#with a ton of orion culture and world building

[dspd]

peak ADHD is doing weeks of research and making a 12 page detailed outline for a trilogy fic, blinking, and realizing it's been 4 years since you've opened the document or even thought about it.

[discotreque]

LwD 2.03: We’ll Always Have Tom Paris

I’ve lived in the same apartment for eight years now, and yesterday was the fifth catastrophic mechanical failure of the same bathroom toilet—all unrelated issues, too; this time it was the fill valve. At this point I don’t know whether to call a plumber or an exorcist… but anyway, it’s been kind of hard to focus on Star Trek! Ugh.

This week’s episode is credited to M. Willis, who I last encountered on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, a show about which I wrote literally 100,000 words of fanfic last year, in between Picard and Lower Decks when I had no Star Trek to obsess over. Willis’s She-Ra episodes tended to be slightly off-format in execution, with big action set pieces, lots of characters in unexpected combinations, and usually an emotional game-changer of a climax—and her last credit on this show was “Much Ado About Boimler,” which obviously had all those elements too. She writes to her strengths!

Spoilers within:

If you need me, I’m going to be ugly-laughing about “Voy” for the rest of the day. (Wow, that does actually save a ton of time!)

SHAXS IS BACKXS!!!! The lower-deckers never knowing how or why a senior officer came back from the dead is a perfect microcosm of this show. I love that he still calls Rutherford “Baby Bear,” and I love the weird cosmic horror that LwD keeps sprinkling into the Star Trek universe. (What does that koala know?) I hope this doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of Kayshon! His appearance on the bridge gives me hope we’ll get to keep both characters around.

Star Trek has always had fairly fuzzy world-building for the world outside Starfleet—understandable, since 99% of Star Trek takes place within Starfleet—but it’s been such a thrill to see LwD (and Picard) finally establish some in-universe pop culture that isn’t conveniently familiar to 20th- or 21st-century audiences. Like the Zebulon Sisters last season—a band that apparently does USO-style tours of Starfleet ships? Delightful. Kestra Troi-Riker having a t-shirt from a Sex Pistols cover band in Klingon? Fucking brilliant. Tendi bonding with the guy at the storage place over the “Klingon acid punk�� playing from his little Bluetooth speaker? PUT IT IN MY VEINS.

They really put the character development in gear this week! I liked how we locked in a couple of things already established in extra-canonical material: Mariner’s bisexuality, which Mike McMahan mentioned in an interview last year, and Tendi’s given name, D’vana (which I was sure we’d heard on the show before, but I guess not?).

Speaking of Mariner’s love life, is human–Bynar dating just… by definition a threesome situation?

We learned a lot of new things about Tendi, though, and every single one makes her 10 times more interesting to me. Remember last season, when she said “many” Orions hadn’t been pirates or slavers “for over five years”? Is the implication that something happened in Orion culture—around the end of the Dominion War?—that led to Tendi (and presumably others) rejecting a life of crime and joining Starfleet? How long was she “the Mistress of Winter Constellations” before that—or is it more of an inherited title? I want more Tendi lore!!!!

(Speaking of Tendi’s life, another quick and confounding piece of information for my red-yarn “what the hell is up with Tendiford” theory board: Mariner asks if they’re dating and Tendi’s response is “Not really!” Not really? That’s not no, D’vana!)

This show continues to be a surprisingly conventional workplace sitcom underneath all the excellent Star Trek (and that’s not a bad thing, just a genre overlap that keeps falling out of the front of my mind). Boimler’s inability to use the computer hit way too close to home for me this week: a couple years ago, I returned to a job after a long-term leave of absence, during which time I’d been assigned to a new manager—who’d never had an employee return from long-term leave before, so he didn’t know what to do beforehand—so I spent my first day back just chilling at my desk, fucking around on my phone, because there was literally nothing else I could do without logging into the system first. Too real!

Something we’ve seen in this show that I’m not sure we’ve seen before w/r/t the food replicators is somebody putting a tray of food into the replicator to add more food on top of it—in this case Shaxs getting spicy kiwi ketchup (?!) on a hot dog he seems to have already replicated. (He couldn’t have asked for “hot dog, with spicy kiwi ketchup” in the first place? This is haunting me worse than him coming back from the dead.)

As a certified cat lady, the T’Ana plotline—and its resolution—made me laugh until I couldn’t breathe (unless that was the toxoplasmosis). I should have seen it coming, but I was too distracted by the second-hand embarrassment of them breaking “Jeremy” (and the completely unprecedented Star Trek plot of a doctor getting off on her grandmother’s family heirloom…).

Miscellany:

Jet offering to carry Boimler across the threshold of the door like a bride… am I going to ship THIS now?

Mariner interpreting Tendi’s “talk like a pirate!” in the same way a modern millennial would—“Arr, how ya be doin’ today, me fellow Orion?”—might have been my favourite dumb joke in the entire episode. (“I’m allergic to, uh, pheromones?”)

Tawny Newsome read the line about “only one name, like Odo!” in the script and apparently literally called Mike McMahan out of the blue to remind him that Odo’s name is short for “Odo’ital” and she didn’t want nitpicking nerds on her case. He told her the line was so funny he would accept the nitpicking, so don’t blame Tawny—she tried to warn him!

“There’s like, only a couple people in the quadrant who can say they got beat up by Tom Paris.” Is that a burn? I think that’s a burn.

Another banger of an episode. This show is more confident this season, and I’m loving it—and based on what I’ve heard from people who’ve seen the next two episodes, it only gets better from here. HYYYYYYYPE!!!!!!

See you next week—I’ve got to go fashion a toilet plunger into a crucifix, apparently.

[phantomato]

You've written Tom/Abraxas and Tom/Orion fics before, so I was wondering what you thought about each ship. What do each of these men represent in Tom's life? Do you think any of those relationships would have actually been successful and healthy?

God you’re killing me, how did you know I’d love to talk about Tom’s romantic life?? 🙌 Yes, always, his early friendships and romances are wonderful topics.

Cut for length.

I’m going to do Orion first, since there’s less to say. I headcanon Orion Black as younger than Tom, but not as young as JK’s shitty math would make him—he’s like 3-4 years Tom’s junior, and therefore not a romantic prospect at all during their shared Hogwarts schooling. With apologies to friends who love the Blacks, I can’t see a healthy relationship between Tom and anyone in the Black family, given their incredible disdain for pretty much everyone, especially those of ‘lower birth.’ But I also see Orion/Walburga as deeply unhappy, both likely have their dirty secrets, and for Orion, it would be appealing to degrade the mudblood who made such a splash in their generation. I don’t see any affection between him and Tom, just fucking, often with an implicit or explicit exchange of something (money, items, knowledge, access). But I think Orion would be like that with any uppity mudblood in his social circle; it’s not Tom, specifically, it’s the idea of anyone daring to aim above their station. When Tom comes back as Voldemort and no longer has anything to gain from Orion (or, very little—he sets his sights on the younger generation of Blacks), they wouldn’t return to fucking.

Although, that said, I would definitely read the mid-40s Voldemort who’s forced to return to selling himself to Orion when he has no luck recruiting supporters for his grand plan. I just think Orion would have moved on to younger men and women by then.

