#March Agricultural Practices

[ggacworldwide]

Maximizing March: Best Farming Practices for Nigerian Regions

Introduction:As March unfolds, Nigerian farmers gear up for a pivotal period in agricultural activities. Tailoring farming practices to regional nuances and climate variations is crucial for maximizing yields and ensuring agricultural success. Explore the following best practices designed to optimize farming endeavors across Nigerian regions this March. 1. Northern Nigeria: Planting Schedule:…

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #19

May 17-24 2024

President Biden wiped out the student loan debt of 160,000 more Americans. This debt cancellation of 7.7 billion dollars brings the total student loan debt relieved by the Biden Administration to $167 billion. The Administration has canceled student loan debt for 4.75 million Americans so far. The 160,000 borrowers forgiven this week owned an average of $35,000 each and are now debt free. The Administration announced plans last month to bring debt forgiveness to 30 million Americans with student loans coming this fall.

The Department of Justice announced it is suing Ticketmaster for being a monopoly. DoJ is suing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation for monopolistic practices. Ticketmaster controls 70% of the live show ticket market leading to skyrocketing prices, hidden fees and last minute cancellation. The Justice Department is seeking to break up Live Nation and help bring competition back into the market. This is one of a number of monopoly law suits brought by the Biden administration against Apple in March and Amazon in September 2023.

The EPA announced $225 million in new funding to improve drinking and wastewater for tribal communities. The money will go to tribes in the mainland US as well as Alaska Native Villages. It'll help with testing for forever chemicals, and replacing of lead pipes as well as sustainability projects.

The EPA announced $300 million in grants to clean up former industrial sites. Known as "Brownfield" sites these former industrial sites are to be cleaned and redeveloped into community assets. The money will fund 200 projects across 178 communities. One such project will transform a former oil station in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood, currently polluted with lead and other toxins into a waterfront bike trail.

The Department of Agriculture announced a historic expansion of its program to feed low income kids over the summer holidays. Since the 1960s the SUN Meals have served in person meals at schools and community centers during the summer holidays to low income children. This Year the Biden administration is rolling out SUN Bucks, a $120 per child grocery benefit. This benefit has been rejected by many Republican governors but in the states that will take part 21 million kids will benefit. Last year the Biden administration introduced SUN Meals To-Go, offering pick-up and delivery options expanding SUN's reach into rural communities. These expansions are part of the Biden administration's plan to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030.

Vice-President Harris builds on her work in Africa to announce a plan to give 80% of Africa internet access by 2030, up from just 40% today. This push builds off efforts Harris has spearheaded since her trip to Africa in 2023, including $7 billion in climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation, and $1 billion to empower women. The public-private partnership between the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard plans to bring internet access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, before expanding to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Ghana, and then the rest of the continent, bring internet to 100 million people and businesses over the next 10 years. This is together with the work of Partnership for Digital Access in Africa which is hoping to bring internet access to 80% of Africans by 2030, up from 40% now, and just 30% of women on the continent. The Vice-President also announced $1 billion for the Women in the Digital Economy Fund to assure women in Africa have meaningful access to the internet and its economic opportunities.

The Senate approved Seth Aframe to be a Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, it also approved Krissa Lanham, and Angela Martinez to district Judgeships in Arizona, as well as Dena Coggins to a district court seat in California. Bring the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 201. Biden's Judges have been historically diverse. 64% of them are women and 62% of them are people of color. President Biden has appointed more black women to federal judgeships, more Hispanic judges and more Asian American judges and more LGBT judges than any other President, including Obama's full 8 years in office. President Biden has also focused on backgrounds appointing a record breaking number of former public defenders to judgeships, as well as labor and civil rights lawyers.

[fatehbaz]

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For the Maya, the honey bee is more than an insect. For millennia, the tiny, stingless species Melipona beecheii -- much smaller than Apis mellifera, the European honey bee -- has been revered in the Maya homeland in what is now Central America. Honey made by the animal the Maya call Xunan kab has long been used in a sacred drink, and as medicine to treat a whole host of ailments, from fevers to animal bites. The god of bees appears in relief on the walls of the imposing seacliff fortress of Tulum, the sprawling inland complex of Cobá, and at other ancient sites.

Today, in small, open-sided, thatched-roof structures deep in the tropical forests of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, traditional beekeepers still tend to Xunan kab colonies. The bees emerge from narrow openings in their hollow log homes each morning to forage for pollen and nectar among the lush forest flowers and, increasingly, the cultivated crops beyond the forests’ shrinking borders. And that is where the sacred bee of the Maya gets into trouble.

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In 2012, the Mexican government granted permission to Monsanto to plant genetically modified soybeans in Campeche and other states on the peninsula without first consulting local communities. The soybeans are engineered to withstand high doses of the controversial weedkiller Roundup; multiple studies have shown exposure to its main ingredient, glyphosate, negatively impacts bees, including by impairing behavior and changing the composition of the animals’ gut microbiome. Though soy is self-pollinating and doesn’t rely on insects, bees do visit the plants while foraging, collecting nectar and pollen as they go. Soon, Maya beekeepers found their bees disoriented and dying in high numbers. And Leydy Pech found her voice.

A traditional Maya beekeeper from the small Campeche city of Hopelchén, Pech had long advocated for sustainable agriculture and the integration of Indigenous knowledge into modern practice. But the new threat to her Xunan kab stirred her to action as never before. She led an assault on the Monsanto program on multiple fronts: legal, academic, and public outrage, including staging protests at ancient Maya sites. The crux of the legal argument by Pech and her allies was that the government had violated its own law by failing to consult with Indigenous communities before granting the permit to Monsanto. In 2015, Mexico’s Supreme Court unanimously agreed. Two years later, the government revoked the permit to plant the crops.

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As Pech saw it, the fight was not simply about protecting the sacred bee. The campaign was to protect entire ecosystems, the communities that rely on them, and a way of life increasingly threatened by the rise of industrial agriculture, climate change, and deforestation.

“Bees depend on the plants in the forest to produce honey,” she told the public radio program Living on Earth in 2021. “So, less forest means less honey [...]. Struggles like these are long and generational. [...] ”

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Headline, images, captions, and all text by: Gemma Tarlach. “The Keeper of Sacred Bees Who Took on a Giant.” Atlas Obscura. 23 March 2022. [The first image in this post was not included with Atlas Obscura’s article, but was added by me. Photo by The Goldman Environmental Prize, from “The Ladies of Honey: Protecting Bees and Preserving Tradition,” published online in May 2021. With caption added by me.]

