Lighthouse of the Week, November 19-25, 2023: Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia, USA

 

I'm going to do Part 2 of this dual lighthouse posting tomorrow, as I'm catching up due to some production delays.  So this one is about the OLD Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Where's Cape Henry?  It's right here (part of Virginia).

Now we get the history and stats, from the Lighthouse Directory.

"1792 (John McComb). Inactive since 1881. 90 ft (27.5 m) octagonal sandstone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern is silver-colored. ... This is the first lighthouse built by the Federal government and one of the best preserved lighthouses of the early Federal period. Recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Congress transferred ownership of the lighthouse in 1930 to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, now called Preservation Virginia. The interior was restored in 2002 and in 2003 the eroded sandstone foundation of the lighthouse was repaired. In August 2011 an earthquake created some cracks in the tower, but engineers determined they were not serious."

Enjoy the pictures. One of them shows both the Old and the New Cape Henry lighthouses; the new will be the next.

 

There are still places to be discovered under the sea

 

The Washington Post reported, and I'm sure this was reported many other places as well, that researchers discovered a couple of large deep-water reefs near the Galapagos Islands.

Plus, they appear to be in great condition.  All that is good, for nature and for the oceans. And since they're deep, and in protected waters, they can't be plundered for their natural treasures, either.

Two ‘pristine’ deep-water reefs in Galápagos discovered

The real guns

 

The Guns of Navarone (both a book and a movie) weren't real. 

But there were guns like them, as reported here. And they had to be captured and neutralized so they couldn't fire at Allied ships. So I add this to my list of things I didn't know before I read this, but I am happy that I know this now.

The REAL Guns of Navarone: Author DAMIEN LEWIS reveals how Paddy Mayne's SAS triumphed in 1943 mission to blow up Nazi shore guns in Sicily while outnumbered 50 to ONE

One of the guns, after being captured. 

Not 'Avatar', but still

 

The movie Avatar (fictionally on the planet Pandora) had rock promontories, or islands, or something unnamed by real geology, floating in the air.

While that's not possible (on Earth, at least), there are islands that float around in lakes.

Incredible footage shows boats pushing a FLOATING ISLAND around a lake

It's in Lake Chippewa, in the state of Wisconsin.

The picture below is one of many showing the boats pushing the island, so that it doesn't block the passage under the bridge.

It's a temporary surprise

 

It's a surprise, and it won't be there for a lot longer.

It's a little surprising that it's still there.

What is it?  It's a lake in Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on the planet.

Floodwaters Fill Badwater Basin  (from NASA)

(It is also very pretty, from space, or on the surface.)

Link to the full-size original. 

On the surface:

I can see it

 

Now, I'll state right up front here, I don't know what it feels like to be sexually attracted to someone of my gender. So I don't know what it would feel like for a woman to be attracted to another woman, either. And my opinion here is based on a heterosexual viewpoint.

But anyway:

Taylor Swift SLAMS speculation she is bisexual in prologue for 1989 re-record after THOSE Karlie Kloss rumors as she reflects on 'swearing off dating' in her mid-twenties due to harsh judgement

Now, Taylor has certainly shown that she dates men (and has dated several, as noted in her songlist), so it's not a surprise that she would deny being bisexual, and also would deny being attracted to her friend (at least sometime in her life) Karlie Kloss.

But still ...

This is Karlie Kloss.  At her peak of Victoria's Secret Angelhood, I could easily see how ANYBODY of any sexual alignment would be attracted to what she represented, which is to say, incredibility.

Applause and many kudos

 

After the tragic mass shooting in Maine, at least one Congress member, a Democrat who had avidly supported gun rights, decided enough was enough.

Even though Jared Golden is a Democrat, he had a perfect gun-rights voting record.

This is one of the things he said:

“The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles, like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine,” said Golden, who represents a largely rural district that includes Lewiston.

“To the victims and their families,” he said, “I ask for your forgiveness and support as I seek to put an end to these terrible shootings.”

To which I say:

We need more Congressperson like you, Rep. Golden. Particularly Republican congresspersons.

The Moon just got older

 

New dating of crystals from the Moon determined that the Moon is about 40 years older than previously thought.

That's what science does. It keeps finding out new things.

The moon is 40 million years older than thought, ancient crystal suggests

"To answer the critics, Greer and colleagues joined the effort to verify the age of the crystal, using a technique called atom probe tomography, which is more commonly used in materials science for steel failure analysis or semiconductor research. With the technique, the scientists were able to take samples from a tiny sliver of one of the crystals and use a laser beam to evaporate the atoms one by one and identify them, ruling out that the lead atoms had clustered within the crystal.

