#scheduled post due to global strike

[ifwebefriends]

On Saturday I spent the better part of a fucking hour deep diving for this old HLVRAI comic that I liked about Benrey being trans and being Gordon’s friend when they were kids and I fucking found it so I’m just going to put the link here so I don’t lose it again

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Credit to hrtsuit on Instagram

[magz]

March 5 to March 7, 2024 update from Let's Talk Palestine (instagram channel)

March 5

• 97 Palestinians killed, 123 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

• Israeli forces recapture 2 Palestinian women who were previously released in the November hostage exchange deal — total 11 Palestinian women and children recaptured since their release, a clear violation of the agreement

​​• WHO: 1 in 6 children under age of 2 is “acutely malnourished” in north Gaza; 16+ kids killed by starvation in past week. Israel continues to block entry & distribution of aid + attacks aid convoys & aid seekers attempting to receive what little aid reaches the north

• Journalist Mohamad Salama killed by Israeli strike in Deir el-Balah; 133 journalists killed in Gaza since Oct 7

​​🇦🇺 Australian lawyers refer Australian PM to ICC for “accessory to genocide in Gaza”, citing the halt of UNRWA funds, military aid to Israel & deploying Australian troops

• Israeli airstrike on home in southern Lebanon killed a Hezbollah fighter and 2 family members amid rising Hezbollah-Israel tensions

March 6

• 86 Palestinians killed, 113 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

🇺🇳 UNRWA accuses Israel of detaining & torturing its staff to extract false confessions on ties to Hamas. The unpublished UNRWA report details multiple incidents of abuse incl. torture, sexual abuse & deprivation of basic needs

🇺🇸 Washington Post: US quietly approved 100+ foreign military sales to Israel since Oct 7, disclosed in a classified congress briefing. The sales bypassed public scrutiny as their value didn’t meet the threshold requiring congressional notification, yet in total they amount to a “massive transfer of firepower”

• 20 Palestinians killed by starvation from malnutrition & dehydration, while Israel continues to block aid + attacking aid seekers, injuring 8 in Gaza City

🇨🇦 Canada was meant to announce its reinstatement of funding to UNRWA on March 6, but last minute decided to cancel the press conference. Leaving this decision unconfirmed. Canada was originally planned to announce they would resume UNRWA funding with a scheduled payment of $25m for April. Canada was one of the first countries that followed the US in halting funding due to the unsupported allegations made by Israel in January.

March 7

🚨 SOUTH AFRICA URGENT ICJ REQUEST

South Africa has once again requested the ICJ for additional emergency measures against Israel, urging the Court “to do what is within its power to save Palestinians in Gaza from genocidal starvation.” Its previous request was denied by the Court.

This was prompted by the harrowing deterioration in Gaza since the original measures in January. Using powerful language, South Africa highlights to the Court that “Palestinian children are starving to death as a direct result of the deliberate acts and omissions of Israel.”

Underscoring that Israel is “massacring desperate, starving Palestinians seeking to obtain food for their slowly dying children,” referencing the ‘flour massacre’ that killed 118 Palestinians and injured 760.

South Africa concluded by saying it “fears this Application may be the last opportunity that this Court shall have to save the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Read the full request here:

https://tinyurl.com/mmy9rvfx

March 7, part 2

• 83 Palestinians killed, 143 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours

🇳🇴 Norway issues official advice against any trade or business with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which risks contributing to violations of international law. This was prompted by Israel’s recent approval of permits for 3,500 new units in 3 settlements in the West Bank, the first since Oct 7. This has faced global condemnation incl. from close allies like the US & Germany + many Arab countries

• 60,000 pregnant women in Gaza suffer from dehydration, malnutrition & lack of healthcare; 5,000 women give birth every month in Gaza in extremely unsafe & unhealthy conditions

🇪🇺 EU Foreign Minister says they will probe into Israel’s compliance with human rights obligations stipulated in EU-Israel trade deal following requests from Spain & Ireland

🇪🇸🇶🇦 Spain to send $22 million + $25 million from Qatar in extra funding to UNRWA

• Israel granted access to only 6/24 aid operations to north Gaza last month

[amourrs]

all of my upcoming fics & blurbs have been scheduled not to post until after the 25th due to the global strike for palestine, which you can read about here- i deeply encourage you to participate in this to whatever extent you are able. in the meantime, this is a reminder to all fans of the last of us that it is incredibly important to avoid buying the game or remaster at all costs and to boycott the hbo show, or procure these things by non conventional means. 🏴‍☠️ is illegal but complicity when it comes towards genocide is worse. i would also love to reinforce the importance of educating yourself! esp if you live in a western/pro isnotreal country where the propaganda runs rife. remember the arab.org click per day too. from the river to the sea <3

[khlur]

"As an environmentalist, I am very concerned about the fragile and sensitive ecosystem of Ladakh,” said Magsaysay Award-winning educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who recently concluded his 21-day hunger strike in Leh. Popularly known as 'climate fast', Wangchuk had begun observing it on 6 March, demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.

On the final day of his fast on 26 March, Wangchuk said that the people of Ladakh are trying to awaken the conscience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah so that they take suitable action to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of Himalayan mountains in Ladakh and preserve the unique indigenous tribal culture.

“We don’t like to think of Modi ji and Amit Shah ji as just politicians, we would rather think of them as statesmen but for that, they will have to show some character and farsightedness…” he posted on X.

Wangchuk had become the face of a sustained agitation in the cold desert where people are up in arms against the central government for discarding their concerns regarding land and job rights.

"Every drop of water is important here. Ladakh can't support large numbers. It will make refugees out of locals and even for those who arrive, the situation would not be any good. That's the fear people have regarding the fate of our land and our culture – finely tuned over tens or even thousands of years to survive in these mountains, now at risk of dilution and unable to sustain itself,” he added.

However, this was not the first time that Wangchuk had undertaken a climate fast:

In January 2023, he undertook a five-day climate fast at his institution, the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) in Ladakh at -20 degrees Celsius.

In June 2023, Wangchuk again went on a nine-day climate fast to save "Ladakh’s fragile ecology."

The Ecological Connection to Ladakh’s Demands

Ladakh is a high-altitude desert inhabited by around 3 lakh people. The region is considered ecologically fragile due to its extreme climate conditions, scarce vegetation, and limited water resources. Most people are dependent on agriculture as a means of livelihood.

A separate territory was a long-pending demand of the Ladakhis but they were expecting one with constitutional safeguards – somethingthat was categorically denied by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government earlier this month.

Their land and job rights were taken away with the Abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019, and the region was thrown open to people from other states.

Sensing that New Delhi is not in any mood to extend the Sixth Schedule that would safeguard the region and grant limited autonomy to the tribal region, the engineer-turned-educational reformer had announced a "climate fast” back in 2023 in a bid to turn attention towards the region's delicate ecology.

Speaking to The Quint, Wangchuk said that global warming has been melting glaciers in the Himalayan region where Ladakh is located. He also added that shifting weather patterns are resulting in frequent flash floods, landslides, and droughts that are impacting the lives of people living in the sparsely populated villages of the region.

"We are protesting to safeguard the mountains of the Himalayan region from indiscriminate exploitation and mining which have already wreaked havoc in places like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and even Sikkim. All these activities are now poised to impact Ladakh,” he added.

Wangchuk’s Relentless Efforts To Save Ladakh: The ‘Third Pole’ of the Planet

Lately, the glaciers are receding fast and many sectors in Northern India rely on them.

Wangchuk said that Ladakh, which is home to an extensive glacial system, is known as the "Third pole of the planet." It feeds two billion people directly or indirectly.

"If mining industries are introduced in these areas, not only will the local communities suffer, but the entire Northern Indian plains will face water shortages. Therefore, it is crucial that we safeguard these fragile regions as sacred zones of water,” he said.

"For the local people, it's about protecting their region, customs, culture, and land –all of which are enshrined in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, as our forefathers have established 75 years ago," Wangchuk added.

Back in 2015, Wangchuk had invented the 'Ice Stupa', an artificial glacier created by piping mountain streams to tackle the water crisis in Ladakh which faces water scarcity in April-May – the peak farming season.

Since then, the farmers in Leh have benefitted from such Ice Stupas.

