Proust's

I really just have to summarize Thomas's entire life:

He was in a committed relationship with a male swan named Henry for 18-24 years before a female swan named Henrietta showed up and mated with Henry.

Thomas was initially jealous of the pair and attacked them, breaking 2 of the 5 eggs Henrietta had laid. However, once the remaining eggs hatched, Thomas warmed up to them and helped raise them.

Henry couldn't fly because of an injured wing, so Thomas taught the cygnets how to fly.

When they needed to reduce the goose population in the pond where Thomas and the swans lived, they dyed Thomas's feathers red so he wouldn't be separated from Henry.

Henry, Henrietta, and Thomas remained in their happy throuple for years and raised 68 cygnets before Henry died in 2009. After Henry's death, Henrietta found another swan and flew away, leaving Thomas alone.

Thomas finally met and mated with a female goose in 2011 and had his own babies. However, another goose named George stole them and raised them himself.

As Thomas grew elderly and blind, he was relocated to a wildlife center where he raised orphaned cygnets.

His caretaker at the center described him as "pretty high maintenance."

Thomas died in 2018 at the age of around 40. He had a funeral that included a small coffin and a procession that was led by a bagpiper. He was buried under the stone where Henry was buried, the two finally reunited in death.

Ci tengo dunque a ribadire un concetto chiave del 25 aprile.

Il 25 aprile si festeggia la liberazione dal nazifascismo, non la vittoria della sinistra sulla destra.

Nelle file partigiane c'erano comunisti, anarchici, monarchici, autarchici, sostenitori delle sinistre, delle destre, operai e operaie, contadini studentesse e studenti, casalinghe, dirigenti, commessi viaggiatori (mio nonno), negozianti, macchinisti, fancazzisti, poeti, scrittrici, persone di legge, criminali, ragazzine e ragazzini, mandriani, politici, insegnanti... Ogni persona, ogni ideologia, era rappresentata da quelle donne e quegli uomini che, stanchi delle violenze, delle prevaricazioni, delle morti, decisero di combattere e a volte morire per un ideale libertario, democratico, egalitario e inclusivo.

Non è stata (e non è tutt'ora) una lotta tra due schieramenti di pari dignità, è stata la lotta tra il male assoluto del nazifascismo e le persone di un popolo affamato di un futuro di pace.

di Sara Sesti

Rita Levi Montalcini, Alba Rossi Dell’Acqua, Laura Conti e Margherita Hack sono alcune tra le scienziate che hanno militato contro il fascismo.

Rita Levi Montalcini (1909-2012) non fu solo una medica da Nobel: aveva conosciuto l’infamia delle leggi razziali e nel 1938, da giovane ricercatrice in neurologia, era stata costretta dal regime fascista ad emigrare in Belgio. Fino all'ultimo ha ritenuto che essere antifascisti fosse un valore sempre attuale perché antifascismo significa mantenere vivi i principi etici contro razzismo e xenofobia.

Alba Rossi Dell’Acqua (1917- 2011) matematica e partigiana, divenne antifascista all’età di 12 anni quando i fascisti fecero irruzione nella casa milanese di suo padre, anarchico impegnato, e gli bruciarono tutti i libri nel cortile. Fu attiva nella Resistenza a Milano e successivamente nella II divisione Garibaldi dell’Ossola. Dopo la guerra, si dedicò all’insegnamento, fu innovatrice e appassionata divulgatrice. Fondó la Scuola Rinascita e fu docente di matematica e fisica al liceo scientifico “Leonardo da Vinci” di Milano.

Laura Conti (1921-1993) è stata partigiana, medica, ambientalista, politica di sinistra, scrittrice e è considerata la madre dell'ecologismo italiano. Nel 1944, entrò a far parte del Fronte della gioventù di Eugenio Curiel, per la sua attività fu internata nel campo di concentramento di Bolzano. Nel 1976 in seguito all'incidente di Seveso, condusse una durissima battaglia come medica contro chi voleva minimizzare il disastro ed eludere responsabilità politiche e civili. Fu tra i fondatori di Legambiente.

