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tumbrl1 · 3 months ago

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Linoleum Flooring Market Demand: Sustainability, Durability, and Design Innovation

The linoleum flooring market is experiencing a resurgence, driven by several factors, including environmental concerns, technological advancements, and changing consumer preferences. Once considered a traditional and outdated flooring option, linoleum is now regarded as a modern, sustainable choice that meets the needs of eco-conscious consumers and businesses alike. This article delves into the demand for linoleum flooring, examining the key drivers, industry trends, and the market outlook.

1. Growing Environmental Awareness

One of the primary drivers of the linoleum flooring market demand is the increasing awareness of environmental issues. As consumers and businesses become more eco-conscious, they are seeking sustainable building materials, and linoleum stands out as a natural alternative to synthetic flooring options like vinyl. Linoleum is made from renewable resources such as linseed oil, cork dust, pine resin, and limestone, making it biodegradable and non-toxic.

In addition to being eco-friendly, linoleum's production process has a lower carbon footprint compared to other flooring materials. This aligns with the growing trend of green building practices, where LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications and other eco-friendly standards are becoming crucial for commercial and residential developments. The demand for linoleum is expected to continue rising as consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability in their purchasing decisions.

2. Durability and Longevity

Linoleum’s durability is another key factor driving its demand. Unlike carpets and vinyl, which can wear down over time, linoleum is resistant to scratches, stains, and abrasions. This makes it an ideal choice for high-traffic areas in both residential and commercial spaces. With proper care, linoleum floors can last 25 to 40 years, depending on the quality of the material and maintenance.

The longevity of linoleum flooring makes it a cost-effective option in the long term, as it reduces the need for frequent replacements or repairs. Its ability to withstand heavy foot traffic, moisture, and impact is a significant selling point for commercial spaces such as schools, hospitals, and retail outlets, where durability and low maintenance are essential.

3. Health and Indoor Air Quality Concerns

With increasing concerns about indoor air quality, particularly in environments such as schools, healthcare facilities, and homes with young children or pets, linoleum flooring is gaining popularity due to its non-toxic properties. Unlike vinyl flooring, which can release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, linoleum is made from natural materials and does not emit harmful chemicals.

This characteristic makes linoleum a healthier flooring option for consumers who prioritize indoor air quality. As people become more aware of the potential health risks associated with certain flooring materials, the demand for non-toxic and hypoallergenic options like linoleum is expected to rise.

4. Aesthetic Appeal and Design Innovation

In recent years, linoleum has undergone significant design innovations that have enhanced its appeal. Once limited to plain colors and patterns, modern linoleum flooring now comes in a wide range of colors, designs, and textures, making it a versatile choice for various interior styles. Advances in digital printing technology allow for intricate patterns and designs, including wood, stone, and tile looks, expanding the aesthetic possibilities of linoleum.

This design flexibility has made linoleum a popular choice not only for residential spaces but also for commercial and hospitality applications, where unique design aesthetics are essential. The ability to customize linoleum to meet specific design preferences is driving its demand, particularly in upscale retail, offices, and hospitality environments.

5. Technological Advancements in Production

Technological advancements in the production of linoleum flooring are also contributing to the growing demand. Manufacturers have implemented innovative methods that improve the product’s durability, ease of maintenance, and overall performance. For example, linoleum with enhanced moisture resistance is becoming increasingly popular in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, where water exposure is a concern.

Furthermore, new formulations of linoleum are being developed to make it even more resilient, reducing the risk of damage from heavy furniture or high heels. Innovations such as cushion-backed linoleum are also making the flooring more comfortable to walk on, improving its appeal in residential settings.

Smart flooring solutions are also gaining traction, with some manufacturers exploring ways to incorporate sensors into linoleum floors. These sensors could track foot traffic, temperature, and humidity, providing valuable data for both residential and commercial applications. Although still in the early stages, this technology could open up new opportunities for the linoleum flooring market.

6. Rising Demand in Commercial Sectors

The commercial sector is one of the most significant drivers of linoleum flooring demand. Institutions such as schools, hospitals, and offices increasingly favor linoleum due to its combination of sustainability, durability, and low maintenance. In schools, for example, linoleum is often chosen for its ability to withstand heavy foot traffic and its easy-to-clean surface. Similarly, healthcare facilities benefit from linoleum’s hypoallergenic qualities and ease of disinfection.

Retail spaces and hospitality sectors are also adopting linoleum flooring for its aesthetic appeal, sustainability credentials, and practical benefits. Retailers, especially those emphasizing eco-friendly products, are increasingly opting for linoleum as part of their sustainability initiatives.

7. Regional Demand and Market Expansion

Regionally, the demand for linoleum flooring varies based on consumer awareness and economic conditions. North America and Europe are the largest markets for linoleum flooring, with Europe being a longstanding leader in the adoption of eco-friendly building materials. Countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have seen strong demand due to stringent environmental regulations and growing consumer preference for sustainable products.

In North America, the linoleum flooring market is expanding as more consumers embrace eco-friendly living and commercial spaces prioritize green building certifications. The U.S. and Canada are expected to witness continued growth in linoleum demand, particularly in commercial and public sector projects.

Asia-Pacific is emerging as a new growth frontier for the linoleum flooring market. Rapid urbanization, increasing disposable income, and growing awareness of environmental sustainability are driving demand for green building materials, including linoleum. The market in countries like China and India is expected to expand as these nations adopt sustainable construction practices in response to both environmental and economic challenges.

8. Future Outlook

The linoleum flooring market is poised for continued growth, driven by factors such as sustainability, durability, and health-conscious consumer preferences. As the demand for eco-friendly building materials grows, linoleum is likely to see increased adoption across residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

Innovations in design and production, coupled with the rise of sustainable building practices, will further drive the demand for linoleum flooring. As manufacturers continue to improve the functionality and aesthetic appeal of linoleum, it will remain a strong contender in the competitive flooring market.

9. Conclusion

The demand for linoleum flooring is growing, driven by consumer awareness of environmental sustainability, durability, and health-conscious living. Technological advancements and design innovations are helping linoleum evolve from a traditional flooring choice to a modern, versatile material suitable for a wide range of applications. As the market continues to expand, linoleum flooring is poised to play a significant role in the sustainable construction and interior design industries.

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ritamiller01 · 1 year ago

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The Revival of Hot Yoga Studios Amidst the Hustle of New York City

In the vibrant urban landscape of New York City, hot yoga studios have reemerged as serene oases, harmonizing physical vitality with mental serenity. Nestled amidst towering skyscrapers, these studios offer a sanctuary where the ancient practice of yoga converges with the contemporary ethos of wellness. In a city known for its timeless energy and ceaseless activity, hot yoga provides a transformative experience, offering a reprieve from the daily hustle. Beyond a simple fitness routine, hot yoga has become a sought-after retreat, promising a holistic wellness experience in the midst of soothing warmth and calming breaths. This guide explores the resurgence of hot yoga studios in New York City, delving into the distinctive offerings of premier studios and revealing the fusion of traditional yoga principles with modern wellness practices.

Amidst the dynamic spirit of New York City, the wellness scene has witnessed a remarkable resurgence of hot yoga, embodying the city's energetic vibe. Wellness centers throughout the city have embraced hot yoga as a means to offer a unique blend of physical workouts and mental relaxation. The heated ambiance of hot yoga studios extends beyond enhancing flexibility; it fosters a deeper level of mental clarity. The intersection of tradition and modern wellness is evident in how hot yoga, deeply rooted in traditional yoga principles, finds its place in the contemporary wellness landscape of New York. The benefits of hot yoga are manifold and impactful, making it a lifestyle embraced by individuals eager to explore the confluence of tradition and modernity.

Sui Yoga & Cafe – A Fusion of Serenity and Vibrancy:

Sui Yoga & Cafe, situated at 180 6th Ave, New York, NY 10013, and reachable at 212-933-0709, stands as a premier yoga studio offering a perfect blend of workout and restoration. The studio boasts luxurious changing rooms, showers, and lockers, providing a haven of serenity with modern aesthetics. The in-house cafe adds a vibrant touch, allowing attendees to socialize and nourish themselves post-session. With diverse yoga classes and community events, Sui Yoga & Cafe creates an environment where participants can find balance and connection.

Arrive – Embarking on Holistic Wellness:

Embark on a holistic wellness journey at Arrive, located at 129 W 29th St Second Floor, New York, NY 10001. Contact them at 646-755-8125 to discover a range of fitness and wellness training programs they offer. The studio features a welcoming and friendly atmosphere with clean, spacious, and well-equipped facilities. The addition of a living wall for tranquility enhances the overall experience, making Arrive a great place to learn, practice, and have fun.

VERAYOGA – Embracing the Heat, Rejuvenating the Soul:

Venture into VERAYOGA at 406 Broadway 3rd level, New York, NY 10013, and reach out at 917-470-9599 to explore the diverse yoga flows they offer in a well-maintained, clean studio. VERAYOGA provides spacious showers, free toiletries, and comfortable heat levels. The diverse flows and engaging music ensure a rejuvenating yoga experience, with a welcoming community that makes it feel like a second home.

One Yoga NYC – A Comprehensive Fitness Regimen:

Nestled in the heart of New York at 121 Fulton St 3rd floor, New York, NY 10038, One Yoga NYC is more than just a yoga studio. Contact them at 646-559-1717 to embark on a Full Circle Fitness program that this studio uniquely offers. The studio's clean, bright ambiance, large windows for natural light, and knowledgeable instructors create a serene backdrop for both novices and seasoned yogis to practice and meditate. With introductory offers for new attendees, One Yoga NYC encourages individuals to embrace a comprehensive fitness program.

Fierce Grace – Harnessing Inner Strength:

Fierce Grace, located at 172 Allen St floor 2, New York, NY 10002, and contactable at 212-353-8859, is a hot yoga studio with a community-centric approach. The studio's amenities include unique offerings, an eco-conscious space, and a variety of yoga classes. Fierce Grace goes beyond physical practice, focusing on building a community of practitioners keen on harnessing their inner strength through yoga.

Additional Studios – Exploring More Hot Yoga Havens:

New York City's hot yoga scene is vast and diverse, with studios like Bodē NYC, Modo Yoga NYC, Hot Studios NYC, and Pure Yoga making significant contributions to the yoga community. Bodē NYC offers Hot Vinyasa and Hot HIIT classes, while Modo Yoga NYC focuses on eco-friendly hot yoga. Hot Studios NYC specializes in Hot26 classes, and Pure Yoga provides candlelight flow classes. Each studio adds a unique essence to the city's vibrant wellness culture, embracing both the tradition and modernity of yoga practices.

Conclusion: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Holistic Well-Being:

Delving into New York City's hot yoga scene is like exploring a realm where the ancient and modern worlds collide. The practice, rooted in age-old wisdom, is now celebrated in modern, well-equipped studios adorned with the latest amenities. The allure of hot yoga extends beyond the soothing heat and invigorating poses; it's in the community that encourages one another, the tranquil yet energetic ambiance of the studios, and the promise of a holistic wellness journey.

The city, with its eclectic mix of hot yoga studios, invites individuals to step into a world where every pose, every breath, and every drop of sweat contributes to a journey of self-discovery and holistic well-being. The NYC hot yoga studios are not merely spaces but gateways to a transformative journey awaiting every individual keen on exploring the myriad dimensions of wellness. Through the veil of steam in a hot yoga studio, one glimpses the essence of a lifestyle poised between tranquility and vitality, between the age-old wisdom of yoga and the modern pursuit of wellness. Each studio, with its unique ethos and community, adds a distinct hue to the vibrant wellness tapestry of New York City.

#yoga #sports #games

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m3mnoida · 1 year ago

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Omaxe Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Unveiling the Iconic Omaxe Mall

Step into the heart of Delhi's heritage and commerce with Omaxe Chandni Chowk, a groundbreaking development that merges the historic charm of Chandni Chowk with modern retail brilliance. At its core lies the spectacular Omaxe Mall, a shopping destination that promises to redefine retail therapy. In this comprehensive guide, we embark on a journey through Omaxe Chandni Chowk and explore why this project stands as an iconic symbol of Delhi's vibrant spirit.

Heritage Meets Modernity:

Omaxe Chandni Chowk is more than just a mall; it's a tribute to the rich history and cultural heritage of Old Delhi. The project has seamlessly integrated the essence of Chandni Chowk's legacy into its modern design, offering a unique shopping experience where history and commerce coexist.

