#A Milder March

[jinxed-ninjago]

I'm analyzing this because it HURTS.

This isn't one of Jay’s normal panicked screams. This is a desperate scream. That's a scream from someone who knows he can't do anything about his situation. That's a scream from someone who lost his best friend in front of him.

The reason Jay’s scream is so chilling here is because we never hear him scream like that before or after this. Jay’s screaming is usually mixed between fear or anxiety and anger or frustration (it's almost never one or the other. If he's screaming he's usually frustrated on some level along with panicking). Jay's scream when Cole falls off the Bounty is agony, desperation, and terror, which aren't emotions Jay usually experiences. He might experience a milder form of one of them, but we never see him experience agony and terror like that before or after this scene.

This extends to when Cole gets back to the monastery in time to help fight the Oni too. Jay’s voice cracks when he calls Cole a jerk, and I think the amount of pure, unfiltered fear and agony witnessing Cole's fall firsthand put him through is why he seems genuinely upset when Cole gets back. He's relieved that Cole's alive and well obviously, but he's also still incredibly traumatized from Cole's fall (as is the rest of the team. I'm also not trying to take away from the rest of the team's reactions; I'm just focusing on Jay here because we never see him have this kind of response to anything before or after March of the Oni that I can remember).

It doesn't help that for the next minute and 10 seconds after this, there is no spoken dialogue. How the team reacts to Cole's fall immediately after it is told exclusively through visuals.

(I also want to point out that while Kai did try to turn the Bounty back to go after Cole, after he was convinced they couldn't, he became the logical one in the group. Nya, Zane, and Jay, and Lloyd once he was back on the Bounty, were too emotional to be able to really do anything. I think it says something about Kai that he was capable of being pretty logical after losing Cole compared to Zane. It says a lot about him and I think we as a fandom need to talk about that side of Kai more often)

[rhyrhy]

Fields of you 🍎

Chapter four: Shear luck

Farmhand/cowgirl Abby! X female reader

All chapters here

Early March on the farm

The days were getting longer, the nights shorter. The temperature had turned milder, and flowers were beginning to bloom.

A warm breeze carried the scent of spring through the air. You found yourself eagerly watching the tulips bud and blossom, their green stems giving way to red and orange petals, bees already hovering over them like supper

With the warmer weather, it was time to get down on your knees and shear the sheep. You knew you’d be blowing white hair out of your nose for a week after each session. The slight itch of stray strands clinging to your skin wasn’t exactly fun, but seeing the sheep happily bouncing around afterward always made it worth it.

The night she’d let you drive her home rushed back into your mind. The twitch of a smile that ghosted Abby’s lips when you held out your hand to her. The small head tilt she did when she was taken aback by something you said or deep in thought. For a moment, your heart was still racing, but as the sleepy haze faded, you took a deep breath and sat completely up.

Yes, there were other farmhands who would do it, but you’d been subconsciously waking up earlier in the past few days. Why not get a head start? 

Oh lord, now you were starting your day thinking about her?

You groaned into the air and rubbed your heavy eyelids. Why on earth was this affecting you so much? She was just a farmhand. And an attractive one, sure, but you’d met attractive people before. So why was she different?

With a huff, you threw off the covers and got up, determined to get your mind off her. With Papa's truck running sweetly, you felt relief breeze over. That meant no Abby for a while. Plenty of time to sort yourself and these lingering thoughts out. You were going to straighten them like an iron to a wrinkly shirt. 

You had a farm to help run. Plenty of things to keep your mind from wandering to her.

Trucking your way down the path to the sheep’s pen, a metal bucket of supplies swinging with each step. You enjoyed the soft hum of the razor when carefully peeling layers of wool off the sheep, like an onion. 

White hairs flew in the air, blowing away some others stuck to your clothes. The pink-white face of the sheep, known to be a bit more stubborn, rested on your thigh as you carefully shaved back a layer of wool. Revealing the pinkish-white skin underneath. 

The hum had died out, indicating a piece had gotten stuck inside the blade. No big deal; you always carefully removed it and continued on your merry way to finish the job. But today, when you turned your back to the ewe lamb, she’d curiously wandered off. 

As she disappeared from your line of sight, you continued to get the blade up and running again. She wasn’t going anywhere; she was enclosed.

When the buzz finally returned, you sighed with relief. Then you laughed to yourself thinking about how if this was Papaw, he’d probably call Miss ‘Fix-It’ to come to his rescue. You’d swear if that man wasn't married, he’d keep Abby for himself. She was useful and dependable, though, at least that’s what he said. 

Then horror washed over your face.

The small sheep was wiggling her way through the crack of the not-fully-pushed-in gate. 

“Oh no, no, no!”

You quickly shot up and tried to make your way over in a calm manner to freak it out or encourage it to run. The sound of its feet pushing past the wood, causing your heart rate to shoot up higher.

You slowly bent down, hand hovering over its leg, when damn it, it saw you and forced its way through completely. The small half-shaved creature was now roaming out the pen.

You felt like a fool, shooting for the stars before you were fully awake; now you’d let a sheep loose. Great. 

It had been around thirty minutes of chasing around the woolly troublemaker. She’s disappeared from your field of vision.

You cursed to yourself. Head hung down, catching the muddied reflection on the tops of your boots. A pout smacked onto your face, ugh.

You wiped your brow of sweat and defeatedly pushed off the oak tree you’d been resting on. 

Clover would round up the lamb; you wished you would’ve remembered that before you ran around like a chicken with her head cut off.

Legs sore, out of breath, and hair stuck to you in places you’d rather it not be.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

The sound was growing louder behind you, and you tiredly turned to face the individual behind you. 

It felt like a prayer had been answered; there she was! Happy as can be, like you hadn’t been losing your mind all morning. Then following the rope up to the hand holding it.

Abby, that ghosted smile on her lips.

“Missin’ Something?” She teased, nodding towards the little sheep.

“Oh, thank heavens! Where’d you find her?”

You took the lead from her calloused hands, keeping your cool at the slight brush of fingers.

“She wandered all the way down to the edge of my place. Looks like you are having a day, huh?” Abby chuckles, leaning her hands on her hips. boots scuffed, sleeves rolled up, and that small smirk that makes your heart stutter a little.

“A day? Please,” you brush off, embarrassed.

