#affluence discourse

[zomb13s]

The Paradox of Entitlement: Luxurious Consumption and the False Merit of Hard Work

Introduction The modern world is characterized by a growing disparity between those with immense wealth and those struggling to survive. In many societies, the notion of “deserving” luxury and affluence has become an implicit cultural narrative. This essay critically examines the psychological and social implications of claiming entitlement to extravagant lifestyles based on the idea of “working…

[singlesomethinginstyle]

what is a safe space?

by definition, a safe space is literally one where you can do and be as you wish or choose to, and not be punished for it, or are shielded from adverse consequences.

In reality, no such spaces exist.

But we do make attempts to create them.

When we create preschools, or we take special care around small children, so that they can fall, play and learn without getting hurt or damaged

When people from a certain social group, caste or religion band together to enforce, promote or permit rules or ways of life specific to them, so that the world out there does not find such norms strange or punish them or alienate them

Prisons, where people who have broken laws are collected and "reformed" but essentially monitored or isolated - treated very differently from civil society

asylums, where neurodivergent folks were relegated to

Ashrams, where people went and still go for guidance, support or disguised therapy or sometimes just plain destress

The entire state of israel was meant to be one such space for jews (how successful or worth emulating their model is, is an entirely different matter and not the point here)

Kashmir, khalistan, pakistan, bangladesh siberia, albania, kosovo, sudan, etc... all follow the same wish - a safe space for their particular group. I am not getting into the validity of their claims here - this is NOT a political discourse. This is an observation.

Essentially, every single individual human craves a space of their own to stay in, to call home, call their own.

A safe space is essentially a prptecrive bubble. You can tailor it to meet your needs. You can exclude people and situations from it. You can isolate yourself, recharge and influence what sort of experience you will have there.

and if you look around and notice,the amount of "space" you can call your own as a woman is a mark of your position or status in the family.

When you cross into teens, if you are lucky, you may get a room of your own.

Do you get one?

Or do you have to share one with a sibling?

Does a male sibling or an elder sibling get one?

Does your mom get a room to herself (apart from her shared room with dad)?

Is there a space where the women in your family, your community gather?

For the longest time, one of the safest spaces that women have had, which men could not invade were beauty parlours. Historically we had hamams and Antahpurs which were "women-only" and the only exception being the trans-women who could enter them too (mostly to serve these women, a model that still finds remnants in the brothels of India today, one of the managing Didis is usually a trans-woman who herself faces a different brand of exclusion). But only if you were a woman of affluence who could afford a separate exclusive space for yourself.

Western women could, if lucky, have a "parlour" in the house or a study where they received guests or held little gatherings. They aren't possible in today's day anymore.

Western feminism put an end to that (cue eyeroll)

You may have noticed your mom and her friends hold kitty-parties or gatherings over brunch. Because desi women don't often get their own space in today's day and age. Desi families are notorious for the lack of privacy afforded to women, and often use this as a way to oversee and control the ladies in the family.

This concept is not new - it is called "panopticism" (look it up)

Essentially making sure you are within view so you can be monitored.

Having a space of your own is one if the most formative experiences that can allow you to grow as a woman.

Being able to claim a room, ban others from it, shut the door, change the decor to do whatever you want (doesnt have to be a bedroom, it can be an office, a hobby room etc) allows you and affords you the space and the time needed to work on yourself. Your thoughts and ideas. Your hobbies and skills, or just plain take a break over chai.

Extending this to your crowd, having spaces exclusively where you and other ladies can gather, be in your element, pursue your hobbies and more, is fundamentally necessary.

Architects in India often say, " lIf you want to understand how important the woman is inside a house, judge by the size of the kitchen and how thoughtfully it is designed".

A bit narrow to say "kitchen" but unfortunately, thats the only space consistently occupied by women of all social classes across history. If we expand this definition TO MEAN ANY TYPE OF SPACE OR ROOM, the logic still holds. Do you have soace of your own? How exclusive is it?

How much space do you have?

How much space do the women in your families have? Compare and contrast that with the men in the same family. How much space do they have?

Observe your family, your neighbours, your relatives etc.

And this sounds radical but it has nothing to do with income levels and everything to do with "access" and "control"

Men occupy the living room, the dining room, the garden, the office, the study, the library, the garages, the public spaces, the pubs and the clubs, the taverns, hunting grounds, the newsrooms and the corner cabins

They are ALL tailored to meet men's requirements.

Buses, trains, gathering halls, clubs, universities, workspaces etc are built keeping men's needs as the default baseline. Women entering them was incidental.

Women's needs are unaccounted for. Have periods? Need to adjust your saree? Need to breastfeed a baby? Want to travel without being stared at or molested? Want to find a place to sit quietly? Want a cup of tea on the roadside without being scanned head to toe? Tough luck.

But it doesnt have to be that way.

So what do you do?

The answer is

Take up space. Sit and shamelessly occupy spaces at home, and expel people to cater to your needs. Studying? Force dad to turn off the TV. He objects? Then ask for your own room/study table. When guests arrive, don't go to the kitchen to cook them snacks. Sit at the table and entertain them with everyone. You can grab ready-made snacks for an afternoon.

If you're getting older, take this seriously. Try to get your own room. If it isn't possible at home, apply for college or work in another city, so you have to stay in a hostel or get a room somewhere. Rinse and repeat till you carve your space out, decorate it and own it for atleast 90% of the year. This takes courage but it is necessary.

Live in cities where you don't have "family" or "relatives" who insist on hosting you (or if you do, find a way to be such a pain in their neck till they recommend you live alone)

Cultivate hobbies and claim spaces for that hobby. Gardening? Grab the garden and the balcony. Openly. Do not ask permission and dont seek forgiveness. Occupy space.

Have a group of frienfs studying? Get a library table, occupy a club room, go to a cafe, get a coworking space. Take up space.

And here is why this is a much needed radical move.

No matter the belief structure of the women around you, most women regardless of social standing are to some degree able to observe and empathise with another woman's experience. (You'll notice that this is why your mom and grandma are closer to their house help lady than their neighbours or relatives even if they don't acknowledge it).

Women often extend a helping hand, form support systems and rally to help when other women are in crisis. To make this happen, women need safe spaces, occasions and situations to gather. This is where you will get the support you need.

Women in hostels and PGs often form lasting friendships despute being from very different parts of the world or societies. Their shared experience makes them stronger.

But the next step is, how to make it "Safe" (such that men cannot enter, refuse to enter or get repelled)

The answer is to lean into an unabashedly girly way of doing things - go pink, make it frivolous,- by terming it a kitty party, it is a guaranteed turn off for any guy and your space is safe. Guys dont barge into saree shops and beauty parlours, because they look down on them

Men do not interrupt women's parties and gatherings. Especially when they are outwardly apolitical and too girly for them to take an interest in.

Lean into them. Make these spaces for yourself and build a support system for youraelf.

You need not be best friends with all the ladies there - hell, you don't even need much in common. You just need community.

It's both safe, smart and strategic. And it will save you some day.

When you get assaulted and want to tackle it quietly or want advice

When you need support during hard times

When you need a place to go qhere things get ugly at home

When you need inputs on "women's health" issues (think HPV, obGYN, abortions, birth control, sexuality, relationship advice, you name it)

Society at large is not kind and often limits women's exposure or limits their ability to gather. Because they know that women who gather can g3t politicised and can create change

There is a reason Taliban wants to remove women from public life, and why the Middle East has a similar record.