The Omaxe Mall:

At the heart of Omaxe Chandni Chowk lies the magnificent Omaxe Mall, a retail masterpiece that spans multiple floors. This mall is poised to become Delhi's premier shopping destination, offering a curated mix of local artisans, global brands, and culinary delights. From fashion to electronics, from traditional crafts to modern gadgets, the Omaxe Mall caters to diverse shopping tastes.

Strategic Location:

One of the key highlights of Omaxe Chandni Chowk is its strategic location. Situated in the heart of Old Delhi, it enjoys proximity to iconic landmarks like the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, and the bustling streets of Chandni Chowk. The mall's central location ensures that it becomes a hub for both tourists and locals, making it an ideal destination for retailers.

Architectural Grandeur:

The architecture of Omaxe Mall is a blend of old-world charm and contemporary design. The mall's façade pays homage to the architectural aesthetics of Old Delhi, while its interiors exude modernity and sophistication. Every inch of the mall is designed to provide visitors with a visually captivating and comfortable experience.

A Culinary Paradise:

Food enthusiasts will find their haven within the Omaxe Mall's food court. From street food delicacies synonymous with Chandni Chowk to international cuisines and gourmet offerings, there's a treat for every palate. The mall transforms into a culinary paradise, inviting visitors to savor a world of flavors.

Sustainability and Accessibility:

Omaxe Chandni Chowk places a strong emphasis on sustainability. The project incorporates eco-friendly practices, energy-efficient systems, and green building materials. Additionally, the mall is designed to be accessible to all, with facilities for differently-abled individuals.

Entertainment and Culture:

Beyond shopping and dining, Omaxe Mall will host cultural events, exhibitions, and entertainment shows, adding a layer of vibrancy to the complex. Visitors can immerse themselves in the cultural tapestry of Old Delhi while enjoying contemporary entertainment.

Investment Potential:

Omaxe Chandni Chowk is not just a shopping destination; it's an investment opportunity. Delhi's retail sector has witnessed consistent growth, and this development's central location and historical significance make it an attractive proposition for businesses looking to establish a presence in the capital city.

Conclusion:

Omaxe Chandni Chowk, Delhi, with its iconic Omaxe Mall, is set to become a symbol of Delhi's cultural and commercial resurgence. Whether you're a shopaholic, a history enthusiast, or a business visionary, this project has something to offer. It encapsulates the soul of Chandni Chowk while ushering in a new era of retail and commerce in the heart of Delhi.

Visit: http://www.omaxe-chandnichowk.com/ or Call 9999999237

#Omaxe Chandni Chowk #Omaxe Chandni Chowk Delhi #Omaxe Mall Delhi

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kickingitwithkirk · 4 years ago

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Winchester’s Folly

Summary: When Dean gets into trouble John decides to hide the truth for his family

Word Count: 834

Warnings: A/B/O, subjugation, pandemic, mentions of nudity, leering, mention of collaring/being leashed

*Dark!fic-please do not read if you are disturbed by this subject matter

A/N: This is a 300+ follower thank you/sneak peak of a multipart coming later this year. Knowing me, I’ll probably edit/rewrite parts of this again..

*divider by @firefly-graphics

*no Beta-all mistakes are mine

Prologue

North Dakota

1999

John Winchester cut the ignition of the Impala before climbing out and trudging through the falling snow accumulating in front of an old warehouse, the third one he’s visited today. Outside of Hell, this was the absolute last place he wanted to be right now.

Facilities such as this one had come into existence after a pandemic nearly wiped out all Omegas in existence when eighty years earlier when a virulent disease was accidentally released from a biochemical research facility during WWI.

Scientists eventually found a vaccine but the damage was already done, nearly 80% of the Omega population around the world perished while Alphas and Betas who contracted the virus were predominantly immune and rarely died from it.

They calculated that over the next decade Betas could reproduce to the point that they’d become the dominant subspecies and, left unchecked, would destroy the delicate balance between the three subspecies.

The few remaining Omegas were fought over like in ancient times resulting in some countries declaring martial law, taking the remaining ones into custody.

At a hastily convened conference the world's governing bodies agreed to a controversial solution to legally procure and sell Omegas from the Wild Packs, thus entering into negotiations with them.

The Wild Packs had existed on the perimeters since civilized societies were established. They were spared the worst of the dying off, only a small percentage perished. Scientists hypothesized that their genetics, closer in nature to their common wolf ancestors, caused them to quickly develop a natural immunity to it and hoped by introducing their genetics into the mainstream population that immunity would deter any future resurgence of the plague.

In the Americas, their government contracts, called the Hibbins Law after the town the negotiations were held in, specified they were the exclusive suppliers since their Omegas regularly produced multiple litters unlike their Domestic sisters. A special hormone implant was created to send them into heat within weeks after birthing pups, keeping them continuously bred.

A little known backdoor clause in the Hibbins law permits Wild Packs Alphas to legally accept monetary payments or favors from those on the fringes to acquire Omegas directly from them considered unsuitable by governments dealers.

And if some slated for the government accidentally slipped through and sold for exorbitant prices on the secondary market, who was gonna tell?

Stopping in front of the heavy steel door John knocked in a predetermined code and it rolled open admitting John and his two companions who silently walked into the main viewing area automatically checking out their surroundings for potential dangers.

The air is thick with the various scents of the Omegas. Swallowing hard, John forced himself to ignore his chubbing cock to concentrate on the task he had to accomplish.

There are eight raised platforms on the left side with display cages containing Omegas only clad in elaborate silver collars pronouncing them as high end specimens slated for a private auction as buyers milled around them on their phones, discussing bidding strategies with their clients.

Others were wandering around the rest of the showroom examining the lesser expensive, leather collared and leashed to eye hooks protruding from the concrete flooring, merchandise for direct sale.

“John Winchester, this is an unexpected surprise! To whom do I owe the honor of your presence?” The nasally voice of Helms called out as he approached the trio.

Everett Helm was a Beta who had the cheerful demeanor of a used car salesman in his otherwise depressive domain. John could barely stomach the possibility of having to do any business with the small, black haired bottom feeder.

Hunters found themselves making deals with him at some point since Helms dabbled in various enterprises and could acquire almost anything they needed..for a price, but his main source of income was from the Omega trade.

Before John could respond, a badly timed foot fall caught the dealer's interest. “These must be your boys. My, they are quite delicious.” Helms said, biting his bottom lip as his eyes roved over the youngest Winchester in a calculating manner.

Dean felt his hackles go up, growling loud enough so there was no mistaking the abhorrence in his alluring green eyes stepped in front of his ever-growing little brother to block him from the ogling dealer, daring him to make a move felt Sam huddle closer and peek over his still broadening shoulders at their father.

From his posturing, John was gonna tear into him later for attracting attention after being instructed to stay invisible.

Sam hastily looked down glaring through his shaggy bangs at his oversized, sneaker clad feet, wishing once again he hadn’t become so clumsy with this exponential growth spurt after his sixteenth birthday and presenting as an Alpha.

The dealer acted as if nothing had happened, turning back to John and spoke first, slipping into his smooth salesman's voice, “You need an Omega for your eldest, got himself in a peck of trouble I understand.”

John kept his expression neutral thinking...if I ever get that bastard judge alone.

Tags: SPN @donnaintx @lyarr24 @flamencodiva

Sam/Jared @idreamofplaid

Dean/Jensen @stoneyggirl2 @akshi8278

#dark!fic #dean winchester #sam winchester #john winchester #supernatural!au #supernatural a/b/o #a/b/o #alpha!dean winchester #alpha!sam winchester #alpha!john winchester #omega!ofc

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ukrfeminism · 3 years ago

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Lydia Arnold reclines on her squashy, mustard-yellow armchair, tilts her bright pink trainers skyward, and begins to describe the moment she became the first resident of Britain’s first LGBT retirement community. It was just three months ago, in early December 2021.

She ascended the lift in the modern, bulbous, tower block on the banks of the Thames, walked down the corridor – past the unoccupied rooms – and arrived at the threshold of her new apartment.

“On the doorstep was a big white package with a rainbow ribbon,” says the 74-year-old. “I carried it in, and inside was a hamper and a mug.” On the mug was the motto of Tonic Housing, the organisation behind this pioneering housing scheme: “How we live our lives out.” The double meaning – uncloseted, for the final chapter – wasn’t lost on Lydia.

“I was on my own. And I burst into tears,” she says. Relief from the memory resurges. She begins to laugh. “I thought, ‘Wow. Fantastic.’”

It marked the end of a frightening year for Lydia. Her 16-year-old relationship broke down. “And then in May I was diagnosed with lung cancer,” she says. “They removed half my lung.” In the September, the retirement community officially opened, and by December she was in.

“The idea that I was the first was more than exciting,” says Lydia, pushing up her tinted glasses. She has short, white hair and the mischievous demeanour of a valuable dinner party guest. In the weeks after arriving, her appreciation deepened. “I thought, ‘This is really quite special. To feel safe, to feel comfortable. It’s my little cocoon.’”

Before Lydia, no lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender pensioner in the UK had ever stepped into a housing scheme designed to look after them. Those who have moved into mainstream facilities for the elderly have often found themselves surrounded by the very attitudes they spent a lifetime trying to escape.

Over the last 20 years, studies into older LGBT people, conducted by Age UK, Stonewall, and Opening Doors London have captured a concerning picture. Not only are LGBT people much more likely to be single, have HIV, mental health problems, live alone, not have children, and not have support from their family, but also, they may go back in the closet in elderly care homes.

A Stonewall survey, albeit from 2011, found half do not come out to their care staff and two thirds believe care services will not understand them. In 2020, a follow-up by Opening Doors London, Tonic and Stonewall Housing found 12 per cent had experienced bigoted abuse in their current housing and over half (56 per cent) would prefer an LGBT specific provision.

Other countries, including Spain, Germany, and the USA, have tried to address this with different variations of LGBT elderly housing, but Britain has lagged behind – until now.

‘Safe for the rest of my life’

Tonic spans 19 apartments on the uppermost four floors of Bankhouse, a Norman Foster-designed block which already housed 11 lower floors of a mainstream retirement home. It’s a 10-minute walk from Vauxhall tube station. Residents in the LGBT floors can opt for one- or two-bedroom apartments, with on-site care options, and communal areas to mingle with the other LGBT residents – although everyone in the building can mix.

Regular events, such as a cinema club, are already in place, but there’s more planned: art classes, coffee mornings, drag shows, and on the roof, opportunities to grow herbs and vegetables.

The motto, as well as being on mugs, now greets you at the front entrance. Inside, the lobby resembles a swishy cocktail bar, with velvet couches and a pink neon “TONIC” sign against William Morris wallpaper.

Eleven stories up you reach the interlocking communal areas: a white minimalist-style bar enlivened by a somewhat ironic, deliberately self-knowing picture of Judy Garland; a modern living room with colourful cushions; and a cosy reading room.

“All my friends who’ve been round are incredibly envious,” says Lydia, looking across her kitchen-living room, with its wall-mounted spice rack, cherry blossom perched in the window, and sapphic pictures of women in ecstatic poses.

Sun beams in from her balcony. You can see half of London from up here. Below, vast railway lines bring people into Waterloo station from the so-called home counties – a trip that endless young gay people have made to escape. What does Lydia feel when she stands out here?

“A surge of excitement,” she says. “And when I walk out of the building in the morning, and I see the river in front of me, I go for a little wander along the embankment, and I just have this waaaaaahhhhhh! feeling.”

Lydia grew up around here in the 1950s, before gentrification sent house prices into orbit, and before the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. It took until the 80s for her to realise who she was.

“I fell in love with a woman and realised why my earlier life had not been very successful,” she says, laughing. At the time, she was working as a probation officer and was happily out at work, but her parents’ reactions were trickier.

“My mother never accepted that it wasn’t her fault that I was a lesbian,” she says. Lydia’s father, John Arnold, was president of the Family Division of the High Court. “He was the first judge to grant custody to a lesbian mother in a divorce case,” she says. “I was extremely proud of him.” But when it came to his own daughter?

“He never acknowledged my sexuality,” she says.

Forty years on, Lydia was newly single, facing her mortality, and contemplating a stark question – where to move for the final time? – when she stumbled upon Tonic Housing. She was still living in Marseille following the breakup with her partner.

“I was looking on the net one day, sort of fantasising. I tapped in ‘lesbian retirement accommodation in London’, and up popped Tonic,” she says.

“I thought, ‘this is perfect, because there is going to come a point when I probably will need some help, and the idea of going into an old people’s home in France, where I was a lesbian, English, and living with all these heterosexual people who didn’t understand where the hell I was coming from?’ I thought, ‘I can’t face that.’”

