ABstraCT

Οι νέοι δεν θέλουν πια να μάθουν τίποτα, η παιδεία βρίσκεται σε παρακμή, ο κόσμος προχωρεί με τα πόδια στον αέρα, οι τυφλοί οδηγούν τους τυφλούς και τους γκρεμίζουν σε αβύσσους, τα πουλιά φεύγουν από την φωλιά τους πριν μάθουν να πετούν, ο γάιδαρος παίζει λύρα, τα βόδια χορεύουν.

Η Μαρία δεν αγαπάει πια τον στοχασμό, και η Μάρθα δεν θέλει άλλο τη φιλοπονία, η Λεία είναι στείρα, η Ραχήλ έχει μάτια φιλήδονα, ο Κάτων συχνάζει στα πορνεία, ο Λουκρήτιος γίνεται γυναίκα.

Όλα έχουν ξεφύγει από τον δρόμο τους.»

Word Names

Abelia

Acacia

Agate

Alder

Aloe

Amaryllis

Amber

Amethyst

Anethum (“Dill”)

Arabis

Aralia

Artemisia

Ash

Atlas

Azalea

Bassia

Birch

Blossom

Bluebell

Borax

Bud

Buttercup

Cactus

Calla

Calopyxis

Carnelian

Cedar

Cedrela

Cinnamon

Citrine

Citrus

Clay

Copper

Crocus

Cypress

Daffodil

Dahlia

Delonix

Dirt

Drynaria

Dypsis

Elettaria

Elm

Emerald

Ephedra

Fig

Flint

Freesia

Garden

Garnet

Ginger

Gloxinia

Gold

Grass

Hazel

Holly

Iris

Ivy

Jasmine

Jet

Lavender

Lilac

Lotus

Marigold

Meadow

Mint

Moss

Nemesia

Oak

Obsidian

Olivine

Onyx

Opal

Orchid

Oregano

Oxlip

Palm

Peridot (pronounced like “Pear-e-doe”)

Pine

Pollen

Poppy

Primrose

Quartz

Ravenna [Grass]

Rose

Sand

Sage

Sepal

Silver

Soil

Stalk

Styx

Terrain

Thistle

Thyme

Topaz

Trillium

Verbena

Vine

Wren

Yarrow

Zephyr

Zeolite

Zinnia

Zircon

Words with “Earth” related meanings

Abilene: Hebrew; meaning “land of meadows”

Ajax: Greek; meaning “of the earth”

Artemis: Greek mythology; goddess of the hunt, wild animals, etc.

Artois: French, place name

Avalon: Welsh; place name related to the myth of King Arthur

Avani: Hindi; meaning “man from the red earth”

Caius: Latin; meaning “person of earth”

Candana: Hindi; meaning “sandalwood”

Chloris: Greek mythology: goddess of flower

Cyllene: Greek mythology; a “oread” i.e. a mountain nymph

Dacia: Latin; place name

Demeter: Greek mythology; meaning “earth mother”

Variations: Demetria/Demetri/Demetrius

Echo: Greek mythology; a “oread” i.e. a mountain nymph

Eurydice: Greek mythology; a “dryad” i.e. tree nymph

Fan: Chinese; meaning “earth”

Flora: Roman mythology: goddess of flowers and the spring

Gaia: Greek mythology; meaning: “earth”

Holden: English; meaning “hollow valley”

Inika: Sanskrit; meaning “small earth”

Ivo: German; meaning “yew wood”

Kiah: Welsh; meaning “person of earth”

Leilani: Hawaiian; meaning “heavenly flower”

Rikuto: Japanese; meaning “land + person”

Silas: English; meaning “wood, forest”

Silvanus: Roman mythology; deity of the woods

Terra: English; meaning “land, earth”

Veles: Slavic mythology; god of earth/waters/underworld

Viridios: Celtic mythology; god of vegetation…

Zola: Latin; meaning “earth”

Last Names

Ebner: German; meaning “dweller on a flat piece of land”

Edgeworth: plant

Garland: English; meaning “triangle land”

Goldenrod: flower

Harlan: English; meaning “hare land”

Hawthorn: tree

Knotweed: plant

Larkspur: flower

Sandwort: flower

Silverberry: plant/bush

Whitlow: grass

Yarley: English: meaning “fenced meadow”

Zeman: Czech; meaning “landowner”

Not a complete list, but hopefully good for inspiration.

