Open - Family Room Example of a mid-sized trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and beige floor family room design with white walls and a wall-mounted tv

Contemporary Dining Room - Dining Room

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary light wood floor and beige floor enclosed dining room remodel with white walls

Deck in Boston Large trendy rooftop rooftop deck photo with no cover

Contemporary Bedroom

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary guest light wood floor, yellow floor and shiplap wall bedroom remodel with white walls

Large contemporary two-story wood flat roof idea Idea for a large, modern, two-story wood flat roof

Contemporary Dining Room - Dining Room Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary light wood floor and beige floor enclosed dining room remodel with white walls

A modern backyard deck design example with a pergola

A Statue of Atlas Emerges From the Ruins of Sicily’s Ancient Temple of Zeus

In the fifth century B.C.E., 38 looming sculptures of the Titan stood guard at the structure.

After 20 years of restorations, a 26-foot-tall statue of Atlas is once again standing guard at the ancient Temple of Zeus in the city of Agrigento (once called Akragas) in Sicily.

The statue, created in the fifth century B.C.E., was one of roughly 38 similar Atlas monuments built into the temple. They stood in a line between columns with their arms raised, appearing to hold the holy structure upright.

In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who rebelled in a war against Zeus. As punishment, he was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders. Unlike the mythological Atlas, however, the stone likenesses were unable to hold up Zeus’ temple forever. Ultimately, earthquakes and other events caused the structure to crumble.

For many years, pieces of the statues were scattered around the site amongst other ancient ruins. In 1812, Charles Robert Cockerell, a prominent British architect, first identified one of the Titan’s giant sandstone heads during a visit to Agrigento. A century later, in 1920, archaeologist Pirro Marconi became the first person to attempt to reconstruct one of the Atlases, which is now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento.

The seeds of the current project began in 2004, when the Valley of the Temples park conducted a sweeping research campaign at the site. Experts cataloged 90 fragments from at least eight Atlas statues.

“The idea was to reposition one of these Atlases in front of the temple so that it may serve as a guardian of the structure dedicated to the father of the gods,” Roberto Sciarratta, the director of the Valley of the Temples park, tells the Guardian’s Lorenzo Tondo.

But rebuilding Atlas in a standing position was particularly challenging, as researchers couldn’t simply stack the pieces of the statue on top of one another. Instead, they attached the fragments to metal shelves, which are supported by a larger metal structure.

The restoration has faced scrutiny ever since officials first announced it several years ago.

“No archaeologist would endorse the use of ancient sculpture, no matter how fragmentary, to create a modern sculpture, even if the purpose is to highlight the site’s antiquity,” C. Brian Rose, an archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania, told the New York Times’ Franz Lidz in 2020.

But officials like Renato Schifani, the Sicilian governor, think that the statue’s resurrection is a commendable feat.

“Today is an important day for Agrigento and for all of Sicily,” says Schifani in a statement, per Google Translate. “This stone giant of ancient Akragas, which after many years of studies and research we can observe in its natural position, is the heart of an important museum project of the entire area of ​​the Temple of Zeus."

By Julia Binswanger.

energy of King Charles 3, March 19, 2024, it is 7:50 a.m. French time (tarot & oracle)

oracle of energies: we start with the reflective man, he observes possibilities, he reflects on decisions, he consults, he has worked on how to improve the BRF and instigate a renewal. He must have observed some weaknesses and is trying to find a way to improve the situation.

His energy is starting to improve, he is in a very spiritual energy. His 3rd eye is open, he sees certain things and observes certain things beyond appearances and his crown chakra is also open, he receives information from his guides but also he is in a phase of understanding in a global way.

Charles is very worried about the finances for the BRF but also the associations. He worked on how to obtain more resources without getting tired.