Lydia rang up and, “straight away I knew,” she says. “Knowing that if I moved into this place, I was safe for the rest of my life, in an atmosphere where I could be me. Where I didn’t have to pretend to be married or have children. Then I could be as I’ve always been: out and happy.”

She had questions, however. “I did wonder whether they would be more men than women, purely because men have more money than women,” she says. “But actually, that doesn’t necessarily bother me. It’s a community, but we are also independent.”

Currently, there are only a handful of residents who have moved in, and the other four are men, but Tonic is determined to ensure diversity on all fronts. Eventually, this retirement community will also welcome renters needing social housing, but currently part-ownership is the only option.

The need to have money – at least £133,750 for a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom apartment – prompted some to criticise the scheme, particularly when the Mayor of London announced a £5.7m loan to Tonic Housing to enable the place to open. But Anna Kear, the CEO, wryly suggests that people be cautious about opining on such matters until they “actually understand how social housing works.”

Specifically, she explains, statute dictates “you can’t provide affordable rented housing without being a registered provider.”

This meant, “We had to get a property first, before we could even apply to the regulator. I’ve just spent the last six months doing the application.”

It has been a 20-year marathon to reach this point. The genesis of which was the experience of Geoff Pine, the former chairman of Tonic Housing, whose partner of 30 years, Jamie, suffered from a degenerative heart condition before he died.

“He needed support and they couldn’t find wheelchair-accessible, appropriate care,” says Kear. Instead, they enlisted a carer until eventually Pine discovered what was happening to Jamie because of his sexuality. “The carer had been coming in and praying for his ‘condemned soul’ at the end of the bed.”

The need was clear. The execution has been arduous. After joining in 2018, Kear, who has decades of experience in housing, had to deliver a rather awkward reality check to the board.

“I said, it’s going to cost about £50m to develop a scheme like this. And that’s very, very difficult. I don’t like to say the word impossible, but it’s close to it.” Their faces, she says, fell. “But it was necessary to move forward.”

Investment followed, and the loan from the Mayor of London, which is repaid each time someone part-buys an apartment. All the existing carers in the building were then given specialist LGBT training to ensure no one has an experience like Geoff Pine’s partner.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” says Kear. “Part of the original vision was about being both a provider and an exemplar.” The hope is that many more facilities for older LGBT people follow.

‘A place we can live without fearing any prejudices’

For now, the first few residents continue to settle in. On my second visit, I knock on the door of another apartment and a trim, chatty, Malaysian-British man, Ong Chek Min, invites me in. He’s 73 and one half of the first couple at Tonic.

Min’s 80-year-old partner, Tim, sits in a wheelchair in the living room, with his carer Sam helping him with his lunch. Behind them sweeps a curved white mural of a forest; the bark of which is raised, creating shadows that lead you beyond the wall as if lost in Narnia. They’ve had a terrible two years.

“Tim had a stroke in February 2020,” says Min. By then the couple had been together for 40 years. “I came downstairs, and he was lying on his side. Being a nurse, I knew straight away.” Min administered aspirin to stop any further clotting. “That saved him.” But their lives were never the same again.

“It affected his communication centre,” says Min. “That was the last time I conversed with Tim as he was. I’ve lost him in a way. And I grieve all the time. It’s very hard. I try not to because I know that I have to look forward.” His manner is like many who care for their loved ones: practical, determined, trying to stay positive.

But as we begin to talk about their lovely new place, Min begins to cry. “Tim can’t share this,” he whispers, covering his face as the grief streams out.

They met at the opera, in London’s Covent Garden, in 1980, shortly after Min arrived in Britain to become a nurse. “It was June, he was leaning against a lamppost outside the opera house. We caught each other’s eye, and just clicked.” But it was the interval, so when the bell sounded for the second half they quickly scribbled their phone numbers on each other’s ticket. “I still have that ticket,” he says.

They built a life together, survived the Aids crisis – while losing numerous friends – and witnessed dramatic attitudinal shifts towards homosexuality. But during the pandemic, hate crime rates against LGBT people have soared, while many newspapers and broadcasters have begun attacking LGBT charities for supporting transgender people.

i was the only media organisation allowed in since residents arrived.

In 40 years, I ask, have you ever held hands in public?

“No, we never show affection in public,” he says. “I try to avoid any chance of anyone abusing me.”

After retirement, they began to consider the future.

“We discussed how we wanted to end our life,” he says. “We thought it was a good idea if we can find a place that we can live without fearing any prejudices, and amongst people we feel comfortable with.”

But they couldn’t find anywhere. After Tim’s stroke, a friend suggested Tonic. “I was really happy,” says Min. “You don’t have to worry about someone yelling something unpleasant, especially with Tim being ill.” To be the first couple here is a bonus.

“I’m just very honoured,” he says. He hopes that he’ll be able to take Tim to the opera one last time.

Until then, they’ve begun to meet other residents. The previous Saturday they went down to the communal area for an art workshop. “We were sitting there chatting away. It was very, very, nice,” he says, smiling and looking out the window over the London skyline.

“It feels like home.”

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Thursday, May 20, 2021

For Migrant Children in Federal Care, a ‘Sense of Desperation’ (NYT) In a federal shelter in Dallas, migrant children sleep in a windowless convention center room under fluorescent lights that never go dark. At a military base in El Paso, teenagers pile onto bunk cots, and some say they have gone days without bathing. And in Erie, Pa., problems began emerging within days of the shelter’s creation: “Fire safety system is a big concern,” an internal report noted. Some of the hot water heaters were not working, and lice was “a big issue and seems to be increasing.” Early this year, children crossing the southwestern border in record numbers were crammed into Customs and Border Protection’s cold-floored, jail-like detention facilities. They slept side by side on mats with foil blankets, almost always far longer than the legal limit of 72 hours. Republicans declared it a crisis. Democrats and immigration groups denounced the conditions, which erupted into an international embarrassment for President Biden, who had campaigned on a return to compassion in the immigration system. The administration responded by rapidly setting up temporary, emergency shelters, including some that could house thousands of children. But the next potential crisis is coming into view. “I know the administration wants to take a victory lap for moving children out of Border Patrol stations—and they deserve credit for doing that,” said Leecia Welch, a lawyer and the senior director of the legal advocacy and child welfare practice at the National Center for Youth Law, a nonprofit law firm focused on low-income children. “But the truth is, thousands of traumatized children are still lingering in massive detention sites on military bases or convention centers, and many have been relegated to unsafe and unsanitary conditions.”

Ceasefire calls and U.S. credibility (Foreign Policy) As the bombings [in Gaza] continue, the human toll is becoming clearer. More than 52,000 people in Gaza have been displaced by Israel’s aerial assault, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, with most seeking refuge in U.N.-run schools. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) confirmed that 11 of the more than 60 children killed so far by Israeli airstrikes were participants in an NRC program helping children deal with trauma. Even if hostilities soon end, the Biden administration’s resistance to a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire has tested U.S. credibility. “They pledged to come back and support the U.N. system and multilateralism,” one council diplomat said in a report by Foreign Policy’s Colum Lynch and Robbie Gramer. “We don’t see that happening now in the Security Council.” The episode also encouraged China to carve out a leadership role at the Security Council on Middle East issues, a topic where it usually takes a back seat, while at the same time allowing it to dodge questions on its actions in Xinjiang. Multiple reports appeared on Tuesday, attempting to shine light on Biden’s approach not to call publicly for a cease-fire. They depict an administration wary of getting on the bad side of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The tactic has been criticized as a misreading of U.S. leverage over an ally to which it provides significant military aid and political support. Shibley Telhami, writing in the Boston Globe, voiced some of that criticism on Tuesday. “If an American president cannot leverage this extraordinary and unprecedented support to advance core American values,” Telhami writes, “what hope is there for succeeding anywhere else?”

Spain Sends Troops to African Enclave After Migrant Crossings Jump (NYT) Spain deployed troops, military trucks and helicopters in its North African enclave of Ceuta on Tuesday after thousands of people crossed over from Morocco, one of the largest movements of migrants reported in the area in recent years. More than 8,000 migrants, including nearly 2,000 minors, arrived on the beaches of Ceuta on Monday and Tuesday, mostly swimming or aboard inflatable boats, according to the Spanish authorities, who said that Spain had already sent back 4,000 people. The sudden arrival of thousands of people in Ceuta—more than had attempted the crossing in all the rest of the year so far—comes amid a deepening diplomatic spat between Spain and Morocco over the hospitalization in Spain of the leader of a rebel group that has fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco. Videos broadcast on Spanish television on Tuesday appeared to show Moroccan border guards opening fences to the Spanish enclave. While Morocco has warned of “consequences” for harboring the rebel leader, it was not immediately clear if the spike in migration was linked to the diplomatic dispute.

Grand day for the French: Cafe and bistro terraces reopen (AP) It’s a grand day for the French. Cafe and restaurant terraces reopened Wednesday after a six-month coronavirus shutdown deprived residents of the essence of French “joie de vivre”—sipping coffee and red wine with friends. The French government is lifting restrictions incrementally to stave off a resurgence of COVID-19 and to give citizens back some of their world famous lifestyle. As part of the plan’s first stage, France’s 7 p.m. nightly curfew was pushed back to 9 p.m. and museums, theaters and cinemas reopened along with outdoor cafe terraces. France is not the first European country to start getting back a semblance of social and cultural life. Italy, Belgium, Hungary and other nations already allow outdoor dining while drinking and eating indoors began Monday in Britain.

Indian navy searches for 78 missing from barge sunk by storm (AP) Indian navy ships and helicopters searched in rough weather and seas Wednesday for 78 people still missing from a barge that sank off Mumbai as a deadly cyclone blew ashore this week. Navy Cdr. Alok Anand said 183 people were rescued within 24 hours by three ships and helicopters engaged in the operation. Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to hit the region in more than two decades, packed sustained winds of up to 210 kilometers (130 miles) per hour when it came ashore in Gujarat state late Monday. The storm left at least 25 dead in Gujarat and Maharashtra states. The Hindu newspaper Wednesday tallied more than 16,000 houses damaged in Gujarat state and trees and power poles uprooted.

How Myanmar's military moved in on the telecoms sector to spy on citizens (Reuters) In the months before the Myanmar military's Feb. 1 coup, the country's telecom and internet service providers were ordered to install intercept spyware that would allow the army to eavesdrop on the communications of citizens, sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters. The technology gives the military the power to listen in on calls, view text messages and web traffic including emails, and track the locations of users without the assistance of the telecom and internet firms, the sources said. The directives are part of a sweeping effort by the army to deploy electronic surveillance systems and exert control over the internet with the aim of keeping tabs on political opponents, squashing protests and cutting off channels for any future dissent, they added.

Restrictions reimposed as virus resurges in much of Asia (AP) Taxi drivers are starved for customers, weddings are suddenly canceled, schools are closed, and restaurant service is restricted across much of Asia as the coronavirus makes a resurgence in countries where it had seemed to be well under control. Sparsely populated Mongolia has seen its death toll soar from 15 to 233, while Taiwan, considered a major success in battling the virus, has recorded more than 1,000 cases since last week and placed over 600,000 people in two-week medical isolation. Hong Kong and Singapore have postponed a quarantine-free travel bubble for a second time after an outbreak in Singapore of uncertain origin. China, which has all but stamped out local infections, has seen new cases apparently linked to contact with people arriving from abroad. The resurgence hasn’t come close to the carnage wrought in India and parts of Europe, but it is a keen reminder that the virus remains resilient.

Immigration In Japan Under Pressure (NYT) For months Japanese jailers said they ‘thought’ the young migrant from Sri Lanka was faking her illness, even as she wasted away before their eyes before dying alone in her cell. Wishma Rathayake had a lifelong fascination with Japan. She entered the country in the summer of 2017 to study Japanese at a school in the Tokyo suburbs, hoping eventually to teach English. She met another Sri Lankan student in Japan who became her boyfriend. Sadly, after a series of unwise decisions, unfortunate events, and a now-expired residence permit, she found herself in a detention center a few hours south of Tokyo, awaiting deportation. It was August 2020. While in detention she was threatened by her ex-boyfriend, now back in Sri Lanka. She thought she’d be safer in Japan, and with the encouragement of advisers at START, a local nonprofit, she decided to try to stay. That move irritated officials at the detention center, who demanded she change her mind. In late December Wishma fell ill with a fever. Within weeks she was having trouble eating, standing, and speaking. In late January 2021 a doctor prescribed her vitamins and painkillers, but they made her even sicker, so she filed for a provisional release. Detention centers had already released hundreds of healthy detainees due to coronavirus concerns, but in mid-February Wishma’s request was denied without explanation. She submitted a second request on medical grounds; by this time she was so weak she could barely sign the form. Despite the severity of her symptoms, officials waited until March 4 to take her to a hospital. Two days later the 33-year-old was dead. Japan has a long history of hostility toward immigration. Despite being the world’s third-largest economy, it settles less than 1% of asylum applicants—just 47 in 2020. Critics of the country’s immigration system say most decisions are made in secret; detainees who have overstayed their visas can be held indefinitely, with little access to courts. Detainees who apply for asylum, as Wishma did, are particularly unwelcome. Critics say Wishma was the victim of an opaque and capricious bureaucracy that has nearly unchecked power over foreigners who run afoul of it. And while there have been other instances of inhumane treatment of foreigners that ended in death, especially for people of color, the particularly egregious circumstances of Wishma’s death have driven national outrage to a whole new level. Protesters have gathered almost daily in front of Parliament, and objections by opposition lawmakers have been unusually fierce.

