#62 Degrees North | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mikerickson · 8 months

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Lifting my self-imposed embargo because I'm weird and don't like posting on social media when I'm on vacation.

I'm at a point in my life where I can financially justify at least one international vacation a year and figured I'd finally cross off the Great White North from the bucket list. I'd never been and Andrew hadn't been back in a very long time despite having dual citizenship. Anyways, just got back, and a bullet-point breakdown of the highlights is after the cut:

I wish every international flight was under two hours; EWR to YQB was almost comically fast.

Had my first French conversation with the very nice lady at the car rental counter for about ten minutes. She complemented my pronunciation and grammar, and wished me luck on the trip. Every French interaction after this point was a linguistic battle for my life that I lost (Toutes les Québecois parlent trop vite pour moi).

We had some time to kill before the hotel check-in so we went to a mall in the suburbs just so we'd have a food court with some options. Turns out shopping malls are not only alive and well but fucking thriving in Canada. I haven't seen a mall that packed with people outside of December since the nineties.

Quebec City was very dense with old architecture which made it feel very European. It was also apparently built on a fucking cliff with streets at 60 degree inclines, which also felt very European.

Took a tour of the Quebec Parliament building (beautiful structure), and apparently they used to be bicameral, but voted to abolish their Senate in the 60's and they were the last Canadian province to do so. What a concept.

It's one thing to know on paper that Canada has about 1/8th of the population of the US, but I was not prepared for just how empty the countryside felt. For someone like me, living in the northeast my whole life, the idea that cities in close proximity to each other not having continuous stretches of suburbs and other smaller cities connecting them was completely foreign.

On the highways I kept thinking I was speeding because I'd look down at the dashboard and see the number "100", but 100 km/h is only like 62 mph, which is nothing.

Similarly, I kept getting sticker shock every time I spent money, and kept having to remind myself that $1 CAD was like $0.73 USD while we were there.

It was really cool to see that the complex for the 1976 Montreal Olympics is still maintained and actively used (we stumbled upon a skateboarding competition and I did not feel cool enough to be in that crowd). Sometimes you hear horror stories about Olympic villages bankrupting cities and falling into disuse afterwards, but that's definitely not the case here.

Montreal is apparently known for their local bagel culture, but their bagels have enormous holes in the middle of them, so you have less cross-sectional area for spreads and they don't really work for sandwiches. My faith in NJ/NY bagel superiority remains intact.

Every city we went to had dedicated bike lane infrastructure and young families with kids, but Montreal definitely had the most of both. Tons of parks, too. Simultaneously felt like a larger and smaller city than I was expecting.

Poutine is okay, but I wasn't prepared for the cheese to squeak when you bite into it. Very odd sensation.

The main Parliament building for the federal government in Ottawa (Centre Block) is stunning, but closed; apparently it's been under renovation since 2019 and isn't expected to be reopened until 2032! In the meantime, we took a tour of where the lower House of Commons is currently meeting. We learned that their electoral districts are routinely re-drafted by a non-partisan committee and that they occasionally add new seats to the legislature to account for changes in population. I had to seethe jealously in silence for the rest of the tour.

Also toured their Supreme Court building (way more Art Deco than I was expecting). We learned that there's currently a vacancy because a Justice recently retired because they're required to step down when they turn 75. I had to seethe jealously in silence for the rest of the tour.

Every single city had automatic/self-serve parking garages where you didn't have to interact with a human (which I was very thankful for), but in Ottawa they have this little jingle that the machine sings at you when you take your ticket, which I found very amusing.

On the drive to Toronto we took a quick detour into the Thousand Islands (yes, like the salad dressing) and visited Boldt Castle, which is technically in New York state. After seeing it in practice, the idea of living on your own private island is more appealing than ever.

Toronto feels like an exercise in what happens when a nation's largest city is allowed to grow without being hemmed in by ridiculous geography. As someone who grew up in NYC, this is another concept foreign to me. The GPS did get very tripped up navigating a particularly gnarly interchange however.

Toured the Ontario Legislative Assembly (yet another beautiful building). At this point we were really good at asking tour guides stuff like, "so if happens, do you guys have a plan?" To which they would reply, "well, no, but let's just hope that never happens!"

I now understand why the Great Lakes are effectively freshwater inland seas; you really cannot see the other shore, and Lake Ontario isn't even the biggest one!

YYC to EWR was under an hour. That's definitely going to spoil me for future trips going forward.

#life #travel #Canada

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simply-smitten · 1 month

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Smitten Master Post!

About me - my socials - my fics

About me~

She/her pronouns

26 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work

Mcyt is my first/only fandom

I primarily write DNF and Karlnap, but I do have a few multiship thread fics on my 18+ NSFW twitter :)

My boundaries: do not interact with my NSFW content if you’re a minor, do not supply my NSFW content to minors, and do not repost my work whatsoever (only exception is to translate it, but please contact me first to get permission)

My socials~

Ao3: simplysmitten

Main twitter: simplysmitten_

Alt twitter: simplysosmitten

NSFW twitter: simplysmutten (must be 18+ with your age in your bio)

Wattpad: simplysmitten

Curiouscat: simplysmutten

My fics~

Thread fics - Separated by ship (dnf, karlnap, snf, dnn, dnkn), NSFW threads have a warning in red and are posted to my 18+ twitter (simplysmutten), SFW threads that were turned into chapters of “Between Friends” have the Ao3 and Wattpad links, and NSFW threads that were turned into works for my “Beyond Friends” series have the Ao3 link.

Karlnap fics~

Because You Are Love (rated T, 140k, 61/61 chapters)

Summary: Sapnap grew up in Texas, a state where being gay just wasn't something you were allowed to talk about- so he didn't. He never came out to his family and even when he made new friends who loved him unconditionally, he still couldn't bring himself to come out. Staying in the closet never felt like a problem once he moved to Florida with Dream, well, until a video collaboration introduced him to a boy that made him question if he could keep hiding. Now, Sapnap has to return to Texas for the first time since his move to Florida for his step-sister's birthday. What's waiting for him when he arrives is going to make keeping his sexuality a secret from his family that much harder.

(i’m worried) it will always be you (rated E, 120k, 20/20 chapters)

Summary: College AU. Sapnap, a notoriously sullen computer science major, is attending North Carolina State University, along with his roommate and long-time internet friend, Dream. While Dream has been pining over the pretty British boy in a couple of his classes, Sapnap finds himself having a much harder time avoiding a certain gray-eyed ray of sunshine.

*Story is not told chronologically. Chapters will vary from Freshman year (2015-2016 school year) to Senior year (2018-2019 school year). Chapters will be dated at the top to avoid confusion. Also, for reference, 'present day' is spring semester of senior year.*

Your Telephone Calls are my Favorite Place (rated T, 100k, 62/62 chapters)

Summary: Karl is finding it more and more difficult to hide his feelings for his best friend, Sapnap. He's willing to risk it all for his chance at love, but does he really understanding just how much he's risking?

DNF fics~

Please Let Me Go (rated M, 75k, 14/14 chapters)

Summary: Dream finds himself in an introverts worst nightmare when Sapnap convinces him to host seven of their close friends for Sapnap's 21st birthday. The only thing holding Dream together was knowing he could finally meet his best friend, George, in person. However, the person who stepped off the plane felt like a complete stranger to Dream- an unrecognizable personality inhabiting the body of the person he thought he knew better than anyone in this world. Years of online friendship had built up this moment for him, only to come crashing down when George wasn't the man he thought he was.

Between Friends (rated T, 110k and counting, oneshot collection)

Summary: A collection of fluffy DNF oneshots. Each chapter is its own completed story (aside from ‘Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas’ and ‘Homesick-London-Cafe’). Most oneshots are canon adjacent, and so far two are AUs. Primarily takes place around the time of the meet-up.

All paths lead to you (rated T, 30k, oneshot)

Summary: When George is stressed, he has nightmares, and when George has nightmares, he sleepwalks. In a subconscious search for relief, George sleepwalks to the safest place he can find- Dream's room. Dream finds out more than he bargained for when trying to decode George's nonsensical sleep-talking, but he struggles to make conscious-George as comforted by his presence as unconscious-George.

‘Idiot’ means ‘I love you’ in Floridian (rated T, 20k, oneshot)

Summary: Model-George x bodyguard-Dream AU. George has been working as a model for a few years now. His father, a higher up in the English government, insists that George has a bodyguard with him at all times. As an act of defiance, George makes a point to sneak away from his bodyguards to prove to his father they're useless and he doesn't need one. Desperate to find a bodyguard that can actually keep track of his son, George's father hires a bodyguard from a different background- a masked man named Dream. For once, George isn't so eager to get this bodyguard fired.

The Colors We Don’t See (rated T, 7k, oneshot)

Summary: Soulmate AU. Soulmates are predetermined, but that never held Dream back from loving George. When George is finally able to move to Florida, the first thing Dream notices is the way his laugh bounces more clearly than ever before. The second thing he notices is the bright yellow aura surrounding him, like George had stolen the sun out of the sky and placed it in his heart instead. George is his soulmate, that much is clear, but trouble arises when George can't see Dream's aura in return.

Live, Laugh, (Blood)Lust (rated T, 6k, oneshot)

Summary: Vampire-George x wizard-Dream AU. George doesn’t believe bloodlust is real, so Dream offers to put a love spell on him to prove him wrong… but he’s not the best wizardry student.

The Remedy to Everything (rated E, 170k and counting, 40/50 chapters)

Summary: After nearly a year of waiting for his visa, George is finally allowed to go home. Home, meaning a house in Florida that was already inhabited by his two best friends, Dream and Sapnap. Being an omega, George feared what trouble moving in with two alphas could potentially create. He never expected that trouble would come in the form of soft curls and green eyes, sparking something irreversible inside himself.

*uploads are every Monday and Thursday :)*

First Love / Late Fall (rated E, 13k, 3/3 chapters)

Summary: George has been going down a dark path for a while, carelessly using people in order to satisfy selfish needs. He hides who he is from his friends who only know him via the internet. This double life becomes a lot more challenging when someone shows up on his doorstep in the middle of the night. Could this be the event that triggers George to change?

It Takes Two to Edge (rated E, 7k, oneshot, part 1 of Beyond Friends)

Summary: Dream and George are in a fwb (... plus feelings) type of situation. After their edging session gets interrupted, George rewards Dream with the promise of fulfilling his breeding kink for the first time.

my honey, my moon (rated E, 20k, oneshot, part 2 of Beyond Friends)

Summary: Dream and George go on fake honeymoons, indulging each other in everything they miss about relationships. Then things change when Dream actually gets a girlfriend.

bet your ass i’m right (rated E, 12k, oneshot, part 3 of Beyond Friends)

Summary: Dream and George like to make bets, even over the dumbest of things. The stakes get higher when they start to wager sexual favors.

