#Northern Dimension

[irisbaggins]

Spoilers ahead, y'all!

Whilst I did make a post about timelines and possible magic and extension of life, somehow, the simple explanation escaped me completely. Especially as someone who lives in Norway, where Winter is half of the year.

When were Lila and Jaysohn born, if they knew their dad half their life? Early Winter. Geoffrey probably died sometime right before Spring, where the snow is still thick and the air still freezing. Let's say, if the plot of the story takes place in September-October, Geoffrey died in March-April, with the kids born around December-January. It would, actually, explain everything. We know, from Viola, that these stoats don't follow normal stoat mating patterns; Viola is having her kids in Autumn. Therefore, who's to say Tula couldn't have Lila and Jaysohn in Winter? They're sapient creatures, who can think and plan. We also get the small glimpse that Tula knows that they may have some control over when they get pregnant, but not always. Who's to say it didn't happen to her, too? What if, that Winter was where Tula gained so much, and nearly lost everything in one moment.

Although, I still believe Ava is overestimating her own age just so she can get away with more things.

[magical-misfit]

Brennan pls tell me that Snow White’s use of the Northern Wind was an “East of the Sun West of the Moon” reference BRENNAN PLS

I’m BEGGING

[flamehearty]

The Northern Oceanic Plate Dimension Stake

Here's a bit of an introduction for my dungeon-23. I'll be posting rooms on Tumblr.

Long ago, in ancient times, we were alone.

The human species - our human species - survived and thrived on its own, just one timeline among an infinity of timelines, twisting and turning through ever-widening spacetime. We were blissfully unaware of just how vast existence truly is.

Then came the Other. A monstrous being, incomprehensibly vast. It was a predator that preyed on entire timelines, plucking infinite possibilities from the tree of existence in an instant.

Long ago, in ancient times, the Other found us.

It impaled our world with tendrils of stone and pure shimmering impossibility. It injected creatures beyond understanding, ever-shifting and vicious.

As they swarmed the land, killing and corrupting everything they came across, it seemed as though the fabric of reality itself was growing weaker, as though the creatures were a venom made to liquefy our universe from the inside out. We never stood a chance.

Long ago, in ancient times, the Other vanished.

After destruction to great to quantify, just as all seemed lost, reality snapped back into place. The venom disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Lines became sharp again; thoughts became clear.

As we started sifting through the ashes of our world - somehow, miraculously, still in one piece - we saw only one sign of the Other remaining. It was a tower. One of the massive weapons with which the Other had tried to stake the heart of our world. As fragments of society began to rebuild and reconnect, we found not just one, but twelve towers remaining on our world.

And still, to this day, the Stakes remain.

Thirteen floors.

Always thirteen.

And yet, never the same thirteen floors.

Every expedition brings new mysteries.

New treasures.

New horrors.

We soon figured out that the Other hadn't disappeared. It had just transformed. We're still not sure exactly what happened, but the brightest minds from both sides of the Veil have been working on the mystery ever since first contact. The current consensus is that we need more information from the Stakes.

There is always a need for more expeditions. I'm so glad that you've chosen to join us on this journey.

Long ago, in ancient times, we were alone.

And now, forevermore, we will have the Stakes.

We will have the Others.

[slut-for-plot]

So, I’ve been reading quite a few TCF reaction fics lately and something I’ve noticed about all of these tics is that they all say Cale managed to take the war against the white star from 20 to 2 years and you know what? They’re wrong.

Cale had 2 years to prepare for the war with the north and as he’s running around he finds out a bit about arm and what they’re doing but not their purpose. This man finds out about the crazy stuff the white radish and the sealed b*tch have been doing only after the war with the northern alliance happens. You know how long it takes him to deal with all that?

A YEAR! One mother f*ck*ng year! Raon isn’t even 7 yet! This man Thales 20 years of war and terror and pain and suffering and deals with the problem in one f*ck*ng year. Sure he collected most of his allies and strengths in those first 2 years but Cale was still pretty much working blind when it came to the white radish and his plots.

People, you think 2 years is impressive? This man really did most of it in one and our beloved fool was in an entirely different dimension for 3 months of that year. Cale is legitimately terrifying and these fics are not giving him enough credit.

