#tallest arugula
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Just a few more doodles here. (Tallest Arugula belongs to @messinwitheddie )
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1: Do the irkens not regret destroying and concurring the lives of other planet species? Is there no punishment for them in the afterlife for this crime?
2: Arugula, what do you look like back in your training days? We’re you always tall or did you grow into it? Also, what got you into keeping the birthing drones in your chamber instead of one for themselves? What started this and how come no one tried to take them way before your death?
3:Dib how did you get from skinny to looking like your dad so quick?😅
4:Soxx you predicted that you Hitz Kii would end up the way you are as control brains. How did you bring this up to her? Did she take it seriously or a joke?
5: Zim….why are you so short?🫤
1. MANY Irken soldiers/ veterans, slave drivers, invaders and even many tallests DO feel a deep sense of guilt and remorse for the people they hurt/ enslave/ bring to extinction. They just have no socially acceptable way to express these feelings or can even find a safe place to discuss these issues.
Commander Poki and Invader Larb struggle to live with themselves after their successful invasions. I cannot find the posts I made about those two discussing this topic to save my life. (I REALLY gotta go through this blog and organize...)
Irkens are similar to humans in the sense they want to be good. Unfortunately you really can't BE good or bad, only do good or bad things. What defines an act as good and bad is subjective to the culture you're raised in.
Irkens, like humans and pretty much ALL lifeforms are also are driven by a need to survive. Irken morality doesn't always align with human morality. Human morality differs from culture to culture and across time periods. I try to keep that in mind as I develope my aus. Not to claim my drawings/ writing isn't biased in any way, it most certainly is. I'm just one human, not a worldly one at that.
ALL actions have consequences and every Irken will experience the consequences of their actions; sometimes sooner while they're alive, sometimes later after they pass on. It's a case by case basis.
2. Arugula "I was always slightly above average in height. I experienced my first massive growth spurt sometime midway between my 3rd and 4th decade. I was still working as an on-call foot soldier and a full-time sanitation drone at the time.
When I eventually was measured tallest of my hive, I started keeping birthing drones in my chambers out of tradition.
A tallest is expected to house and provide care and snacks for the hive's birthing drones during the fertility festivals until at least the day of the birthening. The tallest's chambers is supposed to be the most secured area of an Irken hive and large enough to accommodate a small legion of drones.
I grew to enjoy the company of my birthing drones via interaction. Who would not become entranced by such loveliness and primal strength? Any tallest worthy of their stature would house, protect and cherish the drones who replenish their workforce and military.
SEVERAL other tallests declared war against me and launched heavy raid attacks on my hive in an attempt to steal my birthing drones; including my sister, Jamjam.
She was experiencing an alarming population decline. Perhaps I could have... should have been more willing to give her or sell her a few of my birthing drones, but... she could have been more willing to agree to my terms of a proper alliance. Politics can be so UGLY. Power changed JamJam for the worse. She would say the same about me, I'm sure.
At the time of my second measuring, my hive had the highest population of fertile women. My personal chambers were a prize intensely sought after by my enemies and apparently my allies alike. My faithful soldiers and sentry drones bravely fought off such raids many times. It only took one successful raid to destroy everything.
At this point I can only hope present and future tallests may learn from my mistakes as a ruler.
3. Dib "Uh... I would like to blame genetics. I mean, I AM technically Dad's clone and he's a big guy. It wasn't an overnight transformation either. As a teen, I went through several HUGE growth spurts. I was well over six feet by the time I turned 17. I had, well, still have stretch marks on my hips and shoulders to prove it.
My senior year of high school is when I really started to bulk up. I played football and joined the wrestling team for a while. Dad enjoyed me playing football more than I did. I kind of miss wrestling though. Had to drop it to focus on Uni work. Then, you know, I packed on the freshman 15--"
Zim "And an additional 15 every semester after. Next he'll blame trying to quit smoking and the "medication" his "therapist" prescribed him-"
Dib "I haven't gained THAT much weight."
Zim "Your tits are bigger than Reginald's birthing monkey and the May-Bell's combined."
Dib/ Reg "ZIM!!"
Zim "WHAAAT??!"
Reg "Don't mention my mom's tits o-or ANY of those 3 sets of tits ever again, or you'll have a new mortal enemy."
Zim "Pfft!! You don't threaten me, Dab-monkey. Try again when you grow into a big meaty urth ape like the big meaty urth ape who sired you.
*coughs* Where was I? Oh! The Dib! He grew to such proportions because all he does is "work" and "study" and in between, stuff his face with disgusting Urth food instead of facing off against his greatest enemy."
Dib "I WILL choke slam you, Zim."
4. Soxx *exhales a deep, spooch-centered wheeze; the closest thing to a laugh he can muster*
Kii indeed wrote my vision off as a flight of fancy... at first. To my dismay, it took some... active convincing on my part. So much unnecessary bloodshed. BUT, she eventually shared my vision.
My predictions are NEVER wrong."
5. Zim "Why are YOU so smelly?!"
(I'm sorry for the lack of illustrations; I feel like these answers would work so much better with illustrations. I'm just dealing with some landlord drama here recently and trying to finish up some other completely un-related WIPs that desperately need finishing.
I have no idea if all these asks are from the same person or from different people because most are left anonymously. (Which is perfectly fine; I almost always leave asks anonymously.)If I'm neglecting your asks, I assure you, it's not intentional. So many good questions; I appreciate all of them. Please be patient; I'm trying.)
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Wow it's been almost a year lol, sorry I went inactive I totally forgot about this cause life got hectic but remembered today when looking up images lol. Anyways here's an update on the garden ig if anyone cares.
I have 2 big plants in a garden bed tallest farther one is the jalapeno plant and the closer one is a red habanero.
The 2 Grey pots have blanket flower and statice growing in them, the closest being statice.
Those fidget spinner shaped pots have herbs the 2 that have sprouted so far are oregano (the bigger plant) and arugula (the smaller just barely sprouted).
Next we have tomato and more jalapeno sprouts these are a bigger variety however.
We have nasturtium in that long pot and in the last pic is some carrots which are also planted in the raised bed
#plantblr#plants#edible gardening#my garden#vegetable garden#gardening#garden#balcony#balcony garden#small garden#New gardener#1 year anniversary#year 2024#Year 2#hot peppers#peppers#Hot pepper#jalapeno#habanero#herbs#Oregano#arugula#tomatoes#Tomato#Carrots#Carrot#Sprouts#Plant sprouts#baby plants#gen z
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7/7/23
Temperatures are climbing into the high 80s, should hit 90 regularly in a week or two. I REALLY got to get some mulch.
Good harvest today: lots of tomatoes, a red (but sour) strawberry, kale, radishes (most didn’t form up, probably from inconsistent watering, I cut the greens and left to rot in place), a Better Belle with end rot again, and arugula for lunch later. I’m a bit pessimistic and tired from the heat, but trying to look on the bright side. My mom and aunties pulled some onion for a dish, and I used it like a big scallion in today’s omelette.
Things I noticed while watering midday (yes bad I know):
San Marzano is top-heavy but ok, 3 main stems and flowers forming. Clover sprouting underneath. Italian Paste looks curled and wilted even if it’s watered, but still forming flowers. 2 main stems. Black Cherry is the tallest and strongest of the three, no surprise. 2 main stems and flowers.
One patch of borage is fine, and the other severely stunned. The soil there is muddy and dense. Soil quality makes a big difference! Most of bed 2 is like that, which is probably why it doesn’t grow well.
In bed 3, the eggplant, Cali Wonder, and cucumber make a shady spot in the middle of the bed that retains moisture best in my garden. The Better Belle has always been the weakest plant and dries out faster. I planted sunflower seeds in two spots in bed 3, and the one that germinated was covered by the dying nasturtium. There’s also new alyssums sprouting in the shade. At this time of year, it’s hard to germinate in bare soil. There needs to be some kind of plant cover to soak up the sun (eggplant, tomato, sunflower, etc). Dense planting works here. Also had to spray off red mites on the eggplant; the new leaves are quite healthy.
The BB now only has one good fruit, and if it end rots I’m just gonna pull the plant and replace with a different pepper. Maybe two to fill in the space.
I found 1 little ladybug after not spotting any larva or adults for a while. I actually put my mini roses under the eggplant so they can eat the aphids off the rose leaves.
In bed 4, the Gardeners Delight and San Marzano seedlings are making flowers. Maybe I should punch them off since they’re still so skinny? Idk what to do man
With the summer heat coming in, I might get garden fatigue again and skip waterings. Can’t do that!!! I really should set up drip irrigation to save time and water.
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Long Study Tour: Hamburg & Berlin
SUNDAY
6:45 Meet tour leaders and the group at Copenhagen Central Station
Up at 4:40, I gathered my things and myself to make my way to the station. I forgot to lock my bike (thank god for host moms, my bike likely would have disappeared otherwise). It all went well otherwise, I boarded the bus with my class in a daze.
