In this edition of “Odd Titanica”, we are going to dive into the sleazy, opportunistic world of show business. A world that comedian Fred Allen said of, “you can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly, and still have room for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart”. Hyperbolic? Let’s take a look at Hollywood’s response to the Titanic disaster to see that there really is no business like show business.
Dorothy Gibson and the lost, first, film are well worn trivia by now. The traumatized actress rushed into production, her inability to process her trauma causing her mental breakdown, collapse, and retirement from acting immediately after the film was finished - it’s a perfect story to demonstrate the callousness of the film industry. But there is more to the story, and digging deeper shows us that “Saved” may have been the least sleazy project undertaken by the studios.
Dorothy’s account of the sinking and the suffering she endured filming “Saved from the Titanic” are predominantly found in two sources - The New York Dramatic Mirror and Moving Picture World. These were trade magazines, published weekly, and consisting solely of material related to the stage and screen business. These would be announcements of upcoming features, casting news, celebrity gossip, technical news - anything the movie star to the man sweeping the floor at the cinema needed to know. And they included ads … lots and lots of ads.
Immediately realizing that Titanic was not only a horrible tragedy but an incredible business opportunity, Moving Picture World got to work. As people stormed White Star Line offices, and raided newspaper carts for any drop of news regarding the sinking, Moving Picture World provided the latest in Titanic news; or perhaps we should say “Titanic” news.
The headlines of the April 27th issue may have screamed TITANIC, but as the public grabbed their copy and hurriedly flipped through the pages, they found that what they were actually given was ads. Those eye grabbing headlines were followed by much smaller print-
TITANIC EFFORTS... are being exerted by Champion to put before the exhibitors that will make them regular Champ Patrons! Get the following latest [releases] and you’ll be convinced!.
UNSINKABLE … is the reputation of Rep productions, but these two releases will sink into the minds of everyone who sees them and will remain there as worthy object lessons.
THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN …suggested by the poem of Elizabeth Barret Browning in 2 reels this Tuesday!
THE GREATEST MOTION PICTURE OF NATIONAL INTEREST - THE SINKING OF…. the big battleship. Remember the Maine!
THE DEATH SHIP...a sensational two reel drama of the sea containing one of the most thrilling dynamite explosions imaginable!
For all the slimy marketing tricks, flipping through the pages still has plenty of legitimate ads for real Titanic newsreels, movies, and a specific type of presentation known a Myriorama involving painting, music, and recitation. But, show business would strike again - the ads were legitimate, but what they were advertising was not. History has sort of forgotten the huge demand for Titanic media in the wake of the sinking, something that didn’t really exist. When cinema owners would order these “only surviving genuine negatives of the disaster” complete with lobby display package, they instead received-

our astonishment to find the Lusitania and Olympic, and one or two scratch films of ancient days posing as pictures of Titanic.

But they didn’t stop. Animated Weekly advertised that they were “the first to reach the wreck… chartered a tug from Cape Breton and rushed to the scene while the survivors were still in the water”. Cinemas began to promote footage of the sinking. Audiences wrote their disgust to Moving Picture World-

These representations are to the point of criminality … Take, for instance, the picture showing the Titanic with about a sixth of her forward length stuck into the iceberg. Everybody knows the collision did not occur in that manner!

They pointed to the following ad as an example - FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC OCEAN DISASTER. The cinema owners responded by noting that they had misread, crammed in tiny letters were the words “sunk in” so that ad actually read FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC sunk in OCEAN DISASTER. It was the customer's fault, they said, to be stupid enough to think anyone could have actually filmed the sinking.
Once this ruse was discovered, the studios shifted gears. The next step was to advertise film along with presentations by “A Lecturer who was on board”. When the audience realized the lecturer was not on Titanic and demanded a refund - the response from the managers was

Those signs didn’t say he was a survivor.

… and any attempt to charge him with the crime of fraud was absurd because, in his own words-

Of course I didn’t give him his money back. The sign didn’t misrepresent anything. West was on the Titanic, the sign didn’t say when he was.

…which was true. The lecturer, Eugene West, had visited Titanic while she was under construction at Belfast.
As for the movies themselves?

We said we had pictures. If people were foolish enough to think we meant moving pictures, that was their fault.

This particular cheated audience member was told if he wanted his money back, to go on the street and sing for it. Whether it was this, or something else, eventually the public snapped and began hauling out cinema managers and beating them in the streets. By May, the mayors of Boston and Memphis had banned the showing of any Titanic pictures - moving or still- within the city.
But, where was Dorothy in all this? Tucked in the very back of the magazine, after another newsreel ad,, we get to the celebrity sighting and gossip section. Ed Lux of the Rex Film Exchange was in town, Dan Markowitz of Fox Pictures was as well, Arthur Schmidt of the Victor Film Company was seen having a lovely spa at a Turkish Bath, Sam Gobel of the St Louis Motion Picture Company has been walking up and down 42nd street, we don’t know if Southern film maker Henry Wasserman is still here but he might be, Dorothy Gibson survived the sinking of the Titanic, and the Director of Selig Pictures took some actresses to Santa Catalina for a swim and a photoshoot and they had a great time.
By the following edition, on May 2nd, Moving Picture World was also able to provide its readers with the first stills from “Saved from the Titanic” and a feature on Dorothy. Along with this, tucked in the editorials, the magazine finally published a piece of truthful news about the Titanic disaster-

Senator William Alden Smith … declined to grant permission to have the cinematopgraph make a record of the sessions of the committee. “The sessions” he is quoted as saying…”are solemn affairs and must not be hippodromed or commercialized”. He is, however, falling into a serious error in judgement-

…they sniffed.

As a matter of right, the camera man ought to have been permitted. The day of the enfranchisement of the motion picture will surely come .. which will give equal rights to the cinematographer and the newspaper man.

Then, among the illegal false advertising and reports of public brawls at the cinema, they ended with-

The lesson of the Titanic disaster and all its incidents can be made far more impressive by pictures that move than by mere words in cold letters.

In this edition of “Odd Titanica”, we are going to dive into the sleazy, opportunistic world of show business. A world that comedian Fred Allen said of, “you can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly, and still have room for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart”. Hyperbolic? Let’s take a look at Hollywood’s response to the Titanic disaster to see that there really is no business like show business.
Dorothy Gibson and the lost, first, film are well worn trivia by now. The traumatized actress rushed into production, her inability to process her trauma causing her mental breakdown, collapse, and retirement from acting immediately after the film was finished - it’s a perfect story to demonstrate the callousness of the film industry. But there is more to the story, and digging deeper shows us that “Saved” may have been the least sleazy project undertaken by the studios.
Dorothy’s account of the sinking and the suffering she endured filming “Saved from the Titanic” are predominantly found in two sources - The New York Dramatic Mirror and Moving Picture World. These were trade magazines, published weekly, and consisting solely of material related to the stage and screen business. These would be announcements of upcoming features, casting news, celebrity gossip, technical news - anything the movie star to the man sweeping the floor at the cinema needed to know. And they included ads … lots and lots of ads.
Immediately realizing that Titanic was not only a horrible tragedy but an incredible business opportunity, Moving Picture World got to work. As people stormed White Star Line offices, and raided newspaper carts for any drop of news regarding the sinking, Moving Picture World provided the latest in Titanic news; or perhaps we should say “Titanic” news.
The headlines of the April 27th issue may have screamed TITANIC, but as the public grabbed their copy and hurriedly flipped through the pages, they found that what they were actually given was ads. Those eye grabbing headlines were followed by much smaller print-
TITANIC EFFORTS are being exerted by Champion to put before the exhibitors that will make them regular Champ Patrons! Get the following latest [releases] and you’ll be convinced!.
UNSINKABLE … is the reputation of Rep productions, but these two releases will sink into the minds of everyone who sees them and will remain there as worthy object lessons.
THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN …suggested by the poem of Elizabeth Barret Browning in 2 reels this Tuesday!
** THE GREATEST MOTION PICTURE OF NATIONAL INTEREST - THE SINKING OF**…. the big battleship. Remember the Maine!
THE DEATH SHIP...a sensational two reel drama of the sea containing one of the most thrilling dynamite explosions imaginable!
For all the slimy marketing tricks, flipping through the pages still has plenty of legitimate ads for real Titanic newsreels, movies, and a specific type of presentation known a Myriorama involving painting, music, and recitation. But, show business would strike again - the ads were legitimate, but what they were advertising was not.
History has sort of forgotten the huge demand for Titanic media in the wake of the sinking, something that didn’t really exist. When cinema owners would order these “only surviving genuine negatives of the disaster” complete with lobby display package, they instead received-

our astonishment to find the Lusitania and Olympic, and one or two scratch films of ancient days posing as pictures of Titanic.

But they didn’t stop. Animated Weekly advertised that they were “the first to reach the wreck… chartered a tug from Cape Breton and rushed to the scene while the survivors were still in the water”. Cinemas began to promote footage of the sinking. Audiences wrote their disgust to Moving Picture World-

These representations are to the point of criminality … Take, for instance, the picture showing the Titanic with about a sixth of her forward length stuck into the iceberg. Everybody knows the collision did not occur in that manner!

They pointed to the following ad as an example - FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC OCEAN DISASTER. The cinema owners responded by noting that they had misread, crammed in tiny letters were the words “sunk in” so that ad actually read FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC sunk in OCEAN DISASTER. It was the customers fault, they said, to be stupid enough to think anyone could have actually filmed the sinking.
Once this ruse was discovered, the studios shifted gears. The next step was to advertise film along with presentations by “A Lecturer who was on board”. When the audience realized the lecturer was not on Titanic and demanded a refund - the response from the managers was

Those signs didn’t say he was a survivor.

… and any attempt to charge him with the crime of fraud was absurd because, in his own words-

Of course I didn’t give him his money back. The sign didn’t misrepresent anything. West was on the Titanic, the sign didn’t say when he was.

…which was true. The lecturer, Eugene West, had visited Titanic while she was under construction at Belfast.
As for the movies themselves?

We said we had pictures. If people were foolish enough to think we meant moving pictures, that was their fault.

This particular cheated audience member was told if he wanted his money back, to go on the street and sing for it. Whether it was this, or something else, eventually the public snapped and began hauling out cinema managers and beating them in the streets. By May, the mayors of Boston and Memphis had banned the showing of any Titanic pictures - moving or still- within the city.
But, where was Dorothy in all this? Tucked in the very back of the magazine, after another newsreel ad,, we get to the celebrity sighting and gossip section. Ed Lux of the Rex Film Exchange was in town, Dan Markowitz of Fox Pictures was as well, Arthur Schmidt of the Victor Film Company was seen having a lovely spa at a Turkish Bath, Sam Gobel of the St Louis Motion Picture Company has been walking up and down 42nd street, we don’t know if Southern film maker Henry Wasserman is still here but he might be, Dorothy Gibson survived the sinking of the Titanic, and the Director of Selig Pictures took some actresses to Santa Catalina for a swim and a photoshoot and they had a great time.
By the following edition, on May 2nd, Moving Picture World was also able to provide its readers with the first stills from “Saved from the Titanic” and a feature on Dorothy. Along with this, tucked in the editorials, the magazine finally published a piece of truthful news about the Titanic disaster-

Senator William Alden Smith … declined to grant permission to have the cinematopgraph make a record of the sessions of the committee. “The sessions” he is quoted as saying…”are solemn affairs and must not be hippodromed or commercialized”. He is, however, falling into a serious error in judgement-

…they sniffed.

As a matter of right, the camera man ought to have been permitted. The day of the enfranchisement of the motion picture will surely come .. which will give equal rights to the cinematographer and the newspaper man.

Then, among the illegal false advertising and reports of public brawls at the cinema, they ended with-

The lesson of the Titanic disaster and all its incidents can be made far more impressive by pictures that move than by mere words in cold letters.

Have you ever jumped into cold water on a hot day? Have you ever ridden an asteroid across the surface of the sun? Have you ever done a backflip off the moon and landed in a bucket of water in Vatican City? If so, then you’ve experienced one-tenth of what I experienced the moment I took that pill.
My headache disappeared, my heart started pumping, adrenaline and pure energy flowed through my veins instead of blood. My fingers twitched and my mind moved at three times the speed of light.
I fell back on my chair, flew towards my desk and danced my fingers like I was playing the keyboard. Chapters fell before me like grass in front of a chainsaw.
I cranked out TEN chapters in three hours. And that’s not just writing them either that’s editing them multiple times, adding extra hyperboles, and making the first 31 sentences and the title into acrostic poems that read: Alex has shit ties.
It was heavenly.
After dusting off my 11th chapter I stood, did a couple of yoga poses and then took off out of my front door for a run.
Now, everyone has a weakness, Superman’s got his kryptonite, Achilles has his heel, I have physical exercise. Usually, the thought of going for a run would make me want to chop my legs off. But those crazy little pills made the sad-sad go away. I was flying past houses, high-fiving bushes and waving to people as I roamed the streets like an exercise junkie.
My god-like strides took me through the suburbs of The Village through to the centre of town where Sherlock-Holmes themed coffee shops and Wuxia-themed teahouses dominated the streets. Writers sat in booths talking and hacking away at tablets and laptops, while cover artists drew mythical figures in between shots of espresso.
There was a hard-working bustle about the place. Little box-like robots wheeled their way out from a boutique distribution centre to people’s homes carrying boxes of wine, cheese, and steaming meals.
I slowed my run and sat back on a bench beside a rose bush. Birds were chirping and there was a hum of music from the cafes. It was heaven.
That night Manuel was back at my house and we walked three blocks over to a giant log cabin and another party. The next morning I took a pill, busted out eight chapters and went for another run. As the weeks flew by I attended more parties than I’d ever been to in my life, smashed out over a hundred chapters and grew dark rings around my eyes.
And then one day I met her.
****
This time we’d been invited to a pool party in the early evening. Manuel was sucking up to a bunch of new authors, and I was drinking beer with a bunch of horror writers while watching two guys beside the pool punching each other in the face over the use of Oxford commas. I didn’t know who was in the right – the guy whose eye was bruised, red, and puffy – or the guy with a swollen, red lump on his forehead.
Turns out, it didn’t really matter because they both paused mid-swing to stare at someone behind me.
In walked a woman in a white turtleneck, and large round glasses. Four other writers dressed in full tweed suits flanked her. Heads turned. Famous web fiction writers who I hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to were whispering to each other and pointing to the woman in white.
The horror writers next to me were trying to look disinterested but I could see them peering at her out of the corner of their eyes.
‘Hey Stephen,’ I poked a tall guy in the arm, ‘who’s that?’
Stephen laughed, ‘Good one man.’
‘I’m being serious dude, why’s everyone staring?’
Stephen hissed his next sentence like he was embarrassed others would hear, ‘Man. That’s the emperor of this place – the most read author in the whole of Crusher Media, that’s...’
‘...Lazy Cultivator? The guy that writes the chicken story.’
Stephen nodded, ‘Only – she’s not a guy.’
‘I guess I should say hi,’ I got out of my seat just as Stephen put his arm up to form a barrier.
‘Dude!’ He said, 'You, me, all of us,’ he gestured around the circle of horror writers, ‘We’re dirt.’ A couple of the guys clinked their beers and took a swig. Stephen pressed a finger into my chest, ‘We don’t talk to people like her. We don’t even look at her. This place has a hierarchy and man, you are the mud that hierarchy sits on.
I swallowed, ‘Good to know I’m appreciated then.’
Stephen shrugged, ‘Just letting you know the way things are dude.’
The tweed-wearers and their leader moved through the party like blue whales through a school of shrimp. A group of romance writers cleared out of their chairs beside the pool and the gang sat down and produced bottles of champagne from a wine cooler. The woman in white pulled a pair of VR glasses, a wireless keyboard, and a purple pill bottle from her bag, then she slipped a pill between her teeth, pulled the VR glasses over her face and started hacking away at the keyboard so rapidly she broke off one of the keys.
I swallowed, ‘She doesn’t come to parties often?’
Stephen shook his head, ‘not the sort of parties the rest of us get invited to. But... I’ve heard stories.’
I nodded slowly, my forehead was beginning to hurt the way it always did when the orange pills wore off. I took the orange pill container out of my pocket and shook it. There was no comforting tap of pills on the side.
I spun the lid open. It was empty.
My hands started to sweat. I got up, knocking over Stephen’s beer. He yelled at me, but I just waved an apology. I made a beeline straight for Manuel who was chatting to a bunch of fresh writers.
‘Hey, Eli,’ he said, wrapping an arm around me, ‘You guys heard of ElitheHill?’
A couple of the new writers grinned, one guy stuck out his hand, but my headache was getting worse with every second.
‘Manuel,’ I hissed, ‘I need some pills man.’
Manuel raised an eyebrow, ‘What?’
‘I need them now, my head...’ I stopped and rubbed one of my eyes, ‘I need the orange pills man.’
Manuel nodded, ‘Yeah, I’ll get you some man – in the morning.’ he wrapped his arm around me, ‘Come on man, be cool, have a beer.’
I shook my head frantically, my hands trembled, ‘I need them now Manuel. Come on. You’ve got to have at least a pack on you.’
Manuel stared at me, his eyes suddenly seemed much colder, ‘Yeah. I got some, but they’re two thousand reads.’
‘Two thousand?’ I bit my lip, ‘Man, they were five hundred two days ago.’
He shrugged and pulled the orange container from his pocket ‘You want em? Or not?’
My hands were a pool of sweat, my head thumped like a drum and bass concert and my right eye was twitching.
‘Yeah,’ I snatched them from his hand, ‘I’ll get Alex to transfer to you tomorrow.’
Manuel nodded, ‘Now get lost,’ his smile returned as he looked to the young writers, ‘You’re scaring off the new kids!’
The others laughed.
I fumbled with the pill bottle and Manuel gave me a kick, ‘Man! Get out of here.’ His eyes were hard again.
I stumbled my way over to the toilet, kicked the door open and slammed it behind me. My hands shook as I twisted open the capsule. The toilet smelt like vomit. The lid gave a click, popped open and I shook two pills into my hand. I usually took one, but I felt like I deserved the extra hit after everything I’d been through. I shoved them in my mouth, threw my head back, and swallowed.
A moment later I had electricity flowing through my veins and lightning in my brain. When I kicked the door of the toilet open it was like the world was in 8k resolution. Colours and lights were sharper and more beautiful. Beethoven’s fifth symphony was playing, someone passed me who smelt of elderflower and sweet wine. I breathed in and started dancing.
****
My call with Alex the next day began with me reciting a poem about his ties that I made up on the spot. He was wearing a beetroot red tie and by the third verse, his face had gone the same colour. It took him a few minutes to calm down, but when he finally did he ended up being quite pleased.
‘I see you’ve been producing a lot of chapters Mr Hill, you’re also pulling in a lot of readers. My suggestion is that you should start stockpiling them, rather than just posting them as you finish, that way when you hit another of your dry spells, you’ll have a buffer to get your shit sorted.’
I grinned and pulled the orange pills from my jacket pocket, ‘I’m not going to have another slump.’ I tossed the pill bottle up and caught it behind my back without looking, ‘Alex, I have discovered the key to literary immortality.’
Alex’s smile wavered for a moment, then with an effort of brute force he manage to affix it back to his face.
‘I’m glad Mr Hill.’ he went silent for a moment, ‘Just be careful okay... with those chapters I mean... we don’t want you to get burnt out with nothing left in the can.’
I shrugged, shook the pill bottle again, ‘Don’t worry about me buddy – just keep transferring Manuel that money. Okay?’
Alex nodded and ended the call.

Previous post

A renowned talent

Object of his lust, more often than not, was to be found in the Nemil beauty sitting languidly upon the other side of the fire (and if temptation burns where else would she be?). Purse Snippet was a dancer and orator famous across the breadth of Seven Cities. Need it be even said that such a combination of talents was sure to launch spurting enthusiasm among the heavy-breathing multitudes known to inhabit cities, towns, villages, hamlets, huts, caves and closets the world over?

