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avirwt · 9 months ago

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Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: Discover the Pristine Himalayan Beauty

Introduction: Overview of Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is a mesmerizing journey through the picturesque landscapes of the Kashmir Valley, offering unparalleled views of pristine lakes, towering mountains, and lush meadows. This trek is renowned for its natural beauty and is a must-do for avid trekkers seeking an unforgettable experience in the Himalayas.

Key Highlights: Scenic Beauty and Landscape

One of the standout features of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is its breathtaking scenery. Trekkers traverse through verdant meadows adorned with vibrant wildflowers, pristine alpine lakes reflecting snow-capped peaks, and dense pine forests teeming with wildlife. Each day on the trail unfolds with new vistas that leave a lasting impression.

Difficulty Level: Terrain and Physical Challenge

The trek is graded as moderate to challenging due to its varied terrain and high altitude. Trekkers encounter steep ascents, rocky paths, and river crossings, requiring good physical fitness and endurance. Proper acclimatization and preparation are essential for a successful trek.

Best Time to Visit: Seasonal Considerations

The ideal time to embark on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is from July to September. During this period, the weather is relatively stable, with clear skies and mild temperatures, making it conducive for trekking. The trails are also accessible, and the landscapes are at their vibrant best with blooming flowers.

Route Details: Itinerary and Trail Information

The typical itinerary for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek spans around 8-9 days, starting from Sonamarg and concluding at Naranag. The route covers iconic lakes such as Vishansar, Krishansar, Gadsar, and Satsar, each offering unique scenic delights and camping opportunities.

Camping and Accommodation: Overnight Stays

Camping is an integral part of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, allowing trekkers to immerse themselves in nature's embrace. Basic campsites are set up near the lakes or meadows, providing a serene backdrop for evenings under the starry sky.

Flora and Fauna: Biodiversity

The trek showcases a diverse range of flora and fauna native to the Himalayan region. Trekkers can spot rare Himalayan flowers like the blue poppy, primula, and potentilla, along with sightings of Himalayan marmots, ibex, and various bird species.

Cultural Insights: Local Traditions and People

The Kashmir Valley is steeped in rich culture and traditions. Trekkers have the opportunity to interact with warm-hearted locals from Gujjar and Bakarwal communities, experiencing their hospitality, cuisine, and folklore.

Safety Measures: Precautions and Tips

Safety is paramount during the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. Trekkers should acclimatize properly, stay hydrated, and heed the advice of experienced guides. Carrying essential trekking gear, including trekking poles, first aid kit, and emergency supplies, is crucial.

Equipment Needed: Essential Gear and Packing List

Packing the right equipment is essential for a comfortable and safe trek. Some must-have items include sturdy trekking shoes, layered clothing for varying temperatures, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a reliable backpack.

Embark on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek for an awe-inspiring adventure amidst nature's bounty. This trek promises unparalleled landscapes, cultural encounters, and unforgettable memories, making it a bucket-list experience for outdoor enthusiasts.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Is the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek suitable for beginners?

The trek is recommended for experienced trekkers due to its challenging terrain and high altitude.

2. What is the starting point of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

The trek typically starts from Sonamarg in the Kashmir Valley.

3. Are permits required for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

Yes, trekkers need permits from local authorities to undertake the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek.

4. How can I reach Sonamarg, the starting point of the trek?

Sonamarg is accessible from Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir.

5. What is the best way to prepare for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

Adequate physical fitness, prior trekking experience, and acclimatization are essential preparations.

#mountains #trekking #himalayas #travel

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ntabs343 · 11 months ago

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Ibex Sweater Mens Medium Orange Zip Up Merino Wool Knit Fleece Track Jacket USA.

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africantourstanzania · 3 years ago

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CHEETAH - THE FASTEST RUNNER ON THE SAVANNAH

Cheetah is the fastest terrestrial animal. According to the Guinness Book of Records, a cheetah has proven to run at 104 kilometers per hour. There are sources that claim that speeds of over 120 km/h have been measured, but these are not confirmed.

The cheetah is usually referred to as one of the large felines, along with lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, cougars, and snow leopards. But to be a big cat, it is quite small. The long slender body is light, which of course is a prerequisite for it to be able to reach such high speeds.

Females usually weigh 35–40 kg and males 40–45 kg. Compared to the other big cats, this is quite small, for example, an adult leopard normally weighs between 40 and 70 kg, a jaguar between 55 and 95 kg, a lion between 130 and 200 kg and a Bengal tiger between 140 and 220 kg.

Unlike the other large cats, the cheetah cannot roar. Due to their size and the fact that they cannot roar, it is debated whether they should be classified as belonging to the large cats.

The cheetah is best known for its speed which is its greatest strength. The acceleration is explosive, it accelerates from a standstill to 100 km / h in just three seconds. Reliable data claim that the cheetahs' top speed has been measured at over 100 km / h, some claim that they can run as fast as 120 km/h but this has never been confirmed.

The enormous speed is built up by the long narrow body acting almost like a rubber band in cooperation with the long and strong legs. With its hind legs, the cheetah pushes itself away with enormous force and then pulls them deep into the body, which bends sharply and creates an enormous force in each subsequent jump.

The ability to compress one's body and create a catapult force provides a huge gear ratio and a huge energy forward in every step. This large, powerful movement causes the lungs to be compressed in each step and the speed comes at the cost of the cheetah having a very poor endurance.

When hunting, it needs to sneak close to its prey and then, with a fast, explosive, acceleration, trap its prey with a short hunt. If the hunt fails in a few seconds, it will fail. Despite its speed, the cheetah fails at least as often with its hunt as it succeeds. On average, a cheetah sheds its prey on 40–50% of the time.

The cheetah is not big enough to hunt large antelopes such as wildebeest, zebra, topi, ibex, although it can take young animals of these species. It usually hunts small antelopes such as Thomson's gazelle, ditch, duiker, springbok, and impala. They also sometimes hunt hares and birds.

Cheetahs live alone or in small groups

Cheetahs are not herd animals, but they are not entirely hermits either. Females tend to live on their own, or with their young until they are large enough to fend for themselves. Males often live in small groups of 2-3 animals.

Because they are smaller than competing predators such as leopard, hyena and lion, the cheetah is often keen to have a good overview of its surroundings and they therefore like areas with open savannah and they are often located on small hills where they can keep an eye out. In some areas, such as the Serengeti, they sometimes climb on safari jeeps and lie on the roof to keep an eye out. They often eat their prey immediately after they kill it because there is always a great risk that a larger predator will take their prey. If a lion, hyena, or leopard decides to take the prey, the cheetah can do nothing but leave the prey.

#cheetah

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felipeandletizia · 5 years ago

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May 22, 2020: King Felipe held a videoconference with representatives of the Spanish Logistics Center (CEL). A sector that is being especially relevant during the COVID-19 crisis.

The weight of logistics in the economy as a whole is around 8% of Spanish GDP. According to INE data, the number of companies dedicated exclusively to Transport and Storage amounts to 83,039, being a sector with a significant number of small companies (98%). Supply chains are characterized by their complexity and make up a heterogeneous network of actors. These activities are transversal to many sectors of the economy, standing out as an innovative and technical discipline, although with an uneven impact on its development.

