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tortoisesshells · 3 years

Note

⭐️ for the director’s cut asks!

Nellie did not bring up brother John’s letter with Aunt B, though she knew she ought to have. There was a little bit of greed in it: she hadn’t gotten such a wad of paper in some time now, and even if much of it was a report, it was her John in there. John, who she hadn’t seen since before her marriage – John, who’d been lost until Captain Treat came home one July with a broad smile and slim letter to “Mrs. Elinor Coggeshall Treat” in a rolling, familiar hand:

Nora! (he wrote) You shld have written, you wicked Girl – never mind you didn’t know where I was – you shld have thrown a Letter into the Sea for me to find! Am I to learn such News from drunk Sailers in Nassau public Houses? Your Husband cheats at Cards you will be Interested to know, which I suspect is Your Doing.

And so on.

This letter was not so joyful. There was the old nickname – only John and her late mother had ever called her that – and then a bad-tempered oath – and then:

Customs and Duties, Chapter 6

John Coggeshall’s been one of those characters who invites themselves into the narrative and makes themselves quite comfortable, until you can’t imagine the damn thing without them - there was a John Coggeshall in the first draft outline, but he was pretty much playing the role that Peter Coggeshall, the self-righteous (but perhaps has a point) brother in Newport, plays in this version. In between the outline drafts, John came out of a need to have a counterbalance to the Bendishes on Nellie’s outlook and connections. Where the Bendishes are always pulling Nellie towards respectability and acquiescence to imperial order, John’s far more cavalier about and critical of law and order.

John’s letter to Nellie had to do three things: First and most importantly, it had to tell Nellie more about Norrington’s reputation/history in the Caribbean; Second, it had to shade in more about Nellie’s history that isn’t apparent from her life as the respectable Widow Treat in Boston, that pave the way for later revelations about Nellie’s sympathies; Third, it had to establish parts of John’s history and worldview that will affect the way he relates to his sister and her current problems, since he’s only been mentioned once before now. And I had a blast doing it, not the least because 18th century spelling and capitalization are fantastically expressive, and John’s done pretty well for himself for someone who Nellie describes as not having had much education.

Where John’s concerned, when he’s first mentioned two chapters before, it’s by Hendricks - who describes him as quite happy with the last Governor of the Bahamas throwing his hands up and going back to England, and as someone who benefits by a lax enforcement of law and order (much like his sister). Here, Nellie remembers that she hasn’t seen him since before her marriage in 1726 (and later, she’ll recall that their father threw John out of the house and family, for reasons as yet undiscussed in narrative). His first words on page are irreverent and he wastes no time in yanking Nellie’s chain, using an old nickname that only two people ever called her by. John provides useful information about a number of things: he gives and overview of Norrington’s hitherto illustrious career, he explicitly describes how Norrington’s engagement ended and that it was related to “an act of mercy for some brigand”, he dismisses stories about Barbossa’s cursed crew. John’s also the first character to to address and criticize, even in passing, the brutal realities of European colonization in the Caribbean and the Americas; it’s not until later in this chapter that Nellie expresses any opinions on the subject, which is that she refuses to marry a man involved in slave trading & that she doesn’t think that highly of herself for making some of her money shipping sugar and molasses. So: John’s living a very different life than his sister is, and it’s his introduction to the narrative that both provides her with an ally and partner in the Caribbean, as well as begins raising some limited moral questions.

John’s letter also fills in Nellie’s backstory a little more - John liked her husband Samuel off the bat, Nellie cheats at cards, and John apparently thinks she has a reckless streak. This last isn’t supposed to jibe with what we’ve seen of Nellie so far - she’s been pretty careful, all told, with only a few outbursts of sarcasm here and there; it’s a little more fitting that she cheats at cards, I think. And I know it’s a throw-away line, but I did intend that very few people call Nellie the same thing to be significant - John calls her “Nora”; her late husband called her “Nellie” and variants; her Bendish relatives call her “Elinor”. Nellie’s very much defined by how successfully she can adapt herself to difficult situations, so I wanted there to be some more obvious representation of that in-narrative. Also of note: there’s a throw-away bit about Nellie’s late husband and “ague” - at least hinting at how Samuel died, since that’s been avoided so far.

Lastly, plot-wise, John dumps a lot of information about Norrington in Nellie’s lap, some of which answers earlier questions about his history - yes, Norrington’s engagement ended badly; yes, it had something to do with letting an as-yet unnamed pirate go free, which stuck him very firmly in the Admiralty’s black books (despite us learning that he does have family influence which should raise some questions for Nellie about what the hell is going on there); yes, Norrington (while a reasonable man who John judges to be less cruel of capricious than other representatives of British authority he’s dealt with) absolutely is a danger to her smuggling concerns and John emphatically doesn’t believe she should risk it. John attributes at least part of Norrington’s meteoric rise - going from Lieutenant to Commodore in eight years, canonically before his 30th birthday - to surviving where other prominent (and IRL) officers in the Caribbean died of illness, so apparently he’s got “unkillable” except by Bootstrap Bill going for him. There’s a few references to the Anglo-Spanish War of 1727-1729, which would have been the start of Norrington’s career in the Caribbean god my canon chronology is messy; there’s a reference to Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten which only exists because DMTNT made the inexplicable choice to describe it as a British colony. I suppose you could interpret John’s letter as blaming Norrington for the in-canon British takeover of what ought to be a French/Dutch colony? I hadn’t intended that but in retrospect it kind of seems like it.

[send a ⭐ for director’s commentary on fanfic]

#thank you for the ask friend!!!#polkaknox talks #brother can you spare an ask?#customs and duties

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terraqua-archives · 6 years

Text

Stories inspired by Films, TV, and Video Games

The following list contains 15 completed works and 2 works-in-progress that are directly inspired by either a movie, TV show, or a video game.

So if you’ve always wanted to see Aqua as a mermaid, or Terra as a secret agent, or ever thought that Keyblade Masters sound remarkably like the Jedi and someone should probably write something about that, then this is the list for you.

We hope you find something you enjoy!

Completed Works

When she loved me by Plume De Simili

Inspired by: Toy Story 2, specifically the song, ‘When She Loved Me’.

‘I remember a time where everything seemed so beautiful, countless hours spent together, playing, laughing, chatting. These memories will remain anchored in my heart forever.’

Words – 666 Rating – G

Read if you want Terra reflecting on his relationship with Aqua, from childhood to his current predicament, all inspired by a film sequence that’s been known to make grown men cry.

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Evermore by ShrinkedPink

Inspired by: Beauty & the Beast – 2017

A while after his possession, Terra began to have strange dreams. However, they were not actually dreams. It takes memories of a certain girl he was fond of for him to notice this. How will he feel about everything?

Words – 859 Ratings – T

Read if you want to see Terra struggling with who he now is, Xemnas struggling with who he once was, and excellent use of song lyrics in a story.

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When True Love’s Kiss The Spell Shall Break by amazonstorm

Inspired by: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Aqua comes across something she wasn’t expecting. Namely Terra. In a glass coffin.

Words – 978 Rating – G

Read if you want the sincere sappiness of Disney, confessions of feelings, and true love’s kiss.

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I’ll Find You by Engineerd

Inspired by: Star Wars

“Terra didn’t just not pass the trials,” Eraqus said bitterly. “Terra is a great warrior, and defeated every enemy in record time. However…” Eraqus finally trained his eyes on Aqua. They were full of regret. “Terra used the dark side to do so, Aqua. In front of the entire Jedi High Council.”

Words – 1684 Rating – T

Read if you want a fantastic reimagining of the beginning of Birth by Sleep in the Star Wars Universe, forehead kisses, and Ven being an adorable young Padawan.

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I’ll Wake You by XemnasForceXIII

Inspired by: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

In Dwarf Woodlands, Aqua eats a strange apple and falls victim to the same fate. Terra comes back to find her, but he’ll have to do something to wake his sleeping maiden, something romantic.

Words – 1727 Rating – T

Read if you like fight scenes, Aqua ruminating on her feelings, and Terra finally confessing his with the help of a kiss.

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Fateful Dance by XemnasForceXIII

Inspired by: Cinderella

In Castle of Dreams, Terra asks for a request of Aqua, it starts in the ballroom but will end on the balcony.

Words – 1843 Rating – T

Read if you like Aqua becoming flustered, confessions of love, and parallels with the story of Cinderella.

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Inconclusive by deep_doot

Inspired by: The X-Files

a·li·en

1. a foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living.

2. a hypothetical or fictional being from another world.

3. a plant or animal species originally introduced from another country and later naturalized.

Words – 2432 Ratings – T

Read if you like first meetings, Terra and Aqua as partners at work, and Terra being a protective older brother.

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Snow White - Aqua Blue by AquaSaberXIV

Inspired by: Snow White and Rose Red/Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

None in the land is fairer than the Queen. Or so one would think… In a nearby village lives a girl named Aqua Blue whose pure heart outshines the Queen. The Queen, threatened by Aqua’s existence, sends men to kill her, including her own son, Terra, but something rather unexpected happens when Terra meets the girl he’s supposed to kill…

Words – 37,188 Rating – T Chapters – 17

Read if you want a fairy tale AU where Terra is a literal prince, commoner Aqua having a lovely relationship with her Grandmother, and a fantastically creative interpretation of the Seven Dwarves.

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The Man from D.A.R.K.N.E.S.S. series by deathrae

Inspired by: The Man from U.N.C.L.E, with more than a hint of James Bond.

Anarchist terrorist faction: “The Unversed.” Led by: “Shatterheart.” Sometimes “The Man in the Mask.” When one of their own goes missing, presumed defection, Agents A and T must embark on one of their hardest missions yet. One that will test the utmost boundaries of their faith to their organization…and each other.

Words - 41,689 Works - 2 Rating - T

Read if you like spy thrillers, action scenes, and Terra and Aqua (Aqua especially) kicking ass.

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Sapphire Scales by Majorie Franklin

Inspired by: Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid

Aqua had always been quiet and contemplative. She longed for the land, the Keyblade wielder, and an immortal heart. Aqua could gain all of those things, but only if Terra loved her more than anything and vowed to be true to her forever. She cut out her tongue and relented her fins to be with him, but would it be enough?

Words – 71,915 Rating – T Chapters – 10

Read if you want to see Aqua as both a mermaid and a princess, a more realistic portrayal of falling in love than the original story, and the interplay between love, marriage, and politics in a fairy tale/historical settings.

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Breaking a Hollywood Beauty Series by deep_doot

Inspired by: The Godfather Trilogy

‘He said they would always come after the ones she loved. But he never said it was true.’

A period piece drama series focusing on mafia families in 1950s Los Angeles. Aqua must learn to balance her public life as an actress with her secret life as a member of a mafia family. And maybe try not to get too distracted by a fellow family’s rather handsome son.

Words - 97,517 Works - 3 Rating - M Warnings – Graphic Depictions of Violence

Read if you like period dramas and crime thrillers, family always looking out for family, and Aqua proving she’s very much capable of handling things for herself, thank you very much.

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The Shrouded Path by Arcawolf

Inspired by: Silent HIll

What started as a routine mission becomes a nightmare when Ven disappears. After tracing his path to a strange town, Aqua and Terra find themselves ensnared by a power darker than any they could have imagined. It will take everything they have just to escape intact.

Words – 108,933 Rating – T Chapters – 32 Warnings – Graphic Depictions of Violence

Read if you want an alternative interpretation of the search for Master Xehanort, atmospheric descriptions, and psychological horror.