Last week ended with a description of Calap Roud's creepy and very unsubtle lusting after women. And here we get one which seems to attract his attention more than anyone else in this company. It's a very smooth transition. It is also worth noting that she is the "object" of Calap Roud's lust, a very literal instance of objectification. Of course Calap Roud wouldn't be interested in her for her personality because he isn't interested in anyone's personality but his own.
Purse Snippet is Nemil, which is in the Seven Cities. This, along with her being famous specifically in the Seven Cities, supports the notion that we are indeed located somewhere on that continent. Her name is certainly interesting, but I think it's better to wait until the second part of her introduction to discuss it.
She sits languidly, which indicates that she is not overly worried about their state of affairs. And she sits on the other side of the fire to Calap Roud, which I don't think is a coincidence. She wants nothing to do with him. It also indicates that she is the opposite of Calap. Remember, we're still not done with the circle/soul metaphor. That she sits opposite Calap also means that he sees her through the flame, as Flicker points out, as he makes her into a personification of temptation. To Calap it's as if she's within the flames, burning bright.
After that long(ish) and meandering sentence we now get a very simple sentence, stating in plain language who she is. She's a dancer and orator, and she's famous in the Seven Cities. Again, this is Flicker changing his language to me much more easily parsed when he is giving us simple facts.
And then he switches right back to the more ornate style as he describes the effects of those simple facts. This is of course Flicker engaging in his trademark hyperbole, while simultaneously establishing her as a sex symbol. Everyone in the world¹ knows her.
The "spurting enthusiasm" is yet another very thinly veiled euphemism, this time for ejaculation. That the multitudes are "heavy-breathing" also supports that. I also love this tally of all the places where such multitudes are found, starting with cities, then getting progressively smaller until we're at a single closet. I also think it's very funny that near the end we're also getting more primitive, with hamlets, then huts, then caves, before going back into something much more advanced, which is a closet.

A singular beauty

Lithe was her smile, warm her midnight hair, supple of tongue her every curvaceous utterance, Purse Snippet was desired by a thousand governors and ten thousand nobles. She had been offered palaces, islands in artificial lakes, entire cities. She had been offered a hundred slaves each trained in the arts of love, to serve her pleasure until age and jealous gods took pleasure away. Lavished with jewels enough to adorn a hundred selfish queens in their dark tombs. Sculptors struggled to render her likeness in marble and bronze, and then committed suicide. Poets fell so far inside their poems of adoration and worship they forgot to eat and died at their garrets. Great warleaders tripped and impaled themselves on their own swords in pursuit of her. Priests foreswore drink and children. Married men surrendered all caution in their secret escapades. Married women delighted in exposing and then murdering their husbands with ridicule and savage exposes.

We've had a few instances up until now where Flicker uses a deliberately wrong word when describing something. Here he turns it up to 11. "Lithe was her smile". A smile can't be lithe, but Purse is, and her smile reflects that. "Warm her midnight hair". While hair can be warm, it's certainly a strange way to describe someone's hair. We do learn that her hair is dark, but here I think the word "warm" actually applies to the aforementioned smile. I think Flicker is more affected by her charms than he'd care to admit, hence him getting his words all jumbled up.
"Supple of tongue". Again an unusual word choice, but you can read this as her being a skilled speaker, and particularly adept at playing to the whims of her audience. He's clearly talking about more than just her tongue, but I think there is a double meaning at play here. And "curvaceous utterance" is the most overt one, just to nail home which organ Flicker is thinking with.
Then we are bombarded with description after description of all the powerful people attempting to claim her and artists trying to merely depict her. I think this is similar to what he did with the Chanter brothers, where he invented this absurdly over the top backstory for them to emphasize how bestial they were. Here he is doing the same but to show how beautiful Purse Snippet is.
For one, I doubt there are a thousand governors in all of Seven Cities. I'm sure there are at least ten thousand nobles, but that would surely be most of them. Then we get the listing of offerings that get increasingly absurd, mirroring the list in the previous paragraph with the progressively smaller habitations. It culminates in her being offered a hundred pleasure slaves to serve her for the rest of her life. And notice that even the gods are jealous of her.
And then, finally, she is given jewelry fit for a hundred queens. And notice that these queens are placed in dark tombs. This, along with the preceding comment about her aging serve as a reminder of the transience of beauty. Flicker knows this, and presumably Purse does as well.
Notice also how this has all been in the passive voice. I haven't talked a lot about voice up until this point (and perhaps I should have), but the use of the passive voice here seems very deliberate. She is not asking for this, it's all imposed on her. But when we start discussing the poor artists trying to capture her beauty, we switch to the active voice, but we also switch our point of view to said artists, meaning we're still not placing her in an active role. She is simply an object, which is how Flicker first introduced her. I'm looking forward to examining Flicker's/Erikson's treatment of Purse Snippet.
But let's back up a little bit and talk about those artists. We are led to believe that her beauty is so singular that sculptors can't capture it and kill themselves because of their failure. The poets don't seem to fail, but they get so absorbed in their poetry that they die of starvation. I love that they die at their garrets², but not in their garrets. They don't just happen to be there, it's more like they're posted there. It's not that the poets live there, it's that they have to be there when composing poetry.
Then you have great warleaders tripping (the last thing you would expect of a warleader) and die in the process, because of course they fall on their swords. The priests certainly catch some heat there, as they are noted to "swear off alcohol" which they should not be doing in the first place "and children", because of course. We know that Erikson is no fan of organized religion and it seems that neither is Flicker.
Finally we get a mentioned of married men, who abandon all caution when pursuing Purse, and their wives who surprisingly don't seem upset, but rather seem to be enjoying a chance to publicly scorn and ridicule their husbands. Perhaps because of how optimistic their men were, to think that they would have a chance with Purse. I want to note that I don't think they are actually murdering their husbands. It seems to be purely verbal.
That was something, but we're not done yet with our Purse Snippet. Next time we'll be finishing up her introduction. See you next week!
¹ Notice how he uses "the world" here instead of just "the Seven Cities"? This implies that her world is just the Seven Cities, even further supporting the theory that we are there.
² In this instance probably referring to a room in an attic
Next post

I'd like to say hello and welcome you good day that is my name come here sit down I'm so glad even really truly came we can go take a walk or something but first i need introduce what when let us sing its call it likes it's nothing lives breathes insists never liked speak run sleep eat thought everybody tried seat looking through glass eyes give few tries goes right in time kill all bad dreams wonder 'bout no things circles spirals mind know this song not about yes why what's little sigh along think done we're thinks ton knew by wanted birds bees television cardboard houses X-ray vision many silly rhymes forgotten lost their telephones games periods lots of question marks here's part again where everything's more than should be greener seems fall beneath your feet seconds tick boulders whenever don't does seem are wherever for together depending on the weather we'll either argue house outside how different felt before got notch belt 'cause plans were me yeah now you'd just rather leave 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I honestly believe Kolkata is miles better than any other city in India. Not only culturally but also in terms of society. Sure, Kolkata has lost her charm over the decades yet I'm still grateful to live in the 'City of Joy' amidst the hellscape called India. You may think I'm a jerk but I do have certain points to back me up.
Let's talk about the basic difference between Kolkata and India first-
1) Society-
In my opinion, society plays the most fundamental role in the moral and mental upbringing of folks. Your state/city/country maybe swimming in riches but if your society is no better than a fascist/dogmatic regime, I highly doubt whether "economic prosperity" will feed your mental health. Talk about Europe and US. There are many countries in the EU which aren't as rich as the USA, yet their citizens are far more happier to live there. The US maybe ruling the world but it's still squirming with loads of problems like unemployment, immigration issues, extremely unfair healthcare etc.
Kolkata, may not be as rich as it used to be. Yet, bengali society especially Kolkata is far far more liberal and open minded than the rest of India. Let me give an example. Dating culture is generally favoured jn Kolkata. Even boomers, if you meet one on the street, will ask you, "Girlfriend ache?", and that too in an encouraging manner. Apart from this, in Kolkata, the rat-race for engineering is significantly less compared to the rest of India. Arts is also given somewhat equal respect (well not exactly equal but definitely more compared to the rest of India). Kolkata in the early 80s to 90s was the pinnacle of culture. Even now also, people in Kolkata are generally much friendlier and welcoming compared to the rest of the country. I've met so many kakus and dadus who are as friendly as a family member despite being total strangers.
2) Religious tolerance-
Probably controversial, but in general, regardless of the fact that whether one is a Hindu or Muslim, people here are quite tolerant. I agree, Hindu- Muslim riots are a common thing here as well but relatively speaking, it's less compared to the rest of the country. Obviously immigrants in recent years from Bihar and Bangladesh are contributing towards the rift between Hindus and Muslims here. But those, who have been living here since decades are generally more tolerant. The primary example of this is the normalization of "Kaji" culture here. Kajis here, don't care about your religion or gender at all. They are WILLING to help anyone in need. Hindus and Muslims are both allowed in mosques and temples respectively. Durga Puja, the greatest festival in bengal, is celebrated both by Muslims and Hindus alike. Even Hindus here respect the Muslims and vice versa (Note: I'm never claiming there's no Hindu-Muslim difference here. I'm claiming there isn't much relative to other states.) Also Christmas is celebrated with grandiose here in Kolkata, almost as if we are in the Vatican( hyperbole haha). Everyone eagerly waits for Christmas here.
3) Music-
As a rock enthusiast myself, I've grown up listening to the Beatles, Guns N' Roses, Scorpions, Queen etc. Kolkata, in the 80s to early 2000s used to have such a great Rock culture. Bangla bands are arguably the greatest. Returning to school and listening to Fossils, used to be blissful. Sure enough, Rock is still prevalent here but the craze is dying. That's why, when I say Kolkata used to as great as Europe in terms of society in the 80s - 00s, I mean it.
4) Literature-
Obviously how can we forget literature? Bengalis have always been fascinated by literature. This includes your poems, novels, even other forms of art like cinema as well. Bengali arthouse films charming. Reading books is a culture here, which is deeply engrained in every bengali. I've never seen any other state as keen in literature as Bengal is. Book clubs, poetry competitions, art is still just as popular as before.
All in all, because of Kolkata's utopian past and welcoming society, I'm proud to have been born here. I am willing to die for Kolkata but not for India. Call me an Asshole but I simply love this city above my country. Unfortunately, the "City of Joy" is now in ruins. Immigrants, social media culture have ruined us. Biharis and Bangladeshis have turned Kolkata into a cesspool. (Yeah I'm a racist in this case but it is what it is.) Well, the days of glory are long lost but it's still not too late to bring Kolkata back to its former prestige.

I wanted to start a little series of mini-spotlights, covering various soloist ladies I find incredible. A lot of these are on the indie side of things, where the info isn't as readily available - so I thought it might be good to cover 5 in one go, to make each post feel a little more substantial. This is less of a deep dive than my previous spotlight posts, and more of just an appreciation for artists who don't get as much of the .. spotlight.
So yeah, expect a series of these I suppose. There's just so many wonderful artists out there. I'll probably do one for the guys as well, but right now my playlist is dominated by women. So leave that for later! A quick disclaimer: I'm by no means an expert on any of these artists. If you happen to be, and see something that's plain wrong, please call me out on it, and I'll be sure to edit it. Also, these are very opinionated posts, so take my incessant hyperbole with a pinch of salt! If you want.. Or board the hype train. That's up to you!
Anyway. Let's get to it! If you're in the mood to discover some new music, read on.

1: Woo Yerin

Woo Ye-rin (우예린)
Born: October 3, 1995
SNS: Instagram Youtube
Starting with one of my more recent discoveries. Woo Yerin's a singer-songwriter under Ruby Records. She started her career pursuing idol life in the show K-Pop Star 5, back in 2015, which didn't go her way in the end. And she ended up taking the indie soloist route. And that in turn, gave us some pretty damn great music!
I'd say she dabbles in a bit of everything, but particularly excels in whimsical, sweeping symphonic songs - with added band instrumentals. Think GFRIEND's Rough, with a bit more levity to it. Interestingly for someone who operates in such big, layered songs, she's not much of a high note belting power vocal - but she always finds really cool alternatives to give her crescendos that added punch. So it's sorta refreshing in a way. That's not a slight on her vocals though. She can hold her own, and has such a gorgeous unique quality to it. Just that it maybe leans more towards the light, sweet and crystal clear.
She's also done great work in more theatrical somber genres, fun upbeat tunes, light funky jazz, folky songs and your average ol' ballady tracks. A lot of different, beautiful, emotional, sad, fun and uplifting vibes, all executed so well. She's mostly released digital singles so far, so her catalogue isn't massive, but there's little to no filler at least. Last year she released a whopping 4 singles though, so it feels like she's ramping up for another album.
She also plays guitar and piano, and composes and write the majority of her own work, with some helpding hands on the arrangement side. So clearly a multi talent! They're very impressive compositions as well. Intricate and balanced with great layering and tons of variety. So far she's got one EP, a ton of singles, and a handful of collabs under her belt. She's mostly flown under the radar, but had some limited success with a collab track with Ahn Ye Eun (also from K-Pop Star 5), Burn Like A Star. Not one of my favorite tracks by her by any means, but should be mentioned. She also has a personal Youtube channel where she uploads covers occasionally. Especially Christmas songs!
Song Recs:

• Tokki
• Red Rose
• Night Flower
• Let It Go! (Daisy)
• An Undelivered Letter
• Girl
• Fishbowl
• Lavender (ft. LILL)
• Paradise
• Flame
• When The Violet Blooms

Although I'd suggest just deep diving her whole discography. If you're at all into orchestral pop, or more moody soundscapes - are into artists like GFRIEND, Lena Park or KyoungSeo - definitively give her a listen. I'm sure you'll find something in her discography to love. Can't wait to see what she's got for us this year.

2: MINSEO

Kim Min-seo (김민서)
Born: April 9, 1996
SNS: Instagram Official Instagram Youtube
Over to someone who's a bit more known. You see her name mentioned on reddit every now and then at least. MINSEO was an idol trainee who quit and veered down the indie soloist route instead. She would most likely have been a GFRIEND member if she followed through on her idol plans and debuted. But she ended up leaving the company, setting her another path entirely. Apparently she is still close to at least some of the girls though. And after the fact, she would go on to cover GFRIEND's Rough on her stint on King Of Masked Singer. Maybe for the best. I'm not sure I could handle the Yuju + MINSEO one, two vocal punch. Whew!
To me, she's always been one of the big overlooked vocal talents in kpop. Already early on she had this maturity and confidence to her vocals. Very technical and skillful vocalist too. And she's no slouch in the discography department either, having been pretty experimental with her releases over the years, while keeping the quality up. Her stuff covers orchestral, showtunes and jazzy stuff, ballads as well as more standard fare kpop. Her career path has been sorta reminiscent of IU's to me. Besides the massive, cosmic gap in popularity obviously.
With 3 EP's, and a ton of singles and OSTs, there's a lot to pick from. In addition to the recs below, I think her EP The Diary Of Youth is just spectacular. It's been a couple of years since her last EP now, so maybe we've got another coming this year? Fingers crossed.
Song Recs:

• Is Who? (Folky, showtuney, jazzy)
• The Grand Dreams
• 2cm (ft. Paul Kim) (Loungy, coffee shop vibes)
• Zero
• Crystal Castle (The Empire Of Law OST)
• Growing Up
• Goodbye To Romance (orig. Sunny Hill)
• Star (Gorgeous ballad)

Also a terrific live singer. Her episode of 'I'm Live' on Airang TV is well worth a watch if you have 25 minutes to spare. Her performance of Yes on Dingo Live is also a favorite. If you're into IU, GFRIEND or BOL4, I think MINSEO would scratch some of those particular itches as well.

3: msftz

Lee Shin-ae (이신애)
Born: December 24, 1997
SNS: Instagram Youtube
Again over to a lesser known artist. msftz (misfits) is a singer-songwriter under Sony Music Korea. I feel like she's been around since forever, but she only debuted back in 2020. To be fair, she's been actively releasing music since 2017, but just by herself onto soundcloud. So there's actually quite a few soundcloud exclusive tracks. Or there were. Her old soundcloud account seems to be deactivated atm sadly. But hopefully they'll pop up again. You might be able to find them with some searching still though.
She feels like such a staple in the soloist scene to me, and her stuff has such a strong and distinct identity. She'll do a lot of loungy, funky and even rocky stuff, usually with sorta quirky yet kinda dark lyrics - but also more abstract, spacy stuff with gorgeous dreamy soundscapes. And yeah, she writes her own stuff, if that's something that makes your ears perk up. Plays piano and guitar as well. She's a fantastic, very overlooked songwriter with a clear voice. Her vocals are really distinct as well. There's a bit of a jazz singer vibe there. Sorta smokey and smooth. But with maybe a slight nasality to it? However you explain it, she has such a unique sound.
She's mostly released singles (6) but also did an EP back in 2021 that's a really great listening experience. She also posts some covers on her youtube, and always puts her unique twist on them. To mention a few Butter (BTS), Last Night On Earth (Green Day) and Story Of My Life (One Direction).
Song Recs:

• Heart
• Takeoff (light indie rock)
• 2080 (cosmic, dreamy)
• Oh My Way
• Special
• Fantasy

Being a lesser known artists, there's not a ton of easily accessible content it feels like. But there's a lot of stuff where she performs live with her band - like these 2080 and Fantasy ones. She might not be a vocal monster, but I think she's quite pleasant live as well. If you like stuff like Heize, Stella Jang or KyoungSeo, I think msftz might hit. Hope you check her out! It's been a while since her last release, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long for some news of new music!

4: Shin Ji Hoon

Shin Ji-hoon (신지훈)
Born: June 23, 1998
SNS: Instagram Youtube Soundcloud
I mentioned good listening experiences above, which is a good segue into Shin Ji Hoon. Her album 'Stars And Memories And Poetry' is easily the best listening experience I've had in my kpop journey. That album is such a ride. And the fact that it's mostly self written, composed and even produced is beyond impressive. The album feels a lot like a full musical with different acts, and visits a lot of different tempos, moods and various instruments. From electric guitar to harmonica and choral vocals, to acoustic sections.
Shin Ji Hoon started out as a (pretty accomplished) figure skater, but turned to music - debuting as a soloist back in 2017. She was initially with Cube Entertainment and Starline Entertainment, but would eventually go on to form her own company for her music. So here you'll get peak autonomy. Her vocals are definitively a bit on the lighter side, but she's got an absolutely gorgeous voice. She is also such an incredible songwriter and producer who I wish had more eyes (ears?) on her. I think I would describe most of her music as 'on the lighter side' as well, with soft airy vocals, gorgeous melodies, sweeping string sections and the most satisfying chord resolutions you can imagine. You won’t find much dance friendly stuff here. She knows her ‘niche’, but executes it better than pretty much anyone else I’ve come across. She's basically a storyteller who sings.
Popularity-wise it's hard to know where to place her. One the one hand, I can count on my fingers how many times I've seen her name mentioned on reddit in my years here. Her Spotify numbers aren't exactly impressive either. But she's got a good following of over 200k subscribers on her youtube channel, and there's definite resources poured into her stuff, so she must have at least a decent following over in korea. Her youtube channel also features a ton of covers of various artists. Well worth a look.
Here's a couple of songs I particularly love from her. But if you find you like her vibe, I implore you to go listen to her full albums in order, because that is hand-crafted journeys that elevate the music even further.
Song Recs:

• A Story That Will Turn Into A Poem
• Falling In Love Is Like The Spring Rain, Parting Is Like The Winter Rain
• You Are A Star Already
• A Fairy Tale (Love the marching section)
• When The Magnolia Blooms
• Memories Soon To Be A Chapter Of An Anthology
• A Sky Full Of Stars
• Fly Far Away, Avobe The Clouds

Again, another solid live singer. And she'll whip out the guitar too. I don't have as many clips to share, but check out her stage of A Fairy Tale. She'll also upload the odd cover to her youtube channel. If you're into slower, moving indie type music, this should be up your alley. Sweden Laundry, Vanilla Acoustic, BOL4 and Davichi come to mind, but Shin Ji Hoon is something it's hard to draw comparisons to. She creates such beautiful, moving art, and I hope you give her music a chance.

5: Shin Eui Jin

Shin Eui Jin (신의진)
Born: July 2, 1999
SNS: Youtube Instagram
One good Shin deserves another(?). So we'll finish off with another new discovery of mine. And the most obscure artist on this list. One that I don't have as much to say about, as she's a more recent debut. Shin Eui Jin is a soloist under BK Entertainment. She debuted at the tail-end of 2021 with the beautiful ballad Broom. A lot safer than her subsequent releases, it should be said. But towards the finale there, she a certain style shines through, that she'd go on to explore more of. Her discography is really small. But she's doing very promising work so far, and is scratching a niche that doesn't get much attention these days. The more rock influenced, orchestral string heavy fusion stuff. Early Dreamcatcher meets early GFRIEND in a way maybe? No horror theme here though. Fun, driving rocky tunes with as many strings as you can handle. And a vocal tone that goes hand in hand with that sound.
She's also dipped her toes into music survival shows, with the most recent being Artistock Game in 2022, but it sadly didn't go her way. She doesn't appear to compose her own stuff, and the composers so far have been all different. But the style has been consistent, so it's seemingly something she wishes to pursue further, luckily!
With just four digital singles so far, I'm just linking the rest of them. Again though, all of these are from last year, so she's ramping it up. We'll just have to wait and see!

