#Landmarks Preservation Commission

[wausaupilot]

Wausau’s historic landmark decision delayed, DAUV Hall moves forward amid controversy

A historic building faces an uncertain future while another one inches closer to preservation—find out how these decisions could reshape Wausau's architectural legacy.

Damakant Jayshi The Wausau Historic Preservation Commission postponed its decision to designate Marathon County Home and Hospital as a historic landmark but moved ahead on a second property in the city. Marathon County’s Human Resources, Finance and Property Committee will have 60 days to study the impact of landmarking the building at 1200 Lake View Drive. Built in 1927, the building is…

[deadmotelsusa]

New York City’s last by-the-hour love motel has closed. If these walls could talk...

They would probably share how this narrow building opened in 1908 as the Strand Hotel. Or how in 1912, due to its close proximity to the pier, The New York Times rented out every room to cover the Titanic sinking. Or how in the 1940s, it catered exclusively to men and rented to sailors who usually had only a few hours to experience what the city had to offer. Or how in the 1970s, it changed its name to the Hideaway Motel and opened a gay club in the basement called The Anvil. Or how celebrities like Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Freddie Mercury and Lou Reed frequented the club until its closure in 1985. Or how when it changed its name to the Liberty Inn, its themed rooms were the site of many affairs through the next three decades.

Or how the motel property was acquired by Hyundai and for the first time in over 100 years, has permanently closed.

The future of the former Liberty Inn is unknown, though I received a message recently from someone stating that it has already been demolished. I wasn’t able to confirm this and in May 2024 (via Google Street View), it was still standing. Per the New York Post, the 6,735 square-foot building can be replaced with one twice as large under zoning rules and because it lies outside the nearby historic district, new construction doesn’t need to be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

[the1920sinpictures]

1927-28 The Barbizon Hotel for Women was built. It was a residential hotel and clubhouse for single women moving to New York City and it is located at 140 East 63rd Street. From the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, FB.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

Africa’s top human rights commission said the Democratic Republic of Congo violated the rights of Indigenous Batwa people when it forcibly evicted them from their ancestral territories and imposed a national park on those lands without the original inhabitants’ consent. 

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights ordered the DRC to provide the Batwa legal title to their homelands, among more than a dozen other prescribed remedies. 

The decision was decided in 2022 but wasn’t made public until late June of this year. Lawyers involved said publication was delayed because of mistakes made in the text of the French version of the decision, and that the DRC has not taken any action to comply with the decision.

The government’s embassy in D.C. did not respond to a request for comment and also did not participate in the Commission’s proceedings despite requests that it do so.

Since Kahuzi-Biega National Park was established in 1970, the DRC has forced about 6,000 Batwa people, sometimes violently, from an area of rainforest in the eastern DRC the size of West Virginia. Those evictions began on the recommendation of a Congolese conservation organization, according to the Commission’s decision, despite the Batwa having a long and proven track record of protecting and preserving their homelands.

In its decision, the commission sharply criticized the logic behind “fortress conservation,” the removal of Indigenous peoples from their land in the name of protecting nature. That model, born in the United States with the creation of national parks like Yellowstone, has been exported around the world. Increasingly, it is being used in conjunction with some carbon offset programs. 

“If the purpose of creating a park is to protect biodiversity for the good of all, should the way of life, culture and environment of the indigenous populations occupying it not be taken into account?” the commission wrote.

The Batwa’s culture is entirely based on a thriving ecosystem, the commission said, and their removal may have worsened biodiversity in the region because park guards and governmental officials granted forest access to non-Batwa groups that carried out extractive activities including mining and logging, leading to severe deforestation and environmental degradation. The Congo Basin is home to sensitive ecosystems with iconic species, including chimpanzees, forest elephants and critically endangered gorillas. 

[yaekiss]

#Mailroom Open! — HI QI! *falls to my knees* a letter for traveler!aether, any petnames are fine and i would love to have a nsfw + yandere reply <3

—

“To the love of my life, my dearest adventurer,

I’m hoping this letter actually reaches you. Really, how hard is it to stay in one place at a time? Somehow, having Paimon as a destination landmark seems to work. Ah, but don’t let her read this one…or open the gift that I’ve included… Just tell her I’ll give her some cookies when we see each other again!

Anyhow, enough about my complaints when sending a letter. I don’t know if I can go much longer without you. Oh, mighty traveler, how can you leave your partner in such a state? I fear that my imaginations have now run too wild now due to this. I’m this close to sending a commission to the Adventurer’s Guild where I’m able to ravish you on our bed for a day straight.

I wish you well on your journey in Sumeru, but please, come back soon. Diluc has threatened to ban me from his tavern because of my constant babbling of you, and not all of them are appropriate for the public.

—Your needy one.”

(The box that the letter is attached to contains some dried Windwheel Asters, but most importantly, a dog collar.)

꩜ Letter Content: GN! Dom! Top! Reader x Yan! Sub! Bottom! Aether, no gendered terms used for reader, Aether calls you "my star", unhealthy obsessive and possessive relationship from Aether, collar (used on Aether), small mention of edging and marking, lmk if I missed anything ! ꩜ Delivery Notes: It was ridiculously hard tracking the ever-elusive traveller down, but I did it! Looked like he was sporting some new accessory too, cool! ꩜ Wanna write a love letter yourself? Check out it out here!