Not only that, in 2021, Wangchuk whose life inspired a character in the Bollywood movie 3 Idiots, developed an eco-friendly solar-heated tent that Army personnel can use in extremely cold places like Siachen and Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region.

How Will the Sixth Schedule Save Ladakh’s Ecology?

For the Sixth Schedule to be applicable, the Constitution mandates that a region's population must consist of at least 50 percent of tribal communities. In Ladakh, around 97 percent of its population are tribals.

Wangchuk asserted that they are trying to do everything possible to safeguard the mountains.

"The Sixth Schedule of Article 244, which gives safeguards to these regions, the people, and their cultures where they can determine how these places should be developed without interference from others,” he said. "This is what Ladakh has been demanding for a long time before it was made into a Union Territory (UT)," he added.

Notably, the Sixth Schedule contains provisions that grant indigenous tribes significant autonomy, enabling the establishment of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative and judicial authority. These councils are empowered to enact regulations concerning various aspects such as land, forest, water, agriculture, health, sanitation, mining, and beyond.

"That was our hope which later turned into uncertainty when the government, as generously as it granted Union Territory status to Ladakh, promised that Ladakh would be safeguarded under the Sixth Schedule but did not fulfil it,” Wangchuk said.

He further argued that if Ladakh is left free for all with no safeguards, there will be mining companies coming. "We hear often they are scouting the mountains and valleys," Wangchuk said, adding that people are apprehensive that huge hotel chains will come up, each potentially bringing in thousands of visitors, that will pose threats to the dry desert ecology of Ladakh.

'The BJP Needs To Keep Its Promise’

Wangchuk said that the BJP needs to fulfil its promise that they made during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections regarding the “Declaration of Ladakh under the Sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution."

"It's like giving a cheque and if the cheque bounces, then we don't care. Hence, what happens to Ladakh with this promise will set a precedent to the rest of India in all elections to come whether leaders can just say anything and not care later and also get away with it,” he added.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Bernie Sanders thinks you should work fewer days.

The progressive from Vermont chimed in on the four-day work week debate on Twitter, writing: "With exploding technology and increased worker productivity, it's time to move toward a four-day work week with no loss of pay. Workers must benefit from technology, not just corporate CEOs."

Sanders was referencing the latest findings out of the UK on the four-day work week. A large-scale pilot program, spanning over 3,000 workers, found that workers slept better, firms made more money, and employees were less likely to say they did not have enough time to care for loved ones.

As the Washington Post reports, most of the companies involved in the pilot plan on continuing to use a four-day work week.

The concept of a four-day work week has increasingly caught on over the last few years, with firms and researchers alike taking the plunge to cut back hours without reducing pay.

As Insider reported in December, 4 Day Week Global — a New Zealand-based nonprofit — conducted a study involving 33 participating companies that employed 969 people based in the US, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, who adopted a four-day work week in a pilot program over a six-month period, and it found it was a "resounding success on virtually every dimension."

"Companies are extremely pleased with their performance, productivity and overall experience, with almost all of them already committing or planning to continue with the 4 day week schedule," the report said.

"Revenue has risen over the course of the trial. Sick days and absenteeism are down," it continued. "Companies are hiring. Resignations fell slightly, a striking finding during the 'Great Resignation.' Employees are similarly enthusiastic. And climate impacts, while less well-measured, are also encouraging."

Some US companies have started testing out the idea, as well. A Chick-fil-A owner in Florida launched a three-day work week in November, and he received 400 applications for just one job opening due to the popularity of a shortened workweek.

This isn't the first time a four-day work week has caught the attention of lawmakers — the Congressional Progressive Caucus previously endorsed the "32-Hour Workweek Act," with Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal saying in a statement at the time that it's "past time that we put people and communities over corporations and their profits — finally prioritizing the health, wellbeing, and basic human dignity of the working class rather than their employers' bottom line."

Rep. Mark Takano, a Democrat from California, proposed that legislation. He previously told Insider that a 32-hour work week — which would become the new standard under his proposal — would help Americans craft the new normal of work that they've been demanding.

"I think there was a Great Realization among a lot of Americans — how hard they're working and that they wanted to move on from the jobs that they were working at," Takano said. "So a four-day work week is something that connects a lot of Americans."

[yumzworks]

!!STORE OPENING DATES!!

I'm finally ready to open my online store for preorders! The store will open on Feb 1st, 11am AEDT (PST: Jan 31st, 3pm PST)

I'll have more than just what's listed here so save the date and feel free to come have a browse when it opens!! The store will be open for 2 weeks and close at 11:59pm AEDT on Feb 15th (subject to change based on external factors)

Thank you for the support!! I am aware of the current week-long global strike in support for Palestine and i do not intend to use this announcement to undermine or distract from said strike. Due to very unfortunate timing i didn't have any alternative window to post this as i'm running a very tight schedule for the shop timeline.

Here is a pastebin list of resources i personally collated to help educate on the crisis and provide methods of direct/financial support: https://pastebin.com/sPvcHcVH

[web-novel-polls]

This blog will be inactive February 18th-25th, 2024, due to the Global Strike Against Genocide. The scheduled polls will be moved to next week (doubled up), and I will not be reblogging any other polls or tournaments. Please spend this week learning about and advocating for the people of Palestine, DR Congo, West Papua, Nagorno-Karabakh, etc.

Here's some general human rights websites with a wider array of information:

(Please do more research and consume critically - these are just starting points to get started & not end-all be-all sites)

I also have a post here with a similar list of human rights injustices (again, not polished masterpiece or anything, but somewhere to start)

[noctisvixen]

And we're back! Sorry for the random drop, I was taking part in the global strike. I won't be talking about it due to my blog being an escape from reality, but thats why I went radio silent.

So, in regards to fun scheduling, I'm gonna post art and stories whenever I feel like it instead of a schedule. The schedule made me feel like I had to draw to post something and it wasn't as fun.

This also gives me less pressure to post au tidbits with art. I can just post the au and not *need* art.

This year my focus is more fun writing and drawing with purpose instead of schedule. I'm excited to see how it goes for all my projects :D

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2023/03/schools-and-football-help-uk-economy-rebound

Schools and football help UK economy rebound

Getty Images

By Dearbail Jordan

Business reporter, BBC News

The UK economy grew by 0.3% in January as school attendance picked up and Premier League football returned after the World Cup, official figures show.

Gross domestic product (GDP) – a key measure of all the activity of firms, governments and individuals – bounced back from a sharp fall in December.

Growth was helped by a recovery in school attendance after more parents kept children home at the end of 2022.

The data comes ahead of the Budget next Wednesday.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will outline the government’s plan to boost UK economic growth.

While there was a rebound in the month of January, the ONS figures also showed that the economy stagnated in the November to January period compared with the previous three months.

Reacting to the latest figures, Mr Hunt said: “In the face of severe global challenges, the UK economy has proved more resilient than many expected, but there is a long way to go.”

Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “While January’s figures are a glimmer of hope, the flat growth over the previous three months means we’re not out of the woods yet, with tough trading conditions persisting for many small firms.”

Darren Morgan from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which collects and publishes the data, said the UK economy had “partially bounced back” after shrinking by 0.5% in December.

“The main drivers of January’s growth were the return of children to classrooms, following unusually high absences in the run-up to Christmas, the Premier League clubs returned to a full schedule after the end of the World Cup and private health providers also had a strong month,” he said.

“Postal services also partially recovered from the effects of December’s strikes.”

What is GDP and how does it affect me?

Economists said the rebound in January was not a surprise given a number of issues in December such as postal and rail strikes.

In education, school absences rose in December due to a spike in winter flu, Covid-19 as well as rising rates of Strep A, which can lead to scarlet fever.

The ONS said the education sector grew by 2.5% in January following a fall of 2.6% the month before. In measuring GDP, the ONS looks at areas such as teachers’ wages and how much investment has been made in schools.

Activity in arts, entertainment and recreation also grew, mainly due to football. Premier League football returned to a full schedule In January after fixtures were postponed in December for the World Cup.

However, the figures for January showed a fall in output in both the manufacturing and construction sectors.

“Looking beneath the surface, the figures suggest the economy is on weaker ground than it appears,” said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics.

She added that strike action in February may have hit growth and the impact of successive interest rate rises is yet to be felt by parts of the economy.