Experts warn shuttered Australia is becoming a ‘hermit nation’ (AFP) Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended his “Fortress Australia” Covid-19 restrictions Tuesday, as experts warned that plans to keep the borders closed for another year will create a “hermit nation”. Last March, Australia took the unprecedented step of closing its borders to foreign visitors and banning its globetrotting citizens from leaving. That prompted the first population decline since World War I, stranded tens of thousands of Australian citizens overseas and separated hundreds of thousands of residents from family members. But the country now has almost no community transmission and life for most is relatively normal. And the government’s recent suggestion that borders could remain closed for another year has sparked fierce debate. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid on Tuesday warned: “Australia cannot keep its international borders closed indefinitely.” A University of Sydney task force examining how Australia can safely reopen this week went further, warning the country “cannot continue to lock itself off from the world as a hermit nation indefinitely”.

Powerless (NYT) Abeer Ghanem, like many Gazans, long struggled to work around the long blackouts that blighted the besieged Palestinian enclave along the Mediterranean Sea. But with the outbreak of hostilities a week ago between Israel and the Hamas militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, she said, she now gets at best four hours of electricity a day, intermittently. When it comes on, her family scrambles to charge their lights and batteries for the long, sleepless nights punctuated by outgoing Hamas rockets and the thunder of Israeli airstrikes. A combination of fuel shortages, damage to the electricity supply lines running from Israel and an aerial bombardment that has torn apart local power lines means that many families are receiving at most three to four hours of electricity a day, according to Gaza’s power company. “What we have now for fuel will last for two or three days,” said Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the Electricity Distribution Co. of Gaza. The power shortages are compounding the daily misery for Gazans and are also taking a toll on the provision of water, sewage treatment and the ability of hospitals, swamped with casualties, to function. Even if supplies resume, the crisis has caused millions of dollars in infrastructure damage.

Palestinians go on strike as Israel-Hamas fighting rages (AP) Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people. The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week. Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalem’s usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank. Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires in Ramallah and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas, and protesters picked up some of the canisters and threw them back. Three protesters were killed and more than 140 wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg. The general strike was an uncommon show of unity by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population.

#headlines #news

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theaurorfileshq · 4 years ago

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Below you will find a conclusion to the various main events of season two. If you have any questions regarding any of these events and how they may have impacted your characters please let me know.

The Fate of Judith Eames and the Vice Presidency

Several weeks passed since Judith Eames and her husband vanished along with all of their worldly possessions from their Vermont estate. As time wore on, and MACUSA continued to investigate the disappearances through the Bureau of Covert Vigilance, many assumed the Vice President fled of her own accord, wishing to run away as the scandal surrounding her and the doomed Scotland mission grew after her son’s testimony against her.

The many questions surrounding just why Judith did what she did, would never be completely answered- however, the mystery as to where she may have gone would be some weeks later....

Central Squad aurors Abel Montero and Ignatius Yaxley were assigned to work a homicide out of Kentucky. The victims were that of two sasquatches, who’d been found in the woods deceased- both appearing to have been murdered by a killing curse. After further inspection of the bodies, Beast Medical Examiner Imelda Hawthorne would make the astonishing discovery that the two sasquatches weren’t sasquatches at all, but rather the bodies of Judith Eames and her husband.

The case would quickly be taken out of Montero and Yaxley’s hands and handed over to the Bureau of Covert Vigilance for further investigation. The Bureau would then spend the next two years chasing down lead after lead, each one only resulting in a dead end. Just who murdered Judith Eames and her husband remains a mystery to this day, and the case file on their deaths now gathers dust on the Cold Case Floor.

House Speaker, Francis Harbird, would eventually take Judith Eames’s seat as Vice President. Harbird would later make what would become a rather unsuccessful run for president himself, after Ortega’s final term ended. The campaign, plagued by a sex scandal after several of Harbird’s mistresses came forward, would end before it nearly began. The Harbird name would not completely vanish from MACUSA after Francis’s failed campaign, however. Francis’s son, Daniel Harbird, was beginning to make a name for himself in the Auror Department. Two decades later, Daniel would find himself serving as one half of the Pacific Squad’s administration team, serving under Chief Victoria Lin as her Deputy Chief.

The New Blood Order Attacks Port Steward

The New Blood Order was at its infancy in early 1998, with many aurors either not having heard of them- or had simply wrote them off as the ravings of a handful of criminals. This would no longer be the case though after the spring of 1998. In the early morning hours of April 11th, a series of packages would be mailed out across Port Steward, all finding their way to the windowsills and doormats of 50 muggleborns across the city. These muggleborns were the 50 refugees Port Steward had taken in from the United Kingdom, during the height of the second Wizarding War- and would include Central Squad’s own Miranda Amaro-Bott.

Inside these packages were infant basilisks, too young to kill their victims, but old enough to petrify any who dare gaze into the eyes of the young serpents. Mountain Squad auror, Tobias Whitney, would open Miranda’s box, and become instantly petrified at the sight. Thirty-two other muggleborns would suffer the same fate before the alarm was raised and soon aurors were dispatched to collect the remaining packages. Upon further examination of the mysterious packages, aurors would discover each contained a note, all reading-

“Consider this a warning, and your final one. A new dawn is coming, blood will cleanse blood, and order will be restored.”

After the 1998 attack on Port Steward the New Blood Order would soon become known nationwide, and therein cause a resurgence in blood prejudice in the country. This blood prejudice would take a somewhat different form than what had once gripped America though. For centuries it was halfbloods, born out of the result of a pureblood and no-maj, that’d faced scrutiny. The New Blood Order, however, has branded both no-maj halfbloods and muggleborns as “unequals” compared to their pureblood counterparts.

Over twenty years later, The New Blood Order has transformed from a small group of renegade blood purists to a terrorist organization. The 1998 attack on Port Steward would only be the first in a series, and sadly the attacks would only grow more brutal and deadlier as the years wore on.

The origins of the 1998 attack would eventually be linked to a case that the Central Squad worked on- that of the Petrification of Peacemaker Fallow. The basilisks that were used in the attack had been stored in an abandoned mine near a Quaker community outside Iowa City. After a string of petrifications, and catching the attention of the Central Squad, the basilisks would be removed before aurors could find them. The wix suspected of the attack is Raymond “Rune” Vance, and is still considered an at large and still a very much active member of The New Blood Order.

Allen Snow’s Warning from the Grave

In the midst of everything that was happening in Season Two, an investigation was quietly underway headed by aurors Marleigh McMahon and Baron Snow. This investigation, centered on the mysterious organization known as “Appius”, would eventually lead Baron Snow to try to communicate with her long dead grandfather- a former Appius member himself.

With the help of Cypress Crow, Baron would be able to successfully reach her grandfather. When the line of communication was successfully established, Baron would finally be given the chance to ask what questions she could to the man who was the former Chief of the Eastern Squad in 1954, and died by his own hand after being discovered at the center of an extensive corrupt plot at the time.

When the subject of Appius was brought up, Allen Snow delivered a swift warning to his granddaughter- that Appius was more far reaching than she’d ever imagine, and to never underestimate them. When asked why Allen was a member of the group, he explained that he (like most Appius members) was first seduced by the idea of what he could achieve with the group behind him. It wasn’t until it would be too late, would Allen discover the true lengths his “deal with the devil” would truly take.

Before the conversation ended, Allen did give Baron one additional warning. He explained to her that all Appius members take an Unbreakable Vow when they are sworn in- himself included. The spell binding together the Unbreakable Vow included the inductee to swear to keep the group’s identity a secret, swearing on their own life to do so. Allen explained that his death was the result of him having to carry out his vow, and that should Baron believe she’s discovered an Appius member she should use extreme caution. If she were to corner that member and try to force them into divulging any of Appius’s secrets, then that member’s life would be in danger.

The Second Appius Member

A week would pass after Baron’s conversation with her long deceased grandfather, when Marleigh McMahon would finally hear from Commissioner Moira Henshawe about a new lead. The message from Henshawe was brief, simply asking McMahon to go to Wand Specialist Romero’s office, with little more explanation than that.

When McMahon followed the Commissioner’s instruction, they would find a much more solemn Romero, quietly sitting at his desk. The usually charismatic and personable wand specialist had clearly been disturbed by some news, and the grim expression he wore only worsened when his eyes fell on Marleigh McMahon.

When asked what was the reason for the meeting, Romero would explain that Moira had been having him examine the training dummy used on the Scotland Mission. The same training dummy that someone first charmed as a portkey then had sabotaged quickly after twelve of the Central Squad aurors used it to get to Scotland.

Romero would go on to explain that it took him several days to figure out just what kind of wand was used on the dummy. Once he was able to determine the wand’s wood and core, he then went to the wand permit office and began searching for MACUSA employees who both carried that specific kind of wand, and would have had access to the Auror Department.

After a long sigh, Romero revealed that he found there was only one person who both carried a wand that matched that of the one used on the training dummy, and would have had access to the auror’s training facility-

Abigail Langer.

With this newfound information there was little left to do but to confront the Acting-Chief herself. Allen Snow’s warning would prove to be a difficult blockade to navigate around though. Should Marleigh and Baron directly ask Langer anything about Appius, then she would no doubt meet the same fate Allen Snow did all those years ago, in his own office back in the Central Squad. If they were going to confront Langer they would have to do so, but with an amount of tact that would likely not get them all the information they wanted, should they want to prevent their Acting-Chief’s death.

When Marleigh and Baron did go to Langer’s office, three things became clear from the distraught and guilt-consumed look on the wix’s face. The first, was that she clearly knew what they were there for, and had likely been anticipating the conversation for some time based on how haggard she looked. The second, was that it was indeed Abigail who was the Appius member that met with Marleigh a couple weeks prior, wearing Margot Brendanawicz’s face, hoping to warn Marleigh before they too became another victim of Appius’s endless stratagems. And then, the last thing that became clear the moment their eyes laid on Abigail, was that her wand may have damned them in Scotland, but it was not her hand that used it.

Abigail Langer was far from the looming monster in the shadows Appius seemed to be, but rather another one of its countless victims. Someone who walked into the lion’s den as a twenty-four year old, hopeful the group could help her one day become Commissioner, and give her the power she needed to make the changes the department desperately needed in order to fulfill its sworn duties. And while Appius certainly had helped her on that path she- like so many other of the young naive hopefuls Appius grasps onto, didn’t realize the true extent to the bargain she’d just made.

None of this though Abigail could communicate with Baron or Marleigh, no matter how much she wanted to. She desperately wished that she could tell them that she didn’t know what her wand was going to be used for. That she was simply given an order to leave it in her desk and drop the security wards on the training facility. She wanted to tell them how if she’d known any of Judith Eames’s plot she would have prevented the Scotland Mission from happening, rather than unknowingly start the chain of events that’d leave the aurors stranded- her aurors.

Instead, she could say very little, without risking the Unbreakable Vow she took to claim her own life. She could say very little at all, even with the clear amount of tact Baron was using to get her to reveal anything- something. When all was said and done, and after Marleigh stormed out of the office in a storm of curses and their resignation, all Abigail could do was leave as well, abandoning the position she’d only recently taken up.

After that day Abigail Langer would not be found again in the Aurors Department, although she’d never fully disappear from MACUSA. The next work day the aurors would be greeted with the news that Abigail Langer had been transferred over to the Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance, where she remains to this day.

Season’s Close

At the conclusion of the season, the Central Squad for the third time that year, found themselves welcoming a new chief. This time, that chief would be a wix by the name of Claudine Roy, Claudine was a former member of the Central Squad who’d left ten years prior to work for the MACUSA Surveillance and Wizarding Resources Department. Roy’s acceptance of the position was welcomed by some of the older aurors within the squad, who remembered Roy from the auror’s time as a Captain.

