#also its always just ‘europe doesn’t have’ as if were a monolith???

[nicomoon69]

I hate when americans visit europe then complain we don’t have x thing that we clearly do have liek be so fucking fr 💀💀💀

[johannesviii]

Top 10 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 2020

You know, when I finished my latest list and realised every decade had the same pattern and that we were slowly going towards a series of great years for pop, I didn’t realise how good that year would be.

What’s at the top? Am I boringly predictable because I already said I loved that song all the way back in January 2020? Let’s find out.

Disclaimers:

Keep in mind I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these top 10 things. There’s songs in English that charted in my country way higher than they did in their home countries, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

Of course there will probably be stuff in French somewhere on this post. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible and I’m not a critic, just a listener and an idiot.

I have sound to color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

So. Uh. How was your 2020?

Mine was actually surprisingly good, considering. I’m lucky enough to have a job that I can partially do from home, and I was extremely paranoid from the get-go and nobody got sick under this roof so far. Turns out I’m even better at my job from home and I got permission to work from home one day per week even after the health crisis is over! My first name was also finally officially approved and I can’t tell you how happy I feel about that. I almost feel bad to have had such a good year considering the circumstances. I feel like an asshole just because I’m happy, haha.

The only frustrating part was that I was supposed to see Hatari in concert in Paris in early April which, as you can guess, was cancelled. I’m not too mad about it though, since their tour was called “Europe will crumble” and the message saying the tour was cancelled started with “since Europe is actually crumbling due to Covid-19″ and that’s hysterical.

Good or interesting albums that came out in 2020 now, let’s see.

Nightwish released Human/Nature, which was a huge letdown compared to their previous album, but I will relisten to it at some point to make sure I wasn’t just in a bad mood that day.

The Birthday Massacre released Diamonds, which might be their weakest album since their debut, but contained some real gems (I listened to The Last Goodbye on a loop, it floored me. Flashback and Enter are also very good).

The 1975 released Notes On A Conditional Form, and let’s be real, it’s a f█cking mess. You could cut half the tracks and end up with an excellent album, but as it is it’s like, yes, a collection of notes ; however there’s some truely excellent shit on it (see unelligible songs).

Thanks to a friend on a discord server I was exposed to Dorian Electra’s music and I haven’t been quite the same ever since. I’m so happy to be alive to see other enbies making such great music with an insanely good aesthetic surrounding it and asking so many interesting questions about gender. Also the arc the ‘gentleman’ character goes through over the course of the entire tracklist of the 2020 My Agenda album is absolutely hilarious, don’t @ me.

I also discovered 100 Gecs this year. Why are most of you guys saying it’s unlistenable garbage. It’s just as abrasive and over the top as industrial music is, but with none of the edginess or drama. I love it. What the hell. But yeah Tree of Clues was released this year. Good.

Speaking of industrial, in March 2020 Nine Inch Nails were like “hey remember when we released Ghosts I-IV a decade ago entirely for free and how amazing that was? Well we’re all in lockdown and bored as hell so here’s Ghosts V-VI and it’s also free. Enjoy” and I f█cking died instantly. And it’s even better than I-IV. What the hell was that year

Jonsi released Shiver. It’s strange and highly experimental. I’m pretty sure it’s a good thing I was into hyperpop this year, otherwise going from his previous material straight to this album would have been brutal.

Yadda yadda yadda After Hours by the Weeknd good yadda yadda.

I’ve joked about that already but if you had told me in 2019 that 2020 would have fires, a pandemic, riots, monoliths appearing and disappearing, and also a super good Machine Gun Kelly album, guess which part I would have found the most ridiculous. But yeah uh. Tickets to my Downfall good

So uh this year I tried to listen to some hyperpop and liked it a lot, and I also dipped my toes timidly into screamo and listened to Svalbard, who released When I Die this year, and the entire album was a very beautiful, very intricately decorated punch to the face. It sounds like God Is An Astronaut except with a shit ton of yelling. I love it. Open Wound is my favorite track on it.

But no, despite all of this, my album of the year was from a band I had never even heard about before that year, called Spanish Love Songs. The album is titled Brave Faces Everyone and it’s line after line after line of extremely relatable generational angst but yelled with complete sincerity and it’s so propulsive and energetic you can’t help but feel both exhausted and ready to fight the entire universe. I don’t know how it works, but it’s incredible. The entire album is wonderfully brutal, so it’s kind of difficult to pick my favorite songs on it, but Beachfront Property and the title track stand out.

Unelligible songs, now, and there’s, uh, quite a few of them too so I’m also gonna use bullet points. Good lord this post is gonna be long.

First, let me say I have literally no idea why Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus wasn’t a bigger hit. It’s not on the year-end US top 100 and it feels extremely wrong. Would have made it to #4 on this list otherwise.

I still entertain the vague hope that stuff from Machine Gun Kelly will chart higher in 2021 but I doubt it will happen so I might as well tackle it now and say that Bloody Valentine and especially Forget Me Too are both excellent and that it’s a shame radios aren’t playing them more often.

Heaven by the late Avicii featuring Coldplay should have charted in 2019 and still didn’t chart in 2020 and that’s a real shame.

If the world was a bit less unfair, Lovesick Girls by Blackpink would have been a hit rather than the awful Ice Cream.

One day I will stop complaining about my bafflement concerning the lack of mainstream pop charts success of The 1975. Today is not that day. I just love how they keep making songs about extremely awkward relationships full of weird details, and I haven’t grown tired of that yet. So yeah If You’re Too Shy is about a guy who’s crush is asking him to get naked on Skype in his hotel room and he’s, uh, not too sure about that idea.

And Me & You Together is about a guy who never finds the right moment to tell his best friend he’s in love with her, and he manages to do so at the end and it’s cute as hell. My fave part is “I'm sorry that I'm kinda queer / It's not as weird as it appears / It's 'cause my body doesn't stop me (Stop me) / Oh, it's okay, lots of people think I'm gay / But we're friends, so it's cool, why would it not be?”. Relatable as f█ck.

And now for an international hit that should have been bigger in the US and/or in my country but wasn’t: Head & Heart by Joel Corry and MNEK.

I’ve heard Nos Célébrations by Indochine extremely often on French radio for months now so I was very surprised to see that it didn’t crack the local year-end list. What happened.

I can finally hear the appeal of Bring Me The Horizon. It took me ages. And also Death Stranding. The song Ludens isn’t in the game per say, but it’s among the ones you can pick to broadcast briefly when people drive by your constructions, and long story short it's been living rent-free in my head for months now.

Phew.

It’s time for a round of Honorable Mentions for elligible songs, containing a couple of guilty pleasures, which is saying something considering the kind of shit I put on some of my previous lists.

Ne Reviens Pas (Gradur et Heuss l’Enfoiré) - Heuss is a French artist that kept baffling me while making my lists for the previous years, and I was like “??? ok, that’s it then, I guess I’m getting too old to get what teenagers find funny”. This one worked for me, though. And the music video doesn’t hurt. Really dumb and really fun.

Adore You (Harry Styles) - Perfectly good little pop song, very pleasant to listen to, never outstayed its welcome for me.

Mood (24kGoldn) - This doesn’t sound like a very good relationship, my dude, but that’s still a super pleasant song.

WAP (Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion) - This song is absolutely hilarious and I will hear no argument from any of you.

Control (Zoe Wees) - Was clearly a hit here. Should have been even bigger though. What a powerful but comfy voice. If I had better taste it would be on the list.

Hot Girl Bummer (Blackbear) - I. Uh. Listen. I keep saying I have bad taste and nobody believes me. Do you believe me now. But yeah. “F█ck you, and you, and you~, I hate your friends and they hate me too” is gonna pop in my head every single time someone is being a jerk anywhere near me now. It’s been happening all year already. Someone trashed my documents at work? Someone isn’t wearing a mask in public? That guy has filled his car with rolls of toilet paper? Brain goes “F█ck you, and you, and you~”. Every. Single. Time.

Come & Go (Juice WRLD & Marshmello ) - Damn, that’s a pretty good little song. I’ve seen plenty of people saying it’s ruined by the drop, but may I remind you I’m the person who loves Blue by Eiffel 65 with all my heart. If the song was ramping up consistently until the end instead of ending like that, it would have made the list, definitely.

And now, the actual list. This one actually feels pretty solid, I genuinely like everything on it, there’s no filler here for once.

10 - The Box (Roddy Rich)

US: #3 / FR: #23

Now this is a weird case, because for the longest time I couldn’t figure out why this song was so popular and I was completely neutral about it. Then, one morning in September, my mental jukebox (which always, always puts a song on a loop in my head when I wake up) decided to play it. And I was like oh wow?? I never noticed the atmosphere in that song before? It’s so great. And that hook too. Let’s listen to it.

So yeah, I don’t know what happened. It just clicked one day and everything fell into place, I guess.

9 - Alane (Wes & Robin Shulz)

US: Not on the list / FR: #93

Come on. You can’t do a remake of one of my previous #1 songs and let it chart in 2020. That’s cheating. Even with this subpar drop, I have to put it on the list, now.

I’ve already said my piece about the original, so I’m just going to send you back to my 1997 list.

8 - Kings and Queens (Ava Max)

US: Not on the list / FR: #76

[BBC documentary voice] After Lady Gaga decided to make piano balads and left her musical niche vacant, Ava Max quickly took her place as the top predator pop diva. Even after Lady Gaga was re-introduced to her natural habitat in 2020, she still hasn’t fully recovered in Europe, where Ava Max still reigns supreme on the charts -

(tldr I think it’s hilarious that this isn’t on the US Billboard while Lady Gaga isn’t on the French year-end top 100)

7 - Roses (Saint Jhn & Imanbek)

US: #19 / FR: #3

What an earworm. It doesn’t even bother trying to have an intro or an outro, so it loops almost perfectly. It’s like entering a party that started long before you arrived, and it will go on long after you leave it to go back home. Kind of hypnotic in a way.

And yes, my mental jukebox was very fond of using it to wake me up this year, so this is another song that’s here almost solely because of that.

6 - Physical (Dua Lipa)

US: Not on the list / FR: #69 (hehehe)

“Hey I’m not that old” says the guy who’s definitely a sucker for this kind of retro throwback that was so popular this year. Oh well.

I don’t have anything interesting to say about this one, though. Apart from the fact that everyone seems to have a different fave song on that album. Guess that’s quality for you.

5 - Rain on Me (Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande)

US: #48 / FR: Not on the list

That is far from being Lady Gaga’s best song, but it was a joy to listen to everytime it was on the radio anyway. Also Ariana Grande has surprisingly good chemistry with Gaga! This year was full of strange duets mostly made for commercial reasons, and this one isn’t an exception, but unlike a lot of them, it really, really works.

4 - Dynamite (BTS)

US: #38 / FR: Not on the list

I’m still not 100% sold on k-pop even if a ton of it sounds super good, but come on. Even if some bits of this song (especially the beginning of the second chorus) sound a bit like they were made on autopilot, it still sounds just as happy and fun several months after I first heard it and I never got tired of it. That’s quality. You hear it and you can’t help but tap your feet and smile.

Actually, I’m sure there’s people somewhere that don’t smile when they hear this song. And they must be avoided at all costs.

3 - Godzilla (Eminem ft Juice WRLD)

US: #62 / FR: Not on the list

What are you doing so high on this list, old man. Why are you still here in the year 2020. I thought we left you in the previous decade. Who gave you the right.

I’m gonna tell you who did, and it’s actually Juice WRLD. Because that chorus is incredible, and like a lot of people I’m pissed off because the guy died super young and this shit shouldn’t happen to anybody. No, his early material wasn’t great, but I’m sorry I’m gonna say it again: have you heard this damn chorus? It’s suspenseful and dark, it’s got this lowkey menacing quality, it’s an earworm and a half, and it’s more convincing in like six lines than Eminem’s own flexing is in the entire song.

The beat is extremely good as well, and the flow, obviously, impressive. The weakest link is Eminem’s writing, which is as usual full of puns and weird wordplay, except here a lot of it isn’t great, and that last ultra fast part at the end is technically impressive but it also drives the song up a cliff and stops it dead in its tracks once it’s over. But frankly the lines fly by so fast it’s difficult to be too annoyed by them.

Can I sincerely put this extremely flawed song so high on my list? A better question would be “did I spend hours trying to learn how to sing this shit without choking on my own spit?”. The answer is yes. To both.

2 - Heartless (The Weeknd)

US: #28 / FR: Not on the list

I’ve said it on my 2015 and 2016 lists already, but just for the record I’ll say it again: it took me ages to like The Weeknd, mostly because I found most of his songs fairly boring, or disliked the lyrics, or both. Also I never really liked the general vibe of his “sexy” songs like The Hills, they felt dark but in an unpleasant creepy way. Felt like miserable hedonism, if that makes sense.

So, because I’m a person with extremely consistent and logical tastes, here’s the exact same shit he was making before, except that this time I absolutely adore it.

What is he doing differently that makes the whole After Hours album click for me whereas almost all of his previous material failed to do so? Is it the energy? Is it the reverb? Is it the fact that the narrator sounds properly unhinged and, frankly, scared to be spiralling out of control? Why are the colors so beautiful yet full of anxiety? Why is that bridge so fantastic? How can you make your voice look like a glowstick in the dark?