7:10 Depart by bus for Rødby (Bus 38)
We then made a switch from bus to train. The train boarded the ferry.
9:35 Depart by ferry to Germany Depart on train (EC 38) to Hamburg
The train boards the ferry, we walk amongst the ferry (which is really a mall on the inside, may as well sell things to people when you’ve got them captive for the 40 minute crossing to Germany). It’s a pleasant ride, we talk on one of the two outside docks... watching the other boats pass, the whitewater trail we leave, the wind, the sun.
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A view from the train. A town view of the Lensahn municipality within Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
12.31 Arrive at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof Walk from station to hostel
Hamburg’s central station. Bustling with people of all sorts, all in a bit of a hurry to be somewhere. It’s quite something to shuffle through shifting rivers of people with all the luggage we carried with us. It was an exciting introduction to Northern Germany.
Walking to the hotel, we were in a rather industrial area of Hamburg. I have been spoiled by Copenhagen in that the city infrastructure works wonderfully for pedestrians... for people. I can’t say the same for this part of Hamburg, with many cars and garbage. Its easy to see the benefits of the simple things Copenhagen implements in their city layout.
~13.00 Arrive/drop bags: Novum Belmondo Hamburg
Time on own:
St. Nicholas Church Ruins in Hamburg
The Bombings of Hamburg destroyed most of the city and killed many in WW2. The most destructive operations being Operation Gomorrah (named after the biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah), killing 42K and wounding 37K.
The Gothic-style spired tower stands out like a beacon, it is the second tallest structure in Hamburg.
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Spire side view of the ruins, the spire-tower, once hollow, the damage to the details noticeable... now contains an elevator and information on the church remnants.
“Founded in 1195, St. Nicholas is one of the oldest churches in Hamburg. It develops from a little chapel to a hall church. During the Great Fire in Hamburg in 1842 it burns down.” (although it was destroyed and rebuilt times before this point).
“The citizens of Hamburg, however, facilitate to rebuild the church in a neo-gothic style. The plans are designed by British architect G. Scott, the construction lasts from 1846 to 1882.”
“In July 1943 Allied airplanes attack the city of Hamburg. During the air raids more than 35,000 people die, 900,000 become homeless, 250,000 houses are destroyed, as was St. Nicholas.”
“After the war, St. Nicholas is not rebuilt. The remains commemorate the victims of the “Fire Storm” over Hamburg and the victims of the German atrocities in Europe.”
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Lunch on own:
Züm Spatzle
The front page is a letter to guests expressing how the importance of knowing where one's food comes from. The restaurant has close ties to the source of each ingredient used, everything is listed in the letter. The ingredients of every menu item are listed. The menu is small to keep everything home-made and high quality.
“Our meals are very traditional, home-style cooking. I hope you enjoy this cuisine from my homeland! We always fo our best!”
Spätzle with green pesto and parmesan. Topped with arugula, cherry tomato, and balsamic vinegar.
Maultachen in vegetable broth. (This was my favorite
Cheese Spätzle baked in the oven, with onions (caramelized + chives).
16:00 – 18:00 Group Visit: HafenCity – Sustainability Tour
Mr. Thorsten Gödtel is going to be our guide and the focus of the tour will be on sustainability concepts of HafenCity
70% of the German population lives in cities, this proportion is expected to increase in the future. HafenCity is the largest inner-city development project in Europe. There is an emphasis on making the infrastructure compatible with renewable energy, minimizing resource use and detrimental environmental impact, maximizing green space per urban/industrial area.
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Depart to return to hostel to check in 19:00
Meet in lobby to depart for group dinner
19.30 Group Dinner: Loving Hut Vegan Restaurant
An international all-vegan chain in which each location can offer its own menu items, but must remain completely vegan. We had a sesame/ginger soup and a whole bunch of spring rolls. It was quite good, I haven’t been to a bad Loving Hut... there are a great number of other vegan restaurants unique to Hamburg worth checking out as well.
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Rest of evening on own.
(went home, went to bed)
MONDAY
Morning Run #1
Went out early in the morning for a run, it was interesting to. see the city as the sun rose. The streets were bustling with morning traffic, the still active harbor was alight with ships coming in and out.
7.30 Breakfast at hostel.
8:40 Depart for a group visit
9:00-10:00 Group Visit: Farmers Cut
We visited a pilot vertical farm, working to bring locally grown greens to the people of Hamburg through dryponic cultivation. The process requires no pesticides and assures fresh, hyperlocal produce to markets and restaurants within the city.
Isabel Mlitor, a co-founder and current CMO of Farmers Cut. She gave us the tour through the Hamburg facility.
“[Indoor vertical farming] captivated me immediately as I was already following the development of next-generation farming in the USA – especially in New York – and knew what an incredibly fascinating topic it is: the link between technology, urbanization, and nutrition. All areas that carry great meaning for all of us.”
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A view of the plants growing within the vertical farm .
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A souvenir, some Lemon Balm fresh from the vertical farm.
Depart for Walking Tour 10:45- 12:45
Alternative Hamburg Tour Starting point: Sternschanze Bahn station
A tour through the Schanze neighborhood... focusing on the role graffiti art and tagging plays in creating the unique environment and giving voice to locals.
Here are some photos from the tour.
Time on own: Adventure around Sternshanze
A mysterious knick-knack store
I couldn’t find the name of the place anywhere, I don’t know if it was a shop, a museum, I don’t know... I never asked the guy sitting amongst the mess, he was busy reading and smoking .a cigarette (which are then placed into jars and placed throughout the room.
A Google Maps image of the entrance... the interior is below the Elternhaus.
This place was just an amalgamation of all sorts of unusual items... skulls wrapped in copper wire, meat grinders, people’s postcards, CPR dummies, dirt, et. cetera.
The place is a horribly messy art piece, everything seems to sort of have a place... sort of...
Hot Dog Thrift Store
A collection of curated vintage clothing, the owner seemed quite knowledgeable and passionate about the shop’s collection. The place is a fun visit, everything is quite expensive though...
Hermetic Coffee
“Living and breathing the diversity of coffee, we are very pleased that our café is giving us the opportunity to share with you the full range of coffee flavours.
We serve hand brewed speciality coffee from our own roasts as well as from appreciated roasteries from all over the world.
For you to explore the world of coffee at your home, too, we offer freshly roasted coffee and a wide range of brewing equipment such as scales, drippers, hand mills and much more.
Should you have any questions, feel free to approach us at all times – we are happy to help you.
We are looking forward to your visit.“
The café interior.
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Espresso, the go-to for every café I visit.
18.36 Depart on train for Berlin
20.19 Arrival at Berlin Hauptbahnhof Depart by public transport to hotel
Approx. 21:00 Arrival/check in: B&B Hotel
Rest of evening on own
TUESDAY
Morning Run #2
Got up early once again to get a first look at Berlin as the sun rises. Our hotel is near Tiergarten, a large green strip similar to NY’s Central Park or SF’s Golden Gate Park. It was once the royal hunting grounds, it was turned into a protected public space in the 1700s. Much of the park was clear cut during a coal shortage during WW2. It has gradually been replanted thanks to local donations.
The Victory Column, commemorating the victory in the Prussian-Danish war.
A sunrise along the road that runs through Tiergarten. Morning traffic had began, everyone was starting their Tueday in Berlin.
Soviet War Memorial, commorating soldiers killed in the Battle of Berlin.
The sunset reflected upon the glass buildings near the hotel we were staying at.
8:30 Meet to depart for group visit by public transportation
9.30- 13.00 Group Lunch + Academic Visit: Das Baumhaus
Project & Space for Sustainability in Berlin Gerichtstraße 23, 13347 Berlin A workshop on sustainability and community engagement And a hands-on workshop – building stuff with tetrapaks.
“A place to meet neighbors and other people who want to make the world a better place in Berlin! The project space is a platform for meetings, events and workshops for a variety of people and organizations.
Das Baumhaus is an open socio-cultural project in Wedding. They connect, inspire and empower each other, neighbors, organizations and local changemakers working for transition to sustainability. In the project space, people and projects from a broad variety of backgrounds come together, meet and collaborate.
Das Baumhaus is a self-organized, grassroots initiative grown out of the neighborhood, with Karen & Scott, the project co-founders at the core of the Baumhaus project. Since 2012, more than 300 people have collaboratively developed the project, organized events, meetings, initiated new groups, and in 2016 renovated a storefront space into a pretty unique project space. Organized as a non-profit association, a social business and above all, an open network.”
We discussed the foundational thinking of Das Baumhaus... recognizing the world as a conglomeration of multiple systems within a collective balance. Sustainable development should be looked at from 6 perspectives: Personal, Ecological, Aesthetic, Cultural, Economic, Social. We then pretty much did arts and crafts to make upcycled things for an hour and a half.
