wizard & paradox

I stood at eventime. The never-ending plain
All empty looked and void. Yet, as I gazed again
An army bivouacked. Unnumbered points of light
Bespoke a force Supreme—invincible for Right.

Dear Friends,

Mugabe has seized the Presidency of Zimbabwe in a sham election. We urgently need our governments to refuse to recognize him this week. Click below to send a message to your head of state:

After a violence-ridden, sham 'election' last Friday, Robert Mugabe has declared himself President of Zimbabwe. Ominous reports of a massive crackdown on all his opponents are circulating. The fate of the country now hangs on negotiations between Mugabe and the legitimate winner of the first round election -- Morgan Tsvangirai.

If governments around the world refuse to recognize Mugabe, and strongly push other governments to do the same, his position will be weakened, and he could be pressured into agreeing to a deal with Tsvangirai that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people. There's still hope to save Zimbabwe, but every day of silence strengthens Mugabe's position.

So far only a few governments have refused to recognize Mugabe as President -- we urgently need to turn this trickle into a flood, this week. Click below to send a personalized message directly to your head of state or foreign minister, and forward this email to others who could help:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_chance_for_peace/6.php?cl=104305018

The people of Zimbabwe are desperate for change. The country has been decimated by Mugabe, with 80% unemployment, 160,000% inflation, and rampant fear -- over 30% of the population has fled the country.

The people of Zimbabwe clearly voted for Tsvangirai over Mugabe in the first round of the election, which was more free of violence. Then Mugabe's party waged a campaign of terror and intimidation and Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw after almost 100 of his party activists were murdered. The UN Secretary General and election observers from the African Union and Southern Africa Development Community have condemned the run off election as illegitimate, and the African Union has called for negotiations.

There is now only one path away from the violence -- a negotiated agreement. If leaders from Brazil to Botswana and Indonesia to India reject the regime, there is a chance of an agreement that reflects the will of the people. We have to act fast, it's now or never for Zimbabwe. Send your message now and spread the word:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_chance_for_peace/6.php?cl=104305018

With hope,

Ricken, Alice, Ben, Graziela, Mark, Paul, Galit, Iain, Pascal, Veronique and Milena - the Avaaz.org Team

PS: For more information and sources for the facts above, see:

Regional leaders criticizing Mugabe:
Tanzania's Kikwete - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806200336.html
Rwanda's Kagame - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190003.html
Kenya's Odinga - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190949.html
Uganda's Museveni - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806120016.html
Botswana's Merafhe - http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL01238885.html
Zambia's Mwanawasa - http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/23/content_8419741.htm

Impact of Zimbabwe crisis on the region: http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2349987,00.html

UN Secretary General critique of run off elections: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXUQTIzQRDjsPjVN__ZD3EvEYFjA

Election observers on the run off elections: http://allafrica.com/stories/200807010201.html

AU summit resolution on Zimbabwe: http://allafrica.com/stories/200807020018.html

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ABOUT AVAAZ
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Horn’d Hammon’s Waters at high noon
Are cold; hot at Sun-rise and setting Sun.
Wood, put in bub’ling Athemas is Fir’d,
The Moon then farthest from the Sun retir’d;
Ciconian streams congeal his guts to Stone
That thereof drinks, and what therein is thrown
Crathis and Sybaris (from the Mountains rol’d)
Color the hair like Amber or pure Gold.
Some fountains, of a more prodigious kinde,
Not only change the body but the mind.
Who hath not heard of obscene Salmacis?
Of th’ Æthiopian lake? for, who of this
But only taste, their wits no longer keep,
Or forthwith fall into a deadly sleep.
Who at Clitorius fountain thirst remove
Loath Wine and, abstinent, meer Water love.
With streams oppos’d to these Lincestus flowes—
They reel, as drunk, who drink too much of those.
A Lake in fair Arcadia stands, of old
Call’d Pheneus, suspected as twofold—
Fear and forbear to drink thereof by night—
By night unwholesome, wholesome by day-light.
Ovid

Cold Boreas from the top of ’lympus blows,
And from the bottom cloudy Notus flows.
From setting Phœbus fruitful Zeph’rus flies,
And barren Eurus from the Sun's up-rise.
Potanus

Out flies South-wind with dropping wings, who shrowds
His fearful aspect in the pitchie clouds,
His white Haire streams, his Beard big-swol’n with showers;
Mists binde his Brows, rain from his Bosome powres.

Force me befits: with this thick clouds I drive;
Toss the blew Billows, knotty Okes up-rive;
Congeal soft snow, and beat the Earth with hallo:
When I my brethren in the Aire assaile,
(For that's our Field) we meet with such a shock,
That thundering Skies with our encounters rock
And cloud-struck lightning flashes from on high,
When through the Crannies of the Earth I flie
And force her in her hollow Caves; I make
The Ghosts to tremble, and the ground to quake.

To Persis and Sabea, Eurus flies;
Whose gums perfume the blushing Morne’s up-rise:
Next to the Evening, and the Coast that glows
With setting Phœbus, flow’ry Zeph’rus blows;
In Scythia horrid Boreas holds his rain,
Beneath Boites, and the frozen Wain;
The land to this oppos'd doth Auster steep
With fruitful showres and clouds which ever weep.
Ovid

East, West, and North, and South, on either side,
These Quarters lie oppos’d, the World divide:
As many Winds from these four Quarters file,
And fight and rattle, thro’ the empty Sky;
Rough Boreas from the North, bears Frost and Snows,
And from the East, the gentle Eurus blows,
Wet Auster from the torrid South is thrown,
And pleasing Zephyrus cools the setting Sun.
Marcus Manilinus, "Astromica"

PROPER
QUALITY.

MEAN
QUALITY.

Fire is

… hot

and

dry.

Earth is

… dry

and

cold.

Water is

… cold

and

moist.

Air is

… moist

and

hot.

The Number and the Nature of those things,
Called Elements—what Fire, Earth, Aire forth brings;
From whence the Heavens their beginnings had;
Whence Tide, whence Rainbow, in gay colors clad.
What makes the Clouds that gathered are, and black,
To send forth Lightnings, and a Thund’ring crack;
What doth the Nightly Flames, and Comets make;
What makes the Earth to swell, and then to quake;
What is the Seed of Metals, and of Gold;
What Virtues, Wealth, Both Nature's Coffer hold.

Whence all things flow—
Whence Mankind, Beast; whence Fire, whence Rain and Snow;
Whence Earthquakes are; why the whole Ocean beats
Over its banks and then again retreats;
Whence strength of Herbs, whence Courage, rage of Brutes
All kinds of Stone, of creeping Things, and Fruits.

As in great haste,
What makes the golden Stars to march so fast?
What makes the Moon sometimes to mask her face,
The Sun also, as if in some disgrace?
How th’ Sun doth rule with twelve Zodiac Signs,
The Orb that's measur’d round about with Lines—
It doth the Heavens' Starry Way make known,
And strange Eclipses of the Sun and Moon;
Arcturus also, and the Stars of Rain,
The Seven Stars likewise, and Charles, his wain;
Why Winter Suns make tow’rds the West so fast;
What makes the Nights so long ere they be past?

Hence, by the Heavens we may foreknow
The Seasons all; times for to reap and sow,
And when 'tis fit to launch into the deep,
And when to war, and when in peace to sleep;
And when to dig up trees, and them again
To set, that they may bring forth amain.

She'll promise by her charms to cast great cares,
Or ease the minds of men, and make the Stars
For to go back, and rivers to stand still,
And raise the nightly ghosts even at her will;
To make the earth to groan, and trees to fall
From the mountains—

Virgil