#My last name some sites say turkish some say persian

[currentlymovingaccounts]

🌷 Tulips 🌷

Scientific Name: Tulipa

Care: 🌷  Tulips prefer a site with full or afternoon sun. In Zones 7 and 8, choose a shady site or one with morning sun only. 🌷 Soil must be well-draining, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile, and dry or sandy. All tulips dislike areas with excessive moisture. 🌷 Tall varieties should be sheltered from strong winds.

🌷 You’ll want to space bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart, so choose a large enough planting site. 🌷 Plant tulip bulbs in the fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected and when soils are below 60 degrees F.  This is usually during September or October in the north, and November or December in the south. 🌷 Nature never intended for bulbs to loll about above ground, so don’t delay planting the bulbs after purchase. 🌷 In southern climates with mild winters, plant bulbs in late November or December. The bulbs will need to be chilled in the refrigerator for about 12 weeks before planting. (Bulb suppliers often offer pre-chilled bulbs for sale, too.) 🌷 Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. 🌷 Plant bulbs deep—at least 8 inches, measuring from the base of the bulb. And that means digging even deeper, to loosen the soil and allow for drainage, or creating raised beds. Remember, the bigger the bulb, the deeper the hole it needs.

🌷 Set the bulb in the hole with the pointy end up. Cover with soil and press soil firmly. 🌷 Water bulbs right after planting. Although they can’t bear wet feet, bulbs need water to trigger growth. 🌷 If you’re planning to raise perennial tulips, feed them a balanced fertilizer when you plant them in the fall. Bulbs are their own complete storage system and contain all of the nutrients they need for one year. Use organic material, compost, or a balanced time-release bulb food. 🌷 To deter mice and moles—if they have been a problem—put holly or any other thorny leaves in the planting holes. Some gardeners use kitty litter or crushed gravel. If ravenous voles and rodents are a real problem, you may need to take stronger measures, such as planting bulbs in buried wire cages. 🌷 If it rains weekly, do not water. However, if there is a dry spell and it does not rain, you must water the bulbs weekly until the ground freezes. 🌷 Rainy summers, irrigation systems, and wet soil are death to tulips. Never deliberately water a bulb bed unless in a drought. Wet soil leads to fungus and disease and can rot bulbs. Add shredded pine bark, sand, or any other rough material to the soil to foster swift drainage. 🌷 Apply compost annually to provide nutrients needed for future blooms. 🌷 In the spring, when leaves emerge, feed your tulip the same bulb food or bone meal which you used at planting time. Water well. 🌷 Deadhead tulips as soon as they go by, but do not remove the leaves! 🌷 Allow the leaves to remain on the plants for about 6 weeks after flowering. The tulips need their foliage to gather energy for next year’s blooms. After the foliage turns yellow and dies back, it can be pruned off. 🌷 Large varieties may need replanting every few years; small types usually multiply and spread on their own.