But the truth is, women who gather, women who carve space for themselves have the best chances to survive, sustain and thrive.

Take up space. Carve space for yourself. And gather to create space for yourself. Whether that is a knitting collrctive, an entrance exam study group or a black magic casting collective, a club of neurosurgeons, a group of martial artists, a granny baking competition or a vigilante community, make sure to gather and take up space.

You need it.

We all do.

[spookystrawberrykingdom]

Luigi Mangione

​Luigi Mangione, a name that has recently dominated headlines, embodies a complex narrative of privilege, intellect, and controversy. Born into a prominent Maryland family on May 6, 1998, Mangione's early life was marked by academic excellence and promising career prospects. However, his trajectory took a dramatic turn, culminating in his arrest for the alleged assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024.​

Early Life and Education

Mangione's upbringing was steeped in affluence and opportunity. He attended the prestigious Gilman School in Baltimore, graduating as valedictorian in 2016. His academic prowess led him to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) in computer engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in computer and information science, with a concentration in artificial intelligence. During his undergraduate years, Mangione interned with Firaxis Games, contributing to the development of the acclaimed video game Civilization VI. ​

Professional Endeavors and Personal Struggles

Following his graduation, Mangione worked as a data engineer for TrueCar from November 2020 until 2023. Despite his professional achievements, he grappled with severe back pain resulting from a surfing accident, which necessitated surgery involving the insertion of screws into his spine. This chronic pain reportedly led to significant behavioral changes and a period of estrangement from his family. In an attempt to find solace, Mangione relocated to Japan, severing communication with loved ones who eventually reported him missing in November 2024. ​

The Incident and Arrest

Mangione resurfaced in the United States and was linked to the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Authorities apprehended him on December 9, 2024, at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At the time of his arrest, Mangione was found in possession of weapons, fake identification documents, and a manifesto articulating his grievances against the health insurance industry.

Motivation and Ideological Stance

Investigations revealed that Mangione harbored deep resentment towards health insurance companies, particularly UnitedHealthcare. His manifesto and social media activity indicated frustration over denied claims and the broader implications of corporate greed in the healthcare sector. Mangione's writings also reflected a complex ideological stance, engaging with topics related to religion, ethics, and politics. He expressed concerns over issues like secularization and the decline of traditional values, and his views did not align neatly with conventional political categories. ​

Public Perception and Support

The case has elicited a spectrum of public reactions. While many condemn Mangione's alleged actions, others view him as a symbol of resistance against systemic injustices in the healthcare industry. Websites like HeroLuigi.com have emerged, advocating for his release and portraying him as a hero who confronted corporate exploitation. Supporters argue that his actions, though extreme, highlight the frustrations of many Americans disillusioned with the current healthcare system. ​

Legal Proceedings and Current Status

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and terrorism. His next federal court hearing is scheduled for April 18, followed by a state court hearing in June. His legal team is actively challenging the evidence presented against him, including the circumstances surrounding his arrest and the collection of DNA samples. ​

Conclusion

The saga of Luigi Mangione serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate interplay between personal struggles, ideological convictions, and societal systems. As legal proceedings continue, the discourse surrounding his actions and motivations underscores broader conversations about corporate accountability, healthcare reform, and the lengths to which individuals might go when pushed to their limits.

[chandu0009]

Exploring Enigmas: Prime Decennial Investments for SIP

Welcome to our exhaustive compendium regarding the Prime Decennial Investments for SIP. Systematic Investment Plan, more commonly recognized as SIP, has garnered substantial renown amongst investors due to its methodical approach to augmenting wealth. Through SIP, investors can gradually augment their wealth over time by regularly allocating modest sums into mutual funds. Within this discourse, we shall delve profoundly into the realm of SIP investments and unveil the top ten prospects that can chart the course toward financial affluence.

Comprehending SIP Investments Before plunging into particulars, let us apprehend the crux of SIP investments. SIP permits investors to infuse a fixed sum at periodic intervals, typically monthly, into designated mutual fund schemes. This methodical approach not only instills fiscal discipline but also confers the advantage of rupee cost averaging, thus mitigating the ramifications of market volatility. Furthermore, SIP investments are tailored to accommodate investors across varied risk proclivities, rendering it an optimal choice for both cautious and venturesome investors.

The Top Decennial Prime Investments for SIP

Equity Mutual Funds Equity mutual funds stand prominently as one of the most remunerative avenues for SIP investments. These funds predominantly allocate capital into stocks, with the aim of long-term capital appreciation. Possessing a diverse portfolio of high-caliber stocks, equity mutual funds harbor the potential to yield substantial returns over the investment horizon.

Debt Mutual Funds For investors seeking stability and consistent returns, debt mutual funds emerge as a judicious selection. These funds primarily invest in fixed-income securities such as government bonds, corporate bonds, and treasury bills. Debt mutual funds proffer relatively lower risk in comparison to equity funds while furnishing steady income through interest disbursements.

Balanced Mutual Funds Balanced mutual funds strike an equilibrium between equity and debt instruments, presenting investors with the optimal blend. By diversifying across asset classes, these funds endeavor to furnish stable returns with diminished volatility, thus rendering them an enticing option for risk-averse investors.

Index Funds Index funds emulate the performance of a specific market index, such as the Nifty 50 or the S&P BSE Sensex. With nominal expense ratios and minimal fund manager intervention, index funds furnish a cost-effective means to garner exposure to the broader market, making them an exemplary choice for passive investors.

ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Schemes) ELSS funds amalgamate the advantages of tax savings and wealth accumulation, rendering them a sought-after choice amongst investors. These equity-oriented mutual funds entail a lock-in period of three years and offer tax deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, rendering them an alluring option for tax planning.

Small-Cap Mutual Funds Small-cap mutual funds allocate capital into stocks of small-sized companies with burgeoning growth potential. While these funds entail heightened volatility, they also proffer the prospect of substantial returns over the long haul. Investors possessing a high-risk appetite and a protracted investment horizon may contemplate small-cap funds for wealth accumulation.

Mid-Cap Mutual Funds Mid-cap mutual funds focus on companies with moderate market capitalization, striking a balance between risk and reward. These funds furnish the opportunity to invest in companies with robust growth prospects yet relatively lower volatility in comparison to small-cap funds, thus rendering them suitable for moderate-risk investors.

Large-Cap Mutual Funds Large-cap mutual funds invest in blue-chip companies with substantial market capitalization, proffering stability and consistent returns. These funds are well-suited for prudent investors seeking steady growth and downside protection during market downturns.

Sectoral Mutual Funds Sectoral mutual funds concentrate investments in specific sectors or industries, enabling investors to capitalize on nascent trends and themes. Whilst sectoral funds entail heightened risk due to concentrated exposure, they also furnish the potential for outsized returns if the selected sector performs robustly.

International Mutual Funds International mutual funds afford exposure to global markets, empowering investors to diversify their portfolios geographically. By allocating capital into overseas equities, these funds present the opportunity to reap the benefits of the growth potential of international markets whilst hedging against domestic market risks.

Epilogue In summation, systematic investment plans proffer a methodical approach to wealth accumulation, enabling investors to realize their fiscal objectives effortlessly. By selecting the apt mutual fund schemes commensurate with their risk profile and investment aspirations, investors can unlock the potential of compounding and amass wealth over time. Whether it be equity funds for growth or debt funds for stability, the crux lies in maintaining discipline and enduring investment for the long haul.

