#best indian cow

[kisanofindia]

जानिए भारत में गाय किस नस्ल की बढिया हैं और कौन सी कितना दूध देती हैं

भारत में गाय पालन (Cow Farming/Dairy farming) एक बेहतरीन व्यवसाय है। देसी गाय के दूध की पौष्टिकता को देखते हुए इसकी मांग अधिक है। छोटे बच्चों को भी डॉक्टर माँ के दूध के बाद गाय का दूध देने की ही सलाह देते हैं।

आइये आज हम देसी गाय और उनकी नस्लों के बारे में जानते हैं…

देसी गाय की पहचान

भारत में देसी गाय (Desi Cow) की पहचान करना काफी आसान है। देसी गायों में कूबड़ पाया जाता है। इसी कारण इन्हें कूबड़ धारी भारतीय नस्ल की गाय भी कहा जाता है।

ज्यादा दूध का उत्पादन देने वाली देसी गाय

देसी गाय की नस्ल जिस क्षेत्र की है, अगर उसी क्षेत्र में पाली जाए, सही से दानापानी दिया जाए तो उत्पादन अच्छा होता है। आज हम आपको बताएंगे कि किस क्षेत्र में गाय की कौन सी नस्ल ज्यादा फायदा दे सकती है।

गिर नस्ल (Gyr cattle Breed)

गिर नस्ल की गाय मूलतः गुजरात के इलाकों से आती हैं। गिर के जंगलों में पाए जाने के कारण इनका नाम “गिर” पड़ा है। इन्हें भारत मे सबसे ज्यादा दूध उत्पादन देने वाली नस्ल माना जाता है। इस नस्ल की गाय एक दिन में 50-80 लीटर तक दूध दे सकती है। इस गाय के थन बड़े होते हैं। देश ही नहीं, विदेशों में भी इस गाय की काफी मांग है। इजराइल और ब्राजील के लोग गिर गाय को पालना पसंद करते हैं।

साहीवाल नस्ल (Sahiwal cattle Breed)

साहीवाल गायों को दूध व्यवसायी काफी पसंद करते हैं। यह गाय सालाना 2000 से 3000 लीटर तक दूध उत्पादन करती है। एक बार मां बनने पर लगभग 10 महीने तक ये दूध देती है। इन्हें भारत की सर्वश्रेष्ठ प्रजाति माना जाता है। मूल रूप से ये नस्ल पंजाब, हरियाणा, उत्तर प्रदेश, मध्य प्रदेश और राजस्थान में पाई जाती है।

राठी नस्ल (Rathi Breed Cow)

राठी नस्ल राजस्थान की है। राठस जनजाति के नाम पर इनका नाम राठी पड़ा है। इन्हें ज्यादा दूध देने के लिए जाना जाता है। यह गाय राजस्थान के गंगानगर, बीकानेर और जैसलमेर इलाकों में पाई जाती हैं। यह गाय प्रतिदन 6-8 लीटर दूध देती है।

हल्लीकर नस्ल (Hallikar Breed)

हल्लीकर गाय कर्नाटक में पायी जाने वाली नस्ल है। मैसूर (कर्नाटक) में ये नस्ल सबसे ज्यादा पायी जाती है। इस नस्ल की गायों की दूध देने की क्षमता काफी ज्यादा होती है।

हरियाणवी नस्ल (Haryana Cow Breed)

नाम के मुताबिक ये नस्ल हरियाणा की है। मगर उत्तर प्रदेश और राजस्थान के क्षेत्रों में भी इसे पाया जाता है। ये गाय सफेद रंग की होती है। इनसे दूध उत्पादन भी अच्छा होता है। इस नस्ल के बैल खेती में भी अच्छा कार्य करते हैं।

और पढ़ें.....

[healthyfly]

3 Delicious Dishes Made With Desi Ghee

With 3 mouthwatering dishes prepared using desi ghee, discover the best ghee in West Bengal. Experience the tradition today!

[discount-shades]

Contract Spouse Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Realizations

A/N: This is a sad one. I've written Chapter 9 and only one chapter left to write!

Pairing: Jake Seresin/Reader (nicknamed Pip)

Warning:  Angst, death of civilians, war, PTSD

Length: 3000ish

Summary: Jake does some thinking and we find out why he is like that.

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“What we need are those veterinary gloves that come up to your shoulder.” You have a roll of tape out and combined with elastics and a small garbage bag you are trying to waterproof Jake’s cast. After finally being released from the hospital after 4 days, Jake is in desperate need of a shower. “Then you could use your hand. I’m going to order some from Amazon.”

“Why do vets need gloves that come up to their shoulder?” Jake watches you struggle to carefully tape the edges of the bag to the skin of his arm, fighting with the extra plastic.

“You know the long gloves Ellie wears when she digs in the dino poop looking for West Indian Lilac in Jurassic Park?” Jake blinks at you in confusion, trying to remember. “Vets wear them for a similar reason.”

“Eww.” Jake checks the seal around the tape job you did. “How do you even know that?”

“Remember when I dated a farm boy in university?” Jake nods. He remembers thinking the kid wasn’t good enough for you. “Well in those two months we were together I went and helped them when they preg checked their cows.” You give him a little half grin, “I learned I am not cut out for farm life.” 

You start the shower for him before carefully helping him remove his shirt. You wince when you see the bruises crossing his torso from the seatbelt harness of his jet. The brush of your fingers, featherlight over the bruises, burns before you abruptly leave the bathroom, telling him to call if he needs help. 

Jake sighs and finishes stripping before getting under the spray. Everything hurts and the concussion makes him feel like he is in a fog. His head is a constant dull throb and what he really wants to do is lie down and sleep some more. He holds his left arm hand up at a right angle and does his best to shower mostly one handed. 

Pulling a shirt on seems too difficult so he walks into the bedroom half dressed. You've pulled the curtains, so it is dark and he collapses into the clean sheets. A water bottle and his painkillers lined up neatly on his end table, as well as a few protein bars. 

You’ve thought of everything, you always do, but you seem different since the accident and he can’t figure it out. Every time he tries to think his head begins to ache. You are more clinical, less warm. Maybe it is because he is injured, maybe he is imagining it. 

He thinks back to the morning of the crash. Remembers waking up with you in his arms, how good it felt to hold you and talk to you. The hospital had been so lonely when they wouldn’t let you stay overnight. 

He wanted you to stay in California. He wanted to come home and have you there to talk to, he could always call you before, but living with you was better. He loved watching movies together, cooking together, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Every mundane task was better with you.

He couldn’t ask you to stay. He was too much of a mess. He couldn’t sleep and the guilt of what happened was always there. You didn’t deserve to be pulled into that. He was sure that you would stay if he asked. You and your misguided sense of duty and the belief that you owed him something. But if he asked then he would have to tell you and if he told you you would never look at him the same way.

He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he notices is your voice calling to him gently. His eyes flitter open and he can see you sitting on the edge of the bed. You are beautiful in the light filtering from the hall, and in that moment you take his breath away. “Doctor says you should be up and moving, so come have dinner.” 

When you go to leave he curls his good hand around your arm and revels in the feel of your soft skin sliding through his fingers. When he thinks you are about to slip your hand through his fingers you catch his palm and give a gentle tug and he feels himself following you automatically. 

“This can’t be what you are used to.” You say with a grin as you grab a shirt and help him into it. “Women are probably more keen to take your shirt off.”

“I’ll do anything if it's with you, pretty girl.” The words leave his lips before he can comprehend what he has said. Your sharp inhale makes him want to kick himself. Why did he say that? He never flirted with you. It was a line he refused to cross. 

He can see the flustered look on your face as you stand to go. “Come on flyboy, you must be hard up if you are flirting with me.” He follows you down the hall to the table. That wasn’t completely fair. Why wouldn't he flirt with you? If you weren't his wife he definitely would have tried to pick you up in a bar. 

That evening as you lie down beside him in bed you turn to him. “We have our first meeting with the couples therapist tomorrow, he wants to meet us separately first.” Jake had forgotten about the marriage counseling. “I think we should just say we want to keep our relationship strong, and I don't know, talk about how adjusting to living together is a challenge or something.” He just mumbles an agreement. 

Jake has no idea how the two of you are going to sell being married to a professional. He thinks of all the ways this might go as you slowly drift off to sleep beside him. Once he can hear your steady breathing his mind starts to slow and as he falls asleep he rolls over so he is curled around you. 

When he wakes the next morning he slides his arm across the bed feeling for your warmth but the sheets are cool. You are already gone.  When he gets up he finds you making omelets in the kitchen. 

“The contractor is going to be finishing up the repairs in the ceiling of my room today,” you tell him as you add the cheese. “You will have your bed back, free of my cold toes tonight.” 

“Oh, ok.” Jake doesn't know what to think and it takes him a moment to realize he is disappointed. Last night was the last time he would sleep with you in his arms. He thinks about all the times he left you in the mornings. He shouldn't have run away. He could have just rolled back to his side of the bed and talked to you on those mornings, now he would never get the option. 

You drive to the counselor’s and he spends his time in the passenger seat fighting his motion sickness. It's your turn first and you give him a worried look as you go, as he sits in the waiting room trying to get his head to stop spinning. If he says something wrong in the counselor's office he will just blame it on the concussion. 

When it is his turn you squeeze his hand as you trade spots. He can't help himself as he pulls you into a hug. Jake presses his lips to your hairline. He should hug you more, he thinks. 

You rarely initiate physical affection more than holding hands, and hug only on special occasions. He likes the feel of you in his arms, the scent of your shampoo, and the warmth of your skin. The way you melt into him is overwhelming before you pull away.

The session went well. A mixture of the truth and agreed upon lies slip easily off his tongue. At the end of the session Jake is given the same homework that you received.  

“I want you to come up with a list of all the reasons you are in love with your wife.”

