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Bastet - Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Cats and the slayer of Apophis, serpent of chaos

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> > > Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women's secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children. As with many deities in Egyptian religion, she also played a role in the afterlife. > > > > She is sometimes depicted as a guide and helper to the dead although this was not one of her primary duties. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra and is associated with the concept of the Eye of Ra (the all-seeing eye) and the Distant Goddess (a female deity who leaves Ra and returns to bring transfromation). Bastet was one of the most popular deities of ancient Egypt as she was the protector of everyone's home and family. > > > > Meaning of Bastet's Name > > > > Her name was originally B'sst which became Ubaste, then Bast, then Bastet; the meaning of this name is not known or, at least, not universally agreed upon. Geraldine Pinch claims that "her name probably means She of the Ointment Jar" as she was associated with protection and protective ointments (115). The Greeks associated her closely with their goddess Artemis and believed that, as Artemis had a twin brother (Apollo) so should Bast. They associated Apollo with Horus, the son of Isis (Heru-sa-Aset) and so called the goddess known as Bast ba'Aset (Soul of Isis) which would be the literal translation of her name with the addition of the second 'T' to denote the feminine (Aset being among the Egyptian names for Isis). > > > > Bastet, however, was also sometimes linked with the god of perfume and sweet smells, Nefertum, who was thought to be her son and this further links the meaning of her name to the ointment jar. The most obvious understanding would be that, originally, the name meant something like She of the Ointment Jar (Ubaste) and the Greeks changed the meaning to Soul of Isis as they associated her with the most popular goddess in Egypt. Even so, scholars have come to no agreement on the meaning of her name. > > > > Associations > > > > Bastet was extremely popular throughout Egypt with both men and women from the Second Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2890 - c. 2670 BCE) onward with her cult centered at the city of Bubastis from at least the 5th century BCE. She was first represented as a woman with the head of a lioness and closely associated with the goddess Sekhmet but, as that deity's iconography depicted her as increasingly aggressive, Bastet's images softened over time to present more of a daily companion and helper than her earlier forms as savage avenger. Scholar Geraldine Pinch writes: > > > > From the Pyramid Texts onward, Bastet has a double aspect of nurturing mother and terrifying avenger. It is the demonic aspect that mainly features in the Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead and in medical spells. The "slaughterers of Bastet" were said to inflict plague and other disasters on humanity. One spell advises pretending to be the 'son of Bastet' in order to avoid catching the plague. (115) > > > > Bastet is sometimes rendered in art with a litter of kittens at her feet but her most popular depiction is of a sitting cat gazing ahead. > > > > Although she was greatly venerated, she was equally feared as two of her titles demonstrate: The Lady of Dread and The Lady of Slaughter. She is associated with both Mau, the divine cat who is an aspect of Ra, and with Mafdet, goddess of justice and the first feline deity in Egyptian history. > > > > Both Bastet and Sekhmet took their early forms as feline defenders of the innocent, avengers of the wronged, from Mafdet. This association was carried on in depictions of Bastet's son Maahes, protector of the innocent, who is shown as a lion-headed man carrying a long knife or as a lion. > > > > In Bastet's association with Mau, she is sometimes seen destroying the enemy of Ra, Apophis, by slicing off his head with a knife in her paw; an image Mau is best known by. In time, as Bastet became more of a familial companion, she lost all trace of her lionine form and was regularly depicted as a house cat or a woman with the head of a cat often holding a sistrum. She is sometimes rendered in art with a litter of kittens at her feet but her most popular depiction is of a sitting cat gazing ahead. > > > > Role in Religion & Iconography > > > > Bastet appears early in the 3rd millennium BCE in her form as an avenging lioness in Lower Egypt. By the time of the Pyramid Texts (c. 2400-2300 BCE) she was associated with the king of Egypt as his nursemaid in youth and protector as he grew. In the later Coffin Texts (c. 2134-2040 BCE) she retains this role but is also seen as a protector of the dead. The scholar Richard H. Wilkinson comments on this: > > > > In her earliest known form, as depicted on stone vessels of the 2nd dynasty, Bastet was represented as a woman with the maneless head of a lioness. The iconography of the goddess changed, however, perhaps as her nature began to be viewed as milder than that of other lioness deities. (178) > > > > Her cult center at Bubastis in Lower Egypt became one of the richest and most luxuriant cities in Egypt as people from all over the country traveled there to pay their respects to the goddess and have the bodies of their dead cats interred in the city. In Egyptian art, her iconography borrowed from the earlier goddess Mafdet and also from Hathor, a goddess associated with Sekhmet who was also closely linked to Bastet. > > > > The appearance of the sistrum in Bastet's hand in some statues is a clear link to Hathor who is traditionally seen carrying the instrument. Hathor is another goddess who underwent a dramatic change from bloodthirsty destroyer to gentle friend of humanity as she was originally the lioness deity Sekhmet whom Ra sent to earth to destroy humans for their sins. In Bastet's case, although she became milder, she was no less dangerous to those who broke the law or abused others. > > > > The Tale of Setna & Taboubu > > > > The Tale of Setna and Taboubu (part of the work known as First Setna or Setna I) is the middle section of a work of Egyptian literature composed in Roman Egypt history and currently held by the Cairo Museum in Egypt. The main character of the Setna tales is Prince Setna Khaemwas who is based on the actual prince and High Priest of Ptah Khaemweset (l. c. 1281 - c. 1225 BCE), the son of Ramesses II (r. 1279-1213 BCE). Khaemweset, known as the "First Egyptologist", was famous for his restoration and preservation efforts of ancient Egyptian monuments and, by the time of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, was greatly revered as a sage and magician. Although the story may be interpreted in many different ways, Geraldine Pinch argues that this section of the tale can most clearly be understood as an illustration of how Bastet punishes transgressors. > > > > In this story young Prince Setna steals a book from a tomb, even after the inhabitants of the tomb beg him not to. Shortly afterwards he is in Memphis, near the Temple of Ptah, when he sees a beautiful woman accompanied by her servants and lusts after her. He asks about her and learns her name is Taboubu, daughter of a priest of Bastet. He has never seen any woman more beautiful in his life and sends her a note asking her to come to his bed for ten gold pieces but she returns a counter-offer telling him to meet her at the Temple of Bastet in Saqqara where she lives and he will then have all he desires. > > > > Setna travels to her villa where he is eager to get to the business at hand but Taboubu has some stipulations. First, she tells him, he must sign over all his property and possessions to her. He is so consumed with lust that he agrees to this and moves to embrace her. She holds him off, however, and tells him that his children must be sent for and must also sign the documents agreeing to this so that there will be no problems with the legal transference. Setna agrees to this also and sends for his children. While they are signing the papers Taboubu disappears into another room and returns wearing a linen dress so sheer that he can see "every part of her body through it" and his desire for her grows almost uncontrollable. > > > > With the documents signed he again moves toward her but, no, she has a third demand: his children must be killed so that they will not try to renege on the agreement and embroil her in a long, drawn-out court battle. Setna instantly agrees to this; his children are murdered and their bodies thrown into the street. Setna then pulls off his clothes, takes Taboubu, and leads her quickly to the bedroom. As he is embracing her she suddenly screams and vanishes - as does the room and villa around them - and Setna is standing naked in the street with his penis thrust into a clay pot. > > > > The pharaoh comes by at this time and Prince Setna is completely humiliated. Pharaoh informs him that his children still live and that everything he has experienced has been an illusion. Setna then understands he has been punished for his transgression in the tomb and quickly returns the book. He further makes restitution to the inhabitants of the tomb by traveling to another city and retrieving mummies buried there who were part of the tomb inhabitant's family so they can all be reunited in one place. > > > > Although scholars disagree on who Taboubu represents, her close association with Bastet as the daughter of one of the goddesses' priests makes this deity a very likely candidate. The predatory nature of Taboubu, once she has Setna where she wants him, is reminiscent of the cat toying with the mouse. Geraldine Pinch concludes that Taboubu is a "manifestation of Bastet herself, playing her traditional role of punisher of humans who have offended the gods" (117). In this story, Bastet takes on the form of a beautiful woman to punish a wrong-doer who had violated a tomb but the story would also have been cautionary to men who viewed women only as sexual objects in that they could never know whether they were actually in the presence of a goddess and what might happen should they offend her. > > > > Worship of Bastet > > > > The goddess was worshipped primarily at Bubastis but held a tutelary position at Saqqara and elsewhere. Wilkinson writes: > > > > The goddess's popularity grew over time and in the Late Period and Graeco-Roman times she enjoyed great status. The main cult centre of this deity was the city of Bubastis - Tell Basta - in the eastern Delta, and although only the outlines of the temple of Bastet now remain, Herodotus visited the site in the 5th century BC and praised it for its magnificence. The festival of Bastet was also described by Herodotus who claimed it was the most elaborate of all the religious festivals of Egypt with large crowds participating in unrrestrained dancing, drinking, and revelry. (178) > > > > Herodotus is the primary source for information on the cult of Bastet and, unfortunately, does not go into great detail on the particulars of her worship. It seems both men and women served as her clergy and, as with the other Egyptian deities, her temple at Bubastis was the focal point of the city providing services ranging from medical attention to counseling to food distribution. Herodotus describes this temple: > > > > Save for the entrance, it stands on an island; two separate channels approach it from the Nile, and after coming up to the entry of the temple, they run round it on opposite sides; each of them a hundred feet wide, and overshadowed by trees. The temple is in the midst of the city, the whole circuit of which commands a view down into it; for the city's level has been raised, but that of the temple has been left as it was from the first, so that it can be seen into from without. A stone wall, carven with figures, runs round it; within is a grove of very tall trees growing round a great shrine, wherein is the image of the goddess; the temple is a square, each side measuring a furlong. A road, paved with stone, of about three furlongs' length leads to the entrance, running eastward through the market place, towards the temple of Hermes; this road is about 400 feet wide, and bordered by trees reaching to heaven. (Histories, II.138). > > > > The people of Egypt came annually to the great festival of Bastet at Bubastis which was one of the most lavish and popular events of the year. Geraldine Pinch, citing Herodotus, claims, "women were freed from all constraints during the annual festival at Bubastis. They celebrated the festival of the goddess by drinking, dancing, making music, and displaying their genitals" (116). This "raising of the skirts" by the women, described by Herodotus, had as much to do with freedom from social constraints as it did with the fertility associated with the goddess. As with many of the other festivals throughout Egypt, Bastet's celebration was a time to cast aside inhibitions much in the way modern revelers do in Europe during Carnivale or in the United States at Mardi Gras. Herodotus presents a vivid picture of the people traveling to Bubastis for the festival: > > > > When the people are on their way to Bubastis, they go by river, a great number in every boat, men and women together. Some of the women make a noise with rattles, others play flutes all the way, while the rest of the women, and the men, sing and clap their hands. As they travel by river to Bubastis, whenever they come near any other town they bring their boat near the bank; then some of the women do as I have said, while some shout mockery of the women of the town; others dance, and others stand up and lift their skirts. They do this whenever they come alongside any riverside town. But when they have reached Bubastis, they make a festival with great sacrifices, and more wine is drunk at this feast than in the whole year besides. It is customary for men and women (but not children) to assemble there to the number of seven hundred thousand, as the people of the place say. (Histories, Book II.60) > > > > Although Herodotus claims that this festival outstripped all others in magnificence and excess, in reality there were many festivals celebrating many gods which could claim the same. The popularity of this goddess, however, made her celebration of particular significance in Egyptian culture. In the passage above, Herodotus makes note of how the women in the boats mocked those on shore and this would have been done to encourage them to leave off their daily tasks and join the celebration of the great goddess. Bastet, in fact, was second only to Isis in popularity and, once she traveled through Greece to Rome, was equally popular among the Romans and the subjects of the later Roman Empire. > > > > Bastet's Enduring Popularity > > > > The popularity of Bastet grew from her role as protector of women and the household. As noted, she was as popular among men as women in that every man had a mother, sister, girlfriend, wife, or daughter who benefited from the care Bastet provided. Further, women in Egypt were held in high regard and had almost equal rights which almost guaranteed a goddess who protected women and presided over women's secrets an especially high standing. > > > > Cats were also greatly prized in Egypt as they kept homes free of vermin (and so controlled diseases), protected the crops from unwanted animals, and provided their owners with fairly maintenance-free company. One of the most important aspects of Bastet's festival was the delivery of mummified cats to her temple. When the temple was excavated in 1887 and 1889 CE over 300,000 mummified cats were found. Wilkinson, commenting on her universal popularity, writes: > > > > Amulets of cats and litters of kittens were popular New Year gifts, and the name of Bastet was often inscribed on small ceremonial 'New Year flasks', probably to evoke the goddess as a bestower of fertility and because Bastet, like other lioness goddesses, was viewed as a protective deity able to counter the darker forces associated with the 'Demon Days' at the end of the Egyptian year. (178) > > > > Bastet was so popular that, in 525 BCE, when Cambyses II of Persia invaded Egypt, he made use of the goddess to force the Egyptian's surrender. Knowing of their great love for animals, and cats especially, he had his soldiers paint the image of Bastet on their shields and then arranged all the animals that could be found and drove them before the army toward the pivotal city of Pelusium. The Egyptians refused to fight for fear of harming the animals and offending Bastet and so surrendered. > > > > The historian Polyaenus (2nd century CE) writes how, after his victory, Cambyses II hurled cats from a bag into the Egyptian's faces in scorn that they would surrender their city for animals. The Egyptians were undeterred in their veneration of the cat and their worship of Bastet, however. Her status as one of the most popular and potent deities continued throughout the remainder of Egypt's history and on into the era of the Roman Empire until, like the other gods, she was eclipsed by the rise of Christianity. > > [Article source](https://www.worldhistory.org/Bastet/)