More Convenient (An Arrangement of Sorts) (rated E, 8k, oneshot, part 4 of Beyond Friends)

Summary: Dream can't get off without having a partner to please, but luckily for him, George just moved to America. (also they are idiots in love they are so dumb and so in love but not in an angsty way just a "they're so stupid" way)

GeorgeNotFound OnlyFans (rated E, 37k, 5/5 chapters, part 5 of Beyond Friends)

Summary: Fresh out of university and struggling to land a job in his field, George finds himself desperate for a way to make ends meet. While his friends have big dreams of blowing up on YouTube, George decides to make an OnlyFans profile. Shockingly, George goes viral on both platforms, making his money troubles a thing of the past, but maintaining his anonymity a constant worry. How funny is it that he manages to make a friend named Clay on both platforms?

Warm, like Starlight (rated E, 53k, 2/2 chapters, part 6 of Beyond Friends)

Summary: Humans are banned from touching other species in the galaxy, but George, a cat-hybrid, takes a leap of faith and lets the human aboard his ship, Dream, pet him. It awakens a side of George he’s desperate to satisfy, and Dream is more than willing to meet all of George’s needs.

Happy reading!

<3 smitten

#pinned #smitten fics #please go easy on me I’m still new here

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usafphantom2 · 3 months

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OTD in 1969, The Iconic XB-70 Valkyrie Mach 3 Super Bomber Made Its Last Flight

February 4, 2021 Military Aviation, Military History

Three drag chutes were needed to slow down the landing roll of the XB-70. (Image credit: Reddit edit The Aviationist)

The massive XB-70 Valkyrie is the largest and heaviest airplane ever to fly at Mach 3.

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie was the most ambitious super-bomber project of the Cold War. The massive six-engine bomber was slated to be the ultimate American high-altitude, high-speed, deep-penetration manned nuclear bomber designed to fly high and fast, so as to be safe from Soviet interceptors.

Two Valkyrie prototypes were been built at North American Aviation before the Kennedy Administration cancelled the program as a consequence of the doubts that surrounded the future of manned bombers believed to be obsolete platforms. The threat posed by Soviet SAMs (Surface-to-Air Missiles) put the near-invulnerability of the strategic bomber at high altitudes in doubt. In low-level penetration role, the B-70 offered little performance improvement over the B-52 it was designed to replace (!) and it was much more expensive with shorter range.

Some fascinating variants of the aircraft were proposed. Some envisaged the B-70 carrying an Alert Pod, or flying as a Supersonic Refueler or as a Recoverable Booster Space System (RBSS). You can find all the details about these crazy concepts in this story we have posted last year.

Ezoic

The B-70 program was canceled in 1961 and development continued as part of a research program to study the effects of long-duration high-speed flight with the two XB-70A.

XB-70A number 1 (62-001) made its first flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base, CA, on Sept. 21, 1964. The second XB-70A (62-207) made its first flight on Jul. 17, 1965. The latter differed from the first prototype for being built with an added 5 degrees of dihedral on the wings as suggested by the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, wind-tunnel studies.

While the 62-001 made only one flight above Mach 3, because of poor directional stability experienced past Mach 2.5, the second XB-70, achieved Mach 3 for the first time on Jan. 3, 1966 and successfully completed a total of nine Mach 3 flights by June on the same year.

Photo of the XB-70 #1 cockpit, which shows the complexity of this mid-1960s research aircraft. On the left and right sides of the picture are the pilot’s and co-pilot’s control yokes. Forward of these, on the cockpit floor, are the rudder pedals with the NAA North American Aviation trademark. Between them is the center console. Visible are the six throttles for the XB-70’s jet engines. Above this is the center instrument panel. The bottom panel has the wing tip fold, landing gear, and flap controls, as well as the hydraulic pressure gages. In the center are three rows of engine gages. The top row are tachometers, the second are exhaust temperature gages, and the bottom row are exhaust nozzle position indicators. Above these are the engine fire and engine brake switches. The instrument panels for the pilot left and co-pilot right differ somewhat. Both crewmen have an airspeed/Mach indicator, and altitude/vertical velocity indicator, an artificial horizon, and a heading indicator/compass directly in front of them. The pilot’s flight instruments, from top to bottom, are total heat gage and crew warning lights; stand-by flight instruments side-slip, artificial horizon, and altitude; the engine vibration indicators; cabin altitude, ammonia, and water quantity gages, the electronic compartment air temperature gage, and the liquid oxygen quantity gage. At the bottom are the switches for the flight displays and environmental controls. On the co-pilot’s panel, the top three rows are for the engine inlet controls. Below this is the fuel tank sequence indicator, which shows the amount of fuel in each tank. The bottom row consists of the fuel pump switches, which were used to shift fuel to maintain the proper center of gravity. Just to the right are the indicators for the total fuel top and the individual tanks bottom. Visible on the right edge of the photo are the refueling valves, while above these are switches for the flight data recording instruments. (Image credit: NASA)

A joint agreement signed between NASA and the Air Force planned to use the second XB-70A prototype for high-speed research flights in support of the American supersonic transport (SST) program.

However, on June 8, 1966, the XB-70 62-207 was involved in one of the most famous and tragic accidents in military aviation when it collided with a civilian registered F-104N while flying in formation as part of a General Electric company publicity photo shoot over Barstow, California, outside the Edwards Air Force Base test range in the Mojave Desert. The aircraft were flying in formation with a T-38 Talon, an F-4B Phantom II, and a YF-5A Freedom Fighter.

North American XB-70A Valkyrie just after collision. Note the F-104 is at the forward edge of the fireball and most of both XB-70A vertical stabilizers are gone. (U.S. Air Force photo)

As explained in a previous post here at The Aviationist:

Towards the end of the photo shooting NASA registered F-104N Starfighter, piloted by famous test pilot Joe Walker, got too close to the right wing of the XB-70, collided, sheared off the twin vertical stabilizers of the big XB-70 and exploded as it cartwheeled behind the Valkyrie. North American test pilot Al White ejected from the XB-70 in his escape capsule, but received serious injuries in the process. Co-pilot Maj. Carl Cross, who was making his first flight in the XB-70, was unable to eject and died in the crash.

The root cause of the incident was found to be wake turbulence: wake vortices spinning off the XB-70’s wingtip caused Walker’s F-104N to roll, colliding with the right wingtip of the huge XB-70 and breaking apart. As explained in details in this post, wingtip vortices form because of the difference in pressure between the upper and lower surfaces of a wing. When the air leaves the trailing edge of the wing, the air stream from the upper surface is inclined to that from the lower surface, and helical paths, or vortices, result. The vortex is strongest at the tips and decreasing rapidly to zero nearing midspan: at a short distance from the trailing edge downstream, the vortices roll up and combine into two distinct cylindrical vortices that constitute the “tip vortices.

Although research activities continued with the first prototype with a first NASA flight on April 25, 1967, the last one was on Feb. 4, 1969.

The only remaining XB-70 Valkyrie super bomber in on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. In October last year, it had to briefly moved outside for display maintenance. Here you can watch a video of the monumental move.

A view of the six massive afterburners on the XB-70 Valkyrie as the aircraft is towed out of its display hangar temporarily for museum maintenance. (Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force via YouTube)

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

@TheAviationist via X

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robertreich · 2 years

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youtube

Why Food Prices Are Rising Even More

Monopolies are slowly killing rural America — and driving up the price you pay for food.

Just four firms control 85% of all beef, 66% of all pork, and 54% of all poultry. This degree of monopolization is hurting farmers — and you.

Monopolists control nearly every part of the food production process, from selling feed to farmers, to packaging the meat and poultry for supermarkets. Half of all chicken farmers report having just one or two processors to sell to.

Farmers are essentially forced to buy from and sell to monopolies at whatever price the corporation wants – often taking on crushing debt to do so. They are trapped in long-term binding contracts, with no way out but losing their livelihood altogether.

Meatpackers used to compete at cattle auctions for what ranchers produced – which helped ranchers get a reasonable return on their investment. Now, with so few buyers, ranchers have no choice but to sign contracts with meatpackers, and sell their cattle for a lower price than if the market were truly competitive.

In 1980, 62 cents of every dollar consumers spent on beef went to ranchers. Today, only 37 cents do. Most of the profits are going into the pockets of the monopolists.

And here’s the kicker: Even though farmers are getting squeezed, the ag monopolists are also charging you higher prices. During the pandemic, beef prices rose nearly 16% — and the four biggest beef companies’ profits rose more than 300 percent.

These corporations are using their monopoly power to fix prices. Just recently, beef giant JBS settled — without admitting guilt, of course — a beef price-fixing case for $52.5 million.

Monopolization is happening across the food sector. In corn, soybeans, dairy, pesticides, and farm machinery. The result is the same: lower pay to farmers, bigger profits for the monopolists, higher prices for you.

A better way to hold these monopolies accountable would be to break them up, and stop future mergers. But it won’t be easy. They flex their political muscle through powerful lobbies like the North American Meat Institute, and maintain a revolving door with regulatory agencies like the US Department of Agriculture.

Well, I say, take them on. Rural America is hurting, farmers are getting squeezed, and consumers are being shafted. Notwithstanding the power of food monopolies, taking them on is wildly popular — especially in Rural America.

But don’t just listen to me, listen to what farmers are saying about this:

“I'm here to tell the powers at be to enforce the antitrust laws for the world of agriculture.” “The laws are on the books. We have to strengthen those laws and do what Teddy Roosevelt did to break up the monopolies.” “Don't let these boys who come to Washington with pockets of money set there and bribe our congressman year after year after year.”

“Who will stand up for me if you don't?”

For the good of us all, America needs to enforce antitrust laws, and break up Big Ag.

#Big Ag #food #food prices #hunger #video #videos

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visit-new-york · 1 year

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The Edge at Hudson Yards

THE EDGE NYC OVERVIEW The Edge NYC is “the highest outdoor skydeck in the western hemisphere” , and there is no better vista than the one the Edge has to offer because it grants visitors a full 360-degree view of Manhattan and its surrounding landscape.