Abraxas. TomBrax. A ship that’s been with us since at least the mid-aughts, the grandaddy of peer-age Tomslash, the ship that’s launched hundreds of fics. I, er, don’t care for it. I’m so sorry, TomBrax shippers; I greatly respect what y’all have done for the Tom Riddle/Voldemort fan community, but I don’t like the ship and I really wish I could but I can’t.

What makes this difficult for me is that I love Abraxas Malfoy as an idea. The character is a ton of fun in most of his appearances in fic, a larger-than-life person who is either flamboyant or brash or both, whose energy is a gateway for Tom to experience parts of the wizarding world previously closed to him. I’ve used Abraxas as a close friend of Tom’s, mm, three times now? He’s someone I like to have around. I like their friendship. So why don’t I like their romance?

Simply, Tom is Abraxas’ exception. Abraxas is a Malfoy, and he’s usually written with the Malfoy legacy in mind: he’s wealthy, he’s very sure of his belonging, he’s disdainful of things he doesn’t know. This is the opposite of Tom Riddle. That tension, though really fun in a friendship, leads to challenges in a romance. Abraxas comes around on Tom Riddle—that’s universal—but rarely does he come around on all of what Tom stands for, the mixing of two cultures that lies at the heart of him. So Tom is the one mudblood that Abraxas likes, the one person in his life who‘s allowed to value Muggle things, the one person whose Muggle sensibilities receive only light mocking and not full-on bigotry as a response. Er. That’s… not the sort of romance I can root for.

It might be different if the fanon around Abraxas had settled another way. If Abraxas was even occasionally shown moving into Muggle London to live with Tom, or adapting to Tom’s mundane way of doing chores, or dressing himself in Muggle fashion, or any number of signs that he was content with Tom even if Tom turned his back on the wizarding world. And, yeah, this all hangs on my interpretation of Tom Riddle and Voldemort. If you’re reading something where Tom waves his wand to tie his shoes, sure, this might all be unnecessary, but that’s largely not the version of Tom that makes it into TomBrax, it’s a pairing dominated by the uncomfortable contrast between mixed-culture Tom and wizard-supremacist Abraxas.

So I like their romance as ill-fated. I like mashing them together when they’re young, at that age when we often date aspirationally, hoping we or our partner will/can have their fundamental nature changed, I like the sadness of their affections never quite meeting in a sustainable way, and I like them drifting into friendship after some years, realizing that this is their stable balance. I think Abraxas is the one who most wishes it could have been different, because he’s the one less harmed by the prejudice that divides them. I don’t think Tom is ever able to forget his blood status when he’s with Abraxas, to feel like it’s any another trait such as having brown hair or being tall, and I think that resentment is much easier for him to manage within a friendship than within a romantic attachment.

It’s a good lesson for Tom to learn about what he needs from a partner.

I think there’s a lot of room for more peer-aged Tom romances. I happen to have chosen Nott Sr due to affection for fanon Theodore Nott, but really, we get plenty of other names to build up as characters. I’m personally holding out for a focused take on Antonin/Tom. The struggle with either a Malfoy or a Black is that both families demonstrate loyalty to blood purity and themselves over loyalty to Voldemort during the canon series. It’s strongly impacted fanon, and though both Abraxas and Orion are often shown as independent men, they also keep their bigotry. Someone like Nott or Dolohov, who don’t have that baggage, offer more room for equity in romance.

[hms-chill]

RWRB Study Guide: Chapter 4

Hi y’all! I’m going through Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue and defining/explaining references! Feel free to follow along, or block the tag #rwrbStudyGuide if you’re not interested!

The Willard (75): A luxury hotel just down the street from the White House, where rooms can cost up to $8,000 per night. It hosts the turkeys to be pardoned by the president.

Cornbread and Stuffing (75): Traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Pardoning turkeys are commonly named after foods associated with Thanksgiving, recently including Bread, Butter, Cheese, and Apple.

Pennsylvania Avenue (75): The street that the White House and Willard are on.

Until I pardon them (75): The pardoning of the turkeys is an actual American tradition. Americans began sending turkeys to the president around the same time we started celebrating Thanksgiving, and the tradition of pardoning them began with Clinton in 1999. Only one turkey is officially pardoned, but there is always a backup turkey, and you can read their names here. 

En suite (76): A bathroom directly connected to a bedroom.

CNN (76): Cable News Network, a liberal news station.

Republican primary debate (76): A debate between candidates for the Republican (conservative) party, held before the party decides who they will nominate for the presidential race.

Summer home in Majorca (79): Majorca is an island in the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Spain.

Jurassic Park* (79): A movie in which dinosaurs escape from their cages and the main characters have to escape them.

Autoerotic asphyxiation (80): “erotic asphyxiation” is essentially sexual choking; if it’s “autoerotic” it would be Alex doing it to himself.

Silk pillow over my face (80): This may be a reference to the Shakespeare play Othello where (spoilers, though it’s been out for like 500 years) the title character smothers his wife with a pillow after rumors that she’s cheating on him.

Jaffa cakes (80): A British snack with a sponge cake base, a layer of orange jam, and topped with chocolate.

Jabba (81): Jabba the Hutt, a Star Wars character.

Great British Bake Off (81): A famously wholesome baking show that is technically a competition between home bakers from around the UK, though it is far from competitive.

Scandinavian skin care (81): Many luxury skincare brands have come from Scandinavian countries in the past few years.

Chopped (82): An incredibly competitive American cooking show.

The Manson tapes (82): A series of tapes revealing the dealings of the Manson Cult, which was responsible for nine murders in 1969.

David Bowie (82): A famously bisexual British actor and musician known for his bold presentation and stagecraft. He was admitted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. (listen here and here)

Seinfeld (82): An American sitcom from the 1990s. Wayne Knight, who played Dennis Nedry and had a very bad time in Jurassic Park, was also in Seinfeld.

Jeff Goldblum (82): An American actor (and force of chaos) known for his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, a scientist who sees from the very beginning that maybe breeding massive predators is a bad idea.

The Post (84): The Washington Post

Oval Office (84): The president’s office in the White House

Lincoln Bedroom (85): A guest bedroom that is part of the Lincoln Suite in the White House, named after President Lincoln, who used to room as an office.

Chocolate shop on the first floor (85): According to the White House Museum online, there is a chocolate shop on the bottom floor of the White House that prepares the chocolates served in the White house.

The Atlantic (85): An American editorial magazine that covers news, politics, education, science, and more. It targets serious readers and “thought leaders”. (More)

Truman Balcony (85): A balcony overlooking the White House’s South Lawn (in the “back” of the White House).

Mijo (85): For those who haven’t read my fic “Speaking My Language” here, “mijo” is Spanish term of endearment that translates directly to “my son” (Mi hijo)

Washington monument (86): A tall obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, DC, dedicated to George Washington.

Eisenhower Building (86): The Eisenhower Executive Offices Building is a building that houses the executive Office of the President, including the Vice President’s office.

Los Bastardos (86): Spanish for “The bastards”.

Caldillo (86): a spicy Mexican beef stew.

