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meowmeowmeowmeow4x · 2 months

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Dark Blue Moon and the Suffering Sun Chapter 19

MASTAPOST

Danny woke from his little cat nap soon after, stretching his tail out like a lounging snake. Damian sat next to him, characteristically unimpressed as the teenager cracked his knuckles and shook off the remaining grogginess.

“Are you done?” Damian asked.

Danny yawned again. “Yeah what time is it?”

“It has been about two hours. We are wasting time.”

Damian swam to Danny’s left side and nudged him with his head. Danny bonelessly flopped to the side without moving. “Dude, what’s the rush? I thought you liked animals.”

“The whales have been amenable company, but my father needs me back as soon as possible. In addition, we have entered a coral reef.”

Danny blinked, and got up. The boy leaned his head over the edge of the mother whale. Seemed Damian was right. The waterscape in front of them was filled with tall kelp forests in the distance. Below the, the sea floor housed miles of vibrant coral in all sorts of colours. Red, purple, yellow and green coral spiraled and twisted and grew from the rocks and sand, living alongside schools of big and small fish. Clownfish peeked in an out of anemones. Little critters like shrimps and lobsters crawled in and out of crevices, sheltered from predators.

Damian apparently thought he was taking too long. Danny belatedly realised his harness was untied, just as Damian rammed into his back and pushed him off the edge.

“We need to replenish our supplies.” Damian said. “Teach me how to gather forage and hunt.”

Well that was a slight issue. Being a modern American teenager with access to such things as fridges and a global supply chain meant that he was perhaps less suited to roughing it than the younger boy might have assumed. It was not like he never had to live off the land, but the less said about long swim home after Vlad happened, the better.

“Well?” Damian repeated, arms crossed, looking down Danny expectantly.

“Alright then. I’ll teach you silly human what it’s like to live off the land, like your ancestors long before you.” He said sagely.

The whale pod crooned a deep farewell as the continued on their journey. He and Damian waved them off, before returning to their own needs.

He led his young charge to perch atop a cliff overlooking the reef. The boys laid their fins flat so as to avoid drawing attention. Danny scanned the landscape, settling his eyes on a lobster hiding underneath a rock. Despite their reputation these days, lobsters did not look nearly as appetising raw and alive. From the bottom, they looked more like cockroaches than delicacies. Plus, they were literally the worst possible travelling food ever. No.

Instead, Danny caught sight of his real prize. Mussels!

“You good with shellfish?” He asked the younger boy. Damian turned up his nose, looking haughty like Sam’s parents were it not for the adorable pout he’d put on too.

“If the only other option is starvation.”

“We’ll keep an eye for more plants on the way.” Danny said, preparing to descend.

The thing about mussels was that you didn’t need to kill them to bring them along. They came with their own natural packaging, even if it was a bit heavy. Danny stuffed his pockets with a couple handfuls of the shellfish, leaving space for a more varied diet, and leaving the rest to stay and reproduce. He wasn’t greedy! Sam had taught him about these things. Mussels were very important to the environment. Evidently Damian was aware too. The boy nodded in approval as Danny continued his search.

Damian’s sword came in useful as well (he would’ve taken it away if he wasn’t sure that the kid would slash him for it) for harvesting kelp and seaweed. The pair snacked on kelp strips as Danny took them to their next prey.

However, Damian protested. “I do not wish to kill this one.”

The huge trout, easily as big as Damian, floated blissfully ignorant of the two predators eyeing it like hawks. Danny ‘s head spun as he tried to keep track of Damian’s seemingly endlessly shifting opinion towards eating fish or not. “That thing could feed us for like 300 miles.”

“The largest fish also reproduce the most. This one is a female.” Damian continued. Now that he thought of it, didn’t Sam make a whole protest about this in the beginning of summer? “Many oceans are in danger due to overfishing from humans. As a human myself, it is my responsibility to fish sustainably.”

The boy’s fins puffed with pride and conservationist fervor, a quiet determination that reminded him of Sam. Danny had some doubts. “If we eat the small fry, there won’t be many left to grow big and ‘reproduce’ as you say.”

This point seemed to put pause on Damian’s previous showboating. The boy gritted his teeth, looking for a comeback. “What about invasive species? Those that threaten the natural balance.”

Danny shrugged. That was a good point, except Danny didn’t know how to identify any of those.

“But you live in the ocean!” Damian protested when this point was brought up.

“Yeah. You live on land. Does that mean you know about every species that lives on Gotham?”

“Yes.” Well he kinda walked into that one, didn’t he?

“Well if you know so much about invasive species, why don’t you look for them?” Danny challenged. Animal hyperfixation or not, surely this kid couldn’t identify the hundreds of species that lived in this reef.

Damian’s ear fins tensed, something he’d noticed in himself whenever he was concentrating on something. The boy turned away from Danny and to the reef in front of them. Suddenly, the boy’s body slumped.

A smug grin split open Danny’s face.

Damian groaned, as if his next words were like Soviet torture. “There are no saltwater invasive fish near California, to my knowledge.”

“Hah! Suck on that, fishboy!”

Damian mewled angrily. His hand drifted down to the hilt of his sword. On dear.

“Alright, alright, alright. What about a compromise?” Danny waved his arms defensively.

“Speak.”

“We grab the fish that we were gonna grab before you interrupted.” Damian hissed at that. “BUUttt only one. And we fill our pockets with small fry. A balanced fishing diet. What do you say?”

The grumpy child pouted one more time for good measure, before sinking back to the floor. “Fine. You still need to teach me how to make a kill.”

“You sure you won’t get attached?”

“I can suppress my emotions to complete the mission.” It spoke something about Damian that Danny wasn’t even that phased this time. That being said please let that just be a boast with nothing to back that up.

Danny lay prone, fins flat, head down, like a tiger about to pounce. In the entire conversation they’d had, the trout had drifted about five inches from its previous position. Survival instincts this poor girl had not.

“All you need to do is shut your gills, like holding a breath. Just get closer… and closer… and POUNCE!”

Danny leapt at the trout, using his powers to accelerate into a blur. His hands pinned it down in an instant, the trout thrashing and slapping him, trying to escape. With a swift motion, Danny bit clean through its gills. The trout rapidly lost strength, slowly fading until it went still.

He held the trout up like a trophy. “Tada!”

Damian frowned deeply. “That was an unclean kill. It suffered immensely.”

“Ughh!” Danny groaned. “What do you want from me. I’m a siren not an assassin.”

Damian unsheathed his sword, looking about 50% more menacing as any other six-year-old Danny had ever met. “It seems I will have to show you, instead.”

Five minutes later, his idea of showing Danny how to kill resulted in a fresh bruise and a bent fin. The carp he had tried to pounce managed to escape with a shallow cut on its side.

“I’m very educated now, Damian. Thank you.” He snickered as Damian roared in anger.

“Shut your mouth! You have an unfair advantage, seeing as you can use your powers, while I am hampered by my body.”

