#SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO STUDY CULTURES BUILT AROUND THE FORCE

[engagemythrusters]

all those people condemning the Jedi Order for “abandoning” people to the Service Corps… y’all those are Jedi too… they’re just not knights. If you think not being trained for combat is what revokes your Jedi status, I think that’s your issue, not the Jedi’s

[mariacallous]

With the Olympic torch extinguished in Paris, all eyes are turning to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.

The host city has promised that the next Summer Games will be “car-free.”

For people who know Los Angeles, this seems overly optimistic. The car remains king in LA, despite growing public transit options.

When LA hosted the Games in 1932, it had an extensive public transportation system, with buses and an extensive network of electric streetcars. Today, the trolleys are long gone; riders say city buses don’t come on schedule, and bus stops are dirty. What happened?

This question fascinates me because I am a business professor who studies why society abandons and then sometimes returns to certain technologies, such as vinyl records, landline phones, and metal coins. The demise of electric streetcars in Los Angeles and attempts to bring them back today vividly demonstrate the costs and challenges of such revivals.

Riding the Red and Yellow Cars

Transportation is a critical priority in any city, but especially so in Los Angeles, which has been a sprawling metropolis from the start.

In the early 1900s, railroad magnate Henry Huntington, who owned vast tracts of land around LA, started subdividing his holdings into small plots and building homes. In order to attract buyers, he also built a trolley system that whisked residents from outlying areas to jobs and shopping downtown.

By the 1930s, Los Angeles had a vibrant public transportation network, with over 1,000 miles of electric streetcar routes, operated by two companies: Pacific Electric Railway, with its “Red Cars,” and Los Angeles Railway, with its “Yellow Cars.”

The system wasn’t perfect by any means. Many people felt that streetcars were inconvenient and also unhealthy when they were jammed with riders. Moreover, streetcars were slow because they had to share the road with automobiles. As auto usage climbed and roads became congested, travel times increased.

Nonetheless, many Angelenos rode the streetcars—especially during World War II, when gasoline was rationed and automobile plants shifted to producing military vehicles.

Demise of Public Transit

The end of the war marked the end of the line for streetcars. The war effort had transformed oil, tire, and car companies into behemoths, and these industries needed new buyers for goods from the massive factories they had built for military production. Civilians and returning soldiers were tired of rationing and war privations, and they wanted to spend money on goods such as cars.

After years of heavy usage during the war, Los Angeles’ streetcar system needed an expensive capital upgrade. But in the mid-1940s, most of the system was sold to a company called National City Lines, which was partly owned by the carmaker General Motors, the oil companies Standard Oil of California and Phillips Petroleum, and the Firestone tire company.

These powerful forces had no incentive to maintain or improve the old electric streetcar system. National City ripped up tracks and replaced the streetcars with buses that were built by General Motors, used Firestone tires, and ran on gasoline.

There is a long-running academic debate over whether self-serving corporate interests purposely killed LA’s streetcar system. Some researchers argue that the system would have died on its own, like many other streetcar networks around the world.

The controversy even spilled over into pop culture in the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which came down firmly on the conspiracy side.

What’s undisputed is that, starting in the mid-1940s, powerful social forces transformed Los Angeles so that commuters had only two choices: drive or take a public bus. As a result, LA became so choked with traffic that it often took hours to cross the city.

In 1990, the Los Angeles Times reported that people were putting refrigerators, desks, and televisions in their cars to cope with getting stuck in horrendous traffic. A swath of movies, from Falling Down to Clueless to La La Land, have featured the next-level challenge of driving in LA.

Traffic was also a concern when LA hosted the 1984 Summer Games, but the Games went off smoothly. Organizers convinced over 1 million people to ride buses, and they got many trucks to drive during off-peak hours. The 2028 games, however, will have roughly 50 percent more athletes competing, which means thousands more coaches, family, friends, and spectators. So simply dusting off plans from 40 years ago won’t work.

Olympic Transportation Plans

Today, Los Angeles is slowly rebuilding a more robust public transportation system. In addition to buses, it now has four light-rail lines—the new name for electric streetcars—and two subways. Many follow the same routes that electric trolleys once traveled. Rebuilding this network is costing the public billions, since the old system was completely dismantled.

Three key improvements are planned for the Olympics. First, LA’s airport terminals will be connected to the rail system. Second, the Los Angeles organizing committee is planning heavily on using buses to move people. It will do this by reassigning some lanes away from cars and making them available for 3,000 more buses, which will be borrowed from other locales.

Finally, there are plans to permanently increase bicycle lanes around the city. However, one major initiative, a bike path along the Los Angeles River, is still under an environmental review that may not be completed by 2028.

Car-Free for 17 Days

I expect that organizers will pull off a car-free Olympics, simply by making driving and parking conditions so awful during the Games that people are forced to take public transportation to sports venues around the city. After the Games end, however, most of LA is likely to quickly revert to its car-centric ways.

As Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA 2028 organizing committee, recently put it: “The unique thing about Olympic Games is for 17 days you can fix a lot of problems when you can set the rules—for traffic, for fans, for commerce—than you do on a normal day in Los Angeles.”

[beardedmrbean]

[Huey Zoomer Anon]

I’m feel sorry for many Jewish people who feel betrayed by several artists and fandom blogs where you have to now hide your identity and such despite several years of them saying I “I’m a ally towards Jewish people!”

Well…I mention before I’m an African American with ADHD and Autism. And I felt alienated af even when I prefer very tamed villains that was coming out in the 2010’s

Pffft, the amount of pre 2010’s maniacs I like…

And another thing….a lot of leftists tend to forget the modern Jewish people ARE the descendants of the Hebrew tribes which you know are in the Bible/Torah?

Like…I think a lot of leftists (especially Americans) can’t comprehend that people in the European, Middle East, Asia, etc…see ancient civilizations in similars ways American see the Pilgrims.

Off tangent, it like people saying Dreamworks take on Moses is historically accurate…it almost like a fuckton of his descendants or those who are part of his tribe are still alive? Hint they are

And the left only really knows the exodus and holocaust part of Jewish history. And for the latter tragedy, they use it as a crunch to bash white people…while infantilize Muslims because remember the left mainly relies on the POP CULTURE take of history. So the fact that our education and entertainment systems mostly ignore Arab/Islam Imperialism.

They now think the original inhabitants of the Promised Land are colonizers because a lot of the Jewish Diaspora came back in masses in recent generations

Calling modern Israel a colonial place…are you saying that indigenous people who was heavily forced into financial, scientific, and other “white collar” jobs due to centuries of persecution are going to modernized themselves and make sure that are at mercy of monsters again.

Especially when the nearby Arab/Muslims basically said they want the Jews extinct or become their Dhimmi again?

Oh right right I read up on Middle East history before the euros part of it.

I don’t want to downplay, but I realize something

We are taught to hate the Nazis image, not it ideology. Because at the end of the day Nazism is built upon conflict theory which plagues colleges and systems to this day

I heard people (who are mostly likely adults) say that they loose empathy towards Anne Frank because they learned she was roughly our idea of upper middle class and had maids and such before the rise of the Nazis.

I think that should have been spread around Jewish communities to prepare them for the mess they are in rn

I mean I foreseen because my experience with the left…well at least you guys can counter it this time.

I’m feel sorry for many Jewish people who feel betrayed by several artists and fandom blogs where you have to now hide your identity and such despite several years of them saying I “I’m a ally towards Jewish people!” Well…I mention before I’m an African American with ADHD and Autism. And I felt alienated af even when I prefer very tamed villains that was coming out in the 2010’s Pffft, the amount of pre 2010’s maniacs I like…

There's a lot of people that got some really rude awakenings about the circles that cried about antisemitism over a horn in a game or yelled about having safe spaces for ethnic minorities to go to that they thought would be on their side.

Also a good number that were prepared because they saw the writing on the wall when the womens march decided that Pride flags with the Star of David on them would be banned, still gotta hurt though.