“This new study shows that some of these zircons did form at 4.46 [billion years ago], only about 100 million years after the first solids formed in the Solar System,” Romain Tartèse, a senior lecturer in the department of Earth and environmental sciences at the University of Manchester, who was not involved in the study, wrote in an email."

 Micro-zircons from the Moon

Curves and more curves

 

Two of my favorites, Heather Monique and Rosa Brighid, demonstrate feminine curvaceousness.

What is 'caciocavallo' ?

 

To answer the question quickly and succinctly, it's a cheese.

From cheese.com:

Caciocavallo

First, how it's made (and what it's made of)

"Caciocavallo, which means "cheese on horseback", gets its name from the manner in which the cheese is always tied together in a rope and dangled over a wooden board to drain and age. An Italian pasta filata type cheese is made from sheep's or cow's milk. It is produced throughout Southern Italy and the Balkans."

I'll skip the history.

"Continuous exposure to humidity in the caves and ageing develops sharp, spicy flavours in Caciocavallo. With persistent ageing, the cheese picks up intense, earthy undertones and fruity aromas. Along the way, it turns from a milky white to a darker yellow in colour and becomes saltier. The result is a cheese with profound tasting notes and a perfect accompaniment to a glass of Primitivo red wine."

Second, what it looks like:

Turn right at the shipwreck

 

Road construction workers in Florida found a fishing boat that apparently made a wrong turn somewhere near St. Augustine -- more than 150 years ago.  It was buried in sediments, so quite well preserved for something that age.  Salvors and archaeologists are working on preserving it now, along with a few artifacts found with it.

Workers Unearth 19th-Century Shipwreck Beneath a Road in Florida

Shown below is a view of the deck. 

The beauty of small

 

I never want to miss the Nikon Small World Microphotography Contest, and I didn't this year (thanks to the Daily Mail). 

Our enchanting world... under a microscope: From a miniature crystal castle to spores that look like rich caramel apples, these were voted the best microscopic photographs of 2023

This is the actual contest site:

Nikon Small World 2023 Photomicrography Competition

So many good ones are available; but this one of rutile crystals in quartz by Danny J. Sanchez (also noted in the Daily Mail) was worth a second look.   

The Amazon is low

 

There is a lot to think and write about with regard to the current drought in the Amazon basin.  Hopefully I'll have time to do that (I say that about a lot of things.) 

But this is thought-provoking. The low water of the river exposed ancient face carvings in the rocks.

Severe drought and record river lows in Brazil’s Amazon region have exposed ancient rock carvings of human faces  (Weather Channel video)

They are somewhat haunting.

How should the message get through?

 

There's an article linked below from the Daily Mail. It's about a message from a lot of qualified scientists.  The message is urgent and dire. 

Unfortunately, the message is not getting through to enough people.

So how can this message get through?

That's a question I think about every day.

Humanity is at 'code red' due to climate change: 15,000 scientists pen urgent warning that Earth's capacity to support life is 'under siege' after 2023 shattered numerous temperature records

"The scientists are calling for an immediate cessation of human-induced pressure on the Earth's life support systems, with specific recommendations including a phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, switching to plant-based diets, scaling up forest protection and adopting coal elimination and fossil fuel non-proliferation treaties.

They want all climate-related actions to consider that people from the poorest countries shouldering the largest brunt of ecological disaster while contributing the least to its cause and for the global economy to switch to one that prioritizes human wellbeing while stopping rich people from overconsuming."

Tall order.

But this is Code Red.

 

Politics mixes with love, Italian style

 

To sum up briefly, the Italian Prime Minister's partner (she's female, he's male) and the father of her seven-year-old daughter suggested politely to his TV newscaster colleague that she could be part of a threesome with him and the PM.  He had this conversation while apparently enjoying himself.  Based on the reporting, he's a bit of a bad boy.

The PM vetoed the suggestion, as well as the partner.

Pictured: Glamorous TV news presenter who Giorgia Meloni's partner was overheard inviting for a 'threesome or foursome' with his mistress - before Italian PM dumped him on social media

The name of the presenter who brought down the partner (but not the government) is Viviana Gugielmi. Obviously what he did was, well, what Italian males are famous for -- but was she worth it?

Oh, SERIOUSLY?

 

During the recent aborted attempts to make Rep (R-ehensible) Jim Jordan the Speaker of the House, Rep(ugnant) Marjorie Taylor Greene said this (as reported in the Washington Post): 

"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she’s absolutely opposed to the resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) and believes it’s a mistake for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to back it.