The videoconference was attended by the Spanish Logistics Center, the president, Ana Isabel González, the general director, José Estrada and the members of the Board of Directors Javier Echenique and Manuel Jiménez, who have transferred to Don Felipe that the Spanish logistics market It is key and strategic for the economic recovery of the country.

The representatives of the Spanish Logistics Center have highlighted the impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had and the measures that they consider necessary to adopt to guarantee competitiveness and efficiency in the context of the exit from the crisis.

In the first weeks of the crisis, supply chains have suffered a great impact, although different by sector. In areas such as the automotive industry, textiles or the HORECA channel, the lack of demand has practically paralyzed logistics activity. However, other channels, such as the food channel, were initially overwhelmed by the buy-panic effect, having to respond to demands that doubled in physical stores and quintupled in the e-commerce channel.

Another sector where the operational impact has been very relevant has been the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector with urgent shipments to hospitals 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

During the videoconference, the representatives of the Spanish Logistics Center stressed that despite all the difficulties, the logistics sector related to the supply of essential goods has carried out its functions with great responsibility, as have all the workers who, despite The health risks and the difficulties experienced have made it possible for essential supply chains to continue operating, transmitting security and confidence to society.

Regarding the impact of the crisis, CEL has highlighted that companies will have to make an effort to improve their competitiveness and consider risk as a decision factor along with service and cost in order to have more resilient supply chains. New technologies such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence or Robotization, as well as digitization will be important ways to achieve this.

The change in consumer habits (for example, e-commerce) will cause a transformation in the logistics of some sectors and collaboration between companies will be enhanced, sharing resources such as transportation and storage, seeking synergies and cost savings, and generating logistics more environmentally and economically sustainable.

According to CEL, the strong relationship of logistics with consumption allows us to foresee a drop of up to 15% in the turnover of logistics activity linked to the decline in GDP. In order to mitigate this impact on supply chains, CEL considers it important to address the following issues: resume business as soon as possible with a clear definition by the Administration of the procedures to be followed; greater labor flexibility; aid that reaches companies and the self-employed in the sector to guarantee their competitiveness and efficiency and, finally, the training of professionals and the development of training programs that facilitate adaptation to new technologies.

On the other hand, CEL has proposed to Don Felipe, the creation of specific working groups made up of experts in the fields, which allow advising administrations and companies based on knowledge and experience. In this regard, they have highlighted as great challenges, the improvement of logistics infrastructures, the Urban Distribution of Merchandise and the digital transformation of the sector.

Since 1978, the Spanish Logistics Center has been working to contribute to the knowledge and development of logistics and its professionals. We accompany organizations in the development and professionalization of their supply chain, being the benchmark in the realization of projects, the dissemination of solutions and innovative trends and training.

Logistics is a sector with a transversal impact in each of the production sectors and, as we are seeing, with a strategic nature for the economy and society of any country. The Spanish Logistics Center works to give visibility to the activities related to the supply chain, having a sphere of influence that reaches all the actors in the logistics and transport activity, creating relationships that reach more than 10,000 professionals.

Among its 200 partners are logistics representatives of large IBEX companies, including the large distribution, food, textile, technology, consulting, automotive, pharmaceutical, large logistics operators, and public-sector organizations such as the Army, Port Authorities o Madrid Metro.

In addition to carrying out projects at a European level, the Spanish Logistics Center is a founding member of the European Logistics Association and a representative in Spain of ASCM (Association of Supply Chain Management), the world association for supply chain management. We also collaborate with numerous organizations in Spain and Latin America, as well as with public institutions, contributing our knowledge and experience in the Logistics and Transportation activity.

#King Felipe #King Felipe of Spain #King Felipe VI #King Felipe VI of Spain #Official Event #COVID-19 #May 2020

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fallactive92-blog · 5 years ago

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Garaventa Emergency Discharge Chairs

Just how Performs An Evacuation Chair Work?

When considering just how carries out an evacuation chair functions, you might be actually picturing your own self in a condition where an emergency evacuation must be made. In lots of cases where a skyscraper has been hit with a terrorist assault, individuals need to be actually left promptly just before the structure collapses.

Folks are in worry and panic when an emergency discharge is necessary. They become unsteady. The exact same point can easily take place when there is a fire.

This is among the reasons discharge office chairs were actually developed. Now it is actually feasible to capitalize on these chairs as well as use all of them to aid deliver people to their destination properly. Instead of being actually stuck in the hot spot for hours, an individual can be safely delivered to security within the first couple of mins of the emergency being brought in understood.

Emptying seats likewise function effectively in crisis zone where the population is actually decreasing. Along with an evacuation chair, an individual may be delivered promptly to safety and security. This is handy throughout opportunities of emergency.

Among the largest advantages of utilization an evacuation chair is actually security. The person is not partaking the chair. They will be actually seated in a reclining posture. It is likewise crucial that the chair is comfortable for the individual to be capable to be pleasant.

A person that is on the ground is actually more probable to be hurt than a person seated on the chair. When an individual is settled on a chair, it aids prevent traumas from developing. The chair is going to be sure that the person remains in a position that fits to sit in.

Yet another reason why an evacuation chair functions therefore effectively is due to the area of the chair. It needs to be positioned in a location that runs out the method of larger challenges. It could be placed in a parking lot or in a building cellar.

When traveling to a hot spot, it could be tough to locate a safe spot to park. Nonetheless, an evacuation chair can easily help move people. There are actually various other types of household furniture that work effectively for this reason.

Sometimes a vehicle will certainly be actually positioned straight before a structure that needs to have to become expelled. The chairs can be used to deliver individuals to the region that they need to be located. This can permit much more than someone to be transferred to the emergency area at a time.

Seats are actually created to become straightforward to produce. They are actually brought in to become easy to establish as well as clear away. Through this being the case, they may be utilized at any time to move individuals to much safer sites.

Many individuals that do work in emergency circumstances are individuals that are coping with bodily problems. Being actually out in the area of devastation for substantial periods of your time can result in some severe health and wellness issues. Possessing an evacuation chair can easily help them return to their houses and come to be a typical portion of their day-to-day lifestyle.

Lastly, there are actually lots of reasons an evacuation chair works. They are a fantastic technique to make safe transportation for people that are actually out in the disaster area. A chair that is straightforward to use and also cost-effective is actually a great technique to transport folks to havens quickly.

Conveniences of a Fire Evacuation Chair

One of the most essential furniture you may buy for your home is actually a fire evacuation chair. It may appear like a small furniture, but it supplies convenience and also safety and security in an immediate. Similar to all benches, the only point holding the occupant up coming from standing and also perambulating is actually the dining table surface. As a result of this, they could be conveniently overturned, spilling coffee on the floor, or burnt tribute.

The chair assists avoid traumas as a result of falling off or even spilling meals. It enables very easy walking or standing for patients that have actually been actually sitting for a while. Kids, those with specials needs, or those along with inadequate harmony will find the chair beneficial. Each of these may all be actually prevented by acquiring an evacuation chair.

