Загрузка видео...

Не удалось загрузить видео

На главную

The legendary John Farley, Harrier's chief test pilot, demonstrating his unique "Farley Climb" at Farnborough '82. Slightly grainy, but great video. #avgeeks #aviation #aviationdaily #RAF

316,067 просмотров • 3 лет назад •via X (Twitter)

Комментарии: 0

Нет доступных комментариев

Здесь появятся комментарии из оригинального поста

Похожие видео

Something is broken in our Uganda Police Force. This State Witness, a full Regional Scene of Crime Officer, showed up in court, took oath, said he had visited a murder scene with a certain police officer, Mary Mbabazi. The defense says he’s lying about having gone to the scene of crime with said police officer and at said time. A video is played showing Mary Mbabazi arriving alone. Police officer recognizes her and says yes, that’s Mary Mbabazi. He’s not anywhere in the video. It’s played for minutes before and after arrival. He confirms he’s nowhere in the video. It’s put to him by Jet John Tumwebaze that he lied. He says he didn’t lie. The video clearly shows he lied. He insists he didn’t lie. Perhaps the video recorder just edited him out. These are the Uganda Police Force officers the state wants to rely on to convict someone for murder. These are the police officers that have filled up our jails to 4 times capacity. Same police officers are being accused of back-dating police forms 17A and submitting forged documents. Police officers filed two PF17As that are alike on everything, down to placement of commas and stamps but one has extra exhibits. The witness is having a difficult time explaining why a carbon copy has different information than the original. Witness says “pens fails sometimes”. The Chief State Prosecutor tries to step in and Mr Tumwebaze, with whom they seem to have no love lost, tells him not to bother helping his (the defense’s case). He says: “why are you helping me with my case, Mr Muwaganya? You help yours. You can’t fail to help yours and help mine”. The man is only serving violence. The Chief State Prosecutor, a very good prosecutor in his own right, looks distraught. The witness battering goes on…It’s a bit painful to watch. #UgandaVsMollyKatanga

Anthony Natif

12,022 просмотров • 1 год назад

💥 The Chinese authorities have known for 4 years that a pilot of a China Eastern Airlines jet — flight MU5735 — deliberately crashed the aircraft, killing all 132 aboard, according to data from the US. The data, released by the 🇺🇸 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), confirms earlier leaked US accounts that Flight 5735, a Boeing 737, was intentionally crashed into mountains in Guangxi in Mar 2022. The NTSB readings from the flight recorders show two pilots wrestling over the controls after both engines were shut down by hand, the automatic pilot was switched off and the jet was pushed into a nosedive as it cruised between Kunming and Guangzhou. In the face of public anger, Beijing has failed to publish a report. Last July the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration responded to an inquiry with a warning that “disclosure [about the crash] may, if released, endanger national security and social stability”. Beijing is under pressure from international aviation organizations to come clean over the disaster, which appears to have followed a similar pattern to suspected murder-suicide acts by airline pilots that have killed hundreds since 2014. The NTSB was asked to decode the flight recorders of Flight 5735 and transmitted its readings to China two weeks after their recovery in 2022. The US agency released extracts from its findings on Thursday in response to a Chinese citizen’s freedom of information request. “It was found that while cruising at 29,000ft, the fuel switches on both engines moved from the run position to the cut-off position,” the NTSB said. “Engine speeds decreased after the fuel switch movement.” Graphs of control inputs and the aircraft’s movement showed a pilot’s yoke pushing the aircraft into a steep dive and efforts by the other pilot to halt the dive. The two pilots were turning their yokes in opposite directions, commanding left or right rolls from the ailerons on the edges of the wings. The report said that a power failure had halted the data recorder after 90 seconds but the battery-powered crew voice recorder had continued. The agency did not reveal the contents, which it transmitted to Beijing at the time and said it had not stored a copy. Video from the ground showed the Boeing plunging vertically. The crew made no radio calls and no emergency radar code was transmitted. Previous Chinese reports have said that all systems appeared to have been functioning normally. Two months after the crash, a US investigator said “the plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit”. China removed all references to that report, including screenshots, from social media. Three pilots were on the flight deck. Captain Yang Hongda, Zhang Zhengping, the first officer, and Ni Gongtao, a second officer in training. Speculation in China has centred on Zhang, one of the airline’s most experienced pilots, who had recently been demoted from his captain’s rank.