From its perch on 10th Avenue bordered by 31st and 33rd streets, this Hudson Yards attraction offers a sprawling view of downtown Manhattan and the New York Harbor, where one can easily identify some of New York City's most iconic landmarks, including the views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Freedom Tower, Battery Park City, the Verrazano Bridge, and Staten Island, and more, including parts of New Jersey to the west.

To the east, the sightline from the Edge at Hudson Yards runs almost parallel to the Empire State Building, the New Yorker Hotel, Madison Square Garden, and Brooklyn in the distance, and to the north, one can see the sheer magnitude of the greenery in Central Park, the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan including the Chrysler Building, the George Washington Bridge, and the Bronx in the distance.

Because of these incredible views and the unique way to see them from high above, this has quickly become one of the best things to do in New York City.

WHERE IS THE EDGE? The Edge NYC is at the Hudson Yards Mall, bordered by 31st Street to the south, 33rd Street to the north, 10th Avenue to the east, and 11th Avenue to the west.

The closest subway stop to the mall and adjoining building that hosts the Edge NYC is the last stop on the 7 (purple-colored) train, 34th St. Hudson Yards.

It is also easily accessible from Penn Station, so if you are coming from out of town on the Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, or New Jersey Transit, Hudson Yards is only a two avenue walk west. The A, C, E, 1, 2, and 3 trains all stop at Penn Station as well, making this Hudson Yards attraction an easily accessible location for train commuters from within the city and from outside of it.

The Edge NYC skydeck is highly visible if you are coming from the south or the east, so just keep an eye out for it as you leave Penn station and follow your gaze. If you take the 7 train to Hudson Yards, you’ll be deposited right at the base of the mall near the Vessel, closest to the entrance to the Edge at Hudson Yards.

Hudson Yards is also accessible by Citi Bike, with two stations bordering the mall at 30th street between 10th and 11th Avenues, and the corner of 34th Street and 11th Avenue.

The NYC ferry and the New York Waterway ferry also have stops at 39th street, just a short walk from the northern end of the Hudson Yards plaza at 33rd street and 11th avenue.

Upon arriving at Hudson Yards, enter the Shops at the street level and take the elevator, escalator, or stairs up to level 4, where the entrance to the Edge NYC is located. Look out for the “Beyond the Edge” shop, Shake Shack, or The Body Shop, and you’ll know you’re in the right spot.

THE EDGE & HUDSON YARDS TICKETS There are varying prices for The Edge at Hudson Yards tickets for visitors of all types, with additional add-ons available, like a glass of champagne or a small photo book. It’s suggested you purchase Skip the Line Edge tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in any queues on the day of.

Listed below are the options: (Open 8 am-midnight during summer hours)

GENERAL ADMISSION EDGE AT HUDSON YARDS TICKETS Adult (13-61): $36 per person Child (6-12): $31 per person Child (5 and under): Free Senior (62+): $34 per person

CHAMPAGNE ADMISSION EDGE AT HUDSON YARDS TICKETS (comes with a glass of champagne) Adult (21-61): $53 per person Senior (62+): $51 per person

PREMIUM ADMISSION EDGE AT HUDSON YARDS TICKETS (comes with a glass of champagne and a personalized photo book) Adult (21-61): $71 Senior (62+): $69

EDGE EQUINOX YOGA AT HUDSON YARDS TICKETS (mornings 6:30 am-7:30 am) (very limited availability) $50 per person

All purchased tickets come with a free digital souvenir photo

New York City residents get $2 off general admission ticket prices

Visiting at sunset will cost an additional $10 per ticket

Visiting during peak days (often summer and weekends) will increase the price of the ticket $2

All ticket purchases require selection of an hour-long specific entry time, available every ten minutes from 8 am-11 pm. The last entry time slot begins at 11 pm and ends at 11:30 pm, but the last elevator ride up is 50 minutes before closing at midnight. Visitors can stay as long as they like until closing upon arriving at the skydeck.

Before visiting The Edge, it’s best to buy your tickets online. The easiest way to secure your spot at The Edge NYC is to purchase tickets online, recommend booking the Skip the Line Edge tickets so you don’t have to wait in any queues on the day of as this is one of the most popular NYC experiences.

The skip the line tickets are general admission, to see all the other tours and ticket options available visit The Edge website as the tickets vary depending on the add ons you can choose from.

Alternatively, you can purchase a discount voucher that gets you into multiple NYC attractions for a fraction of the price if you plan on doing multiple activities on your trip to save money and hundreds of dollars! All you have to do is pick which attraction pass is best for your visit, make a one time purchase, and then the attractions are free or included in your pass!

CityPASS offers a 3 attraction pass or a 6 attraction pass with over 12 city attractions to choose from including the Edge. Using this pass instead of buying individual tickets can save up to 35% equaling hundreds of dollars in savings.

Another great option is the New York Pass which you can purchase anywhere from a 1 Day Pass to a 10 Day Pass that gets you into over 100 attractions. Once you purchase your New York Pass you download the Go City app and use that to get into the popular NYC attractions as well as some hidden gems.

Using New York Pass instead of buying individual attraction tickets can save you hundreds of dollars and up to 45% savings on popular attractions including free admission to The Edge!

TIPS, TRICKS, AND FUN FACTS FOR VISITING THE EDGE NYC To avoid crowds, it is best to visit the Edge at Hudson Yards during off-peak days and hours as this is one of the most popular observation decks in NYC. These are oftentimes during weekdays at non-sunset hours and during shoulder seasons when tourists are less likely to visit New York City, like after the Christmas rush and in the spring.

For those who do not buy a ticket package that includes a glass of champagne, the Edge NYC has a bar where the skydeck is located on the 100th floor that offers an assortment of refreshments including champagne, wine, beer, soft drinks, and light snacks.

There are also souvenirs available on the 100th floor, as well as on the fourth level of the Shops at Hudson Yards near the entrance to the elevators.

The Edge at Hudson Yards is located more than 1,100 feet above street level, and contains more than 7,500 square feet of space extending 80 feet from the main building. It includes glass walls angled outward towards the skyline, a glass floor section allowing visitors to look straight down to street level, elevated skyline steps to rest and look out over the horizon, and an eastern lookout point at the most extended corner for one person to stand and see the entire New York skyline.

The Edge NYC elevators are also a point of interest, offering interactive animation and drone footage of the surrounding areas as you ascend in just about 50 seconds.

#the edge #hudson yards #New York City #new york #newyork #New-York #nyc #ny #manhattan #urban #city #usa #buildings

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thatshowthingstarted · 2 years

Photo

“Hector” (Deinonychus Antirrhopus), Montana, Usa,

From the Cloverly Formation, Wolf Canyon, Carbon County, Montana, the Early Cretaceous (circa 115-108 million years ago).

Excavated at Wolf Canyon, Carbon County, Montana (in the W1/2NE1/4 of Section 23, Township 4 South, Range 24 East, P.M.M.) 2013-4 Pangea Fossils February 2015.

Fifty million years before the reign of the dinosaurs ended in the age of Tyrannosaurus rex, a smaller, more agile, pack-hunting predator was the most feared animal of its time. The sleek, dynamic, and deadly Deinonychus is one of the most popular and well-known dinosaur species, but also one of the rarest fossils. Its popularity would peak following its leading appearance alongside T. rex as the Raptor in Jurassic Park. Taking his name from the greatest of the Trojan warriors, ‘Hector’ is the most complete skeleton of his species ever found.

Known for its long talon-like claws and elegant frame, Deinonychus flourished in western North America during the Early Cretaceous period. Part of the clade of dinosaurs called theropods (carnivorous animals that can walk on two legs), these sickle-clawed predators were armed with a deadly kick. Their fossil remains are typically found in the Cloverly Formation and the Antlers Formation, which are thought to have provided an environment of tropical and sub-tropical forests, lagoons, swamps, and river deltas for Deinonychus to inhabit. The name Deinonychus was coined by palaeontologist, John Ostrom, in 1969 and translates to “terrible claw,” in reference to the killing claw on each foot. Shaped like a sickle and held up off the ground when not in use so as to maintain its lethal sharpness, this claw was used to disembowel its prey. It is believed that in order to use the claw with the highest degree of success, Deinonychus would have stood on one leg, holding the target with its long arms, and impaled its prey with a powerful kick. This attack was aided by the ability to use its arms, unlike many other dinosaurs, and the ability to stretch its hand to nine inches long. Indeed, it is believed that the main use of the arms was for this very purpose, and it is unlikely that the arms were ever used to walk on. Its deft movement and predatory skill were further supported by Deinonychus’ ability to stand on its hind legs when attacking other dinosaurs. This upright, offensive stance was facilitated by its long tail that provided essential balance thanks to rows of internal bundles of bony rods that gave the tail additional strength. The tail would otherwise be stretched horizontally when running, and contributed to the exceptional length of this animal, measuring approximately 3 meters long.

119 2⁄3 x 62 1⁄4 x 26in. (304 x 158 x 66cm.)

Courtesy of Christie’s

#art #sculpture #skeleton #deinonychus #archeology #montana #usa #style #history #monster #animal #christie's #hector #dinosaur #cretaceous period #cretaceous #carbon county #john ostrom #claw

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 6 months

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

November 16, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

NOV 17, 2023

The summit of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies continued today in San Francisco, California.

Formed in 1989, APEC is made up of the economies of 21 nations around the Pacific Rim: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Russia, Vietnam, and the United States. Together, these economies make up about 62% of global gross domestic product and almost half of global trade.

David Sanger of the New York Times today noted an apparent shift in the power dynamic between President Joe Biden and Chinese president Xi Jinping, who met yesterday for a four-hour conversation. Earlier in his presidency, Xi was riding on a strong economy that overshadowed that of the U.S. and looked as if it would continue to do so. Then, Xi favored what was known as “wolf warrior” diplomacy: the aggressive defense of China’s national interests against what Chinese envoys portrayed as foreign hostility, especially that of the U.S.

Under that diplomatic regime, Xi emphasized that liberal democracy was too weak to face the twenty-first century. The speed and momentous questions of the new era called for strong leaders, he said. In early February 2022, Russia and China held a summit after which they pledged that the “[f]riendship between the two States has no limits.”

Things have changed.

The U.S. has emerged from the coronavirus pandemic with a historically strong economy, while China’s economy is reeling from a real estate bubble and deflation at the same time that government crackdowns have made foreign capital flee. This summer, Xi quietly sidelined Qin Gang, the foreign minister associated with wolf warrior diplomacy, and in October, he replaced Defense Minister General Li Shangfu, who is under U.S. sanctions for overseeing weapon purchases from Russia.

