#Natural Resources Wales

[tallymali]

maybe im mental but i often feel like in the anti-union online community theres a vibe of like..wales “deserves” to be in the situation its in regarding the lack of devolution and the always being lumped in with, and shafted by, england. like we’re almost treated as England A Bit To The Left and idk its really disheartening that even the community thats whole thing is to recognise our identities outside of The UK just kinda doesnt always extend that to wales

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

I realise you're HE, but any thoughts on how high school level education should be run/changed/etc? I'd love to know your views!

Oh sure, plenty, but they're not particularly informed lol

Well; Wales is actually massively and fundamentally changing secondary education atm, but we won't be getting students from it until the year after next, I think, so no real comment on effectiveness yet - but it's very interesting. They're getting rid of isolated subjects in favour of broad umbrella areas, as I understand it? So there's now Science and Technology (Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Computing, and all the various DT subjects like Woodwork, Electronics, Cookery, etc), Maths and Numeracy, Humanities (History, Geography, Ethics, Religion), Languages Literacy and Communication, and Health and Wellbeing (actually maybe Cookery comes under this one now? Dunno.) And there's a sixth to do with arts but I can't remember what it's called. But it includes Art, Drama, Media Studies, etc.

And then the idea is that a class will learn about a given topic at a time (I don't know for how long, so let's say six weeks), and this will be taught in each of those six umbrellas but via their own methods. So like... I dunno, let's say the Tudors:

That's fairly straightforward for Humanities, but in addition to giving you the historical facts you'd also explore historic trade routes and natural resources of the time and how they related to the politics (geography), the religious make up of the country and how THAT related to the politics (religion), etc.

Maths and Numeracy might explore how to use statistics to analyse Tudor era population or trade data.

Science and Tech could look at disease outbreaks and virology, or technological advancements and how they worked and get students to build one, or get students to construct a Tudor-era town using computer software

Languages can study plays from the era (Shakespeare), look at linguistic development, or use historical events as talking points to practice using vocab in conversations

Health and Wellbeing can explore stressors and challenges of the average Medieval peasant and how they overcame them, or play some popular Tudor sport or game, or make food to Tudor recipes, etc

The Arts one (god I cannot remember the name) can look at art history of the period, fashions, perform plays, etc

So everyone is still teaching the skills and knowledge of their subject areas, they're just united by one big case study. It apparently allows for far more integrated teaching, too, where two previously discrete subjects can join forces on a project.

All of which seems pretty good, on the whole, but also rife with issues if everyone isn't careful, so we'll see how it shakes out over the next few years.

From my own experiences of school though. Jesus. Something definitely needed to happen, fuck me.

What I should have learned in Textiles:

How to use a sewing machine

How to sew by hand to mend a tear

How to darn a hole

How to hem, dart, take in, and let out clothes

How to sew from a pattern

What I actually learned in Textiles:

How to use a sewing machine on its most basic setting

How to phone in creating a hand puppet out of felt because gluing was easier than sewing

How to badly sew an extremely makeshift and shit bag out of scrap fabric that you in no way want to then use

How to lose all interest in Textiles because it was useless and uninteresting

Like that is a VITAL skillset-imparting subject, and they fucked it, lads, they completely fucked it. Why did they never set us the task of buying a cheap shirt from a charity shop that we then amended in class? That would have been so useful.

Games and PE! Fucking hell! Here's what I should have learned:

How to stretch my body safely to target specific muscle groups, and in particular, how to cultivate a daily stretching routine I enjoyed and wanted to do

How to find a physical activity active enough to get me out of breath that I genuinely enjoyed, so that I wanted to continue it, e.g. salsa dancing or rope climbing or ice skating or hill climbing or assault courses or fucking anything at all

How to build my body up to doing particular activities safely and sustainably

How to find a physical activity to do on wet, cold, rainy days that would still be fun and I would still enjoy

Here's what I actually learned:

Physical activity is always uncomfortable and miserable and sometimes even painful

If you aren't enjoying running around in the wind and rain instead of the indoor gym The Problem Is You. Start Enjoying It.

Wanting to stay warm and dry and comfortable is a punishable choice.

You are only permitted to do physical activity in clothes that make you feel profoundly exposed and uncomfortable (a gym skirt and gym knickers in my school. Cycling shorts got you detention. Don't get me started on jogging bottoms.) Again, if you do not enjoy this, The Problem Is You. Start Enjoying It.

There are only three activity options. If you don't enjoy any of them, physical activity is not for you.

You should be able to Just Do physical exercise, without any training to build you up to it. If you can't and it hurts, this is because you're Bad At PE.

You will only be shown Once

Physical activity is only ever a team sport that you aren't good enough to be willingly picked for

LIKE WHAT THE FUCK

And you know what, LET'S round off with Food Technology/Cookery. Because I remember the things I was asked to make in FT. As a little baby Year 7, I still vividly remember two of the things we made.

Angel Delight. Easy, you might say! A simple treat, you might think! Easing the children into food prep, I hear you cry! But no, because the theme of the year was healthy eating, and so we were to add fruit to our Angel Delight. Any flavour Angel Delight, any fruit. Off you go. I don't know if any of you have encountered fruit, Tumblrs, but it famously has faintly acidic juice. This will prevent the Angel Delight from setting within the one hour lesson, no matter how well you mixed the pudding, or how quickly you got it into the fridge. It will result in soggy gross lumps of oxidising fruit in sloppy liquid pudding. Lesson learned: fruit makes food worse.

Cake. Easyish, you might say! A little harder than the Angel Delight but good training, you might think! A fairly straightforward process with a child-friendly food at the end, I hear you cry! But no, because the theme of the year was still healthy eating, so the teachers made it into an experiment; make four small cakes. One with sugar, one with sweetener, one with apple, and one with carrot. Then taste them and rank them in order. Off you go. I don't know if any of you have ever tried eating sugarless carrot cake, Tumblrs, but I have, and I can tell you categorically that it really puts the "Did you know" into the phrase "Did you know that fructose and sucrose are not actually equivalents of each other in a culinary setting?" It was rancid. It was disgusting. It was vile. It made me hate carrot cake for the next 12 years, in case my mouth had to go through that ordeal again. I'm still highly suspicious of the stuff even now. To (I assume) the surprise of fuck-damned no one, we unanimously put them in the order of sugar, sweetener, apple, carrot. Lesson learned: FRUIT MAKES FOOD WORSE AND CARROTS ARE ACTIVELY DISGUSTING

What possessed them?! No idea. Fucking hell.

Anyway this is getting long and I am still ill-informed. Peace out.