[lunar-bat]

Witchcraft 101: Wicca & The Wheel of The Year

Paganism - An umbrella term for many nature-based and polytheistic spiritual traditions. Note that not all pagans practice witchcraft. Wicca - A pagan, nature-based religious movement. Wicca blends aspects of witchcraft, nature veneration, and ceremonial magic. It places a strong emphasis on honoring nature and follows a duotheistic belief system often known as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. Wheel of The Year The wheel reflects the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth in the natural world and is central to the rituals, spells, and celebrations of many pagan and witchcraft traditions. The Wheel of the Year is divided into eight significant points, which correspond to the Sabbats or festivals:

Samhain (October 31st): Also known as All Hollow's Eve, marks the beginning of the Wheel of the Year and is associated with the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter. Samhain is a time for honoring ancestors, reflecting on mortality, and recognizing the thinning of the veil between the physical and spirit worlds. Samhain is a time to acknowledge the cyclical nature of life and death and to connect with the spiritual realm. Yule (Winter Solstice, typically around December 21st): Marks the rebirth of the sun, with a focus on light, hope, and renewal during the darkest time of the year. Yule customs include lighting candles or a Yule log, feasting, gift-giving, and spending time with loved ones. It's a significant part of the Wheel of the Year, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and the changing seasons. Imbolc (February 1st): Marks the early signs of spring and the gradual return of light and warmth. Imbolc is associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid and is a time for purification, cleaning, and preparing for the coming season's growth. It's often celebrated with rituals, candle lighting, and dedication to Brigid. Imbolc highlights the theme of renewal and the awakening of life after the winter months. Ostara (Spring Equinox, typically around March 21st): Marks the arrival of spring, where day and night are in balance. Ostara is a time for celebrating fertility, new beginnings, and the growth of life. It is often associated with themes of rebirth, renewal, and the awakening of nature. Common customs include egg decorating, planting seeds, and celebrating the return of warmth and longer days. Beltane (May 1st): Celebration of fertility, love, and the union of the goddess and god. Beltane is often observed with rituals, bonfires, Maypole dancing, and other festivities that emphasize the vitality and growth of life in the natural world. Midsummer (Summer Solstice, typically around June 21st): Also known as Litha, marks the longest day of the year when the sun is at its peak. Midsummer is a time for harnessing the sun's energy, celebrating the abundance of nature, and enjoying outdoor festivities. Common customs include lighting bonfires, dancing, and gathering herbs and flowers for magical and medicinal purposes. Lughnasadh (August 1st): Also known as Lammas, marks the first harvest of the year and is associated with the Celtic god Lugh. Lughnasadh is a festival dedicated to expressing gratitude for the Earth's bountiful harvest and agricultural abundance. Traditional practices during this time involve crafting corn dollies, enjoying meals made from freshly harvested crops, and engaging in various games and competitions. Mabon (Autumn Equinox, typically around September 21st): Marks the second harvest and a time of balance when day and night are equal. Mabon is a festival for reflecting on gratitude, giving thanks for the fruits of the Earth, and preparing for the darker months ahead. Common customs include feasting on seasonal foods, making offerings to the land, and creating altars with symbols of the season.

[tylermileslockett]

8: ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS The ancient Greek Zodiakos, or Zodiac, is a division of the celestial sphere into twelve equal parts; each one containing a specific group of stars with a mythic association called a constellation. Ancient Greeks used the constellations for sailing navigation, time keeping for seasonal agricultural practices like planting and harvesting crops, mythic storytelling purposes, and astrology practices. Hellenistic Astrology, taking influence from the Babylonians and Egyptians, sought meaning in the zodiac signs and how they influenced a person’s character based on the position of the sun when they were born. They also used this practice for divination, providing guidance and predictions for the future. Let’s take a look at the twelve Zodiac constellations and their mythic tales. 1.) Aries (March 21-April 19) represents the flying golden ram sent by the gods to save the royal children Phrixus and Helle from sacrifice, and whose fleece later becomes the quested prize for the Argonauts. 2.) Taurus (April 20-May 20) represents the bull which Zeus transformed into to seduce Europa, and is linked to the Cretan Bull and the myth of the Minotaur. 3.) Gemini (May 21-June 21) represents the twins Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus and Leda, known for their inseparable bond and heroic deeds. 4.) Cancer (June 22- July 22) represents the crab sent by Hera to distract Hercules during his battle with the Hydra, later placed in the sky by Hera as a constellation. 5.) Leo (July 23- Aug. 22) represents the lion, representing strength and kingship, associated with the Nemean Lion defeated by Hercules. 6.) Virgo (Aug 23- Sept 22) represents the maiden, often linked to the goddess of agriculture and fertility, such as Demeter or Persephone. 7.) Libra (Sept 23- Oct 23) represents goddess of justice Astraea, daughter of Themis, who carries the scales of justice. 8.) Scorpio (Oct 24- Nov 21) represents the scorpion sent by Artemis or Gaia to kill Orion 9.) Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21) represents the centaur archer, often identified as the wise and skilled Chiron. 10.) Capricorn (Dec 22- Jan 19) represents the sea goat Aegipan, who aided Zeus in his fight against Typhon. 11.) Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18) represents the cupbearer of the gods, Ganymede, who was abducted by Zeus and placed among the stars. 12.) Pisces (Feb 19- March 20) represents the two fish, Aphrodite and Eros, who transformed to escape the monster Typhon.

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[road-kill-eater]

What WERE those superfluous aspects of Tonitrui historical culture?

Before the death of their own creator, tonitrui culture was as vibrant and varied in custom and belief as any other you see among humans. Most of the hunter-gatherer tribes worshiped seasonal gods, with each population attributing different names and characteristics to these figures.

For some the winter was kind, a god of slumber and rejuvenation, of making tight knots and steadfast bonds, of art and music and story. For others winter was a god of trials, of enduring punishment after punishment like a rain of whips, this god could be the sternest of them all, but yet remained a teacher in how it brought light to shadowed flaws and weakness. And while it is obvious the gods of summer would often be distributors of bounty and respite, sometimes this god would also be a devil of its own, raising fiery tempers, striking blight and drought, and sparking wars and murder.

Each season demanded its own sacrifice, ofttimes in fall it would be hair, in winter it would be food (especially rendered fat to be burned in intricate conflagrations), in spring it would be flowers plucked before they could fruit, and in summer it would be blood of the unborn and born both. But the whims of these gods could change, they might demand a more indulgent gift one year, or an entirely different sort the next.

Those that traveled a solitary and nomadic path as soothsayer were simultaneously adored and feared and hated, and rarely spent more than a few years with one tribe before fortune drove them on again. The most renowned of them were known to have great wars fought over them, or were bribed with all the material gifts that could be offered, but they were never harmed nor threatened, for the lie of a soothsayer was the greatest of curses.

Pic: Nilgai wearing a reconstructed soothsayer mask and burning tallow candles. Amidst civil war, plague and famine, there has been an increasing resurgence in heretical practices

As the coastal tribes transitioned into more sedentary and permanent villages which gave rise to agriculture and monarchism, their spiritualism calcified into finite forms. A myriad of interpretations and faces and names for the gods all informed by the specific culture of a tribe as well as their history and the lands they hunted were progressively funneled and congealed until but one absolute form remained. Of course bitter debates and battles were raged over the particular aspects, but once the custom of kings began, the ever changing became shackled to the earth. It was known that each god had one name and two heads, one of ill and one of fortune, and when they walked upon the land, the kingdom must attract the attention of the glad countenance, and distract the cruel face so it looked away. Much was said on the folly of dividing the gods in this way, that the cruel aspects were just as vital as the supposedly kind, that it would make the kingdom weak if it was never tested with raging wildfires nor floods nor plague.

When their creator came to walk among them, belief in the divine quartet could hardly stand up to miracles made flesh. This centralized religion was quickly shattered, and the result was a cultural maelstrom, with the god-king standing within the center. After the murder of the tonitrui creator, there was a spiritual void. The very idea of worship became distasteful after such betrayal and grief, and for most it would have been hollow belief, and so the old gods became childrens stories, and spirits to sometimes wish to for luck, but little else.

Following this, tonitrui culture became far more imperialistic. Kings were gods unto themselves, their words infallible, their arms as long as the march of their soldiers. The remaining nomadic tribes in the southlands were eaten up by conquest, and a generations spanning war was held between the southern kingdom and the loose coalition of tribes in the north. After many years the kingdom won out and occupied the land, forcing its many customs upon the inhabitants and stomping down on the old beliefs, which were now seen as foolish heresy that must be replaced with complete obeisance and worship to the king. Seasonal sacrifices were replaced with taxes and military drafting, and belief in the quartet gods was limited to underground communities which met in secret, or the most isolated of northern tribes.