[theworldisadumpster]

The most inaccurate thing about Baldur's Gate 3 is that you know damn well that Gale wouldn't be roughing it. He's the kind of motherfucker that if and I mean IF you can convince him to go camping at all, would be pulling up in a damn motor home. He'd have a pocket dimension charm on that bitch so fast so when you step in ot's his whole ass tower, Mom, Tara, and house keepers to boot. As well as Elminster who'd somehow escaped his notice but is annoyingly in the way of his kitchen.

Y'all'd be putting a whole deer on the fire, and he'd step out of his camper with a four course meal and an evening robe. He's the type of motherfucker to sit by the fire and ask "Ah, nothing quite like the bracing cold of nature. Shall we carry on with the old camping traditions? A rousing tune about friendship conquering hardship? The rowing of a boat perhaps?" while lounging on a blanket with a glass of wine.

"Oh but he's in hiding, he wouldn't be using so much frivolous magic" you would cry

This is GALE DEKARIOS we're talking about here, motherfucker makes a northern lights show for himself every night, he can't keep his damn hands out of the weave cookie jar.

Dude is constantly getting his squishy wizard ass handed to him in battle, slipping on his own conjured ice and has his own personal life insurance tab with Withers. The companions also keep snack packs on them in case the orb gets hungry.

No way his tent doesn't open up with a full library, comfy chair and tea to boot.

"But too much exertion might explode us all!"

"He doesn't want to get made fun of by the other companions"

You really that his sheltered, mama's boy, groomed by a goddess, nerd ass CARES what the others think?? Yes, a lot, but he'd never admit it. He would also justify it as self care. ie "sleeping on a bedroll will destroy my back and I need to be in tip top shape" (you know he's unironically using tip top in a sentence, don't lie).

In conclusion he sleeps on a feather bed made of fucking magic while the rest of them lay in the dirt, no I will not be taking any criticisms.

[vestaignis]

Сипуха - хищная птица среднего размера. Ее габариты весьма скромны: длина тела колеблется в диапазоне от 25 см до 50см, а вес – от 200 до 800 гр. Размах крыльев 85-96 см. У некоторых особей может достигать 110 см. Оперение птиц – пушистое и мягкое.Верхняя часть тела имеет рыжеватый окрас , при этом вся поверхность тела усыпана крапинками. Живот, морда и грудь – белые, зачастую с наличием пятен. Лицевой диск в форме сердца с коричневой каемкой и темные, почти черные глаза. Уши сипухи расположены несимметрично. Левое - на уровне лба, правое - на уровне ноздрей. Сипуха – одна из наиболее широко распространенных птиц земного шара. Она встречается на всех континентах, за исключением Антарктиды, и на многих островах. Однако сипуха не переносит холодного северного и засушливого климатов, поэтому она не встречается в северных регионах Канады, Европы и Азии, а также в районах высокогорий и пустынь. Ее можно увидеть на высотах от 0 до 4000 м. над ур. м. Встречается в самых разных местообитаниях. Сипухи выбирают открытые области, где мало деревьев,вдоль водоемов и на болотах, на пустырях и в оврагах.Иногда сипухи селятся рядом с автомобильными дорогами. Хорошо приспособлены к жизни рядом с человеком, часто их можно встретить на фермах, в сараях и колокольнях.

Интересные факты о сипухах:

В ХХ веке люди заселили сипухами районы, в которых они раньше не встречались: Галапагосские острова, Гавайи, Сейшельские острова. Целью заселения было избавить эти районы от крыс. Однако на Сейшелах совы начали охотиться не на крыс, а на сейшельскую пустельгу, что привело к резкому сокращению её популяции.

В Англии сипуха прожила в неволе 25 лет.

При приближении человека сипухи начинают раскачиваться и строить гримасы.

Несмотря на то, что сипухи - ночные птицы, иногда они охотятся и днем. Чаще зимой или в период выкармливания птенцов.

Прозвище «призрачная сова» сипуха получила за свою способность резко возникнуть прямо перед лицом ничего не подозревающего человека, не издав при этом ни малейшего звука.

