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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 6 months ago

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Mike Luckovich

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

November 15, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Nov 16, 2024

Three years ago today, President Joe Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more popularly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. That law called for approximately $1.2 trillion in spending, about $550 billion newly authorized spending on top of regular expenditures. As Biden noted today, it was “the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in a generation.”

In the past three years, the Biden administration launched more than 66,000 projects across the country, repairing 196,000 miles of roads and 11,400 bridges, as well as replacing 367,000 lead pipes and modernizing ports and airports. Today the administration announced an additional $1.5 billion in funding for railroads along the Northeast Corridor, which carries five times more passengers a day than all the flights between Washington, D.C., and New York City.

In his first term, Trump had promised a bill to address the country’s long-neglected infrastructure, but his inability to get that done made “infrastructure week” a joke. Biden got a major bill passed, but while the administration nicknamed the law the “Big Deal,” Biden got very little credit for it politically. Republicans who had voted against the measure took credit for the projects it funded, and voters seemed not to factor in the jobs and improvements it brought when they went to the polls last week.

This lack of credit has implications beyond the Biden administration. As economist Mark Zandi told Joel Rose of NPR, “We need better infrastructure. We should continue to invest. But that's going to be hard to do politically because lawmakers are seeing what's happening here and they’re not getting credit for it.”

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has been rapidly naming people he intends to nominate for his cabinet, and it is not going well. As Brian Tyler Cohen wrote on Bluesky: “The same people who’ve spent the last several years decrying ‘unqualified DEI hires’ are now shoehorning through Cabinet nominations who can’t even pass a basic background test.”

Cohen was not joking; Evan Perez, Zachary Cohen, Holmes Lybrand, and Kristen Holmes of CNN reported today that Trump’s transition team is skipping background checks by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, claiming that they are slow and intrusive.

But that lack of background checks has already mired Trump’s picks in controversy.

Trump has said he would nominate Pete Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran and co-host on the weekend edition of Fox & Friends, to become the secretary of defense. Since that announcement, news has broken that a fellow service member who was the unit’s security guard and on an anti-terrorism team flagged Hegseth to their unit’s leadership because one of his tattoos is used by white supremacists. Extremist tattoos are prohibited by army regulations.

News broke today that a woman accused Hegseth of sexually assaulting her after a Republican conference in Monterey, California, in 2017. According to Michael Kranish, Josh Dawsey, Jonathan O’Connell, Dan Lamothe, and John Hudson of the Washington Post, the woman who made the allegation said the alleged victim had signed a nondisclosure agreement with Hegseth.

Now the transition team fears more revelations. “There’s a lot of frustration around this,” a member of the transition team told the Washington Post reporters. “He hadn’t been properly vetted.”

Causing even more headaches today for the transition team was Trump’s appointment of former Florida representative Matt Gaetz to become the United States attorney general. Immediately after Trump said he would nominate Gaetz, the representative resigned his congressional seat, forestalling the release of a House Ethics Committee report concerning allegations of drug use and that Gaetz had taken a minor across state lines for sex.

It is reported that the victim, who was a seventeen-year-old high-schooler at the time, testified before the committee.

After spending an evening with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that publishing the report would be “terrible” and that he would “strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report because that’s not the way we do things in the House.”

This, despite the fact that, as historian Kevin Kruse noted, “[f]or years now, the right has been accusing Democrats of running a shadowy conspiracy to protect politicians who are sex predators.” And, in fact, the House Ethics Committee did release a report on Representative William Boner (D-TN) in 1987 for allegations of corruption after he had already resigned the office to become mayor of Nashville.

And then there is Trump’s tapping of former Hawaii representative Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence (DNI). Gabbard’s ties to America’s adversaries, including Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, have raised serious questions about her loyalty. Making her the country’s DNI would almost certainly collapse ongoing U.S. participation in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance in which the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have shared intelligence since World War II.

As former Illinois representative Joe Walsh wrote: “Donald Trump just picked someone to oversee our intelligence who, herself, couldn’t pass a security clearance check. She couldn’t get security clearance. She couldn’t get a job in our intelligence community. Because she’s too compromised by Russia. Yet Trump picked her to run the whole thing.”

Trump appears eager to demonstrate his control of Republicans in the Senate by ramming through appointments that will collapse the rule of law at home (Gaetz) and the international rules-based order globally (Hegseth and Gabbard). When Texas senator John Cornyn said he would like to see the Gaetz report, Trump loyalist Steve Bannon said: “You either get with the program, brother, or you're going to finish third in your primary.” A member of Trump’s transition team said that Trump wants to bend Republican senators to his will “until they snap in half.”

Despite the fact the Republicans will hold a majority in the Senate when Trump takes office, Trump’s picks are so deeply flawed and dangerous that Trump and his team knew they would not get confirmed. So they demanded that Republicans in the Senate give up their constitutional power of advising the president on high-level appointments and consenting to his picks: the “advice and consent” requirement of the Constitution.

Trump demanded that the Senate recess in order for him to push through his choices as recess appointments. Even the right-wing Wall Street Journal editorial board came out against this scheme, calling it “anti-constitutional” and noting that it would “eliminate one of the basic checks on power that the Founders built into the American system of government.”

Now, in order to bring senators to heel, the Trump team is threatening to start its own super PAC to undermine the existing Senate Leadership Fund, whose leaders they insist are not loyal enough to Trump. A person close to Trump said that Senate Republican leaders “should reflect current leadership and the future, not the past.” “It doesn’t make sense,” one Republican operative told Politico’s Natalie Allison, Ally Mutnick, and Adam Wren. “Trump just had this massive win and now they are bringing in this Never Trumper.”

But for all the spin, the political calculation for Republican senators is not as clear as the Trump team is trying to project. At 78, Trump is not exactly the face of the party’s future. Nor did he deliver a “massive win.” He won less than 50% of the popular vote with many voters apparently unaware of his policies, and while the Republicans did retake the Senate majority, they did so with very little help—financial or otherwise—from him. Republicans will have as bad a map in the 2026 midterm elections as the Democrats had in 2024, and Trump’s voters tend to be loyal to him and no one else, generally not turning out in midterms.