I give up. I have no clue. At least I’m done talking about-

Oh.

1 - Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)

US: #1 / FR: #1 (listen sometimes something’s just that good, ok)

Surprise. Or not.

Wow, look at that, Johannes has put this year’s number one pop song at number one on their personal playlist. The audacity. The edge. What a hot take.

I discovered that song when it first came out at the end of 2019 and I adored it instantly. And I was so scared it wouldn’t be a hit. Which means I’m a f█cking dumbass considering it ended up breaking all sorts of records in 2020. But what can I say, overplay can be a blessing when you love a song that much.

Like every single song I put at number one on one of my lists, I will draw this one at some point and you will understand how incredibly satisfying it is to listen to a song called Blinding Lights, talking about city lights looking blurry when you’re driving at night, while looking itself like a bunch of blurry city lights passing by super fast. Perfect in every way.

Also it sounds exactly like A-ha, and that never hurts.

See you next year! Pretty sure it will be even better music-wise.

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

There is something people can’t talk about regarding the Dalish

So let me talk about something, and I don't know how to preface it so let me just come right out and say it.

I feel like there's this unspoken rule that the Dalish can't be criticized, and there also seems to be this unwillingness to ascribe negative traits to their culture that we would otherwise assume of other cultures, fictional or real.

I say this because I *feel* it. I feel as though I can't write anything critical of Dalish without people assuming that I'm somehow an imperialist or something, that I'm badmouthing an indigenous group because *that's just what's been done*.

Let me try to explain.

So we have the Dalish, a group of people whose plights and history can be equated to that of the Jews (rumors of blood libel and child sacrifice, forced conversion, their brethren being sequestered in ghettos in the cities, frequent victims of attempted annihilation, scapegoats for mishaps that happen in human villages and such); indigenous peoples (living in non-urban societies that worship polytheistic deities, the original backstory prior to the revelation in Trespasser aligns with slow erosion of their culture through human settlements and disease, victims of attempted annihilation, considered barbaric for their rustic lifestyles); and Romani/Sinti (nomadic, located on the outskirts of established societies, also victims of scapegoating). 

Okay, we got that out of the way. We have that established.

But can we also be completely honest with ourselves and say that the Dalish are NOT a monolithic group of people but also have cultural variations? The only things that tie them together is the fact that they are elves that worship Elvhen gods, they wear vallaslin, and they are nomadic. That's basically it. That's all we really know about them from that. Beyond that, the canon, the creative minds behind Dragon Age, and the offical outside sources like art books, novels, and comics clearly establish that there are differences in dialect, relationship with humans, their views of magic, and even their views of sexuality.

That last one is what I want to talk about most.

This is a game series that has been a refuge for non-straight people. The universe is accepting of LGBTQA people in a way that few other game franchises, if at all, have. I get that. I understand wanting to preserve this great source of representation and acceptance that runs through the game's universe. There is also the turning of stereotypical fantastical racism on its head. The parallel between the treatment of the Dalish and indigenous peoples is great politics. I love learning about it. I love talking about it in the context of the story and as a reflection of real-world history, but...

What I'm trying to get this conversation to point to, really, is the fact that I see that people are unwilling to entertain the idea that some Dalish clans may not in fact, gasp, be necessarily LGBTQA-friendly, but more specifically, Lesbian-Gay-Asexual*-friendly.

It seems to be a kneejerk reaction to assume that a marginalized group will accept another marginalized group, and there's somewhat of a real-life precedent for it, given that gender roles were less strict in certain native tribes than in Europe, what with two-spirits and similar concepts. Now that is very valid, and there may indeed be Dalish tribes that believe in that sort of thing...

When the controversial user FenxShiral was still on here, he answered questions about language and Dalish culture. These were all his headcanons, and some of the ones where he offered his opinion on how the Dalish viewed certain sexualities drew the ire of some members of the Dragon Age community.

If I remember correctly, he said that not all clans accept homosexuality, and asexuality is also considered odd. People thought he was being homophobic and acephobic.

But here's the deal, and let me try to expand upon this without sounding too ADD.

-- If we go all the way back to the Old Testament of the Bible, there is a lot of talk of who can't sleep with whom and how you can sleep with this person and why you can't masturbate and all that. Now think of the context: These are tribes emerging to carve out a stable civilization. Death is commonplace. Famine, drought, war, and disease is commonplace. Infant mortality is high, on average. Grown adults die off easily. For the sake of the tribe or clan surviving, babies need to be made and be made regularly. Let's ignore the institution of marriage for a moment because that's about property and assuring a family line is kept intact...there is no room for gay people who are unwilling to make babies in this society. There is no room for asexuals* who do not want to have sex or have children. There is no room for people who do not want to do what's "best for the community" and give up their personal happiness for the sake of the tribe or clan. That is the fact of the matter.

A lot of LGBT activism and thought intersects with individuality and personal autonomy. "I am LGBTQA. What I do sexually is my business. I owe nothing to no one else." This is a very MODERN way of thinking, this idea that you should make yourself happy and that people should leave alone what does not affect them.  Tribes and small-knit communities are not very individualistic by nature because they require full participation and equal amounts of sacrifice from everyone in order to keep the wheel turning, to keep the clan alive. These are societies that do not have an excessive amount of people that could do with 10% of women not getting pregnant or a few men choosing not to impregnate people. They can’t survive a major upset that could suddenly wipe out half their tribe and have one in five be unwilling to help resupply people.

As for the argument of "Well, what if they are gay and are willing to get someone pregnant/become pregnant, but still want a same-sex lover?" I would say that religion could likely come into play. Either the society will say "okay, I'll allow that cuz kids are getting made and that’s what I’m asking for" OR they'll say "doesn't matter, sex is for procreation only". 

But going back to the Dalish and homosexuality. We have no proof that all Dalish are LGBT friendly. In fact, I would argue that it is the direct result of the small number of them that AT LEAST SOME CLANS would be less inclined to allow clan members to remain exclusively in same-sex relationships because it would mean fewer Dalish children are being made. That's going to be two women not carrying children and two men not impregnating. The Dalish are always struggling to keep their numbers up. On the one hand, the cities are dens of disease and violence, on the other hand, the Dalish have to contend with the elements, wild animals, and the wrath of local lords and peasants who want to run them off their camping grounds. Then there are those who wish to leave for the cities, or who fall in love with city folk. It is implied that certain tribes consider clanmates who match up with humans or non-Dalish to be "half-breeds" of a sort, "traitors" to their People, and it varies as to whether children of this union will be accepted by their Dalish family (as far as I know, this contrasts with the typical custom of North American native tribes who would readily accept mixed race children into their tribes).

The Dalish love children because children are great, yes, but also because they are a living future legacy. Someone who refuses to impregnate/get pregnant is not acting with the future survival of the clan in mind. Same thing with someone who is gay and does not want to carry a child or help conceive one. Now there may perhaps be a window open for the gay uncle or aunt to help rear children, but the Dalish obviously have developed a culture that values lots of kids because it is an unmistakable sign that their customs and traditions will carry on into the future.

So I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that not just the fact that the Dalish may be less tolerant of gays than you want to believe, but that being against homosexuality may not have anything to do with reasons like "gay sex is eww" or one's faith but that it could come from a utilitarian or pragmatic standpoint, cultural or existential or what-have-you. It's the same reason why the Tevinter Imperium is "anti-gay". It has nothing to do with the fact that homosexuality is bad, necessarily, because like in Greece and Rome there were context-heavy situations where it was allowed and tolerated, but because being exclusively homosexual and refusing to even pretend to "marry the girl" and have a kid jeopardizes this particular society's eugenic-based infrastructure: The upper class NEED to breed with each other to have perfect mages that will breed with other perfect mages to have more perfect mage children. This maintains the status quo and the hierarchy. As an Altus you can have a boytoy elf slave, you can probably even canoodle with a man of a lower class because you have that social superiority, but you cannot canoodle with another Altus because it's distracting both of you from your duty of siring children.

Now I’ll bet I’ll get people coming out of the woodwork accusing me of trying to justify homophobia or acephobia, but I’m not. I’m Bi and I guess a bit Asexual. I’m trying to explain why it is not homophobic or acephobic to entertain the idea that some Dalish clans may be more leery of gay or asexual* clan members. Again, the Dalish are not a monolithic group. They are a bunch of different elf family groups that have rejected the Chantry and human civilization. Beyond that and a few cultural staples, they operate fairly independent of each other and developed their own way of maintaining their autonomy and existence.

It is like how anti-capitalists are also not a monolithic group. The only thing they share among them is their rejection of capitalism and perhaps even share reasons why they hate it. Beyond that, the proposed alternatives vary widely from socialism to anarchy. 

*  Specifically, those who are sex-repulsed/disinterested

[withinthescripts]

Season 3, Reel 2: August 13, 1953

[tape recorder turns on]

Amy, call Dr. Jefferson and get me an appointment on Thursday or Friday early morning.

Vivi and I found an injured cat and we’d like to get it fixed. Fixed meaning “spayed”, but I suppose also meaning “repaired”. See if Dr. Jefferson can repair and spay our new cat.

Also, pick up a square fabric about 30 x 30 centimeters, something orange, preferably patterned, an argyle or stencil print, as well as some dark thread, maroon or violet. Once you did that, fold the square into a bandana and embroider the name “Constance” onto the back part of the bandana. We named the cat Constance. Also Amy, can you print that name in script? In cursive where each letter elegantly sweeps onto the next. Don’t fret if you can’t do that, just do it in print, I guess. Thanks.

Letter from the office of Michael Witten on the 13th of August, 1953 to Ursula Lindholm, Director of Communications, Department of Global Trade, European office. Dear Director Lindholm. Thank you for your reply to my question about personnel restructuring. Your concerns about my “poking around” are valid, but rest assured that this is not an inquisition or a judgment, simply curiosity. Amy, don’t write “poking around”, say uh, say “inquiries”. Always mean what you say, but rarely say what you mean.

It is a brave new and unincorporated world out there, and we’re all doing our best to set about a new, less destructive course while implementing an entirely novel set of rules. If you and your office are finding success in reorganization, I certainly wanna know about it. We are not business, Director Lindholm, we are government. We are a truism, a monolith, many roots of the same tree. This is not competition, but collaboration. That being said, I apologize if I pressed too hard into your business and the goings on of your new Regional Director of Trade, Karen Roberts. Karen and I know each other peripherally through Global Secretary of Trade, Vishwathi Ramadoss, my direct supervisor.

Karen, I believe, testified against Secretary Ramadoss during preliminary hearings about domestic espionage in Vancouver last year, even though there were no fucking documents to suggest any of the allegations were true, Ursula, and even if they were, the things Secretary Ramadoss could have revealed about Karen, if there were any domestic spying on businesses, would have destroyed her career. Secretary Ramadoss was using computational machines to record basic data on commerce. It’s just numbers to help with global trade, which is Vishwathi Ramadoss’ fucking job over the whole fucking planet. So yeah, I’m a bit goddamned concerned about Karen Roberts.

Amy, obviously delete all of that, just cut it after the part where I said that I knew Karen. But seriously, Vishwathi was organizing data into charts about a birthplace, age, gender and known health records. The Pacific Northwest pissed themselves that Vishwathi was keeping notes on parents’ names. Oh, what if the citizens find out and try to reconnect with their parents? We don’t allow parents anymore – spare me, she only wrote down the parents’ names in cases where people were direct descendants of the last generation, so they’d already know. It was everything over nothing!

By the way, were you not able to find any of the files from our work in Vancouver? Where was I?

If my tone was aggressive, then I apologize. Ursula, it was not my intent, I would never wanna make a colleague feel less than on equal ground. As I understand it, Karen Roberts relocated the entire Western European Labor Department into the Communications Office. Congratulations on the increased resources! I hope you got a raise.

I wish there were a way to suggest this a joke. Ursula doesn’t seem to have any sense of humor. Her letter was what, two sentences? I’m surprised she didn’t carve it directly into a block of ice.

Amy, can you just draw a smilie face after my last comment? I’m not kidding.

But most of my questions went unanswered. Perhaps you’re pressed for time and if so, please let me know my best approach to Karen Roberts herself. She hasn’t returned my calls or letters. First, what is to become of regulatory protections for workers? The North and Baltic Seas are filled with fishing ships, there are mines and textile factories all over the continent. Who is protecting workers from abuse if the entire region has no labor department? You can’t build a society without a well treated work force.

Second, Karen Roberts owned the largest construction firm along the Gulf of Mexico. Upon taking a government job, did she sell her interests in KR Development, Inc.? Calls to her Houston office suggest to me she has not. This is a violation of the new society ethics bylaws for bureaucrats. If she still owns any part of KR while administering all of Europe’s trade, then this is in direct conflict with our new society’s core values for governmental leadership. This is not a threat, but a fact. Also, it is a threat.

Don’t write that part. Uh, no, write it but then draw another smilie face. That was definitely a joke, no threats in letters Amy, you know that.

I especially encourage you to look into the matter of weapons development along the old Mexican border. Karen’s factories were former arms manufacturing sites. Of course, KR Development now makes its business dismantling war machines for use in new, non-military construction. They have their slogan “swords to ploughshares”, of course. But in my working with Karen on previous North American reconstruction projects, there were persistent rumours that southern militias were being armed by weapons still being manufactured by KR. I have no physical evidence of this and I would never share it publicly, but the European people will not be happy if some journalist finds this proof. My North American people will certainly not be happy, which will make me even more unhappy, and Global Secretary of Trade Vishwathi Ramadoss will be the least happy of us all.

