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najia-cooks · 5 months

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[ID: Seven yoghurt balls on a plate drizzled with olive oil. The one in the center is plain; the others are covered in mint, toasted sesame seeds, ground sumac, za'tar, crushed red chili pepper, and nigella seeds. End ID]

لبنة نباتية / Labna nabatia (Vegan labna)

Labna (with diacritics: "لَبْنَة"; in Levantine pronunciation sometimes "لَبَنَة" "labanay") is a Levantine cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk yoghurt that has been strained to remove the whey and leave the curd, giving it a taste and texture in between those of a thick, tart sour cream and a soft cheese. The removal of whey, in addition to increasing the yoghurt's tanginess and pungency, makes it easier to preserve: it will keep in burlap or cheesecloth for some time without refrigeration, and may be preserved for even longer by rolling it into balls and submerging the balls in olive oil. Labna stored in this way is called "لبنة كُرَات" ("labna kurāt") or "لبنة طابات" ("labna ṭābāt"), "labna balls." Labna may be spread on a plate, topped with olive oil and herbs, and eaten as a dip for breakfast or an appetizer; or spread on kmaj bread alongside herbs, olives, and dates to make sandwiches.

The word "labna" comes from the Arabic root ل ب ن (l b n), which derives from a Proto-West-Semitic term meaning "white," and produces words relating to milk, yoghurt, nursing, and chewing. The related term "لَبَن" ("laban"; also transliterated "leban") refers to milk in Standard Arabic, but in Levantine Arabic is more likely to refer to yoghurt; a speaker may specify "لَبَن رَائِب‎" (laban rā'ib), "curdled milk," to avoid confusion.

Labna is a much-beloved food in Palestine, with some people asserting that no Palestinian home is without a jar. Making labna tabat is, for many, a necessary preparation for the winter season. However, by the mid-2010s, the continuation of Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip, as well as Israeli military violence, had severely weakened Gaza's dairy industry to the point where almost no labna was being produced. Most of the 11 dairy processors active in Gaza in 2017 (down from 15 in 2016) only produced white cheese—though Mustafa Eid's company Khalij had recently expanded production to other forms of dairy that could be made locally with limited equipment, such as labna, yoghurt, and buttermilk.

Dairy farmers and processors pushed for this kind of innovation and self-sufficiency against deep economic disadvantage. With large swathes of Gaza's arable land rendered unusable by Israeli border policing and land mines, about 90% of farmers were forced by scarce pasture land and low fodder production to feed their herds with increasingly expensive fodder imported from Israel—dairy farmers surveyed in 2017 spent an estimated 87% of their income on fodder, which had doubled in price since 2007. Cattle were thus fed with low quantities of, or low-quality, fodder, resulting in lower milk production and lower-quality milk.

Most dairy processors were also unable to access or afford the equipment necessary to maintain, upgrade, or diversify their factories. Since 2007, Israel has tightly restricted entry into Gaza of items which they consider to have a "dual use": i.e., a potential civilian and military function. This includes medical equipment, construction materials, and agricultural equipment and machinery, and impacts everything from laboratory equipment to ensure safe food supplies to packaging and labelling equipment. Of the dairy products that Gazan farmers and processors do manage to produce, Israel's control over their export can cause huge financial losses—as when Israel prohibited the export of Palestinian dairy and meat to East Jerusalem without warning in March of 2020, costing estimated annual losses of 300 million USD.

In addition to this kind of economic manipulation, direct military violence threatens Gaza's dairy industry. Mamoun Dalloul says that his factory was accused of holding rockets and subsequently bombed in 2008, 2010, 2012, and again in 2014, resulting in repeated moves and the loss of the capability to produce yellow cheese. The Israeli military partially or totally destroyed 10 dairy processing factories, and killed almost 2,000 cows, during its 2014 invasion of Gaza, resulting in an estimated 43 million USD of damage to the dairy sector alone. Damage to cow-breeding farms in 2014 reduced the number of dairy cows to 2,600, just over half their previous number. Damage to, or destruction of, wells, water reservoirs, water tanks, and the Gaza Power Plant's fuel tank exacerbated pre-existing problems with producing cattle feed and with the transportation, processing, and refrigeration of dairy products, leading to spoiled milk that had to be disposed of. Repeated offensives made dairy processors reluctant to re-invest in equipment that could be destroyed at any time.

Israeli industry profits by making Gazan self-sufficiency untenable. Israeli goods entering Palestine are not subject to import taxes, and Israeli dairy companies are not dealing with the contaminated water, limited electricity, high costs of feed, out-of-date and expensive-to-repair equipment, and scarce land (some companies, such as Tnuva, purchase milk from farms on illegal settlements in the West Bank) with which Gazan producers must contend. The result is that the local market in Gaza is flooded with imports that are cheaper, more diverse, and of higher quality than anything that local producers can offer. Many consumers believe that Israeli products are safer to eat.

Nevertheless, Gazans continue building and rebuilding. Despite significant decreases in ice cream factories' production after the imposition of Israel's blockade in 2007, Abu Mohammad noted in 2015 that locally produced ice cream was cheaper and more varied than Israeli imports. In 2017, the amount of dairy sold in 74 shops in Gaza that was sourced locally, rather than from Israel, had increased from 10% to 60%. Ayadi Tayyiba, the region's first factory with an all-woman staff, opened in 2022; it produced cheese, yoghurt, and labna with sheep's milk from affiliated farms. However, demand for sheep's milk products has decreased in Gaza due to its higher production costs, leading the factory to supplement its supply with purchased cow's milk.

The current Israeli genocidal offensive on Gaza has caused damage of the same kind as—though to a greater extent than—previous shellings and invasions. Lack of ability to sell milk that had already been produced to factories, as well as lack of access to electricity, caused an estimated 35,000 liters of milk to spoil daily in October of 2023.

Support Palestinian resistance by calling Elbit System’s (Israel’s primary weapons manufacturer) landlord, donating to Palestine Legal's activist defense fund, and donating to Palestine Action’s bail fund.