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Works in Progress

The Night Shift by After The Lights

Inspired by: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Detective Aqua Lowe only really wants three things in life: her boss to mentor her; to become the youngest Captain in the Radiant Garden Police Department’s history; for emails and bills to stop spelling her name as Agua.

What she gets is the night shift, a bachelor party gone wrong, and a hot, shirtless guy waiting at her desk.

Words - 2262 Rating - T Chapters - 1/3

Read if you want to see Aqua and Axel as work partners/spouses, Axel being his charmingly witty self, and all the joys of working the police night shift.

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You’re Idiots, The Both of You by Lyssala

Inspired by: Gilmore Girls

Sometimes growing up in a small town where everyone has known you since birth really sucks, but sometimes it’s not so bad if you have the right friends. Especially if you've been in love with them for too many years to remember when it even started.

A one shot collection set in an alternative universe where Terra and Aqua lived across the street from one another in a small tourist town. Set throughout their lives as they grew up with their families and friends.

Words - 49,630 Rating - T Chapters - 14/20

Read if you want best friends to lovers, Terra and Aqua being frustratingly oblivious of their feelings for one another, and some truly lovely moments when they finally get together. Delightful and emotional fluff.

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Read. Enjoy. Review.

#terraqua #terraqua-archives #terra/aqua #terqua #kh terra #kh aqua #kh fanfiction #kh bbs #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts birth by sleep #fic recs #fic reviews #fic rec #fanfiction #terra #aqua

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thorne93 · 6 years

Text

Helping Hand (Part 10)

Prompt: You’ve got a crush on Bucky, and Loki can’t help but notice you’re striking out - so he offers a helping hand.

Word Count: 1727

Warnings: language, adult content? (not smut)

Notes: I loved writing it, it was a blast. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks to my two amazing beta’s @carryonmyswansong @fanaticfanfiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So? Did you save him? Is he still an Avenger?” Steve asked over the phone.

“I don’t really know. I’m working on it.”

“Make sure to get him, Y/N.”

“I know. I know,” you whispered as you looked up and saw Loki walking into the loud, vivacious club you’d picked. “I gotta go.”

Just as you hung up, Loki walked up and sat across from you in a small booth. “Didn’t think you’d come to a place like this. Seems a little risque.”

“It’s a fun place,” you remarked. “And as you said, I’m uptight and need to let loose.”

“Where’s Xavier or Hank or any of the X-Men? Didn’t you invite them out?”

“No,” he responded, shaking his head as he took your martini and took a sip before handing it back. “I thought you and I could celebrate alone.”

“Celebrate what?” you questioned, your heart dropping, terrified he’d accepted the recruiting offer from the team.

“Well, I find it quite a feat that only a few years ago I was wanted for mass murder of this state, and now two superhero leagues are fighting to keep me in their ranks. Quite the accomplishment, no?” he asked with a sincere smile.

“And which one are you going to pick?” you questioned, playing with the cherry in your fruity martini.

“Oh it’s no contest. That hot mess you call the Avengers,” he informed with a smile.

“You turned them down? The X-Men?” you asked, perplexed. “But...why?”

“Thor,” he said simply.

“What about him?”

He nodded his head side to side, his raven locks moving with the motion on his shoulders. “Well, he is a rather dull oaf, and I perish the thought of him trying to get along without me. I can’t leave him all alone on that team or he’ll be entirely too lost.”

You grinned at your companion. Insults aside, Loki loved Thor deeply, he just didn’t want to show you that... and probably the idea of parting from Thor would be too raw, too much like his old self. He was doing his damndest to keep Thor on his good side, to prove himself to his brother.

“I think that’s a very...considerate decision,” you noted, taking another drink.

“Thank you. Now can we stop talking about the lackluster world that is heroism? I do it for work; I don’t want to discuss it here.”

You gave a soft smile as your eyes cast down to your drink.

“Tell me about the girl that got inside your head,” you requested quietly.

“What?”

“The uh, telepath, Jean, at the mansion. She mentioned some hostile feeling towards women you’re holding onto. She seemed to think one woman caused that. I was just wondering who,” you innocently stated.

“Wow, you really do not know how to have a good time without bringing up something like that,” he remarked. “Do you just want to kill my good mood? I only get one every century, you know.”

You shook your head. “No, I’m not trying to kill your mood. I’m just curious as to what makes you tick, Lok. We’re good friends, or I like to think we are. I’d like to know just what makes you... you.”

Loki licked his lips as he thought for a moment, his eyes averted, before taking a deep breath and rolling his eyes.

“If you must know, it wasn’t one woman. Not particularly. It was more like...every woman I came in contact with. They’re all so...shallow. No matter how skilled I was on the battlefield, ballroom, or otherwise, they had eyes for another man. Most of the time my brother. Other times, it was just to say they had dated a prince. Other times it was women being unfaithful, fake.”

You frowned at his statement. It sounded rather...lonely, what he’d gone through.

“Women who, once I let them get close, saw something they didn’t like and left me like rotten meat. At some point, I realized it wasn’t worth it to let any of them in my life when they would inevitably leave me. Trust me, there is no such thing as a good relationship,” he insisted.

“Oh, that’s not true. You can’t really believe that.”

Stone cold, he leaned forward and stated, “Oh, darling, to my very core.”

The idea of that, that he didn’t feel love was real, or that good relationships existed, filled you with a deep sorrow. If anyone was deserving of love, it was Loki.

The waitress came by and Loki ordered the same martini you had, but the next thing he said caught your attention.

“Could we also get nachos, but without the cilantro? Thank you,” he requested before looking back at you. “What? It’s like minty grass. Disgusting,” he remarked.

You couldn’t help but smile. “Mmm, yeah I’ve heard it that way.” Recalling the time you exactly described cilantro that way to another date once. So far, everyone you'd ever met had loved the nasty stuff.

Loki’s eyes drifted to the dancefloor where bodies were moving sensually. He scooted out of the booth gracefully and held his hand out. “Dance with me,” he requested softly.

“What? Oh, no, Loki. I can’t dance.”

“I’ve seen that excited, spaz dance,” he reminded. “I’d like to see the real thing.”

“No, seriously, I can’t do that,” you noted, pointing to the crowd.

“Come on, you’ll be in the hands of a prince, and no one says no to a prince,” he said with a wink.

With a sigh, you stood and took his hand as he led you right into the middle of everyone. You allowed the music to make your body move, as Loki’s hands expertly held you and guided you. His nimble hands gripped your hips, sliding down your side, making you shiver. His eyes were fixed on your body as he twirled you all over the dancefloor.

His hands knew exactly what they were doing, and you did feel like a princess as you glided across the floor with all the moving bodies. Loki’s foot work, his hands, his eyes, they all had transported you to this other world. He was a master dancer.

Before you knew it, you were grinning ear to ear, dancing as if you’d done it all your life, and giving Loki hooded looks. A mystique had taken over the air around you two as he pulled you in closely, his hands gliding along your arms, the sensation leaving a heated trail. The entire air around you had gotten entirely too thick.

The two of you were dancing so close, you weren’t sure where you ended and he began, his legs between yours, and yours between his. You’d gone from dancing at arm’s length to being less than a hair away from his mouth, the electricity between you two staggering.

“Just kiss him!” a voice inside you screamed.

Another voice, screamed, “Remember Bucky,” and with that, you slowed the dancing.

“Uh, we have to get up early to be back for the weekly debriefing,” you reminded, the bit of your conscience coming into play.

“Right,” he agreed in a low voice as he distanced himself from you.

The two of you made your way to the hotel, riding up in the elevator together.

“So, the car will be picking us up around seven,” you informed, the small space intensifying the still crackling electricity between you two. “Would you like me to call you or come get you?”

“No...that’s okay, I’ll set my alarm,” Loki assured.

“Oh, right, yeah, good idea.”

“Mmm,” he hummed.

“I had a great time tonight,” you blurted out suddenly, feeling as if you needed to say something.

Loki turned to you slightly and nodded, both of you trying to ignore the tension in the air around you. “Yes, I enjoyed myself.”

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor and the doors dinged open. Loki nodded to you. “Well. Uh, my floor,” he said with a quick smile.

“Yeah,” you awkwardly said, gesturing out to the hallway. Why didn’t you want this moment to end? Why was there this pull to him that you were trying to ignore?

“See you tomorrow,” he responded, seemingly just as awkward. “Seven sharp.��

“Yep. Seven,” you agreed.

The two of you moved for an awkward hug as he wrapped his arms around you and you snaked one around his waist.

“Well, goodnight,” he offered with a trepid laugh as he let go.

“Night,” you echoed but the doors were closing on the elevator so Loki moved to keep them open.

“Right, night again,” he said, neither of you really wanting to leave the other’s presence.

“Yeah, good night.”

“Mhm, it was fun,” he said as he bit his bottom lip, his eyes never leaving yours.

And that was all it took for the tension to snap, you couldn’t take it anymore. Your body moved to his like he was your air. You pressed yourself against him, your lips meeting his quickly, needing to know what he tasted like, your hand flying to the nape of his neck, to hold him closer. His arms curled around you, holding you tight to his form.

All that was on your mind was getting Loki as close to you as physically possible. That seemed to be his goal as well, as you two hastily moved together, him pushing you against the wall as both of his hands slipped into your hair. His mouth moved deftly against yours, making you crave him more.

Without much warning, you two broke apart.

“I suppose I should leave,” Loki mused, humor on his handsome features.

You nodded slightly. “Uh, yeah, early start and all that,” you tried, and he stepped backwards out of the elevator away from you.

The remaining ride up was confusing...You weren’t sure what the hell that just was. Loki...and you? Why? How? He was your best friend. That...That wasn’t supposed to happen. More importantly, why did you want to do it again?

Still stewing from the interaction, trying to figure out what it meant, a knock came at your door and your heart leaped into your throat. Was Loki coming to finish what he’d started?

You happily jumped up and skipped to the door, opening it to reveal a dark haired, blue eyed….

“Bucky?” you breathed, shocked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever Tags: @cocosierra94 @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @missinstantgratification @thejemersoninferno @rda1989 @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @igiveupicantthinkofausername @kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaeling @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo @damalseer @heyitscam99 @yknott81 @sea040561

Bucky Barnes: @nedthegay @lostinspace33 @alwayshave-faith @elleatrixlestrange @ultrarebelheart @lenawiinchester @its-not-a-tulpa @esoltis280

Loki Tags: @lostinspace33 @ultrarebelheart @lenawiinchester @esoltis280 @tngrayson @wangdeasang

HH tag list: @sorryimacrapwriter @harrymewmew @mackievanstan-384 @imarockstar45 @hellkat2 @naniky @thebadassbitchqueen @learisa @anamcg317 @lost-moon-child96 @christy-winchester @ultranikilove

#helping hand #bucky barnes #bucky fic #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fic #loki #loki odinson #loki fic #loki x reader

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elfenbensord · 6 years

Text

School Bands Can Be Romantic Too

Imagine 2: School Bands Can Be Romantic Too

Summary: College!AU, in which Reader, a full-fledged band geek, is a good friend of Enjolras.

Pairing: Gender Neutral!Reader x Enjolras

Warnings: Minor anxiety, Enjolras’ hair, swearing in French, classical music (don’t underestimate Mozart).

Word count: 1727

Credits to me, Victor Hugo and Aaron Tveit.

