#Foundation Studies in Australia

[hnksg]

Finding the right accommodation is a crucial step when you decide to study in the UK. The type of housing you choose can significantly impact your overall experience, so it's important to consider various factors to ensure you find a place that meets your needs. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process of finding suitable accommodation.

[edwisefoundation]

Top Consultancy in Nepal – Edwise Foundation

Edwise Foundation is a top consultancy in Nepal, offering personalized guidance to students aiming to study in the United States, Canada, UK, or Australia. They assist students with everything from selecting the right universities and applying for scholarships to F-1 interview preparation and test coaching for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, GRE, and GMAT. With a mission to help Nepalese students achieve their academic goals abroad, Edwise provides tailored support based on each student's unique needs, ensuring the best study experience.

For more information, visit top consultancy in Nepal.

[theic-manic]

Landing page: Welcome traveller!

I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of this land and pay my respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. I acknowledge that Aboriginal sovereignty has not been ceded.

Hello!

What I am about:

I am a mid-30s pagan (chaos witch & devotional polytheist) and tarot reader of over two-decades and late diagnosed multiply-Neurodivergent located in Australia.

Taught how to use Ouija when I was 4 years old.

I am of European, Jewish and UK descent, so I try to hold space for PoC folk as best as possible, while doing my best to avoid cultural appropriation.

I generally don't discuss my disabilities unless relevant (e.g. ND friendly practices).

I am happy to assist others with queries however there are some housekeeping rules that I will add below.

While I am also Nonbinary with They/Them pronouns, how others choose to perceive me is none of my concern.

Federal Australian Public Servant since 2013 and Union Representative since 2015, I am blessed enough to be able to offer my daily grind as devotional acts.

Previously a Norse Pagan/Heathen until Hermes & Apollo had me relocate to a Greek neighbourhood (it's a thing)

Norse Gods I was previously devoted to: Loki, Freyja & Njord

Norse Gods I previously worshipped: Odin, Tyr & anyone else wanting to pop in & say hello.

Greek Gods that I am currently a Devotee of: Apollo, Ares and Hermes

Greek Gods I casually Worship: Zeus, my other soul parent deities (linked post on this concept below), Aphrodite, Melinoe and any deity who decides to pop in.

I do casually engage in Demonolatry & other Occult studies.

I have briefly worked with the Kemetic Gods and still respect them.

I have performed "baneful" magick and am absolutely not hesitant to lay down a bloodline curse when pushed however Shadow Work and healing are the better paths to heightened spiritual growth & abilities.

What I am not about:

I avoid closed cultural practices unless otherwise guided by a member of that culture, preferably one of their elders.

I am however human so if I accidentally engage in a close practice, please tell me.

I generally avoid ancestral worship or ancestral magick since many of my ancestors were on the problematic side of most historical conflicts.

I am too tired for bickering & pettiness, if you see something you dislike or disagree with then keep scrolling. I will not respond to hate-asks.

DNI the usual: terfs, racists etc. it's not that hard to simply not be a piece of shit.

DNI Minors who call yourselves Devotees outside of established religious communities (some cultures do allow children to be devotees under strict spiritual guidance & care, if this is you then please specify this)

I do not feel comfortable engaging with minors who commit themselves to a deep and personal relationship with deities as this requires consent to an unwritten contract (in many practices) and as such if you're not old enough to consent to a legal contract without adult guidance then you're not old enough to consent to being a devotee.

I do encourage you to become worshippers however to build a strong foundation with your chosen deities.

Tags to search on my blog:

#Deity Communication

#Devotional Polytheism

#Low effort practices

#Low Cost witchcraft

#Neurodivergent pagan

#Spooky God Squad

#ADHDeity

⚠️ Minors ( (< 18 y.o.): go to your settings and filter the NSFW tag, thanks.

Asks/queries housekeeping:

Please specify whether you are a reconstructionist pagan or neopagan, noting that I am Neopagan of over 2 decades and as such, I am best equipped to assist the latter.

Please specify whether you are a Worshipper or Devotee or just wanting to start the process of worshipping a deity.

I love assisting my fellow pagans however the expectation is that you know how to use the search bar in your search engine and social apps of choice so unless your query specifically requests details on certain things I am running under the assumption that you know the difference between worshipper & devotee, the basics of the deities you are seeking guidance with etc.

Please state whether or not you are a minor so that I can ensure that my advice is age appropriate, I would hate to have a "Minors DNI" when I would prefer to help guide you on your journey since when I was a teenager I had to rely on magazines and books alone.

Some posts of mine you may find useful

How do I pray?

AI usage and spirituality

Deity & Devotee consent

Hellenic offerings

Soul Parent Deities & how to calculate them via Numerology

Deity identification tarot mega post

Part 1 of Spooky God Squad

Trickster Deity discernment

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Wednesday SpaceTime 20240918 Series 27 Episode 113

Recent volcanism on discovered on the Moon

Scientists have discovered evidence of volcanism on the lunar surface as recently as 125 million years ago.

