That which endures......

[scheherazade]

The 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout is the world's oldest running car. 127 years young.

When the world’s oldest drivable car crossed the auction stage Friday night at the Hershey Lodge, it was expected to fetch between $2 million and $2.5 million.

But with the final gavel pound — after 15 minutes of tense back-and-forth bidding — the 127-year-old, steam-powered vehicle belonged to its fifth owner.



Click on image to view a video of this car in action.

Final price bid, $4.2 million. Final price, with a 10 percent buyer’s premium: $4.62 million to an undisclosed bidder.

The De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout, or La Marquise, was the star of the show at Friday’s auction by RM Auctions.

It might run on steam, but the vehicle — which resembles a locomotive as much as a car — has four wheels, front-wheel steering, seating for four and a top speed of about 38 mph.

A one of a kind, the Dos-A-Dos boasts a well documented history with only a handful of owners.

That plus its age and meticulous maintenance all combined to drive it into the million-dollar-plus price range.

There are older cars, but unlike other museum pieces, La Marquise is the oldest known vehicle to still be running.

Start the boilers, pop in some coal or coke, wait 45 minutes for the steam to build up pressure, and it could be driven around town.

RM’s auction team proved that point Friday evening to the delight of the crowd when it drove the contraption across the stage.

Its exhaust fumes were a white cloud of steam.

 

[scheherazade]

What is more enduring that a story? The telling of a tale leaves a trail and by such means do we pass on our experiences, our knowledge and our concepts.

I greatly enjoy contemplating what my horses may be thinking when I spend time with them, and so a bit of artistic license is taken.

I rode the red phenom today, and her energy and enthusiasm increases with ongoing physical conditioning. The LSD (Long Slow Distance) training is now beginning to demonstrate it's value, as we add interval training and increased distance to the mix.

The Morgan horse was selectively bred for intelligence, versatility and endurance.

We 'understand ' each other well, and much passes between us, without spoken word. Take that as you will.....

"I don't think it can be done", I thought, looking at my watch. "Not in the time remaining in the hour....."

"You think not?", the red mare flicked an ear back to me, and walked long strides, obedient to the aids.

"Seems highly unlikely", I affirmed.

"Are you up for this?........For the usual wager?", the mare pressed her case.

"Game On! Try not to get us killed......" and I rose into the two-point position and gave her the rein.

The Morgan horse accelerates differently than A Quarter Horse. Fast yet smooth, unlike the snap which can leave you sitting on air, that is typical of the Quarter Horse breed.

Caramel sprang forward like a cat, and her strides increased in length with each bound, until her belly was nearly touching the snow. The wind was making my eyes water, despite the glasses I wear, yet I trusted her on this familiar piece of highway allowance. Up the grade we flew, ever faster, in defiance of the laws of physics and gravity, and the little horse seemed bent on breaking the sound barrier.....

At the designated point, I sat into the saddle and the mare obediently pulled up.

I looked at my watch.

"You actually did it......", I remarked in surprise.

"With 17 seconds to spare", the mare replied smugly. "You owe me a whole bag of horse cookies!", she trilled......and then began to croon the song, 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.....'

"Caramel, you are irrepressible", I laughed.......and the mare switched to singing 'Just Call Me Irresponsible', interchanging the word irrepressible.

Some dogs laugh; my horse makes wagers and sings.....

 

[Aqueous Id]

I would say that the search for meaning endures, albeit sometimes in crazed maniacal manifestations... for some reason my mind wandered into the notion of the jihadist girding his loins so to speak.. shaving and preparing for death, with the maniacal ideation that this leads to Valhalla (ala Allah) (almost a palindrome) (wow what caused that) and so that would be (hopefully) as BAD as it gets with the twisting of enduring dreams, or whatever these folks really believe....

Back to this very mellow vibe which made me go searching for Rimsky-Korsakov who paints with sound your chosen moniker in a crashing panoply of colored sound. Or how about Jack London, who captures the yukon photos so well you can almost feel the snow crunch under your mukluks.

We all want the same thing, underneath all the bullshit.

 

[scheherazade]

I would say that the search for meaning endures, albeit sometimes in crazed maniacal manifestations...

Back to this very mellow vibe which made me go searching for Rimsky-Korsakov who paints with sound your chosen moniker in a crashing panoply of colored sound. Or how about Jack London, who captures the yukon photos so well you can almost feel the snow crunch under your mukluks.

We all want the same thing, underneath all the bullshit.

Ah, yes......the search for meaning.