[Written: 7 Oct, Edited: 8 Oct, Published: 8 Oct/30 May, 18]

[2017]

Note: I don’t care what you identify as, a bird, a boy or an avalanche helicopter, you’re wearing lipstick in this.

Pushing my way past a few bodies, I tried to get out of the walking crowd. At the same time, I was standing on my tiptoes, searching for a certain head over the horde of people. “Enjolras”, I tried, grabbing the arm of the person in front of me. But the arm of the blond boy didn’t feel like Enjolras’ at all, and as he turned around, his absolutely-not-Enjolras’ face made it clear that he wasn’t the one I was looking for.

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” Smiling apologetically at Not-Enjolras, I hoisted my backpack further up my shoulders, and continued to walk. I didn’t let myself turn red in embarrassment before I was sure Not-Enjolras couldn’t see me. Continuing my search for my good friend, I almost skipped at the thought of what I was going to tell him. He knew very well how much I’d wanted this, and I couldn’t wait until I got to see his smiling eyes as I told him the news.

Finally, after stepping on twelve toes, none of them my own, I spotted a familiar blond head. This time, I was sure. This had to be Enjolras.

“Excuse me, I’m trying to get through. Sorry, I’m just-”, I breathed to those I had to push past. They gave me silent mutters in answer, and it all made me shout: “I’m sorry for trying to be polite!”

It all came out a little louder than I’d planned, and it seemed like even Enjolras had heard me. The blond boy turned away from his friend Grantaire to see me.

“(Y/N)!” Enjolras smiled, and reached out a hand to draw me out of the mass of people. “I thought I heard you scolding those seniors over there”, he noted, smirking. I returned his smile with a wide grin. Grantaire looked a bit uncomfortable for a second, before leaning up to Enjolras’ ear and whispering something I couldn’t hear. Enjolras’ response was to blush, the red covering his cheeks almost unnoticeably, and slap Grantaire’s shoulder. I shook the many theories about what Enjolras’ friend could’ve said out of my head, as I tried to keep an innocent face.

Grantaire locked eyes with me for a second, before turning to Enjolras again. “I’ll see you at the meeting”, he said, and left us alone. (Well, as alone you can be in a crowded corridor.)

Enjolras scratched his neck, a delicate smile on his rosy lips. “Don’t mind Grantaire – he’s always like that.”

I nodded, forgetting what my intentions of finding Enjolras were for a quick moment.

“So, you texted me you had something to tell me. What is it?” He looked nervous, almost anxious, but I brushed it off as the usual university exhaustion. I could hardly contain my happiness at what I was about to tell him, and I was practically bouncing

“I GOT ACCEPTED INTO THE SCHOOL BAND”, I practically shouted, earning a couple of odd glances from the passer-bys. Flushing red, I repeated myself at a more ear-friendly volume.

“Really? That’s great!” He hugged me, something I wasn’t expecting, but I went along anyways. His chest felt warm and almost cushiony. It took a millisecond for me to wrap my own arms around his middle, but I soon relaxed into his embrace. I’d never expected him to be so soft, and I found myself almost jealous of his past girl-and boyfriends. (Almost.)

“I’m so happy for you”, he said as he released me from his gentle embrace, and I couldn’t help but to smile even brighter.

For a few seconds, we just stood there. We didn’t stare into each other’s eyes or something like that, no. It was more of a What-the-hell-do-I-say-next kind of silence.

“So”, Enjolras began, again scratching his neck. “When’s the first practice?”

I checked my wristwatch, exclaiming a silent “Merde” as I noted the time. “It’s in five minutes! I’ll have to go, but I’ll see you tonight.” I gave him a small wave and a meek smile, before turning on my heel and walking away.

“Bye…”, Enjolras breathed, watching how I disappeared into the crowd.

---

My eyes were glued to my shiny black shoes, as I tried to slow my breathing. The extravagant, black concert clothes I was wearing felt itchy, I held my instrument close to my chest. I could hear how the crowd on the other side of the curtain was laughing and chatting, blissfully unaware over the nervous wrecks who were about to perform tonight. This is what you’ve always wanted, I tried to tell myself.

That’s not true, an obnoxious voice in the back of my mind answered. Enfer, I thought. Shit. Because it was true. This was only a part of what I’d wanted.

In my imaginary dream-scene of what was to happen, Enjolras was there. He wouldn’t be tonight, and I knew that. He’d told me a week or so ago, a regretful look on his face. He’d then offered to come to one of the rehearsals, but I’d declined. I knew it wouldn’t be the same. He needed to be at a political meeting, and I understood that. I knew that they were so close to some kind of outbreak, and it was critical for Enjolras to participate in every minute of it. But still, I couldn’t help but to wonder if I’d feel a little less panicky, if I knew that my blond friend was out there. Blond “friend”, the voice in my mind sneered. If you were only “friends”, you wouldn’t be on the verge of a panic attack just because he isn’t here-

“Okay, everyone.” The conductor, a red-headed senior student with constant sleep-deprivation showing in dark bags under her eyes, clapped her hands together. “It’s showtime.”

Holding my instrument in my knee, much like a baby, I quickly shuffled through my music sheets to find the right one. I locked eye with the conductor, trying to tell her that I needed more time. She gave me a short nod and an understanding look, and then turned to the crowd to ramble on about how Mozart had been furiously scribbling down music notes as his wife was giving birth. Finally finding the correct music sheet, I breathed out in relief, before prepping it on the notestand. The conductor raised her conductor stick, signalling for us to prepare. It’s showtime.

A good half an hour of the two hour concert, the entrance door opened. I could watch in the corner of my eye how a stressed, heavily breathing Enjolras sneaked into the hall and sat down in one of the seats in the back. As I switched note sheets, I locked eyes with Enjolras for a second. He discreetly waved at me, mouthing a gentle: “Hi”. I smiled at him, and I could almost feel how my eyes were gleaming. It took quite a lot of willpower not to walk up to him and…

(Yeah, I think you get what I mean.)

After carefully setting down my instrument on my chair, I slowly walked down the stage. I had ten minutes of break, then I’d have to wait until the concert ended until I could speak to Enjolras again. With determined steps, I started to make my way to the back of the large room. For every step, my legs felt more tired. Let’s just turn back, a hesitant voice inside of me said. My feet slowed down, and I almost stopped walking entirely. My mind was racing, and I breathed in air deeply. Just as I was about to turn around, I could see how Enjolras was walking towards me. His determined steps gave me new confidence, and I was soon moving briskly.

“You made it”, I said, blinking at him, as we were standing close to each other.

He breathed deeply, and said: “I couldn’t miss you on your big night. You’re brilliant up there.”

We became quiet, and I could feel how the seconds were ticking away.

I took a deep breath. “I-”

“You-”

Enjolras blushed a little, scratching his neck and smiling meekly in a hesitant action. “You first.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath and summoning all courage I could find in the corners of my conscious.

“I… Oh God, how do I say this… I feel like I want us to…” I cleared my head, trying to straighten out my words. “I want there to be an us.”

“What do you mean? Of course there’s an us, I don’t see-”

“No, you don’t understand. I want a proper us.”

A shrill ringing cut the silence short, signalling how we, the musicians, should be getting back on stage.

“What I’m trying to say is that I’m in love with you”, I said quickly, feeling how the panic slowly settled in me. I almost wondered if Enjolras even had heard me, becuase he showed no reaction. Twisting my hands, I looked up at him with uncertain eyes. I questioned if time had stopped, because it seemed like Enjolras had.

A second ringing sparked even more stress inside of me.

I nodded, trying to hide my glassy eyes. “Ok, I get what you’re trying to say. I need to get back now, so-”

In the matter of milliseconds, Enjolras tugged my hand and arm and pressed his lips against mine in a dramatic way. His hand found my jaw, tilting it upwards as he tried to deepen the kiss.

A third ringing brought me back into the concert hall.

“I have to go-”, I tried. Enjolras stole a last peck, before letting me go. I stood dumbfounded for a second, before turning on my heels and rushing back up on the stage. Composing myself in the matter of seconds, I grabbed my instrument and found the correct note sheets. I tried to ignore the knowing glances from my fellow musicians, but the flush still got to my ears. In the few seconds before the conductor showed for us to start, I stole a glance from Enjolras in the corner of my eye. It was only now I could see how my red lipstick had left noticeable marks on him. He grinned cheekily and winked at me, cocking his eyebrows. I blushed deeper and smiled, before retorting my eyes to the sheet music. Yeah, I thought. This is exactly what I wanted.

---

lets just pretend these don’t exist

#enjoras #enjolras x reader #barricade boys #les mis #les miserables #victor hugo #orchestra nerd

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coldalbion · 6 years

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How would you personally define magick?

Oh bugger me, that’s a difficult one!Short answer: I don’t.Long answer: I suspect - and this is only a suspicion - that all paradigms which name Will as an active force in magic have the wrong end of the stick. I follow Klages in suspecting that Will, however one perceives such a thing, is a negating principle, in that it negates certain actions in order for others to occur.In order to type this, I am negating the basic actions which take place when my hands are not typing. I am sat in my chair rather than lying in my bed. In short, what I am doing is subtracting available options for the biological and psychological systems that make up ‘me’. By limiting these options my attention and Life-processes become focused on a particular arena.

This focus is not ‘willed’ - it is inevitable. It is inevitable in the way the opening of a hand containing an object will draw the object closer to the Earth due to gravity.One cannot fight gravity and be victorious - eventually exhaustion will set in, and we too will inexorably be drawn to the earth.To paraphrase a certain friend of mine:

Magic(k) is an attack on reality, where reality is a tyrannical cargo-cult based on the tautological nature of perception.Magic(k) is impossible. It is not repeatable.Retroactively, reality will move to explain it, to make it ‘possible’, or attempt to erase the existence of the impossible. But each magical act is sui generis. Each use of so-called energy, each spirit contact, each magical action is based on a unique set of circumstances which will NEVER happen again. On a fundamental level, this is true of all things too, but in magic(k) we deliberately begin a process which may lead to the impossible.This may is not an equivocation - rather it is vitally important. May and Might share the same root conception as Might and Main:Main (n.)Old English mægen (n.) "power, bodily strength, force, efficacy," from Proto-Germanic *maginam "power," suffixed form of PIE root *magh- "to be able, have power." Original sense preserved in phrase with might and main. Meaning "principal channel in a utility system" is first recorded 1727 in main drain. Used since 1540s for "continuous stretch of land or water;" in nautical jargon used loosely for "the ocean," but in Spanish Main the word is short for mainland and refers to the coast between Panama and Orinoco (as contrasted to the islands of the West Indies).This concept is what is seen from the outside - the magician has powers, they have efficacy for some reason. They are able to exert some sort of control which others do not.And this is not surprising - for this concept of power and attendant weakness is how so-called reality works. To have power is the fantasy, the goal.But if we look at ancient depictions of magicians and witches in folklore across many cultures, we find them as inhuman Others who often do not exert themselves. Their magic occurs because of what they are - how they exist, not what they do.Leaving aside cultural slurs and exoticization the magician does little to do with the effect. The conventional notions of power and attendant weakness appear inverted, and the notion of ‘control’ is held up as suspect. After all, weakness is inextricably tied to the notion of power.So what happens when we study, and exploit our weakness, rather than longing for power? What if we no longer fight gravity, but instead cleave to the Earth? What if we use our Will, whatever we think that may be, not to exert, not to do - but to not-do?

To ‘get out of the way’ of ourselves, abandoning (albeit temporarily) the structures and possibilities and become inevitable?