These three great shifts in tonitrui society progressively stunted the culture of its own people. Many customs were abandoned or stamped out alongside the gods, and only remain as sanitized vestiges, with little memory as to their original significance. Before tail docking became all but compulsory, marriage rites were taken by tying a couples tails together with an intricate knot that must be slowly unwound day by day for a week. Tail dancing or flagging similar to ribbon dancing was also commonplace, and some even had their tails broken and set in specific positions to indicate their role in society.

Pic: Newlyweds with tied tails

Horns, meanwhile, were always used as pedestals for artistic expression. The buds of children could be split down the middle to create the illusion of four horns as they grew, each one bearing its own prayer to a god of the quartet. They could be carved or notched or woven with thread between each horn to indicate social rank, or to display a number of feats such as how many lives a warrior had taken in battle, or how many children one had (by their nature tonitrui have a low birthrate, high infant mortality, and slow maturation, children aren't named until their first birthday, and fertility is seen as one of the most important aspects of ones role in society).

Pic: A woman with split horns

There were also snout flutes, made by carving holes through the nasal bone, and played through a series of snorts. Tonitrui are already predisposed to a number of nasal infections which can sometimes lead to flesh eating disease in coastal territories with high humidity, so this custom was thoroughly stamped out for fear of the necessary body modification exacerbating such a condition.

Monarchistic tonitrui culture is quite focused on preserving the body as a tool for society, either in its role as a soldier, for procreation, or production, all with the goal of keeping a healthy population for which to secure and expand its territory. As such there is a cultural preoccupation with cleanliness, nutrition, and general health, with a strong distaste for anything considered too indulgent or gratuitous. The body must be kept whole, for there is no veil between the physical and mental self, and when one harms their own body in any permanent or unnecessary way, they also alter their own nature. Scars and significant injuries are seen to fracture the wholeness of oneself, and can lead to unstable temperaments. These traits are only admired in soldiers, whose physical sacrifice to the state purifies any subsequent metaphysical harm. The body must be kept healthy specifically so that the monarchy can choose when it can be broken. Thus the oldest tonitrui tradition of sacrifice is perverted, stripped of its intrapersonal narrative.

[beguines]

Scars of the forced settler-colonial modification of Gaza's peripheries through unannounced herbicidal spraying, the latest practice to accompany regular clearing and bulldozing of agricultural and residential lands, remain visible today. As bio-indicators of an engineered colonial landscape, changes in crop cultivation and farming practices occur regularly along the border to enable farmers to maintain their livelihoods with the expanding buffer zone and changing rules of agricultural development imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities. To understand the long-term changes to vegetative health in Gaza in the face of these forced transitions in cultivation, and to determine traces of environmental damage caused by the production and maintenance of the eastern border perimeter, we also conducted satellite imagery analysis from 1985 to 2018. Using an archive of 2,924 optical satellite images, we calculated the maximum greenness for each year across the Gaza Strip in over three decades of military occupation.

The findings revealed the severity of vegetative degradation in the area, indicating that the areas that completely lost vegetation were mostly in the Gaza Strip, while the areas that have become greener over time, with increased vegetation, occur mainly on the Israeli side of the perimeter. Further, when following the known path of target areas for herbicide spray along the border, we were able to observe that the areas closest to the border display vegetation degradation similar to that observed in Khan Younes.

Additionally, when collecting a sequence of satellite images of cloud-free imagery as close to March of each year, the height of the growing season, and from the start of herbicide spraying in 2014 up to 2018, we were able to produce a compelling true-color visual showing the growth of the border over time. Put differently, the past 30 years of satellite imagery makes the forced growth of the Israeli-imposed border onto Gazan territory literally visible. As a colonial construction, working according to a logic of racialized domination, the border grows only one way, encroaching onto Palestinian agricultural land, at each step becoming increasingly militarized and equipped with surveillance tools. The sequence of satellite maps shows Palestinian farms moving away from the border area, the border itself becoming increasingly defined, and the soil becoming increasingly bare and vegetation disappearing on the Gazan side—as a presumable result of herbicide spraying. The two-pronged colonial process apparent in these images, of the uprooting of formerly lush and rich indigenous Palestinian orange and olive trees taking place directly alongside the concerted planting and cultivation of farmlands led by Israeli-Jews during the same period fulfills the eco-colonial imagery of Israeli policymakers: a barren, neglected, and scorched indigenous landscape requiring domination and direction.

Shourideh C. Molavi, Environmental Warfare in Gaza: Colonial Violence and New Landscapes of Resistance

[dailyanarchistposts]

III

“Agriculture itself must be overcome, as domestication, and because it removes more organic matter from the soil than it puts back. Permaculture is a technique that seems to attempt an agriculture that develops or reproduces itself and thus tends toward nature and away from domestication. It is one example of promising interim ways to survive while moving away from civilization. Cultivation within the cities is another aspect of practical transition, and a further step toward superseding domestication would be a more or less random propagation of plants, a la Johnny Appleseed.” — John Zerzan, On the Transition: Postscript to Future Primitive

So how can this be overcome? How can the shackles placed by technological slavery be broken? There are no ready made blueprints, programs or textbooks that have the one correct way or answers. If civilization is to be overcome it will be through individuals with all sorts of diverse ideas, experiments and actions.

For me, I see my path is by attempting to achieve more individual autonomy and self-reliance away from the dependency on techno-industrial society through permacultural subsistence gardening which can provide for me, my family, and other living creatures that inhabit the area I am in.

I first learned about permaculture from reading the zine Backwoods. Prior to this I was focused on the horticultural method of “productive gardening”. I suppose the difference between the two is permaculture and woodland gardening is ecologically designed to give back to the soil, and benefit other living organisms, animals, and the local ecosystem in general as much as to help oneself.

It is an ecological sustainable gardening practice of growing for yourself while simultaneously helping the environment around you. Each individual organism that takes part in the process whether insects, microbe, human and non human animals, all benefit from a mutual utilisation of working together and likewise so does the organic matter and minerals which are needed to create and sustain healthy soil, which in turn when all together creates healthy gardening successions, rich landscapes, biodiversity, and healthy ecosystems.

The individual designs her garden to suit the needs of the local environment or back yard. This includes finding out soil types, and studying how much sun hits the area, where and when different areas might be shaded. From this the individual will research what plants will suit the environmental conditions.

Perennial plants such as fruit trees and bushes combined with a mix of native annuals and self seeding annuals such as edible wild garlic, flowers like nasturtiums, soil enhancers like clover, medicinal herbs, all provide ground cover and help protect the soil from the weather, soil erosion, water retention, and provide fertilizer and mulch, which all help soil fertility, providing life to the organisms that live in and create soil. All combined help local wildlife, pollinators and other insects that are vital for a healthy garden as well as a healthy planet.

I have been gardening for the last four years and started focusing on the permaculture method last year. One does not need a lot of money to start growing. When I had a tiny backyard I used containers of old pots, buckets, and even bags. Seeds and plants can be bought cheap in the right places or else can be shoplifted easily enough. Last March I built raised beds from scaffolding planks I expropriated from a local building site which was closed due to the first lock down and started a mini forest garden on roughly a twenty foot by twenty foot strip of land. If one hasn’t a backyard guerrilla gardening is a viable option.

Seeds and cuttings can be got for free in your area if you know what you are looking for. I learned about native plants from plant folklore books which were rich in folklore and mythical stories based around each plant species, included in the stories was information on edible plants and when best to forage, which ones were poisonous, and the uses of others. Combined, the stories provided a great index for subsistence. The area I live in is urban but I could still find many plants growing in parks, gardens, and the side of roads.