Aether’s reply consists of two items: A small cloth drawstring sack made of a fabric that seems to faintly glitter in the sunlight and a separate wooden box. The box is slim, made of flawless Karmaphala wood with a hinged lid. The area for storing items is shallow so the gift he sent can't be all too big and it has you speculating as to what it could be.

Putting your curiosity aside for now, you first open the sack, only to see a void somehow contained inside. It looks like the night sky, the dark space adorned with the stars that Aether conjures up in his palm every once in a while to impress you. Trusting your dear traveller, you reach an arm in and pull out the first thing you come into contact with, a miniature little wood carving of him as an aranara (he’s written so much to you about the aranaras so to see him as one makes your heart melt a little). Afterwards, you continue retrieving the other included gifts like a bouquet of various Sumeru flowers preserved with his dendro elemental resonance. There’s also a tied stack of recipes along with an attached note saying: “So you can also have a taste of my journey so far!”

Finally, you dig around the empty space and pull out the last remaining item, his letter. The envelope he used is nothing out of the ordinary but what makes it endearing are all the silly doodles he scribbled on it. There’s one of the both of you on the back of a Sumpter Beast and another one of him popping out from a precious chest. In the top right corner, there’s a regional stamp exclusive to Sumeru, one specifically showcasing the scenery of Port Osmos. Now, the mailing system this time through the love hotel doesn’t really require a stamp. Still, he’s had this habit of writing back to you from his journey across Teyvat and through that, gifting you these little collectable stamps from the different nations. Quite sweet really!

Taking his note out, it’s written on a fairly normal parchment, the kind you could find at any general goods store. His response reads:

“Hello, my cherished starlight!

I’ve received your letter safely, thank you, my star! Sorry if it was hard for you to track me down, the recent developments in Sumeru just had me travelling around the region a lot :( There’s too much to unpack in this letter alone so I’ll just talk your ear off when I return to your side! :D 

Ah, I also apologise for being away for so long, my star. I know this trip to Sumeru has been one of the longest I’ve taken so far but please believe me when I say that I miss you just as much, if not tenfold more. The company here is nice but they could never compare to you, the warmth of your body next to mine, the way your hands roam allll over me. There’s no one quite like you, my star! I miss you so so so much, and I quite love how much you seem to miss me too… 

Did you like the bottomless sack I gave you? It’s like the one I use on my journeys, really useful for when you have too many things you want to bring with you on a trip! Maybe I could even get you in my bag… haha kidding! I know you wouldn’t want to be cramped up next to my Sweet Madames and Paimon’s snacks so I’ll just stick to inviting you along for my adventures, my star.

Speaking of adventures, maybe you should put out that commission to the Adventurers’ Guild. After all, it wouldn’t be right for the Honorary Knight to leave someone so direly in need of help. And if I happened to get my brains fucked out by a very familiar employer, it’ll certainly be a welcome surprise. What would your reaction be if I showed up at your doorstep with the collar you gifted me around my neck? Would you loop your finger through it and pull me in for a heated kiss for everyone to see? Drag me into your bed and pound me senseless? Until the both of us can’t come anymore? Gods, I’m getting giddy with desire, I need you right now, my star. :((( To appease your appetite and imagination, I managed to leave a message for you using a stone mirror I obtained during my trip that serves as some sort of recording device. Watch it while you’re alone, I don’t want any prying eyes around, it’s just for you, my star. Hopefully, after this, you won’t have to resort to rambling to Diluc while drunk.

I think that’s enough rambling from me, go watch my message and tell me what you think! I look forward to your reply, my favourite star~

My love for you spans across worlds,

- Aether -”

Impatiently, you reach over to the box and hurriedly unlatch it, quickly flipping the lid open. A polished smooth stone slab gleams back at you. Underneath the glossy surface, there’s some sort of dense fog, coiling and drifting like smoke. Running your hand over it seems to do the trick, the fog ripples like a droplet on a serene lake and morphs into the image of a scene. It shifts into the rough shape of Aether seated on a bed, the smoky edges in the picture are soft and look like they blur into each other, and the colours are slightly muted. But you still manage to make out the collar he’s holding in his hands. The exact one you gave him in your previous letter.

“Is the mirror working well for you, my star? I hope it is, I wouldn’t want you to miss this.” His voice is sultry and his gaze through the tablet even more so. He strips slowly for you, sensually peeling each article of clothing off, all while running his hands across his body. Occasionally, he tweaks his nipples to let you hear his cute yelps or strokes his already drooling cock, edging himself as he whines for you to touch him, to fill him up. 

“Ah, before I forget,” he eagerly fumbles with the dog collar and secures it snugly around his neck, “There we go, perfect!” Shifting closer to the stone mirror, he tilts his head for you to see the new accessory.

“Maybe you could even attach a tag with your name on it to the front,” Aether says, and you think you can see hearts in his eyes as a light blush overtakes his features.

“Aww, I think I’m running out of recording time for this, I’ll see you soon, my favourite star!” The scene freezes and you’re left with Aether beaming back at you and a burning lust to see your dear traveller again.