Greene said it’s time for the GOP to stop the “never” attitude. “The ‘Never Trump,’ the ‘Never Kevin McCarthy,’ the ‘Never Steve Scalise,’ the ‘Never Jim Jordan’ is only working against each other, which is working against our voters and working against the country,” she said. “And I really want to see us people put down their egos.”

So, if MTG put down her considerably-sized ego, it would likely get picked up by nearby seismometers as a Richter 6 earthquake. 

Lighthouse of the Week, November 12-18, 2023: St. Joseph Point, Florida, USA

 

This week's lighthouse is a home that was a lighthouse and isn't a lighthouse anymore, but it was a lighthouse and still looks like one. So it has lighthouse history and looks good.  That's enough for me.

It's located in the Florida Panhandle, near a small domicile named Port St. Joe. Panama City is to the northwest, and Apalachicola is around the bend to the east.  The Lighthouse Directory indicated where it is; zoom out to see where that is.

This is what the Lighthouse Directory tells us about it.

"1902. Inactive since 1960. 41 ft square wood keeper's house surmounted by square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. Sibling of the Gasparilla Island (Port Boca Grande) Light. ... Sold as a private residence, the building was relocated in 1960 and again in 1979. The original lantern was accidently destroyed during the 1960 relocation. The current owners, JoAnn and Danny Raffield, worked for years to renovate and restore the building. In April 2011 they completed their work by mounting a replica of the original lantern."

 Lighthouse Friends has more history here. This includes why, for awhile, it was a lighthouse without a community near it.

Now that you know all that, below are pictures and a video.

This just makes sense

 

Victoria's Secret was always, truly, about fantasies. Men fantasizing about getting close to supermodels wearing sexy lingerie, and women fantasizing about being the women that men fantasize about getting close to while they're wearing sexy lingerie. 

So when VS switched over to reality, to what most of the world's real women look like (and yes, most real women don't look like VS supermodels), the fantasy aspect of what they were selling went PFFFT. 

And it appears that VS has realized that.

Is Victoria's Secret DITCHING its feminist makeover? Lingerie brand is returning to its hypersexualized roots after scrapping catwalk 'Angels' for plus-sized and transgender models - amid reports sales have plunged 5%

(First: only 5% ? I thought it was worse.)

Second, this is what VS represents, in the minds of those who think about it.

How do you butter your toast?

 

I assume you butter (or margarine, though that's not a verb) your toast. Not everyone does, but I do, so I learned something about myself.

Psychologist reveals how you butter your toast can say a lot about your personality - so are you a glider, a clumper, or a crust avoider?

So I will admit that I'm a total coverage butter spreader. Because I eat the crust first, and I want flavor everywhere.  So supposedly:

"These are very methodical people. They make sure that every inch of the bread is covered, and that just the right amount of spread is applied equally across the surface.

To leave something bare on the toast is like leaving something half-finished in life for them.

They tend to be very precise people, who follow their own rules and like 'everything in its place'."

So, while I'm not super tidy, I keep track of where things are and how much of what I have, and I don't like to be surprised by changes in that when I'm not made aware of it.

Now, as for what goes on top of the butter, that's probably a totally different mode of personality. And I admit being partial to red raspberry preserves.

Plan your trip to Barcelona now!

 

It's almost done. Should be done in three or more years.  I imagine there should be quite a celebration when that happens. So update your passports and brush up on your Spanish (and maybe a bit of Catalan, too). 

Barcelona’s Unfinished Masterpiece Is Now a Little More Finished

After 140 years, Antoni Gaudí’s unrealized masterpiece is finally nearing completion. But hurdles still remain, with construction to last until at least 2026.

What this is about is the Sagrada Familia basilica, which when you see a picture of it you'll likely recognize.

I have to admit, it's pretty impressive.

Trump and Christian nationalism

 

It's a good perspective on a dangerous subject.

One reason the Trump fever won't break

"But there’s one last element that cements that bond with Trump: faith, including a burning sense of certainty that by supporting him, they are instruments of God’s divine plan."

"For this reason, I’ve started answering questions about Christian nationalism by saying it’s not serious, but it’s very dangerous. It’s not a serious position to argue that this diverse, secularizing country will shed liberal democracy for Catholic or Protestant religious rule. But it’s exceedingly dangerous and destabilizing when millions of citizens believe that the fate of the church is bound up in the person they believe is the once and future president of the United States."

That's why, despite all the indictments and lies and sins and irresponsibility, they just can't quit him.

 

This is just hot

 

I'm doing a little product placement here. I don't get any commissions, but I do get some good vibrations.

I don't think something like this is designed to be worn for very long. Just a guess.

Sexy silk stockings temptation pajamas lace skirt

Face it, Antarctic ice is melting

 

A study from the University of Leeds confirms that ice melt in Antarctica is happening.

