The secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannas of the sub-Saharan region. It is a very large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs that give the bird a height of about 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). The sexes are similar in appearance. Adults have a featherless red-orange face and mostly grey plumage, with a flattened dark crest and black flight feathers and thighs. The secretarybird hunts and catches prey on the ground, often stomping on victims to kill them. Insects and small vertebrates make up its diet. Although the secretarybird has a large range, localised surveys suggest that the total population is experiencing a rapid decline, probably as a result of habitat degradation. The species is therefore classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The secretarybird appears on the coats of arms of Sudan and South Africa. (Full article…)

Walaka at peak intensity south of Johnston Atoll

Hurricane Walaka was the nineteenth named storm and second Category 5 hurricane of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season. As a tropical cyclone, it originated from an area of low pressure that formed around 1,600 mi (2,600 km) south-southeast of Hawaii on September 24, and became a tropical storm on September 29. The system tracked westward and peaked with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a pressure of 921 mbar (27.20 inHg) on October 2, before accelerating northeastward and dissipating on October 7. The storm passed close to Johnston Atoll, where four scientists were evacuated from before the storm hit. East Island in the French Frigate Shoals suffered a direct hit and was destroyed. The storm damaged the nesting grounds for multiple endangered species, and coral reefs in the region suffered considerable damage, displacing the local fish population. Several dozen people were rescued off the southern shore of Oahu as the storm brought high surf to the main Hawaiian Islands. (Full article…)

NERVA XE in an engine test stand

The Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) was a rocket engine development program intended to establish a technology base for nuclear thermal rocket systems for space missions, as this promised to be more efficient than chemical rockets. NERVA was a joint effort of the Atomic Energy Commission and NASA, and was managed by the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (SNPO). NERVA was considered a successful program in that it met or exceeded its program goals and demonstrated that nuclear thermal rocket engines were a feasible and reliable tool for space exploration. At the end of 1968 the SNPO deemed that the latest NERVA engine, the XE (pictured), met the requirements for a human mission to Mars. It had strong political support but was canceled by President Richard Nixon in 1973. Although NERVA engines were built and tested largely with flight-certified components and were deemed ready for integration into spacecraft, they never flew in space. (Full article…)

Fusilier of the French Revolutionary Army

The Army of Sambre and Meuse was one of the armies of the French Revolution. It was formed on 29 June 1794 by combining the Army of the Ardennes, the left wing of the Army of the Moselle and the right wing of the Army of the North. After an inconclusive campaign in 1795, the French planned a co-ordinated offensive in 1796 using Jean-Baptiste Jourdan‘s Army of Sambre and Meuse and the Army of the Rhine and Moselle, commanded by his superior, Jean Victor Moreau. This was successful, as the French won a series of victories; the Army of Sambre and Meuse maneuvered around northern Bavaria and Franconia, while the Army of the Rhine and Moselle operated in Bavaria. Disputes internal to the French forces prevented the two armies from uniting, giving the Austrians time to unite their own forces and drive Jourdan’s forces away and eventually across the Rhine. On 29 September 1797, the Army of Sambre and Meuse merged with the Army of the Rhine and Moselle to become the Army of Germany. (Full article…)

Georges Feydeau (1862–1921) was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque, remembered for his farces. His first full-length comedy, Tailleur pour dames (‘Ladies’ tailor’), was well-received. After studying earlier masters of French comedy, particularly Eugène Labiche, Alfred Hennequin and Henri Meilhac, he wrote or collaborated on seventeen full-length plays between 1892 and 1914, many of which have become staples of the theatrical repertoire in France and abroad. They include L’Hôtel du libre échange (‘The Free Exchange Hotel’, 1894), La Dame de chez Maxim (‘The lady from Maxim’s‘, 1899), La Puce à l’oreille (‘A flea in her ear’, 1907) and Occupe-toi d’Amélie! (‘Look after Amélie’, 1908). His plays are marked by recognisable characters and fast-moving comic plots of mistaken identity, attempted adultery, split-second timing and a precariously happy ending. In the 1940s and 1950s, productions by Jean-Louis Barrault and the Comédie-Française revived interest in his works. (Full article…)

Lift hill and barrel roll downdrop of Iron Gwazi

Iron Gwazi is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, U.S. The ride first opened in 1999 as Gwazi, a wooden roller coaster with two tracks in a dueling configuration. It was built by Great Coasters International on the former site of an Anheuser-Busch brewery at the park. Although well received initially, Gwazi became difficult to maintain over time, leading to the closure of one track in 2012 followed by the other in 2015. It remained closed until Busch Gardens, in 2019, announced that Rocky Mountain Construction would transform Gwazi into a hybrid roller coaster. Its two wooden tracks were replaced by a single steel track, with portions of the original support structure reused. The ride reopened as Iron Gwazi on March 11, 2022, becoming North America’s tallest, steepest, and fastest hybrid roller coaster. Iron Gwazi received positive reviews from critics and won Best New Roller Coaster in Amusement Today‘s annual Golden Ticket Awards publication. (Full article…)