Byron Wan

365,447 просмотров • 5 месяцев назад

Made with Seedance 2.0 by Yapper Prompt: MASTER CINEMATIC PROMPT — ROOFTOP CHASE (INTENSE VERSION) SUBJECT: image1 Use the first image as the main subject. Maintain consistent face, body shape, hairstyle, clothing, and proportions throughout the entire video. Use the image2 as the primary storyboard reference. The second image strictly defines scene order, framing, and timing. Prioritize matching the second image over any creative interpretation. ⸻ FACE LOCK The face must remain sharp at all times. No blur, no distortion, no flickering. Expression progression: focused → tense → survival instinct → aggressive. ⸻ OUTFIT LOCK (STRICT) White undershirt (lightweight, slightly sweat-soaked, visible fabric texture, natural wrinkles) Red shorts (knee-length, soft fabric, natural folds, slightly loose fit) Barefoot (no footwear, visible natural foot movement and contact with surfaces) Rules: * Outfit must remain identical in all frames * No color change, no design change, no wardrobe switching * Clothing must stay consistent even when wet * Fabric reacts naturally to wind, movement, and water * Feet must remain barefoot at all times (no shoes appearing) ⸻ ENVIRONMENT Jakarta dense urban rooftop (corrugated metal roofs, rough concrete, tightly packed buildings) Golden hour lighting with strong backlight Hazy atmosphere with airborne dust particles Environment feels hot, dense, and visually chaotic ⸻ STYLE CORE Live-action, ultra-realistic, AAA cinematic quality High contrast, gritty, intense tone Natural motion blur (strong during fast movement) Heavy debris interaction and environmental destruction emphasis ⸻ CAMERA SYSTEM Handheld tracking, very close to the subject Micro-shake increases slightly on impact (controlled, not chaotic) Dynamic continuous movement following subject momentum Rule: Camera must feel physically present in the action No teleporting, no glitching Subject remains dominant in frame ⸻ TIMELINE (STRICT — HARD ACTION) 0.0 – 1.2s Wide rooftop view of Jakarta. Subject sprinting. A loud CRACK — bullet hits metal very close. Large sparks burst, slight camera shock reaction. ⸻ 1.2 – 2.5s Tight rear tracking shot. Heavy barefoot footsteps on metal roof (visible contact and impact). Bullet nearly hits the foot — debris flies toward camera. Clothesline hits his face; he forcefully pushes through without slowing. ⸻ 2.5 – 4.0s Fast slide under water tank. Bullet pierces the tank — heavy water burst crashes down. Clothing becomes wetter, sticks slightly to body. Camera partially passes through the water splash. He rolls hard and drops to a lower rooftop with impact weight. ⸻ 4.0 – 5.5s Running along a narrow ledge. Two rapid shots — concrete explodes beside his shoulder. Debris flies past camera. He nearly loses balance but recovers instantly. ⸻ 5.5 – 7.0s Full sprint into a large building gap jump. Slow motion mid-air. Bullet hits the edge behind him — fragments scatter in the air. Landing is unstable but controlled (barefoot impact visible). ⸻ 7.0 – 8.5s Grabs fire escape railing aggressively. Bullet slams into metal right beside his face — intense sparks. Camera swings with the momentum. He pulls himself up with force. ⸻ 8.5 – 9.5s Fast aggressive climb using windows and AC units. Bullet shatters glass right beside his head. Glass shards fall downward. Movement is fast, urgent, controlled panic. ⸻ 9.5 – 10.0s Reaches rooftop. Bullet hits near his feet. He pauses briefly, spots a hidden sniper suitcase under a water tank. Immediately sprints toward it. ⸻ PHYSICS & EFFECTS Bullet impacts create strong sparks, debris bursts, and visible force Water hits with weight and affects clothing behavior Barefoot contact interacts realistically with surfaces Camera reacts subtly to shock impacts Environment responds dynamically ⸻ CONSTRAINT No cuts No gore No additional scenes No timeline changes No mirrored movement No face distortion

Zar⭕on

11,116 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад

The Satanic Verses Scandal: Muhammad’s Public Praise of Pagan Goddesses and the Birth of Abrogation (619 C.E.) By 619 C.E., Muhammad had preached in Mecca for years with limited results. Families were divided. Tribal leaders remained hostile. The city still controlled the Kaaba and the trade that flowed through it. Under that pressure he delivered one of the most damaging moments in Islamic history. During a public recitation of what became part of Sura 53, he uttered words affirming three of Mecca’s chief goddesses—al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat—as exalted beings whose intercession could be hoped for. The early Muslim historians themselves record the incident because it was too widely known to erase. Those words were not a private slip. They were spoken in the hearing of both his followers and his pagan opponents. In that instant the claimed distinction between his allah and the pagan pantheon collapsed. If the god he preached could coexist with three exalted female deities whose mediation mattered, then his earlier denunciations of idolatry were temporary tactics, not fixed truth. Jehovah never shares His glory with idols. A man who praises false gods in the name of the true God fails the biblical test of a prophet. The response was immediate. Muslims and pagans together fell in prostration. Meccan nobles who had resisted him for years now bowed, because in their hearing he had recognized their goddesses. For a brief moment the long conflict appeared resolved. News of the reconciliation reached the refugees in Abyssinia. Some began returning, only to discover that the peace had already shattered. Muhammad soon claimed another visit from Jibril. The spirit, he said, rebuked him: the words about the goddesses had not come from allah. Satan had thrown them onto his tongue. Muhammad admitted that he had recited satanic content as divine revelation. To contain the disaster a new teaching was introduced. Satan, it was claimed, sometimes inserts suggestions into a prophet’s recitation, but allah later cancels those insertions and establishes His own verses. From this patch grew the doctrine of abrogation (Naskh)—the idea that later verses can cancel or override earlier ones. That doctrine is not a sign of divine flexibility. It is a confession that the so-called revelation was unstable and open to satanic interference. Jehovah does not allow the devil to co-author His Word. Deuteronomy is clear: the prophet who speaks in the name of the true God and then leads people after other gods is to be rejected. Muhammad did not submit the episode to the already revealed Scriptures. He created a mechanism that let him erase the damaging lines while preserving his own authority. The reversal produced shock. Meccans felt deceived. Followers who had risked the journey from Abyssinia on false news of peace faced confusion and doubt. Some wavered. The first great apostasy scandal in Islam was caused not by external persecution but by the prophet’s own mouth. Muhammad framed the crisis as a loyalty test. Those who clung to him despite the embarrassment were praised; those who questioned were cast as weak. He never treated the event as grounds to question his prophetic claim. From this point the message hardened. Compromise had threatened his unique status. When he praised the goddesses, Mecca welcomed him as one voice among many. When he reversed and condemned them again, his followers’ loyalty sharpened. The possibility of lasting accommodation with the Meccan establishment shrank. The doctrine of abrogation later supplied the theological tool to cancel gentler Meccan verses in favor of the harsher Medinan commands to fight until religion is for allah alone. The Satanic Verses incident is not a minor embarrassment buried in old books. It is a window into the nature of the movement. A man who publicly praised pagan goddesses as exalted intercessors, then blamed Satan, then invented a system for overwriting his own failures, cannot be a prophet of Jehovah. The true God does not lead His messengers into idolatry, does not permit satanic content in His revelation, and does not authorize the rewriting of earlier words to cover the error. Everything that followed—the hardening, the militancy, the use of abrogation to justify later violence—flows from that first great scandal at the center of Islam’s story. If it’s within your capacity and you value these educational posts, we appreciate any support on our ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ link found in our profile.