Lunch is served by the Real Junk Food Project, they only use rescued food. (i.e. food that is still good to eat but would have been thrown out without someone using it ASAP)
Time on own
16:00 Meet at Orinienburger Tor U-bahn station
16:15 – 17:45 Cultural Visit: Private Viewing of Boros Collection Inside Bunker Reinhardtstraße 20 10117 Berlin
“The Boros Collection is a private collection of contemporary art. It comprises groups of works by international artists dating from 1990 to the present. Different facets of the collection are on public display in a converted bunker, with 3000 sqm exhibition space. “
1942... Construction of the bunker as an air-raid shelter for the civilian population, built by forced laborers.
1945... Bunker occupied by the Red Army and used for prisoners of war.
1949...Use as a textile warehouse.
1957... Converted into a warehouse for imported tropical fruit from Cuba, managed by a state-owned company “Fruit Vegetables Potatoes”. Known locally as the “banana bunker”.
1990...After German Reunification, the building becomes the property of the federal government.
1992...Techno music and fetish parties mean that the bunker gains a reputation as the hardest club in the world.
1996... Art exhibition Files featuring Olafur Eliasson, Daniel Pflumm, Ugo Rondinone, and others.
2001... Nippon Development Corporation GmbH acquires the bunker.
2003... Christian Boros purchases the bunker to convert it to house his collection.
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He Xiangyu, Untitled (2017)... Bronze cast egg cartons, gold plated.
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Rest of evening on own including dinner
Mogg
“Mogg is housed in an old red brick former Jewish girls school on Berlin’s August Strasse, designed by Alexander beers in 1927. The modernist stark exterior of the school come hospital is belied almost by the colorful art deco tiling in the communal areas. The building's appearance, combined with its long history makes this a cultural must-see in itself.
mogg was added to this eclectic mix in 2012 and quickly established itself as an institute on the Berlin culinary scene. the menu is speckled with home comfort staples such as matza ball soup and new york cheesecake (locally known as the best in town), which sits comfortably aside seasonal salads and of course, the home cured and smoked pastrami- for which the deli is famous.”
The shop interior.
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A very serious photo of myself with my Rueben sammo... Pastrami, swiss cheese, Russian dressing, pickled cabbage toasted on a half rye bread with a side of coleslaw and a pickle.
Café Am Neuen See
I had to walk off my Rueben, I met up with some friends at this beer garden within Tiergarten. It’s a pretty spot worthing stopping by for some beer/wine.
The view of the large venue from the dock
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Cuore De Vetro
We then journeyed over to this gelato shop that also seems to serve up many other wonderful things (baked goods, charcuterie, drinks). They are open until 11 PM, making it a great place to stop while out with friends.
A view of the interior front. The space is really cool, with a nice seating area out front.
WEDNESDAY
8:15 Meet to depart for group visit on public transport
9:00- 10:30 Group Visit: The Little Sun Project
“The Little Sun Project is a Berlin-based socially and environmentally conscious initiative that was founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen. Together, Eliasson and Ottesen designed a solar lamp that is sold to entrepreneurs in off-grid communities to work towards creating local businesses while also providing a source of sustainable and reliable light. “
Inside the Little Sun office.
Depart on foot for visit 11:00- 12:00
Group Visit: Inken Behrmann, an activist from Ende Gelände Volkspark Friedrichshain We will have an informal talk about the work for ending the coal industry in Germany.
“Ende Gelaende is a broad alliance of people from the anti-nuclear and anti-coal movements, the Rhineland and Lausitz climate camps and the Hambacher Forest anti-coal campaign. They are from grassroots climate action groups, large environmental organizations, left political groups and many other campaigns, groups, and networks.
Ende Gelaende all share the belief that to stop climate change we need to take action ourselves, using civil disobedience as a powerful signal for real action to put our climate before profit.“
Time on own including lunch
Engelberg
“A visit at Engelberg is a great way to experience a proper German breakfast, which traditionally consists of sourdough bread and rolls served with of loads of charcuterie, cheeses, and spreads. The secret to Engelberg is simple: The crew sources the best goods from all over the country and serves it on a beautiful sidewalk patio.“
The sidewalk patio, it was a wonderful day and a wonderful visit. Everyones food was delicious, this place is most definitely worth the visit if nearby.
Farthest left (somewhat out of view): eggs with smoked ham, German rye, fresh tomato. Then we have gulasch with bread, spaetzle with ham, a boiled sausage with a pretzel and mustard, gulasch with spaetzle, salads. They also have a wonderful selection of drinks.
14:45 Meet at giant TV tower in Alexanderplatz for bike tour
15:00- 18:00 Group Activity: Fat Tire Bike Tour
Our guide brought us to a number of different historical landmarks throughout Berlin. It was a better time than I had expected, it was a nice day for a bike ride.
Humboldt University
One of the world’s most influential universities in the 19th and 20th century, linked to major breakthroughs in physics and other disciplines by its professors... such as Albert Einstein. It was the site of one of Nazi Germany’s largest book burnings, the Book Burning Memorial is now in the center of the pavilion.
Berlin Wall
Still standing portion, most of which was torn down in 1989.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
There are multiple interpretations to the memorial, as nothing explicitly suggests its purpose. There are 2,711 concrete slabs of different heights, laid upon the ground of different elevation. Walking further into the monument, one is surrounded by the granite slabs.
Brandenburg Gate
Altes Museum
Berlin Cathedral
18:15 Group Dinner Good Bank
“We are the first vertical-farm-to-table-restaurant in the world.
We grow our own vegetables and salads – right before your eyes and for your culinary pleasure. In doing this, we transform unused urban areas into productive farms from which produce can be harvested and used fresh.
We avoid using any kinds of pesticides or genetically modified seeds and protect the environment by removing the need for long cold chains, transportation and packaging waste.
It doesn’t get fresher than this – and it’s a difference you can taste. Our salad leaves also contain more nutrients than those farmed using conventional agricultural methods.
Our vision is to produce all our food self-sufficiently – starting with the three self-grown lettuce and vegetable varieties we currently offer. Others are set to follow.
We hope to play a role in the development and promotion of an increased awareness of sustainability.”
This visit was a lot of fun and the food and drink were simple and delicious. We were served a pumpkin soup, a combination of different salads and bowls, and desert... along with wine, beer, or non-alcoholic tonics and juices. We were given a jar of local honey as a souvenir.
Rest of evening on own
Klunkerkranich
“It doesn't get much more Berlin than Klunkerkranich, a makeshift bar on the top floor of an abandoned parking garage in the middle of Neukölln. Equipped with one of the best views over the city and stocked with plenty off cold drinks and savory snacks, this place is one of the ultimate late night bars in Berlin. Stick around for its famous after-hour parties.”
This place was really cool and is definitely worth the visit when in Berlin, take the elevator inside the mall up to the fifth floor... follow the signs to this unusual oasis amongst the city.
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THURSDAY
8:15 Meet in the lobby to depart for the group visit
9.00 – 11.30 Group Visit Agora Energiewende
“In 2012, the European Climate Foundation and the Mercator Foundation founded Agora Energiewende to tackle the challenges posed by the energy transition. Its official mandate is to develop academically rigorous and politically feasible pathways for transforming energy systems toward clean energy in Germany and across the globe. Because its core funding comes from philanthropic organizations, Agora is fully autonomous, operating independently of business interests and political pressures. Within the framework of some international projects, Agora receives public funds in the form of grants.“
11:30 Lunch & time on own
Azzam Restaurant
“Famous for extraordinarily tasty fatteh and hummus, the Palestinian owners of Azzam have created a true melting pot for hungry diners of all stripes to experience the cultural and culinary diversity of Neukölln.”
One of the many places brought up through immigration to Berlin. The space is a meeting place for locals and visitors alike, the place was packed... and the kitchen was booming as fresh ingredients were thrown together and tossed out on large plates of deliciousness.
Gamäldegalerie
“The Gemäldegalerie boasts one of the world’s most important collections of European painting ranging from the 13th to 18th century. Masterpieces from all epochs in the history of art are on permanent display here, including paintings by Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, Albrecht Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Jan Vermeer van Delft. The gallery is especially proud of its strong collection of German and Italian painting from the 13th to 16th century and painting from the Low Countries dating from the 15th to 17th century.“
Hieronymus Bosch ... Triptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony (1501)
Peter Paul Rubens ... Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter (1614)
Rembrandt ... Self-Portrait with Velvet Beret (1634)
One of Rembrandt’s etching, there was an entire exhibition on his own and his students etching. It is difficult to discern between his own and his student’s work.