Magickal Properties: Protection, love, happiness, prosperity, abundance Correspondences: Venus (planet), Earth (element), Feminine (gender) 🌷 Love is one of the strongest properties of tulips.  They can be used to increase desire, build relationships, and open the heart. 🌷 Can be used in magic regarding gratitude, simplicity, happiness, beauty, and prosperity. 🌷 Different colored variations of tulips can aid in different types of magick. 🌷 Sometimes associated with dream work and fame. 🌷 Use as a centerpiece to increase the sensory appreciation of a meal or gathering. 🌷 Sweep your aura with a few stems to shroud yourself in a veil of magnetism and desirability. 🌷 Use to assist with grounding- if you're feeling anxious, plant tulips, spend time with them, or take a few drops of tulip flower essence under your tongue.  (I very quickly tried to double check if this is safe or could have any health side effects, but I couldn't find anything.  I'll have to take time to look into it further.  If anyone here knows, feel free to share your knowledge!)  The tulip's substantial bulb and alignment with the physical world helps with that grounding energy. 🌷 A poultice made of tulip flowers can treat and soothe rashes, stings, scratches, and minor burns.   🌷 Tulip oil can be used as a house freshener or added to baths and massage oils to uplift vibrations. 🌷 A tulip bulb on your altar will help you attract as well as keep a lover. 🌷 Helps with connecting with love intentions and letting go of fear. 🌷 Because they regrow every year, tulips can be associated with renewal/rebirth and a new perspective. 🌷 Because tulips rise as the sun rises and go down as the sun sets, they are believed to be very in tune with it, making them perfect for any association with the sun. 🌷 Resonates with the heart chakra.  If your heart, physical or emotional, could use strengthening, add a few drops of the flower essence to your drinking water or bath.  (Again, is this stuff safe to drink or not?) 🌷 As tulips share qualities with love goddesses, they're great additions to love goddess altars or rituals (goddesses like Hathor, Aphrodite, Venus, or Parvati). 🌷 Because they vary in color, some crystals that go best as a duo with tulips are aura quartz, fluorite, opal, and rainbow quartz. 🌷 Solar Charm: At dawn, gather a tulip that's just opening as you recite this incantation, "At sunrise let my mind be keen, alert, and wise; at sunset, put the spell to rest."  Carry the flower with you until sunset, then bury the petals in the earth for a good night's sleep. 🌷 Prosperity Spell: Gather a handful of tulips seeds and scatter all but two to a southerly wind saying, "Silver and gold, silver and gold, one to have and one to hold.  To the winds fly, fall, and free, bring to me prosperity!".  Put the last two seeds in your wallet or purse to attract money. 🌷 Carry tulips or having them on you brings good luck. 🌷 Growing tulips brings peace to a home. 🌷 Can be worn for protection and prosperity. 🌷 It is said that pixies and fae love to live in them.

Other Info: 🌷 Tulips are probably one of the first flowers cultivated solely for their beauty and designs of these flowers can be found on pottery jars dated from 2200 to 1600 B.C.  Tulips were also found on the border of a 19th century Byzantine fabric.  Though they must have been known to them, tulips were not mentioned at all by Greek or Roman writers. 🌷 European explorers and traders first encountered tulips in the gardens of Turkish sultans in the early 1500's.  In 1554 the Austrian ambassador, Ghislain de Busbecq, bought some of the bulbs for a great price and brought them back to Vienna.  They were given to Charles de Lecluse, a Flemish botanist, which lead to the beginning of the love of tulips in Holland.  After about 20 years, de Lecluse started teaching in the Netherlands and took some of the seeds and bulbs of tulips there.  Though he had been meaning to sell them to make a little extra money, the bulbs were stolen and soon tulips were growing throughout the country. 🌷 By 1634 Holland was hit with tulipmania and the price per pound was often more than that of precious metal.  When interested in the solid-colored flowers began to wane, breeders began producing unusual blossoms because striped, feathered, and marbled varieties brought higher prices. 🌷 Stripes and some other color variations are actually caused by a virus and not a mutation, making it impossible to get the same coloration from seed.  These must be bred from an offshoot of the parent bulb. 🌷 In 1637 traders and dealers began to realize that bulb prices were artificially high and did not reflect the actual value of the bulbs. As the tulip market toppled, the result was economic depression and true hunger and poverty in many areas. Especially hard hit were the many farmers who, hoping for a quick fortune, had begun to grow tulips instead of food. 🌷 Learning from mistakes made by the Dutch, the Turkish government passed strict laws during the "Age of Tulips" in Turkey between 1703 and 1730. Bulbs could be bought and sold only in the capital city, and punishment for breaking this law was exile. 🌷 The government also kept careful records, and at one time these records indicated that the Turks had over 1,5550 varieties of tulips. 🌷 One story is told of an English trader who received a shipment of cloth from Turkey. Along with the cloth was what he thought were onions. He ate some of them and enjoyed them so much he asked his gardener to plant them in the vegetable garden. Imagine his surprise when he found the glorious tulip blossoms growing among the vegetables the next spring. 🌷 Tulip bulbs are quite edible and some even call then tasty. They can be substituted in any recipe for onions. One recipe for tulip-tomato sauce calls for sauteing two minced tulip bulbs with parsley and garlic, then adding four cups of chopped tomatoes and simmering for one hour. The stamens and ovaries, sauteed in butter, are supposedly quite good, tasting something like asparagus. 🌷 Tulips were first brought to America by the Dutch colonists who settled in the northeastern part of the country. The popularity of these flowers in those communities is obvious from the prevalence of the tulip in Pennsylvania Dutch designs from that period. 🌷 The name tulip is derived from the name for the Turkish hat, turban. When traders and visitors came to Turkey to see the famous gardens, the gardeners kept pointing out that tulip blossoms resembles upside-down turbans, or tulibands, as the Turkish called them. Soon visitors began to refer to these flowers as tulibamds, and this was eventually changed to tulip. 🌷 A Persian legend tells of the origin of tulips. A young man, Farhad, was in love with a beautiful woman, Sharin. One day Farhad received news that his lover was dead. In his grief, he jumped off a high cliff, and where his body landed, there the tulips began to grow. The saddest part was that the message was sent by a jealous rival, and Sharin was actually still alive. 🌷 Tulips are indigenous to the northern temperate zones from the Mediterranean coast east to Japan. T. sharonensis, or the Sharon tulip, is thought to be the "rose of Sharon" mentioned in the Song of Solomon in the Bible. The Sharon tulip grows on the Plain of Sharon, found between Carmel and Jaffa. 🌷 Tulips are considered the symbol of perfect love, and the Turks used them as a love potion. If a tulip was given to a girl, the color of the petals determined the meaning of the flower. Red petals meant a declaration of love. Yellow petals meant hopeless love, and variegated petals meant beautiful eyes. A black center meant a heart burned with love.