Masa (86): A corn/maize dough used for making corn tortillas, tamales, and other Mexican/Latin American dishes.

Valedictorian (87): A student who ranks the highest in their graduating class in high school.

New Orleans (87): A city in Louisiana known for its vibrant blend of French and Creole culture, its jazz scene, and its Mardi Gras celebration. It is also Casey McQuinston’s hometown.

AP classes (90): Advanced placement classes are high school classes taught at a college level; at the end of the year, students take a test to determine whether or not they will get college credit for it.

Hanukkah (90): A Jewish celebration honoring the second rededicating of the temple in Jerusalem. It is not traditionally a major Jewish holiday, but it has become one of the best-known due to the fact that it occurs near Christmas every year. 

“Good King Wenceslas” (91): A traditional Christmas song about a king who braves the cold to give alms to a poor peasant on Christmas.

Jim-jams (91): Pajamas.

Tiger sharks over a baby seal (91): According to my roommate, who loves sharks, tiger sharks are one of the most vicious types of sharks. They’re bottom feeders, so they wouldn’t necessarily get seals too often, but if they got one, they would be all over it.

Bougie (95): Fancy or upper class (from the French “bourgeoisie”).

Real Housewife (95): The Real Housewives of [City] are a string of semi-popular American reality TV shows.

East Room (95): An event and reception room in the White House.

Tramp stamp (96): A tattoo on the lower back, associated with less savory activities and a general air of trashiness.

Zac Posen (97): A gay, Jewish fashion designer from New York, known for his glamorous evening gowns and cocktail dresses.

Middle-shelf whiskey (97): A “middle shelf” alcohol is one step up from the cheapest option; a whiskey is a dark alcohol associated with Texas/the West.

“American Girl” (98): A 1976 rock song that has become a rock classic. (Listen here)

Center for American Progress (98): A liberal public policy research and advocacy organization.

Pez (candy) (99): A type of small, sweet pieces of candy that come from fancy, collectable Pez dispensers.

Sky writers (99): Sky writers use the trails of their airplanes to write things in the sky. It costs at least $3,500 for a single message.

“Get Low” (101): Despite its incredibly raunchy lyrics, this song was a common one at school dances in the early 2010s. I was in middle school in roughly 2010-2012, and I have vivid memories of people being into this song.

The Kid ‘n Play (102): A dance move pioneered by the hip-hop duo of the same name, loosely based on the Charleston. (see it here)

Vato (102): Mexican slang for “friend”, “person”, or “dude”. 

Moët & Chandon (102): A luxury French champagne.

New Year’s Kiss (103): At least in the US, it’s traditionally considered good luck to kiss someone at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s.

Peach schnapps (103): Schnapps is a sweet, inexpensive, and very alcoholic drink.

Rookie NFL running back (103): A running back is a football position responsible for running with the ball. Most are either short and quick to avoid tackles or big and stocky to power through them.

Yacht kid (104): Someone rich.

Orion**(105): A winter northern hemisphere constellation of a hunter/warrior. According to Greek mythology, Orion was the only man (or person) the goddess Artemis ever loved, but she refused to give up her life with her huntresses for him. He began burning/destroying her forest in retribution, and she is forced to kill him.

America’s golden boy (105): A “golden boy” is a boy who is favored or put upon a pedestal. 

Tequila (106): A type of alcohol that originates from central Mexico.

Bloke (106): British slang for a “regular dude” or everyday man.

Teen Vogue (106): An American magazine aimed at teenagers that used to focus on fashion and celebrity news, but has more recently shifted to dealing with serious social issues.

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*This movie is especially known for its special effects, which are incredible because they actually built animatronic dinosaurs and also got real scientists on the project to help them figure out how dinosaurs would move/act. After it came out, earth and environmental science departments around the world got a ton of funding to see if they could find any dinosaur DNA in fossils, as that’s a central part of the movie’s plot.

**According to a nerd astronomy class I took in like 4th grade, every culture who could see Orion saw a warrior, which is just... really cool to me. That so many people for so long saw the same thing in a set of stars.

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If there’s anything I missed or that you’d like more on, please let me know! And if you’d like to/are able, please consider buying me a ko-fi? I know not everyone can, and that’s fine, but these things take a lot of time/work and I’d really appreciate it! A massive thanks to @lyanna-wilson for the ko-fis the other day; they meant a ton!

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Chapter 1 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 5 

[zombieheroine]

I don't know if this is what you had in mind when you said meta writing, but a thing that caught my attention was that one post (yours I think?) that said love as we know it wasn't really a thing in tf prime pre civil war (and during and after probably). That though the feelings were there Megatron and Optimus didn't act on it because they didn't know what they were feeling. The caste divide was so broad overcoming it that way was... Unthinkable. Just how restrictive was the system you think?

Hello, Anon! This is exactly what I meant by meta writing. This is a really good topic and I’m glad you asked, thank you. World-building is so much fun. Bring forth your worst fears and build a dystopia with them!

The post you’re probably thinking about is not actually mine, but this one from stitchformers. That particular post of hers draws ideas from George Orwell’s 1984 ( give it a read, it’s a great novel), and it’s a very interesting take on the possible cultural and social forms oppression can take.

To answer your question, I’d say the system was just as restrictive as you can imagine. 

It’s been some time since I read Exodus, but what I recall is that it called Cybertron before the war a stilted, rigid caste society in regression. So it’s a very extreme situation, something akin to Medieval European Feudal system or a very strict class system. In TFP Ratchet mentions “growing inequality among the masses”, and it supports this take. The society is completely stuck in its caste system, nothing in it changes or evolves, and the also mentioned “corruption in high places” probably means that those who held the power (money, property, education, political positions etc.) just arranged things among themselves and kept everything the same. If there even were any elections at that point, they were most likely rigged.

There are several ways the culture can uphold institutions like the caste system or keep the classes where they are, and I think the idea of “the form dictates the function” served this purpose. The dominant narrative probably was that since the form comes from Primus it’s the will of god that bots also fulfill the function assigned to them, since this was the way of thinking in many human societies as well. ‘Some people just live better lives than others, it’s the will of god.’  There are all sorts of ways of thinking to justify inequality, and a quote from Animal Farm (another one of Orwell’s, coincidentally) captures this pretty well: “All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” 

Note also that “the function” of one’s form is a social construct and it was most likely created and shaped in order to keep the caste system as rigid and unambiguous as possible. Meaning that the bots designated to hard manual labor were not necessarily those born with drills or other tools, but some institutional power took a look at a bot who’s big and sturdy and then decided that drills and tools would fit them and thus ordered those to be installed. Someone made these decisions, and those decision shaped and produced the wanted results and strengthened the cultural narrative. 

Other ways to keep castes apart probably included a ton of practical stuff, like arranging separate living areas, limiting travel, holding off resources and so forth. On pre-war Cybertron this probably meant that entire cities and country-sized areas of the planet were built for and mostly limited to a certain caste or frame type. Among my favorite headcanons about this is Vos built for flight frames and as such having very poorly kept roads and many buildings that are not accessible if you can’t land on their roofs. 