I didn’t add every single flower or plant or animal, etc.—the list would be ridiculous—just my favorites. Feel free to look up any others you may like (example: food, minerals, flowers, animals except birds), and add them on here!

Avatar The Last Airbender is not a kid’s show. I know I’m not the first one to say it. I won’t be the last.

The themes in the show are not themes young children can really understand. I was very young when I started watching, and only recently rewatched the whole entire thing.

And let me tell you, the difference was stunning.

As a kid, I saw people throwing rocks with their minds or throwing air, water, and fire with their hands. All of the messages about Yin and Yang, balance, and discovering yourself flew WAY over my head.

I mean, all I saw with Tui and La, was fish. Just fish. I didn’t think they had any special meaning, despite what the characters were saying around them. My whole entire focus was on “who’s gonna fight next” and cheering Aang on. Nothing else.

I didn’t understand the sacrifice Yue made either when she became the moon spirit, not until I was much older. I just thought she did it because she wanted to do it, not because the moon spirit had literally JUST BEEN SUCKER PUNCHED TO DEATH. Like I said, I thought it was just a fish. (I cried though. Poor fishy.)

I didn’t understand character development either. I hated Zuko from day one. I didn’t care that he made himself into a better man. I just didn’t like him. He was evil, always would be evil to child me. Hell, I hated him so much I hated Uncle Iroh. I hated anyone who was on his side. Kids don’t have the understanding that people can, and do, change. That’s why if you’re mean to a kid once, they’ll hold a grudge for a long ass time.

Bloodbending scared the ever loving shit out of me. Not because I understood what was really happening, but because Hama made it seem so horrible and the atmosphere was really well done. Now it is still scary, but because I understand that the person being bloodbent has absolutely NO CONTROL over anything their body does. And they’re still fully conscious of it. Imagining that is terrifying.

I didn’t understand the darkness in Katara either. I always thought she was nothing but a good person, that she could do now wrong. That she never would. Again, going back to not understanding the Yin/Yang messages and that people can and do change. I didn’t understand what pain could make you do because I was still too young to have experienced much.

And Azula. Much like Zuko, I hated her guts. Still do to a point, but when you look back at her childhood, you can see why she turned out the way she did. Her Mom didn’t have much time for her because she was too busy protecting Zuko from Ozai. Ozai used that to fuel her fire, to turn her into his version of what she should be. Pretty soon, all she cared about was power, just like her father.

As a child I was cheering when Azula was chained up after the Final Agni Kai. Even when she was crying I was happy about it. Finally, all the bad guys except Zuko are gone! That’s what ran through my head.

But now, the expression on her face breaks my heart. You see all that pain in her eyes. You see all of the abandonment issues, the desire to be respected, to be wanted, to have the power back that was just taken from you because you were raised to believe that’s all you had…

Not to mention the themes of racism, tyranny, and war that had to be overcome. Bottom line, this show is definitely a better watch as an adult. I understand so much more.

(Zuko is now my favorite character, please don’t crucify me.)

Katara as The Painted Lady (for anon)

How to Write:

I can’t describe how sad I am for what is happening to you right now. There are no words to express how sad it made me. Ive been crying nonstop because of the images I’ve seen on the news.

Also because what is happening in Greece happened to my country,Portugal, one year ago in June. 66 people were killed and more than 200 were injured and the survivers, even those who weren’t directly involved live to this day with that tragedy in their minds, me included.

People who were driving died, stuck inside the fire, people who tried to escape the fire on car died either from the fire or accident because of the poor visibility, families who saw they were in risk as well as their houses, ran away from home afraid of dying and ended up dying on the fire while their houses were untouched, people who were in a river beach inside the forest, ran away trying not to be stuck inside the flames, ended up dying.

I remember this specific story of a grandmother who tried running from her house with her granddaughter in order to save her and most importantly, her granddaughter. Both died in the flames. People found their carbonated bodies: the grandma sitting on the floor with her granddaughter laying her head on her lap.

All this just gives me goosebumps and makes my tears run faster.