“You’ll grow into them. I think. I dunno I haven’t met a lot of siren kids.”

“I am not a child!” Damian said, pouting very maturely.

The rest of the morning was spent like that, roaming the reef in search of food and bickering over this and that. At one point they debated over dolphins were whales or not (Danny personally thought whales were too nice to encompass dolphins under their umbrella).

Their food supplies replenished and energy still raring to go, the boys sealed their satchels shut, and continued south.

Meanwihle…

Hundreds of miles away in the ocean, Bruce stands at the helm of the Fenton Family SAV, its modified engines going at full throttle.

In a hidden compartment in his room, Tucker Foley slams into the firewall of the Fenton’s new database with everything he has. Schematics, blueprints, notes. He needs that data and he needs it now.

Sam Manson meditates on her bed, surrounded by candles. She recites warding spells, a staple for any young magician.

Skulker sits in his private yacht, bandaging his wounded leg, sliding the pieces for his next upgrade. Behind him, an ornate fish tank sits empty, awaiting its guest.

Agent K and Agent O monitor the news. The sonars around Amity. A report sits on the desk. The Fentons have just left town? That will be interesting…

#dpxdc #danny fenton #damian wayne #dcxdp #merman #merboy #angst #mermaid au #fluff #hunting #hunting of animals #mer!danny #mer!damian wayne

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deargodsno · 4 months

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Two thousand years ago, a volcanic eruption buried an ancient library of papyrus scrolls now known as the Herculaneum Papyri. In the 18th century the scrolls were discovered. More than 800 of them are now stored in a library in Naples, Italy; these lumps of carbonized ash cannot be opened without severely damaging them. But how can we read them if they remain rolled up? On March 15th, 2023, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, and Brent Seales launched the Vesuvius Challenge to answer this question. Scrolls from the Institut de France were imaged at the Diamond Light Source particle accelerator near Oxford. We released these high-resolution CT scans of the scrolls, and we offered more than $1M in prizes, put forward by many generous donors. A global community of competitors and collaborators assembled to crack the problem with computer vision, machine learning, and hard work. Less than a year later, in December 2023, they succeeded. Finally, after 275 years, we can begin to read the scrolls. Grand Prize There was one submission that stood out clearly from the rest. Working independently, each member of our team of papyrologists recovered more text from this submission than any other. Remarkably, the entry achieved the criteria we set when announcing the Vesuvius Challenge in March: 4 passages of 140 characters each, with at least 85% of characters recoverable. This was not a given: most of us on the organizing team assigned a less than 30% probability of success when we announced these criteria! And in addition, the submission includes another 11 (!) columns of text — more than 2000 characters total. The results of this review were clear and unanimous: the Vesuvius Challenge Grand Prize of $700,000 is awarded to a team of three for their excellent submission. Congratulations to Youssef Nader, Luke Farritor, and Julian Schilliger! Runners up Of the remaining submissions, the scores from our team of papyrologists identify a three-way tie for runner up. These entries show remarkably similar readability to each other, but still stand out from the rest by being significantly more readable. Congratulations to the following teams, each taking home $50,000! Shao-Qian Mah. GitHub Elian Rafael Dal Prá, Sean Johnson, Leonardo Scabini, Raí Fernando Dal Prá, João Vitor Brentigani Torezan, Daniel Baldin Franceschini, Bruno Pereira Kellm, Marcelo Soccol Gris, and Odemir Martinez Bruno. GitHub Louis Schlessinger and Arefeh Sherafati. GitHub

What does the scroll say? To date, our efforts have managed to unroll and read about 5% of the first scroll. Our eminent team of papyrologists has been hard at work and has achieved a preliminary transcription of all the revealed columns. We now know that this scroll is not a duplicate of an existing work; it contains never-before-seen text from antiquity. The papyrology team are preparing to deliver a comprehensive study as soon as they can. You all gave them a lot of work to do! Initial readings already provide glimpses into this philosophical text. From our scholars: The general subject of the text is pleasure, which, properly understood, is the highest good in Epicurean philosophy. In these two snippets from two consecutive columns of the scroll, the author is concerned with whether and how the availability of goods, such as food, can affect the pleasure which they provide. Do things that are available in lesser quantities afford more pleasure than those available in abundance? Our author thinks not: “as too in the case of food, we do not right away believe things that are scarce to be absolutely more pleasant than those which are abundant.” However, is it easier for us naturally to do without things that are plentiful? “Such questions will be considered frequently.” Since this is the end of a scroll, this phrasing may suggest that more is coming in subsequent books of the same work. At the beginning of the first text, a certain Xenophantos is mentioned, perhaps the same man — presumably a musician — also mentioned by Philodemus in his work On Music. Richard Janko writes: “Is the author Epicurus' follower, the philosopher and poet Philodemus, the teacher of Vergil? It seems very likely. Is he writing about the effect of music on the hearer, and comparing it to other pleasures like those of food and drink? Quite probably. Does this text come from his four-part treatise on music, of which we know Book 4? Quite possibly: the title should soon become available to read. Is the Xenophantus who is mentioned the celebrated flute-player, or the man famous in antiquity for being unable to control his laughter, or someone else entirely? So many questions! But improvements to the identification of the ink, which can be expected, will soon answer most of them. I can hardly wait.” Scholars might call it a philosophical treatise. But it seems familiar to us, and we can’t escape the feeling that the first text we’ve uncovered is a 2000-year-old blog post about how to enjoy life. Is Philodemus throwing shade at the stoics in his closing paragraph, asserting that stoicism is an incomplete philosophy because it has “nothing to say about pleasure?” The questions he seems to discuss — life’s pleasures and what makes life worth living — are still on our minds today. We can expect many more works from Philodemus in the current collection, once we’re able to scale up this technique. But there could be other text as well — an Aristotle dialog, a lost history of Livy, a lost Homeric epic work, a poem from Sappho — who knows what treasures are hidden in these lumps of ash.

#classics #herculaneum #Herculaneum Papyri #They've managed to make the papyri readable #holy shit!

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naturalrights-retard · 10 months

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Their doubt is based on data showing that natural factors are very much at play, the warming is slower than predicted, the models are unreliable, that CO2 has great benefits and weather disasters have not increased. The media hysteria and weather hype are not supported by data.