The barn owl is a medium-sized bird of prey. Its dimensions are very modest: its body length ranges from 25 cm to 50 cm, and its weight ranges from 200 to 800 grams. The wingspan is 85-96 cm. In some individuals, it can reach 110 cm. The plumage of birds is fluffy and soft.The upper part of the body has a reddish color, while the entire surface of the body is dotted with specks. The belly, muzzle and chest are white, often with spots. A heart-shaped facial disk with a brown border and dark, almost black eyes. The barn owl's ears are arranged asymmetrically. The left one is at the level of the forehead, the right one is at the level of the nostrils. The barn owl is one of the most widespread birds of the globe. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, and on many islands. However, the barn owl does not tolerate cold northern and arid climates, so it is not found in the northern regions of Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as in areas of highlands and deserts. It can be seen at altitudes from 0 to 4000 m. above the ur. m. It is found in a wide variety of habitats. Barn owls choose open areas where there are few trees, along reservoirs and in swamps, on wastelands and in ravines.Sometimes barn owls settle near highways. They are well adapted to life next to humans, they can often be found on farms, in barns and bell towers. Interesting facts about barn owls: In the twentieth century, people settled barn owls in areas where they had not previously met: the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, and the Seychelles. The purpose of the settlement was to rid these areas of rats. However, in the Seychelles, owls began to hunt not rats, but the Seychelles kestrel, which led to a sharp decline in its population.

In England, the barn owl lived in captivity for 25 years.

When a person approaches, barn owls begin to sway and make grimaces.

Despite the fact that barn owls are nocturnal birds, sometimes they hunt during the day. More often in winter or during the feeding of chicks.

The barn owl received the nickname "ghost owl" for its ability to abruptly appear right in the face of an unsuspecting person without making the slightest sound.

Источник:/mir-sov.ru/owls/barn-owl, ://zoopark-vl.ru/ zhivotnye /pticzy/sovy/sipuha/, dibird.com/ru/species/sipuha/,://pikabu.ru/tag/Сипуха,://tulazoo.ru/nashi-zhivotnye/ptitsy/sipukha.html,

[anghraine]

I had a longer, grumpier post about this that I've been drafting (it's past midnight but I'm delaying lying down for COVID+asthma reasons), but I actually do also find the raw quotes about Elizabeth at Pemberley pretty funny. Her impressions of the expensive interior are like:

It was a large, well-proportioned room, handsomely fitted up. Elizabeth, after slightly surveying it, went to a window to enjoy its prospect.

The rooms were lofty and handsome, and their furniture suitable to the fortune of their proprietor; but Elizabeth saw, with admiration of his taste, that it was neither gaudy nor uselessly fine,—with less of splendour, and more real elegance, than the furniture of Rosings.

Mrs Reynolds could interest her on no other point [than Darcy]. She related the subjects of the pictures, the dimensions of the rooms, and the price of the furniture in vain.

they were shown into a very pretty sitting-room, lately fitted up with greater elegance and lightness than the apartments below; and were informed that it was but just done to give pleasure to Miss Darcy, who had taken a liking to the room, when last at Pemberley. “He is certainly a good brother,” said Elizabeth, as she walked towards one of the windows.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth's impression of the land:

The park was very large, and contained great variety of ground. They entered it in one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood stretching over a wide extent. [...Pemberley was] backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste.

The hill, crowned with wood, from which they had descended, receiving increased abruptness from the distance, was a beautiful object. Every disposition of the ground was good; and she looked on the whole scene, the river, the trees scattered on its banks, and the winding of the valley, as far as she could trace it, with delight. As they passed into other rooms, these objects were taking different positions; but from every window there were beauties to be seen.

They entered the woods, and, bidding adieu to the river for a while, ascended some of the higher grounds; whence, in spots where the opening of the trees gave the eye power to wander, were many charming views of the valley, the opposite hills, with the long range of woods overspreading many, and occasionally part of the stream. Mr Gardiner expressed a wish of going round the whole park, but feared it might be beyond a walk. With a triumphant smile, they were told, that it was ten miles round. It settled the matter; and they pursued the accustomed circuit; which brought them again, after some time, in a descent among hanging woods, to the edge of the water, and one of its narrowest parts. They crossed it by a simple bridge, in character with the general air of the scene: it was a spot less adorned than any they had yet visited; and the valley, here contracted into a glen, allowed room only for the stream, and a narrow walk amidst the rough coppice-wood which bordered it. Elizabeth longed to explore its windings; but when they had crossed the bridge, and perceived their distance from the house, Mrs Gardiner, who was not a great walker, could go no farther, and thought only of returning to the carriage as quickly as possible. Her niece was, therefore, obliged to submit

On reaching the house, they were shown through the hall into the saloon, whose northern aspect rendered it delightful for summer. Its windows, opening to the ground, admitted a most refreshing view of the high woody hills behind the house, and of the beautiful oaks and Spanish chestnuts which were scattered over the intermediate lawn.