• You're My Star
• Night, Summer
• Hello!

So if you're at all into the rockier stuff from Dreamcatcher, I think there's a chance you'll like her stuff. Although it is quite a bit lighter and more upbeat. So be 'warned'. Anyway, she's a breath of fresh air to me in the current landscape, and I hope she'll continue to dabble in this style, if not dive even deeper into the rocky themes. Excited to see what 2024 brings for her.
And that's it for now! Five wonderful soloists who don't get enough attention for their amazing contributions! Please be sure to let me know if you found some music you liked. Or if you happen to know and love one of the artists covered, please chime in and gush some extra, and maybe give your own recommendations. And stay tuned for five more down the line!
Lastly, a little call to action. I would love it if the spotlight feature became a staple on the kpop subreddit again. If you've ever thought about writing a spotlight for an artist you really like, I hope you give it a go. I can assure you the mod team very helpful if you have any questions or worries about it. It doesn't have to perfect (example: this very post!), but it's just nice to see people extensively gushing about artists they like! You can see earlier spotlights on the wiki section of the sub.
Other (producer) spotlights: MIO OREO Iggy Yongbae Noh Ju Hwan

Disclaimer: I do not speak Korean. This is purely translated by machine with a lot of cleanup afterward. With that in mind, I am open to criticism to improve these translations. Enjoy!
​
Chapter 333
​
"Please wait a moment, Master Ship Lighter Mu-Song."
​
I felt compelled to offer a standing ovation to the speaker of those words.
​
The boldness required to articulate such a statement amidst such palpable tension was noteworthy.
​
Particularly when the person addressed had just transformed over fifty pirates into fish bait within five minutes.
​
But who dared to speak?
​
'It’s evident from the use of "Master" that they're not one of us.'
​
Mu-Song was known to his crew as 'Captain' or 'Fortress Master', ruling them out. None in our group, myself included, had spoken up either.
​
That left only one possibility...
​
'The passengers who were attacked by the pirates.'
​
It became obvious to all present.
​
Both my group and the Water Dragon Fortress pirates simultaneously looked in the same direction - towards the twenty passengers who had boarded the fast ship following Hwang Tae-Gu's raid.
​
"Who is it? Come forward."
​
At Mu-Song's stern command, his men quickly made way. A single figure stood at the end of the clearing.
​
"Hello, young man."
​
Though the voice hinted at youth, his appearance was surprisingly boyish.
​
'He couldn’t be older than twenty.'
​
The term 'boy' seemed more fitting than 'young man'. He appeared unnerved by the attention, hesitantly joining his hands in an awkward gesture.
​
"Hello. My name is Mun-Kyung."
​
"Mun-Kyung?"
​
Mu-Song echoed, his brow furrowing.
​
"That's a name I've never heard before. You don't seem to be a martial artist either."
​
Mu-Song's observation was spot-on.
​
Mun-Kyung emitted the aura of a mere civilian, plain and unremarkable.
​
Under our intense scrutiny, Mun-Kyung nervously responded,
​
"Yes, that's correct. I am just a medical practitioner in training, with no ties to the martial world."
​
"Just a medical practitioner? But you seem to know me."
​
"How could I not know of the righteous boatman on the Yangtze River of Sichuan, who strictly forbids the unnecesary taking of life?"
​
The flattery was blatant.
​
Suddenly, Mu-Song, renowned for his ruthless piracy on the Sichuan part of the Yangtze River, struggled to suppress a smirk, his usual ferocity momentarily faltering under the guise of a 'righteous boatman'.
​
“Hmm, is that so?”
​
“Wealth may come and go, but life is something we only have once. Those who know how many lives have disappeared on the Yangtze River up until a few years ago call Master Mu-Song the 'Master of Benevolence and Righteousness'."
​
"Cough. Master of Benevolence and Righteousness, you say. Being the Hero of the Yangtze River is enough for me."
​
Such hyperbole...
​
While Mu-Song exhibits some sensibility, his core as a pirate remains. Occasional good deeds hardly elevate him to sainthood.
​
Yet, the young doctor seemed to view him differently.
​
"My parents were tragically killed on the Yangtze River over a decade ago. If it weren't for Master Mu-Song's rescue, I might have followed in their footsteps."
​
"That's unfortunate. But if it was over a decade ago then..."
​
"Yes."
​
Mun-Kyung's voice quivered as he continued.
​
"The person kneeling before Master Mu-Song right now is the man who killed my parents."
​
"Oh."
​
The revelation caused a stir among the pirates and passengers, all hanging on Mun-Kyung's words. Mu-Song, grasping the gravity of the situation, interjected.
​
"I see why you asked me to stop. While it goes against the rules of our Alliance, I fully understand your feelings, and I will give you a chance."
​
"You mean to grant me the power to decide his life or death?"
​
"Of course."
​
But Mun-Kyung's ensuing decision took everyone by surprise.
​
"Then... please spare him."
​
"...!"
​
"...!"
​
Mu-Song, poised to hand over a weapon, and Hwang Tae-Gu, who had braced for his end, both stared at Mun-Kyung in disbelief.
​
"W-what did you say?"
​
Mu-Song asked with a puzzled expression as Mun-Kyung bowed.
​
"As much as I want to avenge my parents, I am a doctor. How can someone who deals with life commit an act of death? However, I implore you to ensure that he can no longer commit evil deeds by abolishing his martial arts and punishing him severely according to strict laws."
​
"If we follow your suggestion, that man will be sent to the main body of our Alliance. He deserves death, but he might escape with his life due to the connections he's made so far. Wouldn't it be better to avenge yourself right here and now?"
​
"I may have no ties to Murim, but I understand that losing one's martial arts is akin to death for a martial artist. I may not have killed him, but it's as good as done. And..."
​
Mun-Kyung's gaze, steady and clear, locked onto Hwang Tae-Gu.
​
"This is not about personal revenge, but a matter of principle. If the Yangtze River Water Route Alliance punishes him directly, it will serve as a warning to others who commit slaughter on the Yangtze."
​
In his steady, unflinching voice, Mun-Kyung commanded the respect of all present.
​
Impressed by his demeanor, exclamations of admiration flowed from the onlookers.
​
“Ha, impressive. Such wisdom in someone so young.”
​
“If it were me, I would have immediately thrust a harpoon into that guy's chest.”
​
“A unique individual indeed. He will make a fine doctor.”
​
Mu-Song appeared genuinely moved by the young doctor's eloquent words, nodding with evident respect. He then approached Hwang Tae-Gu.
​
“If you have ears, you must have heard what the young doctor said. What do you think?”
​
“I will definitely survive to tear all of you to pieces.”
​
The defiance in Hwang Tae-Gu’s eyes was fleeting.
​
Thud!
​
“Argh!”
​
Below Hwang Tae-Gu’s abdomen, precisely at the Dantian, Mu-Song’s foot landed with force.
​
Gazing indifferently at Hwang Tae-Gu, who now spat blood and collapsed, Mu-Song declared,
​
“Try and survive if you can. Even if you live, without your Dantian, it won’t be much of a life.”
​
His foot struck the Dantian again with a thunderous impact.
​
Whoosh, crack!
​
“No, please!”
​
Hwang Tae-Gu's pleas vanished into the void as his fate was sealed. [Note: while two kicks may seem like its nothing, especially to relatively strong martial artists, if hit properly a person can destroy someone's dantian, which is used for storing and controlling Qi, as we have seen. So damaging or destroying this would prevent another person from practicing martial arts ever again.]
​
Swoosh!
​
Qi seeped from the seven holes of Hwang Tae-Gu's face, dissolving seamlessly into the ether. [Note: the term used here 칠공(七空) means "seven holes" in Korean, but could also mean "Seven Emptinesses", which is a Buddhist concept. The seven holes translation makes more sense here, but I am not sure why the author has used the Chinese term with Buddhist connotations in this line. The seven holes would be the two ears, two eyes, two nostrils, and mouth.]
​
Like water escaping a shattered vessel, his internal energy dissipated with the destruction of his dantian.
​
“You all, I will definitely-!”
​
The Peak Master who ruled over the Yangtze River in Sichuan no longer existed.
​
Reduced to a feeble, powerless man, Hwang Tae-Gu's threats ceased as he became stiff with bloodshot eyes.
​
“Enough of your racket. Throw this guy somewhere appropriate, we’ll send him to the main body of the Alliance later.”
​
“Aye captain.”
​
A pirate, his head gleaming bronze like a Diglett, hauled Hwang Tae-Gu away, bringing the ordeal to an end.
​
Mu-Song, scratching his head, surveyed the onlookers.
​
“What a scene. I apologize to those who suffered from this ordeal.”
​
Was it the lesser of two evils – a rogue pirate overcoming a worse one?
​
Regardless, the civilians, owing their lives to the Water Dragon Fortress' intervention, expressed their gratitude with deep bows.
​
“Oh no, not at all. We would have been doomed without the heroes of the Yangtze River.”
​
“How can I ever repay this kindness…”
​
“Thanks to the care of the Primordial Heavenly Lord, not a single life was lost. You needn’t worry.” [Note: In Taoism and certain East Asian spiritual traditions, the Primordial Heavenly Lord is typically regarded as a supreme deity or a highly revered divine figure. This figure is often associated with the creation or origination of the universe, embodying the essence of the Tao (the Way) or the fundamental principles that govern the cosmos.]
​
What? Not a single death?
​
I scanned the group of passengers.
​
‘It's true.’
​
There were injured people here and there, but no corpses.
​
Despite our timely arrival before the full-blown battle, the initial volley of arrows and harpoons should have been lethal...
​
‘How did mere civilians, only twenty in number, manage this?’
​
My question was soon answered.
​
“If it weren’t for the young doctor over there, we might all have been dead.”
​
“Yes. How he remained so calm in such a situation… truly remarkable.”
​
This was the consensus among the passengers.
​
When the pirates appeared, inciting panic, Mun-Kyung had stepped forward, ripping up deck planks to create makeshift shields and even dismantling the mast.
​
‘The deck I understand, but breaking the mast?’
​
An average person would think of rowing away in desperation, but Mun-Kyung had a different approach.
​
He rendered the sail useless, leaving the ship at the mercy of the Yangtze's unpredictable currents.
​
‘And he succeeded.’
​
I understood the basics of naval combat.
​
The usual strategy involved closing in on the enemy after long-range assaults, then engaging directly, either by ramming or boarding.
​
But if the target ship is erratically spinning and rocking, it's difficult to execute an attack. Mun-Kyung bought valuable time with this tactic.
​
‘Look at this guy.’
​
His handling of the Hwang Tae-Gu situation too. He’s no ordinary clever fellow.
​
Then, as Mun-Kyung caught my gaze, perhaps sensing the praise in my heart, he looked startled.
​
“Y-Young Master, do you need something from me?”
​
“Need? It's just that you seem about my sister's age and I was admiring the incredible thing you did.”
​
“You flatter me.”
​
“From what I heard, it was a bold move. How did you come up with that?”
​
“Although I’m currently walking the path of a medical practitioner, before my parents passed away, I read a lot of books on different subjects.”
​
“Books?”
​
“Yes. My family actually comes from a modest military background. My grandfather was even a military officer receiving stipends from the court.”
​
An attempt to hide a faint wariness towards strangers and a subtle sense of pride.
​
At first glance, he seemed like any other boy his age, yet something was amiss.
​
As I observed Mun-Kyung closely, I whispered under my breath.
​
‘Activate skill, Qi Sense.’
​
Ding!
​
The familiar sound of a bell chimed, revealing insights about him in a floating display.
​
​
​
[Lv.6 Mun-Kyung]
​
​
​
“I was off the mark.”
​
“Pardon?”
​
“Nothing. Just stay healthy and keep growing up well.”
​
“Yes, y-yes…”
​
I clicked my tongue subtly, turning away from a confused Mun-Kyung.
​
That's when Mu-Song, who had been observing, inquired quietly.
​
“What’s the matter?”
​
“Nothing much. I was just curious about him.”
​
“Hubae, do you enjoy sodomy?” [Note: I have checked and checked, hoping that my eyes deceived me, but here is the original Korean so you can see for yourselves... "후배, 혹시 남색(男色)을 즐기나?" Also, Hubae means "junior" in Korean.]
​
What the hell…
​
Noticing my reaction, he quickly cleared his throat and shifted the topic.
​
“Well, anyway, we should continue on our way. The current is strong, but with this favorable wind, we’ll reach Xi'an in no time.”
​
“What about the others? Their original ship also sank.”
​
“The others? Ah, my men will move them to a safe place.”
​
Mu-Song chuckled and added.
​
“Of course, for a modest fee.”
​
“…”
​
Saving lives and then extorting money. Should I call that smart or stupid?
​
I was momentarily speechless at this new model of creative economy when suddenly,
​
“Wait a moment.”
​
“Hm?”
​
It was Mun-Kyung, appearing hesitant and toying with his fingers as he spoke.
​
“Did you say you’re heading to Xi'an now?”
​
“Yes. Why?”
​
Startled, Mun-Kyung quickly blurted out his words.
​
“It’s just that, coincidentally, I was also on my way to Xi'an. If you could just give me a ride this one time, I would be eternally grateful, remembering the kindness forever, deeply engraved in my heart, even if I die and die again a thousand times and turn to dust, I will never forget…”
​
What is this now?
​
I sighed deeply, facing this Jeong Mong-Ju-like character. [Note: Jeong Mong-Ju is a Korean scholar and diplomat most famous for a poem he wrote that includes the line "Though I die and die again a hundred times, That my bones turn to dust, whether my soul remains or not, Ever loyal to my Lord, how can this heart ever fade away?", which is what is causing the MC to relate Mun-Kyung to him.]
​
“Alright, get on.”
​
“Thank you so much!”
​
Watching Mun-Kyung hurriedly gather his belongings, Mu-Song muttered quietly.
​
“Well, it’s my boat, after all…”
​
No, not anymore.

This is the first part of a larger chapter I'm currently writing for AO3, looking at times that Taylor has referenced/quoted queer writers or literature, or times that she has drawn parallels with them. Since I'm going in chronological order through time, Sappho is the earliest. The chapter is ongoing, but with reddit having post length limits it also felt like breaking it up into smaller chunks might be better. As a comparison for the amount of material being discussed, I did some quick maths and Taylor has likely produced over 8,000 lines of songs already.
Content note in this post for discussion of suicide.
(Also note that the table formatting got messed up, for which I sincerely apologise.)
Sappho (c. 630-570 BCE)
The poet Sappho, from the island of Lesbos, is nowadays famous in her own right as a poet who wrote romantically about women, as well as having been the origin of the words lesbian and sapphic. In her own lifetime, she was regarded as one of the best known poets, even being called "The Tenth Muse"; only one of her poems ("Ode to Aphrodite") is believed to be complete, with other works being partial or fragmented. In some cases, these fragments are single words. Although it was once theorised that her poems were deliberately destroyed by the Christian Church for their content, it is now thought that her specific dialect of Greek was considered of lower literary value. It is estimated that she wrote at least 10,000 lines during her lifetime; around 650 lines are currently known, although even in the last decade new fragments and pieces are being discovered through archaeological excavations in Egypt. (The Ptolemaic Kingdom, which lasted in Egypt from 305BCE to 30BCE and the death of Cleopatra, was Greek in origin.)
Much is unclear about Sappho. It is believed that she was born to a wealthy family, and had two brothers. The first known biography of her dates to around 800 years after her death, and is likely to have been drawn from the content of her poems and from older (now lost) literary sources which may have included comedic plays, parody, rumour, and even outright mistakes. In the 20th Century CE, it was finally also questioned whether Sappho's poems, many of which are written from the point of view of a narrator who refers to themselves in the first person (I/me/my), are indeed meant to be autobiographical in nature. Imagine if someone were trying to reconstruct Taylor Swift's life using only her songs, media coverage, and gossip site rumours, centuries from now - it is difficult enough to do this in a contemporary setting.
As evidence of how mysterious Sappho remains, a 10th Century CE text describes her as having a husband named Kerkylas of Andros. However, it has only been more recently acknowledged that this was probably drawn from Athenian comedic plays, rather than history, as the name looks to mean 'Penisling of Man Island' - more reminiscent of Monty Python's character Biggus Dickus than anything that has been attested as a real name elsewhere. There has historically been extensive heterosexualisation of Sappho's poems, including changing pronouns and assuming or naming male subjects when none are specified, most notably the creation of the character of "Phaon" whom Sappho was supposed to have been in unrequited love with and over whom she is supposed to have completed suicide by jumping to her death from the cliffs of Leucadia (now Lefkada). This story is likely the conflation of two myths about Aphrodite - that of Aphrodite granting youth and beauty to ferryman Phaon in return for a journey, and of her casting herself from the cliffs of Leucadia to rid herself of her grief over the death of the mortal Adonis. In other words, it is clear that at least some of the gaps in Sappho's biography have been filled in not just by metaphorical but by literal mythology. (Podcast The Archers suggests in their episode on Sappho that the 'ferryman' here may in fact be a representation of death and a reference to Charon, creating more mythological links.)
At the time that Sappho wrote, the poetic mainstream was of male poets writing epic (narrative and often historical or mythological) poetry. Sappho is often described, or assumed, as having written mostly love poetry, although a more recent analysis suggests she probably wrote on a broader range of topics. (This, too, might be familiar to people with a broader knowledge of Taylor's discography.) Across the various topics, though, she brought an emotional, person-focused experience; Taylor is also known for this to the point that there are published papers on it.
It is suggested she was among the first poets to write from the first person point of view (the "lyric I" in literary discussion) and is known for how her poems explore emotions and personal stories rather than the older tradition of epic poetry and narratives. She is noted for using clear, even accessible language; for putting slight variants on common phrases; and for deliberate use of hyperbole.