However, the still image of the final frame ripples once again. For a split second, you think his message will replay but what appears on the surface of the stone is vastly different. The visage changes to Aether’s back view while he’s still on the bed, knees tucked under him. The collar is already on him in this one so it must have been recorded after the previous message. Now that you have a good view of his bare back, you can tell that the marks you left on his back are fading, no longer the angry bright red from the night the two of you spent together before he departed for Sumeru.

“Ugh, they’re so faded now.” You pick up on the disappointed note in Aether’s voice. He looks over his shoulder, brushing his long hair aside. He’s probably using the stone as an actual mirror to examine his back. Did he know it was recording?

“I’ve been away for too long…” He murmurs as his face turns back before he continues, “But when did they even get close with Diluc anyway, spending so much time with him?” The simmering rage (jealousy?) in his voice startles you slightly. You’ve witnessed Aether’s anger and frustration in the past but you’ve never heard him use such a harsh inflection before. 

“Looks like I’ll have to cut this trip short.” 

The darkening tone in his voice is unnerving, and you don’t know if you’re lucky or not that you’re unable to see the expression on his face.

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

[markruffalo]

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our rally on Saturday with The Center at West Park to save the West Park Presbyterian Church. This landmark is an epicenter for the arts and worship, and we all want it to remain here for future generations. There's still time to tell NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission that you oppose the demolition before the public hearing tomorrow by visiting the link below.

Photography by Gerardo Romo & Alex Krales/NYC Council Media Unit.

[southeastasianists]

When the Manila Metropolitan Theater (abbreviated as MET) was formally opened on December 10, 1931, it was considered the country’s first national theater. In 1973, it was inscribed as a National Historic Landmark. The National Museum of the Philippines declared it a National Culture Treasure in 2010 because it’s a unique, well-preserved Art Deco building of an outstanding size in Asia.

It hasn't been always been in the limelight since its opening. Before it re-acquired its stature as the "Grand Dame of Manila," the building has suffered. The MET was damaged during the 1945 Battle of Manila and was used for various purposes in the following years—as a boxing gym, a seedy motel, a gay bar, a basketball court, a garage, and a warehouse. It was restored under the auspices of Imelda Marcos in 1978 and then shuttered again in 1996 due to conflicts of ownership between the City of Manila and the government insurance company that sponsored its restoration. 

A government arm, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) bought the theater from the the government insurance company in 2015 and started restoration work in February 2017. After its most extensive public restoration efforts, the MET reopened on December 10, 2021—90 years after its inauguration

The building was designed by a Filipino architect Juan M. Arrelano, who had to undertake additional studies in the United States to learn theater design, as he had previously specialized in Neoclassical buildings. His earlier works include the nearby National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila Post Office, and Jones Bridge.

The MET is known for its Art Deco design, but Arrelano made sure that Filipino decorative elements were incorporated throughout the building: batik patterns of the southern Mindanaon regions, capiz lamps, and banana leaf pillars. It gets better when you look up at the ceiling of the main theater, which is embellished with mangoes, bananas, and tropical leaves.

[mariacallous]

Congress may be closer than ever to passing a comprehensive data privacy framework after key House and Senate committee leaders released a new proposal on Sunday.

The bipartisan proposal, titled the American Privacy Rights Act, or APRA, would limit the types of consumer data that companies can collect, retain, and use, allowing solely what they’d need to operate their services. Users would also be allowed to opt out of targeted advertising, and have the ability to view, correct, delete, and download their data from online services. The proposal would also create a national registry of data brokers, and force those companies to allow users to opt out of having their data sold.

“This landmark legislation gives Americans the right to control where their information goes and who can sell it,” Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Energy and Commerce Committee chair, said in a statement on Sunday. “It reins in Big Tech by prohibiting them from tracking, predicting, and manipulating people’s behaviors for profit without their knowledge and consent. Americans overwhelmingly want these rights, and they are looking to us, their elected representatives, to act.”

Congress has tried to put together a comprehensive federal law protecting user data for decades. Lawmakers have remained divided, though, on whether that legislation should prevent states from issuing tougher rules, and whether to allow a “private right of action” that would enable people to sue companies in response to privacy violations.

In an interview with The Spokesman Review on Sunday, McMorris Rodgers claimed that the draft’s language is stronger than any active laws, seemingly as an attempt to assuage the concerns of Democrats who have long fought attempts to preempt preexisting state-level protections. APRA does allow states to pass their own privacy laws related to civil rights and consumer protections, among other exceptions.

In the previous session of Congress, the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committees brokered a deal with Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, on a bill that would preempt state laws with the exception of the California Consumer Privacy Act and the Biometric Information Privacy Act of Illinois. That measure, titled the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, also created a weaker private right of action than most Democrats were willing to support. Maria Cantwell, Senate Commerce Committee chair, refused to support the measure, instead circulating her own draft legislation. The ADPPA hasn’t been reintroduced, but APRA was designed as a compromise.

“I think we have threaded a very important needle here,” Cantwell told The Spokesman Review. “We are preserving those standards that California and Illinois and Washington have.”

APRA includes language from California’s landmark privacy law allowing people to sue companies when they are harmed by a data breach. It also provides the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and private citizens the authority to sue companies when they violate the law.