Official Websites;

[darkstar965]

As we know when AI tells a story they always use big words so I told my AI assistant to tell a story in complicated words, here's the story, I have no idea what the're saying 😂

Once upon a time, in an epoch characterized by arcane and magnificent chronicles, there transpired a convolution of events that unfolded within the intricate tapestry of a multifaceted realm.

Within this awe-inspiring realm, abodes were embellished with ornate trinketry, and the cadence of time pirouetted with an erudite elegance. It was amidst this hallowed milieu that an extraordinary enigma took shape.

In this mystifying tale, a personage bearing the appellation of Percival, bedecked in habiliments emblematic of wisdom and sagacity, embarked upon an intrepid sojourn infused with the pursuit of profound knowledge.

Percival, possessing an insatiable appetite for enlightenment, traversed the labyrinthine corridors of a venerable academy, his expeditious mind ingesting a veritable cornucopia of abstruse theories and unfathomable principles.

As fortune would have it, during his intellectual wanderings, Percival serendipitously encountered a luminous being known as Seraphina—a creature of ethereal grace, her pulchritude mirrored by a mind as scintillating as the celestial constellations. Seraphina, adept in the arcane arts, possessed an ineffable magnetism that ensnared Percival's erudite heart, ensconcing him within a realm of amorous enchantment.

Their tête-à-têtes brimmed with erudition and ebullient discourse, the aroma of lexical blossoms wafting through the air. Their conversations wove a tapestry of abstruse concepts, intertwining notions of metaphysical transcendence and the indomitable spirit of the human condition.

As their intellectual dalliances grew, an undeniable synergy unfurled—a symphony of intellect and emotive resonance that fostered a bond that transcended scholastic boundaries. Like two flames birthing a conflagration, Percival and Seraphina forged a nexus of enlightenment and affection that dared to defy the constraints of temporal and cerebral constructs.

Together they ventured into inscrutable archives, poring over parchments inked by the ancients, unraveling the enigmatic riddles concealed within the folds of time. In their shared exploration, they discovered hitherto unknown realms of cognizance, the vibrations of their interconnected minds echoing through the corridors of enlightenment.

The enigmatic confluence of Percival's thirst for wisdom and Seraphina's ethereal sagacity birthed an alchemical symphony of intellectual ardor and impassioned love.

In the wake of their union, the realms bear witness to the sublime dance of intellect and emotive splendor—a tapestry woven with resplendent adjectives, labyrinthine lexicons, and rhetorical affluence. They became the embodiments of a paragon—one that elegantly wove the intricate fabric of emotions with the fertile tapestry of erudition—an indomitable testament to the power of profound affections ignited by the kindling of intricately woven words.

And so, dear interlocutor, while I ought to cease this narrative with the finality that befits its expiration, I solemnly beseech you to carry the essence of this tale and allow the allure of complexity and intricacy to permeate your own narrative, enriching the fabric of your existence with the melodic cadence of captivating words.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Language, Education, and Affluence

This phenomena goes a long way to explain a lot of modern day discourse. Take that every child in America has been online their whole life's taking in language and postings from the only people who would adopt the internet before them: F*ing Nerds.

So not only do the kids look *rich* with their fancy rich kid tech, they talk like they've been raised by affluent academics. Even though most of us are just adult children who are S*posting on Reddit and 4Chan.

A lot of us have probably been language teachers to a lot of the youth and just have no idea because [screennames].

That's the baseline today, when the baseline used to be *graduate highschool* or get a *GED* and getting a GED meant you were a f*ing slow.

Not an R*, because R*s actually graduated, you'd be treated as less than that. Not intended to collate intelligence with autism, I'm just giving the context with how the world was viewed and still might be by certain ppl.

People who failed to graduate were usually because of home or behavioral issues. Not because they weren't intelligent, but because of external factors outside theirs and the school's control.

Even homeschooling would be treated the same as a GED. Because of the implications.

Even the poorest among us are incredibly smart but the metrics don't reflect that, and on top of that, the dumb perception and stigmas of how intelligence is viewed by the general populace still exists.

[eggshellsareneat]

Not to be a discourse blog, but when you don't cite your sources you end up looking very silly, because now I can cite them for you.

Their 76% number comes from the Pew Research Centre, a pretty reputable polling centre. The problem is that the 76% number is the percentage of Americans who have been to at least one other country in their lifetime. I'd argue that's a pretty, dare I say, shit corollary to "vacations abroad". Been to Mexico on work? Popped into Toronto once? You're part of that 76%.

As to their "third of Americans" stat, I can't find anything remotely close. Statista (another solid polling centre) actually has a full breakdown of the question from 2017, and it's...so far off.

Yeah, even if we restrict ourselves to people in income brackets above $150,000, people don't travel to other countries that much.

But we haven't even addressed their main point, then. These are just percentages. They're wrong, obviously, but OP doesn't want to prove that Americans travel, they want to prove that Tumblr doesn't.

So let's use their own definitions, and see how that works for them. Have 76% of Tumblr users "vacationed abroad"?

Notes:

1. The median income in the US was about $38,000 in 2017, for comparison. If you've forgotten stats, the median is the midpoint of the data: half of Americans made more than that, and half made less.

2. "Vacations abroad" is the silliest possible metric to evaluate US affluence. The US is big, why vacation abroad when you can travel to another state for half the price? I'm not comparing these stats to Europe for exactly this reason, but you can probably imagine how they look.

This site is just the 5% brokest americans telling each other americans are oppressed

[doktorpeace]

Street Fighter's 5 most eligible bachelors

5. Rashid. He's got it all. Style, a good personality, affluence, and he's apparently pretty good at sports too based on his baseball costume.

4. Zangief. But only if you're not a beautiful woman of marriageable age. He's on the hunt for twinks. I'm not joking by the way. That has two official sources.

3. Gill. Incredibly powerful in every possible aspect you can imagine. Unfortunately, however, he is a sigma male and is always on his grindset. He's also stuck in the past and can't move past 1999.

2. Alex. He's an ordinary if not huge New Yorker. As long as you're on the right side of bodega discourse and can name a few american pro wrestling moves he's easy pickings. Plus just look at his tits. They're huge and need a good home.

1. ¡SAGAT ES EL NÚMERO UNO, TREINTA Y CINCO AÑOS INVICTOS! TIGER BACHELOR NO SE PUEDE SUPERARS!

[biblioflyer]

The Sad Mutant in the Room, Picard s1e1 rewatch.

Is this the way Star Trek? Melancholy may not seem very Star Trek, but stories of chasing redemption and hope seem worthy of the chevron. This is part of a series of essays in which I rewatch Star Trek Picard and explore the fandom accusation that it made the Federation into a darker, more dystopian place.

There’s no way to not acknowledge the influence of Logan. Clearly Stewart as an actor loves playing out a character facing the loss of everything that had given his life purpose and finding a path back to hope. Clearly audiences respond to this too. The Mandalorian, The Witcher, Logan, even to some extent the prototypical story of Batman and Robin: we love a story about a tortured soul being shaken out of complacency and resignation to doom by a sense of responsibility for a young sidekick. 

It feels slightly out of place in a setting supposed to already be hopeful but the more I’ve dug into Star Trek Picard, the more I’ve begun to feel that pronouncing this story to be a betrayal of Star Trek or to be a dystopia is misguided. I have written more on this and will write more to come.