And another thing….a lot of leftists tend to forget the modern Jewish people ARE the descendants of the Hebrew tribes which you know are in the Bible/Torah?

ya, we're supposed to trust the science when the covid vaccine hit, but for some reason a plethora of genetic studies proving that are invalid somehow.

Like…I think a lot of leftists (especially Americans) can’t comprehend that people in the European, Middle East, Asia, etc…see ancient civilizations in similars ways American see the Pilgrims.

Some do I'm sure, there's others that have been there forever too, but human migration is nothing new at all

Off tangent, it like people saying Dreamworks take on Moses is historically accurate…it almost like a fuckton of his descendants or those who are part of his tribe are still alive? Hint they are

Last name is Cohen, there's a fair chance you're in the Levite line I believe it is.

And the left only really knows the exodus and holocaust part of Jewish history. And for the latter tragedy, they use it as a crunch to bash white people…while infantilize Muslims because remember the left mainly relies on the POP CULTURE take of history. So the fact that our education and entertainment systems mostly ignore Arab/Islam Imperialism.

That's been wild to me the entire time I've been aware of all of it, these guys hacked and slashed their way all the way into Spain with their 3 choices of convert, pay jizya, or die.

Not even going to talk about the slavery they did, I don't care what privileges some of them may have had, you're still someones property.

They now think the original inhabitants of the Promised Land are colonizers because a lot of the Jewish Diaspora came back in masses in recent generations

Calling modern Israel a colonial place…are you saying that indigenous people who was heavily forced into financial, scientific, and other “white collar” jobs due to centuries of persecution are going to modernized themselves and make sure that are at mercy of monsters again.

not 100% on who the original are, but they sure as shootin are the oldest we know of, and I'm not sure what the cutoff is for years living somewhere as a people and culture it takes for folks to be considered indigenous and how many away it takes for them to lose that status.

Especially when the nearby Arab/Muslims basically said they want the Jews extinct or become their Dhimmi again? Oh right right I read up on Middle East history before the euros part of it.

Both on that first one, and ya it's wild how short on information about that region so many people are, as I've told you before I don't actually recall learning much if anything about the Ottoman Empire in my k-12 years, and I'm sure that's not unique.

I don’t want to downplay, but I realize something We are taught to hate the Nazis image, not it ideology. Because at the end of the day Nazism is built upon conflict theory which plagues colleges and systems to this day I heard people (who are mostly likely adults) say that they loose empathy towards Anne Frank because they learned she was roughly our idea of upper middle class and had maids and such before the rise of the Nazis.

First bit is shown out when you have people all over that have absolutely no clue how to classify fascism,

And ya, the loss of empathy for her and her family is beyond depressing there, it should actually go to show that it didn't matter if you were well off financially and socially when the ss showed up, all that mattered and all it took to sign your death warrant was your grandmother on your mothers side being Jewish, you could be Catholic and it didn't matter, you were still Jewish to them.

I think that should have been spread around Jewish communities to prepare them for the mess they are in rn I mean I foreseen because my experience with the left…well at least you guys can counter it this time.

Good number of them knew and all, even if they weren't prepared for the level it would get to, when the previously mentioned Anne Frank discourse started and gained traction folks started getting the idea I think.

[nephritebabie]

tarot observations: the chariot and the tower

let’s do a little dissection of these two major arcana cards. specifically their similarities and how they differ.

my deck presented me with two cards to study and like always, it did not disappoint 🥰

this is long (and honestly could've been more organized but it came straight from my notes), but I do hope that it is of some use to someone.

numerology

the sevens in the tarot have often been noted as challenges and obstacles to be overcome. The sevens are like a test, and we are either putting some type of action into the world or we are facing something that requires a strong mind to persevere through. Rachel Pollack states that "the tower's 16 reduces to 7 the Chariot, linked by case and others to human speech. the tower destroys in a moment all the careful constructions of culture, language, and consciousness."

so, to me the tower seems to be a more severe version of the chariot if that makes sense? the will power and determination seen in the chariot is being tested by the tower after we've let our desires control us, instead of us controlling it.

what they share

both the chariot and the tower come after cards that present a choice. the lovers (an important choice between desires) and the devil (we're not making good choices at all. we are indulging heavily in our desires, and that is creating unhealthy attachments. we are now a slave to our desires instead of making choices that act in our best interest).

the ego plays a part in both of these cards. the chariot's ego comes from the accomplishments that the fool as made. at this point, the fool is successful, and has control over his emotions and the world around him. Rachel Pollack talks about how the chariot's mind makes all things inferior to the conscious will. but this runs the risk of him becoming inflexible and unyielding.

in the tower card, the tower that these people are in can represent a castle of the ego that we have built up that's meant to shield us. after we refused to let go of the pleasures of the devil, we are now in this castle that jails us.

the tower also shares the themes of control. after losing control due to the events in the devil, the tower releases us. the tower is uncontrollable and causes unexpected changes, but these changes have to ability to set you back on a path where control can be regained eventually.

and the tower can show us what happens when you try to control or overpower something so much to the point where the whole thing spins out of control. just like the chariot, a large ego and arrogance can lead to a much needed humbling/wake up call.

their differences

the chariot doesn't operate from a state of fear like the tower can. in the devil we have these attachments that we are scared to get rid of and we let them control us. so then everything falls apart. Rachel Pollack in her book talks about how sometimes the problems the come from the tower card, stem from neglected mismanaged situations that surprise us at our most vulnerable.

the chariot is a developed ego, due to the fact that we've learned so much, and took in the qualities of earlier cards. but the tower can also be seen as ego going unchecked (depending on the context), and it seems like the ego is prevailing in a negative way. which then leads to the people in the tower having to jump to their deaths. in the fools journey site, they state that the tower has "ejected the occupants who seem to be tumbling to their deaths. The crown indicates they were once proud rulers; now they are humbled by a force stronger than they."

(but I do also want to add that the chariot can also be at risk of being humbled. at least, in the ill-defined position).

I'm sure we all know how tiring and traumatic a tower moment can be. a clear difference is that after the events of the tower, the willpower and strong character found in the chariot has been lost. we can easily lose this confidence after the tower.

we have embodied the characteristics of the chariot to gain our success and to be self-reliant. the tower completely knocks that all of that down, our world is now shaken up. the tower is meant to put you on a different (sometimes better) path, but I think in the aftermath of all of this, it either takes awhile to get the qualities of the chariot back or it's possible to never get it back, depending on the severity of the event that the tower is indicating.

in Rachel's book she says "the chariot's hands hold no reins. his strong character alone controls opposing forces" the opposing force in the tower cannot be controlled. it is wild and incapable of being tamed.

the quotes in this observation come from the book 78 degrees of wisdom by Rachel Pollack (an amazing book on the tarot btw) and

https://www.learntarot.com/journey.htm

[kharmii]

It’s always entertaining to me when people constantly bring up Canon to certain topics in fandom but then they turn around and completely disregard the Canon and create a random headcanon that is canon "Because I say so."

Like transing up characters that are canonically normal. Or create ships with characters that have s/os canonically.

Honestly I’m someone that usually sticks with Canon unless it’s something that is not sitting right with me. Like Ingo‘s unsolved displacement. But I also don’t go around telling people what to do and how to treat the characters and canon.

Honestly if it’s built up properly I can get behind non canon stuff but I rarely see these. It’s usually just "they are that and do this because I say so"

Fandom can be fun but also a living nightmare depending on how you treat and interact with canon and the fans.

In the end everyone is free to do what they want, just don’t be a jerk to others about it. (And I‘m sorry so many are a jerk to you for your opinions)

Thought of a couple of rants I haven't covered yet. How about when people take something canon from an anime from another country and interpret it in a (smarmy obnoxious fckn miserable left-wing Marxist) Western cultural kind of way? -Or because people won't let it go, they'll interpret the Himuras from My Hero Academia (family of Shoto's mom and Geten) as being incestuous based on one vague line in a manga? You try to explain the Himuras are Japanese and not Pakistani, so the idea of them marrying first cousins isn't that likely.