Equipment:

A blender

A kettle or pot, to boil water

A cheesecloth or tea towel

Ingredients:

1 cup (130g) cashews (soaked, if your blender is not high-speed)

3/4 cup filtered or distilled water, boiled

1-3 vegetarian probiotic capsules (containing at least 10 billion cultures total)

A few pinches sea salt

More water, to boil

Arabic-language recipes for vegan labna use bulghur, almonds, or cashews as their base. This recipe uses cashew to achieve a smooth, creamy, non-crumbly texture, and a mild taste like that of cow's milk labna. You might try replacing half the cashews with blanched almonds for a flavor more similar to that of sheep's or goat's cheese.

Make sure your probiotic capsules contain no prebiotics, as they can interfere with the culture. The probiotic may be multi-strain, but should contain some of: Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidus, Lactobacillus acidophilus. The number of capsules you need will depend on how many cultures each capsule is guaranteed to contain.

Instead of probiotic capsules, you can use a speciality starter culture pack intended for use in culturing vegan dairy, many of which are available online. Note that starter cultures may be packaged with small amounts of powdered milk for the bacteria to feed on, and may not be truly vegan.

If you want a mustier, goat-ier taste to your labna, try replacing the water with rejuvelac made with wheat berries.

You can also start a culture by using any other product with active cultures, such as a spoonful of vegan cultured yoghurt. If you have a lot of cultured yoghurt, you can just skip to straining that directly (step 5) to make your labna—though you won't be able to control how tangy the labna is that way.

Instructions:

This recipe works by blending together cashews and water into a smooth, creamy spread, then culturing it into yoghurt, and then straining it (the way yoghurt is strained to make labna). It's possible that you could skip the straining step by adding more cashews, or less water, to the yoghurt to obtain a thicker texture, but I have not tested the recipe this way.

1. If your blender is not high-speed, you will need to soak your cashews to soften them. Soak in filtered or distilled water for 2-4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. Rinse them off with just-boiled water.

2. Boil several cups of water and use the just-boiled water to rinse your blender, tamper, measuring cups, the bowl you will ferment your yoghurt in, and a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir. Your bowl and stirring implement should be in a non-reactive material such as wood, clay, glass, or silicone.

3. Make the yoghurt. Blend cashews with 3/4 cup just-boiled water for a couple of minutes until very smooth. Transfer to your bowl and allow to cool to about skin temperature (it should feel slightly warm if dabbed on the inside of your wrist). If the mixture is too hot, it may kill the bacteria.

4. Culture the yoghurt. Open the probiotic capsules and stir the powder into the cashew paste. Cover the bowl with a cheesecloth or tea towel. Ferment for 24 hours: on the countertop in summer, or in an oven with the light on in winter.

Taste the yoghurt with a clean implement (avoid double-dipping!). Continue fermenting for another 12-24 hours, depending on how tangy you want your labna to be. A skin forming on top of the yoghurt is no problem and can be mixed back in. Discard any yoghurt that grows mold of any kind.

5. Strain the yoghurt to make labna. Place a mesh strainer in a bowl, making sure there's enough room beneath the strainer for liquid to collect at the bottom of the bowl; line the strainer with cheesecloth or a tea towel, and scoop the cultured yoghurt in. Sprinkle salt over top of the yoghurt. Fold the towel or cheesecloth back over the yoghurt, and add a small weight, such as a ceramic plate or a can of beans, on top.

You can also tie the cheesecloth into a bag around a wooden spoon and place the wooden spoon across the rim of a pitcher or other tall container to collect the whey. The draining may occur less quickly without the weight, though.

Strain in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, depending on the desired texture. I ended up draining about 2 Tbsp of whey.

6. If not making labna balls: Put in an airtight jar, and add just enough olive oil to cover the surface of the labna. Store in the fridge for up to two months.

7. To form balls (optional): Oil your hands to form the labna into small balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They may still be quite soft.

Optionally sprinkle with, or roll in, dried mint, za'tar, sesame seeds, nigella seeds (القزحة), ground sumac, or crushed red chili pepper, as desired.

Optionally, for firmer balls, lightly cover with another layer of parchment paper and then a kitchen towel, and leave in the refrigerator to dry for about a day.

Place labna balls in a clean glass jar and add olive oil to cover. Retrieve labna from the jar with a clean implement. They will last in the fridge for about a year.

#fermented #cashews #cheeses #Levantine #Palestinian #gluten free #cooking

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soberscientistlife · 3 months

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The Golden Gate Bridge is an Iconic landmark, but it's also a lethal one. About 2,000 people are estimated to have jumped to their death since 1937 – an average of about two people a month. Suicide prevention advocates have pushed for a deterrent for decades.⁠ ⁠ After years of meetings and delays, their dreams are a reality.⁠ ⁠ For Kay James this development hit close to home. Her son Michael James Bishop had taken his life at the bridge back in 2011. He had struggled with depression in the past and on the morning of March 28th he drove to the bridge and got out, leaving a note on his car seat.⁠ ⁠ Dennis Mulligan, the general manager for the organization that oversees the bridge, says the public did not want the net to detract from the bridge's beauty. Finally, he says, the Golden Gate Bridge board concluded that they would build something. The Federal highway grants covered the $224 million cost to construct the barrier.⁠ ⁠ The net is made of reddish orange beams connected by a stainless steel silver net that looks like chain link fencing. It's suspended 20 feet below the pedestrian walkway and spans 1.7 miles down both the west and east sides of the bridge. ⁠

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hometoursandotherstuff · 2 years

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Update: Remember this post of an old basketball gym that was for sale in Wilkinson, Indiana for $299K?

Well, Kyle and Lauren were not looking for a new home when they saw the listing, and certainly had no interest in the rickety skeleton of a 72-year-old gym.

But because they lived nearby, they stopped in for a look. The pictures, they thought, had not done the space justice.