Returning to the post by stitchformers and her idea that love straight up didn’t exists as a thing or that at least language describing it had been erased, I’d connect that to the cultural norms created to hold the system up. I’m totally on board with the idea that relationships and love were at least heavily discouraged because when people are apart and alone they are easier to control. (Although I generally picture the pre-war Cybertron as more of a static and declining society rather than an actively controlling and violent one like in Orwell’s novel.)

But it was the whole caste system that kept Megatron and Orion apart, not just anti-sex-and-love state agenda and newspeak. But I’ll still say that this newspeak angle is very plausible, and perfectly compatible with the “form dictates the function” -line of thinking, since what exactly in your form says that its function is to love?

But I’ll end this post with a nice thought: Every bot has a spark, and the spark’s function is to live and connect with others.

[hellofastestnewsfan]

NASA has spent the past decade working on the world’s most powerful rocket. The Space Launch System will stand taller than the Statue of Liberty. It will be capable of lifting more than 200,000 pounds into space. It’s designed to launch American astronauts toward the moon once again.

The SLS is supposed to fly for the first time in June 2020. NASA plans to launch an empty crew capsule on a trip around the moon and back, an important test before putting people on board. But the rocket isn’t ready.

“We’re now understanding better how difficult this project is,” Jim Bridenstine, the NASA administrator, told Congress, which controls the agency’s budget, this week. “And it is going to take some additional time.”

Bridenstine seemed to be setting up another disappointing delay, ready to reassure lawmakers with a new date for the inaugural flight of the record-breaking rocket. Instead, he said NASA might scrap its current plan and use a different rocket altogether.

Officials will now consider using a rocket from a commercial U.S. company, not a federal agency, to launch the Orion capsule on a three-week journey around the moon.

The announcement marks a stunning reversal in long-term strategy for the space agency. NASA has already spent billions of dollars to develop the SLS and prepare the rocket to carry the capsule to space. Under this plan, the agency would presumably pay a company to do the job. Donald Trump’s administration wants to get NASA to the moon next summer, and that appears to take precedent over how it gets there.

[Read: The moon is open for business]

“We have amazing capability that exists right now that we can use off the shelf in order to accomplish this objective,” Bridenstine said.

A return to the moon has been a top priority for NASA since President Trump was elected, and the Space Launch System is key to the effort. The Trump administration wants to use the rocket to help build a floating lunar outpost, the equivalent of a little International Space Station around the moon, and it wants construction completed by 2024.

But the SLS program, established during Barack Obama’s administration, is running behind schedule and over budget. The office of NASA’s inspector general has criticized NASA and Boeing, the rocket’s main contractor, over their management and performance, predicted more delays, and even questioned whether the entire effort is sustainable.

NASA has a long history of being late, including on some of its most high-profile missions, such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Mars Curiosity rover. According to government auditors, the agency’s major projects experienced average launch delays of 12 months in 2018, the worst in a decade. Some degree of delay is certainly expected, considering the nature of the work; when your job is to try something no one else has ever done before, in outer space, it’s difficult to estimate how long it will take.

But engineering challenges are only part of the equation. NASA tends to set overly ambitious deadlines, a habit forged in the days of the Apollo era, when budgets and schedules were secondary concerns to success. When the payoff was beating the Soviets to the moon, lawmakers ultimately accepted these pitfalls.

This kind of culture might have been sustainable if NASA’s budget continued to grow, or even remained steady, in the years since the Apollo program, but it has shrunk instead. (The president’s budget proposal for NASA, released days ago, included a 17 percent cut in funding for SLS.) Add the effects of rotating casts in Washington throughout the years, featuring players with their own ideas about what NASA should do, and you’ve got a recipe for not getting much done on time.

Bridenstine said the moon mission would require a heavy-lift vehicle, a type of powerful rocket capable of lifting something into orbit above Earth. The administrator didn’t say which rockets the agency would consider, but he has options. There’s the Delta IV Heavy, built by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the contractor for the capsule. This mammoth rocket launched the Orion capsule into orbit for a quick, four-hour test in 2014. And then there’s the Falcon Heavy, even more powerful, from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which flew for the first time last year.

SpaceX seems like a natural fit for this endeavor. The company is currently building a rocket-and-capsule combo designed to reach the moon in 2023, and a Japanese billionaire has already bought a ticket for as many as eight passengers. Musk has spent years saying that someone should have built a base on the moon by now. He said it again less than two weeks ago, and Bridenstine was literally sitting next to him. “I hope we go back to the moon soon,” Musk said. “We should have a base on the moon, like a permanently occupied human base on the moon.”

And yet SpaceX has been conspicuously absent from the Trump administration’s plans for lunar exploration. NASA and SpaceX already have a solid working relationship—Bridenstine and Musk even posed for a selfie recently, wearing matching hard hats before an important SpaceX launch. But though NASA has solicited proposals from U.S. space companies for rover and lander concepts, as well as hardware for the proposed lunar outposts, SpaceX’s name hasn’t come up, at least not publicly. (SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment about the announcement.) Bridenstine did celebrate the company’s successful launch to the International Space Station during his Congress appearance this week, and for him, a private company’s triumphs in space could still count as a victory for American innovation and industriousness. These achievements also make it difficult, or at least uncomfortable, for NASA to tout costly programs when commercial companies are doing similar work for less.

Trump himself has picked up on that. “We’re letting them use the Kennedy Space Center for a fee and, you know, rich guys, they love rocket ships,” Trump said last year, after the Falcon Heavy blasted off from a launchpad in Cape Canaveral that NASA leases to SpaceX. “That’s better than us paying for them.” He went on to say that NASA would probably have run through “40, 50 times” the money to achieve the same goal.

The president’s remarks seem eerily portentous now.

The news came as a surprise, including to the very engineers developing the Orion capsule. A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin says NASA told them about the potential change a few days ago, and added that the company is “committed to this goal.” But it appears that some employees weren’t in the loop.

“Completely changing the mission would invalidate tons of work already done,” says an engineer who works for Lockheed Martin, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the press. “Pretty irritating that I have been busting my ass for a couple of weeks on some close-out analysis for [the first SLS flight] that directly pertains to SLS, only for the administrator to drop this bomb.”

The administrator’s proposed plan would require more work for Orion engineers, he said, which could lead to even more delays.

The SLS could have taken the Orion crew capsule directly to the moon. No commercial rocket is powerful enough to get that far, so Bridenstine has proposed breaking the mission into two launches. The first would deliver the capsule and its service module, supplied by the European Space Agency, which provides the electricity, propulsion, temperature regulation, and other important features. The second would deliver a smaller rocket equipped with an engine that can be used in space. The spacecraft and the rocket would join together, and the engine would fire to boost them all toward the moon.

[Read: NASA is rushing to the moon ]

NASA has completed such complicated unions in the past, but the current design for Orion doesn’t accommodate it. “Between now and June of 2020, we would have to make that a reality,” Bridenstine said.

“The integration challenges are significant,” the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, an industry group that represents Boeing and other aerospace companies, said in a statement. “It is also clear that this approach would require additional funding, since the idea is to undertake both this mission and to continue development of the SLS apace.”