Politics Arotrios • Now • 100%

[News] Republicans nominate Steve Scalise to be House speaker and will try to unite before a floor vote

apnews.com

> > > WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on Wednesday nominated Rep. Steve Scalise to be the next House speaker and will now try to unite around the conservative in a floor vote to elect him after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the post. > > > > In private balloting at the Capitol, House Republicans pushed aside Rep. Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman, in favor of Scalise, the current majority leader, lawmakers said. The Louisiana lawmaker is seen as a hero to some after surviving a mass shooting on lawmakers at a congressional baseball game practice few years ago. > > > > Republicans who have been stalemated after McCarthy’s removal will seek to assemble their narrow House majority around Scalise in what is certain to be a close vote of the full House. Democrats are set to oppose the Republican nominee. > > > > THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. > > > > WASHINGTON (AP) — Stalemated over a new House speaker, the Republican majority is meeting behind closed doors Wednesday to try to choose a new leader, but lawmakers warn it could take hours, if not days, to unite behind a nominee after Kevin McCarthy’s ouster. > > > > The two leading contenders, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, appear to be splitting the vote among their Republican colleagues. McCarthy, who had openly positioned himself to reclaim the job he just lost, told fellow GOP lawmakers not to nominate him this time. > > > > “I don’t know how the hell you get to 218,” said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, referring to the majority vote typically needed in the 435-member House to become speaker. “It could be a long week.” > > > > It’s an extraordinary moment of political chaos that has brought the House to a standstill at a time of uncertainty at home and crisis abroad, just 10 months after Republicans swept to power. Aspiring to operate as a team and run government more like a business, the GOP majority has drifted far from that goal with the unprecedented ouster of a speaker. > > > > Americans are watching. One-quarter of Republicans say they approve of the decision by a small group of Republicans to remove McCarthy as speaker. Three in 10 Republicans believe it was a mistake, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. > > > > The hard-right coalition of lawmakers that ousted McCarthy, R-Calif., has shown what an oversize role a few lawmakers can have in choosing his successor. > > > > “I am not thrilled with either choice right now,” said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., who voted to oust McCarthy. > > > > Both Scalise and Jordan are working furiously to shore up support. Both are easily winning over dozens of supporters and could win a majority of the 221 Republicans. > > > > But it’s unclear whether either Scalise or Jordan can amass the votes that would be needed from almost all Republicans to overcome opposition from Democrats during a floor vote in the narrowly split House. Usually, the majority needed would be 218 votes, but there are currently two vacant seats, dropping the threshold to 217. > > > > Many Republicans want to prevent the spectacle of a messy House floor fight like the grueling January brawl when McCarthy became speaker. > > > > “People are not comfortable going to the floor with a simple majority and then having C-SPAN and the rest of the world watch as we have this fight,” said Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. “We want to have this family fight behind closed doors.” > > > > Some have proposed a rules change that Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the interim speaker pro tempore, is considering to ensure a majority vote before the nominee is presented for a full floor vote. > > > > McCarthy himself appeared to agree with a consensus approach. “They shouldn’t come out of there until they decide that they have enough votes for whoever they bring to the floor,” McCarthy said. > > > > But short of a rules change, Republican lawmakers would be expected to agree to a majority-wins process — whichever candidate wins the internal private vote would be given the full backing of the Republicans on the floor. > > > > It’s no guarantee. Scalise and Jordan indicated they would support the eventual nominee, lawmakers said. But many lawmakers remained undecided. > > > > While both are conservatives from the right flank, neither Scalise nor Jordan is the heir apparent to McCarthy, who was removed in a push by the far-right flank after the speaker led Congress to approve legislation that averted a government shutdown. > > > > Scalise, as the second-ranking Republican, would be next in line for speaker and is seen as a hero among colleagues for having survived severe injuries from a mass shooting during a congressional baseball practice in 2017. He is now battling blood cancer. > > > > “We’re going to go get this done,” Scalise said as he left a candidate forum Tuesday night. “The House is going to get back to work.” > > > > Jordan is a high-profile political firebrand known for his close alliance with Donald Trump, particularly when the then-president was working to overturn the results of the 2020 election, leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump has backed Jordan’s bid for the gavel. > > > > Scalise and Jordan presented similar views at the forum about cutting spending and securing the southern border with Mexico, top Republican priorities. > > > > Several lawmakers, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who engineered McCarthy’s ouster, said they would be willing to support either Scalise or Jordan. > > > > Others though, particularly more centrist conservative Republicans from districts that are narrowly split between the parties, are holding out for another choice. > > > > “Personally, I’m still with McCarthy,” said Rep. David Valadao, a Republican who represents a California district not far from McCarthy’s. > > > > “We’ll see how that plays out, but I do know a large percentage of the membership wants to be there with him as well.” > > > > “I think it’s important whoever takes that job is willing to risk the job for doing what’s right for the American public,” McCarthy said. > > > > For now, McHenry is effectively in charge. He has shown little interest in expanding his power beyond the role he was assigned — an interim leader tasked with ensuring the election of the next speaker. > > > > The role was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to ensure the continuity of government. McHenry’s name was at the top of a list submitted by McCarthy when he became speaker in January. > > > > While some Republicans, and Democrats are open to empowering McHenry the longer he holds the temporary position, that seems unlikely as the speaker’s fight drags on. > >