The Strange phenomena people will see at Moon's south pole

When astronauts return to the Moon’s surface as part of the Artemis 3 mission to the Lunar south pole, they’ll experience a very different environment to that which the Apollo astronauts witnessed more than half a century ago.

A new crew arrives at the International Space Station

The Russian Soyuz MS-26 capsule has successfully docked with the International Space station just three hours after its launch aboard a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in in the central Asian republic of Kazakhstan.

The Science Report

Study shows up to 19% of dementia cases could be linked to vision problems.

Over 52 million tonnes of plastic dumped into the environment every year.

The growing amount of incorrect AI generated data being generated.

Alex on Tech: are the new iPhone 16s worth it? 

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[mariacallous]

Vasectomies are on the rise, but not all men are ready to commit to a permanent form of birth control. While the surgery can sometimes be reversed, it's expensive and doesn’t always work. What if there was another option?

Virginia-based biotech company Contraline is testing a new type of male contraceptive akin to a vasectomy but made to be fully reversible. Today, the company announced that surgeons in Australia have safely performed the procedure on 23 men in an early-stage trial.

The approach uses a soft, water-based substance called a hydrogel that’s injected into the vas deferens—the pair of tubes in the male reproductive tract that transport mature sperm. Within 30 days of being inserted, the gel led to a more than 99 percent reduction in the number of moving sperm, according to the company. No serious side effects have been reported.

Kevin Eisenfrats, cofounder and CEO of Contraline, says it’s like an IUD for men. “Right now, there is nothing out there that’s long-lasting and reversible for men,” he says. “This is made for people who are not ready to have kids, are spacing out having kids, or think they are done having kids but maybe not ready for that permanent option.”

In a vasectomy, the vas deferens are cut and sealed so that sperm can’t travel from the testicles to the urethra, the tube inside the penis.

Contraline’s method involves making a small piercing in the scrotum and using a handheld injector to push the hydrogel through a catheter that’s connected to the vas deferens. The catheter is then taken out, and the puncture heals on its own.

Once injected, the hydrogel is meant to block sperm from getting into semen. Eisenfrats likens the gel to a coffee filter, where sperm are the coffee grounds. Sperm can’t get through the filter, but semen, a liquid, can still pass through.

Men in the trial ranged from age 25 to 65 and were placed into two groups that received different amounts of hydrogel: a lower volume and a higher one. Implanting the gel took about 20 minutes and was done under local anesthesia, unless someone chose to be sedated instead.

Eisenfrats says sperm concentration and movement in the men are comparable to levels seen with a vasectomy. “We’re seeing that this is working.”

The purpose of the current trial is to assess the gel’s safety and longevity, not how well it prevents pregnancy. Participants were asked to use a back-up form of birth control while being enrolled in the trial.

The gel is designed to dissolve at the end of its lifetime, so the men will be followed for two years to determine how long it takes for that to happen. Eisenfrats says the goal is to have a product that lasts one to two years.

But men might want to restore their fertility before that time frame, so Contraline wants to show that it can safely reverse the procedure. The company has tested the reversibility of the gel in dogs, showing that sperm counts and sperm quality rebounded after removing the gel. It plans to launch a second trial this year to test the on-demand reversibility in people. Only men who said they do not want to have children were included in the initial trial.

While the study is small, Heather Vahdat, executive director of the Male Contraceptive Initiative, a nonprofit based in North Carolina, is encouraged by the safety profile so far. Her organization funds research into nonhormonal male birth control and has contributed funding to Contraline. “Reversibility seems very feasible,” she says.

The nonprofit Parsemus Foundation has been researching a similar gel, called Vasalgel, for several years, but has faced delays getting it to human trials. The San Francisco-based health organization partnered with a biotech company, NEXT Life Sciences, in 2022 to further develop Vasalgel. In a 2017 paper, researchers with the foundation showed that Vasalgel could be flushed out in rabbits with an injection of baking soda. Sperm flow returned in the animals after reversal.

“These are not complex components in these polymers. They’re pretty well characterized, and we know how they behave,” Vahdat says.

But any medical procedure could cause side effects or complications. Raevti Bole, a urologist specializing in men’s health at the Cleveland Clinic who’s not involved in the trial, says an injection into the vas deferens could come with a risk of skin infection, mild discomfort, or minor bruising, she says.

And there are still unknowns about the gel itself. While hydrogels are biocompatible and generally safe, Bole says she would want to know if Contraline’s product could cause permanent scarring or changes to the vas deferens and whether repeat injections could be done safely.

One practical consideration is how doctors will monitor patients to make sure that the gel is still working. “Even if the risk of pregnancy is low, I would want to know the risk to counsel my patients and allow them to compare their options,” Bole says.

Contraline’s gel is still years from becoming commercially available. The company will need to conduct trials of hundreds of men and their female partners to test its efficacy in preventing pregnancy. Eisenfrats says the company aims to launch a larger trial in the US in the next few years.

Meanwhile, there are other forms of male birth control in the pipeline. The US National Institutes of Health and the Population Council, an international nonprofit focused on health and social sciences, are testing a hormone-based gel that men apply daily to their shoulders to block sperm production. And in December, a small trial launched in the UK to test a hormone-free contraceptive pill developed by YourChoice Therapeutics. It prevents sperm production by blocking access to vitamin A.