Discharges are actually a health care facility's responsibility. They frequently operate a stringent budget. However regardless of this, a good chair may be really important to a person. A traditional chair has cushions that may help in reducing the price of blood stream loss. Patients ought to also be comfortable being in a chair as it makes them even more responsive to procedures.

There are actually many advantages to having a fire evacuation chair. The initial conveniences is actually that they make the health care environment simpler to function in. This is due to the fact that they provide a higher amount of convenience than an usual office chair. The chair is actually likewise created along with cushioning that aids to prevent smooth cells personal injury.

One more perk is that the cylinders permit people to maintain their heads above the floor when they are stagnating. This eliminates injuries coming from sliding or stumbling, which may take place during the course of the course of a typical switch. study by Fire Evacuation Chair evac, is additionally simple to shut off the chair, so they do certainly not maintain the patient also long in one position. This is actually terrific when people are moved to another device or hanging around region.

Making use of an usual workdesk chair is actually troublesome for people and also may create discomforts or even painful shoulders. The chair may deliver a considerable amount of conveniences. The padding additionally reduces the likelihood of sliding or even stumbling.

Various other conveniences of possessing a chair are actually that it may be made use of for basic injury assessment as well as therapy. In fact, it can easily additionally be actually used to lessen discomfort in the higher body. The chairs may likewise be actually a practical way to keep the client notification during the course of the treatment.

http://evacchairprice.evenweb.com/ of the chair is actually the noticeable one. Most people can't envision the ache a chair may aid relieve. If they possessed a relaxed chair to relax their directly for some time, they could locate relief from lightheadedness, fatigue, or even nausea or vomiting. For intense instances, a chair could be pretty beneficial in reducing signs and symptoms of tummy lesions or even intestinal tract contaminations.

Convenience is actually one more variable that makes a chair valuable. Individuals perform incline being settled in office chairs so long as they experience comfy and risk-free. This could be particularly significant when they hold your horses in a medical location, as they might be sick as well as wanting top quality care.

Other functions of the chair are actually the ones that could possibly additionally profit the client. The seats can be changed as though it can be much more comfy. They could be placed at a posture that is optimal for children and also adults equally. They can additionally be gotten used to adapt to the person's requirements.

This likewise makes the chair much easier to relocate coming from one area to another. They come in a selection of sizes, coming from little to huge. They could be quickly wheeled basics of autos, as well as also in wheelchairs. This makes them a hassle-free product to make use of.

The fire evacuation chair may be a great furniture piece. They are useful, comfy, as well as can easily provide a solution of comfort for anyone who could require it. They likewise have actually the incorporated advantage of being economical. They might be actually little in dimension, but they supply a great deal of comfort as well as advantage to a person.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

EVERYTHING YOU REQUIRED TO KNOW HOW MANY FOLKS DOES IT REQUIRE TO FUNCTION THE EVAC+CHAIR? For stairs descent, the 300H, 500H, 600H, and Power 800 require only one operator to direct the chair and the individual seated in it down the measures. the EVAC+CHAIR does 90% of the job on its own. It is recommended that when delivering a bariatric individual making use of the 500H that a second operator helps to direct the chair utilizing the deals with positioned at the face.

CONTAINER THE EVAC+CHAIR GO UPSTAIRS? Yes. The EVAC+POWER 800 is an electric/battery powered stair climber that enables simple and risk-free stair ascent and descent. It may be used in emergency evacuations, power failures, and daily individual transport to safely and effortlessly move a guest backwards and forwards a trip of stairs.

The EVAC+CHAIR style, 600-H is furnished with face and also back airlift deals with for this reason. However, so as to rise up stairs or over difficulties, two operators are demanded to lift the chair. The footsteps can easily not be utilized to go upstairs.

Our IBEX 700H will definitely go both up and downstairs without any holding or even elevating. The footsteps never leave behind the stair nosing as well as assistance 90% of the traveler's body weight.

ARE THERE ANY EXCLUSIVE ACCESSORIES NEEDED TO HAVE ON THE STAIRS? The EVAC+CHAIR is actually all that is required. It utilizes fundamental principles of gravitation and rubbing, certainly not devices. There is actually no installment. Its own always ready for instant on-the-job defense.

CAN THE PERSON SETTLED IN THE CHAIR FALL OUT? No. She or he is seated within a wallet seat that mugs the physical body safely and securely. The cyclist is actually strapped in and sits merely inches from the incline of the steps. All fat is actually supported due to the stairs, not the sieving arms of volunteers.

HOW STRONG DOES A "PAL" HAVE TO Be Actually TO OVERVIEW EVAC+CHAIR? Our team suggest that attendants originally practice with a person who measures concerning their own body system weight. As soon as the bodily feeling of function is professional as well as depending upon the operators own strength as well as speed, higher differences in body weight may be handled.

IS THE EVAC+CHAIR HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THE DISABLED PERSON IN THE HOUSE? The EVAC+CHAIR Power 800 and also the IBEX could be suggested for make use of for the impaired in the house as they have both ascent as well as declination performances. Our team will not encourage the 300H, 500H, as well as 600H for this circumstance (other than the high-rise apartment resident) as a result of the assorted and non-standard area as well as stair configurations of the exclusive house. These styles deliver one-way transport simply, a lifeboat function positively important for a building however certainly not functional for the specific looking for daily aid up and also downstairs.

How Much Time DOES IT NEED TO LEARN TO USAGE EVAC+CHAIR? By observing the instructions that feature the unit (theyre likewise published on the seat) the normal individual must excel along with an individual his/her personal body weight within 5 mins. Its own that easy!

CAN I FIND A DEMONSTRATION? Sure. VISIT HERE for an online video recording. Our company can additionally relate to you for an online manifestation. Merely CALL United States to set up a consultation.

The Amount Of EVAC+CHAIRS DO I NEEDED TO HAVE? It depends upon the measurements as well as capability of your place. Feel free to phone some of our discharge specialists to far better examine your requirements.

HOW STRONG DO I NEEDED TO HAVE To Become TO OPERATE THE EVAC+CHAIR? Since the chair operates on the Trademarked POLY MATIC-V BELT system, stamina is actually much less of a concern than making use of appropriate procedure. When using the chair to deliver someone downstairs, it is crucial to keep in mind that you must be actually lowering in the direction of your toes, not drawing back. Don't forget, to prevent accident to operators and/or the traveler, drivers should never ever attempt to transport guest loads more than what they can raise.

BE ACTUALLY THESE CHAIRS REQUIRED? As specified in the NFPA Life Safety Recommendation and by the ADA it is called for that each structure is actually to have easily accessible methods of egress (ADAAG 4.1.3( 9 ), 4.3.10), yet performs certainly not indicate an answer. During the course of the majority of unexpected emergencies, the favored procedure of egress elevators run out solution for safety reasons. The EVAC+CHAIR acts as a successful ways of leaving a multistory structure for handicapped or even incapacitated individuals. EVAC+CHAIR CAN BE YOUR OPTION!