Of course, my staff member Amy Castillo was not able to dig up anything about current weapons production, and if she cannot find anything then I’m sure no one can. You didn’t, right Amy?

So perhaps we have no worries at all. I merely encourage you to do your own research into your new head of trade. Please keep me informed on this matter.

Finally, I was told someone from your office has shut down the production of a play called “Last Night We Were the Wind” at the Olympia in Dublin. I don’t mean to suggest that you are practicing censorship, but the account I heard had to do with the playwright Neve Connolly’s open critique of the new society, that your office found the play, quote, “grotesquely retrospect”. I understand that art can be disruptive and provocative, and we are all trying to build public and global confidence in our new society, but this is why a department of labor or culture exists, to work with artist to find the right message. Amy, underline “right”.

It should be a friendly discourse between government and author, not an indifferent one, as is the way with the “last” generation, nor as in this alleged case, an authoritarian one. Plus we’re only one year removed from the Removal of Nations Act, which forced England to finally cede imperial claims over Ireland, so I’m not sure a London office shutting down a play in Dublin goes over too well. There may be no more borders, but there are a fucking lot of feelings. A-amy, streamline that. Perhaps there were other problems related to labor or finances I’m unaware of, but please do enlighten me on the reasons for silencing a young artist.

Thank you for your time and input. Despite my uh pointed questions, please know that I’m only interested in learning more about what has been effective for your region. Life is nothing if not for learning.

Sincerely, Michael Witten, Director of et cetera et cetera.

[tape recorder turns off] [ads] [tape recorder turns on]

Amy, on second thought, if you can’t embroider a nice cursive script, please just find a tailor or something to teach you. I dunno, figure it out. I’m positive you can figure it out. I think you said you were learning pottery or woodworking? I should remember these things. It was something crafty, so you’ll pick this up in no time.

I hope you realize how much I appreciate your work, Amy. I’m aware that I can be abrupt, and I probably don’t acknowledge your efforts enough, but believe me, they are appreciated. When I worked as Head of the Midwest Region before I took this job, I knew the location of every file, every book, every paperclip in my office. I had to, I had a secretary oh god, Kevin Prince. He was dreadful. I had to edit every letter he transcribed, double check his document organization. I even listened in on some of the phone calls I told him to make. I liked how confident I was in every detail of what I did, but I got home at nine or ten PM most nights. Vivian was not happy eating alone. I felt like I was stacking teacups, each a different size every day, one on top of the other, each one taking more time than the last. Carefully looking at direction, curve, weight, keeping the center vertical… I knew it wouldn’t take long for it all to collapse. But then by miracle, I was selected to take over this office, and here you were.

And you’re everything Kevin was not. Organized and detailed, on time. My first boss at the Textile Distribution Center in Sioux City gave me only one rule: “if you receive an order, ship it.” It’s a deceptively difficult rule. I know almost no one including myself who can follow this 100 per cent of the time. If you receive an order, ship it.

I know we don’t work in shipping and fulfilment here, Amy, but everything I ask of you, you do immediately and effectively. I don’t know where anything is or how you have it all filed, but I’m home by six every night. And when I ask you to dig up old records on some project or meeting, I’ve got a tidy stack on my desk at the end of the day. Except Vancouver. I’m assuming those were lost or we just never had them?

I used to think leadership was managing every aspect of an underling’s work, but I realize leadership is quietly accepting that people will do everything correctly and allowing them to figure out when they’re wrong. Or you’re just really remarkable. Either way, Vivian appreciates you more than you know. We should have you over for dinner some night. We’ve worked together for how many years now? Why hasn’t this happened? Let’s make this happen.

Letter from of the office of Michael Witten on the 18th of August 1953 to Bernice Jones, Minister for Culture, North American region.

Dear Bernice, it was fantastic having you and Miguel for dinner this weekend. I always enjoy your company and Vivi and I truly loved the wine you brought. We never had a marble wine before. So crisp and smooth, but with a sweet nose, like someone eating a passion fruit next to you while you touch cold marble swatches. And please thank Miguel for the wonderful gift of music. I’m listening to the record right now*, Vivi has turned me on to jazz. I don’t know if I enjoy it, but I uh appreciate it. It’s like music but with a puzzle in it. Apparently there are some jazz clubs right here in Chicago.

* there’s no music in the background

You mentioned your youth arts initiatives in Oaxaca and I was intrigued. While the Department of Global Trade does not directly oversee artistic funding, we certainly oversee global trade, whatever you think that last word means. Perhaps there’s room for a collaboration here between our offices. As you know, Vivi is an avid collector of modern art. You noted with a touch of awe the original Claudia Atieno in our den, and I’ve never seen Vivi light up quite like that. [chuckles] With all the accountants and lawyers who come through our doors, you can imagine how rare it is to find a dinner guest who can recognize the care and attention Vivi puts into her collection.

After your visit, Vivi and I discussed how we can do more to help young artists. Or forget young, artists in general. Why single out only the inexperienced? What of those in between training and fame who need our help most? Of course we donate and make purchases where we can, but money only goes so far.

You may need to burn this letter after I tell you this, but our department is swimming in money. I can’t put resources toward a North American gallery or opera or (-) [0:16:30], but I could certainly put money toward a global artistic exchange. Can you imagine teaching the Cahto language in (Canberra), or singing Mariachi in Marrakesh, or performing Neve Connolly in London? I think the people of London would adore such a dynamic new writer.

Connolly is controversial, yes, what with her depictions of traditional family roles and the challenge this presents the new generations of people raised to reject the tribalism of family. But she’s a brilliant young playwright. You know her work, she was brought to speak at Tulane last year through a grant from your office.

The Palladium in London is dark right now. The West End is starving for theatre. We could produce a Neve Connolly play there with a North American production team and Dublin actors. I’m not sure if you’ve read her play “The Topaz Window”, but it’s truly a masterpiece. It centers around an extraordinary painting of mysterious origin that begins to drive a wedge between a previously close family. I won’t spoil it, but the denouement is truly shocking.

Anyway, if someone were to stage that, I’m sure we could commission a well regarded artist to provide the painting in question, maybe even Claudia Atieno herself. I know an art collector named Archie McPherson who would get us in touch with her.

This is truly cultural and global trade, I’m positive our European offices will be pleased. No, make that “delighted”, Amy.

I’ll have my secretary Amy send you a full proposal and budget within a week. I look forward to discussing this with you soon, give my love to Miguel, all the best, Mikey.

[tape recorder turns on]

Amy, write a letter to Vishwathi. 20th August, 1953.

Dear Secretary Ramadoss, I’m pleased to hear you agree with me about the European trade offices. I, too, was alarmed to hear that Karen Roberts had disbanded her labor department, but not surprised. As you saw in my memorandum, she has a long history of disrespect towards workers, going back to her time in Houston. My contact, Ursula Lindholm in the Communications offices in Europe, is reluctant to share many details with me, so I’m hoping to make new connections with the European Trade Department employees. A former colleague of mine from my old job in St. Louis, Leena Mäkinen is living in Helsinki. She would be interested in a move to the Oslo offices. Would you be willing to write a recommendation for her? I think Leena could provide some information that Ursula is certainly unwilling to share. Not a spy, really but a um… You know, scratch that, let’s not be dramatic.

I know you do not know her, and I do not want to seem flippant about professional ethics, but as you once told me, act first, argue semantics later. The staff and I hope you can visit Chicago again soon. Fall is beautiful here, we’ll take you to the lake. Also the Field Museum finally reopened last month. They only recovered a quarter of their collection from the Great Reckoning, but many museums were far lass fortunate.

Amy, remove the paragraphs mentioning Leena Mäkinen from this letter. I think it’s better not to involve the secretary in this. Let’s go with this.

Perhaps you can use your influence to find out whether Karen has sold off her interest in KR development, and what they plan on doing to manage labor, now that they’ve gutted the department. Thank you again for your attention in this manner. Sincerely, Michael Witten, North America.

[tape recorder turns off]

Jeffrey Cranor: Within the Wires is a production of Night Vale Presents. It is written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson, with original music by Mary Epworth. Find more of Mary’s music at maryepworth.com. The voice of Michael Witten is Lee LeBreton. You can support our show and get exclusive episodes and other cool things at patreon.com/withinthewires.

OK, our time is done. It’s you time now. Time to head to happy hour after a long day of work at the [yoga tournament], to enjoy a pint of [tamarin sauce] with your friend [Jean Valjean].

[dutchpagan]

Ogham - an introduction

So I may be Dutch, but there's interesting things to learn from all over the world and from all kinds of cultures. I've always had a love of the Irish ogham letters - probably since they're strongly connected to popular Celtic paganism, and to tree lore. Here's an introduction to the Ogham I wrote some years ago, that I think is still pretty accurate. Please let me know if you've any comments or questions!

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History About ten years ago I came across a book called Celtic Tree Mysteries by Steve Blamires. Now, I’m interested in Celtic stuff, and I love tree and mysteries, so this was the right book for me. Through this book (which in my humble opinion is quite a good start if you want to learn more about this subject) I learned about the Ogham alphabet. This early medieval Irish alphabet has become quite popular in modern Celtic Pagan and Druid circles, mostly as a means of divination, but also for other magical purposes.

As I said, the alphabet is early medieval Irish. It might have been developed when the first Christians came to Ireland and brought the concept of writing with them, but there is no actual proof of that. We have about 400 known inscriptions on stones, most of them names. The functions of these stones is unclear, but most researchers are of the opinion that they mark borders. Other uses of Ogham have been found in manuscripts, and these provide more insight.

Contemporary information on the Ogham is sparse; what has been written about it can be read in high medieval and late medieval manuscripts. These manuscripts are: The Book of Leinster (12th century) The Book of Ballymote (1391) The Book of Lecan (1416)

These manuscripts refer to older sources: The Scholar’s Primer, The Values of the Forfeda and the Book of Ogham. The Scholar’s Primer says that Ogham was only to be used by learned men – would they be monks or druids? The act of reading and writing was very elite in the early Middle Ages, so we can be sure that the average Irish farmer wouldn’t have been very familiar with Ogham.

The exact origin of Ogham isn’t known, but there some interesting myths and stories have been written down. In one of the manuscripts we find a legend about the origin of the Ogham: it was developed by Fenius Farsaidh, with the help of Goidel Mac Etheoir and Iar Mac Nema and a whole host of scholars. After the destruction of the Biblical Tower of Babel, Fenius went to search for the letters all over the world that together would make the most perfect language. Each letter was named after a linguist who best devoted his time to this task. Note that ‘Gaelic’ or ‘Goidelic’ (the name of the Irish language) comes from Goidel Mac Etheoir, one of the scholars that developed Ogham.

Apart from this legend, another link has been made by modern scholars with the Celtic Irish god Ogma, who may be compared to the Celtic Gallic god Ogmios. The names of these gods seem connected to Ogham (which, by the way, means something like ‘idea’ or ‘notion’). The Romans liked to compare foreign gods with their own gods and they dubbed Ogmios the ‘Celtic Hercules’, or at least an older version of their Hercules. According to these Roman sources, Ogmios was depicted as an old but strong man with one end of a chain through his tongue, the other end being attached to the ears of an eager public. This has been explained as the power of eloquence, or the power of words, in which the strength of this god lies. There is no direct connection between Ogham and Ogma/Ogmios, but could there be a divine element to the development of Ogham, keeping this part of mythology in mind?

Purpose and meaning The ancient Celts were mostly an illiterate people. It was the Roman world, and Christianity after that, that brought the written word to those parts in Europe that apparently had no use for it before. This is also the reason why we use the letters we have today instead of systems like the Ogham. Our letters are derived from Roman scripture, and more directly from the letters in medieval manuscripts (especially those made under Charlemagne). To be honest, Ogham isn’t a very practical script – so what was it used for?

Based on where the Ogham has been found, it appears that this alphabet had a few specific uses. First of all, as has already been noted above, Ogham has been found on standing stones, or monoliths. They are said to mark borders, and by doing that they also marked someone’s property. This might also be the reason why mostly names and short phrases (‘of the clan of x’, etc.) are found on these stones, instead of actual texts. There could also be some cryptic message in all this, since not many people were actually able to read Ogham, even in that time – but as far as I know this has been lost. Ogham that has been found in manuscripts seems to have a different function. It has mostly the purpose of learning, remembering and making connections.

But there are also certain stories in which the Ogham has a more magical purpose. From these old sagas we learn that Ogham was not only written down on stone, but also on wood. This is a material that doesn’t last, so there is no physical evidence, but it seems plausible that this was actually done in reality. There is even one instance where Ogham is written on metal. In the Book of Leinster we find an medieval legend in which an Ogham text on an iron ring around a stone says: ‘Whoever comes to this meadow, if he is armed, he is forbidden to leave this meadow without requesting single combat.’ The only thing stopping someone from simply leaving the meadow without a fight is the text itself – therefore it must hold some magical power. The semi-divine hero Cú Chulainn has another solution; he throws the stone away, with ring and all. In another instance, Cu Chulainn gives a small wooden spear to the king of Alba (Scotland) inscribed with Ogham – it says that the king is allowed to take Cú Chulainn’s seat at the court of Ulster.

