintenance l vehicles for that, and probably do it at dawn, before it gets too hot. Daytime temps are over 100° F all year, probably over 110 in August.
Night would be better, but it might be too windy, undoing their work as they go.
I have no idea why the people in the photo have jackets on.
Some places in the desert do get cold at night, but I didn’t think Dubai did, being on the Mediterranean. We never wore jackets in Libya.
“Occasionally some are cleared”
Some people see problems, some people see business opportunities. Selling road clearing vehicles to sheiks sounds at least as plausible as selling band instruments and uniforms to form a boys band in Iowa. {^¿^}
LOL
Insulation works both ways.
#tuaregs – I’ve seen a real one on the Munich underground. Not a costume.
,,
I don’t see any pisas in there, leaning or not.
,,,
Who?
They were all, at that time, getting their start in show business, as Mouseketeers, on the 90s version of the Mickey Mouse Club.
Being reminded that they were that young in 1993, which was only a few weeks ago, does not help me forget that I must be about 117½.
C’mon! Your avatar doesn’t look a day over 116!
Gosh… blush… thanks.
..,
My gut says on scene during filming of North by Northwest.
Your gut is correct.
…..
“10!”
“Four-oh!” “Four-oh!” “Who cares?”
Geezer points if you flash on the reference.
That was great, but now you have to bring the plastic up for the next slider!
Love the one guy that just stands there and watches her tumble past.
“not gonna laugh…not gonna laugh…keep my mouth shut…not gonna laugh…”
“11!”
“Err – What’s up, dog? – MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!“
I wanna see if he stuck the landing!
It’s not playing for me. 🙁
,.,,,
“12!”
,,.
Heffalumps!!
I did.
That’s the one.
Whale fail.
I didn’t, but in my defense, I started at the bottom.
Right away!
Not a totally whale-ish looking whale, but neither is it hard to see…
so unless when I look at the solution I find out otherwise, I have to think that what I see is meant to be the whale.
“Elephants Having a Whale of a Time”
Got it right away….for once.
.,.,.,,
Yeah, I stop to admire sunrises too. (I’m never up late enough to see sunsets.)
,.
This really looks like Boston to me.
I searched it, but found no information, only sites where it was used as an illustration for a blog or an article or poem.
No artist’s name, no location, nor description of the subject matter.
What I did find, as well, is dozens and dozens of similar paintings…. many for sale as prints, or jigsaw puzzles, on mugs, tote bags,v and magnets.
It’s absolutely amazing how many many artists and illustrators have chosen to portray an old fashioned bookstore, with lit-up multi-paned windows, at night or in the snow or the rain.
So many I started to think it might be a popular subject for AI illustrations… but while I didn’t examine many, I didn’t see reason to suspect any of them in particular.
..
Heh…a Hopper superimposition…
Or a super Hopper imposition.
,
Superbunny!!!!
I have seen rabbits at a full starch run on the gulf course after a coyote came on the course. All bunnies are kinda supper.
Did you mean super, or did you say they were supper on purpose? Whose side are you on, the coyote or the bunny? {*¿^}
A little of both, i guess. the yoties were looking for supper, and the bunnies knew it. 🙂
And it’s stretch run, not starch. 😀
I just thought you must be hungry… subconciously typing bunnies being full starch for supper…
That’s no little dog…which means that’s a really big rabbit.
It’s a hare, which means they’re probably hare coursing.
The sea spider video from yesterday.
That was a learning experience.
I would have thought that colder water would have made them smaller not bigger.
I don’t think I miscounted the legs on the one in Tuesday’s video, so maybe it lost one and unlike the juvenile (proper term?) ones it could not re-grow it; apparently they all do have eight legs (or more) when they start out. I counted the legs on three of them and the count was always came out to eignt.
I say again, they’re interesting creatures.
Thanks.
The one with seven, i noticed a stump.
…
The Grateful Dead.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=48eW3VL-95g&si=Xw4avKzaN-PBpo4S&feature=xapp_share
Experimental…
Hoping this might be a better link…
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld – The Librarian.
Anyone who’s read the early Discworld books will know that the Unseen University’s Librarian was one of the wizards who got caught up in a magical accident and was transformed into a Orangutan. The Librarian likes being an Orangutan, and resists all attempts to change him back into a human.
Oooky-Dooky.
Sounds sensible enough.