Literary Technique	Sappho Examples	Taylor Swift Examples
Lyric "I"	Fragment 1: Hymn to AphroditeFragment 58Many fragments	Many songs - see "Pronouns and Ambiguity"
Reported Speech to 'Self'	Fragment 65: “O Sappho, I love you [the Cyprian Queen [" [Powell]	How You Get The Girl "I want you, for worse or for better" Mine"I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter"
Triangulation of Desire	Fragment 31: "In my eyes he matches the gods, that man whosits there facing you" [Kline]	Angelina [unreleased] - see lyrics Teardrops on My Guitar: "I bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about"
Variation of common phrase	Fragment 58 "rosy-armed Dawn" [Kline]/"Dawn of the rosy arms" [Powell]Fragment 96 " the rosy-fingered moon/ surpasses all the stars" [Powell] These both play on the Homeric epithet (famous quote from Homer)"Rosy-fingered Dawn"	Superman"Tall, dark and superman" Lover"All's well that ends well, to end up with you" Lavender Haze"I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say"
Hyperbole	Fragment 156: "far more melodious than the lyre, more golden than gold" [Powell]	Haunted: "You're all I wanted", "Can't breathe whenever you're gone"
Flower Imagery	Fragment 132: "I have a beautiful little girl: the golden flowersare no match for her loveliness"	Full list of references here (Wayback Machine)
- roses	Fragment 94: "for with many a crown of roses,mixed with crocus and violetsyou were garlanded while you were at my side" [Powell]	Blank Space: "Rose garden, filled with thorns" Maroon: "Carnations you had thought were roses"
- violets	Fragment 94 (see above) Fragment 30: "make a song someday of your love and of your violet-lapped bride" [Powell]	The Great War: "My knuckles were bruised like violets"
"Midnight"	The Midnight poem:"The moon has set, and the Pleiades; it is midnight, the time is going by and I recline alone."	Midnights album concept
Fictionalisation, especially of romance	"fiction-weaving" - a descriptor of Love/ErosAttributed to Sappho by Maximus Tyrus, 2nd Century CE	Story of Us Death by a Thousand Cuts - "if the story's over, why am I still writing pages?" long story short
Personal expression of famous story,with focus on emotion and feeling	Fragment 44: The Wedding of Hector and Andromache	Love Story, Starlight, the last great american dynasty
Concept of suicide from cliffs	This is not present in Sappho's writing, but was a narrative applied to her by later writers - thatshe cast herself from cliffs in order to complete suicide over unrequited love for a ferryman namedPhaon. As noted above, this seems to involve combining two myths related to the goddessAphrodite, to whom Sappho wrote several poems.	this is me trying: "Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, could've followed my fears all the way down" hoax: "Stood on the cliffside screaming" gold rush: "Eyes like sinking ships on waters, so inviting, I almost jump in"
	"With rosy cheeks and glancing eyes and voices sweet as honey" [Cox]Attributed to Sappho by Philostratus, 3rd Century CE	Wildest Dreams: "red lips and rosy cheeks"
	"Foolish woman! Have no pride about a ring" [Cox]Attributed to Sappho by Herodian, 2nd Century CE	Lavender Haze: "no deal, that 1950s shit they want from me"
	Fragment 26: "since whomeverI do well by, they are the very ones whoinjure me most of all." [Powell]	The Archer: "All of my enemies started out friends"
	Fragment 31: "For when I see thee even a little I am bereft of utterance" [Cox]"When I see you, for a moment, my voice goes, my tongue freezes" [Kline]	Gorgeous: "I can't say anything to your face"
	Fragment 47: "Love shook my heart, Like the wind on the mountain Troubling the oak-trees" [Kline]	willow: "Life was a willow, and it bend right to your wind"
	Fragment 114: "Maidenhood, maidenhood, whither art thou gone from me?Never, O, never again, shall I return to thee." [Cox]“Virginity, virginity, where have you gone and left me?Never again will I come to you, never again.” [Powell]	Never Grow Up: "I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone" Would've, Could've, Should've: "Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first"
	Fragment 147: "And I say to you someone will remember us, In time to come"	Your Face (unreleased): "I don't wanna lose your face" Long Live: "One day, we will be remembered", "when they point at the picture, please tell them my name" Timeless: "And they'll say, oh my, we really were timeless" seven: "and though I can't recall your face, I've still got love for you"
	The “Lexicon Sequerianum” defines Ἄκακος as meaning “without experience of ill,”and says “so Sappho uses the word.” [Cox]	Innocent, Never Grow Up
	Fragment 94: “Go, fare well, and remember me,for you certainly know how we cared for you.If you don’t, why then, I would liketo remind you [] and the beautiful times we had"	Holy Ground, Sad, Beautiful Tragic, Wildest Dreams: "Say you'll remember me"
	Fragment 58: "But delicacy, that’s what I love, and this lovehas made of the sun’s brightness and beauty my fortune."	Delicate, hoax: "My eclipsed sun", coney island: "When the sun goes down", Hits Different: "Now the sun burns my heart and the sand hurts my feelings"
	Fragment 160: "Now to delight my women friendsI’ll make a beautiful song of this affair."	I Bet You Think About Me: "she's insane, she wrote a song about me"

[Powell] refers to The Poetry of Sappho: Notes and Translation, by Jim Powell (2007). Available as a PDF.
[Kline] refers to Sappho: Selected Poems and Fragments, by A. S. Kline (2005). Available for free online.
[Cox] refers to The Poems of Sappho, by Edwin Marion Cox (1924). This is in public domain and available through Wikisource; it brings together multiple translations of some of the longer pieces.
See also this excellent reddit post pairing Sappho fragments or poems with Taylor songs - some of this comparisons are included in mine above, but this post contains many more.
For some years, the fragment "in the crooks of your body, I find my religion" has been circulating on the internet, attributed to Sappho. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that it is a legitimate source (exploration by a classics scholar). However, because it has been incorrectly attributed to Sappho in the past, it may still be worth mentioning, considering its parallels to False God.
The poem Sappho's Song by Bartholomew Barker (which I have also seen attributed to Sappho herself on at least one occasion!) also provides a curious parallel:

Sing me no songs of daylight, For the sun is the enemy of lovers. Sing instead of shadows and darkness, And memories of midnight.

Nowadays, one of the most recommended translations of Sappho's work is If Not, Winter by translator and poet Anne Carson. It is, however, not always considered very accessible to people who know nothing about the Ancient Greek language. Carson is very private and does not speak widely about her personal life; she has been twice married to men, and has given interviews which may indicate a non-cisnormative relationship with her own gender, as well as publishing the novel Autobiography of Red which traces a queer love triangle while drawing inspiration from the tenth labour of Heracles. She certainly has a sensitivity and appreciation of queer texts and queer realities, as well as her own poetic skill, which have combined into a beautiful set of Sappho translations.
Main Sources

• Wikipedia page on Sappho
• The Original Lesbian // Sappho of Lesbos (Youtube video)
• Depicting Sappho - Natalie Barney
• The Poetry of Sappho: Notes and Translation, by Jim Powell (2007). Available as a PDF online when searching by title.
• Sappho: Selected Poems and Fragments, by A. S. Kline (2005). Available for free online.
• The Poems of Sappho, by Edwin Marion Cox (1924). Public domain: Wikisource; it brings together multiple translations of some of the longer pieces.
• post Sappho Poems as Taylor songs
• post Sappho references in Folklore
• s03e03 Taylor Swift and Sappho's Parallels & Queer Symbolism from "Sappho Speaks" Zine (1985) by podcast The Archers

Edit 1: ITT me just over-scrutinizing a work of fiction
That's why I don't post on reddit often I do get way to much into discussing and exchanging ideas so I get carried away and write way to much instead of actually doing some work smh
I do want to make clear that I do not want to antagonize any person here. I may disagree with some arguments but I do appreciate the different conclusions people take from this book.
Edit 2: Thanks to everyone for commenting, we don't have to agree. I wanted a civil and interesting discussion and I got it so I'm happy for that.
Also I do use some hyperbole in my arguments which I am prone to do. That may make it appear like I hate it
About my shade thrown on CitR. It's been a while since I read that one so l can't really compare them too much.
And lastly I probably won't be replying to every new comment because this is me already procrastinating doing work but I'll still read everyone's thoughts.
Hey there so a bit of a preamble here. I just got around to reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury after seeing it on so many must-read lists and it being referenced many times as a good book. And I don't like it that much, in fact in my opinion it is even worse than Catcher in the Rye. To clarify, I didn't read it in English. I try to read books (if I know the language good enough) in their mother tongue. But I found it in a street library and was thrilled to see it since I've heard good things about it. So I read a translated version which might make a few of my points moot.
So here we go with the biggest problems I have with the book and I just need to get it of my chest since noone in my circle has read it yet and I don't want to spoil it for them...
Certain books have been banned for at least one generation and still Guy Montag and especially Mrs. Phelps have high enough reading comprehension (or listening comprehension in Clara's case) to understand and analize the themes of a poem which is not easy to analize (according to Stefan Collini/Wikipedia) And Guy also reads a few lines of the books and immediately understands their meaning without any context, which is sometimes needed, after reading it once.
Apparently Beatty was once an avid reader so it's not that bad in his case, but damn. He can still remember writings and their authors after a presumably long time since he stopped reading.
Secondly, in the future all houses are made fire-proof is the reason given that the firemen are now making fire instead of extinguishing it. But then it seems like Guy and the firemen burn at least two houses down to smouldering ashes. The one where the woman wants to burn with her books and also Montags House.
Thirdly, Ray Bradbury writes in the book that the bible is the highest form of literature. Okay the Bible has some parts which are lyrically of a high quality but some other parts....give me a break. But yeah whatever.
Then yes book censorship and book burning is a pertinent problem in society. But all books? Really?
Also Ray Bradbury was afraid about the change of attitude towards reading. That no one will want to read for pleasure anymore because of the growing "mass media" This reads to me like the age-old moaning of the older generation that the "young people nowadays are the worst" when apparently Millennials do read the most in the last few generations. And also, of course people flock to new forms of media that's just the natural progression. When books were "invented" came to the mainstream people complained that the younger generation are always sticking 5heir noses in books instead of enjoying and contemplating life. After that they complained that books were replaced by magazines and so on
Another point that broke my suspension of disbelief: (but not really important) The technology. And yes I know that this book was released in 1953 so he couldn't have known about the progression of technology but man at least be subtle about it like Orwell. His TVs still had Vacuum tubes, they still stored data on microfilm.
So what do you think. I'm open to have my mind changed but in my opinion Fahrenheit 451 is a mediocre book that just got as big because of the political climate of that time. It does not make sense to me that it has a rating of 4.5/5 on Amazon and 4/5 on goodreads. Maybe you can convince me otherwise and if I read it in English it's better but I'm not sure about that.
Rant over

Wrote this a few weeks ago.
Still think it's a relevant read if you have the time.
The guy I buy my beer from is called Samer. I actually also buy my salt and vinegar Pringles from him. I have no idea why, but salt and vinegar flavored chips weren’t really sold in Israel when I was growing up. Now that flavor is, far and away, my favorite. This is irrelevant to the story, and perhaps the psychoanalysis of how this childhood depravation is impacting my adult life would be best left in the hands of a professional. Anyway.
Samer is from Yemen. Everything I know about Samer has come from my occasional frequenting of his little corner shop over my last four years in NYC. Samer works twelve hour shifts, six-to-six, every single night of his life. At the beginning of our relationship (and I am not using the word ‘relationship’ loosely), Samer asked me where I’m from. He asked this with the confidence of relatability. We’re both bearded brown men, and he could tell there’s a good chance I’m his kind of brown. I answered his inquiry, and since Samer knows better, he asked me where my family is originally from, and when I said my mom’s parents immigrated to Israel from Yemen, our bond was solidified. Now, whenever I pay Samer a visit, we begin our interaction by talking about onions and honey.
There’s an Arabic proverb that’s widely popular in Israel: “Yom asal; yom basal.” Many Arabic terms are pillars of Israeli discourse. Primarily, of course, swear words, which are still my preferred choice of releasing anger. This proverb translates to: “One day honey; one day onions.” Some days are good, some days are bad. I love onions more than I love honey, though, and I’d argue that and if you properly caramelize them, they actually turn sweet, but that’s beside the point and a statement that picky eating 12-year-old me would never believe he’d ever make. Anyway.
Sam’s and mine conversation always start by him asking me, “Asal or basal?” I respond truthfully about how my day has been, and I think he does too when I return the question, except his days are always asal. My days fluctuate between honey and onions based on how many people make me want to punch a wall over the course of a day, but Samer’s days are independent of any human influence. "As long as He’s watching," he’ll say and point to the ceiling, "I’m good."
He’s a devout Muslim, Samer, and likes talking to me about religion while he has a massive chunk of khat crammed into the right side of his lower gums. If you don’t know what khat is, it’s like the Yemenite version of chewing tobacco. It’s a staple of the culture. It gets you high.
He gets annoyed, Samer, despite the khat’s influence, when religions are placed in opposition to one another. Your god is my God, he says. We are all the same people, we come from the same progenitor, and when we die, we end up in the same heaven. The point isn’t to try to convert people in this life, it is to live in harmony until we arrive at His gates where the truth will be revealed to us. Something like that, I think. I try to avoid telling Sam that I don’t necessarily believe in any god and that I doubt we’ll find any answers after we die. We have a good thing going on, Sam and I. I don’t want to spoil it. Anyway.
Over the last few months, Samer and mine’s conversation has revolved mostly around American history and government topics. Samer has been in the US for a good few years now, and is currently in the process of obtaining his Green Card. He has to pass his US Civics Naturalization Test, so every time I stop by, I ask him three questions. How many amendments are there; how many years does a US Senator get elected for; who takes over if both the President and VP can’t govern. That kind of stuff. I’d love to see Americans try to pass.
Samer didn’t pass his last attempt; they told him he failed the written part, he said, though they were reluctant to specify what exactly he did wrong. He has another appointment coming up in December, though that, circumstantially, is subject to change.
Ever since October 7th, Samer has made a concerted effort to ask about my family’s safety. I walked in a couple of weeks ago (I was out of Pringles), and Samer asked me about “that horrible thing that happened.” I asked him if he’s referring to the hospital bombing, and he said yes, and nearly instantly our conversation became emblematic of what I find to be the worst part of all of this, which is that the focal point, the most important point, became not who died, but who did it. It is now a world where culpability is a spectacle, where we rejoice in being tragically right and find it all too easy to have narratives overshadow life. It’s a world, I feel, where we’ve become too lackadaisical with death. We live off numbers because they give us headlines and Instagram stories. Maybe we even live off of deaths—deaths we do not know.
And we don’t even have to fully get into it. Get into how the hospital bombing story is a perfect microcosm. A media debacle, an absence of critical thinking, a monetization of crisis, a tragedy of war, an aggregation and solidification of polarization, a spew of content (which I will not refer to as ‘information’) that proves to be—more than anything and borderline solely—inflammatory. The hospital story was merely two weeks ago, yet already feels like two lifetimes ago. And if you followed, live, you could see the story unfold. Maybe I shouldn’t say ‘unfold’ and instead use ‘entangle itself into a clusterfuck.’ I don’t know how your social media timelines look like, but between the Israeli accounts I engage with, the leftist liberal arts school people I know, and the US elected officials I follow, I saw nearly every possible take about the story. Every time a new piece of reporting or evidence—to whatever extent we can refer to them as reports or evidence—came out, people either paraded it or refuted it; punctuated it either with an exclamation mark or a question mark. It did not matter what the new content was; it mattered which direction you were looking at it from.
The sad truth, really, is that there are those out there who, should their side be rendered culpable for death, would rejoice. There are those—and I am not pointing to any side, and can only hope you aren’t either—who feel joy when they see bloodshed. There are those whose ideology leads them to believe that the most heinous brutality humanity can inflict actually makes the world a better place.
But we don’t have to fully get into it. (Though we probably should and I probably kinda did.)
I was sent an article the other day. The article was actually a response to another op-ed. If you don’t know what an op-ed is, it’s that thing that a college dude who shows up to his seminar once a month contributes as he walks into class half an hour late with Beats headphones around his neck: It’s the articulation of an opinion that’s supposed to be an insightful take but very rarely lives up to the billing (sort of like what I write, except probably less funny \[to me\]).
I will summarize the back-and-forth of these op-eds as succinctly as I possibly can. Just know that I’ll be using some labels as the authors used them, which don’t have definite definitions under normal circumstances, let alone in the fucking madhouse of a world we live in now. Quotes are direct. It goes like this:
The original op-ed was a plea to create a “more humane left.” A leftist sector that condemns Hamas’s terror, grieves with Israeli casualties, and rejects the impending “exterminationist” military retaliation that will cost countless Palestinian lives. The response to this (the article I was sent first) argued that it is a “hideous fact” that the state of Israel, as it always does, will “transmute grief into violence.” There is no better time to commit “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing” than in times of national grief, and the original op-ed’s take that grief can be de-politicized is inherently flawed. Grief, the response said, has turned “Jews, of all people, into genocidaires.”
That was pretty much it. I don’t know if that made any sense for you. I hope it sort of did. I am, perhaps, being slightly reductive of each piece’s full context, but I’m happy to share the links with you if you’re interested. Now.
I read the response first. That’s what was sent to me initially (by an American, I should note). My immediate qualms and reservations were about: the incredibly dangerous and detrimental generalizing arguments (“Jews are genocidaires”), the inflammatory looseness with words (“ethnic cleansing”), the complete disregard of the Arab world’s historical role in cultivating Palestinian and Jewish populations in their lands (happy to break this down with you if you want), and the blind spots this writer (an American Jew from an elitist academic background) has. However, there was something there that I agreed with. There was a point. I believe that somewhere muddled into this op-ed was the writer’s hope that violence, on both ends, stops, and that’s the part I agreed with. More violence, regardless of where it stems from, will only ever—ever—lead to more violence. That’s not what this writer said word for word, but it existed somewhere, and that made me value his essay despite the deep-rooted issues I had with it.
I forwarded that article to two of my Israeli friends whose opinion I’ll value till the day I leave this planet and reach Samer’s God’s gates. Both said the article made them want to punch a wall. And I completely understood why. That’s not me trying to sit on the fence or pander to the people I love (shoutout A&D, I love you a lot a lot). That’s me recognizing nuance, positionality, and blind spots. I don’t know either of the op-ed’s authors personally, but I know that they’re both PhD candidates at some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the US (and both, I’m almost positive, grew up in America). And that renders their positionality problematic.
If you didn’t grow up in Israel, if you didn’t have to take a gas mask to school when you were in second grade because of a threat of a chemical attack, if you weren’t handed a weapon at the age of 18 and told to stand a post, if you didn’t go to Auschwitz and Dachau and Majdanek as a part of your eleventh grade school trip schedule, and, most importantly, if you didn’t see October 7th unfold in front of your eyes and on the land you live in, you may have the luxury to write about atrocities through a critical lens. I feel like I want to repeat that. You may have the luxury to write about atrocities through a critical lens.
There’s a classic Jewish poem that every child in Israel learns in middle school, which opens with the culturally canonic: “My heart is in the East while I am at the edge of the West.” I bring that line up because it leads us into the logical flaw inherent into everything I just said: my problematic positionality.
My positionality offers me the luxury to write about atrocities from afar. My positionality means that I hear October 7th testaments in my native tongue, yet have to rely on subtitles to learn what it’s like to dig through rubble on the other side. My positionality leads me to stand on the outskirts of protestors who may consider me an enemy, opposer, or occupier, yet never feel threatened for a second. My positionality gives me the privilege to sit on a fence and criticize those who pick sides in unwavering manners. My positionality causes tears to literally stream down my cheeks when I see one toddler hold the hand of another whose grandparents have been murdered, while feeling, no matter how hard I try, merely a pinch of the heart when another toddler, on the other side, mourns the loss of their parent. There will always, unfortunately, be some sort of gap between pain that is recognized and pain that is relatable.
My positionality has led me to see and to hear.
I’ve seen: Bloodlust, bloodshed, an absence of empathy, an evaporation of humanity, misinformation, the deflection of blame, ignorance, elitist thinking, and out-of-touch opinions. I’ve seen narratives propagated thanks to three taps of an iPhone screen and zero seconds of critical thinking. I’ve seen people align themselves on the side of the weak while disregarding the explicit calls for hate, for more terror, echoed on that side. I’ve seen running water be used as a way to mock, belittle, and dehumanize; I’ve seen that dehumanization render violence more palatable. I’ve seen trauma, rage, a disregard for life, and aggrandizing, inflammatory generalizations. I’ve seen loss, mostly. The loss of life. The loss of love. The inexplicable loss of a life you loved.
I’ve heard. Jokes about investing in real estate in Gaza, quips about penthouses that come with built-in underground tunnels. I’ve heard how much joy terror—under the guise of ‘resistance’—brings people. Not just any simple joy, but an exhilaration. An exhilaration reserved for the very best and very brightest society has to offer, an exhilaration reserved, of course, for Ivy League professors in Upstate New York. I’ve seen jubilation on faces as they prepare to be interviewed by Sky News, a jubilation reserved for hearing news that people you know nothing about, people whose only crime was being born, are dead. I’ve heard, too, the fear. The fear of sending a child to school. The grief of having been the parent of a six-year-old Muslim child in Illinois. And the subsequent logical anger that fear leads to.
I saw and heard about a mass shooting in Maine, and I immediately wondered whether it had to do with the war, and if it did, which side was responsible, and that made me hate myself, and the world I wound up in, because, again, I instinctively went to who did it, and not the 18 lives and families that will never see the world the same way again. I saw and heard that the shooting had nothing to do with the war, and was just your normal, casual, usual, typical, routine, common, standard, run of the mill, everyday mass shooting. Just another lackadaisical interaction with death, another headline and narrative I have the luxury to look at through a critical lens.
My intention, which will be ironic after everything I just said and the fact that this is a personal essay, is not to make this about me. I guess that in an effort to elucidate the point I’m hoping to make, I’m trying to clarify where I’m coming from. I’m trying to explain that I’m seeing and hearing those who argue critically, those who argue emotionally, and those who argue ignorantly, and that I’ve now found myself arguing critically, emotionally, and ignorantly. Perhaps that makes me the Jack of all trades, perhaps the master of none. Most likely, I’d guess, somewhere in between. My heart is in the East, my mind is in the West, and I’m simultaneously nowhere and all over the fucking place.
What I hope my elucidated point will be is that I hear it, and I see it, and I’m here to tell you that it will never work. Violence will never work. Your violence, to whatever extent you have it in you, will never work. You may get away with it for a day, a week, 300 years. But it will fail. Maybe that’s too naïve and cliché a take for aloof, out-of-touch academics to make, which is why they resort to making it behind the guise of theory and historical precedents and political stances. Maybe that’s too feeble a take for furious, existentially scared and scarred citizens to make, which is why they are willing to widen the scope of the violence they accept. Maybe it’s an argument that only a silly privileged boy sitting on a silly privileged fence typing on a silly privileged keyboard can make.
Maybe if I felt a bullet, in a physical or familial way, I’d change my mind. Maybe. I’d like to hope—Samer would say pray—that I’ll never know a bullet that way. I’d also like to hope—should I find myself in that tragic spot—that my mind, and my heart, wouldn’t change.
I have three (quick) final points, then back to Samer, then we’re done. If you’ve stuck this out with me so far, I am eternally grateful.
One. If you woke up to the sounds of alarms on October 7th, if you saw with your own eyes—on Twitter and Telegram and WhatsApp and Facebook—the onslaught, the torn limbs, the mutilated bodies, the charred remains, you will never unsee and you will never forget. I’m telling you this with the confidence of a guy who really loves salt and vinegar Pringles (as in: this won’t be a hot take): What happened on October 7th will have generational ideological implications on every Jewish person in Israel (it will also, it should be noted, generationally alter the lives of 2 million Arab Israeli citizens). The next generation will be raised by people who lived a day they consider to be a modern day holocaust. I do not say this is a positive thing, nor do I say it as a negative. I’m just stating what I believe is true: In the least hyperbolic and cliché way I can say this, October 7th traumatized a nation. This trauma, sadly, too, is resulting in a loss of empathy. People will never be able to shake their fear and anger, move past the threat imposed on the land they live in; the people they belong to. And as we reach this juncture where people render this moment in time a battle for their mere existence in the world, more actions—no matter how violent—become justified and rationalized.
Two. Events that have unfolded, on the other side, since October 7th, and all events which have preceded that day, are also traumatizing a nation. These tragedies, too, will have generational affects. These people, too, may never be able to shake their fear and anger, move past the threat imposed on the land they live in; the people they belong to. I know less about this side, but I’m trying to recognize the reality—this unreal, absurd reality. I’m trying to have that pain be not only recognized, but relatable. The next generation on that side, too, will be raised by people who saw things that cannot be unseen. Things that you and me, from the comfort of our keyboards and phone screens, may never see, which renders our judgement not necessarily flawed, but lacking. Or, perhaps, unnecessary.
Three. October 7th, and the ripples it has created globally, are reshaping the world. October 7th can be thought of as a demarcating line, the past of which: revisited and relitigated; the future: personalized and radicalized. People are marching, people are signing letters, people are sharing, people are hanging posters, people are ripping posters, people are filming, people are having knee-jerk reactions, people are insisting on the stake they claimed, people are giving their opinion without having to pass some form of Civics Naturalization Test, people are having the luxury to do whatever the fuck it is they feel is right to do without having to deal with any of the repercussions. People everywhere are taking a stance, people are conflating issues, people everywhere are picking a side according to what they believe is true, just, and right. People aren’t dedicating time, nuance, and critical thinking to what they believe to be true, just, and right. People all over the world are taking matters into their own hands, somehow making the story about themselves in an attempt to advocate for others. People are asking for liberation while supporting oppressive militias; people are advocating for a peaceful existence while advocating for violent action; people are chanting for a river of freedom while drowning in a sea of ignorance. People are speaking when they should listen. People are choosing to stay in echo chambers when we all, I believe, would be better off seeking dialogue.
It'd be naïve of me to ask for nuance, but, in my defense, I told you that’s what I’d be doing in the title. And it’s not that I necessarily think that asking for nuance is the right thing to do. Maybe I’m wrong and this is the time to detach ourselves from any emotion and examine the situation with the aloofness of an academic mind from Chicago. Maybe this is the time to throw critical thinking out the window and act viscerally and violently. Maybe this truly is an existential matter that does away with any form of nuance. Maybe this is the time to abolish the entire system. Maybe this is the time to double down on who you are. Maybe it is any of these things. Maybe, but I don’t think so. A middle ground seems untenable these day, a figment of imagination. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find one. There are people out there, on either side, I believe, who want a middle ground. And a middle ground can be anything—it could be as simple as the counter of a little corner shop in New York City.
I googled Samer’s name when I started writing this, as I wanted to ensure I’m spelling it correctly. Wikipedia taught me that the name literally means: “Informal friendly talk or chat to pass the night; one to whom you speak; congregation of those who spend the evening in pleasant conversation." This feels so perfectly scripted that it could almost only be attributed to divine intervention. Except, of course, yeah. Anyway.
I saw a take on social media that claimed that if a Chinese person wants to communicate with a person from Hungary, they need to learn how to speak Hungarian. Similarly, if you want to be able to communicate with those who speak in violence, you must learn to speak in violence. That, in my humble opinion (which is the least humble thing one can say), will get you nowhere. Not ‘nowhere,’ actually, but back to the same tragic place, somewhere down the line.
We have to be nuanced about the intention, the accusation, the carriers of blame. We must try to debate in an open-minded way: in a way that recognizes that there is more to be gained from being contemplative and attentive than there is from being defensive and aggressive; in a way that keeps in mind the question of whether we’re trying to make a point to the other side, or to ourselves; in a way that’s receptive.
Maybe you’d say that there is no middle ground, that the world is fucked up beyond repair, and that it’s too late to change the mind of the indoctrinated. Every piece of evidence over the last month indicates that that’s true, and that the idea of a middle ground is lost. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
I’m naïve, and I’m idealistic, and I’m missing critical nuances that I can’t see from where I’m standing. But I’d still love to spend an evening with you—whoever you are—in a pleasant conversation that seeks harmony. Who knows, maybe we’d even come up with a way to make this world a little bit sweeter. As sweet as honey, even. Or, at least, as some caramelized onions.

For Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava, King Gizzard fuses soft jazz with jam rock for 64 minutes of their poppiest sounding album in over a year. Make no mistake, however; this album isn't precisely radio-friendly, as these tracks are all longer than six-and-a-half minutes, a couple even passing the 10-minute mark. That said, despite its relative inaccessibility, Ice, Death is a pretty pleasant listen for those who are willing to give it attention.
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To start, Mycelium is quite an invitingly melodic opener, welcoming guitars, lovely saxophone and all. Stu Mackenzie's vocals are great as usual of course, but it's Ambrose Kenny-Smith who steals the show with his singing parts for Smith beautifully high-pitched voice is ear candy. That said, this album next goes in the opposite direction, with the comparatively chaotic instrumentation and vocals by Mackenzie on Ice V. Additionally, the keyboards and jamming guitars that form the bridge of this song are excellently immersive, making for an excellent climactic chorus. That said, Ice V really should've ended with said chorus instead of going on for another three minutes. Heck, I could even envision this song satisfyingly ending around the eight-and-a-half minute mark, but the final verse makes it rather anti-climactic.
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Magma is a nice nine minute jam that, with its rocketing guitar, bass and vocals, could represent the album as a whole. The guitar solo that plays out from just before the minute-and-a-half mark to just after the four-minute-mark, and following the six-and-a-half minute mark, this song once again lets its guitars go crazy, to the backdrop of some nice, catchy bass. Finally, for its last minute-and-a-half Magma combines fierce singing and its chaotic, jamming instrumentation, for a jumpy finale. Unfortunately, Ice, Death needs to prove that it's less than perfect, as the introduction to Lava does drag. I get that King Gizzard like to show off what they can do, but two minutes of instrument tuning is an unnecessary amount. (Even the line, "Lava, sticky like peanut butter" rubs me in a strange direction, as consuming nut products is so taboo in my area of the country that nut use might as well be illegal. That's a hyperbole, actually; I'm just salty that I, for a long time, wasn't allowed to eat nut products due to the proximity of vulnerable people around me.) That said, the bridge and last two minutes of Lava are pretty great, composing of jamming guitars, wonderful wood winds and singing by Mackenzie that rolls out like an unfolding poem. Michael "Cavs" Cavanagh's hard-hitting drumming is the icing on the cake here.
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Ice, Death continues on a strong streak with the welcoming opening guitar, inviting sax and friendly vocals of the 13-and-a-half minute Hell's Itch. Following its four-and-a-half minute mark, Hell's Itch takes a break from vocals in favor of a guitar and woodwinds-dominated sub-minute breath before jumping into Mackenzie's vocals again, and I'd be short selling Smith if I didn't credit his lovely background vocals. All of this before the song is even half-over. As the song approaches its mid-point, Mackenzie reminds listeners that King Gizzard is known for its "woos" before the band goes all out with a guitar solo dominated bridge that lasts a worthwhile nearly four minutes. This song's final three minutes conclude with a triumphant-sounding vocal melody, despite lyrics that seem to reference cutting. I will say that the outro of this song sounds a bit tacked on, even if it only lasts about half a minute. That said, it at least serves as a worthy transition to Iron Lung.
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Speaking of Iron Lung, the opening drums, piano and Mackenzie's vocals on that song aught to be a treat for anyone who likes free-form-sounding jazz-rock fusion, especially as Smith's vocals are, as they have often been, the icing on this cake. That said, the rocking bridge and vocally unhinged last three minutes of this song are what really sell it as a highlight of this album. I wouldn't call Iron Lung my favorite track of Ice, Death, but I can understand why King Gizzard chose it as a single.
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I'm not huge on the nearly-eight-minute closer Gilese 710. Mind you, the instrumentation and vocals on this one are competent as ever, but as with Omnium Gatherum's Red Smoke, Gilese 710 just does not hook me. I can tolerate it as background noise, but if King Gizzard played this at a concert, I might take a bathroom break. Additionally, this song just sounds rather anti-climactic, neither action-packed nor pretty enough to be a closer to this free-form (at least in comparison to some of Gizz's other work) project. If I had to choose, any of the three middle tracks from this album would've been a better decision.
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7/10; Ice, Death may not be King Gizzard's hookiest album, nor is it without its slags, but this album compensates for its lack of heaviness with a refusal to be overly structured.
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Though Laminated Denim has some qualities in common with Made in Timeland; both are composed of two fifteen minute tracks, "Laminated Denim" can be rearranged to spell "Made in Timeland" and the first track of Laminated Denim is even called "The Land Before Timeland"; Laminated Denim is a much more fun (to my ears, at least), conventional sounding album.
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To start, a pounding drumbeat fades into the guitar intro of The Land Before Timeland, the first of this album's two tracks. The instrumentation of this tracks builds and builds until it fires on all cylinders, growing in size for nearly two minutes before Mackenzie's vocals finally break into the scene. Additionally, this song has some of the most dreamlike lyrics of any King Gizzard track. That said, The Land Before Timeland knows when to pull back, limiting or quieting its instrumentation only to come back as gloriously as ever for its second chorus. The song does the same minutes later just so it can return at full throttle to culminate at the 10-minute mark.
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The last five minutes of The Land Before Timeland are absolute magic; King Gizzard has a minute-and-a-half instrumental breather, once again steps back with its instrumentation in order to go all out with its final chorus and takes a dark, moody turn for its first three minutes. The guitars sound like the intersection between heaven and hell; hooky, yet tortured. For the minute-long ending to this song, Mackenzie sings this song's opening verse with a much sinister tone of voice than he originally did. Finally, Mackenzie's vocals give way to an overwhelmingly booming tick.
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This tick also forms the beginning of this album's second and final track, Hypertension, which, in contrast to The Land Before Timeland, starts at a sprint, introducing its instrumentation and singing all in the first 20 seconds. That said, a can't blame the band for not wanting to waste their time playing their full hand; why give too long a boil of an introduction when one can perform a fast-paced jam for a full 15 minutes, which is precisely what King Gizzard does for this track. The guitar and bass between the three and five minute marks form a bridge that's pretty strong, even by their extreme standard, and where The Land Before Timeland is psychedelic in a progressive rock way, Hypertension is psychedelic in a jam rock way, taking more than break for an instrumental passage within its runtime. That said, this song's jamming can make it more repetitive than The Land Before Timeland, which changes parts often enough to keep itself fresh. If you're a fan of the band's 10+ minute tracks, Hypertension might be for you, but as someone who finds many of those 10-plus minute tracks too slow or repetitive at points, I definitely feel that this song could've been trimmed down. That said, for a song that could be shortened by at least 20%, its instrumentation, especially Michael "Cavs" Cavanagh's drumming, remains tight for all 15 minutes of its runtime. Well, except for the aforementioned tick that introduces itself for the end of the song but gives way to a more pleasant sounding maraca-like noise for Hypertension's final second.
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7/10; Though spotty at points in its second half, Laminated Denim opens with an excellent first half and a closing half that, though dragging at some points, is catchy nonetheless.

I shall attempt to speak candidly. Been meaning to do so, for some time now. Why here? Well, why not? No great changes have occurred, no seismic shifts in perspective or terrible trauma. No open reckoning, and all judgement, heretofore, remains silent. I am one of many; I am one among many; I am no one to the many.
I write now, right now, for lack of sleep. Shouldn't have taken that hit of weed. It's been two days since my last, and it was a bowl shared. That's the closest thing to abstinence I've come to in a while. I'll let you do the math on that to figure my track record in regards to that insidious plant. Even as I type -because, I type- I feel the pull to partake down in the parlour and it is a temptation I am likely to fall to. Ah well. At least it ain't crack.
The past few years have been a blur of Failure to Thrive, social regression, and exacerbation of (sighs, and furrows brow) MenTaL iLLnESs. Wish I could blame it on the goddamn pandemic and it's protocols but, as much of a catalyst all that may have been, it's only a part of the puzzle. Truth is I've had missing and broken pieces from some time long, long before. Before The Job, even. Since childhood, I now accept. Aye, ye, verily,
I was born a lamb, all fluff and silence,
then I grew a Wolven head;
who's teeth does gnash and grind so manic.
I have therapy in the morn. Couple's therapy specifically. 'tis not a last ditch effort to salvage a relationship or anything of the sort, rather it's a means to weed (eh) out what obstacles yet linger between my better half and I. And, yes, trust me when I say there is no hyperbole meant in that term "better half". I didn't always think that, I fear I must make clear, but fortunately I have grown since then. At least, in regards to her. She's the only person I've written a love poem for. I just hope I can keep The Job long enough to provide to her all that she deserves. Aye, yea, verily,
She thinks herself only half-skinned Gorgonite,
But I bat no eye, I lip no lie;
She's truly the pebbly beauty what stays my stoney sight.
It's gotten so hard to interact with people normally. Even online, I am stilted and withdrawn. Only a portion of who I used to be, how I used to act. Social anxiety has been a pervasive feature of my life, since elementary school it seems. It got better in high school, when I first had friends that really looked out for me and gave me a sense of belonging. I still took lunch in the library with just an apple, though. College was better. Only lasted a semester and a half before my internal timer had enough, but the friends and fellowships I made there were joyous and true. The work I had after that foray into formal academia further served to draw me out of my shell. Working as waitstaff tends to do that. But...that's also when alcohol and cigarettes came into the picture. And then the binge drinking. And then...the cutting. The goddamn cutting. So fucking stupid...and I'm ashamed to say there was an attempt during that time...aye...yeah...verily...
The effort made my head throb
Thought it'd turn me inside out
Thought I ought to just try cutting my hate out
Truly I wanted to finish the job but I didn't really have the clout.
Next day, my doorstep was visited by God,
and this I shit you not,
He gave me his brochure and shared with me a prayer
I shook His hand and said,
"Ok cool, maybe I'll ring you later".
I am loathe to post the preceding verse without the context of the full poem, but yet I am even more loathe (loather?) to give away that much information, as it's a telling poem...but in writing that, I realized that that...event...had given to me something of a riddle that still yet perplexes. First, the second part of the event, and then, the riddle:
I awoke to a knocking on the door. There, a woman stood. She said she wasn't supposed to be here but something told her she should. She never saw the bandages on my arm as I was in the doorway with that stricken hand on the alarm, yet she correctly guessed my selfish sorrow song. She identified herself as a woman of God and offered to me to partake in prayer afore she moved along across the lawn. I accepted, and we spake the Sinner's Prayer. She departed then, leaving me in empty air.
And now, the riddle:
Was the woman present at that time on behalf of God? Or the Devil?
For the Devil, He knows scripture too.
For the Devil, He wants faith, too...

Many sources in Sumeru talk about a kingdom under Deshret, but it contradicts many other sources. In fact, the reason may be that it never actually existed. Do note that this is just a theory and I may be proven wrong about it. I've tried my best to organize my thoughts in this post.

Contradictory Sources

Deshret having a united kingdom under his rule is usually taken for granted, and it is assumed that it takes place somewhere between Gurabad and Aaru village. However, the information we have is very vague as to the placement regarding the era of the city states. Sources seem intentionally vague:

"Gurabad fell to this black plague, and Lord of the Red Sands fell upon the path of self-destruction...
Liloupar, born to lilies, found herself repaid with a split soul after falling victim to a plot most insidious,
While the vast and fertile kingdoms collapsed into the sands overnight. Tribes and kingdoms began the tumult anew...
From there, the people of the desert oases divided themselves into seven states, with the city of sapphires, Tulaytullah, being one of the greatest." (End of the Golden Realm)

Saying that Deshret ''fell upon the path of self-destruction" has multiple interpretations, as it could refer to Deshret dying or imply Deshret engaging with his project with more fervor. Saying that Kingdoms collapsed overnight could point to the former, but it could simply be referring to the large-scale influence the fall of Gurabad had on the desert. Deshret can't be dead yet either, since he was the one that split up Liloupar.
Although with similar wording, the Key of Khaj Nisut was more direct, as it claims that the era of the city states was after the death and sacrifice of Deshret (to Seal Forbidden Knowledge), or in other words after the time of his united reign. Do note however that there was no mention of Gurabad, only mentioning a "great divine realm."

"This is a story from the days after the Lord of Sand's dreams fell apart and the Grandmaster of Verdure hid the whispers of the demonic skies away.
The ears of decay broke the great divine realm into many kingdoms before grinding them all into sand."

Xiphos' Moonlight also claims the same thing, even directly mentioning that this was after the death of Deshret:

"This story takes place thousands of years ago, in an era after the foolish God-King was buried by the sandstorms.
Mortal cities scattered across the land, amongst which Tulaytullah, where men and women of wisdom gathered and resided, was the most outstanding.
The city was dotted with buildings roofed with sapphire domes and adorned with emerald gardens of blooming trees and flowing fountains.
In the times following the God-King's departure, this fortunate city still glowed with wisdom and prosperity."

(do note both weapons start with claiming this is a story. This will be relevant later)
This does fit with the general notion that the fall of Deshret was succeeded by a time of chaos and disorder:

"This stronghold, once protected by seven mighty battlements, crumbled overnight when King Deshret fell and an age of chaos ensued." (Domain: City of Gold)

The story is told by Kasala, during the Archon quest" King Deshret and the Three Magi" However, after the sacrifice of Deshret immediately jumps to Aaru village. It is likely that Kasala just preserved a more accurate oral or written tradition involving Rukkhadevata and Deshret but not accurate enough and thus left out the important period of the city states.
While it appears that Deshret was also absent during the time of the city states, it is implied that he is most likely alive, not dead as one might expect:

"May the lord of the blazing sands save these mortal realms, and may his favor restore us to... those years." (Vaguely Readable inscription: Mausoleum of King Deshret, North)

In fact, one inscription dating the the period of the city states even mentions the king seeing Deshret:

"...The false Khagan... years came to an end. Goudarz once again... name, and was now declared to be King Saleb Dowleh.
...Al-Ahmar himself manifested before King Saleb Dowleh, gifting the king an illusion and bolstering his royal claim...
...decided to declare great public works, spreading statues of Al-Ahmar far and wide.." (Vaguely Readable inscription: Mausoleum of King Deshret, East)

The period of the city states was quite chaotic, and one inscription even claims that Deshret would not have allowed such disorder in his realm, again implying that he was probably alive, just neglecting his duties:

"...Years after the destruction of Gurabad, the great master of the desert... hidden away for many long years, the rightful heir of the Masked Hermit-King Khorramdin, Kavusbay, has returned from exile... Shah Ramshahr, accursed be his name forever and ever in the name of... mar. If Al-Ahmar were yet here, he would not permit the pestilent spread of such disorder." (Vaguely Readable inscription: Mausoleum of King Deshret, East)

In fact, the first time Deshret was mentioned to be dead was when Aaru village was mentioned:

"We desert folk shall leave the ruins and palaces we have grown used to living in. We shall make a new home for ourselves at the edge of this land.
That place we shall name Aaru, after the ancient dream of the gods, and there we shall quietly wait for Al-Ahmar's revival." (Vaguely Readable inscription: Mausoleum of King Deshret, Center)

This directly contradicts the idea that Deshret ruled a glorious united kingdom directly and that his death lead to chaos and the emergence of multiple city states. Deshret seemed to have been alive during the chaotic city states period. It seems that Kasala's version is the more accurate one judging from the fact that the forbidden knowledge incident was immediately followed by Aaru village, despite giving no mention to the warring desert city states period. However, Kasala's version isn't quite accurate either, since he doesn't mention the city states period, and just assumed that there was a Kingdom of Deshret.