Side note: I enjoy being into My Hero Academia because I've encountered so many interesting analyses from people interested in and studying Japanese culture. I'm getting some of the context that we Westerners aren't getting, such as how Endeavor is looked upon more favorably in Asian countries and the context to why that is.

-Or another fandom fail that's mildly irritating is when people take people who are obviously villains and make them virtuous. I get it if you feel sorry for them, -like in the case of Dabi and Shigaraki- but the fact that they've mass murdered people makes them irredeemable in my opinion.

Okay, one last thing about Geten and I'll drop it for now. People say that ReDestro saaaaaaved him from a life where he'd be forced to marry his cousin, but last time I checked, he was facing either death row in Tartarus or a lifetime of misery in a tiny, cramped cell with both his arms and legs confined.

Worst case scenario....Geten is literally engaged to his first cousin in an arranged marriage. That's a thousand times better than being radicalized into a terrorist cult and ending up a mass murderer in prison. Srsly people......

As for Ingo, it used to bug the crap out of me that people would head canon he'd be brought to Hisui via Ultrabeast when the obvious reason was Volo's sky rift. It still annoyed me even when that concept art came out saying he was in Hisui 'XX' years, which a lot of people thought to mean twenty years. That would make Ultrabeast Theory make more sense if his arrival preceded Volo's rift, but then again, one of the clan members mentioned that a rift had opened up years before, and that could have been the one Ingo arrived from. I wish we'd get more lore on that whole deal.

Honestly if it’s built up properly, I can get behind non canon stuff, but I rarely see these. It’s usually just "they are that and do this because I say so"

I'm OCD enough to stick with canon, but since I'm into so many side characters with vague backstories, it gives me a lot of leeway to be creative. Again....why is it that people be all "incestuous relationships aren't in character for X character" but nobody ever says, "werewolf bullshit isn't in character either". In fact, everybody is overly respectful and permissive toward the grossest ass furry bs, like I've yet to see anybody but me take the piss when it comes to Omegaverse, even though it's the most obviously exploitable fetish for comedy and trolling. Seriously, males have wombs routed into their asses, but they have to get c-sections to give birth because semen can go in but babies cannot be shat out for some odd reason. Maybe because the size of an infant would cause a massive perforation of the colon?

Then again, a/b/o is trans coded, and those people take themselves so damn seriously. They want to sound edgy and cool with all this monster fucking, like get it? I'm the monster for being trans! I'm the werewolf! I'm the hunted persecuted dragon that everybody hates!

Not true. At best, the 'monster fuckers' are sad little Shigarakis who had evil adults exploiting them when they were young and impressionable, and the evil bastards did things to their bodies they had no business doing. Yep, they're like Shigarakis, except fat. -Fat and hairy. It's no wonder werewolves have to be in every damn thing. There should be a rule about it, like how Rule 34 is "If it exists, there is porn of it". There should be a Rule XX like "If it exists, there's a werewolf version of it".

Everybody is free to do what they want, and I'll try not to be a jerk about it, but incest arguments will always lead to the argument it should be socially acceptable to bag on every stupid fetish and trend on Tumblr. -And again, use that block button. I sure do. I block and report as spam every stupid 'evacuate the Palestinians' charity whether it's legit or not (so stop pm-ing me Mohammed Bot). We have people in serious trouble in this country. Why would I give money to help people from a culture that sees me as a second class citizen? Go pan handle around the college aged suckers.

[mxescargot]

OC masterlist

misc/multiple universes

garv (fishboy)

prima (tropey good guy)

vindicta (tropey bad guy)

ursa (dark magic bounty hunter)

ari (light magic bounty hunter)

urban fantasy/superhero

premise: a timeline that diverges several years before ours where a significant minority of the population across the world contracted strange illnesses that led to various magical powers; focuses on the Eastern United States (aka what im familiar with). themes of disabled justice and solidarity.

micheal (he/they): friendly college kid who always puts others before himself, teleportation powers

jem (any pronouns): an old self-insert, shapeshifting powers

ayaan (he/they): kid with unique powers that mess with the fabric of reality, of particular interest to the villain

emilia (she/her): sociologist studying how superpowered people interact with a society built for non-superpowered people, recently gained fire/energy/plasma powers of her own in an accident

saiorse (any pronouns): software developer and emilia's spouse. he does not have superpowers

alison (he/him): evil CEO (maybe also politician?) looking to take advantage of superpowered people for his own gain. especially young, powerful superpowered people. i do not know how to write villains tbh

eren (she/her): micheal's classmate.

haru (they/xe/it/star/she): your average edgy 14 year old.

aaliyah (she/they/flor): your average edgy 14 year old.

high fantasy: the world of An

premise: weird mix of some of the history i'm interested in, with a technological level of around the 1840s to 1860s? focuses on a governmental transition from absolute monarchy to parliamentary democracy and the greater inclusion of ethnic minorities in the political system and society as a whole. the people are sorta kemonomimi-hobbits with mammalian and insectoid features. also has eldritch shit going on in its magic system.

these are some of my oldest characters and have changed a lot, their original concept was a "five elements" thing and that still shows through.

the names are based on my conlang :> i didnt try to make the romanizations look pretty, just functional, so uhh ⟨v⟩ is a schwa and most letters correspond with IPA values but idk if thats accessible. here ill replace j with y and v with whatever letter looks best, you can see the mess of the "official" spellings in the tags. they dont exactly have a gender system like ours so pronouns are what i imagine they'd use if raised in our culture and language yk

baa'oni (they/she): activist reviving the long-suppressed/erased (idk what the right word is) life-related magic practices of their ancestors. name translates to "sundew"

lausa (she/her): noble who uses her position of power to help incite change, eventually becomes prime minister. romantically involved with baa’oni, causing suspicion and controversy. name translates to "shadower"

laanya (they/them): self insert. former water magic student reconnecting to it after trauma, also tries to get involved in activism. name translates to "river delta"

treyii (they/she/he): young and uncertain, pressure is put on him to achieve great things and they don't know where to belong. name translates to "sparks"

unnamed character referred to as "wind guy" (they/he): a vengeful prince with command over the weather.

star wars

premise: focuses on jedi fighting in the clone wars. i mostly made these characters in quarantine lol

aiya (they/xe): twi'lek anakin skywalker on a budget. padawan during the clone wars, becomes an inquisitor.

rakiss (she/they): mirialan; Aiya's fellow padawan and very close to xem. killed in O66

haalas (he/him): togruta; aiya's strict master, very loyal to the light side of the force itself and scared of losing another padawan to the dark side. survives O66, but is eventually killed by aiya, who blames him for rakiss's death.

malice (they/she/it): dathomiran zabrak who was the first padawan of haalas. left the order and turned to the dark side, but isn't with the Sith.

ekiv (she/her): rakiss's master, also a mirialan, and longtime friend of haalas. mom friend, but only because she's a people pleaser with massive gifted kid burnout. survives O66; assumes a new identity and learns how to heal.

hizta (any pronouns): tusken ex-bounty hunter who now runs a droid repair shop on coruscant. acquainted with aiya before and during the Clone Wars, aids the Rebellion.

penelope (she/they): human; old colleague of Hizta's. generally fairly cold and professional until you get to know them; actually very affectionate.

i also have some underdeveloped clone trooper OCs

hollow knight

cornu (they/them): HKsona. void-corrupted snail shaman capable of harnessing both soul and void magic.

unnamed fairyfly OC

[officialpenisenvy]

aren’t there good things that come from family members loving and supporting each other? i’m not trying to be a dick, i just haven’t heard the term “family abolition” before or heard about this as a movement

don't worry, i totally get it, family is an institution that is profoundly entrenched in our culture and has been throughout history, so i know it can be really tough to imagine a world without it. family abolition is an incredibly varied and complex movement and summarizing it is way beyond the scope of my abilities, so this is just the way i personally see it at this point in time. individual families can absolutely be a positive community full of support and love, in fact i would say that my own extended family is a net positive despite it all; still, the institution of the family overall is largely a negative force that creates insular pockets of complacency and silence around the abuse that occurs between its members, while at the same time overstating any potential harm that comes from outside sources or society at large.