Tulip Varieties and Uses

Queen of the Night: - A deep purple, so dark it can be mistaken for black. - Good for moon rituals, power and ambition spells, and banishing spells.

Princess Irene: - Standard variety comes in shades of orange and red. - Red flowers are good for love magick.   - Orange flowers are good for attraction and encouragement.

Leen Van Der Mark: - Comes in yellows and reds. - Plant yellow ones near your front door and under windowsills to protect your home and its inhabitants from those who would cause harm.

Pim Fortuyn Triumph: - White in color. - Good for any rituals having to do with purity or cleansing. - Place cut Pims in vases around your house each spring to bring a fresh and clean feeling to your entire home.

Tulip Poultice

To treat and soothe rashes, stings, scratches, and minor burns.

To create a poultice, warm 2-4 flowers in hot water. Dip a towel into hot water and place the petals within the towel. Lightly crush the petals and apply them to the affected area. Hold in place for 10 minutes using the warm towel. Petals can also be combined with castor oil, especially when treating burns and insect bites.

#witchcraft #witch #wicca #green witch #flowers #floral witch #tulips #reference #witchblr #eclectic witch

[armeniaitn]

We Build. They Destroy!

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/society/we-build-they-destroy-38897-23-07-2020/

We Build. They Destroy!

A damaged home in the village of Aygepar, July 17, 2020

Nothing sums up the contrast in contributions to our global society of Armenia and Azerbaijan more than this phrase. It is borrowed from several current recovery campaigns such as the Paros Foundation and my good friend, their executive director Peter Abajian. Since 2006 the Paros Foundation, like many other patriotic nonprofits, has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh. Much of their incredible work in schools and infrastructure has been in the Tavush region, the current hotspot of Azerbaijani madness. The contrast in core values is why the Armenians have endured the hardships of unilateral attacks and why the latest aggression against Armenia will fail.

Armenians have seen this movie too many times. A small Christian nation, the indigenous population of its multi-millennia homeland is attacked, blockaded and subjected to relentless abuse by barbaric newcomers. Even though the Turks have now been in the region about 1,000 years, to the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks, they are shallow rooted. This applies also to their treacherous cousins to the west called Azerbaijan. They attack Artsakh and Tavush and have the audacity to “claim” the Republic of Armenia. Despite signing treaties that recognize the sovereign state and international borders of Armenia, Azerbaijani self-interest intersects with criminal behavior. Essentially, with every rant of rhetoric and military incursion, they are violating international laws. But then again, they are only modeling their behavior after their big cousin currently occupying Western Armenia, who has violated the sovereignty of Syria, Iraq and Cyprus and is very close to adding Libya to the list. Yet they are a “valued ally in NATO.” The behavior says a great deal about the integrity of international agreements.

