Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century, and the castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century, the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as a military garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half. Edinburgh Castle has played a prominent role in Scottish history, and has served variously as a royal residence, an arsenal, a treasury, a national archive, a mint, a prison, a military fortress, and the home of the Honours of Scotland – the Scottish regalia. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, the castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite rising of 1745. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1,100-year history, giving it a claim to having been "the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world". Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of 1573, when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace, and the early 16th-century Great Hall. The castle is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum. The British Army is still responsible for some parts of the castle, although its presence is now largely ceremonial and administrative. The castle is the regimental headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and houses their regimental museums, along with that of the Royal Scots. The castle, in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, is Scotland's most (and the United Kingdom's second most) visited paid tourist attraction, with over 2.2 million visitors in 2019 and over 70 percent of leisure visitors to Edinburgh visiting the castle. As the backdrop to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the annual Edinburgh Festival, the castle has become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh in particular and of Scotland as a whole.

Watch Ball Arena convert from Nuggets court to Avalanche ice in hours

Remnants of Kezar Stadium

I recently traveled to San Francisco on vacation. I must say that San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. While there I took the opportunity to visit Golden Gate Park which is on the west side of the city. Upon entering the park I was thrilled to see the remnants of old Kezar Stadium. For those of you who don’t know, Kezar Stadium was the home of the San Francisco 49ers from 1946-1970. The stadium was built in 1925 on a narrow strip of land with a picturesque setting in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park. Built for a sum of $300,000, in part with funds accepted from the estate of Mary E. Kazan, the stadium was a quirky high school venue which had undergone multiple additions and “improvements” when the 49ers arrived in 1946. Most players abhorred the stadium and the amateurish accommodations that it offered. “It was the worst (stadium) in the league,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Perry once commented. “The locker rooms were built for high school teams. It was horrendous really. We just became accustomed to it.” It was also cramped. Many of the 59,952 seats were located in the first twelve rows of the stadium. As such, many players (neither team was immune) were within earshot of fans hurling verbal jabs at them and well within range of the garbage that was occasionally thrown in their direction. At one point the 49ers erected a wire cover over the players’ tunnel to protect the team from flying debris. Like any stadium, there were many unique, famous, and infamous moments and games that took place at Kezar Stadium. San Francisco’s first regular season game was a 21-7 loss to the New York Yanks in front of 35,000 fans on Sept. 8, 1946 (the 49ers were a member of the All-America Football Conference from 1946-49 before joining the NFL in 1950). The lowlight for 49ers fans in this game was the punishing running by Yanks backs Ace Parker and Spec Sanders which kept the Bay team off balance for most of the game. The 49ers would go on, however, to be one of the more dominant teams in the AAFC. During the four years San Francisco played in the league they compiled a 21-5-1 record at home. Their last AAFC game at Kezar was a playoff against the New York Yanks on Dec. 4, 1949. That day Verle Lillywhite led a 49ers ground game that churned out 164 yards to help San Francisco win 17-7 and advance to the AAFC title game. On Oct. 27, 1957 49ers team owner, Tony Morabito died of a heart attack in Kezar Staduim as he watched his team play the Chicago Bears. The squad learned of their owner’s passing while trailing 17-7 in the third quarter. The emotionally charged group of men rallied in honor of their leader to win the game 21-17. The 49ers ended that season in a tie for the NFL Western Conference crown. A playoff against the Detroit Lions determined who would advance to the NFL title game. San Francisco started the game firing on all cylinders as quarterback Y.A. Tittle threw three TD passes to lead the 49ers to a 24-7 halftime advantage. The close quarters in Kezar Stadium, however, proved to be a disadvantage for the 49ers in this game. The Lions became enraged after they heard the 49ers celebrating in the locker room during the halftime. The incensed Detroit squad returned to the field and scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to stun the Niners 31-27. The 1957 season also featured the introduction of the famous “Alley-Oop” pass which helped the 49ers win many of their games during the season. On multiple occasions Tittle would toss the football into the end zone as if it was a jump ball. Receiver R.C. Owens, who possessed tremendous leaping ability, would simply out jump the opposing defenders and catch the ball for a touchdown. The play became one of the most exciting and popular techniques in pro football for many years to come. One of the most comical missteps in NFL history, the “Wrong-Way Run” by Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall, occurred in Kezar Stadium on October 25, 1964. Marshall scooped up a fumble by 49ers quarterback Billy Kilmer and raced 66 yards to the end zone. Unfortunately for Marshall, he had run to the wrong end zone and the play resulted in a safety for the 49ers. The 49ers’ final game in Kezar was a tough one. The team lost to the Dallas Cowboys 17-10 in the 1970 NFC Championship Game. Two interceptions by San Francisco quarterback John Brodie proved to be too much to overcome for San Fran. Kezar Stadium stood mostly idle in the years after the 49ers left for Candlestick Park. In 1989 it suffered a great deal of damage in the earthquake that devastated much of the Bay area. As a result it was torn down and reconstructed into a 10,000-seat venue. It doesn’t look exactly as it did back in the day (see the current-day), but is a great tribute to the history of the area and all of the great moments that occurred in the stadium. I would love to say the same thing about the Polo Grounds, Cleveland Stadium or even Three Rivers Stadium but no remnants remain from these historic stadiums.