if you're anything like me, the vast majority of people in your life come from abusive or otherwise deeply dysfunctional homes, ones that have done demonstrably more harm than good in their own personal development and growth: beyond the anecdotal, just look at the statistics on, for instance, the rates of queer youth with abusive or bigoted families, or how many conservatives today use the family as a shorthand for all that is good and pure and must be protected from degenerate perverts (despite studies showing that the vast majority of child sexual abuse comes from within the home).

i sometimes liken family abolition to church abolition, as both are deeply rotten institutions and forces for conservatism built on abuse upon abuse and wrongful hierarchy upon wrongful hierarchy, as well as both having some good apples such as individual family units or parishes that can be incredibly positive forces in people's lives. however, this comparison isn't perfect: namely, the church responds to the need for a spiritual and ideological connection based around a specific faith and teleological belief, a need that can be met by no other community of people in today's society (barring other religious congregations, of course). the family's function, on the other hand, is not unique to itself: a common adage is it takes a village to raise a child, and i really do find it to ring true when discussing family abolition — a handful of blood-related individuals will never be better fit to raise a healthy and happy child than a wide and sprawling community founded on trust and mutual accountability and communal child-rearing experience, a community that doesn't necessarily exclude the blood relatives of the children but works to integrate them in a larger context where any potential abuse of power is kept in check and denounced.

of course, this is mostly theoretical: we live in a society (bottom text) that is deeply capitalistic, and capitalism is founded on the institution of the family, so it's probably utopian to imagine the abolition of the family before the collapse of capitalism. and even then, many societies in the world and throughout history are not capitalistic yet are still founded on the family (albeit with varying definitions of it, some of which are very close to the proverbial "village" i described above): if the aim is to dismantle the family altogether and not simply alter its definition to fit more members of consanguinity or non-consanguinity, it will have to be a concerted and strenuous effort to go against an ingrained part of our understanding of the world.

[gemsofgreece]

Some will complain that Greece has become kr will become a tourist destination only because of many Greeks leaving the country and many places are filled with hotels. While i agree that Greece should invest in schools, healthcare, hospitals, tourism is the number one income to our country.

Especially during summer, but that happens i believe in all around the world. Italy, France for example are tourist destinations all year and northern Europe is mostly a winter destination whereas Greece is a summer one.

It might seem counterintuitive coming from my blog but I don’t agree. Tourism can be the number one income in a country but no country should have such disproportionate sizes of income. You can’t survive only on one thing. If something bad happens, knock wood, and tourist visits decline, what do you do then? Tourism is not a very reliable source of income.

There is also the overdevelopment which is very much a real thing: doctors and teachers in Santorini can’t find a house and sleep in yards or leave the Island, because all houses are rented by tourists for higher prices? So Santorini’s kids won’t get proper education and the people will have no doctor but that’s okay because they get tourists’ money? This is just not a healthy development and it’s hardly a development at all. The excessive construction has already started degrading the natural environment and the authenticity of the traditional settlements. The problem slowly expands to more of the country, with all people struggling to find houses to rent longterm that have no insane prices and luxe resorts being built out of place in traditional settlements protected by the state and cultural organisations.

Every country should invest in all sectors it can evenly. By all means, focus on your strengths, but not at the expense of all other sectors and the well-rounded development of the country. And young people should find jobs in what they have studied or what they desire: sciences, arts, commerce, agriculture, industry and not all of them be forced to become waiters and receptionists working in hectic conditions because all other sectors are dead. Or, worse, leave.

I agree though that Greece should try to distribute its visitors throughout the whole year, like Italy and France. It’s already slowly happening, however the tourist count should not increase too much at this point. France and Italy are different cases. They get more tourists but they are much bigger countries with much bigger populations. I think they have 60something million people and get about 60-80 million tourists all year round. This is only a little larger than local population so it’s sustainable. Greece gets only 30 million tourists but it has 10 million population! This is barely sustainable. I believe our high season popular places can’t bear more than that. It means that most locals must be obligatorily in tourism services. That’s just not right. On the contrary, French and Italian people can choose their career paths more freely and contribute to far more sectors of economy at the same time.

By the way, I believe Greece can do up to 40 million but ONLY if tourists come throughout the year and to more places in the country. Otherwise not. Greece can be compared better with Croatia which also gets more tourists (11 mil) than it has people (~ 4 mil). Croatia is beautiful, I have been there, but it’s rapid unhealthy development starts getting evident. I have been to almost all Balkan countries and even though strictly speaking it’s probable it was amongst the prettiest, it was not my most enjoyable experience exactly for how it starts lacking in authenticity compared to the rest, because of its fast growing tourist culture and tourism-centrism. (Just my two cents)

See also the beautiful islands and countries of the Indopacific, Hawaii etc The quality of the life of local people has been freefalling ever since large parts of the lands are becoming luxe resorts of big hotel chains, specialising in “exclusive experiences” for the tourists who stay there locked taking baths and yoga, removed from the real life of the country they are visiting, almost as removed as the locals who have been working night and day in their service for a better life. Tourists should become travellers and explorers again. Countries should strive for diversity and not excessive dependency in their economy. People should start living and truly enjoying their own countries too.

[memurfevur-archive]

Some History and Tidbits About Oterland

What is it

Oterland is a small town nearest the Oterland ranges, itself a part of the Unbrusid Mountains. The population of Oterland as a town is not very big, with about 2,500 people on average living in condensed neighborhoods spaced apart from each other. However, most of Oterland’s population is not included in the census and lives in the large brooding cavern that the town is most known for, with a population reaching around 63,000 and growing. Most of Oterland’s residents are Jadebloods, and the Oterland Caverns are a Jade-exclusive brooding cavern– meaning that no other caste can obtain a job there, in theory.

History and the Shebang:

Oterland was established in pre-Imperial times sometime during the Mage War– an era with an uncertain timeline but does not pre-date written history. Many mages had spread throughout the globe to create settlements as either a base of operations or an attempt to find a new home away from devastation. It is thought that many a magically-inclined Troll (mages) were at odds with an enemy that is unknown to historians. This enemy or enemies have repeatedly been struck from written record or have little to no evidence of existing. Additionally, the people of Oterland Caverns are incredibly protective of their archives and history, and seem to be wary of outsiders. This has made it difficult for some to extensively explore the region’s history, and to uncover the truth about the Mage War– as some believe this era to be a work of fiction as controversial as Earth’s tales of King Arthor.

What is agreed upon based on what records have been studied is that a large diaspora of mages sought shelter and refuge away from a conflict. Again, there are few to no records on who these enemies were or what the conflict was about, but these same texts imply that they were being hunted. As a result, they made homes in Unbrusid’s natural tunnel and cave systems, overtime expanding it into an even more intricate network.

Though the first permanent settlement was made in the upper-middle levels of what today is considered the cavern, over the course of a great many sweeps did the mages carve out and establish what would be the largest temple-city to date. While at first importance was shared among the whole pantheon, worship eventually fell to mainly the Goddess Spirit while the other deities faded into the background.

It was clear that this underground temple had been made to become a new haven for the mages. The central hollow has a large waterfall supporting a large lake of which the city was built on top of. Hives and other establishments neatly line the clean pathways, all made of a strange glistening white stone with odd arcane symbols etched in. The temple itself is a beautiful and intricate building, made of the same stone and some crystal glass, giving classical-like architecture an otherworldly feeling. The temple is divided into many different sections, some that were clearly made as living quarters for monks and priests while others were meant for worship or politics. It was not until the reign of Overseer Emacin Tarris, the Defiance, and the changes she made to Oterland’s laws that forced this hidden city to become a relic of the far past, leaving the temple to rely on cavern-appointed priestesses to maintain it.

