#capacity with a 10 foot pole)

[wellthatwasaletdown]

I’m not sure in what capacity but imo i do think 1d are going to do something for James Cordons last show. My friend who isn’t in to 1d or any of the guys but knows I am, asked if there was something releasing or coming up with them because she’s hearing them a lot on radio and they keep coming up on auto play on Spotify. What do y’all think including mods?

They'll show clips because Harry Edward Styles won't go near that with 10-foot pole.

[emeraldwhale]

i cant fucking believe i have to say this. if you want to play the new harry potter game in any capacity. just block me right now. don't buy it don't pirate it don't fucking touch it with a 10 foot pole. if you want to support jewish people but still play this game you are a spineless worm who will abandon us when things get rough. go away

[tuiyla]

I often come to this glee blog to vent, and this time is no different.

I was scrolling down a glee confessions blog from the fandom's hayday, and holy fucking shit what a mistake that was. Glee was the most terrible fandom in this planet. Never have I seen a fandom insult and bully each and every cast member to such a capacity. The racism, the misogyny, the hate, the bullying. My god, never I have seen so many people insult and spread lies about Cory Monteith and his passing. I am disgusted and I am angry, so very angry that one of the pillers of the glee tumblr fandom had allowed and encourged slutshaming, fatshaming, bullying, and homophobia on their page just in the name of free speech. The amount of times Naya and lea had been called sluts, whores, and other degrading nicknames in regards to their bodys and careers. No wonders so many of the actors distanced themselves from the show, the fanbase was insane.

At least I can rest knowing the glee fandom could never be the same as it was and be somewhat hopeful of the progress it achived.

I wasn't in the Glee fandom in its heyday and there's maybe a teeny tiny part of me that regrets that, if only because there's always something special about a live fandom where episodes are still coming out. That said, most of the time I thank the lord I was never tempted into keeping up with Glee as it was airing and that's because the Glee fandom was always notorious for its intensity. You couldn't have paid me enough to touch it with a 10 foot-pole in 2012. So all in all, none of this surprises me.

I tend to stay away from confessions blogs as they're often an excuse for people to spread their horrible opinions - not horrible in that I merely disagree but in that they're actively hateful and often towards the actors, not even the characters, just as you described. Don't get me wrong other fandoms could be wild too and active fandoms nowadays are still yikes sometimes but Glee... Glee was a beast of its own, I think.

It's disgusting. No other word for it. I can only hope those who disrespected Cory and called the cast horrible, horrible names were too young and immature to realize how fucked up all that was. I hope they're grown now, looking back in regret. That's the most I can hope for, really. But you know, I also watched from the sidelines two years ago when people said absolutely appalling things about Naya - as she was still missing, her loved ones dreading the worst. As she was found, not even buried yet but pathetic terminally online trolls already spewing their hate, their ignorant takes on a human being who just lost her life. The mother of a then 4-year-old boy. I have to believe they were too damn young to realize how utterly despicable that was. I have to, because the alternative is, what? That someone could be so willfully rotten? Heck, I saw horrible horrible takes on the cast on reddit about a year ago, too. People up on their high horses, speaking about ~problematic~ things the cast have done, judging them like they were just people on our TVs created for our consumption. They aren't.

But yeah. My own mini venting aside, there's a reason I stay away from reddit now and why I curate my fandom space, not just in terms of Glee as much as possible now. I don't have the patience for this bullshit. I barely have the strength to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they have, or will eventually change. I don't like focusing on the actors instead of the characters in general; sometimes appreciating them, sure, and in times like these with Cory and Naya's anniversaries it's nice to keep them in our thoughts. But in my experience, things tend to get out of hand once fans allow themselves to look at the actors as anything but human beings whose private lives we do not have any kind of entitlement to. Real-life shipping is a good example. Getting mixed up in made-up dramas and having the audacity to assume we could ever possibly know the life Cory had, the life Naya had, being another one.

Here's the thing about free speech, since you brought it up: just because you can say stuff doesn't mean you should, and certainly doesn't mean anyone's obligated to provide you with a platform. I've never run a confession-type blog myself and I doubt I ever will, but I have run fan sites and just for me personally there would have been rules against confessions about the cast and hateful rhetoric. This sense of... entitlement that people feel towards actors and celebrities. It's disturbing. It's an ugly, ugly side of fandom.

I'm glad you feel safe and comfortable enough to vent. I hope it's okay I vented in return. I suppose, times like these, it's the "basic human decency" and "media studies" parts of my brain automatically starting a conversation. I'd like to think people, in general, are more respectful towards Cory now. Naya, too, of course, but I feel like Cory had even more lies and hate spread about him due to the circumstances of his death. With the 9th anniversary of his passing coming up, I can only hope his loved ones feel more at peace now. Not that nine years matter all that much when you lose someone - I recently had a 9th anniversary of my own grief. But hey, this is still about Glee! So, yeah. Let's be grateful for the progress. I'm grateful for the people I surround myself with in this fandom and I don't need more. And reading this I once again thanked the heavens I was never even tempted to join the Glee fandom at its peak.

#anon #glee asks #glee fandom #tw death #tw grief #cory monteith #naya rivera #discussions of their deaths please be warned #just lamenting on the cruelty of celeb culture i suppose #and fan culture too #i have a feeling as to who you are anon but dw i'll keep it between us haha #for real i'm happy to be able to create a safe space #glee cast

[longfantastic]

Unit larger than light years

#Unit larger than light years full

#Unit larger than light years plus

However, by international agreement, it is now defined to be exactly 1,852 metres (6,076 ft). A circle has 360 degrees, and each degree is 60 minutes, so the nautical mile was defined as 1⁄ 21,600 of the Earth's circumference, or about 1,852.22 metres. The nautical mile was defined as a minute of arc of latitude measured along any meridian. The definitions of both the nautical mile and the kilometre were originally derived from the Earth's circumference as measured through the poles. Despite the fact that the difference (0.17%) between the two is insignificant at the low precision that these quantities are typically given to, it is nevertheless often specified as being at the equator. For example, one might say that a large number of objects laid end-to-end at the equator "would circle the Earth four and a half times". The circumference of a great circle of the Earth (about 40,000 km or 25,000 mi or 22,000 nmi) is often compared to large distances. The radius of Earth, generally given as 6,371 kilometers (3,959 miles) is often employed as a unit of measure to intuitively compare objects of planetary size.

#Unit larger than light years plus

Within a typical large North American city, it is often only possible to travel along east–west and north–south streets, so travel distance between two points is often given in the number of blocks east–west plus the number north–south (known to mathematicians as the Manhattan Metric). Sometimes people living in places (like Manhattan) with a regularly spaced street grid will speak of long blocks and short blocks. In Manhattan, the measurement "block" usually refers to a north–south block, which is 1⁄ 20 mi (80 m). In most US cities, a city block is between 1⁄ 16 and 1⁄ 8 mi (100 and 200 m). The usual size of a football pitch is 105 m × 68 m (115 yd × 74 yd), the dimensions used for matches in the UEFA Champions League.Ī Canadian football field is 65 yd (59 m) wide and 150 yd (140 m) long, including two 20 yd (18 m) long end zones. Īn association football pitch may vary within limits of 90–120 m (98–131 yd) in length and 45–90 m (49–98 yd) in width. The Racing Rules of Sailing also makes heavy use of boat lengths.Ī football field is often used as a comparative measurement of length when talking about distances that may be hard to comprehend when stated in terms of standard units.Īn American football field is usually understood to be 100 yards (91 m) long, though it is technically 120 yards (110 m) when including the two 10 yd (9.1 m) long end zones. A shorter distance is the canvas, which is the length of the covered part of the boat between the bow and the bow oarsman. The length of a rowing eight is about 62 feet (19 m). In rowing races such as the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, the margin of victory and of defeat is expressed in fractions and multiples of boat lengths.

#Unit larger than light years full

Shorter distances are measured in fractions of a horse length also common are measurements of a full or fraction of a head, a neck, or a nose. Horses are used to measure distances in horse racing – a horse length (shortened to merely a length when the context makes it obvious) equals roughly 8 feet or 2.4 meters. This means that 1 Hammer unit is equal to exactly 0.01905 meters. The exact definition varies from game to game, but a Hammer unit is usually defined as a sixteenth of a foot (16 Hammer units = 1 foot). This unit refers to Source's official map creation software, Hammer. Valve's Source game engine uses the Hammer unit as its base unit of length.

10.2 Numbers of people: Stadium capacities.

8.4 Hiroshima bomb and Halifax explosion.

#Unit larger than light years

[beetlebus25]

Not known Factual Statements About The Best Trampoline Reviews: Your Guide for 2022

Some Known Facts About High quality Champion trampolines - BERG.

Like playscapes, trampolines are a fun method for your kids to work out and play in the yard. To help you find a design that's right for you and your family, read our review listed below on the finest trampolines available on Amazon. Click Here For Additional Info : Zupapa Trampoline This trampoline features a ladder that connects to its side to make climbing in and out of the structure simpler.

This model has 12 more springs than past models to offer it more bounce. These springs are made from galvanized rust-resistant steel. Secret Features Round shape Eight-, 10-, 12-. 14-, and 15-foot size options 325-pound weight capability for 8- and 10-foot size choices 425-pound weight capacity for 12-, 14-, and 15-foot size options Included ladder What Clients Are Stating Favorable evaluations noted that the frame and safeguard were premium and resilient.

12 foot trampoline with Net Enclosure - FLEX120 - Jumpflex™ USA

Bluerise Children's Stainless Steel Trampoline, 6-Feet

Dissatisfied customers stated that the trampoline did not have longevity. Best Design For Children: Clevr Seven-Foot Kids' Trampoline This trampoline has a seven-foot size and 150-pound capability, making it finest for children. In addition, this Clevr trampoline has a long lasting base that offers maximum stability and strength to keep the trampoline from tipping over.

A Biased View of Trampolines - Target

Secret Includes Hexagonal shape Seven-foot size 150-pound weight capability Three color choices What Customers Are Stating Many Amazon customers liked that this trampoline had protective EPE foam around its poles and a heavy-duty base. Other evaluations mentioned that this trampoline was small sufficient to suit their kids' playrooms.