It is also possible that, aside from political calculations, enough Senate Republicans take seriously their oaths to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States” as well as the Senate’s role in the constitutional system of checks and balances that they will judge Trump’s antics with that in mind.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Heather Cox Richardson #Letters from An american #cabinet choices #Mike Luckovich #Senate Majority

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veranavera · 2 years ago

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Who I am, what I do, and why I do it :)

Hello people of Tumblr!!! My name is Vera and I'm a trans woman who spends her time hiking a trans pride flag up many mountains (here's a list of all of them!!!). Over the last two years, I've done this on over 500 peaks in the Eastern US, and now I've shifted out to the Western US where I plan on doing this many more times over the next few years! This post is kind of an intro to me, and if you have any more questions, feel free to send them my way! Also do be aware that I'm a Reddit refugee who's new to this site, so if you have any helpful advise, please let me know because I'm still figuring things out as I start to transition away from that dumpster fire of a website! :)

Who am I???

My full name is Veronica Ashcroft (she/her), though I usually refer to myself by my nickname, Vera. I am a transgender hiker and aspiring mountaineer from the Northeast who spends a lot of time outside. I recently bought a van and have converted it into a little mobile-living space, and that combined with my recent decision to do seasonal work means that I have a lot of free time on my hands – free time that I intend to spend hiking and peakbagging as much as I can!

What is peakbagging?

Peakbagging is a style of climbing mountains where the goal is to summit a peak. This can take on many different forms, from just generally trying to summit peaks as a goal of climbing/mountaineering, to religiously pursuing lists of mountains grouped together because of their height, significance, etc. The way I personally approach peakbagging is to summit as many peaks as I can within a given timeframe, usually following some list that I either created myself or borrowed from an outside source. Most people who peakbagg do so over the course of months or years, so I'm definitely on one extreme with how much time I put towards my peakbagging projects

Which mountains have I done, which am I working toward, and what will I tackle in the future?

In the summer of 2022, I took a trans pride flag up the Northeast 115 4000fters list, which is a rather descriptive name, given that there are *basically* 115 4000ft mountains in the American Northeast. In the spring of 2023, I bagged the New Southeast 202, which includes the tallest and most prominent peaks in the Southern Appalachians. I spent nearly a year after that grinding through most the New Northeast 131, which comprises a number of the 1000ft prominence peaks in the American Northeast. Although I had to put that project on indefinite pause, I still climbed over 200 peaks as part of it. This fall, I'm road tripping through the American Southwest and will be climbing a number of peaks there - stay tuned for the specifics of those!

Why take a pride flag up mountains?

The simple answer is because I was already going to do these mountains anyway, and taking a pride flag up them allows me to promote trans visibility in the outdoors and spread some positivity in the process. And we trans people need some positivity in the world right now. Politicized transphobia is on the rise, and trans people have become one of the key targets of right-wingers. It was already bad a few years ago and it has gotten worse - I invite you to look at the news if you wanna see what I'm talking out. Obviously taking a flag up some mountains isn't in the same league whatsoever as these political assaults from the right, but we really do need some positivity to stay sane and hopeful in these times. And I'm certainly not going to single-handedly do that - I'm neither that arrogant nor ambitious to claim something like that. But even if my projects positively impact only a small group of people for a brief period, that will be good enough for me

Why take a trans pride flag though?

I'm trans, and I'm also a lesbian and sometimes gender nonconforming - I like to joke that I'm a couple different flavors of queer. Intersectionality is important, and when I started these projects last year, I choose to emphasize my trans identity by taking a trans flag up because that was the part of my identity most under-assault. Truth be told, I was originally planning on using a rainbow flag for my current work for the reason of trying to have my projects appeal to a wider queer audience. But then, the onslaught of anti-trans laws intensified last year, and I was being reminded daily that a lot of people really do hate me for who I am, and I know that those people would already be angry to see a queer person taking a rainbow flag up mountains - but they'd be livid to see a trans woman doing the same with a trans pride flag. Or to put it another way, on a personal level, my trans identity is the target for most of the bigotry I face, and so that's the part of my identity that I want to push back with the most

Why am I not doing something more useful with my life?

With the onslaught of bigotry showing no signs of relenting, I see queer people all over wondering what we can do to fight back. And to be entirely honest, hiking a pride flag up a bunch of mountains definitely isn't the most efficient use of my time and energy right now in that political context. It would probably be a much better idea for me to join one of the many political groups and organizations fighting back against this onslaught of bigotry, rather than doing projects like these. And I know for a fact that some people will look at my project and be disappointed that I'm choosing not to do that. But honestly, hiking makes me really happy, and I've spent the majority of my life profoundly unhappy dealing with issues of depression and gender dysphoria. And now that I'm in a position where I can actually do something like this, I'm gonna, because for most of my life I couldn't even imagine myself having agency over my own life. And, although I'm well aware that the scope of my project is ultimately quite small, I've had enough people both online and irl come up to me and tell me that my projects helped inspire them, or at least just brought some trans positivity in an era that is increasingly frightening for queer people - and, to me, that makes it worth my time

What can you do to help?

If you enjoy my project, please reblog and share it with other people - the more people who view/follow what I do, the more effective I'll be in getting the message across!!!

Is there anywhere else you can follow me?

Yes! I also have a reddit and an insta that I post to, along with an account on peakbagger detailing the nitty gritty of my hikes. Additionally, I have a personal website where I put detailed trip reports and lots of photos, so be sure to check those out!!!

What if you have any other questions?

Reach out! I love it when people message me! Do be aware, I do spend most of my time in mountains with spotty reception, so I might take a few days to get your message!!!

#lol flag time #vera posts

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identifying-cars-in-posts · 2 years ago

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I love little trucks, but the only new ones on the market are Kei Trucks, which aren't street legal in most of the US. What old little trucks would you suggest for someone who wants one for small projects and a backup vehicle.

get an old toyota tacoma, chevy s10, or datsun pickup! jeep comanche too, just make sure it’s for the 4.0L I6 engine and check your oil levels. if you’re willing to go 80s or 90s, those are all cheap, easy to maintain, smaller than a modern civic, and run forever with good maintenance! they’re bigger than

also a lot of older kei trucks from the 90s and early 2000s can be imported into the US now, i see older hijets and actys all over the place around me. they don’t do great on highways but are totally legal to drive. i’m in the northeast, my mom has a friend with one down in the carolinas, so i can at least vouch for some of the east coast being cool with them being on the road!

