The spread of the black death.
Poland
Poland, tell us your secret.
Poland is the
oldnew Madagascar.If I remember correctly, Poland’s secret is that the jews where being blamed all over europe (as usual) as scapegoats for the black plague. Poland was the only place that accepted Jewish refugees, so pretty much all of them moved there.
Now, one of the major causes of getting the plague was poor hygiene. This proved very effective for the plague because everyone threw their poop into the streets because there were no sewers, and literally no one bathed because it was against their religion. Unless they were jewish, who actually bathed relatively often. When all the jews moved to Poland, they brought bathing with them, and so the plague had little effect there.
Milan survived by quarantining its city and burning down the house of anyone showing early symptoms, with the entire family inside it.
I reblogged this tons of times, but the Milan info is new.
Damn Italy, you scary.
Poland: “Hey, feeling a bit down? Have a quick wash! There, you see? All better”
Milan: “Aw, feeling a bit sick are we? BURN MOTHERFUCKER, BURN!!!!!”
Also, this might have something to do with it: from what I understand, O blood type is uncommonly… common in Poland. Something to do with large families in small villages and a LOT of intermarriage. The black plague was caused by a bacterium that produced, in its waste in the human body, wastes that very closely mimic the “B” marker sugars on red blood cells that keep the body from attacking its own immune system. Anyone who has a B blood type had an immune system that was naturally desensitized to the presence of the bacterium, and therefore was more prone to developing the disease. Anyone who had an O type was doubly lucky because the O blood type means the total absence of ANY markers, A or B, meaning that their bodys’ immune system would react quickly and violently against the invaders, while someone with an A may show symptoms and recover more slowly, while someone with B would have just died. Because O is a recessive blood type, it shows in higher numbers when more people who carry the recessive genes marry other people who also carry the recessive gene. Poland, which has a nearly 700 year history of being conquered by or partnering with every other nation in the surrounding area, was primarily an agricultural country, focused around smaller, farming communities where people were legally tied to, and required to work, “their” land, and so historically never “spread” their genes across a large area. The economy was, and had been, unstable for a very long period of time leading up to the plague, the government had been ineffective and had very little reach in comparison to the armies of the other countries around for a very very long time, and so its people largely remained in small communities where multiple generations of cross-familial inbreeding could have allowed for this more recessive gene to show up more frequently. Thus, there could be a higher percentage of O blood types in any region of the country, guaranteeing less spread of the illness and moving slower when it did manage to travel. Combine this with the fact that there were very few large, urban centers where the disease would thrive, and with the above facts, and you’ve got a lovely recipe for avoiding the plague.
Interestingly enough, as a result from the plague, the entirety of Europe now has a higher percentage of people with O blood type than any other region of the world.
WHY IS THIS ALL SO COOL
When Tumblr teaches you more about the plague than 12 years of school ever did.
Just to throw a nod in, as a medieval historian, this is all credible, and is the leading theory as to the plagues effectiveness at this point. So. Enjoy your new knowledge!
how come we never learned this is school?
WE ALL KNOW WHY
WE ALL FUCKIN’ KNOW WHY
Tag: longpost
It’s been quite some time since I made a new generator, so here’s an elf maker! If you do end up making a character with this, tag ‘characterdesigninspiration’ so I can check ‘em out!
To Play: Click and drag each gif or take a screenshot of the whole thing.
OKAY, so here’s the deal.
Lavender is a flirty character. It’s implied everywhere and most of you know that. But the thing is, it’s only implied. I don’t know if I’ve had Lav flirt with anyone but Curls in-RP (And only Curls because we’re usually in a call most of the time and I know she’s fine with it). I’d really like to actually prove that she’s a flirt, as it’d really help the character-consistency and bring a bit of humor to the RPs– which I’m not saying we need more of, it’d just be nice to have some laughs and become a bit more comfortable around each other. So that means when Lav is involved in an RP, she’s gonna be mega-flirty for a while so I can get used to the idea, and then probably calm down so it’d be a bit more than subtext later on. (At least, that’s what I’m hoping. We’ll see where it leads.)