The erasing of hundreds of sweeps of people and culture fell upon the shoulders of Emacin Tarris, who outlawed mages in an attempt to save Oterland from its unknown enemies. The legend goes that the fabled Mage King, a major figure who is said to have started this mysterious war and had rallied the world’s mages to fight in his cause, sought shelter in these caverns. In an attempt to keep her people safe from the same enemies the her ancestors had run from so many sweeps ago, Emacin refused the Mage King and sent him away. Soon after she began banning magic in its entirety. Mages soon became villainized and outlawed, and anyone who was caught practicing magic would be exiled or executed. By wiping out magic and those who practice it, Emacin was able to evade the attention of these omitted enemies, but in doing so erased much of Oterland’s history, people, and culture. There are records affirming some details of this tale, giving credit to the possibility of the Mage Wars being real. Ironically, magic is still alive in Oterland, and much of the population are descendants of these mages– but the Defiance’s laws made sure that you will rarely find anyone in Oterland who approves of magic, both in and outside of the caverns.

While Oterland has always been spiritually involved, it is thought that the erasure of mages encouraged more to turn to the Goddess Spirit for guidance, protection, and as a political tool. The Defiance used the cult following of the Goddess Spirit to turn people away from magic and towards relying on a new political and spiritual hierarchy that shapes the Oterland Caverns to this day.

First in line is the Overseer, then the Overseer’s second-in-command who helps play middle-man between the Overseer and the priestesses. Priestesses are expected to take care of the temple, where they live and interpret signs and messages from the Goddess herself. The head of the priestesses, who works directly with the Overseer and the second-in-command, is given the title Prioress. While anyone under the Overseer is expected to answer to them, a lot of stock is put into the Prioress’ words and often the Prioress is included in legislation and administrative decisions. It is usually priestesses and/or the Prioress who look after the direct care of the grub mother itself. 

Religion has also drastically shaped the leniency the Oterland caverns may have towards specific mutations. While Oterland did not formatically cull mutants until officially being enlisted into the Imperial Empire’s territory –back then still only centralized to Alternia– they did show favoritism to physical mutations that allowed wings to be grown. Wings are thought to be a blessing from the Goddess Spirit, since the grub mother who is winged is believed to be the deity’s physical vessel. 

Such mutants, the ‘blessed’, are given high spiritual status and may be considered gods themselves, often the object of worship. The relationship between Prioress and ‘blessed’ is, vocally, considered ‘familial’ or akin to ‘a guardian and their charge,’ but it is much more practiced as if the mutant in question is an object the Prioress owns. The ‘blessed’ is considered a reflection of the Prioress; if the ‘blessed’ shows good behavior befitting of the aesthetic of the Goddess, then the Prioress has a better reputation and is considered to have a close relationship to the Goddess Spirit– giving her more power and credit.

It is also important to note that the administration in the caverns often point to feminine favoritism; those who identify as female are seen as stronger, more devoted, and more capable of their duties. Those who identify as male or outside the binary are seen as lesser and weaker, putting pressure on them to become 'better' or 'more loved' by the Goddess. While it is possible for males and nonbinary Jades to hold positions of power, it often is given to females. This isn't specific to the Oterland Caverns either, but it does play a part of Oterland Caverns' spiritual and administrative decisions, particularly one's own relationship to the Goddess and whether or not they are socially deemed 'worthy.'

Besides the Overseer, second-in-command, and Prioress, there is a council made up of Elders– those Jades who have been alive the longest– who help make decisions on behalf of the people. Though, these council meetings usually are held to decide a disobedient Jade’s punishment, or to discuss briefly minute complaints the residents of the caverns have that must be brought to the Overseer's or Prioress' attention.

The town of Oterland itself has a different governmental system than the caverns. The town has a mayor and its own council made of those of whom the mayor has appointed. While religion is important to the town of Oterland, it is not as strictly ruled by it as is in the caverns. In fact, despite being right next to each other and being founded by the same population, the town and the caverns are largely divorced from one another– this is more in part of the caverns’ cult-like isolation driving a wedge between themselves and ‘outsiders.’

Unlike most of Alternia’s cities and districts, if you were to look at a map you’d find that Oterland’s borders have largely remained untouched over the sweeps, as there are few ruling Carnivals or Circuses vying for territory in this region.

[anya-snow]

THE KINGDOM OF THE NORTH & THE GOLDEN EMPIRE: A list of wanted connections for people of YiTish origin in the North

The Golden Empire of Yi Ti is currently broken into eight major regions and the island of Leng, which is why some have looked outside their own borders for opportunities to grow and thrive. For many generations, YiTish people have travelled to other nations, with a particularly tight bond having formed with the Westerosi kingdom of the North.

For many years the kingdom of the North has embraced YiTish nobles, merchants, artisans and sages. The North’s visionary king, Owen Stark, has been working on creating a new realm unlike that of his predecessors, expanding on and strengthening bonds that have existed for so long. In recent time, this has fostered trade as well as cultural and intellectual exchange between the two nations.

NOTE: Houses, characters, plots, etc. are open to change and discussion. What is non-negotiable is the heritage of these characters, please note the FCs for these roles must have East Asian or Southeast Asian heritage.

WANTED CONNECTIONS listed below

HOUSE GREENLEAF Many generations ago, this house was founded by a YiTish immigrant who was later knighted and titled for his loyalty and service to the North. The YiTish lord changed his surname (Luye, YiTish for “green leaves”) to the common tongue “Greenleaf”. The late Rhydian Mormont was married to Yanlin, a daughter of House Greenleaf, also deceased along with thier daughters Leyana and Olira.

Open roles:

One to two Greenleaf knights

One lady appointed as one of Queen Rosalyn’s ladies-in-waiting

Open to more suggestions!

FROM THE REGION OF WAN This is one of the regions that have broken fully with the rule of the God-Emperor in Yin, although they aren’t officially an independent region like the island of Leng just yet. Their dedication to commerce with other lands and their amicable bond with their neighboring region of Shizi has enabled them to be as self-sufficient as they wish and not be forced to rely on the God-Emperor’s support. They have a strong bond with the regions of Ren and Xing as well, supporting them in their trade routes. This region isn’t ruled by a feudal lord but by a system of guilds, with each electing a member to represente them (merchants, sailors, tailors, healers, etc.) in periodic gatherings. People who have travelled to the Westerosi kingdom of the North have done so to escape the tensions in Yi Ti, encouraged by the promise of a better life in a kingdom that has welcomed them for many years.

Open roles:

One to two members of the merchant Yuan family (connection to Yuan Anya)

One to three members of the ruling guilds (artisans, tailors, healers, etc)

Open to more suggestions!

FROM THE REGION OF XING It is often said that the people of Yi Ti learned how to decipher the language of the stars from the Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light, who taught them how to interpret both light and darkness, and who communicated their will through constellations as well as the rest of the secrets of the night sky. A colossal astronomy tower was built and a city began to grow around it, which is today known as the city of Xing, one of the oldest populated regions in all of Yi Ti. In time, more seekers of knowledge and wisdom were drawn to the region of Xing to learn the secrets of the universe. With time, and with people from other places travelling there, the exchange of knowledge was immense, culminating in a variety of schools being built all across the region for students to learn astronomy, engineering, botany, amongst many other branches of study. Nowadays the city of Xing in particular is considered a hub for sages (the equivalent of Westerosi maesters) as well as scholars, and it welcomes people from foreign lands to learn there.

Open roles:

One Xingese sage, part of the council as Archmaester of the North

One to two scholars who play a role in King Owen’s development plans for the North

Open to more suggestions!