The homework is a fixture in his mind over the next few days. Jake can’t figure out why he keeps repeating the counselor's words in his head. He lists the reasons he loves you. You are smart, funny, tough as hell, your kindness, you are supportive, you are so easy to talk to and you always know what to say, you call him on his bullshit. You are capable. 

He stares at the words he has written and feels they are not personal enough to sell it. You are beautiful, your smile makes his stomach clench, your laughter, you feel so good in his arms, how you being in his life made everything better. He stares at his list as the words play over in his head, ‘reasons you are in love with your wife.’

Jake drops the pen and buries his face in his hands as the realization hits him. “Fuck.” He is in love with you. When did that happen? Was it before you moved in or is it a recent thing? Sometime during the first or second year of the marriage he noticed he loved you. But it had always felt so platonic, a love of friendship, of convenience, and connection.

You have always been beautiful, and, if he was honest with himself, he had always been attracted to you, but with the nature of your relationship he had always locked those thoughts and feelings away. You were untouchable. But in the last month with you sleeping in his bed everything blurred. It didn’t matter when he fell in love, the only thing that mattered was that he is completely and irrevocably in love with you now. 

It is weird to feel terrible about an emotion considered so positive. Jake stares at the closed door to the office where you are working from home. He can never tell you. You had only stayed married due to his inability to process his trauma. 

He felt tainted, like you being with him would somehow mark you too. He didn't deserve you, he didn’t deserve anything good. And he loved you too much to let you be ruined by him. He wouldn't let you give up your life and the love you deserve. Because you need someone who is in love with you unconditionally, someone good. 

The day he had agreed to marry you had told him that you would always be there for him and he had taken advantage of that over the years. Taken advantage of your kindness and good heart. Someone as good and kind as you would never stay married to him. He could never tell you he loved you. He wouldn’t be that guy, the man who thought he was owed something just because he had feelings for a woman. He would let you go even if it killed him. 

– – –

Sleeping next to you didn’t stop the nightmares. They always came at the same frequency, mild ones a few times a week and the bad ones every week or so. What sleeping next to you did was calm him when he woke. Your breaths and the warmth of your skin would ground his mind and bring him back to the present like nothing else could. 

Before you he would never get back to sleep after a nightmare. He would go for a run or go to the 24h gym. He sometimes would mindlessly watch tv or stare at his phone until it was an acceptable hour to get up. In the weeks after the concussion he couldn’t do that. Strenuous activity and screen time were two of the things the doctor told him to avoid. 

Most nights he would just lay in bed. He had tried audio books but he could not focus on them. So he would lie there in the dark thinking about you, and everything that he loved about you, and torturing himself. 

His post concussion nightmares were more intense than any he had before but he still hadn't had a bad one yet. He could feel it coming. Lack of sleep and anxiety tended to trigger the nightmares. Stress also played a role and the night before the second marriage counseling session it hit him. 

Jake’s heart is pounding as he sits up in bed struggling to breath. The nightmares are rarely the same and his mind alway finds ways for his dreams to be somehow worse than what had happened, combining events and reimagining others. 

You died tonight. The person he had killed was you, and even though he logically knew you were fine he needed to check on you. Stumbling, eyes bleary, he walks to your room and pushes open the door. The smell of new paint and construction is almost gone. Leaning on the door frame Jake can see you sleeping and he takes in the sight. 

If he holds his breath and listens he can faintly hear you breathing from the doorway and he can’t help the muffled sob that slips past his lips. You stir and he bites his lips to keep from waking you but it is too late.

“Jake?” You lean up and look at him. “You ok?” he gives a jerky nod, unable to open his mouth. Afraid he would begin sobbing if he did. “Another nightmare?” He doesn’t know how you can tell. Maybe it is written on his face. 

“Come here,” your voice is soft and you open your arms and beckon to him and he is moving his feet before he can think about it. Jake collapses on top of the covers and into your arms, head pillowed on your chest listening to your heartbeat. His eyes flutter closed as you rake your fingers through his hair and down his back. Your gentle movements calm him and steady his mind but soon it is not enough. There are too many layers between you. 

He sits up and motions to the covers. “Can I?” he asks hesitantly, wanting to be able to hold you without the blanket between you. You nod and he slips beneath the covers and returns to his position with his head on your chest. Your hands resume their motions carding through his hair and stroking his back.

It’s still not enough. He sits abruptly and takes his shirt off before lying back down, slotting his body between your thighs and his head on your stomach this time. He needs to feel your skin pressed against his. He eases your shirt up so he can rest his cheek against your stomach. He can hear your sharp inhale but you don't say anything and for that he is grateful. You just go back to smoothing your hands over his bare skin. He doesn’t know how long he lays there with you beneath him, his hands curl around your rib cage as his thumbs smooth over your soft skin. 

After a while of your hands moving over him he feels you pause. “If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.” He shakes his head in denial, not wanting you to know. But when he feels your nails scratch his scalp and drag down his neck he starts talking. 

“You know the military severely under-reports civilian deaths, right?” There is no change in you. Your hands keep moving in the same rhythm and your breathing is steady. “Every time we drop bombs we kill people and there is a chance we kill civilians. Mostly we don’t think about it. It is easier to drink the kool-aid. Accept the Navy’s narrative. But if you watch the news from other countries they will report it; show videos of civilians killed by American bombs.”

Jake stops talking, wanting you to respond, hoping you don’t. Looking for a clue to stop talking. You don’t give him one so he continues. “I shot another plane down, the first air-to-air kill in three decades. The Navy pinned a medal on me.'' Now that he was talking he couldn’t stop. The words he had never spoken to anyone pouring out. “No one mentioned that after I shot the jet it crashed into this community building. There were families inside. Sixteen people were killed, nine of them were children.

“They gave me a fucking medal for killing children. I saw the footage, the crashed jet and the injured people. There was this man carrying his dead son and I can’t get that out of my head.” Jake feels you shift and he raises his head to look at you but all you do is place a gentle kiss on his forehead before lying back down and resuming your motions. 

“Please hate me.” He doesn't know why he says it; why he needs you to condemn him. As if your condemnation will justify everything he feels.

“No,” you say simply.

“Why not?” he can feel a sob building in his chest. “I fucking deserve it. How can you just learn all that about me and not care?” 

“Javy told me years ago,” you confess, “actually I suspected. It was on the news that an American Navy pilot shot down a plane and what happened, I knew you were stationed in the area and you changed whenever we talked after, so I figured it was you and Javy confirmed it when I asked.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jake had been keeping his knowledge and shame bottled up away from you for so long; not wanting to change the way you saw him and to find out you had always known was gutting. 

“I knew you would tell me when you were ready.” 

“You should hate me,” Jake hates the way he sounds. Small, meek, hesitant. “I hate me.”

“I hate that it happened. It breaks my heart for those families, but I can’t hate you for it. You are responsible, but not culpable.” You say simply.

“Then who is to blame if not me?” You don’t have an answer for him, he knows there isn’t one, at least not an answer that will make him feel better. Some things you just have to live with. The tears start to flow down Jake's cheeks in ugly sobs as you pull him closer. He clings to you and finally lets himself grieve. 

[koolades-world]

Hey! I'm sorry if your (inbox, is it called?" Is closed, I just read your little story on how the brothers would react to an MC with a British accent.I was wondering if you could do a reaction to a Puerto Rican MC? Again, I'm sorry if your inbox is closed.

OMG HI inbox is open no worries!

so excited for this!! had to do a double take at first. I'm actually half puerto rican half indian! weird combo i know BUT I absolutely love this request! sometimes it's hard for me to be positive about my background and who I am. usually any mention of my race or ethnicity feels like a knife to the back, but I'm so excited for my chance to be happy about who I am

I know it just came in but as soon as I saw this I knew I had to write it right away! this is something that has every puerto rican gene in my body infused into it and despite being so short, it probably has some of the most love i've probably ever put into a piece of writing

thank you :))) please enjoy

Puerto Rican Mc

Lucifer

at first, it doesn't mean a lot to him since you're not that close yet

but later on, he begins to understand why you're so proud of your background

he totally understands being loud and proud about who you are and not being afraid to shy away from others about it

any demon who comments on this negatively vanishes mysteriously

Mammon

bonding over being poc and being able to share the struggle with each other

you understand each other and he knows what it feel like to look around and realize you're the only poc in the room. you're not alone with him by your side

lots of sweet moments and tears shared together and an inseparable bond

at the end of the day, you have each other <3

Levi

once you get close, he introduces you to all of his favorite puerto rican characters

admires how protective and loyal you are of those you're close to

values you so dearly

he doesn't regret opening up to you because it was the best choice he ever made

Satan

he begins to collect books he'd think you'd like written by puerto rican authors or have puerto rican characters because he knows how excited you'll get

he goes out of his way to introduce you to his favorite puerto rican adjacent restaurant in the devildom

takes you on plenty of trips to the human world to experience home again if you need it or just to eat good food

could listen to you talk for hours about why being puerto rican is great

Asmo

think the fact that you speak spanish (or some) is so hot (a/n: I myself speak very little haha)

immediately asks you to teach him some and to say something that sounds sexy even if it's not actually

gifts you all sorts of things that either have the puerto rican flag or have the same colors as the puerto rican flag, like clothes or little trinkets

acts as your personal cheerleader whenever you need it

Beel

loves the culinary journey you take him on through your culture

he especially loves coquito and limber (a/n: my personal favs)

asks you to teach him how to make several puerto rican dishes that practically makes your heart explode with joy

he knows food is always a huge part of the culture and in honored you showed him all the ins and outs

Belphie

likes to poke fun at you from time to time to see how defensive you'll get

you poke fun at him right back with lots of cow jokes

you two playfight a lot, usually with you being victorious maybe because he let you

however, there's always room for you under his covers where ever he might be

[demigod-of-the-agni]

#LongPost: A Few Hyper-Specific Things About India for India-Based Stories and Art

No this isn't a cry for more Indian-rep in Spider-Verse stories. (It is.)