[minikker02]

O wow the new "prince of Wales" has decided to visit on Owain Glyndwr day (the day we celebrate and remember the last Welsh prince of Wales. He also led the sadly unsuccessful fight for our independence from the English)

They're not even being subtle about the fact they want to subjugate our people and erase our culture and history - if they really cared about us they'd relinquish the title and leave us the fuck alone

If you wanna know more then look up

King Henry VIII's Laws in Wales Act, abolishing our legal system and banning our language

All the anti-Welsh propaganda pushed particularly in the 17th century when there was a revival of our language (seriously look up Wallography it's really fucked up)

The English and Scots in the Industrial Revolution building their heavy industry pretty much exclusively in South Wales and channelling all the money from our work into England and large southern Scottish cities

The Welsh Not (an actual attempt to beat children so our language would die and we'd stop fighting against the English)

The focus of the English on the beauty and natural resources of Wales while degrading the people

The fact that until 1881 the Welsh weren't represented in politics (up until that point any politicians from Wales had to speak English and almost all of them were just English

The fact that in 1905!!! Prime minister H. H. Asquith literally said "I would sooner go to hell than to Wales"

Liverpool's creation of the Llyn Celyn reservoir in Wales without Welsh permission - to do this, they full on flooded a village which was a stronghold of Welsh culture and one of the last Welsh language only communities, Capel Celyn, and to make matters worse 35/36 Welsh MPs voted against the flooding and it still happened - This was in the 1960s

Also Liverpool didn't apologise for this blatant disregard of our rights and the forced eviction of an entire village until 2005

The Welsh language wasn't given equal footing to English until 1993 and even now English is compulsory in schools at GCSE level and Welsh isn't

The continued disdain shown by English cultural icons to the Welsh people and culture (seriously look up what Jeremy Clarkson has said about the Welsh before, particularly about abolishing the Welsh language)

How the English are killing our villages and towns by buying up our homes for "holiday homes" (really shouldn't be allowed at all but that's a different point) - this is killing business as these homes spend most of the year uninhabited (also it's not just a few, there's entire villages owned by the English which are now unlivable)

The mass strop the English media threw in 2019 when the Senedd was first allowed to refer to itself in Welsh officially, and as a parliament officially (instead of an Assembly)

Also the continued appropriation of our mythology (chiefly King Arthur but appropriation of Celtic history and mythology is a much wider issue perpetuated by a lot of people)

[allsmilesreally7]

you’re on your own, kid–chapter two

chapter one

pairing: Rafe Cameron x female reader

word count: 1.1k

warnings: none

PLEASE READ: this story will contain dark topics of eating disorders, vomiting, rape, and sexual assault (not by Rafe). Please proceed with caution and do not read if these are triggering topics to you!! This fic is in no way intended to romanticize any type of sexual abuse or disordered eating.

If you are a victim of rape or sexual assault, please know that you are worthy and your feelings are valid. Please contact the following for resources and professionals who can help you:

US–National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673/https://www.rainn.org

UK– Rape Crisis England and Wales https://rapecrisis.org.uk

AUS– https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory

EU– https://www.rcne.com

Summer went away

Still, the yearning stays

I play it cool with the best of them

“Y/N,” Rafe said confidently as he strode towards you, your head buried deep in your locker.

“Rafe,” you replied, “how can I help you?”

“You can start,” Rafe clicked his tongue, “by putting a poor guy out of his misery and letting me take you out.” He faked a stabbing pain in his chest, falling back a few steps for dramatic effect.

You let out a breathy laugh in disbelief. “I’m sure you’ll survive.”

“And you’re hardly poor,” you continued. He began to speak again but was cut off by some of his teammates passing by, dabbing Rafe up on the way. He looked back to you, planning on continuing the conversation but noticed you already had your books in hand. “I have to get to class,” you stated and turned on your heel just as the warning bell rang.

Rafe had tried to take you out all summer. Just like last summer, and the summer before that, and all the seasons in between. From seeing you during Sunday brunch at the club, where you sat at a table looking miserable while your father seemingly talked to himself and your mother looked even more disinterested than you; to weekend parties the girls undoubtedly dragged you to, getting up to leave as soon as the clock struck 10:30; to midday boat rides on the Druthers with your group of friends while you pretended he didn’t exist; Rafe was trying.

The one thing Rafe did not consider, however, is how his unrelenting persistence came off as disingenuous, making you believe he was making a mockery of you. You, the smartest girl in school (but not effortlessly smart). You, the most beautiful girl in Rafe’s eyes (but not naturally beautiful, you thought). You, the girl who could utter the snidest comments to his pleasantries, knocking the Kook King right off his pedestal and putting him in his place where he belonged. There was no way Rafe was seriously in love with you.

You arrived in your first period class when the room was only about half-full of students. You chose a seat with many vacant spots next to it, hoping some of your friends would arrive soon and sit next to you. The students around you greeted each other, proclaiming their excitement on their final year of high school and stated they were glad to be sharing a class together while you pulled out your notebook and began writing at the top with your favorite pen.

You looked up once you felt a pair of familiar blue eyes on you. Rafe was strolling down the aisle to the seat next to you, smirking and paying no mind to his fellow classmates who were dying for his attention.

“Hello gorgeous,” he smirked, “is this seat taken?”

“Yes,” you replied coldly, not taking your eyes off your paper.

“By whom?”

“Someone else,” you spat, finally looking up to meet his gaze. His smirk never faded as he took the seat and pulled out a notebook of his own. Your eyes fell back on your paper, preparing your notebook for the next semester’s worth of notes and creating a table of contents on the front few pages to aid in your future studying. Rafe looked over to see what you were doing and sat his chin on his hand, in awe at how meticulous you were.

“You think of everything,” he gushed at you. “I can’t believe how brilliant you are.” You felt your cheeks heat up at his words, but were luckily saved from having to stutter out a bashful response when the teacher walked in and began class.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Midway through the class you saw a folded up piece of notebook paper land on your desk with a smug-looking Rafe stealing glances at you out of the corner of your eye. You unfolded the paper, appearing unbothered. It read ‘Are you free this weekend?’ In scraggly, boyish yet somehow perfect handwriting. You rolled your eyes and cast the paper aside, returning to your notes.

You didn’t notice the way Rafe’s face fell. He thought for sure this year he could at least begin to warm your heart. Senior year, the impending decision of college looming over everyone’s heads, the feelings of reminiscing and uncertainty and doubt. He was sure all these emotions would knock a few bricks out of the wall built around your heart; no, the fortress built around your heart, complete with guards and a moat and a dragon in the basement.

But Rafe knew in his heart that after you had graduated (with the highest of honors and no doubt being named valedictorian, perfecting the best speech Kildare Preparatory Academy has ever heard), you would leave this island and never look back. You were bound for glory: accepted into multiple Ivy League schools all across the country with plans to become an attorney and help communities facing unfair prosecutions, because even though you wouldn’t show it, your heart was as pure as mountain snow. If there was one thing you hated more than the possibility of falling victim to the trophy wife lifestyle on Figure 8, it was injustice, especially to those who didn’t have the means to defend themselves.

Rafe Cameron had his future all figured out too, just not in the way he had hoped. He would attend a college of his fathers choosing, getting accepted because of a donation and not because of his impressive academic transcript, try to live as much as he can in the following four years, and return to island where he will work for his father for the rest of his life, alongside a wife he has no connection to and children who don’t care about him. He will grow old, rich in material possessions but not in memories or experiences, and he will die the same way all the other rich, white men die on the Eight: a welcomed inheritance.