Why will Azerbaijan fail? They are larger (nearly three times the population of Armenia) and wealthier (fortunate to have a desired fossil fuel supply) and in a world lacking political morals, they can buy the silence of many. So much for the bad news. Let’s start by looking at the national makeup of each country and how that impacts their commitment to achieving their objective.

Several years ago while in Artsakh, my family was given a tour of the Artsakh state museum by a remarkable young woman. Her tour work was not a job but a responsibility to educate…to tell the truth. She called Azerbaijan an “artificial nation” which is a phrase I have never forgotten and found to be a key weakness of Azerbaijan. It sits on oil, but also on a shaky foundation. Azerbaijan as a nation state did not exist before 1918. Its name is borrowed from a region in northern Iran. The nation called Azerbaijan and its ethnic makeup reveal a heterogeneous mix. The indigenous Caucasian Albanians were first converted to Islam under Arab and later Persian influence. The Seljuk Turkish invasion (11th century) brought the Turkic influence with language (Oghuz) and culture. Today although a majority are called ethnic Azerbaijani, it is a relatively new combination of multi-ethnic groups, Shia Islam with Turkish influence. There are significant minority groups such as the Lezgins and Talysh who have their own issues of free expression with the ethnic majority. Azerbaijan’s relatively short national history has little experience with democracy. Since its independence from 70 years of Soviet rule, it has been run by autocrats, the latest being the second generation of the corrupt Aliyev clan. When there are lives on the line, the shallow national roots of Azerbaijan will cause its citizens to question who and what they are fighting for.

No such problem with Armenia and Artsakh. Armenia is a study in homogeneity with over 98 percent of its citizens ethnic Armenians adhering to a Christian heritage and speaking a common language. They have also been the indigenous population of the area for centuries. Evidence of the Armenian civilization exists everywhere, except where Azerbaijani authorities have overtly sought to destroy the historic presence of Armenians. When we look at the enclave called Nagorno-Karabakh (as defined by the Soviets), it is really a scaled down version of the centuries old Armenian province of Artsakh. The seven liberated territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh (which are a part of the Republic of Artsakh) along with the still occupied northern Shahumyan and some eastern districts are the bulk of historic Artsakh, which dates back to the first millennia BC (Tigranes Metz). The Azeris’ claim of an historic population presence in Artsakh and the Stalin “award” in 1923 is the basis for their “territorial integrity” rights. The reality is that the demographic changes were forced migration and “artificial” attempts to dilute the Armenian homeland in the 18th to 20th centuries. The Stalin decision was an injustice but was also designated an “autonomous” region. It is not within any definition of “territorial integrity.” One cannot claim what was never theirs to own. A contributor to their continuous failure has been the lack of a substantive justification for their claims. Anyone can bully false claims, but sustaining a motivation with your citizens is entirely another challenge. Aliyev, in the absence of the truth, has propagandized a false narrative based on lies and hatred to feed his naive masses. Any national objective based on hate, anger and racism is not sustainable. This fuels the core motivation of the Azeris towards Artsakh and Armenia. Hatred is not an infinite rechargeable motivation.

This brings us to one of the core issues. What are the two sides fighting for? The Armenians are defending their homes and homeland. It doesn’t get much more personal than that. They are also defending the investment and sacrifices they have made. The departed lives of brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers must not be lost in vain. Since 1991, Artsakh has become a functioning democracy with a parliament and market-driven economy. This is a remarkable accomplishment given the blockades and unrecognized status. With each year of new housing, economic growth, historic preservations and culture, the people of Artsakh build on their core foundation. Remember that Armenians build. In stark contrast, since 1991, Azerbaijan has built their existence almost solely on their good fortune of fossil fuel. It has corrupted their entire economic, political and social existence. Azerbaijan has evolved into a dictatorship where self-preservation dominates and lies and hatred become commonplace. Over the last 30 years, despite the rhetoric of a “national liberation” effort to take Artsakh and Armenia proper, Azerbaijan has employed thousands of mercenaries from Chechens to Islamic terrorists. The latest move seems to be with Turks who are rumored to be sending terrorists from their northern Syrian adventure to Azerbaijan. They are also causing trouble in Nakhichevan where they have a small common border (compliments of Stalin). This is troubling but will also fail. Mercenaries get paid, as the economic base of Azerbaijan is diminishing.

