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xtruss · 2 years ago

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Photographed on July 11, 2023—the Fagradalsfjall Volcano's gas cloud stretches over the Litli-Hrútur mountain and is illuminated at sunset. Smoke from nearby lava-ignited moss fires blow into the valley below. Photograph By Mike Mezeul II Photography

Iceland 🇮🇸 Has Entered A New Volcanic Era

The country’s volcanic peninsula has been dormant for centuries. But experts say the tectonic shifts behind the recent eruptions and earthquakes are a long time coming.

By Robin George Andrews | July 24, 2023

For centuries, the country’s western volcanic peninsula has been dormant, but a new era of volcanic activity could be on the horizon.

The Fagradalsfjall Volcano, a raised crater of bubbling lava—glowing bright yellow in an expanse of dark gray—is the latest eruption heralding Iceland’s new period of volcanic activity.

The eruption announced its approach on July 4 of this year, when southwest Iceland was rocked by more than 2,000 earthquakes in just 24 hours. Not long after, seismic activity dropped off as magma rose to shallow depths and ultimately gave way to oozing molten rock on July 10.

A river of lava cuts its way through the valley in between the Keilir and Litli-Hrútur mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Photograph By Mike Mezeul II Photography

Located next to the small mountain of Litli-Hrútur, this eruption is taking place on Reykjanes, a volcanically active peninsula that has become a popular destination among tourists looking to see lava fountaining above and pouring onto the surface. However, the site of the new eruption is potentially hazardous—new fissures may open nearby without warning, rivers of lava can form at a quick pace, and toxic gas can quickly fill the air, according to the Iceland Met Office.

This eruption is the peninsula’s third volcanic paroxysm in a row, following on from similar lava-spewing eruptions in 2021 and 2022—and it’s unlikely to be the last.

After an eruption last summer, Dave McGarvie, a volcanologist at Lancaster University, told National Geographic that the recent uptick in volcanic activity, “... could herald the start of decades of occasional eruptions.”

A lava flow smolders, glowing red through black volcanic rock. While the Icelandic government has warned that this latest eruption is hazardous to visitors, the region is a popular destination for volcanic tourism. Photograph By Chris Burkard, Verb Photo

Iceland’s Volcanic Geology

The Reykjanes Peninsula lies about 17 miles southwest of Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik. It sits atop the continually spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American plate to the west and the Eurasian plate to the east are gradually pulling apart. Superhot, gassy magma, which is less dense than the surrounding rock, can sometimes rise into the shallow crust from buoyancy alone, but all that regional stretching also creates cracks where molten rock can infiltrate.

The peninsula’s subterranean bedlam seems to manifest as periodic busts of volcanism. Historical accounts and studies of ancient volcanic rocks show that times of volcanic repose transition into loud seismic and eruptive awakenings in a cycle that’s transpired several times in the past few millennia.

Although the region had been volcanically dormant for centuries, the tectonic sundering happening in the depths meant that the latest eruptions have long been in the works.

An aerial view shows the new volcanic eruption at Litli Hrútur. Geological changes normally take thousands of years, but here at the volcano, where new land is forming, the earth changes rapidly as fissures open up, and molten lava spills across the landscape. Photograph By Karim Iliya, Verb Photo

A Fiery New Beginning

And in recent years, several sheets of magma ascended toward the surface, indicated by the changing shape of the ground and swarms of earthquakes, says Tobias Dürig, a volcanologist at the University of Iceland. But for some time, these magmatic serpents failed to see sunlight—their escape was stymied either from the loss of their own upward momentum or because the resilient crust didn’t offer an escape hatch.

Nevertheless, as earthquakes began to crescendo in both frequency and strength from late 2019 onwards, scientists suspected that an eruption sometime in the future seemed inevitable. That was confirmed in dramatic fashion on March 19, 2021, when lava began gushing from a 1,650-foot-long fissure in a valley of the Geldingadalur region.

These ferocious fires are gifting scientists with an unparalleled look at the connective tissue between the igneous abyss below and the lava-licked landscape above. Their efforts help improve our understanding of Earth’s viscera, of Iceland’s volcanic cadence, and of this peninsula’s volcanic dangers.

An aerial view of the main cinder cone that has formed from the 2023 Fagradalsfjall Volcano eruption in Iceland. Photograph By Mike Mezeul II Photography

Iceland 🇮🇸 Eruption May Be the Start of Decades of Volcanic Activity

A second outburst of lava in under a year strongly suggests that the country’s Reykjanes Peninsula will become one of the most volcanically dynamic parts of the planet for several generations. (Some More Photographs August 2022)

After centuries of quiescence, Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula has erupted twice in less than a year, sending up fountains of incandescent rock. The latest eruption, which started at 1:18 p.m. local time on August 3, 2022, opened up at a fissure only a few hundred feet away from the cone crafted by last year’s volcanic outburst.

The incandescent rock is erupting with greater vigor than last year's outburst, but what the volcano will do in the days ahead—including how long this eruption will last—remains unknown. A small plane at the bottom of this image illustrates the scale of the new eruption. (August 2022)

While the volcano currently poses little risk, authorities are keeping a close watch on the changing hazards. In the image below, members of the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue are seen investigating the dangers near the lava's edge. (August 2022)

The sputtering lava has already begun building small mounds of spatter near the fissure and filling the valley with a pool of molten rock. It’s unclear for now if the lava will remain confined to these valleys or will travel further afield, perhaps reaching the sea. But for now, says Evgenia Ilyinskaya, a volcanologist at the University of Leeds, the eruption is providing scientists with “a fantastic natural experiment.” (August 2022)

#Volcanoes 🌋#Iceland 🇮🇸#Volcanic Peninsula #Volcanic Activity #Fagradalsfjall Volcano 🌋#Eruptions #Earthquakes #Potentially Hazardous #Fissures #Dave McGarvie #Lancaster University #The National Geographic #Litli-Hrútur #Reykjanes #Iceland 🇮🇸 Met Office #Geological Changes #Earth’s Viscera

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prabirkumarm2 · 2 years ago

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Popular Attractions to Visit in Kalimpong

Kalimpong, in recent years, has seen lots of footfalls. The beauty of the town has come to the notice of lots of tourists. While visiting Kalimpong, here are the popular attractions people get to see. Have a look-

Nestled amidst the breathtaking Eastern Himalayas, Kalimpong is a serene hill station located in the Indian state of West Bengal. Overlooking the lush Teesta River Valley, this picturesque town exudes an old-world charm, making it a perfect destination for nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts, and those seeking tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of city life. With its pleasant climate, panoramic vistas, and rich cultural heritage, Kalimpong offers a plethora of attractions that leave travelers spellbound. Let's embark on a journey to explore the enchanting charms of Kalimpong.

Deolo Hill and Durpin Dara: Perched at an elevation of 1,704 meters, Deolo Hill is the highest point in Kalimpong and provides breathtaking panoramic views of the town and the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. It is an ideal spot to witness stunning sunrises and sunsets. Nearby, Durpin Dara offers another vantage point with awe-inspiring views of the surrounding valleys and the Teesta River winding its way through the landscape.

Zang Dhok Palri Phodang: This magnificent Buddhist monastery is a revered place of worship and a symbol of religious harmony in Kalimpong. The monastery houses rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, exquisite religious artifacts, and colorful murals that narrate the life of Lord Buddha. The tranquil ambiance and stunning architecture make Zang Dhok Palri Phodang a must-visit.

Flower Nurseries: Kalimpong is famous for its flower nurseries that cultivate a wide variety of exotic flowers, including orchids, gladioli, and cacti. The flower nurseries not only add vibrant hues to the landscape but also make for a delightful experience for nature enthusiasts and photographers.

Crockety: Step back in time as you visit Crockety, a colonial-era mansion that has been converted into a museum. It showcases an extensive collection of rare artifacts, antique furniture, and historical relics, offering a glimpse into Kalimpong's colonial past.

Pine View Nursery: For nature lovers and horticultural enthusiasts, Pine View Nursery is a must-visit attraction. The nursery is adorned with a vast collection of cacti, succulents, and other ornamental plants, providing a serene environment for a leisurely stroll.

Tharpa Choling Monastery: This ancient Bhutanese monastery, dating back to the mid-19th century, is a testament to the town's rich cultural heritage. The intricate frescoes, exquisite murals, and peaceful surroundings make it a spiritual and architectural marvel.

Morgan House: Another relic of Kalimpong's colonial past, Morgan House is a heritage property that has been converted into a tourist lodge. The architectural blend of British and traditional Tibetan styles is a unique feature that entices visitors.

Teesta River Rafting: Adventure seekers can get their adrenaline pumping with exhilarating white-water rafting on the Teesta River. The river offers a range of difficulty levels, catering to both beginners and experienced rafters.

Kalimpong Arts and Crafts Center: This center is a haven for art aficionados and shoppers. It houses a variety of traditional crafts and handicrafts, including thangkas (Buddhist paintings on silk), wood carvings, and handmade paper products.

Pedong: Located a short drive away from Kalimpong, Pedong is a quaint hamlet that is perfect for a peaceful retreat. The small village is surrounded by forests and offers breathtaking views of the Himalayas.

In addition to these attractions, Kalimpong's vibrant local markets, warm and welcoming locals, and delicious regional cuisine make the entire experience unforgettable. The town's cultural diversity, with influences from Tibetan, Nepali, and Bhutanese cultures, adds to its allure.

#kalimpong #darjeeling

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rainbowcarousels · 2 years ago

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Happy New Years!

I've been stuck at a family thing for about three hours and have decided to write this on my phone. As such, if there's typos, I'll fix them later.

Thank you for putting up with my nonsense all year, folks!

five new years eves with daniel and armand

Preview:

“Daniel,” Armand’s voice brought him out of his mind. “It’s after midnight.”

So it was. “Happy New Year,” Daniel said, just for something to say.