Rafe knows his destiny, and he knows he hasn’t exactly taken the necessary steps to alter it, not like you. He knows his series of bad decisions and run-ins with the law will make him a slave to Ward the rest of his life. As much as he hates his future, he could have a very different one if not for his father’s notability. He’s accepted his fate, although that doesn’t mean he can’t fantasize about a different one; one that includes you.

Rafe knew a girl like Y/N Y/L/N could never reside in the future of Rafe Cameron.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

taglist: @h34rtsformilli, @peachyxlynch, @hotch-meeeeeuppppp, @augustlikesdeath, @bibliophilewednesday, @rafecameronisamazing1234, @viianey, @cynthiadelrey4ever, @leonardodicaprioswaterbottle , @dilvcv, @loveu-always, @gills-lounge

*I forgot to mention in the first chapter that this series will contain mentions on eating disorders and vomiting in future chapters. If you would like to remain on the taglist, please leave a new comment on this chapter, otherwise I will not add you on the taglist of future parts (no hard feelings, I just want to make sure everyone will be comfortable with reading the dark topics this story will cover).

[queenie-says-free-palestine]

helpful links to support palestine - this could save lives.

decolonize palestine - extremely helpful website which helps debunk myths, answers faqs, and provides other helpful resources

middle east eye - provides news about palestine, especially concerning the conflict

human rights watch - provides reports about the human rights situation in palestine/israel

palestine remembered - preserves the memory of what palestine was like before the nakba

bbc the key questions - link to an article addressing key questions abt the conflict

palestine is - website w a resource library and learning modules to correct misrepresentation of the conflict

history.com - link to an article detailing the nakba

al-shabaka - somewhat of a think tank dedicated to palestine

electronic intifada - online chicago-based news publication providing a palestinian perspective on the conflict

adalah justice project - an israeli organization trying to protect the human rights of palestinians living under occupation

imeu fundraiser - shares stories of the palestinian struggle for freedom

medical aid for palestinians - british charity that advocates for palestinians' rights to health and dignity (donate here)

palestine children’s relief fund - an organization that locates free medical care in the united states and europe for children in the middle east (esp palestinians) who dont have access to good healthcare

addameer - non government organization that helps support palestinians who are imprisoned in israel, provides free legal aid to political prisoners, advocates their rights, and works to "end torture and other violations of prisoners' rights through monitoring, legal procedures and solidarity campaigns"

muslim aid - uk based islamic non government organisation that works to support people suffering through poverty, war, or natural disasters using emergency relief and sustainable programmes. prominently offer their help in the palestinian territories

palestine red crescent - humanitarian organization that provide hospitals, emergency medicine and ambulance services, and primary health care centers in the west bank and gaza strip

gaza mutual aid collective - fundraising group for gaza (their patreon to donate is here)

united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees in the near east - un agency that supports the relief and human development of palestinian refugees (the only un agency that helps a specific nationality of refugees)

palestine solidarity campaign - activist organization in england and wales that arranges protests and boycotts israeli goods

help with a click - all you have to do is go to the link and click. its completely free, but every click helps deliver support to palestinian families

[historia-vitae-magistras]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alfred: "Your Grandma sounds hot!"

[naturalrights-retard]

‘The technologies at the heart of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are connected in many ways — in the way they extend digital capabilities; in the way they scale, emerge and embed themselves in our lives; in their combinatorial power; and in their potential to concentrate privilege and challenge existing governance systems.’Klaus Schwab, Shaping the Future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 2018

The Wikipedia entry for the Great Reset, the first part of which is quoted in a blue panel as a corrective to any mention or discussion of this term on YouTube, reads as follows:

The Great Reset Initiative is an economic recovery plan drawn up by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was launched in June 2020, with a video featuring the then Prince of Wales Charles released to mark its launch. The initiative’s stated aim is to facilitate rebuilding from the global COVID-19 crisis in a way that prioritizes sustainable development.

The initiative triggered a range of diverse conspiracy theories spread by American far-right and conservative commentators on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Such theories include that the COVID-19 pandemic was created by a secret group in order to seize control of the global economy, that lockdown restrictions were deliberately designed to induce economic meltdown, or that a global elite was attempting to abolish private property while using COVID-19 to enslave humanity with vaccines.

I am not an American, have never belonged to any far-right organisation, my views are not conservative with either a big or a little ‘c’, and I have published a number of articles arguing against the conspiracy theory of history; but I have also argued that a virus with the infection fatality rate of seasonal influenza never constituted anything approaching a ‘pandemic’; that lockdown restrictions were imposed not to induce the ‘meltdown’ of the economy but, to the contrary, to insulate the real economy from the $12 trillion of quantitative easing created to bail out the collapsing financial sector between September 2019 and April 2022; and that, far from attempting to ‘abolish’ private property, the stakeholder model of capitalism promoted by the World Economic Forum and implemented by its corporate partners under the umbrella of ‘sustainable development goals’ is designed to privatise national assets, natural resources and, ultimately — as Klaus Schwab openly advocates — the existing system of governance in the West.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Three Students pt 1

Three of them? Are they medical students, because we've already discussed how disturbing that gets.

It was in the year '95 that a combination of events, into which I need not enter, caused Mr. Sherlock Holmes and myself to spend some weeks in one of our great University towns...

Is he withholding the name of the town for its protection?

It will be obvious that any details which would help the reader to exactly identify the college or the criminal would be injudicious and offensive.

Oh, he is.

Honestly Oxford and Cambridge, and probably most of the other universities, had the resources to sue him to hell and back for libel, so that might be a wise course of action. Other universities were available, but there were only about 12 universities in Britain at that time, and he specifies they were spending weeks in the town, so it won't be the University of London. That leaves (in age order): Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Durham, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Manchester, or Cardiff. The University of Wales would only have been 2 years old in 1895, so Cardiff probably wouldn't count as a 'great' university town. Honestly, I don't know if anything from Durham onwards would have been regarded as 'great' because they were all founded in the 1800s. Durham would have been over 60 years old, does that count as a 'great university town' to Watson? I don't know.

Honestly, he's probably leaving it vague so people can project their own biases onto it. The rivalries between universities are longstanding.

He's never specified leaving anything out to prevent offence before, though. Like, maybe he changes the names, but he's never specified anything, and has a few times referred to people being aware of things from the papers. I think it really shows Watson's priorities here that he's obscuring the information in this one especially when he's published other people's dirty laundry for all the world to see.

“I trust, Mr. Holmes, that you can spare me a few hours of your valuable time. We have had a very painful incident at St. Luke's, and really, but for the happy chance of your being in the town, I should have been at a loss what to do.”

The more they talk about how painful and scandalous the incident is, the more convinced I am that I will not find it particularly painful or scandalous. But I may be wrong.

Also, the fact that we're referring to colleges does narrow it down a bit. As far as I know, most universities in the UK don't have a collegiate system. Oxford and Cambridge do, St Andrews does (on a smaller scale, I believe), Aberdeen does (similarly to St Andrews, only 3, I think), and Durham does. I don't think Edinburgh and Glasgow have colleges in the same way, and I can't find any evidence that they used to in a quick bit of internet searching.