Azerbaijan will never be a match for the landowners defending their families. The professional Armenian military of Armenia and Artsakh is the collateral to guarantee this mandate. They are the successors to Avarayr and Sardarabad where a different generation fought against overwhelming odds and succeeded. Like the Holy Muron of our faith, all these events are connected in spirit. This is the reality that expands the capability of the Armenians and will always limit Azerbaijanis.

Right now, Aliyev is likely betting on two things. He is counting on the world to remain indifferent either by buying silence or general ambivalence. He is also assuming that Armenia will blink and not respond to his provocations. On the former, this is our job in the diaspora to work with the homeland to prevent indifference in host nations. Sanctioning Azerbaijan, influencing political bodies and mounting public support are critical. In this country, the ANCA and the Armenian Assembly of America are busy in this regard. Never underestimate the importance of third parties. Aliyev was hoping that the emergence of a new government under Pashinyan would be more open to “compromise.” Pashinyan has shown himself to be stronger in his words and actions than his predecessors. He and the relevant ministries have been on the offensive diplomatically by countering Azeri rhetoric with substantive positions such as the return of Artsakh as a direct negotiating party. He has skillfully avoided undermining the OSCE mediators despite the frustration of their neutrality. Aliyev, on the other hand, has done everything to countermand their actions by ignoring confidence building measures (St. Petersburg, Vienna, etc.), continuing sniper fire, patronizing on-site support and launching at least two major assaults since 2016 with unprovoked action. Privately, their behavior is wearing thin with many and will one day pay a return. Despite the surface level material strength of Azerbaijan, a closer view shows why they have and will continue to underperform. It does not lessen the danger for the Armenians. It simply illustrates why a united Armenia will prevail.

Back to “We Build. They Destroy.” For most Armenians who are not directly involved in the military responses, the most important issue is to rebuild. The vitality of the border villages in Tavush, Artsakh, Ararat (including our beloved Paruyr Sevak), Vayots Dzor and Syunik are strategically important to the national security of our nation. The strongest message to Azeris is that their attempts are futile. Their activity is an attempt to destabilize the borders by intimidating the population to leave. We must immediately rebuild and make these villages even stronger economically. This is our job in the diaspora. You have all seen several emergency fundraisers by organizations such as Paros and individuals (our ardent patriot Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte). We must meet and exceed the goals to BUILD and give a clear message to our brethren and the AZERBAIJANIS. We are not going anywhere. Our history has been a case study of overcoming oppression and prevailing. Today is no exception.

Stepan Piligian

Stepan was raised in the Armenian community of Indian Orchard, MA at the St. Gregory Parish. A former member of the AYF Central Executive and the Eastern Prelacy Executive Council, he also served many years as a delegate to the Eastern Diocesan Assembly. Currently , he serves as a member of the board and executive committee of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). He also serves on the board of the Armenian Heritage Foundation. Stepan is a retired executive in the computer storage industry and resides in the Boston area with his wife Susan. He has spent many years as a volunteer teacher of Armenian history and contemporary issues to the young generation and adults at schools, camps and churches. His interests include the Armenian diaspora, Armenia, sports and reading.

Latest posts by Stepan Piligian (see all)

Read original article here.

#Armenia #Armenians #Artsakh #Karabakh #Society

[onenationprinc-blog]

Nasim Aghdam: YouTube HQ Shooter’s Family Tried to Warn Police She Was “Angry” With the Company Prior to the Shooting