“Sureee,” Abby drawls out, biting back another laugh. “Just racing a lamp for fun? Gotta try it sometime then.”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks,” you murmured out.

“No problem,” Abby replies, patting your shoulder a tad firmer than she probably realized. “Next time, maybe try not letting’ her outsmart you, huh?”

Abby chuckled under her breath before tipping her hat, heading back to her land.

You sat there, watching her figure grow smaller with the distance. 

You sighed deeply and turned on your heels, taking a moment to look over your shoulder and feeling a small flutter as you saw her head turn back as if she’d done the same. 

“What a morning,” you huffed, boots carrying yourself back to the pen. Double-checking the lock.

How embarrassing

Taglist: @abbylvr69 @snake-in-a-flower-crown @cutyoursoul

[covid-safer-hotties]

Old news (From Fall 2021, updated Spring 2022), but still important and a great explainer for those interested in learning.

Also preserved in our archive

By:

Jessica Bernard Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

A new brain-imaging study finds that participants who had even mild COVID-19 showed an average reduction in whole brain sizes.

Researchers have been steadily gathering important insights into the effects of COVID-19 on the body and brain. Two years into the pandemic, these findings are raising concerns about the long-term impacts the coronavirus might have on biological processes such as aging.

As a cognitive neuroscientist, I have focused in my past research on understanding how normal brain changes related to aging affect people’s ability to think and move – particularly in middle age and beyond.

But as evidence came in showing that COVID-19 could affect the body and brain for months following infection, my research team shifted some of its focus to better understanding how the illness might influence the natural process of aging. This was motivated in large part by compelling new work from the United Kingdom investigating the impact of COVID-19 on the human brain.

Peering in at the brain’s response to COVID-19 In a large study published in the journal Nature on March 7, 2022, a team of researchers in the UK investigated brain changes in people ages 51 to 81 who had experienced COVID-19. This work provides important new insights about the impact of COVID-19 on the human brain.

In the study, researchers relied on a database called the UK Biobank, which contains brain imaging data from over 45,000 people in the U.K. going back to 2014. This means that there was baseline data and brain imaging of all of those people from before the pandemic.

The research team compared people who had experienced COVID-19 with participants who had not, carefully matching the groups based on age, sex, baseline test date and study location, as well as common risk factors for disease, such as health variables and socioeconomic status.

The team found marked differences in gray matter – or the neurons that process information in the brain – between those who had been infected with COVID-19 and those who had not. Specifically, the thickness of the gray matter tissue in brain regions known as the frontal and temporal lobes was reduced in the COVID-19 group, differing from the typical patterns seen in the people who hadn’t had a COVID-19 infection.

In the general population, it is normal to see some change in gray matter volume or thickness over time as people age. But the changes were more extensive than normal in those who had been infected with COVID-19.

Interestingly, when the researchers separated the individuals who had severe enough illness to require hospitalization, the results were the same as for those who had experienced milder COVID-19. That is, people who had been infected with COVID-19 showed a loss of brain volume even when the disease was not severe enough to require hospitalization.

Finally, researchers also investigated changes in performance on cognitive tasks and found that those who had contracted COVID-19 were slower in processing information than those who had not. This processing ability was correlated with volume in a region of the brain known as the cerebellum, indicating a link between brain tissue volume and cognitive performance in those with COVID-19.

This study is particularly valuable and insightful because of its large sample sizes both before and after illness in the same people, as well as its careful matching with people who had not had COVID-19.

What do these changes in brain volume mean? Early on in the pandemic, one of the most common reports from those infected with COVID-19 was the loss of sense of taste and smell.

Strikingly, the brain regions that the U.K. researchers found to be affected by COVID-19 are all linked to the olfactory bulb, a structure near the front of the brain that passes signals about smells from the nose to other brain regions. The olfactory bulb has connections to regions of the temporal lobe. Researchers often talk about the temporal lobe in the context of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, because it is where the hippocampus is located. The hippocampus is likely to play a key role in aging, given its involvement in memory and cognitive processes.

The sense of smell is also important to Alzheimer’s research, as some data has suggested that those at risk for the disease have a reduced sense of smell. While it is too early to draw any conclusions about the long-term impacts of COVID-related effects on the sense of smell, investigating possible connections between COVID-19-related brain changes and memory is of great interest – particularly given the regions implicated and their importance in memory and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study also highlights a potentially important role for the cerebellum, an area of the brain that is involved in cognitive and motor processes; importantly, it too is affected in aging. There is also an emerging line of work implicating the cerebellum in Alzheimer’s disease.

Looking ahead These new findings bring about important yet unanswered questions: What do these brain changes following COVID-19 mean for the process and pace of aging? Also, does the brain recover from viral infection over time, and to what extent?

These are active and open areas of research we are beginning to tackle in my laboratory in conjunction with our ongoing work investigating brain aging.

Our lab’s work demonstrates that as people age, the brain thinks and processes information differently. In addition, we’ve observed changes over time in how people’s bodies move and how people learn new motor skills. Several decades of work have demonstrated that older adults have a harder time processing and manipulating information – such as updating a mental grocery list – but they typically maintain their knowledge of facts and vocabulary. With respect to motor skills, we know that older adults still learn, but they do so more slowly then young adults.

When it comes to brain structure, we typically see a decrease in the size of the brain in adults over age 65. This decrease is not just localized to one area. Differences can be seen across many regions of the brain. There is also typically an increase in cerebrospinal fluid that fills space due to the loss of brain tissue. In addition, white matter, the insulation on axons – long cables that carry electrical impulses between nerve cells – is also less intact in older adults.

Life expectancy has increased in the past decades. The goal is for all to live long and healthy lives, but even in the best-case scenario where one ages without disease or disability, older adulthood brings on changes in how we think and move.

Learning how all of these puzzle pieces fit together will help us unravel the mysteries of aging so that we can help improve quality of life and function for aging individuals. And now, in the context of COVID-19, it will help us understand the degree to which the brain may recover after illness as well.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on Sept. 24, 2021.