Email Address [email protected] Fire Evacuation Chair Unit 3 Newberry Cross industrial estate Newberry Mallow Co. Cork P51 Y622 Ireland Phone: 00353214508588

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#best fireevacuationchairevac chair #best evacuation chair #fire evacuation chair types #Buy evacuation chair for stairs #buy emergency stair chair

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ikesenhell · 7 years ago

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Summoning Circle XVI

This is a continuation of Summoning Circle. You can find all other IkeSen works of mine here. NOTE: Tagging @katriniac at her request.

They shoved back the furniture in the living room and prepared another circle. Sasuke prepped instruments she didn’t even know the names of around the room. Some whirred, some beeped, some made scrawling measurements like a seismograph. He monitored them all ceaselessly for a week before clapping his hands together.

“Good news. We might not even need a machine.”

“How do you figure that?” She asked, propping herself up between two of them on the couch.

“Well, the problem is from the other side. Ergo, we’d need to get through to the other side to block the holes. And I think--” He paused, contemplating his words. “I think it’s a matter of reverse engineering the doorway you made in the first place to place a barrier.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, her brain nigh on meltdown mode. “English please.”

“Remember your sigil you drew to summon them in the first place?” Sasuke flipped the book open, teasing his fingers between the pages. “It’s like an algebra problem.”

“Fuck, Sasuke. The whole reason we’re in this mess is because I’m shit at math.”

He half-smiled, shoving his glasses back up his nose. “Alright. A better analogy. Think of each place in the universe was a door. Naturally, to get in a door, you need a key.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“So, for instance, to ‘assemble’ the key to our having space travel, we had to map out the lock. The components involved velocity, calculating orbits, etcetera, but in the end it was a key nonetheless.” He tapped the pages to the book. “And this book details keys to other doors.”

She paused. “So basically what you’re saying is the circle is the door, we just have to figure out the components to get us in there. Like a password.”

“Exactly like a password.”

“And once we’re in there...” The details laid bare out before her like the mythical yellow brick road. “Then we block the route back?”

“It’ll take a little doing. But that’s the idea. It’s just a matter of assembling the component to create the block. And in the meantime, we’d have the assistance of Mitsuhide and Mitsunari on the other side.”

It wasn’t a perfect idea, but it was an idea, and it was better than any she had to boot. Besides. Sasuke had never, ever let her down before. Suddenly overwhelmed by the grace of him, she leapt to his side and crushed him in a hug.

“Sasuke, you’re the very best friend in the whole goddamn universe.”

He pet her back gently. “This is as much a fun scientific adventure for me as it is helping you... but you’re welcome.”

Mitsunari stood in the eye of the circling storm.

A thousand dreams swirled around him. He extended a finger and watched them ripple around him, fragments of unconscious thoughts flowing through his mind. Oh, he was so, so hungry for them, so tempted to delve in and devour them whole for their knowledge. But he was hunting first and foremost. That stayed him. Faster and faster the tide turned around him. He shut his purple eyes and focused to the full stretch of his will, feeling the ravenous desire in him fight for control.

But not today.

He felt the dream and latched on, pulling it out of the slipping current and laying it bare before him. There. She dreamed, and his heart screamed and pulled from his chest, threatening mutiny.

She dreamed of them.

There they were--himself and Mitsuhide, standing in her kitchen, fumbling over sandwiches. The contents made no sense, and neither did the fact that all the furniture was floating--but nevermind that. Dream logic had a way of creeping in. He absorbed himself in the details of her.

He watched her hands reaching for them, the way she always fell just out of reach. The kitchen drifted farther and farther away until it was only a lonely blip, the infinite hallway extending before her. Mitsunari wanted so badly for Dream-Him to reach out, take her, grab her! But no. He could only stand arrested as at last, the whole apartment slipped into blackness, the shattering of a mirror sprinkling through her mind.

“There you are.”

Mitsunari shut his eyes and tried not to feel angry at Mitsuhide. “Did we do the right thing?”

The silver-haired demon stepped to his side and stared down at the dream. It turned to a horror so easily. Now she dreamed of blood sprinkled over the vanity, fragments of a vampire skull scattered over her feet.

“Yes,” Mitsuhide murmured, his voice shaking. “We did.”

“It doesn’t feel like the right thing.”

“The right thing often doesn’t.”

Mitsunari sighed. “I suppose coming from you, that means something. You’re the king of doing the right thing in the worst ways.”

The ghost of an amused smile played over Mitsuhide’s lips, but he said nothing. Instead he extended his hand toward his partner. “You can’t stand here in the stream forever.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re starved. You never made the trade I made. You can’t be away from your books this long.”

“I know,” Mitsunari answered miserably. “I know. But I keep coming back here.”

Nothing other than the rush of swirling dreams around them answered. At last, Mitsuhide sighed. “Whatever you’re looking for, I can stand guard for now. She wouldn’t want you to do this to yourself.”

A bitter laugh escaped him. “She wouldn’t want a lot of things that have happened.”

“No. You’re right. She wouldn’t have.”

She took her cat to stay with another friend for a while. After all, whenever they broke through to Purgatory, Theodora couldn’t go without food and water. Kissing her pet a thousand times on the head, she finally resolved herself to the unknown.

Both she and Sasuke threw themselves into working long hours every week, extending their paychecks as far as they could manage to accommodate an unknown length of time away from their respective bills and responsibilities. Each night, they dragged themselves back to the apartment and slaved over the books late into the night. Sasuke pinned an intricate system of notes onto her wall. One night she pointed out it looked like a meme and he struck the same pose, sending them into a several-minute long fit of giggles.

And at last--at last!--they had something.

“Holy shit.” Sasuke announced one midnight. “I think I got it.”

She pried herself from her notes to stare blearily at him. “What?”

“I’ve got it.” And he scrambled for chalk, etching the runes into the floor one at a time. Each of them pulsed and warped in tandem, shimmering a bright red through the apartment until a faint light pooled in the center. Sasuke inhaled deeply. “I haven’t set the last symbol, but when we do...”

“Oh my god.” She slammed the book shut, scrabbling over to him. “Okay. Okay okay. Okay!”

“We need to get supplies.” He nodded resolutely, and suddenly the two of them were scrabbling around the room. “Like a can of beans!”

A moment. She stopped and stared at him. “A... can of beans? Like, a singular can?”

Sasuke, astrophysicist and genius, stopped dead in his tracks, eyes glazed. “I... yes. We probably need more than one.”

“Sleep deprivation getting you there?”

“I’d be absolutely thrilled if we could just chalk it up to that.”

They crashed that night in the living room, and by the next morning, they both sent off emails to their respective employers about an unplanned, long-term absence from work. Shuffling their backpacks together, they checked it for the millionth time.

“A compass won’t be any use there,” Sasuke mumbled. “Do you know how to orient us once we’re in?”

“Not a single fucking clue, if I’m honest. I might be able to get us to the hot springs... if it dumps us out in the correct place.”

“Not likely, then.” But he smiled anyway, cranking one of his ten wind-up cameras he’d somehow procured. “This will be very exciting.”

“And scary. We need to be on our guard.”

“Of course. But the scientific opportunity here is limitless.”

Count on Sasuke to make it fun. Shaking out her nerves, she nodded at him. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah. Let’s do this. Beam me up, Scotty.”