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The Maker - Christopher Kezelos and Zealous Creative - Stop Motion Animation - 2012

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A silent film that speaks volumes. So I'll let it speak for itself. [Zealous Creative's Website](https://www.zealouscreative.com/)

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Sex On Wheelz (Cool World Mix)

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I'll turn you on like a tiger baby Hard body motor city love life I'll take you for a ride down the midway baby Be my little human sacrifice Do my kisses burn? Do they take your breath You've got a lesson to learn now I'm the kiss of death History is written by winner baby So let's make a little of our own tonight If you're thinking that my idea for fun is a drag Then you've never been to paradise

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The Princess Bride - 1987 - starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, and Christopher Guest.

Have fun storming the castle! [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_Bride_(film))

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Indigenous youths keep ancient forestry traditions alive in the Philippines

news.mongabay.com

> > > * In the southern Philippines’ Misamis Oriental province, Indigenous Higaonon practice a forest management tradition known as panlaoy. > > > * Panlaoy requires immersion in the forest, with participants observing, documenting and assessing the condition of the ecosystem and any threats to it. > > > * The practice is integral to the protection of an area of recognized customary land encompassing 17,553 hectares (43,374 acres) of forest inhabited by around 10,000 people. > > > * Guided by tribal elders, Higaonon youth volunteers known as basbasonon are trained to be the next generation of cultural bearers and forest vanguards. > > > > > > Michellejean Pinuhan, an Indigenous Higaonon, completed her bachelor’s degree in agriculture entrepreneurship in 2022. Then, instead of working in the city after graduation, she chose to return to her roots in the Mount Sumagaya region, in the southern Philippines. > > > > The 23-year-old is part of a cohort of Indigenous youths known as basbasonon (second-liners): volunteers keeping alive an ancient forest monitoring practice known as panlaoy that helps protect ecosystems on the slopes of this biodiversity-rich mountain in Misamis Oriental province. > > > > Elders prepare the basbasonon to be the next cultural bearers and forest vanguards, and expose them to panlaoy and other cultural traditions. > > > > Panlaoy requires immersion in the forest, where participants observe, document and assess the condition of the ecosystem and any threats to it. It’s preceded by a pagbala (foretelling) ritual that involves predicting the permissibility of panlaoy through a bottle containing oil infused with medicinal herbs. > > > > Pinuhan’s father, Mantundaan Perfecto, is a datu (traditional leader), responsible for performing pagbala to seek their guardian spirits’ consent for the annual conduct of panlaoy. > > > > Pinuhan says she can vividly recall the ceremony her father conducted ahead of her first panlaoy in 2021: The 67-year-old datu tied a string around the bottle’s tip, suspended it in the air, and began questioning the spirits. > > > > “We were watching him performing pagbala in a hut in the middle of an umahan [farmland] at the foothills of Sumagaya,” Pinuhan told Mongabay in a video interview. “It’s surprising to see the bottle swayed in the air every time it was asked, signifying the spirits’ affirmation.” > > > > This, she says, is how participants know when the spirits allow panlaoy and what they want as an offering in exchange for the group’s entry into the forest. The ritual ended with a thanksgiving prayer to the Magbabaya (Supreme Being). > > > > The following day, Pinuhan and her fellow basbasonon gathered at the tribal center. A squealing pig broke their silence as elders slaughtered it as an offering. In keeping with tradition, they all touched its crimson blood for blessings and for protection against dangers in the forest. > > > > The five-day trek involved passing by springs and waterfalls, most of them revered by the tribe as sacred places. They took frequent stops to introduce the basbasonon to culturally important plants and animals they encountered along the cold, misty trail. > > > > Panlaoy has become an informal school for passing on the Higaonon traditional ecological knowledge from one generation to the next. Participants say it also provides an opportunity for youths to internalize traditional forest resource management practices, and to learn about their people’s collective struggle for land and self-determination. > > > > During the panlaoy, Pinuhan says, she learned how Higaonon customary law forbids anyone from uprooting plants, especially those with known medicinal value. When sick, customs allow only for the collection of leaves, bark or roots based on the dosage prescribed by their balyan (tribal healer). > > > > “Through panlaoy, I’ve understood better the importance of our forest to us natives; it’s where we get our daily sustenance, from food to medicine, so without it we won’t exist,” Pinuhan says of her experience. “That’s why panlaoy is crucial because it allows us to monitor our vast forest and its state.” > > > > Indigenous forest stewardship > > > > Philippine Indigenous communities, as elsewhere in the world, have historically been dispossessed of land and resources, but are organizing to get their rights respected. > > > > In 2001, Higaonon communities in this part of Misamis Oriental province formed a group called MAMACILA, an acronym for the four villages where members came from. In 2009, the Philippines’ Indigenous peoples’ commission issued the organization an ancestral domain title covering 17,553 hectares (43,374 acres) of land inhabited by around 10,000 people. > > > > A 2016 Mindanao State University (MSU) study revealed that the area is home to at least 52 floral species belonging to 19 families, many of which are endangered and endemic yet grow in abundance in the area and are economically and socially significant to the tribe. In 2014, four new-to-science species of carnivorous pitcher plant from the genus Nepenthes were described from Mt. Sumagaya and assessed as threatened with extinction. > > > > MSU biology professor Frandel Louis Dagoc, who was part of the plant assessment, says the ancestral domain’s high floral diversity is an indicator of the effective traditional management strategies and sustainable harvesting employed by the Higaonon even before external interventions. > > > > A faunal survey that Dagoc is also a part of revealed the area is home to 22 bird species endemic to the Philippines, notably the critically endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) — the national bird — and a variety of reptiles, mammals and amphibians. > > > > “Their forest protection activities are strongly linked to their IKSP [Indigenous knowledge systems and practices],” Dagoc told Mongabay in an email. “This might be the reason for their strong stewardship and commitment in protecting and conserving their ancestral lands thus exhibiting high floral diversity in their ancestral lands and identified ICCAs [Indigenous and community conserved areas].” > > > > The Higaonon implement a set of resource use, harvesting and hunting policies. In their high-elevation pina, or strict protection zone, which covers 9,940 hectares (24,562 acres), or 57% of their total ancestral domain, all subsistence activities that affect wildlife, burial grounds or heritage and historical sites are customarily prohibited. > > > > The rest of MAMACILA’s land is delineated as bahaw-bahaw (buffer zone), where traditional and low-impact subsistence activities are permitted in accordance with traditional regulatory measures. Hunting, for example, is allowed, but with a closed season during the breeding period to allow wildlife to reproduce. Except for shelter-making purposes, the Higaonon also prohibit the cutting of trees, especially those known to be inhabited by bees that sustain their honey collecting and farming livelihoods. > > > > “We need to conduct panlaoy to ensure whether harvesting and hunting are done sustainably,” Datu Pinuhan tells Mongabay. Violators of customary laws, Higaonon or not, are subjected to the sala justice system, under which they’re punished based on the degree of misconduct. For instance, people caught renting or selling communal lands pay material fines to the organization, with repeat offenders facing banishment from the area. > > > > Recognizing panlaoy’s contribution to forest conservation, the local government has adopted and annually subsidized it since 2011 through a program called bantay kalasan, which enlists the help of some 80 Higaonon to conduct forest patrols and biodiversity monitoring twice a month. > > > > “Their financial support is really a big help to us Higaonons,” MAMACILA chairperson Erlinda Morga tells Mongabay. “Instead of leaving the forest to work for non-natives, we’re compensated while monitoring the environmental conditions of our ancestral domain.” > > > > However, the Higaonon territory is constantly under threat from land clearing and grabbing, issues that endanger their access to their land and resources, and, by extension, the practice of panlaoy and other age-old traditions that help conserve the country’s biodiversity-rich forests. > > > > Land grabbing and other threats > > > > While approaching the buffer and no-touch zones, another basbasonon recalls encountering evidence that tribal prohibitions had been violated. A “no trespassing” sign, placed by non-native encroachers, cordoned off the once-verdant area. > > > > “Although we’re young, we can feel that our land is in danger,” says basbasonon Enrique Pallo Jr., adding he suspects the land was cleared for ecotourism and human settlement. > > > > Pinuhan says one elder tested the youths’ commitment and courage by asking whether they would still continue being panlaoy volunteers despite seeing these threats. “I will not stop because it would otherwise be a waste of time if we just simply quit,” she recalls responding. > > > > “I know that it’s us who will ultimately benefit from this,” she recalls telling herself as the group continued into a forest where ancient native trees were cloaked in moss and shrouded in late afternoon fog. “We may not resolve it this time, but someday we will; it’s like rain that ends as the sun rises.” > > > > New legislation > > > > Higaonon and other Philippine Indigenous communities have placed high hopes in the passage of a proposed bill on Indigenous and community conserved areas that would recognize existing customary and traditional governance of ancestral domains as effective conservation measures. The bill proposes the creation of a national ICCA registry where listed Indigenous territories are prioritized in government-led forest protection initiatives. > > > > “If our area isn’t declared as an ICCA, we fear that the selling and buying of land becomes widespread and covers even our pina,” says MAMACILA’s Morga. “When that happens, outsiders will just encroach, and we’ll lose our herbal medicine, our sacred sites … Our lives and culture rely on the forest; without it, we will vanish.” > > > > Philippine ICCA Consortium president Giovanni Reyes tells Mongabay that the bill supports Indigenous communities’ aspiration to preserve “areas they consider unalterable in terms of land use.” > > > > “ICCAs form the heart of ancestral domain,” Reyes says. “Destroying these through large scale extractives in the name of development is like stabbing a person’s heart to save the person from illness.” > > > > Pointing to cases where he says even policies calling for mandatory free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) are can be used to manipulate and coerce Indigenous communities to endorse projects on their land, Reyes says the proposed bill “serves as an additional layer of protection to this inherent [Indigenous] right to defend territory against land intrusion and land grabbing.” > > > > “The ICCA bill disallows FPIC processes once communities declare these as ICCAs,” Reyes adds. “Meaning, when people say no to a project because it affects a sacred site, then that means there is no community desire to go through a process that gets rigged and manipulated in favor of an applicant private company,” such as an energy or mining company. > > > > While the bill languishes in the Senate, the Higaonon are lobbying for a municipal ordinance declaring their ancestral domain a locally conserved area in hopes of freeing their territory from invasions. “Through panlaoy, we hope to document our wildlife and other natural resources so as to convince the government to recognize it as locally protected,” said Morga. > > > > Climate change makes the weather unpredictable and the trail treacherous on Mt. Sumagaya, but Pallo Jr., now 23, is determined to join again in this year’s panlaoy as a basbasonon. As pandemic restrictions continue to ease, he’s also looking forward to attending a series of community dialogues with non-native land claimants and relevant government agencies to address encroachments on their ancestral domain. > > > > “I draw inspiration from the next generations of Higaonons,” he says. “Where will they go when the forest is gone?” > >