I’m still a long way off achieving my full subsistence needs and gardening obviously won’t solve the majority of the problems that stem from civilization but I see it as a potential starting point in my own struggle for individual liberation and creating the life I want to live. I don’t think gardening is for everyone either, but for me I get great enjoyment and satisfaction watching plants grow and then eating the produce, and all without having to pay or work a boring ass job for. I just have to open my door and walk outside.

I’m no expert on gardening or permaculture so I will leave a list of books that have helped me and where I got inspiration from.

Renzo Connors the Anarcho-Gardener

[humanrightsupdates]

Israel/Palestine: All Victims Have Right to Reparation for Abuses

Atrocity Crimes Require Effective Redress

(Geneva) – All victims of gross human rights violations in Palestine and Israel are owed reparation, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch on June 26 submitted recommendations to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, had invited input to inform her October 2024 report to the United Nations General Assembly on the ongoing hostilities.

Under international law, governments responsible for abuses are obliged to provide effective remedies for human rights violations, including through truth, justice, compensation, memorialization, and guarantees of non-recurrence. Non-state armed groups also have responsibilities to provide reparation. Reparation processes should center on the rights of victims and be carried out after meaningful and effective consultations with them. Other countries that have, or whose businesses have, supported one side or the other should contribute to reparations and all other countries should press the parties to the conflict to commit to provide reparations.

“The parties to the conflict need to repair the harm they have caused to victims in the ongoing hostilities,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. “Governments supporting Israel and Palestinian armed groups should not only use their leverage to stop further abuses, but also to ensure that victims and survivors receive meaningful reparations.”

Albanese sought submissions from civil society, academics, governments, and others on her upcoming report, which will examine “how Israel’s post-October-7 policies and practices have impacted the rights of the Palestinian people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (since 7 October 2023), and in Gaza (since 1 March 2024, which marked the end of the last reporting period).”

Israeli forces have unlawfully attacked residential buildings, medical facilities, and aid workers, and used starvation as a weapon of war in the Gaza Strip, which has suffered a staggering toll of 37,600 people killed. Israel has restricted imports of aid to Gaza as well as medical evacuations, leaving people who have been wounded, women and girls giving birth, people with disabilities and chronic conditions, and others with no or inadequate medical treatment, with devastating consequences. Israeli authorities have detained and mistreated thousands of Palestinians, with persistent reports of tortureIn the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have displaced the majority of the population, including through unlawful evacuation orders, and destroyed the majority of homes, schools, hospitals, agricultural land, and other civilian infrastructure, with many forced to live in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. In the West Bank, where Israeli forces have killed over 500 Palestinians, Israeli authorities have forcibly displaced entire Palestinian communities. These abuses take place in a context in which Israeli authorities are accelerating illegal settlement expansion, subjecting Palestinian prisoners to deteriorating conditions, and committing the continuing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians.

Palestinian armed groups on October 7 killed over 800 civilians in southern Israel, mistreated and inflicted sexual and gender-based violence on people they detained, took 251 hostages, destroyed homes, and have continued to launch indiscriminate rockets at population centers.

[mask131]

Roman gods are not Greek gods: Mars

MARS

To start this series, I think the best deity to exemplify the difference between Greek and Roman gods is Mars, the Roman equivalent of Ares.

Everybody knows Ares. The cruel and bloodthirsty god of war, a deity who enjoys bloodbaths and massacres, the twin brother of strife and discord, the father of terror and panic, an embodiment of brutality and violence existing to oppose the most rational, civilized, intelligent and honorable form of war practiced by Athena, deity of strategy, peace and wisdom.

And yet, when you look at Mars, over in Rome… While he is indeed a god of war, like Ares, he has absolutely none of the “dark” or “ugly” sides of Ares. He isn’t a brute, he isn’t mindless, he isn’t a god of carnage feared by all. He isn’t a god of destruction. In fact, he is the sole embodiment of the “good war”. All of Athena’s symbolism as the “goddess of the right way to wage war” can be found in Mars, and all of Ares’ symbolism as the “god of the wrong way to wage war” is thrown out of the window, nowhere to be seen. The reason why is in my general introduction: the Romans were soldiers at heart. Roman culture was a military culture. Waging war and sending legions to conquer their neighbors was how Rome asserted itself as a great power, how the city-state grew into an empire, how the Romans built themselves as people. The army was the main way to maintain order and control in the various provinces of the Empire ; being a soldier was one of the most common careers of a Roman, and the military hierarchy was just a common way of climbing the social ladder ; a part of the nobility of Rome was of military origins. War was a big, big thing for Ancient Rome – and as a result they did not had any “negative” view of war (unlike the Greeks who constantly lived in the fear of both barbarian invasions and civil war among themselves). For them, a god of war would be the god that helped their culture affirm itself, that helped their empire grow, that was present in their everyday life, that maintained order in their lands and that helped structure their very society. And this is why Mars is a “good” god of war, unlike Ares.

To illustrate this, the cult of Mars was heavily centered around shields – showing that he embodied a war and a military supposed to protect as much as it should attack. He was a god that generals prayed to before going on any military campaign, offerings were given to him before any battle, and if the Romans were victorious it was him they thanked. In fact, Mars was often depicted in the company of personifications of victory, such as Victoria or Vitula. Yes, he was also escorted by deities that inflicted terror on his enemies, similar to the Greek Phobos and Deimos (here Pavor and Pallor), but he also counted among his companion allegories such as Honor or Virtus – the very concept of honor and courage, for Mars was a god of bravery and the keeper of the moral code of warriors. His war was one of virtue and discipline, not of chaos and wickedness.

But this is all just one of the two main aspects of Mars – the other being… flowers. Yep. A flower god. Now we’re really not in Kansas anymore – you imagine Ares as a god of flowers? As I said in my general introduction, the Romans were primarily “farmer-soldiers”, with a very… rustic and agricultural pantheon before the massive Hellenization. And Mars is the “perfect” Roman god because he literally has both sides: a god of war and a god of plants. In his “primitive”, more Latin incarnation, Mars started out as a protector of vegetation and a deity making sure that nature flourished – his festivals were during the third month of the year, the month of March (named after him) and coincided with the opening of the tree-buds and the apparition of the first flowers, making him a god of spring.

While he lost most of his agricultural functions to Ceres and Liber Pater as Rome became a much more military nation, he still kept several traits of his primal characterization – for example his old epithet “Gradivus”, originally tied to “grandiri” (to grow, to become tall) was reinterpreted as tied to “gradi, gradus” (to march, to step) and from a god helping plants grow he became the god of the marching soldiers, aka infantrymen – it was on Mars Gradivus that generals and soldiers swore an oath to be valorous in battle. There is also how soldier’s prayers for Mars to protect their weapons and blade from “rust” originated as prayers by farmers to have their wheat protected from another type of “rust”, a special type of wheat fungus. The fact he was celebrated in spring became more than just a celebration of him “waking up” nature and giving back life to strength and plants – he was also perceived as “waking up” bravery and courage in men’s hearts. Because, with the end of winter, battles and military operations could start again (they were usually “paused” during the winter). And thus “war and prosperity” became seen by the Romans as just two sides of the same coin, and spring as the season of both flowers and soldiers. Mars was perceived as the god of “virility”, and for the Romans virility was as much a social virtue AND the very concept of life force – virility was the way a soldier or general had to be, but it was also virility that helped crops grow and that helped create plants.

A last interesting way the two sides of Mars were united is through his spear. Mars’ iconic weapon was his spear (the two items of his military cult were the shield and the spear) – and often said spear was depicted as wrapped in laurel garlands. While originally a symbol reflecting his role as a vegetation god, the idea of garlands of leaves and flowers became associated with victory in battle and peace after war – which is why for example a crown of laurel became a symbol of a champion, winner or conquerer in Rome.