Finest Two-in-One Design: Skywalker Trampolines 15-Foot Jump N Dunk Round Trampoline This trampoline features a foam basketball and a built-in hoop, allowing you to jump and play basketball simultaneously. Additionally, this Skywalker trampoline has a large 15-foot leaping surface area to hold a number of people simultaneously. Key Features Round shape 15-foot size 200-pound weight capacity 6 color alternatives Built-in basketball hoop Consisted of foam basketball What Clients Are Stating Lots Of consumers said that the Skywalker trampoline had remarkable safety features to prevent injury while their kids were utilizing it.

12 foot trampoline with Net Enclosure - FLEX120 - Jumpflex™ USA

Negative reviews mentioned that the quality of its metal frame was substandard. Best Medium-Sized Design: Skywalker Trampolines 10-Foot Round Trampoline This trampoline has a frame size of 10 feet and an optimum weight capacity of 175 pounds, allowing it to hold one adult or a couple of kids at one time.

#trampoline

[beesmygod]

If you were to teach a class on making comics, what would be some of the books you'd recommend students read?

oh hell i dont know. i dont know how to approach comics from an academic standpoint. that's like a whole field i don't think i can pretend like i'm qualified in any capacity to even touch with a 10 foot pole. especially since my interest and background is in 100% certified crap comics. i was buying floppies in comics stores. ._ .

[nasa]

21 Years of Amazing Earth Imagery

On April 29, 1999, NASA Earth Observatory started delivering science stories and imagery to the public through the Internet. Today, we turn 21! So much has changed in the past two decades... 

One of the most notable changes is the way we view our home planet. Check out some of the beautiful imagery of our planet over the past 21 years.

2000: Pine Island Glacier

Most people will never see Pine Island Glacier in person. Located near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula—the “thumb” of the continent—the glacier lies more than 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) from the tip of South America. That’s shorter than a cross-country flight from New York to Los Angeles, but there are no runways on the glacier and no infrastructure. Only a handful of scientists have ever set foot on its ice.

This animation shows a wide view of Pine Island Glacier and the long-term retreat of its ice front. Images were acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on our Terra satellite from 2000 to 2019. Notice that there are times when the front appears to stay in the same place or even advance, though the overall trend is toward retreat. Read more.

2002: The Blue Marble

In February 2002, Earth Observatory published this “blue marble” image based on the most detailed collection of true-color imagery of the entire Earth at that time. Using a collection of satellite-based observations, scientists and visualizers stitched together months of observations of the land surface, oceans, sea ice and clouds into a seamless, true-color mosaic of every square kilometer (.386 square mile) of our planet. Most of the information contained in this image came from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), illustrating the instrument's outstanding capacity to act as an integrated tool for observing a variety of terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric features of the Earth. Read more.

2009: Tsauchab River Bed

The Tsauchab River is a famous landmark for the people of Namibia and tourists. Yet few people have ever seen the river flowing with water. In December 2009, an astronaut on the International Space Station caught this glimpse of the Tsauchab River bed jutting into the sea of red dunes. It ends in a series of light-colored, silty mud holes on the dry lake floor.

Like several other rivers around the Namib Desert, the Tsauchab brings sediment down from the hinterland toward the coastal lowland. This sediment is then blown from the river beds, and over tens of millions of years it has accumulated as the red dunes of the Namib Sand Sea. Read more. 

2012: Manning Island and Foxe Basin, Canada

Although it may look like a microscope’s view of a thin slice of mineral-speckled rock, this image was actually acquired in space by the Earth Observing-1 satellite in July 2012. It shows a small set of islands and a rich mixture of ice in Foxe Basin, the shallow northern reaches of Hudson Bay.

The small and diverse sizes of the ice floes indicate that they were melting. The darkest colors in the image are open water. Snow-free ice appears gray, while snow-covered ice appears white. The small, dark features on many of the floes are likely melt ponds. Read more.

2013: A Lava Lamp Look at the Atlantic

Stretching from tropical Florida to the doorstep of Europe, this river of water carries a lot of heat, salt, and history. The Gulf Stream is an important part of the global ocean conveyor belt that moves water and heat across the North Atlantic from the equator toward the poles. It is one of the strongest currents on Earth, and one of the most studied.

This image shows a small portion of the Gulf Stream as it appears in infrared imagery. Data for this image was acquired on April 9, 2013, by the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) on the Landsat 8 satellite. TIRS observes in wavelengths of 10.9 micrometers and 12.0 micrometers. The image above is centered at 33.06° North latitude, 73.86° West longitude, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) east of Charleston, South Carolina. Read more.

2016: Curious Ensemble of Wonderful Features

When John Wesley Powell explored the Colorado River in 1869, he made the first thorough survey of one of the last blank spots on the map. The expedition began in May at Green River, Wyoming, and ended three months later at the confluence of the Colorado and Virgin Rivers in present-day Nevada.

About two months into their journey, the nine men of the expedition found themselves in Glen Canyon. As the men traveled along the serpentine river channel, they encountered what Powell later described in Canyons of Colorado as a “curious ensemble of wonderful features.”

From above, the view of Glen Canyon is equally arresting. In 2016, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station took several photographs that were combined to make a long mosaic. The water has an unnatural shade of blue because of sunglint, an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a camera views it. Click here to see the long mosaic.

2019: Lena Delta Shakes Off Water

For most of the year, the Lena River Delta—a vast wetland fanning out from northeast Siberia into the Arctic Ocean—is either frozen over and barren or thawed out and lush. Only briefly will you see it like this.

After seven months encased in snow and ice, the delta emerges for the short Arctic summer. The transition happens fast. The animation above, composed of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on our Aqua satellite, shows the transformation from June 3-10, 2019. Read more.

2020: Making Waves in the Andaman Sea

When tides, currents and gravity move water masses over seafloor features, they can create wave actions within the ocean. Oceanographers began studying these internal waves from ships in the 1960s, and the modern era of satellites has made it possible to see them on a grand scale. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured these images of the Andaman Sea on November 29, 2019. The reflection of the Sun on the ocean—sunglint—helps make the internal waves visible.

Internal waves form because the ocean is layered. Deep water tends to be colder, denser and saltier, while shallower water is often warmer, lighter and fresher. The differences in density and salinity cause layers of the ocean to behave like different fluids. When tides, currents, gravity and Earth’s rotation move these different water masses over seafloor formations (such as ridges or canyons), they create waves within the sea. Read more.

These images were taken from NASA Earth Observatory! 

Interested in receiving Earth Observatory's Images of the Day? Subscribe to our newsletters or RSS feeds.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

#NASA #earth #earth science #mother earth #oceans #sea #seafloor #river #landscape #earth observatory #tides #Canada #blue marble #satellite images #celebration #tsauchab river #atlantic

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Saturday 9 January 1836

7 ¼

11 ¾

No kiss ready in 1 5 having dressed A-‘s blister - sent off by John Booth before breakfast my letter written last night to ‘Mr. C. Illingworth 40 Coney street York Post paid’ - very sore - she tired and went to bed again at 8 - fine morning F34° at 8 20 am went out into the farmyard - Mr. Husband there - the 2 pavions come - Mr. H- ordering the farmyard road to be cambered (raised in the middle) 2 in. - I said one quite enough - Robert Mann and one of his men in the farmyard all the day, spreading Engine ashes carted by Mark Hepworth from Haigh’s mill and setting curb stone against the farmyard road to pave up to, and helping the masons (2 men and a boy) with the caping stone on the farmyard and wall finished tonight - Mallinson and his boy here - making Listerwick cabin door (of larch board) setting locks on to saddle room table drawers - glueing blue room chairs - putting a 3rd trestle under Swiss model-table in the drawing room and other jobbing - 2 sawyers cutting up larch poles into boards and 2 oaks loss 2 or 3 cuts each log - Wood and Robert Mann’s other man making 2 trenches at the foot of slippery clay (opposite the house and near rock work) - to hold it up - the trench to be filled up large lumps of scale and form an abutment for the clay to push against - came in to breakfast at 8 55 - A- came in ¼ hour - Had Washington - shewed him Mr. George Bates drawing of water wheel - told SW- not to receive the old church pew rents after today - I meant the sexton to receive them - with SW till about near 11 - then out again all the day till came in at 5 10 - twice at the Lodge - in the farmyard with Mallinson - with Wood opposite the house- and with John Booth planting broom on the ledges in the cascade bridge wall opposite the house - 4 broom plants taken from the bottom of the walk - came in at 5 10 - sometime in the drawing room about the model - dressed - wrote and sent this evening letter to AB- under cover to Mr. Salter Tea dealer, 6 Dorset street Manchester square London PP’ advertisement in last night’s Herald - Lady’s maid or lady’s maid and housekeeper aetatis 30 no objection to the country - wrote to ask with whom lived last in what capacity - if a good dress-maker and hair dresser and getter up of fine linen - if accustomed to take the charge of an establishment and what wages asked - dinner at 6 ¼ - coffee A- and I ½ hour with my father and Marian - skimmed over last night’s paper - looked over the botany of Spain in the Encyclopaedia of Geology and wrote the above of today till 9 ¾ having had Marian upstairs 10 minutes or ¼ hour to say it was fixed for Jane to go to York on Monday if well enough, and if she could have a place in the mail - George to go outside to escort her - went to my aunt at 9 ¾ for 40 minutes - pretty well tonight - did not get up till after 5pm - very fine - thick and hazy in the afternoon from between 3 and 4 and at 4 ½ could not well see to work - F31° now at 10 50 pm - on leaving my aunt dressed A-‘s blister that put her clean linen on -

[fun-with-colors]

The thing about Maruki’s reality

Ok, first off: this is not a moral argument. I’m not gonna touch the morals of it all with a 10 foot pole right now. This is about the actual viability of Maruki’s proposed reality. Because here’s the thing:

It’s unstable. 

Here are the facts as we know them:

 “Reality” is based on the collective perception of the world

Maruki is trying to overwrite that collective cognition with his own

Maruki has to actively collect information from Mementos and from screening centers to know what problems to fix, and that is an ongoing process

When people die, their cognition collapses

The way I see it, there are two possible ways his actualization could work, and both have distinct logistical issues that make them incapable of fully achieving his goal of a world where people will always be happy. 

Possibility One: After Maruki’s reality is “cemented,” it stays a live version of his cognition and changes as his cognition changes. 