Caravaggio ... Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Conquers All) (1602)
Titian ... Venus and Cupid (1549)
Raphael ... Madonna Colonna (1508)
Sandro Botticelli ... Portrait of a Young Woman (1480s)
18:30 Group Dinner
FRIDAY
9.15 Depart for the academic visit by public transport
10:00 – 11:30 Group Visit: UfaFabrik: International Center for Community and Ecology Viktoriastr.
“Internationally, the UfaFabrik enjoys considerable recognition as a leading demonstration in the areas of culture, community, and ecology. The UfaFabrik Berlin is a living example of the possibilities that exist for creating attractive, socially and ecologically just ways of living in a metropolis.
We will discuss sustainable energy at the center and how community involvement has been crucial to the development of UfaFabrik Berlin. A site which had been a wasteland for over half a century. Along with friends, fans, activists, and neighbors, the group cleared away rubbish, built transportable organic vegetable plots and reaped the first fruits of their labor.”
From the green roof of one of the buildings, much of which contains solar panels. The energy is sold to the local community when there is a surplus and bought back when there is a shortage.
Walking along the path of the community. The buildings originally made as a film factory now house all sorts of things... a dojo, music studios, schools, a fire-oven bakery, and more.
Depart for hotel by public transport
14.00 Pick up luggage at hotel and depart for main train station by public transport
15.06 Depart on train (EC 174) for Hamburg
17.11 Arrive in Hamburg and switch to train to Copenhagen
17.28 Depart Hamburg for Copenhagen (EC39)
The sunset seen through the train window.
22.26 Arrive in Copenhagen
I arrived to the energetic bustle of culture night in Copenhagen, its very unfortunate that we didn’t plan around culture night. It would have been worth it to come home early in order to be a part of this special night.
I was happy to be back in Copenhagen, I went home to make some oatmeal and went to bed.
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Top of the World restaurant, located on the 106th floor of Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, has introduced new lunch and dinner menus with dishes created by Golden Entertainment’s new Corporate Executive Chef Johnny Church, as well as a remodeled dining room.
Check Out the Photo Gallery Below
“Top of the World is the most iconic restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip,” said Church, who recently won the 500th episode of Food Network’s hit show, “Chopped.” “Our aim with these new menus is to enhance that experience through elevating the cuisine.”
Top of the World – Cape Grim Ribeye
Top of the World offers a new take on steaks and seafood complemented by fresh, seasonal ingredients. The new menu includes several chops and steaks, including a 16-ounce grass fed ribeye from Cape Grim, Tasmania, a 16-ounce prime center cut New York strip from River Ranch, Minnesota and 22-ounce bone-in prime ribeye black Angus from Colorado. Australian and Japanese Wagyu selections include a 14-ounce Wagyu ribeye from Tajima Ranch, Australia, a 10-ounce Wagyu skirt steak from Tajima Ranch, Australia and a 3-ounce A-5 grade New York strip from Japan. Steaks may be paired with a Maine lobster tail, shrimp scampi or foie gras. Sauces and preparations include Béarnaise sauce, red wine reduction, peppercorn, blue cheese crust, and truffle gouda cheese fondue.
Other new entrees include pan-seared Mary’s chicken stuffed with Maryland lump crab and natural jus; zucchini and squash spaghetti style served with marinara sauce and vegan truffle parmesan; Rosen Farm Colorado lamb chop served with mint gel, horseradish, and natural jus; and Fiji tuna served with Daikon radish, rainbow carrots, pickled Fresno chilis, mashed edamame, and wasabi emulsion. Featured sides consist of creamed sweet corn topped with truffle and parmesan breadcrumbs; green beans with spiced Marcona almonds and brown butter; and roasted organic mushrooms with black garlic whipped cream.
Among the new appetizers are tuna tartare tacos prepared with avocado, citrus crema, and crisp lettuce; and Maine lobster tail and filet mignon carpaccio served with black garlic caper vinaigrette and brioche toast.
Top of the World has also introduced a new lunch menu. A few highlights include the “Top truffle burger,” made with a half-pound triple Angus beef patty topped with Melkbus truffle gouda cheese fondue and served with a choice of locally grown greens or French fries; steak frites, a 10-ounce Aspen Ridge® hanger steak served with fries and truffle aioli; a free-range chicken sandwich topped with arugula and togarashi aioli in a focaccia bun, served with a choice of locally grown greens or French fries; and a local mixed greens salad made with cucumber, tomato, shaved root vegetables and superfood vinaigrette.
Among Top of the World’s new dessert offerings are baked Alaska – a trio of strawberry, cookies and cream and brownie ice creams with streusel crumble and meringue brûlée; 21-layer chocolate cake topped with chocolate ganache; and Top of the World cake made with choice of white cake layered with Bavarian cream or chocolate cake, layered with chocolate mousse and raspberry marmalade.
Jason Shullo, a Certified Sommelier and Golden Entertainment’s new corporate director of beverage, has introduced a new wine menu to compliment Church’s cuisine. Among the nearly 300 selections are hard-to-find, boutique selections as well as some of the world’s most celebrated wines.
Top of the World has also unveiled a remodeled dining room inspired by the stunning, 360-degree views of the Las Vegas Valley. The tabletops are transitioning from white tablecloths to tables with a Kinon® surface that reflects the sky which accents the color of the mountaintops. The candle holders are reminiscent of street lights, as well as pull colors from the mountains. A new place setting is highlighted by Messermeister steak knives; a culinary classic. New chairs and reupholstered furniture bring shades of gray and blue, the colors of the sky, to the dining room. The remodel also includes a redesign of the lobby, improved lighting, and a full sound system upgrade.
Photo Credit Larry Hanna
Top of the World – Filet Mignon Carpaccio
Top of the World – Cape Grim Ribeye
Top of the World – Maine Lobster Thermidor
Top of the World – Japanese Wagyu
Top of the World – Turkey, Ham & Swiss Meatballs
Top of the World – Zucchini Squash Spaghetti
Top of the World – Tuna Tartare Tacos_
Top of the World – Fiji Tuna
About Top of the World
Top of the World is open from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily for lunch and 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. for dinner.
Reservations for Top of the World may be made by calling 702.380.7711 or by visiting http://www.topoftheworldlv.com/reservations.php.
About Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower
The iconic Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower offers 2,427 guest rooms and suites and an 80,000-square-foot casino. Located at 2000 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nev. 89104 at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, Stratosphere is the gateway to downtown Las Vegas and just a few miles from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The 1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, is home to Top of the World, famed for its revolving dining room and acclaimed cuisine; the highest view of the Las Vegas Strip from the Observation Deck; and thrilling attractions and rides, SkyJump Las Vegas, Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity. Now owned by Golden Entertainment, Inc., Stratosphere will soon debut a collection of new restaurants to join its current offerings, including the Tower Shops; MJ LIVE, a Michael Jackson tribute show; and L.A. Comedy Club, which showcases up-and-coming stand-up comics. Stratosphere’s ace | PLAY TM program allows players to enjoy awards, comps, and exclusives. Free valet and self-parking are available anytime for locals and visitors, as well as complimentary observation tower admission for hotel guests. For more information, visit StratosphereHotel.com, call 702-380-7777 or 800-99-TOWER (998-6937).
About Golden Entertainment, Inc.
Golden Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates gaming properties across two divisions – resort and casino operations and distributed gaming. The Company operates more than 16,200 gaming devices, 114 table games, 5,168 hotel rooms, and provides jobs for approximately 7,000 team members. Golden Entertainment owns eight casino resorts – seven in Southern Nevada and one in Maryland. Through its distributed gaming business in Nevada and Montana, Golden Entertainment operates video gaming devices at over 1,000 locations and owns nearly 60 traditional taverns in Nevada. The Company is licensed in Illinois to operate video gaming terminals. Golden Entertainment is focused on maximizing the value of its portfolio by leveraging its scale, leadership position and proven management capabilities across its two divisions. For more information, visit www.goldenent.com.
Top of the World at Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower Debuts New Menu Top of the World restaurant, located on the 106th floor of Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, has introduced new lunch and dinner menus with dishes created by Golden Entertainment’s new Corporate Executive Chef Johnny Church, as well as a remodeled dining room.
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Mediterranean Fare Plus The Best Salad Bar at Tapenade in Discovery Primea
I have stayed at almost all the other Discovery Hotels and Resorts properties in the country and have always been impressed with their five-star accommodations and service, but I had yet to visit their one hotel in Makati, Discovery Primea. I finally had the chance to go inside this towering structure a few weeks ago when I got an invitation to dine at their Mediterranean restaurant. What greeted me there was this huge T-Bone Steak and I can truly say that it was love at first sight.
