Positive Quote Wednesday - on Fortitude
October 12, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.
Jacqueline BissetAffliction is the wholesome soil of virtue, where patience, honor, sweet humility, and calm fortitude, take root and strongly flourish.
David MalletFortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.
John LockeFortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason.
Francis BaconGird your hearts with silent fortitude, suffering yet hoping all things.
Felicia HemansI know of no higher fortitude than stubborness in the face of overwhelming odds.
Louis NizerI learned a lot in those first years in Miami, while struggling just for survival, by observing my father’s fortitude.
Desi Arnaz
Pray for intestinal fortitude, work hard, and keep the faith. Oh, and pray for good luck, you’re gonna need it.
Jerry ReedWant of money and the distress of a thief can never be alleged as the cause of his thieving, for many honest people endure greater hardships with fortitude. We must therefore seek the cause elsewhere than in want of money, for that is the miser’s passion, not the thief’s.
William Blake
Beth
Blowing Off Steam: The World’s 10 Most Amazing Geysers
August 16, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Geysers have entranced observers from time immemorial with their sudden yet often predictable appearances, explosive power and the ability to conjure up rainbows on a cloudless day. Though the mechanics of geysers is better understood these days, their unique beauty remains one of Mother Nature’s most wondrous phenomena.
The Great Geysir, Iceland
(images via: Nations Online, CuboImages and Tree Peeps)
The Great Geysir, located in west-central Iceland’s Haukadalur valley, appropriately leads off this tribute to geysers as it was the first such phenomenon described in print. Though the earliest reports date from the 18th century, geologists estimate the Great Geysir has been active for up to 10,000 years.
(image via: Dadu1207)
The power and frequency of the Great Geysir have varied over time and seem to be affected by earthquakes and volcanism in the region – frequent occurrences in their own right. Since 2003, the Great Geysir has erupted thrice daily in spectacular fashion, with jets of boiling water shooting 70 meters high or more.
Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA
(images via: Atlas Obscura, BlackRockDesert.org and Nevada Magazine)
Located on privately-owned land in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, the Fly Geyser is a rare example of human meddling with nature resulting in something uniquely beautiful. A well drilled in 1916 provided convenient egress for superheated water from deep within the Earth, rendering the well useless for irrigation purposes.
(image via: Dallas News)
As time passed, the constant flow of mineral-rich water built up a series of miniature mountain-like cones and below them, and extensive field of terraces and pools. Here’s a video of the Fly Geyser:
The geyser owes its brilliant contrasting colors to both the minerals in the water and several species of Thermophile and Hyperthermophile (heat-loving) bacteria that live in it.
(images via: Stephen Oachs, John Coppinger and Dallas News)
The Fly Geyser is growing both in size and in prominence: organizers of the annual Burning Man Festival held nearby are attempting to purchase the part of the Fly Ranch containing the geyser, which would certainly provide greater access though at a questionable cost.
Waimangu Geyser, New Zealand
(images via: David Robinson, Rotorua and Matapihi)
Waimangu Geyser wasn’t just the biggest geyser in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on New Zealand’s North Island, it was the highest geyser in the whole world… for a very short time, at least. Waimangu Geyser‘s eruptions were so powerful, the explosive bursts of hot water blasted mud and rocks along with it, at up to 450 meters (almost 1,500 ft) in height! “Live fast, die young” was Waimangu Geyser’s motto, however, and although its prodigious blasts boosted into legendary status, it was only active between 1900 and 1904.
(image via: Te Ara)
Eyewitnesses to Waimangu (Maori for “black water”) Geyser were stunned by its power; in 1903 four tourists were killed by a sudden giant eruption. The wife of scientist Humphrey Haines described a January 1901 eruption as follows: “There was a small burst, followed by a gigantic explosion, far exceeding in magnitude anything previously witnessed. A vast column of black water was projected upwards, rising in an apparently solid body … Then for a moment it seemed to pause, but in another instant its apex burst outwards and a torrent of inky water streaked downwards to meet and lose itself in the snowy billows which rolled majestically upwards.”
