Lighthouse of the Week, December 15-21, 2024: La Farola, Málaga, Spain

 

Funny how these things happen. I was trying to come up with a lighthouse theme or location this week, and I just said "Malaga" to myself. Now, Málaga is a port city in Spain, and I have featured a lighthouse (actually three of them) near there before. But not the actually Málaga lighthouse, which is called La Farola.

As I usually do, this is a map link to where it is located. I liked this one even more after I looked at the map; switch to satellite view and you will see that it has a 50-meter swimming pool right next to it, and also the beach. Great location.  (Zoom all the way in on the satellite view and you'll see one person swimming in it!)

So, let's consult the Lighthouse Directory for the specs:

"1817 (Joaquín M. Pery y Guzmán). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); four white flashes, in a 3+1 pattern, every 20 s. 37 m (121 ft) robust round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising through the center of a 2-story keeper's house. 3rd order Chance Brothers Fresnel lens (1922). Entire lighthouse painted white. ... One of the oldest and most historic lighthouses of Spain, this tower has lived an eventful life. The lighthouse was damaged by an earthquake in 1898 and not completely repaired until 1913. It was further damaged by artillery during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s; it had to be extensively repaired and refurbished in 1939. In recent years GPS and radar installations have been added. It is known affectionately as La Farola, a term usually used for much smaller light towers. Floodlit at night, it is a familiar symbol of the city's waterfront. In 2023 plans were announced to develop the lighthouse as a museum; €72,600 was allocated to draw up plans for a restoration estimated to cost at least €600,000."

There are lots and lots of pictures of this one; it's picturesque and accessible in a popular location, so that makes sense.  Five examples, including a night shot, are shown below.

A quote from a Nobel-prize winning economist

 

In this column, Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel Prize winner in economics, is quoted.

I think it's a good idea to listen to what he says.

Yes, America can fail

"Economic prosperity requires institutions that foster risk-taking and innovation: secure property rights that ensure people can enjoy benefits from their investment; predictable enforcement of contracts; free and fair elections that allow citizens to keep a tab on their leaders and replace them when needed. These things, in turn, require the rule of law, independent judiciaries and freedom of the press.

Unfortunately, Trump is itching to undermine all these institutions. As Acemoglu put it to me, “There are many different ways in which the United States can be hurt really badly.”

Better buckle up, it's going to get bumpy.

Just don't get cursed

 

The Field Museum of Chicago has been looking inside their mummies, to learn more about their lives.

Just as long as they don't invoke an ancient curse, I'm OK with that.

New research on mummified remains offer scientists rare glimpse behind ancient wrappings

This is the face on Harwa's coffin. You can actually see pictures of who resides inside, but I'm going to leave that to your discretion.

More about Harwa:

"The mummified individual known as Harwa has long been a favorite at the Field. Also from the Third Intermediate Period, he lived about 3,000 years ago. The scans taken have revealed that Harwa lived a relatively cushy life as the Doorkeeper of the 22nd Kingdom’s granary. Images of his spine reveal that even at his increased age (early to mid-40s) he shows no immediate signs of ailments that would come from performing repeated physical labor. Furthermore, his extremely well-kept teeth reinforce his high social status as he had access to high-quality foods.

Harwa has an extensive legacy of having a very full afterlife. Archival Field Museum publications share Harwa’s tale as the first mummified person to fly on an airplane in 1939. Upon arrival in New York City, he was welcomed with a variety of activities beyond the wildest dreams of an ancient person, including visiting a Broadway show. When his two-year stint on display at the New York World’s Fair ended, he became the first mummy to get lost in luggage, as he was accidentally sent to San Francisco rather than back home to the Field Museum."

So, as they saying goes, if you don't know, ask your mummy. And they did.

I saw this coming

 

Even though former Stanford basketball star Cameron Brink got hurt (torn ACL) in her first WNBA season, I expect she's got a good career ahead of her.

And there's another career she could have: swimsuit model.