AMERICAN VALUES ALLIANCE

37,007 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

A friend of mine just recently got his first gun, a striker fired Glock 19. He is terrified to leave a round chambered. To anyone reading this who has this same fear, I want to alleviate your concerns. I'm going to explain why there is nothing to be afraid of. First and foremost, I fully understand your concern. It's not irrational. And you're not stupid for being nervous about a bullet being aimed at your leg with the striker cocked back under spring tension about an 1/8 of an inch from the primer. I get it. I shared this concern when I was new to carrying. But your fear is due to a lack of understanding of the internal safety features of a modern striker fired handgun. On a properly maintained modern striker fired pistol the striker CANNOT hit the primer on the chambered round without the trigger being pulled. Can't. Not shouldn't. Can't. (If you have any good Sig P320 jokes, this is the proper place to share them) There is a block that the striker will hit and stop if it is released without the trigger being depressed. It works just like a lock and key. There is a channel in the blocker that the striker can pass through if it is in the fire position. It only goes into the fire position if the trigger is pulled which pushes the blocker into the fire position. A spring keeps the blocker firmly in the block position until then. The blocker is a solid piece of steel that won't break. And if your gun is securely in a hard sided Kydex holster nothing can move the trigger unless it is unholstered. Many guns like Glocks have a trigger safety that prevents the trigger from moving due to force of dropping. Your finger has to be on the trigger safety to move it. So the gun cannot fire unless you pull the trigger. And it's easy for you to test this safety feature to see how it works! See the video below. You can try to push the striker forward by moving that piece at the back of the slide forward. That piece is the back of the striker. Push it forward and it will stop. The tip won't come out through the breach. You see it trying to come through but it gets stuck. Now push that little button in. That is the actual blocker. When you push it in you will now be able to move the striker forward through the breach and see how it will strike the primer. You can test this easily every time you disassemble your pistol to verify it is still working. You can break this safety feature by removing the blocker or losing the spring. But if it's there it will work. (You would be the first person in firearms history who has ever lost a spring. Literally the first one. It has never happened before. 😐) But it doesn't come out as part of regular maintenance. You have to disassemble the firing assembly to get it out. That won't happen by accident. And if you do that on purpose you should do this blocker test when you reassemble it to make sure the safety feature is working. My video shows a Glock slide. All Glocks will look like this. Other brands may put the blocker in a different spot or it may be a slightly different shape. But they all (mostly) have the same design. If you test yours as demonstrated and it works like mine does, your gun WILL NOT fire without pulling the trigger. (If you just thought of another P320 joke, this is another good place to toss that out there)

Spaceballs The X Account

197,088 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

This is the account given by the woman featured in the video: A neighbor's Pit Bull kept escaping just to come sit on my porch. When I finally figured out why, I laughed before doing anything else. Not exactly the reaction my son - or even I - was expecting. For months, no one could make sense of it. He belonged to the family across the street. Young couple, two boys, the kind of household that refreshed their yard every spring and treated painting trim like a weekend project. And still... their dog kept leaving. Not to chase anything. Not to get into trouble. Not even to explore. He would cross the street, climb up my steps, and sit right at my front door like he had somewhere to be. The tirst time, I assumed he was lost. The second time, I figured their gate wasn't secure. By the third time, even his owners looked a little embarrassed — like this wasn't misbehavior anymore, it was determination. "I'm so sorry," the wife said one day, standing in my yard with an empty leash, slightly out of breath. "He got out again... and came straight here." I looked at him. Big head. White chest. Soft amber eyes beneath a face that would usually make people hesitate. There he was, sitting calmly on my porch in the quiet mountain sun, as steady as if he belonged there. When I opened the door, he didn't run. Didn't bark. He just leaned his warm body against my leg and let out a long, contented sigh. That was six years after my husband passed. Six years of living alone in Flagstaff. Six years of one cup, one plate, one empty side of the bed. People kept telling me I should get a dog, like love was something you could just pick back up when you felt ready. But I had already lost one great love. I wasn't looking for another bond that would one day leave me counting the silence again. So when that dog kept choosing my porch instead of his own home... I didn't feel chosen. I telt trapped. I just didn't know by what. It took time to understand. It wasn't pressure. It wasn't loss waiting to happen. It was something gentler. He wasn't replacing anything. He wasn't asking for anything I couldn't give. He just showed up. Again and again. Until the quiet didn't feel so heavy anymore. Eventually, his family and I stopped apologizing back and forth and started laughing about it instead. We worked out a rhythm — he'd visit, I'd keep the door open, and somehow, it all just fit. Now, he still comes by. Not because he's escaping. But because he has two homes. And for the first time in years, mine doesn't feel empty anymore.