There is slight evidence of the use of Ogham as divination in Irish myth, and this is what Ogham is used for today by many Celtic Pagans and Druids. In an Irish legend, a druid writes down Ogham letters on yew sticks and then uses them for divination, but it gives no further details.   Nowadays, what is most popular is to make a branch for every letter and then use this set of branches in several ways. This can be done by blindly drawing one or several sticks and then interpret the meaning of the letter(s). Another way is to throw the branches on ‘Finn’s Window’ (based on the round diagram that can be seen on the parchment page from the Book of Ballymote here depicted) and draw a meaning from how the branches fall.

The technical details So, after reading all this, you’re probably wondering what this Ogham alphabet actually looks like. I’m not a linguist, but I’ll give you an outlining that’ll hopefully give you more insight. The Ogham Alphabet doesn’t have the sort of letters that we are familiar with. Its essence is lines; smaller lines that are placed in a series across a longer line. Ogham can be found on standing stones, where this line goes from bottom to top (and from top to bottom on the other side) . It can also be found in parchment manuscripts, where it goes from left to right. The notches on the long line, the actual letters, are called feda, which means ‘wood’. Is this just a figural way of speaking, since the long vertical line on a stone with the notches on each side does sort of look like a tree?  Or is there more behind this? I don’t know this – then again, I can’t actually read Old Irish, excepts for the few words that are needed to understand the Ogham alphabet, so perhaps someone else can help me out here. On to the letters and their order:

B  L  F  S  N  H  D  T  C  Q  M G  nG St R A  O  U  E  I  EA  Oi  Ui  iO  AE

That makes 25 letters, of which the last five letters (the so called forfeda) were added at later times – so it appears the oldest version of Ogham had twenty letters.

Keeping these twenty letters in mind, there are four families/series, or aicmí (plural of aicme), that each contain five letters: Aicme Beithe, Aicme hÚatha, Aicme Muine, and Aicme Ailme. Note also that a neat quarter of these letters is a vowel and three quarters exits of consonants.

There is some confusion about the order of the first five letters. In many texts it says BLFSN, but in some other text it says BLNFS. As far as I know, it was Robert Graves in his famous book The White Goddess, who used the sequence of BLNFS first. This has probably to do with the poetic and mythological value he added to each letter, and also with his introduction of the so-called Ogham Tree Calendar. [The tree calendar gives a certain period or time of the year for each letter, e.g. 24 December – 20 January for Beithe. This is a strictly modern invention, though that shouldn’t say everything about its value.] The White Goddess has had a huge influence on many modern pagan and witchcraft traditions, and I think that it’s from this source that the BLNFS-sequence has seeped into the modern use of the Ogham alphabet. However, it seems that more historically authentic sources stick to BLFSN, so that’s the sequence I’m sticking with, too.

Some note about individual letters: iO was original P – for some reason this letter was replaced in later times, leaving the alphabet without a proper P-sound. AE was originally X or CH.

The ‘Tree Alphabet’ So what about the name ‘tree alphabet’? Actually, the Ogham was also a bird alphabet, colour alphabet, river alphabet, etc. It appears that there were many systems that were used for remembering the letters of the Ogham alphabet. Of all these systems (several hundreds, they say), the tree system has been most popular since early times. So, every letter got a tree attached to it, and by memorizing the trees, one was able to memorize the letters. A mnemonic aid of some sorts. Then again, we can’t rule out a deeper, perhaps even magical, meaning for using such a system.

The meaning of the letters connected to the trees was further developed in the uses of kennings, or phrases, known as the Bríatharogham. Three of these lists are known: Bríatharogham Morainn Mac Moín (who was a human judge) Bríatharogham Mac Oengus (god) Bríatharogham Cú Chulainn (semi-divine hero, we’ve already noted him in connection to the Ogham) The translations of these kennings can be found below, under each individual letter.

The separate letters

Beithe Literal meaning: birch, (a) being Letter: B Tree: birch (beithe) Book of Ballymote: Now Beithe has been named from the Birch owing to its resemblance to the trunk of that tree. Of withered trunk, fair-haired the Birch. Word Ogham of Morainn: Faded trunk and fair hair/withered foot with fine hair. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Browed beauty, worthy of pursuit/beauty of the eyebrow. Word Ogham of Oengus: Most silver of skin/greyest of skin.

Luis Literal meaning: flame, herb Letter: L Tree: rowan (caertheand) Book of Ballymote: Luis is named from Mountain Ash (caertheand) as it is the old Gaelic name for rowan. [Delightful] for eyes is Mountain Ash owing to the beauty of its berries. Word Ogham of Morainn: Delight of eye, quicken-tree; to whit, the flame/luster of the eye. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Strength of cattle/sustenance of cattle. Word Ogham of Oengus: Friend of cattle.

Fearn Literal meaning: alder Letter: F Tree: alder (fearn) Book of Ballymote: Fearn, Alder, the van of the warrior band for thereof are the shields. Word Ogham of Morainn: Shield of warrior bands, owing to their redness/vanguard of warriors. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Protection of the heart, a shield/protection of the heart. Word Ogham of Oengus: Guarding of milk, or milk bucket/milk container.

Saille Literal meaning: willow Letter: S Tree: Willow (saille) Book of Ballymote: Tthe colour of a lifeless one that is, it has no colour, owing to the resemblance of the colour to a dead person. Word Ogham of Morainn: Hue of the lifeless/pallor of a lifeless one. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Beginning of loss, willow/beginning of honey. Word Ogham of Oengus: Strength of bees/sustenance of bees.

Nion Literal meaning: branch fork, loft Letter: N Tree: ash (uinnius) Book of Ballymote: Nion, Ash-tree, a check on peace is Nion for of it are made the spear-shafts by which the peace is broken. Word Ogham of Morainn: Checking of peace/establishing of peace. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Flight of beauty, a weaver’s beam/boast of beauty. Word Ogham of Oengus: The flight of women/boast of women.

hUuath Literal meaning: horror, fear Letter: (silent) H Tree: white thorn Book of Ballymote: A meet of hounds is Huath (whitethorn), or because it is formidable owing to its thorns. Word Ogham of Morainn: Pack of wolves/assembly of pack of hounds. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Difficult night, hawthorn/most difficult at night. Word Ogham of Oengus: Whitening of face/blanching of faces.

Duir Literal meaning: oak Letter: D Tree: oak (duir) Book of Ballymote: Duir, Oak, higher than bushes is an oak. Word Ogham of Morainn: highest of bushes/highest tree Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Kneeling work, bright and shining work/most carved of craftmanship Word Ogham of Oengus: Craft work/handicraft of a craftsmanship.

Tinne Literal meaning: metal bar, ingot. Letter: T Tree: holly (cuileand) Book of ballymote: A third of a wheel is Tinne, because holly is one of the three timbers of the chariot wheel. Word Ogham of Morainn: Third of a wheel/one of three parts of a wheel. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: A third of weapons, an iron bar/one of three parts of a weapon. Word Ogham of Oengus: Fires of coal/marrow of (char)coal.

Coll Literal meaning: hazel Letter: C Tree: hazel (coll) Book of Ballymote: Coll, that is everyone is eating of its nuts. Word Ogham of Morainn: Fairest of trees/fairest tree. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Sweetest of woods, a nut/sweetest tree. Word Ogham of Oengus: Friend of cracking/friend of nutshells

Quert Literal meaning: bush Letter: Q Tree: apple (aball) Book of Ballymote: Shelter of a wild hind is is Quert, that is, an apple tree. Word Ogham of Morainn: Shelter of a hind, lunatic or death/sense [the time when a lunatic’s sense comes back to him]/shelter of a lunatic. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Excellent emblem, protection/dregs of clothing. Word Ogham of Oengus: Force of a man/substance of an insignificant person.

Muin Literal meaning: not certain – neck, ruse/trick, love/esteem Letter: M Tree: vine (finemhain) Book of Ballymote: Highest of beauty is Muin, that is, because it grows aloft. That is, a vine-tree. Word Ogham of Morainn: Highest of beauty, strongest of effort, Muin equals back of man or ox for it is they in existence that are strongest as regards effort./strongest in exertion. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Pack of wolves with spears, three vines/path of the voice. Word Ogham of Oengus: The condition of slaughter/proverb of slaughter.

Gort Literal meaning: field (as in: garden) Letter: G Tree: ivy (edind) Book of Ballymote: Gort, that is ivy, greener than pastures is ivy. Word Ogham of Morainn: Greenest of pastures, sweeter than grasses, due to associations with corn fields/sweetest grass. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Pleasing oil, corn/sating of multitudes. Word Ogham of Oengus: Size of a warrior/suitable place for cows.

nGetal Literal meaning: slaying Letter: nG Tree: broom (cilcach) Book of Ballymote: nGetal, broom or fern, a physician’s strength is broom. Word Ogham of Morainn: A physician’s strength, panacea equals broom/sustenance of a leech. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: beginning of heroic deeds, healing/beginning of slaying. Word Ogham of Oengus: Robe of physicians/raiment of physicians.

Straiph, Literal meaning: sulphur Letter: St Tree: blackthorn (draighin) Book of Ballymote: The hedge of a stream is straiph, that is, blackthorn. Word Ogham of Morainn: Careful effort, strongest of red, straiph equals sloe which gives strong red dye on metal/strongest reddening (dye). Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: An arrow’s mist, smoke drifting up from the fire/seeking of clouds. Word Ogham of Oengus: Increasing of secrets/increase of secrets.

Ruis Literal meaning: red Letter: R Tree: elder (trom) Book of Ballymote: The redness of shame is Ruis, that is, elder. Word Ogham of Morainn: intensest of blushes, it I reddening of a man’s face through the juice of the herb being rubbed on it/most intense blushing. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Arduous anger, punishment/glow of anger. Word Ogham of Oengus: redness of faces/reddening of faces.

Ailm Literal meaning: pine (?) Letter: A Tree: fir or pine Book of Ballymote: Ailm, a fir tree, a pine tree. Word Ogham of Morainn: Loudest of groanings, that is, wondering. Ailm or A for that is what a man says while groaning in disease or wonder/loudest groan. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Beginning of the weaver’s beams, ahh/beginning of calling. Word Ogham of Oengus: Beginning of answers/beginning of an answer.

Onn Literal meaning: ash-tree Letter: O Tree: furze (aiten) Book of Ballymote: Onn that is furze. Word Ogham of Morainn: Helper of horses, wheels of a chariot, equally wounding; whin/wounder of horses. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Strength of warriors, fierceness/[equipment]  of warriorbands. Word Ogham of Oengus: Gentlest of work/smoothest of craftsmanship.

Ur Literal meaning: earth, clay, soil Letter: U Tree: heather (fraech) Book of Ballymote: Ur, that is heath. Word Ogham of Morainn: Terrible tribe, in cold dwellings; mould of the earth, or heath/in cold dwellings. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Completion of lifelessness, the grave/shroud of a lifeless one. Word Ogham of Oengus: Growing of plants/propagation of plants.

Edhad Literal meaning: unknown Letter: E Tree: aspen (crithach) Book of Ballymote: Horrible grief, that is, test tree or aspen. Word Ogham of Morainn: Distinguished man or wood/discerning tree. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Kinsman to the birch, aspen/brother of birch (?) Word Ogham of Oengus: Additional name for a friend/exchange of friends.

Idhad Literal meaning: yew-tree (?) Letter: I Tree: yew (idhad) Book of Ballymote: Yew. Word Ogham of Morainn: Oldest of woods, service tree, yes/oldest tree Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: strength or colour of a sick man, people or an age/energy of an infirm person. Word Ogham of Oengus: Abuse for an ancestor or pleasing consent/fairest of the ancients.

Ebad Literal meaning: unknown Letter: EA Tree: apsen (critchach) Word Ogham of Morainn: Fair-swimming letter. Word Ogham of Cú Chulainn: Fairest fish. Word Ogham of Oengus: [admonishing?] of an infirm person.

Óir Literal meaning: gold Letter: OI Tree: spindle-tree or ivy (feorus, edind) Word Ogham of Morainn: Most venerable substance. Word Ogham of Oengus: Splendour of form.

Uillen Literal meaning: elbow Letter: UI Tree: honeysuckle (edleand) Word Ogham of Morainn: Fragnant tree. Word Ogham of Oengus: Great elbow/cubit.

Iphín Literal meaning: spine, thorn (?) Letter: IO Tree: gooseberry or thorn (spinan, ispin) Word Ogham of Morainn: Sweetest tree. Word Ogham of Oengus: Mostwonderful taste.

Emancholl Literal meaning: twin of hazel Letter: AE Word Ogham of Morainn: Groan of a sick person. Word Ogham of Oengus: Groan of a sick person

[renegadesrpg]

Dark Angel : Creation. Battle Plans Part 6

Sin: *With a nod at Sean I acknowledge he is correct and take my seat at the table. Now that we have method, we need means, so let us see what we resources we have available. Thoughtfully, I begin…*

Once the Inguz rune is removed the Horseman will immediately become aware of my location. In that instance I will begin to pull power from him through the open link and I believe that will cause him to attack. But as we surmise he will try to wear me down we can assume he will send in those he considers cannon fodder. How many are in this “fifth column” Bryn speaks of?