Anyway. I recently went to India, and after returning to my hometown in Tamil Nadu, I reintegrated a whole slew of memories and collated new facts.. And considering I've been wanting to do one of these for quite some time (and because I need a new variety of Pavitr Prabhakar content), I thought it'd be cool if I shared some of my experiences and ideas with you.

It's best to take this with caution, though: the only places I've been to are Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and a few towns located close to the Eastern Ghats, so my knowledge is heavily South India-based. I know for a fact that there are various similarities and differences between other geo-cultural areas of India, which is I why I've linked the other cool India Resources here as well.

In Which I Ramble About Pavitr's Character Design and the Indian Cultural Stuff Related to It by @chaos-and-sparkles (+ my addition + @neptune432's addition)

A culture post for the girlie pops (and non-girlie pops) looking to write Pavitr Prabhakar accurately by @summer-blues-stuff (+ my addition + @fandomsfeminismandme addition)

Also a timely reminder of @writingwithcolor's wonderful resources on writing about South Asian characters respectfully and sincerely

Now, for the things I've noticed in South India..

ANIMALS

There are a lot of street dogs. Like... a lot of them. And honestly it's so hard not to go up to one and give them a snack or two. The most notable dog breed is the Indian pariah and they can be found all over India. Mixed dog breeds are also common and results in a variety of features like differences in build and coat colours.

There are also other types of animals are pretty common to see alongside the roads.

Cattle are seen a lot (cows and bulls are easy to distinguish; cows (left) have udders and a small hump on their back, while bulls (right) are generally stockier and have a super-defined hump on their back). I'm pretty sure the specific cow breed is the sahiwal cow. They are either herded into paddocks for grazing or can be found wandering city streets on their own.

Goats are often herded by farmers into large masses of wool and horns and are guided to paddocks to graze. Sometimes, like cattle, they'll be found wandering city streets on their own.

Chickens are usually kept close to stalls and homes. These chickens are not plump and fluffy like most Western chickens, but are quite skinny. Mottled feather colours are usually a result of mixed chicken breeds. In Tamil Nadu, the most common chicken breed is the asil chicken.

Various birds are often seen flying around traffic if they’re not disappearing into the sky, the most common being crows, pigeons and mynahs. (The chart below on the right is not an inexhaustive list of birds; you best search them up yourself.)

TRANSPORT

There is obviously a huge amount of trucks and lorries and buses. They all have beautiful designs or crazy LEDs or large detailed fluorescent / iridescent stickers that are impossible to ignore, whether it be at high noon or midnight.

Expanding on that, the most common method of transport are motorcyclse or scooties, cars, and autos.

Also, as expected: traffic is insane. It’s horrible. It’s exhilarating. Western honking is akin to swearing, but here? Honk whenever you want. Honk if you’re happy or if you’re sad. You get a million dollars if you honk. You need to honk. It’s more important than breathing

Similarly, road rules don’t exist. Well, they do, and the Indian government does everything it can to make sure people do follow the rules, but based on the aforementioned honking, most people don't. Everyone just drives. Most bikers and motorcyclists don’t wear helmets. Only a few people wear seatbelts. Cars and motorcycles drive on the wrong side of the road and right into oncoming traffic. The chance of someone dying is 99% but it’s countered by desi stubbornness.

ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Houses and buildings are painted different colours!!! Pastel pinks and purples and deep teal hues, either plain colours or decorated with elaborate murals. This also applies to interiors. I reckon it was surprising to a lot of people when they were confronted with Mumbattan's vibrant colours, but honestly: coloured buildings slap, and it's based on the real thing. They are a sight to behold. Couple that with the architecture and oh boy- you've got such a beautiful environment.

From @jettpack's concept art for Mumbattan buildings

jettpack's concept art of the Mumbattan collider

From @chenfelicia's concept and colour keys of Mumbattan

Don't be shy to really immerse in crazy descriptors - that's how you capture the liveliness of cities like Madurai and Mumbai and ultimately, their physical manifestations like Mumbattan.

Funny enough, movie posters and political banners and flyers are EVERYWHERE. They’re huge and take up entire billboards, or congregate along walls so it becomes practically a collage. It's impossible to ignore the image of "Makkal Selvan" Vijay Sethupathi about to beat some poor loser into a pulp with a stick, or the political parties roasting each other on paper with impressive photoshopped graphics.

To tie in to the point about transport: there are hundreds of coffee stalls and snack shops and one-of-a-kind food stands. You can’t go 200 metres without running into one, either on the highway or in the city. I remember having jaggery coffee on my first night in India, and guys- it tasted so fucking good. I only wish I can transfer the taste to you. Absolutely splendid.

The climate in India is generally very humid and warm, but that doesn't mean we don't get cooler days; it is obviously cooler on winter nights. Also I've heard from many conflicting sources on India's seasonal weather (probably due to India's geograpghy), so you will have to talk to someone who is from India to really confirm. I've somewhat boiled it down to five seasons:

Summer - May-Jun; very hot (35-45ºC/95-113ºF), characterised by shrinking water bodies and droughts if there aren't any rainfalls; this time is good for plant growth/harvest if you've successfully managed water supplies

Monsoon - Jul-Aug; (34ºC/93ºF) very variable in terms of timing, characterised by torrential rains and floodings; the raining itself probably lodges somewhere in Jun-Sept but the aftereffects are felt long after the rains have stopped

Autumn - Sept-Nov; cooler but humid (25-35ºC/77-95ºF), and generally much drier since it transitions from autumn to winter

Winter - Dec-Feb; much colder, but the extent is dependent on geographic regions (20-25ºC/68-77ºF)

Spring - Mar-Apr; humid (33ºC/91ºF), sudden downpours, only occasionally do you get pleasant weather in this time

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

For some reason, there are still loud speakers blaring out music across the roads and as far as a few city blocks. I honestly thought that that had died out by the time my parents had graduated university, but it still seems like people like hearing music played at 120 decibels.

This is a complicated issue but people are not piss poor. Yes, India is a developing country, and yes there are slums and there are homeless and there are those who are stuck in a horrific sociocultural cycle, but people are rapidly getting into high-paying jobs at much higher rates than before. Overall, India is getting better; do us a favour and not have us be represented by the same poor struggle-riddled Indian stories that Hollywood and Western media is are fond of portraying.

@neptune432: One thing I think it's important to acknowledge though is how your experience in India changes depending on your caste. I feel like most of the indian voices talking online are savarna (I'm not an exception) so this doesn't get brought up as much. It's a complicated issue and one that I don't think non-indians (or savarna indians) should worry about tackling in their work, but it's worth saying because what's assumed to be everyday aspects of indian culture are actually specific to things like caste, class, and what region you're in. ex: in kerala, there are also examples of people eating on banana leaf with lots of vegan food for special occasions (namely during onam). but veganism is heavily tied to brahmanism so most of these people will be savarna. even if they eat meat otherwise, the specific interest in eating vegan for special occassions has clear implications. Though many people of different castes eat meat, it's a practice that gets discriminated against, being treated as barbaric and unclean. this is because of brahmanism and is usually only strictly followed by brahmins. dalits/bahujan usually face the worse treatment for their eating traditions. there's also the fact that hinduism is more of a recent term and a broad umbrella where many different gods and cultures have been put under (and usually done forcefully). a lot of local dieties and specific cultural practices come from outside the vedic traditions of aryans (upper caste north india), but now are treated almost as one thing. ex: kali is a south indian (dravidian) goddess who's still heavily worshipped there and who later got adapted to brahminical traditions. that's also why south indian practices of worship are different from the north and are discriminated against ex: north indians getting angry at the idea of worshipping kali by drinking alcohol and smoking even though it's an older tradition than theirs. these traditions are often connected to dalit/tribal cultures as well, which adds to why these traditions are attacked. Now, I don't feel comfortable with non-indians writing about india in general but I feel it's important to mention these things cos most people don't even realize they're only getting shown certain perspectives. How many people don't even know they're a north/south divide, for example? People are fed narrow viewpoints on India and assume that's everything to know. it's a problem cos that's what the brahminical forces in india want. This is all very general info too and I'm no expert so it's worth more research (like reading what dalits have said on their experiences). I'm not trying to criticize you btw, I just wanted to add some things cos this has been on my mind for a long time now. Couldn't have said it better myself, neptune!! (I barely mentioned it at all lmao) The caste system despite it being "abolished" still defines many traditions within India, and almost always in harmful ways. Like @summer-blues-stuff and I have mentioned in their post A culture post for the girlie pops under the Religion and caste section, it's best to leave the caste and social hierarchy alone even if you've done your research. That doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about it, it's just that people, especially those of non-South Asian decent, have to be extremely careful about it. Introductory resources on the caste system can be found on ABC, Pew Research and The Conversation.

Furthermore, the automatic assumption is that people living in shacks or remote villages have no access to greater populations and resources, which I'm happy to completely disprove. Guys: majority of the people living in my village, a rather remote village, have phones on them. Ranges from iPhones to Androids to good ol' Nokias.

(And, side note: as an Indian, I get amazingly pissed off when people's ringtones are set to maximum volume and play the same famous part of a famous song every time they get a call. Like shut the fuck up. At least quieten down? Please??)

(Also this might be a South Indian thing but Man some people are so entitled. Dudes you do not need to rub your ego into my face. Dudes you can, you know, keep all the cool things you think will get other people jealous out of the public eye. At this point I'm not jealous of what you Have, I'm pissed off at the Audacity To Think You Can Make Me Feel Bad About Myself With The Things That You Have).

Alright. Moving on.

Tiny temples and shrines are everywhere, dedicated to broad-Hinduism deities like Ganesh, Shakthi, or Vishnu; other times, they are shrines built for local deities that protect a particular village. For example, my village dedicated a little plot of water-logged land to a benevolent spirit called Subbamma, where people would leave offerings or place their sick/injured animals at the water's edge so that Subbamma could heal them. These tiny temples are almost always super colourful and amazingly detailed despite their small size

It could be a whole month before a celebration like Diwali but it’s the perfect time to set off hundreds of fireworks and firecrackers. People are just inconsiderate in many ways, it seems.