For the next couple weeks following Langer’s abrupt departure, newly appointed Chief Roy worked on reestablishing a normal routine within the squad. They began holding weekly staff meetings within the bullpen to go over some of that week’s cases, and major events going on in the country. These meetings proved especially useful as The New Blood Order began to emerge as an increasing threat for the nation.

It was during Roy’s third week on the job when they began to start seeking out a Deputy Chief within the squad to fill the empty position. Day after day, Roy would call in some of the squad’s most high ranking aurors, interviewing each one as a means to both get to know their new squad better, and see who would fit well as their second in command.

It was on the fourth day when Roy called in the squad’s youngest inspector, Baron Snow. The interview would carry on just like all the other’s before it, the questions weren’t anything out of the ordinary, although it was clear Roy was impressed by Baron Snow’s dedication and ambition. When the interview concluded, and Snow turned to head back to the squad’s bullpen, Roy spoke up, the twang in their southern accent a little thicker than usual-

“Hey, darlin’,” they say, and they can’t help but grin as they see the young auror pause. Their voice may sound different now, but they’re certain Baron recognized it all the same. Opening their desk drawer, they retrieve a cigar out of the box that sat inside, and hold it up so that the inspector could see it.

“You don’t happen to like cigars, do you?”

Their smirk is a knowing one, but not malicious. They may be on two different sides to this quiet war that’s been brewing in MACUSA since Appius took its first breath in 1887, but they have developed a sort of fondness for Allen Snow’s granddaughter since they first met in that hotel room all those weeks ago. Baron Snow was meant for greater things within MACUSA, and while she may not have pledged her loyalty to Appius, Roy felt compelled to give her this first small step towards greatness regardless.

“Congratulations, Deputy Chief Snow.”

#season two epilogue

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panoptiphobia · 5 years ago

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Midwest Emo’s obsession with “the backyard” and other lyrical themes.

Given the state of things I want to write something trivial. Something I’ve been thinking a lot about. The lyrical content of a lot of bands making up the resurgence of the Midwest emo (with and/or without twinkly math riffs) sound have some recurring themes that seem to pinpoint a certain experience of suburban upbringing in the 90s-2010s. And that upbringing would not have been complete without a backyard. Sometimes a pool. Definitely not an in-ground pool.

There is something to be resuscitated in the working class identity of math rock, the spirit of that second story window from American Football’s LP. The lyrical themes and the melancholy sound itself revolve around a Midwestern working class identity most of us fled when we went to university. It lives on in the dreary sound of those descending sketches of notes and solemn-- but somehow sunny-- key changes.

If we could construct a sketch of the math rock kid, I imagine he/she works in the gig economy, or tends bar, or serves coffee, working in spaces deemed “hipster” while not quite having the money to enjoy all the frills of the social life that label entails. They wear double denim, carhart, and boots, but mostly because that’s what working people they grew up with wore around them. You can swap in certain items as makes sense with the weather. They drink craft beers but are just as comfortable with the $3 PBRs at the math shows in question. The Math Kid is apolitical but is stoked to vote for Bernie. Come to think of it they were actually quite politically minded while attending a Big Ten state school, but gig economy wore them down into reading political blogs. Maybe they listen to Democracy Now!, but NPR will do. Their book shelves are full of radical literature, but their politics are of the Punknews.org/OrgCore variety: drink brews and go to shows with your buds, cause damn the man. I love Math Kid, in case you were wondering. Math Kid is me, if I hadn’t moved to such an expensive city. Math kid lives in old houses with wood floors, house plants and bicycles. Math Kid will learn around 25 that he should drink sparkling water, run, and do yoga. Wait, that’s Surfgaze Kid. Math kid is my ideal version of my 20s if I had stayed in the Midwest. But he’s so so sad and hates the snow, doesn’t he? I digress.

I want to say that understanding the political messaging buried in the Math/Midwest Emo resurgence means finding the messages of alienation hidden in sappy lyrical content. It means finding the political in the cries of liberation that come with youthful yawps at the changing of the leaves. Most people will eye-roll their way out. But this is for Math Kid:

What I want to say is that math rock and midwest emo/twinkly math riff indie rock, punk etc. Elides a working class sensibility. Of course the lyrical content circles around the basic punk/emo-inspired themes of failed romances, house parties with friends, and the like--but the frequency of mentions of house parties and backyards reveals a kind of working class sentiment about leisure and the work lives of math rock kids.

Think about this example from American Beauty’s “The Gang Gets Emo” off their self-titled January, 2020 EP:

I fell asleep in your backyard all alone. I can’t help falling in love with you.

Now look at this example from Charmer, a band from Michigan who put out this banger of a preview to their upcoming album, “Ivy” (Expected April, 2020). The dudes in Charmer are really fixated on the backyard. The track, “Slumber” contains several of the lyrical themes comprising what I’d put forth as the working-to-middle class ethos of the math-aligned punk sub-genres:

I've been thinking about grad school Maybe I should talk to you Drowning in your heated pool Somewhere between death and missing you.

Slumber in the summer

Enjoy your Ivy League hell Wonder when I was younger Where I thought I'd be now Will you last the cold? Cherish the raindrops on your window I'll learn to let this go Until I fall.

In this I read our Math Kid hero’s disdain for the one that got away--got away to go off to an Ivy league school. No longer are the days of summer in her comparatively wealthy parents’ heated pool. Math Kid can’t go to Harvard, he’s barely passing his creative writing class in community college.

From Charmer’s self-titled 2018 album, the track “Roy’s Our Boy” has some of the same themes regarding

1) the front/backyard:

You know where I hide my keys on my front porch to my front door I'm passed out on my trampoline Just wishing things were like they were before.

2) attending or dropping out of higher education:

Just look at the dead leaves Crumbling beneath our feet And that first semester wasn't good for me I get nervous so I bite the sides of my cheeks I won't notice 'til my mouth begins to bleed

The academic calendar of the North American university system is a frequent topic of emo revival lyrics. Maybe it has something to do with the immense emotional weight of the privilege of going to college: one should go discover exactly what type of interesting person they should become. At least 80% of Charmer songs reference university in some fashion. College is the place to fall in and out of love with other big fish from small ponds. There’s at least one requisite college breakup buoying all middle class sensitive people’s entire personality. “The best four years of your life.” College was great, and twinkly passages definitely send my mind back to walking home from class on Fall days, and walking home (alone) from parties. But sometimes you weren’t alone, and that’s the gist of this midwest emo spirit.

From American Beauty’s first album, the track “Fake Weddings”:

“In the backseat of your car was the best night of my life I fell in love in a small bed in a New Brunswick dorm.”

It’s also something to be disdained and endured, apparently. An entire track off the self-titled album is titled “Pretty Over College.” My guess is it’s not the curriculum, housing, or the dining facilities that are bumming him out.

There also seems to be a problem for Math Kids coping with the loss of love interests coming and going from their respective campuses. There’s a lot of “Turkey Dump” type anxiety and the time spent over Spring Breaks is a time of reflection over that first year and the feasibility of LDR’s.

From Charmer’s “Nurse Joy”:

Are you having fun? Spending your spring break at home for a month? You never told anyone

The college life is a big emotional hurdle, and people in their early 30s are still writing and twinkling over lyrics about it. This is not to trivialize, but more to celebrate the shared (albeit, privileged) experiences of growing into adults through college life.

Now let’s talk about transportation:

American Beauty has a whole host of lines about traveling from one part of the East Coast to another:

Carolina, are you here for good? Have you given up passing out in subway cars? I've endured your words every night since then. I’m just hoping you’re still in love with me.

There is something so satisfying about hearing Math Kid scream the name of an interstate in anthemic wail. Again from “The Gang Gets Emo,”:

Long drives down I-95. 200 miles of your favorite songs. Train rides up to Boston, but the ride back is always so long.

From Charmer’s “Nurse Joy” again:

So I slept the whole ride home To a playlist of high school songs I know you'll leave so what's the use

I’ve driven some people to and from college. Some to airports. Some to international fights. LDR’s, I’ve had one that turned into my happy marriage. But man, some long drives with partners in a shaky situation are brutal. Definitely something to wail a chorus over.

These are my crazy quarantine ramblings over Midwest emo (with twinkling math riffs) lyrical themes.

#midwest emo #twinklymathriffs #twinklingmathriffs #math rock #mathrock #Americanbeauty #charmer #americanfootball #emo #midwest

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ritamiller01 · 1 year ago

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The Resurgence of Hot Yoga Studios in the Heart of New York City

In the bustling metropolis of New York City, hot yoga studios stand as serene sanctuaries, providing a harmonious blend of physical vigor and mental tranquility. Nestled amidst towering skyscrapers, these studios offer a refuge where the ancient practice of yoga converges with the modern ethos of wellness. In a city known for its timeless energy and ceaseless buzz, hot yoga emerges as a transformative experience, promising a respite from the daily hustle. Beyond a mere fitness regimen, hot yoga has become a sought-after retreat, offering a holistic wellness experience amidst the soothing warmth and calming breaths. This guide explores the resurgence of hot yoga in New York City, delving into the unique offerings of top-notch studios, and unveiling the blend of traditional yoga principles with modern wellness practices.

The Resurgence of Hot Yoga Studios in New York City

The wellness scene in NYC has witnessed a remarkable resurgence of hot yoga, embodying the city's dynamic spirit. Wellness centers across the city have embraced hot yoga as a medium to offer a unique blend of physical workouts and mental relaxation. The heated ambiance of hot yoga studios goes beyond enhancing flexibility; it promotes a deeper level of mental clarity. The intersection of tradition and modern wellness is evident in how hot yoga, deeply rooted in traditional yoga principles, finds its place in the modern wellness landscape of New York. The benefits of hot yoga are numerous and impactful, making it a lifestyle embraced by individuals keen on exploring the confluence of tradition and modernity.

Sui Yoga & Cafe – A Blend of Serenity and Vibrancy

Sui Yoga & Cafe, located at 180 6th Ave, New York, NY 10013, and reachable at 212-933-0709, stands as a top-notch yoga studio offering a perfect blend of workout and restoration. The studio boasts luxurious changing rooms, showers, and lockers, providing a haven of serenity with modern aesthetics. The in-house cafe adds a vibrant touch, allowing attendees to socialize and nourish themselves post-session. With varied yoga classes and community events, Sui Yoga & Cafe creates an environment where participants can find balance and connection.

Arrive – Your Journey Towards Holistic Wellness

VERAYOGA – Embrace the Heat, Rejuvenate Your Soul

One Yoga NYC – A Full Circle Fitness Regime

Fierce Grace – Harness Your Inner Strength

Additional Studios – Discovering More Hot Yoga Havens

Conclusion: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Holistic Well-Being

#yoga #sports #games

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atypical-normal · 6 years ago

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Journal (a novel)

So, it’d been rattling about my head for a long while. I did a few hours of intense research into vampire lore both “real” and fictional. I ended up writing some quick ideas, then forming a synopsis, then trying to actually write something that would be my own vampire story.

Here goes. This is post-apocalyptic north america - nuclear world war came and went over a score of generations ago. Those remaining in “now” have been living and dying underground for more than 75 years. My character is a distant relative of the last acting president of the united states and this is his journal. It isn’t his first book, there’s been at least 10 since he emerged about 100 days ago.

A bit about this fellow: mid 30s, nothing to write home about physically, studied as a sort of pathologist. His knowledge isn’t extensive (limited library), but he still has a hungry mind so he’s sought books, articles, medical journals, anything that would give him new information once he went to the surface. He’s gotten more specific in his searches in the past 100 days...

The background for what is and how it got to be that way, setting wise, is patchwork between what last news was to be had before the world went dark, and what’s been passed between new and emerging settlements. This, along with some travelers going in every direction; some are looking to connect the pockets of humanity that have bubbled up, others looking for someplace they can feel welcome, at home, a few more just looking to make it alone or within a small group -- all passing through to share what they were willing to about the rest of the world.

Life is coming back to the surface in every way - nature had been reclaiming every ruined city for a few decades, at least some familiar animals had made a comeback, and people were coming together to create their homes anew. However, the worldwide scourging brought up something most people hadn’t thought about - diseases that had been locked away for more than 100 years had a resurgence. Storage facilities that hadn’t been blown away were broken open like eggs, any viable contents escaped onto hosts, or simply were lifted away on the wind. In short time, there were rumors of people murdering their own families, cannibalism, things which were reported as totally sudden and unnatural. These were few, and just as quickly they faded from current topics.