Zav: My estimate is near 300.

--growling a little as I set my jaw --  

All are fighters and completely loyal to the Horseman. These souls were bound for the Hells and he offered them an out by being his personal Brown Shirts. They don’t take the names the Fates send to us. We’ve given up even trying to direct them. Instead, they act as assassins and soul thieves, killing innocents that the Horseman has consigned to Lucifer.

Sin: *I feel my countenance grow as hard as my heart at this. There is no greater betrayal of our purpose. That the one to whom the Fates entrusted this responsibility has not only personally betrayed it, but has enlisted an entire battery of minions to fulfill his betrayal only heightens my resolve to end this. Coldly I ask*

There are thousands of reapers across the world. How many will be loyal to you and are capable of fighting?

Sean: Uneasily Bryn, Adrian and Zav all look at one another and then at me. Clearing my throat,

“Loyal to us beyond question? Of the 5000 reapers not part of his storm troopers? I’d say four thousand. Able to do more than defend themselves? A thousand. Capable of fighting against this crew? Maybe two hundred.

Sin: *I raised my eyebrow at Sean*

I thought you said you had initiated training for the recruits he brought in after I left.

Sean: Ouch. That stung, but dammit we did the best we could with what we were given.

“I said we put ‘em through boot camp and rode ‘em hard. But the majority of them weren’t capable of the mindset it takes to be a soldier, so the best we could do for them was make sure they could take care of themselves in a pinch until help could get there. For the most part, that’s been enough. The ones we can’t count on to be loyal to us are weak and indecisive. They should have never been recruited but after you the Horseman wasn’t interested in having reapers with strong ethics.  We’ve tried to keep them to creampuff assignments and in a mass casualty event they’re paired with ones we know we can trust. Look,” running my hand through my hair in frustration, “I know it sucks there’s that many that just don’t have the loyalty or ability in them, but hey /we/ didn’t pick ‘em. We just tried to get them into the best shape we could.”

 Zav: --Sean looks as frustrated as the rest of us feel. The truth is reapers shouldn’t have to be warriors, at least not all of them. The system was set up to comfort and assist souls in moving on, not fighting off asshole demons. Unfortunately, the Horseman has screwed with the plan so much that now reapers need to be able to fight. Maybe one day Sin can set that to rights, but I’m not betting on it. A little taste of power is intoxicating and Lucifer was fucking drunk on it. —

Sean’s right, Sin. The ones that we can count on learned as much as they were able. Some of it comes down to sheer physicality. They don’t have the muscle or athleticism or they just don’t have the cojones to do more than defend themselves. Some have the balls but not the ability. That leaves us with about 200 that have both.”

 Adrian: -- My lips set in a thin line. Failure wasn’t something Spartans dealt with well and it had irked me when we were given basically nothing to work with.—

We did what we could with what we had Sin. None of us have ever been happy about it but we held it together the best we could.

 Sin: *Elbows on the table, I tent my hands and rest my forehead against them for a moment. This is my fault and I am aware of it. I left them to do the best they could. Given the circumstances, I could not have done other without becoming as big of a monster as the Horseman had become, but I still will not excuse myself. Finally, I look up*

Indeed you did and I am sorry my friends. The responsibility for this state of affairs lies with me. I should have returned to you much sooner.

*Heaving a determined sigh, I focus on the situation as it stands.*  

Since we will not have superior numbers we must focus on giving ourselves other tactical advantages. The first should be terrain. And we need to keep mortal races away from this. There would be casualties among them and I will not re-enact the crime that has brought us to this place.

 Bryn: “We need more than the high ground. We need a place I can ward.” At their questioning looks I add, “I was Boudicca’s strategist for more than my magic back in the day. We kept the Romans not only at bay, but on the run for as long as we did because she let me select battlegrounds that my sisters and I could lay the traps in. If Boudicca had listened to me after Mags and Aeryn were killed and given me more time, the entire history of the UK and western Europe might have been re-written. And I’ve got some ideas here.”

Sin: *Interesting. Whereas I would have thought Adrian might be the strategist of this group, it seems our quick-thinking witch is taking point.*

Have you a specific location in mind, Bryn, or are you generalizing?

 Bryn: “Both. We need somewhere that has places I can put wards and traps without them being obvious. Once we agree on location, we can get specific about what kind of magick we need. And I have a place I mind that might work.”

Raising my hands above the table, I close my eyes and murmur “Callanish a ’nochdadh.” In an instant an image of a 13 enormous stones standing in a circle on a grassy plain hovers over the table.

“The Standing Stones of Callanish on the Isle of Lewis. It’s a place of power.” Raising my eyes to Sin’s, “Power I can use to reinforce wards, or traps. And power you can use if you need it. The center stone, the monolith here in the center is the reservoir. Just behind it is the tomb of a powerful druid priest. It’s his power that’s in the megalith.”

Sin: *tilting my head as I look at the image and thinking…*

Yes, I remember this place and the souls there. But there were two, as I recall. I took them to Elysia some 5000 years ago, give or take. Their mortal souls did not return to this plain. They ascended. I had wondered if beings of power took such things with them upon ascension, but it seems he, at least, did not.

Sean: I had been a druid priest as well as a warrior in my last life, and likely in all the lives I’d had before it. In that last life it had grown to a specific manifestation…empathy I could wield to help, to heal, or to harm. If when I’d died in that last life I’d ascended, it would have returned to the earth to eventually be given to another. Now, we would be the channel that funneled that priest’s power to another. But there’s no way to know who. Sin? It seemed likely, but the power itself would choose. 

Quietly…. “Druids take it with them from life to life until they ascend. We have no need of it on that plane. His power is there, sealed into the stone with his blood. But once we tap that, it’s loose and it will look for its next host.”

Sin: *looking sharply at Sean*

The power chooses? Would it choose one of our enemies, Sean? Does it seek a vacuum of power to fill or simply a host?

Sean: Shaking my head, “It will seek a host with characteristics similar to its last host. The priest ascended, which says there was no darkness in him, so this power will also be looking for a soul filled with light. To go to one with any darkness in it would weaken it, and it seeks to maintain its balance in the universe. That lets out both Death and the rogue reapers, but it doesn’t clue us in as to who it will go to once it’s free again.”

Sin: *slowly I nod my head, filing this information away for future analysis. Tilting my head I focus on the stone circle, analyzing its value in the type of battle we will fight* There are stones leading to the circle in lines from all four directions. Is there power there as well? 

Sean: I need to take a deep breath before I can go on. Bryn couldn’t have known, but this place is very personal to me. 

“I know Callanish very well. There is power in all the stones. See, when a high priest or priestess, a prophet or prophetess, died at least one of their circle would have volunteered as sacrifice so their blood could be used to seal spells into the surrounding stones to protect the high priest’s power from being stolen by the unworthy. We already understood that the life we were in wasn’t the last we were destined to live so it was seen as an honor. In this case, it was his wife. She wanted their souls to travel together. She was sacrificed in front of the monolith, her blood drained to seal the approach stones and then her body buried in a cairn below the ground just at the northeast edge, symbolically guarding the perimeter. It’s her power in the stones outside the circle.” 

Sin: *Intently, I gaze at Sean. There is more here…* If you knew of this place why was it Bryn brought it to us? You were a warrior as well as a druid priest. Why did you not think of this place?

Sean: And here’s the rub of it. My face sets in stone as immobile as the monolith at the circle’s center. There’s a long story behind this, but a simple answer is all I can give right now.

“Because I never thought of it as a place of power. I always thought of it as my parents’ grave.” 

#TBC

[evilelitest2]

Here's a tricky one: define cultural marxism

The actual movement of cultural Marxism or the Right wing Conspiracy theory?  Ok well lets do a bit of background

First off, the Progressive movement and most of its subgroups (Feminism, Class reform, Racial Equality then the abolitionist movement) started in the Enlightenment, we see the birth of the modern left in the American and French Revolutions long before Marx was born, so this notion that say, feminism comes from Marx is just temporally stupid, because you see early feminists (though the term didn’t exist yet) back in the 1790, again before Marx was born.  So the the Right wing conspiracy theory is basically an attempt to link all progressive movements into this single monolithic thing that is descended from Marx and since Marx is bad therefore progressiveness is bad therefore Far Right is good.  This was a literal Nazi conspiracy theory, they called it “Cultural Bolshevism” back then and liked it to the giant Jewish conspiracy.  Becauses as always, when you look at the specific progressive issues one by one, you see that most of them are not only really popular but also you know…just good sense.  Like take Gamergate for example, there was no Nathan Greyson article and the notion that feminists are controlling the gaming industry is absurd, but if you take all this bullshit and make it an attack on a vague nebulous “Cultural Marxism” then you can avoid getting into the specifics, because Far Rightists almost always fail when you talk specific policy rather than abstract rhetorical ideas.  

     The vast majority of leftist aren’t Marxist, Marxism is a very specific political philosophy that is actually quite stringent, for example I am very progressive but I also like capitalism (though I want it to be more regulated, more taxed and include better social programs) actual marxists don’t like me and I’d likely find a bullet in my skull in a Marxist goverment, but I’m lumped into with Marxists by the right because if we actually talk about wealth inequality in America, they don’t really have a leg to stand on.  Cultural Marxists is just a vague “Other” who people can rally around to oppose and avoid talking about actual issues with you know…facts.  Again, Marx is taught a great deal on college campuses, but many of those classes are talking about how he is wrong or what mistakes he made or why Communist countries tend to fall apart so disastrously.  But in the grown up world somebody can be a critic of Marx and still like some of his ideas, or dislike Marx and still be a leftist. 

   Ok so unto the actual real life Cultural Marxists who were a very specific thing. 

    So Marxism talks about how it is about the people and it represents the common folk against the elites but if you look at it in practice it is actually a very elitist philosophy, particular Leninism.  Its not only very anti religion, anti tradition, and anti national culture (all of which make you pretty unpopular with every day people) but it is very urban worker focused and also tends to subscribe to Vanguardism, the notion that you need this special elite of ideologically pure Marxist intellectuals to run the country as a dictatorship for your own sake until you are ready for the glorious communist utopia which will come about any second I swear.  The Reds in the Russian Civil War never had the most popular support, and until WWII the Soviets were mostly unpopular among their people.  So for a lot of international Marxists, they were left with a question 

“If the current system is so awful for the common people, why do the common people keep siding with conservatives”.  And then with the rise of fascism in Europe, they were like “wait why are people getting behind this pseudo populism which doesn’t actually serve their interests?”  Thus was born the Frankfurt School, people who wanted to study culture itself from a Marxist stand point.  Normally Marxism is quite dismissive of culture, so these guys were never really popular with mainstream Marxists since they focused on entertainment rather than economics.  

   Now the Frankfurt school actually had a lot of really interesting and valuable insights about media which i recommend everybody checking out, but with the major caveat of remembering that like all Marxists, they really love to simplify complicated issues into nice little simple formulas just like Marx did with his linear view of history, which as somebody who studies both History and Film I have…..complicated feelings towards Marx.  But Cultural Marxists did have a valid point about how if you look at popular media as a whole rather than specific examples, patterns emerge.  They weren’t the first to notice this and not everybody who notices this is a communist, but they talked a lot about the movies that came out in pre Nazi Germany.  Because films are a popular media made by a group of people for a mass audience, if you notice reoccurring trends in a film, it likely say something about the culture as a whole.  The point they made was that even works that weren’t overtly Nazi propaganda (Triumph of the Will, the Eternal Jew and all that) and instead look at the non Nazi works that also had similar themes.  For example, a lot of movies in 1920s and early 30s germany were about a society who have lose their identity and are subjected to some sort of humiliation, and many of them involve either

Strong men taking upset people and driving them to murder (M, Dr. Mabusai, Caligari) 

A secretive manipulative cabal who are secretly causing chaos in society (Nosferatu, D.r Mabusai again, 

A people stripped of what made them respectable and distinct (Metropolis, the Last Laugh, The Blue Angel) 

or 

Movies about how great Nature is and how wonderful it is when people work together to deal with a natural disaster.  (People on a Sunday, the Mountain Films like Holy Mountain) with the city as a negative bad thing that we hate.  

There are reoccurring trends and themes in all these films which hint at what is going on in germany at the time and if you look at the films at the time you see a culture which has lost its way and is in a state of confusion and fear.  

“Again Caligari to Hitler” is a really good book to check out, even if I don’t agree with it at all, cause it really loves its simplifications.  

This is a good introduction to the Frankfurt School though I think that it buys into their arguments a bit too much, if people are interested i could offer my criticism of Kyle’s criticism (for example, Cultivation theory predated Cultural Marxism)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndFysO2JunE

     But the main point is that it is about looking at the larger culture as a whole is a viable form of critical observation that reveals a great deal.  

While the Frankfurt School did get critical acclaim among intellectuals world ride, liberal and non liberal (notice how the Alt Right basically uses the same  times of criticism against popular film like Star Wars or Ghost Hunters), the communist aspect of it never caught on, because as always, Marxist is very good at noticing patterns and identifying problems, not so much with the solutions, bit of an underpants gnome problem.  

Very Good Question, let me know if youwant any follow ups

Edit: Wait, did I even answer the question?  Let me know @connard-cynique  cause I don’t know if I actually defined it so much as explained it 

[lareinemarie]

Devin’s View Regarding The Dynamics of Black Women/White Men Relationships

The following is from Quora regarding the racialized dynamics of interracial relationships.