Suffice to say, in my ruminations a core theme of Star Trek at its finest is an acceptance that things can’t always be perfect if you want dramatic tension. As I note in the essay that outlines my analysis of the dystopia discourse, there’s something about the TNG era that is perhaps less “extra” than TOS when it comes to themes of galavanting around the universe, lecturing less developed civilizations on their failings. Yet that is still a recurring theme of TNG.

I’m no hardcore moral relativist for the purposes of examining and acting upon my conscience. I accept that other cultures may prefer to do things that I find odious and that it can be counterproductive, even ruinous to try to impose change from outside. On the other hand, I have absolutely no problem saying that for instance the women of Iran are well within their rights to fight for autonomy and also dignity in whatever way they define it.

Yet again though, one can be proud of the achievements of one’s society and find your norms and practices preferable to those of another society but if one is only ever directing criticism outwards and never engaging in any reflection whatsoever, that’s a problem. 

This is where episodes like “The Drumbeat” are fantastic, because they depict the hard emotional and intellectual labor that it takes to protect a just society. Such as being willing to name a problem where you see it and act accordingly, as Picard does to defy Admiral Satie and protect his crew from has quickly spiraled into a full blown inquisition fueled by xenophobia.

It must be acknowledged too, that this happened! That it did happen means that the Federation can objectively be a better, and more just society than the audience finds itself in, yet still be engaged in a never ending struggle to keep our darker impulses from flipping the table, baring their fangs at strangers, and hoarding power and affluence.

Which brings us back to Picard the character and Picard the setting. As I said before, this seems to be one of those times where the Federation needs saving from itself and the criticism needs to be directed inwards. I don’t see that all is lost. I’ll do a deeper dive into why I think the Federation made a tragic error based on bad information, not because it lost its soul, but for now that’s where I land on this.

A solid narrative needs something to struggle against and hopelessness was a fine thing to struggle against in 2020. It's still a fine thing to struggle against in 2023. Even in Star Trek. I find my own anger and frustration mirrored back to me, but I also find myself inspired by Picard the character and his capacity to allow his moral compass to lead him out of defeat and despair.

[rabbitcruiser]

Praça da República, Albufeira 

The Municipal Museum of Archeology opened to the public on the 20th of August 1999. It is located in the old town of Albufeira, in the place formerly known as Praça de Armas, currently Praça da República. The building where it is located, consisting of two floors, in an area of ​​great tourist affluence, functioned as City Hall until the late 1980s of the 20th century, having been recovered and rehabilitated to house the functions of a museum, integrating the existing archaeological heritage. . The social functions of the Museum consist of the conservation, preservation, reconstitution and dissemination of the archaeological heritage of the municipality, for purposes of study, education and leisure. The museographic discourse is organized in a diachronic way, presenting the historical evolution of the municipality from the Prehistoric period to the 17th century. The museum has a permanent exhibition area and, on the upper floor, a space dedicated to temporary exhibitions. It has been part of the Portuguese Network of Museums since 2003, taking advantage of the inherent advantages of its integration, such as support incentives in the different areas of action of the Museum, namely technical support, profitability of logistical, technical and financial resources.

Located in the Old Town of the city, in Praça da República, the Archeology Museum is composed of four historical centers relating to the following periods: prehistory, Roman, Visigothic-Islamic and modern age. It should be noted that the Museum occupies the space of the old Town Hall and that, in addition to the permanent archaeological exhibition, it offers its visitors a temporary exhibition room and a service of guided tours of the Old City Centre. 

Source: Wikipedia

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Herodotus, the “father of the ethnological studies in the Western tradition”-II

The Gökçeler relief, an example of Greco-Persian art in 5th century BCE Anatolia. Source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Persian_art

“Herodotus is so familiar to us as an innovative figure – Cicero’s dictum on his status as the “father of History” so well known a catchphrase (Laws 1.1.5) –that we still tend to underestimate the brilliance of his achievement. He was not only the first analyst of mere cultural difference, but he also portrayed for his audience the first realizations in our intellectual tradition of the processes of dif -ferentiation. However, it is important for us to qualify the nature of his Histories on two essential points before proceeding. First, Herodotus’ dependence on oral sources and his apparent naivety during his collection of source material over the scale to which his work would aspire meant that an extraordinary stratifica-tion and mosaic-effect of Greek observers is manifested throughout his work as transmitted to us. These interactors with the non-Greek world severally grappled with issues of translation (see Brandwood’s contribution in this volume), varia-tions of evidentiary standards (e.g., regarding necessity for and nature of autopsy), and distortions of transmission among each other. Herodotus’ interlocutors were themselves also fundamentally conditioned by the processes of assimilation, hybridity, and biculturalism that lie at the heart of the histor ’s own impetus to confront the ‘other’. Any imputation to Herodotus – or even to his mainly anony-mous interlocutors – of any motivation whatsoever, and especially of animus, is thus greatly complicated.22 Second, Herodotus and his contemporaries did not have the advantage of their modern scholars in their assurance over canonicity of classical Greek culture. Much that may now strike us as hostilely prejudicial may rather betray defensive posturing in the face of the antiquity, physical scale, and, in the case of the Persians, astounding wealth and power of non-Greek cultures (see Gregory Nagy in this volume [pp. 109–42] on alternative paths of evolution for Hellenicity). As is discernible even in the contemporary world, a degree of ethno-chauvinism can be anticipated from those living in the shadow of populous, wealthy, technologically advanced, and media-dominant societies. Is this not animplicit justification for multiculturalism in modern discourse?

For Herodotus, nomoi or mores could differ from people to people simply as a manifestation of variation, but at other times perhaps owing to various environmental factors, with substantial effects in the aggregate both for mere subsistence and for affluence (as the Portuguese of the age of discovery recognized, as is shown by Carmen Soares in this volume [pp. 296–325]). In varied settings, humans acted under the influence of nomoi directing their existence, as was summed upin his reflection on the adage of Pindar that nomos ‘law’ was basileus ‘king’ (Hdt.3.38.3–4). This is applied when Dareios, an astonishing and instructive choice for our teacher in the variety of human behaviour, brings the Indian Kalliatai, who ritually eat their dead, into confrontation with the Greeks, who cremate. Yet Herodotus was also a universalist in his own terms, as his reflections on Egyptian religion indicate especially: people tapped the same transcendent order, even if their rituals varied, their awareness of it was imperfect, and their ability to adhere to its dictates may have fallen short or lapsed to a lesser or greater extent. Moreover, Herodotus is not what would now be called an ‘essentialist’, as he readily conceives that one people may borrow from another – his insistence on the Egyptian origin of Greek cultural motifs has long been emphasized23 – and, although he lacked a fully explicit concept of hybridity, his willingness to recognize a considerable degree of diffusion or admixture is notable, as is also well illustrated by the Phoenician influence on the Greeks (e.g., Hdt. 5.58–59) and the existence of assorted medial groups. As Alexandre Agnolon’s chapter in this volume will show (pp. 159–77), the Scythian Hellenizers dramatize the challenges faced by cultural hybrids (for Skyles, note 4.78–80). There Herodotus’ sympathy with the Scythian perspective on Hellenization is conspicuous. Moreover, as I note later, if the Athenians are to be viewed as aboriginally Pelasgians who had traversed a set of self-identifications, originalist biases for Herodotus must be considered to have been significantly muted. And it is important to indicate that, whenever one says “Herodotus” in statements about the content of his accounts of non-Greek societies, they are using a shorthand reference for a unique and perhaps virtually non-duplicable stratigraphy of witnessing on any specific matter.