Last month, ambulance workers, teachers, nurses and some in the rail industry walked out.

“So we doubt January’s strength will last and our hunch is that there will still be a recession,” said Ms Gregory.

However, other economists were more upbeat including Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, which predicted that the UK will avoid a downturn.

A recession is usually defined as two three-month periods in a row when the economy shrinks.

What is a recession and how could it affect me?

The UK reported flat growth between October and December and Goldman now expects flat growth to continue in the first three months of this year.

These numbers are better than expected but the economy still has not grown over three months – and that is what is expected again between January and March.

Consumers have proven more resilient so far to the rise in energy prices and interest rates.

The Budget forecasts next week will be from a better baseline than feared last time, thanks to energy prices starting to fall.

While avoiding a formal recession entirely is now possible, for now the overall trend in the economy is flat, with tax rises and the full effect of higher interest rates to come.

The UK continues to grapple with a high rate of price rises, or inflation, leading to a squeeze on the cost of living.

While it has fallen back slightly in recent months as wholesale gas prices have ticked lower, inflation remains at its highest level for nearly four decades.

The Bank of England has raised interest rates to 4% – the highest since 2008 – in an attempt to quell inflation. While that benefits some savers, it has also raised pressures on many mortgage holders.

Related Topics

GDP

Economic growth

UK economy

More on this story

UK recession expected to be shorter and less severe

2 February

What is GDP and how does it affect me?

2 hours ago

[ifwebefriends]

My Child Lebensborn review/thoughts/rambles

So the other day, I played a game called My Child Lebensborn and I just have a lot of thoughts and feelings about it. It’s kinda intense with its themes and story (TW below) so if you’re in a good headspace right now, I really think that you should play it or watch a let’s play on YouTube. It’s like 4-5 hours long. The game is on most consoles as well as android and iOS. It costs $3 and a part of that goes to the Children Born of War Project so while I’m usually pro-piracy, this is one game that I really think you should not pirate. I played the iOS version which you can download here.

The game is described as a “dark tamagotchi” where you play a struggling single parent in 1951-1952 Norway and care for your young adoptive child (either the male Klaus or female Karin, you choose). Klaus/Karin is a “Lebensborn,” an Aryan child born out of wedlock of a German soldier and a Norwegian woman during the occupation of Norway in WWII. You have to balance caring for the child both mentally and physically, work, investigating the child’s origins, and keeping up with local news. A lot happens to the child over the course of the game that you can’t do anything to prevent, you can only impact how the child sees the situation and how they may react to it. It’s a really good and educational game about an aspect of war that I wasn’t really familiar with until now and while it’s not really the most “fun,” it’s a very fulfilling and engaging experience.

The story is basically entirely told through text and mostly happens to the child outside of the home so most of the disturbing stuff happens off-screen but it’s still heavily referred to and feels like a punch to the gut.

If you have a hard stomach and think you can handle it, stop reading this post now and go play it as I’m about to give trigger warnings that could spoil the game and then go into my personal thoughts about it.

Trigger warning for: references to war, bullying, assault, poverty, abandonment, references to Nazism, attempted murder, being forcibly tied up, being urinated on, ethnic discrimination, cruel family members, cruel teachers, and child sexual assault.

Direct Spoilers below

So I don’t think I ever want kids IRL but the way that Karin had MY WHOLE HEART and I wanted to be the best parent ever for her 🥺 like that is my DAUGHTER and you WILL NOT TOUCH HER

Karin baby you deserved so much better I’m sorry I could only do so much for you 🥺🥺🥺

AHHH I DIDN’T BUY THE FOX TOY IN TIME IT WAS GONE BEFORE I HAD THE MONEY FOR IT FUCK

I wish I had chewed out the grandparents more during that visit with them fuck them

The bullying was so fucking cruel like what the hell that’s a child who didn’t ask to be born under these circumstances have some compassion!!!!!!

The way that I clocked almost IMMEDIATELY that Karin was sexually assaulted since she didn’t want to be touched (I don’t know where I learned the warning signs but I did)

I wish there was an option to fucking murder Mr. Solheim

I choose to believe that Karin and the parent ended up somewhere good where people were more tolerant, I have to believe that

I chose to investigate the parents as much as possible, be as honest with Karin as I could, and tried to keep some hope and cautious optimism alive in Karin while still being sensitive to her feelings and not forcing her when she didn’t feel like doing something and I was very satisfied with how things turned out, she trusted me fully by the end

I wish that Karin was more trusting of others by the end but I don’t know how much control I had over that

Here are my chapter complete endcards to further describe the choices I made:

Image ID in ALT Text

[introvertguide]

Star Wars (1977); AFI #13

In honor of May 4th and the original movie that started it all, the group reviewed Star Wars (1977). Nominated for 10 Academy Awards and winning 6 with one extra special achievement award for Sound, this is perhaps the most highly decorated science fiction movie of all time. The special effects and the music were especially moving making the Star Wars experience something amazing to behold. I was lucky enough to see one of the re-releases in the theatre back in the mid 80s. In fact, I might well have seen the film 100 times over my life. The music might be the most well known soundtrack globally. With inflation, this is the 4th highest grossing film of all time. It is truly a fantastic work and I would like to now spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Let me start with the usual:

SPOILER WARNING!!! I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM, BUT FOR THOSE FEW THAT DON'T KNOW, I AM GOING TO RUIN THE PLOT!!! STOP NOW AND GO WATCH IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!!!

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Amid a galactic civil war, Rebel Alliance spies have stolen plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a massive space station capable of destroying an entire planet. Imperial Senator Princess Leia of Alderaan (Carrie Fisher), secretly one of the Rebellion's leaders, has obtained its schematics (this entire effort was originally a throwaway concept but was completely fleshed out in Rogue One almost 40 years later) , but her starship is intercepted by an Imperial Star Destroyer under the command of the ruthless Darth Vader (acted by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones). The movie is just starting and the odds against the rebels are shown by the scale of the two ships. Before she is captured, Leia hides the plans in the memory of an astromech droid called R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), who flees in an escape pod to the desert planet Tatooine accompanied by protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).

The droids are captured by Jawa traders (little shiny eyed beings who are now meme legends), who sell them to moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars and their nephew Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, part of a holographic recording of Leia starts playing a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi where she requests his help ("Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!"). Later, after Luke finds R2-D2 missing, he is attacked by scavenging Sand People while searching for him, but is rescued by elderly hermit "Old Ben" Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness), an acquaintance of Luke's, who reveals that "Obi-Wan" is his true name. Obi-Wan tells Luke of his days as one of the Jedi Knights, the former peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic who drew mystical abilities from a metaphysical energy field known as "the Force", but were ultimately hunted to near-extinction by the Empire. Luke learns that his father fought alongside Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars (another throwaway concept that was eventually fleshed out) until Vader, Obi-Wan's former pupil, turned to the dark side of the Force and murdered him. Obi-Wan presents Luke with his father's old lightsaber, the signature weapon of Jedi Knights. The connection between Darth Vader and Luke's father is explored in depth during the next eight films.

R2-D2 plays Leia's full message, in which she begs Obi-Wan to take the Death Star plans to her home planet of Alderaan and give them to her father, a fellow veteran, for analysis. Although Luke initially declines Obi-Wan's offer to accompany him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force, he is left with no choice after discovering that Imperial stormtroopers have killed his aunt and uncle and destroyed their farm in their search for the droids (cue the Academy and Grammy Award winning theme music composed by John Williams). Traveling to a cantina in Mos Eisley to search for transport, Luke and Obi-Wan hire Han Solo (Harrison Ford), a smuggler with a price on his head due to his debt to local mobster Jabba the Hutt. Pursued by stormtroopers, Obi-Wan, Luke, R2-D2 and C-3PO flee Tatooine with Han and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) on their ship the Millennium Falcon. As they reach the planet's orbit, two Star Destroyers try to intercept them, but Han is able to jump to hyperspace by reaching lightspeed.