There is quite a strategy for him in June.

with the Akashic tarot cards: the cards are heavy and messy. OK there was a talk between Charles and William after this fiasco. We start with the map of loving spirits, I will describe the map to you to better understand. There is a child and there are 3 fairies around this child and the water is agitated. This card is accompanied by the light of the world card but reversed (it is a guide who knocks on the door but the person does not open the door or not yet)

I conclude that Charles left William a few days then there was a discussion but help was refused then William continued to dig his karmic trench which is sterile (there is the architect's card) he is accompanied by a woman who listens and observes. Conclusion Charles left William to learn and see that his strategy was fruitless then William came out a little disillusioned because he came with the act of the inverted rose prince while heading back to the bridge road. I see Catherine as Queen of Parchment lol there was also contact with Charles. There is the map of ego visions. So we're talking about ego in the broad sense here. The King of Swords heads towards the castle to rest. There is something in the air, there is a chess game around health. I see Charles coming as the parchment king, he has a goal in mind currently, I have the garden map (it's 2 children playing) and again the community map. We reflect on the brf system as a whole

I was recently doing research on the big plague that happened in 1347 or so and obviously people didn't have the medical knowledge that we have now, so when people wanted answers they came up with some wild things, some thought it had something to do with astrology, some thought it was a punishment from the Christian God and would punish themselves for repentance, many people thought the plague was caused by minorities such as Romani, lepers, beggars, some thought it was jews poisoning the wells ( Jews can't ever catch a break in history can they?) and people with skin diseases, acne, and psoriasis.

when I was reading Barty's bio you mentioned he was Jewish I think, has he ever faced backlash/consequences because of this? Or did you just not think about it at the time?

I haven't read the book, but the style of clothes Barry (and most plague doctors wear on tiktok/Tumblr) seem very Victorian era inspired, so is the book set in 1340-ish or is it set in a more alternate universe type thing?

Sorry if this ask is long, I'm just curious and like studying characters and how their time in history affects them.

Have a nice day/night!

Hello! This is a very long ask with many different parts, so for simplicity’s sake, I am going to break my answer down into easy-to-digest bullet points!

While it is true an enormous iteration of the plague hit from 1346 to 1353, this was only the beginning! The black death kept returning and returning until 1770!

Plague doctors existed this entire time, but the beaked mask was not invented until the 1500s by French physician Charles de Lorme

Barty’s book is set in the early 1700s. This is a very deliberate choice, because Fabian rose to power in 1667 using the masses of corpses available during the Great Plague of London. I intentionally put a few references in there to real-world events that occurred during this time, such as real doctors who helped fight the Great Plague of London, and real architects who helped rebuild London after the fire of that time period!

You are correct that Jews were often (UNFAIRLY AND INNACURATELY) blamed for plague. This does indeed play into Barty’s character and history - I did, in fact, put a great amount of thought behind it, as a Jewish person myself, especially when I saw how sadly common an issue it was at the time. It pops up quite a few times in the book :)

Lastly, I think many of the tiktokdocs are more Victorian leaning because there is a good degree of overlap of people who enjoy steampunk vibes and people who enjoy plague doctor vibes! Why not both! In the book, however, Barty is a bit more period-accurate.

:) Thank you for your question, I hope these answers are satisfactory!

One Night In New York

When Ike and Tina Turner came storming into Manhattan in 1971 [April 1st, 1971], they were red hot. "Proud Mary," the biggest hit of their career, was burning up the charts; in the aftermath of their late Sixties tour with the Rolling Stones, they had graduated from the chitlin circuit to glamorous big-money venues. Crossing over to the American mainstream. they were discovering wildly diverse audiences - hippies at rock festivals, high rollers in Vegas, highbrows in New York City. Their new-fangled form of rhythm and blues, rooted in Ike's Delta blues and filtered through the psychedelic funk celebrated by Sly and the Family Stone, had, at long last, hit its stride.

Their Carnegie Hall performance caught the excitement. Five years earlier, they'd been scuffling. Five years later, they'd be splitting up. But here in the early Seventies, despite or perhaps because of a boiling tension, the duo was on fire. The Carnegie concert really wasn't a concert at all, but simply the Ike and Tina Revue, unadulterated and unshackled, down and dirty, and thank God, unfazed by the sophisticated surroundings.

In retrospect, it's tempting to read the repertoire as autobiography.

When Tina sings as a wronged woman, especially on her brilliant rendition of the ominous 12-bar blues, "I Smell Trouble," I believe every word. I also believe that Tina, along with Etta James and Aretha Franklin, forms a holy trinity of female soul singers. Ike's role as orchestral architect is no less brilliant. In the annals of soul music, he ranks high among its most influential leaders. As an inventor of the tight-and-right small band sound, Turner molded the minds of B.B. King, Ray Charles and James Brown, to name but three. On "I Smell Trouble," his guitar provides the perfect comic counterpoint to Tina's lament. I also love the way he sings around her on Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Whatever happened off stage, their on-stage rapport was magical.