Some women wear strings of jasmine flowers in their hair. This might be completely regional-based, but most if not all women, ranging from little kids to old ladies, will wear these strings of jasmine in their hair. It's supposed to represent good fortune and beauty, and it smells wonderful.

@esrev-redips: #i usually only visit the north side of india (went to banglore and or chennai once) but im pretty sure most women in mumbai wouldnt wear #flowers in their hair unless they were of an older generation #they dont in new delhi at least and i t h i n k you can compare them but im not sure since i dont live in india either Thank you esrev!!!!! glad to see an old hunch be confirmed!!!

Normally you can wear any type of jasmine, but the common subtypes in Tamil Nadu are ஜாதிமல்லி (jathimalli; "Spanish jasmine"; left) and மல்லிப்பூ (mallipoo; right).

Eating food from a plate made from a banana leaf is more than just an aesthetic, and is often reserved for certain occasions; other times we eat from metal or ceramic plates. I can't vouch for other areas of India but I've been told the reason why banana leaves are predominantly used for large gatherings is because they can signal to diners if the food is rotten or has been poisoned; supposedly the leaf itself starts rotting and releases liquid, but I personally have never seen this happen. But of course, there are also other reasons as to why banana leaves are used (all of which are valid) ranging from being an eco-friendly disposable plate, offloading nutrients into food, or even to make the food taste better. Pick whichever reason you like.

I'm literally so hungry looking at this. (Realises this is a Pavitr thing to say.) Anyway.

FOOD RECS!!!!!!

Reblog with your favourite foods >:) The list will be routinely updated...

JAGGERY COFFEE (from me) - GOOD FUCKING STUFF. ACTUALLY. if you see it.. GET IT IMMEDIATELY

PANI PURI (from @esrev-redips) - #also you forgot to mention the PANI PURI STANDS AHHHHHH YUMYUMYUM | RRRR YOU'RE SO RIGHT. PANI PURI FOR LIFE ACTUALLY.

JASUBEN PIZZA (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - okay this is specific to Ahmedabad | okay but as specific as it may be that sounds and looks delicious??? hello??????

DABELI (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - this too???? also it LOOKS wonderful i need it right now actually

VADA PAV (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - Also Vada pav from Mumbai is so one of a kind | you are absolutely correct. vada pav is truly something magnificent

I think that's about all I can give you right now. This took me a while to type out. Feel free to ask any questions, or if you have anything you would like to add on, like anything I might have glossed over or your favourite desi foods, please do!!! I'll be sure to reblog your addition and update the original post.

The point is that this post can become one of those few other reference posts that artists and writers and other creatives can use if they ever want to make anything related to India, because it's genuinely so cool to see your culture represented so well in popular modern media.

(And in fanfic and fandom. Especially in fanfic and fandom. you have no idea how many times I've gone insane reading a Pavitr-centric fic or reading comments on Pavitr-related posts and it's just outdated ideas and harmful stereotypes and all sorts of sick bullshit, and it's always to the point where I physically have to go outside and bite into a fresh rhizome in order to ground myself. Like damn, people, you need to know things before you start creating)

So uh, I hope this was helpful if not interesting! Happy early Diwali everyone! Knowledge-over-ignorance and all that; hopefully this post does that notion justice!

[hockey-and-timbits]

 If I had a remembrance book, I would mark down how it was when we left our little house in the big woods to go west to Indian Territory. We had to go, Pa said, because so many people had come to live in the big woods, there wasn't enough game anymore for him to hunt and he feared we might go hungry. Ma said we might never again see Grandma and Grandpa, or Aunt Docia and Aunt Ruby and Uncle George. Though it made me sad, I still thought it a fine thing to go where there had never been a road before. We'd go where the land was more bountiful, he said, and he sold our house and land and cow, and packed whatever would fit in the wagon. I was glad Pa took his fiddle, for it makes a joysome sound. Mary was afraid to go, but I knew nothing bad could happen as long as we had Pa and Jack. Jack is my best and truest friend and Pa says there has never been a better watchdog. I knew there would be rivers to cross and hills to climb, and I was glad, for this is a fair land and I rejoiced that I would see it.

—Laura Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie, "Pilot"

[world-of-wales]

The Indian PM is asking for votes in the upcoming election by saying that voters shouldn't support the opposition leaders coz they eat........Non-vegetarian food.......

This isn't him relating environment problems and veganism/vegetarianism, but rather him campaigning that in a secular country only his party is the best because they follow the moral and vegetarian majority religion. Which is funny in itself since, except for North India, the rest of the Hindus in other parts consume all kinds of non vegetarian food items.

And to most people outside India, this vegetarian vs non-veg debate might seem foolish, but here it is proving to be the main election agenda now. A lot of people may think oh he's advocating for being vegetarian, that's great. But unfortunately not in this case coz his party which is filled with upper caste Hindus mostly use this argument of food choices to demonize minority communities in the country, they deny protein to poor children in the meals provided to them by the state in public schools, their supporters go and harass & have in many cases k-worded innocent people in name of 'Cow protection', force butchers who come from low income backgrounds to shut down their stores making them unable to earn even the meagre ammount that they do etc etc. So veg/non-veg in the case of Indian elections rn is so much more than just a debate on dietary choices.

So, no talks of education, health, economy, jobs etc this election season but rather cheap and completely nonsense topics during campaigning. And I wish I could call it satire, but unfortunately this is what the so-called largest democracy has come to.

This issue is just the tip of the iceberg of all the things that need to be changed in this country to take it back to where it was before this train wreck that the past decade has been and to start rebuilding it brick by brick.

The reason I'm posting this today is that, I want to request anyone who's eligible to vote in India to PLEASE GO VOTE! exercise ur right. Don't let anyone tell you that your voice doesn't matter coz it does. And it's never been more essential for you to make use of Article 326 and cast your vote. It is ur fundamental right.

I don't think there could be a more appropriate time to ask you for this, as it is the 133rd birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar today, the father of the Constitution. The man who fought all his life to make sure everyone in his country had democratic fundamental rights. He gave you that Constitution that protects you and your interests and rights. The tip of his pen changed the world you live in today for the better. So please don't let that the sacrifices made by him or of all those in the Constituent Assembly, of all those who came before you go to waste. They gave this country their all, so you could have all the freedoms that you do today. They gave you a constitution based on liberty, equality, fraternity, secularism, socio-economic democracy etc to protect you, the citizens. And now, as these rights slowly get encroached upon, it is more important than ever before for you to assert these rights.

Go read the election manifestos of the parties and learn about the candidates fighting elections from ur constituency. Please make an informed choice. Don't go and vote for people on the basis of religion, caste, etc. Go and vote for that person who actually talks about the on ground issues you face, who has plans to make ur life, and the society you live in better. Who promises to give you the basic rights that you deserve, someone who promises not to infringe upon the fundamental rights as enshrined in the constitution, the one who talks about creating better employment, creating a robust health system, making sure every child in this country has access to quality education, someone who wants to create a safe space for women not just out in the world but also in the private sphere, someone who promises to work towards dealing with the problems of inflation & other economic problems you face, someone who wants to work towards dealing with the vast enomic disparities that exist across the board. Someone who wants to work towards providing safeguards for the most vulnerable people and communities, etc etc.

Go on the website of the election commission, check out the dates of vote casting in your area, mark that date, wake up that morning take ur voter id card and please go push a button on the machine at the particular booth you fall under.

Don't let people tell you that you are young, you don't know what you need, you shouldn't be jumping into political discourse, don't let them discourage you from exercising the most important right the constitution has given you. TRUST ME, YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOU NEED, POLITICS AFFECTS YOU TOO, THE GOVERNMENT POLICIES AFFECT YOU TOO, SO YOUR VOICE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT IN THESE UPCOMING ELECTIONS AS THAT OF THE OTHERS!

YOUR VOTE MATTERS. IT'S NEVER MATTERED MORE!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Do you know why Indians in particular (and I suppose, new age spiritualists) believe in things like homeopathy or ayurveda(like ashwagandha)? I've always found it so odd, even growing up in india. It's clear that some of these beliefs are marketing schemes, like saying A2 (Indian cows) milk > A1(foreign cows) to the point that they sell A2 cow milk and butter at 10x-20x the price of A1 cow milk. All because of "Vedic" practices (prayers and conducting rituals) of cow rearing. We know that ayurveda especially has no clinical or empirical evidence. It's all anecdotal. But even I was taught to believe that turmeric is a good antioxidant and is great for colds. In reality, only about 2% of turmeric is absorbed by your body. Are indians just more gullible because of Hinduism or is it just willful ignorance because they want to feel some sort of superiority in their spirituality?

Lots of love, thank you for continuing to post!! 💛💛 Hope you're doing well.

A big chunk of it may well be the lack of penetration of criticism and mockery of these superstitions, both for cultural and language reasons.

There's a saying that "sunlight is the best disinfectant." This isn't literally true, it's a metaphor for the notion that exposing ideas to the light of scrutiny, examination and refutation helps to break down and destroy false or bad ideas.

To some extent, the persistence of these superstitions may be that they've not been well exposed to public view to the extent many others have been.

Islam has in its doctrine, the curative and medicinal properties of camel urine. To the extent it's packaged and sold as medicine in the present day solely because in multiple hadiths, Muhammad prescribed camel urine for ailments. People don't know about this, don't believe it or start making excuses about "natural remedies" and the limitations of "western medicine." Even while the World Health Organization calls for people to stop drinking it.

Outside India, there's a certain anti-western chauvinism, coupled with a fetishization of "exotic" cultures. Which is really just the Appeal to Nature and Appeal to Tradition fallacies. But are ripe to be exploited by con artists (e.g. Deepak Chopra) for sale to the credulous who mistake their trendy credulity for "open mindedness." Even though the same people would never be so gullible about superstitions based on Xian mythology.