Gabriele Corno

112,500 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад

Reading with your baby isn’t always as simple as it might seem. Earlier this week, a parent asked how I’d advise reading to a toddler who may not have the attention span for a full book and who, when handling them, often tears the pages. I’m so glad you asked! This fantastic video, shared to TT a couple years back by hanzcakess, illustrates both the realities of - and several important lessons for - parents and caregivers when it comes to reading with infants and toddlers. First, when reading with very young children it’s important to begin with realistic expectations. At this little guy’s age (which I’m going to guess is around a year, give or take 2 months) babies‘ attention spans are VERY limited. Think 1-2 minutes tops. What does that mean for you? First it means that you’re unlikely to make it through an entire book. And that’s just fine. Rest assured that there’s still great value in the activity. Further, don’t be surprised if your child is more interested in interacting with (or at the earliest stages, even chewing on) the book itself rather than attending to the story it contains. That’s ok too. For both reasons, beginning with sturdy, laminated board books is well advised. Not only do these tend to be super short (with most intended to accommodate for babies’ brief attention spans), but they’re made to withstand the rigors of handling by infants and toddlers. Now, some might look at this video and (on first glance, at least) see primarily inattention. But not me! Here’s what I see: First, I see a completely normal toddler who’s already putting some really impressive book knowledge on display. Notice he’s advancing front to back and left to right as he turns pages sequentially. They’ve done this often. Also want to shout out what a truly fantastic job Dad is doing here. Notice that he’s totally letting his son dictate the terms the activity. He’s not insistent on completing the text, but goes with the flow as his son turns the pages. As the pages turn he’s helping to illustrate that the print on each one contains a unique message. And he’s singing the text! Brown Bear is a great book for this and many board books lend themselves particularly well here. Your baby isn’t judging your singing voice. Kudos on making the experience engaging. In light of all the above, don’t be afraid to stray from the text altogether as needed and use this time to simply engage in conversation about the pictures and introduce some new vocabulary. Finally, while lap reading is fantastic, at this age you may also find benefit in reading face to face, allowing your child to tune into your expressions alongside the book. Remember, there’s nothing your baby loves seeing more than you. Rest assured this stage doesn’t last forever. You’ll be snuggling up for longer sessions in no time. And while we’re on the topic of reading, I want to give a special shout out to my friends at Reach Out and Read, which is a fantastic program you may know from distributing books and sharing advice like this via your pediatrician’s office. Today I’m thrilled to be the guest on their newest podcast, discussing my book The Daycare Myth. I’ll include a link in the first reply below.