He gave her the usual muted smile and scrawled out the appropriate signs. Just as before, the whole living room began to swim with ruby light. Affixing the last piece, they stepped back as a massive gate appeared before them--and just beyond, a thick, purple haze.

She exhaled hard and took Sasuke’s hand. “Alright.”

He squeezed it reassuringly. Together, they stepped through, and the gate closed behind them.

“My friend?”

The demon frowned from his place atop a cushioned chair, but answered anyway. “Yes, Shingen?”

Smirking, the redheaded demon flopped into a matching one across from him, adjusting his red and gold robes. “I don’t suppose you’re in a mood for a patrol?”

Those mismatched eyes flicked open with interest. “Is it a vampire incursion? Perhaps some of those hungering spirits again?”

“No, no no, Kenshin, my friend. Nothing that we need to attack, exactly.”

“Oh.” Kenshin’s face soured immediately. “Then I’m not interested.”

“Come now! It’ll be fascinating.” Shingen chuckled, leaning in. “I heard the most interesting report. We have some interlopers out here.”

“If I can’t kill them, then I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I’m certain you’ll find them of interest.” The demon grinned broad, his horns like an ibex shimmering into view. “Because, my friend, they’re humans.”

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vorthosjay · 7 years ago

Text

Let’s Talk About Chronicle of Bolas: The First Lesson

Chronicle of Bolas: The First Lesson came out today, and it’s a fascinating story without the sort of lore baggage that would require me to say much about it. So read and enjoy!

Art by Even Amundsen

"We all die, now or later," replied her Grandmother in her most maddeningly calm tone. "This could be a trap on the part of Ojutai to find me."

"So you are Yasova, keeper of the past and guardian of the unwritten now."

Unwritten was the name of the story where Yasova first appeared.

He took in several ragged breaths to build strength for more words. "Ojutai destroyed the records Shu Yun preserved for so many generations. He wants to destroy our memory of the past, and of our ancestors, so our people know only what the dragonlords wish them to know. But the story the Spirit Dragon told to the first shamans has survived because it wasn't only written down. It has also been passed down from master to student, memorized and handed on to the next generation."

Grandmother's brow wrinkled. A glimmer woke in her eyes, a flash of excitement, a thrill of fear and hope. "The Spirit Dragon spoke to your shamans?"

There’s also a secret archive, but this person doesn’t seem to know of it (or isn’t sharing that information). It would be rediscovered by Narset a millennia later.

My own story is a simple one. The one I loved best in all the worlds is the one who killed me.

How did it happen? That is less simple, and will take longer to tell. Listen carefully, for he may come here someday, and if that happens, then you must beware, for whatever words he speaks to flatter and persuade you will be lies.

Grandmother hissed sharply.

Yasova was tricked by Nicol Bolas into aiding him in killing Ugin.

If you should ever have the misfortune of meeting him, I would never recommend anyone suggest to him that he at any point in his long life has felt fear.

HA! Leshrac did this, and paid with his life for it.

"I want to know who those hunters are, and where they come from, and how we can destroy them. They've learned they can kill one of us now, so they will not fear us."

This story is great at telling us who Nicol Bolas is. Bolas can’t suffer others to feel confident against him. He must break them.

"I do not guess. Dragons are born with the gift of names. It is in our nature to know names without being told them. Just as we knew our own names at the moment we woke into consciousness." He closed his eyes, not at all afraid of us, then opened them to examine us with a keen and unrelenting gaze that irritated me because he was so sure of himself. But his curiosity and confidence also intrigued me. "Why do you each only have one name?"

Oooh, as some have suggested, Bolas was not originally part of Nicol’s name.

I sniffed at the dead animal, seeking from what lingered of its spirit some indication of its name and substance: it was an ibex, old for its kind; it had had a peaceful life, and that gave its blood and meat a certain pleasing odor.

I tore off a hunk of flesh. It was pleasurable to eat, even if a little tough.

This... is interesting. Weird that this comes from Ugin.

That which decays is also being consumed.

The revelation swept over me like a storm's hot rush: within the invisible web that is life and death, nothing goes to waste.

"Death is merely part of a greater cycle," I said, quite struck by my amazing wisdom.

This is important, as this is part of Ugin’s transcending color, most likely. The great cycle.

"I want to kill something," said Nicol. "Are you coming?"

It was the second time he'd asked if I was coming with him. To be fair, we'd never been apart, had never walked or flown the slightest span without the other within earshot. I couldn't imagine being in the world without him beside me.

Ugin thinks Bolas asking is because they can’t bear to be apart, but I wonder if right from the start he was challenging Ugin, prepared to leave him.

I ate thoughtfully, considering his words. It was true we had hunted in the manner of our older sister, each hunting alone, relying on our individual speed and strength. What if there was a better way?

Bolas and Ugin both begin to learn planning and coordination, important to their schemes later.

We spent years, as you Jeskai would measure the span of days, perfecting various techniques for hunting in tandem.

Hey, this might be the first indication we’ve had post-mending of the different measurements of time on different planes.

Several times we were chased by a big ugly dragon named Vaevictis Asmadi who, with his siblings, furiously guarded a territory they claimed for their own hunting grounds even though it had plenty of space and game enough for many hunters to cull.

The story also mentions even more dragons, which is great! It means there is enough for a true Elder Dragon War.

One day, we settled on a hill amid a richly forested plain. From this vantage, we found ourselves looking over a riverside settlement inhabited by the bipeds called humans. In general, we avoided humans. They didn't taste good, and I didn't like eating things that could talk.

THEY DIDN’T TASTE GOOD.

Just a reminder: Ugin has eaten people.

"I didn't realize humans would trust dragons," he said.

This is another important moment for Nicol, who is beginning to realize humans can be of use to him.

Death was no longer a stranger to me, for we had killed our share of prey, but the screams of the dying soldiers troubled me in a way that the last moments of the animals we'd hunted had not.

This is good! It’s too bad Ugin would lose sight of this somewhat when he became a planeswalker and messed with the fundamental natures of planes.

"You are the twins, Nicol and Ugin."

"I am Nicol Bolas," said Nicol.

"You are?" I asked. "When did that happen?"

"I have two names. All proper dragons have two names."

"Ugin is fine for me," I said, dismissing this as another of Nicol's quicksilver mood changes. I turned politely back to our older brother. "Brother Arcades, why did the humans attack us when we approached?"

Another great character moment. Nicol names himself Bolas. Ugin doesn’t feel the need. Very interesting.

And Vaevictis's mob. They're quite the gang of marauders. And more besides them, some flying alone and some flocking together. I protect the humans from the other dragons who roam this land. But I am also teaching the humans to a better path of life, one ruled not just by their own primitive, violent tendencies."

Here is the rest of the dragons I mentioned earlier. It’s interesting that Vaevictis is the leader of his own group.

I also find it very interesting that it is Arcades Sabboth who taught civilization to humanity! We previously knew NOTHING about him. Now, he founded human civilization!

Unlike our kind, they work together. Do you want to come see? You may visit for a little while as my honored guests, as long as you follow the rules of law and order I have established in this colony."