There is no climate emergency Climate science should be less political, while climate policies should be more scientific. Scientists should openly address uncertainties and exaggerations in their predictions of global warming, while politicians should dispassionately count the real costs as well as the imagined benefits of their policy measures. Natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming The geological archive reveals that Earth’s climate has varied as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm phases. The Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. Therefore, it is no surprise that we now are experiencing a period of warming. Warming is far slower than predicted The world has warmed significantly less than predicted by IPCC on the basis of modeled anthropogenic forcing. The gap between the real world and the modeled world tells us that we are far from understanding climate change. Climate policy relies on inadequate models Climate models have many shortcomings and are not remotely plausible as policy tools. They do not only exaggerate the effect of greenhouse gases, they also ignore the fact that enriching the atmosphere with CO2 is beneficial. CO2 is plant food, the basis of all life on Earth CO2 is not a pollutant. It is essential to all life on Earth. More CO2 is favorable for nature, greening our planet. Additional CO2 in the air has promoted growth in global plant biomass. It is also profitable for agriculture, increasing the yields of crops worldwide. Global warming has not increased natural disasters There is no statistical evidence that global warming is intensifying hurricanes, floods, droughts and suchlike natural disasters, or making them more frequent. However, there is ample evidence that CO2-mitigation measures are as damaging as they are costly. Climate policy must respect scientific and economic realities There is no climate emergency. Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm. We strongly oppose the harmful and unrealistic net-zero CO2 policy proposed for 2050. Go for adaptation instead of mitigation; adaptation works whatever the causes are.”

Growing skepticism

Nobel Laureate in Physics Dr John F. Clauser also signed the manifesto.

The message is clear: there is no climate crisis. The number of critical scientists who no longer submit to the dogma of the alleged man-made climate catastrophe is growing.

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littlewitchygreen · 1 year

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Color Magic: Orange

Below I have included a list of correspondences, the history of the color, the biology and psychology of the color, and the magical uses it has. Enjoy!

Correspondences

Associations: energy, creativity, confidence, safety, abundance, fertility, success, celebration, strength, adaptability.

Element: Fire

Planet: Sun, Mars, Mercury (most common)

Direction: South

Season: Summer, Fall

Day: Tuesday (most common)

In Tarot: Wands

Orange is a color associated with many planetary bodies, due to their natural color and color when reflecting sunlight. It is also associated with fire, and as such, with the tarot suit of Wands. It’s connected to Summer and Fall both, due to Summer’s connection to the Sun and Fall’s association with the changing leaves and harvest/produce. It’s direction is South, because South is the most common association with fire. Its day is Tuesday because the day is frequently associated with Mars and other war gods.

History

Orange has been around for thousands of years, even if it didn’t always have a name of its own. Ancient Egyptians would mix a yellow-orange paint from a mineral called realgar and use it in tombs. This version was highly toxic due to the arsenic in it. It was also used in China to repel snakes and in traditional medicine. A darker version of orange that was more of a gold-orange was made from the mineral orpiment - and was both highly prized in Rome and just as toxic. In Europe, orange was finally named ‘orange’ instead of ‘yellow-red’ when the fruit orange became more popular and well-known when brought by Portuguese traders from Asia.

Culturally, orange is a common color in many Asian religions - most associated in more common global knowledge with Buddhist monks, though Hinduism and Confucianism also have strong associations with it. In India and China, saffron was used to dye fabrics orange, but because the color was expensive, it became associated with both perfection (yellow) and power (red). In Rome, orange was very associated with Pomona, the goddess of fertility and abundance. In multiple artistic movements, orange was used to evoke feelings of warmth, excitement, and amusement - favored because it was less intense than yellow or red.

In the modern USA, orange has also been tied to fall celebrations like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Around the world, it is also tied to safety equipment due to its eye-catching nature. Modern advertising also uses orange because it is eye-catching and has been shown to increase appetite in those who see it.

Psychology and Biology

Psychologically, orange has been known to stimulate creativity and thought, and cause excitement. It has also been shown to have a similar effect to yellow, in increasing the cheer of people and helping facilitate extroversion and social activity. It is also consistently perceived to be ‘warming’, and was perceived as improving the flavor of comforting foods when served in orange containers.

Biologically, orange has been shown to increase oxygen to the brain, provide energy, and stimulate the brain. It also has been known to stimulate the appetite - and it’s theorized but not proven that it is due to the fruit orange, as vitamin C is an important nutrient to find in foods.

With both, there are few studies on orange by itself, but both aspects agree that orange falls somewhere between red and yellow in its effects on people’s biology and psychology.

Magical Uses

Color magic with orange can be used in spells with success and creativity. It can also be used to attract things/opportunities, improve energy, promote joy, and harvest - both metaphorical and literal. It’s also frequently used in fire magic. Like with other colors, there is really no limit to the way its correspondences can be applied to affect changes.

#witchblr #witchcraft #witches #witch #color magic #color #orange #correspondences

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southeastasianists · 10 months

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In Thailand, traditional food can be exquisite and elaborate. Nothing epitomizes this more than the use of tian op, Thailand’s culinary candle.

Though its name simply means “scented candle” in Thai, this double-wicked curl of beeswax is no ordinary room freshener. Tian op is a flavoring agent, or rather, a scenting agent, used to enhance specific dishes in Thai cuisine.

Chefs light the U-shaped candle at both ends, place it on top of the food to be scented, and cover it with a lid. Lack of oxygen snuffs the flames and the enclosed space fills with flowery smoke. Minutes or even hours later, the chefs lift the lid and serve the food, now garnished with the candle’s delectable aroma.

Tian op is infused with numerous ingredients also found in perfume and incense, like patchouli, ylang-ylang, mace oil, sandalwood, frankincense, and musk, to name just a few. The candle’s smoke contains a complex blend of scent molecules, including vanillin, named for vanilla but also found in woodsmoke.

This gives the scent of tian op a unique, musky sweetness which lends itself especially well to desserts. “It’s very, very distinct, very recognized,” says Thai cookbook author Leela Punyaratabandhu. “For me, traditional Thai desserts don’t taste the same, basically, unless they smell like the candle.”

In some recipes, tian op is a finishing touch, as with flower-shaped kleeb lamduan cookies, which are infused with smoke after baking. Other preparations call for ingredients to be individually smoked, such as sarim, which combines smoked sweetened coconut milk with multicolored starch noodles and crushed ice.

Though nearly all traditional applications of the tian op are for sweets, the candle is also used to make khao chae or “soaked rice,” a cold dish popular in the summertime. Chefs smoke rice with a tian op, then chill it in jasmine-scented water to provide fragrant refreshment between bites of crispy side dishes. “This candle is part of the bigger picture of Thais liking to scent things,” says Punyaratabandhu. Though chefs around the world use aromatics to infuse food, Thai cuisine has a particular appreciation for fragrance. Especially prized are fragrant ingredients like the herb pandan, which owes its nutty, roasty aroma to a flavor compound shared with jasmine rice.

Tian op isn’t even the only form of enclosed smoking used to aromatize food in Thailand. There’s also dhungar, a technique of sizzling ghee on hot charcoal in a closed oven, which is particularly associated with the cuisine of Thai Muslims. Though dhungar and tian op are superficially similar, Punyaratabandhu, who has written on both, believes that they are unrelated. Dhungar is primarily used for savory dishes, not sweet, and while dhungar originated in India and is found in other South Asian countries, tian op is unique to Thailand.