This is the possibility that is best backed up by game lore. What Maruki is essentially doing is replacing the cognition that reality is based on with his own, instead of the collective cognition. As we saw after the Yaldaboath fight, when public cognition changes, “reality” changes to fit. Based on that event, we can assume that Maruki’s reality will continue to change as his cognition does.

Ignoring the terrifying prospect that after decades of being a literal god, Maruki might become jaded and lose some of his benevolence to become a tyrannical dictator of public thought just like Yaldaboath (because, again, this is not a moral argument), this possibility opens up a small question with huge consequences:

What happens when Maruki dies?

We know that when people die, their cognition collapses. In fact, Shido tried to take advantage of that fact just a palace earlier to try and kill the Phantom Thieves. So... what happens when Maruki dies, if he has written over reality with his own cognition?

To put it another way, if Mementos is based on the public subconscious, then would you expect there to be a Mementos if literally everybody was dead? No, of course not. So, by making “reality” based on his consciousness and his alone, Maruki is dooming the world to oblivion the moment he dies. 

One might argue that Maruki could be somehow immortal (again begs the question of devolution into tyranny, but this is still not a moral argument), but I doubt that. For one, he is still distinctly mentally human. After being beaten by the Phantom Thieves, he literally has Joker fistfight him for catharsis. That’s not the behavior of a man who has transcended his human flaws. And the second thing is that he is still beatable. If he literally thought of himself as a god, then he would be entirely invincible. This reality is built on his cognition. If he believed himself to be eternal, then he would have been. The very fact that you can beat him means that he can, and will, die at some point. 

Or, fine, let’s say that reality won’t simply fade into nothingness when Maruki dies. What if we assume that because this cognition of reality has to be based off of something, no matter how detached that something is from the actual substance, that when Maruki dies, reality will simply go on as it was at the moment of his death, developing naturally and without his further interference? Well, then we run into the same problems as possibility two.

Possibility Two: After Maruki’s reality is “cemented,” it becomes a fixed state of reality, and does not change as his cognition develops. 

This is less backed up by game lore, but I could see it happening based on the way Maruki’s reality is described. We are told that his cognition’s fusion with reality will be complete on February 3rd, and that at that point it would not be a cognition, but would be reality itself. What if we take that to mean that it will stop changing with his cognition?

Well, we avoid the harrowing question of Maruki’s death, but we run into some other issues. 

First off, we know that Maruki has to actually seek out people’s problems to fix them. He did not simply fix everything all at once on New Year’s Day. He fixed everything that he already knew about, but based on the cables going into Mementos and the ongoing screening happening for patients, Maruki is not omniscient. He has to learn what problems exist in the world before fixing them. In fact, the Phantom Thieves can even go into Mementos after Maruki has changed the world and find people whose hearts they can change. Not only does Maruki have to scout out Mementos to find problems to solve, but he takes time to get to everyone. This leads to an interesting consequence if the world stays static after February 3rd:

How could Maruki possibly hope to fix everyone’s problems in only a month?

And, even if he somehow could, here’s another fun question:

What about problems that arise after February 3rd?

Just because there aren’t currently any problems in the world doesn’t mean there won’t be. Ignoring the possibility of political stuff, because the premise of this world seems to be that “happy people just don’t kill,” what about when other people die?

He brought back Wakaba. He brought back Shiho. He brought back Akechi. Great, awesome, people are happy, problems are solved. But... None of those people are immortal. Even if they live long, happy lives, they will die eventually. As will everyone. And Maruki knows and wants to avoid the pain of losing a loved one -- we can see in the loading screen dialogue that he even went so far as to bring people’s cats back -- so what will he do when those people die?  In fact, that particular question applies to both this possibility and the possibility where reality continues to change with Maruki’s cognition. I don’t know what he would do if he could still impact the world. Maybe he finds some way to make it work. 

Regardless, if reality is at that point divorced from his cognition, then there is nothing he can do and people will grieve. And as soon as people have to face the grief of losing loved ones, as soon as that grief comes back, as soon as that person’s cat he brought back dies again, then his goal of creating a world that will never have problems becomes moot. And if the idea behind this world is that “happy people just don’t kill,” then that also falls apart and we end up in just the same world we were in before. If Maruki is incapable of maintaining this ideal world, then it will not stay an ideal world. It will be an ideal world for a bit, but only until something goes wrong, at which point it will start falling apart. 

In Conclusion:

The way I see it, there is no way for Maruki’s reality to be stable. Either he maintains an ideal world up until his death, at which point the world either disappears or stops being an ideal world, or he creates a moment of peace where most people’s problems are fixed... until things start falling apart and it stops being an ideal world. There is no way that his reality can last forever. The longest it will last as an ideal reality is roughly the length of a human lifetime.

Well... There is one possibility that I haven’t discussed, but it’s more of a moral argument. 

Let’s say Maruki is immortal. We know he’s still mentally human and flawed, but let’s say he’s physically immortal. We now have a being that has the mental capacity of a human, who has put himself in charge of the happiness of everybody in the world... forever. 

There’s no way his sanity could last.

#persona 5 spoilers #persona 5 royal spoilers #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #takuto maruki #maruki takuto #original oat #rambling #i've had these thoughts in my head for months #hoo boy

[coffeecomicsgalore]

With The World On Her Shoulders

Ao3

@marinettemarch

Chapter 27: Future

“Marinette? Are you okay?” Adrien stated once more as she cleared her throat of the food. “Come on, can you breathe?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Marinette finally said, looking at Adrien with a confusing glare. “Why did you say that!”

“Because we have an internship program and I know you would be perfect for it?”

“I can’t—I can’t do that, Adrien.” Adrien sat down with a perplexed expression, but waited for her to continue. “We’re friends. Best f-friends. I can’t use you like that.”

“But you’re not? I’m pretty certain my father would agree to that if I talked to him about it. Plus, at some point, I’m supposed to be joining him in the business in some sort of capacity. Why can’t I use it to my advantage?”

“Because that’s exactly the reason why, Adrien. It’s to an advantage, an unfair one at that, which is something I refuse to even touch with a ten-foot pole!”

“But—”

“No. No.” She shook her head fiercely, a frown deepening her features. “This is something I stand firmly on. I refuse to take advantage of your kindness, of your strings, of any reason to get my foot in the door without me working myself to the core to show people I truly deserve to be there. I have things I want to accomplish first before I could even consider an internship. If an application or contest comes along that would allow me to enter fairly, knowing full well you don’t have a say in it, then maybe I would consider. And unless your father personally asks me to enter under the intention that I am my lone person and that his knowledge of my friendship with you wouldn’t cause the votes to be in my favor? Well, then I would apply. But just know, my friendship with you is worth more than accepting a position just because I can appease your father in a couple of design competitions and my odd ideas on how to add an additional line of gold to a tux.”

Adrien sat there; his mouth open with an intense look of wonderment in his peridot orbs. The room was otherwise silent, and Marinette felt entirely too vulnerable for her display of self-worth. She knew that Adrien only meant the best for what he was offering, but she also knew how the tabloids and gossip columns would say if she jumped onto the Gabriel team.

Baker’s daughter rubbing elbows with the elite? How an amateur designer surpassed other well-deserved designers because she’s friends with the Agreste heir.

“-ette. Hey.”

Is Adrien Agreste seeing a baker just to help her get her foot in the door? More at 10.

“-nette.”

Marinette Dupain-Cheng: rising star or gold-digging friend stepping on toes?

“Marinette!” Adrien broke through her thoughts, prompting her to look at him in shock. “Marinette…” He said more resolutely, placing his hand on hers to console her. “No one—not me, not my father, not Nathalie, not our friends—would ever think that you would rise to the top just because we’re friends. Ever.” He smiled sincerely, before biting back a chuckle. “And you definitely aren’t a gold-digging friend.”

She stared at him with wide-eyes, horrified at what was just said. “Did I—oh god, please don’t tell me I just said that out loud?”

Adrien couldn’t help himself and began to snicker, nodding his head as she groaned in embarrassment.

“That was supposed to stay in my head!”

“But it’s the truth. You aren’t a gold-digging best friend. You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng: future CEO and Head Designer of Marinette Designs who already has a bunch of praises under her belt from Jagged Stone and Clara Nightengale. She’s a rising fashionista with an immaculate taste in fashion, even giving fashion ideas to the elite Gabriel Agreste for his son’s fashionable designs.” He added with confidence and a bit of flair at the end. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Marinette. Seriously.”

Marinette didn’t know what to say. But no matter how much she valued her budding friendship with Adrien, she couldn’t help but fall in love with him over and over again.

And with that, with the little resolve she had left, she threw herself into him to engulf him in a warm embrace, her unsaid words passing to him through the hug as best as she could.

#marinettemarch2021 #marinettelove2021 #adrinette #ml fanfiction

[altumvidetur]

Hotch/Reid Fic Recs

Previously: Haikyuu!! Fic Recs, DCMK (Kaishin) Fic Recs

So, I was thinking about the coronavirus pandemic and what I could do to help people out. I’m isolated because I’m at higher risk, so I can’t really offer to go out for my elderly neighbors or my family… but I thought I could try to help keep people entertained.

Because I don’t have an AO3 account right now, I’ve been compiling fic recs for my own amusement for a year or so. And I thought – maybe that’s the time to share these with everyone? So everyone will have plenty of things to read while they have to stay at home, or even to escape anxiety a little bit if you’re forced to go out.

Of course, these cater to my own tastes, so you may find stuff you don’t like around here. I never include works in progress. The Mature and Explicit works will be in italic. I ask you to READ THE WORK’S TAGS before continuing, so you won’t find anything that makes you uncomfortable.

When it comes to Criminal Minds, I only had one OTP, one that’s been carrying me through the first seven seasons and which will, hopefully, carry me towards season 11 (and what am I going to do once Hotch leaves the show? I have no idea). So, here are my Hotch/Reid fic recs:

A Kiss Is..., by bowie28

For a Renaissance man such as Dr. Reid, a kiss can mean a lot of things.

First Kiss, by Lenore

To solve the case of who's targeting gay couples, Hotch and Spencer need to go undercover. But first, they have to practice.

Making Whoopee, by kuriadalmatia

12 days was the longest Hotch had been away from Jack since Haley's death. He's not adjusting well.