World Without US Arotrios • Now • 100%

How to build a heat-resilient city

grist.org

> > > Cities are hot. When you cover the ground with asphalt and concrete, jam millions of cars together on congested streets, and erect thousands of buildings that leak their own heat, you create what experts call an “urban heat island.” Daytime temperatures in these places can be as much as 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding rural areas, and things don’t get much cooler at night. > > > > As climate change fuels a succession of historic heat waves, the urban heat island effect in many American cities is pushing the limits of human survivability. That’s the case in desert cities like Phoenix, where temperatures crested 110 degrees F for 30 straight days this summer, and also in cooler climes like Chicago, which has seen a series of scalding triple-digit weeks over the past few months. > > > > Dealing with this type of heat requires more than isolated interventions — reflective roofs here or mist machines there. Rather, the crisis of the past summer has shown that most American urban centers will need to consider a revamp from the ground up. > > > > Drawing on feedback from climate experts, architects, and urban planners, as well as successful technologies pioneered by warm-weather communities around the world, Grist set out to design a city built from scratch to handle extreme heat, all while reducing carbon emissions. The buildings and streets in this cool metropolis incorporate basic design principles such as shade and foliage, but they also include bespoke architectural solutions such as wind-trapping towers and special absorbent polymers. The finished product shows how much work is needed to adapt to the extremes of climate change, but it also shows how much more humane and people-oriented our cities can be. > > > > City Centers > > > > With their tall towers of steel, abundant concrete, and frequent lack of green space, dense downtown areas are known for scorching temperatures that last day and night. But there are many design elements that can help cool these cityscapes, from shaded sidewalks and bus stops to reflective glass. Even the positioning of tall buildings, like those on a street like Manhattan’s 5th Avenue, can create what is known as an “urban canyon,” blocking the sun from reaching the street during the morning and the afternoon. This keeps the pavement cool for most of the day, and reduces the risk of heat stroke and overexposure. > > > > “You can’t generalize and say that density is bad,” said Sara Meerow, an associate professor of urban planning at Arizona State University who studies heat risks. “If you plan your density well, you can build in ways that are not going to increase heat risks.” > > > > Click and drag the 360º panorama below to explore > > > > Florencia Fuertes / Grist > > > > 1. SHADED STRUCTURES: Waiting 20 minutes for the bus in triple-digit weather isn’t just unpleasant — it can be dangerous. Bus stops, train stations, and other outdoor transit facilities are some of the biggest heat pinch points in the urban environment. The easiest way to address this risk is to install shade structures. But urban planners told Grist communities need to make sure these are big enough to fit more than a person or two if they hope to increase ridership: Earlier this year, Los Angeles debuted a prototype called La Sombrita, which was designed to provide shade to people at bus stops in places where the city couldn’t build full shelters. But the structure was so skinny that it couldn’t block out the sun for more than one person at a time. > > > 2. TREES: It might seem simplistic, but planting trees and other vegetation is one of the most effective heat-mitigation strategies available. During the summer time, the area below a tree receives just 10 to 30 percent of the sun’s energy. The transpiration of water through their leaves also has a cooling effect, and combined with shade, it can lower temperatures by 2 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit. What’s more, trees come with other benefits, like improving air quality and reducing runoff. Unfortunately, there is a long history of low-income and minority neighborhoods — communities that were historically redlined and received fewer government resources — lacking greencover. A 2021 analysis found that neighborhoods with majority-people of color had on average 33 percent fewer trees compared to majority-white neighborhoods. To reverse this discrimination, many cities are targeting their tree planting campaigns toward these neighborhoods. > > > 3. MISTERS: Even with shade structures available, bus stops and public plazas can still be overwhelmingly hot. An easy way to reduce the danger in these waiting areas, and provide passersby with a little refreshment as well, is to install misting machines or fountains in the places where the heat is most intense. These misters use a fraction as much water as the average home, so they’re feasible even in desert climes: The city of Phoenix, for instance, installed a mister at a bus shelter in the Uptown neighborhood, an area that doesn’t have many trees. The creators of the popular pilot picked a west-facing bus stop, helping to combat its long afternoon sun exposure. > > > 4. COOL PAVEMENT: Ever walked across a parking lot and felt the heat burn through your shoes? Pavements heat up when they absorb energy from the sun. So-called “cool pavements,” however, are made with materials that reflect more energy than they absorb and porous materials that allow for evaporative cooling. There are a lot of options on the market: Traditional concrete pavements can be modified by using reflective binders instead of asphalt ones. Others use resin from trees as binders. Porous asphalt, rubberized asphalt, and bricks made from clay also increase reflectivity and porosity. And vegetative pavements consist of intricate lattice structures made of plastic, metal, or concrete with space for grass to grow. These pavements are also often painted in light colors that reflect more heat. > > > > > > But cool pavements have one major downside. When the sun is at its highest, heat reflected off its surface can actually be absorbed by the people and structures nearby. “During the midday hours, from about 11 to 1, the cooler pavement does increase the radiant heat burden,” said V. Kelly Turner, an associate professor of Urban Planning and Geography at the University of California, Los Angeles. To counter that, cities should target them for areas that are highly trafficked in the morning and evening hours, she said. > > > > 1. URBAN CANYON EFFECT: While tall buildings are typically associated with exacerbating the urban heat island effect, they can also provide heat relief by providing shade when positioned correctly. High-rise buildings block sunlight and create canyons or passages that are cooler than surrounding areas during the day. In the Middle East, traditional construction practices include aligning buildings with sunlight and wind direction in order to provide shade and increase airflow, which reduces temperatures. These arterial roads, called “sikkak,” are narrow alleyways within blocks and increase walkability in neighborhoods, improve pedestrian safety, and have lower temperatures. They’re commonly found in markets and historic centers in Middle Eastern cities. Urban planners in Abu Dhabi employed sikkak to increase connectivity within larger blocks. > > > 2. REFLECTIVE GLASS: Reflective glass can also prevent buildings from absorbing too much heat as the sun shines through their windows, though engineers warn these installations need to be done carefully. If pointed to the ground, the reflected sunlight and its heat can make conditions worse. The windows on London’s famous Walkie Talkie skyscraper, for example, used to melt metal and plastic at street level until the designers fitted it with a set of louvered sunshades known as a “brise soleil.” > > > 3. GREEN WALLS: Skyscrapers themselves absorb a lot of sun, and keeping them cool can be challenging. One way is to deck out the facade of a building with ivy or another variety of plant: Not only do the leaves and foliage block the sun before it can heat up the surface of the building, they also cool down the surrounding air when they release water through a process known as evapotranspiration. Foliage-covered structures have become prevalent in Middle Eastern cities like Tel Aviv. > > > 4. AIR FLOW: To increase air flow, some designers of supertall buildings in Chinese coastal cities have opened up the base floors of their towers, creating openings that allow cooling sea breezes to pass through. This effect is even more powerful when combined with trees that blunt the sun’s heat. “If you fill that [urban] canyon… with street trees, or you rip out the first floor of a building, then where the people actually are walking around, they’re not going to be exposed to the same level of heat,” said Evan Mallen, a researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology who studies the relationship between heat and building design. > > > > > > Residential Areas > > > > But most American space is not high-rise. More than half of the U.S. population lives in what they identify as more of a suburban area, peppered with single-family homes and low-rise office buildings in layouts that rely on car travel. Many of the solutions that apply to dense cities, such as shade and trees, can be applied here, but these communities also have different challenges — and solutions. For one, more than half of all the energy used in single-family homes comes from heating and air conditioning. Overall, home cooling accounts for 6 percent of total electricity consumption in the U.S. Building smarter, more heat-resilient homes, particularly with sustainable or natural materials, can lower temperatures and energy bills, and reduce the associated carbon emissions that come with AC use. > > > > “That is