This Herodotean ‘othering’ can be viewed as ‘mirroring’, as Hartog stressed,24  but we have already recognized that the mirror at issue is not a simple glass for contemplation. Rather, viewing is staged in a hall of mirrors with glasses of various degrees of trueness or distortion. Sometimes the reflections are truly inverted, in which the lives of non-Greeks embody the converse of Greek nomoi, although this opposition as in the case of the Egyptians could be to all mankind (Hdt.2.35.1–4).25 Such obversions could even continue to the point of perversity, such as general promiscuity,26 and ritual prostitution,27 where the negativity of judgment is noteworthy.28 This phenomenon draws on an archaic propensity for think ing in polarities. Yet, we can also see in mirroring the possibility in which the Greeks can be situated medially between two converses, such as between cultures where clothing is absent or minimal and Asian societies where any nakedness at all is prohibited (cf. Hdt. 1.8.2–4, 11.3–5). Sometimes when this normative deviation has seductive power, our mirror ought to be rendered as a wishing well of fantasy, as in the cases where unproblematic sexual promiscuity is foregrounded (the casual liaisons of the Massagetai or Nasamones: Hdt. 1.216.1; 4.172.2). Herodotus notes this variation of sexual behaviour without titillation or prurient embellishment. It becomes then an open question whether the prominent portrayal of inversions in sexuality do not also serve as a mechanism for coping with the shock elicited by confrontation with the primitive. In some cases, especially regarding Egyptian culture, the image in the Herodotean mirror assumes the authority of a prototype or archetype. Moreover, our Herodotean mirrors possess persistent reflections, so that a succession of interpreters, local guides, non-Greek authorities, Greek sophoi ‘sages’, and logioi ‘experts’, standing in mediation with the‘others’, have left their traces in what must be thoroughly composite images.” 

Scythian Tribute Bearers on the Apadana Staircase, Persepolis, Iran. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scythian_Tribute_Bearers_on_the_Apadana_Staircase_12_(Best_Viewed_Size_%22Large%22)_(4688092455).jpg

Text from the Introduction of Thomas Figueira to Thomas Figueira, Carmen Soares (editors)  Ethnicity and Identity in Herodotus, Routledge 2020

On line source: https://www.academia.edu/42297881/A_Goddess_for_the_Greeks_Demeter_as_Identity_Factor_in_Herodotus

[kuroopaisen]

not to throw my two cents /now/ but for shows like aot (I personally stopped after s2 and i havent rly considered picking it up again yet), there definitely are problematic elements and depictions that should be called out when necessary—and we need to especially listen to those whose identities were unfairly treated. anime and manga aren’t innocent of problems, as are the artists behind it :,)

I won’t lie, japan still continues to be sketchy w how they teach and treat their history, but ig we as watchers/readers these media can remain critical of what we consume ? the act of watching smth w fascist elements doesn’t mean you condone it ! and choosing not to watch or support (i find these to be different things) bc of those problematic elements is also valid.

oH and I personally don’t rly like aot either from what I’ve been seeing LMAO as a person who dedicated 2 years of high school to extensive studying of history it’s just :\\\\\\ I think all the points have been made by ppl before me, and by you!! 

hello miss yuki!! first of all, i think the idea that people can’t consume Problematic Media is. is stupid because. humans are capable of critical thinking DJLSDALKJ that’s like... our thing. and just because something’s ‘problematic’ doesn’t mean there’s nothing valuable to draw from it? and by that, i mean... sometimes i specifically seek out things i know i’ll disagree with so i can actually talk about it properly, instead of relying on heresay. 

i guess it’s like the jk r*wling thing. do i think people who enjoy harry potter are militant transphobes? no! do i think it’s a bit shifty to spend money on harry potter merch that isn’t secondhand and is therefore putting coins in miss transphobes pockets? yes! there’s difference between consuming and supporting for sure. 

people have complicated relationships with media and internet discourse tends to make things too black-and-white. where do we draw the line? does resonating with shinji’s story in neon genesis evangelion mean you now support sexualising underage girls? does enjoying harry potter mean you condone fatphobia? does enjoying my hero academia mean you hate the lower classes? 

but at the same time, if someone wants to steer clear of something because of those kinds of things, they absolutely have a right to and neither them nor their intelligence should be insulted for that. a lot of people like to throw around “oh you just don’t understand” as an insult and honestly, Shut Up. leave people be.

ANYWAY aot 

yeah a lot of my problems with aot come down to isayama using a metaphor that isn’t even his to draw on. even if the pernicious aspects are unintentional, they’re still harmful. and also, it’s pretty obvious that isayama’s done his research? with how well the story emulates certain facts in history (and even referencing the madagascar plan hh), there’s no way isayama doesn’t know what he’s talking about. and you can’t really brush up on your knowledge of wwii without the whole antisemitism thing, so... 

but i think an issue i have with a lot of the criticism towards aot is that it comes from a very Western perspective; and i get that to a degree, but it’s also important to think about where the author comes from and who he’s writing for. that doesn’t exonerate any of the problematic aspects to any degree, but context is. well, sometimes it’s everything 

for example, i don’t think the question is so much ���is isayama a nazi” as it is “is isayama trying to justify japanese expansionism” because while both are awful, one question is more relevant to what he’s likely to believe (even in the infamous twitter screenshots, he pretty staunchly seems anti-holocaust). i think ethnocentric criticisms muddy the water. 

i’m a dual major in anthropology and history, and while that absolutely doesn’t give me authority, it means i tend to focus more on this sort of thing? there’s no way isayama could’ve known that attack on titan would become so... global? and an issue with episodic things of any nature is that it’s almost impossible to analyse them in their whole until it’s finished. aaaand in most cases, that takes years.

so regardless of what isayama intended, that means there are still right-wing groups that love aot and see it as a metaphor for the great replacement, or there’s people who see it as a justification to abandon pacifism, and so on. but there are also people who see it as a staunchly anti-war story, or a narrative about the cycle of hatred. 

YEAH w the watching vs. supporting, i’ve actually been streaming aot on gogoanime because i didn’t know what i’d think of it when i started, even though i have an animelab and crunchyroll subscription. the question is, am i giving it social capital by discussing it online? some would say yes (i’ve got a platform, and just talking about it in general gives it affluence), some would say no (even if i have a platform, it’s small in the grand scheme of things, and how many people are actually reading my mini essays?)

ANYWAY this is largely incoherent i’m so sorry sdalkjfslfkdj look after yourself!!  

[border-spam]

Leech Lord - Trading places

Fun prompt where we took an existing character and gave them another’s life.

Troy with Ven - owned by @hieroglyphix

Troy was 16 when he killed the first time, crushed the man’s throat in that grotesque guardian arm’s fist. 

Eli isn't sure that really needed to happen, but it had been chaos as Sweet and the other rebels had stormed the facility, and maybe things just got out of control. Maybe his brother had justifiable reasons for hating the people in the white suits as viciously as he’d seen in those icy blue eyes while the scientist pinned beneath him had choked out ragged gurgles. Eli doesn't like to think about it. Doesn’t like where it takes him.

Troy thinks plenty.

The world outside those sterilised walls had been bizarre and frightening. Eli flagged so quickly, and they had nothing. No money, no names, no safety. He'd turned to a ratty E-dev and the vision that swam behind his eyes, and found ways to use the "gift" he loathed.