As the perspective and experiences of each are unique, for which meaning, then, should we seek?

I occasionally contemplate upon what lead me to borrow the name of one of legend's most famous storytellers. All stories and music are subject to the interpretation of the experiencing party, which may differ from the intent of the originator.

Here is another musical interpretation of Scheherazade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv6Or0yajkQ&feature=related

 

[S.A.M.]

I saw this today and thought of you!

The Azawakh of the Sahel - the aboriginal dog indigenous to the region of the same name

 

[scheherazade]

I saw this today and thought of you!

The Azawakh of the Sahel - the aboriginal dog indigenous to the region of the same name

A very elegant and interesting looking breed, S.A.M. Thank you for posting it. I found the following information on the breed at Wiki.

Origin

Recent genetic, blood protein and archaeological studies, as well as direct observation in the field, offer a glimpse into the origin of the contemporary Azawakh breed. It comes out of the population of pariah dogs of sub-Saharan Africa—also called bush dogs or basenji--and is also closely related to the Sloughi of the Maghreb. Despite morphological similarities, mitochondrial DNA evidence shows that he is only very distantly related to other sight hounds. Azawakh have a rare glucose isomerase allele (GPIB) that occurs only in foxes, jackals, Italian wolves, Sloughi dogs and a handful of other quite unrelated rare dogs found mostly in Japan. The presence of the GPIB suggests an ancient differentiation of the Azawakh from other dog populations near the base of the dog family tree divergence from wolves or perhaps a uniquely African cross-breeding with local African canids such as jackals. Petroglyph rock art dating from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago during the Green Sahara (also known as the Holocene and Neolithic Subpluvial) shows cursorial dogs in conjunction with hunters. Archaeologists have found dog bones buried in Holocene settlements in the Sahara. At the close of the Holocene Wet Phase in the 4th millennium BCE, the Sahara returned to desert and created a formidable physical barrier to travel. Together, this evidence suggests that the Azawakh population has a unique genetic heritage that has been largely isolated from other dog populations for millennia.

In the common era the Sahel dogs are almost totally isolated from northern dogs by the Sahara, but the ties to the pariah dogs to the south are extremely close. Azawakh are virtually indistinguishable from the Sahel pariah dog population from which they are drawn. In addition to a basic physical structure, the Azawakh share a number of unique traits with the pariah dogs:

intense suspicion of the unknown
strong guarding instinct
pack hunting behavior
complex social hierarchies
unique vocalizations
extra pre-molar teeth
strong instinct to dig dens

Throughout the Sahel, very elegant puppies can be found among rustic siblings. The Sahel nomads do not have the same breed concepts as in the West and, unlike the Bedouin of the North, do not recognize a strict separation of al hor (noble) from kelb (mongrel) dogs. The nomads act as an extra level of selection on top of the intense natural selection pressure of the Sahel environment. The approach to selection is diametrically opposed to Western breeding. Instead of selecting which dogs to breed upon maturity, they decide which puppies should live. This approach has the advantage of maintaining a large reservoir of genetic variability and resilience.

The peoples of the Sahel control dam lines and cull puppies heavily at birth according to locally held aesthetic criteria that are not yet fully understand. In the Sahel, color is not a selection criterion. The alpha male dog from the local population is usually the sire. Unless it is a wet year, only one puppy from a litter might be selected to live. Females are usually culled unless the family projects a need for more dogs in the future.

 

[scheherazade]

The dog is an interesting domesticated animal that has long shared a relationship with man. For work and play, every part of the inhabitable planet seems to have produced a breed specific to our needs and desires.

I have a neighbor who breeds Canadian Eskimo dogs and met her the other day out running three of them with her dogsled. I was leading my young gelding, Handy, at the time and she had her hands full keeping her dogs under control as we passed each other on opposite sides of the road. My young horse kept a wary eye on her efforts, as did I, until she had regained their attention and got them moving on their way again.

To handle our cold climate, one observes that this breed has a more compact stature and a very thick, dense hair-coat which sheds out considerably during our short summers.

[/IMG]

For travel over treacherous ice conditions, the team is usually hooked in a 'fan hitch' to spread their weight and pulling effort.

 

[S.A.M.]