Tian op’s spectacular blend of aromatics carries, for Punyaratabandhu, “the scent of home, of tradition—of something that is dying these days.” Originally derived from the exclusive cuisine of the Thai royal court, tian op is still largely the provenance of professional dessert-makers, rather than home cooks. Those dessert-makers now have the task of preserving a tradition that is at risk of disappearing due to decreasing demand.

Traditional Thai sweets are fading in popularity, in the face of competition from foreign desserts like macarons and cupcakes, which are sometimes more affordable than the labor-intensive traditional options. And as Thai desserts go, so goes the tian op. Punyaratabandhu describes the candle as a “uni-tasker,” intimately tied to the purpose it was made for. “The candle doesn’t have a life outside of this,” she says. “We have to talk about it as a subset of what's going on with traditional Thai desserts.”

Yet while globalization threatens tian op’s original context, it also presents new opportunities. Modern Thai chefs have created fusion recipes with tian op, scenting Western-style cookies, cakes, and pastries. New York City’s Spot Dessert Bar formerly offered a candle-infused cheesecake, the brainchild of consulting chef Ian Chalermkittichai. In 2023, the show-stopping signature dessert at San Francisco restaurant Prik Hom earned its own profile in the San Francisco Chronicle: coconut ice cream smoked with a tian op for 15 seconds under glass. It’s served with the lid on, so that diners can release the sweet smoke themselves.

Punyaratabandhu cautions that because the scent of tian op is so specific, it doesn’t necessarily improve every dessert. When she used the candle on shortbread cookies, she didn’t like how it masked their original scent. “You're supposed to smell butter, not frankincense!” she says.

Like any flavoring, tian op’s power to elevate and transform must be used with care. But it’s a testament to the allure of this royal ingredient that chefs, in Thailand and beyond, are still drawn to experiment with its fragrant smoke.

#Southeast Asia #Thailand #Tian op #food cw

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kp777 · 8 months

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By Olivia Rosane

Common Dreams

Oct. 13, 2023

"As the scale of climate change impresses itself more and more on us, we are going to need bolder things," Stiglitz said at the IMF and World Bank's annual meeting in Morocco.

The International Monetary Fund, or IMF, should give poorer nations $300 billion a year to respond to the climate emergency, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said.

Stiglitz outlined his recommendation in an interview with The Guardian as he attended the fund's annual meeting with the World Bank in Marrakesh, Morocco, which runs from Monday, October 9 to Sunday, October 15.

"As the scale of climate change impresses itself more and more on us, we are going to need bolder things," Stiglitz said.

In his call, Stiglitz joined the push for the IMF to release more Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a reserve asset that can be exchanged for cash. Wealthy nations also have the option of placing their SDRs in a fund for poorer countries.

"Basically, it is printing money," Stiglitz said. "It wouldn't be inflationary but it would be transformative."

Stiglitz' remarks came about a week after nearly 60 U.S. Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking them to support a new allocation of SDRs. The IMF issued $650 billion in SDRs in 2021 to help with the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the legislators wanted it to issue the same amount to help nations address the climate crisis, war, and future pandemics.

Stiglitz's call is even bolder at $300 billion a year, because the lawmakers limited themselves to an amount that the IMF could approve without a vote from Congress. While Stiglitz acknowledged his plan was ambitious and unlikely to pass through the current U.S. Congress, it was worth pushing for given the urgency of the moment.

"When the time comes and we are frying and somebody says: 'How do we get out of the frying pan?,' this [annual SDR allocations] is one way of doing so," he told The Guardian.

Stiglitz said the money should be used to help poorer nations fund their equivalent to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act—which invested $370 billion in renewable energy. But it's impossible for less wealthy countries to make that kind of investment on their own, Stiglitz said.

"Developing countries can't do it on any scale," he told The Guardian. "Unless developing countries and emerging markets reduce their emissions, no matter what pieties we do in the U.S. and Europe, we will get global warming. The rhetoric is about doing something about climate change and then rather than getting onboard [the people] you most need to get onboard, you alienate them."

In a report published Thursday, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) agreed that many poorer nations are not in the financial position to take ambitious climate action, and proposed more SDRs as one potential remedy. What's holding them back, CEPR said, was a large debt burden: Almost 80 low-to-middle-income countries face debt distress, and three-fourths of these are especially vulnerable to climate impacts. This creates a "vicious cycle" in which countries struggle to both service debt and respond to extreme weather events, leaving them unable to either get out of debt or recover from disasters and invest in the future.

"Most of the world is going through what many have termed a 'polycrisis,' facing down high levels of external debt, combined with interlocking crises of food insecurity, fluctuating energy prices, impacts of war, and of course, the climate crisis," report coauthor Ivana Vasic Lalovic said in a statement. "Countries are limited in what they can do to respond to the climate crisis, though, when they are forced to divert so much of their resources toward servicing their debts."

The report, titled The Growing Debt Burdens of Global South Countries: Standing in the Way of Climate and Development Goals, called on major financial institutions to address the situation by updating debt resolution frameworks, providing debt relief, financing through grants instead of loans, and allocating more Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).

"The international finance community needs to accept that the current dynamic, which prioritizes debt service–no matter how burdensome–over human needs and the urgency of climate crisis preparedness and response is unsustainable," coauthor Lara Merling said in a statement. "They need to step forward with solutions. Millions of lives may depend on it."

#IMF #Special Drawing Rights #SDR #climate crisis #climate change #joseph stiglitz #Center for Economic and Policy Research #CEPR

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perhaps-in-anotherdream · 2 years

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[CN] Victor’s Luck Date (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 运气之约, that is yet to be released in the global server! ♡

[Translation Under The Cut]

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [Chapter 1] ✧

Except for the rhythmic sound of pages being turned and the low humming noise of the Fresh Air System, the office is extremely quiet.

Staring at Victor, who is reviewing the proposal, I make a deliberate effort as I tuck my hair behind my ear and wink at him.

MC: CEO Victor, have you noticed... anything special about today?

Victor: You mean...

Victor’s gaze subtly fixates itself on my face as though he’s realized something.

Victor: This proposal you’ve handed in requires my special attention?

MC: ...

Taken aback, I smirk in haste and gesture for him to “continue.”

MC: No no. Please continue guessing on general grounds, CEO Victor!

Regardless of whether I fiddle with the green leaves at hand now and then, or repeatedly smooth the fur of the rug with the tip of my shoe – he remains motionless as a mountain as he goes through the document.

Finally, he slowly closes the file, pushing it toward me.

Victor: There aren’t any major problems.

Victor: Just revise it according to the annotations.

MC: ...okay.

I pick up the file and turn around. But I still slow down my pace, glancing back at the person behind every three steps I walk, reluctant.

It’s not until I’ve walked to the front of the door that I hear a familiar sigh drifting from behind me.

Victor: Go on, what’s the good thing that’s happened?

YES!

I run back at a brisk pace and lean down joyfully, getting myself at eye level with him.

MC: Take a guess?

Victor: You’ve found a great restaurant?

MC: Is my image of only thinking about food in your eyes?

Victor: Hmm... does your horoscope show you’re going to have excellent luck?