But this was something that, for whatever reason, spurred our author to leave his new home to investigate further. Too soon, his query was answered with first hand exposure to the disease which caused the startling rumors. He was viciously attacked by someone in the waning light of day. But it was not totally one-sided, he was able to fend off this attacker with the help of a knife he intended for utilitarian use initially. He got away with a rather nasty bite on his forearm and some scratches that burned intensely the moment his adrenaline drained away. First aid, shelter, and hopefully this wouldn’t get any worse before he found some people.

He developed a fever overnight, which practically rendered him paralyzed for three days. Somehow he hadn’t died then, but the next three days were as if he had the most serious case of the flu possible and, by then end of that sixth day, his body had even expelled most of his own blood. He died then.

But he woke in the night, ravenous. Impossibly hungry for anything - anything - he could kill and eat. Meat seemed the imperative and he descended up the first living thing he came across, utterly devouring every bit of flesh he could bite off. After this he passed out almost at once, waking again in the predawn hour to a jumble of bones and a massive stain of blood on the forest floor in front of him. He was blind to this, too groggy to even open his eyes in the direction, and simply gathered himself enough to continue the course he had initially set.

The documenting began that day - a travelogue to help keep up a sense of purpose. By estimation, he was in southern Montana. He would say he hadn’t traveled far but for a good 2 days worth of hiking was between him and his departure point he couldn’t account for. The sun was oppressive for some reason but this was remedied by pulling a hood forward enough to shade his face well. He was bewildered by what he could remember of the previous night, and even before that he was certain he’d died. By all logic he should be dead, by his own hazy estimations from those nights not so long ago.

Yet, he was pressing onward anyway. His exhaustion and sudden photosensitive state he fought off most of the daylight hours...

But the rest of the history, which was in the journals, revolved around the history of bizarre events that some would attribute to vampires or vampirism. It is known that vampire lore has existed in many cultures as one of many explanations for supernatural happenings, disease and death, religiously related phenomena, and other things. It can be dated back thousands of years, with reports, facts, and findings sworn to be true by then-considered credible persons. Superstition is known to have been a very valid means of decision making when it came to anything outside of the available understanding of what was explainable. We get many ways of fighting the undead and, more popularly, vampires, from a myriad of folk remedies and precautions mostly from European countries. There are a few humorous entries relating to our modern, popular culture type of vampire.

HOWEVER - this is all in the past. Our story begins on day 100,

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whatiswildness · 3 years ago

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More-than-human Archives of Post-Military Landscapes in Germany and Poland

Conference Paper, 2021 DGSKA (Bremen): “Zona: Post-industrial landscapes and possible futures”.

Together, human and nonhuman histories reveal that “destroyed”, “abandoned” or largely evacuated, then “rewilded” military zones, far from exhibiting the cessation of sociocultural transformation or a social vacuum, are in fact flourishing social spaces worthy of continued archival analysis. These spaces are characterised by abundance, diversity, and political complexity with many novel convivialities and conflicts. The post-military archives now being inscribed there, are in a more-than-human sense much richer than the simplified agricultural, silvicultural or industrial landscapes dominant before bunkers were built, chemicals were dumped or bombs were dropped.

Post-military zones refers to spaces which were once designated allied bombing targets, battle fields or military training zones, and for which military designation and actions have engendered distinct social-ecological-political futures, including nature conservation. They are often-overlooked productive spaces to engage with “more-than-human” archives which are diversely compiled here from ecological and ethnographic sources. More-than-human archives can inform new narratives of space foregrounding the lives and experiences of animals and other nonhumans, which in turn offer up novel ethical possibilities.

Post-military zones are particularly interesting because they are rewilding. As Anna Tsing puts it, they are undergoing a multispecies resurgence toward improved liveability, spaces whose simplified ecologies of proliferation were channeled by military action but are now becoming more complex and abundant with nonhumans playing a central role.

First, this paper provides examples of human histories of post-military landscapes. I then comment on the perceptions and determinations of risk and opportunity which lead to certain post-military management actions and not others.

Second, research from the life sciences and the stories of local people are brought together to write nonhumans explicitly into those narratives, acknowledging their affects and hinting at nonhuman intentions and politics.

I choose post-military zones in northeastern Germany and northwestern Poland which have seen both spontaneous and more deliberate “rewilding” post-war or post-unification.

Deep craters and unexploded munitions lie in the sands and peatlands of the Oder river valley and German/Polish Baltic coast where the allied war machine carried out intense shelling and aerial bombing during WWII. Under the years of Soviet influence that followed, new ecologies emerged in these areas and others, abandoned by German forces and by industry supporting the war effort; open sandy heathland habitats, dense beech and pine forests, or carr wetlands and swamps. Some became Polish or East German military training areas covering up to 40,000 ha. incorporating both managed forests and exclusion zones, others became state property not managed by the military, but few saw the same intensity of human use as during the war. On the eve of unification, military training grounds and GDR or Polish government-owned forests constituted an effective buffer zone between East and West. Unified Germany began to work to erase its hard borders, both internal and international, which involved partial demilitarisation of East Germany. The final decommissioning of many GDR-era training grounds in the 1990s and 2000s was coupled with the cessation of intensive rocket testing, artillery and tank training. Similarly, military activities on the Polish side deintensified during the 1990s.

Remote and riddled with explosives, abandoned military hardware, concrete footings, machine-gun nests, trenches, revetments, craters, and densely forested with often difficult-to-extract timber, post-military landscapes offered few opportunities for sale to private investors and became a burden on the Federal Government in Germany. As a result, some sites were handed over to the Bundesländer and in turn conservation charities in the 2000s and 2010s. On the Polish side BirdLife Poland (OTOP) has taken on management of former naval facilities. A DUH ecologist explained that conservationists are drawn to such areas, “the military created a half-open landscape typical for rewilding [. . .] not only created by large herbivores but also by tanks and grenades”.

Post-military landscapes reveal human histories of war and intense military intervention, but are now made rugged and wild through those legacies.

Pölitz synthetic fuel plant is one of 600 abandoned wartime sites or installations in what is now the northwestern Polish province of Zachodniopomorski.

At least 12 bombing raids targeted this site. In perhaps the most extraordinary night of attacks here and on nearby Szczecin on 29-30th August 1944, the Royal Air Force dropped 2200 conventional bombs, 100,000 incendiary devices, and 12,000 containers of a liquid incendiary which set the Oder river ablaze. In addition, 23 British bombers crashed in the surrounding area.

After the war Soviet troops removed much infrastructure and any remaining machinery from industrial sites at Pölitz, in particular stripping the former fuel plant of railway tracks and steel gantries.

In the 1950s some rubble from this site was used in the reconstruction of Warsaw but most was left in situ and by the late 1970s the majority of the area had become overgrown and impassable for vehicles. Polish troops undertook exercises on foot on the site with a small barracks amongst the ruins during the Soviet era, abandoned in 1994. A private school occupied a small corner of the 2km squared site for a time, but went out of business a decade ago. The fuel plant is now a place of dense vegetation, rubble and unstable concrete structures.

Like many post-military areas on both sides of the cross-border Szczecin lagoon, the old synthetic fuel plant at Pölitz experienced wartime destruction, upheaval and population collapse, and then only minor reinvestment during decades of regional economic decline, with recent conservation designation during the 2000s.

In a straightforward sense, the space is “left behind” due to the massive cost of remediation: of removal of reinforced concrete, steel and unsafe structures, above and below ground, and the presence of ordnance. However, the Hydrierwerke is also “left-behind” because the human narratives and practices which surround it are of rejection and abandonment; it is circumscribed by locals as of a bygone era preferably forgotten. The expectation of post-war settlers, many of whom were disenfranchised in the east, was that Germany would soon reclaim this part of Prussia. This expectation of impending displacement, and with it more hopefully a return to their former lands, gave rise to a belief which is only now fading with the younger generation: that there was no history and no future for Polish people here. Furthermore, they wanted retribution expressed through the ruination and rejection of the German fuel plant.

During the early 2000s in preparation for accession to the EU, the Polish government began to designate species and habitats protected areas. The fuel plant is now legally protected for its bats, particularly the rare Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) and Greater mouse-eared (Myotis myotis) bats, which hibernate amongst the ruins.

This is where the more-than-human archive intersects clearly with the human history set out so far, the bats were not placed here, but as rewilders they themselves have transformed political and material futures of the landscape. Bats among the ruins also draws us to interrogate “ruination”. As Ann Stoler argues “The focus [. . .] is not on inert remains but on their vital refiguration”. Perhaps here lie those novel ethical possibilities.

Bat experts from the West Pommeranian University first found scratch marks in the soot on the ceilings of some of the deepest burnt out bunkers in 2003. Their frequency, location, claw spacings and age represent an archive. The bats which made those marks were identified as conservation priority species by recordings of their ultrasonic vocalisations, another archive.

Subsequently further roosts and hibernation sites were discovered and some original sites were vacated.

Currently the greater mouse-eareds' favourite hibernation site is the space beneath a disused railway, inaccessible to even the most adventurous graffiti artists, urban explorers and dark tourists with the only access through a small crack in the floor between sleepers. The decomposition of organic material washed into the space during rains, as well as their own guano, keeps the temperature at survivable levels during the cold winters. Each year bat experts arrive to survey the culvert, and reassert the importance of the rest of the 2km squared site for their survival—the largest site of its kind in Poland. Rewilding by these bats is not simply a side-note in the history of the site, they have both been made present and made themselves present in law, preserving the concrete forms and the forest. Bats and humans have rewilded this space together.

Perhaps it is more fitting to suggest these bats have “wilded” rather than “rewilded” because it is unlikely they were present in centuries past. Cave-like spaces are required for their hibernation: predator-free, preferably large enough to get airborne within, and with stable temperatures and humidities throughout the coldest months. Yet sediments were deposited at the end of the last ice age onto relatively impermeable bedrock and there are no “natural” caves for hundreds of kilometres. Furthermore, due to climate, species mix and human management, there have historically been few suitable trees. The bats are part of a new nature, the product of “wilding” not “rewilding”.

It is not just bunkers which are undergoing wilding in post-military areas, here and elsewhere bomb craters are numerous, also harbouring a more-than-human archive as they fill with life and organic deposits, and as chemicals and shrapnel break down.

“From 1936 to 1945, the research stations in Peenemünde formed the largest armaments centre in Europe [. . .] an area of 25km²”. The Peenemünde peninsula suffered intense bombardment during the war, particularly its rocket launch sites. Prüfstände 7 on the peninsular is now at the centre of a strictly protected conservation area with access to the public prohibited. Intense bombing of Peenemünde has created a complex topography excluding many would-be human walkers and beach-goers and attracting others, due to dense afforestation, military warning signs, and exclusion zones for rare breeding birds. Peenemünde exhibits “bomb ecologies”, a place in which according to Zani Leah, “war profoundly shapes the ecological relations, political systems, and material conditions of living and dying”. The bomb craters collect water, and remain damp through the height of summer, partly due to “bombturbation” or the compaction of soil during the blast. Craters are dominated by deciduous trees—sycamore, birch and alder which grow readily on the steep sides and collapse inwards due to the loose sandy soil, widening the crater in the process. Sheltered deadwood habitats in the bottoms contribute to a mild microclimate and the craters have relatively high abundance of saprophytes, particularly invertebrates, which attract small mammals, birds, and wild boar who also use some craters as wallows. The black anaerobic mud layer and mulch which has formed over 75 years at the bottoms of those craters is full of beetle carapaces and bones, as well as empty beer cans, human waste and banana skins in more recent layers, evidence of novel ecological interactions and a window into a rich more-than-human archive.

Soils also hold a record of chemical decay which is simultaneously an archive of organic compounds, bacteria and fungi that break those chemicals down. Borrowing from Zani Leah, military waste “may be better understood as a kind of surreal substrate to everyday life”. For instance at the fuel plant soils have high concentrations of microbes that consume contaminants such as diesel. Bombing generates an important chemical baseline from which we might construct a more-than-human archive of decay. An estimated 1.27 million tonnes of bombs were dropped on Germany. Perhaps 10% failed to detonate and many would only partially detonate, leaving up to 100,000mg per kg of explosive in the crater soil, as well as metal casings. Combinations of RDX, TNT and ammonium nitrate were used as the fillers for explosive bombs used on industrial targets in the Oder Delta, and benzole for incendiaries. Remarkably, these chemicals are sometimes entirely undetectable at wartime bomb sites. The chemicals that emerge, as microbiota and weathering break explosives down, are so radically different that humans pay them little attention. In the case of TNT, more than forty transformation products have been identified including nitrobenzenes and azoxdicarboxylic acids. TNT and RDX may also be metabolised by plants and trees. These transformation chemicals are an archive of nonhuman reconfiguration of the material and the social on wilding sites.