Indeed, China has also been quietly pushing back from its close embrace of Russia. Just weeks after their February 2022 declaration, Russia invaded Ukraine in an operation that Russian president Vladimir Putin almost certainly expected would be quick and successful, permitting Russia to seize key Ukrainian ports and land. Such a victory would have strengthened both Russia and China at the same time it weakened Europe, the United States, and their allies and partners.

Instead, Ukraine stood firm, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and allies and partners have stood behind the embattled country. As the war has stretched on, sanctions have cut into the Russian economy and Putin has had to cede power to Xi, accepting the Chinese yuan in exchange for Russian commodities, for example. This week, Alberto Nardelli of Bloomberg reported that the European Union is considering another round of sanctions, including a ban on the export of machine tools and machinery parts that enable Russia to make ammunition.

In a piece at the Center for European Policy Analysis today, Julia Davis, who monitors Russian media, noted that Russia lost an extraordinary 997,000 people between October 2020 and September 2021, even before the war began. Now it is so desperate to increase its population that its leadership claims to have stolen as many as 700,000 Ukrainian children and is urging women to have as many children as possible.

Holly Ellyatt of CNBC noted that to the degree they even mentioned it, Russian media sniped at the Biden-Xi summit, but it was hard to miss that although Russian president Putin was not welcome to attend, Xi came and engaged in several high-level meetings, assuring potential investors that China wants to be friends with the U.S. Also hard to miss was Xi’s pointed comment that the China-U.S. relationship “is the most important bilateral relationship in the world.”

Going into this summit, then, the U.S. had the leverage to get agreements from China to crack down on the precursor chemicals that Chinese producers have been shipping to Latin America to make illegal fentanyl, restore military communications between the two countries now that Li has been replaced, and make promises about addressing climate change. Other large issues of trade and the independence of Taiwan will not be resolved so easily.

Still, it was a high point for President Biden, whose economic policies and careful investment in diplomatic alliances have helped to shift the power dynamic between the U.S. and two countries that were key geopolitical rivals when he took office. Now, both the U.S. and China appear to be making an effort to move forward on better terms. Indeed, Chinese media has shifted its tone about the U.S. and the APEC summit so quickly readers have expressed surprise.

Today, Biden emphasized “the unlimited potential of our partnerships…to realize a future that will benefit people not only in the Asia-Pacific region but the whole world,… [a] future where our prosperity is shared and is inclusive, where workers are empowered and their rights are respected, where our economies are sustainable and resilient.”

Biden and administration officials noted that companies from across the Asia-Pacific world have invested nearly $200 billion in the U.S. since Biden took office, creating tens of thousands of good jobs, while the U.S. has elevated its engagement with the region, holding bilateral talks, creating new initiatives and deepening economic partnerships.

Today, Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, an economic forum established last year as a nonbinding replacement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership former president Trump abruptly pulled out of, had agreed on terms to set up an early warning system for disruptions to supply chains, cooperation on clean energy, and fighting corruption and tax evasion.

In a very different event in San Francisco today, a federal jury convicted David DePape, 43, of attempted kidnapping and assault on account of a federal official’s performance of official duties for his attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul with a hammer on October 28 of last year, fracturing his skull.

DePape’s lawyers did not contest the extensive evidence against him but tried to convince the jury that DePape did not commit a federal crime because he did not attack Pelosi on account of Representative Pelosi’s official position. Instead, they said, DePape had embraced the language of right-wing lawmakers and pundits and believed in a conspiracy theory that pedophile elites had taken over the country and were spreading lies about former president Donald Trump.

DePape told jurors he had come to conspiracy theories through Gamergate, a 2014–2015 misogynistic online campaign of harassment against women in the video game industry, which turned into attacks on feminism, diversity, and progressive ideas. Trump ally Steve Bannon talked of pulling together the Gamergate participants behind Trump and his politics.

Also today, a subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee set up to investigate allegations against Representative George Santos (R-NY) issued its report. The Republican-dominated committee found that Santos had lied about his background during his campaign and, furthermore, that he appears to be a serial liar. Those lies also “include numerous misrepresentations to the government and the public about his and his campaign’s financial activities.”

That is, the committee found, Santos defrauded his campaign donors, falsified his financial records, and used campaign money on beauty products, rent, luxury items from Hermes and Ferragamo, and purchases at the website Only Fans. The subcommittee recommended the Ethics Committee refer Santos to the Department of Justice, and “publicly condemn Representative Santos, whose conduct [is] beneath the dignity of the office” and who has “brought severe discredit upon the House.”

Santos says he will not run for reelection.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #Ethics #Santos #Xi #China US relations #Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)#gamergate #Pelosi

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ghostcat3000 · 2 years

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Fanworks Festivus Masterpost 2022

A recap of all the glorious fan-created AU work folks posted for Fanworks Festivus 2022:

MeropeMerope - who took a very strange mood board and prompt from me ["ok. so one of them is a chef, the other is writing a paper or a book, I don't know, in some far-flung locale, here, have some Dreyer and Marker, a little Dickens, etc."] and sprinkled her Meropian magic on it and made something wonderfully vivid and true―go read chapter one of 62 Degrees North.

@peacestew - who made a beautiful edit for the above story, and I legit got caught in a loop of trying to figure out what Isak was doing with his mouth. this sentence reads all kinds of wrong, but seriously, the psychological gesture is REAL yo. apparently, there are more edits coming??? I guess we'll all die then.

Mellibean - a gorgeous Rest Easy-inspired Scandi-Noir landscape.

@kardemama - a favorite exchange from The Boyfriend Experience (co-written with @irazor) in embroidery form.

@laurasztuff - stunning, surprising SKAM coffee art.

@kosegruppie - a supercut of all the subtle ways an annoyed Isak Valtersen can utter the name "Vilde."

@nightlocktime - not one but TWO fantastic edits of the incredible Emma Suárez in Julio Medem's La Ardilla Roja, aka the inspiration for my current story, the red squirrel.

@beyondthedreamline - a sweet slice of Austen's Persuasion in clay form―half-agony! half-hope!

@angel-in-the-city-blog - a sweet graphic of a snow-covered Second Avenue Deli from III. Rondo: Allegretto Moderato.

@heihallohadet - a Warholesque deconstruction of Bart van der Leck's The Cat.

@alterlove2021 - a graphic of Botsak in his dented cardboard box from The Boyfriend Experience.

@teejaysnow - the romantically comedic The Dick Pic Fic - a perfect one-shot from the master of funny.

@ansveni - a sweet pencil sketch of a rainy day feline.

@mrsrobinson11 - exploring what happens when soul mates meet at the wrong time, namely when they're already married to other people. Read the first chapter of Everything Depends Upon How Near You Stand to Me.

@whatwillthegirlbecome - not quite fanwork, but still a beautiful reminder―via the masterful Sharon Olds―of how poetry distills experience in a way that just gets to the heart of things.

@art-vandeley - a beautiful portrait of a beautiful Isak. no one does it like a.

* * *

Thank you so much to all participants! A huge thank you to those of you who gave me offline gifts too. All gifts, whether private or public, were so lovely, thoughtful, and kind. There was a lot of smiling and some misty-eyed nonsense from my end. Fandom has been very good to me.

Part of the fun of soliciting these kinds of gifts is knowing that they will be enjoyed by others. I hope that these brought you some joy as well.

Huge thank you to those who don’t usually do this sort of thing–you have my love and respect.

And to those of you who are pros–thank you also–you're very generous.

If I accidentally missed your entry, please message me. I was out enjoying wi-fi-free nature all day, so it’s quite possible I missed one here and there. I'll be sure to add you.

For everyone else, please go check out these posts and bask in the wonderful talent. And thank you for celebrating my birthday with me in 2022. 😻🎂💗

#2022 Fanworks Festivus #2022 Fanworks Festivus Masterpost #happy birthday to meeeeeeeeee #SKAM #Persuasion #CMBYN #9.25 #need to make ones for '20 and '21 which were delayed for pandemic reasons #thank you #you are all lovely #fanwork #fan art

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defjux · 2 years

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my favorite albums of 2022 so far, all genres. also, any recommendations yall have would be appreciated. obviously there’s a lot of hip hop on here but this was the year i got back into metal/hardcore HEAVILY and there’s been a lot of interesting stuff dropping lately. loving that new callous daoboys record, and the new nouns album is fun too. plus there’s a handful of albums coming out in the next few months that i’m looking forward to - avantdale bowling club, the mars volta, bjork, open mike eagle, pink siifu, city of caterpillar, freddie gibbs, clout rat, the comet is coming, alvvays, brutus, KEN MODE, birds in row, nnamdi, sudan archives. rap ferreira, gillian carter, danny brown, AKAI SOLO.. rest of the year is looking stacked. this list might look completely different in a couple months. chart w/ album titles 1. Billy Woods & Preservation - Aethiopes 2. Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes 3. Cities Aviv - MAN PLAYS THE HORN 4. Gospel - The Loser 5. Jam Baxter - Fetch The Poison 6. Wormrot - Hiss 7. ShrapKnel - Metal Lung 8. Elucid - I Told Bessie 9. Roc Marciano & Alchemist - The Elephant Man's Bone 10. The Callous Daoboys - Celebrity Therapist 11. Defcee & BoatHouse - For All Debts Public And Private 12. Fly Anakin - Frank 13. Greyhaven - This Bright and Beautiful World 14. Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems 15. J.I.D - The Forever Story 16. Messa - Close 17. Cult of Luna - The Long Road North 18. Tómarúm - Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons 19. SolarFive & Iceberg Theory - Momento Mori 20. Lupe Fiasco - DRILL MUSIC IN ZION 21. Quelle Chris - DEATHFAME 22. Wrecking Crew - Sedale Threat 23. Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain 24. KILLVONGARD - I Think I've Lost It. 25. Bloodmoney Perez - Curses

26. Imperial Triumphant - Spirit Of Ecstasy 27. Ockham's Blazer - Ockham's Blazer 28. moses rockwell - Until You Run out of Cake 29. Blind Girls - The Weight of Everything 30. Nouns - WHILE OF UNSOUND MIND 31. KnXwledge. - 家.V1 32. Knoll - Metempiric 33. Naked Flames - Miracle in Transit 34. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum 35. YUNGMORPHEUS & Theravada - Up Against The Wall: A Degree Of Lunacy 36. Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal 37. amani & robalu - ill be right black! 38. White Ward - False Light 39. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You 40. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum 41. Elephant Gym - Dreams 42. Moor Mother - Jazz Codes 43. Boldy James & Real Bad Man - Killing Nothing 44. Vein.FM - This World is Going to Ruin You 45. Mary Halvorson - Amaryllis 46. YUNGMORPHEUS & Theravada - Up Against The Wall; A Degree Of Lunacy 47. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There 48. Nilüfer Yanya - PAINLESS 49. chat pile - God's Country 50. JYOCHO - Let's Promise to Be Happy 51. Chalk Hands - Don't Think About Death 52. Raum - Daughter 53. Krallice - Crystalline Exhaustion 54. Oh No - OFFAIR: Dr. No's Lost Beach 55. Psycroptic - Divine Council 56. Black Flower - Magma 57. Aeviterne - The Ailing Facade 58. Wake - Thought Form Descent 59. ANNA SAGE - Anna Sage 60. Kokoroko - Could We Be More 61. Angles - A Muted Reality 62. Ghais Guevara - There Will Be No Super-Slave 63. I AM - Beyond 64. Rome Streetz x Royalz - Pyrex Pot Poetry

#music recommendations #best of 2022 #album of the year #billy woods #cities aviv #the callous daoboys #wormrot #shrapknel #elucid #greyhaven #cult of luna #black thought

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admelioraii · 2 years

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Seven beautiful wildflowers rising from the bottom of the ocean

Gran Canaria

The Canary Islands have as many names as they are diverse, the entire archipiélago is an astonishing patchwork of extreme wild landscapes and micro-climates.