MC: ...while that’s indeed something worth being happy about, don’t you find that my happiness today is very palpable and very weighty?

Victor: [keeps teasing her LOL] The proposal passed in one go.

MC: Victor! That’s undue!

Not saying a word, Victor slightly arches his eyebrows, and I can’t help but sway his arm.

MC: Guess again, guess again~

He sighs a little helplessly, pressing his palm gently against the back of my hand.

Victor: Come on, say it. What on earth is it that has made you so happy?

Seeing how “sincere” he is, I don’t have the heart to keep the suspense any longer and lift my chin with utter complacency.

MC: Dear Mr. Victor, I now invite you to join me in an ultra-luxurious picnic––

I lean in front of him as I speak and can’t help but rock my head, immensely pleased with myself.

MC: Because I...

MC: HAVE! WON! THE! LOTTERY!

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 2] ✧

MC: Victor, I think the look in your eyes wounds me a little.

MC: I don’t see any hint of excitement in them. Instead, there’s a little bit of indifference and a teensy bit of disdain.

I clutch the seat belt in front of me, looking at Victor indignantly.

At the same time, he smoothly turns the steering wheel, and a large expanse of fresh, verdant greenery crashes into our horizon.

Victor: It’s been several days.

Victor: Only a dummy like you can keep harping on it until now.

MC: It’s winning the lottery!

Victor: Even if the prize is only 500 yuan?

–

[Anika’s Notes]: Victor that’s like $70, that’s one top-up SSR + SR right there😂🫣

–

I can’t help but choke, but quickly nod vigorously.

MC: The important point is the 500 yuan! It represents hard-earned luck!

MC: Don’t underestimate the 500 yuan. It perfectly covers this luxurious picnic!

Victor: That’s truly a “great deal.”

Victor: So this “precious and lucky” 500 yuan has been spent?

I perk up the space between my brows and stroke the bag on my lap with a cherishing touch.

MC: Of course not. I’ve already got that 500 yuan nicely framed. How could I possibly spend the good luck!

MC: Naturally, I spent another 500 yuan.

Although he doesn’t respond, I still vaguely hear a soft chuckle.

The street scene outside glistens like an oil painting in the sunlight. Suddenly, I think of something and hurriedly sit up straight.

MC: Victor, have I yet told you that Kiki was the one who gave me the lottery ticket?

Victor: Just said it for the second time half an hour ago.

Not willing to resign myself, I purse the corners of my lips.

MC: I’m sure there are still some details I haven’t told you yet.

MC: Our company held a picnic during the team building activity last week. That day, Kiki gave me the public welfare lottery ticket she had bought randomly.

MC: Just when I was about to fill in some numbers, it accidentally dropped to the ground...!

It seems to be a red light as the car suddenly stops. Immediately afterward, Victor turns his head and sighs.

Victor: Then a little black cat which was passing by stepped on it several times.

Victor: And the 500 yuan you won happens to be the exact number it stepped on.

MC: It seems that you’ve remembered it all very well!

Victor: ...I’ve heard the story of this dummy winning the lottery no less than five times.

Victor: If you continue chattering about this without restraint, today’s picnic will be canceled.

Faced with this “Victor-style” threat, I don’t panic one bit and lightly tap my fingertips against my thigh.

MC: Nope, it won’t be. You already said that yesterday, but you didn’t cancel it...

The next second, he turns the steering wheel, and the car seems to be taking an angle for turning around.

MC: I won’t say anymore, won’t say anymore! I promise it was the last time just now!

He laughs softly, shooting a glance toward the car screen. I follow closely, only to find that the navigation actually shows a U-turn at this intersection...

Damn it. I got bamboozled again.

–

Navigation: You’ve reached the destination. The route guidance is now finished.

As I listen to the electronic sound, I hurriedly look out of the window, and a large emerald, green lawn charges into my line of sight, with three or five tents already standing straight in the shades of the trees in the distance.

Victor: The campsite you’ve chosen, I believe, is the one where you guys had your team building the last time.

In the face of Victor’s inquiry carrying with it a certainty, I grin and unbuckle my seat belt, open the car door and step out.

MC: Hehe, please open the trunk first, CEO Victor~

Very soon, Victor and I walk deeper into the camp carrying the bags of picnic items.

However, my eyes glance towards the underbrush from time to time. But aside from the shadows cast by the grass on the ground, everything is extremely hushed.

Could it be that it’s not here right now?

As I’m thinking this, the footsteps next to me suddenly halt.

Victor: We’ve been walking for so long. Have you still not chosen the spot you like yet?

Only now do I return to my senses and take in the surroundings. I wonder if Victor has intentionally reminded me or not, but the camp scenery in front of us is very nice.

MC: It’s excellent here. Let’s settle here!

I take out the picnic mat, grab hold of the two corners with both hands, and spread it out with a vigorous upward motion. A light pink canvas drops on the grass in a leisurely flow.

MC: Plates, forks, sandwiches, cookies…

After laying out the basic elements on the mat, a rustling sound suddenly drifts from the underbrush not far away.

I follow after the sound of the green leaves gently quivering in the sunlight.

The grass soon grows more and more in volume. Then, a round, familiar black head suddenly pops out, blinking at me adorably.

The corners of my lips are instantly lifted–– it’s the little black cat of fortune that stepped on my lottery ticket!

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 3] ✧

MC: Victor, check it out! It’s the little black cat that I met on the day of the team building!

I lower my voice and tug at Victor, who is still busy sorting out the ingredients. He puts down the little tomato in his hand and casts his gaze following my fingertips.

Victor: How can you be sure it’s the one?

MC: It has that same light coffee-colored check-patterned collar on. You can’t miss that!

Victor: You’ve always had a good memory when it comes to having fun.

MC: …you never miss on quipping about me either.

I give him a feigned glare and promptly fish out a small food box from the picnic bag, from which I take out a freeze-dried piece.

Victor: [acting as if he didn’t know already] You’re so adequately equipped, as if you came prepared.

I pretend not to hear his voice and shake the freeze-dried piece at the little black cat.

MC: Hi! Remember me?

The little black cat immediately sniffs and looks up at the sound, meowing softly.

Seeing that it doesn’t appear to be much on guard, I persistently shake the freeze-dried piece in my hand.

The little black cat bobs its head up and down following the movement, then slowly walks over to the side of my leg and gives me a soft nuzzle with its head.

MC: You’re so obedient~ This freeze-dried piece is yours.

It bites down on the freeze-dried piece, eating it all up very quickly. Then, it walks over to Victor, nuzzling him gently.

MC: HAHAHA, it seems to be hinting for you to give it a freeze-dried piece.

Victor takes the freeze-dried piece from my hand. While he’s feeding it little by little, I take a careful look at its appearance.

MC: It should be a stray cat from around here, right? Probably because we were too many people here last time, so it was given a scare. It disappeared right after stepping on it.

MC: I really didn’t expect that I’d actually be able to see it again!