They were awed by its cavernous proportions, but they looked around and went home.

A week and a half later, the couple, (who has 3 kids), decided they wanted to own it. They called the real estate agent that morning and made an offer. It was accepted before they went to bed that night.

Lauren in front of the gym. “It was the strangest thing I’d ever heard of, and the coolest thing I’d ever heard of,” she said. The next day, after their offer of $300K was accepted, the real estate agent called and said the listing went viral and offers were pouring in from as far away as Singapore.

Among miscellaneous furniture, boxes await unpacking. Meanwhile, the viral moment faded as quickly as it appeared. The worldwide attention subsided.

Their daughter riding her bike in the gym. They realized one night that a colony of bats had taken up residence in the gym & spiders continue to emerge all over the house. Moving has been a slow process.

Kyle and his father examine carvings on an original wooden school desk left in the home. “We’re still walking around here thinking, ‘What did we just do?’” said Kyle, who estimated the cost of renovations, over a period of years, would eventually exceed the original cost of the home.

They have a photo showing the construction of the Wilkinson High School gym. They want to refurbish the court and open it up somehow to the Wilkinson community. The community is rooting for them and waiting to see what happens next.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/24/sports/basketball/indiana-family-lives-in-gym.html

#real estate update #old gym conversion follow-up

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sydneyestimator0 · 9 months

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Sydney Estimator Services aims to ascertain the cost of materials and labour based on the proposed project design and specifications. Commercial and residential construction estimating services, tendering and cost management in Sydney. Contact us today!

Owner builder cost estimator

#new construction cost estimator #new home construction cost estimator #building estimation #residential building estimate #residential building cost estimator #owner builder cost estimator

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beardedmrbean · 4 months

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(Reuters) - The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will release a final rule as soon as this week that will make it more difficult for companies to treat workers as independent contractors rather than employees that typically cost a company more, an administration official said.

The U.S. Department of Labor rule, which was first proposed in 2022 and is likely to face legal challenges, will require that workers be considered employees entitled to more benefits and legal protections than contractors when they are "economically dependent" on a company.

A range of industries will likely be affected by the rule, which will take effect later this year, but its potential impact on app-based services that rely heavily on contract workers has garnered the most attention. Shares of Uber Technologies Inc, Lyft Inc and DoorDash all tumbled at least 10% when the draft rule was proposed in October 2022.

The rule is among the most impactful regulations ever issued by the Labor Department office that enforces U.S. wage laws, according to Marc Freedman, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest U.S. business lobby. But he said the draft version of the rule provides little guidance to companies on where to draw the line between employees and contractors.

"Economic dependence is an elusive concept that in some cases may end up being defined by the eyes of the beholder," Freedman said.

The Labor Department in the proposed rule said it would consider factors such as a worker's "opportunity for profit or loss, investment, permanency, the degree of control by the employer over the worker, (and) whether the work is an integral part of the employer’s business."

The rule replaces a Trump administration regulation that said workers who own their own businesses or have the ability to work for competing companies, such as a driver who works for Uber and Lyft, can be treated as contractors.

The department's sharp break from the Trump-era regulation will likely be the focus of lawsuits challenging the new rule, legal experts have said. Federal law requires agencies to adequately explain their decision to withdraw and replace existing rules.

The Biden administration has said the Trump-era rule violated U.S. wage laws and was out of step with decades of federal court decisions, and worker advocates have said a more strict standard was necessary to combat the rampant misclassification of workers in some industries.

The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute in a report last year estimated that a truck driver treated as a contractor earns up to $18,000 less per year than one who is deemed an employee, while construction workers' earnings drop by nearly $17,000 and home health aides lose out on up to $9,500 in pay and benefits.

Business groups sharply criticized the draft rule after it was proposed. Any change in policy is expected to increase labor costs for many sectors including trucking, retail and manufacturing.

Most federal and state labor laws, such as those requiring a minimum wage and overtime pay, only apply to a company's employees, who studies suggest can cost companies up to 30% more than independent contractors.

Nearly 40% of U.S. workers, or more than 64 million people, did some freelance work in the past 12 months, according to a December survey by freelancing marketplace Upwork.

#nunyas news #this could do some bad things #also good maybe too

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allthecanadianpolitics · 10 months

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More than three years after the Canadian government agreed to fund a in-community mercury poisoning care home for Grassy Narrows First Nation, construction hasn't started, estimated costs are skyrocketing, and the chief is questioning the prime minister's commitment. "It makes me very uneasy," said Rudy Turtle of the situation facing his community, also known as Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek, about 90 kilometres north of Kenora, Ont. "A few years ago, when Trudeau was out campaigning, he said on national television that money wouldn't be an issue building the treatment centre. Now, it's kind of like they're backing down on their word." The federal government and Grassy Narrows signed a $19.5-million deal in April 2020 for the centre's community-led design and construction, which they followed with $68.9 million more in 2021 for operations and maintenance. That brought the cash available to build and run the centre to nearly $90 million. But Turtle said this week the estimated cost of just construction is now $80 million — three times more than initially budgeted — which the government has, so far, not agreed to grant. [...]

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #Grassy Narrows #Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek #Indigenous politics #Ontario #healthcare

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bizprac · 1 year

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The Importance of Cost Estimation Software in Construction

Cost estimation in construction refers to determining the amount a project will cost. The process considers the materials and labour required, the project's timeline, and the overall market price of products and services.

It is effective in terms of the following:

· Company owners planning their business constructions

· Project managers handling the cost and material components of a commercial construction

· Construction design teams involved in detailing and designing large projects to match the cost and materials set by a company.

Cost estimation software helps you create a budget that includes all the costs associated with a construction project. It can also integrate with other tools, such as project management and accounting systems.

In terms of Materials and Budget

An estimator program can streamline the process of selecting materials for a project based on cost and quality.