I don’t define magic, because magic cannot be defined - definition itself is a product of the cargo-cult of reality. The reason this long answer exists, and I didn’t just say Magic is indefinable is because that would make reference to definition. Magic is non-referential - liminal, elliptic, primal.It is beyond and within all language and communication, all existence. This is not he same as everything being magical, mind you. Magic is a kind of Beingness which, by its nature is occulted, hidden.Its revelation is found in the cultivation of all weaknesses and fears to their most terrifying extent. The doorway is found in recognition of the fact that ‘control’ and ‘power’ are fallacies, that we Know-Not, and Perceive-Not.When this begins to permeate your worldview? Things get interesting.

#black bird magic #magick #occult #pagan #crimson-house

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jibuyo · 7 years

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Few weeks ago, there was an episode of 諸説あり！ that dealt with Sekigahara『関ヶ原の戦い』の真実 - The truth of the Battle of Sekigahara. It tries to introduce the recent research from primary sources to its viewers. For some reason Japanese historians started to focus on primary sources only in recent years.

It doesn’t mean that this is the truth. They’re just new theories. And the story will always live. I’ll try to provide some arguments against if I know of them to give you more views.

The show presented three points:

1. Kobayakawa Hideaki wasn’t a traitor

He was already a part of Eastern army before the 15th. He climbed Matsuoyama where someone else from the Western army was already stationed and kicked him out. According to Mitsunari’s letter addressed to Mashita Nagamori, Mitsunari wanted the Mouri to be at Matsuyoama, there were no plans for Kobayakawa to be there. (However some researchers - Nakai Shunichiro and Shiramine Jun - believe that this particular Mitsunari’s letter is a forgery. And Shiramine Jun says that it also can’t be confirmed that Hideaki actually was at Matsuoyama from primary materials, he was around there somewhere, but probably not at the top)

The other point the show talks about is the reward he got from Ieyasu. His fiefs were increased and moved closer to the capital (from Chikuzen to Okayama). However, the other four who betrayed after Hideaki did, weren’t given any increase, their fiefs were actually decreased or their clans were ended.

Which shows that Ieyasu recognized Hideaki as his ally right from the beginning.

Ieyasu firing guns at Hideaki to make him join him is a fiction created in Edo. It seems the first mention was in 1672 in Ii clan’s materials: “Todo Takatora fired the weapons, but Kobayakawa didn’t move” - after that other versions started to appear. In 1727 it was Ieyasu who fired and Kobayakawa moved.

After that the hosts joke since Ieyasu didn’t fire the guns and Hideaki attacked on his own conviction that it was him who did all work (and Ieyasu did nothing), hence why he was made into a traitor to make Ieyasu look better. (but in Shiramine Jun’s works where he summarized the letters and diaries, I remember reading that he was seen as someone who betrayed - so while perhaps he and Ieyasu had an agreement, the outside world saw it as a betrayal... so they just rolled with it I guess)

2. The actual battlefield wasn’t at Sekigahara

This is based on Shiramine Jun’s research. “They didn’t fight at Sekigahara, it was over in two hours.”

He says that the place was slightly west from Sekigahara, called Yamanaka (this actually has two meanings - it’s a place name, but it can also refer to a place between mountains. But on maps from Edo, a place called Yamanaka actually exists). Ieyasu wrote to Masamune that the battle took place in Minou-Yamanaka. In Kikkawa Hiroie’s letter written two days after the battle, it was also called Yamanaka. (Sekigahara is mentioned once in the letters written at that time.)

((If you’re wondering where Yamanaka is, it’s basically between Matsuoyama and the mountain where Yoshitsugu put up his camp according to tradition. (Until now, when I read this theory before, I was like, ok, so I visit Sekigahara and you tell me that the battle wasn’t even there? And I was a bit disappointed... but thanks to this programme I learned that I actually walked through Yamanaka, thx)))

The second point for supporting this theory is archeological research. They didn’t find anything that would support a big battle happening at Sekigahara. They did find some bullets at Yamanaka.

The third thing supporting this theory is the fact that the current battlefield formation and people’s positions that everyone is familiar with was actually created in Meiji and it’s different from formations and positions that circulated in Edo. It is assumed that the map was redrawn and redrawn many times and it got the current form.

So what kind of a battle it was if it ended in two hours?

According to Shimazu clan’s documents: At dawn, Otani Yoshitsugu was attacked by Hideaki and completely destroyed. At 10am, the Eastern army (those who came from Kantou) got close to Shimazu clan’s position.

According to Shiramine, the battle had two levels.

The Western army was stationed in Yamanaka, only Yoshitsugu moved towards Sekigahara, when he was attacked by Hideaki from Matsuoyama’s direction and some forces that came from Kantou. The first level ended.

The second one started at 10am. Ishida’s forces were overwhelmed, Shimazu fled. The end.

So an interesting, engaging story was created - “the battle of Sekigahara”.

3. Ishida Mitsunari wasn’t the mastermind

This is based on Takahashi Yousuke’s research (however Shiramine Jun made some arguments about Takahashi’s understanding of the content of the primary sources and also suggested that some of the letters, because they’re not originals, might be forgeries. For the record, Shiramine Jun thinks Ishida was a central figure, but not alone - it was the magistrates as a group, and he calls the Western army Ishida-Mouri coalition.)

They provide three points:

a. “what did Ieyasu do wrong” letter - Mitsunari’s signature’s not on it. All following letters sent to various daimyo also don’t have Mitsunari’s signature, so it’s thought that the three magistrates also hold a position close to being a “mastermind”. (Mitsunari’s signatures starts to appear in August, before that he already wrote to Sanada Masayuki - a personal letter. Masayuki got letters from the magistrates, Terumoto, Hideie, and Yoshitsugu too, Mitsunari’s one was the most detailed, given their relationship, completely understandable)

b. in diaries of people living in Kyoto, when commenting on the situation surrounding the rise of armies, Ishida Mitsunari’s name doesn’t come up, Terumoto’s does. After the Western army is defeated, in diaries of nobles, it’s written Ieyasu won, Ukita Hideie lost. There was no mention of Mitsunari being a central person of the Western army. It apparently only comes up when he gets executed (now, if I remember correctly his name also comes up right after the West was defeated - Otani and Ishida were killed (that might be from the shrine’s diary though) obviously a misunderstanding)

While I don’t think the diaries should be taken as 100% truth of what went behind the scene, because they only reflect the situation, and how it’s seen by people, it shows that people of that time didn’t know/there was nothing that would point at Mitsunari being the one behind everything. And they were definitely aware of “Jibu no shō”.

In one of the books I own, but I can’t remember which one, there’s also a mention that in foreigners’ (Jesuit and Korean) accounts from the execution, they write something along those lines that Mitsunari was just made responsible. (but tbh I think Jesuit diaries and letters shouldn’t be trusted because everyone says something different imo. For the record there are Jesuit accounts that do say Mitsunari was a central figure with Konishi Yukinaga, but because the connection to Yukinaga is quite strong in those, it’s not unbiased, therefore shouldn’t be trusted unconditionally imo)

c. Ieyasu and Mitsunari’s relationship. They say they didn’t hate each other and that they apparently had a favourable relationship. According to Ieyasu’s retainer, it was Mitsunari who announced Hideyoshi’s death to Ieyasu and it made them closer. When Ieyasu was staying in Osaka, he was using Mitsunari and Ishida Masazumi's housing. Ishida Shigeie became Ieyasu’s retainer (this is the first I heard about it, though, it was always a hostage situation), Mitsunari was helping Ieyasu during the subjugation of Kaga (i.e. Maeda Toshinaga) - they use the line written by Kang Hang, but it can actually be proven thanks to... Shimazu clan’s document??? I think. And he did plan to sent Shigeie to Aizu.

More historians actually think that the relationship between the two of them wasn’t based on hatred. I don’t remember reading anything that would suggest a bad relationship between them before Sekigahara tbh just saying (and once I start to read some more, I’ll find something :D)

So if Mitsunari wasn’t the mastermind, what the hell happened when Yoshitsugu visited him? What did they talk about? Wasn’t it the other way? Wasn’t Yoshitsugu asking for Mitsunari’s help? That’s what Takahashi thinks.

There’s actually a line about this in the Jesuits accounts that says one of the magistrates visited Mitsunari at Sawayama.

In conclusion, the guest (a historian) himself thinks that there was no mastermind behind the Western army. The host jokes: “because Western army was so scattered and disconnected it’s natural that they lost.” And that’s most likely what happened.

So this was the summary of the episode of “The truth about the battle of Sekigahara”. Take from it what you want.

#sekigahara #ishida mitsunari #tokugawa ieyasu #kobayakawa hideaki #japanese history

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the-world-in-the-eyes-of-guoguo · 4 years

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Talk about equality under the epidemic? The United States made a joke about "democracy"! Nearly 100,000 deaths, the plague is worse?