Dan Wuori

57,124 просмотров • 1 год назад

‡ Brant – Fast, Expensive, and Worrying In a recent 2yo MSW race at Santa Anita, Brant, a $3m OBS March sales purchase, made a winning debut for his high-profile connections. Sent off at odds of 4/5, he tracked the pace before taking command on the turn, and drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths. He recorded a very fast raw time, and a 101 Beyer figure. His high auction price was due largely to his having breezed an eighth of a mile in :09 3/5 at OBS. In the wake of the bidding, Amr Zedan, who purchased the colt on the recommendation of his trainer, Bob Baffert, and bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, was quoted in TDN as saying: "These horses are difficult to come by. He ticked all the boxes. He was a very precocious Gun Runner with a great pedigree. And more importantly, if you have someone like Mr. [Bob] Baffert in your corner, that gives you the courage and the guts to just go after quality. And you'll know they are in the best hands to turn them into champions. This one is for the team: Donato and obviously Bob and his ability to turn them into champions. So if you have the great team, the great training, the rest is easy. Was he pricey? Yes. But quality dictates price. So I never hesitated.” The hyperbole, and boilerplate optimism, are understandable, as even owners with very deep pockets prefer not to dwell on their inevitably long lists of expensive failures. But Zedan and their team have also enjoyed a number of high-profile successes, including Taiba, another Gun Runner colt, which won the Santa Anita Derby and the Malibu, both Grade I, before being retired to stud. Lanni, who has signed for at least some of Zedan's other good horses, was quoted as saying: "This is what the boss [Baffert] wanted and what Amr wanted. Gun Runner is a tremendous stallion and he worked really good and galloped out good. He did everything you want one to do.” Again, boilerplate, and if one were to take the reactions of the owner and agent at face value, it would be easy to arrive at the conclusion that the horse had no faults. But that would be naïve. So, let's first take a look at Brant's pedigree. Gun Runner is a "top" sire, and well-capable of getting high-class runners. It's a bit too early to fully judge him as a source of durability, but excluding his current crop of 2yos, his runners are only averaging 10 career starts. That number will rise, but likely not enough to reach, let alone exceed the contemporary industry average of ~15. In other words, though he himself raced 19 times, and won his swan song (the Pegasus World Cup) at five, there is no evidence to suggest that he is likely to eventually prove to be a particular source of durability. Brant's dam, Tynan, raced 13 times, and he is her first registered foal. His second dam, Pappascat, has produced at least five foals to have raced, and while only one has reached 20 starts, four of the five raced at least 12 times, which by today's degraded standards, isn't so bad. The fact that the coat color inherited by Brant, and his dam, can be traced to a notably unsound influence, Unbridled's Song, may or may not be meaningful. But I wouldn't ignore it as a potentially worrying connection. Brant's dam-sire, Liam’s Map, was lightly raced himself, and both his sire (US) and dam have poor records in terms of durability. As a sire, he has thus far produced numbers similar to Gun Runner. So while Brant's first two dams promise more than many that I have come across in similar assessments, and his sire displayed durability on the track, his overall pedigree suggests average durability at best. And what about the word that Mr. Zedan used twice in the above quote – "quality"? Well, Curlin is a quality sire, but in terms of bottom-line production, it leaves a lot to be desired. That's not to say that there are no good runners to be found, in fact the closely related Pappacap, under Brant's second-dam, was a Gr. III winner, and twice Grade I placed. However, through Brant's first six dams at least, I believe there to be just a single Grade I winner, Al Qasr, a Champion stayer in Peru, which appears under his fourth-dam. That is not, by any reasonable definition, a strong bottom-line, although it is fair to say that Brant's first dam is unproven. *** What might be learned from Brant's debut race? Everyone can see that he ran fast, and was much the best of that field, but I would say that there were some nuanced aspects of his performance that were both interesting, and worrying. Those nuances relate to his action, as viewed both through the pan shot, and head-on. Watching the basic (pan) view, Brant appears to display some "knee action". It isn't extreme, but also isn't the type of action that ideally suits dirt runners, and I wouldn't say that the colt appears totally comfortable. Here's a brief, related post on knee action, for reference: Then, we have the (embedded) head-on view, in which Brant displays seriously distorted action in his near-fore (left front leg; right when viewed head-on). It's a fairly extreme example of what is called "winging", and for a number of reasons, does not bode well for durability. Such action is never desirable, and is typically related to certain foreleg conformation flaws, which may include an offset knee, and/or toeing in or out, etc. Note also that under typical American racing conditions (i.e. tightly turning, left-handed tracks), the left front leg is subjected to the greatest torque, which amplifies the potential for injury. It should go without saying that there are occasional anomalies, horses with poor action that remain sound despite such flaws. But they are the exceptions, and it is not uncommon to find abbreviated careers associated with such action. For further reference, here is a link to a closely related post that I wrote after a filly named Amor Fati broke her maiden in eye-catching style in February of 2024. She has made just one further start, and hasn't recorded a work over the past 15 months. What's interesting about Brant is that there are two separate issues relating to his action, and that the some obvious mitigating steps that could have been, or should be taken, in efforts to keep him sound, were not, and are unlikely to ever be taken. First, with regard to his knee action, keep in mind that it is a characteristic that is more typically associated with turf horses. And guess what? Brant's dam was a turf horse. His second-dam was also at her best on turf, and was Gr. II placed on that surface. Also, in some respects, he physically resembles that female line more than his sire. Of course no one who spends millions on a horse that breezed exceptionally fast at a 2yo sale would be thinking "turf", given that the commercial market, and stakes schedules greatly favor dirt runners. But at the same time, it would be a mistake to assume that a fast breeze at OBS necessarily indicates that a given horse will be best suited to dirt. I say that partly because the OBS track features an all-weather surface called "Safetrack", which is far from being identical to dirt racing surfaces. While countless horses have gone through those sales and excelled on dirt, it should never been taken for granted that it will be a preference. And to further flesh out the point, take a look at Brant's breeze video through this link (his pedigree page can also be seen): Despite being rushed to cover a furlong much faster than he ever will again, I would say that he looks smoother, and displays slightly less knee action than in his recent debut race. Why? Could it be, perhaps, because he would prove more comfortable on turf and/or synthetic tracks, than dirt surfaces? Given how he ran first out, this is purely an academic point, as there is virtually no chance that his connections would consider switching surfaces, unless his form on dirt were to deteriorate badly. The second, more important point, relates to Brant's distorted action. I can't find a head-on conformation photo of the colt, but would be very surprised if he does not display flaws in his near-fore. Even in the very unlikely event that the leg were to appear correct, such distorted action would have been on display at the sale, as well as in pre-training at Eddie Woods' farm. And it defies belief that experienced horsemen who were prepared to purchase an extremely expensive horse for an important client would not have covered that base. Which in turn begs two important questions. First, why recommend the purchase of a very expensive horse, no matter how fast, that has yet to race, and displays such distorted action? Secondly, why choose to give such a horse to a trainer whose style and history suggest that injury risk would likely be amplified, rather than mitigated? The answers to those questions help to illuminate why the breed-to-sell paradigm is so insidious. As long as breeders and stud farms are willing to overpay for stallion prospects, and turn blind eyes to conformation defects, distorted action, lack of durability, and modest female families, the connections of horses like Brant need only hope that they hold together long enough to win one or two big races, enabling them cash in. These are the number of career starts made by Zedan's previous best (and expensive) male runners: 9 Arabian Lion 6 Arabian Knight 9 Muth 10 Medina Spirit 11 Hejazi And as long as the AGSC (American Graded Stakes Committee) continues to enable the paradigm through its dishonest KY Derby "prep" Grade I designations, the ultimately damaging feedback loop will likely continue. The answer to the second question is closely entwined, and should be obvious. For all of his faults as a trainer, Baffert has long produced results in stakes races that lead to valuable stud careers, so owners who wish to play the breed-to-sell game consider him to be a logical choice. Of course Baffert and Zedan are hardly alone in supporting the dubious paradigm. But that a horse like Brant could bring millions at a sale, and be given to a trainer who trains very hard, and has compiled a very poor safety record, underscores the extreme degree to which the value of durability has been marginalized by the industry. One final note, and it's a genuine qualification that I always make when producing this type of post, I hope that Brant will enjoy a long, injury-free career. But if I were a betting man...