Tapenade is Discovery Primea’s all day dining restaurant which you can find on the ground floor, just behind their lobby bar called The Gilarmi Lounge. Discovery Primea is a five star serviced residences situated right along the busy Ayala Avenue in the Makati Central Business District, one of the prime pieces of real estate along a row of residential buildings known as Apartment Ridge. It is one of the tallest buildings in Makati and I have always wondered how it looked inside, so I was really impressed with the hotel’s classic Mediterrenean-Chinoiserie design, and more so with Tapenade’s lineup of healthy salads, stone-baked pizzas, and of course, mouthwatering steaks from the grill.
Tapenade has a relaxed and charming vibe as it aims to bring inspired Mediterranean cooking to the forefront by serving a wide variety of dishes with the freshest ingredients. Its upscale dining environment is conducive for those extended office lunches and family get togethers, especially with its bright and spacious surroundings.
My friends and I were seated at the private room which could seat up to ten guests. I may have been too excited to try this restaurant so I ended up arriving ahead of everyone else.
That wasn’t a problem because I quickly headed to the signature Tapenade Salad Room where I started my lunch with a comprehensive selection of local and imported greens, composed salads, condiments and homemade dressings. For only P750 per person, the Tapenade Salad Room offers a buffet of healthy options that not just includes salads, but many other enchanting appetizers.
The Salad Room has a curated selection of cold cuts, breads, and dips which will truly jumpstart ones appetite. A selection of hams and meats include Prosciutto di Parma, chorizo, salami, smoked chicken breast, plus numerous bread options like wheat loaves, ciabatta, and focaccia.
This was no ordinary salad room because I was surprised to see an entire cold seafood station with an indulgent section of New Zealand mussels, locally sourced White Shrimps, and homemade Gravlax. Diners can have unlimited servings of all these seafood which even include freshly shucked Aklan oysters.
But my favorite area inside the Tapenade Salad Room is actually the cheese section. They have rows of specialty cheese which include Brie, Blue Cheese, Emmental, and Goat Cheese. What really caught my attention was the Mango Goat Cheese which I had only previously encountered at the Spiral Cheese Room in Sofitel Philippine Plaza. This is my favorite among all the cheese variants and I could not believe that I found it here at Discovery Primea. Some diners actually go to Tapenade for the Salad Room alone, and I can totally understand why.
Diners who avail of the Tapenade Salad Room also get a complimentary bowl of their Soup of the Day. They are actually offering a #Throwback Thursdays promotion where guests can have the Tapenade Salad Room for lunch or dinner at its original price of only P620 per head. Now that’s a good reason to visit the hotel on a Thursday for what I believe is the best Salad Bar in Manila.
Can you believe we haven’t even started on our main lunch yet? Tapenade’s a la carte menu offers more tantalizing options to start your Mediterranean journey. The Moroccan Gambas (P490) is a popular item with its prawns in aromatic spices, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes. It has its own distinct flavor which is different from the olive oil-based Spanish gambas.
The creamy Croquetas de Pollo (P320) comes with crispy roast chicken and chorizo inside a potato croquette served with garlic mayo. These bite-sized starters and good to nibble on while waiting for the heavier main dishes.
I prefer the meaty Bacon-Wrapped Dates (P490) with its delectable slices of bacon wrapped around Spanish chorizo stuffing and then doused with sweet and smoky piquillo pepper sauce.
Another excellent cheese dish would be the Stone-Baked Feta Cheese (P460), a Tapenade signature dish that comes with sun-dried tomatoes, capers, Greek Metaxa brandy, and honey. Place some of the salty cheese on top of the bread or just eat it by itself dipped in sweet honey.
Tapenade serves some classic pasta dishes with traditional Mediterranean flavors like the Homemade Tagliatelle Al Funghi (P420). This is a healthy item with its creamy pasta that comes topped with portabella and shiitake mushrooms plus oyster mushroom sauce. However, I recommend getting the Spaghetti Alle Vongole (P390) with its fresh clams in garlic and lemon doused with white wine sauce. You can taste the fresh clams in every garlicky bite.
Tapenade is also proud of its Stone-Baked Pizza prepared from their brick oven. This gives the pizza that crispy outer crust with a combination of exciting ingredients like the Alla Carbonara (P420). This creamy pizza comes with double-smoked bacon, Parmesan cheese, and a soft egg in the middle.
The Speck (P520) comes with a combination of smoked prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula for a leafy and meaty pizza.
Discovery Primea also has a special pizza promotion called #TreatTuesday. Diners can treat themselves to 50% off on any of the signature stone-baked pizzas all day long on Tuesdays! This is available for both dine-in and even take-out.
It’s time we explored some of the Mains at Tapenade like the Lengua Sevillana (P590). This classic Spanish ox tongue dish is cooked with mushrooms, green olives, and pan-fried potatoes.
Another meaty dish is the Slow-Roasted U.S. Beef Belly (P790) placed on top of pumpkin rissoni and sprinkled with gremolata. The tender and fatty beef belly is rounded up with orzo pasta to make this a complete dish by itself.
But the absolute best item we had that afternoon was the awesome steak from Tapenade’s Mediterranean grill. The Bistecca alla Fiorentina (P2600) is a 700-gram T-bone steak that comes with grilled asparagus, potatoes limonata, and roasted mushrooms on the side.
This entire platter is big enough to share for the entire table, but I want it all for myself! I took a bite of the succulent steak and fell in love with its deep beefy flavor that makes it one of the best steaks for me. I am a big steak lover and who would have thought I would find this gorgeous dish in a Mediterranean restaurant.
The beef was cooked medium rare with the fatty portions made well done to give it that crispy texture. I eventually decided to share the Bistecca with the rest of my friends. It’s Christmas anyway.
Our extended lunch was made more fabulous with some signature cocktails from The Gilarmi Lounge which you can also order from Tapenade. The Cilantro Sour (P540) is an herbal whiskey sour made with Glenlivet 12 Years and some sugar, lemon and cilantro. I had a glass of the refreshing Riviera Fizz (P540) with a combination of gin, blood orange, lemon and soda.
To cap off our lovely afternoon, we ordered a few Mediterranean desserts like the Turkish Baklava (P260) with its chopped pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and aromatic spices inside a phyllo pastry. They also have Housemade Gelatos (P180) in strawberry, vanilla, salted caramel and other flavors.
It was a relaxing Christmas afternoon spent in the company of friends at Tapenade. I would like to thank Margaux Hontiveros, Director for Marketing Communications at Discovery Primea, for introducing me to this beautiful hotel. I don’t know why it took me so long to visit this Discovery property, but now that I have, I’m sure I will be back again really soon.
Tapenade
G/F Discovery Primea, 6749 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
955-8888 / 988-2988 / (0917) 679-4567
www.discoveryprimea.com
www.facebook.com/DiscoveryPrimeaMakati
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<p>The Way to Transform Your Yard Into a Survival Garden</p>
There are two kinds of preppers: those who intend to run for the hills and those who hope to stay put for as long as possible. If you're the latter kind, you have undoubtedly outfitted your house with every conceivable advantage, from safety windows and doors to months-worth of shelf-safe foods. But if you haven't even touched your landscaping, you aren't doing all you can to prepare.
Your lawn is more than a futile zone between the unprepared masses and your beloved family. There's a lot you can do to transform your lawn into a space that improves your odds of survival, to include growing your own food and cultivating a line of defense against possible attackers. To make your very own survival garden, here are a few tip and tricks:
Construct a Natural Growing Environment
It should be clear, but plants do not naturally grow in rigid rows like you normally see in landscaped gardens. In the wild, plants grow just fine without weeding, trimming, or pesticide treatments; they continue to bear fruits and seeds with no human intervention. You should strive to build a survival garden based on a natural growing environment. Still, that doesn't mean you can throw seeds into your yard and expect them to grow. Instead, you must carefully construct your normal survival garden to optimize your benefit.
In nature, plants need to share water, air, and sun, and they protect one another from pests such as bugs and birds. This is normally accomplished through broadly organized concentric circles. In the centre is the tallest point, a large tree that protects shade-loving plants. Away from the color grow thick shrubs that keep away bigger pests such as rabbits and voles and outside them, fragrant herbs that keep away smaller pests while attracting pollinators and protective insects such as bees and wasps.
Ideally, you should optimize your usage of the three measurements while planning your growing environment. By doing so, you can produce up to five times more food than you might with conventional growing beds. Better still, because your lawn will simulate a natural environment, it will not encourage scavengers and looters to pillage your hard-grown food.
Choose the Right Plants
The plants you select will ultimately depend on your region and soil. For example, it's not likely that a prepper in Minnesota will find much luck keeping a citrus tree alive outside in the frigid winter; likewise, peaches don't grow well in the dry air and soil of Arizona. Additionally, the seasons may impact what plants thrive and produce meals and what plants go dormant or die. If you want a hands-off survival garden, you need to research what to plant when -- and maybe get some help from qualified professionals during your planning stages.