[nelkcats]

Cyrus & Boreas

Spirits of the elements

The earth has been in a very delicate balance for a couple of years now, despite constant reminders of extinction, only magic users know what is really going on with temperatures, sometimes too hot or too cold.

It had been years since Amity Park ceased to exist, years since the land where the old town was located was inhabited, now it was just a wasteland, the city practically moved into the Infinite Realms, it turns out that its inhabitants were so exposed to ectoplasm that when they died almost everyone became a ghost.

For years Vlad and Danny had come to an agreement, just watching the earth, seeing new heroes come and go, but they were both getting bored of it, missing their old rivalry, the thrill of chasing each other, they also missed visiting their dimension. It was, after all, half of their home.

Seeing the problem of global warming and how damaged the earth was, Clockwork presented them a solution. It turns out that when you were properly connected to your core you could take an animal form, and expand your element where you stepped, or around you. Frostbite and the yetis taught Danny more about it, Pandora and the greeks ended up teaching Vlad.

It was the beginning of their competition, apparently Acropolis of Athens and Far Frozen had an old rivalry too, so they were more than happy to teach them how to deal in a friendly way (still a dangerous fighting but apparently that was the most friendly possible without killing each other)

This power wasn't something ghosts would practice very often, because it would expend too much energy and ectoplasm, it wasn't like Dora's amulet or Amorpho special talent at all, ¿the good part? The halfas were characterized by having energy to spare.

With that resolved, Clockwork tasked them with taking care of the earth's temperatures, so a few times a year (mostly on winter and summer solstice days), Vlad and Danny would choose a specific animal and run across the earth, the places where Vlad stepped warmed up in an instant, the places Danny walked were filled with snowflakes and cold.

The animal forms they liked to take the most were extinct or mythological creatures, sometimes they changed to be opposite species, at other times they were the same.

The magic users named it "The Cyrus & Boreas Phenomenon", when Danny heard about it he was excited by his name being so similar to the Northern Lights, while Vlad sulked for having a Persian name while being trained by Greeks.

This continued without being a problem, until Danny found the Wachtower station in space, immediately he changed his path and ran towards it; Vlad, knowing this could become a problem, followed him from afar.

The Justice League and Justice League Dark were having a meeting when the temperature dropped, Constantine cursed as the rest of the league tensed "Bats, what day is it?"

"December 21" upon hearing his response, Constantine cursed again as he ranted about the winter solstice.

"Damn it, damn it ¿why did he deviate from his route? He doesn't go of his way, especially not in this time of the year, ¡this is a disaster!" Constantine paced back and forth "Look, I know you guys like to poke your nose into everything that happens, but this is strictly magical, so no matter what's about to come, keep quiet, do absolutely nothing ¿Do you understand?" The hellbazer's hands trembled as he speaked.

"You can't just say that, ¡we have a right to know! This is nonsense" Diana frowned, she didn't much like the wizard's attitude right now.

"Sorry Wonder Woman, but this is strictly tied to the Justice League Dark, trust us for now, it's for your safety" Fate spoke, he knew nothing bad would happen if the league just kept quiet.

As soon as the lord of order stopped speaking, the entire room began to freeze, pieces of ice hanging on the walls as a Giant wolf ran through the wall.

In the first instance, the wolf looked dangerous, the places where its paws were placed had frozen, pure pieces of ice, the wolf turned its attention to the League, approaching curiously.

"Boreas" Zatanna exhaled in amazement, the entire magical community knew how the animal's presence felt no matter how much it changed its shape, it was the closest thing to a myth that existed, leveling the planet's temperatures, staying a few days and disappearing, impossible to find, record or locate no matter how hard you tried.

"However, where is Cyrus?" Constantine murmured to his partner, if Boreas was near his counterpart shouldn't be far away.

Danny looked at the wizards, interested in the names they had given him, he was about to ask about it when a ball of fire hit him in the shoulder.