Officials have identified a 38-year-old woman named Nasim Aghdam as the suspect who opened fire at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California on Tuesday (Apr. 3), NBC News reports. She was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting multiple people outside YouTube’s HQ. READ MORE: Woman Opens Fire at YouTube HQ & Wounds Multiple Employees Before Killing Herself Aghdam was born in Iran and was a resident of Riverside, California at the time of the shooting. She was active on YouTube and was known for ranting about the company and complaining about its policies in videos on her YouTube channels, on Instagram, and on her own website. Investigators initially categorized the shooting as a domestic dispute, however, they believe it may have been the result of grievances she had with YouTube. The shooting appears to have occurred in a courtyard area on YouTube’s campus, San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said. Law enforcement officials said Aghdam approached an outdoor patio and dining area at YouTube’s headquarters and opened fire with a 9mm handgun. Senior officials said they don’t believe the incident is connected to terrorism. Aghdam—who identified as Persian and frequently posted videos and other posts in both English and Farsi, the official language of Iran—had various online aliases including Nasim Sabz and Nasin VeganBreeze. Here are some things you need to know about Nasim Aghdam and the YouTube headquarters shooting. 1Nasim Aghdam had her own channel on YouTube and was angry at the company for allegedly discriminating against her videos, which caused her to lose money and views. While it was initially believed that Aghdam, 39, was a “disgruntled employee,” authorities don’t believe she had any direct connection to YouTube, however, according to NBC, she did have her own YouTube Channel, where she would often post videos that featured rants against the company. Her YouTube channel, where she posted under the name “Nasim Wonder1,” has since been deleted. Before its deletion, she boasted more than 5,000 subscribers and her videos had been collectively watched millions of times. The About page on her channel read: Nasim the Persian Azeri female vegan bodybuilder, also animal rights activist promoting healthy and humane living. Nasim produced and launched the first Persian TV commercial and music video (Do You Dare) regarding animal rights and veganism through international Iranian satellite Television in 2010. In addition to her YouTube channel, Aghdam was also known for ranting about the platform on her own website because she believed that the company was purposely filtering her channel to keep her from getting views. Aghdam wrote on her website, “This video got age restricted after new close-minded YouTube employees, got control of my Farsi YouTube channel last year 2016 & began filtering my videos to reduce views & suppress & discaurage [sic] me from making videos!” Another message on her site read, “There is no free speech in [the] real world & you will be suppressed for telling the truth that is not supported by the system. Videos of targeted users are filtered & merely relegated, so that people can hardly see their videos! There is no equal growth opportunity on YouTube or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!” She also felt the need to point out the fact that her Instagram followers and interaction were all real, and not purchased like some people with large followers sometimes do. “My Instagram followers, views, likes are real. On instagram, you can buy pages, buy likes, buy followers,….” she wrote. “But mine are real, without advertising or using programs designed to promote instagram pages.” 2Aghdam identified as “Baha’i” and her online posts were in both English and Farsi, the official language of Iran. She also had various online aliases including Nasim (or “Nasime”) Sabz and Nasim VeganBreeze. Aghdam, who referred to herself as “Persian,” had an online presence that consisted of a number of posts, photos and videos in English and in Farsi, which is the official language of Iran. She posted several videos on Instagram discussing subjects like freedom of speech. “When it comes to freedom of speech do you think Iran is better than the USA or the USA is better than Iran?” Aghdam asked her IG followers in a video posted on Sunday, March 25. She wrote on her website: Be aware! Dictatorship exists in all countries but with different tactics! They only care for personal short term profits & do anything to reach their goals even by fooling simple-minded people, hiding the truth, manipulating science & everything, putting public mental & physical health at risk, abusing non-human animals, polluting environment, destroying family values, promoting materialism & sexual degeneration in the name of freedom,….. & turning people into programmed robots! ‘Make the lie big, Make it simple, Keep saying it, And eventually they will believe it’ Adolf Hitler. In an article posted under one of her aliases, Aghdam revealed that she identified as Baha’i. Using the name Nasime Sabz, Aghdam talked about her spiritual beliefs and also said that Baha’i followers are “frequently persecuted in Iran.” The Baha’i organization’s website describes the religion as follows: In thousands upon thousands of locations around the world, the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith inspire individuals and communities as they work to improve