Apart from that they have a generous supply of small paradises, surprises and adventures alike.

The group of seven islands, seven wildflowers, off the coast of North-West Africa are blessed with a warm subtropical climate, all year long, an eternal spring!

It is difficult to find words to describe their beauty, each one is a volcanic jewel, a priceless treasure.

The islands are just the top of a gigantic subaquatic mountain chain, rising a phenomenal 7.500 metres from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, as a result of ferocious volcanic eruptions.

The Canaries have a particularly interesting history, dramatic geography and is a veritable goldmine of fascinating and surprising small sites.

The islands are themselves a revelation, unique and dissimilar from anything else in the world.

In addition to being distinct from anything you have ever seen they are also different from each other.

The Canary Islands are located 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the African coast, and an astonishing 1.056 kilometres (1.700 miles) from the Spanish mainland, even though they belong to Spain.

The archipiélago consists of seven larger inhabited islands or thirteen including the smaller uninhabited ones.

As each island is unique, and differs greatly from the others, a deeper description is needed to familiarise oneself with each island, representing each one by a special Canarian wildflower, so we can discover the flora a bit more too. The islands are ordered from oldest to youngest.

Fuerteventura

The island of the golden beaches

Fuerteventura beach and Hypericum Canariensis

Fuerteventura is the oldest of all the islands in the archipelago, and is at its ripe age a paradise of beaches.

The island lacks some of the enormous mountains and high peaks that characterises many of its sisters but instead its topography is perfect for a myriad of water activities, such as : snorkelling, windsurfing, kite surfing, yachting, sport fishing and waterskiing.

The beautiful sandy island of Fuerteventura has a rugged beauty, exceptional beaches and a dramatic coastline, it is the second island in size after its bigger neighbour Tenerife.

The entire island has been declared a biosphere reserve, thanks to the diversity of its flora and fauna, its many microclimates are evident all around the island.

Its name is subject to wide discussions, Fuerteventura in Spanish means “strong winds” a reference to the windy conditions around the island that sometimes endanger nautical adventurers.

However, it might also refer to wealth, luck or destiny, a third theory suggests that the name derives from Latin “Fortunatae Insulalae” (fortunate islands).

In ancient times it was called Maxorata which means “children of the country” in ancient Canarian Berber, by the native inhabitants, the Guanches.

Lanzarote

The Island with the moon landscape

Grape trees in Lanzarote and Attaraylis Preauxiana

The distinct arid island of Lanzarote offers a volcanic moonscape, best compared with the actual landscape of the moon.

Nevertheless, it also has its invisible secrets, El golfo cráter is a volcanic crater on the shore of the peculiar island.

Inland, just a few metres from the coast, is a pool of water that has developed a green hue. The green comes from an algae living in the salt water in the pool.

The waters in the pool are still connected to the ocean via underground fissures, which keeps the water at sea level, and ensures that the pool doesn’t evaporate away.

Cooking food over a volcano.

On Lanzarote where the last volcanic eruption took place in 1824 there is still a significant amount of heat just below the surface.

In the National Park of Timanfaya you can visit a restaurant * , with a nine metres hole, dug to access the heat, and is used to grill.

The temperature of the grill reaches 400 degrees C and uses no energy.

Further, the island has some of the oddest vineyards in the world, as the island is volcanic, arid and has almost no soil or natural vegetation, to grow grape vines here takes quite a bit of effort.

Unlike most vineyards, where vines are planted in rows, on Lanzarote each vine is placed in a small depression with a semicircular wall of lava stone around it, to help protect it from the winds. The plants take root in the lava rock, where they get water from the moisture that condenses on the rocks.

Gran Canaria

The miniature continent

Roque nublo, Gran Canaria and Helianthemum inaguae, plant species considered in danger of extinction

Gran Canaria has a landscape forged by volcanoes.

The island rose from the bottom of the sea as a result of the force of volcanoes.

Then the volcanoes, the winds and the rain came together and sculpted the island of cliffs, fertile plains, deep ravines, black and golden fine sand beaches, natural pools, galleries, caves, stone arches, valleys and monoliths.

Such a geographical diversity of microclimates makes it possible for Gran Canaria to have so many different faces.

From its high altitudes, when looking down from the Pico de las Nieves (the snowy peak) and feeling the vertigo, as you stand at an altitude of almost two thousand metres the island looks very different from what it does when you see it from the coast, while hugging the ocean.

But it is the same island nonetheless: the heir of the volcano.

Today as the volcano has been sleeping for millennia and we can approach it without fear, we can see the island's volcanic heritage reflected in its nature.

Even higher up, where the island pierces the sky, lies the protected landscape of Las Cumbres de Gran Canaria (the summit), the high mountain region where a series of volcanoes that erupted three thousand years ago are aligned.

Inside the protected landscape of the sacred mountains of the island, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, we can observe the indigenous heritage the way natural caves or caves made by humans in the volcanic tuff were used as dwellings, barns, astronomy sites or sacred places for rituals.

These high peaks, covered in pine forests, marks the separation between the semi-deserted south and the lush, densely vegetated north.

When seeing the different climates, so paradoxical, like opposites, that is when you realise that this small island is truly home to several worlds, a continent in miniature.

Tenerife

Starry nights on Mount Teide

Mount Teide and Tajinaste rojo

Tenerife is the largest and most populated of the tropical archipelago, with a generous variety of landscapes: golden sand beaches, misty volcanoes, and a dense pine wood.

Mount Teide is not only the highest point in the entirety of Spain and the world’s third highest volcano, but with its peak measuring an astonishing 3.718 metres above sea level ( 7.500 metres from the ocean floor ), it also casts the longest shadow over the sea in the world. It is spectacular!

As that is not enough, Teide’s national park is the most visited park in all of Europe and it is, of course, home to Mount Teide, as well as a Natural World Heritage site.

Furthermore, Mount Teide literally separates the island in two different climate zones: the semi-deserted south and the rich, flourishing northern parts.

The waters in the southwest of the island are exceptionally rich in marine life and one of the few places in the world where you can actually see and interact with turtles and dolphins that live here all year long. This region is also visited by blue whales and orcas.

A true sanctuary for these incredible mammals that find ideal conditions for feeding and reproduction here.

The curious shadow of Mount Teide

The Canaries are due to their location, climatic conditions and mountain peaks blessed with the clearest and most unpolluted skies, excellent for stargazing, in the world.

In addition, Mount Teide has another secret: when the sun rises the Mount casts a curious pyramidal shadow over the Atlantic Ocean which disappears into the distance like a train truck.

The shadow changes as the day grows.

At dawn a silhouette is projected towards the island of La Gomera, while at dusk the shadow is pushed out towards Gran Canaria.

Views of the shadow are particularly good from the peak of Mount Teide itself. The silhouette on the ocean is in the shape of a perfect geometric triangle, which is astonishing especially as it is considered that the actual peak of Mount Teide does not have a pyramidal shape at all.

The shadow therefore seems to defy reason.

La Gomera

The forgotten island that was lost in time

La Gomera and Digitalis (Isoplexis) canariensis

From a distance La Gomera appears as an impenetrable fortress, ringed with soaring rock walls. Noodle thin roads wiggle along cliff faces, and up ravines.

The white spots on this prehistoric landscape turns out to be houses impossibly placed on inaccessible escarpments.

Up close, however, the rough landscape turns out to be lush valleys, dense rainforests, glittering black pebble beaches and bold rock formations sculpted by volcanic activity and erosion.

Simply put, La Gomera’s shape is rather like an orange that has been cut in half then split into segments, which has left deep ravines or barrancos in between them.

By the coast beaches are set between the cliffs, this wild, mountainous landscape is filled with contrasts, it is a paradise for nature lovers.

Considering the inaccessible landscape it is not difficult to understand why the thousand years old whistle language still is especially deep rooted here.

They really needed it to communicate through rough mountainous terrain, and it has lived on since ancient times until now.

La Gomera’s prime attraction is the magical often misty National park “Garajonay”.

Clever though by gorges and filled with laurel rainforest, this prehistoric forest is responsible for the labyrinth of vegetation in the park, a park that is bewitching like a fairytale.

Here you will find more than a thousand species that, thanks to their isolation, include a large proportion impossible to find elsewhere.

Lush and dense laurel rainforests once grew across most of Southern Europe and North Africa but now they are only found here in the Canaries and the rest of Micronesia.

An interesting note, La Gomera is the only island that still uses its ancient native “Guanche “ name.

The legend of Gara and Jonah

The Canarian Romeo and Juliet

The Canaries is famously known as the land of legends and volcanoes, this special legend comes from La Gomera.

Long, long time ago, in the time of the Guanches, the first native of the archipiélago, a beautiful princess lived in La Gomera, her name was Gara.

This island was famous for its water springs that still exist (los chorros de Epina), which could predict if someone would find true love: if the waters remained quiet, without movement, it meant The person would find true love but if the waters got turbulent, the answer was negative.