Armand did nothing but stand like a statue for thirty long seconds before blinking and shifting, like said statue coming to life. “Happy New Year, Daniel.”

There was something about the timbre of his voice when he said Daniel’s name that made Daniel want to weep.

Next year, if he survived long enough, he was going to get fall down drunk. He couldn’t deal with this shit sober.

The first New Years Eve that Daniel spends in the company of his dead stalker isn’t the first one since he started running, but the second.

In the year and a bit since this game of predator and prey began, something had begun to shift. Armand had shown himself more often. Daniel wasn’t naive enough to think that he hadn’t always been tracing his steps, so he must be allowing himself to be seen – this faux youth sitting on a bench as Daniel came out of a grocery store or sitting down beside him on a bus only to stare at him. Daniel wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted. Armand hadn’t been forthcoming with much communication, only stared at him as if he were some grand crossword puzzle and he was trying to work out how all the words intersected.

Daniel found himself in Krakow for his second New Years Eve since meeting Louis, since everything had changed. Being one of a million faces in the city gave him a modicum of anonymity, or so he had thought until Armand grabbed the menu out of his hand to look at it. They were holed up in an old town cafe on a corner, black and white photographs adorning the walls and a grand chandelier dropped down uncomfortably close to the tables. There was a contrast there in the dented walls, the peeling paint and promise of better times.

“What could you possibly want that for?” Daniel demanded, ignoring how white Armand looked in the ambient light. An unearthly child, an angel that swooped too close to the ground and had its wings torn off. “You don’t eat.”

“I drink,” Armand told him. “I’d be careful about inciting that hunger. I can hear your heart.”

As if to prove the point, Armand reached over and pressed his fingers against Daniel’s rib cage. They pressed hard with every slam of his heart and Daniel could only watch, mesmerised.

Then he was gone, and Daniel ordered himself a stronger drink or three.

—

The following year, Daniel chose to spend his New Year's Eve celebrating the fact he was still alive by eating takeaway in his hotel. He’d been in West Berlin less than twenty-four hours, so he thought he’d have more time before his demonic familiar showed up to chase him to his next destination.

But no, Daniel had been in mid-bite when he became aware if Armand at the window. Had he climbed up into it without being seen, as he had done in Paris? How did no one notice such things? The city was a crowded metropolis on New Years Eve, someone had to have seen this weird little creature coming up a building like he was reenacting incy wincy spider.

“What's an incy wincy spider?”

Daniel tried not to startle as the thought seemed to be plucked from his mind. “It’s a children’s song.”

Armand’s nose wrinkled ever so slightly. “What makes it a children’s song?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel shrugged. “Simplistic rhymes? Easily relatable subject matter? Grown men probably shouldn’t use the words incy wincy?”

“You did,” Armand replied, glancing over him in a way that made Daniel’s skin prickle. It must have been nerves. “You are fully grown.”

“Have been for a while now,” Daniel agreed. “But I’m not a shining model of mental health and fortitude, am I?”

“What’s wrong with your mental health and fortitude?” Armand phrased it like it was a genuine question, as if he was curious about how Daniel’s mind worked – or didn’t, as was often the case.

“I doubt most people would run away from their lives to play chase with a vampire,” Daniel pointed out lightly. He pressed his finger to his temple. “Something must have gone wrong in there.”

Armand looked at him with an electrifying scrutiny, like he could see inside each of the parts of his body and mind. How the mechanisms that formed him functioned and failed, how the neurons in his brain fired off and dulled once they’d completed their purpose. It was uncomfortable, but strangely, not in a way he disliked. That was something else he could probably chalk up to his brain being a little on the peculiar side.

“What caused it?” Armand asked. Maybe he didn’t know either.

There was no real answer to that. If anything, Daniel could have, would have and should have been living the fabled American dream. He came from a ‘good home’, in that he was sure that his parents and grandparents loved him in their own way. They’d provided for him, sent him to Sunday school to learn right from wrong, paid for college and he’d gotten his first job right out of it. By now, he probably should have met a nice girl and gotten a ring on her finger. Maybe an ankle biter on the way.

It was just all so…mediocre. There was nothing grand about it, nothing special. No grand romance, no heart stopping pleasure, no – no this.

“Daniel,” Armand’s voice brought him out of his mind. “It’s after midnight.”

So it was. “Happy New Year,” Daniel said, just for something to say.

Armand did nothing but stand like a statue for thirty long seconds before blinking and shifting, like said statue coming to life. “Happy New Year, Daniel.”

There was something about the timbre of his voice when he said Daniel’s name that made Daniel want to weep.

Next year, if he survived long enough, he was going to get fall down drunk. He couldn’t deal with this shit sober.

—

“Why don’t you attend the parties?”

Armand showed up like an apparition on the seat opposite Daniel’s in Brooklyn. True to his word, Daniel had started drinking as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon and other than eating his weight in fries and the occasional piss, he hadn’t moved since then.

“What parties?” Daniel asked, fingering the glass. Everything was a little buzzed but he was pretty sure he could still walk without swaying so he wasn’t nearly drunk enough to deal with Armand yet.

“People go to parties,” Armand said, as if he were stating something he’d read in a magazine somewhere. That clinical detachment. “I’ve seen them. They dress up. They dance. You don’t.”

“I haven’t spoken to my friends in years,” Daniel pointed out. “How would I be invited to a New Years Eve party?”

“Do you have to be invited?” Armand asked.

“No, it’s perfectly normal to show up uninvited to a stranger's home or insert yourself into the holiday plans,” Daniel replied. Actually, if this was what Armand truly thought, then this would explain a lot about him. “Did you eschew manners as a mortal too or is this just a vampiric development?”

“You’re drunk,” Armand said.

“You’re dead,” Daniel said. “If we could find someone to be another d-word, we could form a jazz trio.”

“Do you play a musical instrument, Daniel?” It should be illegal, the way he sounds when he says Daniel’s name.

“No,” Daniel admitted. “I’d have to sing and then we’d get thrown out of places. That’s real music for you, it’s not real if you don’t get thrown out.”

Armand grabbed the glass out of his hand – at least, Daniel thought he must have because it was now inexplicably in his hand and he was sniffing it. “Call yourself a cab,” Armand said suddenly. “If you fall and get yourself killed before I’m done with you, I’m going to be very upset with you.”

Daniel called the cab.

—

The first New Years Eve Daniel spends with Armand as his lover is in Scotland. They attend a Hogmanay street party spilling out from a seventeenth century church in Edinburgh and Armand is enraptured by the clothing, the food and the dancing. There were large bonfires and fireworks with a torchlight procession through the area. People dressed in traditional clothing, but others dressed like Vikings.

(No, Armand, I don’t know why.)

At midnight, people began to come into large circles and take each others’ crossed arms. They sang Auld Lang Syne, a thundering rendition by hundreds of people and finally, people kissed one another. A tradition that Daniel was familiar with, but he wasn’t sure if Armand would appreciate him doing it now in public.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why they’re kissing?” Daniel whispered into Armand’s ear, his nose brushing against the cold of it.

“It’s for good luck,” Armand replied.

Daniel tried not to feel dampened by the idea someone had already told him. Most of the time, it could be annoying to have to explain things but he also felt possessive about it. A mass of confusion, as all things with Armand are.

Armand smiled ever so slightly, “We did this too, when I was human.”

Oh.

Daniel hadn’t considered that. He wasn’t sure how far back the tradition went or where it came from, but Armand so infrequently spoke about his life at all – and even less so about his mortal life – that he hadn’t thought of it.

“You had parties and masks, to ward away the evil of the last year.” Daniel listened as Armand went on. “Then tore the mask away, inviting love and luck into you and banishing the bad things.”

“We don’t wear masks,” Daniel said, almost afraid to say anything at all in case he broke this spell and Armand stopped talking.

“No,” Armand said. “We should kiss now.”

Daniel swallowed hard and nodded, sliding his hand into Armand’s hair and drawing their mouths together. It would never cease to amaze him how oddly cool the inside of his mouth was, or rather, no temperature at all, like putting your fingers in body temperature water. Something in him wanted to push his tongue against Armand’s fangs, but given the noises that tended to come out of him, they’d probably get arrested for public indecency.

It would be worth it, but Armand pulled away with the promise of later in those big, indulgent eyes of his.

—

It took three years to make it to Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve.

The problem was that they corralled the people into the area early, often just after dark. Then no one else could come in or out, so you either got in or you didn’t.

Thanks to some finangling from Armand’s mental powers, they made it there on their third try. They could have bewitched someone to let them in the previous years, but they’d gone ice skating instead and then stolen someone’s car and attended house parties of people they didn’t know. Sometimes he thought back to telling Armand that people didn’t do that, but maybe neither of them really classified as mere people anymore.

People were cheering, waving around the signs and he kept his hand around Armand’s wrist so he didn’t lose him in the crowd. The cheering was deafening, the crowd excited for the lighted apple as it slowly began to make its way down and there it was, the giant lit up letters of the New Year on the side of the building as balloons and confetti dropped. A rousing edition of Auld Lang Syne took over the crowds, the same but different.

“Happy New Year, beloved.” Armand whispered it aloud, but he could hear it as it was a beacon inside his head.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Daniel was gripped by the terror that another year had passed, that it crept closer to a decade since he had learned about this other world and he was stuck, mortal and dying within the passage of time.

“You only grow more beautiful to me.” Armand said it with such sincerity that it was almost painful. It was something he’d want to fight him on, that he wasn’t more beautiful, he was getting older and slower and he’d want to find a new play thing soon.

“Maybe this is the year I finally convince you,” Daniel suggested,

“I hope not,” Armand’s hand grasped at his clothes like a drowning man reaching for purchase against the waves. He couldn’t even look him in the eye to say it. “I don’t want to lose you.”