"If people just listen to the music," Ike recently told me, "they'll hear that me and Tina were on the same wavelength. We listened to each other. We worked off each other. For years we were in sync. I listen to this concert now and remember how we spoke a musical language like a secret language that's salty and sweet."

That language is evident in "Proud Mary," a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's original version a top-five smash in 1969-that rose to #4 on the pop charts. The concert version contains Tina's famous locution: "We never ever do nothing nice and easy," she explains. "We always do it nice and rough."

"Tina," says Ike, "had a way with words. I'd encourage her to say whatever she liked before singing. That kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. She was rapping before rap was called rap. Tina was a cool talker. She could work the crowd. real nice.. and rough."

There's much to savor here: the rough-and-tumble re-reading of Jessie Hill's infectious "Ooh Poo Pah Doo"; Tina's heartbreaking interpretation of "A Love Like Yours," whose country flavor gives us a feel for her Tennessee childhood; the raucous "Honky Tonk Woman," which takes the song to a level of theatricality unknown to the Stones; Tina's Tina-ization of Sly' spirited "I Want to Take You Higher" and Aretha's riveting "Respect."

"Tina's got her own sound," says Ike. "Maybe I helped bring it out, but it was there from the get-go."

Tina also has her own intensity, the quality that sets her apart. Her unrelenting focus is both thrilling and frightening; her stage persona incorporates high drama and smoldering sexuality in a manner that leaves audience weak and wanting more.

The tale of Ike and Tina has taken on mythic proportions. Like Adam and Eve, they are folk legends and archetypes of ruined romance. Tina has written her book. One day I hope Ike will tell the story from his point of view. The man-woman issues surrounding power and the abuse of power excite our anger and fears. The fact that those emotions are so evident in the music made at Carnegie Hall some quarter-century ago speaks to the expressive genius of both artists. And the further fact that the music still sounds fresh and vibrant still explodes with the force of nature is another validation of the timelessness of vital rhythm and blues.

— By David Ritz

David Ritz's latest collaboration is BLUES ALL AROUND ME, the autobiography of B. B. King. He's also written books on Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Etta James, Smokey Robinson and Jerry Wexler - plus the lyrics to "Sexual Healing."

Starkid If/Then

What if? I brought you all the Starkid dreamcast for If/Then. Not to say on this one except I’m surprised I hadn’t done this one yet. Hope you all enjoy all the character choices, some aren’t perfect fits but I do what I can.

1. Mariah Rose Faith as Elizabeth 2. Britney Coleman as Kate 3. AJ Holmes as Lucas 4. Curt Mega as Josh 5. Corey Dorris as Stephen 6. Meredith Stepien as Anne 7. Jon Matteson as David 8. Bryce Charles as Elena 9. Jaime Lyn Beatty as Paulette and others 10. Brian Holden as An Architect and others 11. Lauren Lopez as A Flight Attendant and others 12. Joey Richter as A Street Musician and others 13. Brian Rosenthal as A Guidance Counselor, A Solider, and others 14. Dylan Saunders as Deputy Mayor and others 15. Sango Tajima as Cathy and others 16. James Tolbert as A Bartender and others

Standby: Jamie Burns (Elizabeth)

Swings: Nico Ager, Clark Baxtresser, Ali Gordon, Janaya Mahealani Jones

Understudies: Nico Ager (David), Clark Baxtresser (Josh), Bryce Charles (Kate), Ali Gordon (Elena), Brian Holden (Stephen), Janaya Mahealani Jones (Kate), Lauren Lopez (Anne, Elena), Joey Richter (Josh), Brian Rosenthal (Lucas), Dylan Saunders (Lucas, Stephen), Sango Tajima (Anne), James Tolbert (David)

Make sure to leave any show suggestions or any questions on my casting choices so I can explain them.