  Other important facts about Mars:  

# Mars had a very important role in Roman history, and was thus seen as one of the “ancestor” gods of the Roman civilization. He was said to have been the father of Romulus and Remus, the brothers who actually built the city of Rome ; and he helped the second legendary king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, by offering him a magical shield that was tied to Rome’s fate and would help protect the city as long as it stayed undamaged. This important role led to him being actually called “father” in religion: Mars Pater, Father Mars (which is a name also present in earlier incarnation of the god as “Marspiter” or “Maspiter”).

# In fact, Mars was one of the most prominent and important Roman gods, with temples present everywhere. It is said that he was one of the gods of the “archaic triad” (the triad of main gods of early Roman religion), alongside Jupiter (imagine: Mars was equal to Jupiter!) and a purely Roman deity known as “Quirinus”. What is slightly confusing however is that while sometimes Quirinus and Mars are treated as separate, other times they are treated as one of the same: “Mars Quirinus” was one of the aspects of Mars, as the god of the “quirites” (citizens of Rome), the protector of Rome’s civilians, as well as the keeper of treaties and oaths ensuring peace as a whole.  

# Ovid actually gave Mars a birth legend that was the one of Hephaistos in the Hesiodic tradition: Juno/Hera, jealous of seeing Jupiter/Zeus giving birth to a child on his own (Minerva/Athena), decided in retaliation to also give birth to a child on her own. But unlike Hesiod’s Theogony where Hera worked on her own and the result was an imperfect, deformed baby ; in Ovid’s tales, Juno asked for the help of the goddess Flora, who offered her a magical flower that impregnated the goddess and led to the birth of Mars. (This legend furthers highlights the “vegetation” aspect of Mars).

# While March became the “third month” of the Roman calendar, with the month of January (named after the god Janus) marking the new year ; originally March was the first month of the early Roman calendar, and on the first day of this month (so the first day of the year) was celebrated the Matronalia, a festival of mother and married women centered around Juno. It was also thought to be the day Juno gave birth to Mars. Thus, the birth of Mars, god of vegetation, from the mother-goddess, by a magical flower, was the original opening of the Roman year – a year which, as you can see, in the agricultural lifestyle of early Romans was entirely centered around nature, beginning with the rebirth of vegetation and ending with the “death” of plants in winter.

# While Ares’ sacred animals reflected his nastier side (the destructive boar blinded by rage, the corpse-eating vulture), Mars’ sacred animals were the woodpecker, the bear and the wolf. The latter was very important – a she-wolf nursed Romulus and Remus, Rome’s founders, as babes, and thus the wolf became the symbol of the “nurse and nurturer” of Rome, it became the animal of the defense of Rome, and the very representation of Rome itself.  

# Ares had a female divine companion, which was a purely Roman goddess and the main “warrior goddess” instead of Athena/Minerva – it was Bellona, goddess of war, sometimes said to be the sister, daughter or wife of Mars. But while she was the main war goddess of the Roman pantheon, she was not the equivalent of Athena at all – in fact, in a true ironic twist, Bellona was said to be a more brutal and savage deity than Mars, asking for mutilation and blood in her sacrifices, and being escorted by the Roman version of Eris (Discordia) and by the Furies (Roman Erynies). So overall, Bellona was more of a “true” equivalent of Ares, while Mars is more of an equivalent of Athena… Mars also had another consort-goddess which was sometimes equated with Bellona: Nerio, the personification of “valor” – and just like Mars, she had a dual nature as both embodying a social virtue, a form of “majestic power” (valor as we understand it today), and a manifestation of the vital force and life-power.

# As you can deduce from above – the whole thing of Mars and Venus being in love actually did not exist until the Hellenization of the Roman religion. It was then that the love story of Ares and Aphrodite was brought over, and forced upon the Roman gods, even though Mars and Venus had nothing to do together prior to that. However, while the Romans quickly adopted the Mars and Venus love, they kind of ditched a very important aspect of the Greek story: the adultery. It was present in the first manifestations of the Greek tale in Rome, but the Romans did not like to speak of such vile or unpleasant things like adultery (unlike rape for example, which Romans ADORED), and so it did not stick. This tale fascinated the poets, the artists, the philosophers, precisely because they adored the beauty and idea of Love and War being united as a couple, and so they refuse to have it be presented in a negative light like the Greek did. Ares and Aphrodite’s relationship wasn’t a love story, but an infidelity story almost turning into a grotesque farce – it was the Romans who romanticized and embellished Mars and Venus’ relationship into a beautiful love story, to the point that the two deities were implied or considered to be married to each other, and were seen as the ideal model for married couples. It helped that both were consider the “parent gods” of Rome, Mars as the “father” through Romulus/Remus, Venus as the “mother” through Aeneas. An interesting thing concerning the Mars-Venus relationship: in Roman depictions of the relationship, Venus is always presented in a dominating or leading position, while Mars is often shown in a submissive, relaxed, rested way, often disrobed, disarmed, if not outright nude or sleeping. As I said, the Mars-Venus relationship was heavily perceived through poetic and philosophical lenses, and as a result these depictions wanted to insist on how Love actually brings calm, peace and rest in War, allowing War to leave its weapons and abandon itself to pleasures and quietness.

[freddie5romeo2blaine2sidney4]

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, for people born between March 21 and April 19. It's a fire sign, symbolized by the ram and ruled by Mars. Aries is said to represent the ability to embrace change and is associated with the head and the beginning of spring. Some say Aries are bold, ambitious, passionate, and confident leaders but can also be impulsive, hotheaded, and have poor self-control.

Leo are people born between July 23 and August 22 and are represented by the lion, the king of the jungle. They are fire signs, and their ruling planet is the sun, which is said to reflect their confident and charismatic nature. Leos are often described as Natural leaders, Dramatic, Creative, Loyal, and Independent. However, Leos can also be susceptible to burnout and should take time to help others and remember that the world doesn't revolve around them. They can also feel deeply wounded when someone breaks their code, and this can lead to narcissistic or absolutist behavior.

Virgo is a zodiac sign for people born between August 23 and September 22. Virgos are associated with the earth sign and the goddess of agriculture and wheat, which may explain their practical and grounded nature. Virgos are known for being perfectionists who are logical, systematic, and detail-oriented. They are also known for being hard workers who are quick thinkers and great negotiators. Here are some other traits associated with Virgos Perfectionists, Practical, Detail-oriented, and Sustainable.

Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac, for people born between September 23 and October 22. Libras are represented by the scales of justice, an inanimate object that symbolizes their focus on balance, harmony, and justice. Libras are also ruled by Venus, the planet of love, and beauty. Libras are often dedicated workers and leaders in their fields, and they value fairness and aesthetics in all aspects of life. They may also be known for their excellent communication skills and ability to make friends and maintain friendships. However, Libras can also have some negative traits, such as being indecisive, people-pleasing, and overthinking. They may also be prone to jealousy, possessiveness, and intense emotional outbursts. Libras may also try to avoid conflict at all costs, which can sometimes backfire.

Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac, and is said to govern the period from around October 24 to November 21. Scorpios are represented by the scorpion, which may be related to the Greek myth of a scorpion killing Orion, or causing the sun's horses to bolt. Scorpios are said to be ruled by Pluto, the planet of destruction and transformation, and are known for being intense, passionate, and magnetic. They can also be secretive, possessive, and have a shadowy side that can be fueled by a desire for control.