YourChoice and Contraline are avoiding hormones because they tend to produce unpleasant side effects. A previous trial of an injectable hormonal contraceptive for men was stopped early when a safety monitoring board found a high number of adverse events, including acne, mood disorders, increased sexual drive, and muscle pain. The rate of side effects was high compared to what women typically experience while on hormonal birth control.

There’s evidence that men are interested in trying new types of contraception. In a US survey conducted in 2017, the Male Contraceptive Initiative found that 85 percent of the 1,500 male respondents aged 18 to 44 were interested in preventing their partner from getting pregnant.

“Men want to step up. They’re realizing that their partners have all these effects from birth control,” Eisenfrats says. “They need more options to take charge of their reproduction.”

[darkmaga-retard]

A peer reviewed study has concluded that Covid mRNA vaccines have caused massive excess mortality in Australia.

“The study explores the relationship by Australia State between COVID Booster Vaccinations and excess deaths. There is evidence of a very strong correlation in ordinary least squares regression analysis. Cross-validation tests support the strength of the regression relationship. The results suggest that it would be worthwhile to explore these associations in greater depth as it is an important public health issue,” the study declared in the ‘Abstract’ section.

Infowars.com reports: A positive correlation between the shot and extra deaths has been discovered.

A positive correlation describes how when one factor increases or decreases (Covid vaccination) the other factor (excess mortality) moves in the same direction. While correlation does not verify a direct cause-effect relationship between the first and second factor (causation), it does indicate a causal factor may be at play.

Booster doses have the biggest effect on death rates it appears.

“…excess deaths are significantly related to booster doses,” the study said in the ‘Bivariate regression results, cross-validation and discussion’ section.

This research is not the only link between vaccination and reductions in human life.

Fascinatingly, long before Covid, Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has previously said that she’s very glad to see that when they go to Africa to give the black people their shots, for their health and wellbeing, their population numbers actually decrease.

[cherrylng]

100 Albums to understand Muse - Part 1 [STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)]

The members of Muse started as a band in the heyday of Britpop, but their strongest influences were the US alternative scene, as well as the Grebo music scene such as Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Their musical interests broadened, especially Matthew's, as he travelled and met people in different countries, and he dabbled in tango, flamenco and even Italian folk music. Muse were, of course, greatly influenced by the greats of the rock world, including Queen, but they also greedily embraced classical music such as Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Here we introduce some of their influences and the artists they were involved with. These are 100 discs for a deeper enjoyment of Muse's world, and you'd be remiss if you didn't listen to them!

Text by Sumi Imai (I), Masataka Oguchi (K), Junya Shimofusa (J), Akiko Mima (M/board selection), Hisashi Murakami (H), Tomoo Yamaguchi (T), Shiho Yamashita (S)

AC/DC Back In Black (1980) The sixth album from Australia's greatest treasure, AC/DC. The riff of the classic ‘Back in Black’ on this album is one of the first phrases that every boy who picks up a guitar learns. A great rock basic, so to speak. Of course, the [guitar] prince is no exception [to this]. He performed a cover of the song here and there at the Australian festival Big Day Out. -J

ADAM LAMBERT For Your Entertainment (2009) Adam Lambert was born and raised in the US, and his dramatic vocals are a feature of his US TV show ‘American Idol’. His major-label debut featured songwriting contributions from Lady Gaga, Pink, Weezer's Reeves, Darkness' Justin and many other well-known names. Matthew also contributed a song called ‘Soaked’ to the album. -H

ANDRÉS SEGOVIA The Art Of Segovia (2002) Matthew once travelled to Spain to study flamenco guitar, but it was Francisco Talega of ‘Memories of the Alhambra’ fame, born in Spain, who laid the foundations for classical guitar in the 20th century. This is a collection of masterpieces by Andrés Segovia, the master who took up many of Talega's works and popularised the classical guitar. -S

AKSAK MABOUL Un Peu De L'âme Des Bandits (1980) Belgian avant-garde progressive band. The band's diverse style is characterised by the use of piano and strings in tangos, contemporary-style suites and fast-moving punk, all of which make full use of the high skills of the band members. The band's wonderfully chaotic sound, where materialism and realism collide, is too good to be described as ‘only known to those in the know’. -M

Translator's Note: I'll be putting whole albums of the selected albums listed on this article. I'm of the belief that the best way to enjoy an album is to listen to it from start to end, so that we can understand the influences far better. Also, I'm doing this because I want to mess with YouTube's algorithm and leave it very confused on what it's supposed to recommend to me in the near future.

[enigma-absolute]

Can I hear more about Maddox? What's his backstory like? Where does he fall on the timeline?

(if I'm sending too many asks, do forgive me!)

You’ve unleashed something in me and now I can’t shut up

To start us off, here’s my boy! This is his original character-defining spread in my sketchbook from early last year:

Here’s some more art of him, as a colour reference! And what’s this? MORE banger art of my boy????