During the Guanches New Year's feast, princess Gara and her friends visited the spring, as Gara approached, the still water started to become so turbulent that it was shaking, then a sun appeared in the waters and told her: What will happen will happen, run away from the fire Gara, or it will consume you.

The same day, Jonay, a handsome young Guanche and son of the king of Tenerife, visited the island with his father and other noblemen as they were invited to the new year’s feast in La Gomera.

When their eyes met, it was love at first sight!

They immediately announced to their parents that they wanted to get engaged.

It was then that the ocean got filled with fire, the big, powerful volcano Teide on Tenerife had erupted, and such was his fury that you could see it even from La Gomera.

That was when they remembered Jonay was from Tenerife, the island of fire and Gara was the princess of the holy springs.

Fire and water don’t mix! Their love was impossible.

It was first when their parents forbade the engagement that the volcano calmed down.

Back in Tenerife, Jonay couldn’t forget Gara and in the middle of the night he threw himself in the ocean and swam across to the island of La Gomera and Gara, where he and Gara ran together up the mountains, to the very highest top but as they discovered they were followed they took a stick and sharpened its two extremes.

Holding it in between themselves to their chests, they hugged, the sharpened stick pierced their hearts and they died together.

Since then the mountain is called Garajonay, in memory of the two lovers that preferred death rather than continue living separated.

This same place is nowadays a National park: "Garajonay”.

La Palma

The beauty (La bonita)

La palma and Pericallis hadrosoma

There are places that will give you unique, magical moments, moments when you think: this is what I always wanted to experience, places made just for you.

La Palma is one of those places.

From the top of the mountains you get a spectacular view, and if that is not enough you might even, if you are lucky, get to see a sea of clouds.

The heat from the sand almost burns your feet but the cool waters from the Atlantic quickly repairs the damage.

The pleasure is complete with the calming, soft and fresh scent of canary pines, from the abundant pine woods, that fill your senses and relax your body.

The beautiful, green La Palma is like a big, natural spa!

A natural spa that regenerates, revitalises you, and fills you with energy and good vibes.

It is mainly in December and January that snow appears on the highest points of the island, surrounded by pine trees.

With the top of the island covered by a white snow blanket, you wonder: is this really a subtropical island?

It is even possible to enjoy a snowball fight in the morning and finish the day with a warm, relaxing sunset swim in the Atlantic, life can not get much better than that!

El Hierro

The island with soul

Tajinaste Azul

It is the youngest and it is tiny but overfilled with incredible natural wonders.

El Hierro is indeed the smallest of the fortunate (inhabited) islands, but it is an island with soul.

The island is more remarkable for what it doesn’t have than for what it has.

There is very little traffic here, the island has no hotel complexes, no buildings higher than two floors, no lifts and only one set of traffic lights.

Furthermore, it is almost completely self sufficient.

Since a while back El Hierro has been working towards making the entire island self-sufficient and they have almost reached their goal, other islands are following their example but are somewhat behind.

Beaches here are rare, to swim you either have to jump from the cliffs or enjoy the many natural pools, as a substitute for beaches, but the island's wonderful landscapes make up for the lack of beaches.

Ancient civilizations were just as impressed and fascinated by this array of exotic islands as we are today.

The archipielago forms a part of the Macronesian eco region and it is further referred to as “the islands of eternal spring” , the reason for that is that they are regulated by the Gulf Stream and trade winds, which contribute to their subtropical climate.

With little difference between seasons, they truly have an eternal spring!

Loved by countless civilizations, each one giving them a nickname, the islands have got as many names as there are stars in the sky, we find many names for those we love!

Tenerife

Canary Islands- the Romans.

The fortunate islands-the Numidians

The islands of eternal spring - the Greeks.

The everlasting islands- the Arabs.

The blessed islands-the phoenicians.

The islands of the fortunate-

The islands of the Guanches-the Guanches.

The islands of hope-

The Macronesian islands

The canary birds were named after these islands and not the other way around.

Caught in between volcanoes, legends and reality, they are marvellous islands on the limit of the world.

The sweet charm surrounding them and their positive energy works as a magnet!

You visit once and you are stuck, you fall in love and nothing else is comparable.

Their diversity is staggering, no other place in the world offers so many treasures compressed in such a small place.

It is truly an archipelago of a thousand experiences!

*El Diablo restaurant in Timanfaya.

#history #writers on tumblr #writblr #writers #original content #travel #spain #the canaries #canary islands #canarias #gran canaria #tenerife #fuerteventura #lanzarote #la palma #la gomera #el hierro #flowers

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beardedmrbean · 1 year

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The man behind the wheel of a rented U-Haul truck that plowed into multiple people on streets, bike lanes and sidewalks of two Brooklyn neighborhoods, incriminated himself during statements to police, saying he was looking to be the subject of police gunfire, law enforcement sources said.

The driver, a 62-year-old man police identified as Las Vegas resident Weng Sor, is believed to be the lone actor in the puzzling rampage. Sor was charged with one count of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in the attack, which unfolded over a harrowing 48 minutes over a large swath of Brooklyn’s bustling Bay Ridge and Sunset Park neighborhoods. Police eventually pinned the truck against a building after a miles-long chase.

One person was killed and eight people were injured as the U-Haul truck veered onto sidewalks and plowed into bicyclists, moped riders and at least one pedestrian, hitting people at various points along a circuitous route. The truck also rammed a police car, and the officer inside was among the injured.

Although the motive was not totally clear, the NYPD commissioner stated no evidence currently suggests any terrorism involvement in what she called a "violent rampage." Instead, police said Tuesday that the driver was suffering from an apparent mental health crisis and said he started mowing people down after seeing an “invisible object” coming toward him.

Sor, a troubled man with a history of violence and mental illness, told police seeing that "invisible object" set him off, Chief of Detectives James Essig told reporters Tuesday. Sor's family said he'd stopped taking his medication, Essig said.

"He states when he’s driving his van he sees an 'invisible object' come towards the car. At that point, he says, ‘I’ve had enough’ and he goes on his rampage," Essig said. "There was no object."

Sor, who lived in Las Vegas with his mother, came to New York earlier in February after spending time in Florida and was pulled over twice in the U-Haul in the days prior to the attack, police said. He may have been living out of the truck.

He was walked out of a police station in handcuffs, shouting words about "war" and was expected to be arraigned by Wednesday. Court records did not list a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.

The U-Haul struck three people on mopeds, three people on bicycles, one person on an e-bike and one person who was on foot as the truck moved through a busy section of Brooklyn, just north of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge along New York Harbor, police said. The victims ranged in age from 30 to 66.

A senior law enforcement official told News 4 that Sor said in a statement that he "only ran over bad people — not good people."

A 44-year-old man riding a moped died later on Monday from a head injury after he was hit by the truck roughly a half hour after it struck the first victim. Mayor Eric Adams said the man, who was identified by family as Yije Ye, was a single father “raising those children on his own.”

The victim's cousin told NBC New York that Ye had moved to the U.S. from China nearly two decades ago. He lived in Bay Ridge, according to neighbors, as was delivering food when he was struck. He later died at the hospital.

Yije Ye leaves behind three teenage children, and the family said that the "tragic accident shattered their American Dream."

The scope and length of the destruction led to questions about the NYPD's response and whether the pursuit — which at one point involved a police car speeding after the U-Haul up onto the sidewalk as a man dove to safety — put more people in harm's way.

#nunyas news

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firsttraintovictoriaville · 1 year

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I posted 1,089 times in 2022

That's 608 more posts than 2021!

213 posts created (20%)

876 posts reblogged (80%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

epiyersika

@greatinternetllama

@hibiscuslynx

@coderfortourette

@not-the-apple-pie-please

I tagged 1,088 of my posts in 2022

#welcome to the table - 297 posts

#personal - 112 posts

#aesthetic - 93 posts

#fanart - 88 posts

#text - 66 posts

#art - 48 posts

#wttt - 40 posts

#ask - 29 posts

#tumblr - 28 posts

#me - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#if going off the virginia brothers between his husband and his little brother fbi and cia are within his most frequently contacted list on h

My Top Posts in 2022:

I love how we all agree that West Virginia has little brother energy and that South Carolina has big brother energy but does anyone else think that South Dakota has “We’re twins, it doesn’t matter” energy and North Dakota has “ME!” energy if they are ever asked who is the older twin?

62 notes - Posted July 12, 2022

Random states and their day jobs

I know the states having “day jobs” is tenuous canon at best and most likely being a state pays something (taxes from their people?) or if they had day jobs it would probably be civil servants (although isn’t being a personification of a state, already civil servitude to the nth degree?) but I digress

Alabama- high school football coach/health teacher combo with history class coverage when needed

California - human resources assistant at a Silicon Valley company

Colorado- rock climbing instructor

Florida - Cashapp scammer

Maryland- real estate agent

Massachusetts- adjunct professor at MIT Sloan School of Management

Mississippi - cotton and chicken farmer

Nevada- Las Vegas croupier

Texas- cattle rancher

Utah- DILF

Washington- Starbucks manager

Virginia- Conservationist at a history museum

69 notes - Posted July 21, 2022

I know when Florida talks about robbing the Federal Reserve he means the Eccles building but it’s 100x funnier if you imagine he’s talking about robbing the Federal Reserve as in the personification for the Federal Reserve. Florida is just out in these streets stealing Federal Reserve’s Teslas and Arhaus dining chairs

72 notes - Posted August 25, 2022

strongly held Alaska headcanon

Alaska’s three dogs that we have heard be mention in canon, are Alaskan Malamutes. They’re the state dog of Alaska and have many uses in mushing, carrying objects, and hauling freight. When they reach adulthood they are big and powerful dogs.

Yet, Alaska’s dogs are puppies. Fido, Balto, and Togo are permanently stuck in the puppy phase due to personification reasons. You have 7 foot tall bearded and built like brickhouse Alaska walking around the wilderness and then followed by him are what can only be described as living marshmallows.