Shoot me a message on Skype/over Tumblr if this kind of thing would make you uncomfortable, because that’s my one big concern. This server is for having fun and I don’t want to ruin that for ANYONE. If Lav is coming on a bit too strong, give me a quick whisper or message me on Skype. I’ll stop/tone it down and make sure not to go too overboard the next time. And OBVIOUSLY play along if you think your character would, and make your character flustered if that’s what they’d do. You’re all hella good RPers so I’m sure you get the point.
Also if you could reblob this for everyone on the server to see, that’d be rad. I want to make sure everyone knows so no one logs on and just “HOLD ON HI LAV WHY ARE YOU IN MY PERSONAL BUBBLE” because that would be awkward for both of us.
what’s some advice you have for writing a flirty character? i don’t want them to come off as too much
This depends on a lot: age, culture, gender, etc. That being said, I do have some generic advice to give.
Generic:
Eye Contact. Eye contact is a really major part of flirting. First, it establishes that you see and acknowledge the person. Beyond that, if they maintain eye contact, it can indicate mutual interest. It is also a general part of open body language, which is really important (and my next point).
Open body language. Shoulders open, chest forward, arms not crossed, back straight. Someone who is slouching or has their arms crossed often looks closed up, and while in some cases that may come across as cool, it doesn’t come across as approachable, which is essentially the point of flirting.
Smiling. Again, your character wants to look approachable. Smiling is a really easy way to do that. It is also a good way to show that the attention is positive, as opposed to staring at someone because they have food in their teeth, are doing something that they should stop doing, etc.
Physical contact. If your character is close to someone that they’re flirting with, they should touch them. It doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t) be aggressive grabbing or patting, but instead touching a shoulder, arm, hand, or knee. They should also position themselves close to someone that they’re flirting with even when they’re not touching.
Teasing. This is a really common verbal way of flirting, though one needs to be done carefully to make sure it’s not mean, because it can cross that line. If the character does cross that line accidentally, or hits a nerve that they don’t know about, have them cover it up with some more flirting, something that would keep the person’s attention and make them not be angry anymore.
Funny stories. Telling a funny story is another good way of flirting, because laughter can get people to open up. The conversation would probably need to be more than just funny stories, but it can be a good way for your character to get someone to open up.
Be suggestive. Again, something that a character would need to be careful of (and fairly confident to do). This can also be done over text, messaging, etc. so it can be a long-term way of flirting.
Awareness of others. A flirty character should be aware of the people that they’re flirting with. That isn’t just knowing that they exist or physically where they are, but what their responses and body language are. Unless you want them to be a mean or harassing flirt, they should be aware of when the person is sending the sign that they want them to continue and when the person is trying to get them to leave them alone. If it’s the latter, they should probably leave them alone, because otherwise they just come across as being obnoxious and/or a bad person.
For females:
Accentuate their chest and/or butt. For the chest especially, a small chest can be disguised depending on the clothing, and so a flirty girl with a small chest would probably wear clothing that disguised it, while a flirty girl with a larger chest would probably wear clothing that showed more of it off. Necklaces are also useful, because playing with them can draw the eye to the chest.
For males:
Make sure the character doesn’t come across as creepy/too aggressive. I have read more stories than I’d like where a guy’s “flirting” comes across as creepily sexually aggressive, especially when he doesn’t know the girl. This tends to happen significantly less with girls flirting, but when men are written as being suggestive, it tends to be essentially “here are all of the ways I am planning to have sex with you” instead of “oh, I’m not dressed because I just got out of the shower ;)”. The latter can be flirty-suggestive. The former usually reads as stalker-rapist-creepy.
Think about why the character is flirting. For some people, it is because they just like to flirt. For some, it might be because they’re looking for sex. For some, it might be because they’re looking for a relationship. For some, it might be because they like the power it gives them. The way they flirt should depend on their reason for doing so.
Holiday Cocktail Dress Photoset #5- Ice Glacier Blue
Magical Paths Begging To Be Walked
Roads and paths pervade our literature, poetry, artwork, linguistic expressions and music. Even photographers can’t keep their eyes (and lenses) off of a beautiful road or path, which is why we collected this list of 28 amazing photos of paths.