Here are a few examples of possible plants for your survival garden:
Trees: citrus, stone fruit, and nut trees
Shade plants: members of the cabbage family, including kale, broccoli, and arugula
Shrubs: berry bushes, sweet ferns, and other edible shrubs
Herbs: basil, lavender, mint, lemon thyme, rosemary, and most any other herb.
Consider Defensive Flora
On one hand, wide-open areas and floodlights provide you the visibility you will need to see possible intruders before they reach your house; on the other hand, if your house looks inhabitable and defensible, you're more likely to attract people wanting to take what you need for their own. In truth, you may be better served by keeping defenses that don't look like defenses -- that is to say, using your landscaping to shield you.
The easier you make it to get to your front door, the more likely you are to have traffic. Thus, the appealing and inviting front walkway will need to go. Instead, you should try to make passage in your domicile as perplexing and discouraging as possible. Around the outside of your lawn -- around the precious crops of your normal garden -- and along the narrow, winding passageway to the interior, you should install plants that are less-than-inviting. Some examples (of varying soil and climate demands) comprise:
Creeping juniper grows like a blue carpet covered in thorns.
Golden bamboo grows in thick clumps, making a hard, natural wall.
Firethorn is a tall tree with thorny stems that makes for another natural wall, but this one is covered in beautiful white blossoms and red-orange berries -- that aren't good for eating.
Sloe or blackthorn grows in hedges of thick, prickly foliage, and the berries can be used for flavoring gin.
Mountain or blue walnut are trees with especially sharp needles.
Be a Diligent Gardener
Even if you do opt for a low-maintenance, natural survival garden, you shouldn't expect to perform zero yardwork. At the minimum, you will need to harvest your plants throughout the seasons, and you will likely need to manage your defensive flora so that it doesn't impede your passing through your lawn. Even though it takes some effort to build and maintain, your lawn is among your most precious prepping resources, and you shouldn't neglect it.
The post How to Transform Your Yard Into a Survival Garden appeared first on American Preppers Network.
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“Time is running, so I’ll say this quick. I don’t like how you snatch up other hives women and then brag about it at the next gathering. It makes you look desperate to keep the flow of your population. Another thing I don’t like about you, Arugula, is that you’ve got the NERVE to use your trickery charms on MY Spectra! I want to erase that memory of the gala. The whole time you were speaking with her….sweet talking at her…..KISSING HER HAND RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! If we weren’t for that truce event, I’d have strangled that neck of yours, you old carcass.”
“For you to remind me of the rules or war? HA! shut your trap. You half-sighted snake! When i defeat you, I’m taking my drone back. Naeba is mine. “I know it isn’t a big deal to you but when one of my drones think of leaving the hive, the rest will do the same. I can’t have that. I need to make an example of her.”
“In the past I would suggest we have a fight of honor. Both sides choose one of our finest warriors to clash in a single combat. I’ve brought three of my front line soldiers. The others will remain at the gates. Since you’ve already brought three of yours. I agree with the terms. I will leave this place and you can have Naeba as one of your chamber drones. I doubt you’re in any shape to do so. Unlike you, I’m not out of fighting practice.”
(Tallest Arugula belongs to @messinwitheddie)
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Arugula,if you were able to. ever thought of taking a mate?
Also I think you and Pepperoncini should meet. You both don’t seem to like where your empire is heading.
Arugula "Take a mate? I don't understand the question. If translating correctly, I have and have had 1000s of mates over the long centuries. My "mates" and I are more tightly bonded than ever in recent centuries."
Oopze "Perhaps what they mean is, "would you ever pick only one of us?"
Arugula "NO! No, I would never trade or settle upon but one of my chamber drones. Did I not prove that point the night I died? No. I love all my chamber drones. If one decides to leave me for whatever reason, I'm accepting, provided they say goodbye to me beforehand."
Drones "Awww!" 💕
Ugz "I kind of like the term, "mate." It sounds more like a respected title; not just an occupational classification."
Arugula "Suppose it does. Then we shall adopt the word.
Ugz "Perhaps you have a new admirer and they're being discrete."
Arugula "Ohhh.... if that is the case; I will gladly take in another mate. No need to be shy.
As for Pepperoncini; I don't... wait! Pepperoncini...? Pepperoncini...? Why does that name sound familiar?"
Oopz "Late Pepperoncini of the 4th era is Spinch's mate."
Arugula "Ahh! Spinch; what radiance! What sweetness! Yes, I've met Pepperoncini. He has a BEAUTIFUL mate; and a loyal one. I invited her to participate in my harem, but she declined."
Oopz "She still shows for the buffet and the needle point circle and step aerobics class."
Arugula "True, but the harem is... oh, I won't get worked up. A bit possessive, that Cini and a prude. A product of his generation, I suppose.
Politically yes, we see eye to eye, but beyond that he and I do not mesh well. That is as much as I care to say about the subject."
[I actually have a Cini meets Arugula side plot partially worked out in my private sketch book, but that's not something tumblr should see and not just because my spelling without spellchecker is even more terrible.]
#invader zim#irken#ocs#tallest Arugula#they're too much alike#cini is probably#a very distant#descendant of arugula
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Day 34:
We started off today with cereal, toast, and jam at our AirBnB. We then went to a coffee shop called Beanhive to start the day. They are famous for their drawings that they make on top of the lattes and their traditional Irish breakfast. We just got coffee, and the drawings on our drinks were really great. We then walked across the street to a public park called Saint Stephen’s Green, which was really pretty and green even in the winter.
We took the bus to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and got there just in time for a free tour. This church is the tallest and largest in Ireland and has been designated as the national cathedral of Ireland. We learned about the history of the church and how the Guinness family has played a huge part in the restoration of the church, which is ongoing. There is a special place in the pews for any Guinness family member that visits the church. Jonathan swift and his lover are buried in the church in an interesting way, standing up, so all you can see is a small plaque on the floor. Flags from previous battles hang in the church, where they slowly decompose out of honor. We took in all of the history and artwork, and then walked next door to Marsh’s Library. Opened in 1707, it was the first public library in Ireland and holds over 25,000 books. We weren’t allowed to take pictures here, but it was still cool to walk around in.
We then went to the Dublin Castle, which has the only standing tower in Dublin. The walls of the tower are 15 feet thick and only one person has ever escaped the tower, and he went through the sewers. We walked through the Chester Beatty Library, which is more of a museum of books, and we looked at manuscripts, maps, and drawings from different countries.
We walked to lunch at Lotts Cafe, and this restaurant also resembled and Irish pub. Cole got a steak sandwich, and I got beer battered fish and chips. After lunch, we had a tour planned at Glasnevin Cemetery, which is a few minutes outside of the center of Dublin. This was another one of our favorite tours on the trip, especially because we had to best guide named Paddy. Many of the leaders of the Rebellion of 1798 are buried here, or they have memorial graves here, so it was really neat to see the connections between the cemetery and Kilmainham Gaol, the prison that we toured yesterday. We watched a reenactment of a famous speech of the rebellion, saw the grave of the man who invented plastic surgery, and touched O’Connell’s lucky grave. We learned a lot on this tour too, and it made us appreciate Irish history even more than we did yesterday.
We made our way back to the center of the city and stopped by a shopping center called Powerscourt Square, which we found was actually a huge house that was transformed into a mall. They had a small food court and three levels of shops to browse through. There were stores with wedding dresses, jewelry, antiques, and lots more. After walking through there for a while, we went back to the room to relax before dinner.
This was our last dinner in Europe. We decided to bring it full circle and eat at the same place we went our first night in Europe when we were stranded in Dublin. The restaurant is called Fagan’s and it was close to where we were staying. I got pasta with chorizo, chicken, and arugula and Cole got fish and chips. We also couldn’t help but get a Guinness and a strawberry lime cider. We went back to the room and packed for our flight back to the states the next day.
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Arugula, you seem like a lovable tallest. What made you want to keep all these lovely ladies in your chambers? What was it like for you growing up? Was it your dream to become tallest? or was there other interest you were hoping to achieve in your youth?
Also, how’s the afterlife treating you? You mentioned that some of these birthing drones escaped their own hives to join yours. Do any of them tell you their reasons? Does your actions not spark backlash?
Arugula “Lovable? That depends on which drones you ask. I'm not popular among my fellow tallests or at least I wasn’t when I was alive. I have not left my afterlife harem in MANY centuries. HA! Why should I? I am content here among my loyal birthing drones. We keep each other QUITE entertained.
At first, I kept all of these “lovely ladies" in my chambers because of tradition. After the second successful birthening, it's a birthing drone's inalienable right to dwell in the personal chambers of their ruling tallest and to enjoy whatever comforts and riches the hive has to offer. Without successful birthing drones a hive eventually crumbles into oblivion or at least it certainly would before smeetery technology.