The categories of data that would be impacted by APRA include certain categories of “information that identifies or is linked or reasonably linkable to an individual or device,” according to a Senate Commerce Committee summary of the legislation. Small businesses—those with $40 million or less in annual revenue and limited data collection—would be exempt under APRA, with enforcement focused on businesses with $250 million or more in yearly revenue. Governments and “entities working on behalf of governments” are excluded under the bill, as are the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and, apart from certain cybersecurity provisions, “fraud-fighting” nonprofits.

Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called the draft “very strong” in a Sunday statement, but said he wanted to “strengthen” it with tighter child safety provisions.

Still, it remains unclear whether APRA will receive the necessary support for approval. On Sunday, committee aids said that conversations on other lawmakers signing onto the legislation are ongoing. The current proposal is a “discussion draft”; while there’s no official date for introducing a bill, Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers will likely shop around the text to colleagues for feedback over the coming weeks, and plan to send it to committees this month.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Michael Searles

Published: Apr 10, 2024

Children who think they are transgender should not be rushed into treatment they may regret, a landmark report has concluded.

The report by paediatric consultant Dr Hilary Cass has made 32 recommendations, including: calling for the “unhurried” care of those under 25 who think they may be transgender; an end to the prescribing of powerful hormone drugs to under-18s; and early help for primary school children who want to socially transition.

The Telegraph has summarised the report’s key findings:

Doctors must be extremely cautious about giving any trans drugs to under-18s

Last month, the NHS banned the prescribing of puberty blockers outside of clinical trials. However, Dr Cass has gone further and said children who think they are transgender should not be given any hormone drugs at all until at least 18.

The former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said there was no evidence the drugs “buy time to think” or “reduce suicide risk”.

While the drugs can suppress puberty, research commissioned by the review and carried out by the University of York found the drugs have no effect on the person’s body satisfaction or their experience of gender dysphoria – where the person feels they are a different gender to the sex they were born – despite this being the reason they had been prescribed.

[ Dr Hilary Cass said there was no evidence hormone drugs 'buy time to think' or 'reduce suicide risk' ]

Dr Cass stated there was “concern that [puberty blockers] may change the trajectory of psychosexual and gender identity development” with most patients going on to take cross-sex hormones as a result.

She said the NHS should exert “extreme caution” in giving out cross-sex hormones to under-18s as the research carried out by her review concludes there is “a lack of high-quality research” on their effectiveness. She said their use should be incorporated into the puberty blocker trial.

Dr Cass said all children and teenagers should be given time “to keep options open during this development window” and that this would allow time to diagnose and treat other conditions while preserving fertility.

She said doctors must be able to “refer to the longer-term benefits and risks” of treatment options but this was “not currently available” for children experiencing gender incongruence or dysphoria. A systematic review by the University of York of more than 1,000 children who had been treated by the Tavistock, found that 7.4 per cent of under-16s given puberty blockers stopped their treatment.

It found that the younger children started treatment, the more likely they were to continue on to cross-sex hormones, which means the drugs “are not buying time to think”.

It had also been suggested that the drugs could improve body image and psychological wellbeing – however, the review found “no changes in gender dysphoria or body satisfaction were demonstrated.”

Young children should have therapy before they are allowed to socially transition

Families should be able to see a medical professional such as a child psychologist or paediatrician as quickly as possible if a primary school child wants to socially transition, the report recommends.

Dr Cass states that while “exploration is a normal process” in teenagers, children who are yet to go through puberty will have been affected by “parental attitudes and beliefs”.

She states the importance of “avoiding premature decisions” and seeking help early on to understand the child’s behaviour and assess whether they are experiencing any mental health issues or distress.

Research conducted for the review found that prepubescent children who socially transition – which means a child being treated as their preferred gender, including using their chosen pronouns and name, and allowing them to use the facilities such as lavatories and changing rooms of their choice – were more likely to undergo medical treatment later.

She suggests that a “partial rather than full transition can be a way of ensuring flexibility and keeping options open until the developmental trajectory becomes clearer”.

“There should be a distinction for the approach taken to pre- and post-pubertal children,” she said. “This is of particular importance in relation to social transition, which may not be thought of as an intervention or treatment because it is something that generally happens at home, online or in school and not within health services.”

The report finds that “social transition in childhood may change the trajectory of gender identity development for children with early gender incongruence”.

The younger children are when they present with “gender incongruence” the more likely they are to move on from that phase, it says.

“The current evidence base suggests that children who present with gender incongruence at a young age are most likely to desist before puberty, although for a small number the incongruence will persist.”

It recommends a clinical professional such as a mental health specialist “should help families to recognise normal developmental variation in gender role behaviour and expression”.

Parents fear being labelled transphobic

Dr Cass said her review heard concerns from many parents about their child being socially transitioned and affirmed in their expressed gender without parental involvement.

Such cases often involved an adolescent who had “come out” at school while expressing concern about how their parents might react. “Some parents felt ‘forced’ to affirm their child’s assumed identity or risk being painted as transphobic and/or unsupportive,” the report said.

In a small number of cases, there were concerns that parents were “consciously or unconsciously” influencing their child’s gender expression, it said.

“It is very important that the child/young person’s voice is heard and that perceptions of gender identity represent the child/young person’s sense of self,” it said.

Under-25s must not be rushed into changing gender

Under-25s should not be rushed into changing gender, but should receive “unhurried, holistic, therapeutic support”, Dr Cass concluded. She said “life-changing” decisions must be properly considered in adulthood, noting that brain maturation continues into the mid-20s.