Bridenstine said that he remains committed to supporting the development of the SLS for future missions, including a crewed visit to the moon. No commercial rocket is certified to transport humans, and companies would need to undergo rigorous reviews and testing from NASA if they wanted to do it. But all missions to space, whether they carry a Tesla or an astronaut, start with a rocket—and it really helps to have one if you’re raring to fly.

from The Atlantic https://ift.tt/2UBGVVS

[hudsonespie]

Viking Celebrates Float Out Of Sixth Ship – Viking Jupiter

Viking announced its sixth ship – the 930-guest Viking Jupiter– was “floated out,” marking a major construction milestone and the first time that the new ship touched water. Scheduled for delivery in early 2019, the arrival of Viking Jupiter will officially make Viking the largest small ship ocean cruise line in the industry, only four years after launching its ocean business. Named in honor of the planet Jupiter, the ship will spend her maiden season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

“It is always a proud moment when a new ship touches water for the first time and is one step closer to welcoming guests onboard,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “As a Norwegian native, I am also particularly proud to announce today Sissel Kyrkjebø, my mother’s favorite singer and a longtime Viking partner, will be honored as godmother to Viking Jupiter and will preside over the ship’s naming ceremony in Oslo, Norway in June 2019.”

Image Credits: vikingcruises.com

The traditional float out ceremony took place at the Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard and is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. Viking Jupiter’s float out began at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time and in keeping with maritime tradition, a madrina – a special woman of honor – assisted with the ceremony, first welding commemorative coins under the ship mast. Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø, who is widely considered one of the world’s top crossover sopranos and who has long been a cultural partner to Viking, served as Viking Jupiter’s madrina. She welded a commemorative coin representing her birth year, as well as the birth years for Chairman Hagen (1943) and Finse (2012), Hagen’s “grand dog.” A special coin, dated 1911, was also welded to represent Ragnhild “Mamsen” Hagen, the mother of Chairman Hagen and the woman after whom the onboard Norwegian deli Mamsen’s is named. Kyrkjebø then cut a cord to allow water to begin flowing into the ship’s building dock. Following a two-day process that will set Viking Jupiter afloat, the ship will then be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.

Viking Jupiter

Viking’s ocean ships have a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, have 465 staterooms and host 930 guests. Classified by Cruise Critic® as a “small ship,” the all-veranda Viking Jupiter will join Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet, which also includes Viking Star® , Viking Sea® , Viking Sky® and Viking Sun® . Viking will welcome its fifth ship, Viking Orion® , to the fleet in June 2018. Ten additional ships are also planned for delivery starting in 2021, which could bring Viking’s ocean fleet to 16 ships by 2027.

The Viking Difference

Designed for discerning travelers with interests in history, art, music and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests “the thinking person’s cruise” as an alternative to mainstream cruises. Ships are small to get guests closer to their destination, with more time in port and more overnights. On board, guests find serene Scandinavian spaces, where every room is both beautiful and functional, quiet and filled with light. With the most al fresco dining opportunities at sea, featuring regional cuisines and always-available American classics, Viking’s guests can truly dine in their destination. A focus on cultural enrichment brings immersive experiences ashore and on board. And only The Viking Way of Exploration provides guests with itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences.

In addition, Viking offers the best value at sea, with each cruise fare including much more than what competitors offer—an included value of more than $200 per person per day for an average cruise. Every cruise fare includes an exterior stateroom, a complimentary shore excursion in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Guests also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; alternative restaurant dining; Wi-Fi; self-service laundry; access to the Thermal Suite in the LivNordic Spa; and 24-hour room service.

Booking Details

From now through May 31, 2018, Viking is offering U.S. residents 2-for-1 cruise fares on select 2018 ocean and river cruise itineraries, with additional savings on international air. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent.

Press Release: vikingcruises.com

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[justforustravel-blog]

20 The World's Most Important Ancient Area - #Acropolis, #AnandaTemple, #Angkor, #AngkorWat, #Aztecs, #Bagan, #Cambodia, #Chile, #China, #Damascus, #Darius, #EasterIsland, #Egypt, #England, #Ephesus, #GobekliTepe, #GreatWallOfChina, #Greece, #Greek, #Hadrian, #HadrianSWall, #India, #Iran, #Italy, #Jorda, #London, #LongmenCaves, #MachuPicchu, #Mexico, #Myanmar, #Palmira, #Pericles, #Persepolis, #PersianEmpire, #Peru, #Pompeii, #RomanEmpire, #Rome, #Sanliurfa, #Shiraz, #Stonehenge, #Syria, #Teotihuacan, #TerracottaArmy, #TheAcropolisOfAthens, #TheAncientCityOfEphesus, #TheAncientCityOfPetra, #TheKingOfPersia, #ThePyramidsOfGiza, #TheTajMahal, #TheWallOfBritain, #Turkey, #UNESCO, #UNESCOWorldCultural, #UNESCOWorldCulturalHeritage, #VirginMary

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20 The World's Most Important Ancient Area

200,000 annual human, Homo sapiens is defined as since we have constantly developed ourselves. In the case of an advancement of humanity constantly. Africa’s a lot of humanity in the process of distribution from the handle, went to different places and life was founded. Everyone has their own lives adapted to the environment, our culture, our clothes, our behaviour and our environment was shaped by structures completely. What we’re trying to do in this list of different people in the past to be able to show the different communities as the habitats they create.

Machu Picchu, Peru

This is an ancient Incan city in Peru’s is located in the city of Cusco. In an extension of the Andes, established a height of 2360 meters is an ancient settlement. World’s one of the seven wonders and is one of rare historical value preserved until the present day. Here inkal an administrator has built in the year 1450. They didn’t notice this place when they come to exploit the surrounding settlements of Spanish explorers and managed to stay the way it is here. The exact cause of the Spanish people seen here because it is completely natural more than 2000 meters high is set in an area of the city, but in the dish, so it is easily visible when looking from outside. National Geographic about this place and how it was built, how a very good documentary about how you moved to the top of 2368 meters of water for agriculture, and I suggest you follow it seriously.

the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

the Pyramids of Giza consists of 3 pyramids are gigantic. These are; the pyramid of khufu the pyramid of khafre and pyramid of menkaure. 4 the pyramids 4500 years ago. it was built by a Pharaoh from dynasty. Khufu, the Great Pyramid, is thought to be approximately 145 metres, alone, lost much of up to 10 meters until the present day. According to a Belgian scientist, the Pyramids and the constellation of Orion was built according to the projection of the earth, and also one other amazing thing by leaving the corners of the pyramids were built neatly and the accounts share a very low error almost faultless. There are a lot of rumors about their intended use, among them, the central Astronomical Observatory of religious faith, and it is thought as the place for the life after the death of the Pharaoh.

the ancient city of Petra, Jordan

Jordan’s de located nebati this magnificent ancient city’s capital. 2500 years ago it was a place of active life, but about 1900 years ago, with the invasion of the Romans not to be used has become. In general in the city, the temple, the ancient theatre, the Roman house and the works. Is included on the World Cultural Heritage list, also with a sister city of Machu Picchu.