And here’s a meme too!

Aside from this older character development challenge google doc providing a lot of his original foundations (including his original character submission sheet!), allow me. To expand on. The Lore.

I don’t think I can shut up greatly so I hope you’re ready for a big ol read under the cut!

So. Maddox is a rebel spy before and during the Rebel alliance in the Galaxy Far Far Away. Standard stuff for a 24-year-old right? WRONG

He’s actually an Australian, a Sunshine Coast local, from OUR earth in early 2023, swept up into something that took him back in time and far off into space (of course, a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away) to have adventures and stuff like that. Adventures and all are just it, right?

WRONG.

AMNESIA BLAST UPON THIS BOY. GET DUNKED ON.

Joking aside, to quote the backstory portion in his original RP submission form, and even the addition directly from the document:

Maddox genuinely has no clue how he got here.

As in, how in sweet Force he ended up a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far far away from his own. His retrograde amnesia from a recent-ish rebel spy mission (involving hijacking and detonating an Imperial ship before escaping) has receded away enough for him to remember his life on his home country of Australia on Earth (and a rough knowledge of OT canon and even rougher knowledge of PT canon from that time), but a lot of things are still fuzzy.

He’s grateful he can remember quite a lot, including: his name and age, his past life and home, muscle-memory for espionage, how to catch on to flying several starships if given enough time, and even some previous missions. But whatever his amnesia is hiding from him, he hopes that the Force can help reveal it again… and maybe help him find a way back home. In the meantime, his goals for this galaxy are to continue his sick espionage job, find a way home, make some close friends and maybe, hopefully, call the Emperor a bitch to his face before he carks it during the events of ROTJ. Not all in that order specifically, but he’ll work on that.

Maddox specifically landed in the year 9BBY, roughly before the events of Kenobi were about to happen. He was picked up by and later joined Bail Organa’s Rebel Cell, as the Alliance wouldn’t have existed yet.

His fateful mission, subsequent amnesia and initial recovery occur at the tailend of Kenobi, leading him to re-meet a young Leia Organa when recovered by Bail’s rebels. Leia sneaks in a word to her dad, and Maddox is sent away for a week or two for some ‘minding’ with help of the Force. He later recalls the word ‘therapy’ to better describe his situation and tells the therapist there (who is also initially annoyed about this whole situation happening) that ‘minding’ is a stupid term and the galaxy should really get behind ‘therapy.’

(He won’t know this till later, but his therapist Ben also gained hope and healing through it too.)

Due to Force *~shenanigans~* and the still unremembered way as to how he came to the GFFA time from 2023 on earth, Maddox doesn’t really have a way back home and is physically stuck aging at 24 years old. And despite obviously being from Earth and thus having no midichlorians of his own, he is Force-sensitive after having an encounter with it while in spy training. That being said, he has a unique relationship with it where he can feel it more ‘talking’ to him than not, and is able to use it with study, self-teaching and meditation. However, he will NOT take a kyber crystal of his own. He may be a light-sider, but he doesn’t feel he deserves the title of Jedi.

We’ll get back to that in a bit.

His amnesia is (of kriffing course) courtesy of the Empire, under a top-secret, but now defunct and destroyed experiment called Project Lethe. This experiment had been self-contained in the star destroyer Calledania, but when a Rebel spy mission to break its secrecy had gone awry, Maddox had enough time to help set charges to blow it up before his capture and subsequent retrograde memory wipe.

You can imagine the horror he’d be going through, waking up after falling out of a bacta tank and coughing it out of his lungs, knowing NOTHING about himself or what’s going on. Then only arming himself with a scalpel and maybe a doctor’s medical ID before running out onto the main bridge to see that he’s in space (he really shouldn’t be), everything is chaos and falling apart (is he in a spaceship?) and he’s certainly feeling everything falling into a nearby planet’s orbit (these stars are NOT his own).

Of course, he managed to escape and started to recover his memory with the Force, but you’d have to ask him for the fuller story. And that’s if you can convince him to tell you all the details.

In terms of timeline and character relations, aside from entering and joining the early stages of rebellion prior to Kenobi’s events in 9BBY, he’s become a cool older ‘cousin’ friend of a sort with Princess Leia, especially since she was the one who knew his later-therapist Ben (Maddox nicholasnames him ‘Benny’) first. Bail has also been a mentor figure for Maddox before and after his amnesia - in terms of the growing rebellion, high-class etiquette and manners (which mostly consist of keeping an eye on Leia at fancy guest parties and learning from her). Not to say there’s no personal platonic fondness between them, it’s just that the professionalism has been more important for Maddox to get a grasp on his new life.

He’s also grateful for meeting and befriending friendlier folks in the GFFA, such as freeman Clone Troopers Juggernaut and Jorts (OCs in the first RP server I ever entered him into), and in 7BBY, @moobrvoobl-moobmoob-oobmpoobroom’s Clone OC Strike and co-created OC Pins, a stormtrooper who ditched the Empire when the two rebels had their cell missions cross paths and escaped together after going after an asset. Maddox has quickly grown to befriend and fall in platonic love with Strike and Pins, the former particularly since she causes/caused flares in his memory of his mum.