Before the Falcon can reach Alderaan, Death Star commander Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) interrogates Leia about the location of the Rebels's secret base, with the threat of destroying her home planet, and, when she answers that the base is on Dantooine, he orders Alderaan destroyed simply as a show of force. As the group arrives in the asteroid field that now stands in place of Alderaan, Han spots an Imperial TIE fighter and is taunted into chasing it and shooting it down, allowing the Falcon to be captured by the space station's tractor beam. Inside the Death Star, Obi-Wan attempts to disable the tractor beam, and Luke persuades Han and Chewbacca to help him rescue Leia after discovering that she is scheduled to be executed. After disabling the tractor beam, Obi-Wan sacrifices his life in an epic lightsaber duel with Vader, allowing the rest of the group to escape the Death Star with Leia. Using a tracking device, the Empire tracks the Falcon to the hidden Rebel base.

Leia's schematics reveal a hidden weakness in the Death Star's thermal exhaust port, which could allow the Rebels to trigger a chain reaction in its main reactor with a precise torpedo strike. While Han abandons the Rebels after collecting his reward for rescuing Leia, Luke joins their starfighter squadron in a desperate attack against the approaching Death Star. In the ensuing battle, the Rebels suffer heavy losses as Vader leads a squadron of TIE fighters against them, but Han unexpectedly returns to aid them in the Falcon, narrowly managing to save Luke before Vader can shoot him down. Guided by the disembodied voice of Obi-Wan's spirit, Luke turns off his targeting computer and uses the Force to aim his torpedoes into the exhaust port, destroying the Death Star moments before it fires on the Rebel base. In a triumphant ceremony at the base, Leia awards Luke and Han medals for their heroism.

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I want to explain the connection between this movie and the Joseph Campbell version of the hero's journey that so many people have pointed out. This journey starts out with a call to adventure that is refused and then forced (Luke is given an opportunity to leave, he declines, the death of his family pushes him forward, he leaves with his team). Campbell then predicts an initiation that involves meeting a woman and gaining weapons, a meeting with an incredible power, and an achievement of the hero's power (goes to star destroyer, meets Vader and loses Obi-Wan, gains power over force). The story ends with a refusal, a magic flight, a rescue from without, and a hero's return (Luke goes to attack the Death Star, Han refuses and then eventually saves him, and the day is saved so the heroes are rewarded). It is a story that is called the Monomyth and has been recognized in Greek myths that are thousands of years old. It is a good story that has been proven to work and it makes for one of the most enjoyable movies of all time.

There was some negative opinions of the film because it is such a simple old story that became extremely popular and film goers would no longer be interested in intelligent thinking movies. It is kind of the truth because blockbuster summer films are full of explosions. The highest grossing films since then have tended to be highly explosive action films. Films like Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones are a lot of fun, but they are not super deep. They are easy to understand at surface level, but they can also be interpreted to mean much more significant things. The choice of the viewer about whether the story has deep inner meaning or is just the Odyssey in space is personal and likely colors opinions about how good it is. Some people think it is stupid fun while others have actually formed religions around the idea of the force.

One thing is for certain, the formula worked amazingly well for a large group of people and this made movie producers want to copy it. This is what is generally called a watershed moment because the look of movies changed significantly. There were so many more space operas and they all had that worn post-apocalyptic look to them. Star Wars and Mad Max combined to give a different look of what futuristic was. There was advanced tech in some cases, but there was a scorched Earth that had run out of resources and people suffered. Think about how many movies and television shows there are that have come out since the 80s and combine industrial tech for space and distressed almost Western appearances for the planets. The movie changed the way many people see the future.

One thing that is inarguably great was the score. I am not going to try and describe it with words, I am just going to put links to the different themes here so you can hear for yourself:

Star Wars Main Theme (Full) - YouTube

Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) - YouTube

Princess Leia's Theme - YouTube

Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (1977) Soundtrack 11 Cantina Band - YouTube

This is somewhat strange for the AFI so I went back and checked, but I believe that this is the only film with a ranked villain (Darth Vader), hero (Han Solo), and theme song (Main Theme). Even if it is somewhat simplistic from some perspectives, the story and the songs and the sounds and the characters speak to those who watch it. Seeing the movie is an incredible experience and I envy those who get to see it for the first time.

I am a big fan of the original Star Wars trilogy and I could completely nerd out going over all of the little things throughout the movie, but this is not a deep dive but instead an overall review. So does it belong on the AFI top 100? Maybe more than any other movie. It is an epic tale that changed the way movies were made across multiple genres. We could probably look at all science fiction films and put them as before or after this one. It is an important piece of American film and (no matter what anyone thinks of the other Star Wars films or George Lucas) it is a masterpiece. Would I recommend it? I cannot say yes enough. It is part of my culture as a California movie nerd and understanding this film is understanding some of the basic knowledge I grew up with. All sticks are swung around like light sabers. If I say "Princess Leia hair," everyone around here knows exactly what I mean. If something is impossible but still needs to be done, we tell people to use the force. I have lived in the Bay Area for 20 years and I can still reference a location by how close it is to Skywalker Ranch were George Lucas worked on movies. Please check out this film and you will know why I am such a fan of movies.

[newstfionline]

Thursday, February 25, 2021

COVID-19 cases falling (nearly) everywhere (Foreign Policy) New COVID-19 cases and deaths have dropped worldwide for the sixth consecutive week, according to figures compiled by the World Health Organization. The WHO recorded 2.4 million new cases last week, a drop of 11 percent compared to the previous week. The 66,000 deaths last week represented a 20 percent decline. Five out of the six WHO regions now show a consistent downward trend in new cases, although the trendline in the Eastern Mediterranean region remains flat due to continued case increases in Iran and Iraq.

Not to be sniffed at: Agony of post-COVID-19 loss of smell (AP) The doctor slid a miniature camera into the patient’s right nostril, making her whole nose glow red with its bright miniature light. “Tickles a bit, eh?” he asked as he rummaged around her nasal passages, the discomfort causing tears to well in her eyes and roll down her cheeks. The patient, Gabriella Forgione, wasn’t complaining. The 25-year-old pharmacy worker was happy to be prodded and poked at the hospital in Nice, in southern France, to advance her increasingly pressing quest to recover her sense of smell. Along with her sense of taste, it suddenly vanished when she fell ill with COVID-19 in November, and neither has returned. Being deprived of the pleasures of food and the scents of things that she loves are proving tough on her body and mind. Shorn of odors both good and bad, Forgione is losing weight and self-confidence. “Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Do I stink?’” she confessed. “Normally, I wear perfume and like for things to smell nice. Not being able to smell bothers me greatly.” A year into the coronavirus pandemic, doctors and researchers are still striving to better understand and treat the accompanying epidemic of COVID-19-related anosmia—loss of smell—draining much of the joy of life from an increasing number of sensorially frustrated longer-term sufferers like Forgione.

Biden to order sweeping review of U.S. supply chain weak spots (Washington Post) President Biden on Wednesday will formally order a 100-day government review of potential vulnerabilities in U.S. supply chains for critical items, including computer chips, medical gear, electric-vehicle batteries and specialized minerals. The directive comes as U.S. automakers are grappling with a severe shortage of semiconductors, essential ingredients in the high-tech entertainment and navigation systems that fill modern passenger vehicles. Biden’s executive order, which he is scheduled to sign this afternoon, also is aimed at avoiding a repeat of the shortages of personal protective gear such as masks and gloves experienced last year during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. The president’s order, which had been anticipated, represents the partial fulfillment of a campaign pledge. But mandating a government study will be the easy part. Extensively modifying U.S. supply lines and reducing the country’s dependence upon foreign suppliers—after decades of globalization—could prove difficult and costly.

U.S. seeks to return to U.N. human rights body (Reuters) The United States will seek election to the U.N. Human Rights Council later this year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, marking the Biden administration’s latest international re-engagement. Blinken, addressing the council by recorded video, said that President Joseph Biden’s administration would work to eliminate what he called the Geneva forum’s “disproportionate focus” on U.S. ally Israel. The council, set up in 2006, has a stand-alone item on the Palestinian territories on its agenda every session, the only issue with such treatment, which both Democratic and Republican administrations have opposed.

Freedom of speech the real issue in Spain (Washington Post) Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in some of Spain’s largest cities every night for a week, often clashing with police. In Barcelona on Saturday, authorities said they detained 38 people and recorded injuries among 13. The anger of the young protesters is centered on the arrest of a man who until recently was an obscure figure: Pablo Rivadulla, a rapper better known by his stage name, Pablo Hasél. But the demonstrations are about far more than one man’s arrest, speaking to growing concern inside and out of Spain about the effect of the country’s anti-terrorism laws and lèse-majesté statutes circumscribing the freedom of expression.