I have argued that post-military wilding sites offer particularly rich more-than-human archives arising from, at the time catastrophic, socio-ecological rupture. Bat scratch marks, crater deposits and chemical transformation products are just the tip of the iceberg. Yet it is clear from these modest examples that archival work is itself always interpretation and whether wilded spaces are, as Anna Tsing suggests, potentially more liveable, is as ever, a matter of asking “for whom?”.

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architectnews · 3 years ago

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Climate change means "whole paradigm has to change" for skyscrapers

The attack on the World Trade Center 20 years ago had a significant impact on skyscraper design. Continuing our 9/11 anniversary series we look at how skyscrapers will change over the next two decades.

The coronavirus pandemic and climate change will be two of the biggest influences on skyscraper design over the next 20 years, according to experts.

"I think environment and health are two fundamental things, above security, that challenge us all in the industry of the paradigm of the skyscraper," said Gary Kamemoto, principal at Maki and Associates, which designed the 4 World Trade Center skyscraper.

"Covid-19, in a certain way, is a terror threat right now," he told Dezeen, "and I think every single country is grappling with it in many creative and different ways."

Kamemoto made his comments in reference to the terrorist attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001, which played a significant role in the evolution of skyscrapers over the past two decades.

Ventilation in highrises "needs to be addressed"

Contemporary skyscrapers are still typically designed as sealed environments with predominantly glazed exteriors, which rely heavily on artificial ventilation to prevent overheating.

However, in light of the pandemic, Kamemoto thinks there will be greater demand for naturally ventilated skyscrapers with openable windows to help create healthier internal environments.

Georgina Robledo, a partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners which also designed a skyscraper on the World Trade Center site, agreed.

The trend of curtain walls could come to an end in the next 20 years. Photo is by Ulrik Hasselstrom via Unsplash

"Not to be a cliche, but we have to recognise the change after Covid," Robledo said. "That is a discussion about ventilated spaces and ventilation in highrises."

"I think more ventilated facades are going to come into play, and not just openable windows, I think it's a technology that allows for that fresh air intake at high rise level," she continued.

Kamemoto added that maximising the natural ventilation of skyscrapers can also help reduce their overall carbon footprint.

"High-rise buildings are very energy-consuming," Kamemoto said.

"And for the most part, until recent years, they're completely kind of divorced from the exterior environment, they're completely sealed off, so they depend very highly on artificial ventilators."

With a host of countries now committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 to tackle the climate emergency, he said "that whole paradigm has to change".

Photovoltaic surfaces may replace curtain walls

A focus on making skyscrapers more sustainable may also lead to the end of the trend of heavily glazed exteriors, according to Ung-Joo Scott Lee, the New York-based partner at US studio Morphosis.

"I'm not sure if the large use of glass will go on forever," he told Dezeen.

Instead, he said architects should "limit the amount of glass to areas where you really need the view" and experiment with facades that are more opaque or lined with photovoltaics.

"In New York City, some of the most beautiful buildings that you see were done almost 100 years ago," he explained, "they're masonry buildings with more limited windows."

Read:

9/11 led to "a renaissance of tall building design" say skyscraper designers

Gensler's chief operating officer Dan Winey told Dezeen that he believes the next 20 years could even see the use of curtain wall systems as electricity generators. Strides have already been made in developing photovoltaic surfaces too, he said, citing Tesla's Solar Roof shingles that are being developed as a way to power homes.

"I think you are going to see curtain walls and buildings that will generate electricity through solar," Winey explained. "The curtain walls themselves will become power generating and they will generate more power than they need."

Avoiding glass will offer "a sense of craft and texture"

Moving on from curtain walls also presents an opportunity to reintroduce texture into skyscrapers, like those built in the 20th century, said James von Klemperer, president at Kohn Pedersen Fox, which has designed four of the world's top 10 tallest buildings.

Von Klemperer described glass facades as "rather blank and inaccessible" and said using more tactile materials like terracotta or masonry can help to humanise them.

"I think we all feel, as a community of architects that we all created and had built too many large expanses of glass in our cities," he explained.

"The way the light comes on to masonry buildings, on the other hand...I was on the top of One Vanderbilt looking down just last night as the sun was setting and to see that light play on the masonry of the city of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and even 1950s is really gratifying."

KPF's 5 World Trade Center will offer "a sense of craft". Visual is courtesy of KPF

This is something that Kohn Pedersen Fox is striving to achieve in its design of the 5 World Trade Centre skyscraper, which is set to break ground soon at the Ground Zero site.

"What we're trying to do with the tall building today is to humanise it in a sense, to recapture some of the scales of an indication of craft which we love in smaller buildings," he explained.

"I think our 5 World Trade Centre building will have some of that recovery, of sense of craft and texture," he continued. "And as far as architectural design can have an influence on our lives, that's very important."

Timber structures could become more common

Maki and Associates' Kamemoto is expecting more frequent use of sustainable materials such as timber in the construction of future skyscrapers.

There has been a recent resurgence in the popularity of wood as a construction material due to its ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, but improvements in engineered timbers such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) has also made it more appealing to architects.

"Taking timber construction to a whole new kind of level in high rise design, we've seen that and that is ongoing," Kamemoto explained.

Read:

Eight trends that have defined the past 20 years of skyscraper design

For example, he said, in Tokyo the Japanese timber company Sumitomo Forestry is developing the 350-metre W350 skyscraper.

If built, it will steal the title of the world's tallest timber building from the 85.4-metre-high Mjøstårnet, which has been designed by Voll Arkitekter in Brumunddal, Norway.

More mixed-use skyscrapers expected

One of the biggest changes to skyscrapers in the last two decades has been an increase in mixed-use programmes. Several skyscraper designers believe this trend will only become more common in the future.

Von Klemperer of Kohn Pedersen Fox said mixed-use skyscrapers can help ensure skyscrapers become better assets for the community.

They can also help people to achieve a better work-life balance, he said. For example, a highrise containing workspace and daycare facilities could allow an office worker to spend more time with their child.

"A tall building doesn't have to be only a residential building or only an office building," Von Klemperer explained. "I think because a diversity of use and mixing of uses is good for us, in satisfying the things that we need in our lives."

Timber skyscrapers such as W350 could become more common

Both Chris Lepine, partner at London-based Zaha Hadid Architects and Gensler's chief operating officer Winey believe the rise of mixed-use skyscrapers will also create more opportunities for nature, greenery and farming in cities.

"Skyscrapers will continue evolving to be more human-centric with increasing levels of biophilic design and better amenities," Lepine told Dezeen.

"We'll also see an increase in different tower programmes with vertical structures accommodating varying degrees of mixed-use, public sky gardens, and even vertical farming."

Skybridges could make skyscrapers safer

While taking steps to minimise the impact of skyscrapers on the planet, some architects believe they must also be designed to protect occupants from the effects of a changing climate.

Eui-Sung Yi, the Los Angeles-based partner Morphosis, said designing against flooding will be particularly important.

These conversations began in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit New York and caused widespread flooding, he told Dezeen, as "people realised that if you're in a skyscraper in a high rise, you're effectively trapped".

As such, Yi believes "a network of higher infrastructure" including bridges between skyscrapers could become commonplace, ensuring the ground floor is not "the only connective tissue".

Skybridges could help offer protection from flooding

Morphosis partner Lee added that an increased risk of flooding will also require critical building services to be brought above flood plains, rather than hidden in basements as they have been previously.

"The requirement now in New York City is that things like emergency generators, connections to your actual power grid, all have to be outside from the flood plain," he explained.

"That's making the typology safer, and in fact, probably safer than other types of buildings around."

Skyscrapers are "a necessity"

One thing that several architects agreed on is that skyscrapers will remain a vital building typology over the next two decades and into the future.

SOM partner Ken Lewis explained that this is because cities must accommodate growing populations and that towers are the most efficient way to ensure this.

"Cities of the future will need to be even denser to accommodate predicted population growth," he said. "From an urban planning perspective, towers are the most sustainable answer."

Daniel Libeskind, the architect behind the rebuilding of Ground Zero, added that highrises are also an effective way to tackle car hegemony in cities and minimise consumption of land.

Read:

"Everything changed in architecture" after 9/11 attacks says Daniel Libeskind

"If you don't want to consume more and more land and keep building out and out and out and reinforcing cars and so on, you have to build densely," Libeskind said. "That's why cities originated."

"We cannot consume land by building low buildings and eating up what's leftover of the nature we already managed to destroy," he continued. "[Building tall] is a necessity."

However, Libeskind added that the desire for skyscrapers also goes "beyond the necessity".

"There's a magic to tall buildings," he concluded, "a sort of primordial sense of joy of being able to dominate the city you are in from a higher perspective."

"The truth is that when you're in a high rise in a skyscraper, it's just so liberating in many ways."

9/11 anniversary

This article is part of Dezeen's 9/11 anniversary series marking the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

The main image is courtesy of KPF.

The post Climate change means "whole paradigm has to change" for skyscrapers appeared first on Dezeen.

#Architecture – Dezeen

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covid19updater · 3 years ago

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COVID19 Updates: 08/12/2021

Arizona: Three Arizona police officers pass away due to COVID in one week LINK

US: Rand Paul discloses 16 MONTHS LATE that his wife bought stock in company behind coronavirus treatment. LINK

Japan: Japan reports 18,822 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record - NHK

Louisiana: Fully vaccinated man released from ICU after battle with COVID-19 says vaccine saved his life LINK

US: "in this fourth wave, it's become a lot harder to recruit nurses." Hospitals struggle with staff shortages in #COVID19 hot spots LINK

World: Randomized Trial of a Third Dose of mRNA-1273 Vaccine in Transplant Recipients LINK

Australia: Another school student in Dubbo has tested positive for COVID-19. Dubbo College South Campus will be closed on Friday to allow for deep cleaning. LINK

Australia: Australia’s capital city to enforce snap lockdown after one new COVID-19 case - Fox News LINK

Colorado: It ain't over, folks. Colorado COVID-19 Outbreaks Increase, Three Tragic Deaths Revealed LINK

Australia: Here we go... Of Thursday's 345 COVID-19 cases in NSW, children and teenagers accounted for 114 of the infections. There were 44 cases in the 0 to 9 age bracket and 70 cases in the 10 to 19 age group. LINK

World: COVID-19 infection linked to problems in thinking, attention: Study LINK

Singapore: All children, staff members at Superland Pre-school in Chinatown to be swabbed after COVID-19 cluster detected LINK

World: Nurse: I’m in covid ccu these days and wallahi this variant is no joke. 22, 25, 30 yrs old patients are expiring in a day or two with sudden drop of oxygen saturation . No co-morbids, no history of respiratory infection BUT THEY ARE DYING. But this variant has nothing to do with the vaccination available here. Numerous people who are done with their vaccine are still getting either Covid-19 variant or the new variant.

US: 'I'm going to miss my friend': Southwest Airlines flight attendant, 36, dies from COVID-19 LINK

Iowa: "An estimated 600 patrons a day will make their way to the #Iowa State Fair carrying coronavirus" Epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Schaeffer "estimates hundreds will be infected with the virus at the fair, and each person could infect two to four others"

UK: Even youths with *mild or asymptomatic* initial #COVID19 infections may experience #LongCovid—affecting schooling, sleep: 11-15% of infected youths might “end up with this long-term consequence—pretty devastating for school performance” says NIH chief LINK

World: U.S. officials estimate about 40% of people who died with #COVID19 also had #diabetes. But those numbers don’t reflect the full devastation the pandemic inflicted on diabetes patients LINK

World: A lab study showed that antibodies triggered by Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine declined below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients

New Zealand: New Zealand will open its borders in early 2022 to some vaccinated travelers, says PM Jacinda Ardern. Its borders have been shut for 18 months, with strict #COVID19 lockdowns. It has reported just 2,913 cases and 26 deaths, with 0 current community cases.

US: Fauci says it is likely everybody will eventually need a Covid vaccine booster short LINK

Texas: Straight to the Oh Shit file: Texas Hospitals Are Already Overloaded. Doctors Are ‘Frightened by What Is Coming.’ LINK

US: BREAKING: Stanford will require weekly COVID-19 testing beginning Aug. 15, regardless of vaccination status. The University is potentially the first in the country to mandate testing for fully vaccinated individuals. Story to come.