What this means is that a protective bubble forms around these superstitions because attacking primitive, superstitious nonsense hogwash becomes a "racist" attack on a "culture." You're allowed to - and encouraged to - criticize and attack Xian faith-healing, but not Hindu faith-healing because that's just intolerant of a "culture." Note that this means they want Indian culture to be mired in primitive superstitions.

Internal to India, I think a big part is just that it's so dominant and there isn't the tradition of secularism - separation of church/religion and state - which means religious faith holds more sway. Coupled with more explicit moves in recent years to mirror Islam in offence and fragility regarding "blasphemy" - see the whole "Sexy Kali" thing, for example.

In contrast, in the US, there's been legal challenges mounted against homeopathy as fraud and false advertising under consumer protection laws. If there's no evidence of efficacy, government safety organizations in countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand either don't allow a product to be sold as "medicinal," or don't allow it to be sold at all.

I don't know enough about Indian law to know how robust Indian safety or consumer laws are in terms of leveraging them to call out the same kinds of fraud, but what you're saying about the milk suggests they might not be. It's essentially a claim of "magic milk," given there could be no scientific test that such a claim could survive.

So, there's this absence of pressure from both internal and external. And as we know from evolution, it's pressure which drives change.

People need to be willing to treat Indian and Hindu superstitions the same as they treat Xian superstitions and other unscientific bunk, rejecting attacks on the basis of "racism" or "blasphemy" or "intolerance" or all the usual shit. But I think there also needs to be avenues culturally and legally within India to start challenging the assertions being made. I don't know enough about Indian society or culture to know how much of a superiority complex may be at play, but there is likely an element of ignorance, not necessarily wilful, just regular old ignorance, because of the pervasiveness and persistence of these ideas.

Of course, people are still free to believe stupid shit. But that doesn't mean it should get special, elevated status or be allowed to commit acts of rampant fraud.

[krishnayangaurakshala]

Embracing a Holistic Approach: The Multifaceted Activities of Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala

In the heart of India, Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala stands as a beacon of compassion and sustainability, embodying a deep commitment to the well-being of cows, community, and the environment. Through a series of dedicated initiatives, the gaushala has transformed into a multifaceted hub where spiritual, agricultural, and humanitarian efforts converge to create a positive impact on society. Here’s a closer look at the diverse activities undertaken by this remarkable institution.

Cow Protection: A Sanctuary of Hope

Home to over 21,000 stray and destitute Desi Indian cows and bulls, Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala provides a sanctuary where these revered creatures receive a second chance at life. Rescued through various channels, including police, government agencies, NGOs, and farmers, these gauvansh are sheltered, nourished, and cared for with utmost dedication. The gaushala’s in-house medical facility, staffed by experienced veterinarians, ensures that each cow receives timely and comprehensive healthcare, fostering their well-being and longevity.

Shelter and Nourishment: Building a Safe Haven

The gaushala boasts expansive shelters, meticulously designed to accommodate the growing number of protected cows. These shelters provide a comfortable and dignified living environment, reflecting the institution’s commitment to creating a holy and safe space for gauvansh. Nourishment is another cornerstone of care at the gaushala, where a balanced diet of dry fodder, green fodder, grains, mustard cake, and jaggery is carefully prepared and served twice daily. This holistic approach to feeding ensures that the cows remain healthy, strong, and vibrant.

Medical Care: Ensuring Health and Well-Being

Around-the-clock medical care is a priority at Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala. With a fully equipped medical facility on-site, the gaushala is prepared to handle any health concerns that may arise. From routine check-ups to emergency care, the dedicated team of veterinarians and support staff work tirelessly to maintain the health and well-being of the gauvansh. Ample stocks of medicines and vaccinations are maintained to prevent and treat illnesses, ensuring that each cow receives the best possible care.

Breeding and Training: Promoting Indigenous Cows

The gaushala is actively involved in research and breeding programs aimed at enhancing the genetic traits of indigenous cows. By focusing on disease resistance, adaptability, and milk production, the institution seeks to create a sustainable ecosystem where farmers are encouraged to keep Desi cows. Additionally, vocational training programs are offered to farmers, educating them on the importance of organic farming and the benefits of desi cows and bulls. These initiatives aim to preserve cultural heritage and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Renewable Energy and Organic Farming: Pioneering Sustainability

Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala is a model of sustainability, harnessing renewable energy through biogas plants and solar power systems. The gaushala’s BIO CNG plant, powered by ONGC, converts 25,000 kg of cow dung daily into CNG gas and manure, contributing to a cleaner environment and the production of organic fertilizers. The institution also promotes organic farming, encouraging pesticide-free crops and eco-friendly practices, with a mission to convert surrounding villages into organic lands.

Humanitarian Efforts: Serving Communities in Need

Beyond its work with cows, Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala extends its compassion to human communities, especially during times of calamity. From providing relief during floods in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand to distributing food during the COVID-19 pandemic, the gaushala’s humanitarian efforts have touched countless lives. The institution regularly sends truckloads of supplies to remote regions and runs food camps, ensuring that those in need receive essential nourishment and support.

Spiritual and Cultural Initiatives: Nurturing the Soul

The gaushala is also a center for spiritual and cultural enrichment. The magnificent yagya mandap, situated on the serene banks of the Ganga, hosts various sacred rituals, including Yagyas, Pujas, and Japas. These spiritual endeavors are conducted by accomplished Vedic Brahmins, creating an atmosphere of divine grace and positive energy. The institution’s yoga center, in collaboration with Jhanvi Yoga Dhyan Sevashram Trust, offers yoga, meditation, and Ayurvedic treatments, promoting holistic well-being and spiritual growth.

Conclusion

Shree Krishnayan Gaurakshashala is more than just a shelter for cows; it is a sanctuary where compassion, sustainability, and spirituality intersect. Through its diverse activities, the gaushala not only protects and nurtures Desi cows but also uplifts communities, promotes environmental stewardship, and fosters spiritual growth. It is a shining example of how dedicated efforts can create a ripple effect of positive change, benefiting both the present and future generations.

[lostfirefly]

Bugust. Day 21. "Oh." Buggy x Catherine (sorry, this sketch is quite long). Family memories, sadness, sister's love and care.

Ladies and gentlemen, flight Loguetown to Cairo has landed at the international airport. Please proceed to the arrivals area with those meeting you.

Catherine stood on tiptoe, trying to get a good look at the familiar figure among the people, and began to squeal as soon as she spotted her sister.

"Jules!!!! Hi-i-i!!" Catherine ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Finally you're here!! How was your flight?"

"Great! Slept the whole way." Jules looked around the hall. "Where's your beloved clown? I thought you two never parted ways. And you die if you don't hold hands for more than five minutes."

"Ha-ha, very funny, sis. You and your Ethan are together all the time. No, Buggy has business at the circus, we'll see him at home."

"He's probably not happy that I'm here." Jules shrugged.

"Don't say that! He's very happy. And I'm glad you're getting to know each other better. Let's go!" Catherine grabbed the sister's bag and dragged Jules out of the airport.

Catherine chattered non-stop the entire way home, asking her sister what was new in Loguetown, if her room was okay, and how Aunt Ruth was doing.

"Welcome to my new home, Jules!" Catherine closed the door as soon as they entered the hallway. "Buggy's shirt and sneakers are missing. He's not home yet. Okay."

"I have to admit, his place has gotten a lot better since I've been here." Jules went into the room and looked around. "Candles, funny figurines, even your favorite plush pillows. How did Buggy let you buy all that stuff?" She giggled. "He doesn't seem like the kind of person who likes pink fluffy pillows."

"Jules, once you get to know him, you'll realize Buggy's a nice guy. He loves me and takes care of me." Catherine adjusted pillows. "Don't forget! We're gonna see his show tomorrow, remember? Can't wait for you to see it!!" Catherine pulled out her vibrating phone. "Oh! Buggy texted that it's coming soon. We're having--- Why are laughing, Jules?" Catherine narrowed her eyes, looking at giggling sister.

"Buggy? Texted? God! I see mom and dad in this. You always liked that they sent messages to each other." Jules exhaled. "Sorry, but your boyfriend doesn't seem like the type to text. He's kinda.. weird."

"He's not weird! He's kind and funny. Honestly, you look like our father and Buggy's friend now. He didn't like me at first either." Catherine went up to her sister and laid her head on her shoulder. "Anyway, I'm glad you came."

"I need to get to know the guy you left me for at the airport better. No one laughs at home all the time anymore." Jules put her hand on Catherine's head.

"I don't think you and Ethan are sad about this."

"Go to hell!, Cath! And hey, red-haired bitch! Are you even going to offer me a drink?"

They sat in the kitchen for about an hour, happily sharing the latest news. Jules laughed at the cow-shaped salt and pepper shakers and was beginning to feel sorry for Buggy. Though the topic shifted and evolved, their words were laced with the comforting familiarity that could only come from a lifetime of shared experiences and unbreakable bonds. Catherine was showing Jules pictures from last walk when she heard keys jingling in the front door.

"It's Buggy! I'll be right back!" Catherine squealed and ran into the hallway.

Jules, sitting in the kitchen, heard the sounds of smacking lips, Catherine's endless "you're finally home, my love" and the rustling of bags.

Catherine, with a wide smile, led Buggy into the kitchen. "Look, who's here!"

"Hi, Jules." He replied rather stiffly.

"Hi!" She waved back and sipped her wine.

"Well.. Cot-- Catherine. I brought pizza, your favorite Indian food, and lots of booze." Buggy set the bags on the table.

"You're my best!!" Smack. "Sit down, you're tired after rehearsal and stopping by to get everything we need."

Buggy took a beer and sat down across from Jules, who was looking at him intently. "So... How was the flight?" He asked, trying to fill the awkward silence, glancing at Catherine, who was setting the food on the table.