January 30, 1809

Had been intemperate. By way of cure drank excessively of cr. tar. punch; kept going till 5; very little sleep; rose at 9. Bad order; very bad, but sore throat gone. Sent John M’D. about stockings; wrote to Mr. Young with his books; to Lord Advocate in answer to his invitation; to David Williamson about arrangements for departure. Received a very friendly note from Lord Justice Clerk, enclosing letter for General A. Hope. At 1/2 p. 10 Judge Hume called to notify the appointment made by Mr. Jackson to go with me to Read's, the architect, at 12. Mr. Gordon of Kirk, called. Received note from Madame Gordon of Craig that Captain ——— would be at her house at 1 to meet me. Sor. at 12. To Jackson’s; with him and Hume to Read’s, where was greatly amused with his plans for improvement of the city. He gave me his plans of lunatic asylum and the address, bound. To Mr. Gordon’s, where met Captain ———; sat 1/2 hour. To the Lord Advocate’s; all out. To Ferguson’s; all out. To Mr. Young's ; sat 1/2 hour with Madame and M’lle, the two Hunters (John Hunter consul in Spain), Jane and Margaret; bien jol.¹ 11 and 12. To Mr. Walker’s; M’lle la cadette; sat 1/2, hour; met Horne at the door. Home at 3. To Baron Norton’s, Abbey Hill, one mile. Y: The family, except two children; Mr. and M’lle H., whom I met on my return; also Mr. Gordon of Kirk., who walked with me to Holyrood House; saw only the gallery of pictures. Home at 1/2 p. 4. Took bowl soup. Sor. at 1/2 p. 5 to E.G., whom saw and * * * * ²; 1 hour. Ten shillings 6 pence. P.³ handkerchief and gloves. To D. Williamson's. He gave me two letters which I wrote last summer to Charles; a third, more material, had not been found. Note: He has many of the letters of John and S. Swartwout. Talked an hour on X affairs during which I twice got asleep, and came off. Home at 9. Omitted: Yesterday as I was going out to dine, a servant of the Duchess of Gordon gave me a verbal message, with compliments, asking me to sup with her that evening! Did not go nor send any answer. Called this morning and saw her. Some civil reproaches. Invited to the like this evening. Just before I went to Williamson’s, her servant called to say that, being suddenly much indisposed, she could not see company this evening. Doubtless the decease of her nephew, Colonel Maxwell, who died of a wound received at Corunna.

1  For bien jolie. Very pretty. 2  An undecipherable word. 3  Probably for presented.

Only Murders in the Building, 2x02 – Framed (spoilers)

Well, some of the questions from the last episode are answered and immediately lead to more questions.  We have one surprise goodbye to one character and an unexpected return of another (sort of).

So, Oscar has clearly been written out of the show or, at least, he’s not a regular.  And I will say the explanation is definitely the weakest point in the episode, if not the series.  During season one, they clearly set Mabel and Oscar up for a slow burn romance and, at the end of the season, it was clear they were still together. Cut to season two and suddenly, they just want to be friends?  Timeline wise, this episode is probably set a week maybe two after the end of the first season, so….it just doesn’t work.  Of course, they set Mabel up with a new potential love interest with Alice (Clara Delevinge), an artist who’s taken notice of Mabel’s work….and Mabel herself.  

But the episode mostly revolves around the painting and Bunny’s funeral.  We find out, at the beginning of the episode, that it was Bunny’s grandfather who was the architect of the building and that Bunny had lived in that apartment all of her life.  We also find out that the painting was painted by an artist named Rose Cooper, who disappeared and was declared dead years later.  We also find that the painting has its name written on the back and the name of the painting is “Savage.”  That does, at least somewhat, explain Bunny’s last words.  Yes, according to Mabel, Bunny said fourteen and then Savage.  

The trio are then invited to attend Bunny’s memorial in Bunny’s apartment.  The decide to go and, when they get a chance, sneak the painting back into the apartment using the elevator.  Not surprisingly, this does not go well.  But before I go into this, let me backtrack a bit.  At the beginning of the episode, we see a young Charles helping his father with lines for an audition that Charles’ father has.  Charles’ father tells Charles that he can’t tell his mother about the audition and then points to the Arconia (the building where Charles lives in the present) and tells Charles that one day he will get them an apartment in that building.  Then, he goes inside the building across the street from the Arconia for the audition, while having Charles wait outside.  