P is for Pie, by kuriadalmatia

Spencer knows what Aaron is doing: offering up a piece of himself—a very private piece of his childhood that never talks about—so that Spencer has the opportunity to reciprocate.

Nothing In Between, by travelinthedark

Aaron doesn’t know who he’s supposed to be anymore.

5 Mandatory Events at the FBI Regional Training Seminar, by travelinthedark

“Hey guys!” Jeff’s voice is just as upbeat as it was when he was telling the entire conference room about the wonders of community stewardship and his volunteer work as a ‘Big Brother.’ It’s also just as loud, and Hotch wonders if the guy realizes he doesn’t have to shout at people who are less than five feet away from him. “Are you ready to come up and add your ideas to the aspirations board?”

Conversations in Transit, by travelinthedark

Three conversations about (or sort of about) the way that Hotch and Reid are together.

Your Shadow at Morning, by travelinthedark

Aaron's world is a mess, and it falls apart more every time he tries to fix it.

Q is for Queen Bee, by kuriadalmatia

The last thing Reid remembered as he was speaking gibberish to Kimura as they raced to the hospital. Losing the capacity for language was terrifying...

L is for Lipstick, by kuriadalmatia

Aaron finds a cache of lipstick-imprinted business cards tucked away in Spencer's desk. He doesn't react well.

Catatonic, by bowie28

Spencer Reid is a man of habit.

The apple and afterward, by Lenore

What if Reid hadn't managed to kick his Dilaudid addiction? What if he needed a job on the side in order to afford his habit?

Five Times Spencer Reid Kept His Hair, and One Time He Didn’t, by bowie28

Why Reid finally had his hair cut. 

Love Songs, by Gorgeousgreymatter

(Summary by me: Hotch pining for Reid, both of them getting together and being cute.)

The Tradition of Sprigs, by kuriadalmatia

Hotch holds the sprig of mistletoe by the stem, cocks an eyebrow, and waits for an explanation. Because, in the four months Spencer Reid has been on his team, Hotch knows that there’s going to be one. What he doesn't know is that it will become a tradition.

The Best for Last, by blythechild

This is a gift fic based on the prompt: "It's Hotch and Reid's first Xmas together and Hotch wants to get Reid a gift that he never received as a child - Jack suggests asking Reid’s parents about what he’d like."

House Call, by blythechild

Jack is ill and wants to be comforted by Reid instead of Hotch.

Not Included In The Brochure, by blythechild

[Crossover with Sherlock (BBC)] Sherlock was standing over the body… Sherlock finds himself in the middle of a B.A.U. investigation, much to his delight and John's frustration.

Something Less Ordinary, by blythechild

A year after Reid voluntarily leaves the F.B.I., Hotch discovers that Diana Reid is dead and he must find his former colleague and friend in hopes of setting a few things right.

we’re reeling through an endless fall, by bittereternity

lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life. Back then, Spencer had replied, "I love you too. I love you very much." This could be a love story someday. [spencer reid, aaron hotchner, reid/hotch, reid/maeve]

Five Dinners Series, by Daylyn

(Summary by me: Hotch and Reid’s getting together, plus some moments during the series.)

The Moment In-Between, by Daylyn

In the Criminal Minds novel, Killer Profile by Max Allan Collins, there’s a scene where Prentiss sends Reid to wake up a sleeping Hotch and Hotch enters the conference room a moment later looking rather mussed. This is what happened during that missing moment in-between.

The Secret Marriage, by blythechild

Hotch has a new ring, Reid has a new tattoo, and everyone is wondering about everyone else's secrets.

yesterday’s seven thousand years, by bittereternity

“What if I can never love a child?” “If it’s your child, Spencer, he will be the easiest person in the world to love.”

Reid thinks about the idea of a child in his life, and turns to Hotch for help.

the lies we weave are oh so intricate, by bittereternity

Maybe they were always supposed to fall apart, because there was nothing stopping them from being happy. In a world where everyone is Dominant or submissive, Aaron Hotchner meets Spencer Reid, who simply wants to be neither. In the process of getting to know him, he never expected to a. fall in love b. fall in love with his team member and c. fall in love with a man so infuriatingly unwilling to reciprocate.

Written for the Criminal Minds Big Bang 2013.

Vigil, by red_river

"Part of Hotch knew Reid was an FBI agent, and perfectly capable of taking the bus. But the other part couldn't imagine letting him - not after this case, of all cases." Post LDSK, Hotch gives Reid a ride home, and which leads to pizza, old TV, and helping him face a few of his demons. Episode tag, S1E6, "LDSK." Friendship or pre-slash.

Refuge, by red_river

"She’s my mom,” Spencer murmured, and Aaron couldn’t help thinking how young that word made him seem. “But sometimes it’s like there’s…almost none of that person left.” In the aftermath of the Fisher King, Hotch flies to Las Vegas to bring Reid home, and tries to make something new out of all their broken pieces. Episode tag to S2E1, "The Fisher King;" friendship or pre-slash.

Call me whatever, I just want to be yours, by surrenderdammit

“Let’s get dinner, just the two of us, next time,” Aaron comments, helping her into her coat because he is ridiculous like that, and he is apparently partial to the fond exasperation he gets in return, which is usually in the form of her huffing or rolling her eyes.

A love story told in parts, from the first time they met to the first time they fall into bed together.

Serendipity, by red_river

"You've been watching over him." In the aftermath of a difficult case, Hotch searches for a way to lift Reid's spirits, and someone notices. Episode tag to 2x13, "No Way Out."

I Hope You Kept the Receipt, by blythechild

[Crossover with Sherlock (BBC)] Hotch and Reid get trapped in an elevator with Sherlock Holmes. And then Sherlock does what he's best at: pissing people off.

Speechless, by blythechild

[Crossover with Sherlock (BBC)] Reid has an uninvited guest at the worst possible moment.

Desert Mirage, by merle_p

Long story short, there is a high probability that he is doing it for altogether selfish reasons, but when Reid looks at him with an expression of such sincere, helpless gratefulness, he cannot find it in himself to regret.

Twice Shy, by blythechild

Seven years ago, Hotch and Reid had a brief affair. Now, Hotch wants to try again, but can they make it work with less impediments and more baggage? (Spoilers through season 10)

Three Letter Agency, Four Letter Word, by merle_p

The NSA is interested in Spencer Reid. They are not the only one.

Late Nights ‘Verse, by EloquentDossier

Summary by me: Hotch pining for Reid, Reid probably pining for Hotch, a lot of UST and people being dense.

Time-Out ‘Verse, by EloquentDossier

Summary by me: Hotch and Reid’s cute shenanigans.

Chain Reaction, by EloquentDossier

"(Mon 12:20 pm) Which is why you text the stranger instead of talk to coworkers.

(Mon 12:20 pm) Yes. (Mon 12:28 pm) Is that weird?"

xxx

A dialogue-only AU in which Hotch texts what he thinks is Rossi's new number but is actually the slightly eccentric stranger whom Hotch knows only as "Spencer." What follows is something neither man could have ever quite expected.

Golden Letters ‘Verse, by EloquentDossier

Summary by me: Soulmates AU in which everyone gets a tattoo with a sentence that their soulmate will eventually say.

Bright, by EloquentDossier

"There were several things in Aaron Hotchner's life that had never made sense to him. He didn't understand why nearly everyone in his family (minus his son Jack) couldn't quite fathom why he felt drawn to the BAU. He didn't get how so many people in the world had such depraved mindsets. And he wasn't entirely sure why he still hadn't drug-tested his team's tech analyst, Penelope Garcia. (He was also confused about her relationship with Derek Morgan, but he wasn't going to touch that with a ten foot pole.)

But what baffled Hotch the most was how someone who was as intelligent as Spencer Reid could be so inherently oblivious."

xxx

Written for the prompt: I've seen a lot of oblivious!Hotch fic, but how about Reid being oblivious of his own feelings for Hotch? Hotch is aware, and reciprocates. Fluffy journey of realization maybe? Bonus for Garcia being helpful.

Affinity, by margarks

Right now just a couple of drabble about the way Spencer and Hotch see each other, but it seems like I might add on to these, so I created this series.

Psychosexual Developments, by dissolvedingirl

Hotch and Reid, between all the moments you see.

Limbo, by kehlee

There's a place in between kissing and dating; there's a place between heaven and hell. This is it.

Just When You Least Expect It, Just What You Least Expect, by blythechild

Hotch has been Reid's boss for ten years, and his friend for almost as long. He thinks he knows him pretty well, but a random event during a random case has the chance to change all of that. It's just a matter of whether Hotch can accept it or not.

In Two Hours (And Not a Minute Later), by dissolvedingirl

Reid finally decides to confront Hotch about those intense looks he's been giving Reid for years.

The Wall, by blythechild

Hotch can't decide what he finds more shocking: going out clubbing at 50 or seeing a phone number he knows scribbled on the bathroom wall...

You’re the Boss, by blythechild

Hotch finds himself in the unfamiliar position of relying on Reid for guidance in their kinda/sorta/not really relationship. or Why casual sex is never all that casual.

This One Is Not Like The Others, by blythechild

(Summary by me: Tentacle-Monster!Reid. It’s way better than it sounds.)

Beneath, by blythechild

Everyone is exactly who you think they are until something comes along to throw your perception off track. After ten years, Reid and Hotch discover this for themselves.

Breaking Point, by EloquentDossier

There was this thing about Aaron Hotchner's voice.

Reid couldn't quite pinpoint when it had started. Perhaps it had always been there, hovering just beneath the surface and waiting for him to recognize it for what it was. Or maybe it had simply been a recent, sudden development. For once the "when" wasn't as much of a concern as it typically would be. No; instead Reid was more interested in trying to discern just what he was going to do about the fact that Hotch had discovered it so quickly. Possibly even before he himself had.

xxx

In which Reid really should have just admitted he liked Hotch's voice when he realized it.

Birthday Woes, by EloquentDossier

It didn't bother him when the call came in. Really, it didn't. Or at least not initially.

xxx

In which the team gets called away on a case and forgets Hotch's birthday.

Of Cowboys and FBI Agents, by severity_softly

Aaron catches Spencer in the act.

In the Silence, by Brumeier

Posted to LJ Comment Fic for Kink prompt: Criminal Minds, Hotch/Reid, silence is a big kink for Hotch

Two Seconds, by blythechild

Time catches up with Aaron Hotchner when he realizes that the person he's always wanted - Spencer Reid - is actually beyond his reach.