the future,” said Turner. “We are a ways off from it, but we need to be coming up with ways to make scalable building homes with [natural] materials. As a general rule of thumb, the more unnatural the material is, the more it becomes like hot pavement.” > > > > Click and drag the 360º panorama below to explore > > > > Florencia Fuertes / Grist > > > > 1. WINDOW FILMS AND AWNINGS: During the summer, more than three-fourths of the sunlight that falls on windows becomes heat. Shade structures like awnings or overhangs and reflective coatings can help keep the heat out. Since these structures also reflect sunlight during winter months, they’re best used in regions of the country with high temperatures year-round. For regions that are warm primarily during the summer months, interior shades such as blinds, shutters, and curtains may be best. To straddle both climes, researchers are also developing thin adhesive films that reflect heat when temperatures are high and remain transparent at lower temperatures. While these smart windows are available on the market, they can be cost prohibitive for most homeowners. > > > 2. COOLING TOWERS: Wind catchers, tall chimney-like towers attached to the sides of homes and buildings, are great passive cooling systems and make use of pressure differences within a building to increase ventilation. These “Barjeel” towers are a common sight in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries. Air entering the building is cooled down through wet cloths; warmer air inside the structure rises and escapes through towers. The wind catchers are typically four-sided, although cylindrical, hexahedral, and tetrahedral towers also exist. A variation of this idea is the solar chimney, which has been around for centuries. A chimney structure made with heat-absorbing materials such as glass or metals is used to heat a specific section of air within a building. As the hot air rises, it creates a natural vertical ventilation flow that circulates cool air. > > > 3. REFLECTIVE SURFACES: Painting roofs, walls, and pavements white is a cheap and effective way to reduce temperatures. From the Cycladic Islands of Greece to cities in Rajasthan, India, those who live in Mediterranean and tropical climates have long harnessed the ability of white paint to reflect heat and keep communities cool. A growing number of cities already have “cool roof” requirements in their building codes. The products available on the market range from a straightforward pot of white paint to a special goo that rolls out on city streets and can reduce surface temperatures anywhere from 8 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. “The availability of cool roofs is ubiquitous across almost all roof types,” said Kurt Shickman, the director of extreme heat initiatives at Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. “From a market perspective, it’s a no brainer… More recently, bringing that cool paint technology down to streets and parking lots, that’s something that a lot of cities have been experimenting with.” > > > 4. COVERED PLAYGROUNDS: Playgrounds, with their metal slides, swings, and even the dark asphalt on the ground, are some of the hottest parts of a city. Researchers have found that temperatures of playground equipment can get as high as 189 degrees — hot enough to burn a kid’s skin in less than three seconds. A key culprit is the material used to design them: Rubber play surfaces, metal ladders, handlebars, and railings, artificial turf, and other synthetic materials all retain heat, have a higher conductivity to skin, and cause higher air temperatures. > > > > > > So what’s the solution? Shade. Whether natural or built, shade can dramatically lower temperatures and create a much safer play environment for children. A shaded playground, whether that’s from a large elm tree or tarp or some other structure, can be 30 to 40 degrees cooler. In Jackson, Mississippi, two moms designed canopies that cover 75 percent of a local playground. The shade sails also have an added benefit: protection from ultraviolet rays. “It’s like wearing sunscreen without having to wear it,” one of the moms told a local TV station. > > > > 1. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: Designing homes with materials that have insulating properties is one way to reduce the need for air conditioning — and the costs and carbon emissions that come along with it. Materials such as stone, concrete, clay, and mud have an ability to absorb and retain heat as opposed to conducting it through during the day, which keeps inside temperatures low. When these materials are shaped into blocks with air pockets, they’re particularly good at providing thermal insulation. Air is a poor conductor of heat, and air cavities in building materials can prevent heat penetration. These methods stand in stark contrast to the common building typologies in the United States, where more than 90 percent of new homes are made out of wood. > > > > Researchers are also increasingly experimenting with so-called phase change materials, substances that melt at specific temperatures, thereby absorbing heat from the surrounding area and cooling it down. Paraffinic waxes and different types of salt hydrates are some common types of phase change materials. When injected into walls, floors, and roofs, they’ve been found to lower temperatures by up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit. One study in Casablanca, Morocco, found that when the roofs of homes contained a copolymer made of ethylene and paraffin, temperatures indoors declined by 2.7 degrees. While there are a few companies offering construction materials infused with phase change materials on the market, it hasn’t yet found widespread commercial success, and the Department of Energy has several studies underway to assess the effectiveness of the technology. > > > > Commercial Zones > > > > Outside of skyscraper-filled downtowns and leafy suburban neighborhoods, most American cities also contain expanses of factories, shopping, warehouses, and industrial sites — areas that can’t be ignored in the planning for heat-proof cityscapes. Big-box stores and strip malls may blast AC on the inside, but they tend to be barren of trees, congested with heat-emitting cars, and surrounded by asphalt parking lots. The same is true for manufacturing areas, where power plants and factories also leak heat into surrounding streets. > > > > Solving this thermal buildup isn’t as simple as installing a mister or increasing airflow — urban designers need to plan from the ground up with reflective materials and ample shade to reduce the urban heat island effect and make these commercial spaces safe for daily use as temperatures climb. > > > > Click and drag the 360º panorama below to explore > > > > Florencia Fuertes / Grist > > > > 1. WASTE HEAT CAPTURE: In addition to creating a large buffer around industrial facilities, companies can also cut down on waste heat by investing in heat capture technology. A heat exchanger at a big factory can suck up leaking heat and cycle it back into the facility, which also cuts down on energy demand. This capture can make a building more energy efficient by capturing the 20 to 50 percent of energy that gets wasted as heat. One estimate from the Environmental Protection Agency suggests that catching the usable waste heat in the U.S. could generate 7.6 gigawatts of power, enough juice for millions of homes. > > > 2. BUFFER ZONES: Factories run huge generators at all hours of the day, pouring heat onto surrounding streets. Power plants combust natural gas in the heat of summer to power air conditioners across the city. Semi-trucks idle on big trucking routes and depots, burning diesel as they stand still. All of this industrial activity generates what researchers call “waste heat.” Experts say the best way to mitigate this heat is through good urban design. If a city concentrates factories in one neighborhood, it should place a protective buffer around those factories, separating them from residential areas with forests or green space. The same is true for peak-load power plants, which in cities like New York often sit mere feet away from large apartment complexes. > > > 3. PUBLIC TRANSIT:The way we design transportation systems is key to combating high temperatures. A car-choked thoroughfare produces much more waste heat than a tram or bus lane. “Land use and urban development patterns matter,” said Meerow. “We need to be making sure that we’re conserving open spaces…and promoting alternative forms of transit does kind of have a heat benefit.” In addition, these systems need to have reliable service. If buses and trams arrive on time and at short intervals, people can plan their trips so they don’t have to wait for 20 minutes in the heat. > > > 4. SOLAR PANELS ON PARKING: Parking lots can get extremely hot, from the vast dark pavement to the metal cars that soak up heat. But there’s a win-win option available: Cover these lots with solar panels that double as shade structures. Not only do the panels stop cars, pavement, and people from overheating, but the solar energy generated can power the nearby stores, giving businesses a discount on their monthly energy bills. Such setups can be found from the Lincoln Financial Field stadium, home to the Philadelphia Eagles, to France, which passed a law last year requiring solar panels in all large parking lots. > > > 5. GREEN ROOFS AND WALLS: While reflective paint is a quick and easy way to reduce rooftop heat absorption, many cities have also experimented with putting foliage on rooftops and along walls of large-footprint buildings. Even a thin layer of leaves — such as ivy or creepers — can block the intensity of the sun’s rays, which also reduces the need to crank up the air conditioning on the inside. The foliage on these roofs can range from low rows of shrubs to trees, depending on how much water and maintenance a building owner can provide. > > > >