Castle Geyser, Wyoming, USA
(images via: Science News for Kids, Ian Plant Dreamscapes and Chest of Books)
Of the roughly one thousand known geysers around the world, approximately 500 can be found in Yellowstone National Park. One of the most distinctive is Castle Geyser, named (in 1870) for its turreted, crenelated cone. Once thought to be as much as 15,000 years old, recent testing has indicated Castle Geyser’s first eruption took place roughly 1,000 years ago.
(image via: Hamari Fine Art)
Castle Geyser is a semi-regular geyser with a 10 to 12 hour eruption cycle. In a typical eruption, the geyser spurts boiling hot water up to 90 feet (27 m) high for about 20 minutes. This is followed by a pure steam eruption that can last up to 40 minutes and which is said to be very noisy!
Velikan Geyser, Russia
(images via: Igor Shpilenok and ValleyOfGeysers.com)
One of continental Eurasia’s only two geyser fields, the Valley of Geysers (“Dolina Geiserov”) located on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula boasts the second largest concentration of geysers in the world after Yellowstone Park. The Velikan (“giant”) Geyser is one of the field’s 30 named geysers. Erupting regularly every 6 to 8 hours but for only about a minute each time, the Velikan Geyser blasts superheated water over 25 meters (over 80 ft) into the air.
(image via: National Geographic)
In June of 2007, a massive mudslide triggered by an earthquake buried two-thirds of the Valley of Geysers beneath tons of rock, soil and rubble. Many of the valley’s curious diagonal geysers were lost but the Velikan Geyser was unscathed.
Geysir Andernach, Germany
(images via: Andernach.net, Stephan200659 and Alexanders Magazine)
Geysers aren’t usually family-friendly but Geysir Andernach isn’t your usual geyser: it’s cold! Even better, it’s carbonated – bring your own schnapps. The world’s highest cold water geyser is the centerpiece of the Namedyer Werth Nature Reserve, located near the city of Andernach in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
(image via: N24)
Cold geysers are powered by dissolved Carbon Dioxide. When a well or other outlet is provided, the pressurized water bursts upwards much like the contents of a shaken bottle of soda. This video features Geysir Andernach doing what geysers do, accompanied by some annoying Euro-techno-disco music (consider yourself warned):
Kaltwasser-Geysir in Andernach, via Noffycws
Strokkur Geyser, Iceland
(images via: Olis Olois, TrekEarth and Photoguide.cz)
Strokkur Geyser is the poster child for Icelandic geysers, erupting copiously and frequently: as often as every 4 to 8 minutes. It’s also one of the country’s highest geysers, a significant attribute for a wide-based fountain geyser.
(image via: JPGfotos)
Strokkur Geyser’s history has been dependent on earthquakes and local volcanic conditions. The geyser was first noted in 1789 when an earthquake opened its throat. In 1963, Iceland’s Geysir Committee (yes, they have such a body) advised unblocking the geyser’s conduit from beneath – the “operation” was successful and Strokkur Geyser has been performing regularly ever since.
El Tatio, Chile
(images via: Wayfaring, AllPosters and Pato Rojas)
El Tatio (“The Grandfather”) is located in northern Chile and at 4,200 meters (13,780 ft) above sea level is one of the world’s highest geyser fields. Though few of El Tatio’s individual geysers spurt more than a few feet high (the steam rises much higher), the overall effect of the field in full blast mode, backdropped by stunning Andes mountain scenery, is both ethereal and otherworldly.
(image via: Kangury.net)
The Chilean government has attempted on several occasions to build a geothermal power plant on the site of El Tatio but resistance from the public and from local businesses dependent on the tourist trade have scuttled such efforts time and time again.
Lady Knox Geyser, New Zealand
(images via: Road Less Traveled Blog, TripAdvisor and Cutcaster)
The Lady Knox Geyser, located in New Zealand’s Taupo Volcanic Zone, is one of the country’s few geological features that doesn’t have a Maori name due to it’s not being discovered until the early 20th century. Prisoners held at a nearby jail accidentally induced the geyser to erupt after adding soap to the natural hot water source in order to wash their clothes.
(image via: Wikipedia)
Soap is a surfactant that lowers the surface tension of water, a property that continues to be used to coax the Lady Knox Geyser into action. Here’s a video of the Lady doing her thing, right on schedule:
Lady Knox Geyser – New Zealand, via AdamZielonkowski
“Performances” are held daily at 10:15am and the geyser obligingly spurts upwards to a height of 20 meters (65+ ft) for up to an hour.