Maybe Tomorrow, by orphan_account

The one where Aaron Hotchner wasn't in love with Spencer Reid, until suddenly he was.

Give and Take, by blythechild

Everyone has human moments and for some reason Reid is hiding his. Because Hotch is who he is, he decides he needs to figure out why.

Shepherd of the Damned, by Deejaymil

They're called to Alaska on a desperate last-ditch effort to find seven missing hikers. They don't even think twice about going. This is their job. They put themselves in danger every day to protect the people that need them. But never like this.

They number six. It begins with one.

It's not going to stop until they're all consumed.

See The Love There That’s Sleeping, by blythechild

Reid didn't know that when he leapt into a burning building his life would change forever. But love is sneaky that way.

December 1st: Mistletoe or Give Us a Hug, by NimueOfTheNorth

Spencer may say he is getting enough cuddles, but Derek knows better. A mistletoe makes a convenient option to test both arguments. Derek gets quite a bit more than he bargained for.

Come Undone, by EloquentDossier

When Spencer Reid forgot to take his suppressants two mornings in a row, it really shouldn't have been a big deal. He had them in his bag at the hotel, and as long as he took one that evening, he'd be fine. What he couldn't have prepared for, however, was the lab the latest victim worked at going into an at least twenty-four-hour-lockdown while he was in it.

When Aaron Hotchner was asked to aid his subordinate through what would otherwise be an agonizing heat, he'd had several reservations, one of which had been the consent issue: Omegas couldn't legally consent to sex during a heat unless it was twenty-four hours in advance. With every concern rebutted logically (because of course the Bureau had an Agent Consent form in case of emergencies), he finally agreed.

Of all the possible repercussions, however, neither man expected the one they received.

xxx

Or that one time no one expected the Alpha to accidentally bond to the Omega while the Omega remained unaffected.

Fireproof, by blythechild

[Crossover with Supernatural] Hotch and Reid's friendship ends suddenly when Hotch abruptly quits the Bureau and disappears. But Reid won't let him get away with it.

Halcyon Mine, by Deejaymil

What if a lonely boy meets a friend in a lonely quarry... and what if he loses him without warning?

unmoored, by 28ghosts

“When it’s kids who end up our killers, you know,” Reid says, unprompted, pulling his coat close against his body, “I always end up feeling...bad, you know? I feel bad. I know I have no cause to, not really. I’m not one of them.”

Hotch stops for a second, walking down the airfield. The cold Virginia air whips around him as harsh as judgement. He’s surprised to see Reid, ahead of him, slow to a stop, head tilted back towards the gray sky.

“Let’s get a drink sometime,” Hotch says, before he can overthink it. “If you’d like.”

Indispensable, by Deejaymil

Dave's a damn good guardian angel, one of the best. And being one of the best means he gets the worst jobs: the important, the clumsy, the reckless, the difficult-to-keep-alive. The indispensables. But he's never before quite had anyone like Spencer Reid.

Within the first two seconds of meeting his new charge, the kid gets hit by a car; it really only goes downhill from there. His only consolation is that Emily is having just as much trouble with her new charge, Aaron Hotchner.

If only they could somehow combine their assignments...

Acutely Us, by Deejaymil

This is the part where a story is told. There are ferrets, mistakes, birthdays, apologies, and dances. There is Spencer and Aaron and Jack and the life they make together.

And it all begins with a goat.

Rise Again, by blythechild

Aaron Hotchner has been on the run for five years, but that all comes to an end on a beach in Australia.

Religiously Unaffiliated, by ghoultown

(Summary by me: Hotch/Reid with Reid deliberating about his atheism.)

Don’t Make Me Talk You Down, by ghoultown

The night was heavy because it was humid on top of the bridge in between highway I-90 and I-80, the semi-trucks that passed messing with his balance, almost toppling him over if it hadn't been for his grip on the railing.

Rain, by orphan_account

He almost died today, and Hotch is determined to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Against All Odds, by ghoultown

Spencer is upset because the way he and Hotch met and started dating wasn't as special as Hotch and Haley's story. Hotch begs to differ.

Under My Protection, by ghoultown

Hotch and Reid never met. Reid is in danger. The government puts Hotch in charge of Reid's safety.

Empty Places, by Mystical_Magician

All wishes have consequences, and when Spencer makes one to save lives, he knows and accepts the price. The rest of his team does not. What the mind forgets, the heart remembers, and in Foyet's wake they all know that something is missing. Aaron Hotchner refuses to ignore the aching, empty spaces.

Genuine Need, by NimueOfTheNorth

It would have been nothing more than Aaron buying Spencer a cup of coffee. Good thing Garcia is there to pull the right strings or those two would be lost.

Swan Song, by Deejaymil

At some point they’d become caught in each other’s orbits, lost in a sea of almosts. Neither of them realized that their time was finite, not until their world turned to flames and threatened to tear everything apart.

For Spencer Reid the grief was too big, too impossible to believe that four BAU members and a treasured friend had fallen in an instant. When faced with the opportunity to get back what he’d lost, he has to decide if it’s fate or madness that beckons him.

For Aaron Hotchner, madness would almost be welcome. At least then the world would become logical again, turning the impossibility of what had happened to them into something tangible. But even madness doesn’t change the fact that they’re trapped.

They’re not even sure if anyone is still looking for them.

i hope you’re waiting at the end, by soloecal

Sometimes, Spencer thinks too much. Post Season 12.

-

A month later, on a singularly insignificant night, Spencer sits Hotch down after dinner, and presses a ring into the palm of his hand. “This isn’t working,” Spencer says. “I think we should break up.”

Expiration Date, by blythechild

He goes to Vegas to meet a friend but ends up married. The time-honored way to make these kinds of mistakes is to do it while incapacitated, but Hotch waits and does it sober instead. An interesting choice...

Conclusive Proof That You Have a Terrible Boyfriend, by blythechild

Hotch is proving he's an awful boyfriend. Via text messaging.

He’s A Bad Boyfriend Too, by blythechild

Aaron and Spencer have a relationship issue that Spencer thinks is best solved via drunk texting. This is a sequel to Conclusive Proof That You Have A Terrible Boyfriend.

Apodyopsis, by NimueOfTheNorth

If he is forced to listen to boring lectures for three days, Spencer really can't be held accountable for his imagination going wild, now can he. Reality might proof even better.

(i know you’ve tried) but something stops you every time, by wintrs

Prentiss can't help but overhear Hotch and Reid's conversation on the jet.

Faces, by blythechild

Every three days, a man wakes up in a different body. There's no controlling it and no way to prepare for it. All he can do is make the best of his new face with the time he has.

First, by orphan_account

The first time Aaron tells Spencer he loves him is an accident.

L’Homme Mystere, by orphan_account

Even if he’d been waiting for this in a state of barely contained arousal since early this morning, when Aaron had bumped shoulders with him at the coffee pot in the breakroom and whispered in his ear about how he had a surprise for him later that night... well.

Spencer wasn’t that kind of guy.

How to Get a Hard Pass, by Deejaymil

There's an FBI trainee named Spencer Reid in the class Hotch is teaching, and that'd all be just fine if Hotch wasn't completely distracted by wanting to be in Spencer Reid instead. But there’s no way he’s going to give his student an inch - or eight - until he’s good and ready to do so on his own terms.

Spencer Reid has other plans.

The Longest Road, by Deejaymil

They’re taking the longest road to get there, but, in the end, it doesn’t really matter. What they are to each other has always been inevitable.

A Horse Named Rabbit, by Deejaymil

Aaron Hotchner is riding West on a borrowed horse, hiding the man he used to be behind a shortened name and a beard he only sometimes thinks of shaving. His desire to keep on running until he hits the setting set is waylaid by an unexpected meeting with a man on a mule who says he's looking for his lost luck.

When they part, Hotch realises that's a mistake. There's something about Spencer Reid that reminds him that he's more than just a man on a horse going nowhere—that he was once the kind of person who could help a stranger find what he's looking for. There's just one problem with that.

When Spencer had said he was looking for his luck, he’d never mentioned that he planned to steal it.

for mortals: there is a share, by ifnot_winter

Reid could find no precedent in his experience for so gentle a seduction. Or so effective.

+

An exploration of moments and intimacy through three consecutive fragments of text paired with fragments of Sappho's lyric poetry.

the safety of objects, by ifnot_winter

Fumbling his glasses right off the edge of the table, he managed not to step on them en route to snatching up the phone as the third buzz gave way to ringing. Bending to retrieve his glasses, he caught his shoulder on the corner of the nightstand and managed to press the answer button, cutting off the shrill electronic wail mid-ring. "Damn--Hello?" Glasses shoved firmly into place, he watched the cufflink skitter in concentric, diminishing circles across the scuffed polish of the hardwood floor and come to a leisurely halt a few feet away.

"Reid." Hotch.

+

Somehow the fragments of Sappho struck me as a great mental framework for CM fics. This was the first completed result, mostly an attempt at exploring Reid and flexing rusty writing muscles.

Pretty, by blythechild

Hotch thinks Reid is pretty and then is forced to explain it.

Good Enough, by blythechild

Aaron has plenty of kinks, but he can't figure out Spencer's.

#criminal minds #hotch/reid #aaron hotchner #spencer reid #fic recs #hotchreid #they need a better ship name #please warn me if any links are broken #and reblog it if you can so more people will see it #otp: what i want i'm not going to get

[jenroses]

Cooking show ideas

Okay, so I’ve been watching a bunch of Bon Appetit shows, which are delightful, like, half informative cooking show, half millennial relatable frustration. 

This is both an exercise in frustration and wistful remembrance-- I used to bake, I used to cook complex meals, I was GOOD at it, and I just don’t have the energy anymore, plus once you take wheat, soy, peanuts, hazelnuts, crab, lobster, shrimp, bananas, strawberries and sulfites out of the equation and throw in diabetes and weird, unpredictable reactions to tomatoes, onions, garlic and oranges... let’s just say a good 99% of the recipes I watch on Youtube I couldn’t eat.  But I remember how those ingredients work, and I know how they taste, and so the stuff they make is not completely beyond my capacity to imagine. 