Study link: www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04569-5

[mariacallous]

Until very recently, Canadian politics were shifting in U.S. President Donald Trump’s favor.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has had a difficult relationship with Trump in the past, announced in January that he plans to resign. Trudeau’s ruling Liberal Party was on the precipice of collapse, rife with internal conflict and trailing in support. With the incumbent government having overseen high inflation, a decade of low productivity growth, and a notable decline in housing affordability, it was polling at all-time lows. Many Liberal members of Parliament were leaving politics altogether, and a handful of star ministers declined to run for leadership, expecting a loss in the election to follow. Mark Carney, the ex-governor of the Bank of Canada, won the Liberal leadership on March 9, but few would have expected this to be a meaningful victory only months ago.

Meanwhile, across the aisle, the center-right Conservative Party was ascendant. The  party’s populist leader, Pierre Poilievre, echoed a milder version of Trump’s rhetoric to galvanize his base—framing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate as an issue of freedom, maintaining an antagonistic relationship with the mainstream media, and characterizing his platform as being “Canada first.”

Once known as former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “attack dog,” Poilievre has crafted a damning narrative of Liberal governance where post-pandemic inflation and unaffordable homes were problems exacerbated by the Liberal Party’s carbon tax policy. Despite University of Calgary researchers finding evidence to the contrary, this pitch was garnering the Conservatives a steady lead in public opinion, and Poilievre’s path to the prime minister’s office seemed clear.

However, Trump’s actions since his Jan. 20 inauguration have cast Canada’s political stakes in a different light. He has unwittingly recentered the Canadian debate around relations with Washington instead of affordability and put the Conservatives back on the defensive—contrary to Trump’s own interests. The U.S. president’s decision to place 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Canada and his repeated insistence that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state has ignited a firestorm of Canadian nationalism and a resurgence of support for the Liberals.

With few concessions to show for it, Trump has thus bolstered the reputation of the governing center left—those who are the least inclined to support his objectives—while leaving his sympathizers scrambling to pivot.

It is not difficult to imagine what the president could have had in Canada had he not antagonized it. Canada’s default policy toward the United States is a deferential one, and Poilievre and his voter base are Trump’s natural allies north of the border.

They are, firstly, by far the most likely to have favorable views of the U.S. president himself. Only a year ago, a Pollara study found that 40 percent of Canadian Conservative Party supporters preferred Trump while 32 percent preferred former U.S. President Joe Biden, in sharp contrast to Canadians overall, who preferred Biden by a wide margin. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more than 30 percent of Conservative Party supporters said they would prefer Trump to lead Canada over Trudeau, compared to 2 percent of Liberal Party supporters and 3 percent of New Democratic Party supporters.

While comparisons between Poilievre and Trump should come with strong caveats, it is true that their more fervent admirers tend to be similar. Like Trump, Poilievre also draws support from the podcast “manosphere,” with endorsements from commentators such as Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson. Even Elon Musk, the tech billionaire-turned-Trump advisor, has voiced his enthusiasm for Poilievre.

On foreign policy specifically, Poilievre and his base are also more aligned with the new U.S. administration. While support for Ukraine is declining to some extent among Canadians in general, this view has gained significantly more traction among conservatives, and only among their ranks is it anywhere near a majority view.

Like Trump’s Republicans, the Canadian Conservative Party has also shown a willingness to compromise on Ukrainian sovereignty, albeit to a lesser degree. Canada’s trade agreement with Ukraine, originally tariff removal on bilateral goods trade, was updated in 2023 to include sections on services and investment flows. The change was meant to be a routine show of solidarity against Russia. The Conservative Party was the only major party to vote against the update, observing the flexibility to do so offered by their base and an opportunity to accuse the Liberals of “imposing a carbon tax on Ukraine,” in the words of MP Michael Kram—something that the Ukrainian Embassy itself refuted.

While the Liberals have avoided taking a position on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, they have at least paid lip service to supporting the court’s process. Poilievre, in contrast, has made clear that he stands with Israel without reservation, which is also in line with Trump’s stance.

However, Trump has upended both Poilievre’s path to power and the positions that he would likely assume if he were to take office.

When Canadian politics were taken in isolation, polls indicated that even under the new Liberal Party leader, Mark Carney, the party did not compare favorably. But the comparisons that Canadians are making now are not between the candidates themselves, but between the candidates and Trump. Eliminating carbon taxes and improving affordability, which the Conservatives had tactfully made the center of the Canadian debate over a year of careful messaging, have taken a back seat to dealing effectively with an aggressive neighbor.

On this issue, Carney has presented himself as unflappable, while Poilievre has appeared uncommitted. As the ex-governor of two countries’ central banks, Carney’s technocratic resume and his forceful rebukes of U.S. aggression have contrasted him sharply against both Trump and Poilievre. He has strong anti-populist credentials, having come out against both Brexit and Trump’s tariffs while he was the governor of the Bank of England. The Liberal Party as a whole is capitalizing on anti-Trump sentiment far more effectively than the opposition—and, as a result, has retaken the lead in Ipsos polling for the first time in years.

Canadians across the political spectrum now support trade retaliation and want strong rebukes of Trump’s annexation claims. The Conservatives are thus caught in a bind. Their playbook has been to lay the responsibility for the country’s ills at the feet of the Liberal Party, but circumstances now demand a show of unity. Poilievre’s argument that the Liberals are ultimately to blame for the belligerence from Canada’s southern neighbor has fallen flat.

There is no guarantee that this will ultimately compensate for very real voter fatigue toward the Liberal Party. But even under a Conservative victory in the next election, Canadian public opinion will now be working actively against the U.S. president.

By challenging Canada’s sovereignty and the health of its economy, Trump has jeopardized both the electoral prospects of the Conservative Party and the extent to which it can take a friendly stance toward the United States, even in the event of victory. It is not simply the technocratic principles of policymaking that raise questions about Trump’s approach—even judged within his own internal logic, the president has redefined the scope and focus of Canadian politics in a way that is ill-suited to his goals. Threatening Canada achieves neither Trump’s interests abroad nor the objectives for which the tariffs themselves were designed.

As the United States withdraws support from Ukraine, cuts foreign aid, and emboldens the far right in Europe, the president would have benefited from the support, or at least the complacency, of a country with Canada’s track record for reason. Poilievre cannot mimic the U.S. stance on Ukraine, since ethnic Ukrainians make up nearly a quarter of the population in some core Conservative constituencies, such as the Yorkton-Melville region of Saskatchewan. But as the Canadian right is overall rapidly losing interest in the issue, Poilievre could have remained strategically opposed to supporting Ukraine in specific domains, just as he was on the trade deal in 2023.