#not a car id #asks #politelydisagreeing

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vague-humanoid · 9 months ago

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Reclaim the Streets was founded in the UK in 1991 to combat car culture. The group was just one current in the wave of anti-roads protests that kicked off all over the UK after Margaret Thatcher’s government approved an infrastructure project to build hundreds of new roads. In response, a constellation of occupations and campaigns sprang up throughout the 1990s, blocking construction sites and organizing under monikers like “Earth First!”

One of the largest nodes in the anti-roads movement was the “No M11 Link” campaign in the suburbs of northeast London. For a year and a half, anti-roads activists used barricades, phone trees, tripods, treehouses, lockdowns, and building occupations to defend thousands of trees and hundreds of homes from destruction. The campaign culminated in December 1994, when over a thousand police were sent in to evict Claremont Road, the entirety of which had been squatted. The 500 residents and defenders fought back for five days as techno music blared in the background.

@midians-world

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rabbitcruiser · 1 month ago

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Idaho Falls, ID (No. 4)

As soon as the railroad came through, settlers began homesteading the upper Snake River Valley in earnest. The first new settlers carved out homesteads to the north at Egin (near present-day Parker) and at Pooles Island (near present-day Menan). The Utah & Northern Railway provided easy access, especially to homesteaders from Utah, who soon populated much of the area surrounding Eagle Rock. Some of these men had initially worked building the railroad, then later returned with their families to stake out new farms. These Utah families brought irrigation know-how developed in Utah's Great Basin settlements. Through their and others' canal systems, water from the Snake River made the Upper Snake River Valley into one of the most successful irrigation projects in the Mountain West. Large-scale settlement ensued and within a decade, there appeared roads, bridges, and dams, which brought most of the Upper Snake River Valley under cultivation.

Then, in 1887, following the construction of the Oregon Short Line and a railroad workers' strike in Eagle Rock, most of the railroad facilities were moved to Pocatello, where the new line branched off the U&NR. This caused a sharp and immediate drop in population, which nearly killed the town. In 1891, marketers convinced town leaders to change the name to Idaho Falls in reference to the rapids below the bridge. Some years later, the construction of a retaining wall for a hydroelectric power plant transformed the rapids into waterfalls. On June 22, 1895, the world's then-largest irrigation canal, the Great Feeder (located 5 miles northeast of Ririe), began diverting water from the Snake River, helping to convert tens of thousands of more acres of desert into green farmland. The area grew sugar beets, potatoes, peas, grains, and alfalfa, and became one of the most productive agricultural regions of the United States. The city once again began to flourish, growing continuously into the 20th century.

Source: Wikipedia

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bumblebeeappletree · 11 months ago

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Difficulties designing a steep sloped garden? Jane visits a gardener that has managed just that.

Chloe Thomson is a television and online presenter, writer and horticulturist living in Melbourne’s northeast. One of her biggest off-screen challenges has been the creation of her home garden, designed around what she calls her treetop house. Chloe’s garden sits on a quarter-acre block on a serious slope. “The garden really appealed to me here because there’s lots of different spaces, on different heights.”

As you enter the driveway, the first section of the garden has been created as a family space with a lawn and trampoline. It’s situated close to the road but remains calm and peaceful - “you still feel snug.” While the lawn is not that big, Chloe says the slope is “just right to lean back and read a book.”

A steep driveway really can be difficult for gardens. Chloe says, “to get things to stay and survive in this environment, we had to first play with Corten steel” to terrace the garden into beds. The steel panels arrive flat and black and can be shaped to the slope and filled in with backfill. Over time the steel changes to a rusty colour. This is a dry-shade microclimate, which can be a tricky place to plant, but Chloe has chosen plants to suit the environment. Succulents have been planted using a “tried-and-true rip it off and shove it in the ground method.” The variegated Carex ‘Feather Falls’ bring a pop of brightness, and the Arthropodiums, Chloe says, are “fairly bomb-proof.”

Onwards and upwards, a wooden flight of stairs takes you up through the garden and towards a cliff face about two meters from the back of the home. It’s a narrow space and has other uses for utilities such as the water heater and ladders. Chloe utilises the raised garden bed at the back as her ‘picking garden’ filled with dahlias, zinnias and oregano.

One of Chloe’s newer projects is a self-built glasshouse which was initiated during lockdown. It’s made from 100% recycled windows found on the side of the road or the tip, which Chloe calls “freecycling”. It’s a great space to grow some tropical plants that wouldn’t survive outside in the cold, such as turmeric, ginger, curry leaf and frangipani.

The next set of stairs is designed with Cordon steel “to hug the landscape”, filled in with pale gravel. To get an even grade on such a slope is a huge amount of work, especially when hand built. To do this, Chloe says this process was done “literally one step at a time. Starting at the bottom, we did perhaps one step on one weekend, then two steps on another, gradually making our way up to the top.”

Near the top of the property is a chook house with three silkies who are laying eggs, have free reign in the lawned areas, and the kids love them. At the height of the garden is a very inviting green lawn. Chloe says, “being at the top of the garden, you can perch yourself and admire the view, which is really nice.”

Jane comments on Chloe’s use of the vertical elements that complement the steepness of the space and give a sense of height when looking out across the view. The climbing Hops grows very tall in summer and is harvested for homebrew before dying back down in the Autumn. A new addition to the garden is another climber, the warty gourd, which Chloe says may end up hollowed out for Christmas decorations.

A small side pathway offers a view that is higher than the house, which shows you how steep this garden really is. In this spot, Chloe grows a viburnum hedge, chalk sticks, tussock grass, westringia, “and of course yellow paper daisies - I have a bit of a thing for them.”