Since that fire, since all those horrible things I’ve seen and heard, I haven’t been the same and I haven’t been able to live my life because of it: I can’t go to forests, river beaches,I can’t drive in roads who are inside forests and where I live there’s forest all around. I wasn’t involved in that tragic fire, no loved one of mine died or was infured, and I’m traumatized. Imagine those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy.

So when I saw the news of the fires in Greece, it all replayed again in my head. I haven’t stopped crying and that pain I felt in my heart in that time came back again, a feeling I never wished to feel again.

This is from Portugal’s fire

And this is from Greece

See…and all the stories I hear are so so so alike the ones my country went trough. It’s been one year and what is happening in Greece just brought it all back. My heart is broke.

For you greece, I’m sad you are going trough this and believe me, I wich I could bring all those people back, stop everyone’s pain,stop the fires…

I know my text is useless but this is the only way I found to show that I’m with you greece.

Stay strong.

Thank you people for sharing this. I was really not expecting such kind and comprehensive response.

I know I haven’t placed a link in there, I wrote this in the high of the moment, this came up because I was watching it all in the news, so my emotions were talking louder. I still don’t know many websites to donate…

But because you shared this, I want to believe it helped some people know what is happening in the world besides their own country and america. And even if I didn’t share any link I hope this, while giving awareness, makes people want to donate and search for ways to help

Here I ask, if any of you know any place people can donate (trustworthy because unfortunately, some bad people like to take advantage of the tragedies and of people’s commotion to get their belly bigger) share it here please, on your reblog or just in the discussion, it’s ok.

I permanently live in the US but I was about 3 miles from Mati when the fire broke out, where the worse devastation took place. We could see smoke and the flames from our hotel. We were on standby for evacuation. It’s a miracle we’re unharmed bc we were thinking of changing hotels and going to Mati instead. But for some reason I was stubborn and didn’t let us change hotels and it saved our lives. Anyway, I’m just so in shock about what has happened here and that I am amongst the most lucky. I want to do everything I can to help but I’m here for the summer to take care of my grandma and take her on a vacation so actually going out and volunteering is difficult.

And I’m with you on not being able to go to beaches anymore. After seeing the flames firsthand, there’s no way I can continue my “vacation.” People that were smiling when we first got here don’t anymore. The tv only plays news about looking for people and adding up the death count. I went food shopping and I saw two men talking. One said “you lost your house, huh?” The other man had tear-stained eyes and replied “I couldn’t care less about my house. I lost my dogs.” I also was overhearing volunteers talking about what they’re gonna buy for the victims at a local shelter with such care. When they went to the register, the realized that they wouldn’t have enough money to cover all the things they wanted to buy and the store manager just gave the extra things to them for free. It actually warms my heart to see how much the people here care about each other. Celebrities and others have offered up their houses to house the survivors that lost their own houses. Like seeing all this makes me think of how we’re gonna get through this. Just like Portugal was strong last year, Greece will persevere and survive. We been through so much already and came out surviving.

Sorry for the monologue but I feel like I had to get this out there. Also, I have some links for donations that are legit as far as I know.

First is the Piraeus Bank account that goes to helping the victims of Rafina:

https://www.facebook.com/municipality.rafina.pikermi/

Bank account number: 5186092291418

IBAN: GR20 0172 1860 0051 8609 2291 418

Name of the recipient: ΔΗΜΟΣ ΡΑΦΙΝΑΣ - ΠΙΚΕΡΜΙΟΥ(name of the municipality)

BIC Code: PIRBGRAA

Next is the Red Cross: http://www.redcross.gr/default.asp?pid=40&la=1&artId=1231

Eurobank account: 0026.0240.31.0201181388

IBAN: GR6402602400000310201181388

This is a Facebook group about the fire in Penteli. I believe there’s a donate button: https://www.facebook.com/crisisresponse/?crisis_id=1754029141359881

This post has info about another donation place but I’m not sure if it’s legit or not. But there’s also information in Greek for the local people where they can get help (idk how to hyperlink stuff on mobile sorry) :

http://kakashi-hockeybae.tumblr.com/post/176298148182/this-fucking-site-hey-net-neutrality-is-about-to

There’s another post with info for help that people here can get with telephone numbers and stuff:

http://kakashi-hockeybae.tumblr.com/post/176298721857/kyklothumikh-this-was-what-was-happening-the