Poilievre’s worldview, in which countries ought to take care of themselves and free speech is paramount, jives well with Musk’s and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s appeals to far-right parties in Europe, making the Conservatives far less likely to protest repeated incursions into German or British democracy, for example, or the erosion of support for NATO.

As it stands now, Canadians are watching these issues far more closely than they would have in the absence of aggression, with a far greater sense of kinship with the victims of Trump’s aggression than with Trump himself.

Furthermore, the United States needs strategic resources from Canada to help wind down trade dependence on China. China’s dominant role in critical mineral deposits and processing can only be overturned with a concerted and unified effort from a number of U.S. allies, Canada being chief among them. From lithium and nickel for electric vehicle batteries to gallium for semiconductors, Canada boasts vast mineral deposits and a rapidly improving processing capacity. As of 2024, Canada was already the largest exporter of minerals and metals to the United States, ahead of China. If Trump intends to cut imports from the latter, the U.S. economy and military will demand a replacement.

The Liberals know this, and they were willing to threaten export restrictions on minerals as retaliation. Only in right-leaning circles was this move criticized, with United Conservative Party Alberta Premier Danielle Smith being the only provincial leader to reject a joint statement threatening these export restrictions.

Even if the aim of Trump’s tariffs was truly to stop the 0.2 percent of U.S. fentanyl seizures coming from the northern border, or to reduce the relatively small $60 billion bilateral trade deficit, the U.S. president making these threats privately to Poilievre could have achieved the same outcome—without damaging the goodwill of the populace or affecting the election outcome itself. A Conservative Party government could market these policies as its own ideas and as mutually beneficial, tackling drug trafficking and deepening trade ties.

If the strategy was for the United States to raise taxes to replace income taxes, then the goal should be to increase the quantity of imports, because as it stands, tariffs are nowhere near enough. One way to do this would be to facilitate linking U.S. customers to Canadian exporters, thereby raising the tax base while placating Canadians at the same time. But this is not what Trump has done, nor is it consistent with his aim of reducing the trade deficit.

The fact is that if Trump had not imposed new tariffs or made flippant comments about making Canada the 51st state, he could have had a sympathetic and even ingratiating neighbor to the north. Instead, even if the Conservatives take over, Canadians will expect their leader to stand up for them.

Without even considering the self-destructive nature of tariffs and the sheer unlikelihood of annexation, Trump has thus undermined his own stated objectives.

[wachinyeya]

*Images provided by: Dancing Crane Ranch, Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, and Kremer Buffalo.

APRIL 30th, 2025

Summary:

Calving season is a vital and symbolic time for Buffalo herds, marking both the renewal of life and the strength of restoration efforts. For the Lakota people and Tanka Fund’s founding staff, seeing new calves each spring is a powerful affirmation of cultural, spiritual, and ecological healing. Through partnerships like The Nature Conservancy, Tanka Fund helps grow herds across Native lands, reinforcing the deep relationship between Buffalo and the people. From early spring calves to later summer births in places like Texas, each new life reflects the success of ongoing restoration, the resilience of the Buffalo, and the hope for future generations.

Five Key Points:

Calving season begins in late March and symbolizes the renewal of life, the end of winter, and the strengthening of Buffalo herds.

In Lakota tradition, the birth of Buffalo calves represents healing, resilience, and the sacred relationship between Buffalo and Native people.

Tanka Fund’s partnerships, such as with The Nature Conservancy, help support the growth of Buffalo herds across Native communities, including recent successes like Dancing Crane Ranch.

While most calves are born in spring, late-season calving — like at GP Ranch in Texas — is possible and safe in milder climates, showing the flexibility and resilience of restoration efforts.

A strong calving season reflects healthy land, thriving herds, and the success of Native-led restoration efforts to protect Buffalo for generations to come.

[jils-things]

Prim: Oh :] How about you spend a cozy evening together with Aster and... hot chocolate with extra marshmallows? :] Huh, March? (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

March: ... Shut up (¬////¬)

(That's how it happened, it's true. Tbh I'm not sure if you knew about this already but... I'm happy to learn more about your man :] Also Eiland next to them while she's teasing March somehow cracks me up-)

AHUHUHUHUHHU YEA!!!!!!!!! I FOUND THIS OUT EVENTUALLY!!! 🥺🥺 it still makes my heart so warm knowing that he has more milder interests that kind of counter his harsh attitude... ITS JUST. ITS JUST SO LOVELY because it really shows hes not that bad <3333 did u know he even tells olric not to drink coffee because it will make olric "anxious" (to me, i think march was talking about the caffeine rush or smth?) BUT YESHEHEHEEEH SO IT ONLY MEANS HES A HOT CHOCO MAN AND OUUUU I LOVE THAT... SOOOOOO MUCH

PRIM AND EI.LAND ARE MAKING FUN OF HIMMMM elsie told them abt his blossoming crush on aster (<- elsie totally knew something was happening. she didnt even have to ask march HWEHEHEHEHE) theyre gonna poke holes in his denial that he likes aster OOHOHOHOHOH EEE

[autumnleaffay]

Øresund and Denmarks law

To all unfamiliar:

The March Across the Belts (Swedish: Tåget över Bält) was a military campaign waged by the Swedish Empire across the ice between the Danish islands. It lasted between 30 January and 15 February 1658,[a] ending with a decisive victory for Swedish King Charles X Gustav during his first Danish war. (Source: Wikipedia)

This lovely event created the danish "law" that if any Swede crosses the Øresund if it's frozen, the Danes are allowed to hit them with a stick.

The last time it was cold enough for the Øresund to properly freeze was in 1996 (a major Blizzard hit Europe and it was a winter like no other).

Imagine Sweden decided to walk over to Copenhagen to actually make sure that Denmark is doing fine, though he'd never admit that.

Because both Norway, Finland, and Iceland are used to extreme winters. But Denmark always had milder winters than the others.

He has a packing full of food, hot chocolate, Glögg and ..... a walking stick.

Because said Danish law is about a walking stick! It's not a random one.

He shows up at Denmark house, which no longer has electricity but still has its old fireplaces, and hands Denmark the stick with the words:

"A Swede has crossed the Öresund, do your duty."

Denmark just hugs him.

At the end of the day, after all the wars and fights, they are brothers.