How could making him immortal, how could them being forever amount to losing him? Daniel wanted to argue it, but they’d argued it so many times. Right now, drunk on alcohol, Armand and atmosphere, it was hard not to get swept up in the joviality of the moment: in being seen as beautiful, in Armand’s honey voice in his head and the feeling of his curls against his cheek.

“Dance with me?” Daniel suggested, his heart swelling in his chest when Armand lifted his eyes to him and he saw his smile bloom on his face.

They could argue any night. This was their fresh new start to the year and he wanted to start it as he meant to go on: enveloped in his lovers arms, dancing to to their own music and utterly, desperately in love.

#happy new years eve #devil's minion #daniel/armand #vc #fic

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edgeoftides · 2 years ago

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The North Wales Coast and Why I Love It

For those who enjoy spectacular scenery, North Wales has it all.

Conwy Castle

With 250 miles of breathtaking coastline, featuring rugged seascapes, tidal islands, secluded coves, historic lighthouses, medieval castles, Victorian fishing piers and delightful coastal towns; the North Wales coastline is a photographer's paradise.

Bordered in the north and west by the Irish Sea, the beaches in North Wales, several of which have been designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are among the best in the entire United Kingdom. Tales of legends, myths, shipwrecks and battles are all part of the region’s culture and thousands of years of Welsh history. Away from the coast lies the vast, untamed Snowdonia National Park, home to trails, lakes, waterfalls, and ascent routes to Mount Snowdon; the highest peak in England and Wales.

Many of North Wales' beaches are easily accessible

The Wales Coast Path, the first in the world to follow a country’s coastline in its entirety, offers the best way to witness jaw-dropping scenery and connect with the resorts, towns and villages along the way. The 870 miles coastal route offers unbroken, unspoilt, coastal walking with several sections suitable for cyclists and designated as part of the National Cycle Network. The official start and finish points are on the northern border with England near Chester and Chepstow in the south. The North Wales section encompasses the Dee Estuary and travels west to Bangor, then circumventing the Isle of Anglesey (via the Anglesey Coast Path) and onto the Llŷn & Snowdonia Coast.

I live close to the sea at approximately the mid-way point of the northern coastline in the county of Conwy. I can get to a lot of spots for my coastal photography quickly and easily. Further afield, a short drive takes me onto the beautiful Isle of Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula is only an hour away.

Golden hour photography on the North Wales coast

As one of the most popular seaside vacation destinations in the UK, the region is host to a number of bustling, coastal resorts. Long, sandy beaches offer plenty of space for recreational, leisure and sports activities. I prefer secluded spots and I photograph mainly in the golden hours around sunrise and sunset. Pensarn and Llanddulas are my local beaches. Neither location will be on most photographer's hit-lists of favourite photo hot-spots, yet these less famous beaches are a constant inspiration for my photography, offering a slower pace of life, time to reflect and create in silence.

Sunset at Llanddulas Beach.

I never run out of themes because the captivation of either calm or wild seas, vast stretches of exposed sand, and an infinite diversity of rocks, cliffs, water, and beach. North Wales offers all of this and more, I feel fortunate and privileged to call this my home.

Morning gallop at Pensarn Beach.

The North Wales coast is easily accessible thanks to the A55 expressway, a major road that extends from the eastern border all the way to Holyhead Port on the Isle of Anglesey. A substantial rail route runs from Holyhead through to Cheshire in England.

All images © Adrian McGarry

#north wales #wales #coast #north wales coast #beach #sea #conwy castle #conwy #pensarn #llanddulas #a55 #north wales path #wales coastal path #landscape photogrpahy #coastal photography #seascapes

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liray-stylespk · 4 years ago

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modern-columbia-mo · 4 years ago

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Education

Nowadays, it is interesting to know the educational system and status of Columbia, MO. Since education plays a huge role in shaping your future, you can enrich yourself with knowledge about it, especially if you want to transfer to the said place. Basically, Columbia and much of the surrounding area lies within the Columbia Public School District. The district enrolled more than 18,000 students and had a budget of $281 million for the 2019-20 School Year. CPS also manages six middle schools such as West, Jefferson, Lange, Oakland, Smithton, and Gentry. Lastly, there is also a seventh school that will open in the 2019-20 school year.

MasterTech Plumbing

There are many reasons MasterTech Plumbing plumbers in Columbia, MO are considered the best in the industry. Interestingly, your comfort and safety always come first. For them, every job is guaranteed to provide you with quality results and the peace of mind you deserve. In addition, they are also committed to providing top-notch plumbing and HVAC solutions throughout Columbia and all of Mid-Missouri. Aside from that, always remember that they offer 24/7 service, with upfront, flat-rate pricing and it also includes red carpet service and accurate solutions. Lastly, all you have to do is contact them in order to request an estimate, ask for their second opinion, or schedule immediate service.

Parson activates National Guard as precaution

JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson activated the Missouri National Guard on Thursday to help local law enforcement if needed during civil unrest and demonstrations. Parson said in a statement the move was "precautionary" and a "proactive" step in response to civil unrest across the country. A spokeswoman for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for more information. "We fully support the right of citizens to peacefully protest and are committed to protecting that right," Parson said. "At this time, we are taking a proactive approach in the event that assistance is needed to support local law enforcement in protecting Missouri and its people." Read more here.

The Columbia Daily Tribune has reported about Parsons who have activated National Guard as precaution. In other words, Gov. Mike Parson activated the Missouri National Guard on Thursday to help local law enforcement if needed during civil unrest and demonstrations. In a statement, he mentioned that the move was "precautionary" and a "proactive" step in response to civil unrest across the country. In addition, a spokeswoman for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for more information. Basically, the goal of the decision is to protect the people in Missouri and the city itself.

Shelter Gardens in Columbia, MO

For so many years, the Shelter Gardens in Columbia, MO is popular among travelers and backpackers from many parts of the world. Even though the name is a little bit different, it is still appealing even to millennial wanderers. However, things changed due to the pandemic. It is necessary to be cautious before going there due to COVID-19 problems. Basically, it is a beautiful botanical garden in the heart of Columbia that serves as a relaxation spot, provides a lovely backdrop for weddings and a place to learn. Lastly, the place has beautiful flower garden that is why it is a popular spot for small weddings and local photographers.

Link to Map

Driving Direction

Shelter Gardens 1817 W Broadway, Columbia, MO 65218, United States

Head west on W Ash St toward Bernadette Dr Pass by Michaels (on the right) 0.2 mi

Turn left onto N Stadium Blvd 0.2 mi

Turn right onto W Broadway 1.3 mi

Turn right onto N Strawn Rd 1.1 mi

Turn left onto Interstate 70 Dr SW Destination will be on the left 0.1 mi

MasterTech Plumbing, Heating and Cooling 5150 Interstate 70 Dr SW Columbia, MO 65203

#Columbia plumber #air conditioner repair columbia #Shaw plumber #Woodlandsville plumber #Huntsdale plumber #Pierpont plumber #Mid-Missouri plumber

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historichollywoodphotographs · 5 years ago

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Sunset Boulevard: More Than Just The Strip

Several galleries in our hollywoodphotographs.com collection depict sites located on Sunset Boulevard and for good reason: the street tells so many aspects of the Hollywood story - associations with the early film industry, entertainment venues, and key places where residents worked, shopped, and worshipped. Twenty-two miles in length, the winding and heavily trafficked thoroughfare includes portions of a centuries old cattle trail and sections which bridge several subdivisions of Los Angeles as it passes from downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean. The route runs through the neighborhoods of Echo Park, Silverlake, Los Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, BelAir, Brentwood, and Pacific Palisades. The stretch from Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz on the east, to Sierra Drive in West Hollywood, has long been associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s so iconic, it even has its own movie: Sunset Boulevard, a classic made in 1950, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden.

Many early motion picture entrepreneurs set up shop along Sunset Boulevard’s eastern portion, one such studio survives at 4401 Sunset (now used by Scientology Media). While DW Griffith’s Intolerance set no longer towers over the intersection at Hillhurst Avenue, the Spanish Colonial Revival Vista Theater at 4473 Sunset (1923, Lewis A. Smith) with its delightful Egyptian interior remains. To the west, the first site of Warner Brothers in Hollywood (now known as Sunset Bronson) at 5800 Sunset still operates, as does the Columbia Studios complex (now called Sunset Gower). Across the street at 6121 Sunset, stands CBS Columbia Square (1938, William Lescaze and ET Heitschmidt, International Style), the brainchild of William Paley and epicenter of his West Coast radio empire. Paley built his complex on the site of the very first studio in Hollywood and a plaque commemorating that history still rests in the front courtyard.

Two entertainment venues - the Palladium (6215) and the Earl Carroll Theatre (6230) dominate the blocks east of Vine Street. Both are designated Historic Cultural Monuments (as is CBS) and associated with prominent architects and owners. At 6360, the modernist Cinerama Dome (1963, Welton Becket and Associates), was a slightly later addition to the street that continued the development pattern of restaurants, theater, and retail around Vine Street. The intersection of Sunset and Vine played a particularly prominent role in the radio and music industries from the 1930s through the 1960s.

As Sunset crosses Cahuenga, several institutions – the Hollywood Athletic Club (6525, Beaux Arts), Blessed Sacrament Church (6657, Spanish Colonial Revival), Crossroads of the World (6671, Robert Derrah, Streamline Moderne), and the Hollywood Reporter (6715, Hollywood Regency) – are just a few examples of early 20th century styles that made Hollywood famous for its architectural and cultural diversity within the community.