As the new crown epidemic has an increasing impact on global public safety, this pandemic that has affected the world has severely damaged the global economy. What is more dangerous is that with the periodic restart of the economies of various countries, it has been initially contained. The spread of the new crown epidemic is at risk of a second outbreak at any time. At present, there are 11,212,19 cases diagnosed in the epicenter of the United States in the world, a total of 16,66829 cases have been diagnosed, a total of 446,927 cases have been cured, a total of 98,683 deaths have occurred, and the death cases have approached 100,000. Despite the high number of deaths in the United States and the epidemic has not been effectively controlled, the United States has not taken effective measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic to the greatest extent possible, but insisted on restarting the economy despite the safety of the people. In response to the current situation in the United States, many medical experts warned that the lifting of the blockade of epidemic prevention may cause a surge in cases. Nevertheless, the governors of many US states still hope to slow down the epidemic prevention measures and restart the economy. However, the United States' restart measures have obviously not had the desired effect. The number of unemployed in the United States has risen to 40 million, and the unemployment rate has rapidly increased from 14.4% a week ago to 17.2%. Especially in Nevada, where the earthquake occurred in mid-May, the unemployment rate has reached 28.2%. However, the epidemic in the United States did not delay the second infection due to the chaos of the restarting measures. The number of new crown diagnoses in the United States continues to soar, and states have rebounded to varying degrees in the epidemic, and even unable to continue to "dump the pot". Each state has to actively beautify the number of outbreaks. In order to cover up the serious impact caused by the epidemic, stabilize public sentiment, and alleviate suspicion from all over the world, the US self-directed self-played a good show of "data changing face". For example, Georgia once played the "reverse time" move. In order to restart the economy, Mr. Kemp insisted that the state has "no danger of an epidemic." Determined to restart the economy. Following the failure of data manipulation methods in several major states in the United States, Illinois revised the statistical method of new coronary pneumonia in nursing homes on the 22nd to exclude the diagnosis and death of nursing homes in the hardest-hit areas, resulting in a reduction of 1727 confirmed diagnoses and 216 deaths. . In this epidemic, Mr. Trump was the first to appear in person, and he can be called a world-class master of face change. When the number of deaths in the United States exceeded 40,000, he once said: "Now we have nearly 50,000 (I heard, or 60,000 people (died of new coronary pneumonia). 1 (referring to 100,000 people) is too much . I always say that. 1 (referring to 100,000 people) is too much, but we will have 50,000 or 60,000 people (died of new coronary pneumonia). This (death number) is a lower level-originally the United States It is estimated to be 100,000 people (will die of new coronary pneumonia). "And then the number of deaths in the United States exceeded the 50,000 mark, Trump immediately changed his mouth, saying that the original prediction (the number of deaths) was 2.2 million, and the United States may now be 60,000 To 70,000 people. If the death toll in the United States is within 100,000, then "we are doing pretty well." However, the death toll in the United States is now inevitably going to exceed 100,000-this is after the major US states have changed several statistical methods to cover up the countless actual death cases of the new crown epidemic-so the Secretary of State is over 10,000 per person Mr. Pompeo finally could n’t sit still and began to justify himself as saying “The United States is the world ’s largest donor country to respond to the coronavirus epidemic, accounting for 30% of all donations from countries around the world. In terms of helping fight this terrible virus, no country can Compared to the United States. " But Mr. Pompeo's words seem to deliberately hit himself and the United States. Prior to this, the US Embassy in Fiji had issued a document saying that the US Agency for International Development provided 9.9 million US dollars for countries in the Pacific region to respond to the new crown epidemic, while the US ambassador to Israel said that the US provided 5 million US dollars to Palestine for prevention and control funds. However, these "verbal donations" from the United States were almost immediately refuted by these "received donations": the United States is lying, "we didn't get a penny." Guatemala, which has always regarded the United States as an ally, now faces greater danger. The frustrated United States has begun to repatriate Guatemalan immigrants infected with the new coronavirus, which has made Guatemala's weak health system on the verge of collapse, and the lives of people in poor areas have been stifled. Here, Uncle Guo would like to say a few words: I have deep sympathy for the suffering caused by the new crown epidemic in the American people. I will make an oral donation of US $ 1 trillion to restore the current US economy and market. In order to reduce losses and resume economic growth as soon as possible, the United States wanted to unilaterally resume flights between China and the United States in April, and kept mentioning the old things. It also tried to pressure China through the origin of the pandemic. But on this matter, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has officially replied: "Opening to the outside world does not comply with the 'five one' policy formulated by China in March this year, and temporarily disagrees to resume flights between the two countries." Under internal and external concerns, American politicians continue to incite people to anti-China and racial discrimination, attempting to attack Asians to establish racial status, directing the United States and even the world. Since the outbreak, the United States has concealed its own failure to prevent and control the epidemic, and deliberately provoked racial opposition to stigmatize the epidemic. To date, 60% of Asians in the United States have witnessed or directly experienced Europa threats or harassment of Asians. From bad talk to kicking and shoving, and even pouring sulfuric acid on the street, from refusing to detect direct dismissal, African Americans, Asians and Latinos in the United States have suffered huge torture that ordinary people can't bear. Discrimination against other races, orphans, widows and the elderly, this is the current "equality" in the United States? Now, racial discrimination in the United States is constantly on the rise, and American politicians are deliberately guiding the so-called "excellent" Europa to commit heinous crimes against humanity. If this is the "help" you bring to the world, please forgive all humankind that you cannot afford this "great love" intertwined with hatred and discrimination! It seems that even the sky is not used to what the United States has done. Following the "killing bumblebee", the plague on the streets of the United States has reappeared. New visitors appeared on the street, and large groups of mice ran around on the street during the day. These rodents are more than ordinary mice, not only not afraid of humans at all, but even trying to attack. As we all know, it is a carrier of more than 50 diseases, and the most common are food-borne diseases such as salmonella. The infamous black death in history is parasitic on fleas on mice. Today, the threat of plague is imminently approaching the United States. If a god really exists in the world, the god will never punish the so-called "Heavenly Chosen People". Today, the United States is very much like the once brutal Egypt in Exodus. The wasps, earthquakes, and rat plagues that occur everywhere ... America, which has departed from humanity, will also be abandoned by this world. But the United States has only passed on the crisis. Even if it is abandoned by the world, the crisis must be passed on to the whole world. During the cholera outbreak, the United States accused Irish people; when the poliomyelitis outbreak caused the Italians to bear the blame; when tuberculosis and smallpox spread, Japan and Mexico became scapegoats; when AIDS prevailed, Haitians were demonized or even allowed to enter United States-And this new crown epidemic? Is the ethnic conflict that has been intensified again just for the United States to "throw the pot" in order to divert its attention? No! At present, the losses of the United States in all aspects of this epidemic have exceeded that of World War II, and far exceeded the losses suffered by the American War in the remaining periods. Bank of America Chief Economist Michelle Meyer commented on the harm of the new crown epidemic to the epidemic: "So far, there has not been such a large-scale economic recession in the history of the United States. At the beginning of April this year, we estimated the GDP of the United States. The decline will reach a staggering 10%, and it seems that the worse part will be the second quarter, which may fall by 30%. " Many parties predict that the economic contraction caused by the new crown epidemic in the United States will take at least 10 years to recover under smooth conditions. At the same time, the United States has stepped up research on space-based weapons and restarted nuclear tests. At the same time, the United States has been opposed to the global ban on biological warfare, and on May 22 it unilaterally withdrew from the "Open Sky Treaty" in cooperation with NATO, which means that European countries can no longer understand US military developments. ——The United States needs a lot of capital to restart the economy, so why invest so much financial and material resources to develop military power? The United States needs war to restore its economy and restore its global supremacy! Be wary of the United States under the guise of "restarting the economy", intensifying racial contradictions and promoting fascism, trying to spread the virus, trying to secretly divide the world, and triggering a new world war! People seeking freedom. We cannot be a victim of fascism in the United States. Unite.

#US #trump #cnn #covid_19 #christmas

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israelseen · 5 years

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Steve Kramer – White Nights in Russia

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For many years, Michal and I have wanted to visit Russia during June, when the days are longest. We finally did it this month and it was beyond our expectations. While Russia casts a big shadow on the world stage, its high profile fits only its military/political profile. In other ways, Russia is more like a third world country than a superpower contender – excepting St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Russia is huge, comprising twelve different time zones and stretching from Scandinavia to the Sea of Japan. Russia’s economy is not diversified; its major sources of income are sales of oil and gas and other natural resources, plus weapons systems and heavy industry. Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is $1.58 trillion. If Russia, the world’s largest country, were part of the US it would rank only #3 in economic output, behind California and Texas and on a par with New York State.

Russia’s population of 147 million is estimated to sink to about 130 million by mid-century because of its low birth rate and paltry immigration. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin (b. 1952), rules Russia like an “emperor,” the description repeatedly mentioned by one of our guides. His successor will most likely rule a diminished Russia, not close to contending for superpower status. (For comparison’s sake, the US population will be nearing 440 million in 2050.)

With all that as introduction, let me say that St. Petersburg (StP) and Moscow are fabulous, first-rate travel destinations. We and our friends flew on Aeroflot to St. Petersburg in just five hours. We stayed at an apartment for a week in the very center of town, just off of the main shopping street, Nevsky Prospekt. We were exhilarated by the “white nights,” with no real darkness at least until at least 1 am, when we went to bed. The sun dipped below the horizon but the darkness didn’t progress beyond twilight.

At this time of year, the historic part of StP was populated mostly by tourists. Nearly all the must-see sites were within walking distance. We couldn’t help but notice the absolute absence of litter on the streets! Nobody dropped anything except into a trash receptacle. Another pleasant fact was the cleanliness and features of public bathrooms. There was always soap, hand dryers (that worked) or paper towels, and usually hot water.

StP was conceived by Tsar Peter 1 (the Great, reigned 1682-1725) during his travels as a young man in Western Europe, on an incognito trip to bring back not only practical knowledge of Western Europe but also to obtain ideas to turn Russia into a modern European nation. Peter desired to connect Russia with the most civilized and gentrified capitals to the south, such as Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, and London. His team of architects, working with Peter’s monumental ideas, began to build on the swampy terrain in 1703. Having been greatly influenced by Venice and Amsterdam, Peter conceived a capital city for Russia connected by a system of canals and bridges connected to the Baltic Sea. The first construction was the Peter and Paul Fortress (named for the eponymous saints) enabling access to Europe’s trade routes and for defensive reasons.

Many grand buildings and palaces were planned and some constructed by the time of Peter’s death, including Peterhof, his summer palace outside of town which rivals Versailles in its magnificence. Catherine the Great, who usurped her husband’s (Peter’s grandson) throne and became empress, completed Peter’s vision to make StP a glorious capital. (See https://www.st-petersburg-essentialguide.com/history-of-st-petersburg.html)

The incredibly colorful and glorious buildings still standing are easily accessible from anywhere in the historic zone. In our seven days, we were able to see most, but not all, of the “must-sees.” The highlights of our visit were an introductory free walking tour of the area, a canal boat ride throughout the city, two visits to the Hermitage art museum complex, which includes the gorgeous Winter Palace, an excursion by hydrofoil to Peterhof, the Russian Museum’s early 20th century art, the Faberge Museum, a “kilometer-long” supermarket built in a tunnel on Nevsky Prospect, and the great cafes and restaurants featuring Russian food and international cuisines.

We visited one cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, just down the street from our apartment, whose interior is decorated completely with Biblical and New Testament mosaic tableaux. We also splurged on a wonderful ballet performance in one of the several beautiful music halls originally built for the upper classes.

Of course we had to see the Grand Choral Synagogue, Europe’s second largest. Our young guide took us all around the synagogue, which has a beautiful sanctuary and and equally striking chapel. She told us that just recently one of her best friends had found out from her grandmother that she was Jewish.

“The history of the Jewish community of St. Petersburg is truly fascinating. Initially banned from residing anywhere in Russia under the decree by Catherine I [Empress of Russia from 1725-1727], the second wife of Peter the Great, Jewish people gradually settled in St. Petersburg. By the 19th century, the local Jewish community grew to become very powerful. Many rich and educated Jewish people worked as bankers, doctors and entrepreneurs, and the Jewish population had higher literacy rates than the St. Petersburg average. Although almost a dozen Jewish houses of worship existed by 1870s, there was no large synagogue to serve all the Jewish community of St. Petersburg.

“The initial construction of the Synagogue became possible following a building permit that was granted by Emperor Alexander II [Emperor of Russia from 1855 until his assassination in 1881], who had introduced a number of reforms, officially allowing [some academic and or rich] Jewish people to reside in St. Petersburg, as well as other Russian cities outside of the Pale of Settlement. Although no building in St. Petersburg was allowed to be higher than 23 meters (the height of the Winter Palace), Alexander II allowed the Synagogue to be 47 meters high, provided certain other conditions were met. A group of architects responsible for the design modeled the new synagogue after Berlin’s Oranienburger Strasse New Synagogue with its Moorish and Byzantine style.” https://www.insider-tour.com/Grand-Choral-Synagogue.html

After spending seven days in StP we were ready for several days in Moscow. Rather than fly, we took the “bullet train” south to Moscow, a pleasant ride of four hours with little to see on the route except green fields and a few small towns. Our hotel was located in the tourist area close to Red Square. It was a renovated small palace with all the services we needed, especially very helpful people in the reception area. By the way, though English is not spoken widely, someone who knows English always approaches you to help when you’re fumbling with a map or appear lost.

Russia’s tourism is predominantly internal, not international. Just 25% of tourists are from abroad and most of them aren’t Americans or Europeans. While the tourists in St Petersburg were mostly foreigners, Moscow’s crowds of “Chinese” tourists were more likely Asiatic Russians, not Chinese or Japanese visitors. Also, many of the workers in both cities are from now-independent Asiatic countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, which devolved into many separate countries in 1991.