Especially since, in his old earthen life, he was an Eshay, and a horrible person to his mother and sister.

Did I mention he’s a regretful older brother? And a regretful son?

For leaving his family behind? For not being the person he should’ve been? For being selfish and into stupid stuff when there are things in life worth more than stupid ‘friends’ and stupidity?

Good god he’s ashamed to admit it. But he has to admit it somehow.

It was the second memory recovery in the Force that he recalled how he used to be, getting so depressed he needed that therapy from Benny.

Okay here's a couple rapid-fire points about Maddox bc I don't have all the brainspace for backstories:

In the flight back to the base after his couple-weeks therapy from Benny, Maddox had a dream about talking to some fella named Anakin, infodumping to him about the fauna and flora of Australia the entire time. Anakin was in awe of earth's natural flora and flora.

Maddox didn't put two and two together on that 'Anakin' guy until after waking up. His memory got intact enough to connect those dots.

(He won't do the same for Benny for a long, long time).

His enamel pin is actually his sister's, and it's another Peter Pan reference with the star and text saying 'straight on till morning'. (I really hope I can defictionalise it into a real pin one day!)

The leather bag he carries was borrowed by his sister for some time before he took it with him to the GFFA, so he's got more of her belongings with him rather than his own.

He modded an iPod over quarantine days into having a new battery and 256GB SSD drive to fill with his own music, but of course - his sister got to it when he wasn't looking and filled it up with her own tastes before he could wipe it clear.

So now he has his sister's tastes in music, for the most part. Which is a good thing.

So as for Maddox right now in my personal timeline? Well, I just have fun tossing him in the years between 9BBY-4ABY, putting him in Situations and Events (mainly RPs) to see how he develops and how far his character goes. There's a couple alternate timelines and AUs he's in, including the Chrumblr RP in the big discord.

And that's not even getting into the stuff his sister gets into in AUs and timelines.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

How aware do you think the kids are of their father, uncles and aunt’s childhood? I can see both it being an unspoken thing, but then a drunk Rhys or Arthur occasionally letting something slip. And would they ever talk about their mother?

I think stories from what Arthur considers his halycon childhood between the 1st and 4th century C.E have slipped through. Even with the Roman invasion and the displacements it caused and Boudicca's revolt that literally scorched themselves into a layer of ash still visible today in English archaeology, he remembers being relatively protected and high status both in the Roman world and in the British. Britain under the Roman empire wasn't the most important place in the empire but there were a lot of natural resources the British exploited, and conflict along the borders of northern England and southern Scotland made and unmade several emperors, with at least one being crowned in England iirc. Eirian was forced to negotiate with Lucius (a tentative name for Rome) about Rhys and Arthur but she did keep all four of them close. So Arthur remembers her and references her most when doing human activities done even in a modified sense, since the dawn of time. Things like spinning weaving and ship building he learned at her hand even if his memories of that are kind of bundled into Brighid too. The first apple crop after the Romans introduced them to England, the emptying of the beehives for winter storage, being taught to draw his bow against his cheek and shoot straight. Being scolded for running off without his cloak because he was a high energy ambitious little shit who never thought things through. Those things and the mentions or her make it into his children's lives.

They're less aware of who Eirian was as a person because Arthur especially looks at his earliest years under her guiding hand with rose coloured glasses so thick he's looking at anything pre 500s like this. But they are aware of her existence.

He leaves out the headhunting or maybe not really human sacrifice (the mine level amount of salt I have with the popular interpretation of Lindow man is kind of insane.) He leaves out executions and exile, torture and terror. Eirian loved her children in the way Boudicca did. The kind of love that leaves scorch marks in the earth for millennia. Her death was 1000 years before any of Alfred's generation came into being but considering that craters leave marks millions of years later, she's a presence.

It is a lot of So much of what we consider "Celtic" today is a result of the Celtic revival of the 19th century. Most profoundly in Ireland, but also to a fairly wide extent in Scotland, Wales and surprisingly for me who studied the lionization of the Anglo-Saxons by the British empire, England as well. So Eirian was a shadowy but present figure. The diaspora in the U.S. Canada, Australia and NZ often being referred too as Anglo-celtic gives me brain rot. This perception of her as viewed by children, particularly Arthur, something still concrete and visible. A lot of who Eirian was surrounded this lot as they're growing up. Just in Arthur's Manor house I think there are post holes from roundhouses, reused Romano-British masonry in the first floor, Viking age bodies in the back garden. At least one statue of her that either survived when the anglos saxons reused old Roman and British villas or that was uncovered in church foundations or even an actual pig sty (this actually happens) is around the house.

Also... There's one headcanon I've had for a very long time where he always waits for them to wake up and start breathing again if it happens around him. Sitting vigil through a long night, turning the other way when Matt outright leaves to go check on Alfred and watching him carefully for answers when he returns. He searched Matt's face for what news, what despair, what relief marked his expression when he returned from tugging Alfred's corpse from the piles of dead at Antietam. And that, I think, stems from Brittania's death. When the sun went dark in the sky and pestilence followed hot on the heels of famine and their mother did not wake. Not that last time however it happened. And that may be burned into their perception of their own deaths.