Additionally, construction financial software can track labour costs and subcontractor expenses. This software helps construction businesses better manage time and workflow and account for variances. With accurate data, construction companies can make informed decisions about their budgets. This helps them avoid running in the red and secure cash flow.

In terms of Time and Project completion

Cost estimation software can help construction firms avoid common errors and ensure consistency. Using the same procedures and tools, they can more accurately determine the construction operation factors. Even the slightest mistake can put a project off the timeline.

Estimation programs include built-in formulas and provide quick, accurate cost estimates to make the estimation process easier. Estimating is no longer a time-consuming and error-prone process.

Without a good understanding of cost estimates, a construction company is at risk of incurring unexpected costs. This may affect the financial stability of the company in the long run. With accurate cost estimates, construction companies can secure cash flow and avoid financial dilemmas. This will lead to satisfied clients and solid reputations.

Bizprac is a construction estimating software in Australia that can manage other factors in your business, ensuring that you achieve your professional goal. To know more about how you can make your business easier and more profitable to run, contact Bizprac now. https://www.bizprac.com/

#commercial estimating software #commercial construction estimating software #construction estimating software australia #construction financial software #building estimating software australia #asset building system #building estimating software #commercial construction project management software #home building estimating software #building estimation and costing software #best construction estimating software #building industry software #construction estimating software #construction accounting software #construction management software australia #construction job management software #construction software

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scotianostra · 7 months

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On October 1st 1763 the contract to build Edinburgh's North Bridge was signed.

Edinburgh in the 1700s was a very different city to the one we know today. The city boundary was restricted to the dramatic crag and tail feature which swept eastwards from the castle. Up to 35,000 people inhabited a space under a mile long making Scotland’s capital one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world at that time. The overcrowded population were crammed into crumbling tenements, many of them up to fourteen storeys high in order to make the most of the limited space. Make no mistake, Edinburgh at this point in it's history, was a skyscraper city, very few cities in the world had buildings the height of our capital!

Edinburgh’s nobility were often forced to accept the unthinkable and share dwellings with the lower classes. Change was not just desired, it was deemed an absolute necessity if the city was ever to move forward.

Plans to build a New Town to the north were discussed as early as the 1750s but without the means of connecting it with the rest of Edinburgh, it would be nothing more than a fanciful dream. Phase one required the draining of the ancient Nor’ Loch, a man-made stagnant body of water located in the area which we now term as Princes Street Gardens. Drainage began in 1759 and would continue up until the 1820s. Dry land at the east of the Nor’ Loch valley allowed for what was undoubtedly the most ambitious engineering project to have been built in the city at that point: An eleven-hundred foot long stone bridge. The North Bridge, as it would be named, enabled the New Town to become a reality. A brand new chapter in the city’s history was about to begin.

And so it was that the foundation stone of architect William Mylne’s North Bridge was laid on 1st October 1763 but it would be a further two years before any serious amount of progress was made. Nearing completion, the magnificent multi-arched bridge first opened to pedestrians in 1769 to much fanfare and excitement. However, the cheers would soon be emphatically silenced that summer due to a disaster of epic proportions.

On the evening of Thursday, 3rd August 1769 the side walls of the south abutment of the bridge suddenly gave way, causing a partial collapse of the structure and tragically claiming the lives of five people

Rescue efforts were recorded by newspaper the Caledonian Mercury which detailed the grim discoveries of bodies "buried in the rubbish, occasioned by the fall of the walls of the south abutment of the new bridge over the north loch".

Two of the bodies were identified as belonging to Mr Lawson, shoemaker, and Mr James Fergus, a local writer.

The Caledonian Mercury went on to mention that workers had been digging almost day and night since the collapse and that at least three to four others were feared to have shared the "same unhappy fate with the two already found".

A contemporary letter penned by a Darcy, Lady Maxwell recalls the evening of the collapse, which she had witnessed, writing

“The Lord, who is continually loading me with his benefits, has twice this day remarkable interfered on my behalf. In the evening he preserved me from broken bones to which I was exposed in a fall. A few hours after, when walking home from chapel, I witnessed a most melancholy scene occasioned by the falling in of the North Bridge. I… was within five minutes of passing over it… when almost in a moment, the greatest noise I ever heard (except on a similar occasion when I was remarkably preserved) filled the air."It seemed as if the pillars of nature were giving way. Instantly, the cry resounded “the bridge is fallen!”

A full inquiry followed and identified haste in construction and a poorly-calculated estimate regarding the depth of the foundations and sturdiness of the earth-filled abutments as the chief causes behind the disaster.

Rebuilding work demanded £18,000 (almost double the original £10,140 cost of the project) and the city would have to wait until 1772 before the grand reopening. The original North Bridge survived more than a century until the 1890s, when engineers devised an improved link that would allow for greater flow of traffic, this was at the time Waverley Train Station was being constructed.

Construction of the current steel bridge that we know today was completed in 1897 at a cost of £81,000., with the North British Railway Company contributing to a third of the cost.

A plaque recalling the founding and dismantling of the original North Bridge occupies a wall of the present bridge, which has now stood for roughly the same length of time as its predecessor.

The pictures show the evolution of the Nor Loch, I can’t find dates for them all, but you will see in the first one that the Loch is still not fully drained and very little signs of buildings on the North side, pic two shows buildings where the Balmoral Hotel now sits.

In the third pic there are signs of a Market where we now have Waverley Station, the street and buildings under the far side are now called Market Street. Pic four is dated around 1809, all the buildings you see on the left are now gone. On the top roght corner is what was The North British Train Station, the bottom of the picture you can see what is now known as “The Mound. Next pic is I guess from mid 19th century, still a long way from the construction of Waverley Station. Pic six shows the North Bridge being dismantling early 1896, and then "The Ceremony of Laying the Foundation Stone of the New North Bridge Edinburgh 25th May 1896, leading on to the commemorative plaque, which is from around the same time.