Margherita Hack (1922-2013), che ha dato importanti contributi alla ricerca in astrofisica, è stata una convinta antifascista. Una 'compagna' impegnata a difendere la laicità dello Stato, i diritti civili, la ricerca, l'università e l'istruzione.

Per saperne di più: Sara Sesti e Liliana Moro, "Scienziate nel tempo. Più di 100 biografie", Ledizioni, Milano 2020, pag. 250

25 April. The resistant scientists

Translated from author Sara Sesti

Rita Levi Montalcini, Alba Rossi Dell’Acqua, Laura Conti and Margherita Hack are some of the scientists who fought against fascism.

Rita Levi Montalcini (1909-2012) was not only a Nobel medical doctor: she had known the infamy of racial laws and in 1938, as a young researcher in neurology, she was forced by the fascist regime to emigrate to Belgium. Until the end, she believed that being anti-fascist was always a current value because anti-fascism means keeping alive the ethical principles against racism and xenophobia.

Alba Rossi Dell’Acqua (1917-2011) mathematician and partisan, became an anti-fascist at the age of 12 when the fascists broke into the Milanese home of her father, a committed anarchist, and burned all his books in the courtyard. She was active in the Resistance in Milan and later in the Garibaldi II division of Ossola. After the war, she devoted herself to teaching, was an innovator and a passionate science communicator. She founded the Scuola Rinascita and was a lecturer in mathematics and physics at the "Leonardo da Vinci" scientific high school in Milan.

Laura Conti (1921-1993) was a partisan, medical doctor, environmentalist, leftist politician, writer and is considered the mother of Italian ecology. In 1944, she joined the Youth Front of Eugenio Curiel, for her activity she was interned in the concentration camp of Bolzano. In 1976, following the Seveso accident, she waged a very hard battle as a medical doctor against those who wanted to minimize the disaster and evade political and civil responsibilities. She was one of the founders of Legambiente.

Margherita Hack (1922-2013), who made important contributions to research in astrophysics, was a staunch anti-fascist. A 'companion' committed to defending the secular state, civil rights, research, university and education.

Il 29 gennaio 1947 mio nonno viene dichiarato Partigiano Combattente.

In servizio per 1 anni e 6 mesi nei G.A.P. Valtellina, nella 121 Garibaldi e infine nella Terza Divisione G.L. Nel mezzo anche catturato dai Fascisti e condannato a morte, evaso il 23 giugno 1944 il giorno prima dell’esecuzione.

Saul Steinberg

Galleria di Milano, 1951

It’s the world’s most consistent paradox: We are told there is “no budget” for climate action, mental health, or ending world hunger, yet the coffers for military expansion are bottomless. Let’s look at the cold, hard data.

1. The $2.4 Trillion Reality Check 📈

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military expenditure reached an all-time high of $2.44 trillion in 2023. That is a 6.8% increase in a single year—the steepest rise since 2009.

2. The Opportunity Cost (The "Green" Math) 🌿

Scientific studies, including reports from IPPC and the IEA, suggest that an additional $2-4 trillion annually is needed to reach Net Zero by 2050.

The Fact: We already spend that amount on defense. Redirecting just 10-15% of global military budgets could fundamentally fund the transition to renewable energy and universal healthcare.

3. Research & Development: War vs. Life 🧬

A significant portion of government-funded Science & Tech R&D is diverted to defense. While DARPA-style innovation gave us the internet, modern "Security Science" often prioritizes autonomous weaponry and hypersonic missiles over solving the antibiotic resistance crisis or carbon sequestration.

4. The Carbon Footprint of Conflict ☁️

The military is one of the world's largest polluters. Research from the Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) indicates that the world’s militaries combined are responsible for about 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If the US military were a country, it would be the 47th largest emitter in the world.

The Bottom Line:

We don’t lack the resources; we lack the priority. The "money for war" is always there because it’s a choice, not a budget constraint.

Stop funding the end of the world and start funding the survival of it. 🐜⚡️

This is the world capitalists want to return to.