"Not bad." Jules sipped her wine. "So, Buggy the Clown. Somehow, you managed to win my sister over. I don't know how you did it."

"It's his natural charm." Catherine sat down next to Buggy and opened a box of pizza. "Oh, triple pepperoni! My favorite!" Smack. Smack. "You know, I'll get the candles. I'll be right back. Don't kill each other." Catherine giggled and ran out of the kitchen.

Jules followed Catherine with the corner of her eyes and as soon as her sister ran out, she turned to Buggy. "See, I had to come to your house to get to know you." Jules took a sip. "You've let Cath go home so many times, but you've never come with her. I wonder why."

"I'm not a fan of airplanes." Buggy was twirling the bottle in his hands.

"Yep. Either you're in trouble there, and you don't want to show your face there. Either. I don't know." Jules shrugged. "You have someone else here. I mean, the woman."

"What?" Buggy almost dropped the bottle in surprise.

"Buggy, listen, don't get me wrong," Jules crossed her arms, "but I'm asking. No, I'm warning you. Don't hurt my sister. I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt her."

"To kill me? Oh, it will take you a lot of time." Buggy giggled and took a sip.

"You're a funny guy, aren't you? I'm serious." Jules ran her finger along the glass. "My sister... She's all I have. I know Cath loves you very much, and if you break her heart or make her cry for you even once..."

"Hey! I will never do th--!"

(knock on the door)

"Guys! I'm back! Can I come in?" Catherine poked her head around the door. "Thank goodness! I thought you were at each other's throats." She walked slowly into the kitchen. "God, the tension is so high I could cut it with a knife."

Catherine lit the candles, kissed Buggy on the cheek, and took a slice of pizza, sitting in the chair. "Oh, you know, this reminds me of how we were sitting then the first night after our adventure. We went to all the hotels in Cairo, and they were all booked up, so Buggy offered to stay at his place. Damn! Jules, I'm so glad you came!" Catherine squealed. "I want to show you everything!"

While Catherine rambled on and on about life in Cairo, all the circus shows, walks and everything else, Jules watched Buggy and Catherine carefully. The way they looked at each other, how Buggy blushed every time Catherine pecked his cheek or took his hand. How he poured her wine and she put pizza on his plate.

"Oh, Cath!" Jules snapped her fingers. "I forgot! I brought you something from your room. I think you'll like it." She came out of the kitchen.

"I'm so proud of you, my blue-haired love!" Catherine said quietly, looking at Buggy, and kissed him on the cheek. "I know it's hard for you to talk to her, but you're doing great." She tilted her head. "You look tired. I promise you, soon I'll let you go to bed, and we'll just sit quietly in the kitchen. In meantime, accept this." Catherine moved forward a little. "This's my thank you." She pulled Buggy by the shirt and kissed him on the lips.

Jules cleared her throat, entering the kitchen. "Sorry, lovebirds." She laughed and put the box on the table. "Here."

Catherine rubbed her hands with a squeal and opened the cover. "Oh, my God! This is the photo album I collected with dad."

"Yes, I was cleaning out your room and thought to bring it here."

Catherine opened the album. "Look, Buggy!" She pointed at the photo. "That's me and my daddy at the circus. Huh, look what I'm holding. Cotton candy!" She flipped through a couple pages. "Oh, this picture was taken one month before dad died. It's our family picnic. Dad thought the idea of ​​costumes was fun, so there we are all wearing a cow-shape kigurumi. I love that photo, we are all so happy there."

"Do you remember how dad, wearing this costume, chased away some annoying guy from you?" Jules laughed.

"Hah, yeah." Catherine scratched her nose. "Some guy was hitting on me, but I didn't want to be into relationships then."

"Our dad always protected and defended our family. And especially his little beloved Catherine. They had some kind of special connection. He would still protect her. But now I do it." Jules shifted her gaze to Buggy, who looked at her from under his forehead.

"Jules!" Catherine said quietly and turned the page.

"Where's that picture from?" Buggy pointed to a picture of Catherine and her father dressed as archaeologists.

He looked at the photo carefully. Catherine embraced her dad in a warm hug, sitting behind him. The sheer joy and happiness on her face were palpable, radiating excitement and love for this precious moment captured in time. With their arms wrapped tightly around each other, Buggy can see the special bond they shared, filled with warmth and affection.

"Oh, that's nonsense." Catherine smiled. "Dad and I dressed up as archaeologists just for fun and pretended we'd found a real treasure."

"Oh, I remember that day." Jules burst out laughing. "Mom and me laughed at them when they came into the kitchen with makeshift maps and started looking for hidden cupcakes. They studied the coordinates of the kitchen and drew the supposed burial site of the cupcakes. Yeah, Cath was always dreaming of adventures with dad. They'd sit in the backyard for hours, discussing Jules Verne for the millionth time or your favorite, Treasure Island. I never understood what you found in that book. Pirates, treasure. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with a pirate. But the circus turned out to be stronger. Right, Buggy?" Jules shifted her gaze to Buggy who looked at her in surprise.

"What?" He asked a little angrily, but he felt how Catherine took his hand and began to stroke it with her fingers.

"Jules!" Catherine said strictly, looking at the pictures. "Yeah.. You and mom always muttered at us when you asked us out for dinner, while we were engrossed in conversation." Catherine ran her hand over the photo. "If only dad knew that his daughter got part of our dream come true. And then she found the biggest treasure of her life." She placed her head on Buggy's shoulder.

"I'm sure he knows, Cath." Jules raised her glass and twirled it in her hands.

"Alright, girls." Buggy clapped his hands. "Let's have a drink instead."

With smiles on their faces and laughter in their voices, Catherine and Jules shared stories, jokes, and heartfelt moments that brought them even closer together. The joy of being surrounded by loved ones and connecting on such a deep level was truly overwhelming for Catherine. Her happiness grew stronger with each passing minute as they delved into topics ranging from childhood memories to future dreams. This simple moment of togetherness was a reminder of just how precious these relationships were for her, and how she wanted more moments like this in the future. Catherine was happy that evening. She was home with her family.

[kimyoonmiauthor]

I thought it might be fun to list "Best cultures for", imo, BTW, doesn't include SK in most cases.

So using my Anthro degree for something. This is Academic interest. I'm only giving the loose reasons why. I'm not particularly promoting fetishization here. I'm saying, do the research into this specific culture for this specific cultural aspect. rather than blind worship.

Agriculture

Of the three major regions, (West Asia, Southern China-ish, Meso America/Northern South America) hands down, The Americas.

I mean, if you look at the genetics and origin of the potato, that itself is super impressive. Through domestication alone, they managed to make the potato grow in all environments, AND changed the amount of genes the potato has. !@#$ What? Really? And then you have things like Amaranth, corn, squash, beans of different kinds, quinoa, tomatoes which is related to nightshade, which is used more than eggplant worldwide, and Sweet Potatoes which they gave to Polynesians. Also single handedly through the Potato and Sweet Potato saved China, Korea, Ireland, and several other places from famine, thus also helping to end the slavery cycle in Korea, China and Japan. I mean... who are you going to rank the highest in that case?

Second place ranking I have to give to Western Asia. Daaaaamn, you have wheat, oats, barley, sheep, goats, cows, horses (supposedly), pigs. That's pretty impressive.

Third place Southern China—rice production, most of the world's commercial flowers, soybeans, a lot of the fruits including citrus. You also get honey.

Honorable mention to South Asia for Chickens. (Indonesia and India specifically)

Despite this, apples are my favorite fruit. lol I need to eat a Courtland apple please. I can eat them by the bushel.

Sea navigation

Hands down, Polynesians, beats the pants off of everyone else by a nautical league. When you can feel sea currents with your hands, be able to get your people first to the South Pacific from China, and then navigate ALLLLL the way to the Americas and beat Europeans, Yes, definitely they get the crown several times over. I mean... think hard about it. When you memorize stick charts, casually and then don't have them at sea and sometimes your tattoos are only brief reminders, FLOORED.

Make Europeans in the same time period look terrible.

House design

I'm looking at passive solar, specifically rather than aesthetics. For me, this is kinda toss up. Indigenous peoples rocked it pretty hard, especially in the South West US into Mexico region. They were exceptionally good at regulating air flow. But Koreans invented underfloor heating. And Chinese figured out Feng Shui which is just Passive solar+ a bunch of other stuff that's practical. (Such as your bathroom shouldn't be above your kitchen). But I have to admit I also admire some of the Indian Passive solar efforts (subcontinent). This one is hard to decide. But if you're researching, I'd look there.

Gender

My favorite to point to is Bugis people of Indonesia. 5 different genders. Freaking awesome. Of course it's a bit disciplined these days by the government, but it's worth investigating.

As I wrote before East Asian gender systems of the past were often more fluid and flexible and still are compared to European ideologues.

Clothing?

No one has impressed me that much, tbh. It's a pick and choose. I can choose the most impractical, but not the one that wins my heart for inventiveness.

Crakows, though, crack me up every single last time. Especially for the Phallic nature and that they were associated with men. But that's on the impractical list. That's also why I submitted it for review on History Hit's fashion list. I haven't gotten over it since I first saw it, I think it was on a Dan Snow documentary about British kings. I mean look at them and resist laughing your butt off.

Religion

I personally think that real Voudoun is much cooler than what's in the movies, which is really racist 98% of the time. It is a Synchronized religion, and it is Christian-based in some ways, but c'mon, look it up and be impressed.

BTW, I really dislike the conflation of zombies with Voudou, granted as an outsider, since it belongs to Bokor and is a warning against *becoming a slave* not about white people trying to shoot zombies with grey and darker faces because OMG, slave uprising psychology.

Zonbis, are cooler than zombies since it's about overcoming and resisting masters, rather than about masters mass killing their slaves, which is what the later meaning seems to say. Ad Zombie movies are at their best when they symbolically get the original concept and meaning. So like becoming a work drone.