The 13th Floor Arotrios • Now • 100%

Happy Trails - Quicksilver Messenger Service - 1969 - Full Album

www.youtube.com

So Fediverse, who do you love? Where do you love? How do you love? Which do you love? > > > The first side of the album consists entirely of a live performance of Bo Diddley's song, "Who Do You Love?". In a self-deprecating poke at the rendition's extended length, it is listed as the "Who Do You Love Suite", with individually titled "movements" which give writing credits to the soloist on each segment. The performance of Bo Diddley's composition breaks down into a guitar solo by Gary Duncan in a style somewhere between jazz and rock (described as "Bloomfield-like"[2]) with a walking bass line by Freiberg. It then mellows down into some apparently improvised guitar and bass plucking and sliding, with feedback, handclapping and audience participation 'almost like a "found object" out of Dada.'[2] Solos by Cipollina and then Freiberg follow. Then comes a slower, quieter reprise of one verse of the Bo Diddley song, leading to a pianissimo ensemble vocal, followed by a finale in which Elmore changes to a back-beat, while Duncan and Freiberg still play the Bo Diddley beat. Duncan's vocals and Cipollina's lead guitar use call-and-response, and the result is a polyrhythmic rock sound. > > [Wikipedia on Happy Trails](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Trails_(album)) [Wikipedia on Quicksilver Messenger Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksilver_Messenger_Service)

Politics Arotrios • Now • 100%

[News] RFK Jr. launches independent bid for president, leaving Democratic race against Biden

abcnews.go.com

> > > Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is dropping out of the Democratic primary race against Joe Biden to launch an independent campaign for president next year, he said in a speech on Monday. > > > > Speaking to a crowd in front of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, he cast his decision to leave the party his family has symbolized for decades as in keeping with American values of individualism -- and his own platform, which mixes liberal policy priorities with tougher rhetoric on immigration and controversial claims about public health. > > > > "Something is stirring in us. It says, 'It doesn't have to be this way,'" Kennedy said. "People stop me everywhere, at airports and hotels and malls on the street, and they remind me that this country is ready for a history-making change. ... They are ready to reclaim their freedom, their independence. And that's why I'm here today. I'm here to declare myself an independent candidate … for president of the United States." > > > > "I'm coming here today to declare our independence from the journey of corruption, which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future and our respect for each other. But to do that, I must first declare my own independence, independence from the Democratic Party," he said. > > > > An attorney and activist, Kennedy is the scion of one of the country's most famous Democratic families: His father is slain Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and his uncle is former President John F. Kennedy. > PHOTO: Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a campaign event at Independence Mall, Oct. 9, 2023, in Philadelphia. > > > > Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a campaign event at Independence Mall, Oct. 9, 2023, in Philadelphia. > > > > Matt Rourke/AP > > > > The younger Kennedy in April launched a long shot bid against Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination. > > > > Since then, however, Kennedy has attracted relatively little support from Democrats in national polling, according to 538, though he has drawn millions in donations from a base of supporters. > > > > An independent bid is a new twist in next year's election -- at a time when surveys consistently show voters have soured on a potential rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump -- though it's not yet clear if Kennedy can draw enough voters away from the two-party system. > > > > Teasing his Philadelphia speech last week as one that would create a “sea change in American politics,” Kennedy’s announcement follows mounting speculation about his future in the party after repeatedly sparring with the Democratic National Committee over the rules governing its primary and complaints of an unfair process. > > > > At Monday's event, Kennedy called out some of his relatives for attending in support. Others in the family, however, have been vocally critical. Sister Kerry Kennedy released a statement on social media from her and three of their siblings calling his candidacy "perilous for our country." > > > > Author and speaker Marianne Williamson is now the only notable challenger to Biden in the Democratic primary, though he continues to poll far ahead of her and party officials have said they support his reelection. > > > > Kennedy drew a sharp rebuke from Democrats over the summer after he was recorded citing a false conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was "targeted to" certain ethnicities while Chinese people and Jews of European descent were more immune. In a later appearance before a House committee, he denied that he is racist or antisemitic. > > > > Kennedy said last month that he had not ruled out an independent run to challenge the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees in the November 2024 election, despite having repeatedly ruled out such a possibility over the summer. > > > > "I'm a Democrat. You know, I'm a traditional Democrat, and … part of my mission here is to summon the Democratic Party back to its traditional ideals," Kennedy told Fox News in August. > > > > But in September, he refused to rule out the possibility of an independent run during a campaign town hall in North Charleston, South Carolina, telling a supporter he was “going to keep all my options open." > > > > At the time, Kennedy’s campaign manager, former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, dismissed the idea of him leaving the Democratic primary. > > > > “Regardless of what's been said, even by the candidate himself, we have not abandoned hope for the Democratic Party," he told ABC News when asked about Kennedy’s apparent openness to an independent run. > > > > Last week, the Kennedy-aligned American Values 2024 political group said that it had been polling him as an independent candidate. > > > > “I can tell you that I think the right move is for him to run as an independent,” Tony Lyons, American Values' co-chair, told ABC News last week. > >