Tldr: God I'm never going to recover from the brain rot that one asinine piece of dialogue from the dub gave me.

Matt: "My Grandma taught me the true power of the maple leaf!"

Alfred: "Your Grandma sounds hot!"

[harryandmeghansussex]

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex is a feminist, champion of human rights and gender equity, and global role model. Her lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread she weaves through both humanitarian and business ventures. She is noted as one of the most powerful and influential women in the world, topping lists such as TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People, The Financial Times’ 25 Most Influential Women, Variety Power of Women, and British Vogue’s Vogue 25. She and her husband, Prince Harry have also been the recipients of the NAACP President’s Award as well as the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. Meghan’s global impact, and strong stance on resilience, equality, and compassion through action, have made her one of the most iconic public figures of this generation.

Born and raised in Southern California, Meghan attended Los Angeles based all-girls Catholic School, Immaculate Heart, which she continues to support as an alumna, before moving to Chicago to attend the prestigious Northwestern University. While there, she double majored in Theater and International Relations, and went on to intern at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. After graduation, Meghan turned her focus to the entertainment industry, landing her big break as a lead actor on the hit series, ‘Suits’ which she starred in for seven seasons. During her time off between filming, Meghan travelled to Rwanda, India, and across the globe working on humanitarian missions, and serving in key roles such as: UN Women’s Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership, a World Vision Global Ambassador, and a leading Counsellor to One Young World, where she inspired youth and women around the world through her passionate advocacy and hands-on approach to being of service. She also travelled to support the military community on a USO Tour, visiting six military bases in seven days including Bagram, Afghanistan. In 2018, Meghan married Prince Harry, becoming The Duchess of Sussex.

An accomplished writer, she has contributed pieces to publications in the UK, US, and Ireland, and parlayed that skill into the creation of the successful lifestyle website, ‘The Tig’, where her thoughtful and inspiring op-eds cultivated a global fanbase. The Duchess of Sussex was the first guest editor in the history of British Vogue for their July Issue in 2019, which was the fastest selling copy in the history of the publication. She and Prince Harry founded The Archewell Foundation in 2020 to support communities in need at a micro and macro level, in both moments of crisis as well as for long term aid. At The Archewell Foundation, they hold the value that charitable work should not simply be ‘a handout, but rather a hand held’, a phrase which Meghan first coined when supporting UK charity Smart Works, of which she is patron, that uplifts and prepares underserved women to enter the workforce. Meghan and her husband also founded and oversee production company, Archewell Productions and podcasting arm, Archewell Audio. In 2022, Meghan launched ‘Archetypes’, a record-breaking podcast exploring the labels that try to hold women back; ‘Archetypes’ debuted at Number 1 in The US, UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, and topped the charts as the Number 1 podcast in 47 countries, demonstrating her unparalleled global reach. After its first season, Archetypes was awarded was awarded The People’s Choice Award in the podcast category.

She is a NY Times Best Selling author, publishing her highly celebrated children’s book, ‘The Bench’, and “Together: Our Community Kitchen” a publication she spearheaded with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen in the UK, who were displaced after the tragic Grenfell Fire. True to her character, The Duchess of Sussex mobilized to turn pain into purpose, working alongside this dynamic group of women to help them heal, grow, and develop their own business enterprises in the face of adversity. In addition to topping the NY Times Bestsellers list, “Together,” also debuted as number one on the UK’s Sunday Booklist, with proceeds going to the Kitchen. Meghan’s influence in fashion has been coined “The Meghan Effect” with items selling out within hours of her wearing them. Her ‘effect’ has transcended fashion, shifting cultural conversations as seen with her op-ed for the NY Times “The Losses We Share.” The piece detailed a heartbreaking personal loss which spiked the conversation surrounding miscarriage to the highest it had been spoken of in over two decades at the time of publishing.

Meghan is a passionate advocate for mental health and family care, the holistic support of women and children’s rights, and the immeasurable value of one’s self worth. Her core belief that representation matters, and her connection to community through the lens of learning, healing, and inspiring have helped define her as a cultural catalyst for positive change. Meghan resides in California with her husband and their children Prince Archie Harrison and Princess Lilibet Diana, and their three dogs.

[ambuschool]

Personal Statement

I started my career as a monitoring and evaluation associate at NICE Indonesia in 2019. We provide a 5-year grant to 12 CSOs in Indonesia to develop their organizations. During those 5 years, we evaluate their performance annually based on the training and financial interventions provided. Some of the organizations I directly supervised include Yayasan Gerak Bareng, Yayasan Munashoroh Indonesia, and Yayasan Gema Insani.