Finally is a pic of how the North Bridge looks in 2021, not much to see as it is in cladding while a multi-million restoration is taking place, the cost of refurbishing the bridge has soared from £22 million to £36m after the landmark structure was found to be in worse condition than expected. Last October the council issued a statement saying.

“Due to the nature of the construction of the bridge, full access behind the cast iron façade has not been available since it was constructed in 1897 and the last full refurbishment of this nature was in 1933. It has not been possible to properly inspect the hidden structural elements in almost 90 years.”

The briefing said testing had led to the discovery of “extensive issues” with the existing concrete bridge deck constructed in 1933.

I won't depress you with the latest details on when it will be finished, but at least it has opened to traffic now.

#scotland #scottish #history #edinburgh #Bridge #Traffic infrastructure

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bearhugsandshrugs · 4 days

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The Gorsimp Chronicles – Chapter 14

Gortash x Tav | Explicit

Read on AO3 | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Fic is written in turns by @bloodlessbhaalbabe and me! Dividers indicate POV changes.

Tav looked over the weapons and settled on two daggers with different enchantments. They were incredibly light, with intricate carvings, the hilts made of soft leather. She asked an attendant to set them aside so she could have them delivered to their new house whenever they were ready to move in, then scooped up what she calculated she would need for a new wardrobe in gold, shoving it straight into the sack.

And then she added the same amount two more times, just for good measure. What if the prices were different here?

Last but not least she fumbled inside of her bag, looking for the one thing she wanted to keep safe herself. She didn’t have a lot of things, but this one she had managed to protect all this time, and storing it here until they had a home with proper security seemed like the best option.

“Can you… store this securely so the paper won’t stain?”, she asked the servant, who promptly nodded and left to tuck the invitation to Enver’s coronation safely away. It had been the first time they’d met. Of course she would keep it.

Once she was done she said goodbye to Enver to let him know she’d be on her way to shop now. Making the stop at Moonstone had been an excellent recommendation, because the amount of clothes she bought was too heavy to carry, even after the first boutique she visited. Tav bought new dresses, pants, shirts, and jackets; as well as underwear and shoes. She also bought a couple of pieces for Enver, knowing he would probably not do that himself. And then, at the last stop, she shopped for perfume and different ointments for her body, wanting to make sure she’d smell good and feel soft for him as much as possible. And for herself, in truth, too.

It was already late when she arrived at Moonstone, the servant having to take the portal to their room four times to set down everything she’d bought. Tav smiled nervously when she met Enver’s gaze. “I, uhm. Found a few things I liked.”

She hoped he wouldn’t be mad that she had spent so much, so she quickly changed the topic: “Have you found any houses you like?”

Enver watched patiently from the bed, wearing only his trousers, unlaced, sitting low on his hips as Tav waltz into the room with bags up her arms. Documents were surrounding him on the bed and he had stained ink on his fingers from the amount of writing and signing he had done today. He leaned over to look past Tav as the servant came in and out of the room to keep adding to the pile of items purchased. He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. He didn’t know how much she had taken from his vault, he didn’t really care, but the amount of items that laid across the floor made him realize she indulged quite a bit. Good , he thought. He stood up from the bed, his trousers dipping down lower and pulled out a few gold coins for the servant and dismissed him.

He wrapped his arms around Tav’s waist and pulled her into a slow, needy kiss. “I hope you had fun today. Will you show off the things you purchased? Maybe try them on for me?”

He smirked and moved to kiss her cheek, then jaw, and then neck teasing her slightly before pulling away.

“I also have a few selections for you to choose from and we can visit them tomorrow. All of them will require some construction, but if they don’t suit your needs, I also have a quote on how much and how long it would take to build our own home,” he said guiding her over to the bed, and pulling her onto his lap as it was the only free space considering the amount of pages he had laid out with financial details, home ledgers, house information, and cost estimates. Enver pressed his lips against her shoulder blade as Tav browsed over the options.

Tav skimmed over the documents but already knew they were meaningless to her unless she actually saw the house. She made sure to read the most important facts nevertheless, appreciating the thoughts Enver had put into putting this all together. When she was done she scooped up all of the pages and put them away, having to lean over Enver’s body to grab everything and sort it all.

“Thank you”, she smiled after she was done and crooked her neck so she could kiss him. “I’m excited to see them tomorrow.”

She slid off the bed to put the documents onto a nearby table, making sure they were all in order, then turned to Enver.

“I bought some things for you as well, but you don’t have to try them on now, I can see that you’re a bit tired”, she said gently. “But I will indulge you by showing you… let’s say… three different things. I’ve bought almost everything from underwear to shoes to coats. So. Tell me what you want to see and I’ll put it on.”

Enver hummed in thought as he laid back in the bed and stretched before propping himself up on his elbows. “Oh to have me make a decision of what I want to see when all I desire is to just watch you try things on. Although, if it’s underwear, I’m not sure how long you’ll be wearing them.”

His eyes slowly dragged down her body and looked back up at her. His legs were spread just so that the outline of his half hard cock pressed against his pants. Sure, he was tired, but never too tired to not have his mind wander of all the things he could do with Tav. Tav glanced down in between his legs and bit her lip with a smile.

“Why don’t you put on a full outfit. Head to toe and slowly take off each layer for me so I get the full experience?” Enver suggested. “Sort of like the other night except I’m not expecting a choreographed dance with it. I just want to unwrap you like a present.”

Tav slowly shook her head with a grin. “An entire outfit with three things? That won’t work. But fine. For you.” She giggled and sprinted over to the different bags, pulling out shoes, underwear, a dress, tights, and a coat, then stumbled into the bath with her arms full of clothes to get ready. Quickly using the time to wash her face, Tav hoped that what she had pulled out in a hurry actually matched and looked good.

When she came out, she was wearing a long, dark blue coat that ended just in the middle of her calves, showing off her new leather boots. They reached up over her knees, but Enver couldn’t see that yet, because she’d tightened the coat around her waist, hiding her outfit underneath.