Most people are familiar with iconic, colorful pictures of cathedrals, fortresses and other buildings in Red Square: the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, GUM department store (gorgeous, upscale mall), Lenin’s Tomb, etc. That area was ten minutes from our hotel and the endpoint for the walking tour that we took the first morning. Our guide was a young man with Asiatic features who was saving money to pursue graduate studies abroad, after having received his first degree in England. During the nearly 3-hour tour, we learned Russian history, church history, political history and a lot about current life.

After finishing the tour at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier, we were directed to an excellent “chain” restaurant with terrific Russian food (borscht, blintzes, sour cream, salads, cakes, etc., which we enjoyed in many places during our trip). We then wandered around the neighborhood, which evidently has a lot of high ranking government offices and/or lucrative businesses. I say that because of the inordinate amount of chauffeured luxury cars, almost all painted black, with drivers sitting in them waiting for the important owners. Most of the cars were Mercedes, with quite a few Audis and BMWs. The most common model was the Mercedes Maybach, a fabulously expensive model which sells for about $250,000.

That evening, we enjoyed exploring our upscale neighborhood to find yet another good restaurant, marred only by the waiter’s poor English which scrambled things a bit (this was the second instance during the trip of a botched dinner).

The last day of our visit we spent at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre, which is currently the most high-tech museum in Russia. Since the complex is located in a Jewish neighborhood, we had to take the subway and a bus to reach it. But subway rides in Russia are a far cry from those in New York. The stations are immaculate and sometimes even beautiful, while the equipment seems to be up to date.

Our guide in the Jewish Museum, a young man, told us of his discovering his Jewish roots as a teenager. When he asked his father to tell him more, he was directed to “ask your grandmother.” When we asked him when the Jews came to live in Russia, he enlightened us. It wasn’t that the Jews of Poland and its vicinity left for Russia, but that Russia conquered those areas and absorbed its many Jewish inhabitants into an expanded empire. I then recalled my grandmother telling me of her youth in Galicia, which was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire at the time of her birth. “I lived in several different countries without having to move from our home.”

The Jewish Museum boasts an extensive collection of materials presenting the history and culture of the Jewish people as well as Russian history, in an interesting and visual manner. The quality and level of the Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions is exemplary. The museum opened in 2012 in the former Bakhmetyevsky Bus Garage, a Constructivist (early 20th century) landmark. It is designed as a full-fledged cultural and educational complex consisting of numerous organizational structures including a research center, a library, and a medical facility. As expected, there was full security to enter the museum campus.

“The Museum’s permanent exhibition is split into twelve interactive thematic spaces, equipped with panoramic cinemas, audiovisual installations and huge panels that feature unique photo and video archives, documents and interviews showing the Russian history through the prism of everyday life and culture of the Jewish people from the early days of Empress Catherine II’s rule all the way to the present time.”

https://www.moscovery.com/jewish-museum-and-tolerance-centre/

There is a lot of interaction between Russia and Israel. Don’t forget that more than a million Russian immigrants came to Israel in the last 40 years. Our time in the museum and in Moscow itself was too short. I expect that we will make a return trip in the future.

Steve Kramer – White Nights in Russia Steve Kramer - White Nights in Russia For many years, Michal and I have wanted to visit Russia during June, when the days are longest.

#current affairs #Russia #steve kramer

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mreugenehalsey · 5 years

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Slavery & Specialty: Discussing Coffee’s Black History

When you reach for a bag of Brazilian roasted coffee or order a pour over from Colombia, you may consider yourself well-informed about its origins. But how did coffee come to these regions in the first place? And who were the people who established coffee farms and labored in the plantations?

Let’s take a look back at the history of the coffee industry and how it relates to race and colonialism.

You may also like A Brief History of Coffee Consumption

View from a coffee farm in El Salvador. Credit: Fernando Pocasagre

Coffee & Colonialism

Coffee is native to tropical Africa but today Brazil is the world’s largest coffee-producing country. Vietnam and Colombia are the second and third biggest producers. Coffee was traded through the Middle East, Asia, and Europe before being taken to the Americas by European colonizers. The crop’s success there was dependant on the slave trade. As such, it’s impossible to discuss the history of coffee without recognizing racism and the role of colonialism.

Mark Pendergrast is the author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee And How It Transformed Our World. He tells me that in the late 1700s, European colonial powers were starting to recognize coffee’s profitability. Demand for the drink was high in both European countries and their colonies. To establish profitable estates, European companies imported slaves from Africa to labor on plantations in the Caribbean, Asia, and the Americas in what is known as the Triangular Trade.

Barbados and Jamaica were some of the earliest British colonies, and slave traders provided the outposts with human labor from Africa to work the sugar and coffee plantations. Goods and people were moved in a triangle between West Africa, colonies in the Caribbean and Americas, and Europe.

Bags of green coffee beans in a warehouse.

Mark tells me that San Domingo in French-occupied Haiti was supplying half of the world’s coffee in 1788, as a direct result of slave labor. He describes living conditions there as appalling, with slaves routinely underfed, overworked, and housed in windowless huts. He also details how it was not uncommon for African slaves to be beaten, tortured, and killed by their white, European rulers.

Napoleon’s unsuccessful bid to regain Haiti in the early 1800s led to a decline in coffee production. This prompted the Dutch to fill the gap with coffee produced in their own colony of Java, Indonesia.

There was a rigid hierarchy between the native Javanese and their colonial overlords. In his book, Mark recounts that Eduard Douwes Dekker, a Dutch civil servant, wrote of the laziness and apathy of Dutch landowners who forced Javanese natives to harvest coffee for a pittance. Dekker noted that whole villages died of starvation as a result.

Coffee beans drying in raised beds.

The Slave Trade in The Americas

As coffee declined in the West Indies, it thrived in Latin America. The first coffee bush in Brazil was reportedly planted by Francisco de Melo Palheta in Pará in 1727. Brazil would go on to become a coffee superpower under the rule of the Portuguese and continue to be so after independence. By the 1830s, coffee had become Brazil’s largest export and accounted for around 30% of world coffee production. But it was at great human cost.

Brazilian coffee plantations relied on black and indigenous slave labor. Mark tells me that indentured laborers worked and lived in horrific conditions. He says that plantation owners treated their laborers as dispensable, finding it easier to import new slaves when they died from overwork than to treat their existing slaves with any compassion. He says that most slaves didn’t last seven years from initial bondage.

Brazil made slavery illegal in 1888, but by then an estimated four million slaves had been brought there from Africa.

Ripe coffee cherries. Credit: Fernando Pocasagre

In other parts of Latin America, the coffee industry depended more on the labor of indigenous peoples. “Black people were not used as slaves so much in Central American countries, where instead Mayans and other native peoples served as semi-slaves,” Mark tells me.

He says that the Mayans occupied fertile land that was optimal for growing coffee and that they were increasingly disenfranchized by colonial governments. They were violently evicted by the military as the demand for coffee grew, and forced to work the land for their oppressors.

Mark tells me that revolts and rebellions were common during this time, and that government brutality and oppression was often the response.

A coffee farm in El Salvador. Credit: Fernando Pocasagre

Legacies of Colonialism in Coffee

Understanding the foundations of the coffee industry in Latin America goes some way toward explaining why this part of the world still dominates coffee production. Although slave laborers are no longer used, the structures put in place paved the way for today’s industry. Consider how many regions of Brazil and Colombia are now traditional coffee-growing areas with farming as their main resource.

In an article for Sprudge, Phyllis Johnson highlights how the legacies of colonialism are still obvious in the coffee supply chain. She tells of travelling in Latin America and seeing the racial divide between farm owners and laborers.

And when we discuss the falling C price, we’re talking about millions of people of color throughout Latin America, Asia, and Africa living in poverty in the production of affordable coffee for Western markets.

Despite some African coffees being touted as the best in the world and Tropical Africa being the birthplace of coffee, the continent has never risen to the same levels of production as Latin America. This is also tied to colonialism in that many former European colonies in Africa were left without robust infrastructure and stable political systems when occupation ended.

A producer sorts coffee cherries at a farm in Honduras.

We have a collective responsibility to open our eyes to structural racism and to acknowledge that oppression still exists in the supply chain. It may be uncomfortable to address, but such honesty is important in opening up discourse about inequality in coffee production, as well as wider conversations about racism.

Pay attention to where you spend your money. As well as reading the information on your bag of coffee, make an effort to research how the roaster you choose works with producers. Talk to baristas and others in the supply chain about the economics of coffee.

And consider educating yourself on the politics of coffee-producing regions. Being an informed citizen can help you make choices that benefit coffee producers and the wider community in producing countries. These small steps can contribute to improving sustainability, working conditions, and quality of life for people around the world.

Enjoyed this? You may also like How Much Should We Pay For Green Coffee?

Written by Sierra Burgess-Yeo.

Perfect Daily Grind

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davidpires578 · 6 years

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Does Uber give a Lift?

The other portion of wood arrived in my shop today, wood which I described in an earlier post as 'uber special'. Here it is, fresh off the boat, er, semi:

Doesn't look like much, does it? This motley set of 6 boards cost as much as the two super-wide pieces of Honduran Mahogany I acquired a week or two back. What am I, nuts? (please hold off on answering that until you have read further...) Another view:

What is this stuff, you might ask? It isn't Honduran mahogany, which goes by the Latin name of swietenia macrophylla, the word macrophylla meaning 'large leaf'. The genus name, the word 'swietenia', was named after Gerard von Swieten, a Dutch-Austrian physician who lived between 1700 and 1772, by a fellow named Nikolaus von Jacquin. Between 1755 and 1759, Nikolaus von Jacquin was sent to the West Indies and Central America by Francis I to collect plants for the Schönbrunn Palace, and amassed a large collection of animal, plant and mineral samples. There are three species comprising the genus Swietenia, namely:

Swietenia macrophylla, or Big leaf Mahogany

Swietenia mahagoni, referred to as West Indian, Santo Domingo, or Cuban Mahogany - it might also be called 'small leaf' mahogany (though accurate, that term is not used)

Swietenia humilis, a small and often twisted mahogany tree limited to seasonally dry forests in Pacific Central America that is of limited commercial utility.

S. humilis doesn't really count in the woodworking world as you'll never see timber from it. S. mahagoni - notice how the word 'mahagoni' is spelled with an 'a' there in the middle instead of an 'o' - was commercially extinct by 1900 or so, and commercial trade in the species pretty much ceased by WWII. I've noticed in a lot of books and articles, even scholarly ones, that the Latin name gets misspelled as 'mahogani'. Tut, tut, tsk, tsk...

Today, Big Leaf Mahogany is sold as 'Genuine Mahogany', in contradistinction to many species which are commercially termed 'mahogany' due to some physical resemblance to true mahoganies of the genus swietenia, namely:

Khaya spp., aka African Mahogany

Entandrophragma utile, or 'Utile'

Entandrophragma cylindricum, or Sapele

There are others of course, including the dreaded 'Phillipine Mahogany' - a good article on the topic can be found here.