Victor: This cat must be a domestic cat of a neighboring household.

Victor: Its collar is clean, and its fur is soft, unlike a stray cat.

I gently stroke its head with my hand. It does feel very soft to the touch.

MC: You’re right! It’s just like Pudding, and also looks very lustrous.

After feeding it, Victor stands up, picks up the tomatoes again, and heads toward the water tap next to the camp to wash them.

Victor: A cat like this should be accustomed to going out at regular intervals.

Victor: After it has played long enough, it will naturally return home.

As I listen to the sound of water running behind me, I rub the little black cat’s cheek, moving a little closer affectionately.

MC: It hadn’t occurred to me that you actually ran away from home, Your Majesty!

MC: However, I’m grateful to you for letting me win the lottery! Therefore, I’m going to offer you food to express my gratitude.

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, the sound of water running behind me stops.

Victor: [sulking] Isn’t this the ultra-luxurious picnic I have been cordially invited to attend?

Victor: [sulking] Or am I just a casual attendee?

Though the words are light and don’t seem to carry any emotion in them, they cause my back to tighten up with a jolt. Smirking, I turn around at once.

MC: How could that be, CEO Victor!

MC: Both of you are important. Come, come, come, CEO Victor, please~

I promptly rush over to take the little tomatoes from him and push on his back, getting him back to the dining table in the camp.

Victor: Very quick to offer your keen attention, I see.

MC: It’s my wholly devoted sincerity!

MC: You must know, the person standing in front of me right now is the bestest of the best CEO Victor in the world, and my “God of Fortune.”

MC: So you two can only rest and relax, have fun and enjoy the scenery. I’ll be in charge of concocting the feast!

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 4] ✧

Although the words are out, Victor and I are clearly worlds apart in our culinary talents. The salad ingredients in my hands have all been cut up in uneven shapes…

I sigh surreptitiously and can’t help but cast glances at Victor as I put the sliced tomatoes on the plate.

Victor: Need some help?

MC: Why do you say that? I’m just checking to see if CEO Victor is resting well enough…

Victor: And what if I say it’s not going well enough?

Wrinkling nose in indignation though I am, I immediately open the bottle of fruit juice next to me and hand it to him with a wry smile.

MC: In that case, I must ask CEO Victor to quench his thirst.

He takes the fruit juice but doesn’t bring it to his lips. Instead, he inserts a straw and brings it to my mouth.

Victor: You’d better take good care of yourself first.

Victor: Your mouth is dry.

Warmth surges through my heart. I purse my lips and take a few sips, feeling the trace of sweetness spread from my mouth to my entire body.

MC: I feel full of energy now!

I’m just about to roll up my sleeves when a reaction suddenly comes over me, and I stop in my motion, looking at Victor.

MC: Wait a sec, isn’t this the routine of you capitalists? Giving people a little bit of sweetness so that we work hard without complaints?

Victor: You’re quite good at making associations.

Victor: Clearly, it’s a certain someone who is being insistent on trying to be brave, and now it’s my fault?

Even though he says this, he is leaning against the table with his appearance of remaining calm in the hour of peril, one hand still absent-mindedly stroking the little black cat’s head.

The little black cat affectionately nuzzles against Victor’s fingers, as obedient as if it were Victor’s cat.

This entire picture is simply a hundred percent capitalist behavior.

MC: …humph, that’s fine. Industrious people are never too unlucky. The harder you work, the luckier you get!

MC: Maybe, I will win a lottery again next time!

Even though it has been several days since I won the lottery, the sense of surprise and excitement it has brought me still hasn’t dissipated.

I watch the little black cat wagging its tail, picking up the vegetables while speaking with emotion.

MC: Little black cat, I wonder if your owner knows you’re so lucky.

MC: If you were our cat…

Victor: Every day, you’d let it step on the lottery tickets you bought?

Having my thoughts predicted so accurately by him, I only laugh gleefully, not stopping the movement of my hand.

The glistening water droplets on the washed leaves sway along with the cool breeze, prompting the little black cat to stretch out its paw.

Victor wordlessly carries the little black cat, which has started to become restless, to a table slightly farther away. Then, he shifts closer to me and lays the vegetables I’ve picked on the side.

Victor: Some people may not win 500 yuan even once in their lifetime.

There seems to be laughter laced within his voice, causing me not to want to retort for a moment.

Victor: Luck is nothing more than an appendage.

Victor: It will only knock at your door when you act purely without selfish motives or distractions.

Victor: So, whether it’s a person or an object, it works in the same way.

MC: Indeed. It may also be an encouragement for me to make great efforts~

I smile at the little black cat and am about to continue washing the fruits and vegetables when I realize I’ve been holding chicken liver that cats like in my hand at some point.

And aside, Victor is already skillfully frying the chicken breasts, the delicate aroma of meat partnered with pepper and salt rushing into my nasal cavities.

It appears that we’ve unwittingly switched places with each other while we were chatting…

In a daze, I cast my stare at Victor, and his gaze is also projected on me at the exact moment.

Victor: If we wait for you to finish cooking, I’m afraid others will be preparing for tomorrow’s breakfast by then.

MC: …I call this “fine products come from slow work.”

Victor: The weird shapes you’ve pieced just now, need me to show them to you again?

MC: No need…

Pouting, I walk up to the little black cat holding the chicken liver in my hand and watch it with my head lowered as it combs its fur.

MC: “God of Luck,” before the feast is ready, let’s try the appetizer first, shall we?

However, as soon as I bring the chicken liver to the little black cat’s mouth, it immediately puts down its raised leg and follows the aroma to my hand.

It finishes the piece of chicken liver, licks its lips, and continues staring at me.

MC: If you still want more, we can have another piece.

As I take out a new piece of chicken liver, I suddenly notice that the little black cat has been staring at my hand the whole time, not averting its gaze for even a second.

MC: That gluttonous, huh?

I lift the chicken liver in the air to sound out and find that the little black cat raises its front paws in response, trying to pull it off.

Seeing this scene, the thought of pulling a prank suddenly jumps into my mind.

Thereupon, I slowly lean toward Victor, and the little black cat also follows the chicken liver onto the dining table.

Seeing that the distance is good enough, I immediately lift my hand high and hold the chicken liver in front of Victor.

It seems as though my movements have given it a quickening nudge. The little black cat, which was already all revved up, instantly lifts its paws and crawls them over Victor’s body.

Victor: …

He doesn’t seem to have anticipated this scenario as he subconsciously leans back a little, causing the salad bowl in his hand to tilt slightly.

Looking at how the fringes resting over his forehead conceal the rarely-seen unsettled countenance, I can’t restrain myself from laughing up my sleeves.

MC: Victor, let my “God of Luck” shroud over you too.

MC: Remember to thank me when you win the lottery~

The next second, Victor’s gaze fixates itself straight on me.

Not giving him a chance to say anything, I immediately escape from the crime scene carrying the little black cat in my arms and sit back down on the picnic mat.

