Random picture thread for Friday

@Downtown1974 said:
I was in the city last week and caught this great shot of the Empire State Building right as the rain started.

Cool. Know what it was lit up for in those colors? I was in Tokyo earlier this week and the SkyTree (2,080 feet tall) was lit up in the colors of japan's soccer team to honor their win against Germany.

@DrDarryl said:
My home state is putting on a show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLjdSrbxh1g

Cool (well actually hot).

(I'll be on the Big Island later this month. Any expert projections as to how long the "show," or its sequel, is expected to still be playing?)

how many coins are floating?

Alas, there was no Turkey on the menu for this year's Thanksgiving.

Have just returned from a return to Japan (where turkey is for all practical purposes unavailable)) which was prompted by its reopening to tourists after a three year hiatus.

For our Thanksgiving day meal we scheduled a Tokyo Food Tour that originated at the Kabuki Theatre in the Ginza District. As pictured, the first tasting was of an ornate rice cracker from an establishment that had perfected their unique offerings from over 200 years at their shop. The product was almost too artistic to eat. This was followed by a sampling of curry pan (bread) and then it was off to a hidden side street udon shop that also had a storied past and which hand made its own udon noodles. The "main dish" was at another hidden locale in a basement setting that featured Okinawan dishes which included a pasta soaked in squid ink that required the donning of lobster style bibs to prevent inadvertently t staining one's clothing. The final food stop was dessert after a lengthy walk that extended beyond Ginza into neighboring districts.

Captured photographs apart from the food aspect of the tour included night scenes of Ginza from both street level and atop the GSIX (Ginza 6-chome) rooftop garden from which both Tokyo Tower and the world's tallest tower structure, Skytree, could be seen. Of note, as evident in my photo, Skytree was lit up in the colors of Japan's soccer team honoring their just completed win over Germany. There was even a visit to a below street level one-mile long parking "streambroget" that had been constructed in conjunction with the original Tokyo Olympics. It was noted for its array of exotic cars, including Ferraries and Lamborghinies, parked there.

An added bonus was a photo opportunity that came from an unexpected encounter as we crossed a Ginza street just as a wedding party was coming toward us. Sometimes getting that "money shot" just comes from being in the right place at the right time.

And here are some added Tokyo views including Tokyo Tower and the Japanese Diet Building:

how do you make milk shakes and cheeseburgers with love?

this is a good start.