“So.” She strutted through the room, giggling with joy. “What do you think of my new coat?”

Enver’s face grinned as wide as Tav did. Her joy was infectious. He motioned for her to do a little spin and she did, ending it with a pose. Enver chuckled as she walked up to him. He placed his hands on the fabric, soft and thick, very high quality.

“Fantastic start, my love. This color suits you. Royal colors for my duchess,” he pulled at the ties at her waist. “I can’t see the entire boot though.” His other hand trailed up the smooth leather, brushing over the clasps.

“Oh that is intentional”, Tav teased him before letting the coat slip over her shoulders, hanging loosely for a moment before she took it off properly and draped it over a nearby chair.

Underneath the coat she was wearing a short dress that barely covered her ass, fit for a casual celebration in a slightly more expensive tavern, but leagues classier than what she’d worn the night before. It was made out of delicate black fabric, Tav had already forgotten what kind, and ended on her thigh just for onlookers to catch a glimpse of her tights underneath before the overknee boots began. If they were to go out and she was to wear this, she would probably skip the tights but she thought it would be fun for him to watch her take them off, so she had added them.

Tav pressed her body into Enver’s, batting her eyelashes while she raised her knee up to his waist, showing off the boots. “I wanted to have at least one option that said ‘fuck me’ without being confined to a brothel to wear it. What do you think?”

Enver couldn’t say anything at first the way the dress bounced just enough to give anyone a sneak peek of the bottom of her ass cheek as she walked away. He cocked his head to the side with his mouth open trying to get a better look, but then she turned around. Her breasts pushed against the fabric but the material ruched below causing anyone’s eyes to immediately be drawn to the moving pieces. His eyes trailed down to the full extension of the leather boots and he felt his cock twitch in his own pants, fully hard and pushing against his thigh and his own leather trousers.

Enver nodded in approval and huffed out an amazed chuckle. He smirked and slid his hands all the way up the leather boot, his fingers dug into her muscled thigh and he quickly pressed a kiss on the tight covered skin between her legs before looking up at Tav.

“If that’s what you want your outfit to say, then I must agree that I am hearing you loud and clear,” Enver said in a low voice, he licked his lips as though Tav was a savory meal he was about to consume. “You have excellent taste. You make me want to take you around town right now just to show you off.”

“Of course I have excellent taste”, Tav smirked, propping one of her boots up so Enver could undo its laces and help her take it off while she ran her fingers through his hair. He planted more kisses on her legs as he slid the boot off, and when he was done, Tav tilted his face up by his chin, smiling. “I have excellent taste because I’m with you.”

Not waiting for an answer she set her leg down and repeated the same motion on the other side, with Enver happily helping her with that side, too. Once the boots were gone she pulled the dress up and over her head, wriggling her way out of it. It wasn’t as smooth or sexy as she had imagined it and she started laughing halfway through, but managed to take it off without Enver’s help.

“Okay”, she breathed out when she was done, only in tights and panties – the dress hadn’t worked with a bra or a corset. “Last two items now. Maybe the most boring. I’m not sure anyone’s gonna see them except for you, so I’m extra sorry they’re not more… exciting.”

Enver scoffed at her remark ‘the most boring’. They’re nearly at his favorite part, having Tav completely naked. “Dear, there’s a reason I said I wanted to unwrap you like a gift. I believe you to be the most stunning woman I have ever seen no matter what you wear,” Enver grabbed at the waistband of the tights and slowly pulled them down her legs until they were on the floor and Tav could step out of them. “I love to see you dressed up. I love to feel different fabrics against your skin. But at the end of the day, you could be wearing old underwear with holes in them and I’d still be just as attracted to you then as I am now.”

Enver kissed Tav’s stomach and moved his face down to her underwear, nuzzling his face up against the fabric. He could see a damp spot already blooming on the underside indicating Tav’s arousal.

“Thank you for showing me a little bit of what you purchased today,” he said softly, his tongue sliding against the damp fabric and Tav spread her legs just a little to give him better access. Enver’s teeth pulled against the waistband of her panties pulling them down her ass and thighs. “Let’s take these off and I can help with this grand finale.”

Her breathing quickened when he pulled down her underwear with his teeth. Tav craved his touch so much already, and so far they’d barely touched except for a few chaste kisses on her legs.

“If you like the feeling of the fabric on my skin so much, you don’t always have to take everything off, you know?”, she teased him softly. “You can always just push them aside and fuck me while I’m still wearing them.” She grinned before pulling him into a kiss.

“I’ve missed you”, she sighed against his ear as her mouth trailed along his jawline, trying to kiss as many parts of him at once as she could. His arms wrapped instinctively around her, greedily grazing over her bare back and ass, and Tav let her body melt into his until they were flush against each other.

Tav indulged herself for a little while longer before she pulled back to look at his half-fastened pants hanging loosely on his hips, and chuckled. “But either way, you need to undress, too.”

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind for next time. I didn’t want to tear into your new pretty tights,” Enver leaned forward and scooped up Tav in his arms, pulling out a laugh as he spun her around and tossed her back onto the bed. He pushed his pants down his legs and was soon sliding up between her thighs. He pulled her down by her hips until she was flush up against his thighs.

“You’re really hands on today, Enver,” Tav said with a giggle.

“Yeah, I’m about to be,” he replied.

“So chees–” Tav was cut off as Enver slowly began to circle her clit, sliding in one finger, then quickly putting in two considering how wet she already was for him. She let out a small moan and let her head fall back, a small smile on her face. Enver curled his fingers upward and gently waggled them in a ‘come hither’ motion. His thumb danced over and around her swelling arousal.

“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of how wet you get for me, Tav,” his voice rumbled deep with desire. He could feel Tav tighten around his fingers. “Gonna come for me already?”

“S-shut up,” she stuttered, grabbing the bed sheets. Enver quickened his pace. Tav made a small croaking noise at the back of her throat and sucked in a shaky breath.