[breadedsinner]

Codex: The Starkhaven Sentinel

The (former) Champion of Kirkwall adjusted smoothly to her new role as Princess of Starkhaven, taking great pride in learning their traditions and often speaking with as many of her subjects as she could. She was especially fond of the Grand Tourney, and often competed (though after six consecutive wins she was gently encouraged to retire), but it seemed this event made her wistful for Ferelden, the country of her birth.

Seeing this, for her birthday, the Prince Vael arranged a city-wide festival with Ferelden cuisine and customs. This included enactments of several Blights, with particular attention to the Fourth and Fifth. In that sense, it was a marriage of the two cultures. Over time, the Champion's own Tales were added; the stark differences between the plays and "Tales of the Champion" were immediately noticed and hotly discussed.

The Prince's second gift, at the end of the festival, was a kennel of mabari, as the Champion had recently lost the one she had raised; having completed his duty, the dog had passed quietly.

From then on, the Champion was seldom seen without her entourage of mabari, and eventually gifted all of her children with a pup of their own.

As generations went on, mabari were bred with dogs native to the Free Marches, until a new breed standard emerged. The Starkhaven Sentinel was originally associated with guarding the royal family, the "guard of princes", but became popular guarding farmhands and families alike. The dog was even bigger than its Ferelden cousin, though with a much milder temperament, and a love of children.

If you visit Starkhaven, you will still find the festival is celebrated each year, on the Champion's birthday, and you would not go far without seeing a Sentinel, likely guiding a child through the streets. In this way, the Prince's love for his wife lives on.

[weird-and-unwell]

Prompt: What are your current special interests if you have any? What are some positive ways having special interests have affected your life? What are some negative ways that they have affected your life? How long do they tend to last for you? You could even talk about past special interests if you want.

Answer: Ahhh so I have three, but I can group them into two.

One very niche one in that it's a sort of roleplay thing between me and a loved one. It's always on my mind, I draw and write about it all the time, it's wonderful and ahhh. Positive ways it's impacted me is that it's like a constant reminder of the love between me and my loved one, and it fuels my creative spirit when nothing else does, and brings me lots of comfort. The downsides would be however that it really does fill my mind most of the time, and that is not necessarily convenient. This has lasted...some 5-6 years now, and the other downside is the fear that one day it may end. I fear the march of time, basically. One day my loved one and I may be too busy for it, or may move on to something else, or it may just fizzle out...the knowledge that one day I will do my last roleplay with them, or my last art of it...genuinely can feel a panic attack coming on writing this so moving on.

Two children's cartoons (not naming for personal reasons). One is more of a collecting thing, so I hesitate to call it a special interest exactly, but I consider it one, but a milder one. The other has infected my life lol. You can tell what I'm into by just looking at me and my house. Both are very positive influences in my life because they make me very happy, but they are negative influences in my bank account because I have no self control when it comes to them.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT (2024)

Starring Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart, Rachel Bay Jones, Ted Welch, Lolo Spencer, Tony Milder, Allora Nutter, Abigail Esmena, Takayla Williams Jackson, Ashlyn Moore, Phillip Elam, Debra Stipe, Tristan Thompson, Kristy Calman, Terrance Tocantins, Savio Carvalho, Victoria Edgar, Mike Fallin, Dale Holdren, Victor Keye and Olivia McBride.

Screenplay by Tracie Laymon.

Directed by Tracie Laymon.

Distributed by Roadside Attractions. 102 minutes. Rated PG-13.

Sometimes movies sneak up on you. I’m not going to lie; I had barely heard of Bob Trevino Likes It when a friend recently raved about it. I’ve always been a fan of John Leguizamo’s work, but other than that I barely knew anyone in the cast, although I remembered French Stewart’s sitcom success with Third Rock From the Sun and I had seen Barbie Ferreira in a supporting role in Nope and Lolo Spencer in Give Me Liberty.

So, I gave it a chance and I’m so happy I did.

Bob Trevino Likes It is a small movie, one that tells a sweet and human story about friendship and family. It is buttressed by some spectacular acting and a clever and funny script which is able to skirt potential maudlin pitfalls.

Despite the title, the main character here is Lily Trevino (Ferreira). She is a twenty-something outcast woman with few friends and is rather needy. The closest she has to a friend is Daphne (Spencer), the disabled woman who Lily works for as a help worker. Still, she is not sure where the line between friends and employer/employee lies. Her ex-boyfriend keeps texting her thinking she is other women.

She is also estranged from her father Bob (Stewart), the type of guy who will put together a list of expenses that he has spent on Lily during her entire life. He mainly uses Lily as a prop to try to entice new girlfriends and often ghosts his daughter when he feels that she has disappointed him.

During one of the times that Bob is avoiding Lily, she is desperate to get her father’s attention again. She tries to cyberstalk him and when she finds a Facebook account for Bob Trevino with no picture, she adds him hoping it is her dad.

However, it turns out that this Bob Trevino (Leguizamo) is someone entirely different. He is a fifty-something construction exec who lives about an hour away. He is married, but the marriage has been severely strained by the death of their infant son years earlier. Now Bob and his wife Jeanie live together and yet separately, caring for each other, but there is a distinct chasm between them.

When Lily realizes this is a different Bob, she impulsively messages him, “Are we related?” The two start chatting online, liking each other’s posts and getting closer to each other. Jeanie is a little worried that her husband is being catfished, but the guy recognizes another damaged soul in Lily, noting that her Facebook posts are never liked by anyone else.

Once they meet in person, Bob becomes a true father figure to Lily, and they both help the other heal from their life issues.

This all could get maudlin, but first-time writer/director Tracie Layman deftly avoids those pitfalls in her script, which is loosely based on a similar experience in her real life.

As mentioned earlier, the acting here is stellar, with Leguizamo radiating a calm rationality and creating a strong bond with hyperactive Lily. Even French Stewart is able to make the bad dad Bob somewhat understandable, even though his character pretty villainous.

Sometimes families are not biological, they are just a connection, and Bob Trevino Likes It reminds us of that. Just a warning, though, have some tissues handy for the end.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2025 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: March 21, 2025.

[scotianostra]

On December 1st 2010 an "unprecedented" snowfall and freeze brought Scotland to a standstill.