Development of the tradition

Many sources in Sumeru allude to such a Kingdom under Deshret, but they don't agree on the chronology. Some place the Kingdom before the city states period, but Deshret was still alive. Others place it right before Aaru, skipping over the city states period entirety. More likely than not, this is because its not a record of actual history as it happened, but the retelling of history by the future inhabitants of Sumeru.
Later traditions probably distorted the history of the desert and assigned various historical events to Deshret and a glorious kingdom, and others were assigned to the chaotic times after Deshret. Some sources may give us clues as to what is associated with his united kingdom. The first relates to Gurabad.

"At that time, the promised land of "Valivija" was engulfed by wild, gilded sands, and one of the three living gods had fallen. Amidst a century of chaos and confusion, the scattered mortals ensconced themselves in vassal states until my lord Al-Ahmar and the Sage-King of the Greenwood gathered their subjects. Once the oasis paradise was reconstructed, the age of the vassal kings, the age of division, finally came to a close." (Tale of Shirin and Shiruyeh)

The beginning of Deshret's reign is dated to the construction of the oasis paradise. The oasis paradise is likely the Eternal Oasis constructed during the time of the Ormazd dynasty of Gurabad. During that time, the kings of Gurabad were said to be envoys of Deshret and united the various tribes and cities of the desert.

"King Deshret sent the great Jinni from the City of the Moon Maiden to assist me in building Gurabad and in gathering the wandering tribes of the desert. Since then, the common folk and the powerful alike have led prosperous lives under King Deshret's guidance..." (Nameless Tablet V)

​

"...King Deshret's envoy, Parvezravan son of Ormazd declares: Slavery shall no longer be practiced in the capital, Gurabad...
...Henceforth, the subjects of King Deshret, the émigrés from the Goddess of Flowers'...
...Shall bathe under the same sunlight, and be free to pursue labor and profit equally... honest gain…" (Vaguely Readable inscription: Sands of Three Canals, South)

Other desert cities and tribes not under the direct rule of Gurabad were still under their hegemony, being vassals.

"...After His Majesty King Deshret's mighty form faded from mortal eye, the human king Parvezravan... an age like gold...
...No longer was there slavery or war, and the scattered tribes and nations paid homage...
...The miracle of Gurabad shall be open for all to see…" (Vaguely Readable inscription: Passage of Ghouls, overground)

​

"...Tulaytullah, the City of the Moon Maiden, the City... Saleh, sent envoys to pay the annual tribute...
...Honoring His Majesty Parvezravan, King of Gurabad... as the rightful envoy of the king over all desert kings...
...The only rightful king of mortals…" (Vaguely Readable inscription: Sands of Al-Azif)

It seems that by the time the Tale was authored, this aspect of Gurabad was attributed to a rule under Deshret. Do note however, that Gurabad itself was said to be the final line of vassal kings ("legend has it that in the days when mortals ruled as vassal kings, (Parvezravan) was one of the mightiest among them") according to the tale.
However, it was also said that Deshret made a pact with humanity and Ormazd's Gurabad was the result. This tale was told by a storyteller in the city states period. Considering the possible time gap, it seems that not only was the legacy of Gurabad was later changed from a negative warning to the other city states to a positive association with Deshret, but the idea of Deshret's kingdom also was not developed during the city states period.

"Legend has it that the Lord of the Sands made a pact with humanity after the passing of his lover, with the Jinn as his envoys.
Only those who possessed hearts of iron and were untainted by the allure of corruption,
Could serve as a vassal-king and guide the people, like a shepherd tending to a flock.
Just like that, under the merciful yet stern gaze of her master, the Jinni found her choice...
Ormazd, a young shepherd at the time, fell in love with the lily-born Liloupar." (First Days of the City of Kings)

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Another clue is from Ramshahr. According to the Olden Days of Scorching Might, Deshret created seven pillars in his realm, either literally or figuratively.

"In the era when the ignorant Lord of Deserts ruled, his power descended upon every inch of the land like the scorching sun.
Ancient stone tablets record that he turned his power into seven rays of blinding light or seven pillars, which he granted equally and mercifully to everyone. No one was neglected, nor was anyone discontented." (Olden Days of Scorching Might)

​

"Tirzad: The sun and the eye symbolize King Deshret. Beneath him are the "seven pillars," so we call them, that hold up King Deshret's pyramid of authority." (Introduction to Indoor Archaeology)

This may have been based on a real historical occurrence. Shah Ramshahr was said to have built seven towers, each on top of a mound. The names of Ay Khanoum, Tulaytullah and Saleh reappear as part of the tower cities. Considering that towers were said to be built on mounds, one can infer that the cities were destroyed at one point between Gurabad and Ramshahr, then resettled.

"Great king... slaughter... ruined the countless chambers... burned out... all buried alongside...
...And plundered the citizenry to enrich the capital, and built seven great towers, each atop a mound...
Taking the seven elements for spatial reference, the towers were set up in seven places along the gilded sands, with seven great sages within... thrones were erected... ruled the people separately, and were all called kings... and so Ramshahr was made the king of kings."

The fact that ancient tablets already record this as part of Deshret's united paradise, it appears that either Ramshahr credited the act to Deshret (and that was how it was remembered), or historical events were already starting to become distorted. Another possibility is fake antiquities, which probably do exist in Sumeru (I think it was mentioned somewhere, forgot where tho). Regardless, this does confirm that Deshret's kingdom may have just been a fabrication.
Perhaps any (somewhat) short-lived unity in the desert was attributed to Deshret, and over time morphed into a legend of the united kingdom of Deshret. It seems that Gurabad was in later traditions associated with Deshret's united rule, and so is Shah Ramshahr– who did unite a good chunk of the desert, albeit briefly as it immediately fell apart after his death. This would explain how some sources claim that Deshret's fall was followed by the city states period, because the seven city states period did begin after the death of Ramshahr.
In fact, it seems that people living far past the ancient times are most likely to claim a Deshret kingdom, both Desert and Rainforest. In Beacon of the Reed Sea, the scattered people of the Desert claim an ancient paradise of Deshret.

"On the other side of the sea of sand dunes once stood King Deshret's abode."
"The many streets and alleys were nothing less than paths of gold, converging towards the only throne."
"Like the eye that shone with a golden light and the noble heart, King Deshret was once the destination of all paths..."
"But the searing dreams of gold were broken at last, and the great eye was dazzled by the sun and the sand."
"Fate sank like the sands of the ages into the dark depths, and the kingdom of flowing sands was crushed into golden dust." (Beacon of the Reed Sea)

Funnily enough, the opposite happened in the rainforest. According to Tirzad, the general consensus is that Deshret was an oppressive tyrant.

"Tirzad: Since I'm incapable of constructing any new theories, all I could do was take my chances in the field and see if I could dig up any new materials to base my paper on.
Tirzad: Though, when it comes to King Deshret, the academic community has long since concluded that he was just another self-destructive tyrant…" (Lost in the Sands)
"Tirzad: King Deshret's civilization fell due to tyranny, and this place is probably his mausoleum. I'd rather spend two weeks in the desert than spend a single night here!" (Introduction to Indoor Archaeology)

​

"Tirzad: Come now, how can I be wrong? The theme of this mural fully conforms to the depictions of King Deshret in everything I've ever read.
Tirzad: A terrifying king who used absolute and supreme authority to keep all his subjects beneath him.
Jeht: Hmm... But this mural feels so peaceful to me. Everything feels so orderly, and everyone has their own place and duty. Isn't that good?
Tirzad: What? What kind of crooked interpretation is that?
Tirzad: ...Jeht, you can make up stories about Benben talking to doors, but deciphering murals and the history of King Deshret's civilization is my area of expertise.
Jeht: But...
Tirzad: Now, I won't hear any buts. Everything I have said has been proven by prior research... and this mural will become part of Vahumana too." (Introduction to Indoor Archaeology)

One may call Tirzad narrow-minded, but do note that he did read a lot of research before coming to the desert, to find something nobody else had even written about before. If anything, Tirzad is not entirely at fault for believing the general consensus of the Academia. This prompted Jabrael to jump in with his views, which also claim a singular kingdom, albeit a prosperous one different from the one Tirzad claims.

"Jebrael: This destroyed kingdom was once strong and beautiful. It may be difficult to believe... that all of this was built in the desert." (Introduction to Indoor Archaeology)

It seems to be that the tradition of Deshret's kingdom was also changed to reflect political developments. The discrimination against the desert folk by the Akademiya is most likely related to the consensus of Deshret being a tyrant, and the desert folks clung on to their ancient history and projected an image of a bygone powerful and prosperous kingdom as empowerment. Even those with negative implications before, like Gurabad, became a positive image attached to Deshret's rule and their kings became powerful conquerors.

The Unreliability of Human-Recorded History

The new event "The Recollector's Path" focuses heavily on human recorded history. Humans are, quite accurately described by Zurvan, often lopsided and not objective, and the same goes for the history they record:

“Zurvan: I see. However, the records of humans deviating from actual reality isn't anything new. They are a forgetful and prejudiced people, after all.
Zurvan: Considering how vast and complex the affairs of the world generally are, observers might be able to get an overview of the major details but not be able to grasp the minutiae. Those present during said affairs might be direct witnesses, but still find themselves unable to move beyond their personal subjectivity.” (Recollector's Path, part 5)

Sorush also comes to the epiphany that memories are not eternal: they will go through change as much as humans change, like how the Order of Skeptics, in praising the Pari, got caught up in emotions and recorded history embellished with those same emotional lenses

“Sorush: Though some humans believe that the Setekh Wenut is the completed state of a Quicksand Eel... To hold such theories and assumptions makes one worry for the contents recorded by these humans.
Paimon: That information's not reliable at all!
Paimon: Think! These records are obviously false, yet you still enthusiastically found a human to serve as your "Yasnapati"...
Paimon: Maybe before this crystal is entirely corroded, the poems and odes dedicated to you will have changed beyond our recognition.” (Recollector's Path, part 2)

​

“Sorush: Only when I began to speak with you and other outsiders did I realize the Order of Skeptics had changed.
Paimon: It has been a few hundred years. Besides their name being the same, they must've cycled through a few generations of different members already.
Sorush: Will the fame I seek, the fame I wish for the Yasnapati to eulogize for me, also erode into this... with everything changed, carrying only a hollow title for others to recall?” (Recollector's Path, part 4)
“Sorush: But I suppose this is nothing strange. To them, after all, we Pari are heroes worthy of songs and odes. The strong feelings of admiration we inspire are more than deserved.
Sorush: During that time, I often heard them loudly singing their poems and odes, and with the passing of time, the scenes of the divine bird's sacrifice grew ever more vivid. Yet, my elder treats this as if it is a paltry thing…
… Sorush: The only reason why I associated with the Order of Skeptics was because they would tell me about the happenings of years past... O—Of course, it wasn't like they didn't heap an appropriate amount of praise on me.
Paimon: It's the same story, but told in an exaggerated way to get people's attention. Even Paimon likes listening to exciting stories!
Paimon: Oh! But if their intention was to record actual history, then they definitely did something wrong.
Sorush: Indeed. Regardless if it is I or the humans of the Order of Skeptics, those who condition themselves to accept hyperbole as ordinary will see themselves become like this.
Sorush: The Order of Skeptics's archives were no longer simple truthful records. Instead, they were filled with all manner of embellishments and subjective opinions.” (Recollector's Path, part 5)

This can certainly be extrapolated to desert history. After all, many of our sources are told through stories, far after the actual event happened. This fits with the inconsistency related to the history of the desert as well– our sources stem from different time periods, and people's perceptions of history would be different. Gurabad was an example of arrogance and retribution but ended up becoming associated with the golden reign of Deshret, and the Ormazd dynasty was elevated to a legendary status among the desert folks. Similarly, Deshret’s kingdom may fall into this category, being a constructed tradition ages after the fall of the desert kingdoms.

Apep's telling of the story

However, one new lore in 3.6 does complicated things: Apep and her children (her immune system) also claim a kind of united kingdom under Deshret, with their mention of a singular kingdom:

"Finally, the grass, trees, and vines withered and turned into dust, while countless beings as minute as grains of gravel built a fragile kingdom upon Apep's land.
Apep and its offspring let the sea of sand rage like boiling water and swept houses down as if they were falling leaves. Until the day when the new Lord of Sand reconciled with the king who lost their homeland, the dunes under the sun belonged to humanity, while the dragon's oasis remained in the hearts of the dragons." (Guardian of Apep's Oasis)

It is unlikely that Apep would lie about this: she was alive and most likely active during all this time.
That said, it is a possibility is that Apep simply couldn't tell the difference between all the different states of the desert, and assumed them to all be one kingdom. Apep is quite detached from humanity in general, this could be a valid explanation. After all, this type of assumption has precedents, especially within the realm of ancient history (think how general history books refer to ancient Greece and Mesopotamia as singular entities, despite both housing a mosaic of Kingdoms and complex political correspondences. The average Joe would probably struggle to tell the difference between Assyria and Babylon.) Perhaps Apep's age and detachment is a detriment to her accuracy.

Afterword

Sources pertaining to Deshret's kingdom seems to have only taken off after the fall of the Desert kingdoms, which means that the kingdom may have been a legend told amongst Desert people reminiscing about their ancient history. The Rainforest also joined in, claiming a united Deshret kingdom ruled by his tyranny, in stark contrast to the traditions among Desert people. After all, the history recorded in Genshin is almost never objective, and history will never be fully objective. Receptions of history and traditions changed over time, reflecting human perspectives, and Sumeru reflects that quite well.

