#lyme

We always want the bad things that are happening to be the result of someone’s plan, because if they are, we can simply stop them by disrupting that plan. The more sinister and evil and masterminded we imagine the enemy, the easier it is to justify our failure to beat them, and the easier it is to daydream heroic solutions. But the reality is that most of the harms in the world are not planned for, they are simply the byproduct of people with money trying to get more money, and of power trying to sustain itself.

So, let me give a very simplified overview of what’s happening with ticks and mosquitoes.

My understanding is this:

There are a lot less predators for them. Insect populations overall are dropping, meaning there isn’t enough food for birds and small mammals to reproduce. These insect populations are falling due to habitat loss primarily, and loss of host plants (basically, there is a lot less land for them to live on. Even when they have land to live on, they might not have the right plants to live on, because there are so many invasive species and monocrops).

In general, the few insect species that have rising populations are those that feed on humans and livestock, which is mostly things like ticks and mosquitoes. Humans and livestock are the most abundant food source left around. A lot of the things that feed on us have had more opportunities to adapt to the ways we’ve changed the world, so they can survive things other insects can’t

Most predators can’t survive on ticks and mosquitoes alone, so there aren’t many other bugs and animals left to eat them.

Also, most of the things we do to kill mosquitoes and ticks kill their predators more than they kill them. This means that every time we spray insecticides, we end up with more mosquitoes and ticks, because we kill the bugs that eat them.

We know it will be pre 74th games because they end after the 75th and we have seen both of them. we also know that there are no more tributes from district 12. and we know that we have seen the 10th, the 50th, the 74th and the 75th games.

That leaves 71 possible games. but i think we will probably not be seeing the nine before Lucy Gray’s game because that’s when the games became a commodity.

Now we have 62 games left. i think we can assume it will be someone we know of or something we have heard of. That leaves us with about 19 games total, plus two games I think are interesting enough that despite not knowing the names of the victors could be interesting. so 21 options.

of thoes 21 options, i don’t think we will actually see 2 of them because they were created by the movies. (porter millicent tripp and augustus braun) so back down to 19 again.

Now I don’t think we will see some of them for obvious reasons. we won’t see Mags because her game is so close to Lucy Gray’s and there is very little to add to what we already know with her. I don’t think we know enough about Woof, Palladium, Lyme, or Blight. I also don’t see her using a district 1 or 2 victor unless there is a specific reason (and I have two of thoes I will mention) just because her ideas seem to be focused on the more poorer districts (but I could be wrong) so I will also not be counting Brutus or Enobaria. this brings us down to 12 specific games I think we might see.

I recently got an email from a family member who was looking for info and/or doctor recommendations for lyme disease, because of my son's battle with lyme.

Which made me take a deep, deep breath (I'm frustrated about a lot of things, today, and I don't want to unload on him) and write out a small essay about tickborne illnesses. IlnessES. PLURAL! My son didn't have lyme, he had babesia (also spelled babesiosis.)

I have posted here before, but it bears repeating. There are quite a few tickborne diseases. Anyone who has gotten a tick bite or is frequently outside and at risk for getting bitten should:

Read the CDC website to find what diseases may be in your area of the US (I don't personally have info for other areas of the world)

and check out the various symptoms of those diseases BEFORE even asking a Dr because

Many doctors don't even know this stuff, and you may very much need to do some research on your own before asking for a diagnosis.

Lyme is a victor from District 2 who eventually becomes a rebel when we see her in Mockingjay being in charge in District 2

Reasons why I think we should of got a Lyme book

1) We know basically nothing about her backstory other than the fact that she is a district 2 victor. We could of had a fresh start and introduce characters that we have never met before or not know a lot about (District 2 victor Brutus comes to mind)

2) Being from district 2, she was most likely a career. We could see from her pov all the brainwashing (which is caused by propoganda) she had been through and how she's like in the arena

3) How she became a rebel and overcome brainwashing. We could have seen what happened to her, which made her become a rebel and help the rebels

4) See what's life in district 2. Are there poor areas? Are there rich areas? What happens to people who people who speak out against the capital and the brainwashing? Is it different from the other districts? How do children become careers? What are the dynamics between the careers and their parents? Are their parents just as indoctrinated as their children?