Stocks are easy when you see the patterns. Numbers were always Troy's friends even if he never seemed to have many real ones. Online gambling, shifting accounts to hide profits, losing bets and making poor choices intentionally to throw off the scent... and taking care of those that picked it up.

They made a fortune together over the first few years, enough for medical teams that don't ask questions and machines that replace body parts too Eridium burned to remain functional.

He's not charismatic, he's not a people person, but he cuts a frightening shape in a high rise office and ornately decorated "prosthetic".

Troy and Eli are never known, always stay out of the limelight and avoid needless attention. They live like the functionally mega rich but remain nameless. Escaped Pandora on a licensed shuttle paid for by an account belonging to someone who's never existed and never will, but Troy's always been good with that. Lying.

Eli knows his brother would do anything to give him happiness, that he has done things neither of them ever speak of. He knows he's loved more than anything else in the universe, but there are times he wonders about the choices and actions his brother has taken over the last decade. Times he worries if something is wrong with Troy that he's too afraid to ask about.

Troy loves no one else. He knows no one else. He loves his brother like Eli is the only reason he has to live - and there's something broken about that. He appreciates and adores Troy for how much he's done for them both, really, he knows how much work it’s taken to keep them safe... it's just that he wishes it could been done with less bloodshed.

Tyreen with modern Azriel - owned by @lazulizard

Affluence suited her more than the life she was born into, really. 

Tafeyo was all dirt and wheatfields. Beautiful night skies, but no spotlight. She hadn't belonged there - not entirely, and Tyreen had always felt stunted somehow. Like some part of her was missing in the farmlands. Always felt deep down that she should be in the city, that she should be around so many others, and when her family moved to one she finally found herself.

She's loud, funny, that kind of slightly irritating you put up with because you know they are a good person even if they won't shut the fuck up sometimes. Magnetic and engaging. You remember Tyreen even if you forget her name, she’s got that long lasting presence that brings a smile to someone’s face weeks after they met.

Ty is an influencer with a platform that reaches millions. She tries to be a philanthropist, doesn't need all the wealth wrapped up in her families name and company, but she just.. she makes mistakes quite often.

There's always discourse about Tyreen. There's always drama. She doesn't mean it, she just sometimes says the wrong thing, you know? 

Misunderstood a situation she commented on during a stream, puts her foot in her mouth. She's effortlessly problematic and in a way where it's clear that it's not coming from a place of negativity, she just... never seems to learn.

Tries her best though, is loved by people all over the world. Loves herself too. 

It's nice. 

It's everything she ever wanted.

Seifa with Ari - owned by @artisthicc-nikyri

It’s easier to be who you want to be when you're supported by a family that truly loves what family is. 

She always felt guilt at not being able to provide on the level the other hunters did, but taking a saurian claw to the flesh when you bleed for as long as she always does was never worth the risk. Can’t bring much to a clan when you’re dead. She found easy footing in a different role, a different part of the hunt that suited her a hell of a lot more : trading.

She’s cocky, laid back, friendly and open. No façade with this Seifa because the strength she grew up learning was genuine -  bonds, family, love. 

No act behind how she presents herself, no need! Her natural skills always lay in numbers and supplies, and she’s been the face of the clan in business deals off planet since she was 20, tailored business suits go so well with clan tattoos and bone.

Has a couple of pups of her own with a man who's got one eye and a full heart, he teaches them how to pull wealth from the soil while she's off planet, and their mother teaches them how to pull it from people when she’s home. 

Touches base on Eden-6 at least weekly to restock on pelts and rare components. Ravasaur lenses go for a fortune to Harrier jewellery aficionados.

Happy. More scars and less stress.

News about the COV's rise on Pandora means nothing, not her business, let them sign their own death sentences. That place is a shithole anyway.

Asks are open!

[hieromonkcharbel]

Preparing a blog post on the passions as understood by Desert Fathers, I came across this list: interesting albeit a little overwhelming. I’m going to have to break out the dictionary to know how a few of them are defined.

A LIST OF THE PASSIONS

by Saint Peter of Damaskos

The passions are:

harshness, trickery, malice, perversity, mindlessness, licentiousness, enticement, dullness, lack of understanding, idleness, sluggishness, stupidity, flattery, silliness, idiocy, madness, derangement, coarseness, rashness, cowardice, lethargy, dearth of good actions, moral errors, greed, over-frugality, ignorance, folly, spurious knowledge, forgetfulness, lack of discrimination, obduracy, injustice, evil intention, a conscienceless soul, slothfulness, idle chatter, breaking of faith, wrongdoing, sinfulness, lawlessness, criminality, passion, seduction, assent to evil, mindless coupling, demonic provocation, dallying, bodily comfort beyond what is required, vice, stumbling, sickness of soul, enervation, weakness of intellect, negligence, laziness, a reprehensible despondency, disdain of God, aberration, transgression, unbelief, lack of faith, wrong belief, poverty of faith, heresy, fellowship in heresy, polytheism, idolatry, ignorance of God, impiety, magic, astrology, divination, sorcery, denial of God, the love of idols, dissipation, profligacy, loquacity, indolence, self-love, inattentiveness, lack of progress, deceit, delusion, audacity, witchcraft, defilement, the eating of unclean food, soft living, dissoluteness, voracity, unchastity, avarice, anger, dejection, listlessness, self-esteem, pride, presumption, self-elation, boastfulness, infatuation, foulness, satiety, doltishness, torpor, sensuality, over-eating, gluttony, insatiability, secret eating, hoggishness, solitary eating, indifference, fickleness, self-will, thoughtlessness, self-satisfaction, love of popularity, ignorance of beauty, uncouthness, gaucherie, lightmindedness, boorishness, rudeness, contentiousness, quarrelsomeness, abusiveness, shouting, brawling, fighting, rage, mindless desire, gall, exasperation, giving offence, enmity, meddlesomeness, chicanery, asperity, slander, censure, calumny, condemnation, accusation, hatred, railing, insolence, dishonour, ferocity, frenzy, severity, aggressiveness, forswearing oneself, oathtaking, lack of compassion, hatred of one’s brothers, partiality, patricide, matricide, breaking fasts, laxity, acceptance of bribes, theft, rapine, jealousy, strife, envy, indecency, jesting, vilification, mockery, derision, exploitation, oppression, disdain of one’s neighbour, flogging, making sport of others, hanging, throttling, heartlessness, implacability, covenant-breaking, bewitchment, harshness, shamelessness, impudence, obfuscation of thoughts, obtuseness, mental blindness, attraction to what is fleeting, impassionedness, frivolity, disobedience, dullwittedness, drowsiness of soul, excessive sleep, fantasy, heavy drinking, drunkenness, uselessness, slackness, mindless enjoyment, self-indulgence, venery, using foul language, effeminacy, unbridled desire, burning lust, masturbation, pimping, adultery, sodomy, bestiality, defilement, wantonness, a stained soul, incest, uncleanliness, pollution, sordidness, feigned affection, laughter, jokes, immodest dancing, clapping, improper songs, revelry, fluteplaying, license of tongue, excessive love of order, insubordination, disorderliness, reprehensible collusion, conspiracy, warfare, killing, brigandry, sacrilege, illicit gains, usury, wiliness, grave-robbing, hardness of heart, obloquy, complaining, blasphemy, fault-finding, ingratitude, malevolence, contemptuousness, pettiness, confusion, lying, verbosity, empty words, mindless joy, daydreaming, mindless friendship, bad habits, nonsensicality, silly talk, garrulity, niggardliness, depravity, intolerance, irritability, affluence, rancour, misuse, ill-temper, clinging to life, ostentation, affectation, pusillanimity, satanic love, curiosity, contumely, lack of the fear of God, unteachability, senselessness, haughtiness, self-vaunting, self-inflation, scorn for one’s neighbour, mercilessness, insensitivity, hopelessness, spiritual paralysis, hatred of God, despair, suicide, a falling away from God in all things, utter destruction – altogether 298 passions.