Alternative Nation: The Fediverse's Alternative and Indie Music Community Arotrios • Now • 92%

Cracker - Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)

www.youtube.com

> > > I don't know what the world may need, but I'm sure as hell that it starts with me, and that's a wisdom I have laughed at > > > > I don't know what the world may want > But a good stiff drink it surely don't > So I think I'll go and fix myself a tall one > > > > 'Cause what the world needs now is a new kind of tension > 'Cause the old one just bores me to death > 'Cause what the world needs now is another folk singer > Like I need a hole in my head > > > > I don't know what the world may need > But a V-8 engine's a good start for me > I think I'll drive and find a place to be surly > > > > I don't know what the world may want > But some words of wisdom could comfort us > Think I'll leave that up to someone wiser > > > > 'Cause what the world needs now are some true words of wisdom > Like la la la la la la la la la > 'Cause what the world needs now is another folk singer > Like I need a hole in my head > > > > I don't know what the world may need > And I'll never grasp your complexities > I'd be happy just to get your attention > I don't know what the world may want > But your long sweet body lying next to mine > Could certainly raise my spirits > > > > 'Cause what the world needs now is a new Frank Sinatra > So I can get you in bed > What the world needs now is another folk singer > Like I need a hole in my head > > > > What the world needs now > What the world needs now is another folk singer > Like I need a hole in my head > What the world needs now > What the world needs now is a new Frank Sinatra > So I can get you in bed > What the world needs now > What the world needs now is another folk singer > Like I need a hole in my head > What the world needs now > What the world needs now is another folk singer > Like I need a hole in my head > >

The 13th Floor Arotrios • Now • 100%

Flip, it's time you realize, this Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us - even if you Kimono My House - Sparks - 1974

www.youtube.com

> > > Zoo time is she and you time > The mammals are your favourite type, and you want her tonight > Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat > You hear the thunder of stampeding rhinos, elephants and tacky tigers > This town ain't big enough for the both of us! > And it ain't me who's gonna leave! > Flying, domestic flying > And when the stewardess is near, do not show any fear > Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat > You are a khaki-coloured bombardier > It's Hiroshima that you're nearing > This town ain't big enough for both of us! > And it ain't me who's gonna leave! > Daily, except for Sunday > You dawdle in to the café where you meet her each day > Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat > As 20 cannibals have hold of you > They need their protein just like you do > This town ain't big enough for the both of us! > And it ain't me who's gonna leave! > Shower, another shower > You got to look your best for her, and be clean everywhere > Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat > The rain is pouring on the foreign > Town, the bullets cannot cut you down > This town ain't big enough for the both of us! > And it ain't me who's gonna leave! > Census, the latest census > There'll be more girls who live in town, though not enough to go round > Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat > You know that this town isn't big enough > Not big enough for both of us! > This town isn't big enough > Not big enough for both of us > And I ain't gonna leave! > > --- [@Flip](https://kglitch.social/u/Flip) enough with the electroswing spam already. Battles like these end up with the floor being filled with songs about Ping Pong. You wanna take me on - fine, but keep it in the thread, you damned green cigar goblin.

The 13th Floor Arotrios • Now • 100%

The Crow - 1994 - starring Brandon Lee, directed by Alex Proyas

It can't rain all the time. [The Crow Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crow_(1994_film)) --- A salute to [Brandon Lee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Lee), who rode the role of a lifetime through the veil and beyond, into his own legend.

The 13th Floor Arotrios • Now • 100%

Fear & Delight - Puppet Loosely Strung - The Correspondents - 2013

www.youtube.com

> > > Oh, but I know you'll cause me grief. Close friends of mine are in disbelief. They can see what's underneath, fluttering lashes, red lips and pearly white teeth > I don't show it but I quiver whenever you come near > And I cannot decipher between the thrill and the fear > I wanna stop it but like it too much to let it stop here > It's wrong but I want you tonight > It's not my own volition but I fell in deep > By running the distance I've been advised to keep > I trot to the wolf as a doting sheep > It's wrong but I want you tonight > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > I'm a little boy that's gonna be getting his fingers burned > But I can see this lesson's gotta, gotta, gotta be learned > They say that boys have been destroyed but they weren't > It's wrong but I want you tonight > In any case, my friends, it's too late > Like a moth to light, like a beast to bate > And I know the black widow eats its mate > It's wrong but I want you tonight > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > I'm an innocent being seduced by your charms > I'm a young boy tickled to death in your arms > Your kisses taste like bitter almonds > It's wrong but I want you tonight > Addiction pulling me to a grave end > You're an enemy who I'm keen to defend > Down the black hole of my lust I descend > It's wrong but I want you tonight > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > Why is it that I'm keen to be devoured by you > When there's the option of a love affair that's pure and true? > I always choose the dungeon over the sea view > It's wrong but I want you tonight > When I'm out the other side I say never again > But when I'm out and about I wanna find the next vixen > Someone who'll be sure to drive me 'round the bend > It's wrong but I want you tonight > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > Fear and delight > All the way through the night > With a little derring-do > Oh, I'll fall in love with you > > This one's for [@Flip](https://kglitch.social/u/Flip)

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Shake That Bagpipe - The SIDH - 2018 - Italian Celtic Dubstep

www.youtube.com

There is no better day than Saturday to shake a bagpipe. [The SIDH website](https://www.thesidh.it/) [The SIDH on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/3boYI1yAlZAm5NmtCitCFj?si=D8vX4LUVRPqSEl3K7KoT6Q&nd=1)

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The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror - 4th Annual Collection - 1991 - featuring the work of Joyce Carol Oates, Haruki Murakami, John Crowley, Karl Capek and Ian Fraizer

pdfhost.io

> > > **Opening Statement of Mr. Harold Schoff, attorney for Mr. Coyote:** My client, Mr. Wile E. Coyote, a resident of Arizona and contiguous states, does hereby bring suit for damages against the Acme Company, manufacturer and retail distributor of assorted merchandise, incorporated in Delaware and doing business in every state, district, and territory. Mr. Coyote seeks compensation for personal injuries, loss of business income, and mental suffering caused as a direct result of the actions and/or gross negligence of said company, under Title 15 of the United States Code, Chapter 47, section 2072, subsection (a), relating to product liability. > > > > Mr. Coyote states that on eighty-five separate occasions he has purchased of the Acme Company (hereinafter, “Defendant”), through that company’s mail order department, certain products which did cause him bodily injury due to defects in manufacture or improper cautionary labelling. Sales slips made out to Mr. Coyote as proof of purchase are at present in the possession of the Court, marked Exhibit A. Such injuries sustained by Mr. Coyote have temporarily restricted his ability to make a living in his profession of predator. Mr. Coyote is self-employed and thus not eligible for Workmen’s Compensation. > > > > *\-Coyote v. Acme* by Ian Fraizer > > --- This is one of my favorite editions of this anthology series. It's also one of the hardest to find - this PDF was the only copy available on Anna's. If anyone has alternative file formats available, offering a free boost and upvote if you link them in the comments.