FROM THE REGION OF SHIZI This region of Yi Ti mostly consists of forests and farmlands, which is why the Shizii people have developed most efficient and ingenious methods for agriculture. They have particularly good ties to the region of Wan and have a fruitful trading relationship with its people as well as with the regions of Xing and Ren. They are ruled by a feudal lord of the Qian family that resides in Shizi, which is often called the Jade City due to its lush vegetation and vast flora as well as the characteristic green clothing of their ruling family, who are called the start of the Jade dynasty by those who reject the God-Emperor’s rule. The ruling lord of Shizi represents the biggest threat to the God-Emperor’s rule, since they descend from the same bloodline and too many people believe he is rightfully descended from the Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light, as all past YiTish emperors, thus it is believed he has a rightful claim to become the new God-Emperor. Assassination attempts from the lord in Shizi to the God-Emperor and vice versa have taken place a number of times. However, rather than overthrowing the current God-Emperor, the Qian family aims to break from Yi Ti and begin a new empire along with the people of Wan.

Open roles:

One member of the Qian family (a child of the feudal Qian lord)

One noble loyal to the Qian family

One to two refugees who were displaced from Ludi after its destruction

Open to more suggestions!

For any questions and more details about the North, please reach out to @owenstark​

For any questions and more details about Yi Ti, please reach out to @anya-snow​ 

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

As someone who worked with horses for many years and studied equine science in university, I can say that "acceptance of the bit" is... kind of bs. So even if you're new to horses, OP, I'd say you're definitely on the right track of minimising your restriction of your horse's movements!

The only reason a curb bit was established in classical dressage was because you 1) proved that you could ride enough that you wouldn't hang off the horse's mouth and 2) you were probably going to be riding one handed and potentially be in a battle. Or just were showing off how fancy and powerful your horses were to the lords and ladies of the court.

But we know self carriage does not require a bit - self carriage is the result of the horse being built up correctly to lift their back, engage their core and hold themselves with the correct posture to carry a rider effectively. Self carriage is properly demonstrated when there is no pressure on the horse's mouth. Not when they're leaning into the bit or ducking behind it because it's too uncomfortable to "accept" the bit.

I heard a modern dressage trainer say, very confidently, that "some horses actually LIKE being behind the bit (aka their nose tucked towards their chest, compressing their windpipe, hyperflexing their neck muscles and causing long term damage to their nuchal ligament) - if your horse prefers to crank their head and neck into an uncomfortable and potentially painful position to avoid the bit in their mouth, maybe you need to be considering what on earth you are doing??

What we see in modern dressage is young horses bred for "flashy" gaits, that are not built up correctly, rushed into Grand Prix moves they're not ready for and forced into a "frame" by the curb bit. Luckily for these rich competitors, the double bridle is mandatory in most tests (though there may be some push to do tests in a snaffle now) - so they HAVE to use these horrible bits even though some horse's mouths can't even accomodate 2 bits without extreme discomfort.

The requirement for the bit and the mythology around the bit is only because the elitist and the rich - the main class of people who are competing in competitive dressage, would not be able to rush their horses and make money off them if they didn't have all their harsh bits and training gadgets. They want to believe that there is nothing wrong with what they're doing. Even though their horses are hobbling with borderline lameness around the dressage arena with blue tongues from the pressure of the bit, flinging out hollow and tense bodies and barely able to shift their weight into their haunches for a proper piaffe.

I encourage new people to the hobby/sport to not let themselves be swayed into the culture of normalised abuse by coaches and trainers. Don't let anyone tell you that you "need" to use a particular piece of equipment or bit. Or that your horse is "going to waste" because you just like hanging out with them in the padddock or doing groundwork and clicker training instead of trotting around in circles.

Most horses actually don't like being ridden and would prefer to chill in a paddock with their friends all day.

wanted to share clips of this beautiful dressage test done in France. To a certain level you can perform your test without a bridle.

Anyway I’m still a horse noob so I don’t know too much theory but I know “acceptance of the bit” is generally considered a big part of English riding but I feel more inclined to work on riding on a loose rein lately. I like the concept of minimizing our restrictions on the way the horse can move his body during riding. Seeing that even the more advanced movements can be performed with minimal equipment just makes me feel good, I guess. I don’t think I’ll ever be this good a rider but I do really want to try and train Wonder to neck rein at least.

[automatismoateo]

Off My Chest: I Hate Christianity. Heres why. via /r/atheism

Off My Chest: I Hate Christianity. Here’s why. To be fair, I find all religions awful. Even Buddhism which gets a pass in our culture has some seriously disgusting beliefs (tldr kids with cancer deserve it). Yet Christianity seems to be the only religion in the USA which increasingly affects my day to day life. From my healthcare to where my tax dollars go. I grew up in this nonsense. I went through conversion therapy. Just learning about evolution in school was met with massive protests. Heck, I was even kidnapped by a church as a kid while being forced to hear the gospel. As I got older, I really wanted to get involved more in charity only to learn that most of the tax free churches basically did none. They’d get money to help with homelessness then didn’t. They’d get money for addiction programs and didn’t do anything except a “pray the addiction away program.” At one point I proposed a cooperative business to restore citizens with criminal records and I was told “it’s better to keep them materially poor so they can be spiritually rich.” This church (Xenos Christian Fellowship) later received a $1 million PPP loan which was also forgiven. What really separated me from the Christian church was doubt. Even at 5 years old I was filled with doubt. I’d be told to read some book and I did, but was always left wanting. I studied theology for I could enter church leadership and we’d talk about the more scary parts of the Bible: Old Testament genocide and infanticide. Now we’d write off genocide as the murdered having deserved it, but infants? What did they do? Well there’s two answers: god can do what we want (but this also implies he’s a dick sending a lot of people to hell) or the more accepted answer: those kids were killed before the age of responsibility and thus got a pretty nice gift. Of course when 2016 rolled around and my church backed Trump because he would undo roe v wade, I had to ask: why? Wouldn’t it make more sense for abortion to keep happening to spare those lives? Hell we should be rounding kids now! Just as you’d put a suffering animal out of its misery, we could save multitudes from eternal damnation. The big problem with doubt in the Christian church is that at a certain point they make it a character issue: this doubt isn’t legitimate because you’ve been deceived by satan. Nevermind gods hands off attitude when being deceived by the second most intelligent creature around… it’s an escape hatch for religious leaders without answers. My question had me speaking with so many religious leaders and they couldn’t use the “deceived” logic. The calculus is self-evident. They’d just say “look you have to believe! What else is there?” Nothing. And that’s okay. I hate having given so much of my life to this religion, I go to therapy and it helps. However, none of this made me hate Christianity. It gives people comfort. You do you boo! Hell I’m not consumed with hate when they get loans that are forgiven. But over the last decade I’ve built a wonderful life for myself that doesn’t involve Christianity, but day by day that’s encroached upon arbitrarily. My healthcare. My freedom of speech and thought. There’s double standards in almost every aspect of my life. You can take my money and get your tax breaks, but let me have my damn autonomy. Haven’t you had enough? I hate Christianity. Truly. And I hate the idiotic Christians I have to encounter day to day. And it’s not because Satan corrupted me You really are just that insufferable. We could just leave each other alone, but here we are. Submitted April 02, 2024 at 08:42PM by TheKimulator (From Reddit https://ift.tt/X26aycl)

[zielandrei]

Why I chose STEM

STEM, often known as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, has been the driving force behind our modern world. I would like to share my experience and the reasons for my decision to live this way in this blog.

Since I was a little child, I have been drawn to the amazing phenomena around me because of their nature. learning scientific secrets and being fascinated by them! STEM education should allow children to channel their energy into worthwhile endeavors so they can experience the world's unlimited possibilities.

Someone's enthusiasm may be stoked and they may be inspired to make a decision by a mentor. I had the good fortune to work with passionate educators who encouraged my interest in STEM. They gave me encouragement, reassurance, and confidence, which led me to decide on a career where I could learn more about sciences and technologies.

I liked STEM because it was a practical study course, which is why. STEM is everywhere demonstrating the link between theory and real-world applications. We improve our abilities to solve problems when we take STEM classes. We develop logical and critical thinking skills in the mind. These skills are not just useful in STEM fields, but they are helpful in general.