So here’s what I want for a cooking show...  REMIX.  Host does regular cooking show, regular ingredients.  Then they roll a D20, and pick that number of cards out of a deck made up of various food complexities.  Cards include: Vegan No fermented foods Kosher Halal top 20 allergens each have a card Carbs <20g Carbs <10g Fat <5g Vegetarian Pescatarian Gluten Free Nut free (all) Tree nut free Zero added sugars (no sugar, honey, agave, concentrated fruit juice) Grain Free No red meat Low FODMap Nightshade free etc. They draw however many cards, and make the recipe again, doing whatever they need to do to make something comparable.  See, this is how I cook all the time. Like, Carla did this AMAZING looking pork shoulder steak, done Korean style, grilled. Now, the seasonings in it were a) too spicy for my gut to deal, b) contained soy, and c) something my picky kid would not touch with a 10 foot pole. But the concept of turning pork shoulder into steaks and having them come out tasty was interesting to me, so I took the underlying science of the stuff she was using, and made a marinade of aromatics and orange juice and coconut aminos, and we adjusted spice levels after cooking. 24 hours in orange juice did, in fact, create tender meat which when cooked flipping frequently, was absolutely delicious even though I don’t have the setup to grill safely from a wheelchair. Instead of Ssam, we put the pork on buns with veggies, and it was delicious. Completely different from what she did, but the underlying concept of handling the pork was deeply informed by what she’d done.  I’d just love to see this show up in almost every cooking show venue. Like, yes, do the wellingtons and the cookies and all that... and then show us what to do when life throws a curve ball. 

#Mine

[polesupplierswell]

Trekking pole manufacturer/supplier

Millet mountaineering bag measured experience, a century-old outdoor brand

Today I will unpack this Millet PEUT INT 35+10 outdoor hiking bag.

Let’s talk about this outdoor brand! Millet was originally a canvas bag company. It sprouted in Lyon, France in 1921. Since the company moved to the foot of the Alps in 1928, it began to produce professional mountaineering backpacks in the 1930s. The two sons also inherited the family business and further cooperated with mountain guides to jointly develop higher-level and professional mountaineering backpacks.

Millet products are divided into six series, namely, Alpinism-Professional Mountaineering/Climbing, Climbing-Rock Climbing, Trekking Hiking-Hiking, Mountain lifestyle-Leisure Life, Ski-Skiing, TRAIL-Wild Running. And this backpack out of the box today is designed for year-round mountaineering. In addition to basic mountaineering settings, a lot of thoughtful designs for ice climbing or skiing are added to the details of the backpack. Let's take a look!

35+10 liters of flexible large capacity

I like this kind of backpack with elastic capacity the most, because storage is really hard work, especially in the mountains, it is inconvenient to pack, and some items that are light and need easy access (such as raincoats, down jackets, mobile food) sometimes I'm really too lazy to organize it. With flexible capacity, I just throw it all in.

The design of the bag is exquisitely equipped with a harness configuration at 35 liters and an additional 10 liters. With or without the 10 liters, the equipment can be compressed into a fixed shape. Although it seems to be a small design, it is not in use. It is very intimate and can feel the fineness.

In addition, there is another setting that has to be praised, see the picture below.

(The middle picture is taken from Millet's official website)

Because it is designed for year-round climbing and climbing, a rope storage system is specially installed inside the top bag, which solves the inconvenience of rope storage at one go; at the same time, even if there is no ice climbing requirement, this buckle can be used as The secondary compression, or the perfect fixation of any equipment that needs to be fastened here (the Hanchor CINDER 18L top bag is shown on the right above), really greatly improves the storage performance of this bag!

Straight bag type

I didn't pay special attention to the shape of the bag before. Anyway, it is normal to occasionally hook on branches and get stuck on the path. But when I came back to do my homework, I found out: this bag is too thin!

The above picture is not obvious, please see the official website product photo below.

Maybe it’s because of the women’s backpack. It is also narrower in the shape of the backpack to match the shoulder width. The advantage is that when drilling some narrow mountain roads, it is not easy to get stuck on nearby branches or affect activities. Recall that when I was drilling before, I would be hitting everything. This time it seemed to be really unimpeded.

Since the backpack is a bucket type, a double-end zipper is opened on the side of the backpack to improve the convenience of picking up items. You need to make a small hole where you want to take the equipment, and you are not afraid that it will all fall out once you open it. (Later after thinking about it, I found out that it was this way that I used a double-end zipper, so sweet~)

Comfortable carrying system and super breathable back panel

Let's talk about the most important carrying system.

Because my favorite bag is the adjustable back length Mystery Ranch, this bag without a back length adjustment system may make people a little uncomfortable, but in fact, as long as the weight is fixed in a labor-saving position on the body, the carrying is very comfortable of.

At the beginning, I adjusted the elasticity of the strap with the tightness that Mysterious Farm is used to. After more than an hour of departure, I started to have waist and back pain. Later, on the suggestion of a friend, I tightened the belt and pinched my waist (more than when I was carrying Mystery Farm. Tight), so that the waist belt can be locked and fixed to the hip joint, and it will be improved immediately, and there is no back pain at all during the whole trip, which is very powerful in the carrying system!

Although many people admire Mystery Farm’s excellent carrying and user-friendly adjustment system, the empty weight of the backpack is indeed quite heavy. The choice of backpack still depends on the different needs and physical conditions of each person. This time I use Millet to find fun. PEUT INT, it is indeed obvious that the weight on the body has been reduced a lot, and when the backpack is back on the body, it is not as difficult as before. It is a very comfortable carrying experience.

Chest buckle with elastic rope track and adjustable position.

Millet's secret weapon is super breathable back panel!

then! What I want to introduce is the breathable backboard that I feel very good this time.

As a Virgo with a lot of sweat and a bit of cleanliness, at first a large part of the mountain climbing is not able to adapt to the sweat, wet and sticky, and can not take a bath. Every time the backpack upper body will obviously feel a whole piece of sweat on the back, It's terrible. But this bag won't!

Millet's Ariaprène Back technology, I don’t know how to translate it. In short, it looks like it’s hollowed out a whole piece of foam in a special form, so that the back panel foam can take into account comfort and breathability at the same time. The triangle doesn't look much, but it's a peach blossom on the back! Before starting to use, I did a little homework on this backpack, and I noticed the ventilation system on the back. I didn’t think much about it at the beginning, but it was really super comfortable to use. It was sunny and sweaty for three days and two nights. , When I go home and smell the backboard, it is still fragrant (I just smelled it again, um, it is still fragrant), this ventilation system I give a super high evaluation!

Magic large space, large top pocket and storage space

Do you like to keep holding things when climbing a mountain?

Can you take a trekking pole for me, can you take a fur hat for me, in the side pocket, wait a moment, I want to wear a coat, I am hungry, I want to eat... That’s right, it’s that annoying, but I’m lazy to take off the backpack , It’s the kind that when you’re shopping on the street and want to take things, you will reach out to the back to dig out your backpack for a long time, and you will always want to take things. How can you get it in the main bag?

This top bag is basically a big space, super three-dimensional square compartment, no problem to put a bunch of things, if you want to, you should be able to put a total of nine uniform big pudding in three rows, plus a raincoat in it. My own storage habit is to put all the rainproof equipment in the top pocket, which is the most convenient to take, and is not afraid of getting the equipment wet. Also, because the shape of the compartment is almost a cuboid, the shape of the top pocket still won’t run after stuffing so many things. It will even make it look better.

Top pocket, top pocket inner layer, side pockets, large main pocket, thick storage deep pocket on the front side, and water bag hanging ring.

In addition to the top pocket, other storage spaces are also worth mentioning. Excluding the oversized top pocket, there is also a small zipper pocket on the inner layer of the top pocket, which can hold some smaller items; the front side is a thick and deep pocket for ice climbing to place crampons, which is very high and stiff enough. You can also put some small flat objects without crampons; the inside of the bag has a water bag fixing ring configuration, which is quite intimate.

Infinitely possible plug-in settings everywhere

Did you discover it? His external ring is invincible!

As a professional camel beast, one of the bad storage habits is to love plug-ins. Some hiking bags don’t pay much attention to the external system (after all, I’m not happy to see crazy external systems, haha). Although they can be placed in the main backpack of the backpack, they don’t need external ones. (Such as camping lights, stereos, slippers, hats) hanging outside is a kind of hardcore game, handsome~ Then there are really a bunch of loops on the outside of this backpack for me to hang out, satisfying my little vanity.

(Do you know why I can’t resist the modular system of Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault)

Did you find that even the top pocket has four loops? Because of those four loops, Zhi Jiayang can put the tent on top of the top pocket

Not only the webbing loop, but also because of the needs of ice climbing, there are additional straps, ice axe straps (trekking poles can also be used) and storage compartments. Take a look at the picture below. If it really looks like the right one... . It's too hardcore! ! !

Use experience sharing

It’s almost here when I open the box. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the use. Although some of the features are spoiled by the love bag: adjustable back length, three-way full-opening zipper, and many internal interlayers, which make it uncomfortable at the beginning. However, after these two uses, I can get started slowly, and PEUT also has some comforts that the love bag cannot provide (such as breathability, light weight and large capacity), and the carrying system is indeed no less than the love bag. In fact, after weighing it down, the longer reloading trip should still choose to take PEUT up the mountain.

The most obvious experience of this experience is probably the intimateness of the backpack design. In many cases, I have made thoughtful ideas for the inconvenience and discomfort of mountaineering. It is worthy of a century-old mountaineering equipment brand. There are many ingenuity in product design and delicate attention. Accompany us through every mountain.

Because I have not experienced too many mountaineering bags, I have only used Decathlon, Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault and this Millet PEUT INT 35+10, plus the positioning of each bag is different, so there are not many here. Make a comparison~ I like it and recommend it!

The above experience is all sincerely shared and recommended. Although the speech is a bit exaggerated, it is really good to memorize it.

#trekking pole #walking sticks

[kayakfishers-blog]

10 ESSENTIAL KAYAK FISHING TIPS

There are not many encounters that adversary the feeling of stealthily floating over the water to some concealed spot couple of others visit, as you watch for any aggravation superficially to allude to the nearness of huge fish. Scenes like this are what have made kayak angling a famous interest. For prepared fishermen, and novices the same, the capacity to access spots speedboats can't, coordinated with the reasonableness of kayaking, and the matching of different parts of open air entertainment are gigantic draws. From the outset the wide assortment of apparatus decisions and starting expectation to absorb information of kayaking can appear to be somewhat overwhelming, however once you jump in, you'll see it is genuinely one of the most available exercises out there. Here are 10 fundamental kayak angling tips to enable you to begin.