Tinky

94,348 просмотров • 1 год назад

‡ The Puma in the Sam F. Davis Stakes A three-year-old colt named The Puma made his debut at Gulfstream in a 7f. MSW race on January 10th. He raced up on the pace and held well to finish 2nd behind the Mott-trained first-starter Chief Wallabee, while 9 lengths clear of the 3rd-place finisher. It was a promising performance, and the colt recorded an 86 Beyer figure. He was entered in an 8.5f. MSW at Gulfstream on Saturday, and was listed as the 7/5 favorite. However, his connections chose to scratch the colt, and instead contest the 8.5f. Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa, against tougher company, and over a different track surface. Will it prove to have been the correct choice? Well, if providing short-term thrills for the owner(s) is the goal, then perhaps. But in terms of the development of the horse, I would say that the answer is probably not. It is possible that he will surprise me by running well, and improving further in subsequent races, without missing a beat. But I am partial to classical, old-school training methods, typically employed by the very best trainers, which include more gradual step-ups in class, and strong foundations, or "bottoms". To be fair, trainers these days are often under great pressure from their owners, especially with young colts, and they have much more limited options than those who trained back in the '70s and '80s. Charlie Whittingham raced Sunday Silence four times in MSW and Alw. races before placing his future HOF Champion into stakes company. The undefeated HOF filly Personal Ensign, undefeated through 13 starts, competed in just one stakes race through her first four starts for Shug McGaughey. Today, there are fewer options available, and particularly in the form of allowance races beyond sprint distances. This is partly due to the excessive number of restricted stakes races available to two and three-year-old runners, which has had the effect of displacing what were once more natural, less taxing, and ultimately beneficial developmental patterns. Of course there are horses that are able to overcome less than ideal development, but many others, often forgotten, fall by the wayside, either due to physical and/or mental setbacks that result from rushed programs. The breed-to-sell paradigm is a big catalyst, as is the fever that afflicts too many owners, namely KY Derby fever. *** In terms of stamina, The Puma's pedigree is encouraging, at least superficially, as his young sire, Essential Quality, was a Travers winner over 10f., and a Belmont winner over 12f., while his dam, Eve of War, won up to 9f. He is the first foal to race from his dam. But from what I can discern from the replays of of his race, and the available clips and images on the OBS site (he was a $150k purchase through last year's April sale), I'm not confident that he will ultimately stay much beyond a mile, and with just one race under his belt, the Sam F. Davis may prove to be a stiff challenge. My concerns revolve mainly around two characteristics, his action and body type. Though not as extreme as those which I have highlighted in previous posts, The Puma does display distorted action, as can be seen in the attached clip of the finish of his lone race. He is on the right (turquoise cap). There are distortions in both front legs, and such inefficient action can have the effect of limiting distance capabilities, especially with speed horses. The second characteristic is that he appears to be a strongly-made colt. If you watch the second clip, from his OBS walk video, you should be able to see that he appears to have a muscular shoulder, and a fairly wide chest. Taken together, The Puma's action and body type are more likely to be found in sprinters than "two-turn" horses, and as suggested above, I would be surprised if he were ultimately able to stay effectively over Classic distances. In terms of pedigree, The Puma should have no trouble with the 8.5f. distance of the Sam F. Davis. But given all of the above, and an honest pace, I'm of the opinion that he is unlikely to win. It will, in any case, be interesting to see how he fares, and how he develops over the coming months.

Tinky

13,182 просмотров • 8 месяцев назад

"A neighbor’s Pit Bull kept escaping just to come sit on my porch. When I finally figured out why, I laughed before doing anything else. Not exactly the reaction my son — or even I — was expecting. For months, no one could make sense of it. He belonged to the family across the street. Young couple, two boys, the kind of household that refreshed their yard every spring and treated painting trim like a weekend project. And still… their dog kept leaving. Not to chase anything. Not to get into trouble. Not even to explore. He would cross the street, climb up my steps, and sit right at my front door like he had somewhere to be. The first time, I assumed he was lost. The second time, I figured their gate wasn’t secure. By the third time, even his owners looked a little embarrassed — like this wasn’t misbehavior anymore, it was determination. “I’m so sorry,” the wife said one day, standing in my yard with an empty leash, slightly out of breath. “He got out again… and came straight here.” I looked at him. Big head. White chest. Soft amber eyes beneath a face that would usually make people hesitate. There he was, sitting calmly on my porch in the quiet mountain sun, as steady as if he belonged there. When I opened the door, he didn’t run. Didn’t bark. He just leaned his warm body against my leg and let out a long, contented sigh. That was six years after my husband passed. Six years of living alone in Flagstaff. Six years of one cup, one plate, one empty side of the bed. People kept telling me I should get a dog, like love was something you could just pick back up when you felt ready. But I had already lost one great love. I wasn’t looking for another bond that would one day leave me counting the silence again. So when that dog kept choosing my porch instead of his own home… I didn’t feel chosen. I felt trapped. I just didn’t know by what. It took time to understand. It wasn’t pressure. It wasn’t loss waiting to happen. It was something gentler. He wasn’t replacing anything. He wasn’t asking for anything I couldn’t give. He just showed up. Again and again. Until the quiet didn’t feel so heavy anymore. Eventually, his family and I stopped apologizing back and forth and started laughing about it instead. We worked out a rhythm — he’d visit, I’d keep the door open, and somehow, it all just fit. Now, he still comes by. Not because he’s escaping. But because he has two homes. And for the first time in years, mine doesn’t feel empty anymore.