Old Faithful, Wyoming, USA
(images via: CPT12, Indospectrum and Stamp Collector’s Corner)
What, you thought we’d leave out the world’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful? Oh ye of little faith! Yellowstone Park’s star attraction is a sight to see, though beware of the common misconception that it erupts every hour, on the hour. The geyser’s eruptions can be predicted with a fair amount of accuracy but one must consider the length of the previous eruption: the greater the duration of the eruption, the longer the interval before the next one. Intervals between eruptions can last as long as 2 hours and as short as 35 minutes.
(image via: WyoFile/Yathin)
Old Faithful jets to maximum height ranging from 90 to 184 feet, though in long eruptions its height can be much lower over the final few minutes. Here’s a video of Old Faithful keeping the faith, as it were:
Old Faithful – Yellowstone, via Cathystratton
Odds are, if someone is going see one geyser in their lifetime and don’t happen to live near one, Old Faithful is the geyser they’ll see. It’s location in one of America’s oldest and most popular national parks means that extensive infrastructure has been established to serve generations of geyser-watchers. Old Faithful may not be off the beaten track – anything but – but it’s never failed to please its many admirers.
(image via: NASA/APOD)
Of course, Old Faithful never sleeps as tourists must, so one way to observe the geyser in an uncrowded setting is to go very late at night or very early in the morning. An added bonus is the spectacular night sky unhindered by city lights.
(image via: SOTT.net)
Geysers are among the Earth’s most fascinating natural phenomena, but don’t assume they’re strictly Earthly. NASA’s Voyager spacecraft captured an astonishing sight during their flyby of Triton, the planet Neptune’s largest moon, in 1989: towering geysers of Nitrogen gas tinted dark with dust, rising high into the moon’s threadbare atmosphere. Wondrous indeed and best of all, there’s no need to add soap!
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Stone Of Arc: The Worlds 10 Most Amazing Natural Arches
Eons of action by wind and water have conspired to create an abundance of amazing stone arches but these same forces will, in time, sweep them all away.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
Positive Quote Wednesday - On Laziness
September 1, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. ~Jules Renard
I like the word “indolence.” It makes my laziness seem classy. ~Bern Williams
All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness. ~Mark Kennedy
Efficiency is intelligent laziness. ~David Dunham
People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy. ~Bob Hope
Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man. ~Jimmy Lyons
It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? ~Ronald Reagan
What is right is often forgotten by what is convenient. ~Bodie Thoene, Warsaw Requiem
There is no cure for laziness but a large family helps. ~Herbert Prochnov
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy. ~Charlie McCarthy
We have produced a world of contented bodies and discontented minds. ~Adam Clayton Powell, Keep the Faith, Baby!, 1967
The time will come when winter will ask you what you were doing all summer. ~Henry Clay
How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young? ~Paul Sweeney
The present generation, wearied by its chimerical efforts, relapses into complete indolence. Its condition is that of a man who has only fallen asleep towards morning: first of all come great dreams, then a feeling of laziness, and finally a witty or clever excuse for remaining in bed. ~Søren Kierkegaard
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
Sam Keen
Beth
Got Vertigo? Terrifying Towers where minutes feel like hours.
November 3, 2009 by admin · View Comments
All of your instincts may be screaming for you to avoid looking down at all costs, but when you’re this high in the air, the view is just irresistible. Whether you’re clinging for dear life to a rickety wooden rainforest observation tower or staring straight down through a glass floor at city streets thousands of feet below, frighteningly tall spires and lookouts give us humans a look at our environment that our ancestors would never have imagined possible.
CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
(image via: shidairyproduct, ilkerender)
Do you trust a piece of glass about the thickness of two fingers to keep you from crashing thousands of feet to the ground below? Toronto’s CN Tower, which stands over 1,815 tall, offers stunning 360-degree views of the city – and a stomach-turning view straight down to the street through a glass floor.
Forest Tower, Schovenhorst Estate, Netherlands
(images via: Arplus.com)
The thoroughly modern Forest Tower is just as visually stunning as the views it provides of the conservation area at the Schovenhorst Estate in the Netherlands. The design includes spaces and features for various activities including peepholes, a climbing net and even a small performance space.