BUT, I confess, I strived to welcome as many birthing drones into my chambers as possible for certain personal reasons. The tallest I saluted before standing tallest myself was much more discriminatory than myself when it came to his birthing drones. He kept only the “most genetically worthy" safe in his chambers.
Thousands of rejected birthing drones were forced to give birth in the grand mess hall or in the Hive's main silk factory or the overcrowded halls of the civilian medical hubs.
My birthing drone-er--- mother, gave birth to me and my 61 swarm mates on a dirty factory floor only to return to her place on the loom assembly line the moment her bleeding subsided. Her spooch floor never healed properly and she never successfully silked after her first birthening or successfully carried another swarm again. It shaved over 3 healthy centuries off her life. She dropped dead at her post before I was measured tallest and could welcome her into my chambers for a well-deserved retirement.
Maybe my mother was short and not conventionally attractive, but she was a GOOD drone; a LOYAL drone and she deserved better. So did her fellow reject birthing drones.
My short, homely mother birthed a future tallest, did she not? In fact, 4 of her smeets eventually grew up to be tallests that ruled over their own hives; Myself, my dumbass brother Figgynootz, my other brother Marjoram AND my sister, Jabjab. That's right, my short, disposable mother made 4 tallest! FOUR!
My mother deserved so much better for her service and sacrifices. Maybe dedicating so much energy into pleasing my birthing drones was my way of honoring her memory.
My smeethood was pretty unremarkable. Like most of the smeets in my hive, I went through basic training and received a standard education. My first job beyond foot soldier was sanitation drone, if you can imagine.
I was a late grower. I didn't experience a major growth spurt until I was about 70-75 years old. Until then, I was a slightly above average stature of a drone, just scraping by in between battles with neighboring hives and to be honest, until I was measured tallest, I had no aspirations to be anything more.
The afterlife is treating me well now a days. As you can see, I have abandoned that depressing long table Hell centuries ago. Since then, I built a secluded haven for us. Few Irken spirits ever come across it. From what I understand, my harem is one of legend, envied by many, but discovered by few. I try my damndest to keep it that way.
Call me selfish if you will, but I prefer to keep my birthing drones all to myself now. The Irken race in its modern state has marched in a direction that I personally find appalling. Why subject them to such turmoil?
I searched the far corners of the afterlife and found as many of my birthing drones as I could. I invited them to dwell with me here, in my ethereal harem. Here we have cultivated an orchard of delights. We snack, we conversate, we indulge in creative pursuits and of course, we make love as often as we please however we please. I've perfected my technique over the centuries; not to brag.
Most of my foreign birthing drones sought sanctuary in my hive when I was a living tallest because they were not valued in their original hive. Their former tallest did not consider them worthy of praise, respect or even proper medical attention. Sometimes they were even denied a sufficient amount of food during their pregnancies. Word traveled across Irk that I provided for my birthing drones, so they came to me and of course I welcomed them.
What drone of sound mind would choose to turn away a fertile birthing drone, I ask you?
How many do you keep in your chambers, may I ask?
Women are such beautiful examples of life. YES, I mean the short women too and the hefty women, and the short, hefty women-- even the physically disabled or deformed women or infertile women who barely silk or only successfully birth one small swarm-- AND the women who don't even realize their women yet. I appreciate all women and THAT is why my fertility festivals were worthy of legend. THAT is why my hive's population remained plentiful when so many other hives suffered a decline. The fact other tallests did not follow my lead is of no fault of mine.
Some argue hording so many fertile women lead to war against my hive. Perhaps if I could have trusted any other tallest to care for my lovely ladies as well as I had, I WOULD have been willing to sell or trade some of them to my allied tallests, but I couldn’t so I DIDN’T.
I do not regret sticking to my guns and thankfully most of my birthing drones do not hold that decision against me.
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Did Tallest Arugula took care of his birthing drones? Or does he just like keeping them around his chambers as “trophies wives?” Has he ever wished to have a sworn of his own?
Tallest Arugula "My birthing drones are well cared for, rest assured. I cherish them, ALL of them with all my heart and spooch. I personally see to it that my birthing drones are provided with the finest nutrition and medical care. When entertainment is requested, I provide. When special accommodations are needed, I do my best to provide. I envy the siring drones, I really do, but I know my purpose as tallest and that is to keep my hive functioning.
I have a task force of service drones assigned to their beck and call and that task force is rewarded handsomely.
My birthing drones are free to leave, but most choose to stay in my chambers, thank goodness. Many of them fled their former hives to seek sanctuary in mine and of course I welcomed them. Nothing makes me happier than to see my beloveds happy. Their smeets are the future of my hive. They grow up to be soldiers, workers, frylords, and one of them, if they grow tall enough, my successor.
I am an old drone now, ravaged by war and so many other disasters and health decline. Decades ago, a drone outgrew me and I gladly stepped down for him, but war took him young. Poor sprite. I was forced to rule again, still standing tallest amongst my drones. Since then, I cherish the comfort and company my birthing drones provide me all the more.
They are only trophies in the sense that the smeets they will soon produce secure the future of this hive.
We interact often, on the most pleasant of terms. To think of it, I'm scheduled to participate in the knitting circle in a few hours. I'm no good at it, but the birthing drones seem to appreciate the effort, so I show face.
Now, if you will excuse me, it is snack time. My lovely drones must eat for an army each. What a delight to watch.
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*Naeba’s POV*
“Coming here wasn’t a bad idea as I thought. The travel was troubling but at least I’ve made it safely. After meeting Arugula for the first time. I thought I had finally met a tallest who can appreciate me. Don’t get me wrong. Spectra has always been kind to me and see me more than just her co-leader’s chamber drone. At first I was nervous because I’ve trespassed into a rival’s hive without permission. I would have been punished or worse, killed. Tallest Arugula approached me with a gentle smile.”
“He reassured me that I am safe here. I told him my situation and the condition of my tallest back home. And what Magnus did to me. I begged and even offer some of my precious pearls as offerings to the hive leader but to my surprise, Arugula turned them down. He feels my pain. Even more so after I’ve showed him the claw marks on the back of my right shoulder. I’ve heard from other drones in my hive that Arugula takes great care of his females. Especially when they are pregnant.”
“I am expecting as well but fear the life my smeets will have if they are born in Magnus’s hive. That’s why I ran. When I was little, me and my swormmates discovered an old, abandoned underground passageway that lead to the other side of our territory. Only learn that it leads to tallest Arugula’s territory. I’ve made my siblings swear not to tell anyone about this. For it might be the gateway to a future battle, if things get spicy between our hives. Here I am now. Standing in front a tallest whom everyone seems to think is a big softy.”
“I felt my antennas shaking after Arugula agreed to let me stay in his hive. This is what I’ve been hoping for. My smeets can be born in a place that won’t fear its tallest. Despite the circumstances of how they were conceived. I WILL raise my smeets to be better irkens than the ones who turned against me. I’ll miss my hive and all the once’s who were nice to me, but this place will be my home now. Arugula escorted me to a room down a long hallway. We walked into a room and I was Amazed at how it looked.”
“Across from us is a large lounge couch, a small table on the side, and there are two female drones in here. I got a good look at them from where I was standing. They are so pretty. The one that approached had long feathered-like antennas and two different eye colors. The other girl has a competition I’ve never seen before. She was over at the table, sorting out, what looks like a small bags of….something. She waved in our direction before returning back to it. Arugula walked in first and I walked shy behind him.”
“He addressed the issue with them and the first girl looked at me up and down. Obviously the features and clothing that I’m in, to determine my position. I was never an open book before but this drone read me clear as day. She guessed what I am a chamber drone, even without noticing the small belly swell.”
“What’s your name?” She asked.
“Naeba….”
“Who’s the tallest of your hive?”
“Tallest Magnus.” Naeba said.
“Wait, Magnus?! You’ve escaped THAT hive?” Said the other female in the room. She moved away from the table and walked to stand next to the feathered antenna one. these two are taller than her by a slight inch or two. It made her feel like she’ll never grow.
“The tallest explain further about my situation to them and I wonder if they’ll see pity in that. I did not have many female friends in my hive. Besides the three that I’ve grown up with. Not wanting to feel even more awkward, I tugged on Arugula’s robe. Pulling him away from the other two.
“I should’ve considered this before. People knew about tallest Magnus and his mental state. They fear if he loses control over any of his drones, he’ll go mad. These two believe that if he finds out that I’m here, he’ll rain death upon your door! He’s too possessive over his females and won’t let them go. Seriously who does that?….Oh! I didn’t mean….”