The fact that Holmes was looking into English Charters makes me think that this is probably in England, though, not Scotland, so I'm still thinking Oxford or Cambridge, or possibly Durham, but less likely as it's a newer university.

"...this is just one of those cases where, for the credit of the college, it is most essential to avoid scandal."

Oh boy, I already don't like these people. I smell cover-up all over this. I can feel the outrage already starting to brew inside me and we don't even know what's happened yet.

"My subject is Greek, and the first of the papers consists of a large passage of Greek translation which the candidate has not seen. This passage is printed on the examination paper, and it would naturally be an immense advantage if the candidate could prepare it in advance."

Is this a cheating scandal? Seriously?

Also, I assume it's taken from an extant Greek text, so surely there's always a chance that that student will have studied that text in their own time as part of their reading? They presumably have access to the university library, which presumably contains texts in Ancient Greek?

"The only duplicate which existed, so far as I knew, was that which belonged to my servant, Bannister, a man who has looked after my room for ten years, and whose honesty is absolutely above suspicion."

Nobody is above suspicion.

"I found that the key was indeed his, that he had entered my room to know if I wanted tea, and that he had very carelessly left the key in the door when he came out."

A likely story.

"The proof was in three long slips. I had left them all together. Now, I found that one of them was lying on the floor, one was on the side table near the window, and the third was where I had left it.”

That's just incompetence. You didn't even try to leave them close to where you found them, unknown interloper? Come on. You're better than this. You must have some brains.

"A large sum of money is at stake, for the scholarship is a very valuable one, and an unscrupulous man might very well run a risk in order to gain an advantage over his fellows."

So this is for a scholarship? So probably not a spoilt little rich kid. Unless it is a spoilt little rich kid who can't be bothered to do the work.

“Bannister was very much upset by the incident. He had nearly fainted when we found that the papers had undoubtedly been tampered with."

Bannister knows who did it. He's probably related to them. He let them in.

“This was not all. I have a new writing-table with a fine surface of red leather. I am prepared to swear, and so is Bannister, that it was smooth and unstained. Now I found a clean cut in it about three inches long—not a mere scratch, but a positive cut. Not only this, but on the table I found a small ball of black dough, or clay, with specks of something which looks like sawdust in it."

...This I do not understand. The cheater stopped to do some arts and crafts? They clearly were cutting something, but what's the clay for? Putty eraser? Some weird way of making a copy?

"Either I must find the man or else the examination must be postponed until fresh papers are prepared, and since this cannot be done without explanation there will ensue a hideous scandal, which will throw a cloud not only on the college, but on the University."

Yeah, I was right. I don't consider this particularly scandalous. You could totally make up an excuse why the exam needs to be changed at the last minute, and even if you didn't I still don't think 'someone peeked at the answers' is the kind of scandal that could bring an entire university into disrepute. But what do I know? I'm sitting here in the future where there's an entire industry of students paying other people to write essays for them and if they don't want to pay they can just get an AI to write it instead.

"Had anyone visited you in your room after the papers came to you?” “Yes; young Daulat Ras, an Indian student who lives on the same stair, came in to ask me some particulars about the examination.”

Fingers crossed - please don't be racist. please don't be racist. please don't be racist.

Of course, that's only one student, according to the title there are three.

“Where is Bannister now?” “He was very ill, poor fellow. I left him collapsed in the chair."

Yeah, he knows something. He's got to.

“Well,” said he, “let us go round. Not one of your cases, Watson—mental, not physical. All right; come if you want to."

This bit made me laugh. Has Watson just been sitting there watching you pore over obscure English charters for hours, Holmes? And how many times has he come with you when nothing physical needed doing? But no, this isn't one of his cases.

“Dear me!” said Holmes, and he smiled in a singular way as he glanced at our companion. “Well, if there is nothing to be learned here we had best go inside.”

Clearly there was something to be learned there and Holmes is being smug about finding it when no one else has realised.

It was a small pyramid of black, putty-like stuff, exactly like the one upon the table of the study. Holmes held it out on his open palm in the glare of the electric light. “Your visitor seems to have left traces in your bedroom as well as in your sitting-room, Mr. Soames.”

OK, now it's a scandal. You really shouldn't be having students in your bedroom, Mr Soames. Especially right before exam time, and with allegations of cheating hovering in the air. What will the ethics committee say? Now, obviously, two consenting adults, but there are some distinct questions that need to be asked about these things in the circumstances.

Not that I expect there was an ethics committee in 1895.

“What could he have wanted there?”

Mr Soames, blissfully unaware of the world.

“I will tell you, then, in a few words the character of the three men who inhabit these rooms. The lower of the three is Gilchrist, a fine scholar and athlete; plays in the Rugby team and the cricket team for the college, and got his Blue for the hurdles and the long jump. He is a fine, manly fellow. His father was the notorious Sir Jabez Gilchrist, who ruined himself on the turf. My scholar has been left very poor, but he is hard-working and industrious. He will do well."

So he really needs the scholarship then, is what I'm hearing here. Also 'fine, manly fellow'. People really did just say things like that back then, huh?

“The second floor is inhabited by Daulat Ras, the Indian. He is a quiet, inscrutable fellow, as most of those Indians are. He is well up in his work, though his Greek is his weak subject. He is steady and methodical."

Ah, yes, racism. Could be worse racism, but still. And this guy probably isn't going to do well in the exam, so wants to up his grade.

“The top floor belongs to Miles McLaren. He is a brilliant fellow when he chooses to work—one of the brightest intellects of the University, but he is wayward, dissipated, and unprincipled. He was nearly expelled over a card scandal in his first year. He has been idling all this term, and he must look forward with dread to the examination.”

And the spoilt little rich kid, previously hypothesised, seemingly lazy and didn't bother with his lessons so now he needs to catch up. Seems to obvious from the description, though. My money is on the Fine, manly fellow at the moment, because clearly he's the one Soames doesn't suspect at all. OR all three of them are working together. I assume there are other people also taking the exam.

“That is singular, because you sat down in that chair over yonder near the corner. Why did you pass these other chairs?”

So he could be closer to the bedroom door? Though I don't know how that would help him? To see out the window?

“Oh, I would not venture to say, sir. I don't believe there is any gentleman in this University who is capable of profiting by such an action. No, sir, I'll not believe it.”

These guys really don't like cynicism, huh? Couldn't possibly be anyone who did this. It all must have just happened on its own.

Bannister might have let one or more of them in under false pretences and then realised what was going on after the fact. That would explain his excessive reaction (although, it occurs to me that since they're taking this so seriously, he might lose his job over it, which would explain a large reaction, but then sitting in the furthest seat possible is odd).

[spearheadrampancy]

UK New Emergency Alert system information

the UK govt has been pretty fucking quiet about this and as someone with a very strong autism degree in emergency alert systems i feel so many ways about this. so i'm making a post in hopes it helps at least one person. we are getting an emergency alert system.

if you're from outside of the UK, you're welcome to share! i dont mind if you tag it to warn of potentially upsetting content, but i want this to be as widespread as possible since i have seen how the US' system fails to be understood and i do not want UK folk to be completely in the fucking dark.