I thought you would be interested. They are bred by this guy in New Mexico. The local name for the dogs in Africa is Idi but outside Africa they are called the Azawakh

What I found interesting about them is that they are not an aggressive breed. Thanks for the wiki info. The selection process for breeding is...interesting to say the least. I did not know the Tuaregs bred dogs

 

[scheherazade]

Another enduring feature that relates to dogs is our perception of which breeds are the most aggressive. The data suggests that our perceptions do not match the actual facts, in many cases. Also dog to dog aggression is generally greater than than dog to human aggression, as dogs are pack animals with a hierarchy and also prone to defending their territory.

The ten most aggressive breeds as listed by one source are:

1. Dachshunds
2. Chihuahua
3. Jack Russell
4. Australian Cattle Dog
5. Cocker Spaniel
6. Beagle
7. Border Collie
8. Pit Bull Terrier
9. Great Dane
10. English Springer Spaniel

Other dogs that are known to be aggressive include:

Chow Chow: this is a "one person dog". It forms a very strong bond with one person (usually the owner) and is ferocious around strangers who it considers a threat to its owner. It is a good guard dog, but it can bite without warning and they are tenacious fighters.
Papillon: These dogs are fiercely loyal of their owners and can be very possessive, they don't like strangers either.
Old English Sheepdogs: Again these dogs are very protective of their owners. They are strong-willed and independent and they will nip either other animals or children.
Lhasa Apso: These dogs can be cranky and unpredictable; they are strong-willed and independent. They were originally bred as guard dogs.
Giant Schnauzers: They are very dominant and will challenge adults and strangers.
Pekingese: These dogs do not like strangers and can be very aggressive towards them
Miniature Pinschers: These are little dogs but they can be very aggressive to compensate for this.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2119132

Not all dogs will live up to their breed profile and good early socializing and training makes the dog a respectful and dependable companion animal.

Most of the problems with dogs relates to the inexperience of the people who own them, in my opinion and experience.

 

[chimpkin]

I think the thing with chihuahuas are not just their insane aggressiveness, but that people let them run around.
I actually had to throw myself off a bicycle because of a chihuahua who was allowed to run loose...he chased me (The neighborhood chihuahuas ALL chase me) and ran in front of the bicycle...
I was able to get myself off the bike before the weight came down on his leg, otherwise he would have gotten a badly broken leg....and I chewed out the owners for not restraining their dog.

 

[scheherazade]

Chihuahuas tend not to strike the same fear in most people because of their small size. For the same reason, many persons do not teach their Chihuahuas respectful manners with the result that more people are bitten by this seemingly innocuous breed than many of the larger dog breeds.

I recall being in Stanley Park as a child, getting out of the car, when a lady with a Chihuahua on a leash got out beside me. Being fond of all animals, I reached toward the small dog to pet it, and the wee creature leaped up and bit my hand without warning. I have never been fond of the breed since, childhood impressions being of long duration.

It was one of only two dogs that has ever bit me intentionally, the other being a bitch with puppies that the owner was showing me. One of the puppies let out a small squeak of protest and the Husky female was on me in a flash, biting me in the cheek, although I managed to deflect most of her bite with a quickly raised hand. The owner, a friend of mine, was taken quite by surprise that his dog would bite anyone, but it was an understandable protective maternal instinct.

 

[NMSquirrel]

that which endures..

forgetting the size of the pic you wanna post(or not checking)..

 

[scheherazade]

that which endures..

forgetting the size of the pic you wanna post(or not checking)..

From my childhood memory, remember? I'm horrified of damned Chihuahuas. Of course I know ways to deal with them (and considerably larger creatures) now, but it is the emotional scarring that I am seeking to portray.....the enduring damage of negative experience in early formative years.

That which endures....the title of this thread.

 

[S.A.M.]

Another enduring feature that relates to dogs is our perception of which breeds are the most aggressive.

I was referring to the fact that they are "protective" dogs. Usually dogs like that are aggressive towards strangers or tresspassers. But I suppose they would have to be bred for aggression to demonstrate those qualities.

 

[fedr808]

This hulk of steel.

This T-34 was found at the bottom of a lake, where it had been for nearly 56 years. With only minimal restoration it was returned to full working order. And by minimal I mean that most of the parts were entirely intact, in fact the only part of the engine that needed replacing were some of the ball bearings. That was it.

56 years in a swamp and its still chugging along.

 

[scheherazade]

I was referring to the fact that they are "protective" dogs. Usually dogs like that are aggressive towards strangers or tresspassers. But I suppose they would have to be bred for aggression to demonstrate those qualities.

Yes. I understood your meaning. The protective aggression of some breeds does not engage until certain conditions are met, as you suggest above.