In addition to the annual reviews I conducted, I also took on side jobs to measure the impact of several organizations. My team and I have measured the impact for Schneider Electric Foundation Indonesia, Yayasan Infra Digital Indonesia, Perkumpulan Ibu Pembelajar Bahagia (Lab Belajar Ibu), Komunitas Happiness Family, and wrote impact reports for the SMK Pusat Keunggulan assistance program in 2023 on behalf of the Directorate of Vocational High Schools, Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. I attached some files here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mbhbs0wAkwZtBzbxgJ-1xzdZhXMX3XdJ/view?usp=sharing 

Apart from working in monitoring and evaluation, as a registered nurse in Indonesia, I am also active in several health education initiatives, particularly regarding the impact of the environment on health. My friends and I founded the Emcekaqu Sehat Berdaya Foundation, which campaigns for open defecation-free zones in Pandeglang, Banten. We observed the impact of poor sanitation on children's health, especially given the high stunting rates in the area, and we actively campaign for behavior change to eliminate open defecation. From this work, I had the opportunity to participate in several fellowships related to the environment, such as the Young Water Fellowship in Belgium in 2017, the Young South East Asia Leadership Initiative in Environmental Management in the USA in 2018, and the International One Health Camp in Vietnam in 2019.

Besides my professional life, I experienced a turning point in my personal life when my first daughter died during the delivery process. As a nurse, I know it's not just me but thousands of mothers in Indonesia who have experienced this. Since then, I pledged to contribute to reducing neonatal mortality. I decided to become a breastfeeding counselor, and now I have more than 50 clients, both online and offline.

Pursuing an MPH at the University of Melbourne, I blend my interest in planetary health and maternal and child health. Last semester, I took nutrition policy and politics as my elective because nutrition issues are currently rising in Indonesia, and I wanted a broader perspective beyond health. This semester, I took Planetary Health and Women’s and Global Health as my electives to accommodate my interests. As an Australia Awards Awardee, I know my studies are not just for me but for the greater good of Indonesia.

My grades might not be very good because the first semester of my MPH was the first time I lived abroad with only my family of three. I juggled academic life, being a wife, and being a mother to a 2.5-year-old daughter. Therefore, this semester, I strategized to take courses with shorter durations, so I can better balance my work and life. Thus, being involved in evaluation studies in maternal and child health excites me greatly. Furthermore, 1000 Days Of Fund is one organization I keep an eye on because they address issues holistically, from cadre training to providing growth blankets to parents.

ceritanya bikin personal statement untuk ngelamar jadi research assistant gitu di kampus, hwaa bismillah ya Allah dengan panduan dan pendampinganmu :" laa hawlaa walla quwwata illa billah

[hnksg]

Explore top Australia culinary school with HNK SG. Find comprehensive details on courses, admission requirements, and opportunities for aspiring chefs. Perfect for Indian students looking to advance their culinary skills in Australia.

[edwisefoundation]

What Are My Chances of Getting an Australian Student Visa After Refusal?

If you’ve faced an Australian student visa refusal, don’t lose hope. You can still reapply, but it’s essential to understand why your visa was denied and address those issues in your next application. Common reasons for refusal include insufficient funds, paperwork errors, or not providing clear reasons for studying abroad.

Before reapplying, review your refusal letter carefully, gather sufficient evidence, and address any concerns raised. You might also benefit from consulting a migration agent or education consultancy like Edwise Foundation, which can guide you through the reapplication process.

For more detailed information on improving your chances of securing an Australian student visa after refusal, visit Edwise Foundation’s post on visa refusal.

[zef-zef]

Moniek Darge @ BOEM 2019, Antwerp, Belgium

source: toneglow 📸: Logos Foundation

Born in Bruges, Belgium in 1952, Moniek Darge has worked as a composer, violinist, performer and installation artist. She studied music theory and violin at the Music Conservatory of Bruges as well as painting at the Ghent Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Arthistory, Philosophy and Anthropology.

She has published extensively on her musical experiences in Kenya, Rwanda, Japan, China, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand, both in 'Logos-Blad', the monthly magazine of the Logos Foundation (of which she is editor), and on numerous radio programs.

She is currently assistant professor at the Hogeschool Gent where she teaches 20th Century Art History, Audio Art, Non Western Art Studies and introductory Ethnomusicology. (Discogs)

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20240823 Series 27 Episode 102

Fairwell to NASA’s NEOWISE spacecraft

NASA’s infrared NEOWISE space telescope has relayed its final data stream to Earth bringing the historic mission to an end.

What time is it on the Moon?

Scientists are developing a plan for precise timekeeping on the Moon. For decades, the Moon's subtle gravitational pull has posed a vexing challenge—atomic clocks on its surface would tick faster than those on Earth by about 56 microseconds per day.

Europe’s Space Rider successfully completes its drop tests

Over the last four months, the European Space Agency’s reusable Space Rider test article has been undertaking a series of drop tests in the skies above the Italian Island of Sardinia.

The Science Report

Droughts, heatwaves, fire and fertilisers causing soils to store less carbon.

A link discovered between heavy cannabis use and increased risk of head and neck cancers.