And it's NOT because of under-ice volcanism, either.

There really isn't any controverting evidence against the reality of global warming, but skeptics constantly try to spin it as something other than what it is. And that's distracting a lot of people from what needs to be done.

So, to sum up, here's an article about the study.

Scientists count huge melts in many protective Antarctic ice shelves. Trillions of tons of ice lost.

"Four dozen Antarctic ice shelves have shrunk by at least 30% since 1997 and 28 of those have lost more than half of their ice in that time, reports a new study that surveyed these crucial "gatekeepers'' between the frozen continent's massive glaciers and open ocean.

Of the continent's 162 ice shelves, 68 show significant shrinking between 1997 and 2021, while 29 grew, 62 didn't change and three lost mass but not in a way scientists can say shows a significant trend, according to a study in Thursday's Science Advances."

This is not good. It's part of the whole pattern of not-goodness associated with climate change.

We need more of this, not less

 

Reviewing the Wildlife Photographer of the Year for 2023

 

The Daily Mail provided an article announcing the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, with the winning photograph. It was a historic win, as it's the first time someone has once twice; and this year's winner won in 2021, too.

This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner is both incredibly beautiful and utterly strange

(I thought this was about the photographer, but it's actually about the picture)

It wouldn't be fair to put the winning picture here, so to support the Daily Mail and see the picture, click on the link and go there.

A runner-up is below.  (It's from the contest website.)

Water is important

 

Water, especially fresh, drinkable water, is quite important.

New Orleans, and particularly coastal communities downriver, are learning that. 

When to act on climate change? Before your drinking water turns salty.

"This lesson applies across the country. With what used to be once-in-a-century storms coming every decade, regions prone to flooding must prepare now: hardening their infrastructure, protecting wetlands and prohibiting development in areas that make no sense. And as wildfires become more common and more intense, states must update building codes and revamp their risk maps, as Oregon is doing."

Then they come for your beer

 

Climate change affects a lot of things. 

Because it might have an effect on beer, that might make more people take notice of the many concerns related to climate change.

How climate change is threatening your beer

"A new study out Tuesday [a couple of weeks ago] found drought and higher temperatures will lead to a decrease in the quality and quantity of hops, the aromatic plants that give beer its flavor."

Hops need long days of sunlight during the growing season. Then, they need a couple months of colder temperatures and shorter days to flower and produce the part of the plants used in beer brewing. That’s why hops are normally grown in a narrow range of higher latitudes like in central Europe and the Pacific Northwest."

So, if you like your beer hoppy, pay attention to climate change.

Prost!

These are hops

Lighthouse of the Week, November 5-11, 2023: Phare de Pontusval, France

 

The coasts of Brittany and Normandy in France have several lighthouses, and I think I'll return here for one of the older historical ones shortly (perhaps next week).  This one is more contemporary. 

It's located HERE.

I can tell you by looking at the pictures that there are lots of rocks around it.  The Lighthouse Directory will provide more information.

"1869. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 12 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the front of a 1-story stone keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery black with a white roof."

 That's short and sweet.  Pictures and a short-and-sweet video are below.

Video:

Oceanography in space

 

Well, I've been very interested in sex in space, but this is about oceanography in space.  And there are very likely oceans out there.

Oceanography:  Special Issue about Oceans Across the Solar System

This shouldn't be a surprise, right?

Another problem with invasive species

 

The wrong kind of salmon recently demonstrated why invasive species can be a problem -- and not necessarily a problem one expected.

‘It smells so bad’: glut of wild salmon creates stink in Norway and Finland

"The irony of too much salmon in countries that rely so heavily on it has not gone unnoticed. Hypothetically, pink salmon would be good to eat when caught at sea or just after entering the river – meaning mostly in Norwegian territory – but since this species is so new, and smaller than Atlantic salmon, there is no industry for it and only a few people are licensed to fish for it and sell it, says Eirik Frøiland, of the Norwegian Environment Agency.

At the top of the Tana, in Finnish territory, pink salmon soon spawn, die and putrify – meaning the window for catching and eating them is too short, says Tapio Hakaste, of Finland’s agriculture and forestry ministry. It is an invasive species, he says, especially for the Sámi people living in the valley; Atlantic salmon and traditional fishing methods have been a cornerstone of Indigenous culture for centuries."

Pink salmon

 

Eiza extraordinary

 

Eiza Gonzalez is one of the most beautiful women working on the movies (when they start working again) these days.

I don't need to say much more about that.

Eiza Gonzalez shows off her incredible figure in a mint green string bikini as she enjoys the coast of Spain