Chloe’s advice to anyone wanting to build a garden on a steep slope is to “look at different retaining options, look at ways you can create planting pockets or planting spaces. Things don’t have to be straight. I think people think too much that retaining walls and retaining soil needs to be all straight. Think outside the box.” Rather than being daunted by this steep slope, Chloe has embraced the unique opportunities that have arisen, and in the process has created a great family space.

#gardening australia #solarpunk #australia #garden #gardening #sloping garden #sloping gardening #slope #Chloe Thomson #Melbourne #Youtube

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jules-has-notes · 1 year ago

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2016 VoicePlay fall roundup — projects galore, frequent travels, and holiday cheer

As summer rolled into autumn, VoicePlay just kept rolling on their various creative fronts.

While the other guys were cruising in the northeast, Tony and Layne were hard at work back home, prepping and filming PattyCake's first Halloween video.

California schemin'

Once the sailors were rested up, most of the guys headed for the west coast. They spent two days in Los Angeles filming collaboration videos, first with Kurt Hugo Schneider and then with AJ Rafael.

On the upside, their absence from Florida meant that they didn't have to take shelter from Hurricane Matthew. Unfortunately, Tony wasn't involved in the videos (for reasons that would soon become clear) and was supposed to be on a later flight than the others. He didn't make it out of Orlando before the airport was shut down.

From L.A., the guys hopped up the coast to San Francisco to perform at a benefit concert for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation hosted by the Alpha Epsilon Phi fraternity at Stanford University. With Tony stuck at home, the fellas called in their old buddy Paul Sperrazza from Vox Audio to pinch hit as their baritone for the night.

Squeeze me in

After a few days at home, the guys hit the road again. They started with three days of student workshops in eastern Ohio.

During the week, they set their social media followers the challenge of finding them among the crowds of students and faculty at some of the schools. (Can you spot them all? The kids make surprisingly good camouflage.)

New Philadelphia, OH — East Elementary // West Elementary

Zoarville, OH — Tuscarawas Valley Elementary School

On the final day, they worked with the choirs from two local high schools, who then joined them for a show at Kent State Tuscarawas the following night.

From there, the guys headed south to West Memphis, AR for another concert and a workshop at the local high school the day after that. One crafty fan brought them homemade VP logo cookies.

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students at West Memphis High School

Next they flew up to NYC to perform at a fundraiser for the Lupus Foundation of America.

Then they scooted upstate to Rochester for a show at Nazareth College before finally heading home.

Happy holiday-ween

Once they returned to Orlando, it was time to buckle down on rehearsals for their second year at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, so that they'd all be able to hit the stage running in November. (Layne did take the time in the middle of the week to have dinner with their old friend Jeff Thatcher and introduce him to Doris, though.)

The extra twist this year was that, on top of getting themselves and their backup guys ready to perform their holiday setlists, these performances would also be their next step toward formally acknowledging Tony's departure. He wouldn't be joining the other guys on stage in Tomorrowland this season. Instead, they would alternate between two replacement baritones, Erik Winger and J.None, who would continue performing with them into the new year, until the group could decide on a new permanent member.

No trick, all treats

At the end of the month, Geoff & Kathy announced that baby Castellucci was on the way at long last. They shared a short video documenting some of their challenging road to parenthood on Geoff's personal YouTube channel.

and baby makes three… er, five?

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WARNING: This video contains footage of Kathy receiving many injections in her belly and buttocks. As a result, she engages in some pain-induced swearing. Understandable, but probably NSFW.

One of the pumpkins from the baby reveal was then repurposed to create VoicePlay's social media posts for the day of Halloween.

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North to South (Carolina)

After a week and a half at home, the guys moseyed up to South Carolina for a pair of shows in Aiken, this time with Erik Winger as their substitute baritone.

A group of fans, perturbed by some negativity they'd been seeing directed toward the guys in YouTube comments and on social media, had been conspiring amongst themselves to counteract that energy. They'd created a book of positive messages and images. The two friends who had volunteered to collect and deliver everyone's submissions also documented the presentation during the post-show meet and greet on the first night so that all the contributors could see the guys' initial reactions.

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Ashley and Nancy present the book of fan love

The second day also held a few surprises.

It can be nice to have fans in the service industry.

Aiken, SC show — pre-show chatting // post-show group hug with fan Ashley // prezzies!

Sing, laugh, and be merry

And then it was off to the races. VoicePlay began their second annual residency in Tomorrowland for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World in early November. For nearly 100 performances over the course of six weeks, they once again entertained thousands upon thousands of visitors to the Magic Kingdom.

Hardcore mode

In between MVMCP shows, the guys continued doing their other jobs. Among other things, that meant Earl was lucky enough to be playing Crush in the Nemo live show when iconic professional wrestler Mick Foley was in the audience.

Earl meeting Mick Foley // the VP MVMCP B-team — Tony F., Antonio, Deejay, Joey, & J.None

Having a full cast of replacement singers came in handy during the second week of Disney World shows. VoicePlay had also booked a holiday concert down in Delray Beach for the Friday before Thanksgiving. So, while Winger filled in for Tony on the road, J.None and the rest of Echo took to the Tomorrowland stage in full force.

Eli and Ashley even left a day early and took a detour to attend a Carrie Underwood show in Tampa on the way.

VoicePlaying for Gamecocks

At the beginning of December, VoicePlay headed up to South Carolina with Winger once more for their last non-Disney holiday concert of the year at USC.

Bubblicious

In early December, some of the guys finally got to meet the British music blogger who had been singing their praises for several years when his vacation itinerary brought him to the Magic Kingdom.

Caroling we roll along

Their final video shoot of the year was also the final entry in their first set of PartWork videos, a gentle rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem". With the announcement of Tony's departure drawing closer, the other four guys were all featured in this video in their usual roles, and Geoff did double duty to cover the baritone part.

VoicePlates

As a fun little end-of-year treat, their pal (and former 4:2:Five tenor) Danny Alan stumbled upon some holiday paper goods that bore a surprisingly familiar looking design.

The guys finally took the last few days of the year to relax and rest in preparation for their hectic start to the new year, but those are stories for another time.