Across the country temperatures plunged the lowest being -16 in the Highlands and the Forth Road Bridge was closed to traffic for the first time in it's history. Several councils closed all their schools meaning a welcome day off for over 250,000 pupils across the country. The lowest minimum temperature was -21.3C at Altnaharra on December 2nd!

Glasgow and Dundee were among the areas to introduce blanket school closures as well as all state schools in Midlothian, West Lothian and East Lothian. East Coast train services were severely affected with no services going to or from Inverness or Aberdeen from Edinburgh, a reduced service between Glasgow and Edinburgh and services cancelled on the Larkhall-Hamilton to Glasgow line.

BP announced it was causing delays on deliveries from the Grangemouth terminal to its petrol stations across Scotland.

It wasn't all doom and gloom though, Cairngorm, Glenshee and the Lecht said they had lots of fresh snow, while the Nevis Range was due to open with its earlier start to a season for 13 years. Some people took advatage of Lochs freezing over including Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, and Lake of Menteith in the Trossachs.

A further heavy snowfall on December 6th added to the chaos, South Lanarkshire Council put up about 200 people on the Monday night in their banqueting hall, including a party of pensioners from Blackpool who had been travelling to Arrochar, two Yorkshire businessmen and an OAP in a hypothermic state who had walked from Coatbridge and had been found in Almada Street in Hamilton.

The period from 9 to 15 December saw milder and quieter conditions with a gradual thaw of lying snow. However, a second spell of severe weather began on Thursday 16 December as very cold Arctic air pushed down through the country and it remained bitterly cold until Boxing Day, with day time temperatures again failing to rise above freezing and very severe frosts. While there was little further snowfall, lying snow remained until 26 to 27 December.

Overall, the prolonged freezing conditions resulted in an exceptionally cold December resulting in: the coldest December in the last 100 years

By the New Year a thaw had begun, and there was no recurrence of the extreme conditions for the remainder of the winter. There was some snowfall in early January, and there was an anticyclonic spell at the end of the month that brought some cold, frosty days. February was above average in temperature and ended on a mild note, although the snow returned in much of Scotland during March.

[covid-safer-hotties]

NYC COVID cases up 250% in 2 months — and this variant's harder to duck

Published July 4, 2024

Also posted on our archive

New York is experiencing a bump in COVID cases that might put a damper on people’s summer plans.

Cases have been rising nationally and locally for about two months, driven by so-called “FLiRT” variants — versions of the virus that have evolved to evade immunity.

Mandatory COVID mitigation measures have largely been waived, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased its recommendations for how long people should isolate themselves after getting sick. But there are still precautions people can take to avoid getting COVID or spreading it to others.

Here’s what to know about the latest COVID wave.

How big is the current COVID wave?

New York City data shows an average of 687 cases of COVID reported per day during the week ending on June 22, 250% higher than the amount reported two months prior. That same week, there was an average of 53 COVID-related hospitalizations each day — primarily involving older adults — and one death, according to city data.

A decline in testing means COVID case counts don’t necessarily show the full picture, according to public health experts. Based on state wastewater testing data, New York City appears to be experiencing a bump in COVID similar to the increase seen last summer. Current levels of the virus, however, are far lower than what was detected during a surge last winter.

Infectious disease experts say COVID is starting to follow a predictable pattern, with a surge in the fall when temperatures start to drop and people gather indoors, and a smaller bump in the summer.

In the summer, “there are family gatherings, there are weddings,” noted Dr. Jessica Justman, an epidemiologist and professor at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. And while people are more likely to spend time outdoors, where the virus is less likely to spread, “we also spend time indoors when we have a heat wave like we had last week.”

What do we know about the FLiRT variants?

Many people have developed some level of immunity against the virus, either through vaccination or past infection. While “FLiRT” variants can slip past that immunity, having some immunity still tends to make symptoms milder, said Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who researches respiratory viruses.

“Overall, disease severity is dropping,” he added.

Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the medicine department and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau, agreed that the current strains of COVID that are circulating do not appear to be causing serious illness in most cases.

“It's the typical COVID presentations,” Glatt said of patients he’s seen. “They have a cough. They may have some upper respiratory symptoms like a cold, runny nose.”

Glatt said he has seen more severe cases where people are experiencing shortness of breath, and is still concerned about older patients and those who are otherwise at high risk for severe disease. But he said it’s now rare for COVID patients to need to be placed in intensive care units.

What should I do if I get sick?

Until recently, the CDC recommended that people who tested positive for COVID isolate themselves for several days. But in March, responding to declining cases and disease severity overall, it revised that guidance to instead focus on a given individual’s symptoms.

The latest guidance — which applies to a variety of respiratory illnesses — calls for sick people to stay away from others until their symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours and they haven’t had fevers for at least 24 hours.

In the five days after isolating, the CDC suggests practicing good hygiene, wearing a mask and not standing too close to other people.

The CDC notes that a COVID test can give a “rough approximation” of whether someone is still infectious, but advises that people should follow the same guidance regardless of whether they're sick from COVID or another respiratory illness.

Glatt said people in recovery should use common sense, including avoiding visiting older relatives or people who are at high risk for severe COVID.

“When you're starting to feel better, I would certainly let the other people around you know, ‘I recently had COVID,’” he added.

Where can I get tested for COVID?

New York City's once ubiquitous dedicated COVID testing sites have largely disappeared. But tests are still available at NYC Health and Hospitals locations, urgent care centers and other medical providers.

Many New Yorkers are now more accustomed to reaching for home testing kits, but they are also more likely now to have to go to the pharmacy and pay for them out of pocket. Insurers may cover home testing kits but are no longer required to since the federal COVID public health emergency expired in spring of 2023. The federal program distributing free COVID tests has also ended.

The city previously distributed free kits as well, but that program ended in March after about 150 million free rapid tests were handed out, according to city health department spokesperson Patrick Gallahue.

Those who do take home tests should remember that it can take a couple of days after exposure to test positive. It’s possible to report home-testing results online here.

When should I get my next COVID shot?

Although the CDC says adults over 65 can get an updated COVID vaccine every four months, Glatt said once a year is likely appropriate for most people.

Pekosz said the vaccines that are currently available are not very well-suited to the strains of COVID that are circulating, and people who are looking to get a shot should likely wait until updated vaccines come out in a couple of months.

“This coming fall's COVID vaccine will be a better match, although again, it probably won't be perfect,” since the virus continues to evolve, he said.