The report found that “clinicians are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity”. Young adults aged 17 to 25 who want to change gender should be seen by “a follow-through service” rather than sent straight to an adult clinic, the report concludes.

The NHS has been accused of fast-tracking thousands of teenagers to adult clinics, because they would not be seen before their 17th birthday, and prescribing them cross-sex hormones.

Dr Cass said these people were still at a “vulnerable stage in their journey” and that regional centres offering gender services for children, as well as mental health assessments and support, should care for those aged up to 25 or link up with such services.

The consultant paediatrician said it was not possible to “know the ‘sweet spot’ when someone becomes settled in their sense of self” but that decisions should not be rushed before an individual becomes a mature adult at about 25.

“When making life-changing decisions, what is the correct balance between keeping options as flexible and open as possible as you move into adulthood, and responding to how you feel right now?” she wrote in the report’s foreword.

The report said far more consideration should be given to reaching a point of maturity before taking a decision.

“It used to be thought that brain maturation finished in adolescence, but it is now understood that this remodelling continues into the mid-20s as different parts become more interconnected and specialised,” the report notes.

“Changes in the limbic area, which is ‘present-orientated’ and concerned with risk taking and sensation seeking, begin with puberty; this part of the brain becomes super sensitised, drives emotional volatility, pleasure and novelty seeking, and also makes adolescents more sensitive to social rejection, as well as vulnerable to addiction and a range of mental health problems,” the review continues.

“The ‘future orientated’ prefrontal cortex matures later, with development continuing into an individual’s 20s, and … is concerned with executive functions such as complex decision making, rational judgement, inhibition of impulsivity, planning and prioritisation,” it states.

Trauma is prevalent among trans children

Childhood trauma, neglect and abuse feature heavily in the cohort of patients seeking gender changes, the report shows.

It cites a systematic review that found that in some services, as many as two thirds of those referred had suffered some kind of neglect or abuse, with high levels of parental mental illness, substance abuse and exposure to domestic violence. The research found about half of cases had suffered from maternal mental illness or substance abuse while almost 40 per cent had experienced paternal mental illness or substance abuse.

An early study of UK cases referred to gender services found one quarter of children had spent some time in care. More than four in 10 cases had experienced living with only one parent, with almost as many having experience of family mental health problems.

The report shows that rates of mental ill-health have risen among children and young people, especially girls and young women.

This comes in parallel with the rising numbers seeking help from NHS gender clinics, where the biggest rise has been among those registered as female at birth, seeking help in adolescence to change gender.

Within this group, there are higher levels of neurodiversity and mental health issues, it says, calling for a “holistic” appraisal of the young patient, not solely in terms of their gender-related distress.

“Children/young people referred to NHS gender services must receive a holistic assessment of their needs to inform an individualised care plan. This should include screening for neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, and a mental health assessment,” it states.

People who change gender may regret it

The report advises children expressing a desire to change gender are given time to think before being rushed into a decision they may regret.

It suggests that too many decisions about changing gender have been rushed, with too little consideration given that children might regret their actions in later life.

A survey included in the findings found “the history of the child/young person’s gender journey was rarely examined closely for signs of difficulty, regret or wishes to alter any aspect of their gender trajectory.”

Evidence considered by the Cass review included talking to those who have transitioned to the opposite sex and those who have detransitioned back. It found that “whilst some young people may feel an urgency to transition, young adults looking back at their younger selves would often advise slowing down”.

It continued: “For some, the best outcome will be transition, whereas others may resolve their distress in other ways. Some may transition and then de/retransition and/or experience regret. The NHS needs to care for all those seeking support.”

Data on the number of adults who have detransitioned are scarce, but the report said the number was “increasing”. A 2021 study found that 70 per cent of people detransitioning had another condition in the first place, while 23 per cent were actually gay, lesbian or bisexual.

[ Via: https://archive.today/kPHnm ]

[mthguy]

The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story 625 ft (191 m) Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze and Weaver and completed in 1931. An icon of glamor and luxury, the Waldorf Astoria is one of the world's most prestigious and best-known hotels. Both the exterior and the interior of the New York's Waldorf Astoria are designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as official landmarks.

[wausaupilot]

Historic Preservation Commission mulls Wausau landmarking decisions

The commission tabled a nomination process for landmarking the Marathon County Home and Hospital, which has an interesting history.

Damakant Jayshi It was a mixed fair at the Wausau Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday regarding Wausau’s historic landmarks. The commission voted to initiate the landmarking process for the Jacob Kolter house at 202 Grand Avenue, pulled the Henry Miller House at 1314 Grand Avenue from consideration, tabled a proposal on a Marathon County Home and Hospital at 1200 Lakeview Drive and…

[austin-in-taiwan]

July 20 - Taipei - Bei Tou Station, Library, Hot springs

Today was just a ½ day, so it was shorter than most. We started by taking the MRT (green line, red line, then pink line) to Xin Bei Tou. This area was historic for its natural hot springs. The first stop there was the landmark train station. From what I read, this was the only train station kept out of the entire old train system for historical reasons before the new MRT was built. It was interesting to see how the old train cars looked and the other artifacts and images from that era. After that, we stopped by the local library, which was very pretty on the outside. We walked quietly around the two floors, looked at some Chinese books, and saw the locals doing their reading/studying (or napping as I saw someone pass out in one of the chairs with his book). Afterward, we stopped by a bathhouse museum (I’ll explain more of the history in my academic reflection). We had to take our shoes off and use their sandals to walk throughout but it was very informative to the old culture of this area. On a side note, Jack ran into one of his old history teachers from Miami inside this museum, which I think is crazy.