World: Covid Patient Zero may have been a Wuhan lab worker after all, WHO chief admits LINK

World: CDC: Vaccinated people spread COVID-19 Delta variant as easily as unvaccinated LINK

China: China's Ningbo airport has suspended flights to and from Beijing due to 'public health incident' LINK

Israel: Israel, with a nearly entirely vaccinated adult population, now expects this coronavirus wave to be the worst yet - up to 2,500 serious cases compared to 1,200 in January. Note: the article doesn’t mention vaccines once. It’s like they never even happened. LINK

US: A majority of Americans in highly vaccinated counties now live in covid hot spots LINK

UK: UK government Scientific Adviser Prof Dan Altmann says he is “strongly in favour” of mixing jabs. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “Delta variant and other variants really stress test our vaccines to the max”;

UK: Fully people in England no longer be legally required to self-isolate upon contact w/positive Covid case from Monday, and will instead be advised to take a PCR test – in a marked shift from rules that have led to more than 14m instructions to stay at home;

Israel: Israel to require covid tests from next week for children as young as 3 to enter schools, swimming pools, hotels or gyms, as cases rise despite extensive adult . already required children aged 12 & over to show a green pass, after they were re-introduced late last month;

Texas: Coronavirus: Texas has surpassed 10 thousand COVID hospitalizations for the third time during the pandemic. LINK

Israel: Israel Defense Force: The IDF has announced that there are 1,088 service members sick with coronavirus. There were none in March.

Tennessee: 27% of new daily COVID-19 cases in Tennessee among youth, nearly 7,000 school-aged LINK

China: All inbound & outbound container services at Meishan terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan port have been halted. This is the world's third-busiest port and a sign that Covid's resurgence in Asia will likely add to supply chain headaches for the rest of the world. LINK

North Korea: The starvation deaths of three ethnic Chinese residents of North Korea, who were cut off from their economic lifeline to China by a border closure to fight the coronavirus pandemic, has shocked North Koreans by showing that the economy is failing even privileged groups, sources in the country told RFA. LINK

Iran: IRAN: CATASTROPHE. “Chairman of the society of Emergency Medicine in Iran: "The health system already imploded - even private hospitals - and the officials know it. Patients with 50% O2 level in ward beds, waiting for ICU patients to die. There is nothing we can do." Patients admitted but lying on the floor. CPR on the floor. Not just no beds. Run out of coffins and morgue vehicles. And Iran turned down American and U.K. vaccine DONATIONS. Yet just 4% vaccinated

California: BREAKING: San Francisco will require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for a number of indoor activities including visiting restaurants, bars and gyms. The mandate will be more stringent than the requirement announced for New York City last week. LINK

World: Children may be at risk in COVID-19 fourth wave, Niagara infectious disease specialist warns LINK

US: U.S. health secretary mandates COVID-19 shots for health care staff LINK

Florida: Florida COVID-19 Update for August 12, 2021 Total Confirmed Hospitalizations: 15,358

Florida: DeSantis unveils monoclonal antibody centers in Florida COVID-19 battle LINK

US: Immigrant Detention and COVID-19: How a Pandemic Exploited and Spread through the US Immigrant Detention System LINK

Washington: TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — An outbreak of COVID-19 cases that started in June at a facility for detained immigrants in Tacoma, Washington, has continued to worsen. LINK

Texas: There are now NO staffed pediatric ICU beds available in the DFW area, according to the DFW Hospital Council. It reports 73 COVID-19 pediatric patients now being hospitalized in the area, the highest number local hospitals have ever treated at one time. @cbsdfw-blog-blog

US: JUST IN - YouTube deletes a press conference video of U.S. Congress member @NMalliotakis announcing a lawsuit against @NYCMayor's vaccine passport. (typical)

Australia: JUST IN - Australian capital #Canberra enters "hard" lockdown. Melbourne extends lockdown as Sydney introduces "no jab, no job" policy.

US: #BREAKING The Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals will require fans to show proof of vaccination in order to attend, festival organizers have announced. LINK

Texas: NEW: Our Harris County Local Health Authority has issued a Health Order requiring masks in schools and childcare centers. Pediatric COVID19 cases are at all- time highs in Texas, and most schools haven’t even started yet. We have no choice.

Mississippi: BREAKING: After one week, Pearl River Central High School has quarantined 40% of its entire student body. When classes began, the school board made masks optional for a more "normal" school year. Now, the entire school district is going virtual.

Florida: 4 Broward County Florida Educators die from COVID in 24 hours. “Within a 24-hour span, we had an ASSISTANT TEACHER pass away, a TEACHER at her school pass away, an ELEMENTARY TEACHER pass away and another TEACHER at a high school.” LINK

Nevada: More than 80 students were potentially exposed to Covid-19 in Reno, Nevada, on Monday after a parent sent their child to school, despite both the parent and child receiving a positive Covid-19 test just two days earlier, school district officials said. LINK

Tennessee: BREAKING FROM TENNESSEE: "There are no beds. In Middle Tennessee right now it is impossible to find an empty, staffed ICU, ER, or med/surg bed," says chief medical officer for Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin. #COVID19

Australia: NSW recorded 390 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

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0ssuary · 7 years ago

Text

a brief history of the world

Yotri is a small Earth-like planet with three moons, one of which is very large, about a fifth the size of Yotri itself, and acts almost as a binary planet system. Both their days and year are longer than ours, the days running about thirty hours, and the year 412 days (with the exception of every ten years, when it is only 410). It is culturally divided into three regions, each of which have their own unique terrain and ecological features. Mahai, where Handien is located, is predominantly dry grasslands, deserts, canyons and flat mountains, with part of an ancient forest along its western border and tree-covered mountains along its eastern border. Irya, the largest region, sits on the eastern side of the enormous old-growth forest. It has many different biospheres, including jungles, volcanoes, various deciduous forests, and the world’s only inhabited islands. Skana, the northern-most and smallest region, is predominantly mountainous, with some tundra and glaciers. Civilization began on Yotri nearly nine millennia ago, originating in Irya and spreading outward.

Each region specializes in different branches of science. Irya studies climate and oceanography, Mahai focuses primarily on biology, botany, and agriculture, and Skana puts most of its resources into computer sciences and space exploration. While there have been wars and various political conflicts, both within and between the regions, Yotri has been free of major warfare for several millennia (with the exception of some smaller clashes typically within regional sects rather than between the regions themselves, and usually political rather than violent). Once technology had begun to advance to the point that resources were not as scarce to come by, the need for war dwindled and became meaningless. For the last thousand years, there has been the additional unifier of survival, the world only just truly beginning to find a new equilibrium and normalcy after a major volcanic and seismic event that nearly triggered a mass extinction.

At the time, Skana had been on the verge of its first deep space mission, and had been experimenting with colonization techniques on one of the lesser moons. Convinced they could find a way to survive somewhere else in their star system, they spent almost a century modifying their space stations into an evacuation ship, and two hundred thousand people left the planet, with another fifty thousand following a year after. In the meantime, Irya and Mahai partnered to find ways to counter the environmental effects of a sky full of ash, keeping the population just above famine, and cultivating and breeding algaes out at sea that would both filter the water and atmosphere and dump enough gases back into the atmosphere to start stabilizing it. In tandem with the algae colonies, large ocean barges with enormous filters were built to draw the ash out of the air to stave off any further major climate disaster. It wasn’t perfect, many, many people died, whole cities and districts were abandoned, but it worked. After a century of breeding floating islands of algae, running the filters, adding more as they refined the design to be more efficient, eliminating all energy sources that produced excessive waste, the ash began to clear enough to restore some seasonal rain and the clouds began to break. A world that had not seen a clear sky in nearly two centuries once again had light.

Skana offered to build larger ships to take people from Mahai and Irya if they could provide the materials, but both regions’ cultures are tied closely to the planet itself and they would rather had died on their home if they were going to die. Millions of Skanans stayed behind and made the best of what was left, waiting for word that there was a new home to go to. Transmissions were frequent at first, but fruitless, and then they came less and less, with longer delays, and eventually the gaps and delays between them were so long and the world had begun to recover that the idea of leaving it now seemed pointless. They sent one final transmission to the voyaging ship, a well-wishing for their safety, and life moved on.

Moving forward, there was a cultural renaissance, and an overhaul of energy and technology to run as efficiently and low-impact as possible. New temples were built. Irya’s traditional dance and dialects began to thrive again. Skana has always been the more pragmatic of the three regions, but even there, old holidays and celebrations were treated with a reverence and jubilee they hadn’t garnered in centuries. Handien’s temple was the first to be completed in the resurgence of old traditions, and was the first community to phase out most technology, though if one were to look close enough, even in Handien, technology is still ubiquitous in small ways. Most homes have electricity, the city has clean, running water and a sewage processing facility outside of town. Many homes have a basic communicator, like an intercom system, and powered vehicles are a common sight. They are hyper-aware of waste and all energy is renewable. After such scarcity and nearly being wiped off the planet, nothing is taken for granted. Everything gets used or reused or turned into something else. It’s largely like this in most of the urban centers as well, but it is especially true in the traditional communities and is an integrated practice of their faith and cultural values, to be grateful and ingenious with what nature provides for them.

A few unique features of the world are its moons (and consequently its oceans and tides), and its ancient forest. The forest, nearly as large as Skana, is protected by international law, and the much of it, especially the oldest communities of trees at its center, survived the centuries of ash. This ancient center is older than any of the nations, older than any spoken language on the planet. The trees there make California redwoods look unimpressive. Being on the ground in the oldest parts of the forest, nearly no light reaches the forest floor, and there is very little insect or animal noise. Hot springs under the rocky soil keep the forest center evergreen and lush, like a rainforest. From Feana and Rho’ki’s little house on the eastern edge of the forest, the center section is so enormous it looks like a mountain, despite the terrain itself staying quite flat from Mahai to Irya.

The three moons (two very similar to our own, one pale, one a darker grey, and the other much larger and closer and green, covered in small plant life) create strong, dramatic tides. Most coasts are sheer rocky cliffs, with the low tides leaving the cliffs bare for several hundred feet, and high tides rising anywhere between fifty feet to just barely lapping over the edge. The ocean takes up nearly three-quarters of Yotri. The moons each have a unique orbit, the two smaller moons roughly the same distance away, with one moon cycling every fourteen or fifteen days, and the other every twenty or twenty-one days. The green moon has a polar orbit, and only takes about eight days to orbit. The occasions when all three moons are in the same phase are sacred days in the faiths of all three of the major cultures.

I’d like to eventually make some simple maps and sketches of the cities and landscapes, but art is a much more recent hobby for me and takes more time and spoons. Also, everything here is subject to retcon! This blog is like a file cabinet of ideas and brainstorming and while most of it will likely remain unchanged, some details might shift as I get a better idea of some finer plot points with the final novel.

Questions or clarifications are encouraged and really helpful!

#world building #writing #fiction #info dump #witch fiction #scifi

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ritamiller01 · 1 year ago

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Hot Yoga Studios in New York City: Unveiling Top 9 Havens of Serenity and Strength

The Resurgence of Hot Yoga Studios in New York City

Sui Yoga & Cafe – A Blend of Serenity and Vibrancy

Arrive – Your Journey Towards Holistic Wellness

VERAYOGA – Embrace the Heat, Rejuvenate Your Soul

One Yoga NYC – A Full Circle Fitness Regime

Fierce Grace – Harness Your Inner Strength

Additional Studios – Discovering More Hot Yoga Havens

Conclusion:

Delving into New York City's hot yoga scene is akin to exploring a realm where the ancient and modern worlds collide. The practice, rooted in age-old wisdom, is now celebrated in modern, well-equipped studios adorned with the latest amenities. The allure of hot yoga extends beyond the soothing heat and invigorating poses; it's in the community that encourages one another, the tranquil yet energetic ambiance of the studios, and the promise of a holistic wellness journey. The city, with its eclectic mix of hot yoga studios, invites individuals to step into a world where every pose, every breath, and every drop of sweat contributes to a journey of self-discovery and holistic well-being. The NYC hot yoga studios are not merely spaces but gateways to a transformative journey awaiting every individual keen on exploring the myriad dimensions of wellness. Through the veil of steam in a hot yoga studio, one glimpses the essence of a lifestyle poised between tranquillity and vitality, between the age-old wisdom of yoga and the modern pursuit of wellness. Each studio, with its unique ethos and community, adds a distinct hue to the vibrant wellness tapestry of New York City.

#yoga #yoga studio #sports

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