Located at Sunset and Highland, Hollywood High School was founded in 1903; its lovely Streamline campus designed by architects Marsh, Smith, and Powell dates from 1935. One block west, the corner of Sunset and La Brea was once home to the famous Tiny Naylor’s Drive-In. Further west through the historic neighborhoods of Spaulding Square and Sunset Square (designated Historic Preservation Overlay Zones), are the Director’s Guild at 7920, the former locations of Schwab’s Pharmacy at 8024, and the Garden of Allah Hotel at 8150 (soon to be a new development designed by Frank Gehry). The Garden was headquarters for transplanted writers during their stays in Hollywood, including Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker (of New York Algonquin Hotel fame), and novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Chateau Marmont at 8221 (1928, Arnold Weitzman, Norman Style), just west of Crescent Heights, is the gateway to the “Sunset Strip”, the most famous/infamous section of the boulevard. Located in the city of West Hollywood, this part of Sunset was, and still is, a major hub of Los Angeles nightlife, known for its trademark array of colorful billboards. The mile and a half stretch running from Harper Avenue passed Sunset Plaza to the boulevard’s western border with Beverly Hills, is densely populated with trendy boutiques, restaurants, nightclubs and venues that have been social gathering spots of the entertainment industry and its fans for over eight decades.

Historically outside of the Los Angeles city limits, in an unincorporated area of the county of Los Angeles, these blocks of Sunset were policed by the less vigilant Sheriff’s Department rather than the heavy hand of the LAPD, thus the area was perceived to be more permissive of public behavior. It was illegal to gamble in the city, but legal in the county. This fostered the building of a wilder concentration of nightlife than Los Angeles proper would tolerate in the 1920s. As a consequence, a number of nightclubs and casinos moved in along The Strip, attracting celebrities and other more liberal-minded locals, as the alcohol continued to flow in back rooms during Prohibition.

Glamour and glitz especially defined The Strip in the 1930s and 40s, as its renowned restaurants and nightclubs became playgrounds for the rich and famous. Movie legends, power brokers and everyone who was anyone danced at such legendary clubs as Ciro’s (8433), Mocambo (8588), and the Trocadero (8610). Some of its more expensive clubs and restaurants were said to be owned by gangsters like Mickey Cohen, earning the Strip a mention in Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe novel The Little Sister. Most were owned by Hollywood insiders, such as Billy Wilkerson (publisher of the Hollywood Reporter) and director Preston Sturges. The publicity machine of the studios required their stars to be visible to the public, so gossip columnists like Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons were also regularly in attendance to report on the events and star sightings at these high profile venues.

By the early 1960s, The Strip seemingly lost favor with movie people, but the restaurants, bars and clubs continued to attract out of town visitors and locals. In the mid-60s and 70s, the area became a major hang out for the counterculture and rock music scenes, as well as the epicenter of the Sunset Strip curfew riots in the summer of 1966, which inspired the Buffalo Springfield song For What It’s Worth. Go-Go dancers performed nightly at such hotspots as the Whisky-a-Go-Go (8901), while bands such as The Doors, The Byrds, Frank Zappa, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Guns ’n Roses, and Whitesnake all played at the Roxy (9009), Pandora’s Box, London Fog, Rainbow Bar & Grill (9015), and Viper Room (8852).

As The Strip became a haven for musical artists in the 1970s and 80s, the Continental Hyatt House (8358), also referred to as the Riot House (now Andaz), became a second home for touring rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Consequently, the hotel became associated with notoriously debaucherous behavior for a time, many of its most outrageous legends later retold in Hollywood movies and TV shows. The Chateau Marmont (8221) and Sunset Tower (at 8358; Leland Bryant, 1931 Art Deco/Streamline Moderne), also share a long history of housing transplant artists during their stays in Hollywood, serving as film sets, and receiving mentions in literature, music, and pop culture.

The Comedy Store (8433), the former site of Ciro’s, gave many comics like Jim Carrey, Sam Kinison, David Letterman, and Jay Leno their starts, while bonafide comedians like Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, and Robin Williams would often try out their new acts in front of crowds.

Tales of Sunset’s history and significance are as long as the boulevard itself. We could easily go on. From the early 1900s to present, Sunset Blvd has been one of Hollywood’s favorite destinations to create, work, play, and shop; the variety of buildings and legends clearly reflect that. Regardless of your actual location, you too can take a trip down Sunset Blvd via hollywoodphotographs.com right now! Please enjoy exploring all the galleries we’ve linked to in this post and be sure to stay tuned for even more in-depth stories of other magnificent Hollywood locations soon to follow.

~ Christy McAvoy and Carly Caryn, Historic Hollywood Photographs

#sunset blvd #hollywood #sunset strip #architecture #streetsofla #cityscape #streetscape #west hollywood #los angeles #history #nightlife #celebrities #historic hollywood photographs #hollywood photos

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spooky-raccoon · 6 years ago

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Road Trip (Part 1)

Rufo x Female Reader

Part 1 to Road Trip

Tag List: @trig-loves-clowning-around @rottenhearts-and-sharpteeth

After double checking my list and making sure everything was in place in the car, I was finally able to officially start my vacation. I had been working my butt off to earn enough vacation time to properly enjoy the trip, so it felt good to finally sit down in the driver seat of my car. With a wave to a friend who was watching my cat I set on out to see the sights I had planned out. Town signs passed one after another and then finally state signs as I headed out west. I had been planning on camping in a few national state parks and get some photographs with my new camera that barely got any use these days. Poor thing had been so dusty when I pulled it out to get ready for the trip.

However, I guess things don’t always go as planned. Definitely not according to plan.

I had wrapped up my campsite at the first of many state parks and decided to take a few last pictures before I drove off. The morning was crisp but once the sun had started to come up the woods came to life with different creatures. I even had a deer come up to me as I was putting my things away. After giving it a carrot from the cooler and watching it run off I took off out of the park to head to my next destination on my list.

My car dinged a few times, letting me know it needed gas soon or it would leave me stranded at the side of the road. Thankfully, I had found a gas station nearby that was just off the highway and nested in a grove of trees. I pulled up to an available pump with my windows down and my Motown playlist playing from my speakers. It wasn’t too loud, but others could definitely hear it. I looked around to see who else was around in this middle of nowhere. There was a family sitting outside at the little fast food place attached to the gas station near an RV I guessed was theirs. A few people at the pumps filling up their cars as well. Finally, against the wall of the building was a man with wavy black hair in a dark brown leather trench coat who had been watching the family until me. He had looked over to see who the new person at the station was, his head tilting a little with a confused expression.

I tried to pay him no mind as I turned off my car and went inside, having to walk past him. I had met his gaze and nearly stopped in my tracks when I saw his face but made myself go inside instead. As I browsed the snacks I kept thinking about his ice blue colored eyes and his sharp looking jaw that was framed by his curly hair. He looked so serious yet something solemn was deep in his eyes. I shook my head as I grabbed a few snacks and a cold drink, also paying to fill up my tank. The door opened just as I was approaching it. My hand had gone out to open it, but I could see that the man was keeping it open for me with other arm in a gesture toward my vehicle. There was even a slight bow in his posture. I gave him a small smile and a thank you before making my way to the car.

I leaned against the side of the car as I pumped the gas after putting my snacks and drinks away, humming absentmindedly to the last song I had been listening to. I was even tapping my fingers a little and I probably would have started bobbing side to side if I didn’t remind myself that I was at a gas station with people still around. I was sort of lost in my own bubble and I hadn’t noticed that the man and I were the only two people left in the lot. Or that he had decided to come up to me.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong but was that Bobby Darin you were listening to when you pulled up?” A pleasantly soothing voice came from my right and I turned to see the tall man leaning against the side of my car on the hood just a few feet from me, a soft smile toying at the corner of his mouth. He looked the epitome of charming but there was still something off about him I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “I haven’t heard anyone listen to Bobby Darin in a while, especially someone of your age.”

“I love Bobby Darin and a lot of the old timey fellas. Especially Frank Sinatra. He’s my favorite.” I couldn’t help but to chuckle at his phrasing. He didn’t look too old, maybe close to his early to mid-thirties. “I’m (Y/N) by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“The name is Rufo. A pleasure to meet you, (Y/N). Not often I meet someone with good taste in music these days. Frank’s also a personal of mine.” He gave a small bow as he introduced himself which I chuckled a little at. “I was curious if you would help a stranger out just a little bit. Car broke done quite a way and wouldn’t get it back for some time which puts me in a pickle as I need to get to a job. I need a ride and the old hitchhiking thumb hasn’t gotten me too far. I have money for gas, food, and hotels for along the way if it comes to having to stay at one. I need to head pretty far out so if you can’t take me but a couple miles at the most I’d still be grateful.”

I was a little surprised at the request, my brows raising a little and I couldn’t help but to jump a little when the pump finished as it made a ding along with a loud thud. I always heard about nightmare stories of hitch hikers turning out to be some sort of crazed murderer but the man beside me didn’t give me any sort of odd vibe. I put the pump back in its holster and I looked back to Rufo, a smile growing on my own face which only made his grow wider as if he already knew the answer. The company would be nice to have, and he seemed friendly enough. Besides, I kept myself protected and had a couple knives and my tire iron just in case.

“No, no, that would be fine. It’d be nice to have a passenger along my little road trip. I’m heading pretty far out west too, but I should warn you I’m camping at parks as well as some hotels. I do have an extra sleeping bag if that’s alright with you.” I gave him a small shrug, “If not, a hotel most of the way is alright. Especially if we both need to shower.”

“I haven’t done much camping in ages so that sounds quite nice actually.” He grinned, large enough to see his perfect teeth that only made his smile ever more perfect itself. As he did he adjusted himself so now he was standing at his full height. He still towered over me. “Let me go grab some stuff for the road and we can get on out of here.”

With that he turned to the gas station, going inside with a pep in his step and I could hear him whistling a jaunty tune. I settled back in the car to get it started and turning down the music in case Rufo wanted to talk during the drive but still listen. He came back out after a little bit with a plastic bag that I could tell had a few snacks and some drinks. We put some of the drinks in the cooler and he got cozy in the passenger seat next to me.