Next, we decided to check out the hot springs. We visited a boiling hot spring (not safe to swim in for obvious reasons), which was actually the hottest place in Taiwan. It was so hot walking around this spring, and the sulfur smell was highly distinct. Needless to say, I got out of there as soon as I could. Despite the negatives, it was beautiful, and I’m glad I got to see it. We had planned to go into one of the hot springs that are safe to swim in, but since it was so hot, the one we saw had required the guys to buy speedos and not allowed to wear our swim trunks that we brought, and it was already about a million degrees outside, nobody ended up trying it. However, when we go to our next city, there will be hot springs there, so we’ve all opted to try them there instead.

After our morning exploration, we were set off to have the rest of the day free. First, a group of Iris, Brooke, Eli, Jack, and I followed Peter (our tour guide) to the nearest FamilyMart! Then Peter went home, and we went to a nearby Japanese restaurant because most of us hadn’t eaten breakfast and were starving.

As I am writing this, it is 3:50 pm, so I will be doing more activities after I finish my work for the day, but I will write about it in my next blog post. I am trying to find somewhere to get Chinese Cupping (yes, the stuff swimmers do that leaves the big red dots on their backs), so that might be in my next post!

Academic Reflection

The first Taiwanese history we explored today was the original Beitou station. There were many images and artifacts (including suitcases, hats, tickets, etc.) from when the station was in commission. I learned from the museum that this station, in particular, was very loved and part of the culture in Beitou, which is why it was important to preserve it for the museum. Standing inside one of the train cars and comparing the differences with today's was incredible. I would compare the differences between the trains to those between an old school bus and a modern coach bus.

Furthermore, we visited the Bathhouse Museum, another essential piece of history. First, the bathhouses were originally fully coed, but when the Americans came, they separated the showers with one pillar, but they were still in the same room. I couldn't imagine a coed shower like this, which is very different. In this bathhouse, you would shower, then go into the coed hot spring pool. Yeh Laoshi explained that back in history, nobody had personal showers, so they would come to these bathhouses maybe 3 times a week. I was shocked to hear that their hygiene was restricted to 3 showers a week, but then I thought, "At least they showered a few times instead of never."

[dkaufmandevelopment]

Unlocking New York City’s Potential: The Rise of Office-to-Residential Conversions

Post-pandemic, the great hope for office-to-residential conversions in New York City was that they would address two critical challenges facing commercial real estate: the surplus of office space due to hybrid/work-from-home norms and the affordable housing crisis across the five boroughs.

A Shift in Perspective

Initially, this hope seemed to fall short due to several factors, including the physical limitations of older office buildings—windows and floor plates not conducive to residential use—and zoning complexities. However, over the past year, a positive shift has occurred. Government initiatives, such as New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program (launched last year), the new 467-meter state tax exemption for conversions (with benefits tied to timing and geography), and Mayor Eric Adams’s proposed City of Yes zoning overhaul, are instilling optimism among developers. They now see a path to profitable and productive conversions that contribute to housing solutions.

A Promising Surge

To gauge the growth of office-to-residential conversions, consider this: between 2010 and 2020, New York City witnessed 34 such transformations, according to the Department of City Planning. However, in just one year since the Accelerator program’s announcement, 69 building owners have expressed interest in potential conversions. This surge could mark a pivotal moment in addressing the city’s dual challenges.

Streamlining the Process

The Office Conversion Accelerator Program plays a crucial role. It provides owners undertaking conversions of at least 50 residential units with a central contact within city government. This streamlined approach eliminates the need for separate communication with various departments—City Planning, Buildings, Housing Preservation & Development, Standards and Appeals, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission—to ensure compliance with codes and zoning regulations.

Momentum Building

Recent industry news reflects this momentum. GFP Real Estate and TPG Real Estate recently submitted a Buildings Department application to convert 222 Broadway—a 31-story, 750,000-square-foot office building—into 798 apartments. The estimated cost of this transformation stands at $43.6 million. The project, purchased from DWS in June for $150 million, lists CetraRuddy as the architect.

In summary, New York City’s office-to-residential conversions are gaining traction, offering a glimmer of hope for both the real estate market and affordable housing. As the logjam loosens, developers and city officials collaborate to create a more vibrant and inclusive urban landscape.

[creative-classpect]

The Land of Pyres and Platinum

Smoke covers the sky, blotting out the now dim light of Skaia. Great pyres, formed from shining platinum, covered in ash and soot, litter the world and its wastes. A veritable desert stretches to the horizon and meaning dunes shift and flow with the wind. 

Adventure awaits in LOPAP, the Land of Pyres and Platinum.

LOPAP is an enigmatic world, surrounded by mysteries, both above the desert and buried well below it. The ever shifting nature of the dunes makes mapping it quite difficult, as true landmarks are far and few between. Crumbling archways, monuments, and ancient cities are marked by all manner of strange hieroglyphics, a long lost consort language. While these ruins offer some insight and a sense of familiarity, nothing is as all encompassing and ever present as the platinum pyres.