Stonehenge, England

London’s is located at a distance of 130 km. Many were found in burial grounds in and around structures and excavation. The building history of about 5000 years. With the purpose of the faith and general service center, the cemetery, the Astronomical and astrological Observatory, as well as with the structure there is a very strange fact. Construction, June 21 Sunrise on the summer solstice, and according to were constructed. Near Ireland’s a similar structure were constructed according to the 21 December winter solstice.

gobekli Tepe, Turkey

Sanliurfa’s very important in this cult dates back to about 10-12 thousand years ago the places. In general, there are shapes and high rocks carved in stone. Also includes small structures in the style of the house. Wanderings plays an important part in the history of mankind is of the greatest importance by scientists from hard get on in life is the focus. Nowadays, the most discussed recently, but do not find much support in the last situation the hard life of humanity, the agricultural revolution or the beliefs, rituals passed because of. Gobekli Tepe here’s important here is understood. Here is also the oldest manmade place.

Rome, Italy

Rome, the capital’s structure, during the Roman Empire were made. It was built nearly 2000 years ago. The goal of construction serve as Amphitheater, gladiatorial games to be made here, animal fights, as a field of various religious and national events. According to the latest research, the Gladiator fights of the series and movies that are old and in bad condition as shown in good soldiers not fighting is an activity of prisoners.

the Acropolis of Athens, Greece

the Acropolis was built by Pericles 2500 years ago. Earned a victory from the attacks of the Persians on this huge structure was built as a result of an intense study of ancient grekli. The meaning of the word as in the Greek of the Acropolis’means the structure is too high. In the city centre and approximately 152 meters above sea level, was built on a high cliff. The structure of the main functions of the task of building temples and monuments to see. 1456 the Ottoman Empire’conquered it, the building began to serve as a mosque.

  Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat 12. a temple built in the XVII century, the first Hindu temple is constructed according to beliefs. 200 years later began to serve as a Buddhist temple to be rebuilt. As a very large building when it was built it was bigger than the Cathedral and the church differently. The king who built the Temple, II. Suryavarman’dir. There are also many buildings and temples in the vicinity. By the time the temple was abandoned around after to bring it back to the structure and nature of the forest has started. Until 1858’is known by the western world until very, but this area was introduced by a French scientist to the outside world for its magnificent ancient. And now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

  terracotta army, China

The terracotta army is composed of 8000 soldiers. And the purpose of China’s China war period and the layout provides’s first ruler, Qin Shi Huang’s alone in the grave I will leave. Sculptures generally consist of soldiers and horses. In 210 BC, is made, the construction lasted about 30 years when King was alive. Has worked for the human statues than 700,000. This ancient area of China’s Shaanxi province of XI’an Lishan is located in the town of the kentidenk. Graveyard D%9fin height of 76 meters.

  Teotihuacan, Mexico

the city has a strange mystery about it that much because there is no archaeological evidence can be obtained. Like someone has already built this in the past and directly separated. We can get information from any document, text, inscription, unfortunately. Scientists ‘ estimates, according to a previous build civilization of the Aztecs he has, but why there is a hint of being abandoned. According to the Aztecs, in the city of the gods they believed in their holy place, and the Aztecs already here the one who named it or again the meaning of the name means the place of God.

Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii, Italy’s Camtasia semi-autonomous region, which is close to the city of Naples with a population of about 25 thousand located in the city of Pompeii an ancient Roman city. The ruins of the city of Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2000 years ago, lava from the mountain he didn’t leave one stone on another, and the ashes that fell in the aftermath of remaining activity to present things as they are has come. Ash rained down on top of the city more than 20 feet. Even some people said that it would share the same fate as the destroyed cities and nations by religious books. Residues in the most prominent and noticeable as it is with the things that give people the image of a sculpture mold. If this is the situation, you have to tell the city the 1700’s The first archaeologist to unearth the ruins and had to find some work has begun. Alone remains, while I have noticed that there are gaps, and on the inside of them, complete with a cast and realized for the remains of thought it would be more sheltered.

  Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island is an island located off the coast of Chile. It is a really long way of saying that is open, Chile’3700 km away from the island and the unique, isolated life. According to the last census, the population of 6000 people on the island. It’s not a name that is already very efficient, the reason we can call human beings. In medieval times, there were palm trees on this island are very large, of course, the exploiters of the beautiful world the trees, the man cut off, destroyed, on the ecosystem of the island and the axe hit. Now the island is windy, with a tropical climate generally is arid. 638 on what makes this island special are two massive stone statues. In fact, it is estimated at 1,000 sculptures, but currently 638 one reached the present day. I can’t find much about the history of the statue, it is estimated that between the years 1000 to 1600 they were made. To vary The size of the statue, a little one for 20 meters until you reach the size of 50 tons of stone blocks, there are various statues.

  Great Wall of China

built about 2500 years ago, this large wall was built by 20 dynasties separate in their own neighborhood. Wall accommodates a lot of knowledge about the cultural elements of the region. Because construction techniques and materials of each region differ, but generally, brick, Adobe and is built with several different materials and construction techniques. The Mongol and Turkish tribes from the north, this is generally the purpose of building the Great Wall protection and to provide against the attacks of the country’s internal security. If all the arms of the wall length of the wall is 6000 kilometers, approximately 21000 miles, length extensions are added.

  Palmira, Syria

the ancient city of Damascus, Palmira’s a approximately 215 miles. Built on an oasis in the desert and over the years has been a stopping point for caravans. Thus, the city of Palmira, which is an intense trade developed. 25,000 belonging to Babylon and the tablet found by the archaeologists, according to the history of the cityi 1900 B.C. until the goes.The city from time to time, different civilizations are ruled. Among them, the Romans, the Sassanids, the Byzantines and the Persians and the Ottomans. There are many indications that extensive cultural activities took place in the city in time. Has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1980. Today, confronted with the danger of being destroyed because of the wars.

  the Taj Mahal, India

India’s This unique monument in the Turkish-Islamic Art has a very important place in between. The ruler of the Mughal empire by Shah Jahan 14th. his wife, who died while giving birth to their children, is a structure that was built on behalf of. Architect Sinan in the making’s very important Istanbul the masters and students calligraphy artists’s dan Shah Jahan’s invitation to India’s a came. While it is still being constructed Emerald, Diamond,Ruby, pearl and Diamond gemstones, this unique structure has been used in various such as. The construction began in 1632 and lasted for 20 years. And according to rumor, the masters who did the construction work, such a beautiful thing so they might never be able to do by Shah Jahan his arms were cut. This masterpiece accommodates a serious danger to the surrounding construction.

  the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey

not only for Turkey but for the whole world is a very important place, and the ancient city of Ephesus. We can tell by looking at the figures it also receives an annual visit. The first rule of the ancient Greeks in the aftermath of the last city in the hands of the Romans throughout the ages has been the center of trade and art. Of the city of Menderes river port and the port is not used until until. To trade over time fell, and the former had an active day. Near the house of the Virgin Mary is recognized as one of the important pilgrimage centers. Popes in the past and was also known to have visited.