STEM is the foundation for innovation because it allows us to create new ways to educate ourselves and enhance our lives. I chose STEM because it had the potential to bring about significant change, and that is what motivated me towards some of my altruistic goals. Ultimately, through STEM, I learned how I could be of use in making new discoveries that could benefit society as well as coming up with life-saving technologies that would help in solving some of the problems affecting the world.

A culture like this in STEM is built on complementarities and collaborations brought about by a plurality of viewpoints. A global professional group with a same aim and vision is made possible by transnationalism. By choosing STEM, I created a pathway to collaboration with talented people from many fields where we shared our experience.

STEM is a field of study that changes constantly. Given its basic nature, learning is likely a lifetime process. I want to be given the chance to learn new things, think critically, and sharpen my intellect every day. My preference for STEM stems from my passion for self-improvement and lifelong learning.

The fact that I love to explore, have great role models, and want to use engineering innovation to bring about positive change did not just happen to be the reason I chose STEM. As I start this exciting new chapter in my life, I am therefore happy to be a part of a culture that values creativity, problem-solving, and building for the common good.

Also, why don't you take advantage of this opportunity if you're interested in math, science, technology, and engineering? Join the STEM community's boundless potential and collaborate to bring about change.

[chanakakamal]

There is a Background Era of Archaeology?

Archaeology was not born overnight. Maybe the term 'archaeology' was born overnight, but what we refer to by that was not. It emerged gradually over hundreds of years. But not many of us know it. And that is why most of the time we miss out on the background era of archaeology. Confusing right?

Here is the thing: if you look into the definition of archaeology it says, "archaeology is the study of past human culture, behaviour, and cognition through material remains left from the past". Then, if you look into the origin of the definition, it's just in 1980s. Then, If we look into the origin of the term archaeology, we might find a year or probably a hundred-year time span. But that is not the origin of archaeology. Archaeology's history goes beyond the origin of the term archaeology. So, the history of archaeology consists of four phases. The first phase is the background era of archaeology. The second phase is the archaeology of the Renaissance era. The third and fourth phases are the 19th and 20th centuries' archaeology, respectively.

Well, before you ask, there is no clear line between these four phases, but only some unique characteristics. And sometimes, we talk about the 18th century as a separate phase of the history of archaeology. Since the Renaissance was the driving force behind most of the events and developments that occurred in the 1700s, I thought of talking about them along with the Renaissance itself. However, in this blog, let's dive into the background era of archaeology.

Introduction to the Background Era of Archaeology

The first age of the history of archaeology is the background era of archaeology. And that was the era when humans first examined their own past. There seemed to be two reasons for humans to be concerned about their past, such as:

curiosity about the past

curiosity about the monuments and material remains that they did not know who created

Curiosity about the past is a human trait. As an intelligent species, mankind wonders about its past. So did the people who lived in this background era of the history of archaeology.

Also, they had seen the monuments and other material remains that they did not create. That alone could have triggered curiosity about their past. However, they seemed curious about those monuments and other material remains they found.

Key Features of the Background Era of Archaeology

There are two key features of this era that we can easily determine.

Folklore relating to the past and material remains of the past

Elites who actively engaged in the search for the past and the material remains of the past

Driven by the curiosity of the material remains they found, the people in this era and their ancestors created legends, myths, and stories. That folklore culture was constructed around those physical remains and around the people they thought built them in the first place. This folklore culture has passed from generation to generation, growing bigger.

With the capability the elite held in this era to afford to engage in quests in search of the lost cities buried or hidden that were ascribed in the legends, they actively engaged. Unlike the general public, who were limited to the stories, they took a step forward to explore.

Both of these characteristics in this era show the interest people had in the past and their engagement with it. The idea of material remains left from the past holding the stories of the past was there.

Key Events in the Background Era of the History of Archaeology

The background era of archaeology was not only an era when people showed interest in the past or in the material remains that were left from the past. As mentioned above, the elites actively engage in satisfying themselves with their desire to reveal the past. Here are the most significant key events that happened during this era and are significant in the history of archaeology:

Paraoh's excavation of Spinx in the 2nd millennium BC

The first excavation in history is considered to have happened during the new kingdom era in Egypt (ca. 1660–1070 BCE), when the pharaoh excavated and reconstructed the sphinx, which was originally built during the old kingdom (ca. 2575–2134 BCE). Here, the need for ensuring the lifespan of material remains from the past can be seen. That showed an early form of preservation and conservation that is present in modern archaeology.

Nabonidus's Excavation and Interpretation in the 6th Century BC

Since there are no written records other than archaeological evidence of above event, the first ever recorded excavation is considered to have been done by Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon (555–539 BCE). He excavated and unearthed the stone foundation of a building dedicated to Naram-Sin, who was a royal in the Akkadian order. Nabonidus even dated the unearthed monument, though the dates were inaccurate by 1500 years.

So, here, excavating material remnants that come from the past and giving interpretations based on the excavation results were evident. Those interpretations were simple conclusions they reached after searching. This was the first ever practical involvement done regarding the history of humankind and the monuments inherent in the past in the documented history. In other words, it was the first documented incident of researching first and then interpreting inherent material from the past.

Thicydides's Interpretations of Delos Island Burials in the 5th Century BC

In the Classical Greek era, a historian named Thucydides, who lived in Greece (460–400 BC), identified some monuments in the Delos islands as burials and presumed that those burials belonged to an ethnic population called ‘Carians’. This was the first incident in history in which a historian, a person who specialised in studying humanity’s past, studied the material remains and constructed a simple interpretation.

Romans' Involvement with Antiquities in the 1st Century BC to the 5th Century AD

Then, during the Roman Empire (31 BC–476 AD), Europeans introduced the term ‘antiquities to refer to the monuments and other material remains inherent in the past. Antiquity is a word that gives the meaning of ‘ancient’.  And, most importantly, they not only recognised material remains as antiquities but also conserved and exhibited them.

Conclusion

As described, it is evident that mankind from ancient times to the 15th century AD was curious and passionate about their past and the monuments inherent in it. Apparently, the monuments inherent in the past have been appealing enough for people to study the past. Clearly, this led to the gradual emergence of practises and trends during the period. One significant practise introduced was identifying monuments and other material remains inherent in the past as antiquities. The trend of Constructing folk stories connecting the antiquities to the ancestors who lived in the past was a significant feature. Similarly, looking for antiquities in order to investigate them and their legends was a prominent feature of this era. Furthermore, unearthing, collecting, and then exhibiting antiquities was popular during this time period.

By the end of this era, common practises of searching for, unearthing, collecting, and displaying antiquities were more for aesthetic purposes than for historical research. However, even though a specific discipline did not develop, the basic concept for such a discipline was developed during this era. Hence, this era is termed ‘the conceptual age of studying the past’. Because the concept of studying the past was there. Therefore, this era is the first era of the history of Archaeology; the first era of the development of archaeology. The European Renaissance succeeded this era. The Renaissance era marked the second phase of the history of archaeology, taking the concept of studying the past to the next level.

Originally posted on: kamalsjournal.com

[happyworldtours]

Everyone wants to experience the different beauty of mother nature. Like sometimes you want to feel the silence of a snowy mountain, or to relax at the sea beach on a sunny day, or to walk through some lush green forest area, or want to gaze at the stars sitting on a desert at night. When you plan for a desert trip, Jaisalmer is the first place that comes to everyone’s mind. Jaisalmer is a perfect dish consists of history, fort, Havelis and last but not the least, golden desert.

Jaisalmer is a desert city located in the western part of Rajasthan. One of the exciting facts about Jaisalmer is that Fort, Havelis, many of the houses, temples are built of finely sculptured yellowish sandstone. For this, Jaisalmer is known as ‘The Golden City.