The only structures freely standing, these pyres stand anywhere from only a few feet to towering, nearly 100 feet tall. They appear to be marked in the same hieroglyphics as the other ruins. These pyres have long since sacrificed and burned whatever they were intended for, and their purpose remains unknown. There is seemingly a correlation between the size of the pyre and the importance of the thing lost there, though evidence is often sporadic. The few pieces of treasure one may be able to find is unfathomably and ludicrously valuable.

This is all to say nothing of the world lost below. 

Down, below the pyres, in the desert of sand and soot, lies a vast tunnel network that crisscrosses and snakes its way across the land. The great burning that ushered in the end of this world produced a truly unfathomable amount of smoke and ash, and with the erosion of the land to time, everything left of the world before now lies deep below, having long since sunk into the earth.

If the mystery of lost secrets and treasure to the ages was not strange enough, there is something very peculiar about the pyres. Still radiating with heat after all this time. This world has burned everything it had to burn, leaving it in ruins. And yet, the pyres hunger for more. They have not been satisfied. 

What could they possibly ask for? And what might they do if fulfilled, if that is even possible? Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, as the saying goes… 

The Page of Doom must uncover the lost history and riches of the land, digging deep for the buried treasures of the past, and quelling the all consuming pyres, one way or another.

Denizen: Perses, the Greek titan of destruction and father of the goddess of magic, Hecate.

Features

The Locked Tomb

In this large world positively pouring with mysteries begging to be uncovered, there is only one place that is actually secure. A tomb, some mile or so underground, decorated with glistening platinum, beautifully preserved for centuries.

In all the ruins scattered across the worlds, there are no dungeons, no grand traps, merely a civilization lost to time. Sure, there are traps here and there and dangers are plenty, but they pale in comparison to one, single tomb, sealed away with incredible levels of security.

The Ziggurat

At the center of the world is a ziggurat, tall and imposing. Surrounding it are the largest platinum pyres on the planet, marking it as an incredibly important sight, a place of high honor.

As one might initially expect. In truth, it is the most dangerous place on the entire planet, if not the very session itself. Should the language and messages of the world be deciphered, 

“This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here.“

- - -

This post was commissioned by @apogender ! If you want to commission me or support my content, you can find me @ https://ko-fi.com/kesscal or over at https://linktr.ee/Skywhale09 !

[strangermoons]

The Beat Has Just Begun - chapter 7 extras

A lot happened in this chapter! This post is... not really about any of that. Have a grab-bag of research notes instead.

Blizzards were introduced in 1985, and were a huge hit. Here's an article I found from 1986, and here's a Reddit thread with a vintage Blizzard ad.

Baggage carousels may seem pedestrian now, but they were space-age shit in 1962 when the TWA Flight Center was built at what is now known as JFK International Airport. The TWA Flight Center was apparently not the first airport terminal to have baggage carousels - this report (PDF link) by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission cites a 1963 article saying carousels already existed in Montreal and San Francisco - but they were still a very new idea.  Before baggage carousels you had to search for your bag in a baggage rack. Like you know how you get those little trucks with a train of baggage carts behind them on the runway? Imagine trying to find your bag in that mess. Anyway, by the time Steve and his mom flew TWA from IND to JFK sometime in the mid-70’s there was probably also a baggage carousel at the airport in Indiana, but Steve would have encountered the one at JFK first. Sure, it’d been around for at least a decade by then, but that really isn’t such a long time, and kids are easily impressed. It may also have been the only time Steve’s ever been on an airplane, despite being a rich kid. Air travel is a lot cheaper and more accessible than it used to be.

Park Slope in Brooklyn was indeed full of lesbians in the 60's and 70's (and beyond). I did a lot of googling when trying to pick a home for Aunt Mary and Daisy, and, well, can’t go wrong with a place some in the community affectionately called ‘Dyke Slope’.

I spent a lot of effort looking for prescription drugs that had both a period-accurate street name and the right kind of pharmacological effects for Steve's case. I eventually settled on Demmies/Demerol (generic name pethidine/meperidine) and confirmed that the slang term existed at the time through Google Books. (If the link doesn't work it was supposed to go to a list on page 375 of a book called Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods from 1984. Fic research: serious business.)

Smoking is bad for wound healing, score one for Steve.

I don’t specify in the story because Steve’s not likely to notice or care, but in my head Erica is reading Sweet Valley High #2, published 1983.

The Amoco brand name dates back to the 1920’s, and from what I can tell there were gas stations by that name in America until 2001, and then the brand name was reintroduced in 2017? That’s what Wikipedia would have me believe, anyway. Hawkins, like the small town I'm low-key drawing on when I write it, is about 60% gas stations by volume.

Is any of this interesting to anyone? I hope so. I'll keep on typing it up either way, because I can't help it.

[dd20century]

The New Formalist: Edward Durell Stone

This is the second part of a two-part post. Read part one.