Devin Tomas studied Bachelor of Health Science at Virginia Commonwealth University (2018)

I guess it depends on what type of black woman you are referring to. For one, although there are patterns in black peoples preferences, Black women are individual people and are not a monolith and all black people don’t all act as a congregate so you will always be able to find someone who is not what is perceived. Also I’ve noticed there are differences between dating preferences of lets say Africans, Afro Latinas, Afro Caribbeans and African Americans because of different cultures and histories. Even within the same black ethnicity you have people who stray from the norm and regardless there are some who date white men of every culture but I understand you are asking in general. As an African American male who has grown up around black women and girls including my mom, aunts, sisters and love interests and current girlfriend, I have heard different reasons that I can share. This isn't to say all black women refuse to date white men as I know a few who do or at least try it, but it is true in general in my experience they don't or are hesitant to. I can honestly only give you honest answers about African American women so I will be speaking of more specifically black people who are descendants of slaves such as Afro Americans and Caribbean. So here are a few reasons I have heard:

Bad History:

Black women who are descendants of slaves have lived in America in a white male dominated society with direct and personal contact with them for centuries many times against their wills. Them being seen as both black and women, has led to a lot of oppression and dehumanization of black women at the hands of white men historically in ways that permeated the cultural norm of society sometimes so much so the attitudes are taken on by all people and men in American society including sometimes black men. During slavery besides the fact they weren’t considered human and tortured or killed, white male owners often sold the child of black women or black women themselves with complete disregard of her or her families relationships. She and her own children were merely property of white men and their households, including sometimes the very children the master may have fathered himself with the slave.

They were also frequently raped or used as concubiness as an exotic and different choice from white women white men were used to. And this was regardless of if she was married, young, committed to another man or simply uninterested in him. This is how the stereotype of the Jezebel woman came to be applied to black women. They were readily accessible to white men in ways that made them oversexualize their bodies meanwhile still seeing them as lesser.

They were also taking care of the home including the children of white women and men meanwhile she and her children are not given the same privileges, even if the master was sleeping with her. This you could say was the beginning of a lot of the beef between white women and black women as many white women resented the slaves if the husband slept with or favored them causing violence towards slaves by white women or wives. While all this happened black women couldn't defend themselves by resisting the advances of the master as she was simply his property and not human by law, which could in turn lead to violence from those same men's wives. You could see how this may have started some resentment in the minds of black women as she was supposed to fulfill the masters needs yet the master may refuse to protect her showing how little he valued her.

Even after slavery ended black women were stereotyped by white male dominated society to be seen as objects whose mere existence is to satisfy the needs of men(including sometimes black men). There were frequent rapes or coerced sexual encounters during reconstruction and the Jim Crow South(which I must point out that there are people alive today who lived through that, my own father experienced Jim crow as well as thousands if not millions more) that are very well documented that often times went unpunished. Their bodies were and still are merely seen as objects of sexual gratification meanwhile they were dehumanized and although white men could partake in their bodies, black women couldn't partake in the same privileges as white people, men and women alike, enjoyed. It was apparently a rite of passage in the south in certain areas to sleep with a black women which goes to show the lack of agency they were viewed as having as they were only seen as sexual objects. This happened so much the average African American has around 15 to 25 percent autosomal European dna which was introduced primarily via slavery. On top of that we know its almost entirely traced through a male line as about 25 to 33 percent of Y chromosomal dna(derived from y chromosome which makes men men in the womb and is passed down from solely father to son originating from one or a few male ancestor(s) of a certain region thousands of years ago. This chromosomal marker does not change regardless of how much overall autosomal DNA is inherited from somewhere else. You can be almost entirely African with mostly recent African ancestors but because one ancestor from generations ago was from Europe a man may carry the European marker on his y chromosome) of African American men is traced back to Europe meanwhile the female line through mitochondrial dna( same premise as y chromosomal dna except it is found in the mitochondria and is passed down to sons and daughters from mothers) is entirely African. This isn’t to say that all of black women and white men sexual encounters were forced or undesired, but enough of it or so much of it was that it left a permanent scar in the minds of black women in black culture even up to today. Some will argue this happened in the past and doesn't affect today, but the trauma and duration of these events lasted for so long and were so severe it affected the culture of America and shaped each different cultures identities and preferences.

A quick example of how this plays out today is a female professor i had who shared with me a story of how different cultural upbringing will put on display how different people view situations. She explained she went to the doctor because she scabbed her knee when she was a young girl and on that particular day she was wearing a dress. When she went to his office she saw her doctor was an older white male she was only a little worried at first until she sat down he flicked her dress up without her consent as if he was comfortable doing that with her. Now this seems harmless to most other people maybe and im sure the doctor didn’t have any ill intentions(or i would like to hope), but she felt uncomfortable because of how she felt men in general, but more specifically white men, viewed black women as simply easy access to sexual gratification who should not dare resist his advances.

There are tons of other reasons that fall under bad history but in short the relationships white men have showed black women over how they value them or what they value them for have historically not been the best making black women hesitant and speculative of white men's intentions when they pursue them. I think the combination of all these things over the centuries happening created an attitude of disdain towards white men from black women.

2. Cultural Differences

This is probably the biggest reason honestly anyone, not just black women, is hesitant to date outside their own culture or race and why people of all cultures or races tend to stick to their own when given the opportunity. Simply put its easier. We all like to believe love conquers all and knows no color and it sure is a cute and inspiring catch phrase that I wish was entirely true, but dating, marriage or whatever especially long term requires you to be engaged in the very personal and cultural aspects of your partners life. If those cultures clash too often it presents problems in the relationship. Unfortunately black and white culture in many aspects clash and can be polar opposites on certain issues and perceived notions white people might have about black people makes it a no go for many black people but more specifically for black women as dating someone who is doubly privileged as white and a man can potentially present a few challenges. Not to say these challenges can't be overcome but it takes work.

These cultural differences manifest themselves in seemingly minute ways or micro aggressions but they are enough to make a relationship end, I’ve even experienced this as black man myself and have seen it over and over again in relationships where people didn’t address the cultural differences before getting in a relationship. As black people, we generally view our race as deeply ingrained in our experience and culture because of how we are treated in society because of it. From our politics all the way down to our music race is a part of our existence. As a white male, racial issues are not something you may have to deal with or think about as much as a black person let alone a black woman. There are certain things she may be passionate or sensitive to as both a woman and black person that white men might think is either completely wrong or not a big deal. Shoot as a black man there are things i have to be mindful of as the only difference being a man i can't imagine being both white and a man. The relationships I’ve seen work long term between white men and black women the white man was usually sensitive to race issues or grew up around black people making him cognitive of what is acceptable. If not however most black women will run for the hills. Or I have noticed the black girl may for whatever reason have grown up around non black or white people and take on their culture and beliefs making the racial divide easier to get over. However both of these are the exception. The differences can be anything from how hair is perceived, what kind of music you listen to, politics, spirituality, your extended family and the age old debate of who can or cant say the N word. I know shocking right? Small things such as what is presentable hair? Does braided hair look “ghetto” or not “presentable” to the white partner? When the black girlfriend experiences racism or feels uncomfortable because of something that happened to her will he try to understand or will he shrug it off and tell her to stop bringing race into everything? When she decides to change her hair a certain way that doesn't fit the white beauty standard will he make a negative or positive comment about it? Does he know you do not touch black people especially not black women's hair? All of these can be major issues in relationships with black people in general but especially for women.

In short though it falls down to this. Other races of men but especially white men may struggle with understanding them. I even feel this way as a black man towards other races of women. Other races of people might be able to sympathize with you but they can not empathize. Another race of men may be able to feel pity or sorrow for a black woman but may not be able to empathize because they do not have the experience of growing up with black moms sisters or friends on a personal level making them unsure of what to do when racial conflicts arise. This is ultimately a turn off for many black people men and women as again race is deeply ingrained in our experience.

3. Fear

Another reason which I’ve heard from many black women is that they simply fear that white men may never understand them or make the effort to try to. Or that they simply don't value them enough outside of a fetish or booty call. There is something scary physically and emotionally about letting your guard down to someone who has been apart of a group of people that for the most part have historically seen you as lesser. All it takes is for a black girl to hear one somewhat racially charged statement about black people from a white guy and she could be turned off to them completely. There is also fear that the white partners extended family or parents might not approve of your relationship or even that her family won’t approve( you would be surprised a lot of black people are actually against their child bringing a white person home but more specifically for a black women to do so it seems for some reason) And I’m sure we've all heard the stereotype of how black women are supposedly the least desired woman in America and no one wants them. So there is also the idea that white men simply aren't attracted to black women so there is no point in entertaining the idea.

4. Simply Not Attracted

As I previously mentioned most people tend to want to settle down with or are more attracted to people who have a lot in common with them. The vast majority of black women i know are mostly attracted to black men and the same goes for black men( contrary to popular belief). I grew up seeing women like Nia Long, Brandy, and Meghan Good on movies i enjoyed as well as being around black women a lot in my life so i am attracted to black girls mostly. I think the same goes for black women as they grow up seeing a lot of black artists or movie stars that are more so a reflection of them or look like their fathers or brothers or other men in their circle. They look up to who look more like them so they tend to be attracted to them. I have also heard a lot of black women want children that are black and look like them. I think black women tend to like darker skinned people with black features as well. These are things such as dark skin, big lips, curly hair etc. I remember when i was really young it seemed like light skinned was seen as attractive in both black guys and girls but as i age i see more and more black people trying to practice what we call “self love” or “black love” with us embracing darker skinned people in our communities who are often times neglected or seen as lesser. So i think there is a desire now to really want to be with people who are black that have somewhat of a similar culture to them which is why they don’t date white guys per say. I will say the black girls I've seen date other races of people the men tended to be either darker than white such as Latino or Asian or someone who was somewhat exposed to black culture.

On the flip side, most white men I know also prefer women within their own race and when they venture outside their race tend to choose Asian or Hispanic/Latina women. With that being said, I think it is safe to say most white men don't think of black women first in general when they think about dating interracially. I think a lot of white males preferences in body type differs from black women as well. It seems to me in white culture and many non black cultures women are supposed to be small quiet and petite or tight. This is why a lot of white men like Asian women because they are seen as all of those things. Black women are seen as curvy thick , outspoken and voluptuous. All of these are stereotypes of course but its the stereotypical image people have in their heads unfortunately. Of course there are white men who are attracted to black women as you can find attractive women of any race, but i think the average white man will chose an attractive Asian woman over an attractive Black woman. I think a lot of this has to do with simple preferences and also part of it has to do with I know a lot of white men who believe stereotypes about black people women included, so they never entertain the idea unless a black woman pursues them.

On another note, in 2018 in America there are still very racist people around in ever gender, culture and even age group. Many white people I know simply are not comfortable with dealing with all the stares and shame they may get from their relatives or other white people in society so they tend not to date outside their race on average. This is especially true for bringing home black people as again often times our cultures clash with white culture and this can lead to excommunication from the white family. I know plenty of interracial marriages or relationships which involved a black partner( and this isn’t exclusive to white people btw this includes Asians, Hispanics etc) where once the family found out about the relationship the practically cut off all ties with the white person and all though i know that shouldn't happen the reality is most people don't want to be separated from their family. Unfortunately our society sees black people as very negative in many aspects so bring a black person home can strike up various feelings and emotions in non black families especially those that don't have a lot of experience or exposure to black people outside media. Now this isn't to say if a very attractive black woman approaches him he won't entertain the idea, but in general I think most white people are hesitant to date a black person whether they want to openly admit it or not.

I will say though i know plenty of white people men and women, who are attracted to black people, but they would never get into a long term relationship with a black person especially if it means bringing them home. For instance maybe when they are away for college or going on a trip away from the family. Most people can say they are attracted to people of other cultures and races either physically or socially, but the attraction is not the only thing that influences dating and marriage choices. When in college I knew of plenty of white men and women who slept with black people but the vast majority of them would not date them out in the open or commit themselves to a long-term relationship. There is stigma with them dating black people just like there is a stigma for black people dating white people. They may run the risk of being called a “n***er lover” or a “mudshark” or “damaged goods”. I’ve had white women approach me sexually plenty of times in college but when i saw her out and about she would act like she didn't know me. I think the same is true conversely for black women in many cases. And if you are a black person who knows this you may not want to even entertain someone who doesn’t want to be seen out in public with you so why even entertain the idea. Now again, there are obviously acceptions and there are people who couple up who are of different races. But as i mentioned this is what i have noticed for myself and from other black women.

All of these are reasons I’ve heard black women typically don't date white men. A lot of it is fear and pride from both sides but a lot of it is they simply aren't attracted and to be honest, there is nothing wrong with that. I prefer black girls and have my reasons I could never see myself dating a white woman and black women have their reasons for not preferring white men. But I think if the white male is sensitive enough to listen and try to understand her or learn and realize there are certain things he needs to understand about who she as a black woman and what is and isn't okay, the relationship will be fine and more black women would be open to the idea.

[thegloober]

Asian Americans and Affirmative Action

I remember going to see The Joy Luck Club during my first year in college with a group of students from my residence hall, all of whom were white. I don’t think I’d ever seen the intensity of parental expectations on screen in quite that way, an intensity that reminded me of my own family dynamics. I was wiping away tears as the film ended, only to hear the kids I’d come with say things like, “That was dumb … let’s go get Taco Bell.”