Back in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when both species of real mahogany were exploited/pillaged, what-have-you, Great Britain was the champion consumer, importing some 85,000 tons of the wood, primarily from Jamaica, in peak importation year of 1875. As early as 1846, when mahogany was chiefly used in shipbuilding, Britain imported 85,000,000 board feet of the wood. By comparison, the US was a lightweight, and the peak consumption year of 1899 saw 21,149,750 board feet imported. I take the above facts and figures from Clayton Dissinger Mell, in his seminal work on the topic, published in 1911 as monograph #474 from the USDA, titled True Mahogany. 'Genuine mahogany' is all we have left these days it seems, though in the days when mahogany was used heavily, the term 'genuine' would have perhaps been laughed at. The esteemed species of the two actually genuine mahoganies, was in fact the Santo Domingo Mahogany (s. mahagoni), as is noted by Mell, and Big Leaf Mahogany was considered inferior:

Though "soft" and "spongy" the apparently inferior Big Leaf Mahogany may be, I personally find it an awesome species, as it is easily worked, suited to indoor or outdoor use, and incredibly stable in service, hardly warping and never checking. I haven't been able to compare it though to the other variety of course, so I am impoverished in that regard and lacking in perspective. Those guys - well, a few of them - in the 1800's had access to materials which I can only imagine. The 'Age of Mahogany', as far as furniture is concerned, was the period between the reigns of George II and George III, roughly 1727 to 1820. Mahogany, extolled by Chippendale, caused the pre-eminent wood of the time, namely walnut, to pass completely out of fashion. In the work Good Furniture, Vol. 4, by the Dean Hicks company (1914), they even wonder if the success of English cabinet makers of the period could have been attained without access to mahogany:

As they note in that text, and as cabinetmaker's of the period following about 1720 found through direct experience, that mahogany was a wood less liable to chip or check than oak, less likely to become worm-eaten than walnut, sound, tough, of uniform grain, procurable in large planks, rich in figure and color, and hence unrivaled for the purposes of cabinet making. Again, the mahogany they were talking about is not Honduras Mahogany, but 'Cuban' Mahogany. Reading about Cuban Mahogany and learning that it was THE mahogany in the time in which lots of mahogany furniture and ships were built on a large scale, has lead me to a strong desire to get a chance to work the s. mahagoni material. Obtaining it however, has been a bit like chasing a unicorn. I've seen it for sale sporadically over the years by private sellers here and there, and there has been someone on ebay trying to sell some of late at quite high prices. Not sure how successful he has been. And, like they say on the Hobbit house website,

A note on Cuban mahogany: this species is basically not available in lumber form these days. I think the best expression of this is (this is a slight paraphrase of a comment by Eric Meier of The Wood Database in an email to me): I just tell people that unless they actually live in Cuba, it's not Cuban mahogany and you're being delusionally optimistic to think otherwise.

So, when a few months back an ad appeared from a fellow offering to sell some Cuban Mahogany, I was interested but skeptical. I emailed him to ask his pricing, which was quoted as "$24~$28 per board foot". I didn't have the funds at the time to pursue it further, so I put the matter on the back burner, and besides, it was probably anything but the real thing. When the new cabinet project was in discussion with my client on the west coast, there came the point where he asked me which woods I recommended, and I said that I thought it would be great to carry the use of Shedua from the other cabinet I had built forward, and then pair it with mahogany. I was thinking exclusively of Honduran Mahogany, which is as likely as not to come from Peru these days, as that was what one would normally think of in respect to mahogany. When the client came back in approval of the plan to use those woods, I got to thinking about it more, and then remembered the ad from a few months back. I looked through my email and found the conversation and emailed the fellow again to see if he still had any stock. It turned out he still did have a fair amount. I then asked him how he knew it was Cuban Mahogany, given how rare a material that is. He replied that it was 'obvious' as the wood had a deeper purple tone, and was considerably denser and heavier than the Big Leaf Mahogany. That sounded good, however, I was still skeptical and asked him if he would provide me with a sample or two, thinking that I could take it to a wood lab near me for analysis. He said he would do that, and if I declined to buy any wood I could pay him for the postage, otherwise, if I did buy some wood, he would absorb the cost. Fair enough. A week or so later and two samples arrived, each about 8" square and 5/8" thick or so. Pulling them out of the package, I could immediately discern that the pieces were heaver than I would expect with Honduran Mahogany. I put in a call to the recently-retired UMass professor Bruce Hoadley, author of Identifying Wood and Understanding Wood, and left a message in regards to testing the samples I had. In the meantime, I did some further research, and learned that, by the conventional method of wood species identification, namely examining a cleaned portion of end grain under 10x~20x magnification and comparing physical features, swietenia mahagoni and swietenia macrophylla could not be distinguished. Hmm, a wrinkle in my plan.... I never did reach Professor Hoadley, though we had a fine game of phone tag for a while. I did manage to make contact with a Michael Wiemann, a botanist at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory in Madison Wisconsin though. He confirmed just what I had read, that one cannot distinguish between the two mahoganies by the usual method. I was thinking he would point me to some modern high tech method that I imagined existed, something involving DNA analysis or near-infrared spectrographic methods, however he said that distinguishing between closely-related species remains a challenging task in his field. He then said that what he would do, if presented with my sample, is refer to some notes from a British text on the topic. He said he could send me a .pdf of the relevant section if I was interested (?). You bet I was! Reading that document, it turns out that the two mahoganies have a slight overlap in characteristics, looking at density, color, growth ring count, and so forth, so if you have a sample that sits in the zone of overlap, it is quite difficult to distinguish one from another. However if your sample is clearly sitting outside of that overlap zone, you can be reasonably sure of what you have. For color and density, I was quite clear on the fact that the samples I had were unlike Honduran Mahogany, at least in my experience. The key point came down to growth ring count, which, for s. macrophylla is 4~8 per inch, and for s. mahagoni 10~25 per inch. The samples were happily very clear in that regard, as the growth ring count I saw on both pieces was around 20 per inch. I was starting to feel fairly certain that I had stumbled upon some actual 'Cuban' Mahogany. I asked the seller for some more background on the material. I learned that it had been cut something like 40 years ago, and was from a wind-downed tree in the Florida Keys. He'd had it for about 20 years and had purchased it from another fellow, the person who obtained the wood from the trees originally, who had also squirreled it away for some 20 years. Some further reading from Mull's work True Mahogany revealed some other distinguishing characteristics in regards to mahogany from the Florida Keys:

Cool. The mahogany growing in the Florida Keys, at the northern end of the plant's growth range, proves to be the densest. And then:

It also seems to be the case that the mahogany from Florida has the shortest wood fibers of any mahogany in the New World. I decided that even if this material was not actually s. mahagoni, but just some really nice s. macrophylla, it was worth it at the price regardless. I bought all the seller's 8/4 material, and that is what arrived at my shop today. I'm excited to have captured a unicorn at last! After dragging the wood into my shop, I immediately trimmed off the bug-eaten portions where the sapwood had once been:

The above board was one of the worst in that regard. Did I mention 'bug-eaten'?:

I also did some jointing and planing. Here's a closer look at the surface of one board, where you can see the numerous white flecks on the face:

Those white flecks are called tyloses. I take them to be a sign of good material - at least when it came to Honduran Mahogany, where they are a rare occurrance, they had proved to be a sign of nice wood to work, and I'm thinking the same goes here. Cutting this material was relatively easy, and the sawdust has a smell similar to Honduran Mahogany. The wood though is significantly heavier than any Honduran Mahogany I have had my hands on. I'm 99% sure I have that unicorn. This is up there, for me, with finding Huanghuali or Zitan (that is, seriously unlikely to happen in my lifetime). Sometimes you get lucky I guess. The tree was on the order of 20" in diameter I would guess, with the widest board in my pile of 6 being 19" wide:

Edge-jointing after ripping the edge off:

I mentioned the growth ring detail - here's a close up of what swietenia mahagoni - the stuff I have -looks like:

I cleaned up, more or less, 5 of the 6 boards, and left the largest for the time being. Here's a 'family reunion' sort of photo, with the recently-acquired Honduran forming the backdrop:

Welcome to 'Mahogany World'. The one large plank of Honduran was trimmed last week, giving me these pieces of stock for the front door panels and the drawer floors of the cabinet:

I need

#woodworking #wood #working #miter #saws #Woodworking

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maricelazapata8-blog · 6 years

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fishermariawo · 6 years

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Bitters: A Primal Primer

I have a German friend who, after one of her fantastic meals, breaks out her Kräuter and fills aperitif glasses for everyone. To her it’s simply tradition. For the rest of us it’s a pleasant extension of her unmatched hospitality—and a welcome end to a heavy dinner.

Digestive bitters have been used for centuries as a highly effective way to boost digestive capacity, and naturally occurring digestive compounds in foods have been an integral part of our ancestral diets since day one. My friend says bitters are the secret to a hearty constitution. Knowing the science—and seeing her example, I’m unlikely to argue there.

And it’s not just about before or after dinner drinks…. In fact, great Kräuter aside, alcohol isn’t the point at all.

We possess the ability to distinguish (at least) 5 different flavors from the foods we eat: sweet, sour, salty, umami, and bitter. We tend to gravitate towards sweet or salty flavors, but sour can be tasty. Umami, especially for a Primal type (and German food), is a given.

But what about bitter? Most people avoid bitterness in food like the plague. It even comes out in embodied phrasing like “leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth.”

But it hasn’t always been that way….

Setting the Scene: Bitter Taste Receptors

Let’s first look at the diverse roles of T2Rs—bitter taste receptors—in the human body.

Initially, scientists knew about the existence of T2Rs and understood that their role was to detect bitterness in the foods we wittingly eat or the compounds we unwittingly swallow. But until recently, they didn’t have the foggiest regarding exactly how those taste receptors were able to encourage more efficient digestion.

Thanks to research over the past 15 years or so, we now know that the bitter taste receptors in our mouths release neurotransmitters that stimulate, via the vagus nerve, an increase in intracellular calcium concentrations. It’s thought that this action then encourages secretion of the intestinal hormone cholecystokinin, thereby initiating the release of digestive enzymes and bile.

So…bitter compounds in the mouth trigger the release of digestive compounds via an autonomic hormone release. Fair enough. But there’s actually a lot more to it. It turns out that T2Rs are by no means limited to the tongue and oral cavity. In fact, they’re turning up in the most unlikely of places, including the stomach, intestines, pancreas, respiratory system…even on the heart.

When we consider just how widespread T2Rs are in the body, the significance of bitter consumables amplifies considerably. Those that reside in our intestinal lining, for example, are known to trigger the release of hormones involved in appetite regulation, nutrient absorption, and even insulin sensitivity. In our GI tract, bitter taste receptors can simultaneously promote the absorption of “safe” bitter compounds and the excretion of toxic ones, thereby preventing overexposure to the many low-grade food-borne toxins we eat every day.

The T2R defense system continues in our respiratory system, where taste receptor cells have been shown to monitor the bacteria in our tissues and initiate an innate immune response if pathogenic species are detected. The mechanism by which they do this is pretty darn cool: gram-negative bacteria secrete acyl-homoserine lactones—compounds that are similar in taste to bitter plants like angelica or dandelion, thereby activating T2R cells and triggering a release of antibacterial compounds into epithelial cells.

It gets better.

As sugar consumption increases, the risk of bacterial overgrowth shoots up. But with increasing bacterial sugar consumption is a corresponding rise in metabolic by-products (bacteria poop), which activates the same immune responses in T2Rs as those found in the respiratory tract. Essentially, those bitter taste receptors are trying to save you from your sweet tooth. It’s a thankless task, apparently.

Lousy digestion? It Might Be a Job For Bitters

Based on the above, it’s fair to say that a diet rich in bitter compounds is probably a good thing. Bitter foods activate those T2Rs in the mouth and GI tract, setting off a chain reaction of good vibes and jumped-up digestion that’s bound to improve your relationship with food…in the short term, at least.

But here we have a problem…. We’ve all but banished bitter foods from our modern diet. These days, pre-packaged foods, with their overdose of sugar, salt, MSG, or all of the above, have most people unattuned and resistant to anything else.