These, then, are the passions which I have found named in the Holy Scriptures. I have set them down in a single list, as I did at the beginning of my discourse with the various books I have used. I have not tried, nor would I have been able, to arrange them all in order; this would have been beyond my powers, for the reason given by St. John Klimakos: ‘If you seek understanding in wicked men, you will not find it.’ For all that the demons produce is disorderly. In common with the godless and the unjust, the demons have but one purpose: to destroy the souls of those who accept their evil counsel. Yet sometimes they actually help men to attain holiness. In such instances they are conquered by the patience and faith of those who put their trust in the Lord, and who through their good actions and resistance to evil thoughts counteract the demons and bring down curses upon them.

A LIST OF THE PASSIONS, Saint Peter of Damaskos The Philokalia; The Complete Text compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth, Volume Three

[ad-astra-zenith]

Alexander Hamilton: Account of a Hurricane

[This post is in honour of those who have suffered at the wake of such devastation. It would be that with each passing year the hurricanes are becoming more aggressive in their nature.]

Alexander Hamilton without a doubt was a man of words. The very reason he managed to escape the clutches of poverty and invisibility was because of his eloquence when it came to the quill.

His 'Account of a Hurricane' is considered one of his greatest works as it was what truly brought change upon his life.

This is why I feel it is my obligation to share it with you. I truly do hope that you take the time and read the wondrous writings of this historical figure who help shaped what is arguably one of the most influential countries of this age.

.

.

Saint Croix, September 6, 1772

Honoured Sir,

I take up my pen just to give you an imperfect account of the most dreadful hurricane that memory or any records whatever can trace, which happened here on the 31st ultimo at night.

It began about dusk, at North, and raged very violently till ten o'clock. Then ensued a sudden and unexpected interval, which lasted about an hour. Meanwhile the wind was shifting round to the South West point, from whence it returned with redoubled fury and continued so till near three o'clock in the morning. Good God! what horror and destruction—it's impossible for me to describe—or you to form any idea of it. It seemed as if a total dissolution of nature was taking place. The roaring of the sea and wind—fiery meteors flying about in the air—the prodigious glare of almost perpetual lightning—the crash of the falling houses—and the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed, were sufficient to strike astonishment into Angels. A great part of the buildings throughout the Island are levelled to the ground—almost all the rest very much shattered—several persons killed and numbers utterly ruined—whole families running about the streets unknowing where to find a place of shelter—the sick exposed to the keenness of water and air—without a bed to lie upon—or a dry covering to their bodies—our harbour is entirely bare. In a word, misery in all its most hideous shapes spread over the whole face of the country.— A strong smell of gunpowder added somewhat to the terrors of the night; and it was observed that the rain was surprisingly salt. Indeed, the water is so brackish and full of sulphur that there is hardly any drinking it.

My reflections and feelings on this frightful and melancholy occasion are set forth in following self-discourse.

Where now, Oh! vile worm, is all thy boasted fortitude and resolution? what is become of thy arrogance and self-sufficiency?—why dost thou tremble and stand aghast? how humble—how helpless—how contemptible you now appear. And for why? the jarring of the elements—the discord of clouds? Oh, impotent presumptuous fool! how darest thou offend that omnipotence, whose nod alone were sufficient to quell the destruction that hovers over thee, or crush thee into atoms? See thy wretched helpless state and learn to know thyself. Learn to know thy best support. Despise thyself and adore thy God. How sweet—how unutterably sweet were now the voice of an approving conscience;—then couldst thou say—hence ye idle alarms—why do I shrink? What have I to fear? A pleasing calm suspense! a short repose from calamity to end in eternal bliss?—let the earth rend, let the planets forsake their course—let the sun be extinguished, and the heavens burst asunder—yet what have I to dread? my staff can never be broken—in omnipotence I trust.

He who gave the winds to blow and the lightnings to rage—even him I have always loved and served—his precepts have I observed—his commandments have I obeyed—and his perfections have I adored.—He will snatch me from ruin—he will exalt me to the fellowship of Angels and Seraphs, and to the fulness of never ending joys.

But alas! how different, how deplorable—how gloomy the prospect—death comes rushing on in triumph veiled in a mantle of ten-fold darkness. His unrelenting scythe, pointed and ready for the stroke.—On his right hand sits destruction, hurling the winds and belching forth flames;—calamity on his left threatening famine, disease, distress of all kinds.—And Oh! thou wretch, look still a little further; see the gulf of eternal mystery open—there mayest thou shortly plunge — the just reward of thy vileness.—Alas! whither canst thou fly? where hide thyself? thou canst not call upon thy God;—thy life has been a continual warfare with him.

Hark! ruin and confusion on every side.—Tis thy turn next: but one short moment—even now—Oh Lord help—Jesus be merciful!

Thus did I reflect, and thus at every gust of the wind did I conclude,—till it pleased the Almighty to allay it.—Nor did my emotions proceed either from the suggestion of too much natural fear, or a conscience overburdened with crimes of an uncommon cast.—I thank God this was not the case. The scenes of horror exhibited around us, naturally awakened such ideas in every thinking breast, and aggravated the deformity of every failing of our lives. It were a lamentable insensibility indeed, not to have had such feelings,—and I think inconsistent with human nature.

Our distressed helpless condition taught us humility and a contempt of ourselves.—The horrors of the night—the prospect of an immediate cruel death—or, as one may say, of being crushed by the Almighty in his anger—filled us with terror. And everything that had tended to weaken our interest with Him, upbraided us, in the strongest colours, with our baseness and folly.—That which, in a calm unruffled temper, we call a natural cause, seemed then like the correction of the Deity.—Our imagination represented him as an incensed master, executing vengeance on the crimes of his servants.—The father and benefactor were forgot, and in that view, a consciousness of our guilt filled us with despair.

But see, the Lord relents—he hears our prayers—the Lightning ceases—the winds are appeased—the warring elements are reconciled, and all things promise peace.—The darkness is dispelled—and drooping nature revives at the approaching dawn. Look back, Oh, my soul—look back and tremble.—Rejoice at thy deliverance, and humble thyself in the presence of thy deliverer.

Yet hold, Oh, vain mortal!—check thy ill-timed joy. Art thou so selfish as to exult because thy lot is happy in a season of universal woe?—Hast thou no feelings for the miseries of thy fellow-creatures, and art thou incapable of the soft pangs of sympathetic sorrow?—Look around thee and shudder at the view.—See desolation and ruin wherever thou turnest thine eye. See thy fellow-creatures pale and lifeless; their bodies mangled—their souls snatched into eternity—unexpecting—alas! perhaps unprepared!—Hark the bitter groans of distress—see sickness and infirmities exposed to the inclemencies of wind and water—see tender infancy pinched with hunger and hanging to the mother's knee for food!—see the unhappy mother's anxiety—her poverty denies relief—her breast heaves with pangs of maternal pity—her heart is bursting—the tears gush down her cheeks—Oh sights of woe! Oh distress unspeakable!—my heart bleeds—but I have no power to solace!—Oh ye, who revel in affluence, see the afflictions of humanity, and bestow your superfluity to ease them.—Say not, we have suffered also, and with-hold your compassion. What are your sufferings compared to these? Ye have still more than enough left.—Act wisely.—Succour the miserable and lay up a treasure in Heaven.