He growled in complete frustration as he turned to look at his assailant, behind him the League tensed at the sound as Fate signaled for them to keep quiet.

Behind the animal appeared a Tasmanian tiger the same size as the Giant wolf, Barry was about to question if they weren't supposed to be extinct when the wolf snarled and lunged at the tiger, who ran back to earth.

The entire league watched as the ice brought by the wolf was extinguished by the appearance of the tiger, returning to normal as both creatures moved away.

"Constantine, situation report" Batman was clearly the first to snap out of the trance he had been left in.

"Look Bats, I know how much you want your precious information but this is out of your league, ¿those guys? Cyrus & Boreas, they are as close to benign Gods as you can find, they keep the earth's temperature stable with their games" Constantine lit his cigarette, trying to ignore the surreal situation.

"¿Games?" Superman was next to speak, a concerned note in his voice.

"Games" Fate confirmed "We theorize they are opposing elements, maybe spirits, we think they pursue each other as some kind of challenge, and the balance on earth is just a lucky accident, we don't know where they live or where they come from, but they're not someone you want to play with." Fate commented, remembering the fact that most of the time the creatures try to hurt each other but never give the final hit, always waiting for the other to heal.

"Are you telling me that if these beings decide to stop coming here, will we simply ¿disappear? ¿Because they just decided to stop playing?"

"Something similar, but far more complicated than that" Zatanna entered the conversation "they keep the consequences of global warming stable, if they stop coming, well...the earth will definitely go extinct quickly, I'd give it a couple of years" is not like humanity was taking proper care of earth, these "gods" were basically a miracle for humans to correct their own errors.

"¿Why were we not informed?" Batman was at a crossroad, these beings were definitely dangerous, but if they faced them it could cause catastrophic consequences.

"The same reason you are struggling Bats" Constantine snorted "You want to solve all the problems, but you don't understand that magic is not meant to be solved or a problem, some things are better left as they are, without interfering, or it could happen something worse" and they are far older than all of us he didn't mention out loud.

"Then ¿what do you suggest? ¿We stand here doing nothing while two would-be Gods use our planet as a playground?" Oliver frowned, disgusted.

"Yes" for the first time Shazam spoke in the conversation "because if we don't let them we will become extinct" Billy knew much more than the magicians, books on the rock of eternity that detailed human spirits, about the infinite Realms and the deities that inhabited them. The delicate balance existing in life and death, but he was not allowed to divulge it.

-----------------------

Back on earth, in Paris, Vlad and Danny were enjoying a cup of coffee and hot chocolate respectively.

"So, ¿did you want to meet the heroes or see their cool station in space?" Vlad questioned in amusement as Danny choked on his chocolate "The station ¿huh?" Vlad spoke again while Danny looked at him with a frown "It's okay Daniel, I know you can't help it"

"Yeah, I know, it was a bit stupid to change the route, and reveal myself to sorcerers, but the heroes, the aliens, the space, I needed to see it" the boy grimaced, feeling guilty "thanks for getting me out of there, I was about to do something stupid"

"¿Something stupid like speak?" Vlad questioned knowingly, he was aware that humanity now considered them myths or even gods, they shouldn't be revealing themselves freely, their games were mostly harmless but they had a purpose.

"Yeah, sorry" Danny sighed "although I love the new name, Boreas commands a lot more respect than Danny, ¿right? I do miss when they called me Phantom though..."

Seeing that the boy was lost in his memories again, Vlad sighed, he also missed the old times, their battles, Phantom and Plasmius fighting to the death, but their grudges were resolved long ago, they had no reason to fight, Boreas & Cyrus was an escape from boredom and a reunion with the old days more than anything else.

"It's okay little badger, we can stop by their space station next year, I don't think the fledgling heroes will care" Vlad took a sip from his mug, considering, obviously they would care, but he really didn't care about their feelings, let them freak out a little more.

[talonabraxas]

Mount Shasta

There’s a well-known legend that says that somewhere deep beneath Northern California’s 14,179-foot-tall Mount Shasta is a complex of tunnels and a hidden city called Telos, the ancient “City of Light” for the Lemurians. They were the residents of the mythical lost continent of Lemuria, which met its demise under the waves of the Pacific (or the Indian Ocean, depending on who you ask) thousands of years ago. Lemurians believed to have survived the catastrophe are said to have settled in Telos, and over the years their offspring have been sporadically reported wandering around the area: seven-feet-tall, with long flowy hair, often clad in sandals and white robes.