Once he was buckled up I took off back down the road and getting onto the highway. It didn’t take me long to explain my little ternary and I even showed him the plans in the notebook I had made for the trip so he could take a look over it. As we chatted back and forth about some of the sights on the map I had marked I couldn’t help but think some questions to myself mentally. As Rufo got to talking more and more about some places he had experience with I couldn’t help but let my mind wonder now and again. I shouldn’t have let my guard down, but I couldn’t help but curious about this man when he would get so enthusiastic about somewhere with that smile beaming on his face and with the way his eyes lit up. There were things I really wanted to ask but I thought it would be rude, at least for now. Maybe later in a few days on the trip I could ask him. There was such a strange air about him, but that only made that curious feeling worse.

As I was asking myself a few questions about this man and this little adventure I was now starting myself on, but I never thought to ask myself:

Knowing of what was to come, would I have still said yes?

#rufo #rufo the clown #rufo fanfic #rufo fanfiction #more love for rufo #serenity falls #smile no more #one bad week #get ready for a slow burn #rufo: road trip #rufo: road trip part 1

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nationalparkposters · 5 years ago

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Best Things To Do In Rocky Mountain National Park

Best Things To Do In Rocky Mountain National Park: Rocky Mountain National Park's 415 square miles encompass and protect some of the world's most spectacular mountain environments. Trail Ridge Road – which crests at over 12,000 feet offers awe-inspiring overlooks to see these subalpine and alpine worlds. With more than 350 miles of hiking trails, and wildflowers, wildlife, and starry nights -- in a world of superlatives, Rocky is on top! My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and national park enthusiast. In fact, I've been to more than 50 of our amazing national parks. Rocky Mountain National Park is literally in my backyard, and I have explored almost every area of the park — so I'm ready to help! Whether this is your first time to Rocky Mountain, or if you are returning after many years and would like to be re-introduced to the park — this list of the best things to do is just for you! Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park has 355 miles of hiking trails. They range from flat lakeside strolls to steep mountain peak climbs. If you are new to the park, consult with rangers at the visitor centers. They can provide advice about trails which are appropriate to different fitness and experience levels. As you plan your hike, keep in mind that park elevations range from 7,500 to over 12,000 feet. Even very fit individuals coming from lower elevations may experience altitude problems. Symptoms include headaches, shortness of breath, insomnia and rapid heartbeat. To minimize symptoms drink plenty of fluids, avoid alcohol, don't skip meals and get plenty of rest. Fishing Sport fishing is permitted in Rocky Mountain National Park. Fishing activities are balanced with efforts to restore and perpetuate natural aquatic environments and life. Fishing was popular with early settlers and visitors in the Rocky Mountains. In an attempt to improve the sport, many streams and lakes were stocked with non-native species of trout. The National Park Service stocked non-native Yellowstone cutthroat trout as late as 1969. The only trout native to the park are the greenback cutthroat and the Colorado River cutthroat. These efforts to enhance recreational opportunities in National Park areas were reconsidered in the 1970s. Since 1975, native greenback cutthroat and Colorado River cutthroat trout are being restored to park waters and exotic or non-native fish are being removed. Wildlife Viewing Rocky Mountain National Park visitors have a passion for viewing wild animals, especially the big ones. With an elk herd numbering between 600 to 800 in the winter, about 350 bighorn sheep, numerous mule deer and a small population of moose calling the park home, it's no surprise that wildlife watching is rated the number-one activity by a vast majority of Rocky's three million annual visitors. Wildlife Viewing Tips The park's great large-animal population makes it one of the country's top wildlife watching destinations. Here are a few park favorites: Elk can be seen anytime, a popular viewing period being the fall rut, or mating season. Look for elk in meadows and where meadow and forest meet. Bighorn sheep are commonly seen at Sheep Lakes from May through mid-August. Moose frequent willow thickets along the Colorado River in the Kawuneeche Valley on the park's west side. Otters were reintroduced into the Colorado River area and are doing fairly well. These animals are difficult to spot. Mule deer are common and can be seen anywhere. They are most often found at lower elevations in open areas. Bats feed over lakes and ponds at dawn and dusk. Marmots and pikas favor rocky areas. Marmots are best seen on the alpine tundra along Trail Ridge Road. Pikas - small, light-colored mammals - are common in rock piles. Listen for their sharp, distinctive bark and watch for movement. Clark's nutcrackers, Steller's jays, golden eagles and prairie falcons can be seen along Trail Ridge Road. White-tailed ptarmigans, some of the most sought-after birds in Rocky Mountain National Park, are common but difficult to spot. For best results, hike on the tundra and look carefully. Ptarmigans usually remain still, relying on their natural camouflage for protection. American dippers, or water ouzels, can be found along most streams. Listen for their loud call, similar to the rapid clicking of two stones together, as they fly up and down their territories. Despite their good intentions, some wildlife watchers are loving park animals to death. Feeding junk food to wildlife reduces its ability to survive the long mountain winter. When they panhandle near roadsides, animals fall easy prey to automobiles. As they become habituated to humans and lose their natural fear, the animals become aggressive and may be destroyed. Harassing or feeding wildlife is illegal in all national parks. Horseback Riding Horses have been part of Rocky Mountain Park's tradition since its designation in 1915. Recreational pack animal use is balanced with other recreational uses such as hiking. Packing is managed to maintain the natural resources and unique ecosystems in the park. Horses, mules, ponies, llamas, and burros are allowed on park trails. No goats are allowed on park trails. For overnight camping, stock is permitted at established backcountry campsites designated for stock use. There are two stables located within the park: Glacier Creek Stables and Moraine Park Stables. There are many stables outside the park. Find contact information for the various stables in the area. There are two Estes Park stables open in the winter: Sombrero Stables and Aspen Lodge Stables. Approximately 260 miles of trails are open to commercial and private horse use, which makes up about 80% of the total trail network in the park. Wilderness Camping Rocky Mountain National Park offers some unique camping experiences and here are some things to consider when choosing your wilderness campsite. The first step in planning your trip: decide where you want to camp and for how long. I suggest purchasing a Rocky Mountain National Park topographic map to choose a destination and route. Then, use the Wilderness Campsite Map and Wilderness Designated Site Details to select wilderness campsites. Remember to consider the abilities of the least experienced member of your party and the distance and elevation gain from the trailhead to your destination. Elevation Rocky Mountain National Park is a high elevation park. If you live at sea level, it will take you several days to become acclimated. Most trails begin above 8,000 feet and climb abruptly higher. If you are not acclimated, you can get acute mountain sickness. Rangers recommend spending at least one night at 7,000–8,000 feet prior to setting out. This will allow your body to begin to adjust to the elevation. Weather and Clothing When you visit or call the park, discuss your plans with a ranger. Find out if snow has melted from the trails and destinations where you hope to hike. Check the weather forecast before starting your trip. Mountain weather changes very quickly. Within just a few hours, bright sunny skies may give way to raging storms. High winds often occur in the high country. Wind chill accelerates the lowering of body temperature which can result in hypothermia. Proper clothing is your first line of defense against cold. Plan to dress in layers so you can regulate your temperature by bundling up or peeling down. Be sure to pack rain and storm gear. Remember, you assume complete responsibility for your own safety and that of your group while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Ranger-Led Evening Programs All evening programs are free and open to the public and are held at several locations throughout the park during evening hours. Both the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and Kawuneeche Visitor Center are in non-fee areas of the park. East Side Locations: Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Auditorium (Hwy 36) is located approximately three miles west of the town of Estes Park. Evening programs are held mid- May through mid-June and intermittently throughout the year. Aspenglen Campground Amphitheater is located at the Fall River Entrance (Hwy 34) approximately 4 miles from downtown Estes Park. Evening programs will resume mid-June, 2019. Glacier Basin Campground Amphitheater is located along Bear Lake Road approximately 8 miles from downtown Estes Park.Evening programs will resume mid-June, 2019. Moraine Park Campground Amphitheater is located along Bear Lake Road approximately 5 miles from downtown Estes Park. Evening programs will resume mid-June, 2019. West Side Locations: Kawuneeche Visitor Center Auditorium is located approximately one mile north of the town of Grand Lake (Hwy 34). Evening programs are held on Saturday nights throughout the summer. Please stop at a the visitor center for more information on specific topics. Timber Creek Campground Amphitheater is located in the Kawuneeche Valley (Hwy 34) approximately eight miles from the Grand Lake Entrance. Evening programs are held throughout the summer and into September. Please stop at a the Kawuneeche visitor center for more information on specific topics. Kids Activities Kids are born naturalists. They access the natural world by asking questions, which sometimes come in bunches. Introducing children to the outdoors can begin at any time, but why not begin early? And why not start them out in Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the country's premier outdoor wonderlands. Infants can be carried in a front pack, which can be tucked inside the jacket if it's chilly. Hike anywhere. Your kids will be enthralled by the stunning scenery and the fresh mountain air, so enthralled that he or she will fall asleep in short order. When they reach the toddler stage, children begin to more actively interact with nature. It is a time of observation, of making initial connections and stockpiling notes. It is a wonderful time to introduce them to one of the many discovery trips found around the park. A few suggestions. Explore the edges of Bear Lake while enjoying the guidebook-guided trail tour that explains the area's natural and human history. Water holds an amazing variety of plant and animal life that will pique a child's curiosity. Discover Rocky Mountain's amazing array of wildlife. At particular times during the summer (ask a park ranger), the bighorn sheep come down to Sheep Lakes. Kids especially enjoy watching them cross the road after the lambs are born. Find a ponderosa pine forest and watch for Abert's squirrels. Their dark color and busy activities catch a toddler's eye for contrast and movement. Kids that are a bit older develop a more complex understanding of the world around them. While some children might enjoy expending energy hiking along a trail, most seem happiest thoroughly exploring a smaller area. On any hike with three to five year olds, it's a good idea to include a magnifying glass in the backpack. Textures of trees, plants, bugs and rocks are exciting close-up. In the early summer, enjoy the amazing floral colors found along the trail to Cub Lake. Have the youngsters keep an eye out for hummingbirds that may be visiting the flowers. Watch for beaver along the way in the Cub Creek drainage. Beaver dams are easy to spot in this area and stream banks are ideal places to look for animal tracks. The park has a "Rocky's Junior Ranger Program" for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Emphasis is placed on park preservation, flora and fauna facts, and environmental education. When kids complete the Junior Ranger booklet, they earn a badge. Check at a visitor center for information. These are but a few of the things you can do at Rocky Mountain National Park. Check with the park rangers when you arrive to see what activities are available, what wildlife might be easiest to see, or where the wildflowers are blooming. I've created three posters for Rocky Mountain National Park -- one that features a view of Moraine Park, one for Cub Lake, and one for the iconic Longs Peak. Click here to see the Rocky Mountain National Park, Cub Lake poster. Click here to see the Rocky Mountain National Park, Moraine Park poster. Click here to see the Rocky Mountain National Park, Longs Peak poster. Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist who had the rare privilege of studying under Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park when he was just 19 years old. Now, Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph all 61 of America's National Parks. He's creating WPA-style posters to help people celebrate their own national park adventures -- as well as encourage others to get out and explore! https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-in-rocky-mountain-national-park