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“Umm….excuse me? Are you the tallest, Arugula? Sorry for walking in on you, but my name is Naeba, and I’ve came a long way to speak with you. Your guards weren’t happy with me trespassing, so they brought me to you. I have heard many things about your hive, my liege. Is it true that you have a harem of females in your chamber? How many are there? Are they doing well? Are they allowed to return to their duties? *Clears throat * I mean….I’ve heard you took in many females who are birthing drones from other hives. You do so without turning any of them away, despite being from enemy hives. I was hoping if you’ll be open to….have me stay as well?
*Takes out a bunch of gold pearls* “I do not know the formality of your hive but I’ve brought you some of my personal pearls as a offering, my liege. It is all that i was able to bring with me while I escaped. Are you aware of tallest Magnus’s condition? He’s in a dark place right now. After the mysterious death of his co-leader. His health has been declining as well as his mind. On his 300th celebration, Magnus gathered man female drones into his chamber. Along with selected males from his personal staff. He wanted us to….breed. My tallest expect all of us to be pregnant but only got half of that. This disappointment made him very angry, so he punished everyone. Mostly the females for not conceiving. *Shutters at the memory*
“Forgive me for ranting, tallest Arugula. The journey here was not easy for me. I don’t know why Magnus chose me to be a part of the group breeding. I was told I was ugly. With my short antennas, thick arms, unattractive eyes color and that I’m short.
*Shows the claw marks on the back of her shoulder.* “I’ve got these from him. It’s a mark of my rank and his ownership over me, and so many others like me. Magnus has lost it and I couldn’t stay in my hive anymore, so I ran. I found the hidden passage that was underground and long been forgotten by everyone. It lead me on this far side of your territory. Tallest Arugula, I beg of you to let me stay in your hive. I may not look like it now but I AM pregnant. I’ve never asked for this but I had no choice in the matter.
*Offers up her pearls* “Take my pearls. They are worth a lot of monies! I know I trespassed into your hive but please don’t send me back to mine!😥
Two sentinels crossed their battle axes, blocking her path. A lanky drone in a casual waltzing robes looked her over. His height directly indicated he was in fact the tallest, but beyond that, he was nothing Naeba had expected. He presented a sense of sincerity that she previously found lacking in most other tallests. He wore no binding under his robes, exposing his natural teardrop belly. An unsightly scar crossed over a glass eye. No attempts were made to hide the lines around his eyes or the corners of his mouth. Somehow, none of this took away from his natural elegance.
He stopped, glanced her way and flashed a friendly smile. "The one, the same, the only." Arugula confirmed. "Guards, that's enough; at ease... To what honor do I owe the upward gaze of your lovely fluorite eyes? You must excuse the hostility. My sentinels take their duties very seriously as I command of them. Isn't that so, my good sprites?"
Guards "Sir, yes sir!"
Arugula lead Naeba down the hall, sipping his coctail. "There will be no further trouble from them. So tell me, what drove you to brave the war torn, sun scorched surface lands to speak to me?...
A harem?? You shelter over 700 birthing drones and suddenly you're running a harem. T'HA! Too funny. Ask any of my birthing drones how they're getting along here. I like to think they're content in my company. At this point in my reign, nothing makes me happier than to see my "harem" happy." He smiled, beaming with pride as he took a long sip of his cocktail.
"They are free to return to their former duties after they birth their swarms-- once their bodies have recovered from the strain of labor of course. You know the toll giving life can take on a body. I do encourage them to stay here, at least second and third time successful swarm birthers. It is their right to lounge with me after all. I have grown very attatched to most of them, but the heart is one thing a tallest cannot demand of his drones. My heart is theirs indefinitely, but many have given their heart to other drones or their occupations prior to becoming impregnated." His antennae perked to the next line of questioning.
"You heard correct, my pretty little pixy. I will not turn away a birthing drone. Have not yet once. All are welcome in my chambers. My hive needs a future and the future is only secured by my smeets. There is room for you in my chambers, if you're interested in such an arrangement."
He gently waved his hand, signaling for her to put them away. "What a stunning collection... and a lovely gesture, but proprieties are of little concern to me. I cannot in good conscience accept your only possession as my own."
The warm smile faded as Naeba continued. His antennae drooped. "That IS troubling. Very unlike the Magnus I knew. Perhaps I shouldn't be too shocked. I attended Spectra's funeral. I watched Magnus carry her to the right hand of the Colossus. His wails of sorrow echoed over NoDrone's land. He returned the the ground an altered drone. It escapes me, an accurate word to describe the look in his eyes when I approached him to give my condolences... It was as unsettling as it was tragic.
But grief does not justify the mistreatment of his drones. If he wishes for better success with his hive's fertility festival, he needs only to follow my example. No one ever listens."
Arugula listened to his guest carefully. His brow knitted, lips gradually bending downward. "Naeba, hear me well and deeply, deeply internalize what I'm about to tell you. YOU are NOT ugly. You cannot be ugly because, by default, the Irken form is beautiful. Perfect in all it's variations and imperfections. Those insults were hurled at you to break your spirit, nothing more. They carried no truth with them.
With one eye I can see a resemblance between you and the beautiful, fallen Spectra. Magnus must have noticed himself."
Arugula squirmed internally as Naeba continued to explain her situation. Her scars made his spooch turn. "Oh... oh, you poor thing. The resemblance must have torn open his heart all over again." He winced, ashamed of himself for making excuses. Arugula didn't want to believe his ally had committed these acts, but he knew such misconduct was all too comon. He couldn’t simply dismiss Naeba's story. He took a calming breath.
"How shameful it is when a tallest willingly makes his drones suffer. I will investigate the matter further, but I fear there is little I can do for your fellow hive-citizens. I have my own hive to rule and my own drones to protect. I will attempt to hail Magnus and appeal to his better senses, but I doubt he will listen to anything I have to say..."
His warm smile returned. "If you salute me as your tallest, I will gladly offor you shelter and protection. A tithe is not necessary; you have a secure place here in my hive. If you like, I will keep them on display in my personal treasure stronghold. You may retrieve them upon request.
Stay here; I will send for some service drone to escort you to the lounge and bring you a snack platter. A medic will arrive shortly after to examine you. You and your swarm will be well cared for. To warn you, my hive's fertility festival is fast approaching. Things get wild in my chambers.
Now, you must excuse me. My presence is needed in the war room. Thank you for keeping me informed. Enjoy yourself, Naeba. It was a pleasure..." He marched past her.
[Hope the dialogue isn't too confusing. Arugula is a talker.]
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Tallest Magnus:ARUGULA! Come out and face me! I’ve came to collect what’s mine. You have one of my drones in there. Bring her to me at once! You have taken enough females already. What makes you think you can steal mine as well? You refuse to come to the summons as I request of you, and now i can see why. You sneaky old crook. My camera bots spotted one of my birthing drones heading towards your hive. If you were smart, you’d send her back but noooo. I have to come get her myself. So where is she? If you do not bring that wench out here, I WILL drag her out of your chambers by the antenna if I have to.”
(I was thinking about this. Has Arugulanot have one of the other hive leaders confront him about keeping their birthing drones before? 😅)
Tallest Magnus and his high generals watched as the outer seal to the enemy hive opened.
Tallest Arugula emerged with his high generals and a small battalion of foot soldiers in toe.
Arugula "Greetings, tallest Magnus! You have come well prepared for battle, I see, but as YOU can see, I am prepared to retaliate! [Motions to his foot soldiers and the gundrones stationed up in the seal walls with laser canons, pointing downward.]
Have you forgotten the rules of war?? Your birthing drone escaped the protective seal of your hive and survived the treacherous surface lands to reach mine! I am well within my rights to provide her sanctuary. I have stolen nothing from you aside from your pride!
Perhaps if you valued your birthing drones while they still dwelled in your chambers, she would have remained in your chambers and we would not have to face off under such circumstances--- Ah, but here we are!
Think of me as a crook all you like, but I knew you to be a tallest of honor. We are civilized drones, are we not? To spare our soldiers unnecessary bloodshed, let us engage in the *clash of keys!
[Sound an uproar of war drums*]
Should I miss a step and fall dead at your feet, you and your army shall storm my hive and take what you will, including the birthing drone in question with no opposition from my drones...
BUT if I still stand by the end, then you will forfeit your birthing drone to me permanently and you and your army will take leave IMMEDIATELY.
What say you, Magnus...?"
[The drummers of both armies raise their sticks, anticipating Magnus's response.]
*the clash of keys is a traditional war dance/ pre battle ritual performed by two or more opposing tallests.
The "keys" are sword-like weapons that represent the key to a hive. The object of the dance isn't necessarily to slaughter the other tallest, but the risk is high. Should a tallest be fatally wounded during the dance, their army is automatically forced to retreat or pledge allegiance to the still standing tallest. Irken warfare was a lot more theatrical in Arugula's day. The drawings are so underwhelming; wish I had the time/ skill to draw out the armies.
[ What the clash of keys dance is coriographed to... accept there's no horn instruments added at the end, just all metal af percussion.]
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