So, it was then that we accompanied Arcades back to the town. He made us known to the people there, and they greeted us with awe and respect, although, perhaps not quite as much awe and respect as they showed to Arcades, whom they called "Dragonlord."

So that’s where the title Dragonlord comes from. For elder dragons who rule a human civilization, Ugin taught the name to the Jeskai. I wonder if we’ll be getting Dragonlord Arcades as his actual card?

I poked my snout into everything, and made particular friends with an old holy elder named Te Ju Ki, whose sole purpose in life, it seemed, was to think about things that could not be seen.

I’m not sure who Te Ju Ki is, but the name is so specific it feels like it has to be referenced somewhere, no?

Nicol had no patience for her possessionless way of being in the world; he wanted to be where Arcades was, guiding and advising the people. Nicol made himself useful in a hundred ways, digging into every crevice of human life and emotion. But the greed and excitement and anxiety and competitiveness of humans tired me when I was around it too much, so the solitude of Te Ju Ki's way attracted me. I soaked up the calm wisdom she exuded.

Nicol Bolas: Guider and Adviser.

In reality, Bolas was learning how to run a civilization, because he wanted to rule, not adjudicate.

Entire days would pass in silence as she and I sat in her circular chamber. Its roof had long since fallen in, and she informed me once that the half-collapsed tower was an artifact of builders who had bided here before the people who now lived in this place.

"We are not the first, and we will not be the last," she said. "We see only our hand before our face, but there have been other hands here before ours, and there will come others after us. Even this world is but one layer amid many others."

She knew many schemes as an aid to meditation, but I best liked it when she spun globes of light in the air. Translucent threads of magic tethered each of the globes to the others so that, as they whirled in the air, they remained both separate and yet linked by connections too mysterious for me to comprehend. She called each one a "plane," although I did not know what she meant by the word at that time. When I asked if the globes were a thought experiment or if they really existed, she said it did not matter because no physical being could cross between planes. But I didn't care about that. The way the radiant globes interlocked and moved in and around each other fascinated me as much as the wisdom she uttered in her whispery rasp of a voice.

"Everything that lives is interwoven. Everything that dies is consumed by something else, by another animal or by decay. In this rot lies the kernel of new life, for it passes back into the world as seeds take root and grow. There is no end, just endless cycles of transformation."

Ugin learns about the Multiverse!

The guards took him away. As a steward directed the body be removed and the blood washed off the stones, I raised my eyes to the roof of one of the nearby buildings. Nicol lounged there, stretched along the ridgeline, watching the scene with an avid gaze.

"What did you do?" I demanded in dragon speech.

"What did I do? I have not moved from here."

"You stood by and let it happen? You could have intervened."

A smirk of satisfaction creased his visage. "What if I did?"

The prickling sensation intensified. "What do you mean? What did you do, Nicol?"

"I have discovered a better way to get revenge. Are you coming or are you going to stay with your mealy-mouthed sage and her bland tidbits of wisdom?"

So... Bolas definitely used magic to make that guy kill the other guy, right?

I wonder what Bolas’s revenge will end up being.

#vorthos #archive trap blog #mtgm19

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cryptodictation · 5 years ago

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Stock markets suffer more with the coronavirus than after the fall of Lehman Brothers | Economy

Stock traders on Wall Street last Wednesday.BRYAN R. SMITH / AFP (AFP)

This weekend was a month since the start of the expansion of the coronavirus in Europe. Which was the starting gun for a few weeks of hysteria, volatility and a lot of panic in the great parquets around the world. Until February 20, on the Stock Exchanges, it seemed that Covid-19 was only a threat to China that would impact the global economy in the dark. But since then the stock market losses have been in the hundreds of billions.

If the first four full weeks are taken (from February 24 to March 20), the great world squares have left a third of their value. This is almost 10 percentage points more than in the four weeks after the Lehman Brothers collapse, counting from September 29, when the bankruptcy of the fund was felt fiercely outside the US. Wall Street suffered since September 15, but then there was no such disaster.

The reaction of the Stock Exchanges

In the last four weeks,

due to the coronavirus crisis

In 2008, after the fall of Lehman Brothers

Close of

the week and

variation in

four weeks

Source: Investing.com

THE COUNTRY

The reaction of the Stock Exchanges

In the last four weeks,

due to the coronavirus crisis

In 2008, after the fall of Lehman Brothers

Close of

the week and

variation in

four weeks

Source: Investing.com

THE COUNTRY

The reaction of the Stock Exchanges

In the last four weeks, due to the coronavirus crisis

In 2008, after the fall of Lehman Brothers

End of the week

and variation in

four weeks

Source: Investing.com

THE COUNTRY

The difference is that the markets in 2008 had already been falling for months. Hence, the collapse is now so intense: in only four weeks, what was then discounted in more time has been lost. “This is partly the result of a complacency in the past few weeks, when news from China should have already anticipated a slump in activity,” explains Angel Talavera, chief economist for Europe at Oxford Economics.

In the case of the Ibex, these first four weeks with the movements of investors shaking the Stock Markets will be recorded for history. The Spanish selective has suffered the biggest setback in four consecutive weeks in its history. It far exceeds the blackest four weeks before the coronavirus: after the fall of Lehman Brothers. The next largest decline in the Ibex was almost 24%, from August 27 to September 21, 2001, in the weeks of the 9/11 attack.

These numbers chill investors, small and large, despite the slight improvement in recent sessions. The stimuli launched by central banks and governments have tempered the falls. Something in which the tools of the stock supervisors have also contributed to avoid bearish bets. For example, the CNMV banned short sales two days ago during the day. A measure that was repeated last Tuesday, this time with a validity of one month, and renewable.

“He decided to do it again given the situation. It seems reasonable and has helped reduce the intensity of losses. However, volatility will continue in the short term, ”says Natalia Aguirre, director of analysis and strategy at Renta 4 Banco. In this way, the Madrid Stock Exchange tries to contain the collapses. And the VIX, the fear index that measures volatility, is down. A small joy for the body, although it continues at levels similar to those of 2008.

Despite this slight recovery, the markets are still shivering. After leaving a third of its value, the soil they are trying to settle on is still very fragile. And it is very easy to dig deeper. Especially since the improvement does not respond to a solution to the health crisis. “The fundamental problem is that quarantine measures that allow the health system not to become saturated lengthen the recession,” argues Federico Steinberg, principal investigator of economy and international trade at the Elcano Royal Institute.

Extraordinary measures

In this way, the Stock Exchanges suffer from two main aspects: health and economic uncertainty. The measures taken are extraordinary and more and more governments stop all activity for weeks and isolate the population to contain the pandemic. A kind of chemotherapy that attacks bad cells and also some good ones. In other words, the economy will suffer. “The economic data that is coming in begins to paint an ugly picture for the growth of the most advanced economies,” says Esty Dwek, director of global strategy at Natixis.

Collateral damage in Spain will be felt very soon: the economy will fall 1.8% this year according to the S&P ratings agency. Although he hopes that in 2021 it will rebound strongly, at least one hope that the activity will suffer, but it will not die. Of course, if the worst scenario is reached, the turmoil for the economy may be greater. “If the United States also takes measures like the European ones and has to stop its activity, it would be chaos for the global economy”, predicts Joaquín Robles, stock analyst at XTB.