Lemurians aren’t the only unusual figures said to inhabit this stand-alone stratovolcano, easily seen from Interstate 5, about 60 miles south of the Oregon border. Mount Shasta is believed to be a home base for the Lizard People, too, reptilian humanoids that also reside underground. The mountain is a hotbed of UFO sightings, one of the most recent of which occurred in February 2020. (It was a saucer-shaped lenticular cloud.) In fact, the mountain is associated with so many otherworldly, paranormal, and mythical beings—in addition to long-established Native American traditions—that it’s almost like a who’s who of metaphysics. It has attracted a legion of followers over the years, including “Poet of the Sierras” Joaquin Miller and naturalist John Muir, as well as fringe religious organizations such as the Ascended Masters, who believe that they’re enlightened beings existing in higher dimensions. What is it about this mountain in particular that inspires so much belief?

“There’s a lot about Mount Shasta, and volcanoes in general, that are difficult to explain,” says Andrew Calvert, scientist-in-charge at the California Volcano Observatory, “and when you’re having difficulty explaining something, you try and understand it.” Calvert has studied Shasta’s eruptive history since 2001. “It’s such a complicated and rich history,” he says, “and Shasta itself is also very visually powerful. These qualities build on each other to make it a profound place for a lot of people—geologists, spirituality seekers … even San Francisco tech folks, and hunters and gatherers from 10,000 years ago. It’s one that can have a really strong effect on your psyche.”

Mount Shasta is one of the most prominent of all the Cascade volcanoes, an arc that runs from southwestern British Columbia to Northern California, and includes Washington’s Mount Rainier and Oregon’s Mount Hood, among others. “It’s so steep and so tall that it even creates its own weather,” says Calvert. This includes the spaceship-looking lenticular clouds that tend to form around the mountain, created, he says, “by a humid air mass that hits the volcano, and then has to go up a little bit to cool off.” But they only contribute to Shasta’s supernatural allure, along with its ice-clad peak, steaming fumaroles, and shape-shifting surface that’s being constantly broken down and rebuilt by ice, water, wind, and debris. The mountain also sits about 15 miles or so west of the standard arc line of the other Cascade volcanoes—a move that took place about 700,000 years ago. “We don’t really have a good explanation for why it moved out there,” Calvert says, a statement that seems to make Mount Shasta’s mysteries appear more otherworldly by the minute.

The Mount Shasta spiritual legacy goes far deeper than contemporary myths and sightings. For Native Americans in particular, the mountain is a sacred place, straddling the territories of the Shasta, Wintu, Achumawi, Atsugewi, and Modoc tribes, which can date their lineages back to a time when eruptions actually took place there. (Its last eruption, says Calvert, was a little over 3,000 years ago.)

There’s Something About Mount Shasta

[northgazaupdates]

20 March 2024

Environmental engineer Dr. Tamer Al-Najjar provides an update on conditions in north Gaza. He writes,

In the sixth month of the War and with 10 days of the blessed month of Ramadan, northern Gaza faces a fierce onslaught, extensive bombardment, and ground incursions in several axes, as if it were the first days of the ongoing genocide, with the added dimensions of siege and starvation !!

The War enters a new chapter as Attacks and clashes resume in the north of the Strip amidst a new ground incursion ..

but this time targeting a few thousand resilient individuals "- 500" facing siege, hunger, thirst, and under fire ..

[eretzyisrael]

by John Spencer

Hamas forces indisputably violated multiple laws of war on October 7 in taking Israelis hostage and raping, torturing and directly targeting civilians, as well continuing to attack Israeli population centers with rockets. Years of intelligence assessments and media reports have shown that Hamas also commits war crimes by using human shields for its weapons and command centers and by purposely putting military capabilities in protected sites like hospitals, mosques and schools.

On the other hand, nothing I have seen shows that the Israel Defense Forces are not following the laws of wars in Gaza, particularly when the charges that the IDF is committing war crimes so often come too quickly for there to have been an examination of the factors that determine whether an attack, and the resulting civilian casualties, are lawful. The factors that need to be assessed are the major dimensions of the most commonly agreed to international humanitarian law principles: military necessity, proportionality, distinction, humanity and honor.  