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nowahbel-airphotography · 1 month ago

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#wedding #nowah belair photo #weddings by Belair #wedding portraits #Sioux Falls photographer #Sioux Falls Wedding photographer #best Sioux Falls wedding photographer #luxury wedding photographer #egagement photos #Mid-west destination photographer #Omaha wedding photographer

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theblackknightprince-blog1 · 5 years ago

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reiseführer neuseeland englisch (2)

There are almost 200 different species of fern, some grow up to 15 m high, some reach a leaf length of 3 m. Two thirds of the country were still covered with dense forests, today it is less than one third. The protected Kauri trees are a rarity in the forests of New Zealand today. Introduced tree species, e.g. pines, spread faster, to the detriment of the originally native tree species such as Rata or Pohutukawa, the New Zealand Christmas tree, which at the end of December with its bright red blossoms creates the right festive mood.

New Zealand - travel guide by Iwanowski

Your journey first takes you through the beautiful towns of Oamaru and Dunedin to the remote areas of the Southland region. You will then head towards Fiordland where you can explore the breathtaking Milford Sound. Awaiting you on the sunny but rugged West Coast with the towns of Nelson and Blenheim. In Kaikoura, whale watching is a must before returning to Christchurch. Since a New Zealand trip always leads to the Franz Josef Glacier and Mt Cook in the Southern Alps, you can expect snow in spring or autumn. Travellers should therefore be prepared for practically any weather. Light summer clothing, a few warm sweaters and jackets that can withstand rain and wind are simply part of the basic equipment. They are whisked with scrambled eggs or fried in a pan as a flat cake. The fish spend the first six months of their life in the sea, then they make their way to the rivers. Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here. The whitebait season runs from about mid August to the end of November. Backpacking is probably the most popular way to explore a country. New Zealand is a perfect destination because of its lively and hospitable people. Our online shop offers you a large selection of different travel guides. So you can buy the one that suits your needs - whether you want to explore the island state on foot or by bike, whether you want to play golf or take photographs. Do you have a particular region or city as your travel destination? Passports for bus, train, ferry and plane are especially cheap, e.g. Hop-on-Hopp-off-Tickets ( and ) and Scenic Rail Pass (). The Magic and Kiwi Experience backpacker buses are even cheaper.

#travel guide new zealand english

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xtruss · 4 years ago

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Where the Buffalo Roam: World’s Longest Wildlife Bridge Could Cross the Mississippi

Conservationist aims to replace old bridge with bison preserve, benefiting environment and spotlighting Indigenous history

— Kari Paul | Sunday, 27 June 2021 | Guardian USA

A bridge across the Mississippi could over a new spot for American bison. Photograph: Alan Rogers/AP

Between Iowa and Illinois, spanning the only stretch of the Mississippi River that flows from east to west, sits an exhausted 55-year-old cement bridge. Each day 42,000 cars drive across the ageing structure, which is slated to be torn down and replaced.

But when Chad Pregracke looks at the bridge, he has a different vision entirely – not an old overpass to be demolished, but a home for the buffalo to roam.

The conservationist and local hero hails from the Quad Cities, a 300,000-person metropolitan area spanning two states on either side of the Mississippi River. It is named for its four cities: Bettendorf and Davenport in south-eastern Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in north-western Illinois.

Pregracke spends months every year living on barges and cleaning up refuse from the Mississippi, and he has brought his passion for the river to his latest project: converting the ailing bridge into a buffalo preserve. The idea came to him four years ago as he drove across the bridge one day, he says: “I thought, what if we made this a wildlife crossing?”

Now, his unlikely vision is being taken seriously. The departments of transportation in Iowa and Illinois are considering the proposal, which would break ground in as little as five years.

A rendering of a potential future wildlife crossing. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

If completed, the bridge would become the longest human-made wildlife crossing in the world. The plan would see a new bridge built further down the river, where car traffic will be rerouted, and the existing bridge converted for use by humans and American bison – colloquially known as buffalo.

On one side would stand a pedestrian path and bike path, and on the other an enclosed bison paddock that would let visitors see eye to eye with the huge creatures. The herds would be free to roam between Iowa and Illinois in the grassy expanse, and the project would establish the first national park in either state.

While in many ways unique, the proposal follows a growing trend of urban renewal projects – perhaps most famously the High Line in New York City, a raised railroad converted into an elevated park. In Chicago, a raised railroad track was also converted into a park and bike trail. In Los Angeles, there have been proposals to convert part of the 101 freeway into a park.

Meanwhile, bison preserves featuring small herds have emerged in various locations across the US, including outside of Denver and in the middle of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

How creating wildlife crossings can help reindeer, bears – and even crabs

Advocates for the Bison Bridge, as it is being called, say repurposing the structure rather than demolishing it would reduce waste, save costs, and benefit the environment. Pregracke says the project would help turn the Quad City area into a world-class destination, highlighting the Mississippi River as a feature worth traveling to, rather than a body of water to be crossed on the highway. “I mean, how could you not stop for bison?” Pregracke said.

Native American groups say bison restoration is an important means of reconnecting with the land and local history – and recognizing the interlinked atrocities committed against bison and Indigenous people.

Since 1997, the National Wildlife Federation has held a conservation agreement with an intertribal advocacy group for the return of wild bison to tribal lands and “restoring Native Americans’ cultural connection to bison”. What is now the Quad Cities was, in the early 1800s, a principal trading center for Indigenous peoples. Advocates say highlighting the area’s traditional connection with bison can call attention to that history.

The Bison’s History as a ‘Cornerstone Species’

Buffalo were once abundant in the midwest and western United States, but they were hunted nearly to extinction.

In the mid-1800s it was estimated that 30 million to 60 million buffalo roamed the Great Plains before the US government began to systematically target them as a means to starve Indigenous Americans and drive them off their land. By the end of the 19th century, only 300 wild bison remained.

The current bridge over the Mississippi. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

Pregracke has convened a team of experts to help bring the bridge to life, including Jason Baldes, a tribal bison coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation. A member of the Eastern Shoshone, Baldes works to restore bison to the lands they once populated and reconnect them with Indigenous peoples who revered them as a main source of food and a spiritual symbol.

“The bison was known as the life commissary for my grandmas and grandpas,” Baldes said. “It was food, clothing, shelter, and was also central to our cultural and spiritual belief systems.”

Baldes said restoring bison in the US was important both culturally and ecologically. Bison are known as a keystone species, meaning their existence benefits a number of species in their native habitats.

The stampedes of millions of bison on the Great Plains helped aerate the soil, aiding in plant growth and the dispersal of native seeds to create a varied ecosystem. The fur of the animal is ideal for insulating the nests of certain birds, and burrowing owls once relied on their dung for building their homes. Bison have a tendency to wallow, or roll around on the ground, creating small depressions that provide unique habitats for plant and animal species.

Baldes said the reintroduction of bison to tribal communities and public parks represented an opportunity to teach the broader public about that painful history and rebuild.

“We are finding ways to heal from the atrocities of the past, and buffalo restoration, and the restoration of the foundation of our cultural values and belief systems, is very important to that,” Baldes said.

A rendering of the project. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

Baldes said based on his experience with bison populations, the bridge would be a sufficient size for a small herd of eight to 10 animals. But the small size did not diminish the importance of the project, he said, adding that he saw it as a “very key educational tool” for the broader public. The Meskwaki nation had been contacted regarding the project but was not collaborating in an official capacity as of now, a spokeswoman said.

“Bison were destroyed as a means to eradicate Native American land holdings and inflict genocidal practices, so for our tribal communities, buffalo restoration is very important,” Baldes said. “But it’s not only important to Native American tribes, but it’s important to the American people to at least have an opportunity to learn about this history.”

Local Agencies Anticipate a Bison Boom

Daniel MacNulty, an associate professor of wildland resources at Utah State University who studies wild bison populations in Yellowstone national park, said the repurposed bridge would in fact make a feasible habitat for the animals. Bison were hardy animals that could easily adapt to new surroundings, and while the size of the park proposed would not necessarily support a large herd of bison, a small herd would serve an important purpose.

Bison Bridge foundation logo. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

“It is certainly an out-of-the-box idea, but it provides an opportunity to conserve bison,” MacNulty said. “Any time the public is exposed to information about the ecology of bison and the Great Plains, it is a positive thing.”

Officials in the Quad City area have been supportive of the project in part because of the opportunities it could bring for tourism and growth to the area, which has had a stagnant population for more than 30 years. The project has been endorsed by the local community and economic development organization the Quad Cities Chamber and the regional tourism board Visit Quad Cities.

“We are trying everything we can do to make the Quad Cities a prosperous regional economy – and that means we need to think differently about how we attract and retain residents and businesses,” said Paul Rumler, president of the Quad Cities Chamber.