That was one of the first times I realized that my childhood and adolescence were Asian American in distinctive ways, and that stories like mine were rarely represented in literature, art and film. This meant at least two things: 1) I did not have the pleasure of seeing and exploring my own experience in artistic ways; and 2) other Americans were left in the dark about an important identity community in their nation.

As regular readers of this blog know by now, my interest in exploring the experience of being othered in America caused me to turn to minority writers, largely black folks. I ate up James Baldwin and Malcolm X, and did the translations in my head. They felt like outsiders in ways A, B and C; I felt like an outsider in ways D, E and F. These black writers and activists were like godparents to me, and I wondered why there were comparatively few such Asian American voices.

I’ve been thinking back to these experiences as I’ve been reading about the Asian American affirmative action wars at Harvard . I think it’s a fascinating situation because you have large and vocal groups of people who are part of the same broad ethnic category on different sides of an issue that is sacred to progressives. Among other things, this situation highlights that ethnic groups don’t march in monolith and they don’t always and easily line up with progressive positions.

I’m a bit skeptical of the progressive claims that the Asian Americans against affirmative action are simply being duped by white conservatives like Edward Blum (although I find Blum a pretty odious figure). The main reason for my skepticism is that a big part of the diversity progressive credo is to listen to people of color and their analysis of the situation. If we progressives only want to listen when those communities hold progressive positions and insist on claiming that conservative views among minorities are somehow inevitably the result of manipulation, then we can rightly be accused of only wanting to listen to ourselves in various accents. 

Generally speaking, I am a supporter of affirmative action in a “thumb on the scale” sense, meaning that I don’t like the idea of strict quotas, but I do think it is important for various sectors (higher education, the corporate world, Hollywood) to be proactive about addressing underrepresentation of minorities and historic oppression. It is important for a diverse society to have diverse leadership and diverse representation, although I think these values need to be balanced with other values.

Diversity progressives like me generally think that oppression and underrepresentation go hand in hand, meaning that where there is smoke (underrepresentation), there is fire (oppression).

This generally fits neatly into other categories that diversity progressives like to use: white folks and people of color. The logic goes, white people do the oppressing through racism, people of color experience it and are not only personally hurt by it but also shut out of important arenas like elite higher education. 

If this logic model holds, how then do we regard the situation at Harvard and other elite universities, where one group that is subject to racism (Asian-Americans) is way overrepresented and other groups subject to racism (African-Americans and Latinos) are woefully under-represented?

Amongst other things, I think the case reveals that the two-dimensional take on identity politics — racism and white supremacy act on racial minorities in ways that create clear fault lines and simple solidarity blocks (like people of color vs white people) – is simply not true to reality.  

The world is (thankfully) both more interesting and complicated than that. It is important to remember that the category “people of color” includes the vast majority of the human race – just about everybody outside of the white populations of Europe, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The category Asian American includes people who hail from nearly 50 nations, many of which are sworn enemies. There is a measure of usefulness in using these categories, but only if we recognize that they are shorthand and conceal all sorts of internal differences.

Situations where Asian Americans find themselves on opposite sides, like affirmative action at elite universities, are an opportunity to explore the fascinating internal complications of categories like “Asian American” and “people of color,” and the diverse ways that racism affects various minority communities.

African Americans, for example, are underrepresented at elite universities. This is a problem and it needs to be addressed – both in the admissions process at those universities (for which I support some version of affirmative action short of strict quotas) and, more importantly, upstream, in the stunningly unjust manner in which public schools are funded.

But African Americans are not especially underrepresented in broader American culture. Sports, music, fashion, literature, film, television – everywhere you turn, black people are contributing, making life better and more interesting for all of us.

Asian Americans, on the other hand, have only recently broken through in these cultural arenas, at least in appreciable numbers and visible ways.

My advocacy/activist take on the affirmative action question is that Harvard ought to make sure that all racial groups in the United States are reasonably represented, both for the educational experience of its students and also because Harvard graduates a disproportionate number of elite leaders for our society, and a multicultural society needs a multicultural cast of leaders. Somehow, Harvard has to figure out how to shape racially diverse classes in a manner that doesn’t downgrade the “personality rating” of Asian Americans in the admissions process, which, if it’s true, is deeply offensive.

Hollywood, for its part, needs to make more films like The Joy Luck Club (which I liked a lot better than Crazy Rich Asians).    

But I think the more interesting questions are in those grey, complicated areas: how and why does racism affect various minority groups so differently (lots of Asian Americans in elite higher ed, not so many visibly in the culture; fewer African Americans at top universities, lots of representation in the culture).

What factors other than racism, such as community expectations, might be at play?

These are the questions that don’t lend themselves to easy answers or binary positions, but rather to rigorous research and deep thinking – the work that intellectuals are best suited to do.  

Source: https://bloghyped.com/asian-americans-and-affirmative-action/

[ashleydpalmerusa]

Midsize Firms Are Stepping Up Their International Game to Compete with the Big 4

Globalization has reached a saturation point. For small and midsize accounting firms, the question of expanding internationally is not one of if, but when. Many firms have responded to the challenge, creating international capabilities that in some ways equal or even surpass that of the Big 4.

A world of opportunity

A 2016 survey by USForex found that 58% of American small businesses already had international customers, while 72% were planning to expand internationally within the next year.

Why? Because that’s where the money is. International trade consists of 30% of the U.S. economy and exports of American goods reached $2.3 trillion in 2014. Respondents to the USForex survey cited higher-quality suppliers, vendors, and talent as the key factors behind their global desires.

As U.S. companies increasingly outsource manufacturing and other jobs overseas, a domino effect is created that impacts a number of industries. Today’s corporate lawyers, for example, need to be well-versed in international trade regulations in order to adequately represent their clients.

But you didn’t come here to read about lawyers. Let’s take a look at how globalization is affecting your home: the accounting industry.

Accounting globally

The dominos are falling in the accounting and finance sectors as well. Even your smallest clients will soon need you to help them navigate the complex taxes and tariffs of international trade.

Aprio, an accounting firm based out of Atlanta, has been focusing its energy on global clients and expansion for decades.

“We need to go where our clients are,” Kristin Maeckel, international tax partner at Aprio, says. “A lot of American firms are exporting manufacturing, production, and supply chains outside of the U.S., and we need to be able to serve that.”

On the flip side, non-US firms are doing more business here, and may want to engage an American accounting firm to help.

“We have a lot of foreign nationals that are CPAs and English is not their native language,” Maeckel says. “So we are able to serve clients in their native tongue, which makes them more comfortable and sets us apart from a lot of other firms.”

Creating an international network

Realistically, even the largest accounting firm can’t anticipate and meet every need of every international client. That’s why many midsize firms are creating global partnership networks.

Through a network, firms can refer international projects that are outside of the scope of their abilities to a partner better suited for the work. And the initial firm will benefit from other companies within the network sending clients to them for the same reason.

“Our international network allows us to refer clients to firms in other countries when necessary,” Maeckel says. “This helps us keep the partnership alive with the client, because they don’t have to waste time looking for other firms around the globe.”

Stepping to the Big 4

It’s no secret that the Big 4 have a stranglehold on just about every key accounting firm metric in the U.S. And their global capabilities are nothing to scoff at either.

But through innovation and technology, some midsize firms are starting to equal, and in some ways surpass, the Big 4 in the international arena. And a sharper focus on personal service has also helped midsize firms wrangle international clients away.

A 2017 article by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants postulated that the Big 4 were currently underserving their small-to-medium-sized clients. According to the article, “With the Big Four being such complex monoliths, breaking them down into service lines exposes opportunities for rivals to win away revenue.”

Aprio: American accounting firm, global powerhouse

Aprio serves as a perfect example of a non-Big 4 firm that’s competing well in the global economy. It conducts business in and out of 40 countries across the globe. More than 25 languages are spoken at Aprio, and 25% of its staff is foreign-born.

“We represent so many companies coming to the U.S. for the first time,” Richard Kopelman, CEO and managing partner at Aprio, says. “We’ve purposely built our capabilities country by country, with specific desks for Korea, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Germany, and Russia.”

Aprio’s dedication to international accounting doesn’t just benefit the firm’s bottom line. It creates a diverse workplace that employees find attractive, and it offers accountants the opportunity to foster international skills that will help them accelerate their careers.

“Probably 40% of the people on our tax floor come from different countries,” Maeckel says. “You hear a lot of accents. People enjoy being exposed to cultures from other countries as well as their own. And our employees learn how to work across borders for wealth management, 401(k) administration, audits, valuations, and so much more.”

Aprio’s international reach also enables it to offer unique employee programs and incentives.

“You get to travel a lot. I go to Europe three, four times a year. A lot of our people are always traveling to China, Japan, and Korea. And we exchange employees with our partner firms through our secondment program, allowing them to work abroad for months at a time,” Maeckel says.

With its global reach and dedication to personal customer service, Aprio serves as a great alternative for accountants looking for big career opportunities outside the Big 4. If Aprio sounds like the type of place you’d like to work, you’re in luck: the firm is hiring now. Scroll down to see current openings at Aprio, or learn more about working at Aprio here.

Atlanta, Georgia accounting job openings

Transaction Advisory Manager

Tax Manager

Audit Senior Associate

Audit Manager

The post Midsize Firms Are Stepping Up Their International Game to Compete with the Big 4 appeared first on Going Concern.

from Accounting News https://goingconcern.com/big-4-international-aprio-sponcon/

[golicit]

May in Norway

The D&O Diary is on assignment in Europe this week, with a first stop in Oslo, Norway’s capital city, located at the northern end of Oslofjord (as shown in the accompanying picture). Oslo is a city in transformation; its urban area population has grown by over one-third since 2000, to over 1 million.  At times during our visit, the city seems like a gigantic construction site. Its location at about 60 degrees northern latitude means that in late May, the sun rises just after 4 am, and the sun doesn’t set until nearly 10:30. The evening twilight lingered until well after midnight.

  While Oslo is in many ways a city in transformation, its past as an industrial hub still characterizes many parts of the city. Several massive new residential building developments line the city’s harbors, but the remnants of the city’s industrial past persist.  Oslo is Norway’s traditional capital, but during the many years it was joined with Sweden, the capital was in Stockholm, and during Norway’s prior union with Denmark, the capital was in Copenhagen. Because of the capital city somehow was always located elsewhere, Oslo acquired few distinctive historical features from those earlier times. The one notable exception in Oslo, and also perhaps the city’s most recognizable landmark, is Akershus Festning, the Norse fortress located on a headland within the harbor at the top of the fjord, as pictured below. The fortress building began in the 13th century, but it has been altered and expanded many times since then.

      Though for many centuries, the monarch was located elsewhere, Oslo does have a royal palace, Det kongelige slott, built in the 19th century, and now serving as the home of Norway’s present King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The palace sits on a rise within the city center and looks eastward down Karl Johans gate, the central city’s main thoroughfare, toward the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament building (second picture below). During our late May visit, the palace grounds were covered with blooming lilacs. With good fortune, we timed our visit to be near the top of the palace hill during the changing of the guard, a modest ceremony involving a small troop of horse guards and a marching band. Crowds walked along Karl Johans gate’s tree-lined central median, or gathered in sidewalk cafes lining the street’s pedestrianized roadway.

                Just to the Northwest of the palace grounds is another parkland, the Frogner park. The main attraction of the park is the Vigeland Sculpture Garden, which features the odd and unusual statuary of the late 19th and early 20th century Norwegian artist, Gustave Vigeland. All of the many statues and sculptures in the garden involved variations on the human form, including , for example, the famous Angry Boy statue. The centerpiece of the sculpture garden’s arrangement is a 45-foot tall monolith reflecting a configuration of 121 human figures arranged in a column. The overall effect of the various figures and in particular the monolith is more than slightly disturbing. The sculpture’s meaning and message is, at best, elusive.

                        A short ferry ride from the wharfs in the main harbor is the Bygdøy peninsula, located to the west of the city center, where a number of the city’s museums are located, including Norway’s largest Museum, the open air Norway Museum of Cultural History. The museum features representative houses and other structures transported to the site from various regions around the country. Among the structures are a number of traditional turf roof houses, some of which had flowers blooming on their grassy tops. The structures also included an ancient wooden-beamed church, the Gol Stave Church, which dates from the 13th century.

        A short walk from the cultural history museum is the Vikingskipshuset, a compact gallery housing archeological remains of three Viking burial ships recently unearthed near Oslo. Visiting the Viking ship museum was an unexpectedly fascinating experience. The three ships were ocean-going vessels; it is only by seeing these ships close up that you realize how massive they were. You can easily imagine how frightening it could have been for an armada of these ships to appear on the horizon. The ships had been buried as part of the funeral rites for prominent or prestigious leaders. The various treasures buried along with the deceased person included ornaments, jewelry, and household goods that originated in locations from Ireland to Turkey, silently suggesting how far-flung the Vikings travels had been. I had never really thought about it before, but in order to permit such extensive travel, the Viking ship had to be remarkably strong and well-built.