Hadrian’s wall, England

another long wall of Britain’s den. The construction of the wall belonging to the Romans, and Emperor Hadrian, who work’dir. The wall of Britain east-west direction and splits. The reason for the raids and invasions of tribes from the Scottish construction will be protected. In fact, Hadrian’s wall, the Great Wall 3 a part of Hadrian‘s wall have survived the most sheltered wall. Britain’s This wall there are the following tourist walkways. In the years ad 122 the wall have been made. Military service served as the next border crossing.

Bagan, Myanmar

the city, Myanmar’s is located in the Mandalay region.1000 years ago, here had been a resident of the kingdom of pagan by the name of a great Kingdom. From the 13th to the 9th century. 10,000 of the century’s that I found a Buddhist temple and monastery was built. Today only around 2200 building remained standing. The real life after Christ in the city 2. goes back to centuries. It has a beauty that is equivalent to Angkor Wat to Bagan. Ananda temple the most famous Temple.

Persepolis, Iran

Iran, Shiraz’s also about 2500 years ago based on the city’s history. The city 1 The King of Persia. Darius made. There are many beautiful buildings in the city, among them the tombs of the Kings, temples, palaces, there are. As religion had an important place in Zoroastrianism. B.C. 3. Alexander the Great in the century, when we fought with the Persian Empire, the city was burned,destroyed, and destroyed all the books. And the city took a huge blow. The walls of the city but still you can easily see the important mythological figures and monuments in the period. This beautiful place definitely need to go next.

  Longmen caves,China

This is the famous caves of China’s connected to the region located in Luoyang City Henan. A lot of the living space carved into the caves in the region, giant Buddha statues, there are inscriptions. The earliest life of approximately 1500 years ago in the caves stretches. There was a city here that requires anything near the big rivers to provide the water necessary to work in last. The size ranged from very small with a size of about 17 meters of the statue. With holes carved in rocks and used as the home yapilmisla. Has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2000.

[boothinjapan]

As a late spring vacation, I decided to catch a plane and head on down to Okinawa – a group of islands in the south part of Japan. The islands of Okinawa are famous for its subtropical climate – and is often referred to as ‘the poor man’s Hawaii’. But don’t let that perturb you, Okinawa is a fantastic getaway spot with plenty of sea-side activities to enjoy.

Historically, the Okinawan Islands were a part of the Ryukyu Kingdom – an independent kingdom that ruled the region until the area officially became a part of Japan in 1879. Therefore, while Okinawa is officially a part of Japan now, it’s history and culture are often viewed as separate – being heavily influenced by both Japanese and Chinese cultures.

In the modern day, Okinawa Prefecture has become a fantastic holiday spot – with historical sightseeing places in the capital city of Naha, as well as snorkeling and scuba-diving on the smaller islands. And if none of those things tickle your fancy, then you can always enjoy the cool ocean breeze as you sip on a glass of Orion – Okinawa’s original beer.

So, for those of you wondering what to do if you’re down in the south islands, then check out this list of the best things to do in Okinawa!

Sightseeing

For my trip, I spent most of my time in the capital city of Naha. Truthfully, this city is nothing special – it’s much like any other city in Japan. However, there are still some sights that are definitely worth seeing and on my first day in this humid city, I made my way to the most famous building in Naha:

Shurijō (首里城) is a large vermilion-coloured castle in the heart of the historical Shuri district. The castle grounds cover a vast area where visitors can follow the ancient stone roads to the Seiden (the main hall), which is perched at the top of a hill overlooking the whole of Naha.

Unfortunately the front of the castle was under renovation when I visited.

The castle itself once acted as the administrative and residential center of the Ryukyu Kingdom – before officially becoming a part of Japan in the late 1800s. Although the castle was originally built in the 1300s, a series of fires and destruction have caused the castle to be rebuilt numerous times – most recently during the Battle of Okinawa in WWII. Since then, this famous castle has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A view of Naha and the stone walls of Shuri Castle

If you’re interested in history and ancient buildings, then I recommend following the winding paths in the castle grounds before visiting the Seiden. Taking a tour of the main hall is definitely worthwhile (only 300 yen) and you get a great sense of how the powerful lived during the Ryukyu Kingdom. In fact, there is a gorgeous little tea-house in the heart of the castle where you can enjoy local Okinawan tea and treats, all the while learning about how the very same tea-house was used to entertain powerful guests from other cities and countries.

The throne inside Shuri Castle

Located near Shuri Castle, this ancient stone path is a definite must-see. Not only because it connects Shuri Castle with other local sightseeing spots, but because the 300 meter path itself will transport you back to the 16th century.

For my visit, I walked this path at dusk – a less crowded time when local cats come out to play. Indeed, I had more fun playing with the cats than soaking up the ancient feel of the stone paths. But if you love exploring then this place is definitely for you – just be careful in the rain, the limestone gets very slippery!

Fukushu-en (福州園) is a traditional Chinese garden that is located near Naha Beach. Although the garden was built in 1992 to celebrate the links between Okinawa and China, the designers of this space attempted to be as authentic as possible. With water features, ponds, fish and turtles, Fukushu-en is a very relaxing and calming sightseeing spot.

For some reason there are a ton of cats in Okinawa – many of which roam the streets while their masters are away. So, if you’re into cats, then you can spend a lovely afternoon trying to stalk and capture the cats on camera – much like I did:

Activities

While sightseeing is not everyone’s cup of tea, there is still plenty to do on the tropical islands of Okinawa. Here are just a couple that I managed to actually do:

Not wanting to spend all of my time in Naha, I took the opportunity on my second day to travel to Cape Maeda – where plenty of fun activities are available. However, I had the misfortune of going on a particularly rainy day, which meant that such places as Forest Adventure and Bios Hill were off the table.

A rainy day at Cape Maeda

Luckily, the main attraction of Cape Maeda – The Blue Cave – was a still a viable option. This is because The Blue Cave is an excellent snorkeling and scuba diving spot – in other words, a place where you don’t have to worry about getting wet from the rain.

Because I was a bit wary of scuba-diving, I decided to go snorkeling at this local cave. And after taking a short boat ride, I was able to snorkel into the cave where a dazzling blue light is visible – along with a multitude of brightly colored tropical fishies. In fact, although it was raining, I was actually able to see more fishes than usual as the swell of the warm ocean brought them forth.

There are many companies that offer tours to The Blue Cave – both for snorkeling and scuba diving – so it can be a little bit daunting finding the right place. Personally, I recommend Pink Mermaid as they are really friendly and offer a wide variety of activities – all of which can be booked the day before.

If you’re more interested in chilling on the beach, or participating in some water sports, then I highly recommend taking a short ferry ride from Naha to Tokashiki Island (渡嘉敷村). Not only is this a great way to get away from ‘the big city’, but it’s also a stunningly quiet and serene island.

Photos cannot do this island justice – they all turned out darker than expected!

On my third day in Okinawa, the clouds had thankfully parted and allowed some strong sun rays to peak through. So in order to take advantage of the situation, I traveled to this tiny island where I was able to find a nice quiet beach and take part in many water sports – including snorkeling and swimming in the bluest and clearest water you ever did see!

It’s relatively easy to book a ferry ride to Tokashiki Island from Tomari Port, and once you’re there, you’re free to explore the island as much as you like. However, I recommend organizing a day trip package before going to the island – this way you can enjoy many types of island activities without having to worry about transport or finding rental shops, etc.