“I can feel how close you are. Don’t be shy all of a sudden,” he bit his lip watching the way her hips rocked into his fingers. He slid in a third and it was enough. Tav clamped down onto his fingers, releasing herself all over his hand and soaked down into the sheets.

“Gods,” he couldn’t say anything more. Enver lined himself up with Tav’s entrance and slid himself all the way in. Tav whimpered from the overstimulation and reached up to pull him against her with one hand in his hair and the other dragging deep red welts down his back. Enver groaned into her mouth as Tav pulled her teeth against his bottom lip. Their combined wet skin slapped together with each thrust. His balls gently tapped against her rear with each rut.

He pulled away from her lips to breath, panting heavily against her chest before moving down, mouthing at her breasts. He put one of her nipples into his mouth, biting it gently, and flicking it with his tongue.

Tav’s eyes rolled back from overwhelm and she rolled her hips into his, drawing out a teasing chuckle from him.

Oh?

She pushed him off of her, gently but firmly, and Enver looked at her in confusion with a brief flicker of fear mixed in. When he saw her sultry face however, he smirked.

“You’ve been generous to me today”, Tav said, pushing him down so he was flat on his back, “let me return the favor.” She climbed onto his lap and hovered above him, slowly dragging his tip through her folds until he groaned. Lining his cock up against her entrance she sank down on him in one swift motion before lifting herself up again, leaving just the tip in.

Enver cursed out under his breath and brought his hands to her waist, wanting to move her, speed her movements up, but she batted them away. “Greedy”, she scolded with a smile, then proceeded to repeat the teasing movements until he whimpered underneath her.

When she was satisfied with how desperate he looked and sounded, she bent forward and brought her hand around his throat. A smug grin spread across Enver’s face, like an unspoken understanding, and he started bucking his hips into her as she picked up the pace; her hand slowly tightening around his throat.

“I’m wet all the time when I’m around you”, she whispered, rutting into him, “Because I can’t forget the way you’re feeling inside of me.” Tav leaned down and bit gently into his neck, sucking so hard at his skin that Enver swallowed down a whimper. “The way you’re stretching me”, she added, sucking on a new spot, “the way your cock feels when you push in so deep that I can barely breathe.” To accentuate her meaning she lifted her waist up before lowering herself down on him again, taking him inch by inch in an excruciatingly slow pace.

Enver moaned against her palm and brought his hands to her ass, her waist, her thighs, grabbing at anything he could, trying to speed her up and get more friction. Tav knew he was holding himself back, trying to please her, which was exactly what she wanted. For him to gradually, but surely, lose his mind while she rode him until he begged.

“So the next time we’re out in public, and you’re looking at me”, she began anew, switching to the other side of his throat with her mouth while keeping the pressure on her hand, “I want you to know that I’m probably dripping – wet and ready and needy for you .”

Enver groaned, his eyes closing and opening again and again as he fought for self-control.

“And if you’re being a good boy”, she trailed her kisses up to his mouth, “I’ll open my legs for you and let you use me however you want until I’ve soaked every piece of this bed.” Tav’s mouth found his lips, kissing him deeply.

“Is that what you want?”, she asked, lifting her chest back up so she was sitting almost straight, thus changing the angle of how he was pushing into her. Enver nodded eagerly, opening his mouth, but she shook her head. “If it is, I want you to ask nicely for it. Beg.”

Enver was on the precipice of his release. Between Tav’s dirty talk and her tight walls slowly dragging it out of him he could barely form a proper sentence. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tav changed the angle and nothing but a groan came out, his eyes fluttered closed. His cock twitched only once, pre-come still spilling out of him.

Somehow, even after their arguments, the sex they’ve been having was insane. First they’re at each other’s throats and then one of them has their hand wrapped around the other’s throat. Like they’re almost always fighting for who will be in control. Both of them wanted to be so good for the other while also being very, very bad. Tav had Enver wrapped around her finger and she knew it.

He panted, tilting his head back when she firmly grasped his neck, pressing in on the sides, locking him in between her fingers and her thighs. Between each wheezy breath he could only think about how much he loved this. Loved her . Loved the feeling of her, being under her only able to do as she asked or demanded.

“Last chance, Enver. Beg.” Tav said, rolling her hips with a smirk.

“Oh gods, Tav. Please, please,” he finally begged as his fingers dug into her hips, “I want that. I need that… please . Make a mess out of me. Use me. ”

“That’s it”, Tav moaned, rolling her hips a little faster, “now be extra good for me and come.”

Enver’s eyes fluttered open, unwilling to do that without watching her find release first, but she leaned down and smiled.

“Please”, she added with a small plea, knowing exactly he wouldn’t be able to resist giving her what she wanted. “Let yourself go and come.”

Enver groaned and tightened his hold on her, then put up his feet so he had better grip against the mattress as he started to thrust into her in earnest. His pace was too quick for Tav to match, and she gasped out a small, surprised moan when his cock hit a particularly sensitive spot with more force than he’d used before. And then again. And again.

His rhythm was so fast that she couldn’t keep up, couldn’t match his thrusts, so she propped herself up on her hands and let him fuck her however he needed.

Enver’s entire world was just Tav and the way he could use her to bring him to peak. She’d said she wanted him to come, and he was more than happy to oblige. He’d barely started to pound into her when his balls tensed up, and he groaned out a loud “Gods, Tav” as he spilled himself in her.

Tav was panting heavily, sweat rolling down her temples, but she smirked knowing that they weren’t done yet. When he looked up at her with half-closed and fully content eyes, she kissed his forehead and lifted herself off of him; a mix of her juices and his seed slowly dripping out of her and onto his stomach.

“You asked so nicely to make a mess out of you”, she teased, crawling up so that her core hovered above his face. “I’m more than happy to oblige.”