Covid inspires 1,200 new German words (The Guardian) From coronamüde (tired of Covid-19) to Coronafrisur (corona hairstyle), a German project is documenting the huge number of new words coined in the last year as the language races to keep up with lives radically changed by the pandemic. The list, compiled by the Leibniz Institute for the German Language, an organisation that documents German language in the past and present, already comprises more than 1,200 new German words—many more than the 200 seen in an average year. It includes feelings many can relate to, such as overzoomed (stressed by too many video calls), Coronaangst (when you have anxiety about the virus) and Impfneid (envy of those who have been vaccinated). Other new words reveal the often strange reality of life under restrictions: Kuschelkontakt (cuddle contact) for the specific person you meet for cuddles and Abstandsbier (distance beer) for when you drink with friends at a safe distance. The words also capture specific moments during the pandemic. For example, Balkonsänger (balcony singer) is someone who sings to people from their balcony, which was popular during the spring lockdown. Hamsteritis, referring to the urge to stockpile food, was also commonly used at the start of the crisis.

China uses patriotism test to sweep aside last outlet for Hong Kong democracy (Washington Post) Serving as a district councilor in Hong Kong means addressing everyday concerns such as pest control, traffic issues and helping elderly residents pay bills. One of the few perks of the modest office is having a say, alongside tycoons and Beijing loyalists, in choosing Hong Kong’s leader. On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s government announced that anyone running for these local positions will need to be a “patriot”—meaning they must swear loyalty not to their constituents but to Beijing and the Communist Party—as China moves to quash the territory’s last avenue of democracy. The changes, which are expected to be introduced to the legislature—where there is no viable opposition—next month and become law soon thereafter, will trigger the expulsion of several young pro-democracy councilors, even if they read the oath as instructed. Disqualified candidates will be barred from running in any elections for five years. With Tuesday’s announcement, the councils, the only fully democratic body in Hong Kong, fall in line with China’s broader reshaping of a city once known for its boisterous political culture as democratically chosen representatives are replaced with Beijing loyalists.

The Mekong River (Nikkei Asia) There are 60 million people who live along the lower Mekong River, and they were in for a rough surprise in early January when China drastically cut the discharge from the Jinghong Dam in Yunnan Province. The “tests”—which were slated to end January 24—entailed cutting the flow of the river from 1,900 cubic meters per second to just 1,000 cubic meters per second, but the final day of tests came and went and the volume is still down. That this occurred in the middle of the dry season was particularly rough for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, countries that depend on the river. China has begun to draw international ire over their management of the river, which it has built 11 large dams on.

A Digital Firewall in Myanmar (NYT) The Myanmar soldiers descended before dawn on Feb. 1, bearing rifles and wire cutters. At gunpoint, they ordered technicians at telecom operators to switch off the internet. For good measure, the soldiers snipped wires without knowing what they were severing, according to an eyewitness and a person briefed on the events. The data center raids in Yangon and other cities in Myanmar were part of a coordinated strike in which the military seized power, locked up the country’s elected leaders and took most of its internet users offline. Since the coup, the military has repeatedly shut off the internet and cut access to major social media sites, isolating a country that had only in the past few years linked to the outside world. The military regime has also floated legislation that could criminalize the mildest opinions expressed online. So far, the Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military is known, has depended on cruder forms of control to restrict the flow of information. But the army seems serious about setting up a digital fence to more aggressively filter what people see and do online. Such a comprehensive firewall may also exact a heavy price: The internet outages since the coup have paralyzed a struggling economy. Longer disruptions will damage local business interests and foreign investor confidence as well as the military’s own vast business interests.

Iraq’s struggling Christians hope for boost from pope visit (AP) Nasser Banyameen speaks about his hometown of Qaraqosh in the historical heartland of Iraqi Christianity with nostalgia. Before Islamic State group fighters swept through the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq. Before the militants shattered his sense of peace. Before panicked relatives and neighbors fled, some never to return. Iraq’s Christian communities in the area were dealt a severe blow when they were scattered by the IS onslaught in 2014, further shrinking the country’s already dwindling Christian population. Many hope their struggle to endure will get a boost from a historic visit by Pope Francis planned in March. Among the places on his itinerary is Qaraqosh, where this week Vatican and Iraqi flags fluttered from light poles, some adorned with the pope’s image. Francis’ visit, his first foreign trip since the coronavirus pandemic and the first ever by a pope to Iraq, is a sign that “You’re not alone,” said Monsignor Segundo Tejado Muñoz, the undersecretary of the Vatican’s development office. “There’s someone who is thinking of you, who is with you. And these signs are so important. So important.”

Syria’s economic woes (NYT) In a private meeting with pro-government journalists, President Bashar al-Assad was asked about Syria’s economic meltdown: the currency collapse that has gutted salaries, the skyrocketing prices for basic goods and the chronic shortages of fuel and bread. “I know,” he said, according to two people with knowledge of the discussion. “I know.” But he offered no concrete steps to stem the crisis beyond floating this idea: Television channels should cancel cooking shows so as not to taunt Syrians with images of unattainable food. As the 10-year anniversary of Syria’s civil war looms, Mr. al-Assad’s most immediate threats are not the rebel factions and foreign powers that still control large swaths of the country. Instead, it is the crushing economic crisis that has hobbled the reconstruction of destroyed cities, impoverished the population and left a growing number of Syrians struggling to get enough food. Food prices have more than doubled in the last year. The World Food Program warned this month that 60 percent of Syrians, or 12.4 million people, were at risk of going hungry, the highest number ever recorded.

The Deadliest Middle East Construction Project Since The Pyramids (The Guardian) On December 2, 2010, FIFA announced that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup —- a first for a Middle East nation. Over the next ten years, thousands of migrant laborers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka came to Qatar to work on the elaborate preparations for the world’s biggest football tournament. Sadly, during that period at least 6,500 of those workers died, according to an analysis by the Guardian. The findings were compiled from government sources, and mean that an average of 12 migrant workers from the five South Asian nations have died each week since the announcement was made. The total death toll is significantly higher because the figures don’t include deaths from other countries like the Philippines and Kenya that send large numbers of workers to Qatar. Also not included are deaths occurring in the final months of 2020. More deaths have undoubtedly occurred since preparations for the 2022 tournament continue.

The value of housework (Foreign Policy) In a landmark ruling, a Beijing divorce court has ordered a man to pay his wife for five years of unpaid housework during their marriage. The award does not amount to much, roughly $1,100 dollars per year, but marks a new era in Chinese divorce law after the government introduced a new civil code. Under the new code, an aggrieved spouse is entitled to seek compensation if they shouldered more domestic responsibilities—with no prenuptial agreement necessary. The case follows a similar one in Argentina in 2019, when a divorce court ordered a husband to pay his wife of 27 years $179,000 in recognition of her unpaid domestic work. According to Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) figures, Chinese women spend roughly four hours per day on unpaid work—with their U.S. counterparts clocking in nearly the same amount. American men are closer to closing the gap than Chinese men, however. American men spending about 2.5 hours per day on unpaid labor, while Chinese men spend just 1.6 hours.

[griffith-ben]

My Linked[In]terview

One of my most proud accomplishments related to social media has nothing to do with learning about posting or using the online platform. In Fall 2020, I entered the internship market determined to make the best of these unprecedented times. To me this meant dedicating hours each week to revising and editing my resume to match the criteria of any internships that were remotely interesting to me. I would say on average I spent about four hours per week dedicated to the job hunt, finding listings on LinkedIn, getting inspiration on company websites, and manually creating alternate versions of my resume to best match different positions between sales, marketing, communication, public relations, you name it.  

Goals individuals place on themselves can only be one of two possibilities: a stretch goal or a comfort goal. When sending out my resume in the middle of a pandemic I adopted a “the worst they can say is no” attitude, which ultimately has led me to some immense success. I had two stretch goals that began to come to fruition in October of 2020. One day I got a LinkedIn notification from an unknown and it ended up being a recruiter for the LinkedIn Global Sales Internship role. Looking at this from my realist perspective I knew that there was some sort of artificial intelligence software in LinkedIn that was able to pull my profile as one with “relevant skills that could translate to a career in sales at LinkedIn.” Either way I felt very excited to explore this possibility.