[beardedmrbean]

Helsingin Sanomat has a deep dive on property sales to Russians, which could face further restrictions if government plans come to fruition.

The proposal is to ban Russians who are not permanent residents of Finland from purchasing property in Finland, which would rule out some 20,000 Russian citizens on temporary permits.

At present, property purchases by non-EU citizens must be approved by the Defence Ministry. Last year 751 such transactions went to the ministry for approval, and of those 734 were approved.

HS meets Juri Lebedin, a temporary residence permit holder who recently purchased a house, and had to hurry to get it done before the law changed.

The purchase was complicated by the fact that the seller was in Saint Petersburg and demanded the purchase price — 395,000 euros — be handed over in cash, in Russia. "As Russians do," noted Lebedin.

He was therefore compelled to transfer money in Dubai to an acquaintance who held dollars in Moscow, and then personally deliver the cash from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in several car journeys during August.

HS then asks Finnish Customs if this arrangement is compliant with sanctions, and predictably gets questions as a response: The case would need more investigation to provide a definitive answer, but using an intermediary is not necessarily compliant with the spirit of the sanctions regime.

Lebedin came to Finland via a circuitous route. His biotech business has a presence in Russia, Ukraine and Finland, but his Russian citizenship and critical attitude towards the war make both Russia and Ukraine uncomfortable for him.

That made one solution feel natural and prompted his move from Dubai to Lappeenranta.

"I'm trying to become Finnish," said Lebedin.

Ukraine support

The papers have extensive coverage of the third anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine, with Tampere daily Aamulehti looking at a rally in the city in support of Kyiv's defiance.

Several Finnish cities held similar rallies, with Finns and Ukrainian emigrés gathering to wave the yellow and blue flag and show their support for the Ukrainian resistance.

Meanwhile in Kyiv, President Alexander Stubb attended a gathering of supportive world leaders and gave a speech that started out detailing the historical reasons for Finns' instinctive and generous support for Ukraine.

Ilta-Sanomat reported that the speech was greeted with spontaneous applause (which is rare among journalists, as IS notes), in part because it also contained a sketch of a roadmap towards peace.

Other speakers had avoided talk of peace, according to IS, so Stubb's contribution stood out.

He had focused on the measures needed to be taken before peace negotiations, to establish the situation and build confidence, rather than promising peace immediately as his American counterpart Donald J Trump has.

That struck a realistic tone, on the same day the US sided with Russia to vote against a UN General Assembly motion censuring Russia for its aggression in Ukraine.

Spring on the way?

Ilta-Sanomat has a February favourite: is spring on the way?

The next fortnight could see temperatures hit ten degrees in Finland, according to IS, bringing a warmth most of us have not felt for months.

The first week of March will be warmer than normal, but also quite rainy.

Ahead of that, there will be precipitation this week falling as rain in the south and snow further north. Rain falling on top of snow cover will help it to melt quicker, paving the way for a much less wintery landscape.

There could still be colder days, according to IS, with temperatures dipping quite low — but overall things are relatively mild for the time of year, and set to get even milder.

[dalechevy32004]

Good morning!☕︎😁☕︎ Happy first day of March.

March is an in-between month, When wintry winds are high. But milder days remind us all, Spring's coming by and by.

Wishing us all a good month ahead.💛💛💛 xoxo — feeling blessed.

[treasureyourfire]

Tarot in the shadow of Anxiety

-Long Vent post-

(English is not my mother language, sorry for the mistakes.)

I am currently in such a state that my faith in myself and in the Tarot has been greatly shaken.

If anyone else has experienced something similar, I'd appreciate some advice.

Anxiety and panic make it difficult to read -especially- to myself. I've always struggled with self-confidence, I can't fully trust my intuition either, it's hard for me to hear it. I try to meditate daily (but yeah, there are small or large breaks), try to connect to the right channel with breathing techniques and self-calming before reading, but there are situations when it's very difficult for me to find and maintain my inner peace. I get thrown off balance easily. I've been fine in recent months, although in general I get a milder anxiety when I sit down to read tarot, which I overcome sometimes quickly, sometimes more slowly. I think this originates from lack of self-confidence and maximalism, perfectionism.

However, recently I had a day where I went into overdrive, when I couldn't keep my patience and sanity.

I have been harassed in nearly a week by a hidden phone number that I did not answer. I usually don't answer if it's encrypted or if a displayed number isn't in my contact list.

I asked cards for it and interesting things came out of the caller, what kind of person it might be.

Since when I've started practice tarot, this was my first YES or NO question :

Do I know the person personally?

I got the Five of Swords, which I took as a definite NO, so I didn't deal with it any further.

Then, early in the morning on Monday this week (March 25, 2024), my phone vibrated again, twice in a row, this time with an actual phone number. On the first call, it "rang" persistently and for a long time, the second call was shorter, lasted about half a minute. It wasn't in my phonebook and I wasn't expecting a call from anywhere or anyone, I didn't make new acquaintances recently, so I didn't pick it up either.

But an avalanche of catastrophizing started in me... Could it be a doctor? Ambulance? Police? (I had reason to assume these possibilities due to certain events in my life.)

I didn't dare to call it back for several reasons.

I asked a card.

Why did this number call me?

Ten of Swords

I immediately panicked, especially after looking up the general meaning of the card. I feared the worst.

I asked another YES or NO question;

Should I call it back?

Strenght in Reverse

I took it as a NO.

This was where I first panicked and I was unable to ask the cards for clarification.

After I stopped asking, it was interesting that for some reason I always wanted to say or thought of Nine of Swords instead of Ten of Swords... I wondered what if that meant that my own negative mental state had produced this Ten of Swords and I didn't got the true message.

After making sure everyone is all right in the family, a big stone rolled off my chest. This time, however, I didn't leave it at that and called the helpline with that I might be a victim of telephone harassment and gave them the new number. After the family's and my own private investigation, it turned out that the number, which was not encrypted, was probably a wrong number and was not the same person who had been calling me from the hidden number. We laughed about it.

But next, the guilt and overthinking hit me... Why did I act... I rushed it... I want to stand up for myself "for once", but I still feel guilty, what if I send the police on an innocent person. As long as they deal with the matter... (I am writing this post on Wednesday. The police haven't contacted with me since then, and I expect that (even though it's their job to see about it) they let it go.)