Capricorn is the last earth sign of the zodiac and is associated with the period from December 21 to January 20. Capricorns are symbolized by the sea goat, a mythological creature with the body of a goat and the tail of a fish, which represents their ability to navigate both the material and emotional realms. Capricorns are said to have many personality traits, including hardworking, pragmatic, and long-term. Some say that Capricorns can have negative traits, including Workaholism, stubbornness, emotional unavailability, pessimism, commitment issues, and coldness. Capricorns are also considered a cardinal sign, which means they initiate the start of a season. The start of the Capricorn season coincides with the winter solstice, which is a time of reflection and celebration.

Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac and the last air sign, covering the period from January 20 to February 18. People born under this sign are said to have many positive traits, including. Independent, Creative, Progressive clever, optimistic, analytical, technical, truthful, assertive, and confident. Some say that Aquarius, like every zodiac sign, has some negative traits Emotional distance, Stubbornness, and Hardheadedness.

Pisces is a water sign of the zodiac that covers the period from February 19 to March 20. It is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions, which may represent Pisces' tendency to divide their attention between reality and fantasy. Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac, and some say this makes it particularly deep. Pisces are said to be ruled by the planets Neptune and Jupiter, which may make them both secretive and expansive, magical and worldly, and soulful and joyful. Pisces are often described as having the following personality traits Creative and imaginative, Compassionate and loving, Emotionally sensitive, Gracious, Sympathetic, Intuitive, and Worldly wise. Pisces' emotional sensitivity can help them to be in tune with others, but it can also make them vulnerable to criticism. They may worry a lot about how their actions might affect others, and it can be easy for them to feel other people's experiences so much that they overshadow their own. Pisces may also be vague and escapist, but they can make up for this with their compassion and intuition.

[lenbryant]

(Times) This May Be Our Last Chance to Halt Bird Flu in Humans, and We Are Blowing It

The outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza among U.S. dairy cows, first reported on March 25, has now spread to at least 33 herds in eight states. On Wednesday, genetic evidence of the virus turned up in commercially available milk. Federal authorities say the milk supply is safe, but this latest development raises troubling questions about how widespread the outbreak really is.

So far, there is only one confirmed human case. Rick Bright, an expert on the H5N1 virus who served on President Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, told me this is the crucial moment. “There’s a fine line between one person and 10 people with H5N1,��� he said. “By the time we’ve detected 10, it’s probably too late” to contain.

That’s when I told him what I’d heard from Sid Miller, the Texas commissioner for agriculture. He said he strongly suspected that the outbreak dated back to at least February. The commissioner speculated that then as many as 40 percent of the herds in the Texas Panhandle might have been infected.

Dr. Bright fell silent, then asked a very reasonable question: “Doesn’t anyone keep tabs on this?”

The H5N1 outbreak, already a devastating crisis for cattle farmers and their herds, has the potential to turn into an enormous tragedy for the rest of us. But having spent the past two weeks trying to get answers from our nation’s public health authorities, I’m shocked by how little they seem to know about what’s going on and how little of what they do know is being shared in a timely manner.

How exactly is the infection transmitted between herds? The United States Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all say they are working to figure it out.

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According to many public health officials, the virus load in the infected cows’ milk is especially high, raising the possibility that the disease is being spread through milking machines or from aerosolized spray when the milking room floors are power washed. Another possible route is the cows’ feed, owing to the fairly revolting fact that the U.S. allows farmers to feed leftover poultry bedding material — feathers, excrement, spilled seeds — to dairy and beef cattle as a cheap source of additional protein.

Alarmingly, the U.S.D.A. told me that it has evidence that the virus has also spread from dairy farms back to poultry farms “through an unknown route.” Well, one thing that travels back and forth between cattle farms and chicken farms is human beings. They can also travel from cattle farms to pig farms, and pigs are the doomsday animals for human influenza pandemics. Because they are especially susceptible to both avian and human flu, they make for good petri dishes in which avian influenza can become an effective human virus. The damage could be vast.

The U.S.D.A. also told me it doesn’t know how many farmers have tested their cattle and doesn’t know how many of those tests came up positive; whatever testing is being done takes place at the state level or in private labs. Just Wednesday, the agency made it mandatory to report all positive results, a long overdue step that is still — without the negative results alongside them — insufficient to give us a full picture. Also on Wednesday, the U.S.D.A. made testing mandatory for dairy cattle that are being moved from one state to another. It says mandatory testing of other herds wouldn’t be “practical, feasible or necessarily informative” because of “several reasons, ranging from laboratory capacity to testing turnaround times.” The furthest the agency will go is to recommend voluntary testing for cattle that show symptoms of the illness — which not all that are infected do. Dr. Bright compares this to the Trump administration’s approach to Covid-19: If you don’t test, it doesn’t exist.

As for the F.D.A., it tells me it hasn’t completed specific tests to confirm that pasteurization would make milk from infected cows safe, though the agency considers it “very likely” based on extensive testing for other pathogens. (It is not yet clear whether the elements of the H5N1 virus that recently turned up in milk had been fully neutralized.) That testing should have been completed by now. In any case, unpasteurized milk remains legal in many states. Dr. Bright told me that “this is a major concern, especially given recent infections and deaths in cats that have consumed infected milk.”

Making matters worse, the U.S.D.A. failed to share the genomes from infected animals in a timely manner, and then when it shared the genomes did so in an unwieldy format and without any geographic information, causing scientists to tear their hair out in frustration.

All this makes catching potential human cases so urgent. Dr. Bright says that given a situation like this, and the fact that undocumented farmworkers may not have access to health care, the government should be using every sophisticated surveillance technique, including wastewater testing, and reporting the results publicly. That is not happening. The C.D.C. says it is monitoring data from emergency rooms for any signs of an outbreak. By the time enough people are sick enough to be noticed in emergency rooms, it is almost certainly too late to prevent one.

So far, the agency told me, it is aware of only 23 people who have been tested. That tiny number is deeply troubling. (Others may be getting tested through private providers, but if negative, the results do not have to be reported.)

On the ground, people are doing the best they can. Adeline Hambley, a public health officer in Ottawa, Mich., told me of a farm whose herd had tested positive. The farm owner voluntarily handed over the workers’ cellphone numbers, and the workers got texts asking them to report all potential symptoms. Lynn Sutfin, a public information officer in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, told me that response rates to those texts and other forms of outreach can be as high as 90 percent. That’s heartening, but it’s too much to expect that a poor farmworker — afraid of stigma, legal troubles and economic loss — will always report even mild symptoms and stay home from work as instructed.

It’s entirely possible that we’ll get lucky with H5N1 and it will never manage to spread among humans. Spillovers from animals to humans are common, yet pandemics are rare because they require a chain of unlucky events to happen one after the other. But pandemics are a numbers game, and a widespread animal outbreak like this raises the risks. When dangerous novel pathogens emerge among humans, there is only a small window of time in which to stop them before they spiral out of control. Neither our animal farming practices nor our public health tools seem up to the task.

There is some good news: David Boucher, at the federal government’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, told me that this virus strain is a close match for some vaccines that have already been formulated and that America has the capacity to manufacture and potentially distribute many millions of doses, and fairly quickly, if it takes off in humans. That ability is a little like fire insurance — I’m glad it exists, but by the time it comes into play your house has already burned down.

I’m sure the employees of these agencies are working hard, but the message they are sending is, “Trust us — we are on this.” One troubling legacy of the coronavirus pandemic is that there was too much attention on telling the public how to feel — to panic or not panic — rather than sharing facts and inspiring confidence through transparency and competence. And four years later we have an added layer of polarization and distrust to work around.

In April 2020, the Trump administration ousted Dr. Bright from his position as the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the agency responsible for fighting emerging pandemics. In a whistle-blower complaint, he alleged this happened after his early warnings against the coronavirus pandemic were ignored and as retaliation for his caution against unproven treatments favored by Donald Trump.