President Joe Biden and multiple European countries, including the UK, Germany and France, are supporting Israel’s self-defense even as they express concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Though Gaza’s legal status is unresolved under international law, Israel needs no permission to enter the territory and resort to using force in order to wage defensive operations because Israel’s right to immediate and unilateral self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter is universally recognized.

Israel has pledged to obey international law, and one of its cornerstones is proportionality. The concept is often misunderstood to allow only for equal numbers of civilian casualties on both sides, with any lopsided numbers considered disproportionate. But proportionality is actually a requirement to take into account how much civilian harm is anticipated in comparison to the expected concrete and direct military advantage, according to UN protocols. In other words, a high civilian death count in Jabalya could potentially be considered legal under international law so long as the military objective is of high value. The Israel Defense Forces said the intended target in this case was the senior Hamas commander who oversaw all military operations in the northern Gaza; neutralizing him is an objective that most likely clears the proportional bar. Furthermore, Israel pointed out that the loss of life was compounded because Hamas had built tunnels that weakened the targeted structure that then collapsed in the strike.

The attack also passes muster on the level of “military necessity,” the principle that the action was necessary to pursue an allowed military goal (killing enemy troops), rather than an illegal goal (causing civilians to suffer). The IDF has said that its aim is to remove the rockets, ammunitions depot, power and transportation systems Hamas has embedded within their civilian population. So far, a number of military experts have assessed that Israel appears to be trying to follow the law of armed conflict in its Gaza campaign.

[mapsontheweb]

The dioceses from the 13th century.

« L’Occident médiéval », Joël Chancelier, Belin, 2021

by cartesdhistoire

The term "diocese" (from the Greek "dioikesis", meaning administration) originally referred to an administrative subdivision in the Roman Empire. The Church adopted this civil framework to organize its own administration, first in the East from the 2nd century, and then in the West from the 4th century. By the 6th century, the diocese came to denote the territory under the authority of a bishop.

Following the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, the bishop became the local instrument subject to close scrutiny by a global institution. He was tasked with ensuring adherence to canons, orthodoxy, and liturgical ceremonies. The reduction in the autonomy of bishops was offset by tighter control over the diocese. However, this control gradually acquired a territorial dimension. The bishopric, originally a responsibility for souls, evolved into a jurisdiction over a delimited territory, reshaping the geography of Christianity based on physical locations. This transformation was also evident in the progressive territorialization of secular powers. In the West, it established a connection with the original space: identity and governance, previously reliant on personal relationships, now also depended on a geographical location that linked taxation, jurisdiction, and territoriality.

In territorial affairs, the Church paved the way for the State by providing the manpower and administrative framework necessary for implementing two key practices that fueled its power during the later Middle Ages: surveying and direct taxation. Furthermore, it presented a model of spatial domination based on territorial sovereignty rather than feudal control.

The configuration of dioceses reflects their historical formation. They tend to be small and numerous in Italy and Provence, while being much larger in newly Christianized areas of Central and Northern Europe after the year 1000.

[sgiandubh]

By Zeus, they are stupid!

Back to our favorite mythomaniac, now suddenly proclaimed an expert on all things Greek/Olympic.

I had to howl. I mean, it's mandatory, at this point:

Calling all stations: there is NO Mount Olympia in Greece, you lost soul who thinks she's clever.

You should never have touched a sacred topic on this page: the Peloponnese. And you have finally managed to anger me. Seriously so: pursue at your own risk.

Archaia (that is 'Ancient' for you, Sinister Stupid Savant) Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, is one of my favorite places on Earth. It is situated in the North-West of the Peloponnese Peninsula, in the region of Ilia, beyond Corinth. That is Southern Greece for you, self-appointed Derailed Encyclopedia.

Mount Olympus, the cradle of the entire Greek Pantheon (that's all the Greek Gods, for you, Pretentious Idiot) is situated near the town of Litochoro, in Eastern Macedonia (as that guy, Alexander, you might have heard of him), in the region of Pieria. That is Northern Greece, for you, Arrogant Liar.

Distance between the two is very clear on a map:

557 kilometers, which means 347 miles. It would take me more than six hours to drive Zorba the Car from point A to point B and it took people like the ancient Olympic (not Olympian, you Faceless Pretentious Nobody) athletes probably more than one week.