(image credit: dogtime.com)

73 notes - Posted October 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

where i think the states fight congregate/have meetings while living in the statehouse

the south: the back porch with sweet tea in front of them and in rocking chairs. the tv is out of sight and on mute so they can fight without the fuel of a college football match

the midwest: in the kitchen so they can be close to the talking ranch unaware of the fact that as they fight each other for the ranch, there is more ranch in the fridge until Wisconsin decides to grab another beer and sees two other bottles there. this commences an even bigger argument

the northeast: the sidewalk in front of the house with all of their car doors still open because they all want the same parking spot. everyone has a cigarette in their hand and their beanies/baseball caps are on the ground

the west: in a circle in the living room so they can look at each other and be able to properly vote in a fair commun(ist)al way. Colorado thought it was a smoke circle and tried to explain puff puff pass and Utah thought it was family game night and brought battleship, catan, AND heads up.

alaska & hawai’i: eating pancakes at a brunch spot while having a light debate on pop culture and all phone numbers of the lower 48 temporarily blocked

district & puerto rico: Gov purposely gave them the wrong directions so after driving to three abandoned kmarts they decided to hit up a mcdonalds drive thru

maryland & gov: Maryland is watching in the foyer as Gov signs over the rent check to make sure that Gov pays the correct amount

103 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #lowkey wish we had editing features enabled because what if i just went hog wild on this and made a bunch of shit up #john green took too #much from us smh #this was more fun than i expected

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5oclockcoffees · 9 days

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"On 13th February 1997, a huge storm near the coast of Cornwall pushed sixty-two containers off the cargo ship Tokio Express. One was filled with nearly five million pieces of Lego. When the Tokio Express set sail from Rotterdam it encountered mountainous seas about 20 miles off Land’s End. A rogue wave tipped the ship 60 degrees one way and 40 degrees the other, resulting in 62 shipping containers being dumped into the ocean. One of the containers was full of almost five million bits of Lego on their way to be made into sets in North America. The strange thing was that many of the 4,756,940 pieces were for seafaring adventure sets. How the container opened nobody knows, but it released a ‘slick of Lego’ onto Cornish beaches. Beachcombers in the southwest of England soon began finding plastic octopuses, spear guns, scuba tanks, cutlasses, flippers and even dragons on their shores – they’re still washing up today.

Over the years, ocean currents have swept the Lego vast distances – it’s been found in the Channel Islands, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Some oceanographers believe it could have drifted all the way round the world. Most of the Lego from the spill has never been found, however, and is thought to be lying on the seabed. Fishermen regularly haul up Lego, 20 miles off the Cornish coast. They find the bits that sank, while beachcombers generally find the bits that floated. That said, some of the Lego that originally sank is now making its way ashore, swept long distances by seafloor currents."

About ten years ago, I started keeping an online journal of plastic that washed up – a visual record of manmade debris littering our shores. After a storm, I would scour the beaches and kept a photographic record of everything I found. It was never meant to be an art project, though some people perceive it as such. Looking back through the images, it’s interesting to see how the debris changes over time. Cargo spills bring new items to our shores – printer cartridges, detergent bottles, toy wheels, flip flops, trainers, etc. Each image is like a snapshot in time. Searching for lost Lego from a cargo spill started as a bit of fun, a treasure hunt with my children. Ultimately, it opened my eyes to all the rest of the plastic in the ocean.

Adrift: The legacy of Lego lost at sea, by Marine Conservation Society. Lego Lost At Sea, by Tracey Williams.

#Lego #Adrift: The Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea #Tracey Williams #Great British Beach Clean

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dankusner · 9 days

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Roles of LGBTQ members stand at heart of United Methodist Church conflict, vote

RELIGION

Spiritual split decision

Jane Graner first felt a call to ministry as a senior in high school in 1979.

As a lesbian in the United Methodist Church, she thought the denomination would allow openly gay pastors by the time she finished seminary.

Instead, she waited 40 years for her ordination in 2019, and she believes it only happened then because she was single.

“Being open about being gay as I was going through the ordination process and as a pastor was part of what I felt like was my calling,” said Graner, now 62 and senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Duncanville.

Graner’s experiences are at the heart of a rift over the role of LGBTQ people in the United Methodist Church, the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination.

The denomination has spent decades disagreeing on human sexuality, and, in the past few years, thousands of congregations have voted to split off.

Many have joined the Global Methodist Church, a new and more conservative denomination, while others have stayed independent.

The recent conflict is largely over the United Methodist Church’s bans on same-sex marriage and clergy members in gay relationships.

The prohibitions were strengthened in a plan passed by a slim majority of church delegates from around the world in 2019, though enforcement has varied in the U.S.; in North Texas, some unmarried gay clergy have been ordained.

The denomination is set to vote again on the bans at a meeting Tuesday-May 3 in Charlotte, N.C.

“We have been fighting about LGBTQ issues since at least 1972,” said Graner, referring to when the church adopted a doctrine of social principles that said homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.

“This has been a continuing issue in our church, and it’s just been coming to a head for a long, long time,” Graner said. “Now we’re finally going to be, hopefully, dealing with it in a decisive way.”

In 2019, the United Methodist Church began allowing congregations to leave and keep their properties if they cited “reasons of conscience” regarding human sexuality before the end of 2023.

About a quarter of the nation’s approximately 30,000 United Methodist congregations left over those four years, including 53 congregations in the North Texas Conference, according to a recent report by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

The research center is part of a United Methodist seminary in Washington, D.C.

“It [hasn’t] been since 1908 that we’ve had a very significant rift in the church like this,” said Ted Campbell, a professor of church history at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology.

He was referring to a previous split that resulted in the creation of the Church of the Nazarene.

Campbell said the overt reason for why congregations have left is the dispute over whether the church should ordain clergy in same-sex relationships and allow ministers to perform gay marriages.

Disagreements about the scope of the Bible’s authority and the degree of autonomy given to churches have also contributed, he said, along with increased political polarization throughout the U.S.

“It’s personal, it hurts,” Campbell said of the divide. “Dear friends of mine have decided to go the other way, and some of us still don’t quite know how to talk to each other.”

At the time of its departure in July 2023, White’s Chapel in Southlake was the second-largest United Methodist congregation in the country, with 17,000 members.

In explaining why his church left, co-pastor Todd Renner said the United Methodist Church had grown more liberal in the U.S. and was no longer a “good fit.”

Vote on plan

John McKellar, the church’s other co-pastor, said the more liberal trajectory would have a greater impact on White’s Chapel if a “regionalization” plan is passed at the denomination’s upcoming meeting, which he believes is likely to happen.

“The shape of what the United Methodist Church will be once regionalization passes was going to put our church in an awkward, uncomfortable place,” McKellar said. “We just were trying to read the tea leaves and get ahead of that.”

Regionalization would allow the regions of the United Methodist Church to set their policies on issues including gay marriage.

Current proposals would establish eight regional conferences, combining all five U.S. jurisdictions into one conference and including seven conferences outside the country.

If the U.S. voted alone, many believe it would grant LGBTQ rights.

In 2022, all five U.S. jurisdictions passed resolutions calling for the church to affirm and protect LGBTQ people.

Third option

After leaving the United Methodist Church, White’s Chapel helped start a new denomination last year called the Methodist Collegiate Church, which Renner described as a more ideologically central option than those of the United Methodist Church and the Global Methodist Church.

The Global Methodist Church was formed in 2022 by theologically conservative Methodists and said it had 4,336 member churches as of January 2024.

“As the [United Methodist Church] and the [Global Methodist Church] moved into their particular corners, there’s less and less room for people that are, in any way, in the center,” Renner said.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to imagine something new.”

The Methodist Collegiate Church has attracted more than 60 congregations from the U.S. and Africa.

Member churches can leave at any time and are not required to pay percentages of their budgets to the denomination, as congregations do in the United Methodist and Global Methodist churches.

Reasons to leave

Ken Nelson, 72, has attended White’s Chapel for about 25 years, and he and his wife, Sharon, help lead the church’s international mission trips.

“Disaffiliation would have allowed us to have more dollars that go to those mission efforts that Sharon and I have a passion for,” Nelson said. He supported his church’s decision to disaffiliate.

“When you look at the headlines, people talk about the disaffiliation being based on LG et cetera [LGBTQ] — that was not something I focused a lot on, nor did, I think, a number of other folks that I spent time talking to,” Nelson said.

St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, formerly the second-largest United Methodist church in the North Texas Conference, announced its departure from the denomination in October 2022 in a since-deleted statement on its website that did not include any reference to LGBTQ clergy or same-sex marriage.

“The fact is, we can protect our finances, our property and our pastors by going in a new direction,” the statement read.

A representative for St. Andrew declined a recent request for comment on why the church left.

“To fulfill our desire to love all churches — those that are part of the UMC and those that are leaving for other paths — we cannot comment any further on that disaffiliation process or the UMC,” the representative told The Dallas Morning News .

The North Texas Conference lost 19% of its churches, fewer than any other conference in the state, according to the Lewis Center report.

By contrast, the Northwest Texas Conference lost 162, or 81%, of its churches, and the Central Texas Conference, which includes Arlington and Fort Worth, lost 122, or 44%.

“North Texas came out of this far better than most,” said Lovett Weems, lead author of the report and the Lewis Center’s senior consultant. “My sense is that disaffiliation never really caught on the way it did in some other Southern conferences, including some other Texas conferences.”

The Central Texas Conference lost its bishop, Mike Lowry, and churches including White’s Chapel.

Of its more than three dozen United Methodist congregations, Dallas lost only one.

Most of the departures in the North Texas Conference were from places outside the Dallas area.

Graner said the conference’s comparatively low rate of departure reflects Dallas’ relationship with LGBTQ people.

“Dallas has a long history of being more successful addressing LGBTQ issues than you would expect of any other city in the South,” she said.

She credited that success in part to LGBTQ advocacy groups and organizations, including the Black Tie Dinner, which has raised over $30 million since its start in 1982. “I think our early leaders were very realistic about how things work in the South and set up organizations that were highly effective,” Graner said.

‘Open’ to all

Janis Elliott, 69, was raised United Methodist and has attended Graner’s church for about 10 years. “I think now we’re ready to have the church represent who we are,” she said of the split. “For the longest time, our slogan has been, ‘Open hearts, open minds, open doors.’ Which means we include everybody.”

Now that many churches that identify as nonaffirming have left the denomination, Elliott hopes the church will vote to embrace LGBTQ people at its upcoming meeting.

“We have a daughter that came out to us quite a few years ago, and she has not felt comfortable in the church and [with] some of the policies,” Elliott said. “So this is personal to me.”

The Eighth Episcopal District is comprised of over 200 churches within the state of Texas and Jamaica.

The Eighth Episcopal District consist of five geographical Regions: East Texas Region, Central Texas Region, DFW/NW Texas Region, Southeast Texas Region, and Jamaica Region.

UNITED METHODISTS

Top-level conference is first since breakup over LGBTQ inclusion

Delegates may finally seek to lift bans on same-sex weddings, gay clergy

Thousands of United Methodists are gathering in Charlotte, N.C., for their big denominational meeting, known as General Conference.