Dr. Bright told me that he would have expected things to be much different during the current administration, but “this is a live fire test,” he said, “and right now we are failing it.”

Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) is a professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University, the author of “Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest” and a New York Times Opinion columnist. @zeynep • Facebook

A version of this article appears in print on April 28, 2024, Section SR, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: The U.S. Is Blowing Its Chance to Halt Bird Flu in Humans. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

[tionpeake]

♛ → THE REACH presents TION PEAKE, the RULING LORD of STARPIKE* & MASTER OF COIN. when the dragons danced in the sky they thought THE GREENS would still fly, but in the blink of an eye, they would all die. the THIRTY-TWO year old MALE who was AMBITIOUS & COMPOSED before they saw the first of the flames, is now GREEDY & CONTROLLING after seeing the last. they’re often associated with lush grassy plains as far as the eye can see, the sound of drums in the distance, the scent of perfumed oils ( kofi siriboe. )

*as a side note, though starpike is his main home, the peakes have three keeps to their name at this time - starpike, whitegrove, and dunstonbury

pinterest ✶ playlist ✶ wanted connections ✶ character building ✶ timeline ✶ house peake lore ✶ tasks

history.

part one

gold was ever a sore point for the peakes, whose own house was land poor, rich in stone and soil and pride, yet chronically short of coin, so say the writings of maester gyldayn. this much was true under the lordship of tion’s father, a martial-minded marcher lord, but the father was not the son. the lands of house peake were plentiful and fertile, and yet, the coffers were always empty.

tion’s upbringing was marked by his family’s relative poverty. his house was an ancient one, existing in the reach’s earliest days and said to be descended from florys the fox. many have wondered since the age of heroes if there was summer islander blood in the people of the peake’s lands, but none could say for certain - the husbands of florys were not recorded to history. in his youth, his father had visited the summer isles, curious to see if his origins could be traced. he did not return with answers, but he did return with a bride - tion’s mother.

and yet, despite their three castles they could barely afford to maintain, and an abundance of fertile lands in the marches, the peakes had never found permanent fortune and security. there have been times in their history, such as when the manderlys were driven from the reach, when they had temporarily flourished, but the temporary boosts never lasted more than a few generations.

and so, tion was raised with very little in comparison to the other reach lords, his armour never knew, his family’s keeps always in a state of near disrepair. it was a source of wounded pride for tion, who made it his mission very early on to not only make money, but to make so much of it that it would last for years to come, shattering the peake’s reputation for being poor.

on his sixteenth nameday, his father granted tion dunstonbury, one of the peake’s three castles that were emblazoned on their arms. though young, the lord quickly went to work, a sign of what was to come when he would one day take his father’s own seat. ever-diligent, that tion peake is a hardworking man could never be doubted. his goal, at first, was simple - amass enough money to repair the crumbling keep he was to live in.

the peakes had land to spare, and so, tion practically gave it away to the local small folk. the population of dunstonbury swelled, and agriculture began to flourish, and alongside it, other trade began to spring up. his efforts would bear fruit when the dance broke out, allowing the peakes to continue to make coin while their lords went to war.

the dance would see his father fall, and tion rise to become the lord of the peakes’ three keeps.

part 2

during the dance, he was a fierce supporter of the green faction. it was not just a matter of duty - he genuinely believed in the principles of it, and that aegon ii was the one with the right to rule. this belief only grew the longer the war continued.

he was a fair soldier - better than most, but by no means exceptional. perhaps he could have been, if he had more of a passion for it, but despite his martial upbringing, he was never overjoyed by the feeling of a sword in his hand. no matter where he went or what he was doing, his mind was often on something else, his plans for his home, and what he would do when he returned. 

over time, though, his loyalties began to shift. he did not support the greens, but one particular green - and he began to think that perhaps daeron the daring, a man he came to greatly respect, would be the best choice for westeros’ king, and gathered a contingent of supporters who felt similarly. 

when daeron disappeared, presumed dead, he lost faith in the targaryen dynasty as a whole. as such, tion was a very happy man when the dance ended, and the realm split. he returned to the reach, accepting the decision wholeheartedly, and once again turned his mind to his long-term goals. 

part 3

the next few years were marked by the culmination of tion’s plans for his home, so rudely interrupted by the dance. under his guidance, the peake lands have seen prosperity like no other, booming in trade born from the attention tion put into their agriculture in his youth that became something more in the years since. The castles have been restored, new towns and villages springing up where before there were only grassy plains. 

this should have signalled a time to rest - but not for tion. instead, he simply reassessed what he wanted out of life, and set his new goal - a voice in the reach, a seat on the small council. 

he bided his time, but the death of garland hightower presented an opportunity. tion put his name forward as master of coin - after all, who better to handle the treasury than the man who had spun straw into gold? 

personality.

basics

for tion, nothing is ever good enough. even when he achieves the goal he has set out for himself, he is always chasing the next achievement, looking for his next victory. he’s always looking for more, to be and have better. over time, he has become greedy in his efforts.  

in every incident, every interaction, every conversation, tion looks for opportunity. he’s a chancer at heart - and thus far, that has worked out for him. 

he’s a patient man. he knows that success comes not simply from action, but when the action is deployed. even when he has a fully formed, concrete plan in mind, he has no issues holding back from making the first move until the most opportune time. 

in terms of personal interactions, tion is a very calm presence. he’s an incredibly difficult man to rile up, whether than be anger or any other sort of passion. he sees this as a source of pride, his cool demeanour and composure something that he maintains at all times. 

tion is a man who cares about his appearance. he is never seen publicly with a hair out of place, and never caught unawares. there’s more than hubris behind this, a strategy he lives by : he goes to extreme efforts to make it known that the peakes no longer lack for coin, and to make it plain that he is a lord, not a glorified farmer. 

rumours

under tion’s lordship, the lands of house peake have gone from the brink of ruin to incredibly prosperous in a very short amount of time. there are some who think he has accomplished this through dubious means. 

his mother was a summer islander, and so it would be natural to assume he has sympathies there.

goals

he’s got the land and the money, and now tion seeks to make a name for himself. it is not necessarily about amassing power - tion is a very goal oriented person, never satisfied with what he has. there is always another step on the ladder to climb, and he wants to make sure he is in the right places, at the right times, making the right steps to get ahead for himself and his legacy. 

his biggest challenge is the delicate balance between upholding the martial traditions of a lord of the marches, and further encouraging economic prosperity. 

fears

he fears that everything is temporary, and all that he has worked for to improve peake lands could go away, and thus not be around for future generations to reap the benefits of. 

he also hates not being in control of any given circumstance. he is constantly looking for the upper hand to avoid this. 

a growing concern is that his mother’s place of birth will come back to haunt him. he works hard to put distance between himself and his heritage, and asking him about his connections to the summer isles is one of the only ways to get a rise out of him. 

other 

during the dance, he was badly burned, and carries the scars of this on his left arm.

for the lands surrounding the peake’s three castles, i am taking inspiration from haitian culture. the food, art, music, language, and community way of life there reflects this (more detailed post to come)

[fatehbaz]

Here, among these 8,000-year-old urban agricultural fields long referred to as the “lungs” (Kurmanji: lêdanê; Turkish: akciğer) that “breathe” (Turkish: nefes almak) life into the informal capital of southeastern Turkey’s Kurdistan, most farmers depend on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to cultivate corn and maize, the monocrops promoted by [...] landlords and the Turkish state. 