Currently, the area sees 1.6m visitors per year, generating $954m in local spending. Visit Quad Cities estimates a new national park could quadruple that number in just the first year, with sales tax bringing a “huge boost” to local hotels and restaurants.

“We would like to be able to point to this and show that this is how we do business here – we are creative, we are innovative and willing to try new concepts, and we have the perseverance to pull it off,” Rumler said. “We all need a crazy idea to latch on to.”

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rvrentalhouston · 6 years ago

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Yellowstone National Park RV Trip Tips

With over 100 years of American history, breathtaking views and overwhelming wildlife, your RV trip to Yellowstone National Park is sure to be the trip of a lifetime. When planning your trip it can be difficult to know where to begin. We’ve listed a few of our favorite must see’s to get you started, remember to book or list your RV with Easyrv.com before you hit the road.

Book your site in advance

Campsites fill up fast in God’s Country. There are limited campsites inside Yellowstone National Park and they book up a year in advance so start planning early! Each park offers something unique. If you aren’t able to book a site within the Park, fear not, there are plenty of beautiful locations outside the park. But here are a few highlights from the campgrounds inside this breathtaking national park.

Pebble Creek Campground

Pebble Creek Campground is a first come first serve park. Located near the parks northeast entrance Pebble Creek sits against the Absaroka Mountains. The Park is open from mid-June to September, so if you’re wanting to try to stay in this park you’ll want to plan accordingly. However, make sure you have a backup plan since there are no guarantees. Experience the old west in the Roosevelt Tower area, go fishing, or enjoy the spectacular wildlife viewing. Stretch your inner photographer or just observe nature soaking in the moment.

Fishing Bridge Campground

If you’re anything like myself and need a more definite plan, there are a few other options to choose from. For example, Fishing Bridge RV Park located near the mouth of Yellowstone River takes reservations. The Fishing Bridge, for which the park is named, is a perfect spot for bird watching. Be sure to bring your binoculars to enjoy all the wildlife from a safe distance.

Bridge Bay Campground

Another great option is Bridge Bay Campground which also accepts reservations. This park is located about 30 miles from the park’s east entrance and has spectacular views of the Absaroka Mountains. Bridge Bay Marina is close by, so you have access to a small store, boating and tours.

If you’re not able to book an RV space inside the park, fear not, there are plenty of options just outside the park. At the end of the day, what is really important is being able to enjoy as much of what Yellowstone National Park has to offer as possible. Let’s look at some of the highlights you won’t want to miss!

Planning Activities

In my mind, the idea of spontaneity and going with the flow sounds like a great idea, however, to be perfectly honest, that never really works out. Inevitably, we end up lost, frustrated and no one can decide on what to do. So, here’s a quick list of a few of this enchanting park’s highlights to get you started.

Geysers

Yellowstone is home to half of the world’s known geysers. The most popular of which is not the biggest, that title goes to Steamboat Geyser. Old Faithful however, is the most popular because it’s the most predictable. It was also the first geyser to receive a name.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Situated near Excelsior Geyser is the third largest hot spring in the world! Microbial mats around the mineral rich water cause the water’s vibrant colors of red, orange, yellow, green and blue and the more dominant color changes by the season. So, this one might be worth seeing twice!

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The geology of the canyon isn’t well understood, but the awe-inspiring beauty of the intricate erosion and canyon colors are undeniable and will leave you breathless.

Yellowstone Falls

The biggest of Yellowstone Falls, Lower Falls towers over 300 feet dumping up to 60,000 gallons of water per second over Lower Falls.

Regardless of where you stay or what sights you decide to fit into your RV Trip, it is sure to be an unforgettable experience. To list your RV for rent or find the perfect RV for your dream destinations, visit EasyRV.com

The post Yellowstone National Park RV Trip Tips appeared first on Easy RV.

#rent my rv #rent out my rv #rv owner rental programs #rv rental houston #rv rental houston tx #campe

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radfemandreadaly · 6 years ago

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The news that Jorg Haider - the Austrian fascist leader - spent his final few hours in a gay bar with a hot blond has shocked some people. It hasn't shocked me. This is a taboo topic for a gay left-wing man like me to touch, but there has always been a weird, disproportionate overlap between homosexuality and fascism. Take a deep breath; here goes.

Some 10,000 gay people were slaughtered in the Nazi death-camps. Many more were humiliated, jailed, deported, ethnically cleansed, or castrated. One gay survivor of the camps, LD Classen von Neudegg, has written about his experiences. A snapshot: "Three men had tried to escape one night. They were captured, and when they returned they had the word 'homo' scrawled across their clothing. They were placed on a block and whipped. Then they were forced to beat a drum and cheer, 'Hurrah! We're back! Hurrah!' Then they were hanged." This is one of the milder events documented in his book. So the idea of a gay fascist seems ridiculous. Yet when the British National Party - our own home-grown Holocaust-denying bigots - announced it was fielding an openly gay candidate in the European elections this June, dedicated followers of fascism didn't blink. The twisted truth is that gay men have been at the heart of every major fascist movement that ever was - including the gay-gassing, homo-cidal Third Reich. With the exception of Jean-Marie Le Pen, all the most high-profile fascists in Europe in the past thirty years have been gay. It's time to admit something. Fascism isn't something that happens out there, a nasty habit acquired by the straight boys. It is - in part, at least - a gay thing, and it's time for non-fascist gay people to wake up and face the marching music. Just look at our own continent over the past decade. Dutch fascist Pim Fortuyn ran on blatantly racist anti-immigrant platform, describing Islam as "a cancer" and "the biggest threat to Western civilisation today." Yet with two little fluffy dogs and a Mamma complex, he was openly, flamboyantly gay. When accused by a political opponent of hating Arabs, he replied, "How can I hate Arabs? I sucked one off last night."

Jorg Haider blasted Austria's cosy post-Nazi politics to rubble in 2000 when his neo-fascist 'Freedom Party' won a quarter of the vote and joined the country's government as a coalition partner. Several facts always cropped up in the international press coverage: his square jaw, his muscled torso, his SS-supporting father, his rabid anti-Semitism, his hatred of immigrants, his description of Auschwitz and Dachau as "punishment centres". A few newspapers mentioned that he is always surrounded by fit, fanatical young men. A handful went further and pointed out that several of these young men are openly gay. Then one left-wing German paper broke the story everybody else was hinting at. They alleged Haider is gay. Rumours of an Indian waiter with "intimate details" of Haider's body broke into the press. The Freedom Party's general manager Gerald Miscka quickly quit, amid accusations that he was Haider's lover. Haider's close gay friend Walter Kohler - who has been photographed showing off a holstered pistol while Haider chuckled - declared his opposition to outing politicians. Haider - who was married and has two children - kept quiet while his functionaries denied the rumours. The revelation that he died after leaving a gay bar suggests these rumours were true.

On and on it goes. If you inter-railed across Europe, only stopping with gay fascists, there aren't many sights you'd miss. France's leading post-war fascist was Edouard Pfieffer, who was not batting for the straight side. Germany's leading neo-Nazi all through the eighties was called Michael Kuhnen; he died of AIDS in 1991 a few years after coming out. Martin Lee, author of a study of European fascism, explains, "For Kuhnen, there was something supermacho about being a Nazi, as well as being a homosexual, both of which enforced his sense of living on the edge, of belonging to an elite that was destined to make an impact. He told a West German journalist that homosexuals were 'especially well-suited for our task, because they do not want ties to wife, children and family.'" And it wouldn't be long before your whistlestop tour arrived in Britain. At first glance, our Nazis seem militantly straight. They have tried to disrupt gay parades, describe gay people as "evil", and BNP leader Nick Griffin reacted charmingly to the bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub in 1999 with a column saying, "The TV footage of gay demonstrators [outside the scene of carnage] flaunting their perversion in front of the world's journalists showed just why so many ordinary people find these creatures repulsive."

But scratch to homophobic surface and there's a spandex swastika underneath. In 1999, Martin Webster, a former National Front organiser and head honcho in the British fascist movement, wrote a four-page pamphlet detailing his 'affair' with Nick Griffin. "Griffin sought out intimate relations with me," openly-gay Webster explained, "in the late 1970s. He was twenty years younger than me." Ray Hill, who infiltrated the British fascist movement for twelve years to gather information for anti-fascist groups, says it's all too plausible. Homosexuality is "extremely prevalent" in the upper echelons of the British far right, and at one stage in the 1980s nearly half of the movement's organisers were gay, he claims.

Gerry Gable, editor of the anti-fascist magazine 'Searchlight', explains, "I have looked at Britain's Nazi groups for decades and this homophobic hypocrisy has been there all the time. I cannot think of any organisation on the extreme right that hasn't attacked people on the grounds of their sexual preference and at the same time contained many gay officers and activists."