  Personally, I suggest Marine House Aharen. Not only do they provide transport to a lovely beach with bright blue water, but they also offer many activities and water sports – all for a reasonable price. In fact, if you’re keen on staying on an island like Tokashiki, then Marine House Aharen also offers accommodation.

Food, Drink and Shopping

This street in central Naha is famous for its shops and restaurants. It’s a great place to wonder up and down in order to find the perfect souvenirs for your friends and relatives at home. All the stores along this strip are practically bursting with local items and delicacies – so make sure you set aside a few hours to explore this area.

And once you’re done ‘shopping til you drop’, then you can relax at one of the many local restaurants and enjoy some delicious local meals. And speaking of which…

There are many types of local Okinawan food that you can enjoy in and around Naha. Personally, I recommend trying the spicy Okinawan soba noodles, as well as the local goat sashimi (raw goat) – both of which are mouth-wateringly delicious.

Try some raw goat at this awesome restaurant that overlooks a calming zen garden.

And to wash down this delicious food, you can always be adventurous and try habushu (snake wine) – the alcohol that’s famous for submerging large pit viper snakes in its bottles. Or you could stay tame and stick to Okinawa’s local beer, Orion.

If you’re feeling the heat of the humid Okinawa summer, then you should definitely cool down with some Blue Seal Ice-Cream – a delicious product that was “born in America and raised in Okinawa”. There are plenty of local flavors to try and you can find Blue Seal Ice-Cream stores on many of the islands around Okinawa and Southern Japan – so keep your eye out!

What Not To Do

Of course, just like any other city or town, there are some places and activities that you should definitely avoid, and Naha is no different:

One of the biggest disappointments in Naha is definitely Naminoue Beach. From pictures, I was expecting an idyllic beach with a view of the lovely deep blue ocean. But unfortunately, I was met with a great view of a concrete highway – not exactly something you want to see on an island getaway vacation!

However, if your flight is early in the afternoon, then this is a great spot to get in one last swim before departing Okinawa – so it is completely up to you.

Overall, Okinawa is a great place to visit. And although some people might think it’s a bit ‘touristy’, it’s still a great place for a tropical getaway.

Okinawa: Things to Do on this Island Getaway As a late spring vacation, I decided to catch a plane and head on down to Okinawa - a group of islands in the south part of Japan.

[writeyourpassion-blog1]

Ancient Egypt

By: Devin

   The ancient Egyptian empire was the most powerful of its day because it was virtually impossible to invade because it’s geography. The geography prevented invasion by stopping invaders in the Sahara Desert because it was too hot and many people died of thirst and dangerous things such as scorpions and snakes. The Red Sea stopped invaders because virtually no one had boats large enough to sail a sea with an army and enough supplies.

          In 3150 B.C. the Egyptian culture began and with it the first pharaoh Narmer came into power. The Egyptians had over seven-hundred total gods and all of them had a place or purpose in the ancient world.

       When humans began they set to work building an empire that would last for centuries. The Egyptians needed a leader and that is where the idea of the pharaoh was put into place. Believing them the eye or human host of a part of a god, the people gave pharaohs virtually unchecked power over Egypt. For example, the pharaoh Khufu had the Egyptian people build the great pyramid of Giza. Other pharaohs were more famous than others. A great example is Ramesses II or better known as Ramesses the Great. This pharaoh came into power when he was twenty years old in 1279 B.C. he died in 1213 B.C. after sixty-seven years of ruling. He is most famous for constructing the Ramesseum, a memorial temple. He was believed to have sired one-hundred children before his death.

         These ancient people believed that gods could be in many places at once so they built statues for the gods to instill a part of themselves in so that they could watch over Egypt and defend them from attack, just like in the animated film Hercules where Zeus instills part of himself into a statue to talk to his son. Egyptians also believed that floods and good harvests were caused by the gods so they spent four to eight hours a day in temples worshipping and praying for the favor of the gods. Sometimes, though, the Egyptians thought the gods were mad at them so the gods sent plagues, bad harvests, and droughts their way. In order to appease these angry gods the Egyptians sacrificed their own people to the gods. Criminals were also sacrificed but the Egyptians believed that a criminal wasn't a person. Another way the ancient Egyptian religion affected the lives of the ancient Egyptians is forbidding them from eating some meats and other foods because the gods were zoomorphic, or able to shapeshift into animals.

        The Egyptians also held festivals in honor of these “gods in animal forms”, the most famous of these festivals is the festival of the Apis Bull. The Apis Bull festival lasted for several days and the pharaoh ordered Egyptians away from their work so that they could attend the festival. The Apis Bull was at first an incarnation of Apis the fertility god, but then he and Osiris merged and Apis was forgotten. This particular bull was the like ancient Egyptian Oracle of Delphi. The way this bull was identified was by a white lightning bolt mark on the bull’s head and whoever smelled its breath had prophetic powers. The Apis Bull lived as comfortably as the pharaoh did and after it was ceremonially sacrificed, it was mummified and placed in a Serapeum.

          During mummification the Egyptians dried out the body of the deceased and removed all organs except for the heart. With a heart, it could be judged against the feather of truth in the Duat, also known as the ancient Egyptian underworld. During floods, farmers were forced to build things like temples and statues while they couldn't enter their fields. Centuries after the ancient Egyptians have died Egyptologists are studying the Great Pyramids and they see that the size and proportion of the three pyramids are exactly equal to the size and proportion of Orion’s Belt. The reason they built them the way they did is unclear but there are many theories and one of them is that the stars in Orion’s Belt symbolized rebirth and the creation of ancient civilization. The Great Pyramids took approximately twenty-one years to build and the pyramids weighed two million tons. The Egyptians built the pyramids with blocks that weighed three tons per block and they built eight hundred tons a day of pyramid.

         The Egyptians also had seven hundred total gods and each of them had a place in the culture of ancient Egypt.  The Egyptians believed Ra was the first god born from Ma’at or the goddess of order and magic. Her name spoken in the Egyptians’ language was supposed to bring about order and peace. Ra had three different versions. The first in the morning was Khepri the giant scarab/dung beetle that rolled the sun across the sky, the second was Ra during the day, and in the evening Ra was Amun-Re or Amun-Ra. Knumh was originally the God of the Nile river before he was forgotten and replaced by Nephthys the goddess of water. Knumh was most famous for creating humans from clay and magic, for this reason he was worshipped as the Divine Potter and was worshipped as much as any major god.

        These ancient people had different and extravagant ways of thinking about how the world worked in those times. From gods and monsters to building pyramids and revolutionizing technology, the ancient Egyptians were mysterious people. Though we may never know for sure how the ancient Egyptians lived we know that this civilization has affected the modern world greatly.

Sources:

"The Ultimate Online Resource for Egyptian Mythology and Religion." Egyptian Mythology for Smart People"<http://egyptianmythology.org/>. Website

Kinnaer, Jacques. "The Ancient Egypt Site." The Ancient Egypt Site. Jacques Kinnaer, 15 Jan. 1997. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

<http://www.ancient-Egypt.org/>.