Crazy Moments

237,217 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад

Here's a teaser of Lv Bu (吕布) from Light Chaser Animation-the most powerful warrior of the Three Kingdoms, and perhaps the most dangerous man to trust. Lv Bu (吕布) was renowned as the era's most preeminent warrior. Born in Inner Mongolian, he's known as the "Flying General (飞将)" for his extraordinary martial skills. His legendary steed, Red Hare (赤兔), remains one of the ultimate symbols of a warhorse in Chinese culture to this day. It is widely believed to have been a "heavenly horse" from Central Asia. Lv's greatest weakness was never on the battlefield, but in his character. Suspicious, fickle, and lacking both political judgment and stable loyalty, he repeatedly switched allegiances in the chaos of the era, ultimately failing to secure a lasting position. He initially served under Ding Yuan (丁原), the Inspector of Bing Province (并州). In the late Eastern Han dynasty, imperial authority had weakened, eunuchs dominated the court, and political order had collapsed. In 189 AD, Ding Yuan led his troops to the capital Luoyang (洛阳) and conspired with the General-in-Chief He Jin (何进) to eliminate the eunuchs and restore order, or, make the throne great again. However, the plan was poorly executed. He Jin was killed by the eunuchs instead, who subsequently were slaughtered by He's allies. A huge vacuum of power emerged, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control. At this critical moment, the warlord Dong Zhuo (董卓), summoned to the capital, seized the opportunity. He swiftly took control of Luoyang, held the emperor hostage, and dominated the imperial court. Recognizing Lv's martial prowess and position, Dong Zhuo sowed discord between him and Ding Yuan, eventually persuading Lv Bu to kill his lord and defect to his side. For a time, the two referred to each other as father and son. However, Dong Zhuo's brutal and paranoid nature eventually wore on Lv Bu. Over time, as Lv grew more dissatisfied, his unease grew further when he began an affair with Dong Zhuo's maid. Ultimately, with the scheme of Wang Yun (王允), Lv Bu personally assassinated Dong Zhuo, the second time he killed his own lord. The maid, whose name was never recorded in historical texts, was later immortalized in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as "Diaochan (貂蝉)." While the details of the maid's life are unknown, the story of Diaochan has become rich and romanticized, forever entwined with the legends of that era, making her one of China's Four Great Beauties. However, the assassination of Dong Zhuo did not grant Lv a stable position he sought. For the next ten years, he wandered between various factions, aligning with them, betraying them, and repeating this cycle. He remained the undefeated warrior, but over time, he came to be seen by all the warlords as: The strongest, yet the most untrustworthy man. Historical records show that when Cao Cao (曹操) tried to win over Lv Bu, he sent him a military seal and a sash. Cao Cao wrote in a personal letter to Lv Bu, "The royal family has no good gold, so I have recast a seal for you with my own family's gold; the royal family has no purple sash, so I have given you my own purple sash to show my sincerity." However, Lv's repeated betrayals finally led Cao to make the decision to eliminate him. In 199 AD, Cao Cao captured him. What followed was a fascinating conversation recorded in history. When Lv Bu met Cao Cao, he said: "From now on, the world can be at peace." Cao Cao asked, "Why do you say that?" Lv Bu replied: "Your Excellency's only concern is me. Now that I have surrendered, the trouble of the world is nearly over. If you command me to lead the cavalry and you lead the infantry, all under heaven will surely be unified." Lv then turned to Liu Bei (刘备), who was nearby and would move on to oppose Cao Cao in the southwest of China 20 years later, and pleaded: "Could you not speak a word on my behalf to loosen bonds?" Cao Cao, upon hearing this, smiled and said: "Binding a tiger must be done tightly." At that moment, Liu Bei intervened: "Have you forgotten the stories of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo?" These words completely changed the situation. Cao Cao immediately decided to execute Lv to avoid his own tragic end. Before his execution, Lv glared at Liu Bei in anger and shouted: "Big-eared man (大耳儿), you are the most untrustworthy!" This final insult not only marked the last words of his life but also made Liu Bei's nickname endure in history for 1,800 years. For over 1,800 years, Lv Bu has never disappeared. In history, in novels, in films, and in games, he is always the ultimate warrior. Max stats. Zero loyalty. And like many people of my generation playing 3K-themed games, he was the one character I wanted most, even knowing he would probably betray me. In history, he failed. In legend, he became immortal. So how do you see Lv Bu, legend, traitor, or tragedy?

Zhai Xiang

14,519 просмотров • 5 месяцев назад

Facial reconstruction of a 3,600-year-old Mycenaean Greek In the middle of the 20th century, archaeologists discovered in Mycenae Grave Circle B, another royal cemetery that preceded Grave Circle A. The burial complex was discovered accidentally in 1951 when workers were excavating a nearby 13th-century BCE tomb known as the Tomb of Clytemnestra. Grave Circle B consists of 26 graves, dated to 1675–1550 BC, including 14 shaft graves. The shafts, up to 12 meters deep, were marked by burial mounds or stone stelae. The cemetery was probably used for about 100 years. The remains of 35 individuals were found in the graves. The large number of undisturbed graves allowed archaeologists to gain insight into the life of the Mycenaean elite of that time. In the women’s graves, many ornaments were found: earrings, necklaces, and gold and silver pins. Alongside the male skeletons were swords, daggers, and arrowheads; men’s clothing was decorated with gold. In one of the graves, a helmet made entirely of boar’s tusks was discovered. There are more female skeletons than male ones, and overall the female burials are richer. A unique find is a posthumous mask made of electrum, which was not placed on the deceased’s face but kept in a wooden box beside him. Another interesting artifact is a duck-shaped bowl made of rock crystal. Unlike the remains from Grave Circle A, the skeletons from the burials of Grave Circle B are well preserved. The bones of the men show traces of combat injuries, suggesting that some of these individuals likely died in battle. As early as the 1950s, it was suggested that members of several (probably four) noble families were buried in Cemetery B over 3–4 generations. To test this hypothesis, in 1995 anthropologists reconstructed faces from seven skulls found in the burials. Researchers discovered a clear resemblance between two individuals — Z59 and F51 — and divided the seven buried individuals into three groups: “heart-shaped,” “elongated,” and “beak-shaped” faces. In 2008, a genetic study was conducted on 22 skeletons from Grave Circle A. Samples were taken from mandibles and clavicles. Mitochondrial DNA was successfully obtained from four individuals, showing that a man and woman from the same grave (where the posthumous mask was found) were brother and sister. Researchers believe that both men and women of the royal lineage in this ancient society inherited power by right of birth. The skull of an individual from grave Sigma (Σ131) is particularly well preserved. It is the only one in which the lower jaw was present. It is believed that he may have been the founder of the dynasty that established this cemetery, since his grave is one of the earliest in Circle B. There were no pottery or metal objects in his grave, but the burial was marked by a large heap of stones. The anthropologist Lawrence Angel reckoned that he lived to be about 55 years old, judging from the exostoses on his shoulders and feet. Although today these would not be considered precise indicators of age—and his dental age may have been slightly younger than 55—he was still the oldest of all those buried in Circle B. Angel described him as a massively built man, big enough to draw attention in a crowd, and estimated his height at 1.75 m. He suffered from osteoporosis and had a large abscess above the upper right permanent lateral incisor.

