#landmark
Law banning caste-based discrimination comes into effect in US’ Seattle
“It’s not surprising that since we won in #Seattle, #policies against #caste #discrimination have been proposed in #Toronto and #California."
Stonehenge
"It's always stone o'clock somewhere!"
Jimi Hendrix - Third Stone From The Sun
#myphoto #Stonehenge #Fenfotos #stone #JimiHendrix #music #musica #musique #landmark #mystery
"I remember her well in the Chelsea Hotel..."
Leonard Cohen, who lived there, writing about his relationship there, with Janis Joplin.
Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Rotten, and other musicians, along with writers and poets, lived here like a great Big Apple commune...
It's been boarded up, fraught with lawsuits, squatters, and shifting owners over many years - decades! The construction blocks and suits have subsided, and in March 2022 (I learned at/from the source today), it re-opened. So I just happened to be there today, and it's looking good! They have rooms available, open to the public, gorgeous lobby and dining/lounge facilities, friendly staff - so much different than years past, like a war zone. Scaffolding is still up but the hotel is looking "contemporary grand", I'd call it, with a touch of "boutique" NY, but still with some scaffolding on the changing block. Other than that, it's still a vibrant neighborhood (Chelsea) and about a one minute walk to great stores and public transportation.
No, I'm not an employee/rep!. But for tourists in NY who want a special sort of history behind their hotel stay, here's your chance.
--
More: http://www.fenichel.com/chelsea.shtml
Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel No.2
"I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were famous, your heart was a legend
You told me again you preferred handsome men
But for me you would make an exception".....
#ChelseaHotel #HotelChelsea #NYC #NewYork #fenfotos #myphotos #LeonardCohen #landmark #music #musica #musique
Whitby Abbey
View from the other side of the pretty harbour towards the famous Abbey.
It's a wonderful cliff walk from Robin Hood's Bay campsite to Whitby on a nice day.
Once full of fish & chips and a couple of pints it's also nice to get the bus back. 😉
#mywork #myphoto #photography #landscape #travel #whitby #northyorkshire #harbour #abbey #landmark #stevesimonsphotography
Angel of the Water
Which one(s)? These are all straight from camera, lo-res. Sifting....
About halfway through the walk; next up geese &/or turtles - or flowers?
Central Park, 2 Sept 2021 - The day after remnants of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ida paid a visit.
#myphoto #CentralPark #NYC #fenfotos #BethesdaFountain #AngelOfTheWaters #landmark #fountain #Ida #flood
MORE NYC PHOTOGRAPHY -
Vintage/Classic (Pre-Pandemic) : http://www.fenichel.com/NYNY.shtml
Pandemic times: http://www.fenichel.com/pandemic
Good day for Angel of the Waters...
And turtles and geese, too.
#centralpark #Ida #NYC #myphoto #Fenfotos #NewYork #hurricane #angel #landmark #statue #fountain
More NYC photography: http://www.fenichel.com/NYNY.shtml
FTC Approves ‘Right To Repair’ Policy in Huge Win for the Movement
In a colossal win for the Right to Repair movement, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published a statement where it unanimously approved the prioritization of aggressive action against manufacturers who impose unfair repair restrictions on individuals and independent repair shops.
The statement follows an executive order from President Joe Biden that asked the FTC to review new regulations that would empower customers. For those unfamiliar, the short video below explains the concept of Right to Repair in less than 60 seconds.
As noted in previous coverage, the Right to Repair movement has been championed by tech advocates, many media groups, and outlets like iFixit. In particular, iFixit has been one of the loudest voices in the movement and believes that everyone who owns a product has the right to repair it. The movement does not just encompass the right to repair owned products but expands to preventing companies from making access to equipment or resources proprietary. iFixit notes that the automobile industry tried to block the independent repair of vehicles, but that motion failed in 2012. Similarly, the idea of a “locked” cell phone to a particular carrier was overturned and made legal in 2018.
The FTC's statement today notes that the government agency agrees with tech advocates and repair houses and says that the idea of restricting customers and businesses from choosing how they repair products can substantially increase the total cost of repairs, generate harmful electronic waste, and unnecessarily increase wait times for repairs.
"In contrast, providing more choice in repairs can lead to lower costs, reduce e-waste by extending the useful lifespan of products, enable more timely repairs, and provide economic opportunities for entrepreneurs and local businesses," the FTC writes.
One of the major ways that manufacturers like Apple prevent independent repair of devices is by restricting access to the parts necessary to make those repairs. The FTC specifically has called out this action as one that it finds disagreeable.
"The Commission uncovered evidence that manufacturers and sellers may, without reasonable justification, be restricting competition for repair services in numerous ways including: …asserting patent rights and enforcement of trademarks in an unlawful, overbroad manner; disparaging non-OEM parts and independent repair; using unjustified software locks, digital rights management, and technical protection measures; and imposing restrictive end user license agreements."
In a blog post summarizing the announcement, iFixit writes that the FTC's statement should send a clear signal that the tide has turned against anti-repair manufacturers. Despite the considerable lobbying force of these billion-dollar corporations, the FTC has found the actions to be in violation of its policies.
"If manufacturers continue to restrict independent repair, they could find themselves on the wrong end of an FTC enforcement action, and on the hook for sizable penalties," iFixit writes.
iFixit plans to continue to urge the FTC to take more action against anti-repair manufacturers and create new rules that prohibit unfair and deceptive repair restrictions that it says hurt device owners and stifle competition in the repair market.