Back in the present, the trio arrive at the memorial just to hear the new board president, Nan, give a speech about being the new board president.  But, according to Howard, she’s a bigger bitch then Bunny.  Things seem to be tense between the trio and some of the guest, when suddenly Bunny’s mother arrives (Shirley MacLaine).  Bunny’s mother, Leonora, is introduced to the trio and is told that they probably killed her daughter.  However, Leonora doesn’t believe this to be true; though she suspects that they know more then they are saying.  

Anyway, the trio try to get the painting back into the apartment and fail.  So, they hide the painting between two dumpsters.  Not long after, Charles goes back to look (get?) the painting only to find it gone.  Then, he receives an unexpected visitor as Leonora arrives asking him as to why he was so interested in the painting.  

Meanwhile, Oliver has gone up to Sting’s former apartment.  Amy Schumer lives there now and she’s interested in turning the podcast into a streaming tv series.  However, she doesn’t want to focus on the trio, she wants to focus on Jan.  And she wants to play Jan and it’s….it’s a part for Amy Schumer to play Amy Schumer.  I can understand why they have her in the show, I’ve just never been a huge fan. However, it turns out that she took the painting from the dumpster and is hanging on the wall.

Back at Charles’ apartment, Charles is about to ask Leonora another question when Mabel and Oliver knock on his door.  Oliver tells Charles he knows where the painting is, but stops when he sees Leonora. They end up taking Leonora to Amy’s apartment, but Leonora tells then that the painting is a fake.  That the original had a rip at the back.  The one thing I couldn’t tell (because I couldn’t see very well) is if the painting had the name on the back?  Meaning, I’m not sure if the painting was switched at the dumpster or if Charles’ had a fake all along.  Either way, we do know Bunny had possession of the real painting at some point as her mother had a bill of sale for the painting when she bought it from Rose Cooper. We also know that, at some point, Bunny seems to have had a fake created.  But why?

The episode ends with even more mystery as we see Charles sitting outside across from the Arconia. We flash back to young Charles and it is clear that he’s been sitting on the bench all day.  We also see his father, partly dressed, being taken away by police.  Cut back to present day, Charles has another chance to talk to Leonora and finds out that she knew that Charles was the son of the man in the painting.  Furthermore, she, like Rose Cooper, was sleeping with his father.  She also tells him (either in this scene or in the apartment, I forget which) that Rose was trying to get away from a man just before she disappeared.

Charles goes to Oliver’s apartment, where Oliver and Mabel are, and shares his news.  He then wonders if Bunny’s his sister?  However, he’s in for a surprise when he sees Bunny’s bird sitting in Oliver’s living room.  It turns out that the bird was left to Oliver in Bunny’s will (as a way to haunt him, probably).  Now, as I said at the beginning, we have the sort of return of an unexpected character. So, the bird can accurately mimic Bunny and, therefore, is voiced by the same actress .  Furthermore, it tells the trio “I know who did it.”    

Only Murders in the Building: Season 2 Episodes 1 and 2

Hey Arconiacs! Season 2 is here and I’m intrigued. So Bunny’s grandpa was a pervy architect that had a secret elevator and Bunny lived in the Arconia her whole life. Her mother had an affair with Charles father an aspiring actor. Who also had an affair with a young artist who mysteriously died. Whose death increased the value of her art including a painting of Charles father. A man who was sent to jail and died when Charles was young. But! That painting has gone missing and has been replaced with a reproduction. But if that painting never left the apartment, how did a reproduction got made? Maybe Bunny had to sell the painting and hired an artist to reproduce it so her mother would never find out? And maybe this ties into whoever murdered the artist Rose Cooper? Like Bunny knows who kills Rose but that would lower the value of the painting. Thus the killer had to kill Bunny to sell the painting. Someone like…Mabel’s new girlfriend? (Who side note, is going to use Mabel’s nickname Bloody Mabel when she unleashes that video of Mabel destroying that art piece which Mabel is not going to like one bit.) and someone is going after Bunny’s bird because the bird repeated everything Bunny said. And obviously the elevator is how the killer got into Bunny’s apartment. Not sure how Bunny got into Mabel’s apartment. By the way, Charles father was totally framed for Rose’s murder. Maybe Bunny’s mom killed Rose because she was jealous over Charles father? But why tell Charles she had an affair with his Dad? And I really hope I didn’t jink myself…