#VoicePlay #traveling musicians #behind the scenes #video #link-o-rama #long post

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wheretheweirdthingsaree · 9 months ago

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Galleta Meadows Sculptures is an outdoor sculpture park located in Borrego Springs, California.

This unique site features over 130 metal sculptures scattered across the desert landscape.

The sculptures at Galleta Meadows were commissioned by Dennis Avery, the heir to the Avery label fortune.

Avery, a philanthropist and art enthusiast, owned the Galleta Meadows Estate and envisioned creating a space where art and nature could coexist.

He commissioned Ricardo Breceda, a self-taught sculptor from Mexico, to create the metal artworks.

Breceda started working on the project in 2008, and the sculptures were installed over several years, turning the desert into an open-air gallery.

Galleta Meadows is located in Borrego Springs, a small desert town in Southern California, about 90 miles northeast of San Diego.

The sculptures are dispersed throughout the private lands of Galleta Meadows Estates, spread across thousands of acres.

They are publicly accessible and situated along Borrego Springs Road and other nearby routes.

Visitors can drive or walk around the sculptures, making it a popular destination for tourists, photographers, and nature enthusiasts.

The sculptures at Galleta Meadows vary widely in size and subject matter, ranging from life-sized to monumental. Some of the notable pieces include:

The Serpent (Sea Dragon): One of the most famous sculptures, this creature appears to weave in and out of the sand, with a length of over 350 feet.

Prehistoric Animals: Including mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and sloths, these sculptures are life-sized representations of creatures that once roamed the area.

Dinosaurs: Several sculptures depict dinosaurs, such as the Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor, adding a fantastical element to the desert landscape.

Historical and Cultural Figures: These sculptures depict historical figures like Spanish explorers, Native American warriors, and gold miners, reflecting the region's rich history.

The sculptures are made from welded steel and have been designed to withstand the harsh desert environment, withstanding both heat and wind.

Many of them are intricate, with detailed textures and designs that capture the imagination of viewers.

The Galleta Meadows Sculptures have had a significant impact on the Borrego Springs community and beyond:

The sculptures have turned Borrego Springs into a cultural and tourist destination, drawing visitors from around the world.

This influx of tourists has bolstered the local economy, benefiting hotels, restaurants, and shops.

Some of the sculptures depict historical and cultural figures significant to the area, serving as a form of cultural preservation and education.

They help tell the story of the region's history, from prehistoric times to modern-day, enhancing cultural awareness and appreciation.

The site demonstrates how art can be integrated into natural landscapes in a way that complements rather than disrupts the environment.

This has inspired similar projects elsewhere and encouraged a broader appreciation for outdoor art installations.

The sculptures have fostered a sense of community pride and engagement.

Locals often volunteer to help maintain the area and guide visitors, reflecting a strong community connection to the sculptures.

By situating these sculptures in a natural setting, Galleta Meadows has increased awareness about the desert environment and its preservation.

The art installations highlight the stark beauty of the desert, encouraging a greater appreciation for the landscape and its unique ecosystem.

Overall, Galleta Meadows Sculptures is a unique fusion of art, history, and nature, creating a cultural landmark that has enriched both the local community and the wider public.

#roadside attraction #roadside attractions #roadside #art #good news #artist #artwork #funny #car #cars

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moochilatv · 10 months ago

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Shannon Dooley presents: Gold

The fifth release of the artist is here

"I wrote, recorded, performed and produced this out my little home studio in Fort Lauderdale, FL." Shannon Dooley.

BIO:

Singer, songwriter and producer Shannon Dooley (born Shannon Katharine Dooley) is no stranger to the industry. Currently holding 4 full-length albums under her belt she emerged onto the music scene at age 17 with her debut project Uniquity, a pop-rock original band hailing from New Haven, CT. With Shannon's powerful stage presence and the band's catchy songs they quickly developed a cult following throughout the Northeast and tri-state area playing to thousands at various music venues and radio festivals as well as recording their debut album 'Uniquity'. She soon branched off creating the same viral path founding, fronting and co-writing for pop-rock band Gia, with whom she recorded her sophomore self-titled album ‘Gia’. Shannon and former bandmate, producer and co-writer Joshua Swetts went on to record two more experimental rock albums titled 'Mystic Wave' and 'Clouded Judgement'.

Shannon began singing at a very early age and quickly took up violin, piano and writing music at the age of 9. A self taught guitarist by her teens, a purchase of her Korg Triton catapulted her into becoming proficient at sequencing and creating beats, writing pop, electronic and trip-hop driven music which paved the road for her ability to quickly pick up music production.

Follow Shannon updates in TikTok:

#Shannon Dooley #gold #pop music #darkpop #trendingmusic #producer #Spotify

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eldritchaccident · 1 year ago

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Timing: April 16th Location: Ontario, Canada Warnings: asphyxiation tw Summary: Teddy finds the fam

The road eastward brought blooms and warmth. Even as north as Canada, spring made its way into each and every bud, every blade of grass, every flower rebelliously bursting through half frozen soil. Bringing brightness and color to an otherwise inauspicious trek. The road, a dull gray, felt twice as dire in contrast to the burst of life on either side of the blackened river of concrete and asphalt. The coordinates landed a few hours northeast of Thunder Bay in Ontario. Across the tumultuous waves of Lake Superior.

The town itself wasn’t named on the map, but the small section of the coastline was almost… too perfectly hidden from any means of internet research. The only ways that led in were nameless ghost roads winding from numbered tributaries, eventually leading off towards the main arterial highways of the Great White North. The secrecy wasn’t comforting. If anything, it brought back the severe stare that picture leveled against Teddy, the way it made their stomach curdle.

Few thoughts brought them solace, but nothing would calm their mind if they didn’t go down this road. Little memories provided warmth. Rough hands gently rubbing circles on their back. The smell of wet earth as two pairs of gloves tenderly introduced seedlings to the soil. Splashes of water and flashes of fur, scales, tiny buggy feets all being cared for by one who barely shows her smiles to the world. Late night pizza filled research sessions, learning the ways of magic neither had been instructed upon. When Teddy finished all this, when they got the answers they were looking for, that was their reward. Going home. Being at peace. Being able to live and exist again, no longer torn in two by a past divided.