KAYAK FISHING FOR BEGINNERS

Amateur FISHING KAYAKS

The best angling kayak is the one you possess. All things considered, as of late the innovation and plan of vessels being constructed explicitly for kayak angling have progressed significantly. Finding a pontoon fixed to fish will furnish you with a progressively pleasant encounter and give boundless potential to your new fixation.

Here are a couple of different highlights to search for in an angling kayak that will be gainful out on the water:

Raised seat position for expanded field of vision and throughout the day comfort

Different bar holders

Oar holder

Encased stockpiling, likewise alluded to as a dry bring forth

Deck stockpiling with bungee to keep things secure

GPS/fish discoverer mount for when you choose to include some gadgetry

Retractable pedal power propeller (discretionary sans hands drive accessible on some angling kayaks)

Picking A PADDLE

Picking the best possible oar is almost as fundamental as picking your kayak. When taking a gander at oars, you need a general length that enables you to arrive at the water easily yet not all that long as to be cumbersome. The prescribed length depends on an equation of your tallness, pontoon width, and paddling style, yet a decent beginning spot for the vast majority is around 250 centimeters (or roughly 8' 2").

Picking A PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE

Kayak angling is an action on, close, and maybe, if things don't work out as expected, in the water. You ought to consistently wear an individual floatation gadget (PFD), all the more normally known as an actual existence coat. Be that as it may, there are advantages to them other than keeping you above water. PFDs intended for kayak angling like Old Town's Lure Angler coat are sewn with large compartments that flawlessly fit little fishing supply bags for your go to draws, snares, and pioneers. Diminishing the need to destroy to shore, unstrap, and sift through a cumbersome fishing supply container.

DRESSING FOR SUCCESS

One of the most charming pieces of kayak angling is the way close it carries you to the components. This introduction additionally implies you should be aware of dressing fittingly.

In the event that you are angling in all the way open regions presented to sun and warmth, consider wearing a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, cap, and shades to limit introduction to brutal beams. You can likewise discover lightweight shell pants, neck gaiters, and gloves to expand insurance. Plunging any of your things in the water and returning them on is another extraordinary method to keep cool. Remember to pack water and sunscreen.

Is anything but a day in the tropics for everybody. A considerable lot of us are out meandering in virus water or potentially air temperatures. Regardless of whether the outside temp is mellow, an all-encompassing dive in virus water can prompt hypothermia. A wetsuit is a moderate and tough choice to keep you warm and could likewise be matched with a shell coat for expanded breeze security. At the exceptionally least, wear appropriate layers, for example, fleece or a manufactured material like polypropylene, alongside a water-repellent shell.

KAYAK BASS FISHING TIPS

Bait SELECTION

Bass are one of the most well known species for kayak angling. To target bass, you will need to assemble a fishing supply bag furnished with baits they can't help it. Start with a bunch of baits that will give you various introductions and enable you to arrive at various water segments. Have a top water draw to skitter along the surface; spinner or wrench traps to pull over your ideal water section; and a sack of wormlike delicate goads that you can fix in an assortment of ways, from plunging, to jigging, and even simply suspending. Figure out how to utilize your various sorts of baits and add to your tool compartment from that point.

Build up YOUR ROD QUIVER

It tends to be hard to tell what the bass are up to every day. Instead of gobbling up time changing your draws to and fro, have a few poles fixed up and prepared to fly. Bars in the seven-foot range function admirably for kayak angling. In the event that you are new to the game, a turning reel will be faster to get the hang of contrasted with a snare throwing reel.

Utilizing THE AQUATIC TERRAIN

An angling kayak gives the particular bit of leeway to go pretty much anyplace on the water. You can embrace banks, slide between tree stumps, or journey through lily cushions. You will extraordinarily build your prosperity by utilizing this favorable position and understanding where the bass will in all likelihood be. Changes top to bottom, land that squeezes the water body, halfway submerged articles, and the edges of sea-going vegetation, are for the most part extraordinary spots to begin.

Angling FROM A KAYAK

Throwing FROM A KAYAK

Your first time throwing from a kayak will most likely feel somewhat clumsy. The vessel is going to wobble around which may have you trust it is insecure and prepared to flip. It may sound more difficult than one might expect, however you need to make sure to unwind and believe your pontoon for what it was worked for.

Your kayak configuration has what is called starting and auxiliary security. Introductory soundness is the vessel sitting level in the water as you paddle around. Auxiliary soundness happens when the pontoon inclines, for example, when you make a sensational development. This is the soundness you need to trust.

At the point when we state unwind, we mean relax up the lower half of your body and let the pontoon move side to side beneath your midsection. Straightforwardness up on your throws while you are getting settled with this. Make pleasant simple throws. Work on remaining free in the pontoon and getting your bait to arrive delicately in the water.

On the off chance that your angling kayak has a wide stage configuration, similar to the Topwater we referenced before, you may one day feel certain to make standing throws, which is an incredible method to expand your observable pathway and throwing separation. On the off chance that you attempt this, make sure to remain with feet wide separated, twist your knees, and remain free beneath your midsection for indistinguishable reasons from above.

PADDLING SKILLS

Paddling is a large portion of the fun (and challenge) of kayak angling. Legitimate strokes will enable you to move successfully toward your proposed goals, particularly when confronting solid breeze or current. Right oar strokes likewise spare you vitality for the battle on the finish of your line.

The forward stroke is the stroke you will utilize more than some other. It gives the engine to take you where you need to go. Here are a couple of tips on the forward stroke:

Look where you need go.

Spot paddle edge in the water close to your toes, or to the extent agreeable without over-broadening yourself.

Enable the cutting edge to submerged in the water before pulling back on it.

When pulling the oar edge through the water, utilize your enormous muscle bunches in your middle instead of your littler muscle bunches in your arms. You can achieve this by winding your middle to move the sharp edge. Consider the manner in which you would turn to pull the beginning string on a garden cutter.

Except if you will likewise utilize a stroke to direct, you should cut the sharp edge out of the water around your hip to abstain from conveying it excessively far.

LANDING FISH

It's a remunerating feeling when a lively fish weighs down on your bait and your line sizzles off the reel as it takes off. With aptitude and some karma, the inescapable minute comes when you are prepared to arrive your fish. That is normally when you understand this last part is somewhat precarious in a kayak. We've all been there.

Reel until you have an arm range or less of line out from the tip of your bar to the fish. Put the pole in your grasp uttermost from the fish. While keeping strain hanging in the balance, draw the pole over your body, away, and somewhat up from the fish. Your free hand should now have the option to net or support the fish in the suitable way. Congrats, on your catch!

GO FISH!

Keep in mind, kayak angling is a long lasting interest, and individual experience will have the most exercises to educate. The people group is additionally an inviting one, and many experienced paddling fishers would be glad to share their insight. At the end of the day, get out there and fish! If you are looking for more information about kayak fishing visit fishing kayak reviews right away.

[nasa]

We Like Big Rockets and We Cannot Lie: Saturn V vs. SLS

On this day 50 years ago, human beings embarked on a journey to set foot on another world for the very first time. 

At 9:32 a.m. EDT, millions watched as Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, flying high on the most powerful rocket ever built: the mighty Saturn V.

As we prepare to return humans to the lunar surface with our Artemis program, we’re planning to make history again with a similarly unprecedented rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS will be our first exploration-class vehicle since the Saturn V took American astronauts to the Moon a decade ago. With its superior lift capability, the SLS will expand our reach into the solar system, allowing astronauts aboard our Orion spacecraft to explore multiple, deep-space destinations including near-Earth asteroids, the Moon and ultimately Mars.

So, how does the Saturn V measure up half a century later? Let’s take a look.

Mission Profiles: From Apollo to Artemis 

Saturn V

Every human who has ever stepped foot on the Moon made it there on a Saturn V rocket. The Saturn rockets were the driving force behind our Apollo program that was designed to land humans on the Moon and return them safely back to Earth.

Developed at our Marshall Space Flight Center in the 1960s, the Saturn V rocket (V for the Roman numeral “5”)  launched for the first time uncrewed during the Apollo 4 mission on November 9, 1967. One year later, it lifted off for its first crewed mission during Apollo 8. On this mission, astronauts orbited the Moon but did not land. Then, on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission was the first Saturn V flight to land astronauts on the Moon. In total, this powerful rocket completed 13 successful missions, landing humans on the lunar surface six times before lifting off for the last time in 1973.

Space Launch System (SLS) 

Just as the Saturn V was the rocket of the Apollo generation, the Space Launch System will be the driving force behind a new era of spaceflight: the Artemis generation.

During our Artemis missions, SLS will take humanity farther than ever before. It is the vehicle that will return our astronauts to the Moon by 2024, transporting the first woman and the next man to a destination never before explored – the lunar South Pole. Over time, the rocket will evolve into increasingly more powerful configurations to provide the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit to deep space destinations, including Mars.

SLS will take flight for the first time during Artemis 1 where it will travel 280,000 miles from Earth – farther into deep space than any spacecraft built for humans has ever ventured.

Size: From Big to BIGGER 

Saturn V

The Saturn V was big. 

In fact, the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center is one of the largest buildings in the world by volume and was built specifically for assembling the massive rocket. At a height of 363 feet, the Saturn V rocket was about the size of a 36-story building and 60 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty!

Space Launch System (SLS)

Measured at just 41 feet shy of the Saturn V, the initial SLS rocket will stand at a height of 322 feet. Because this rocket will evolve into heavier lift capacities to facilitate crew and cargo missions beyond Earth’s orbit, its size will evolve as well. When the SLS reaches its maximum lift capability, it will stand at a height of 384 feet, making it the tallest rocket in the world.

Power: Turning Up the Heat 

Saturn V

For the 1960s, the Saturn V rocket was a beast – to say the least.