Griffins' alleged gay affair would stand in a long British fascist tradition. The leader of the skinhead movement all through the 1970s was a crazed, muscled thug called Nicky Crane. He was the icon of a reactionary backlash against immigrants, feminism and the 'hippy' lifetsyle of the 1960s. His movement's emphasis on conformity to a shaven, dehumanised norm resembled classical fascist movements; Crane soon became a campaigner and leading figure in the National Front. Oh, and he was gay. Before he died of AIDS in the mid-1980s, Crane came out and admitted he had starred in many gay porn videos. Just before he died in 1986, he was allowed to steward a Gay Pride march in London, even though he still said he was "proud to be a fascist." The rubber-soled friction between gay fascists and progressive British gay people sparked into anger in 1985 when the Gay Skinhead Movement organised a disco at London's Gay Centre. Several lesbians in particular objected to the "invasion" of the centre. They felt that the cult of "real men" and hypermasculine thugs was stirring up the most base feelings "in the very place, the gay movement, where you would least expect them." And this Gaystapo has an icon to revere, an alternative Fuhrer to worship: the lost gay fascist leader Ernst Rohm. Along with Adolf Hitler, Rohm was the founding father of Nazism. Born to conservative Bavarian civil servants in 1887, Ernst Rohm's life began - in his view - in the "heroic" trenches of the First World War. Like so many of the generation who formed the Nazi Party, he was nurtured by and obsessed with the homoerotic myth of the trenches - heroic, beautiful boys prepared to die for their brothers and their country. He emerged from the war with a bullet-scarred face and a reverence for war. As he put it in his autobiography, "Since I am an immature and wicked man, war and unrest appeal to me more than the good bourgeois order." After being disbanded, he tried half-heartedly to get a foothold in civilian life, but he saw it as alien, bourgeois, boring. He had no political beliefs, only prejudices - particularly hatred of Jews. Historian Joachim Fest describes Rohm's generation of alienated, demobbed young men humiliated by defeat as "agents of a permanent revolution without any revolutionary idea of the future, only a wish to eternalize the values of the trenches." It was Rohm who first spotted the potential of a soap-box ranter called Adolf Hitler. He saw him as the demagogue he needed to mobilize support for his plan to overthrow democracy and establish a "soldier's state" where the army ruled untrammelled. He introduced the young fascist to local politicians and military leaders; they knew him for many years as "Rohm's boy." Gay historian Frank Rector notes, "Hitler was, to a substantial extent, Rohm's protégé." Rohm integrated Hitler into his underground movement to overthrow the Weimar Republic. Rohm's blatant, out homosexuality seems bizarre now, given the gay genocide that was to follow. He talked openly about his fondness for gay bars and Turkish baths, and was known for his virility. He believed that gay people were superior to straights, and saw homosexuality as a key principle of his proposed Brave New Fascist Order. As historian Louis Snyder explains, Rohm "projected a social order in which homosexuality would be regarded as a human behaviour pattern of high repute... He flaunted his homosexuality in public and insisted his cronies do the same. He believed straight people weren't as adept at bullying and aggression as homosexuals, so homosexuality was given a high premium in the SA." They promoted an aggressive, hypermasculine form of homosexuality, condemning "hysterical women of both sexes", in reference to feminine gay men. This belief in the superiority of homosexuality had a strong German tradition that grew up at the turn of the twentieth century around Adolf Brand, publisher of the country's first gay magazine. You could call it 'Queer as Volk': they preached that gay men were the foundation of all nation-states and represented an elite, warrior caste that should rule. They venerated the ancient warrior cults of Sparta, Thebes and Athens.

Rohm often referred to the ancient Greek tradition of sending gay solider couples into battle, because they were believed to be the most ferocious fighters. The famous pass of Thermopylae, for example was held by 300 soldiers - who consisted of 150 gay couples. In its early years, the SA - Hitler and Rohm's underground army - was seen as predominantly gay. Rohm assigned prominent posts to his lovers, making Edmund Heines his deputy and Karl Ernst the SA commander in Berlin. The organisation would sometimes meet in gay bars. The gay art historian Christian Isermayer said in an interview, "I got to know people in the SA. They used to throw riotous parties even in 1933... I once attended one. It was quite well-behaved but thoroughly gay. But then, in those days, the SA was ultra-gay." On June 30th 1934, Rohm was awoken in a Berlin hotel by Hitler himself. He sprang to his feet and saluted, calling, "Heil Mein Fuhrer!" Hitler said simply, "You are under arrest," and with that he left the room, giving orders for Rohm to be taken to Standelheim prison. He was shot that night. Rohm was the most high-profile kill in the massacre known as 'the Night of the Long Knives'. Rohm had been suspected by Hitler of disloyalty, but his murder began a massive crackdown on gay people. Heinrich Himmler, head of the Gestapo, described homosexuality as "a symptom of degeneracy that could destroy our race. We must return to the guiding Nordic principle: extermination of degenerates." German historian Lothar Machtan argues that Hitler had Rohm - and almost all of the large number of gay figures within the SA - killed to silence speculation about his own homosexual experiences. His 'evidence' for Hitler being gay is shaky and has been questioned by many historians, although some of his findings are at least suggestive. A close friend of Hitler's during his teenager years, August Kubizek, alleged a "romantic" affair between them. Hans Mend, a despatch rider who served alongside Hitler in the First World War, claimed to have seen Hitler having sex with a man. Hitler was certainly very close to several gay men, and never seems to have had a normal sexual relationship with a woman, not even his wife, Eva Braun. Rudolph Diels, the founder of the Gestapo, recorded some of Hitler's private thoughts on homosexuality. "It had destroyed ancient Greece, he said. Once rife, it extended its contagious effects like an ineluctable law of nature to the best and most manly of characters, eliminating from the breeding pool the very men the Volk most needs." This idea - that homosexuality is 'contagious' and, implicitly, tempting - is revealing. Rohm is venerated on the Homo-Nazi sites that have bred on the internet like germs in a wound. They have names like Gays Against Semitism (with the charming acronym GAS), and the Aryan Resistance Corps (ARC). Their Rohmite philosophy is simple: while white men are superior to other races, gay men are "the masters of the Master Race". They alone are endowed with the "capacity for pure male bonding" and the "superior intellect" that is needed for "a fascist revolution." The ARC even organises holiday "get-togethers" for its members where "you can relax amongst the company of our fellow white brothers." So it's fairly easy to establish that gay people are not inoculated from fascism. They have often been at its heart. This begs the bigger question: why? How did gay people - so often victims of oppression and hate - become integral to the most hateful and evil political movement of all? Is it just an extreme form of self-harm, the political equivalent to the gay kids who slash their own arms to ribbons out of self-hate? Gay pornographer and film-maker Bruce LaBruce has one explanation. He claims that "all gay porn today is implictly fascist. Fascism is in our bones, because it's all about glorifying white male supremacy and fetishizing domination, cruelty, power and monstrous authority figures." He has tried to explore the relationship between homosexuality and fascism in his movies, beginning with 'No Skin Off My Ass' in 1991. In his disturbing 1999 film "Skin Flick', a bourgeois gay couple - one black, one white - are sexually terrorised by a gang of gay skinheads who beat off to 'Mein Kampf' and beat up 'femmes'. He implies that bourgeois gay norms quickly break down to reveal a fascist lurking underneath; the movie ends with the black character being raped in front of his half-aroused white lover, as the racist gang chant, "Fuck the monkey." I decided to track down some gay fascists and ask them directly. Wyatt Powers, director of the ARC, says, "I always knew in my heart racist and gay were both morally right. I don't see any conflict between them. It's only the Jew-owned gay press that tries to convince us that racialism is the same thing as homophobia. You can be an extreme nationalist and gay without any contradiction at all." One comment board on a gay racist website goes even further into racist lunacy. One gay man from Ohio says, "Even if you are gay and white, or retarded and white, YOU ARE WHITE, BOTTOM LINE! Instead of letting the white race go extinct because of worthless races such as the Africans or Mexicans popping out literally millions of babies a day, we have to fight this fucked up shit they are doing. They are raping our country." It's true that racism and homophobia do not necessarily overlap - but as Rabbi Bernard Melchman explains, "Homophobia and anti-Semitism are so often part of the same disease." Racists are usually homophobic. Even after reading all their web rantings, I didn't feel any closer to understanding why so many gay men ally themselves with people who will almost always turn on them in the end, just as the Nazis did. Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has a sensitive and intriguing explanation. "There are many reasons for this kind of thing," he says. "Some of them are in denial. They are going for hyper-masculinity, the most extreme possible way of being a man. It's a way of ostentatiously rejecting the perceived effeminacy of the homosexual 'Other'. These troubled men have a simple belief in their minds: 'Straight men are tough. Queers are weak. Therefore if I'm tough I can't be queer.' It's a desperate way of proving their manhood." 'Searchlight' magazine - the bible of the British anti-fascist movement, with moles in every major far-right organisation - offers an alternative explanation. "Generally condemned by a society that continues to be largely hostile to gays, some men may find refuge and a new power status in the far right," one of their writers has explained. "Through adherence to the politics espoused by fascist groups, a new identity emerges - one where they aren't outcasts, because they are White Men, superior to everyone else. They render the gay part of their identity invisible - or reject the socially less acceptable parts, like being feminine - while vaunting what they see as superior." But there's another important question: will fascist movements inevitably turn on gay people? In the case of the Nazis, it seems to have been fairly arbitrary; Hitler's main reason for killing Rohm was unrelated to his sexuality. From my perspective as a progressive-minded leftie, all fascism is evil; but should all gay people see it as inimical to their interests? Is it possible to have a gay fascist who wasn't acting against his own interests? Fascism is often defined as "a political ideology advocating hierarchical government that systematically denies equality to certain groups." It's true that this hierarchy could benefit gay people at the expense of, say, black people. But given the prevalence of homophobia, isn't that - even for people who don't see fascism as inherently evil - a terrible risk to take? Won't a culture that turns viciously on one minority get around to gay people in the end? This seems, ultimately, to be the lesson of Ernst Rohm's pitiful, squalid little life. The growing awareness of the role gay men play in fascist movements has been abused by some homophobes. In an especially nutty work of revisionist history called 'The Pink Swastika', the 'historian' Scott Lively tries to blame gay people for the entire Holocaust, and describes the murder of gay men in the camps as merely "gay-on-gay violence." A typical website commenting on the book claims absurdly, "The Pink Swastika shows that there was far more brutality, rape, torture and murder committed against innocent people by Nazi homosexuals than there even was against homosexuals themselves." Yet we can't allow these madmen to prevent a period of serious self-reflection from the gay movement. If Bruce LaBruce is right, many of the mainstream elements of gay culture - body worship, the lauding of the strong, a fetish for authority figures and cruelty - provide a swamp in which the fascist virus can thrive. Do some gay people really still need to learn that fascists will not bring on a Fabulous Solution for gay people, but a Final Solution for us all?

Johann Hari is a writer for the Independent newspaper. To read more of his articles, click here.

#LGBTI #gay #fascismo #heteropatriarcado

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