This is where my journey with LinkedIn began. In this message the recruiter sent a welcome video where she filmed an introduction, and it was refreshing to see someone in a more normal way during this global crisis. During this week I began to reach out to my professors to gain opinions on my resume in order to give myself the best shot in the interview process. After making conversation with the recruiter via LinkedIn messaging, I was able to put in my application with confidence.

About a week later or so I received an e-mail telling me I had made it into the first stage of the process which was a fifteen-minute phone screen. We set-up time which was late for us on the east coast, but worked out nicely for the recruiter because the headquarters and where she lives is in San Francisco. Looking back at this conversation there was not much substance to it, just checking in on how the school year is going and basic questions on my experience listed on my resume. Applying what I know from my Sales Management course I know the content of this talk was not what was being evaluated. It was the soft skills of conversing over the phone which is directly applicable to the sales position being applied for.

After the call was over, I was given a timeline of two weeks to hear if I made it into the first round of interviews. I knew I had chosen a time for the phone screen early in the process so to make sure that I remained in the head of the recruiter I had to take action. Something I did that really made me feel more confident that this position was a right fit for me was reaching out to previous interns from the position. Just on LinkedIn alone I was able to strike up conversation with at least five of the previous interns and ask about their experience. I then formulated a thank you email to the recruiter and I mentioned these interactions which further showed my interest and my ability to work with others input.

This is a mostly happy story after all; I did end up making it to the first round of interviews which was extremely exciting to achieve. This call was scheduled for about half an hour and consisted of a video-chat going over those standard interview questions like “tell me about a time where you failed and how you handled it?” And the more sales role specific questions such as “why are you interested in sales?” In this conversation I prepared to have a more back and forth conversation whereas the phone interview was mostly a one-way talking style. I studied up on here LinkedIn profile to get a sense on what we had in common and was sure to use those commonalities in my answers. For example, I used my transition from the running club to the division one team to show hard work, dedication, but tied it into some she could relate to. Based on her profile we had roots in the Midwest which was a great conversation starter. In my running I highlighted the unpredictability of Midwestern weather and from this I learned she had completed a half marathon and I was clued into knowing she could relate to my experience.

In this first round there was only a week turn-around between knowing if we made it into the second round of interviews. I am usually confident in interviews because people skills are one of my strongest skills but, because of my lack of internship experience I was worried if I would be overlooked. In a confetti started email, I got the congratulations email and made it to the second round. For this round I would be interviewing with someone higher up in the hiring manager level. This interview I was preparing to answer behavioral based questions, so I began going through mental preparations to show my story in the most positive light.

For this interview it was done over a video call and lasted for about forty-five minutes. This new woman I was interacting with was inspiring and strong. She has worked her way up to being a Vice President of Sales in three companies and now works as a sales director of North America for LinkedIn. Interacting with someone so high up in an organization I thought was not going to be possible in college, but it was so cool to see how down to earth someone so successful could be. On the day of, I had to miss class, with permission, in order to attend the call. After sharing with my professor about the opportunity it was great to know how much I felt supported in achieving higher.  

The content of this second round interview with the hiring manager was definitely more nerve racking. I was glad I was dressed up in my full suit because even with the window open to a Michigan November I was still sweating nervously. In our conversation I never showed my nerves though, I was calm confident and collected and made sure to speak at a rate that was understandable and would translate well across the video call. She asked questions on my sales experience and why I think I would succeed with LinkedIn, but the question I always love to get in an interview was brought up giving me the confidence I needed to finish strong across those forty-five minutes. The question was along the lines of: tell me about a time where you were under stress and still performed well.  

My answer to this question in a spark notes version always relates to my Leader Advancement Scholar Program experience where we performed a debate course partnered with the Saginaw Regional Correctional Facility. In this experience we were partnered with men that has sentences between two-years and life, we drove to the prison, went through security, and learned alongside these men debate principles and etiquette. Internally, I was a mess. I was very stressed out about being in a prison, I had never known anyone to go to prison, all my knowledge on the prison system came from the media. Even under this stress I was able to walk away with the second highest speaker’s award for best debate and performed two wins as I stepped in for another student when she was sick on the day of her debate. The response from the LinkedIn interviewer was priceless, she said that in her four years of going through rounds of Intern interviews she had never heard a story like that and overall was very impressed.

I left the interview feeling proud of my work, but this is not to be confused with confident on the position. At this stage in the game it was obvious there were very few candidates left. I wanted to leave an impression of myself on the interviewer and share why I wanted to be apart of the Global Sales program. I was able to ask great questions on what it is like working at LinkedIn, culture differences between this job and previous ones, and growth opportunities. I was also able to share my story in an authentic and memorable way.

While this entire LinkedIn process was going on, I did not put all my eggs in one basket. I was balancing three other companies for interviews and was able to land two other offers. Upon notification of another offer with a deadline I reached out to LinkedIn out of courtesy to let them know I have a new timeline. That next day results came back from the Round Two of interviews and I was not selected to move into final round. Though I had other offers, I was devastated at this news. After spending over a month interacting with recruiters, I began to envision my internship living in San Francisco for the summer, I imagined life meeting new people from all over the country, I envisioned a job offer there after college. The world works in mysterious ways and I know that it must have not been meant to be at that time. Moving forward I have built strong connections with LinkedIn and going into my senior year I feel excited at what could be next for me.

As for the power of social media it is obvious that without its impact, I would have never earned this opportunity. Based on my profile, artificial intelligence was able to select me as a candidate with the characteristics to be successful in their internship role. Specifically, I attribute my profile having this status due to my active posting. With higher frequency of posts the AI was able to have more data points to judge me and therefore more reasons to share my name with the recruiter. Social media is often talked negatively in this day and age but this anecdote about LinkedIn is an obvious example of the great things possible.

[txst-psf]

Druidry and Irish Polytheism 101

Hi all!

I know this time of isolation and global crisis is wildly boring and stressful, so hopefully a few informative posts will help to keep you busy and distracted! Remember to practice tons of self care, and keep a regular cleaning schedule to stay healthy. I love you all!

- Wren

See below the read more break for Druidry 101!

DISCLAIMER: this is my own personal understanding and experience with Druidry (based on research, but still filtered through my perspective), so, like with all research you do, take this with a grain of salt! I consider myself an Irish Polytheist Reconstructionist as well, so this article will be based on Irish Druidry in particular.

First off, let’s explore what “reconstructionism” is. Reconstructionism is looking to history and finding (to the best of our ability) the practices ancient practitioners used and recreating the tradition as if it had evolved naturally with time. Not all Pagans/Druids/witches are reconstructionists, and that’s perfectly valid! If you know me or have heard any of my workshops before, you know how much I love research, and that’s partly because of the reconstructionist approach I take to my practice. I like to know why I do the things I do in the way that I do them, as well as the most “authentic” way to practice and honor my deities (for lack of a better word! Other approaches to Paganism and witchcraft are valid as well, it all depends on the practitioner. No two paths are the same, and that’s part of the beauty of Paganism and magic!).

That being said, the history of Druidry is complicated and muddy, due to the stark lack of primary sources. A lot of the information we have is filtered through a prejudiced Roman or Christian perspective, so we have to sift through the resources we do have very carefully to try to piece together the true history of Druidry and ancient Celtic practices. It’s also enough content to warrant several other posts... So let me know if you’d like to hear more about it and how Druids fit into ancient society (and if you just can’t wait, a good start is researching the four cycles of Irish mythology)!

For now, I’ll focus on what my favorite author (Morgan Daimler) considers to be “commonly held beliefs” in Irish Reconstructionist Polytheism, “...polytheism, animism, belief in honoring spirits and ancestors, immortality of the soul, and shared cosmology.”

Polytheism and Animism

Polytheism is the belief in more than one deity, or a pantheon of deities, and animism is the belief that everything has a soul/spirit. Irish Reconstructionist Pagans believe in and/or worship Irish deities, otherworldly spirits, land spirits, and ancestral spirits, often through offerings, stories, prayers, and song. There are several landmarks in Ireland (wells, rivers, trees, boulders, mounds, etc.) that ancient Irish folks held to be sacred spaces with their own spirit and personalities.