(NOTE: since i started drafting this post this system has actually been discussed by uk media outlets, with secretary of state oliver dowden discussing this with the bbc at least. that said, i dont trust that all of the outlets have discussed the system properly. this post is intended for people who are not already deeply aware of these kinds of systems and how they function, which should be most residents of the uk. also, this post neither endorses nor condones any actions or responses of the government following any disaster, past or future. i also will just block people who are going to argue on this post.)

the UK will soon be getting an emergency alert system that will allow the government and emergency services to provide people with specific important advice in an emergency. i imagine a few people have questions about this. below is a FAQ:

Q: When will testing begin?

a: there will be a test of the emergency alert system on Sunday the 23rd of April 2023 for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. no specific time has been given. they have provided a copy of the message you will receive, which can be read at https://gov.uk/alerts/announcements UPDATE: this is now scheduled to take place at 3pm.

Q: Why does the system exist?

a: in case of events where there is significant risk to life, a mass alert needs to be sent out in order to prepare people with the right information from a reliable resource. (for the purpose of this post, ignore that i am implying the government are "reliable"). other countries have made good use of these kinds of systems. if you've seen The Purge, you're familiar with a particular part of the American EAS, and there's a chance you might even be familiar with Japan's J-Alert too. it's important to know that every country with a system like this will use it in a different way - they'll look and behave differently, but they provide the same service.

Q: What might we get warned about?

a: many things:

natural disasters, like severe weather or earthquakes.

external threats, like those issued by another country.

health concerns, like local chemical spills or disease information.

domestic threats, like attacks or fires.

the government havent specifically referenced the following yet, but based on how other countries (namely the US) use their emergency alert systems, this could also be expanded include things like informing the public of emergency service outages such as emergency line problems or a reduced ability to operate in an area, abductions of vulnerable people, industrial threats like factory or power station incidents, or even potentially things like large scale power outages.

Q: What will an alert involve?

a: your phone will make a very loud noise, vibrate, and take up your screen with a message. it will stay there until you dismiss it. by default, it will bypass your volume or mute settings. here's an example on ios and android:

unfortunately, i don't have an example of how screenreader softwares read these alerts out. i presume it is very similar to how a notification or full-screen message box gets read out.

these were real alerts from the US version of this system, so while the way they look will be the same, the text that we get will be different. as for the sound, you can find the sound used in this official video from the UK Cabinet Office. the sound is played after a verbal queue once at a normal (not loud) volume, and then three more times later on in the background of further dialogue at a reduced volume:

Q: How can I make sure my phone is ready for this?

a: chances are, you dont need to. if you have a mainstream phone made in the last 5 or so years, and updated it within the last year, you probably don't need to change anything. you can confirm by doing the following:

on iOS: go to settings, then notifications and scroll to the bottom. if you see two toggles under the "emergency alerts" heading, then your device is up to date and ready to receive emergency alerts. if you don't see an emergency alerts section, update your phone. if you can't update your phone to a version where the toggles are visible, your device is too old.

on android: this can vary by manufacturer, but generally speaking you can find the alert settings in settings, then notifications, then emergency alerts, or messages (your SMS text messaging app), then settings, then emergency alerts. you might want to search the steps for your exact phone model to be sure though. and, same as for iOS users - you should update if you can't find these toggles, and if that doesnt help then your device doesn't support them.

on other OS': sorry, im really not able to include specific instructions for every manufacturer. your best bet is to google your phone model or operating system version followed by "how to enable emergency alerts", but for the most part you will find what you need in your phone's settings, under notifications or possibly under a dedicated "emergency alerts" setting.

with the US having given a major push for phone manufacturers to support this, most major phones began supporting this capacity in 2009. our phones here in the uk just had the option hidden, and because our government wasnt publishing these alerts, we never had them come through. you could actually still have had notifications come through in the same manner if you used a US-market alerting app that happened to use this protocol (but chances are, you didn't.)

Q: What else can I do to prepare for the testing?

a: spread the news. tell people, especially younger or vulnerable people, that this is coming. give easily frightened people a lot of time and warning before the wide testing phase begins. show them the video linked above, explain that it's not something to be afraid of, nor is it something to ignore, and if they hear it then they probably need to either find you, or someone they trust, to help them. even if your vulnerable person(s) don't use a compatible phone themselves, they may still hear the sound around them so they deserve to be informed ahead of time.

Q: Is there a way I can get some video examples of these alerts so I can prepare?

a: yes, there are clips on youtube of real alerts, recreations of real alerts, speculation on theoretical alerts, and outright fictional alerts. however, i am not going to openly suggest you spend the next week watching every video you can find, even if you're just casually curious. there's a few reasons.

main reason is that a very high portion of these videos are from the American EAS/EBS/EAN - they wont provide a strictly accurate experience to the ones we will get here. partly because the exact wording and kind of alerts we are likely to receive will be different, but mostly because most videos are of the older part of the american system - the tv and radio broadcasts. as far as i can tell, we are not getting a system with tv and radio broadcasts. it appears that our system will only support the mobile alerts. this may change in the future.

because of the subject matter, video editing, and quite frankly the sounds alone used in these kinds of alerts, many people find the videos to be scary or unsettling. for fictional ones, they are often meant to be like this. if you're familiar with analogue horror or creepypasta you may already be aware of how creepy these kinds of alerts can be or, at least, you may understand the kind of horror the fictional ones try to create.

that said, you may find it helps to look up videos of these alerts to help prepare you or others around you for these alerts. just be cautious and know when to back out and how to call yourself down if you get distressed.

Q: How can I prepare for the actual alerts?

a: you'll just need to be aware of what might be asked of you. you may find it useful to start keeping stock of how much water and food you keep in your house, maintaining a medical kit, and possibly practicing for certain drills like you should be practicing for a fire. (test your smoke alarm, by the way. not really related to the emergency alert system in particular, but complacency leads to inaction).

Q: What will the alerts say?

a: i cant say for sure what terminology we'll be using. perhaps we'll use similar terms to the US system. for example, a "shelter in place" alert means to stay where you are or enter the nearest safe building, and get away from doors and windows, as well as possibly other safety precautions. for now though, just know that the alert will tell you exactly what the problem is, where it is, and what you need to do in response. chances are, the government will at least give a better idea of the potential alert types closer to the time of launch.

Q: Can I prevent the alerts from appearing?

a: technically, yes. as noted above, in your device settings there should be toggles for the kinds of alerts you might receive. however, i really strongly advise that you do not disable them unless you have a valid reason. "i think i will find this annoying" is not a valid reason. "my child will always be around a responsible adult and is unlikely to need to receive these personally" may be a valid reason (to disable them on your kid's phone at least). ultimately, it's up to you. you might say "we've survived this long without them, so why need them now?" but in the rapidly changing ecological and socio-political landscape, i personally am inclined to disagree with that stance. worth noting as well, that some alerts might not be silenced even if you disable them, so you might get them anyway.

Q: Do I get charged for alerts?

a: no. it is a free service.