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[Opinion] Hakeem Jeffries: A bipartisan coalition is the way forward for the House

> > > In recent days, Democrats have tried to show our colleagues in the Republican majority a way out of the dysfunction and rancor they have allowed to engulf the House. That path to a better place is still there for the taking. > > > > Over the past several weeks, when it appeared likely that a motion to vacate the office of speaker was forthcoming, House Democrats repeatedly raised the issue of entering into a bipartisan governing coalition with our Republican counterparts, publicly as well as privately. > > > > It was my sincere hope that House Democrats and more traditional Republicans would be able to reach an enlightened arrangement to end the chaos in the House, allowing us to work together to make life better for everyday Americans while protecting national security. > > > > Regrettably, at every turn, House Republicans have categorically rejected making changes to the rules designed to accomplish two objectives: encourage bipartisan governance and undermine the ability of extremists to hold Congress hostage. Indeed, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) publicly declared more than five hours before the motion to vacate was brought up for a vote that he would not work with House Democrats as a bipartisan coalition partner. That declaration mirrored the posture taken by House Republicans in the weeks leading up to the motion-to-vacate vote. It also ended the possibility of changing the House rules to facilitate a bipartisan governance structure. > > > > Things further deteriorated from there. Less than two hours after the speakership was vacated upon a motion brought by a member of the GOP conference, House Republicans ordered Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former majority leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) to “vacate” their hideaway offices in the Capitol. The decision to strip Speaker Emerita Pelosi and Leader Hoyer of office space was petty, partisan and petulant. > > > > House Republicans have lashed out at historic public servants and tried to shift blame for the failed Republican strategy of appeasement. But what if they pursued a different path and confronted the extremism that has spread unchecked on the Republican side of the aisle? When that step has been taken in good faith, we can proceed together to reform the rules of the House in a manner that permits us to govern in a pragmatic fashion. > > > > The details would be subject to negotiation, though the principles are no secret: The House should be restructured to promote governance by consensus and facilitate up-or-down votes on bills that have strong bipartisan support. Under the current procedural landscape, a small handful of extreme members on the Rules Committee or in the House Republican conference can prevent common-sense legislation from ever seeing the light of day. That must change — perhaps in a manner consistent with bipartisan recommendations from the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. > > > > In short, the rules of the House should reflect the inescapable reality that Republicans are reliant on Democratic support to do the basic work of governing. A small band of extremists should not be capable of obstructing that cooperation. > > > > The need to change course is urgent. Congress is in the midst of a Republican civil war that undermines our ability to make life more affordable for American taxpayers, to keep communities safe and to strengthen democracy. Traditional Republicans need to break with the MAGA extremism that has poisoned the House of Representatives since the violent insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and its aftermath — when the overwhelming majority of House Republicans continued to promote the “big lie” and voted not to certify the presidential election. > > > > House Democrats remain committed to a bipartisan path forward, as we have repeatedly demonstrated throughout this Congress by providing a majority of the votes to prevent a government shutdown this month and avoid a catastrophic default on America’s debt in June. > > > > At this point, we simply need Republican partners willing to break with MAGA extremism, reform the highly partisan House rules that were adopted at the beginning of this Congress and join us in finding common ground for the people. > > > > *Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) is the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives.* > >

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The Year's Best Science Fiction - Fourth Annual Collection - 1988 - featuring Robert Silverberg, Orson Scott Card, Bruce Sterling, and William Gibson

www.mediafire.com

> > > It rains a lot, up here; there are winter days when it doesn’t really get light at all, only a bright, indeterminate gray. But then there are days when it’s like they whip aside a curtain to flash you three minutes of sunlit, suspended mountain, the trademark at the start of God’s own movie. It was like that the day her agents phoned, from deep in the heart of their mirrored pyramid on Beverly Boulevard, to tell me she’d merged with the net, crossed over for good, that Kings of Sleep was going triple-platinum. I’d edited most of Kings, done the brain-map work and gone over it all with the fast-wipe module, so I was in line for a share of royalties. > > > > No, I said, no. Then yes, yes, and hung up on them. Got my jacket and took the stairs three at a time, straight out to the nearest bar and an eight-hour blackout that ended on a concrete ledge two meters above midnight. False Creek water. City lights, that same gray bowl of sky smaller now, illuminated by neon and mercury-vapor arcs. And it was snowing, big flakes but not many, and when they touched black water, they were gone, no trace at all. I looked down at my feet and saw my toes clear of the edge of concrete, the water between them. I was wearing Japanese shoes, new and expensive, glove-leather Ginza monkey boots with rubber-capped toes. I stood there for a long time before I took that first step back. > > > > Because she was dead, and I’d let her go. Because, now, she was immortal, and I’d helped her get that way. And because I knew she’d phone me, in the morning. > > > > * William Gibson, The Winter Market > > [Alternative links and file formats available from Anna's pirate cantina](https://annas-archive.org/search?q=The%20Year%27s%20Best%20Science%20Fiction%3A%20Fourth%20Annual%20Collection)

Politics Arotrios • Now • 100%

[News & Opinion] "Already an embarrassment": Legal experts shred Judge Aileen Cannon for granting Trump "delay"

> > > The federal judge presiding over Donald Trump's classified documents case on Friday temporarily paused a series of significant pre-trial deadlines pertaining to prosecutors' sharing of sensitive materials that the former president is entitled to while building his defense, The Messenger reports. > > > > U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon authorized a paperless order delaying the deadlines she'd previously set for October 2023 through May 2024, when the trial for Trump and his three co-defendants in the case is scheduled to start in Fort Pierce, Florida. > > > > Though Cannon's order doesn't address the May 20 start date for the trial itself, it does state that all of the scheduled deadlines connected to classified information are on hold "pending consideration and resolution" of a Trump motion proposing a new timeline that was filed last month. > > > > That Sept. 22 filing accused special counsel Jack Smith's team of making "unjust efforts...to foist rushed CIPA litigation on the Court, President Trump, and his co-defendants." > > > > A separate motion filed Wednesday night by Trump's legal team has, however, made the trial schedule a point of contention as the GOP frontrunner has requested a delay of at least six months in the start date of the trial until "in or after mid-November 2024," pushing it past Election Day. > > > > The motion cited ongoing legal litigation over the sensitive evidence alongside scheduling conflicts with Trump's other federal criminal case in Washington, D.C. — of which he filed a motion to dismiss late Thursday — regarding alleged election obstruction. > > > > "The March 4, 2023 trial date in the District of Columbia, and the underlying schedule in that case, currently require President Trump and his lawyers to be in two places at once," Trump's attorneys wrote in the Wednesday filing. > > > > Some legal experts questioned Cannon's Friday order and suggested that it could pave the way for Trump to delay the trial date. > > > > "Judge Cannon puts CIPA deadlines on hold until she rules on Trump’s pending motions," national security lawyer Bradley Moss wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Now the real question becomes how long it takes her to make a ruling." > > > > "Not a good sign for those who want a trial in May. We haven’t even reached the point in CIPA where the court has truly difficult decisions to make," tweeted Brandon Van Grack, a former Justice Department official who served on special counsel Bob Mueller's team. > > > > Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. > > > > "Realistically, delays can sometimes be necessary to accommodate issues involving classified discovery, but this seems over much," former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance added. "This is a judge who is happy to see the case move slowly." > > > > "She is going to delay and delay. She has already been an embarrassment and it’s going to get much worse," predicted Georgia State Law professor Eric Segall. > > > > Trump was first federally indicted in June over his alleged illegal retention of national security documents after leaving office. The special counsel brought a superseding indictment against him in late July, adding charges related to alleged obstruction of government efforts to retrieve the materials and bringing the total number of counts against Trump in the case to 40. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges. > >

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Mom: "You're my changeling child."

Mom: "You're my changeling child." Me as a kid: "Cool! Maybe I'm magic!" Me as an adult after learning what people usually do with changelings: "Wtf Mom???" [\#13thFloor](https://kbin.social/tag/13thFloor)

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The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction - Anne Charters - 2nd Edition - Compact Version (866 pages)

pdfhost.io

> > > During her many years of teaching introduction to fiction courses, Ann Charters developed an acute sense of which stories work most effectively in the classroom. She also discovered that writers, not editors, have the most interesting and useful things to say about the making and the meaning of fiction. > > > > Accordingly, her choice of fiction in the first edition of her The Story and Its Writer was as notable for its student appeal as it was for its quality and range. And to complement these stories, she introduced a lasting innovation: an array of the writers' own commentaries on the craft and traditions of the short story. > > > > In subsequent editions her sense of what works was confirmed as the book evolved into the most comprehensive, diverse-- and bestselling -- introduction to fiction anthology. Instructors rely on Ann Charters' ability to assemble an authoritative and teachable anthology, and anticipate each edition's selection of new writers and stories. > > --- This is the (somewhat) abridged version of the 2nd edition in PDF format. This book is a staple of creative writing courses, and is provided here for the benefit of starving students. There are many other editions and file formats available over at [Anna's pirate cantina](https://annas-archive.org/search?q=the+story+and+its+writer) if you're looking for the one your professor is teaching from.