^^ I still have a soft spot for Muism as a Korean, but ya know, Korean. I lean towards liking shamanism, probably because of the historical acceptance of LGBTQIA and disability.

Shamanism is also appealing in some ways because often shamanism says that if everything in your life is going wrong, then that might be a sign of powers or spirits calling to you, rather than saying in the old Christian ideology that you've sinned deeply, so you need to repent.

But this is usually not what people are asking about when they are thinking about religions. They usually want the polytheistic, Jade Emperor, Greek, Roman, Egyptians, Norse route. Or Monotheism. Kinda dull, really. Where are the other types in fiction. I mean, Druids?

Give me some totemism for once.

Government System

Look up Wigan Council. I might also be biased towards it because of Gaya, but it's a way to play with things and also allow for more LGBTQIA royalty. Royalty without autocracy?

Inventions?

Hands down, no doubt, Islamic Empire. I mean, when you have Automatons without electricity, you're winning without question. When your people are inventing surgery, calculating the size of the Earth, allowing women to read, learn and write, inventing the lens, which is the cornerstone of so many inventions, and you got Europe's Bacon by inventing the Scientific Method first, historical crush does't cut it. I mean, when you can calculate a pointed arch, do geometric mosaics with mathematical principles, I am floored beyond reason.

Conclusion

This isn't to say I'm not impressed by specific things from other cultures as well, but this is broad strokes. Vedanta Hinduism, for me, is impressive from India. And I really like the practicality of Hanbok. (Why hanbok over hanfu is a long, long post) And I've raved over kimchi before multiple, multiple times, more than you know (quora... I think I have the most answers and I also answer with the food science of Kimchi down to the bacteria.) BTW, dumplings are damned clever.

What are your favorite culture for specific things from those cultures? Would you choose different cultures for each of these things? If so, why? What impressive things have I missed that have floored you?

[todaysdocument]

“I could issue an order against these useless and harmful performances [dances, powwows, and other gatherings], but I would much rather have you give them up of your own free will . . . “ 

From the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, February 24, 1923.

Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Series: Subject Numeric Correspondence Files

Transcription: 

Com. Burke advice to Indians Re Dance.

31-725

Department of the Interior

Office of Indian Affairs

Washington

A Message

TO ALL INDIANS:

Not long ago I held a meeting of Superintendents, Missionaries and Indians, at which the feeling of those present was strong against Indian dances, as they are usually given, and against so much time as is often spent by the Indians in a display of their old customs at public gatherings held by the whites. From the views of this meeting and from other information I feel that something must be done to stop the neglect of stock, crops, gardens, and home interests caused by these dances or by celebrations, pow-wows, and gatherings of any kind that take the time of the Indians for many days.

Now, what I want you to think about very seriously is that you must first of all try to make your own living, which you cannot do unless you work faithfully and take care of what comes from your labor, and go to dances or other meetings only when your home work will not suffer by it. I do not want to deprive you of decent amusements or occasional feast days, but you should not do evil or foolish things or take so much time for these occasions. No good comes from your "give-away" custom at dances and it should be stopped. It is not right to torture your bodies or to handle poisonous snakes in your ceremonies. All such extreme things are wrong and should be put aside and forgotten. You do yourselves and your families great injustice when at dances you give away money or other property, perhaps clothing, a cow, a horse or a team and wagon, and then after an absence of several days go home to find everything going to waste and yourselves with less to work with than you had before.

I could issue an order against these useless and harmful performances, but I would much rather have you give them up of your own free will and, therefore, I ask you now in this letter to do so. I urge you to come to an understanding and an agreement with your Superintendent to hold no gatherings in the months when the seed-time, cultivation of crops and the harvest need your attention, and at other times to meet for only a short period and to have no drugs, intoxicants, or gambling, and no dancing that the Superintendent does no approve.

If at the end of one year the reports which I receive show that you are doing as requested, I shall be very glad for I will know that you are making progress in other and more important ways, but if the reports show that you reject this plea, then some other course will have to be taken.

Wish best wishes for your happiness and success, I am

Sincerely yours,

[Signature]

Commissioner.

February 24, 1923.

The Indian Print Shop, [Chilberc?] Oklahoma 2-17-1923. [10M?]

[shut-up-rabert]

I want to shout this BAD.

Indian. Serials. Or Soap-Dramas. Are. Not. That. Bad.

I mean- I saw people arguing how being a Nagin makes no sense and I was like- so being turned into a shapeshifter vampire with bloody fangs makes sense? Hypocrisy smh.

I can name quite a few Indian shows (the Tv ones, Web series are already appreciated) that actually are amazing! They just fall short when creators choose quantity over quality.

Of course, classics like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Office Office, Byomkesh Bakshi, Malgudi days, Mahabharata and Ramayana get the praise they truly deserve! But here some relatively modern shows that get looked over due to same old Saas-Bahu genre.

Yeh unn dino ki baat hai (90s romantic drama), Har yug mein aayega ek arjun (my favourite criminal thriller), Adaalat (law-crime thriller), Beyhadh (the first season is one the best psychic-romance thrills ever), Ek Hasina thi (romantic thriller + also contains Vatshal Sheth from Tarzan the wonder car and is- chef's kiss).

Also can I say Naagin 1, no matter how much everyone bashes it today, was actually a dhasu show?

Honestly, I can add quite a few to the mix myself. Saraswatichandra? Best Romance I’ve seen till date. Ishqbaaz? Laughing out loud since episode 2. Qubool hai? The one time I like Karan Singh Grover. Laut Aao Trisha. Saubhagyavati Bhava. Bepanah. Starplus Mahabharat. Madhubala. On and on and on. Heck, even Anupama wouldn’t be so bad if it stuck to the plot and not for duniya bhar ka drama. But that’s exactly where the problem arises. All these serials start very VERY promising. They deliver well at the beginning aswell. The starting is what gets you hooked, you hope for something entertaining and they seem rather fit for that role. Sure, the overdramatism is there, but this is India, we can digest that much dhum tananananananana tere na tere na tin.

Things start going south when shows start pulling TRP. All the money hungry producers think that “hmmmm, this looks nice, I can milk it. What can possibly go wrong?” Hint: possibly everything can go wrong.

Lets look at Ishqbaaz for example. Three brother, three different perceptions of love, three distinct love stories. A shining new concept with four rather attractive leads to have the young adult population flocking, isn’t it?

It starts really great aswell. The first few episodes stick to the point very well, excessive delay like 3-4 days for like one person to turn around and shit aren’t there. It’s funny, it’s cute, it shows character arcs brilliantly. You’d expect the main leads to all fall in love, learn something and the show to end , right?

Wrong. It starts going off hinges really fast as soon as Starplus realises that the money making cow should stay. The main lead is suddenly super toxic. Shit like ghar ke bahu bete suddenly staging Agatha Christie level conspiracies and having the same intellect as Batman on shrooms becomes the norm. Drama like chhat se girkar yadaasht chale jaana, sautan ka plan samjhna, aur end m pta chlna ki bhencho sab kiya dhara heroine ki saas ka tha. Yep.

I stopped watching here but the thing is there was a look alike adla badli arc after this, so you can see how bad it went.

Next I watched, Saraswatichandra. I kid you not, it had the BEST setting one could ask for. A emotionally stinted guy coming all the way from Dubai to reject this girl, staying in her house. When everyone thinks they are getting married but they resent each other and secretly start falling in love, no? What more can one ask for? They admit their love and do actually get married while none in the families is wiser.

BUT, they had to add faltu ka natak, so add faltugiri they did. Bina baat ka action, stereotypical portrayal, heroine ki kahi aur shaadi, waha se uska talak, heroine ki sister falling in love with hero, whole family conspiring, kidnapping, yada yada yada, y’all get the jist.

The thing is, this wouldn’t be as bad if the characters still acted wisely in the bizzare situations. Or if the situations made sense. Who THE FUCK breaks their engagement a day before the wedding because they got disowned by their dad? Why did he immediately forget that he’s still entitled to his mother’s stuff? Akal kaha hai teri madarchod?

Producers butcher good storylines for paisa. People with no motivation are trying to kill bahu because they are bad. Police is not doing its job, not because its corrupt but because saas bahu ko khud detective khelna hai. Family drama mein randomly kahi se bhi chudail aa jaati hai even if the show not fantasy based. Vamp mast 16 khoon kar deti hai but still is legally allowed in the house. (Konsa law hai ye bc?) Why is everyone so out of character suddenly? WHY IS EVERYONE STUPID?

So, here’s the issue with indian serials: they don’t stick to the story, nor do they develope the story according to the characters, instead they alter the characters, premise and genre of the soap according to whatever story they think will fetch more views. This makes the whole thing bizzare.

Of course, some norms are always relaxed in dramas and a lot more in fantasy/supernatural dramas, but there’s a limit to how much there should be based on characters/ premise of what you offered in the first place.

Bhabhiji and Happu work as well as they do despite overlooking all the points I mentioned because they refresh their storyline every week and aren’t a continous saga, plus they never took themselves seriously as and always promised to be whacky. This is not true for Ganga, Saath nibhana saathiya, Sasural Simar ka, Kumkum bhagya etc., Prachi suffering by the hands of her stepsister cum co-wife even though she can easily turn the tables by making a police report for bigamy becomes frustrating to witness at one point.

Didi ye kya bakwaas likha hai, seedhey bolo na: Indian serials are indeed good and full of potential, but the producers and writers refuse to see that potential and make us flock to other dramas by diminishing our energies.