STUDIES ON HUMOR IN THE ZHUANGZI
In one of the now classic studies on humor in ancient China, David R. Knechtges (1970–1971, 80) summarizes what may have been at the time a widespread scholarly view about a relative lack of humor in ancient Chinese texts: “It has been observed more than once that humor does not occupy a prominent place in traditional Chinese literature.” Toward the end of his essay, Knechtges concludes that, while indeed some humorous texts or passages can be identified in ancient China, “most of early Chinese humor is essentially didactic and moralistic” (95). In comparison with this rather unexciting estimation, Knechtges’s view on the Zhuangzi is quite remarkable: he writes that this “entire work is made up of a series of incongruities strung together in the aimless manner of sustained humor” (97). It seems that Knechtges felt slightly uncomfortable with conceding such a dissonance between the strikingly humoristic features of the Zhuangzi and the “essentially didactic and moralistic” humor anywhere else in ancient China, so he thought it better to surmise cautiously that Zhuangzi was probably just a madman with a “fondness for the bizarre and unconventional,” whose humor was “unintentional” and a mere “by-product” of a strange imagination (97).
Knechtges was by no means the first to ascribe exceptionality to the Zhuangzi as a humoristic work in ancient China. In 1932, Lin Yutang published an influential essay called “On Humor” (Lun youmo 論幽默) in which he commended the spiritual merits of humor in the world in general and China in particular. He identified various humorous traditions in ancient China and labeled Daoism (mostly referring to Laozi and Zhuangzi) as the “humorous faction” in the history of Chinese thought, as opposed to the “orthodox faction” of Confucianism (Sample 2011, 174; see also Liu Jianmei 2016, 106–11). Among the Daoists, he singled out Zhuangzi as “the father of Chinese humor” (Sample 2011, 173). He thereby seems to have set the tone for similar judgments, such as a more recent one by Xiao Dong Yue (2010, 403), who states that Zhuangzi “is recognized as the very first humorist in China.” As a rule, most contemporary interpreters of the Zhuangzi grant that it is an often witty text that uses humor among many other literary tools. Eske Møllgard (2007, 6), for instance, affirms that the Zhuangzi “employs prose poems, fables, satire, song, fictitious dialogue, spiritual exercise, didactic verse, aphorisms, and a number of literary genres we have still not identified and understood.”
While statements of this kind abound in the literature—both academic and popular—devoted to the Zhuangzi, in-depth studies on its use of humor as either a literary or a philosophical device are more difficult to find. Nonetheless, one attempt to assess the philosophical function of humor in the Zhuangzi was made by Erik Schwitzgebel (1996). According to Schwitzgebel, humor in the Zhuangzi has the therapeutic function of making its readers capable of taking truth claims or assertions of facts less seriously and thus allows them to adopt a more flexible attitude toward pronouncements in language. He says that Zhuangzi simply “would like to see us take what people have to say less seriously” so that we are “willing to play around with it in a disrespectful way for humorous or other ends” (70–71). We sympathize with this view, particularly since it echoes our point that its similarity to play is a philosophically relevant aspect of humor, but also because it resonates with our claim that humor dissolves moral seriousness and empties out meaning. Perhaps the most comprehensive attempt to analyze humor in the Zhuangzi from a literary studies perspective has been presented by Youru Wang (2003). In Linguistic Strategies in Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan Buddhism: The Other Way of Speaking, Wang adopts a deconstructionist perspective and deals specifically with “denegation” (i.e., negating and self-negating language such as the “negation of all polarities and double negation” [153]), paradox, and irony in the Zhuangzi, all of which he ties to the Zhuangzi’s self-ascribed use of the much-discussed “goblet words” (zhi yan卮言; for interesting discussions of this elusive term, see Wang Bo 2004; Fried 2007; Morrow 2016).3 According to Youru Wang (2003, 153), “the Zhuangzian denegation disagrees with the Derridean interpretation of denegation.… This Derridean interpretation still falls into a negation privileged over affirmation. Zhuangzi does not privilege negativity over positivity.” Instead, Wang believes that denegation as found in the Zhuangzi expresses a playful toying with the relation between language and the ineffable, while uses of paradox illustrate “the dynamic convergence of various opposites.” He thus links humorous rhetorical techniques to philosophical interpretations of the indirect “strategies of communication” (see Kupperman 1989) and “antirationalism” (see Carr and Ivanhoe 2000) found in the Zhuangzi. Wang (2003, 158) concludes, “When the use of denegation or paradox brings about self-negation or self-contradiction in an unanticipated manner, especially when it occurs in a form of self-mockery or self-ridicule, it involves irony.” In short, for Wang, irony emerges as the major humoristic device in the Zhuangzi and, philosophically speaking, it “calls into serious question any logocentric or metaphysical closure in a frivolous or humorous way” (159). Lee Yearley (2005) has also presented some ideas on “Zhuangzi’s kinds of language” and, like Youru Wang, combines a literary analysis with philosophically relevant conclusions. Unlike Wang, though, he does not use a deconstructionist conceptual framework. His intention is to interpret Zhuangzi as a religious ethicist who uses “literary devices like satire or parody” (516; another interpretation of Zhuangzi as a religious ethicist is presented in Lee 2014) to convey a spiritual message and to call for moral self-reflection. According to Yearley (2005, 516), these humorous devices in the Zhuangzi are intended to provoke “hermeneutical crises that have spiritual implications” for readers so that they will eventually be forced to “evaluate their own spiritual maturity.”
From a different philosophical perspective, James D. Sellmann (1998, 165) ascribes a transformative “mystical” meaning to humorous language in the Zhuangzi. He affirms that “storytelling, irony, jokes, even a simple pun—all of the elements that make up comedy, laughter, and forgetting … are the literary devices employed in the Zhuangzi.” Influenced by Kuang-ming Wu’s (1990) approach to the Zhuangzi and partially reminiscent of Robert E. Allinson’s (1989) reading of the text as a guide for “spiritual transformation,” Sellmann further argues that through such devices the Zhuangzi shows “how one must awaken to ‘transformation’ and ‘humor’ by beginning to live the life that affirms one’s own personal mutation” (172).
With fewer philosophical (but more historical and philological) ambitions than Wang, Yearley, or Sellmann, Shirley Chan (2011) has made an attempt at “identifying Daoist humor.” While her specific focus is on the Liezi列子, much of what she says is also applicable to the Zhuangzi, since several of the textual examples she discusses appear in both texts. Chan, too, pays attention to specific literary devices and points to “metaphor, exaggeration, hyperbole and reductio ad absurdum” (87). Interestingly, she connects both the Liezi and the Zhuangzi with the ancient Chinese category of “huaji-ists,” or “humorists,” who, as Knechtges (1970–1971, 82) remarks, “were considered important enough for Sima Qian to compile a monograph on them in his Records of the Historian [Shiji史記].” They were “jesters at the courts of the Warring States kings and Han emperors” (83) and spoke “wittily and relevantly to persuade their lords to accept their advice” (Shirley Chan 2011, 75). Knechtges (1970–1971, 83) states that huaji滑稽 “in the early period meant something like a ‘smooth talker.’ ” The term’s connotations were not necessarily positive, and so it makes sense that Chan reads the expression huaji猾稽 as huaji滑稽, or “humorists,” in an interesting statement made in the Shiji’s biography of Xunzi 荀子. In Chan’s reading, this statement has Xunzi dismissing Zhuangzi as someone “who attacked Confucian social conventions by being a humorist” (huaji luan su滑稽亂俗 [Chan 2011, 232n11; see Shiji 74.11]).
The anti-Confucian trajectory of many of the humoristic passages in the Zhuangzi is discussed in further detail in a more recent essay by Katrin Froese (2014). Froese notes that Confucius is not only sympathetically depicted as a spokesperson for Daoism at times but also ambiguously “at the receiving end of so much biting satire” in the Zhuangzi (310). Although Froese does not explicitly refer to Henri Bergson—whose interesting but unfortunately now-ignored theory of humor assumes that laughter results from perceiving something human as nonhuman, as mechanistic or lifeless (Bergson 1924)—she identifies the function of anti-Confucian humor in the Zhuangzi very much in Bergsonian terms. According to her, the Zhuangzi mocks the at times “mechanist” Confucian attitude to ritual. She writes, “For the Daoist, ritual, when held up against the spontaneous and yet harmonious movement of nature, will always be comic because it is mechanistic, artificial, and forced” (Froese 2014, 210). In the context of a collaborative comparative study on Kierkegaard and Zhuangzi (Carr and Ivanhoe 2000), P. J. Ivanhoe has discussed humor in the Zhuangzi by testing the text against the humor theory of D. H. Monro (1963), which preceded the present standard accounts by Morreall and others. Ivanhoe “ticks all the boxes” and attests that the Zhuangzi contains forms of humor that are compatible with any theory tracing humor back to “feelings of superiority, incongruity, ambivalence, or relief from inhibition or restraint” (Carr and Ivanhoe 2000, 136). Besides proving the Zhuangzi’s humorous versatility and its capacity to live up to contemporary humor theories, Ivanhoe is particularly keen on defending Zhuangzi against any accusations of using humor in a morally suspicious way. For this purpose he suggests a strict distinction between the good-humored, authentic Zhuangzi who speaks in the Inner Chapters and the inauthentic falsifiers of him present in the Outer Chapters. He believes that “it is not too strong a claim to say that sections of the text that criticize Kongzi [Confucius] himself in a severe and malicious way are immediately suspect as the work of late pretenders to Zhuangzi’s mantle.” He specifically points to “the ‘Robber Zhi’ chapter,” which he takes to “have been confidently identified as of rather late origin” (11). In the same vein, he categorically states that “one does not find the mocking humor of the assassin in the authentic parts of the text” (138).
Ivanhoe establishes a stark moral contrast between the mild, ethically instructive, and restricted humor of the genuine Zhuangzi on the one hand and, on the other, the “malicious” “humor of the assassin” of the “pretenders to Zhuangzi’s mantle.” Apparently he assumes that there is a kind of “devil in disguise” hidden in some parts of the book and thinks that the conscientious reader should beware of it. Perhaps Ivanhoe’s drastic good/evil and authentic/inauthentic distinction is due to an influence of the long history of the moralistic “traditional rejection of humor” documented by Morreall (2009). Ivanhoe’s distinction between good and evil humor in the Zhuangzi echoes the “moral fear” that has haunted philosophical and religious condemnations of humor for centuries in both East and West. It is therefore not surprising that it resurfaces in some of the literature on humor, including literature on the humor of the Zhuangzi. Accordingly, Ivanhoe is not the only one to judge Zhuangzi’s humor morally; other authors, too, make an effort to identify an ethically clean humor in the Zhuangzi that is free from immoral or harmful traits. Lee Yearley (2005, 516), for example, writes, “Zhuangzi’s humor rarely, however, just distances in a way that allows us to feel superior.” Youru Wang (2003, 158) finds (inoffensive) irony in the Zhuangzi but not (offensive) sarcasm, saying that irony “differs from sarcasm, because sarcasm laughs at the hearer.” Lin Yutang points out that Daoists “could have become cynical and disgusted with the world, but by arriving at cynicism and disgust, they would have lost an essential element of true humor” (Sample 2011, 175).
Unlike some of the authors quoted in the preceding, but in line with newer humor theories, we reject the traditional superiority perspective on humor that tends to find unchecked laughter morally suspicious. In our opinion, the ascription of such ethically negative attributes to humor results from a moralistic prejudice against humor. We intend to argue instead from an amoral perspective beyond good and evil that looks at humor as being, among many other things, a way to escape moral fear and not as a dangerous rhetorical device that, if not properly reined in and cleansed, will serve to assert one’s superiority over others. We have therefore made our preceding sketch of several characteristics of a Daoist theory of humor in response to a not uncommon impression among readers of the Zhuangzi addressed by Brook Ziporyn (2009, viii): “Profound comedians have always been hard to come by; funny philosophers perhaps even more so. To enter into this work attributed to Zhuangzi is to find oneself roused and enraptured by its intellectual and spiritual depth, but also by its provocative humor.” What we intend to do is make sense of the provocative humor of the Zhuangzi within a philosophical framework. This framework looks at Daoist humor, on the one hand, as a subversive reaction to the impossible existential demands of an ethical regime of sincerity and, on the other hand, as a way of experiencing the playful pleasure, effortless skillfulness, and childlike sanity of a genuine pretender.
From: TOWARD A DAOIST THEORY OF HUMOR
Book: HANS-GEORG MOELLER & PAUL J. D’AMBROSIO GENUINE PRETENDING ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ZHUANGZI COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS New York

Here's how to get an A-A* from an A student.
English is really easy as long as you know how to answer the questions. I recommend binge-watching IGSCES SUCESS, watching a video on how to do the writer effect questions, the summary questions, and to know the features of all the text types before taking the exam (if you have time, I also recommend watching his full walkthrough), and if you know how to speak good English, it's an easy A or A* (I got a high A because of him) with zero practise.
However, English Language Paper 2 can be difficult...
Descriptive writing: the most common mistake I see students make is that they start off with a good descriptive essay but turn it into a narrative. Just make sure your essay has NO EVENTS, you can have events, but they have to have no meaning. That could be hard to do, and you don't get marks for it anyways, so I suggest not having any events such as, "I rode a bike and saw..." This is an event. I also advise that you plan what you are going to write. Once you get your prompt, you should list things you can write about the prompt. eg., if your prompt is "write about a dark forest," you can say "cackling birds" "howling in the distance" "dead trees" etc
Some features to include are sensory details: what you see, hear, smell, and taste should form the basis of your descriptive writing. To add more flair to it, you should use literacy devices such as metaphors, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, long and short sentences, repetition, etc. Another method I also like to use is the one-word or phrase paragraph, as it can make your scene more tense.
After the literacy devices, you need to use physiological and psychological details. Physiological details would be things that happen to your body when experiencing your senses, such as "my body is as cold as ice" or "my hairs raise up like an undead army" (don't use too much as the examiner may be super strict and classify it as an event). Psychological details would be emotions that you are feeling, like you could say, "I couldn’t understand what was happening."
I don’t suggest writing a narrative unless you have to; this is because you have very limited time to write a story and your story needs to be fleshed out in order for it to be good, as you need to have character development, the hero's journey, the introduction to other characters, etc. (Unless you can write 6 pages in like an hour, I don’t suggest writing one), but it is up to personal preference. I got an A by just writing two pages for my descriptive writing, and I got an A by writing 6 pages for the narrative.
English literature is supposedly one of the hardest to get an A or A* in, but it really comes with practise, unlike English.
You need to nail the structure and know the books, plays, and poems inside out; (if you don't, then you might need to do the extract questions so you can't choose, which might be a major disadvantage). Some techniques for studying are to create summary notes about what happens in each chapter or act, add quotes from that chapter and analyse them.
You need to be able to write fast and a lot. Your English teachers may say quality is best, but there are actually studies from Cambridge showing that the more words you write, the more likely it is to get a higher grade (obv this doesn’t apply to everyone, you may only write 200 words and still get a decent grade), but people that wrote 700+ words were MORE LIKELY to get in the A-A* range, but obviously quality still matters. You can't just write a load of nonsense (700 words is about 2-3 pages), and you need to write all of that in under 45 minutes. so good luck!
Here is the recipe for how to make a good English lit essay. Thank me later (this can also be applied to any other essay you will write for any English lit assignment). You also DO NOT NEED to use this method to get a good grade, but it is a good way if you don't know how. Skip this bit if you already know how

An introduction to an incredibly unique journey conducted by Destiny:
An effort post that's very long and a [Throwback], with a lot of edits to clean it up.
Highlight video of the StarCraft 2 achievement hunt.
Full Playlist of the event. Parts 3 to 5 of Wings of Liberty are missing :( Thanks to SomeChannelName/FrostDev for uploading the StarCraft 2 achievement hunt archive.
Alternative playlist of the event, with a little bit more of Wings of Liberty and a 30 minute post-achievement reflection. (Disclaimer: I made this playlist).
Link to the spreadsheet made during the event. NOW THAT'S A THROWBACK. Thanks to BaloSaar for updating it back in the day and for keeping it up. You may also notice that there is a gnome at the top and bottom of the spreadsheet, a showcase of the early 2018 roots of the meme within the DGG community. The list of competitors, in order of 100% completion, are Destiny, Winter, Neuro, Catz, Nathanias, UpATreeZelda, MsSpyte, and Incontrol.
TL;DR: The 2018 StarCraft 2 achievement hunt streams would be caught in the midst of Destiny's slow departure from a few elements of his initial style of streaming, where he was known as "Nebraska Steve". He would transition from his Let's Plays into his current talk show/just chatting streams. Also, he might still be the #1 Brutal difficulty, 100% StarCraft 2 trilogy achievement speedrunner. Ultimately, the hunt is amongst the most unique streams Steven has ever done, and one of the most unique streams outright done in the history of the medium. A high-octane marathon that few could match. An estimated 40 hours of sleepless streaming while attaining difficult challenges. No dreams, only memes.
If you enjoy modern day Destiny, you will enjoy 2018 Destiny as much, or even more than his current style. I consider 2018 Destiny to not only be the current blueprint for the modern style of his streams, but the peak of the modern style and I strongly encourage any new and modern-day viewers to visit that era. The 2015-2018 streams are so high quality relative to the streaming landscape then and now, that this era is worth visiting to be familiar with what a great stream looks like and where the modern style is derived from. If you would like to know where to start with the old streams, just ask me and I'll try my best or take a look at a giant (formerly small) list of DGG archives I made. (Disclaimer: I made this list)
To address why I am reposting & updating this from the fourth anniversary post (no one asked):

1. Fifth anniversary sounds better than fourth anniversary. I (probably) won't post this for the sixth anniversary lul
   
2. I've learned more about the current and past streaming landscape since I first wrote this.
   
3. Destiny's past has gone largely unnoticed, especially by new viewers. What I mean by that is this: 2015-2018 Destiny was one of the highest quality streamers in the world. I believe the SC2 achievement hunt is one landmark reason why. Modern viewers should look at Destiny's old stuff, not only for the history of the stream and contextual background for a lot of modern memes, but for understanding what a high-quality, unique stream looks like. I have made a list of DGG archive channels to view the old memes.
   