Fully fueled for liftoff, the Saturn V weighed 6.2 million pounds and generated 7.6 million pounds of thrust at launch. That is more power than 85 Hoover Dams! This thrust came from five F-1 engines that made up the rocket’s first stage. With this lift capability, the Saturn V had the ability to send 130 tons (about 10 school buses) into low-Earth orbit and about 50 tons (about 4 school buses) to the Moon.

Space Launch System (SLS)

Photo of SLS rocket booster test

Unlike the Saturn V, our SLS rocket will evolve over time into increasingly more powerful versions of itself to accommodate missions to the Moon and then beyond to Mars.

The first SLS vehicle, called Block 1, will weigh 5.75 million pounds and produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust at time of launch. That’s 15 percent more than the Saturn V produced during liftoff! It will also send more than 26 tons  beyond the Moon. Powered by a pair of five-segment boosters and four RS-25 engines, the rocket will reach the period of greatest atmospheric force within 90 seconds!

Following Block 1, the SLS will evolve five more times to reach its final stage, Block 2 Cargo. At this stage, the rocket will provide 11.9 million pounds of thrust and will be the workhorse vehicle for sending cargo to the Moon, Mars and other deep space destinations. SLS Block 2 will be designed to lift more than 45 tons to deep space. With its unprecedented power and capabilities, SLS is the only rocket that can send our Orion spacecraft, astronauts and large cargo to the Moon on a single mission.

Build: How the Rockets Stack Up

Saturn V

The Saturn V was designed as a multi-stage system rocket, with three core stages. When one system ran out of fuel, it separated from the spacecraft and the next stage took over. The first stage, which was the most powerful, lifted the rocket off of Earth’s surface to an altitude of 68 kilometers (42 miles). This took only 2 minutes and 47 seconds! The first stage separated, allowing the second stage to fire and carry the rest of the stack almost into orbit. The third stage placed the Apollo spacecraft and service module into Earth orbit and pushed it toward the Moon. After the first two stages separated, they fell into the ocean for recovery. The third stage either stayed in space or crashed into the Moon.

Space Launch System (SLS)

Much like the Saturn V, our Space Launch System is also a multi-stage rocket. Its three stages (the solid rocket boosters, core stage and upper stage) will each take turns thrusting the spacecraft on its trajectory and separating after each individual stage has exhausted its fuel. In later, more powerful versions of the SLS, the third stage will carry both the Orion crew module and a deep space habitat module.

A New Era of Space Exploration 

Just as the Saturn V and Apollo era signified a new age of exploration and technological advancements, the Space Launch System and Artemis missions will bring the United States into a new age of space travel and scientific discovery.

Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and hear about our future plans to go forward to the Moon and on to Mars by tuning in to a special two-hour live NASA Television broadcast at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, July 19. Watch the program at www.nasa.gov/live.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

#NASA #SLS #Artemis #Space #Science #Apollo #Apollo 11 #Apollo 50th #Earth #Astronauts #Rockets #Spacecraft #Orion #Moon #Explore #America #USA

[maxwellyjordan]

Argument analysis: Peace cross appears safe, if not stable

For nearly a century, a 40-foot-tall stone and concrete cross has stood on a traffic median in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, just a few miles from the Supreme Court. But seven years ago, a group of local residents filed a lawsuit seeking to have the cross removed. They argue that the presence of the cross on public land violates the Constitution, which bars the government from establishing an official religion and favoring one religion over another. The state of Maryland, which owns and maintains the cross, and the American Legion, which built it, counter that the cross – which is badly in need of repair – is simply a secular war memorial. Today the justices heard oral argument in the dispute, and it seemed likely that the cross will survive the challenge, even if the court’s ruling proves to be a relatively narrow one that allows the peace cross and other historical monuments to stand while making clear that new religious symbols may not pass muster in the future.

Neal K. Katyal for petitioners (Art Lien)

The cross was dedicated in 1925 in Bladensburg, Maryland, as a memorial to the 49 soldiers from the area who were killed during World War I. A plaque at the bottom of the cross contains the names of those soldiers, as well as a quote from President Woodrow Wilson; smaller memorials commemorating other conflicts – from the War of 1812 to the September 11 attacks – are nearby.

A federal district court ruled for the state and the American Legion. In its view, the state’s ownership and maintenance of the cross do not violate the Constitution because the state has been primarily concerned with maintaining traffic safety and honoring veterans, rather than promoting religion.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit reversed. To determine whether the cross violates the establishment clause, the court of appeals applied a test from the Supreme Court’s 1971 decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman, which focuses on whether a law or practice has a secular purpose, whether its principal effect advances religion, and whether the law or practice creates an “excessive entanglement with religion.” In this case, the court of appeals reasoned, the average person would think that the cross is intended to endorse religion because the cross dominates the other war memorials in the vicinity and has long represented Christianity.

The American Legion and the state asked the Supreme Court to weigh in, which it agreed to do last fall. At today’s oral argument, lawyer Neal Katyal – who represented the state – emphasized that the cross has stood in its current location for nearly all its history without any challenge. And both Katyal and Jeffrey Wall, the deputy U.S. solicitor general, who argued as a “friend of the court” on behalf of the state and the American Legion, stressed two other themes. First, as in the Supreme Court’s decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, which upheld a New York town’s practice of beginning its town council meetings with a prayer offered by members of the clergy, there is a long tradition of displaying crosses. Second, in this particular context the cross has a unique and secular meaning, because it is closely associated with World War I and, more broadly, with “sacrifice and death,” as Wall put it.

Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall (Art Lien)

Katyal and Wall faced significant pushback from three of the court’s more liberal justices. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was incredulous at the idea that there was a long tradition of crosses in public places, telling Wall that “I don’t know of a Founding Father, town or state that put a 40-foot cross on government property.” To the contrary, she noted, “a lot of Founding Fathers, including George Washington,” were “exceedingly careful to ensure that references to God were as neutral as possible to as many religions as possible.”

Justice Elena Kagan repeatedly resisted the idea that the cross can have a secular meaning, telling Wall that the cross “invokes the central theological claim of Christianity that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for humanity’s sins and that he rose from the dead.”

Sotomayor echoed this idea, observing that for very religious Christians, suggesting that the cross is secular is itself blasphemy.

Ginsburg drew on her own travels to posit that the cross was not a universal symbol for all soldiers who were killed during World War I. On some of the World War I battlefields she has visited, she told Katyal, Stars of David – rather than crosses – mark the graves of Jewish soldiers.

Arguing on behalf of the American Legion, lawyer Michael Carvin offered a more sweeping test, under which virtually all religious symbols would generally be constitutional except, he explained, “in the rare circumstances where they’ve been misused to proselytize.”

Michael A. Carvin for petitioners (Art Lien)

Carvin’s proposed standard met with skepticism not only from the court’s more liberal justices but also, significantly, from some of its more conservative members.

Justice Neil Gorsuch was one of those skeptics. If we “abandon Lemon’s endorsement test because it’s become a dog’s breakfast,” Gorsuch queried, what’s the difference between proselytizing and endorsement?

Chief Justice John Roberts was also skeptical, although for a slightly different reason. He noted that what Carvin had initially advertised as a “pretty concise test” “degenerates pretty quickly into” “kind of a fact-specific test” – which, Roberts seemed to suggest, the court would want to avoid.

Monica Miller argued on behalf of the American Humanist Association and the local residents challenging the cross. After Miller responded to a hypothetical from Justice Samuel Alito about whether a town could put up a Star of David as a memorial to the victims of a shooting at a synagogue by answering that a “45-foot Star of David in the middle of a roadway would be a problem,” Gorsuch broached a question about whether Miller’s clients should have a legal right to challenge the cross at all. There aren’t many areas of the law, Gorsuch told Miller, where people can sue over an offense because it is “too loud.” Why, Gorsuch asked, should the Supreme Court have to “dictate taste?” Shouldn’t it instead apply its normal rules and require more than that someone was merely offended by the presence of the cross?

Roberts chimed in briefly, asking Miller whether it would be enough to have one letter from one person who was offended by the cross. But the justices then moved on to an issue that would dominate much of Miller’s time at the lectern: If Miller were to prevail, would other religious symbols around the country also have to come down?

The justices asked about crosses – including a question from Alito about a cross in Gettysburg dating back to 1888 – but also about other symbols. Roberts noted that a Native American totem pole can have spiritual significance. Would it need to be torn down, he asked Miller, if it were on federal property?

Miller tried to assure the justices that her opponents were exaggerating the number of crosses on public land, telling them that it was “more like 10 or maybe 20.” But that response didn’t seem to allay the justices’ concerns. Justice Stephen Breyer, who had been relatively silent, proffered a narrow resolution that would allow the peace cross and other historical monuments to stand, while recognizing that times have changed in the United States, so that future monuments would be inappropriate. In light of the historical context of this case, Breyer asked Miller, what do you think of saying “yes, ok, but no more?” “We’re a different country now, and there are 50 more different religions” than there were when the cross was erected nearly a century ago.

Monica L. Miller for respondent (Art Lien)

Miller was unenthusiastic, but Kagan was more receptive to Breyer’s idea. “There’s something quite different about this historic moment in time,” Kagan agreed.

Miller and Katyal did agree on one thing: There is no need, at least in this case, for the court to jettison the Lemon test. During his rebuttal, Katyal told Sotomayor that it would be “unnecessary and unwise” to do so, because this is an easy case; instead, he argued, the court should wait for a case in which the decision whether to use the Lemon test might actually make a difference.

Miller described the Lemon test as “very useful.” That prompted Justice Brett Kavanaugh to retort, “How could it be useful when we haven’t used it?”

Gorsuch was the most forceful in calling for the end of the Lemon test, observing that although it has been a long time since the Supreme Court has used the test, the federal courts of appeals have had to grapple with it. “Is it time,” Gorsuch inquired, “for this Court to thank Lemon for its service and send it off?” After today’s oral argument, the answer to Gorsuch’s question may well be no, but we’ll know more by summer.

This post was originally published at Howe on the Court.

* * *

Past cases linked to in this post:

Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971) Town of Greece v. Galloway, 134 S. Ct. 373 (2013)

[Disclosure: Goldstein & Russell, P.C., whose attorneys contribute to this blog in various capacities, is counsel on an amicus brief in support of the petitioners in this case. The author of this post, however, is not affiliated with the firm.]

The post Argument analysis: Peace cross appears safe, if not stable appeared first on SCOTUSblog.

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#law #justice