Destiny came sooner the more they thought on its epilogue.

The drive was long, hard, and filled with endless uneventful hours for Teddy to sit and ruminate on every possibility. Every outcome, however unlikely. They almost missed the sign declaring their entrance into the town of Echo. Proudly declaring a small population, barely capping a thousand residents. The sign was old though, so, who knew if it was accurate. Teddy took a minute to confer with the gps system (Since their phone was utterly useless now). They were heading in the right direction. This was it.

Wheels rolled onward, the yellow bug rumbling into what appeared to be the one main drag this town had to offer. Old Victorian and Colonial style houses dappled the streets along with small shops and restaurants. A single grocery store, and thankfully, a motel. A good place as any to set up shop.

Teddy pulled into the small parking lot, headed in towards what looked like the office, happy to see a smiling (albeit a little shocked) face at the end of their long, long trip.

“H-hey there! Can I help you?” The woman behind the counter stuttered, almost like she was unsure if this fell within her job description. Teddy returned her smile only bigger, and she seemed to relax.

“Don’t get too many travelers here do you?”

“Nah, certain times of year, sure. Can’t say this is really tourist season now, bud.” She looked apologetic, and Teddy noticed the phone she tucked away into her desk, and how candy crush was for sure still on the screen. “But we’re always glad to see a new face! Are you planning on staying?”

“Absolutely, Just a room for one, please.” “Can do, Just need to see your license and a credit card and I can get ya set right up.” The clerical steps weren’t exactly the most interesting thing, but Teddy was pleased when the two fake cards went undetected.

“Mr. Jogia…? How many nights do you wanna book with us?”

“Put me down for a week.”

“Oh my! Alrighty, what brings you up this way?”

“Ah, you know. Doing some research for a school project. Something about the older and less well known towns in Ontario.” A classic lie, half laden with just a sprinkling of truth. Research, yes, school? Eh. Teddy figured they knew enough from watching shows that a history class might give out something like this as homework.

The rest of the conversation was about as friendly (if dry) as it had been til that point. Teddy was given a room and the keys along with it. The secretary, June, even gave them a heads up on which restaurants were a must, and which were a bust. Poutine De Manger. Was amongst the highest rated, and of course had their mind going back to Wicked’s Rest and that strange animal control officer with his very favorite phrase.

With their bags unpacked and quaint little room set up for the week, Teddy set out into the town. The final stretch to the coordinates on the back of the picture. The road leading up was paved, but strangely. The normal gravel and concrete method had been forsaken in favor of some intricate mosaic. One that Teddy recognized had the same symbol they kept seeing all throughout the town. Almost every building, every road sign, every business had it somewhere on them. Even the sign leading into the town itself bore the sixteen pointed star.

Before they could even see the break in the trees, Teddy pulled their car off to the side. Hiding it (well enough) with some branches and whatnot. The rest of the trek would have to be on foot, lest someone notice the sound and give away their position. Between the trees, they made their approach, finding not just one house but several. Almost like a cul-de-sac or Plantation, with a central manor surrounded by smaller, but no less intricate houses.

Teddy crept from hiding place to hiding place until the figures came fully into view. A scattering of people walked in amongst the buildings. Some of them were further off from the main stretch. In the space stretching between, fields of various herbs and flowers grew and were tended to by some of the inhabitants. A lot of which, they admitted to themself, looked similar to them. One of the ones in the field had the same nose and hair as Teddy, but a much more muscular build. Tattoos along his arms and neck, runic, sometimes glowing as the caster exerted magical effort. Another, over by what looked to be stables had the same eyes, the same skin tone, and the same smile, but much taller and somehow even lankier than Teddy. It was odd. A series of fun house mirrors over and over again. If this truly was their father’s home, did that mean this was a whole family affair, a whole coven? Were they… cousins? An idea that sent a fluttering in Ted’s stomach, too early to tell whether it was a good or a bad thing.

A few more carefully timed sprints, a semi-hazardous climb, and Teddy had managed to find a vantage point from which to fully observe. The barn had an overlook in the attic. From there the caster could stay hidden all while peering into the windows of a few of the houses. Able to keep track of the comings and goings of any of the main structures. Cautious and careful, they settled in for the long watch.

The largest house captured the largest portion of their attention. Why wouldn’t it? The grand old manor had people coming in and out at all times of the day. A bustling hive of activity, alight with magical energy. This whole place thrummed with it. Electrified, exhilarating. Made it hard for Teddy to keep still but they needed this information. Needed to find him. Still, a few hours in there was no sign.

Afternoon turned to dusk, and in the twilight Teddy began to nod off. Sleep finally caught up, the ever persistent hunter. But a sound, sharp and metallic, caught them before they slipped. A car door had slammed just outside of the main manor. A few of the casters below dragged someone from their seat. Teddy squinted, trying to make out the face of the new player, but realized quickly they hadn’t recognized them at all. A man, skinny, white, maybe in his late thirties or early forties. Hard to say. He looked haggard and horrified, made even more so when the doors to the manor flung open and an old woman flanked on either side by masked guards casually stepped forward.

Gold embroidered the shawl draped along her shoulders with ancient runes and glyphs. An old dark cane clicked against the stonework as she stepped down. Elegant, somehow, was the first word that came to Teddy’s mind. Fierce was next, followed quickly by terrifying. Something in her stature spoke of raw power. She radiated it. Embodied it. Carrying her age like a weapon rather than a crutch. Her gaze was just as severe as the one in the photo. Her features too similar to be anyone but Teddy’s very own grandmother.

There was a conversation happening, but the only parts the hidden caster could make out were the pleas of the man, begging for more time. Saying he could collect the money, that he could pay off his debt. She seemed utterly uninterested, right up until the man lurched forward. Attempting what Teddy could only imagine was some kind of Hail Mary to escape.

Simply as anything, the old woman raised her hand. A glow lit her eyes up in the dim golden dusk. Bright, tealish blue. First, a barrier manifested between her and the charging man, who Teddy only just realized had been let go by the two from the car. Next was much harder to watch. The same barrier slunk in and wrapped around the man’s head. Slowly, excruciatingly, shrinking, smaller, smaller, smaller.