Victor: A certain someone runs off quite fast.

Victor: But do you think you can escape just like that?

The tone of voice carrying utter calmness rings out unhurriedly from behind me, and I pretend as if I haven’t heard him as I arrange the plates one by one.

MC: Ahem, the plates are all set. The only thing that’s missing is the big feast.

Victor: All puddings for this week are canceled.

Being hit in a soft spot like this, I promptly turn around, only to find myself crashing straight into Victor’s eyes that brim with smiles.

MC: I was clearly doing a good thing for you just now.

Victor: Good thing? Let’s double it then, as a thank you for your good deed.

MC: Hold on! Let’s make it three days! Three days!

MC: Let me help you tidy up the table first.

I turn back at once, smoothing out the crumpled tablecloth indignantly.

However, I seem to hear the sound of light laughter behind me, followed by a sizzling noise… the aroma of steak permeates the air boundlessly. It appears that a new dish is being prepared.

Looking at how the scenario in front of me doesn’t require my help, I lock eyes with the little black cat curled up in the chair.

Since there’s nothing else to do…

I take something out of my pocket that I have prepared in advance–– a lottery ticket, and place it in front of the little black cat’s paws.

MC: God of Luck…

With my voice lowered, I turn around to look at Victor’s figure from behind and make sure that he is still busy, before turning back and tapping at the lottery ticket.

MC: Please step on it for me again.

–

A week later. I’ve come to Victor’s office at the appointed time to hand over the weekly report.

The twilight outside the window darkens a little, and my heart also can’t help but dim a little along with it, until I hear the sound of the document being closed drifting to my ears.

Victor: You can start preparing to carry out this project.

MC: Okay…

Just as I pick up the document and turn to leave, a voice behind me instantly stops me by calling out to me.

Victor: Give it to me.

Puzzled, I turn back and find him sighing softly while holding out his hand to me.

MC: …what?

Victor: You had the little black cat step on the lottery ticket again last time.

Listening to his precisely accurate prediction of a statement, I find myself rendered dumbfounded for a moment.

Victor: However, it wasn’t a success this time.

MC: Sob sob, don’t hurt me now.

Victor: Give me the lottery ticket.

Pouting, I hand the failed lottery ticket in my pocket to him.

The next second, he stands up, clasps my hand tightly in his, and walks out.

MC: Victor...?

He turns his head sideways, his half-lidded eyes seeming to hide a peal of laughter.

Victor: Consider that you’ve won the prize.

Victor: Now, let’s go redeem it.

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

📞 Call and Moments: In Progress

[Anika’s Thoughts, feel free to ignore haha]

—

#really sorry for the delay. packed schedule + this is actually fever-brain translation i did last night. been really sick for like a week :>#anyway–– MOM I WANT HIM WHERE CAN I GET HIM (இ﹏இ`｡)#THEM 🥺💖#mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc #mr love victor #mr love queen's choice #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

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tastesoftamriel · 1 year

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You’ve probably gone over this before but tumblr’s search engine sucks butt. So, what would each culture’s staple crops and livestock (for both meat and byproducts) be? How much would globalization come into play, like how irl potatoes are originally from South America but have become one of the most important staple foods across the world?

Staple crops and livestock vary throughout the Provinces due to climate and geography, though trade over the centuries has meant that ingredients like saltrice from Morrowind and honey from Skyrim are in constant circulation around the continent. Nonetheless, here are some uniquely local ingredients you'll find across Tamriel.

Altmer

Summerset's temperate climate makes it the ideal place to grow all sorts of exotic fruit, especially stone fruit. From peaches to lychees, nectarines to cherries, Summerset produces the largest quantities of these fruits (with the trade embargo around the Great War and Dragon Crisis making them an extremely sought-after prize). And don't forget the wine! Summerset is also famed for its gorgeous vineyards and even more gorgeous wines. However, juicy and flavourful grapes are beloved by almost anybody, making them a valuable staple crop too.

Livestock in Summerset is nothing particularly exciting. Merino sheep are farmed for their wool, which is a luxury export beloved by northern Provinces, while meat comes in the form of cattle and chickens. However, High Elves particularly love their wild-caught fish and herons, which are populous on their home island.

Argonians

Once again, fruit is a major export from Black Marsh, but the fertile (if hostile) region is home to some of Tamriel's best agricultural soil. From cocoa and coffee beans, saltrice and coconuts, to padan and banana leaves and more, you'll find all sorts of wonderful plant-based ingredients in Black Marsh. However, something that has gained in popularity following the Argonian diaspora has been palm wine, a potent alcoholic beverage.

As for livestock, you'll find bantam guar, guar lizards, various poultry, goats, and even farmed frogs and lizards to be popular. Sheep and cattle are far less popular due to the upkeep required for them to stay healthy in the swampy environment, making beef and mutton less popular and more expensive than in other Provinces.

Bosmer

The Bosmer are famed for their meat and animal byproducts, particularly from timber mammoths and sugar mammoths. Whether it's meat, pelts, or milk, these beasts are much beloved by the Wood Elves who take great care in rearing them.

Other popular exports from Valenwood include alcoholic beverages like rotmeth and jagga, as well as kopi luwak- a luxurious type of coffee made from beans found in civet cat excrement, thus making them Green Pact-friendly. And of course, Valenwood produces some of Tamriel's finest cocoa beans, mostly used for export. However, have you truly lived until you've tried salted sugar mammoth caramelised milk chocolate from Woodhearth?

Bretons

In High Rock, sheep and cattle are the most popular livestock to farm due to their versatility, with a constant demand for their meat, horns, skins, and milk. While it's nothing exciting, the animals in the region are usually grass-fed and free range, spanning acres of farmland (which can sometimes result in cultists and the like infringing upon the livelihood of livestock). Chickens, geese, turkeys, and ducks are also popular for their meat, down, and eggs, with High Rock producing some of Tamriel's best duck meat.

With regards to staple crops, wheat is a major export and features heavily in Breton cuisine, especially in bread.

Dunmer

The volcanic ash of Morrowind is key to its success in growing all manner of weird and wonderful crops. Market stalls across Vvardenfell and Blacklight bustle with sellers touting mushrooms of all kinds, saltrice, comberry, marshmerrow, hackle-lo, canis root, and much more, all of which are consumed locally as well as across Tamriel.

Regarding livestock, it should come as no surprise that the big money is in bug farming. Kwama mines produce cuttle, scuttle, scrib jelly, and kwama eggs, making them the backbone of Morrowind's mages and chefs alike. Nix-hounds and guar are raised both by town Dunmer and Ashlanders, while wild nix-ox is also popular for those who can afford it.

Imperials

Cyrodiil spans terrain from the snowy Jerall Mountains to the swamps of Blackwood. As a result, the Province is relatively self-sufficient in that it produces the bulk of its own consumption, from livestock to greens. Speaking of greens, battaglir, a type of weed, is a staple in the Imperial diet, making wild-foraged and farmed battaglir a key crop in the region. Like Summerset, Cyrodiil is also famed for itswines, and is proud of its unique grapes of every size, flavour, and colour (including ones that taste like cotton candy).