Ancestral Whispers

144,950 просмотров • 6 месяцев назад

john wick seedance text to video prompt: [STYLE / CINEMATIC SETUP] A 10.5-second, 16:9 photorealistic AAA action-game cinematic rendered at real-time speed with no slow motion. The setting is a cramped, cluttered late-night Asian restaurant connected to a rain-soaked street. Cyan-green fluorescent light, red neon and warm practical lamps create a high-contrast mixed-light environment, with reflections across wet floors and pavement. Shoot with a 35mm spherical lens, shallow-to-moderate depth of field and cinematic motion blur appropriate to the actual speed of movement. Use close shoulder-mounted and handheld coverage, connecting seven short close-combat shots with fast hard cuts. The camera instinctively pans, retreats or drops with each block, takedown and collision while keeping the action and contact points readable. No dialogue, no subtitles and no BGM. Generate only synchronized rain, appliance hum, urgent footsteps, fabric movement, body impacts, gunshots, metal contact and breaking glass. [IMAGE REFERENCES] No external still-image reference. Follow the written character and environment descriptions consistently. If the platform supports reference video, use the supplied video only as a reference for editing rhythm, camera distance, action direction and lighting atmosphere, not for copying a specific actor’s identity. The protagonist remains the same lean, agile man in his early forties throughout the sequence: neck-length black hair swept back, a short beard, a tired but focused face, a slightly wrinkled black suit, white shirt and narrow black tie, all carrying faint rain and wear marks. Preserve his face, hairstyle, body proportions, clothing and screen direction across all seven shots. Keep every opponent visually distinct: a man in a blue work uniform, a bald man in a navy jacket, a heavy man in a black jacket, a bald counter attacker, a red-headband attacker, a red-jacketed armed attacker and a heavy man in a dark green coat outside. [TIMELINE SECOND BY SECOND] 0–1.9s: [Shoulder-height medium close-up, tight lateral handheld tracking, real-time speed] The protagonist stands on screen left, pinning the blue-uniformed attacker against a glass refrigerator with his left forearm and palm. He delivers two compact, weighted elbow and palm-heel strikes. Each impact drives the attacker’s head into the refrigerator door, loosening his white headband and leaving a small blood trace on the glass; the attacker finishes sliding down the door while the protagonist remains standing. 1.9–4.3s: [Medium shot transitioning into a high-angle overhead, shoulder-mounted drop, real-time speed] Hard cut near the restaurant’s rear entrance. The bald attacker in a navy jacket locks the protagonist from behind. The protagonist lowers his center of gravity, traps the attacker’s arm and rotates his hips, throwing him heavily over the shoulder onto the wet floor. The camera drops with them into an overhead view. Kneeling across the attacker’s torso, the protagonist draws a compact black pistol and fires one downward shot; recoil travels through his wrist and the attacker jolts once before becoming still. 4.3–5.9s: [Tight medium shot, lateral handheld follow, real-time speed] Hard cut with both men already upright. A heavy attacker in a black jacket swings from screen right. The protagonist slips outside the punch, allowing it to pass close to his face, circles behind the attacker and locks his shoulder and neck off balance. He presses the pistol close to the side of the attacker’s head and fires. The muzzle flash briefly illuminates both faces; the attacker’s head and shoulders snap backward and his body begins to collapse. 5.9–7.9s: [Counter-height medium close-up, subtle handheld push-in, real-time speed] Hard cut to the restaurant counter. Another bald attacker bends forward and clamps around the protagonist’s waist. The protagonist pins the attacker’s head and neck under his left arm while grabbing a short, rigid pointed utensil from the counter. He drives two compact downward thrusts into the upper shoulder and side of the neck. Each contact bends the attacker’s knees further; a restrained amount of blood marks the shirt and counter edge before the attacker hangs helplessly beneath the protagonist’s controlling arm. 7.9–9.0s: [Two-person medium close-up, fast pan with a short retreat, real-time speed] Hard cut as the red-headband attacker rushes into close range. He throws a wide hook from screen right. The protagonist raises his forearm to block, catches the wrist and pulls it outward, then drives a palm heel and forearm into the attacker’s face. The camera retreats with the impact as the attacker loses his balance and staggers toward the rear right of the frame. 9.0–9.9s: [Low-angle wide shot, slight arc around the action, real-time speed] Hard cut to a wider section of the restaurant. The red-jacketed armed attacker advances from screen left. Holding a long black firearm with both hands, the protagonist uses it as a blunt weapon and swings horizontally from right to left. The weapon strikes the attacker’s upper chest and shoulder, rotating his torso, crossing his feet and sending him off balance toward screen left. 9.9–10.5s: [Exterior rainy-street medium shot, fast parallel tracking, real-time speed] Hard cut outside the restaurant. The protagonist already controls a heavy attacker in a dark green coat and uses his forward momentum to drive the man’s head and upper body into the side window of a parked black station wagon. The glass bursts inward at the contact point, scattering both large and fine fragments. The attacker folds through the broken window while the protagonist regains stable footing beside the car, ending with glass fragments still falling. [STYLE & QUALITY BOOSTERS] Maintain the protagonist’s face, black suit, white shirt, tie, hairstyle and body proportions through every hard cut. The pistol, pointed utensil, injuries and blood marks must appear only in their designated shots and must never morph or change ownership. Throws, recoil, strike reactions, loss of balance and window breakage must show believable weight, inertia and precise contact. Apply motion blur only to rapidly moving arms, weapons, glass fragments and camera-relative backgrounds. No sudden face or costume changes; no extra fingers, fused limbs or inverted joints; no morphing weapons, utensils or vehicles; no foot sliding or rubber-like collision reactions; no blood, bullet damage or glass fragments appearing before physical contact.

underwood

24,627 просмотров • 1 месяц назад