Belief in Honoring Spirits and Ancestors

There’s a loose hierarchy of spirits, depending on who you ask. First, there are land spirits, the physical, topographical features I was describing earlier. They’re thought to be fairly sedentary and tied to their respective feature, rarely traveling far away from it. They have their own personalities, which can be malicious, especially if associated with a place that’s perceived to be dangerous, and usually have myths about their danger.

Next, there are sovereign spirits. These are like land spirits, but with a larger area associated with them, from a field to cities to sometimes entire counties in Ireland. They’re perceived as guardians of the land spirits in their area, and can travel a bit farther from their spot, but rarely do. They’re said to occasionally take the form of a person or animal to communicate with folks that can see them, and can also communicate through visions or dreams.

Higher up the hierarchy are the Fae, or faeries, Good Neighbors, Fair Folk, Other Crowd, daoine sidhe, aos sidhe... etc. According to another of my favorite authors, O hOgain: “In Irish lore the Fair Folk live in the land, on the sea, and in the air, being associated with the mounds, stone circles, watery locations including the sea and bogs, caverns, and strange swirls of wind, as well as specific trees, especially lone hawthorn trees.” Working with the Good Neighbors is generally an important aspect of Druidry. Honoring them can be incredibly rewarding if you can get on their good side and strike up a safe deal with them. They’ll teach you magic and healing, enhance artistic performance, and bring good luck and blessing. It’s important to note that a relationship with the Good Neighbors should be based on respect and friendship, not what you want from them. I could write several posts about the Good Neighbors, but for now, I’ll leave it at this: be very careful, and very respectful when dealing with the Fae. Like with any practice, be sure to do your research before jumping into it.

Fourth, we have ancestors! Since this tradition generally believes in the immortality of the soul, it’s only natural that we’d honor our ancestors. They’re probably one of the easiest spirits to commune with, since they’re closer to us and have an established interest in us and our well-being. A lot of folks have ancestor shrines and celebrate holidays with their ancestors when they come back to visit. It’s also important to note that our ancestors don’t have to be blood relatives! Some folks prefer to count family friends or chosen family members who have passed on as their ancestors, or even mythic heroes.

Immortality of the Soul

Some myths mention reincarnation into animals, like Lebor na hUidre and Tochmarc Etain. This is debated, but some believe that the mortal dead can join the Good Neighbors. Other than that, I truly have no idea where souls go between lives. It’s fairly debated, and from my understanding, not well known. There are several possibilities: Tech Duinn (the house of Donn), Tír Tairngire (Land of Promise), Tír fo Thuinn (Land under the Wave), Mag Mell (Plane of Delight), and Tír na nÓg (Land of Youth), to name a few. Basically, we have no clue where we’re gonna end up, but we do know that we’ll keep on goin’!

Shared Cosmology

First off, what is cosmology? Basically, it’s the understanding of the universe, how and why it works, and how it'll end. We have something close to an end of the world story, which is the Morrigan’s second prophecy in the Cath Maige Tuired, but we don’t have much of a creation story, as far as I know. We do have hints that some folks have tried to fill in the holes for, like Lebor Gabala Erenn, where the world is divided into 5 (five being the number that implied a sacred whole) sections, each representing important qualities to the ancient Celts.

According to druidry.org, North was for battle and conflict, represented by fire, the sword, and the eagle. East was for prosperity, represented by earth, riches and bees, and the salmon. South was for creativity and intuition, represented by water, music and poetry, and the sow. West was for intellect and remembrance, represented by air, learning and teaching, and the stag. The center was thought to complete the ritual space, and was for “mastery and rulership.” It was usually represented by a stone and the Mare of Sovereignty.

The ancient Irish invented the wheel of the year, and believed in two seasons, the light half of the year (Summer) and the dark half of the year (Winter). Summer began with Bealtaine/Beltane (pronounced kind of like bee-YELL-ten-uh in Irish), and Winter began with Samhain (pronounced s-OW-ehn).

They also believed in a threefold world, represented by the triskele/triskelion, three spirals connected at the center. The three spirals represented the three realms (the sea, the land, and the sky), and the middle, where they all meet, represents the center or the sacred fire.

The sea, and some bodies of water, were believed to be connected/portals to the Otherworld, as the various otherworlds were generally thought of as islands across the sea. The land was the physical world, inhabited by our Kindreds - other people. The sky was the realm of the Gods, or Shining Ones, from which they watch over the world. Offerings were often made in sacred fires, as the belief was that the smoke would carry the offering to the Gods.

The three realms are also represented as energy centers in the body. We call them the cauldron of the mind, of the heart, and of the belly. The cauldron of the mind holds our wisdom, and is upside down at birth. It’s turned upwards through learning and spirituality. The cauldron of the heart holds our emotions and artistry, and is sideways at birth. It’s turned upwards through artistic mastery and emotional maturity. The cauldron of the belly holds our health, and is upright in a healthy person, sideways in a sick person, and turned upside down at death.

I’d like to reiterate that this is by no means a complete guide to Druidry! I’m not an authority on the subject either, just a gal who reads a lot. Regardless, I hope this helps someone in their path!

- Wren

Resources:

Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism by Morgan Daimler

https://druidry.org/druid-way/other-paths/druidry-dharma/two-seasons-three-worlds-four-treasures-five-directions-pillars

https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/worlds-kindreds.html

Chris Godwin, Senior Druid for Hearthstone Grove, ADF

[boysontheinside]

What Are Web Scanners And Also You Want Them For Greater Online Security

We have all heard the old adage that prevention is much better than the cure. It couldn't be truer when it has to do with web application protection and cybersecurity generally. It's a great deal more effective and more effectual to avoid cyber-attacks than to take part in post-incident response. Web scanners perform a important function ineffective prevention and mitigation of attacks on web applications. They help identify prospective threats and vulnerabilities, malware, viruses, questionable actions, and application defacements. Here are some important tips which will aid you in optimising your website scanner.

Clarity about the extent and Aim of the web scanner

Every business has various structures and systems and a varied group of needs. Hence that the web scanner is not going to be satisfying precisely exactly the exact goal in every business. For instance, X might possibly require a web scanner for both compliance purposes and Y might require a web scanner for routine scans from the software creation process whilst Z will need it to get a post-incident reaction. Therefore for your entire optimisation, stability and efficacy of their web scanner, it is a must that every firm clearly defines the scope and aim of their web scanner. To discover more info on Rival Scan, you have to check out our site.

Range of web scanner

Organisations should analyse the network arrangement and also understand that the particular business and IT needs of the organisation to select a web scanner that's best-suited and well-aligned for the requirements of their organisation. A web scanner that's current on the worldwide dangers and vulnerabilities will assure effective scanning. Cloud-based and automated web scanners save your self cost and time when ensuring that the network isn't slowed down thanks to the scanning.

Web application protection

Unlike manual screening and penetration testing, web scanners (notably automated ones) may scan to get a broad list of both vulnerabilities and risks. To reevaluate such a web scanner, make a list of your expectations by the web scanner and all sorts of possible future threats and vulnerabilities that you are interested in getting the scanner to identify. To the conclusion, you can use available international hazard databases or utilize web application safety tools such as AppTrana, that might be endowed with constant updates on information of global dangers and fortified together with beyond attack history (information along with learnings from the strikes ).

Reduce obstacles to this web scanner

To optimize the web scanner, it's crucial to set it near into the assets to become flashed, without having a lot of obstructions in the forms of firewalls or apparatus. Usage of low-bandwidth WAN connections additionally obstructs the optimum use of their web scanner.

Impact automation

For powerful scanning and identification of potential dangers and vulnerabilities, web application scanning must be done each day and right after major changes to the systems, networks, organization policies, business policies, etc.. By minding automation, even the web scanner can be fully optimised since the scanning procedure may be scheduled in advance and it's going to run at the background. It'll make sure that the web applications aren't compromised due to individual carelessness or even disputes. A number of those automatic web scanners even automatically take away, block or patch vulnerabilities and risks.

Assembling a usable and readable report

After the web scanner has got the capacity to generate readable and usable reports, it may be efficiently used by programmers and safety professionals to come up with and collect corrective actions.

Professional Assistance

The web scanner is totally optimised when the expert services of licensed security specialists have been used. Though automated scanners establish top threats, malicious and senile actions and also other attack signs, these professionals may analyse reports generated by the scanner to efficiently repair vulnerabilities or engage in further manual/pen testing as well as analyse the effect of business functions on web applications to identify and fix business logic defects.