their own lives and contribute to the advancement of civilization. Bahá’í beliefs address such essential themes as the oneness of God and religion, the oneness of humanity and freedom from prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the progressive revelation of religious truth, the development of spiritual qualities, the integration of worship and service, the fundamental equality of the sexes, the harmony between religion and science, the centrality of justice to all human endeavours, the importance of education, and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity. On one of Aghdam’s websites, she criticized the Middle Eastern practice of animal sacrifices, writing, “Backyard slaughters are also common among Middle Easterns (sic) & Muslims even Bahai’s who believe in animal sacrifice & think animal blood will bring joy to their lives. In western countries they do it in their backyards or even bathtubs.” According to another website of hers, Aghdam had four YouTube channels: one in Farsi, one in Turkish, one in English and one dedicated to making beaded necklaces. YouTube has since deactivated all four pages “due to multiple or severe violations of YouTube’s policy against spam, deceptive practices, and misleading content or other Terms of Service violations,” the website said. 3Aghdam was an animal rights activist and a “vegan bodybuilder.” Aghdam called herself a “vegan bodybuilder” and frequently shared workout videos on YouTube. She explained to Vegan Idea World in a now deleted interview (which was re-posted by a site called Peaceful Dumpling) her decision to become vegan: “From a very young age I used to care about the animals and their welfare, and think about the source of meat and where it came from and I knew that the fried chicken on my dinner plate once was a beautiful yellow chick! I was surprised to learn how people were so indifferent toward humanitarian issues; why harming and killing innocent animals were so normal to them; why they followed the ancient traditions no matter what they were; why they looked at meat only as delicious food and not look at the source of this product. From that age I started opposing eating meat and wearing animal skin, and what my family and other people said in order to discourage me had no effect on me because I had faith that my belief was true and that meat is not a food of compassion and kindness.” She also talked about veganism from the perspective of health and explained how athletes could benefit from a healthy vegetarian diet: “Vegan diet is the healthiest diet for humans because the human body is naturally an herbivore body. The human body is not driven to attack, tear apart, eat or drink [the] blood of a live animal upon laying eyes on her/him. But when someone sees a grape on a vine, her/his mouth waters, walks toward the grape, picks and eats it. By contrast, when you see a dead animal on the side of the road, are you tempted to eat the animal with your bare hands? “Following a vegan, especially raw vegan, diet benefits our health, animal welfare and survival of the planet earth because animal products are one of the major causes of environmental pollution and destruction. I grew up as a vegetarian but after becoming aware of how inhumanely other animal products such as milk, dairy and eggs are produced and how harmful these products are to [the] human body, I went vegan. “I have been a vegetarian from a young age and I used to realize how much healthier my body is compared to others. I always had higher energy, was active in sports and had [a] stronger immune system (hardly caught a cold) unlike what most omnivores experienced. After going vegan, I felt much more healthier and lighter, even more energetic. Most common question meat eater athletes ask vegans is how you can get energy from eating plants–and where you get your protein. Meat eaters believe that the only source of protein for building muscle is animal protein. The fact is that animal protein slows down digestion and the body has to get more energy from [the] body to work harder to break down this protein because [the] human body is not designed to digest meat. But plant-based protein is easily absorbed and turned into energy. “This is one reason why vegans are more energetic. Almost any food has protein in it and foods high in protein are legumes, nuts, seeds and dark leafy green vegetables. Going vegan is so easy and the only important thing that we need to consider is eating a variety of plant-based whole foods and not even worry about taking supplements. I have never needed to worry about measuring my protein, vitamin or calories intake. You will know what, when and how much to eat when you become acquainted with your body.” She also said that we as humans should “more plant-based whole foods and stay away from processed/filtered foods because the methods of preparation strip a lot of the nutrients.” Alleged YouTube shooter Nasim Aghdam posted some brutal animal rights videos and promoted vegan lifestyle. Sources familiar with her from Peta say she volunteered briefly on 2-3 protests, but then did not return calls for more actions. #ABC7now pic.twitter.com/SnEvBYvR6W — Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) April 4, 2018 Aghdam’s social media pages contained lots of graphic images of animals being mistreated. Several of the posts on her “vegan” page were censored by Instagram, as seen below, because of how disturbing the content was. Like her YouTube channels, both her personal and vegan Instagram accounts have been deleted as well. She also had a Facebook page under the name “Nasime Sabz,” which was also deleted. Nasim Aghdam pictured at a PETA protest in 2009 Nearly a decade ago, back in 2009, Aghdam participated in a protest organized by PETA at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, where she joined about two dozen other activists who protested the killing of live pigs for military training sessions for Marines and sailors. News accounts published around the time of the protest said she carried a plastic sword and wore pants spattered with fake blood. “For me animal rights equals human rights. Just because they can’t talk doesn’t mean we should take advantage of them,” a then-29-year-old Aghdam told The Los Angeles Times. 