[godza]

happy woman month. i shall be describing my fave sssrh ladies. there are so many of them though. roughly chronological order

black dragon witch. shes the best. she has a tough and cold exterior but is such a delightful and happy woman on the inside. she secretly likes romance novels and has killed thousands. she tortured some people by dropping them in a blank dreamspace for thirty days. is besties with the protag. we love friendships between diff genders that arent romantic at all. the main chapters may seem romance potential but thats just gongja grovelling at the feet of anyone who is nice to him. shes ukranian and fled to the tower. nationality is pretty important for the guild leaders so ill be mentioning it. i know her real name but im not telling you. i know all of the guild leaders real names bc theyre gongjas besties

the paladin. shes so cool. captain of the vigilanre corps. only guild leader who has never killed anyone. always wears her full body armor, especially her helmet. shes a huge music nerd, and eventually does a jazz performance with gongja and black dragon witch. shes venezuelan and is one of the last characters gongja gets to know the name of even though she was one of the first to trust him

the countess. i swear the paladin and countess have something yuri going on. can shapeshift into a cat. once the paladin was getting really into talking about music with the countess in her arms and was petting the shit out of her. gongja wondered if the cat theming of the countesss guild was for the paladins tastes. he didnt like thinking like that. the countess is from an indian slum and worked her way up to having money. she considers money the most important thing in the world thats why shes so rich.

ester/preta: okay its kinda hard to explain her deal. its be best to read her arc since its beautiful. s1 of the manhwa. basically she was a goop monster that took the form of whatever it ate. she happened upon a girl in the forest and became her. she later became a saintess in her home town because she could cure people by secretly eating them. the king of her empire didnt like this and sent people to kill all of her village. she became the demon king of autumn rain in response and attacked the empire. gongja dies to her like 5000 times and gets her to retreat into her human form and back in time. he kills her and resurrects her into his ghost army. to replace the name she stole, he calls her preta. theres a funny scene where he makes her do acrobatics to prove to the kings army he can control her. she later regains the name ester once the family clan is established. i call her earthworm girl because of an unfortunate simile in the translation

ja soo jung: she shouldnt really be here in the chronological order since she isnt rightfully introduced at this point but she does appear to gongja, if only her voice and shadow. i honestly dont know how to explain her to you, she is a lot. she is the tower master, she created it. shes lived a lot of lives, and she can rewind and see time however she wants. she has control over all timelines, and she wants everything in the universe to blamed on her. she lets bad things happen, and forces gongja to watch. he sees her trauma, which is basically her whole life. she married her cousin, gay marriage but at what cost. honestly her arc was really fucking confusing and i didnt umderstand it, but the burden of god was understood. gongja has sex with his wife in her living room

sylvia evanail: im saving the best for last. sylvia is my evil terrible girl. shes basically "i had a crush on this girl and didnt know how to deal with it so i wrote her a note to get out of my school" she was so infatuated with raviel and jealous of her that she stole raviels fiance and tried to take her place in society. she even asked gods for help. that damn cow. she failed bc raviel is better than her and then had to join raviels family clan as the chancellor which is awkward.

raviel: MY HUSBAND! raviel is the duke of ivansia, and was betrothed to the crown prince. the crown prince liked sylvia instead, so she stabbed her heart with a magic sword and wishes her love would last forever and became the apocalype for their world/story. then she became a regressor, repeating the same ten days over and over again. enter gongja, who is sent to stop the apocalypse. she teaches gongja about love, and they eventually fall in love. they have to kill each other several times to counter the regression loop. gongja simply does some quick maneuver to take them back, but when he becomes to immersed in his role, raviel kills him ten times with her bare hands to have him watch her trauma to bring him back. after they get married, raviel becomes the duke of ivansia, and gongja becomes her wife. the webtoon is a coward that didnt translate it as wife and instead used matriarch and consort. they dont know gender roles. bi4bi t4t. thats not canon but to me it is. raviels my fave character in the series sorry for talking so much about her wife hes just integral to her character arc. shes his first bitch of a lover

[daidi-dragan-glas]

The Texas Quote of the Day is one of the best true-life cowboy quotes you'll ever read:

"From 1874 to 1877 I was taking care of my father's cattle, and after a while the neighbors began putting cattle with me, paying me a dollar fifty a head for six months. I herded them in the daytime and penned them at night, and for the first time in my life, I could rustle a little cash. In 1875 I made twenty-nine dollars that way, and my brother Harry and I had one hell of a time. We bought a bottle of whisky, shot out the lights on the street corners, and run our horses through the streets of Lincoln whooping and yelling like Cheyenne Indians on the warpath. We'd have gone to jail for sure if some of Gus Walker's trail men had not been with us. They got the blame, as everything was laid to the Texas men, but they left next day for Texas and so it all blew over. This was my first experience standing up to the bar buying drinks for the boys, and I sure felt big.

That summer, I remember, Ace Harmon, who was one of John T. Lytle's trail bosses and a god to me, said: "In a year or two Teddy will be a real cowboy." And I growed three inches and gained ten pounds that night....

From the time I was fourteen and staying out with the cattle most all the time, I got to be more and more independent. The boys took turns staying out there with me, but Lincoln was only twelve miles from camp, and when we had a little money, one of us would slip off to town on his pony, leaving the other one on herd. We'd hang around the saloons, listening to those men and getting filled up with talk about gunfights and killings. One time I remember I was in a saloon, and I heard a fellow talking about the Yankees. He said: "I was coming down the road and I met a damn blue-bellied abolitionist, and I paunched [shot] him. And he laid there in the brush and belched like a beef for three days, and then he died in fits. The b*stard!"

He told that before a whole crowd of men. I don't know that he ever done it. But that was the way he talked to get a fight. Those early-day Texans was full of that stuff. Most of them that came up with the trail herds, being from Texas and Southerners to start with, was on the side of the South, and oh, but they were bitter. That was how a lot of them got killed, because they were filled full of the old dope about the war and they wouldn't let an abolitionist arrest them. The marshals in those cow towns on the trail were usually Northern men, and the Southerners wouldn't go back to Texas and hear people say: "He's a hell of a fellow. He let a Yankee lock him up." Down home one Texas Ranger could arrest the lot of them, but up North you'd have to kill them first.

I couldn't even guess how many was killed that way on the trail. There was several killed at every one of those shipping points in Kansas, but you get different people telling the same story over and over again and the number is bound to be exaggerated. Besides, not all that were killed were cowboys; a lot of saloon men and tinhorn gamblers bit the dust. While I saw several shooting scrapes in saloons and sporting houses, I never saw a man shot dead, though some died afterwards.

But in the 1870s, they were a hard bunch, and I believe it was partly on account of what they came from. Down in Texas in the early days, every man had to have his six-shooter always ready, every house kept a shotgun loaded with buckshot, because they were always looking for a raid by Mexicans or Comanche Indians. What is more, I guess half the people in Texas in the seventies had moved out there on the frontier from the Southern states and from the rebel armies, and was the type that did not want any restraints."

----- Teddy Blue Abbott, "We Pointed them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher," 1939. Teddy Blue rode the trail from South Texas to shipping points in Kansas and Montana three different times. It's apparent from reading Lonesome Dove that Larry McMurtry was VERY familiar with Teddy Blue's book, which was written in Teddy Blue's plain-spoken vernacular. It's a very entertaining read. This photo of Teddy Blue was taken in 1910.

[kemetic-dreams]

Augustus Nathaniel Lushington was the first African American to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), earning the doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1897. After practicing in Philadelphia for two years, he became an instructor in veterinary sanitation and hygiene at Bell Mead Industrial and Agricultural College at Rock Castle, West Virginia. He later resigned and returned to private practice in very segregated Lynchburg, Virginia, where he became known for the proficient and high-class service that he offered.

Augustus Nathaniel Lushington was born August 1, 1869 on the island of Trinidad. His paternal grandfather from DR Congo, was brought to Trinidad to work at the sugar plantation on the island, and his father, William, worked as a butcher, who raised produce for sale at market and did farm work. Young Lushington went to teacher-training school and worked as a teacher and principal for many years. He left for Venezuela, where he worked as a clerk in the town of La Guayra for a British-owned railroad. After three years, Lushington went back to Trinidad but found that opportunities were insufficient on the island.

In 1889, he went to the United States, meeting his wife Elizabeth Gavino Hubert (from Antigua), the following year. His wife’s West Indian friends helped Lushington enrolled in Cornell University to study Agriculture. He graduated with a degree in Agriculture in 1894. Since there was no work for him at the time he attended the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school finishing the program in three years. Lushington became the first Black man to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.). He earned his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1897. When students walk into the University of Pennsylvania the first thing they see is a portrait of Augustus Lushington in the main entrance of the main building.

Lushington began his career of being a veterinarian treating farm animals. He set up a veterinary practice in Philadelphia but remained there for only two years, before becoming an instructor in Veterinary Sanitation and Hygiene at Bell Mead Industrial and Agricultural College at Rock Castle, Virginia. Deciding to return to his veterinary practice he opened his practice in Lynchburg, Virginia, after learning that there was only one other veterinarian. Lushington treated cows, horses, and other livestock, often walking for miles through the woods from Lynchburg to reach the farms where his services were needed. His philosophy, according to Arthur Bunyan Caldwell’s History of the American Negro: Virginia Edition, was that “the first essential to progress is a better understanding between the best elements of the two races.” This, he believes, would lead to closer and more harmonious relationships; mutual confidence and both races would gain as all advanced toward better citizen-ship. In Virginia, however, Lushington experienced neither harmonious relationships nor good citizenship. Whyte farmers often availed themselves of his services but then refused to pay him—and in the repressive atmosphere of the South in the early 1900s, Lushington had neither the option of taking legal action nor even the practical right to refuse services to deadbeats.

Since the pay was little for a veterinarian and whyte people refused to pay him, he decided to take on other responsibilities. Lushington was a statistical reporter to the Bureau of Animal Industry, the Federal Department of Agriculture, and a member of the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce.

Augustus Lushington died on February 12, 1939. He and his wife had three daughters. One daughter, Drucilla Moultrie, taught in Lynchburg schools for about fifty years. Another daughter, Bernetta Parks, worked for Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. The third daughter is not mentioned enough to find her records.