New York City has completed the world’s thinnest skyscraper, the 111 West 57th Street, which will soar above Central Park on Billionaire’s Row alongside the Central Park tower and other iconic supertall skyscrapers. 111 West 57th Street, also known as the Steinway Tower, is a supertall residential project by developers JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group in West Midtown in Manhattan, New York City. Located at 111 West 57th Street near Sixth Avenue, the development will be a combination of the original landmarked Steinway Building designed in 1925 by Warren & Wetmore, and a new tower addition on the adjacent site. Parkside Construction Builders is the general contractor. The world’s thinnest skyscraper will sway up to 5 feet during storms. The tower topped out in 2019 and is expected to open in early 2021. Steinway tower is one of the tallest buildings in the United States, as well as the thinnest skyscraper in the world with a width-to-height ratio of about 1:23.
Investigation: ‘How The Rioters Stormed The U.S. Capitol’ (WSJ Video)
A congressional exercise in the peaceful transfer of power devolved into deadly chaos when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. Hours after the riots, Congress reconvened and certified President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire
Walks: ‘Offenbach – Germany’ (4K Video)
Offenbach am Main is a city in Hesse, Germany, on the left bank of the river Main. It borders Frankfurt and is part of the Frankfurt urban area and the larger Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. It has a population of 138,335.
Walking Tours: ‘Tokyo – Japan’ (4K HDR Video)
Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city’s many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theater (in the Edo-Tokyo Museum).
New Year’s Day, 2021
Health: ‘Top Five Diets’ Ranked – “Keep It Simple”
Every year, as millions of people around the world forge new resolutions to eat healthier and lose weight, US News & World Report releases a conveniently timed ranking of the best diets. A panel of experts in obesity, nutrition, diabetes, heart disease, and food psychology rigorously rate each of 39 diets on seven criteria:
- Likelihood of losing significant weight in the first 12 months
- Likelihood of losing significant weight over two years or more
- Effectiveness for preventing diabetes (or as a maintenance diet)
- Effectiveness for preventing heart disease (or for reducing risk for heart patients)
- How easy it is to follow
- Nutritional completeness
- Health risks (like malnourishment, too-rapid weight loss, or specific nutrient deficiencies)
1. Mediterranean diet
Emphasis on fruits, veggies, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, fish and other seafood. Eggs, cheese, and yogurt can be eaten in moderation. Keep red meats and sugar as treats.
2. DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet — TIE
Eat lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. Avoid saturated fats and sugar.
2. Flexitarian diet — TIE
Be a vegetarian most of the time. Swap in beans, peas, or eggs for meats, and consume plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. You can look up more details because there’s actually a full meal plan involving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks to add up to a total 1500 calories per day. But feel free to also just swap in flexitarian meals ad hoc.
4. Weight Watchers
The first actual paid program on the list, WW uses a points system to guide dieters towards foods lower in sugar, saturated fat, and overall calories while consuming slightly more protein. There are a variety of paid WW plans, with the lowest being about $20 per month.
5. Mayo Clinic diet — TIE
A two-part system, with part one (‘Lose it!’) involving adding a healthy breakfast (i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats) plus 30 minutes of exercise per day. You’re not allowed to eat while watching TV or consume sugar except what’s naturally found in fruit. Meat is only allowed in limited quantities, as is full-fat dairy. The second phase (‘Live it!’) is basically the first phase but with more flexibility. You aren’t realistically going to cut out sugar forever, and the Mayo Clinic diet acknowledges that. So the long term plan involves lots of whole grains, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. Less saturated fats and sugar.
Walks: City Of London’s Hidden Parks (4K Video)
Filmed: Thursday 3 January 2021 – A tour of the City of London’s hidden peaceful parks and gardens from Millennium Bridge to London Wall.
Video timeline: 00:00 Millennium Bridge 05:35 Peter’s Hill 08:04 Sermon Lane 12:03 St Paul’s Churchyard 16:00 Cheap Side 16:48 Newgate Street 18:33 King Edward Street 19:31 Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden 22:18 King Edward Street 23:48 Postman’s Park 28:11 Aldersgate Street 29:30 Museum of London 33:12 London Wall
Morning News Podcast: Mob Incited By Trump Storms Capitol Building, Biden Victory Certified
A mob incited by President Donald Trump overran the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday as lawmakers were planning to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s election.
Guests: Axios’ Margaret Talev, Alayna Treene and Jonathan Swan.
Aerial Landscapes: Mount Mitchell In Queensland, Australia (HD Video)
An early morning night time hike to the peak of Mount Mitchell for sunrise, was met with spectacular views and amazing drone video footage.
Mount Mitchell, is a twin-peaked volcanic mountain with an elevation above sea level of 1,168 metres, located in the Main Range, is about 100 kilometres west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and immediately south of Cunninghams Gap.
Adventure Tours: British Photographer Qunitin Lake’s Walk Of 6830 Miles Around Coast Of Britain
British photographer Quintin Lake decided to hike around the coast of Britain on foot, which took him a total of 11,000 kilometres to complete. 180,000 photos are testament to his impressions from this extreme tour.
Classical Music – Flute: “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” – Christoph Gluck
5 Minutes That Will Make You Love the Flute
It’s an instrument based on the most fundamental sign of life: breath. Listen to the best music ever written for it.
The flute is one of humanity’s oldest ways of producing a beautiful sound, and it is based on the most fundamental sign of life: breath. Made from bones, wood or reeds, the earliest specimens date from the Paleolithic era. The flute is often associated with things elegiac, poetic, angelic — with purity — but also with the world of magic; in mythology, Orpheus seduces the underworld playing the flute. In this excerpt from Gluck’s Orpheus opera, the flute is extremely sensual, and, with its lyrical soaring, takes us from earthly pleasures to heavenly ones.
Flute: Julien Beaudiment
Piano: Hugh Sung
Boomers Daily 