Claustrophobia hadn’t been one of Teddy’s biggest fears or anything, but even they felt like the world was just a little too tight while they watched the man struggle for air and space. His hands scratched to no avail at the magical material, all while the woman looked coldly on, uncaring, unmoving. All they could think of was how Leviathan explained Lydia’s death, how it said Teddy laughed while she suffocated. The beast had been proud of that. Brought it up often. Watching it happen now to some stranger, all they felt was sick.

They couldn’t watch anymore. There wasn’t anything they could do for the man. Averted eyes fell on another scene. Off the main course, toward one of the other houses. Another set of windows into a life that might have been theirs. Breath caught in Teddy’s throat, the very person they’d been looking for sat in the living room of that house. Time hadn’t sat still for the man, dusty white streaks peppered his temples and beard. Lines drew long on his face, somehow making his features more angular, more severe. Except… he was smiling.

He wasn’t alone.

A young girl with long dark wavy hair stood in front, happily displaying a show of magical efficiency. The same teal light choking a man not thirty yards away danced along her fingers and manipulated a series of flowers to form a crown. Their father looked enthused. Proud.

Struck, suddenly, Teddy’s chest tightened. Their breath left entirely. Blood rushed from their fingers, from their face, all flooding to their legs. Ready to run. Heartbeats became all they could hear, drowning the dying man’s wails from inside his personal magical torture chamber. They could feel their own magic welling up, threatening to surface, threatening to break something. Teddy had to leave. Teddy had to get out of there before their position was compromised. Teddy had to do something or they were going to explode.

Finding their father was a lot. Finding a whole family of casters with whom they shared blood was a lot.

But this was too much.

Teddy had a little sister.

Shit.

#wickedswriting

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veranavera · 9 months ago

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So quick life update from me: I’m putting an indefinite pause on my Northeast 131 project due to life factors that make peakbagging in the northeast untenable for me rn. My plan is to return to the region and finish it eventually, but that will probably be a few years before that happens. For what it’s worth, if you include smaller peaks I’ve done 208 peaks as part of this project, so it’s not like I haven’t done much lol

Anyhow, I’m currently road-tripping to the southwest where I hope to climb some more peaks this fall, so stay tuned for those! :)

#vera posts

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howwelldoyouknowyourmoon · 1 year ago

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Seattle's Unification Church owned mansion sold – and will be demolished

6601 Northeast Windermere Road, Seattle, WA 98105

The original Rolland Denny estate home in Seattle’s exclusive Windermere neighborhood has been sold. On the market since 2022, Loch Kelden was recently sold to developers for what real-estate sites say is $5.999.900.00, “pending feasibility.”

Preservationists could not nominate it as a city landmark because the state Supreme Court has exempted religious entities from landmark designation unless such owners support or seek it. Thus, demolition appears imminent.

This gem of Seattle history is nestled behind a curtain of trees: it's the 7,700-square-foot mansion that Rolland Denny, the first son of Seattle pioneer Arthur Denny, built in 1907.

Shortly after moving in, in 1908, Denny named his new domain "Lochkelden" — loch, meaning "lake" in Scottish; "Kel" for his wife, Alice Kellogg; and "Den" for Denny. Today, it's the only residence left in Seattle where one of the original pioneers lived.

Rolland Denny was an infant when Arthur Denny and the original pioneers arrived on Alki Beach in 1851. The Duwamish Tribe helped keep him alive by teaching his mother to feed him clam broth through the winter.

Like any 100-year-old institution worth its salt, the old Windermere mansion, as it's called, is not without intrigue.

In 1974, the Unification Church, a nontraditional church established by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in the 1940s, bought the property and its remaining 1.7 acres for $175,000.

In 1977, a group of Windermere neighbors, "Save Our Neighborhood," brought a lawsuit against the new owners, questioning their right to use the residential property for religious and commercial ventures. The lawsuit, spurred partly by a popular condemnation of the church's mass marriages and recruitment techniques, was dropped in 1982.

A community feature is access to the waterfront/private beach.

While some neighbors remain uncomfortable with the Unification Church's hold on the property, others applaud the church's efforts to refurbish the house, which suffers from the inevitable internal decay of 100-year-old plumbing and wiring.

"There's so much to fix. I have so many projects. And it's an absolute bottomless pit for money," said Scott Dolfay twenty years ago. He is a carpenter and had been a church member since 1981. In 2001, he helped raise $180,000 from the church for maintenance purposes and estimates he and other church members have contributed over a million dollars more in personal cash, materials and volunteer work since then.

Exploring the old mansion is like peeling back layers of time, he says: There's the false-backed cupboards in the master bedroom, that can be revealed using a pulley-system, rigged to the closet.

_________________________________

Boston UC Mansion at 46 Beacon Street purchased in 1976 for $475,000 now sold for $20.5million

Unification Church sells Cardinal Cushing Villa in Gloucester for $5 million

Jin-joo Byrne was raped and murdered in August 2002. She was just 18. She was fundraising on her own with costume jewellery in Charlotte NC. Some time later it was arranged for Hak Ja Han, on a visit to Seattle, to meet the family who lived there. Hak Ja Han was not very sympathetic. One person understood what she said in Korean.

All these UC members were killed while fundraising for Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han

#unification church #sun myung moon #hak ja han #moonies #ffwpu #Seattle #Jin-joo Byrne

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iviarellereads · 1 year ago

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The Eye of the World, Chapter 28 - Footprints in Air

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Staff icon) In which we play catch-up to the timeline.

Nynaeve sees the White Bridge in the distance, and grumbles that Moiraine and Lan don't even seem to notice, and resolves not to let them see her "gaping like a country bumpkin." Moiraine won't answer any of Nynaeve's questions, just encourages Nynaeve to stay at Tar Valon for training, to conquer her temper and learn to control the Power at will. Nynaeve thinks to herself that she's only going along with this to be sure Egwene doesn't get hurt.