Q: Do I need a SIM card installed?

a: yes. your device will need an activated SIM card installed. Pay As You Go (top-up) SIM cards do not need to have credit loaded on them. when i say "activated", i mean that if you can at least receive texts or calls without WiFi assistance, your SIM is ready.

Q: Do I need signal/service to get alerts?

a: yes. from all sources i can find, in order to receive the alert you will need some level of 4G or 5G signal at the time the alert is sent out. if your phone has 3G, 2G, EDGE, G, or No Signal at the time, you will not receive the alert. i honestly wouldve thought that 3G was compatible, but the UK-specific sources i found said a minimum of 4G.

Q: I have really bad signal or an area I frequent doesn't have 4G or 5G, what can I do?

a: unfortunately, not much. you could see if your community or building owner is willing to fund a signal booster from a local network provider. if you have reliable internet connection, you can install the British Red Cross "Emergency" app (be cautious, a very similar app from the American Red Cross also exists) which has been around for a number of years. it primarily alerts you for flood warnings from the Environmental Agency (this is limited to England only), all weather warnings issued by the Met Office, updates to the uk threat level, as well as "alerts from the Red Cross" (i have no idea what those would be). the app hasnt been updated in a year however, and it doesnt support the emergency alert protocol so alerts will only come through as regular notifications. i personally would not trust any of the generic warning apps on the store - many of them are made for the US market, and you have no idea what kind of tracking they are really doing. you can also keep an eye on https://gov.uk/alerts where all official alerts will be posted. additionally, previous methods of public alerting, such as news outlets, will still be in use. this is a supplement, not a replacement.

Q: My SIM provider offers a "WiFi Calling" feature, will this let me receive alerts?

a: (NOTE: WiFi Calling allows you to make and receive phone calls or texts while connected to a suitable WiFi hotspot without using a mobile data connection, for example if you are in a building with no mobile data signal at all. you may or may not have it. it is usually a free service.) honestly, i cannot find evidence confirming or denying whether or not having WiFi Calling without 4G/5G will support emergency alerts. i would assume that the answer is that having WiFi Calling without 4G or 5G will not allow you to receive emergency alerts.

Q: I have privacy concerns about the system. Can the government track my location? Do I need to give my number or address out for the system to work?

a: you do not need to worry about tracking or data harvesting. you don't need to give anyone your data in order to receive alerts, and you cannot be tracked via alerts. the system is passive and one-way, using a cell phone tower to send out a message to every single device that is connected to it, very similar to how it sends out your calls and texts to your phone. you can visualise it as being a person standing at the top of a hill and saying "hey, there's a storm coming! be careful."

(^ if these get used in some We Live In A Society post i will cry)

Q: I have health concerns about the use of 4G and 5G in these alerts.

a: thats not what this post is for. im not getting into this and even if i wanted to, i feel like the people with these concerns would not pay any attention to what i had to say on the matter. talk to your doctor.

Q: I have security concerns about the system. Can it be hacked?

a: i'm not going to lie and say "the system is unhackable!" because with time and dedication and poor maintenance, anything can be hacked. the decades old US system is an example of this. however, you can check the official alerts page (https://gov.uk/alerts) to verify that an alert is genuine.

Q: I think this is part of some government mass control scheme!!!!!!1!1!1!

a: ok. i dont care. thats not a question. go away.

i hope this clears up the basic questions that many people will have. and as a reminder:

a full test of the system will occur on Sunday 23rd April 2023 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

[hiding1ntheforest]

British Folk Beliefs & Magick: Pagan-Christian Syncretism

Highlighting the influence of paganism on folklore, traditions, and magick in the British Isles from the Middle Ages and onward.

Christianity first began to spread throughout Britain in the 4th century when Christian Romans began interacting with our British ancestors. In Anglo-Saxon England, St. Augustine’s journey to Kent in the 6th century catalyzed the conversion. Christianity spread throughout Scotland and Wales as a result of several missionaries spreading word of this foreign faith. Contrary to the popular narrative, those inhabiting the British Isles at the time did not forget their native faith outright. Paganism shaped the many folk beliefs and customs that persisted throughout the Christian era. Folk magick, in simplest terms, is the people’s magick. It is shaped by various features of one’s environment - geography, ecology, history, religion, social structure, etc. Folk magick began to appear during the Middle Ages and continues in modern times, often combining elements of the heathen faith and Christianity. Folk beliefs were characterized by an acknowledgement of numerous spirits and folk magick often centers the Earth and making use of one’s natural resources. This article will outline some of the folklore, traditions, and magick of the British Isles.

Both household and land spirits were prominent figures within British folklore. Brownies are a type of house spirit thought to perform various household tasks, especially if they were treated with respect. These creatures are elvish in nature and appearance, sometimes described as house elves. Brownies are not small, in fact they are often described as being human sized and not particularly pleasant to look at. However, brownies carry out most of their chores during the night, so they are never seen. Despite being fairly helpful spirits, they could become mischievous if they felt offended. Boggarts are a similar type of spirit who may inhabit both the land and family homes. These creatures are much more troublesome than brownies and even destructive. They have the tendency to make a mess within the home and even harm animals. A repeatedly insulted brownie may transform into a boggart. Tales about household elves have been recorded by the Brothers Grimm and land spirits are notably featured in Shakespearean literature, such as Puck in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. The belief in such creatures are rooted in the pre-Christian veneration of husvaettir, or house spirits, and landvaettir, the land spirits. In Anglo-Saxon England, house spirits were recognized along with the cofgoda, or house deities. Moreover, elves are mentioned several times in Anglo-Saxon medical manuscripts, in which they are blamed for a variety of ailments that afflict both humans and animals alike. Anglo-Saxon elves were evidently more prone to causing difficulty, very much like the Boggarts of medieval England and Scotland. Another prominent nature spirit includes the Green Man, who symbolizes life, death, rebirth, fertility, and the spring season. Towards the end of the Medieval period, churches throughout Northwestern Europe featured architecture likely portraying the Green Man. For example, a church in Llangwm, Wales, is adorned with the image of a head with foliage emerging from its mouth. Such architecture has also been found in Asia and the Middle East, including the countries of India, Lebanon and Iraq. The Green Man is undoubtedly a legendary figure derived from nature deities. The Church likely viewed the Green Man as a representation of the danger and wildness of the outdoors, as suggested by Christian literature. The veneration of nature can be seen with May Day, which celebrates spring, the arrival of summer, and fertility. The May Pole acts as both a representation of the tree of life as well as a phallic symbol. This celebration persists in Ireland, Scotland, and England in the modern age, though it has become heavily Christianized.