Enver looked at her tired but eagerly, immediately understanding what she asked of him. His hands found her ass and pulled her down onto his mouth. There was no time wasted – he immediately got to work, lapping at her folds. He could taste her and himself on her, and knowing that he’d marked her body that way turned him on so much he groaned into her cunt. His tongue circled Tav’s clit the way he had found she enjoyed, all while she rolled her hips into his face, this time riding a different part of him.

Enver found that he barely had to do much at all once Tav took a seat on her rightful throne. He did all that he could to add pressure into the right spots, licking and sucking on her tender, and overstimulated clit. Tav’s fingers slid through Enver’s hair and pulled as she ground her hips into his face. He greedily shook his head back and forth trying to dig in deeper, move apart her folds so that there was nothing in the way between his mouth and her most sensitive spot.

“Enver,” she gasped, leaning forward with a pant. “Fuck, Enver.”

He hummed contentedly, feeling his spent dick twitch in pleasure practically suffocating under her, but he wanted her so badly he could handle the light headedness. Tav’s hips quickened their pace against his mouth and tongue. A slew of curses and moans fell out of Tav’s mouth.

“Gods, you’re good, Enver. You’re so good,” she whimpered before biting her lip. “Such a good boy.”

Enver was half hard again with her praise and the weight of her on his face. He moaned into her movements, vibrating against her clit.

“I’m close. Don’t stop,” Tav moaned and pressed down against his tongue as hard as she could. “ Fuck!” she squeaked out as she hit her climax, releasing herself into Enver’s mouth. He groaned underneath her and swallowed every spurt, lapping against her sensitive folds, as his own second orgasm hit him, untouched, dripping down his shaft, sliding down his balls and pooling on his lower belly. With all of the friction against his face he was lucky she wouldn’t be able to notice the blush that warmed his cheeks. He panted heavily against her wet cunt and leaned up to slide his tongue over and around her folds, causing her to shudder, and move away.

Tav crawled up next to him, nuzzling her head against his chest as they both breathed heavily. She saw the aftermath between his legs and raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she propped herself up on her elbow and smiled at Enver, who had covered half his face with his forearm, blushing and out of breath.

“You’re amazing. I love you”, Tav sighed, leaning in to give him a short kiss on the lips before she got up. “And you deserve some rest, so I’m going to run you a bath.”

Enver made a small noise of protest and Tav chuckled, “Of course I’ll join you. But you wait here.”

She walked over to the large bath that featured a still ridiculously big tub, but not as large as the one in their room. Tav browsed the different mixtures that were available for guests to use, and settled on one that – according to the description – was supposed to help muscles relax and bathe away any lingering tensions, even bruises. Adding it to the hot water immediately spread a soothing fragrance through the entire room that reminded her of warm sand, sunbathing, and oranges.

When sufficient water had filled up the tub, she checked back in on Enver. He’d fallen asleep: snoring quietly he was lying almost identically to how she’d left him.

“Hey”, she gently kissed his forehead to wake him up, “Let’s get you cleaned up and you can sleep after, okay?”

Enver snorted awake, blinking hard, looking around the room. “I’m awake,” he lied.

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” Tav replied lightly with a smirk knowing he was about to quickly fall into a very deep sleep.

He sleepily took Tav’s hand and shuffled over to the tub. His and Tav’s come dripped down the skin on his chest and in between his legs. Enver stepped into the tub and immediately disappeared under the water to wet his hair and popped up with a relaxed ‘ah’. Tav shook her head and joined him shortly after.

Enver pulled Tav into his lap once he settled himself against the wall and sighed happily. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the side, and held Tav close just for a moment.

“You, uh… Have my permission to do that any time you please,” he said in a groggy voice from both being tired, but also from how much action his mouth got this evening. He smiled at the thought, replaying it in his head. “I like… it when you come. I like making you come. I meant it when I said you could make a mess out of me.”

He cleared his throat and absentmindedly stroked the skin on her thigh with his thumb. He’s usually the type to just take what he wanted, but he knew that if he wanted to get what he needed from Tav he’d have to be a little vulnerable once again. He swallowed and opened up his eyes to look at Tav who was giving him a shiteating grin. She already knew. Two nights in a row of putting on outfits and having mind blowing squirting orgasms – the second night in which Enver was so turned on he came without being touched. He wasn’t really hiding anything from her.

Tav was so smitten with him, she didn’t know what to do with herself. She knew, however, exactly what she wanted to do with him.

“The desk in your new office”, she said, sitting up to meet his gaze, a questioning look in his eyes. Tav started massaging his shoulder, his biceps, moving down to his forearm and hand. “The new kitchen, of course. The dining table, if it’s sturdy enough.” She smiled to herself, thinking about all the places they could fuck. “Oh, at, or… under the dining table, while we have guests.” She cocked her head to the side and moved so she could massage his other arm. “Maybe with guests?”

She chuckled, watching Enver process all of her suggestions. Tav knew she was being a bit unfair, he was exhausted and sleepy, while she felt completely hyper. “But I like it too. When you make me come. Even more though, when I make you come.”

Grabbing a sponge from the side of the tub, she gently cleaned him off under and above water, massaging him with the sponge while he leaned his head back and sighed. Tav let him relax there for a moment while she washed up herself, taking advantage of the fact that he was too tired to argue about taking care of her. Secretly, she loved this. Being able to treat him well, and spoil him, making him come without even touching him, seeing the happy little smile on his face. If necessary, she would die for him, on the spot. There was nothing she wouldn’t do or give for him. She hoped he knew that.

Once she was done she kissed him awake again, and he dried himself off, grumbling the entire time that he should be carrying her to bed while she drained the water from the tub and grabbed both of them some loose clothes to wear for the night.

They cuddled up in bed not long after, Enver’s head resting on her shoulder while she ran her fingers through his hair until his deep breaths came regularly. It wasn’t long until sleep pulled her under as well, and she drifted away with a smile on her lips, wondering how the hells she had gotten so lucky.

#gorsimp #enver gortash #tavtash #gortash x tav #this was so hot i can't believe we wrote that #but that's just me rereading old chapters every time we post them

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