The FTC admits that in the past, focusing on unlawful repair restrictions has not been a priority for them, but that changes today.
"The Commission has determined that it will devote more enforcement resources to combat these practices. Accordingly, the Commission will now prioritize investigations into unlawful repair restrictions under relevant statutes such as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and Section of the Federal Trade Commission Act."
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
#culture #industry #news #apple #federal #federaltradecommission #ftc #ifixit #landmark #repair #repairshops #righttorepair #ruling
#Redwoods #Sequoia_Sempervirens #Ancient #Trees #Big_Basin_State_Park #Historical #Landmark #Coastal #Forest #SantaCruz #County #Fires #Survival #Nature #Beautiful #Northern #California #August252020
ANCIENT REDWOODS SURVIVE WILDFIRE AT CALIFORNIA'S OLDEST STATE PARK
By Martha Mendoza
Published: Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Wildfires | Associated Press
BOULDER CREEK, Calif. - When a massive wildfire swept through California’s oldest state park last week it was feared many trees in a grove of old-growth redwoods, some of them 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth, may finally have succumbed.
But an Associated Press reporter and photographer hiked the renowned Redwood Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Monday and confirmed most of the ancient redwoods had withstood the blaze. Among the survivors is one dubbed 'Mother of the Forest'.
“That is such good news, I can’t tell you how much that gives me peace of mind,” said Laura McLendon, conservation director for the Sempervirens Fund, an environmental group dedicated to the protection of redwoods and their habitats.
Redwood forests are meant to burn, she said, so reports earlier this week that the state park was “gone” were misleading.
The historic park headquarters is gone, as are many small buildings and campground infrastructure that went up in flames as fire swept through the park about 45 miles south of San Francisco.
“But the forest is not gone,” McLendon said. “It will regrow. Every old-growth redwood I’ve ever seen, in Big Basin and other parks, has fire scars on them. They’ve been through multiple fires, possibly worse than this.”
When forest fires, windstorms and lightning hit redwood trees, those that don’t topple can resprout. Mother of the Forest, for example, used to be 329 feet tall, the tallest tree in the park. After the top broke off in a storm, a new trunk sprouted where the old growth had been.
Trees that fall feed the forest floor, and become nurse trees from which new redwoods grow. Forest critters, from banana slugs to insects, thrive under logs.
On Monday, Steller’s jays searched for insects around the park’s partially burned outdoor amphitheater and woodpeckers could be heard hammering on trees. Occasionally a thundering crash echoed through the valley as large branches or burning trees fell.
When Big Basin opened in 1902 it marked the genesis of redwood conservation. The park now receives about 250,000 visitors a year from around the world, and millions have walked the Redwood Trail.
The park only recently reopened after COVID-19 related closures and now is closed because of the fire. The road in is blocked by several large trees that fell across it, some waist-high, some still on fire.
While there is a great deal of work to be done rebuilding campgrounds, clearing trails and managing damaged madrones, oaks and firs, Big Basin will recover, McLendon said.
“The forest, in some ways, is resetting,” she said.
State Parks District Superintendent Chris Spohrer said he was pleased to know the redwoods had survived. He said an assessment team had only been able to check buildings so far, and that he hopes they can inspect the trees in the coming days.
“The reason those trees are so old is because they are really resilient,” he said.
LONG LIVE THE CALIFORNIA REDWOOD! 💗
Photo: Smoke hangs low in the air at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Saturday - 22 August 2020
Photography by Kent Nishimura
(Los Angeles Times)
#Redwoods #Sequoia_Sempervirens #Ancient #Trees #Big_Basin_State_Park #Historical #Landmark #Coastal #Forest #SantaCruz #County #Fires #Survival #Nature #Beautiful #Northern #California #August242020
California fires: Burned redwoods at Big Basin, other parks will recover soon, experts say
Studies after other fires in redwood forests found trees turned green in months
Monday, 24 August 2020
The historic fire that roared through the ancient redwoods of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County, blackening all 18,000 acres of California’s oldest state park and destroying its historic buildings, has drawn international attention and prompted an outpouring of grief and concern.
But fire scientists who have carefully studied other coastal redwood forests after wildfires have surprisingly good news: Don’t worry. Even though they look terrible now, most of the trees will recover.
Not in 100 years. But much sooner. Amazingly, most of the giant, scorched black trees will begin sprouting green leaves again by this winter, they say, when rains begin. Coast redwoods, the tallest trees on Earth, have the Latin name Sequoia Sempervirens, which means “ever-living Sequoia.” Their breathtaking ability to stand tall in the face of floods, fires and other calamities is how they live to be up to 2,000 years old.
Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902, earning its designation as a California Historical Landmark. Its original 3,800 acres (15 km2) have been increased over the years to over 18,000 acres (73 km2). It is part of the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion and is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. It contains 10,800 acres (44 km2) of old-growth forest, as well as recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral and riparian habitats.
LONG LIVE THE CALIFORNIA REDWOOD! 💗
Daily ahhh…. sunset comes to Sugarloaf Rock, in Western Australia's Margaret River region. Been to Margaret River? Rate and review it at http://DestinationRecommended.com/destinations/Margaret-river-region. #MargaretRiver #JustAnotherDayInWA #WesternAustralia #SeeAustralia #Australia #SouthPacific #sunset #coastline #landmark #travel #tourism #review #rating