Temperament is largely genetic and based on the strict culling practices of the breed, I am thinking that the desirable nature of these dogs may well be due to these practices and the fact that they are not in direct competition with a large number of siblings right from birth. These animals would be receiving considerably more nurturing from humans as a result.

In my experience with horses, I select a healthy, well attenuated animal and then I supply a lot of interaction and stimuli which seems to result in a very responsive and intuitive relationship between the horse and myself.

 

[scheherazade]

Very interesting how many relics of war remain to be found even decades after the fact. Physically and psychologically, war is an enduring event.

Here is the story behind the picture you posted. Also some footage of the tank actually coming out of the bog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7boxp1Sk2w

14 September 2000, a Komatsu D375A-2 pulled an abandoned tank from its archival tomb under the bottom of a lake near Johvi, Estonia. The Soviet-built T34/76A tank had been resting at the bottom of the lake for 56 years. According to its specifications, it's a 27-tonne machine with a top speed of 53km/h.

From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow, 50 km-wide, Narva front in the north-eastern part of Estonia. Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there. During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army. (This is the reason that there are German markings painted on th e tank's exterior.) On 19 September 1944, German troops began an organized retreat along the Narva front. It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake, abandoning it when its captors left the area.

At that time, a local boy walking by the lake Kurtna Matasjarv noticed tank tracks leading into the lake, but not coming out anywhere. For two months he saw air bubbles emerging from the lake. This gave him reason to believe that there must be an armored vehicle at the lake's bottom. A few years ago, he told the story to the leader of the local war history club 'Otsing'. Together with other club members, Mr. Igor Shedunov initiated diving expeditions to the bottom of the lake about a year ago. At the depth of 7 metres they discovered the tank resting under a 3-metre layer of peat.

Enthusiasts from the club, under Mr Shedunov's leadership, decided to pull the tank out. In September 2000 they turned to Mr Aleks ander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva open pit of the stock company AS Eesti Polevkivi, to rent the company's Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer. Currently used at the pit, the Komatsu dozer was
manufactured in 1995, and has 19,000 operating hours without major repairs.

The pulling operation began at 09:00 and was concluded at 15:00, with several technical breaks. The weight of the tank, combined with the travel incline, made a pulling operation that required significant muscle. The D375A-2 handled the operation with power and style. The weight of the fully armed tank was around 30 tons, so the active force required to retrieve it was similar. A main requirement
for the 68-tonne dozer was to have enough weight to prevent shoe-slip while moving up the hill.

After the tank surfaced, it turned out to be a trophy tank, that had been captured by the German army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake. Altogether, 116 shells were found on board. Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with no rust, and all systems (except
the engine) in working condition.

This is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides. Plans are under way to fully restore the tank. It will be displayed at a war history museum, that will be founded at the Gorodenko village on the left bank of the River Narv.
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/TPC/fun-pics002/1801-1900/073.shtm

This hulk of steel.

This T-34 was found at the bottom of a lake, where it had been for nearly 56 years. With only minimal restoration it was returned to full working order. And by minimal I mean that most of the parts were entirely intact, in fact the only part of the engine that needed replacing were some of the ball bearings. That was it.

56 years in a swamp and its still chugging along.

 

[scheherazade]

What is more enduring than bacteria? They are estimated to be the largest biomass on the planet, and yet we know so little about them.

In particular, the micro-organisms in our gut and digestive process are now being examined for their implication in disease. One disease, autism, is getting very close scrutiny from this angle.

That which we ingest, as well as what is injected into our bodies (vaccinations) may have profound effect on the micro-organisms which populate our gut. The effects of these micro-organisms reach far beyond the confines of the digestive system.

It has long been said that 'We Are What We Eat.' What we eat may have a far more profound impact on the development of mind and body than we have previously considered.

The Autism Enigma is an interesting recent release from The Nature Of Things. Mother and I had previously been discussing that their seemed to be far more persons exhibiting symptoms of autism in recent years, to varying degrees.

http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episode/autism-enigma.html#socialcomments

 

[birch]

those ankle biter dogs can be ferocious and scary as hell. it might be because they are possessed. lol

 

[NMSquirrel]

What is more enduring than bacteria? They are estimated to be the largest biomass on the planet, and yet we know so little about them.

In particular, the micro-organisms in our gut and digestive process are now being examined for their implication in disease. One disease, autism, is getting very close scrutiny from this angle.

just read in discover that those bacteria in our guts are so unique to us individually it can be used as a form of identification as no two humans have the same bacterial combinations.