Giving AI chatbots political bias

Skeptics guide to Werewolf Portals in England

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/university-elite-caught-playing-selective-free-speech/news-story/32561dd0c41fd0a2df6f4e20298ea46d

University elite caught playing ‘selective free speech’

By: Claire Lehmann

Published: Dec 15, 2023

Three Ivy League presidents made international headlines when they told a recent congressional hearing that calls for the genocide of Jews would only contravene their bullying and harassment policies “depending on the context”.

In response to their testimony – which went viral – wealthy individuals cancelled donations in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and one of the presidents, Liz Magill, has since tendered her resignation letter. Another scandal has erupted over Harvard president Claudine Gay, as it has emerged that she has quoted other scholars without citation (also known as plagiarism) throughout her career.

The scandal has been a PR fiasco worthy of study at Harvard Business School. And it is a sign that the Ivies are losing their prestige. But the reasons are complicated and belie any simple analysis.

In short, over the course of a few short decades, the universities presided over by these presidents have undergone a transformation in moral culture. At one time, they recognised everyone’s equal human dignity and held the principle of free speech as sacrosanct. However, they have now shifted towards elevating victimhood as the highest virtue while encouraging hypersensitivity to perceived injustice.

According to sociologists Bradley Campbell and Jason Manning, victimhood culture – colloquially known as “wokeness” – emerged from America’s Ivies first before spreading outwards into mainstream society.

Like a poison apple, victimhood culture looks perfectly fine from the outside, encased in euphemisms such as “diversity”, “equity” and “inclusion”. But it has a toxic core.

Its toxicity emerges when people are encouraged to see themselves as perpetual victims, and are rewarded for nurturing and prosecuting endless grievances. It was on these campuses that this ideology first spread (among some of the most privileged people in the world) and it was there that its maxims were first put into practice. Protected groups were given special status through affirmative action and other forms of positive discrimination, and students in the humanities were taught to weigh “lived experience” over objective truth.

As these ideas took hold, they manifested in tangible ways within university settings. It has culminated in the past decade in the widespread use of trigger warnings, safe spaces and microaggressions. Young adults came to behave like divas at luxury resorts, rather than students expected to study and learn. This poisonous culture seeped out into the rest of the world. Into media, corporations and Silicon Valley, and spreading all the way to Australia’s shores.

But this is where it gets complicated. Slogans such as “There is only one solution, intifada revolution” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” are protected by the First Amendment – even though they are threatening to many people. And in an ideal world, universities should be trying to adhere to the First Amendment. Freedom of expression is a foundational principle of the university.

Nevertheless, universities must grapple with the fine line between protected speech and incitement to violence. Do such chants as “From the river to the sea” cross the line? Reasonable people may disagree. What is not OK is the physical intimidation and harassment experienced by Jewish students around the world since October 7. Students have been punched and spat on. And students around the world, including in Australia, report feeling scared.

It’s worth engaging in a thought experiment here. If neo-Nazis marched through Harvard under banners with swastikas emblazoned chanting “Heil Hitler”, would the president of Harvard remind us that such chants need to be understood in “context”? Would she defend the free speech of neo-Nazis’? A genuine commitment to the First Amendment would require it. In reality, neo-Nazis would more likely be escorted off campus by security or police.

The problem is that the culture that created the concept of “microaggression” is now blind to very real macroaggressions against students attending its institutions.

But it’s a complex moral conundrum, because victimhood culture should be repudiated. It is a road to nowhere except grievance and conflict.

And, despite the very real instances of intimidation and assault, it would be a mistake for Jewish students to adopt a hypersensitive approach that interprets ambiguous messages as hostility.

Balancing the rejection of victimhood culture with fair treatment for Jewish students is not easy. A responsible administration would ensure all students are free from intimidation and the threat of physical and verbal attacks, while reminding students that they should expect to be made to feel uncomfortable in the classroom. The job of colleges is to keep students physically safe, while challenging them intellectually.

At the same time, however, it is only natural for beleaguered Jewish students to want to be treated fairly. Other student groups at colleges have successfully had statues removed, buildings renamed, academic events cancelled and speakers deplatformed, because of distant connections to slavery that they find offensive. Is it too much to ask people to stop chanting genocidal slogans in the days and weeks after a genocidal terrorist attack?

Such demands for fairness raise important questions about the treatment of different groups on campuses. If universities had consistently upheld the principles of free speech over the past two decades, scholars who investigate controversial questions related to sex and race differences would not have faced marginalisation.

Conservatives and pro-life advocates would have the freedom to host seminars for students, and feminists who argue that men cannot become women would not face deplatforming. Many other speakers whose views may be considered offensive to “woke” sensibilities would also be welcomed on campus. However, this hasn’t been the case, and universities are only now realising the importance of free speech when they find themselves in need of it.

The Ivies’ current dilemma is a consequence of their own making. They want to reject victimhood culture in this particular instance where they have failed a minority group that has legitimate grievances. However, to do so, they are appealing to principles that they abandoned long ago. In 2023, Harvard received the worst-ever free speech ranking for an American college (as judged by FIRE, an American legal non-profit).

The Ivies need to understand the principle of free speech is not one that can be applied selectively. It applies to everyone, or it does not apply at all.

[ Via: https://archive.is/KoC6v ]

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