After getting into a "calmer" state of mind, I sat down again that day to ask for clarification.

For the Ten of Swords (Why did this number call me?) I received the following cards;

Six of Pentacles

Seven of Cups

Five of Swords

Queen of Cups (I felt that this card represented me, but even though it was an upright card, in this situation it did not indicate its positive/healthy state.)

I read a negative message from it.

I asked it differently.

What was the caller's intention? ;

Ten of Pentacles

Four of Cups

This was where the complete confusion finally came.

This sentence comes out of my mouth many times during some readings; "I wish I hadn't asked."

I felt that the first and second half of the message were completely opposite to each other. First I thought of negative intention, then positive intention. Of course, I don't know the other side, and it seems I won't know what the caller's true motivation was.

Maybe the cards were showing my own confusion? That I thought of several possibilities regarding the case?

I haven't known the meaning of each card comprehensively, so it's difficult for me to interpret and read them together, especially when several cards pop out at the same time (I prefer to work with pop-out cards rather than drawing), and I know that negative emotions and thoughts can take me in the wrong direction, no matter how hard I try to ground myself.

Maybe I wanted to analyze a too complicated case (or I made it too complicated for myself) with too many cards and questions, because in the end it all felt like a big, self-contradictory mess. I tortured myself emotionally too much. I had enough and didn't want to continue to force myself to calm down, and to translate the messages more deeply and soberly.

Last I asked advice:

What to do next to make it the best for both sides:

The Magician

This was the point, when I had finally had enough for the day. For me, the Magician seemed to "scream": "Create, act!" And I was just... What should I do? Should I call the helpline again to ask to forget my call from earlier? Should I worsen the situation or my own mental well-being? No! It was enough! I just wanted to run away and break away.

My second intuition was that the Magician indicated that I should continue to deal with my own things (this card has shown itself to me many times in the nearly past), to look at the big picture, my whole life, not just this one day, as it was the only Major Arcana in the reading. However, I wouldn't consider The Magician as a "Let it go and move on" card. Or do I should?

In hindsight, under action and creation it might be referring to bringing my thoughts down to earth level, and with this post I just have done that.

In any case, my self-confidence went under the frog's butt after the incident, and maybe I'm even more anxious to take the Tarot in my hands... I'm afraid of new emotional turbulences (I hated them always), of being overwhelmed. Supposedly there is NO such thing as a WRONG READING (but maybe wrong channel), yet I am afraid that I am not doing it right… I am afraid of another meltdown and disappointment. If it turns out that Tarot is not my path either, then I have no idea what it could be...

I'm still very much a beginner, there are pitfalls with this, I shouldn't take it to heart, but it's always been difficult for me.

Do you have any advice for me about this spread?

What would you have read from these cards?

Looking at my situation through the eyes of an outsider, maybe would help me to be more enlightened.

I've tried to research the following topics before to become a better reader, but I'm grateful for any advice you guys can give me. <3

What techniques do you recommend to read card combinations?

Do you have any other tips for dealing with my "tarot-anxiety"?

advice on how to manage my relationship with Tarot,

advice on how to strengthen the connection with my intuition

advice on how to strengthen the connection with my spirit guides?

When does the mind (knowledge or ego) speak and when does intuition speak?

If you're still here and read all the way through, thank you very much!

We never know what someone has to experience and learn on their own path, there may be low points, but I hope that I will not create more posts with such a desperate and tormented state of mind.

Take care of yourselves. <3

[indiatajtours01]

Taj Mahal Day tour by India Taj Tours Company.

India Taj Tours Company's Day Tour of the Taj Mahal Unquestionably captivating, a day trip to see this famous structure ensures that visitors will never forget their experience. You can count on an itinerary that has been painstakingly crafted by India Taj Tours Company to make the most of your trip.

Why Opt for Taj Tours Company in India?

The India Taj Tours Company is highly known for its carefully planned itineraries and outstanding service. Their day trip to the Taj Mahal is planned to give you a smooth experience from the time you check out of your hotel until you return.

Early Morning Departure

The tour starts early in the morning when you leave your Delhi hotel. Your air-conditioned, cozy car will be ready to whisk you away on a picturesque trip to Agra so you can arrive rested and ready to explore.

Arrival in Agra

A native guide will meet you when you arrive in Agra and provide you enlightening information about the rich history and culture of the city. The Taj Mahal is, of course, your first stop.

Investigating the Taj Mahal

You will be astounded by the Taj Mahal's utter magnificence and splendor as soon as you enter its gates. A masterwork of Mughal architecture, the white marble monument was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Tour Guided

Your guide will regale you with amazing tales regarding the building of the Taj Mahal, its historical significance, and the love tale that inspired it. You'll have plenty of time to snap lots of pictures, tour the grounds, and the main mausoleum.

During lunch

Following your tour of the Taj Mahal, you will be escorted to a nearby eatery where you will savor a delectable meal of authentic Indian fare.

A visit to the Agra Fort

You will next proceed to another UNESCO World Heritage site, Agra Fort. In addition to providing breathtaking distant views of the Taj Mahal, this red sandstone fort provides insight into the lavish lifestyles of the Mughal emperors.

Investigating the Neighborhood Market

You'll have time to visit the Agra local marketplaces before returning to Delhi. Shopping for mementos, such as fine marble inlay work and traditional crafts, is a terrific chance.

Go back to Delhi

With pleasant recollections of a day well spent, the tour ends with a leisurely drive back to your Delhi hotel, where you will arrive in the evening.

In summary

The ideal approach to see one of the most stunning sites on earth is with an India Taj Tours Company day trip to the Taj Mahal. A well-thought-out itinerary, comfortable transportation, and knowledgeable guides ensure that you have a day to remember.

FAQs

What should I pack for the day trip to the Taj Mahal?

It is advised to wear walking shoes and comfortable clothing. It's a cultural site, so please dress modestly. Is it allowed to snap pictures inside the Taj Mahal?

Tripods are not allowed, but taking pictures is okay. Is lunch included in the price of the tour?

Yes, the package includes a delectable lunch at a nearby restaurant. Which season is ideal for seeing the Taj Mahal?

The milder months of October through March are the ideal times to visit. How far does it take to get to Agra from Delhi?

Depending on the state of the traffic, the travel takes three to four hours.