Stone’s Academic Career

During the late 1940s into the early 1950s Stone was an “associate professor of architecture at the Yale University School of Architecture” (2). His reputation allowed him to connect with other prominent architects in academia such as Walter Gropius at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and Pietro Belluschi, dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning. He also guest lectured on architecture at Cornell, Princeton, and Stanford. (2)

A New Woman Brings a New Influence to Edward Durell Stone’s Life

Edward Durell Stone and his first wife, Sarah, divorced in 1952. After his divorce, while on a transatlantic flight, Stone found himself seated next to “Maria Elena Torchio, a fashion writer… and proposed to her before the plane landed” (1). The couple were married in 1954 and “would have two children, Benjamin Hicks Stone III and Maria Francesca Stone” (2).

Stone’s Pivotal Commission in India

In 1954 Stone’s firm was commissioned by the United States government to design a new embassy in New Delhi, India.  Stone strived to create a “modern structure that would respect the architectural traditions of its host country” (2). The embassy would define a major shift in Stone’s style which would become known as “New Formalism.” The most prominent feature of the clean, elegant building is its decorative concrete grille. Stone’s hero Frank Lloyd Wright who rarely praised the work of other architects, publicly lauded it (2,4).

Edward Durell Stone, United States Embassy (1954), New Delhi, India. Image source.

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger called it “one of the best‐known pieces of American architecture of the decade” (1). The success of the United States Embassy in New Dehli established Stone’s place as a major American Twentieth Century architect. It also led to important commissions such as the “John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, … the General Motors Building in New York, and the State University of New York campus at Albany” (1). “Business Week called him ‘the man with a billion on the drawing board’ ”(3).

“These designs fused the formalism of Stone's early Beaux-Arts training with a romantic historicism, … influenced, in part, by Maria Stone's Italian origins” (2). The couple took several trips to Italy during this time which “reawakened his interest in the classical and Italianate” (2) architecture. While Stone did not intend that his work copy classical architecture he hoped that his work would embody its timelessness. (2)

Edward Durell Stone, Koff Apartments (1965), Deerfield Beach, FL. Image source.

Stone becomes a Celebrity Architect

Edward Durell Stone’s work garnered him publicity both at home and internationally. In 1958 Time did a cover story on the architect. He appeared on many television programs, including Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now.” Stone published his autobiography, The Evolution of an Architect in 1962. (5)

Edward Durell Stone,  Carlo M. Paterno House, aka The Atrium House (1962), demolished around 2010. Image source.

Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art

Stone’s later work “became more romantic and more highly embellished” (1), such as the Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art built on Columbus Circle in New York City in 1964.

Paul Goldberger described the building as “an eccentric marble box on delicate legs with arches at top and bottom and characteristic Stone grill work tracery up and down the sides.” The structure's delicate legs caused many New Yorkers to refer to it as “The Lollipop Building.” In the mid-2000s the structure would become embroiled in a controversy over preservation.

“New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission refused to consider its eligibility for landmark status” (2). Little of Stone’s original design remains after its renovation designed by architect Brad Cloepfil. (7)

Edward Durell Stone, Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art - Two Columbus Circle (1964). Image source.

Edward Durell Stone’s Later Work

Stone’s firm continued to “garner major architectural commissions”, and his later work includes, “the Standard Oil building in Chicago, Illinois (completed 1973); the First Bank Tower in Toronto, Ontario (completed 1975); and the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee (completed 1978)” (2). His last residential work was the Sheldon Cohen House (1976) in Greenwich, CT. (3) Although successful, these later works earned more scorn than praise from the critics.

Edward Durell Stone, First Bank Tower (1975), Toronto, Canada. Photo credit: Arild Vagen. Image source.

In 1966 Stone and his muse, Maria Elena Torch, divorced. He remarried in 1972, this time to his executive assistant, Violet Campbell La Stella. The couple had a daughter, Fiona Campbell Stone…. Declining health forced Stone to retire from active practice in 1974.” (2) His firm Edward Durell Stone & Associates, however, remained in business until 1993.

Stone’s Tributes and Legacy

During his career Stone had several honorary degrees bestowed on him including one from the University of Arkansas in 1951. (4). Stone received numerous awards for his work including the Medal of Honor from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1955. He became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1958 (2). He won the Horatio Alger Award in 1971. (4) The Mullins Library at the University of Arkansas holds “an extensive collection of project and personal photographs in addition to a collection of architectural drawings and papers” (2).

Edward Durrell Stone died after a brief illness in New York City on August 6, 1978. (1) His career spanned five decades and encompassed Art Deco, the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, Modernism, and his own unique decorative style of architecture, reacting against the cold International Style. As Paul Goldberger wrote, “Mr. Stone sought not to go beyond the International Style but to turn the clock back to a personal kind of modern architecture.”

References

Goldberger, P., (7 August, 1978). Edward Durell Stone Dead at 76; Designed Major Works Worldwide. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/07/archives/edward-durell-stone-dead-at-76-designed-major-works-worldwide-a.html

R. L. Skolmen and H. Stone, (n.d.). Edward Durell Stone: Life. https://www.edwarddurellstone.org/

Smart, G., (2024). Edward Durell Stone, FAIA (1902-1978). https://usmodernist.org/stone.htm

Wikipedia.com, (7 February, 2014). Edward Durell Stone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Durell_Stone

Edward Durell Stone, The Evolution of an Architect, (New York: Horizon Press, 1962), 92.

Britannica.com, (n.d). Edward Durell Stone, American architect. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Durell-Stone#ref81069

Goldberger, P. (18 August, 2008). Hello, Columbus. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/08/25/hello-columbus