If only there was some way to get rid of the woman. Lan would be better by himself—a Warder should be able to handle what was needed, she told herself hastily, feeling a sudden flush; no other reason—but one meant the other. And yet, Lan made her even more furious than Moiraine. She could not understand how he managed to get under her skin so easily.(1) He rarely said anything—sometimes not a dozen words in a day—and he never took part in any of the . . . discussions with Moiraine. He was often apart from the two women, scouting the land, but even when he was there he kept a little to one side, watching them as if watching a duel. Nynaeve wished he would stop. If it was a duel, she had not managed to score once, and Moiraine did not even seem to realize she was in a fight. Nynaeve could have done without his cool blue eyes, without even a silent audience.

Over the days' journey, Nynaeve feels unsettled somehow, and notes that Moiraine and Lan both seem to feel it too. Eventually Moiraine tells her it's the Dark One's gaze, not on them specifically, but on the world. He's gaining power. Nynaeve wishes she hadn't said anything at all.

Until that point, Lan had scouted and chosen their paths, but now Moiraine takes the lead, as surely as if she could see footprints in the air, or smell a memory. Soon they arrive at Whitebridge, where it seems there's been some fire and destruction, at least half a dozen buildings appear to have burned down. The people all seem to lie about what happened, either only knowing rumour or intentionally ignoring the truth in front of them.

They hear tales of trouble coming in on a boat, and leaving on it again shortly after. Moiraine leads them to an inn, and says they were there a day ago, maybe two, and very afraid, but she doesn't know where they left. Lan says there was a Myrddraal there, too. Moiraine says she'll have to help the one she knows has his coin still, and Nynaeve asks what about Egwene?

The Aes Sedai studied the tabletop for a moment before raising her eyes to Nynaeve’s, and when she did, Nynaeve started back from a flash of anger that almost seemed to make Moiraine’s eyes glow. Then her back stiffened, her own anger rising, but before she could say a word, the Aes Sedai spoke coldly. “I hope to find Egwene alive and well, too. I do not easily give up young women with that much ability once I have found them.(2) But it will be as the Wheel weaves.” Nynaeve felt a cold ball in the pit of her stomach. Am I one of those young women you won’t give up? We’ll see about that, Aes Sedai. The Light burn you, we’ll see about that! The meal was finished in silence, and it was a silent three who rode through the gates and down the Caemlyn Road. Moiraine’s eyes searched the horizon to the northeast. Behind them, the smoke-stained town of Whitebridge cowered.

=====

(1) Because you're falling in love, you poor young woman. Nynaeve's never had the chance before, and though love seemed common enough in Emond's Field from what we saw, she's lacking in self-awareness of her feelings. Anger is easiest to understand because it's always gotten results back home, so it's what she defaults to. (Side note, it's funny that Lan doesn't really take Mo's side in these arguments, huh? But he DOES try to suggest Nyn go back to the Two Rivers, where she'll be safe. Make you wonder what he's feeling.) (2) Did you catch the second layer here? Back in chapter 13, Moiraine said there were two with high potential. We can now guess that Nynaeve, of course, was the one besides Egg, which means Mo's not like to give up on Nyn anytime soon, either, just as Nyn fears.

#wheel of time #wot #the wheel of time #twot #the eye of the world #eye of the world #eotw #teotw #wot staff icon #nynaeve al'meara #moiraine damodred #lan mandragoran

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propertyportal · 1 year ago

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Top Areas to Buy a Residential Villas in Bangalore : A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction: -

Welcome to Bangalore, an expanding city where urban beauty and luxurious living combine. There's no need to explore any farther for the ideal property to call home. Three stunning sites that stand out as the greatest places to buy villas in Bangalore are Ramamurthy Nagar, HSR Layout, and MG Road. We shall examine these three locations in this blog post.

Ramamurthy Nagar: -Calm Presence in the Heart of Nature

Located away in northeast Bangalore, Ramamurthy Nagar is a beautiful a place offering the perfect ratio of community and peace. In this peaceful area, Villas for sale in Ramamurthy Nagar offer unique opportunities. Villas in Ramamurthy Nagar are well known for their spacious floor plans and modern amenities. Families wanting a convenient yet peaceful lifestyle will find the area to be a fantastic choice due to its well-planned infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. If one wishes to expand their search, Bangalore's expanding real estate market may provide more possibilities for a refined living environment if they take into account the possibility of buying villas in Devanahalli, another emerging location.

Key Features: -

Close to major IT centers such as Whitefield

Lots of parks and other green areas

outstanding educational establishments

Future Projects in Infrastructure

HSRLayout:-The Height of Urban Beauty

Hosur-Sarjapur Road Layout, or HSR Layout, is a popular residential and business area in Bangalore. HSR Layout, which is well-known for its thoughtful design and multicultural vibe, provides a selection of luxurious houses that suit the needs of contemporary urban living. HSR Layout guarantees an upscale living environment with a blend of parks, retail centers, and entertainment venues. Discover the beautiful Houses for sale in HSR Layout and experience the height of luxury living in this energetic Bangalore area if you're looking for your ideal house.

Key Features: -

Ideally situated for quick access to major IT parks

wide highways and well-designed infrastructure

restaurants, retail centers, and cultural attractions

multicultural and diverse community

MG Road: A Mixture of Wealth and Tradition

Explore MG Road's luxurious environment and you'll find an unmatched blend of contemporary living and cultural beauty. This famous location is more than just a travel destination—it is the height of luxury. Buy a house in MG Road would allow you to live a lifestyle that skillfully combines luxury with Bangalore's rich history. MG Road offers a living experience unlike any other, with luxurious businesses and excellent dining options that seamlessly combine modern conveniences and classic beauty. Don't pass up the chance to live in ultimate luxury and make MG Road your home.

Key Features: -

posh and exclusive housing options

Close to luxurious dining and retail establishments

historical and cultural sites

Getting to the core business district of Bangalore

Conclusion: -

Ramamurthy Nagar, HSR Layout, and MG Road stand out as top options for luxury living in Bangalore, each providing an own way of life. These places have the ideal villa waiting for you, whether you enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors, the luxury of city living, or the extravagance of a historic setting. Investigate your options and build your ideal house in one of these Bangalore garden city neighborhoods.

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