Labyrinth / MONDO GROSSO

Let’s Glow SF, the country’s largest holiday projection event, is returning to downtown San Francisco for the 2024 holiday season. This FREE holiday projection arts festival has expanded this year to include 8 locations featuring large-scale animated light installations by 16 artists from around the world and award-winning design studios, plus projections at Annie Alley in Yerba Buena and an art installation at The Crossing at East Cut. Let's Glow SF will run from December 6 to 15, 2024 with nightly shows from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM, and will include Glow on Front: A Neon Block Party, a FREE all-ages block party on Front Street, the State’s first Entertainment Zone, on December 13, 2024. After switching on at 7 PM on Friday, December 6th, shows run continuously from 5:30-10 PM each night. On December 6th, a Countdown to Glow public kickoff will take place at the foot of Market Street facing the Ferry Building with entertainment beginning at 5:00 PM. Opening remarks will begin at 6:30 PM and the light shows will officially turn on at 7:00 PM. Attendees will be able to experience the wonder of the season with exciting performances from Catalyst Arts and Circosphere, a DJ, complimentary hot chocolate from Sunset Roasters and Marley’s Treats, and scrumptious pizza available for purchase from Mozzeria. Free Let's Glow SF swag will be available while supplies last. Join Amazon, Compass Family Services, and Let's Glow SF in donating new and gently used winter coats for underserved families at Countdown to Glow on December 6th, 5:00 PM, at Embarcadero Plaza. Local participating businesses will offer special promotions, discounts, themed drinks, and bites for Let’s Glow SF attendees throughout the entire 10-night event. Let’s Glow SF is hosted by The Downtown SF Partnership, the community benefit district that oversees 43 blocks across San Francisco’s Financial District and Jackson Square Historic District. The signature event is part of citywide efforts to activate downtown’s public realm and increase programming as a form of placemaking across the city and is partially funded through an economic recovery grant from the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Office of Mayor London N. Breed.

This is the coolest souvenir you can get in Japan! 🤯 (@timatea on IG) #shorts #japan

What's inside of the Sphere? (Las Vegas)

The Principality of Sealand (/ˈsiːˌlænd/) is a micronation on HM Fort Roughs (also known as Roughs Tower), an offshore platform in the North Sea. It is situated on Rough Sands, a sandbar located approximately 11 kilometres (6 nmi) from the coast of Suffolk and 13 kilometres (7 nmi) from the coast of Essex. Roughs Tower is a Maunsell Sea Fort that was built by the British in international waters during World War II. Since 1967, the decommissioned Roughs Tower has been occupied and claimed as a sovereign state by the family and associates of Paddy Roy Bates. Bates seized Roughs Tower from a group of pirate radio broadcasters in 1967 with the intention of setting up his own station there. Bates and his associates have repelled incursions from vessels from rival pirate radio stations and the UK's Royal Navy using firearms and petrol bombs. In 1987, the United Kingdom extended its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, which places the platform in British territory. As of August 2024, Sealand has only one permanent resident.