    Among the many new structures in Oslo is its distinctive Opera House, built on the city’s harbor in a shape intended to be reminiscent of an ice berg. The inclined surfaces allow pedestrians to climb up to the building’s rooftop, which affords interesting views back toward the harbor and the city. In the pictures of the building below, note the plethora of nearby construction cranes. As I noted above, there were times during our visit when it seemed like Oslo was just one big construction site.

      One morning while in Oslo, we took the No.12 tram to the distant suburb of Kjelsås, in order to be able to walk the length of the Akerselva, a river that runs for about five miles from Lake Maridalsvannet (first picture below), Oslo’s largest lake and its main source of drinking water, to the city center. In the 19th century, the river was the center of the city’s industrial activity, with mill buildings, textile factories, and mechanical workshops lining its banks. The structures, now mostly repurposed as galleries, offices, and schools, still stand, mostly congregated at the point where the river’s steep hillside descent forms rapids or waterfalls. The river pathway is now wooded and quiet, and in late spring the woods were full of flowering trees and birdsong.

          The river walk ends in the Grønland neighborhood, from which we climbed on the Tunnelbane (metro) for a half-hour subway journey to Frognerseteren, which is terminus station in the western part of the  Nordmarka recreational area.  The final stretch of the line basically consists of a steep climb up the mountainside. On a clear day of the kind we enjoyed on the day we visited, the terminus station and surrounding areas, located at 1,568 feet,  afford spectacular views back to the city and to the Oslofjord (as shown in the picture at the top of the post). Pathways from the top lead to Holmenkollen, the site of the 1952 winter Olympics.

    Oslo may not have a distinctive architectural look and it lacks an iconic landmark that would identify the city, but the city still has charm, character and a beautiful natural setting that make it a great place to be visit. And besides, there is a lot to be said for sitting at a sidewalk café in the lingering late Spring twilight at midnight, enjoying the afterglow of a late Spring day in Scandinavia.

  More Pictures of Oslo:

  Note the blooming lilacs

                    The post May in Norway appeared first on The D&O Diary.

May in Norway published first on

[lawfultruth]

May in Norway

The D&O Diary is on assignment in Europe this week, with a first stop in Oslo, Norway’s capital city, located at the northern end of Oslofjord (as shown in the accompanying picture). Oslo is a city in transformation; its urban area population has grown by over one-third since 2000, to over 1 million.  At times during our visit, the city seems like a gigantic construction site. Its location at about 60 degrees northern latitude means that in late May, the sun rises just after 4 am, and the sun doesn’t set until nearly 10:30. The evening twilight lingered until well after midnight.

  While Oslo is in many ways a city in transformation, its past as an industrial hub still characterizes many parts of the city. Several massive new residential building developments line the city’s harbors, but the remnants of the city’s industrial past persist.  Oslo is Norway’s traditional capital, but during the many years it was joined with Sweden, the capital was in Stockholm, and during Norway’s prior union with Denmark, the capital was in Copenhagen. Because of the capital city somehow was always located elsewhere, Oslo acquired few distinctive historical features from those earlier times. The one notable exception in Oslo, and also perhaps the city’s most recognizable landmark, is Akershus Festning, the Norse fortress located on a headland within the harbor at the top of the fjord, as pictured below. The fortress building began in the 13th century, but it has been altered and expanded many times since then.

      Though for many centuries, the monarch was located elsewhere, Oslo does have a royal palace, Det kongelige slott, built in the 19th century, and now serving as the home of Norway’s present King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The palace sits on a rise within the city center and looks eastward down Karl Johans gate, the central city’s main thoroughfare, toward the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament building (second picture below). During our late May visit, the palace grounds were covered with blooming lilacs. With good fortune, we timed our visit to be near the top of the palace hill during the changing of the guard, a modest ceremony involving a small troop of horse guards and a marching band. Crowds walked along Karl Johans gate’s tree-lined central median, or gathered in sidewalk cafes lining the street’s pedestrianized roadway.

                Just to the Northwest of the palace grounds is another parkland, the Frogner park. The main attraction of the park is the Vigeland Sculpture Garden, which features the odd and unusual statuary of the late 19th and early 20th century Norwegian artist, Gustave Vigeland. All of the many statues and sculptures in the garden involved variations on the human form, including , for example, the famous Angry Boy statue. The centerpiece of the sculpture garden’s arrangement is a 45-foot tall monolith reflecting a configuration of 121 human figures arranged in a column. The overall effect of the various figures and in particular the monolith is more than slightly disturbing. The sculpture’s meaning and message is, at best, elusive.

                        A short ferry ride from the wharfs in the main harbor is the Bygdøy peninsula, located to the west of the city center, where a number of the city’s museums are located, including Norway’s largest Museum, the open air Norway Museum of Cultural History. The museum features representative houses and other structures transported to the site from various regions around the country. Among the structures are a number of traditional turf roof houses, some of which had flowers blooming on their grassy tops. The structures also included an ancient wooden-beamed church, the Gol Stave Church, which dates from the 13th century.

        A short walk from the cultural history museum is the Vikingskipshuset, a compact gallery housing archeological remains of three Viking burial ships recently unearthed near Oslo. Visiting the Viking ship museum was an unexpectedly fascinating experience. The three ships were ocean-going vessels; it is only by seeing these ships close up that you realize how massive they were. You can easily imagine how frightening it could have been for an armada of these ships to appear on the horizon. The ships had been buried as part of the funeral rites for prominent or prestigious leaders. The various treasures buried along with the deceased person included ornaments, jewelry, and household goods that originated in locations from Ireland to Turkey, silently suggesting how far-flung the Vikings travels had been. I had never really thought about it before, but in order to permit such extensive travel, the Viking ship had to be remarkably strong and well-built.

    Among the many new structures in Oslo is its distinctive Opera House, built on the city’s harbor in a shape intended to be reminiscent of an ice berg. The inclined surfaces allow pedestrians to climb up to the building’s rooftop, which affords interesting views back toward the harbor and the city. In the pictures of the building below, note the plethora of nearby construction cranes. As I noted above, there were times during our visit when it seemed like Oslo was just one big construction site.

      One morning while in Oslo, we took the No.12 tram to the distant suburb of Kjelsås, in order to be able to walk the length of the Akerselva, a river that runs for about five miles from Lake Maridalsvannet (first picture below), Oslo’s largest lake and its main source of drinking water, to the city center. In the 19th century, the river was the center of the city’s industrial activity, with mill buildings, textile factories, and mechanical workshops lining its banks. The structures, now mostly repurposed as galleries, offices, and schools, still stand, mostly congregated at the point where the river’s steep hillside descent forms rapids or waterfalls. The river pathway is now wooded and quiet, and in late spring the woods were full of flowering trees and birdsong.

          The river walk ends in the Grønland neighborhood, from which we climbed on the Tunnelbane (metro) for a half-hour subway journey to Frognerseteren, which is terminus station in the western part of the  Nordmarka recreational area.  The final stretch of the line basically consists of a steep climb up the mountainside. On a clear day of the kind we enjoyed on the day we visited, the terminus station and surrounding areas, located at 1,568 feet,  afford spectacular views back to the city and to the Oslofjord (as shown in the picture at the top of the post). Pathways from the top lead to Holmenkollen, the site of the 1952 winter Olympics.

    Oslo may not have a distinctive architectural look and it lacks an iconic landmark that would identify the city, but the city still has charm, character and a beautiful natural setting that make it a great place to be visit. And besides, there is a lot to be said for sitting at a sidewalk café in the lingering late Spring twilight at midnight, enjoying the afterglow of a late Spring day in Scandinavia.

  More Pictures of Oslo:

  Note the blooming lilacs

                    The post May in Norway appeared first on The D&O Diary.

May in Norway syndicated from http://ift.tt/2qyreAv

[simonconsultancypage]

May in Norway

The D&O Diary is on assignment in Europe this week, with a first stop in Oslo, Norway’s capital city, located at the northern end of Oslofjord (as shown in the accompanying picture). Oslo is a city in transformation; its urban area population has grown by over one-third since 2000, to over 1 million.  At times during our visit, the city seems like a gigantic construction site. Its location at about 60 degrees northern latitude means that in late May, the sun rises just after 4 am, and the sun doesn’t set until nearly 10:30. The evening twilight lingered until well after midnight.

  While Oslo is in many ways a city in transformation, its past as an industrial hub still characterizes many parts of the city. Several massive new residential building developments line the city’s harbors, but the remnants of the city’s industrial past persist.  Oslo is Norway’s traditional capital, but during the many years it was joined with Sweden, the capital was in Stockholm, and during Norway’s prior union with Denmark, the capital was in Copenhagen. Because of the capital city somehow was always located elsewhere, Oslo acquired few distinctive historical features from those earlier times. The one notable exception in Oslo, and also perhaps the city’s most recognizable landmark, is Akershus Festning, the Norse fortress located on a headland within the harbor at the top of the fjord, as pictured below. The fortress building began in the 13th century, but it has been altered and expanded many times since then.

      Though for many centuries, the monarch was located elsewhere, Oslo does have a royal palace, Det kongelige slott, built in the 19th century, and now serving as the home of Norway’s present King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The palace sits on a rise within the city center and looks eastward down Karl Johans gate, the central city’s main thoroughfare, toward the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament building (second picture below). During our late May visit, the palace grounds were covered with blooming lilacs. With good fortune, we timed our visit to be near the top of the palace hill during the changing of the guard, a modest ceremony involving a small troop of horse guards and a marching band. Crowds walked along Karl Johans gate’s tree-lined central median, or gathered in sidewalk cafes lining the street’s pedestrianized roadway.

                Just to the Northwest of the palace grounds is another parkland, the Frogner park. The main attraction of the park is the Vigeland Sculpture Garden, which features the odd and unusual statuary of the late 19th and early 20th century Norwegian artist, Gustave Vigeland. All of the many statues and sculptures in the garden involved variations on the human form, including , for example, the famous Angry Boy statue. The centerpiece of the sculpture garden’s arrangement is a 45-foot tall monolith reflecting a configuration of 121 human figures arranged in a column. The overall effect of the various figures and in particular the monolith is more than slightly disturbing. The sculpture’s meaning and message is, at best, elusive.

                        A short ferry ride from the wharfs in the main harbor is the Bygdøy peninsula, located to the west of the city center, where a number of the city’s museums are located, including Norway’s largest Museum, the open air Norway Museum of Cultural History. The museum features representative houses and other structures transported to the site from various regions around the country. Among the structures are a number of traditional turf roof houses, some of which had flowers blooming on their grassy tops. The structures also included an ancient wooden-beamed church, the Gol Stave Church, which dates from the 13th century.

        A short walk from the cultural history museum is the Vikingskipshuset, a compact gallery housing archeological remains of three Viking burial ships recently unearthed near Oslo. Visiting the Viking ship museum was an unexpectedly fascinating experience. The three ships were ocean-going vessels; it is only by seeing these ships close up that you realize how massive they were. You can easily imagine how frightening it could have been for an armada of these ships to appear on the horizon. The ships had been buried as part of the funeral rites for prominent or prestigious leaders. The various treasures buried along with the deceased person included ornaments, jewelry, and household goods that originated in locations from Ireland to Turkey, silently suggesting how far-flung the Vikings travels had been. I had never really thought about it before, but in order to permit such extensive travel, the Viking ship had to be remarkably strong and well-built.

    Among the many new structures in Oslo is its distinctive Opera House, built on the city’s harbor in a shape intended to be reminiscent of an ice berg. The inclined surfaces allow pedestrians to climb up to the building’s rooftop, which affords interesting views back toward the harbor and the city. In the pictures of the building below, note the plethora of nearby construction cranes. As I noted above, there were times during our visit when it seemed like Oslo was just one big construction site.

      One morning while in Oslo, we took the No.12 tram to the distant suburb of Kjelsås, in order to be able to walk the length of the Akerselva, a river that runs for about five miles from Lake Maridalsvannet (first picture below), Oslo’s largest lake and its main source of drinking water, to the city center. In the 19th century, the river was the center of the city’s industrial activity, with mill buildings, textile factories, and mechanical workshops lining its banks. The structures, now mostly repurposed as galleries, offices, and schools, still stand, mostly congregated at the point where the river’s steep hillside descent forms rapids or waterfalls. The river pathway is now wooded and quiet, and in late spring the woods were full of flowering trees and birdsong.

          The river walk ends in the Grønland neighborhood, from which we climbed on the Tunnelbane (metro) for a half-hour subway journey to Frognerseteren, which is terminus station in the western part of the  Nordmarka recreational area.  The final stretch of the line basically consists of a steep climb up the mountainside. On a clear day of the kind we enjoyed on the day we visited, the terminus station and surrounding areas, located at 1,568 feet,  afford spectacular views back to the city and to the Oslofjord (as shown in the picture at the top of the post). Pathways from the top lead to Holmenkollen, the site of the 1952 winter Olympics.

    Oslo may not have a distinctive architectural look and it lacks an iconic landmark that would identify the city, but the city still has charm, character and a beautiful natural setting that make it a great place to be visit. And besides, there is a lot to be said for sitting at a sidewalk café in the lingering late Spring twilight at midnight, enjoying the afterglow of a late Spring day in Scandinavia.

  More Pictures of Oslo:

  Note the blooming lilacs

                    The post May in Norway appeared first on The D&O Diary.

May in Norway published first on http://ift.tt/2kTPCwo