Paths like these have a powerful grip on the human imagination – they can bring adventure, promise and change or solitude, peace and calm. There’s nothing like a walk down a beautiful path to clear your head – or to fill it with ideas!
I’ll leave you with an excellent quote from J. R. R. Tolkien’s works while you enjoy these images; “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.“
- Autumn In The White Carpathians
- Rhododendron Laden Path, Mount Rogers, Virginia, USA
- Spring In Hallerbos Forest, Belgium
- Autumn Path In Kyoto, Japan
- Autumn Path
- Bamboo Path In Kyoto, Japan
- Hitachi Seaside Park Path In Japan
- Dark Hedges In Ireland
- Winter Forest Path, Czech Republic
- Path Under Blooming Trees In Spring
• Use the hand you write with.
• Make a fist with your thumb outside, not tucked inside. If it’s tucked inside your fist, when you punch someone, you might break your thumb. The thumb goes across your fingers, not on the side.
• Don’t be like in the movies—don’t aim for the face. Face punches don’t usually stop people, and you can miss when they duck their head or break your hand on their jaw. If you want to get away quickly, or end a fight, aim for the chest, or the ribs. If you really want to do some damage, e.g., you’re being attacked, aim for the throat, which will make it hard for your attacker to breathe for a hot minute.
• When you punch, you want to aim and hit with your first two knuckles. Not the flats of your fingers, and not your ring or pinky knuckles, which can break more easily. You can use your weight, if you’re on your feet, to add wallop, and spring into a punch with your feet and torso.
Useful information, esp. if you haven’t taken self defense.
I reblogged this once before to add this and I’ll do it again…
keep your wrist straight.
You can also risk breaking your wrist if you allow it to bend. I actually can’t believe this isn’t in there.
Other good pointers:
- if your attacker is male, go for his junk – especially if he’s wearing loose pants. There’s no sportsmanship when it comes to assault so fuck them balls UP
- punching pretty much ANYWHERE in the face is going to actually hurt you a LOT (just think – you’re punching your bones into their bones and ow). If you’re going for the face, my suggestion is to strick upwards with your palm.
see that meaty portion highlighted in red? There’s a lot of muscle and fat right there which makes it excellent for striking. Hold your hand as shown and aim for the nose or chin (though I’ve been told in extreme circumstances, doing this to the nose can be fatal but I’ve never really heard if this is true or not) and just aim upwards
- other delicate areas:
- the shin (hurts like a bitch if you kick it right – also, you can hit this spot if you’re being held in a choke-hold and if your attacker has to move in order to stop you from kicking him, he’ll have to angle his body so as to expose his stomach and crotch to the wild spastic jabbings of your elbows)
- the solar plexus (either jab while holding your hand in a sort of spear position or use your elbows – unless you’re super strong, your punch probably won’t wind your attacker. Your elbow or a spear hand will, however)
Originally in (most) martial arts, you hit the solar plexus because it supposedly contained an important chakra. Now we know that it actually also contains like a bunch of necessary organs that are exposed just below your ribs and is also (roughly) where your diaphragm lives so getting punched there is not pleasant.
- the clavicle (from experience, getting hit in your clavicle HURTS LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER. If you strike downwards with your knuckles, the person might just cry. Like I did.)
- the ear (this is probably the best place to punch besides the throat. It’s all cartilage so it probably won’t hurt you all that much and most people will be like “DUDE YOU PUNCHED ME IN THE EAR WHAT THE HELL”)
- the kidneys (this is harder to hit without training but if you somehow get your attacker’s back to face you, try to hit’em in the kidneys. Again, from experience, this FUCKING HURTS. You can’t really hit the kidneys from the front with any effect but from the back it is super painful)
- if you’re held in a choke-hold, try turning your head so the forearm isn’t pressed into your throat. If you can position yourself right, you can sort of force your chin into the crook of the elbow, making you able to still receive (limited) oxygen and provide time for you to kick some shins or elbow some spleens and shit
-Also, remember that a guy’s junk is not an off-button. Don’t think that you can rely on a swift kick to the balls to immediately incapacitate him in an emergency. Adrenaline and anger can keep somebody going for a long time even through extreme pain, and if you expect to end a fight with a single groin-attack you might be caught off-guard when he doesn’t drop. Certainly go for it if you get the chance, but keep hitting him until the fight is over.