I am afraid, sir, you will think this description more the effort of imagination, than a true picture of realities. But I can affirm with the greatest truth, that there is not a single circumstance touched upon which I have not absolutely been an eye-witness to.

Our General has several very salutary and human regulations, and both in his public and private measures has shown himself the man.

[allyklapak]

An Overview of the Mess at Hand

Fact: the severe state the earth is struggling to survive results from years of mankind’s relentless abuse. Fact: there are still many who turn a blind eye to these harsh realities because of economic, religious, and cultural personal interests. There exists a basis of understanding about the current state of the environment and the detrimental role man has played in its demise. Proper discourse on sustainability, from which solutions may arise, begins with developing a wholistic view of the environment. The environment is comprised of all the elements, both living and nonliving, with which we engage. This engagement creates the connections that environmental science targets for study. [^1] Through analysis of human activity, the extend of the damage done by our hand may be collected and categorized. Identifying destructive behavior and tracing it back to the responsible countries, companies, labor fields or common activities, assigns accountability. I do not believe that pointing fingers would excuse the lesser offenders from doing their part to fight climate change, but it should rather prompt the guiltiest parties into action to protect the planet and their reputations. Scientific principles of sustainability underscore how humans so strongly depend on the environment for survival.[^2] Solar energy is an invaluable and inexhaustible resource that organisms need either directly to photosynthesize or indirectly further down the food chain for energy to function. Maintenance of ecosystems is essential to promote biodiversity. Studies have shown a recent decrease in diversity as species are losing defining characteristics due to increased travel between once remote locations.[^3] A lack of biodiversity suggests a decline in productivity within an ecosystem as species’ specific jobs are left vacant by those that disappear. For example, if creatures that control certain disease carrying insects no longer exist, then these diseases may spread to the ill-equipped human population resulting in wasted time and funds to find a cure. Additionally, chemical cycling is an essential principle because it circulated the waste products of some species to become resources for others.[^3] For example, oxygen is expelled from plants but is vital to humans. Natural resources have been taken for granted through human carelessness and potential obliviousness to the different classes of resources. As aforementioned, solar energy is inexhaustible because it will be supplied by the sun until the star dies. Renewable resources have the potential to be limitless, as they can be naturally replenished, but they rely on mankind to not exceed the sustainable yield, which defines the rate at which resources can be consumed without depleting the entire supply. Conversely, nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels, have a limited store that cannot be easily replenished. [^4] Acknowledging these differences should give humans the opportunity to see why certain resources are being conserved more urgently than others. Particular areas should be aware of their biocapacity to avoid perpetuating a heavy per capita footprint. A per capita footprint concludes the average footprint of a person from a certain place.[^5] If a nation uses resources at a rate faster than they are naturally replenished, its footprint exceeds the biocapacity and the location falls into an ecological deficit. [^5] The rate at which modern society wastes supplies demands 1.5 earths of resources.[^6] The United States especially squanders resources at an appalling rate. It accounts for 30% of the global environmental footprint, yet is only home to 4.3% of the world’s population.[^7] Similarly, China maintains an unsustainable footprint deficit due to grave degrees of pollution and the enormous population that expends an equally immense grain supply.[^6] The many variations of diagrams mapping ecological footprints portray the fact that well-developed nations in the west, east, and across Europe seem to be most averse to the environment. These maps portray collective data from various models projecting typical resource use. The IPAT model takes into account the population’s size, their affluence, and their use of technology.[^6] The Global Footprint Network’s calculator surveys diet, home energy usage, and transportation habits.[^8] I discovered that if my life habits were universal, humanity would need well over two earths to make up for the loss. After this shocking revelation I began to question the validity of the quiz. I use reusable coffee cups, I recycle, I thrift shop, how could my habits potentially be so problematic? The answer lies in aspects I had never considered to be in my power to change. The epiphany was reached that these minor switches were nearly futile compared to the bigger picture changes such as home power, which rests in the hands of the university. We must press bigger corporations in the fossil fuel industry to convert to cleaner energy. The win-win principle may be applied as working on infrastructure to produce cleaner energy creates new jobs in the interest of the environment. Conflicting world views cloud ethics and hinder unification under the goal for climate progress. Climate issues are class issues because affluent people exacerbate environmental problems through extravagance while the poverty stricken cannot afford to focus on these external concerns.[^10] Human-centered world views recognize the necessity of the world for humans and call for planetary management or stewardship.[^11] Scientists who composed the 1992 warning to humanity cautioned, “A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.”[^12] Life-centered perspectives feel compelled to protect the threatened species while the earth centered point of view highlights the dependence of human longevity on earth.[^11] I feel that these are almost indistinguishable. They all assent to the inherent obligation humans have to protect the earth and its inhabitants whether that be for their own sake or the sake of other organisms and future generations. Environmental science is based on these connections between man and nature, and some climate deniers cannot make these necessary connections. One of the most striking comparisons made in the text equates the fatality rate of mass starvation, a climate change repercussion, to over 90 full planes crashing each day.[^13] When quantifying the losses in familiar terms, I believe self-preserving individuals would be receptive to sustainability. Ethically we must care for the environment in order to address gender and class inequality and to care for the earth for posterity.[^14] In the 1900s, the movement started by Perkins Marsh to stop the misuse of resources split into two view: preservationists were led by John Muir to keep resources off limits, and conservationists under Teddy Roosevelt managed resources.[^15] Over the years, activists brought issues of pollution and abuse to light and in 1979, the First World Climate Conference took place to discuss the crisis. [^14] In 1992 experts in the field issue a warning to humanity to emphasize the perilous state of the earth.[^12] Scientists broke down this complicated issue into comprehensive and pedestrian terms to iterate their point to the public. In recent years studies including the 2001-2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment have emerged to link climate change to personal well being and the survival of humanity as a whole.3 Inaction makes the mess before us more dire every day. The earth will survive, it has for billions of years, but humanity might not. Discussion Question: The dialogue used to discuss climate change often pleads with the public to save our dying planet. However, Miller argues the planet will prevail, but humanity will not. Would the public be more receptive to the pleas of the the climate activists if the language used was more person centered and therefore more personal?

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Miller Jr, G. Tyler. Living in the environment: an introduction to environmental science. No. Ed. 19. Cengage Learning, 2017.

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Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC. 10

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“How Many Planets Does It Take to Sustain Your Lifestyle?” Ecological Footprint Calculator. Accessed January 26, 2020. https://www.footprintcalculator.org/result1.

Global Footprint Network National Footprint Accounts, 2019 Edition Downloaded Jan 26, 2020 from http://data.footprintnetwork.org.

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“1992 World Scientists' Warning to Humanity.” Union of Concerned Scientists. Accessed January 26, 2020. https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/1992-world-scientists-warning-humanity.

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William J Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Thomas M Newsome, Phoebe Barnard, William R Moomaw, World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency, BioScience, Volume 70, Issue 1, January 2020, Pages 8–12, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz088

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