Willis Tower Skydeck, Chicago, Illinois
(images via: Charlotte Speaks)
If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to float 110 stories over Chicago, the Skydeck at the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower is the closest you’re likely to get. With a glass floor and glass walls on three sides, these “glass balconies” provide unparalleled views that will give the acrophobic nightmares.
Bird Watching Towers, Ecuadorian Amazon
(images via: JackMaryEtc)
There’s no way to enjoy the birds of the Amazon quite like observing them from one of Ecuador’s many extremely tall bird watching towers – if you’re brave enough to climb them. But finally getting to the top and finding it twisted from the wind and held together with a string, like one traveling couple did, might be enough to sway your confidence in the structure’s sturdiness.
Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne, Australia
(images via: EurekaSkydeck.com)
Like the Willis Tower Skydeck, Eureka Skydeck 88 in Melbourne, Australia offers views you just can’t get anywhere else in the city. But, it’s not for the faint of heart. 940 feet above the ground, “The Edge” is a glass cube that juts out nine feet from the building. It’s the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere.
Korkeasaari Lookout Tower, Helsinki, Finland
(images via: arcspace)
The shell-like wooden Korkeasaari Lookout Tower at Helsinki’s Korkeasaari Zoo mimics the large natural enclosures that the animals are held in, and is made of 72 long curved wood battens fastened with over 600 bolted joints. Ville Hara’s concept for the tower was the winning entry in a competition to design an innovative, artistic tower for the zoo.
Blackpool Tower ‘Walk of Faith’, Lancashire, England
(images via: Wikipedia)
With a design inspired by the Eiffel Tower, the 518ft Blackpool Tower in Lancashire, England was constructed in 1894 after Blackpool Mayor John Bickerstaffe visited the Great Paris Exhibition. Among its most popular features is the “Walk of Faith”, a glass floor panel added in 1998.
Burj Dubai Observation Deck, Dubai, UAE
(images via: Dubai Chronicle, WeeklyDrop)
Set to become the world’s tallest free-standig structure, Burj Dubai will feature a 124th-floor observation deck called ‘At the Top’. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls will provide unobstructed views of the city, but anyone who’s not paranoid about being swept away by a gust of wind can venture out onto the open-air deck. This mixed-use tower is set to open in late 2009.
Killesberg Tower, Stuttgart, Germany
(image via: structurae)
This double-helix shaped tower in Stuttgart, Germany features what are essentially two gigantic intertwined spiral staircases suspended by cables around a central support. Getting to the top is no easy feat, but the reward is great.
Shanghai Expo Tower, China
(image via: Expo 2010)
A 495-foot tall chimney at the oldest power plant in China is getting a dramatic makeover for the World Expo 2010. It is set to be transformed into an observation tower called the “Expo Harmony Tower”, its exterior wrapped with tracks and cars similar to a rollercoaster to transport passengers to the top. The entire former high-pollution plant is being revamped into an eco-friendly attraction that uses electricity generated by tide, wind and solar energy.
Glasgow Tower, Scotland
(images via: Wikipedia)
The tallest tower in Scotland is also the only tower in the world that can rotate 360 degrees from its base to its top. It’s shaped like an aerofoil, or an airplane wing seen in cross-section, and has computer-controlled monitors that turn it in the wind to reduce wind resistance.
Green Observation Towers Concept
(images via: HumanShelter.org)
Could we replace smokestacks with eco-friendly, green power-generating towers that also serve as public spaces with observation decks? Designer Michael Jantzen thinks so, and has created several designs that would do just that. The Wind Turbine Observation Tower has five wind-activated segments that rotate in different directions to produce energy, while the Eco-Tower is a public gathering space equipped with seven platforms and a custom wind turbine.
Cheongna City Tower, South Korea
(images via: Bustler.net)
South Korea is getting a new landmark tower that will serve as the cultural hub and centerpiece of a large new town development. The 1,476-foot observation tower appears to jut sharply into the sky like an inverted icicle, with the second-highest observation deck in the world. It’ll also be pretty high-tech, becoming the world’s first “invisible tower” with a skin system that uses optical cameras to capture the views from the opposite wall and project those images on each part of the skin. This effect will make the tower itself seems to disappear when you’re inside, leaving nothing but sweeping views.
Steph