Meanwhile, the markets remain expectant. And panic floats over the Bags. “We have not yet begun to see the real impact on the economy. Very hard weeks or even months are coming ”, adds Talavera. There is only one factor that could turn the situation around: good news in containing the epidemic and doubts about when everything will return to normal. Something that still seems far away.

Information about the coronavirus

– Here you can follow the last hour on the evolution of the pandemic

– The coronavirus map: this is how cases grow day by day and country by country

– Guide to action against the disease

– In case of symptoms, these are the phones that have been enabled in each community (edited)

The post Stock markets suffer more with the coronavirus than after the fall of Lehman Brothers | Economy appeared first on Cryptodictation.

from WordPress https://cryptodictation.com/2020/03/22/stock-markets-suffer-more-with-the-coronavirus-than-after-the-fall-of-lehman-brothers-economy/

#Economy

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bharbertlove-blog · 2 years ago

Link

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andrearocke · 5 years ago

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I just added this listing on Poshmark: Ibex zip up sweater. #poshmark #fashion #shopping #shopmycloset

#poshmark #fashion #shopping #shopmycloset

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mascandolasletras · 8 years ago

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The Case of the Prison-Monger

Hama Tuma

Great Expectations make frustrated men. Our parents, being realists, teach us from the outset not to yearn for big things – when you stretch up to reach higher things you drop what you had under your arms. Moral of the saying? Hold on to what you have and be satisfied. The more you want, the more chance you will lose what little you already have.

Still, we produce ambitious men. Anomalies, actually; a handful among millions. However, try to keep what you have is a standing order for all. Without exception. This is why an Ethiopian is surprised, even if opposed, at the extent to which the State goes to protect itself. Or, say, the Great Chairman himself. He has liquidated many of his close friends, he has struck alliances which change swiftly, he has ordered Terror and Massacres (what we call the TM diet) against the people, he has peddled the country’s sovereignty to the highest bidder (in this case none other than Russia which came big and fast with the item the Chairman needed most at the time – arms). From a rabid anti-socialist he has metamorphosed himself into the symbol of socialism in Africa (even if many say it is play-acting). All in order to keep what he has – absolute power.

The wife who expects affection and not love lives happily ever after with her husband who, like all husbands, spreads his love around. Parents who expect some consideration from their children and no more end up with disappointment. Pray to God but don’t expect miracles. Watch your health, but you may die soon. The less you expect, the less you get frustrated, and the greater is your happiness if you get more.

It is a philosophy of poverty and servility, you may say. Perhaps. Actually, it was expounded in a coherent form for the first time in the eighteenth-century manuscript by St Gebre the Poor. The manuscript, which read like a ‘How-to-live-satisfied-with-an-empty-stomach’ manual, could have sold well in the present weight-and-diet-conscious western world. It dealt not only with the filling capacities of a one-fruit-a-day-meal and warned how one can get fat and lazy by not exercising the mind, but it also advised believers on how to let ambition steam in its own pot and how to realize happiness through deprivation. A Chinese philosopher said to have plenty is to be confused. St Gebre said to want plenty is more than being confused, it is to court frustration, sin and eternal damnation. Next to Zarayacob, St Gebre is our only philosopher – and in themselves the two are also anomalies in this society of ours which looks at mental exercise with extreme contempt.

Over the years, the art of wanting little or being satisfied with what we have has become part of our culture. We do not even think about it, we just act by reflex. Contradictions and wars arise when our rulers want more. Take the late king. He raised the price of food and petrol. There we were, enjoying our starvation and famine, when he pops out with his price increase measures to take even the little we had left. He was reaching for more money, we rebelled and he lost what he had. A simplified but precise rendition of the revolution we had. Take the guerillas in the rural areas. They are seeking higher things like freedom, equality, peace and democracy. They want more than the slavery they have. The result? They lead a hard life of war and suffering, facing death and the TM diet. St Gebre wouldn’t have approved for sure.

Let it be said, however, that not all Ethiopians subscribe to the teachings of St Gebre. This is why we have upheavals, mutiny, unrest, wars and destruction. But the adherents of reduced expectations are still in the millions. It’s the only way to survive. When you live in the valley of the shadow of death you cherish life even if it is a mere existence. The case of the prison-monger was a good example of the philosophy of satisfaction with poverty. In my opinion, the man should have been given a medal (if not the Lenin Prize or the Chairman’s Medal of Valor, at least the Medal of Ingenuity in Accordance with the Teachings of Our Great Chairman). But let me not rush you… ‘Look at the accused,’ said the prosecutor pointing at the man in the Cage. ‘He’s young, I believe somewhere in his early thirties. He is robust, he is healthy. He could contribute to the building of the New Ethiopia. But no! For the last ten years, he has been continuously in and out of jails and prisons. As soon as he serves one sentence out he goes to commit another crime and to come back again. And each time he deliberately makes sure that the crime he commits does not get him the death sentence. He is an expert of the Articles of our Penal Code. He readily admits his crime every time he gets, or rather lets himself be, arrested. He has shown great inventiveness in managing to get himself behind bars. He is a prison addict, a real prison-monger. While in prison he studies via a correspondence school and is now in his third year of law. Can you imagine!?’

‘Our prisons are congested: we want to empty them. This prison-monger must, however, be punished. Up to now he has been arrested six times; if he reached the legal limit of ten then he would automatically get death, whatever the gravity of his crime. But he also knows this. I suspect he has plans to go up to the ninth with his petty crimes and prison sejours. How do we punish him? Do we send him back to prison? He wants that. To labour camps? He would be pleased. I think the best punishment is to set him free. If he goes to commit another crime, he should be arrested and set free again till he reaches his tenth arrest. Then we shall execute him. We want the prisoner freed, Comrade Major Judge.’

‘Objection, Your Honour!’ said the defence lawyer. ‘The accused admits his guilt. He has confessed to his crime and wants to pay for it. He has the right to be punished. , he has the duty to receive punishment. The law demands it. We can’t just set him free.’ ‘I agree,’ said the judge. ‘The prosecutor must realize that this is an open court with its own message to our enemies. So, we must hear what the accused has to say, at least. And then give him the necessary punishment. Proceed,’ he added to the defence counsel. ‘Thank you, Your Honour. I shall call the accused to the witness stand.’ The accused walked briskly to the witness stand – a healthy, athletic figure indeed. ‘You are Matteos Gudu?’ ‘Yes.’ A firm voice. ‘Is it true you have been in jail six times?’ ‘Very true.’ ‘What have you done this time?’ ‘Shoplifting.’ ‘Do you admit it?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Are you a kleptomaniac?’ ‘No. But I am a prisonomaniac. I love prison.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I was born poor. I lived with my family – all eight of us – in one single room which was so small that my friends used to joke about it, by saying that every time I turned over in my sleep I left the room. As a result, big rooms and open space suffocate me. Reverse claustrophobia you can call it. In prison, where close to seventy of us are stacked in a room fit for twenty, I feel alive and at peace.’ ‘Come now! We know that even if you stay outside you can easily get a small room to rent. In fact, that is the only thing you can get if you are lucky.’ ‘Yes, I know that. It brings us to the second reason why I love prison. Money.’ ‘Money?’