Throughout medieval Britain, those who practiced magick were referred to as “cunning folk.” The cunning folk incorporated elements of folk magick and ceremonial magick into their practice, which was heavily shaped by both paganism and Christianity. Cunning folk were typically Christians, though they were viewed as heretics and church authorities accused them of working with the devil. Charms, herbal remedies, shamanism, and divination are prominent in the magick of the cunning folk. Furthermore, these individuals claimed to have a special connection to the spirit world and were assisted by magickal spirits such as fairies. The spirits often took the form of an animal such as a dog, cat, or goat, and could take one onto a spiritual journey to Elfhame. Magick was practiced more in rural parts of Britain and the majority of practitioners were solitary. The cunning folk used their magick for good, providing ill individuals who could not afford a physician with an herbal concoction, and scrying a crystal ball to uncover the identity of a thief. They even provided protection to individuals claiming to be victims of malevolent magick, but the Church still viewed their work as devilish and equally malicious. As mentioned in previous articles, charms for healing and protection were used in the pre-Christian era. Practitioners of magick continued to rely on the power of charms, though the charms of the cunning folk often quoted the bible or invoked the power of several Christian figures. The Sator Square, a magickal Latin palindrome, was also used for protection. Additionally, utilizing plants and other natural elements with the aim of curing an ailment have prominent heathen origins.

Not many cunning folk were literate, but those who were may have made use of a grimoire. Grimoires are books containing information and instructions on spellwork, invocation, as well as a variety of rituals, and they circulated throughout Britain once printing became more accessible. Many of the grimoires of the cunning folk were influenced by other magickal books, such as Cornelius Agrippa’s work on Western esotericism, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, which was translated into English in 1651. Arthur Gauntlet was an English physician living in London during the 17th century who’s own grimoire contained information found in both Agrippa and Reginald Scot’s works. During the 18th century, a French Kabbalistic grimoire called the Black Pullet was published and became popular amongst British magicians due to its information on talismans and amulets.

British folk magick centered a Christian cosmology as well as philosophy, and it was combined with the pagan elements of nature worship and plant magick. There was a recognition of the spirits that inhabited the land alongside us, while the Earth retained it’s role as a healer, provider, and protector. Folk magick is not static; it reflected the people’s needs, environment, and other social factors. The practice of the British folk magician was ever-evolving. The application of magick and even one’s theology likely shifted through major social changes such as the English reformation or laws persecuting those partaking in ritual work and conjuration. The beliefs, traditions, and magick of the British Isles reminds us that paganism never completely died out. Though the old gods were not recognized during the Christian period and continue to be vastly unrecognized in the modern age, the values and knowledge of our pagan ancestors has always persisted.

[arkefthos]

intro post! still in progress :>

hi! you can call me jack or crow. this is my religious sideblog for hellenic recon and revival. im 24, and live in the uk - currently in wales, but i move around a lot. i identify as queer and proudly transmasculine, and use he/they pronouns. you can find more about my queer identity in the boyfemme tag on my main blog, crying--crow, which is where my follows and comments will come from! but i do want to stress that my religion comes from an explicitly queer space.

DEVOTION + VENERATION.

i devote myself primarily to apollo, but also venerate hermes, athena, hekate, hestia and hypnos. my heroes include sappho, medea and hyakinthos. i am leaning towards the idea of dedicating my sobriety to dionysos. if you would like to talk to me privately about it, please dm me! my ask box is always open within the parameters of my dni list. i have signed the xenia declaration - please consider also doing so if you haven't already!

AREAS OF RESEARCH.

please consider this section an open invitation to talk to me about any of this stuff! i'd always love to learn more and have discussions about these topics. of course, within the parameters of my dni list, my ask box is always open, + i would be delighted to hear from you.

-copper and bronze age iberian religion

-orphism / orphic + dionysian mysteries

-nymphs and nature spirits

-ancient greek magic, and if i can syncretise with my upbringing in traditional scottish witchcraft

DNI LIST.

i would like to respectfully ask that people under 16 do not interact. my resources are all free use and i won't block anyone for being a minor, but i am not comfortable giving active advice about the faith or any personal matters in that dynamic. this blog will not contain explicit or graphic sexuality, but i still consider it nsfw.

additionally, please do not interact if you are any of the following;

terf, swerf, radfem, or exclu

right-wing/conservative/trad

folkish, hindutva, or ethnonationalist

english monarchist

rp blog

wiccans

someone who I used to know irl and really ought to know better

this blog is not a safe space for you, and i'll block you immediately! objectively the most boring option for both of us, so do us a favour and don't bother.

PDF FOLDER AND TAG DIRECTORY.

here is my google docs folder full of academic texts relating to hellenic polytheism. there's 54 books in there + counting! i'm working on an index to add to the folder; they are organised alphabetically, not by subject, so you might want to put your screen in landscape mode if you're on mobile. the only non-hellenism book in there is a copy of the viridarium umbris, which i downloaded because i couldn't help myself, and am happy to share because i know it's a pain to get hold of. incidentally, if anyone has a copy of jack grayle's hekataeon...

please check under the cut for a directory of all the tags that i use! it's roughly split into tags i used before + after this blog was primarily hellenic, and therefore there is info on modern neopagan and wiccan-leaning stuff.

HELLENISMOS.

basics, xenia, books, the epics, prayers

temples, pottery, statues, art (- a non-specific tag)

apollo general, quotes

hestia general, quotes

dionysos general, quotes

hekate general, quotes

aphrodite general, quotes

athena general

[llywela13]

Wales play England tonight in an apparently crucial World Cup match, and although I'm not really paying much attention my eye was caught by headlines relating to a press conference in which an (English) media person asked England manager Gareth Southgate to 'explain' the rivalry between the two nations.

Southgate, being English, promptly waffled something about England and Wales being next-door neighbours. Just a typical local rivalry, he shrugged.

And sure, no one is going to actually go into the history between England and Wales in a football press conference, but it was clear that what he was saying was as much as he actually knew. And that really drove home for me just how much the average English person does not understand why the Celtic nations dislike England so much, how much they do not understand their own history of violent oppression of the nations they invaded and conquered, and how very recent and current that oppression was and remains. They just think the conquest was hundreds of years ago and we should all be over it now - those that realise there even was a conquest to begin with. They aren't taught this stuff, it gets brushed under the carpet as something vaguely embarrassing that happened a long time ago and isn't a big deal. And then when they are forced to confront reality and actual consequence, like the fact that their nearest neighbours resent them for invading and conquering and oppressing them for centuries, they simply can't make sense of it.

So you end up with an England football manager being asked by an English journalist why there is an intense rivalry between the English and Welsh football teams, and all he can come up with is that we are neighbours. Sure, Gareth. The Welsh resent England because it is next door and for no better reason than that. The fact that it was once our land that we were driven out of has nothing to do with it. The fact that successive English kings invaded what little country was left to us and slaughtered our people and our kings until there was no resistance left has nothing to do with it. The centuries of plundering our natural resources while keeping our people poor and dependent has nothing to do with it. The deliberate attempt at wiping out our language and culture has nothing to do with it. Why on earth would we resent those things?

Honestly.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Wait what's environmentally wrong with taking the top inch of the highest mountain in England and putting it in a museum in London

Same thing as taking pebbles or shells from beaches - it's all fun and games if one person does it once, but as soon as multiple people are doing it all the time to take souvenirs/make art/as a joke it very quickly tips into natural resource depletion and ecosystem degradation. Mountain tops are also relatively delicate, ecologically speaking, so a bunch of people thinking it's funny and all removing a bit of it would quickly add up to a problem (here's a fun related fact: in Wales there's a problem with people climbing yr Wyddfa and scattering the ashes of loved ones, because it's altering the soil pH and so changing the ecological community structure. To give you an idea of how this stuff adds up.)