Doubling the religious dimension of the athletic events, Archaia Olympia always functioned as Ancient Greece's UNGA (United Nations General Assembly, you Parochial Twat), with envoys from all the Greek city-states and overseas congregating there for the Games, but also (more often than not) to negotiate trade and/or peace agreements (Olympic truce, anyone?). This is perhaps why, unlike Nemea's stadium light cheerfulness, there's still a palpable sense of solemnity, today, in Olympia.

This cat, photographed by me in July 2022, in front of the Archaeological Museum of Olympia (I have already written about it in here: https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/724219876757176320/a-stupid-shippers-guide-to-the-peloponnese-part) doesn't seem to give a damn about all of this, though:

Your credibility was already subzero, madam. I will soon be done with you, finally debunking your uninformed lies about S's copyright EUIPO trial. Even when you do not spew your gratuitous hatred, your overinflated ego and your foolishness betray the Aggressive Fraud that you are.

God, you're brainless. And your denseness is absolutely insulting, at this point. And to think there are people actually believing all the crap that you send into this world!

PS: torch is lit ahead of EACH and EVERY Olympic Games (Summer AND Winter), you Unspeakable Imbecile:

[Source: USA Today https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/09/29/olympic-flame-relay-sochi-games/2890815/]

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese【Late Tang Dynasty-Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms Period(907-979)】Traditional Clothing Hanfu Reference to Dunhuang Silk Painting

【Historical Reference Artifacts】:

1.China Five Dynasties Silk Painting：

Name: 《药师琉璃光如来》 Medium: Color on silk Artist: Anonymous Dimension: 72.5 x 55.5 cm Location: The British Museum

2.China Northern Song Dynasty Silk Painting：《释迦说法图》(around 951-1000)

【History Note】

During the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the attire of aristocratic women continued the extravagant and gorgeous style of the mid-Tang Dynasty. The size of shirts and skirts further increased, and high buns and large-sleeved shirts and skirts were popular, showing an aesthetic trend from wide and puffy to slender.

With such changes in fashion, slender, gorgeous and elegant blouses and long skirts have become the attire for women at that time to attend formal occasions. Paired with a grand and square bun with a single hairpin, slender and flexible flower hairpins on both sides, and a delicate and gorgeous gold comb in the front of the bun, the overall look is more solemn, elegant, gorgeous and brilliant.

The comb worn in this outfit was restored from the gold comb with Jile Feitian pattern unearthed in Sanyuan Road, Yangzhou. It is huge in size and exquisite in craftsmanship, which fully demonstrates the superb level of gold jewelry production at that time. It is still shining brightly after more than a thousand years.

The woman wears a blue printed shirt with a long skirt, and a large-sleeved shawl made of "Crimson Dabao Xianghua Ling/大宝相花绫" on the outside, with a silk wrapped around her shoulders. This is the typical attire of female donor of Dunhuang silk paintings at that time, and is full of the rhythm of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties beauty standard.

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📸Recreation Work:@裝束复原

🔗Weibo ：https://weibo.com/1656910125/N4Gil06QV

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[d1-town-05]

Half-Life Alyx // THE NORTHERN STAR (1/11)

"This place is overgrown. How dangerous do we think this stuff really is?" "Well, it is spores from another dimension, so… probably— yeah, extremely. But! A rare opportunity to examine alien flora up close."

[probablyasocialecologist]

The capitalist world-system is characterized by perverse forms of production. Capital directs finance to highly profitable output, like sport utility vehicles, industrial meat, fast fashion, weapons, fossil fuels, and property speculation, while reproducing chronic shortages of necessary goods and services like public transit, public health care, nutritious food, renewable energy, and affordable housing. This dynamic occurs within national economies but also has clear imperialist dimensions. Land, labor, and productive capacities across the Global South are roped into supplying global commodity chains dominated by Northern firms—bananas for Chiquita, cotton for Zara, coffee for Starbucks, smartphones for Apple, and coltan for Tesla, all for the benefit of the core, all at artificially depressed prices—instead of producing food, housing, health care, education, and industrial goods to meet national needs. Capital accumulation in the core depends on draining labor and resources from the periphery.

Jason Hickel, The Double Objective of Democratic Ecosocialism