It’s a much-anticipated gathering.

Typically it is held every four years, but church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the pandemic.

This year, the 11-day gathering runs from April 23- May 3.

Among those assembling are hundreds of voting delegates — United Methodists from across the globe who were elected to represent their regional church body — though as many as one-quarter of international delegates are not confirmed as able to attend.

The delegates, half clergy and half lay Methodists, are the decision makers at General Conference.

What happens at General Conference?

General Conference — the only entity that can speak for the whole denomination — is a meeting where delegates set policy, pass budgets and address other matters.

It’s the only body that can amend the United Methodist Book of Discipline, which includes church law. It also includes Social Principles, which are non-binding declarations on social and ethical issues.

There’s worship and fellowship, too.

Is there something unique about this year’s meeting?

Yes.

This will be the first General Conference since more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations left the United Methodist Church between 2019 and 2023 because the denomination essentially stopped enforcing its bans on same-sex marriage and having “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” serving as clergy and bishops.

Will the General Conference lift those LGBTQ-related bans this year?

It’s possible.

The delegates in Charlotte are expected to vote on whether to eliminate them.

Similar efforts have failed in years past, but with the election of more progressive delegates and the departure of many conservatives, supporters of removing the bans are optimistic.

What other key issues are up for consideration?

Disaffiliations:

The rules that allowed U.S. congregations to leave between 2019 and 2023.

It allowed them to leave with their properties, held in trust for the denomination, under friendlier-than-normal legal terms.

Some want similar conditions for international churches and for U.S. churches that missed the 2023 deadline.

Regionalization:

A proposal to restructure the denomination into regional conferences around the world, rather than having distinct names for U.S. and other jurisdictions.

It would define the role of regions more precisely and put American congregations into their own regional body.

Under this proposal, all regions would be able to adapt church policies to their local contexts, including those on marriage and ordination.

Budgets:

Because of all the disaffiliations, the conference will vote on a much-reduced budget proposal for the coming years.

Where are the delegates coming from?

Though thousands of Methodists with be attending the conference, there are only 862 official voting delegates, from the following regions of the church: 55.9% from the U.S. 32% from Africa 6% from the Philippines 4.6% from Europe 1.5% from concordant (affiliated) churches

Will they all be there?

No.

As of last week, only about three-quarters of international delegates were confirmed as able to attend, the Commission on the General Conference reported Thursday.

The other quarter includes 27 delegates unable to get visas or passports, others who couldn’t attend for various reasons, and 62 still unconfirmed.

African groups have strongly criticized denominational officials, faulting them for delays in providing necessary paperwork and information and raising questions about whether African conferences will accept voting results from the conference.

How are congregations preparing?

That varies widely, but those long active in the movement to repeal LGBTQ bans are focused strongly on the conference.

First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, for example, held a commissioning service on April 14 for three members attending the conference in varying capacities.

“It will be deeply meaningful for me personally to vote for those changes,” said church member Tracy Merrick, who will be a delegate.

What are United Methodists, anyway?

They’re part of a larger worldwide family of Methodists and other groups in the tradition of 18th-century British Protestant revivalist John Wesley, who emphasized evangelism, holy living and social service.

They hold many beliefs in common with other Christians, with some distinct doctrines.

United Methodists traditionally ranged from liberal to conservative.

How many United Methodists are there?

5.4 million in the United States as of 2022, but that will decline significantly due to 2023 disaffiliations.

4.6 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. That’s lower than earlier estimates but reflects more recent denominational reports.

United Methodists prepare for votes on lifting LGBTQ bans

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.

After a day off on Sunday, delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church resumed their work Monday and will be meeting all this week before wrapping up their 11-day session on Friday

They’ve already begun making historic changes:

On Thursday, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed a policy shift that would restructure the worldwide denomination into regional conferences and give the U.S. region, for the first time, the same right as international bodies to modify church rules to fit local situations.

That measure — subject to local ratification votes — is seen as a way the U.S. churches could have LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage while the more conservative overseas areas, particularly the large and fast-growing churches of Africa, could maintain those bans.

But whether that measure maintains church unity remains to be seen.

The General Conference comes as the American portion of the United Methodist Church, long the nation’s third-largest denomination, has shrunk considerably.

One-quarter of its U.S. churches left between 2019 and 2023 amid conservative dismay over the church’s failure to enforce its LGBTQ bans amid widespread defiance.

A proposal to overturn those bans is headed to the delegates this week, and progressives are optimistic that they have the votes to realize their long-held dream.

“It will say to the world about us that we really stand behind our statement that we are a church of open hearts, open minds, and open doors,” said Tracy Merrick, a delegate and member of First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh, which has committed to ministry with LGBTQ people.

The denomination has debated homosexuality for more than half a century.

Its Book of Discipline bans “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from the clergy and forbids clergy from presiding at same-sex marriages. It also forbids church funding of any advocacy for the “acceptance of homosexuality.”

The delegates will also vote on a new set of Social Principles — a wholesale revision of an existing set of non-binding statements — which received a committee approval last week.

The new version omits the previous version’s declaration that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

And it defines marriage as a sacred covenant between “two people of faith,” without specifying gender.

Such changes could portend a further fragmentation of the international church.

Delegates last week approved the departure of a small but notable part of the body — about 30 churches in Russia and other former Soviet countries, where conservative views on LGBTQ issues are strong.

Some are proposing that African and other churches be given the same chance that U.S. churches recently had to disaffiliate under favorable terms.

Opponents say they already have mechanisms to depart, as some have recently done, but proponents say existing rules are burdensome.

Jerry Kulah of the advocacy group Africa Initiative said that while it will be up to individual conferences in Africa to decide whether to stay or leave the denomination, he believes it’s time to leave.

“We cannot remain in this marriage,” he said. “We can’t be one church preaching different gospels.”

A large majority of African bishops, while affirming their opposition to LGBTQ ordination or marriage, have said in a joint statement they are committed to remaining in the United Methodist Church.

The denomination had until recently been the third largest in the United States, present in almost every county.

But its 5.4 million U.S. membership in 2022 is expected to drop once the 2023 departures are factored in.

The denomination also counts 4.6 million members in other countries, mainly in Africa, though earlier estimates have been higher.

Conservative advocacy groups say U.S. churches that didn’t meet the 2023 deadline should have the option of disaffiliating, too — along with the more than 7,000 that have already done so.

The denomination also will be debating policy stances regarding fossil fuels and other issues as well as voting on major budget cuts to denominational programs, reflective of losing thousands of congregations.

The Rev. Tracy Cox, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, said she’s cautiously hopeful for changes to the rules on ordination and marriage.

The congregation, which has long been LGBTQ-affirming, held a commissioning service on April 14 for those attending the General Conference.

“If you are called by God to be an ordained elder or deacon, no church, no institution should step in that way,” Cox said. “And as far as marriage goes, when somebody falls in love with someone, we need to be able to help them to raise a family or to be a family in the community where they’re going to serve.”

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weinerlaw11 · 14 days

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Solana Beach: A Blend Of Serenity, Culture, And Recreation

Visiting the beaches of San Diego, CA, is a must for sun-seekers and nature lovers alike. Solana Beach offers a stunning coastline, diverse marine life, and a vibrant atmosphere. You can easily walk to beautiful trails, surf spots, and unique local shops.

This discussion delves into the enchanting features of the beach. It sheds light on the prominent beach destinations that await your exploration during your visit.

About Solana Beach

The beach is on the northern coast of San Diego, CA, 92075, a 30-minute drive from downtown San Diego. You can reach this through Interstate 5, Highway 101, Lomas Santa Fe Drive, and Via de la Valle. The train station is at 105 N. Cedros Ave, providing convenient access for those arriving by train.

It has a delightful climate, with winter temperatures averaging around 62 degrees and summer temperatures a pleasant 77 degrees. The city boasts 1.7 miles of coastline, making it an ideal playground for swimming and surfing enthusiasts. Locals often make watching the breathtaking sunsets at Fletcher Cove a cherished routine, drawn to witness nature's daily spectacle.

Beyond its coastal beauty, the beach has earned a reputation as a preferred destination for diverse interests. Aside from the beaches, golf enthusiasts can also revel in the lush courses. They can do this while the nightlife scene adds a vibrant touch to the community's allure. For adventurous people, nearby hiking trails promise a blend of natural wonders and outdoor exploration.

The beach perfectly blends coastal serenity, cultural richness, and recreational opportunities. This makes it an irresistible haven for residents and visitors. There are several beach spots you can enjoy while visiting the place. You can feel the peaceful solitude of secluded coves or the lively atmosphere of bustling boardwalks.

Main Beach Spots

As you embark on your beachside journey, discover five distinct havens stretching north to south. Each of them offers its own unique charm and recreational allure. Plus, it caters to every taste of visitors and provides an unforgettable seaside experience.

Seaside

At the northernmost tip of the beach lies Seaside, a haven for surf enthusiasts. The waves are complemented by an outer reef known as Table Tops. It adds an exciting dimension to the surfing experience, especially during significant southwest swells.

Tide Beach

Just south of Seaside, you will find Tide Beach. It is distinguished by its pristine sands and an inviting patch of reef perfect for tide pooling. This provides an opportunity for relaxation and offers a chance to explore marine life in the tide pools.

Fletcher Cove (Pillbox)

Fletcher Cove, also called Pillbox, is located where Lomas Santa Fe Road meets the Pacific. The area is attractive and easily accessible for visitors. A concrete ramp, starting from Fletcher Cove Park, guides you to this inviting stretch of coastline. It is a well-liked recreational area with amenities like a playground and lush green surroundings.

Seascape Beach And Del Mar Shores

When you cross to the north side of the San Dieguito River mouth, you will find Seascape Beach and Del Mar Shores. Residents cherish these beach spots. They provide a peaceful getaway where the soothing waves harmonize with the enjoyment of nature.

The place offers something for every beachgoer, whether surfing, tide pooling, or a family-friendly day by the shore. Explore the diverse coastal havens to discover the beauty and serenity that define the beach's coastline.

Summary

The beach offers a delightful coastal experience just a 30-minute drive from downtown. It is a haven for swimming, surfing, and stunning sunsets. Beyond its natural beauty, it caters to diverse interests with golf courses, vibrant nightlife, and nearby hiking trails.

The beach features Seaside for surf enthusiasts, Tide Beach for tide pooling, and Fletcher Cove with recreational amenities. The beach provides a perfect blend of serenity, culture, and recreation.

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