Basically, "Take only photos, leave only footprints" is a phrase for a reason.

[floating-in-the-blue]

7, 12, 25, 37, 50! <3

Thank you for the questions, hunny! :D

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

The probably obvious answer (if you’re me) to that is Nature 2.0, which contains the largest amount of actual worldbuilding I’ve done so far, but given the fact that I’ve only completed about 7% of the worldbuilding it needs, I’m not sure I can really choose this? In any case, it’s a dystopian future with bioengineered people and houses and miniature pet triceratops and feelies (which seem the logical next step after movies and talkies), and global conspiracies, and I don’t know much about the political landscape in general but Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are independent. Also Seoul is a floating city and the US have probably disintegrated. So bio-punk dystopian au?

Other noteworthy pieces of worldbuilding: Morning Rituals (in which I dreamed up a whole ‘canon but with dinosaurs’ world and then used it only to write smut that didn’t feature any dinosaurs) and Battlefield (a WWI/WWII AU).

All of these are for my previous main fandom, Metal Gear Solid. I definitely came up with more interesting AU settings for that one, huh? For Jatp, I think the best contender is my darkish merman au, Call of the Ocean | Depths of Devotion but that’s not a whole lot of worldbuilding and just a bit of creaturebuilding, tbh.

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Okay, my first thought was “high school au” which just shows that my brain did not get the assignment. Learn to read and process, brain! 

But the truth is, I have no clue. I don’t read as much fanfic as I used to or would like to but I think my preferences have stayed pretty consistent throughout the years.

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write?

Since I’m not a native speaker, I do use a dictionary website frequently enough that it’s usually open in a tab. Sometimes it’s just for checking spelling, sometimes it’s to reverse search for a German word I’ve forgotten, sometimes it’s a sort of thesaurus. But I do also use one of those on occasion as well.

I mostly use both of those in a passive vocabulary way though, i.e. finding words I already knew but just forgot about, instead of finding completely new words. That happens, too, of course, but it’s riskier, also of course.

Dictionary of Choice: https://dict.leo.org/

Thesaurus: https://www.thesaurus.com/

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

As always, my answer to this is The Last Standing because I still love it a lot. It was the first jatp story I started and the second I posted, and it tries to unravel the path of how Bobby turns into Trevor. But it’s a character piece and not shippy plus I wrote it at a time when the fandom still primarily hated Trevor and ignored Bobby so … not much of an audience for it.

It didn’t do terribly and it’s actually in the top third of how many kudos I got on jatp fics but I think that’s mainly because it was early days so it had more time to accumulate them but it still feels a little … ignored? I know that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But the heart feels what the heart feels. 

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about anything you want to talk about!

Oh no … open choice! The horror!!

Okay, I’m just going to say thank you to my muse for staying unpredictable. Do I wish she was more constant in her attention to me? Yes, absolutely. I would love to write more again (although that is also fraught with danger when it comes to publishing and managing expectations). But the thing I find very comforting is that I have returned to something long abandoned often enough and then found myself motivated again and often even finished writing it, that I don’t despair about losing motivation for a fic. Because chances are good that I will eventually return to it. Maybe years later but that’s okay. It’s not completely lost.

If you want to ask me questions, open or otherwise, too...here's the link to the ask meme

[irregularincidents]

In the early years of colonial Australia, rather than having a local mint to make regular currency the local economy operated on the barter system, with the various transported convicts being paid with alcohol rather than cash.

The side effect of this is that many local businessmen, many of whom either were in the military or were former military and thus had control over who got land and resources, could naturally rig things in such a way that they would make exponential profits by, say, illegally importing stills to inflate their profits, for one example.

Naturally when a Governor, William Bligh, attempted to fix what he perceived as being wide-spread corruption and incompetence among the military and businessmen were were taking advantage of this system, it lead to what is to date the ONLY military uprising in the Australia in what’s becoming known as the Rum Rebellion in 1808.

This being when a former military man and businessman called John MacArthur (who previously had many disputes with Bligh over how he allocated land and resources) arrested Bligh, overthrew the government and remained in charge until a replacement governor could be sent in Bligh’s place.

Bligh was eventually vindicated years later, with the New South Wales Corps getting recalled back to Britain, with MacArthur in particular being unable to return to Australia due to him having to face charges regarding his, you know, overthrowing the government to maintain his corrupt business practices.

Oddly, it has recently been reported that in Western Australia the practice of Beer Bartering has actually made something of a comeback, with some groups around Perth deciding to use beer to purchase things like cars rather than using actual currency.

[considermygenderminecrafted]

The part of Wales I'm from is very englandised (idk if that's the right word) and I definitely can't speak for northern Welsh people; there's also a north south divide in Wales that's similar to the one in England, and obviously I can't speak for everyone/could be wrong about things this is mostly just my experience and what I remember from school.

Afew things I can mention is that England has a long history of portraying the Welsh as 'savage', 'uneducated', 'unvivilised' ect. Not that long ago speaking Welsh was illegal and the English tried to get rid of our culture ('Civilise us' :/). I myself am not that connected to Welsh culture, especially outside of what I learned in school, and again due to being a very English part of South Wales am not really qualified to talk about culture, oppression(probably not the right word but again, can't speak to it) ect(although it proves some Welsh people in places were disconnected from their culture but idk)

One thing I can talk more about it working class history. Farming has historically been a big thing in Wales (hence the 'sheep shagger' jokes people like to make :|), and a big part of Wales involvement in the industrial Revolution was the many coal mines and miners there were.

I've visited old mines, we learned about them in school, known people who's families were miners ect. (Fun Wales fact, the first million pound check was signed in Wales at the coal exchange and was a large source of resources for England's industrial revolution) although naturally the many workers didn't see much of this money and instead were often injured in (preventable) workplase disasters, fell ill, or just had to live in the often very poor conditions. There were also large disasters ,caused by negligence mostly, such as the Aberfan disaster which killed over 100 children when a tip from the mines collapsed onto a school (one of my teachers knew someone that died there, definitely where I'm from there's a huge impact that the coal mines left behind). I know less about the steel industries but they were also a big deal here (here as in South Wales)

Partially because of its industrial history and particularly because of being closer to South England, the south became more urbanised. Some parts are more similar to England than others and either way south Welsh people are not English but there is definitely a distinction to be made between south and north Wales (and I hope a north Welsh person responds cuz a north Welsh/English comparison could be really interesting)

There are similarities between Wales and north England, manily defined by England/south England. But Wales also has its own unique identity/identities and its own divides.

(I also want to breifly mention Welsh nationalism, sometimes it comes out in rivalry with the English at rugby, sometimes it's fine reclaiming culture/country stuff, but it also rubs me the wrong way and i don't have a real point with this it just seemed worth mentioning)

Also Cornwall has some interesting similarities with its language and culture being squashed/consumed by England. I'd do research on it yourself tho if it's interesting as I'm not Cornish.

This is dead interestin! Thank ya for sharin!

@imtooaromanticforthis someone much more qualified for ya!