Livestock in Cyrodiil is about as generic as can be: cows, sheep, goats, poultry, and horses. While meat is a staple part of the Imperial diet, milk is also important as it is used to make the cream and cheeses so prized by the Province.

Khajiit

What don't the Khajiit grow or rear? From Southern Elsweyr's rich moon sugar and rice paddies to the North's edible cacti and tea, the Province is full of exotic and scrumptious delights that are highly prized across Tamriel. Ingredients are valuable both raw and processed, and form the backbone of the Khajiiti economy. Samar Pekoe tea, for example, is wild-harvested from caves and is beloved by tea aficionados across the continent, and fetches a hefty price for its rarity. Pellitine cacao and coffee beans are also a staple in any self-respecting chef's kitchen.

In terms of livestock, you'll find guar, poultry, beef, and goat to be popular, as well as wild game like jerboas, terror birds, antelope, and addaxes. Game meat can often be purchased from Bandaari nomads, who hunt the animals themselves. Whether fresh or dried into jerky, who doesn't want some moon sugar-cured addax jerky for the road?

Nords

Foreigners in Skyrim are often shocked by the range of produce we're capable of producing in our cold and often inhospitable lands. Fish and horker are consumed in great amounts locally, as well as being one of the Province's major exports. Goat from the Reach, cattle from Whiterun, and honey from the Rift are always in high demand.

Apples and jazbay grapes are probably the most valuable crops in Skyrim, followed by wheat and other fruits and vegetables. The former two are used in cider and wine, both of which are valued across the Provinces.

Orcs

Wrothgarian Orcs differ from Betnikh Orcs who differ from Wood Orcs and so on... so in this case, it really varies. For Wrothgarian Orsimer, echatere is the main source of meat and milk, while in Betnikh it's fish, and in Valenwood, timber mammoth. All these groups also enjoy game, from rabbit and wolf to pheasant and venison, which features heavily in regional Orcish cuisine. Wild honey from Betnikh is also another notable animal product that bears mention here.

In terms of crops, there aren't many of note aside from valuable herbs and spices. Frost mirriam, which is also loved by alchemists, and wrathberries, known for their violently bitter taste unless prepared correctly, are two of the most important plants you'll find for sale at any stronghold.

Redguards

I've said it before and I'll say it again: goat, goat, and more goat. Unless you're a coastal Redguard with access to seafood, it's likely that your main source of meat and milk will come from goats. Whether it's feta or kebabs, it's almost always goat meat, as they wander all through Hammerfell like they own the place. However, Redguards are also renowned for breeding horses, and the uh... faulty ones are generally turned into food. Spiced horse blood sausage and spreadable horse 'nduja are a staple in households across Hammerfell.

With staple crops, you'll find that corn, coconuts, palm fruit and oil, bananas, coffee, cinnamon and other spices, and cocoa are plentiful. These are all consumed in great amounts within the Province, but are also highly prized across Tamriel.

#Asks #the elder scrolls #tes #food #World building #worldbuilding #Staple crops

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scotianostra · 1 year

Text

On June 25th 1971 , John Boyd Orr, biologist and Nobel Prize Winner, died.

John Boyd Orr's pioneering research led to millions of children across the UK being given free school milk from 1946 to 1971 when Margaret Thatcher, then education secretary, cut provision giving her the mick name Thatcher, "Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher”

Boyd Orr was born in Ayrshire into a religious and highly literate family, and it was perhaps inevitable that he should be destined for a career in teaching after studying theology. However, his studies at Glasgow University also opened up new avenues for him. He became interested in the theories of Darwin, and this led to a fascination with zoology.

When he graduated with his MA in 1902, he was assigned to a teaching position in the Glasgow slums to fulfil the obligations required by his scholarship. He lasted only a few days before resigning and going back home to Ayrshire where he was reassigned to a school in Saltcoats. There he completed his teaching but left as soon as he could, saying: "though I liked the children, I hated teaching them”.

Boyd Orr returned to university to study biology and medicine, and he graduated with a BSc in 1910 and MB ChB two years later. He only practised for one month before returning to university to undertake nutritional research. His MD thesis in 1914 was awarded the Bellahouston Gold Medal for the most distinguished thesis of the year.

On the recommendation of his supervisor, he was asked to be the first director of a new research institute in Aberdeen, which would later become the world renowned Rowett Institute. At the time of his appointment, it did not exist, but he would spend the next twenty-five years raising both funds and the profile of nutritional research to make it a reality.

The initial work to build the institute was, however, interrupted by the outbreak of war. Boyd Orr enlisted in the RAMC and saw active service on the Western Front where he was awarded both the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order. Later he would never wear the medals saying that the truly brave men had all died.

In the interwar years, he travelled widely and published extensively, emerging as one of the country’s leading experts in nutrition. He first came to national attention in 1936 with the publication of Food, Health and Income, a report of a dietary survey by income group, which revealed that the cost of a diet meeting basic nutritional needs was beyond the means of half the British population.

This led to similar studies being conducted in nineteen other countries and prompted the creation of a Commission of the League of Nations, which tried to formulate a global food policy. It became the forerunner of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Boyd Orr would become the Director General of the FAO from 1945-48. These were important years because the predicted European post-war famine was averted in part by policies put forward by the organisation.

Boyd Orr was no stranger to the challenges of developing and implementing food policies, many of which are still with us today. He spent his later career trying to persuade governments and presidents, organisations and companies to rethink the way they did things. However, he would often bemoan the fact that while he could persuade farmers of the importance of the nutrition of their animals, he could not stir their interest “in the food of their ain bairns, far less in the bairns of ither folks”.

His was a life filled with honours and awards, from Gold medals at University to military decorations to honorary degrees and more. He was elected Rector of Glasgow University and subsequently became its Chancellor. He was briefly a British Member of Parliament, and in 1935 he was knighted for his services to agriculture. In 1949, after he was awarded the Nobel Prize, Prime Minister Clement Attlee ennobled him as Baron Boyd Orr of Brechin Mearns.

Reading of Boyd Orr’s long career it seems he had a series of false starts and perhaps even failures. But he was no dilettante. He combined a powerful intellect with an admirable work ethic to achieve a mastery in everything he tried. That he chose to move from a career in teaching to medical practice, to research, to politics and then to governance and policy making was not evidence of mere restlessness but of a constant desire to do meaningful work.

Boyd Orr was at heart a man with an ambitious vision for the world, and he firmly believed that real peace and prosperity would only ever be achieved when no one was hungry.

The citation for the 1949 Nobel Peace Prize read: “for his lifelong effort to conquer hunger and want, thereby helping to remove a major cause of military conflict and war”.

#scotland #scottish #humanitarian #scholar #doctor #nutritionalist #history #noble prize winner

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