4Aghdam had been reported missing by her family, and her father and brother both told police she was angry with YouTube prior to the shooting. Ismail Aghdam, Nasim’s father, spoke with Mercury News in a telephone interview following Tuesday’s shooting. He told the outlet that he had called police prior to the shooting and told them that his daughter had been missing for two days. Mr. Aghdam said he also told police that his daughter may have been headed to YouTube because she “hated” the company because they were censoring her videos and had stopped paying her for them. “She was angry,” he told Mercury News. On Tuesday, April 3 around 2 a.m. Pacific time (about 11 hours before the shooting), Mountain View police found Aghdam, who they said had been sleeping in her car, but she was OK and everything was “under control,” Aghdam’s father said. “Our officers made contact with the woman after the license plate of her vehicle matched that of a missing person out of Southern California,” Mountain View Police spokeswoman Katie Nelson said. “The woman confirmed her identity to us and answered subsequent questions. At the conclusion of our discussion, her family was notified that she had been located.” Ismail Aghdam also told Mercury News that he and his family were unaware that Nasim owned a gun. “Maybe she bought one” recently, he said. Mr. Aghdam asked one reporter about the condition of the victims, Mercury News reported. Nasim’s brother, Shahran Aghdam, also spoke to the media outlet from the family’s home Tuesday night, and his mother could reportedly be heard crying in the background. Shahran said the family came to California from Iran in 1996, and he said Nasim had been recently living with their grandmother in San Diego. He said, “She was always complaining that YouTube ruined her life.” He also said his sister had been missing since Saturday and wasn’t answering her cell phone. When Shahran found out she was in Mountain View, he said Googled the city and found it was near YouTube’s headquarters. He said he called the Mountain View police, who found her and reported back to him that she was fine and they would watch her from there. Wednesday would have been Nasim’s 39th birthday, Shahran said. 5Aghdam shot three people. Police originally believed a male who was injured was an intended target, and don’t believe the shooting was an act of terrorism. Police have yet to reveal a motive behind the shooting, and though law enforcement officials initially believed could have been due to a “domestic-related dispute,” MSNBC reported, investigators are now saying, “there is no evidence that the shooter knew the victims of this shooting or that individuals were specifically targeted.” They do, however, believe that the shooting was not terror-related “in any way,” MSNBC reported. “This woman came to the YouTube workplace with a specific target in mind; someone she knew, someone with whom she wanted to settle a grievance. She shot that person, she may have shot a second person who was with him, intentionally. We’re not sure about the third person,” MSNBC reporter Pete Williams originally said, however, this has not been confirmed. We are seeing @YouTube employees being brought out with hands up! pic.twitter.com/ZlSMY9FIVm — Erin (@erinjeanc) April 3, 2018 San Bruno police confirmed that four people were taken to area hospitals and treated for injuries. Three of the victims had been shot and one had a broken ankle. San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said during a press conference: “We did encounter one victim with an apparent gunshot wound, towards the front of the business as we arrived. Several minutes later, while conducting a search of the premises, officers located a second individual with a gunshot wound, that [may have been] self inflicted. We are still working on confirming that. Two additional victims were located several minutes later at an adjacent business. The extent of all the injuries of our victims, are unknown right now. They were all transported for emergency medical care… We have four victims who have all been transported for gunshot-related [injuries].” Brent Andrew from San Francisco General Hospital told the media, “We received three patients.” A 36-year-old male was listed in critical condition at this time. A female victim was listed in serious condition and a third victim, another female, was said to be in fair condition. Officials previously believed the male in critical condition may have been Nasim Aghdam’s intended target, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. http://feeds.gossiponthis.com/~r/gossiponthis/~3/T0xw2cFXoQ8/ https://goo.gl/Fg88by