The Gardens, which have one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the Middle East, are home to rare bird, butterfly, and reptilian species and endemic plants. [...] [T]he plots were added to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites in 2015 together with the ancient district of Sur, located in the buffer zone just inside the Diyarbakır Fortress walls. [...]

Together, they work to create a seed bank of pest-resistant plants native to Kurdistan. Azad stresses the difficulties of putting decolonial ecological principles into practice under the state’s brutal blockade where “war is the climate,” as people put it. Before the Siege of 2015–2016, hundreds of eco-projects were realized with non-hybrid seeds and pesticide-free farming by eco-activists and Yazidi refugee women who in 2014 fled the Yazidi Genocide in their ancestral homeland of Sinjar in Iraqi Kurdistan and settled in the refugee camp of Diyarbakır. Since the occupation of Sur and its surrounding areas, they are all largely ruined. [...]

---

Occupied ecologies are as much about destruction as they are about construction. [...] In 2015, the Turkish government had expedited an “emergency appropriation” of 60 percent of Sur properties. [...]

The removal of underground materials, the damming of rivers, the replacement of traditional crops with profit-yielding industrial commodities such as maize and cotton, the uprooting of ecological life, the decline of rare indigenous weasel and water turtle populations, and the ruined and resurgent ecologies these destructive processes have generated in and through war would be impossible without the wielding of specific forms of political violence upon the land to make it “available” for colonial development. [...] Coproducing infrastructure and ecology as possessions of the nation-state and as commodifiable resources meant the proliferation of these projects all over Kurdistan, to be constructed and managed by private companies. [...]

In 2005, the decolonial paradigm of self-governance became the Kurdish movement’s ecological model. [...] This “greening” of the larger Kurdish movement, organized in Turkish Kurdistan as ecology councils (Kurmanji: meclîsa ekolojî) under the Mesopotamian Ecology Movement spawned several campaigns: one against the militarization of the region via a new type of high-security police station, the kalekol; one against the extraction of shale gas by fracking; and one against the Tigris Valley Project development of the area directly across the Tigris River from the Hewsel Gardens. [...]

But by autumn 2016, the pro-Kurdish municipalities had been placed under Turkish trusteeship (Turkish: kayyum), and their democratically elected Kurdish mayors had been dismissed. The state then put an end to these activities, and, in an ironic twist, co-opted the city’s age-old idiom of “breath” as a way to greenwash the destructive effects of its campaign for “mobilizing saplings” (Turkish: fidan seferberliği) [...].

---

All text above by: Umut Yildirim. “Resistant Roots: Occupied Ecologies on the Shores of the Tigris River.” Jadaliyaa. 21 March 2022. [Some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was called to pastor the New Park Street Chapel, London, when he was only nineteen. This church became the 6,000 seat Metropolitan Tabernacle, which he pastored until his death at age 58. Through his relatively short but phenomenally productive ministry, Spurgeon pastored, directed a Pastor’s College, oversaw a Bible and tract society, organized Stockwell Orphanage, published the monthly magazine Sword and Trowel, edited a weekly sermon (among the several he preached each week), and wrote a number of books, including his well-known Treasury of David.

Timeline of the Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

1834 (June 19) – Born at Kelvedon, Essex.

1850 (January 6) – Converted at Colchester.

1850 (April 4)- Admitted to Church membership at Newmarket.

1850 (May 3) – Baptized in the River Lark at Isle-ham.

1851 – Becomes Pastor of Waterbeach Baptist Chapel.

1853 – First literary effort, No. I of Water-beach Tracts published.

1853 (December) – Preaches at New Park Street Chapel, London, for the first time.

1854 (April) – Accepts Pastorate of New Park Street Chapel.

1855 (January) – First sermon in the “New Park Street Pulpit” published.

1855 (February) – First preaches at Exeter Hall.

1855 (July) – Mr. T. W. Medhurst becomes C. H. Spurgeon’s first ministerial student.

1856 (January 8) – Marries Miss Susannah Thompson.

1856 (June) – Metropolitan Tabernacle Building Committee formed.

1856 (September 20)- Twin sons Thomas and Charles born.

1856 (October 19) – Surrey Gardens Music Hall Disaster.

1856 (November 23) – Services recommenced at the Music Hall.

1857 – A second student accepted by C. H. Spurgeon and the Pastor’s College practically founded.

1857 (October 7) – Preaches to 23,654 persons at the Crystal Palace on Fast Day.

1859 (August 16) – Foundation Stone of the Metropolitan Tabernacle laid.

1861 (March 18) – Metropolitan Tabernacle opened with a great prayer meeting.

1864 (June 5) – The famous “Baptismal Regeneration” sermon preached.

1866 – Metropolitan Tabernacle Colportage Association founded.

1867 (March 24-April 21) – Sunday services, each attended by 20,000 persons, held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, during the renovation of the Metropolitan Tabernacle.

1867 – Stockwell Orphanage (Boys’ side) founded.

1873 (October 14) – Foundation Stone of the Pastors’ College Building laid.

1875 – Mrs. Spurgeon’s Book Fund inaugurated.

1879 – Girls’ Orphanage founded.

1884 (June 18 and 19) – Jubilee Celebrations and presentation of testimonial (£4,500).

1887 (August) – First “Down-grade” paper published in “The Sword and the Trowel.”

1887 (October) – Withdrawal from the Baptist Union.

1891 (June 7) – Last sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.

1891 (October 26) – Goes to Mentone for the last time.

1892 (January 31) – Passes away.

1892 (February 11) – Interred at Norwood Cemetery.

[tylermileslockett]

8: ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS

The ancient Greek Zodiakos, or Zodiac, is a division of the celestial sphere into twelve equal parts; each one containing a specific group of stars with a mythic association called a constellation. Ancient Greeks used the constellations for sailing navigation, time keeping for seasonal agricultural practices like planting and harvesting crops, mythic storytelling purposes, and astrology practices.

 Hellenistic Astrology, taking influence from the Babylonians and Egyptians, sought meaning in the zodiac signs and how they influenced a person’s character based on the position of the sun when they were born.  They also used this practice for divination, providing guidance and predictions for the future. Let’s take a look at the twelve Zodiac constellations and their mythic tales.

1.) Aries (March 21-April 19) represents the flying golden ram sent by the gods to save the royal children Phrixus and Helle from sacrifice, and whose fleece later becomes the quested prize for the Argonauts.

2.) Taurus (April 20-May 20) represents the bull which Zeus transformed into to seduce Europa, and is linked to the Cretan Bull and the myth of the Minotaur.

3.) Gemini (May 21-June 21) represents the twins Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus and Leda, known for their inseparable bond and heroic deeds. 

4.) Cancer (June 22- July 22) represents the crab sent by Hera to distract Hercules during his battle with the Hydra, later placed in the sky by Hera as a constellation.

5.) Leo (July 23- Aug. 22) represents the lion, representing strength and kingship, associated with the Nemean Lion defeated by Hercules.

6.) Virgo (Aug 23- Sept 22) represents the maiden, often linked to the goddess of agriculture and fertility, such as Demeter or Persephone.

7.) Libra (Sept 23- Oct 23) represents goddess of justice Astraea, daughter of Themis, who carries the scales of justice.

8.) Scorpio (Oct 24- Nov 21) represents the scorpion sent by Artemis or Gaia to kill Orion

9.) Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21) represents the centaur archer, often identified as the wise and skilled Chiron.

10.) Capricorn (Dec 22- Jan 19) represents the sea goat Aegipan, who aided Zeus in his fight against Typhon.

11.) Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18) represents the cupbearer of the gods, Ganymede, who was abducted by Zeus and placed among the stars.

12.) Pisces (Feb 19- March 20) represents the two fish, Aphrodite and Eros, who transformed to escape the monster Typhon.

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