Places to Visit in Jaisalmer (Jaisalmer Sightseeing)

Jaisalmer Fort: It was built by Rawal Jaisal, from where the name Jaisalmer came. Yellow sandstone is used to make this fort, which looks like honey-gold, especially at sunset. So, it is also known as ‘Sonar Quilla’ or ‘Golden Fort’. This fort is a ‘living fort’, which is rare. As many people still stay within the fort area. The lanes inside the fort are very narrow; you will find hundreds of shops selling various types of items. The honeycomb-like narrow streets make the place feel like a bit of a maze. Inside the fort, there are few Jain Temples; the artistry of the temple interior and idols are amazing. You can find beautifully crafted Havelis carved from yellow sandstone. These Havelis have many rooms with decorated and colourful windows, archways, doors and balconies. They converted some of the rooms into a museum. And finally, the view of the city from the top of the fort is just amazing.

Patwon Ki Haveli: It is the most famous and largest Haveli in Jaisalmer. It’s not a single haveli, a cluster of five Havelis constructed by a wealthy trader Guman Chand Patwa for his five sons. Beautiful wall paintings, intricate yellow sandstone carved Jharokhas (Balconies), and innovative architecture can be seen in every corner of this haveli.

Gadisar Lake: It was built by Rawal Jaisal and rebuilt by Gadsi Singh. It is an artificial lake, and it is said that this lake was built to supply water to the entire city. There are many chhatris and shrines around the lake, and some are middle of the lake also. Various types of birds fly in-group over the lake. One can witnessastonishing sunset in the Gadisar lake.

Kuldhara: Kuldhara is an abandoned village 18 km away from Jaisalmer city. It was established around the 13th century, and at that time, it was an affluent village of Paliwal Brahmins. After that, they leave this place by the early 19th century; the reason is still unknown. According to a few, scarcity of water forced the villagers to leave, few claims due to oppression by the minister Salim Singh. The villagers couldn’t stay there and vacate overnight. While leaving the village, the Brahmins cursed that no one will ever inhabit the place. A study suggests that Kuldhara and other neighbouring towns were destroyed due to the earthquake. According to the survey, the ruined houses in these villages are evidence of earthquake-related destruction.

Desert Safari: Jaisalmer desert safari offers a great combination of peace, thrill and culture that you will cherish forever. One can start with camel safari. Camel riding isa unique experience for everyone, just sitting on the back of a camel and entering deep within the dunes where one can see only sand miles after miles. Jeep safari gives the thrilling of a roller coaster ride in the desert. Most of these jeeps are open from the top to give you full excitement. When the jeep speeding up and jumps from one dune to another, everyone will indeed shout in thrill. This roller coaster ride ended up at a place where we could get the best view of the sunset.

Colourful cultural evening: Imagine yourself sitting in an open desert camp under the night sky with evening snacks, pakoda& tea. At the same time, the local musicians make the ambience with a mix of soulful melodies. Yes, this is how the evening cultural program starts. The soulful melodies are followed by folk dance, jhoomar, clay pot dance and many other dances performed by the local dancers. Dinner with delicious Rajasthani thali.

Tanot Mata Temple: Religious places have a great significance in a country like India, not only the religious significance but also have historical importance. Tanot Mata Temple is one of them, as this temple remained unaffected despite the heavy bombing during the Indo-Pak war.

[deniigi]

Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan Fic Recs

Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice -The Rising Force - Dave Wolverton

Free link above (archive.org) to read the first adventure that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon have together.

It’s Legends canon. If folks would like to see how Qui-Gon Legends-canonically interacts with 12 year old Obi-Wan and how Obi-Wan drives him up a fucking wall, please read this. It is hysterical to me.

 A Patrician with Mud on His Boots - davaia

Two decades after Qui-Gon Jinn left Initiate Kenobi to his fate in the AgriCorps, the two are reunited on Bandomeer and must forge a new relationship.

When the world gets too heavy put it on my back - nematoda

Obi-Wan is different when it comes to relationships. Not in a bad way, just... different.

Studies of platonic love in the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi, exploring the master/padawan relationship with Qui-Gon and eventually with Anakin.

Circles. - outpastthemoat

Qui-Gon's gaze is drawn to a corner of the tunnel, where the boy is waiting, arms wrapped loosely around his knees.   Obi-Wan is still outfitted in the miner’s thermosuit he had been given to wear on the deep sea mining platform, his face still streaked black with oil and days of built-up grime.  

And he notices, again, the pale white collar around the boy’s neck.

I have failed him. I should have been there.

New growth. - outpastthemoat

When Qui-Gon returns to his quarters in the Temple, he is not surprised to find that the plants in the window have dried out and wilted.  

He had not expected to be away from the Temple for so long, and therefore he had made no effort to ensure that his small collection of greenery would be cared for.  He had boarded a freighter bound for Bandomeer, anticipating a swift return, never once suspecting the events that would follow, keeping him from returning to his home.  

Qui-Gon has thought of nothing but his new padawan since then.  He had not given his plants a second thought.  

Now it has been months since Qui-Gon has stepped foot in his own rooms.  He surveys the dead and dying plants and considers the effects his neglect has wrought.

This is not how it should be, he realizes with dismay.  I was supposed to bring him home.

Recovery - Firondoiel, happygiraffe, LuvEwan, sanerontheinside

Qui-Gon survives on Naboo, but Obi-Wan is left seriously injured by Darth Maul. This series follows the impact the long and difficult recovery has on their lives.

mouth moving in the shape of your name - Petrichor (Mythmaker)

 "What are you doing?"

 "Learning about ghosts," was the curt response.

It was such a strange thing to say. Rex leaned back. "What?"

Cody pushed the 'pad over. It was an article. No - an obituary. An extensive one, published to one of the more popular news outlets out of Coruscant. Just about ten, ah, thirteen years ago. Funny coincidence.

 "Who is this?" Rex asked before further inquiry died on this tongue. A headshot of the man in question showed up when he scrolled. Long, greying hair, partially tied back. A surprisingly calm expression, crow’s feet and a beard.

 "Qui-Gon Jinn." [...]

That was a familiar face. He knew that face. ==

In which the war Rex was born for ends early, his brothers get a new lease on life, he starts seeing dead people, and he gets married to his former general.

Not necessarily in that order.

*Some of my own fics (shamelessly)

a town called stagnation - deniigiq

“When the cottage is done, if you want to go home, we will tell the Council that you want to,” Qui-Gon says at the inn's ceiling. “But you have to promise me that you will try some Stewjoni things. They will want to see that you’ve tried to participate in the culture, Obi-Wan.”

“I don’t want to," Obi-Wan snaps.

(As part of their mutual probation period after Melida/Daan, the council sends Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to the town of Coan-Connach on Stewjon, so that Obi-Wan can decide if he wants to continue with on the path to become a jedi or if he would like to return to his family. Coan-Connach, however, is a small town struggling to keep up its idyllic facade).

poisoned chalice - qigiined

“Hello, padawan Kenobi,” Master Dooku says, kneeling down and offering Obi-Wan a hand to shake.

Obi-Wan’s eyes follow him. He says nothing even as he lowers his head and takes Master Dooku’s hand. Master doesn’t let on, but Qui feels a little blip of intrigue at Obi-Wan’s size, or rather, his lack thereof.

“My name is Yan Dooku,” Master explains, “I am the master of your master. I sent your master an invitation for you and him to join the rest of our lineage for a meal. How does that sound to you?”

“No,” Obi-Wan says.

(Dooku organizes a dinner party for his lineage. Qui-Gon struggles the the fallout of putting his youngest apprentice's welfare before his master's demands.)

pines and needles - qigiined

“He is an owlet,” Qui-Gon corrects. “A Stewjoni. They are tawny with spots. His genes are quite affected, even more than it appears on the surface.”

Feemor loves his master, but he does not care. He would like to hold the chick now, please.

“Owlet, Feemor.”

Chick chick chick chick chick chick chick, please.

(Prequel to to take flight wherein Obi-Wan is an owl-person who requires enrichment.)