‘You see, after my first stint in prison, I looked desperately for work. I couldn’t get any. I had lodging problems as well; you must know that I haven’t had any living relatives in this city for a dozen years or so. Broke, hungry, sleeping on the pavement – I was destined to be a guttersnipe. I refused to submit to this. I stole again and got back to prison. This time for a year. No lodging problem, food was little but regular and even if it does not arrive, you can do nothing about it really. So you don’t worry. In prison, you could say, I found happiness and calm. When they came to release me, I begged them to let me stay but they refused. But I went out and came back again.’

‘Prison is a punishment. How could you not feel the lack of freedom? Being cooped up in a little hole? Being unable to move around as you desire?’ ‘What is freedom, I ask you?' said the prison-monger. ‘Who is he who can roam freely in our country nowadays? You need permission. When you are hungry, worried about it, broke and with no place to sleep, freedom is an illusion. Your aching stomach does not enable you to sing with the birds or to roam like a well-fed ibex. You suffer and writhe, that’s all you get. But in prison, I found freedom even if I was hungry. My mind was at rest.’ ‘But you studied?’

‘That’s another thing which made prison lovely. In prison, I found a lot of intellectuals. They were ready to help me continue the studied I had interrupted a long time ago. I threw myself into books, I finished the school leaving certificate exams with honours and qualified for the university. I chose law since I am interested in this field. I am now in my third year.’ ‘Your teachers are anarchist?’ ‘They are political prisoners. We don’t discuss politics; I am not interested in it. But they are capable teachers and as you know the students who get the highest grades in the national exams are the ones in prison.’ ‘Theirs is a wasted life. Why do you fashion yours accordingly?’ ‘They are in prison for what they believe in. That’s their life. Mine: it would have been wasted on the outside. Can you guarantee me work? Do that and I will leave prison with joy.’ ‘I am a lawyer, not an employment agent. Maybe when you finish your studies, I could see. Anyway, don’t you feel ashamed to be a burden on the State?’ ‘I am not a burden on nobody. The State sends me to prison to punish me. I receive this willingly. Once in prison, I work, and I am now one of the best carpenters in the prison workshop.’ ‘You found no job as a carpenter outside prison?’ ‘Are you joking? There are hundreds of more able carpenters who are unemployed.’ ‘What about as a domestic servant? Or maybe you think that’s a lowly job?’ ‘No job is lowly if you need it. The servant field is saturated. Besides, not many people can afford servants these days. Others think maids and servants are becoming spies and are troublesome. So, no job.’ ‘Doesn’t it bother you to spend ten years of the prime of your life behind prison walls?’ ‘I told you no. you are in prison if you believe it to be so. Your house can be your prison. A palace can be a gilded prison for a king. The monk who shuts himself up in total isolation in a cave is not in prison. In prison, I met very many really free people.’ ‘Do you expect us to believe this?’ ‘I believe it.’ ‘What you want from life seems to be very little.’ ‘I yearn not for riches or high positions.’ ‘Commendable, indeed. But by being in prison, you try to escape the anguish and pain which gives life its salt.’ ‘Life has its miseries wherever you may be. King or beggar, free or a slave – each will get his share, though not equally.’ ‘Into each life some rain must fall…’ ‘It floods onto the poor. They try to dam it somewhat. My prison is such an attempt.’ ‘What sentence do you now expect for your crime?’ ‘I should be sent to prison for five years as Article 689 of the Penal Code states.’ ‘What if you are set free?’ ‘That will be a crime!’ The accused looked really shocked. ‘I have violated the law and I should be punished.’ ‘But if you are set free, would you commit a crime again?’ ‘I couldn’t avoid it. For the public good and mine, I belong in prison. To finish my studies as well. You know I can’t go to college on the outside with thousands of eligible students still on the university waiting list.’ ‘If you commit three more crimes, you will be killed.’ ‘Then death will be a relief indeed. Not punishment but real salvation.’ The prosecutor looked pensive. ‘You can cross-examine him,’ said the lawyer to the prosecutor. ‘I think you are insane!’ the prosecutor shot at the accused. The accused kept quiet. ‘I think you are a no-good lazy person,’ the prosecutor added. The accused remained silent. ‘I think you are a parasite who likes being one,’ stated the prosecutor. The accused said nothing. ‘I think you are a fellow-traveler of anarchists and a shame on your country,’ said the prosecutor. The accused just looked back at him. ‘I think being set free will fry your testicles to ashes,’ the prosecutor added in a matter-of-fact way. The accused looked startled but remained silent. ‘I think, Your Honour, I have no more questions,’ concluded the prosecutor. Judge Aytenfistu exhaled a lot of air and cleared his throat. The ritual over, he spoke. ‘You, the accused, you are a no-good, fast-talking, lazy, strange, crazy person. As the prosecutor said you are a parasite. You are also dangerous. Whoever finds joy in prison, whoever feels free in our jails goes against the order of things, goes against the expected. A cow can’t give birth to a puppy. Prison is punishment, not a source of calm and freedom. If such feelings as yours spread, our society will be in chaos. I agree with the prosecutor, you are hereby sentenced to immediate freedom.’ ‘But Judge…’ the accused began to protest. ‘No more! You are freed! Case dismissed!’ ‘You can’t do this! You must send me back to prison!’ the accused screamed. ‘Take him away!’ the judge ordered the policeman. As the policeman signaled the accused to get moving back to the Cage, the latter seemed to be struck by a revelation. He turned to the judge and what came out from his throat paralysed the whole court. ‘You call yourself a judge, you fat pig! You are an ignorant fool! Half the time you sleep on your bench! Your only qualification is your stupidity. I bet you are an impotent sissy. You…’ ‘SHUT UP!’ The scream came from the judge as well as from the prosecutor and the defense council. ‘You motherless squit!’ the judge fumed. ‘I will show you who is impotent. You castrated parasite! You can’t insult a judge and get off scot-free. I sentence you immediately to ten years of hard labour in the Robi Desert state farm. Take this dog away at once!’ the judge was beside himself. ‘Your Honour! That’s what he wants!’ protested the prosecutor. ‘That’s what this foul-mouthed son of a slut is going to get! Case dismissed. Court recess for ten minutes!’ The judge got up and walked out of the court angrily. Well, what can I say? The prosecutor growled at the accused, the defense lawyer did the same, the audience just stared. The policemen manhandled him. And the accused? If I ever saw a smile of happiness and satisfaction, there it was on his face. I wonder if St Gebre would have approved of such unorthodox methods to keep what little one has. The prison-monger went back, not to prison but to a state farm, and no one who knows state farms will say that they are not worse than prisons. The accused will even get anarchist teachers there. What more could he ask – a small over-filled room to sleep in, a piece of bread or two for the day, backbreaking work, possibility of study, no worrying, freedom. He had it made, the lucky prison-monger. Still, I wouldn’t trade places with him. I will cling to my own little world. Who is free; me or the prison-monger? As St Gebre said centuries ago, it’s a world of relative freedom and relative bondage.

#literature #african #english

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