I didn't think that the swimsuit industry, or Sport Illustrated, could pass up a gorgeous 6-foot-4 blonde. Clearly, they couldn't.

WNBA star Cameron Brink lands Sports Illustrated swimsuit deal

I see no problem with her pursuing this line of alternative employment. Her lines look just fine. But I hope her knee is fully healed and that she has a great WNBA career, too.

Lighthouse of the Week, December 8-14, 2024: Motta Misaki (Cape Motta) Lighthouse, Hokkaido, Japan

 

I promised another lighthouse from Japan's island of Hokkaido this week, and this is what I promised. Given the current hype around the movie version of the musical Wicked, I thought this one was quite timely. The Lighthouse Directory calls what it is wearing a dunce cap, but I think of it as a witch's hat.

This is called, apparently, several different names:  Motta Misaki, Motsuta Misaki, or just Cape Motta, which is what Google Maps has it listed as.  Here's where it is located on Hokkaido, and note Sapporo again.

Now the Lighthouse Directory tells us more:

"1937. Active; focal plane 282 m (925 ft); two white flashes every 24 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and a traditional "dunce-cap" roof, attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Lighthouse painted white with a broad black horizontal band. 3rd order (?) clamshell Fresnel lens in use." ... "The unusual height of this powerful lighthouse gives a range of more than 65 km (40 mi). The lighthouse was restored in 2001 and the tall dunce-cap roof was apparently added at the time. At the same time the forest road to the light station was opened to the public." ... "The station commands a spectacular view of the Sea of Japan; the island of Okushiri can be seen in fair weather. Located on a high, mountainous promontory about 16 km (10 mi) north of Setana."

Enjoy the pictures below.

Get your Leinies while you can

 

Sad news out of Wisconsin;  the Leinenkugel brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin will be closing. While craft breweries proliferate around the country, the mid-size breweries are being swallowed up (ha) by the big corporate interests, in this case Molson Coors.  And sadly, this means a loss of quality and taste and variety.

Molson Coors to close Leinenkugel’s Brewery in Chippewa Falls

Still, Leinenkugels will still be available, but just not brewed with genuine Big Eddy Springs water.

"According to Molson Coors, the company has gradually shifted production of the Leinenkugel’s brand from Chippewa Falls to Milwaukee over the years. Molson Coors says more than 75 percent of the total Leinenkugel volume is already produced in Milwaukee."

Trump in space (I wish)

 

Not really about potentially jettisoning the President-elect (as I write this) out of the airlock sans spacesuit, this is about what space policy might be like during the absolute terror of the second Trump administration.

What a 2nd Trump administration could mean for NASA and space exploration

"And with SpaceX on track to lower the cost of a single Starship flight to less than $10 million, SLS and the broader architecture of the Artemis program is deemed to get a hard look even as NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free urged the incoming administration to maintain the current plans. Historically, SLS and Orion development has received substantial funding from a broad coalition; the program supports more than 69,000 jobs nationwide as of 2019."

That job thing might make it hard to cut Artemis. 

"One concern I have is that U.S. space policy will continue to evolve to enable, even more so, the rapid occupation of Earth orbits without adequately accounting for the risks — operational, environmental, and security — associated with that growth," Aaron C. Boley, who studies orbital debris as co-director of the Outer Space Institute, told Space.com via email.

There is also a looming uncertainty about how NASA will position itself in the coming years. The space agency has notably been a non-partisan entity over the years of changing administrations and conflicting priorities.

With Musk's growing influences over the federal government, however, "the idea of sending humans to Mars could start to be itself seen as a conservative or right wing value," said Dreier, "which, even though there's no inherent reason why it should be, would induce a knee jerk rejection by the opposite party because it will be seen as a defining aspect of the right wing."

That would be strange. Spending an exorbitant amount of money to get to Mars in a budget-cutting, inflation-conscious, deficit-wary MAGA-pandering administration.

Why do I see a problem here?

This is why.