-Draw blood if you can, especially if you can draw it from the face or the eyes. Blood in the eyes is not just a good way to impair your attacker’s vision, it’s also a really good way to freak them out and let them know that they might be getting more than they bargained for by picking a fight with you.
-Elbows and knees are really powerful weapons. Elbows are very sharp and very strong and if you are in close-range they are often more effective than trying to throw a punch.
-Yelling and shouting makes you scary.
Nothing much to add to this, it’s pretty much all there. So. Reblog. Oh, also, it’s really easy to break a nose – go for the eyes too. All it takes to avoid a shot to the throat is tucking your chin.
Also, that part about the ear – don’t punch. An open hand over the ear hurts a lot.
Free Mythology Books for Kindle!
Can’t speak for the quality of these books, but I figure that free books are free books and they are worth the read for anyone with an interest in mythology!
Note: All of these books are free as of this writing and most are public domain, but always double check the price before clicking to purchase.
- The Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths
- Asgard Stories Tales from Norse Mythology
- Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race
- Viking Tales
- Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland
- Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
- Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights Being the myths and legends of the Pimas of Arizona
- Myths and Legends of the Sioux
- Myths and Legends of the Great Plains
- Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest
- American Hero-Myths: A Study in the Native Religions of the Western Continent
- Nights With Uncle Remus: Myths and Legends of the Old Plantation
- Myths of Babylonia and Assyria
- Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
- Myths and Legends of China
- Curious Myths of the Middle Ages
- Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions: Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations … Considering also their Origin and Meaning
- Myths and Legends of All Nations: Famous Stories from the Greek, German, English, Spanish, Scandinavian, Danish, French, Russian, Bohemian, Italian and other sources
- A Book of Myths
- Myths That Every Child Should Know: A Selection Of The Classic Myths Of All Times For Young
- Famous Tales of Fact and Fancy: Myths and Legends of the Nations of the World Retold for Boys and Girls
EDIT: And for those of you that do not have a Kindle — THERE IS AN APP for that! You can get the Kindle app for ipod/iphone etc here, you can also get the program for PC here, and finally the one for Mac over here!
Some of my favorite cookie recipes! (:
Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Tomato Jam
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Almond Cookies with Raspberry Jam
Carrot Cookies with Orange Glaze
The nazi-party called “The Swedish Party” was in Malmö, Sweden today (and had a permit from the police, WTF). About 2000 people were there to peacefully let them know that they are not welcome here.
Singing and shouting, the demonstrators were loud, but as peaceful you can be when there are nazis invading our city.
The police respond by running an unarmed, non-threatening person over with a bus.
The police respond by riding over people who did nothing but try to let the nazis know that they are not welcome here. 10-15 cops on horses riding over people, continuously, over and over again.
A nazi tried to pull of a woman’s hijab, hit her, the cops saw but did nothing.
People are lying bloody on the streets, when people come over to help, the cops tell them no.
The cops have blood on their hands, and they are now, after giving the nazis a ride away from there, standing outside the emergency room to “protect people from violent activists”.
To everyone thinking Sweden is an equal country: no, it’s not. Nazis get free rides from the police after they propagate their disgusting message, and innocent people who just wants equality are being run over by the cops.
This is not the first time this happens. In the 20s, Swedish military opened fire into a group of unarmed demonstrators.
Last year, a similar thing to what happened today happened in Stockholm.
This year, at similar demonstrations, cops have been running people over, beating them with batons and arresting people for no good reason.
This spring, on international women’s day, happy demonstrators move from a peaceful and happy demonstration to a party, and on the way, several of them are stabbed by nazis. The police and media call this a “fight between different activists”, while nazis were carrying knives, and feminists were stabbed in the back and beaten up so badly that one of them had to stay in the hospital for months.
Sweden is not equal. Europe is not equal. The US isn’t equal. It isn’t peaceful. It isn’t democratic. They are taking democracy away from us. We can’t let them.
Please reblog this to spread awareness.
I’m scared of my own government. I’m scared of the people who are supposed to protect me.
This is not okay. This has to stop, now.





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