Avoid rush and inconsistency

Web scanners which can be configured in haste and that are inconsistent are significant reasons for inferior cyber security and greater vulnerability to threats. It's vital for companies to expend time, hard work and resources involving careful and also onsite cyber-security strategy, knowledge creation amongst its own stakeholders and proper construction of technologies and processes.

Integration with additional web security and development tools

Using just web scanners won't succeed in allaying risks to the web applications and resources. The web scanner can be optimised if it is efficiently incorporating together with other web stability and development tools. For instance, a web scanner that is employed seamlessly with a Web Application Firewall (WAF) will guarantee that there is regular mutual learning between your 2 that will interpret into a greater web application protection along with optimisation of both tools.

[bountyofbeads]

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/21/trump-state-visit-cancellation-over-greenland-shocks-danes?CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Twitter&__twitter_impression=true

Donald J. Trump is the world's WORST negotiator. No wonder he has gone BANKRUPT 6Xs.

Greenland highlights Trump’s willingness to offend close US allies

By cancelling his state visit to Denmark, the US president has again showed his thin skin

By Simon Tisdall | Published:07:51 Wed August 21, 2019 | Guardian | Posted August 21, 2019 100:00 AM ET |

Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to cancel his state visit to Denmark after it rejected his unsolicited offer to buy Greenland at a knockdown price took most people by surprise, not least his own ambassador.

“Denmark is ready … Partner, ally, friend”, tweeted Carla Sands, the neophyte US envoy to Copenhagen who was previously an actor and chiropractor. Hours later, it was off.

The embarrassment of Sands, a loyal Trump campaign fundraiser best known until now for her starring role in the 1988 film Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell, elicited scant sympathy from Danes apparently relieved the US president was not coming.

“Hahaha, well maybe your boss should update you about what is going on in his mind. This proves how crazy this administration is,” one Twitter user wrote. Some American respondents apologised for their president’s behaviour.

Greenland’s unsought role in this new Nordic saga, wacky even by Trump’s eccentric standards, has again raised questions about his mental state and a chaotic decision-making process in Washington that often leaves partners and allies out in the cold.

Trump recently secretly ordered military strikes on Iran, then called them off with 10 minutes to go. He caused more Scandinavian amazement and amusement last month when he sent a hostage negotiator to Sweden after the American rapper A$AP Rocky was arrested for common assault.

Anthony Scaramucci, a former communications director for Trump, told the BBC the much-pummelled president was like a punch-drunk boxer still standing in the 12th round with no real idea what he was doing. His handlers should throw in the towel, Scaramucci suggested.

That may be an overly kind explanation. The Greenland episode has also highlighted Trump’s personal rudeness and undiplomatic willingness to offend close US allies. The visit next month was at the invitation of Queen Margrethe II, who, unlike Prince Hamlet, was apparently prepared to tolerate something rotten in the state of Denmark, at least for a couple of days. She will not be amused.

Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, was glacially cool towards the idea of selling Greenland to Trump. She described the US, which maintains a military base in Qaanaaq, also known as Thule, in north-west Greenland, as a valued strategic and Nato partner. But she poured cold water on the purchase, suggesting it smacked of disrespectful neocolonial attitudes.

“Thankfully, the time where you buy and sell other countries and populations is over. Let’s leave it there,” Frederiksen said during a trip to Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. The attempt to buy it was “absurd”. It is this blunt response that seems to have provoked the thin-skinned Trump to put his trip on ice.

The idea of such deals is not new, though dated. An expansionist US, pursing what was once called its “manifest destiny”, often bought or seized territory in the past. In 1803, it paid Napoleon $15m for a huge area of land ranging from what is now Canada to the south-eastern US, a deal known as the Louisiana purchase.

In 1848, the US relieved Mexico of about half its national territory, including most of what is now California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. In 1867, it bought Alaska from the Russians. In 1898, it took possession of the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico after fighting a war with Spain. The US once harboured designs on Cuba and Panama.

But Greenland residents plainly do not want to follow the US Virgin Islands, sold by Denmark in 1917. They have reportedly dismissed Trump’s offer, calling it patronising and unwelcome. Yet the fact the idea was even raised may serve to reinforce longstanding resentment, mostly directed at Copenhagen, that Greenlanders are treated as second-class citizens.

Political tensions have fuelled calls for independence among residents of the vast, sparsely populated island where about 57,000 people occupy 836,000 sq miles. Despite its largely untapped mineral wealth, which is what is said to most interest Trump, it is heavily dependent on more than £400m in annual subsidies from Denmark.

In common with other Arctic territories, Greenland has a recent history of social problems, including high rates of alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide among the indigenous Inuit people. Increased tourism has proved a mixed blessing.

Greenland is also disproportionately affected by the climate crisis and global heating.

According to a CNN report from Kulusuk this week, scientists say 12.5bn tonnes of ice melted on one day this month – the biggest single-day loss ever recorded. That’s no joke – and it is a problem Trump stubbornly refuses to address.

‘A narcissistic fool’: Danes hit out at Trump over cancelled visit

US president faces criticism for calling off Denmark trip after he is told Greenland not for sale

Shaun Walker | Published Wed 21 Aug 2019 08.59 EDT | Guardian | Posted August 21, 2019 9:48 AM ET |

The Danish prime minister has said she is surprised and disappointed that Donald Trump has called off his planned visit to the country over Copenhagen’s refusal to sell Greenland to the US.

Mette Frederiksen said the US president’s decision would not affect strategic, military or commercial cooperation between their two countries. She had previously said his Greenland proposal was absurd.

Politicians from across the spectrum were united in their condemnation. “There are already many good reasons to think that the man is a fool, and now he has given another good reason,” Eva Flyvholm, the foreign policy chair for Denmark’s Red-Green Alliance, told Danish media.

The former prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt tweeted: (See Website or Twitter)

Villy Søvndal, a former foreign minister, said the decision “confirms that Donald Trump is a narcissistic fool”.

The US president had been due to visit Denmark in early September but announced on Twitter late on Tuesday night that there was no longer any point in the visit. “Based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” Trump wrote. The White House later confirmed the visit had been called off.

Søvndal told the Danish newspaper Berlingske that Trump’s decision showed he was unaware of the basic rules of diplomacy. “If he had been a clown in a circus, you could probably say that there is considerable entertainment value. The problem is that he is the president of the most powerful nation in the world,” he said.

The awkwardness was compounded by the fact that the US ambassador to Denmark had tweeted her excitement about the upcoming visit a few hours before Trump made his announcement. “Denmark is ready for the POTUS visit! Partner, ally, friend,” she wrote.

A spokeswoman for the Danish royal household, which had formally invited Trump, said she was surprised by the cancellation.

Greenland, a vast island bordering the Arctic Ocean that is 85% covered in ice, was a Danish colony until 1953. It gained autonomous territory status in 1979, but the island’s economy depends heavily on Danish subsidies. It has 55,000 inhabitants, many of whom favour full independence from Denmark.

Many in Denmark had initially assumed the story of Trump’s desire to buy the large, sparsely populated island was either meant in jest or as a distraction tactic. Trump even tweeted a photograph of a small Greenland village with a large Trump tower photoshopped in, but he appears to have been serious about the proposal, or at least offended by the firm rebuff it received.

Why might Donald Trump want to buy Greenland?

Greenland harbours some of the largest deposits of rare-earth metals, including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, along with uranium and the byproducts of zinc.

US corporations once thought of China as a benign supplier of rare-earth metals for mobile phones, computers and more recently electric cars. And the US government was relaxed when Chinese companies began hoovering up mines across central and southern Africa to secure an even greater dominance of the global market.

But the arrival of Xi Jinping as China’s leader, and his more aggressive foreign policy stance, has spooked many US policymakers. Among Trump’s advisers, the need for greater economic independence has raced up the agenda.

A potential target for the US is Greenland Minerals, an Australian company that has generated a good deal of excitement since it started operating on Greenland’s south-west peninsula in 2007 to develop the Kvanefjeld mine, which is home to many rare-earth metals.

More than 100m tonnes of ore are believed to be sitting below the surface and the project is expected to become one of the largest global producers outside China.