Even those of us who eat Primal may not necessarily be that much better off. Even a diet rich in whole foods doesn’t provide nearly the same bitter elements as yesteryear. With increasing agricultural cultivation, we’ve seen a slow decline in bitter compounds, meaning that unless you’re primarily consuming wild-foraged foods, you’re unlikely to come close to Grok’s intake. Sadly, indulging in today’s meagre collection of bitter foods, like dark chocolate, olives, and coffee, isn’t enough for most people.

Arguably, digestive bitters can fill in some of those dietary gaps. The mechanism by which they stimulate boosted digestive capacity is wondrously simple: the bitter taste receptors on our tongue and other areas of the mouth register that a bitter compound has entered your body. This triggers a chain reaction of T2Rs all the way down your digestive tract, revving up your digestive organs for a new wave of half-chewed food.

As I explained in the previous section, bitter compounds elicit improved digestion not by directly stimulating stomach acid secretion, but by stimulating the different digestive organs themselves via the nervous system.

Upon tasting something bitter, your T2Rs send out advance notice: the salivary glands begin pumping out enzyme-rich saliva, the stomach begins to produce gastrin, which in turn stimulates HCl secretion, and the esophageal sphincter contracts, preventing the movement of digestive acids upwards (where they don’t belong).

The bitter messengers continue to carry out their humble work, activating the smooth muscle of the stomach which increases the rate of gastric emptying (depending on the bitter compound in question), thereby preventing the accumulation and fermentation of foods in the stomach post-meal. At the same time, the pancreas begins pelting out enzymes and innate probiotics willy nilly, the gall bladder dispenses bile to break down fats, and other areas of the intestines ready themselves for the task ahead.

Not bad, I’d say.

Bitters: Getting Your Hands On the Good Stuff

The modern equivalent of bitters was likely born in the 16th century, purportedly created by physician and alchemist Paracelus to cure a wide range of ailments. During the reign of King George II (1727-1760), bitters became a popular way to avoid alcohol sales taxes by drinking herb-infused booze under the umbrella of a “medicinal” beverages. In 1824, Angostura bitters, still well-known today, were given life by a German physician to support the digestive tracts of Venezuelan freedom fighters and as a cure for sea sickness. Invariably, the stuff went down as a treat in the nautical community, and soon apothecaries and medicine makers across Europe were jumping on the bitters bandwagon. In short order, bartenders found that medicinal bitters were surprisingly effective in mellowing the harsh liquors of the time, giving rise to the modern cocktail.

Until the 1880s, any cocktail would henceforth contain bitters—the very definition of a cocktail was a spirit mixed with sugar, water, and bitters. Bitters then lost some of their mojo with the onset of Prohibition, but began to re-emerge again in the mid-twentieth century as researchers started probing their digestive capacity and attempting to validate many of the earlier claims of bitters as a “cure-all.” In a 1967 article published in Planta Medica, for example, extracts of gentian and vermouth were shown to stimulate gastric secretion and intensify digestion of proteins and fats after a meal.

These days, an increasing bitters “renaissance” among the cocktail-wielding hipster masses has been accompanied by a smaller, yet more substantive movement towards better digestion within the alternative health community.

But not all bitters are created equal. Different compounds elicit varied responses in the central nervous system, digestive system, and even cardiovascular system, so it’s worthwhile doing your research to know which bitters formulation suits your needs best. Caffeine and coffee, for example, increase heart rate whereas gentian and wormwood decrease vascular workload.

Bitters can also be prepared in different ways. Back in the day, “bitters were generally ethanol extracts of plant or mineral material, for example, Dr Henley’s Wild Grape Root Bitters or Brown’s Iron Bitters.” Today, alcohol is still the most popular way to ensure the most potent and stable bitter brews, but there’s also formulations like this one from Urban Moonshine, which replaces alcohol with apple cider vinegar—the added bonus being the increased stimulation of stomach acid from the ACV contingent.

While mineral bitters appear to have dropped off the public radar, there’s been a huge surge in the popularity of herbal-based digestive bitters in recent years. These formulations are created using plants that are generally very common in many other herbal remedies: dandelion and burdock for food sensitivities and sugar cravings, chamomile and ginger for morning sickness and heartburn, artichoke and fenugreek for blood sugar regulation and bile production. Even herbs commonly associated with other pursuits, such as hops, are used as potent herbal ingredients for digestive bitters.

Then there are the bitters used in cocktails, aperitifs and digestifs. Aperitifs and digestifs like Campari, Vermouth, madeira and Aperol are firmly entrenched as tradition in European countries, respectively taken before or after a meal to encourage both appetite and digestion. And there’s a good reason why these drinks remain a fundamental part of those culture: like digestive bitters, these cocktail bitters really do elicit the same beneficial response as their medicinal counterparts (as my experience at my German friend’s dinner parties suggests). They might not all be as potent, but they’re certainly a good option if you enjoy a post-meal tipple.

Dosage: What to Know

It’s important to remember that digestive bitters are extremely potent, so a little goes a very long way. This is particularly true for folks who expose their tastebuds to very few bitter flavors in their everyday diets. Dark (at least 85%) chocolate, strong unsweetened coffee, dandelion greens, and heritage grapefruit are all good examples of bitter foods. People who don’t eat much of these may initially at least respond all the more aggressively to digestive bitters.

Whether you take your digestive bitters before or after a meal is up to you. It’s true that logic implies taking them 5-10 minutes before eating might make the most sense. That way, you’re giving those digestive organs ample time to ramp up their operations. And how about the claims that you should hold the digestive bitters on the back of your tongue for maximum effect? Turns out the whole tongue map thing is a myth, meaning your tastebuds will effectively register the bitter flavor pretty much anywhere on the tongue.

As far as dosage, that will depend on the bitters formulation, however a 1/4 teaspoon seems to be a good starting point for most people. Some digestive bitters also come in droppers. Half a dropper usually equates to around 1/4 of a teaspoon, just FYI.

Bear in mind there’s almost certainly a dose-dependency when it comes to taking bitters. Low concentrations appear to cause contraction of smooth muscle in the stomach, whereas higher concentrations lead to relaxation of the same muscles. This means that taking lower doses might make more sense when heartburn or reflux is likely to be an issue. Just a suggestion of bitters on the tongue is enough to ensure contraction of the esophageal sphincter, thereby locking in those acidic digestive juices. At the other end of the spectrum, indulging in a large dose of bitters following a particularly gluttonous meal might ease that bursting sensation.

Interestingly, it appears there are no half measures either: diluting the sensation of bitterness with something sweet, for example, dampens the medicinal effect of the bitter compounds. Clearly, a little bit of taste receptor toughening is in order.

As far as side effects go, you’re unlikely to experience anything too adverse unless you get a bit crazy with the dosages. (I will say it’s important to talk to your doctor, particularly if you’re pregnant, nursing, have a serious medical condition, or take medication.) Perhaps of more concern is when bitters are taken for too long or too often. A study conducted on 1000 Southwest Nigerian college students found that 22% of students experienced dizziness from bitters use, 21% experienced loss of taste, and close to 10% experienced nausea and vomiting.

Another study conducted in the same region, where something called “Febi super bitters” is a popular herbal cure-all, found that regular consumption of the stuff elicited a considerable inflammatory response. Their conclusion? “Daily consumption of Febi super bitters as a blood tonic or immunomodulatory agent is not recommended.”

Fair point, and one which should probably apply to bitters consumption across the board. These should be modest—and maybe occasional—go-tos for assisting in the digestion of extra-hearty meals or when infrequent digestive issues arise. Constantly swigging back on bitters is likely to build digestive reliance and overload neuronal pathways. Remember, these compounds are surprisingly powerful, and their effects are widespread.

Finally, is it worth continuing to take your enzyme or bile supplements if you’re investing in a good digestive bitters? Probably not. The beauty of bitters is that they simply nudge the GI tract into producing digestive compounds it was already producing anyway—including it’s very own digestive enzymes and of course upping the bile ante. To me, that’s probably a better solution for most people than “topping up” enzymes or digestive acids with supplemental sources.

Final Take-Aways…

Ultimately, this is another scenario where highly beneficial effects can be achieved with strategic supplementation. It’s clear that we need more bitter foods in our life, and if we need to get those bitter compounds from a herbal formulation, so be it. I’ll continue enjoying them at my friend’s dinner parties, and I’ve been known to have them at home in the past, but I’ve never taken them every day.

Personally, my preference has always been to balance things out via whole-food means wherever possible. In the realm of bitter compounds, this means seeking out more foraged or heritage varieties of edible plants, plenty of ultra-dark chocolate, unsweetened home-ground coffee, and maybe the odd shot of “Kräuter” to wash things down every once in a while.

Thanks for reading today, everyone. Do you take bitters—in any form? What have you noticed in terms of effect? Favorite options or recipes you’d care to share? I’d love to hear your feedback.

0 notes

cristinajourdanqp · 6 years

Text

Bitters: A Primal Primer

And it’s not just about before or after dinner drinks…. In fact, great Kräuter aside, alcohol isn’t the point at all.

But what about bitter? Most people avoid bitterness in food like the plague. It even comes out in embodied phrasing like “leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth.”

But it hasn’t always been that way….

Setting the Scene: Bitter Taste Receptors

Let’s first look at the diverse roles of T2Rs—bitter taste receptors—in the human body.

It gets better.

Lousy digestion? It Might Be a Job For Bitters

Not bad, I’d say.

Bitters: Getting Your Hands On the Good Stuff

Dosage: What to Know

Final Take-Aways…

Thanks for reading today, everyone. Do you take bitters—in any form? What have you noticed in terms of effect? Favorite options or recipes you’d care to share? I’d love to hear your feedback.

0 notes

watsonrodriquezie · 6 years

Text

Bitters: A Primal Primer

And it’s not just about before or after dinner drinks…. In fact, great Kräuter aside, alcohol isn’t the point at all.

But what about bitter? Most people avoid bitterness in food like the plague. It even comes out in embodied phrasing like “leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth.”

But it hasn’t always been that way….

Setting the Scene: Bitter Taste Receptors

Let’s first look at the diverse roles of T2Rs—bitter taste receptors—in the human body.

It gets better.

Lousy digestion? It Might Be a Job For Bitters

Not bad, I’d say.

Bitters: Getting Your Hands On the Good Stuff

Dosage: What to Know

Final Take-Aways…

Thanks for reading today, everyone. Do you take bitters—in any form? What have you noticed in terms of effect? Favorite options or recipes you’d care to share? I’d love to hear your feedback.

0 notes

milenasanchezmk · 6 years

Text

Bitters: A Primal Primer

And it’s not just about before or after dinner drinks…. In fact, great Kräuter aside, alcohol isn’t the point at all.

But what about bitter? Most people avoid bitterness in food like the plague. It even comes out in embodied phrasing like “leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth.”

But it hasn’t always been that way….

Setting the Scene: Bitter Taste Receptors

Let’s first look at the diverse roles of T2Rs—bitter taste receptors—in the human body.

It gets better.

Lousy digestion? It Might Be a Job For Bitters

Not bad, I’d say.

Bitters: Getting Your Hands On the Good Stuff

Dosage: What to Know

Final Take-Aways…

Thanks for reading today, everyone. Do you take bitters—in any form? What have you noticed in terms of effect? Favorite options or recipes you’d care to share? I’d love to hear your feedback.

0 notes