Also, I promise this isn't a schizo post. I just really like the art of streaming, especially for Destiny's content, and I want to share that enthusiasm. I like judging & reviewing streams for fun ok, similar to how YourMovieSucks reviews films or your usual video essay writer reviewing some obscure game.
Side note: I use variety streamer and Let's Player somewhat interchangeably. YouTube clips are not used, with good or bad effect.
One last thing - it's unfortunate that old stream memes on the main channel, like the Destiny I tournament and old playthroughs, like Dark souls III and DOOM (2016), have been unlisted. If possible, it would be cool to see them unlisted on a public playlist or uploaded on a spare channel of some sort, thank you.
[Serious discussion] & a Wall of text below
The legend of the hunt and the history surrounding it:
Today is March 12th, the anniversary of the StarCraft 2 achievement hunt, a marathon which ended on March 15th. Five years have passed since then. Time flies, life changes. This hunt is truly one of the most unique streams Destiny has ever done. In the widespread streaming landscape, the hunt may be comparable to major, innovative streams like Jerma's Dollhouse, green screen, or Baseball game.
This StarCraft 2 (SC2) achievement hunt is the epitome of how hardcore Destiny can be as a gamer. This hunt alone might make Destiny the #1 Brutal difficulty, 100% SC2 trilogy achievement speedrunner, even to this day. Correct me if I'm wrong on that. In fact, correct me if I'm wrong on anything here as I don't follow the stream much nowadays and I might not have the most thorough knowledge of DGG history.
Destiny stayed up for multiple nights to win $10,000, ending with a lead slightly over 12 hours ahead of the similarly hardcore competition. This feat of endurance mixed with perseverance, which is certainly unhealthy, is one that he hasn't matched after. In the aftermath, Steven would donate $500 to Neuro and Winter, respectively. He also lost five pounds of the course of the hunt as he did not eat very much. One of the strategies for perseverance was also mentioned whilst playing the hunt - doing each mission on Brutal on the way through, no returns to past missions. On top of all this, this is a very comfy, yet brief, Terraria stream.
I consider the SC2 achievement hunt to be among his best and most significant streams, not just for the aforementioned endeavors, but because it is within the epicenter of a stylistic change in streaming. One might say it was influential and predictive in hindsight. I say all of this even though Destiny does not convey a plethora of substantial commentary throughout the hunt, although you might get abrupt remarks as a replacement. It is for that reason, with a note that may seem contradictory, that I don't really recommend a typical viewer to watch the entire series. At its fusion core, this is just SC2 gameplay with commentary that slowly tapers off, for an understandable reason, of course. I recommend watching this if you enjoy long form variety streams/SC2 without any immediate commentary, and if your musical taste allows for an external, repeating playlist in the background.
As it would turn out, the SC2 achievement streams gave a glimpse into Destiny's modern style of streaming. I would almost argue that the entity known as "Nebraska Steve" shortly departed after this event. That would be an exaggeration, but perhaps not from the point of view of a stream purist, so to speak.
There is a long streak of 2017 and 2018 streams which preview the current style of streaming from late 2018 to today. Starting with Nier: Automata, all the way to the start of the Hollow Knight streams. This range of streams is wide, although, as many know now, they're usually broken up by stretches of League streams. To give an idea of the time span for this range of streams, he started his Nier playthrough on December 18th, 2017 and finished it on February 4th, 2018. Hollow Knight was played and finished late September 2018.
Additionally, Destiny would start to IRL stream much more during this period as well. The Seattle streams were the first major IRL arc where IRL was the focus of an event over multiple days, if I recall correctly. By extension, he would go on to do the Idaho trip with one of his Discord mods, Khare, (with a Total Biscuit shoutout RIP), E3, and Nevada trip with Devin. Then make the choice to move to Los Angeles for IRL opportunities and so on. On top of this, the first dedicated YouTube and Hasan streams would occur. The 2018 YouTube streams are one of the major blueprints for Destiny’s modern style of streaming. The 2018 YouTube arc put the current style as the main focus for the future of DGG content and into full speed.
Apparently, this sort of IRL content, especially of the restaurant kind, was not planned back in 2016. Moreover, Destiny is one of the earliest IRL, cooking (if anyone remembers the hash brown (and egg?) stream), music, painting, and Just Chatting (alongside politics) broadcasters. Not to mention, the other innovations Destiny has introduced into the broadcasting scene, including his website and text-to-speech notifications. Furthermore, he's not just influential in breaking the bounds of how we think about streaming, but in promoting the quality of the live broadcast.
Destiny's political ventures started to shine more around this point of time. The December 31st, 2017 5v1 debate was an immense event and way to end the year, the one day where Destiny definitively dominated LivestreamFail.
Following that event, notable memer Micspam took up a conversation with Destiny advising him to stay away from debates with online personalities who don't care for serious debate and focus on more serious analysis. Around the same stream session, Destiny mentioned he would take a break from debates and was exhausted after going all out on the 5v1. Following this was a brief comment on taking a vacation, perhaps an indication of the upcoming IRL streams that year.
Similarly, there has been at least one notable, recent post and comment asking Destiny to revisit politics. Assuming Destiny really is taking a step back from politics and focusing on drama nowadays, I can't help but feel that history is rhyming with itself here, maybe just a little bit, you tell me. (By the way, this isn't exactly why I am a micspam fan.)
Going back to Nier, this playthrough demonstrates the type of Let's Play that Destiny was known for. It's very typical, however it has Destiny's token tenacity represented, as he plays the entire game on the hardest difficulty. There are periods where Destiny goes on long back and forth discussions with his chatroom. Generally, there are few outside interruptions. There are calls with BadBunny during the first sessions of the game, but they aren't completely interjecting the main event nor are they entirely sudden. Nier is still the focus and BadBunny was collaborating with Destiny in a way.
Hollow Knight is similar, but with a twist. The Hollow Knight vods exist but are fragmented. The main channel only has highlights, but are indicative of the trend the stream would take. This Let's Play would have markedly a different atmosphere than the Nier playthrough. Hollow Knight would show Destiny taking Discord calls and debates while playing (LOUD VOLUME WARNING). Here's a call about debate prep. A debate about Sam Harris. Another Sam Harris debate. This is likely the first time he's done these non-viewer conversations on a regular basis while doing a Story-based, single-player Let's Play.
Furthermore, Destiny initially started They Are Billions as a playthrough with only himself and the chatroom. In fact, this game was teased to be played during the SC2 achievement hunt. Soon after, Devin Nash, known for various antics, would commence what was a six hour call. Although I've demonstrated a sort of animosity towards call-ins, I feel this one is truly unique for a couple of reasons. Obviously, it is six hours long, this has to be one of his longest conversations in the history of the stream, up there with the XJ9 journey. Secondly, it very likely led to Devin rooming with Destiny for a short time in Nebraska, which is one of the few instances where an outside personality collaborates with him in this way. The takeaway is that this is a definite call-in that was caught in the middle of a variety gaming stream. I also consider the Devin Nebraska streams to be creative and unconventional across the broadcasting scene as a whole.
The trend of calls during Let's Plays, especially during Hollow Knight, arguably started gaining traction during the SC2 hunt. From what I could find, Destiny took at least 1 call from YourPrincess (whom I learned this sub now dislikes), very much akin to his call on the last episode of his Nier playthrough. Those calls by YourPrincess might have snowballed into open calls and then further to the modern environment of Destiny's stream. Admittedly, this is likely a massive oversimplification as other events have had minor sudden call-ins or brief periods of react content, but I can't recall online personalities going in and out of calls with Destiny during the Nier Let's Play or in earlier story-based, single-player playthroughs of Final Fantasy XV and The Last of Us. So I predict that it's around early 2018, around this arc, that ignited open calls and other external media during Let's Plays. If it wasn't the SC2 achievement hunt, then it might have been They Are Billions or Nier, another variety stream I've yet to recall, or the gradual diffusion of call-ins from games like League of Legends and Factorio to variety gaming. As always, correct me if I'm wrong. Additionally, you've now seen the basic origins for modern, background stream games like Factorio and They Are Billions linked. Although, that's not the actual first Factorio stream.
There are small exceptions to Steven's old style of content that come to mind: his XCOM 2, Dark Souls III, and DOOM (2016) playthroughs, for example. Although the discussions from those Let's Plays were improvised with stream viewers, which meant that this was a more in-depth way of engaging his community as opposed to outside guests, and did not show a trend of sudden (open) calls or dominant talk shows within the next streak of Steve's 2016-2017 Let's Plays. This resulted in an uncommon style of variety gaming that I haven't seen put into action since. Variety gaming streamers of many sorts will never do this. An impressive innovation in communicating with a community that has gone under the radar, unnoticed beyond the DGG faction, and a natural evolution of Steven's streaming style.
From Hollow Knight and on, Destiny would have outside calls, videos, or talk shows occasionally cross over while doing a story-based, single-player Let's Play. Not to mention, these have been consistently found on stream as his main style of content for a few years now. Subnautica is an early example of this, including the sports debate if anyone remembers this one, as the VOD does not seem to exist. Frostpunk is a possible example as it was the background game where MrMouton summoned Destiny for a rap battle. Cyberpunk 2077, Sekiro, and the recent DOOM Eternal DLC are recent examples that come to mind.
NOTE: the vault has made its videos private to keep the channel up, so some of these VODs are unavailable - I will leave the links here anyway.
His Let's Plays would also become increasingly more uncommon. I like to think that the SC2 hunt was so intense that it burned him out on doing the usual type of Let's Play regularly since then. Similar to stepping away from debates after the December 31st, 2017 5v1.
Side note: one interesting thing about the SC2 hunt is that it's hard to classify it. Is it primarily a story-based, single-player Let's Play like Witcher 3? Or more like a playthrough of a management or simulation game like Factorio? A multiplayer session of SC2 without direct competition? A tournament? Speedrun? Maybe it's all of them? Destiny has taken calls while playing multiplayer SC2 before, but I think it's fair to say that external call-ins, especially by guests who are not involved with the game, are rare in all of these single-player genres of playthroughs throughout the space of gaming content.
Additionally, the SC2 hunt has external music in the background, which is similar to Steven's streams with ARPGs like Path of Exile, MOBAs, and perhaps MMOs like OSRS. Even stream games that other variety gamers play, like Rimworld, which are usually silent or accompanied by the original soundtrack if you view other variety gamers like Vinny of Vinesauce, VargskelethoJoel of Vinesauce, or Northernlion, have had music requests on Destiny's side. Overall, an atmosphere like the SC2 hunt can allow for tunes in the background, even if I'm not a big fan of them. For certain games, there's definitely an ambiguous rule of thumb whether or not external music is allowed while it's played.
Highlights/mildly entertaining comments from the SC2 hunt:
Doesn't have every possible highlight, but this section has some stuff that caught my interest.
Reddit:
A thread predicting the tournament standings
A thread declaring Destiny the victor
WOL:
Destiny hums that one sax song, Confessions part 3, at one point. I wrote about the meaning of this song being on stream for some reason, wow
Comments on YouTube growth and HDStarCraft
Comments on marriage (sequel to Nier)
Comments on streaming platforms (including YouTube)
Comments on Core audience
fast vehicle not important but an interesting observation idk
what this stream means to a viewer. I really do think streams can help us push forward in some way. Great response by Steven too.
HOTS:
Donator goes crazy
Comments on his initial thoughts going into the hunt
Responding to an affectionate donator
Stealing speedrun strats
On avoiding sleep
LOTV:
A spur of intense competition followed by DANKMEMES
Top 3 control
quick meme
YEE boi
nice meme
The void ray
like watching league of legends
chefs kiss
Epilogue:
vacation comments return
an oddly honest answer
Nathan sends a donation
an old meme
a name chanting ritual with destiny watching himself for some reason
Hallucinations on par with Huk's void rays
A speedrunning crossover
The throwback
a dual BM response to Raynor
the early roots of THE meme
a big dono before the last run
a brief return to reality
available for the eu region
The aftermath:
dream's end
a look back
a very familiar shoutout
reaction test
and the rest is the outro, with interesting bits. It would be redundant to link them.
oh, and there were a ton of donations throughout the hunt asking him to play League :)
Why all of this matters:
This all brings me to say that Destiny, when the conditions are right, is up there with the finest variety streamers on the internet. This is in consideration of his stream production, gameplay, and community engagement. This is also in observation of Steven's colossal, genre-defining, and foundational innovations throughout the 2010s compared to his advancements in the last few years. In my opinion, all of these factors have changed over time, from the 2015 streams to now. And yes, this is even considering his Wolfenstein II and Undertale playthrough. The SC2 achievement hunt, after all, was near the eye of the storm when these aspects of the stream underwent a slow transformation.
I find that it's hard to get those conditions to be right nowadays. As calls with extra personalities, or external media can take away from reflecting on the events on stream/game being played, prevents extensive engagement with chat, and can end up with too much extra fluff to pay attention to, which becomes quite intrusive. Not just for Let's Plays, but in general. Aris/AvoidingThePuddle explains this very well here. Northernlion also has a lengthier commentary on this sort of thing and a comedic take on certain stream games. 2016 Destiny briefly touches on having groups on stream, as well. However, I would be receptive to the argument that a community teamspeak is different from the talk show and react format that is usually seen in recent times.
That's not to say that groups/duos can't work. I do think duos/groups like Slowbeef and Diabetus of Retsupurae; Woolie and Reggie; the Super Best Friends being Matt, Pat, and Woolie; Northernlion with his friends, and AdumPlaze (AKA YourMovieSucks/YMS) with his crew can work though. But these duos/groups are usually focused on the game or on making the stream more entertaining, whereas the calls on stream are broad in topic. I would like to highlight that Adum and his friends, including Scoots and LW, can provide some of the most interesting commentary, through a black comedy lens, out there.
With that said, the Halo co-op Let's Plays with MrMouton are pretty good and many past streams with Kyle are vintage ^{Here's a timestamp with me chatting in another old kyle video, so you know I'm a boomer}. This is written in remembrance of a lot of co-op opportunities that have perished over the years due to neglected bridges, RIP. Side note, it would also be cool to see Destiny revisit 2020 playthroughs with Final Fantasy VII Remake or Doom Eternal on the hardest difficulty.
I'd like to quickly note that although there's a focus on variety streaming within this essay, I also believe that the old style in past chatting videos like this snack review, tips for not getting mad, this promotional clip, or the search for boobie streamers are some of the greatest videos Destiny has ever done with a cheeky sense of comedy that's rare to find for current content. Other brief comments are great too like this one describing Chanman with Reckful nearby or in this BlizzCon video with TaKeTV. Sometimes there were odd adventures with computer problems and learning piano or entire videos dedicated to breakfast foods. The old IRL stuff wasn't that bad too, when it was at PAX East, a bank although this one isn't headlined by Steven, but rather by Erisann, Seattle, or in the Seattle sequel.
Dynamic moments (VOLUME WARNING) like this single kill, double kill, or this quad kill stand out as a mixture of hype and hilarity.
Seriously, this is all on par with some of the best streamers in terms of improvisational commentary. Examples like these are why I personally believe the old style surpasses the modern style for variety and chatting streams. There's another comedic video I'd really like to show off, but it was (very likely) unlisted due to low viewership, if anyone really wants to see it, I'll send a link.
Finally, this is my favorite Destiny video of all time. I earnestly believe this is his greatest video on the entire channel and in the history of his craft. My second favorite of his video catalogue being the snack review.
In recent times, Destiny has put aside his Let's Plays for talk shows, which is expected. Steven did bring talk shows very much into the meta of Twitch, it's a large part of his legacy as he is a top arbiter of the Just Chatting style. Yet, I can't help but feel that the old style of variety streaming was sacrificed for this style of talk show/just chatting streams.
I feel that it's not hyperbole when I say that his departure from the variety streaming realm is akin to the Super Best Friends breaking up or Vinny taking a break from streaming. I genuinely feel that the internet has lost an impeccable Let's Player and an exemplary streamer from the departure of Nebraska Steve. As a result, I struggle to find a reason why I should watch modern Destiny over other exceptional streamers like Northernlion, Jerma, Aris/AvoidingThePuddle, Charborg, or one of Destiny's fellow friends - AdumPlaze. That would not be the case back in 2015-2018.
However, Destiny's contemporary content has been significantly popular, which means that there are many new viewers here who have the possible interest and opportunity to view all the hidden gems beneath Destiny's ancient material. I strongly encourage anyone who has managed to read this to revisit the relics of Destiny's past, and I can even try to provide recommendations to that effect. Destiny's old content remains as one of my largest influences to this day and has made me reflect on various subjects of the essential and inane sort. As an appreciator of the live medium, I still see the StarCraft 2 achievement hunt as a legendary stream across the entirety of the broadcasting scene. With all of that said, I hope those who enjoy him in the present-day enjoy him as much as I did back then.
A bonus meme for the DGG history nerds and a summary of the 2015-2018 DGG stream history and why it was the golden age of the stream:
Disclaimer: I have not regularly watched since mid 2020, but I keep up with the stream on occasion. I'm creating this post as a fan of the stream.
Weird bonus meme I thought of for some reason: There’s a secret myth about DestinyGG, unknown even to its creators. Since 2018, all chat logs for Twitch streams have been deleted. This is not the case for DGG logs. Buried under the years of recorded messages, laid upon DGG, lies one of the most inspirational poems ever written. Naturally crafted by successive, arbitrary lines of text from distinct users. The question is... is anyone willing to find it?
Summary:
TL;DR: 2015-2018 is great because 2015-2016 has streaming styles of high quality, to the point of being ahead of their time. 2017 is a massive innovation in streaming by Destiny introducing consistent political discussions. 2018 expanded on 2017 by expanding the settings Destiny can operate in, by setting the tone of streaming from 2019-2022, and has performed this style the most proficiently.
2015-2018 is the greatest period of Destiny's stream. Streams prior to 2014-2015 were pretty normal but, of course, there are memorable highlights, like the Destiny I tournament, from that period. However, there are not many long-form DGG VODs or videos of broad topics before 2015, unless you count a compilation of the individual SC2 games on RememberTomorrow0 as a replacement for a VOD. 2014 especially lacks widespread documentation.
2015: Destiny transitioned into variety gaming and immediately did it near flawlessly. His Witcher 3 playthrough showcases a mastery in streaming and in Let's Plays. On rare occasions, he takes part in political discussions while playing Witcher 3. Whatever happened in 2014 developed Destiny to become one of the best, if not the absolute best, variety streamers on arrival. Day Z, EVE Online, and CSGO might be the key to being a great variety gamer (it's not, but it's interesting to think it is).
2016: Destiny expands his sights on variety gaming mixed with unmatched community engagement and gradually implements political debates during them. Again, a master class in the fundamentals of streaming, while slowly cultivating a new style. This year is not the originator of stream debates, but does show when they would become more consistent.
2017: Destiny fully implements politics, amongst other discussions, into his stream and effectively revolutionizes how we think of gaming streams alongside politics. LSF dominance is present. Dungeons & Dragons also begins. Destiny's involvement in this year is the reason why political streamers today have a career. This is a degree of innovation that is on par with the crazy shenanigans Jerma985 creates. I can't think of anyone having Destiny's 2017 style of discussions + standard streaming before that year.
2017 Bonus - This year arguably has the most iconic composition challenge.
2018: Destiny expands his political ventures and goes into IRL. He does unique events like hanging out with Devin extensively, the SC2 achievement hunt, and the shroom trip. Talk shows and podcasts are done in full force - the beginnings of the Unfiltered podcast would lead to talk shows on PKA, Scuffed, with Luxxbunny and Natsumiii, and with imaqtpie and Scarra. Destiny interacts with his IRL guests, from Girlwithyellowspoon to Bad Bunny, with impeccable comedy or outright interesting interactions. YouTube streams define his content from this point on. His memes reach critical mass through hog squeezing and the gnome terror. Destiny briefly and unexpectedly reaches 8k viewers. I am not the most appreciative of Destiny 2018 style, but it's undeniable this year is full of influence and that he was hella smooth during this year.
(I know not everyone likes those aforementioned unique events, but they stand out nonetheless.)
The current style of Steven's stream, from this year to the modern day, originates from here and has stayed the course. A lot of modern conflict goes back to this year or earlier. I would argue that the current style of streaming was done best and exceptionally well back in 2018. The primary downside of every year is the presence of filler such as League of Legends and so on.
If you enjoy Destiny's stream now, you will enjoy his 2018 highlights. I encourage any modern viewer to take a look back at his old, phenomenal material. As always, I hope those who enjoy him now enjoy him as much as I did back then.
Thanks for reading.
memes
RIP Total Biscuit, Incontrol, and Reckful.

LAST MAN STANDING 13 has completed Round 2 with a record number of departures. 768 users have started our journey, each with a generous two lives to expend for the first ten rounds. Simple, you may think, to choose a single winner out of each round to progress.
Sadly, it proved too much for our low-IQ I Love My Footy brethren. 403 users went out in straight sets - well more than half - and a mere 62 made it through to round 3 unscathed. Thats fucking EIGHT PERCENT. Only EIGHT PERCENT of you absolute numpties can pick a single game of your own choosing two weeks in a row.
We might as well shut the place down now and all move over to fucken /sewingforcompletebeginners or something.
Check your tip below, if you feel I have made a mistake, let me know before Thursday or forever hold your peace
Progressive results

	users	correct	incorrect	%	eliminated
R1	768	251	403	38%	0
R2	768	174	411	30%	403

--TIP HERE NOW FOR ROUND 3! GOOGLE FORM LINK HERE<----

BASIC RULES

1) EACH WEEK, go to the GOOGLE FORM above and submit your single tip. That's one team, that you think will win their game that week. A single team, out of the entire round. Surely that's easy as! If your team wins, WOOHOO! You're through to the next week. If they don't, you're OUT OF THE GAME!* A draw is a loss, as far as this game is concerned. All decisions are final and the result as it stands at the end of any extra time is the result we use. ONE TIP PER PLAYER PER ROUND!
2) THERE WILL BE ONE LIFE available to you until the start of Round 10. That means, you can tip incorrectly once only prior to Round 10 and you won't be eliminated. That gives us all a chance to see what's going on with each of the teams and also allows for users to start late.
3) Once we get to ROUND 16 then it's new rules whereby you cannot tip the same team twice. We will cover that when we get there. Until then, you can tip Melbourne every week if you want to.
4) Whoever is the last man standing wins the /NRL Reddit jersey of your chosen size.
5) If everyone happens to get it wrong on a particular week, then we move on to the next week as if nothing happened.
6) We are tipping State of Origins independently of the round matches.
7) ANY QUESTIONS LET ME KNOW

No More New Entries Allowed Sorry

Tips by match

	Home	users	v	users	Away
✔️	Penrith	17		6	Souths	❌
❌	Parramatta	30		3	Cronulla	✔️
✔️	Brisbane	12		8	North Queensland	❌
✔️	Roosters	101		5	New Zealand	❌
✔️	Dolphins	16		9	Canberra	❌
❌	Melbourne	247		4	Canterbury	✔️
❌	Wests Tigers	10		2	Newcastle	✔️
✔️	St Geo Illa	19		94	Gold Coast	❌

PUNISHMENT GAME: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v GOLD COAST

--TIP HERE NOW FOR ROUND 3! GOOGLE FORM LINK HERE<----

Tips by user Round 3

🗡️ indicates user does not have their life left

life	user	tip	result
🗡️	0_Kids_Three_Money	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	0ldgrumpy1	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	1bigcontradiction	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	365DonaldLover	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	5een1tBefore	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	60framespersecond	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Accomplished_Poem_38	失败	❌
🗡️	Adomental	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Ajn_7	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	ajspacey	失败	❌
🗡️	Aligantz	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	alixthx	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	AmazingChicken99	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Andaloop21	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	AndrewRoid	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Arkascius	Melbourne	❌
	AstonishedXMan	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	aussierob	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	Average_Joe_03	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	AyePeeKay	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	AzzyTheHunk	失败	❌
🗡️	BabeRuthsTinyLegs	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	Barmy90	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Barney98	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Basicbitchbartender	Melbourne	❌
	BazzaJH	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	Bbqsaucebottle	Penrith	✔️
	bc56710	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	BeakerAU	St George Illawarra	✔️
	Belco-dick-owl	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	bg_rl	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	b-g-h	失败	❌
🗡️	Bigbrownie26	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	BigDogHours	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Biggchi	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Bigoldpeanut	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	BigRedHead2020	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	bigstretchy	South Sydney	❌
	Big-Vas	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	bl90	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Black-House	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	blessedsushiroll	失败	❌
🗡️	-Bloodnut-	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	brdd9	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	brockthesock	The Dolphins	✔️
	broggacio	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	BroncosSabres	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	BustaGee	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	captaineali	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	CattMollings	Melbourne	❌
	CatWool	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	Ceedog86	Melbourne	❌
	celebrationrock	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	Chairishjam	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Charkers196	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	cheesedtomeetu	失败	❌
🗡️	Chillynotsilly	失败	❌
🗡️	Chriscryptic	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Cissythebrave	Parramatta	❌
	Competitive-Jelly21	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Crazywiththemkicks	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	CreepySniper94	North Queensland	❌
🗡️	Crosso221	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	Cruising88	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	D0NNIE-DANKO	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Daisynaldo	失败	❌
🗡️	DalllinsBiggestFan	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	danbillbishop3	Melbourne	❌
	-Dark_Helmet-	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	DavidTP	Gold Coast	❌
	Daz1331	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Diffaadiffa	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Dios13	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Disaintasu	Melbourne	❌
	Disastrous_Salad6302	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Dislocated_femur	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Dolamite09	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	dominator619	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	downbythesea	Wests Tigers	❌
🗡️	Dragon-me-balls	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	DreadedMakingAUser	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Drizen	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	DudeWheresMyNimbus	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	ek999	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	Elasticfingers	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Empyreal5	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	EntirelyOriginalName	Penrith	✔️
	EyeDeeKayy	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	facarosa	Melbourne	❌
	Fattdaddy21	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	fetus_ezeli	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	Final-Replacement	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	flunkiez	North Queensland	❌
🗡️	flyingorangutan13	失败	❌
🗡️	Formal-Register	Melbourne	❌
	Frenchduke	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	fucklikeapuma	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Fullfruitbowl	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Funbutalsoserious007	失败	❌
🗡️	Funtasia	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Funztimes	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Gave_up85	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Geoff	Melbourne	❌
	Geoffroman	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	geokek	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	geraltofdunners	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	gghether	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	GoblinLoveChild	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	goodnewstime	Gold Coast	❌
	Grizaz	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	GutwrencheR	Canterbury Bankstown	✔️
	Hasra23	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Hatchy84	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	HateGary	失败	❌
🗡️	HaydosFB	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Herms911	Melbourne	❌
	Historical_gur993	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	hmas_wetdreams	Wests Tigers	❌
🗡️	HNAEYD	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Hobnail1	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Horsey2	Melbourne	❌
	ilove_pizza	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	ijustliftweights	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Ill_have_some_toast	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	ILoveFuckingWaffles	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	impulsebuyerdude	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	infinitemonkeytyping	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Insty1	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	irvo86	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Issedia	New Zealand	❌
🗡️	Itsturtletime01	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	Jakeruddy22	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	James_Bing21	失败	❌
🗡️	jamesmateus	Melbourne	❌
	jamiott7	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	JasontheAtheist68	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	jcferg96	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	JediPat501	Penrith	✔️
	Jeeves_nz	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Jesus_mate	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Jexta	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Jibberjabber666x2	失败	❌
🗡️	Joelllllll1992	失败	❌
🗡️	JoeLoweyReturns	失败	❌
🗡️	JoeyJohnsCocaine	Canterbury Bankstown	✔️
🗡️	JohnnyRayUSA	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	JonesTheDoctor	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	JonnyE82	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	jsnoodles	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	judge_david	Cronulla Sutherland	✔️
	Julz72	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	Junathun	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	kami_inu	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Karlossalot	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Kingsbunnies	失败	❌
🗡️	kirang1902	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	kortmarshall	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	kurrttttt	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	laddypaddy	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	Ladyships-a-legend	New Zealand	❌
	le_skunk	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Liamman01	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	llBlake24	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Lochyo	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Logggers	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	LordSlasher	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	LovingCatholicPriest	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	lowefforts	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	luke363636	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Luke-ST	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	maarrr	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	maddog77	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	MaddogJacko	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Malaxage918	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Manbunfc	失败	❌
🗡️	Manmadeofmagnets	失败	❌
🗡️	Mattyeightonetoo	失败	❌
🗡️	MayoneseGodzilla	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Mayskie	Penrith	✔️
	Mc_shammer	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	misanthropiccynic	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	-Miss__Information-	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Mooguh	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	moojiminy	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	Morg_n	Brisbane	✔️
	Mr_mat89	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	MrBlue8erry	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Mr-Hindsight	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	mrrich990	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	MrSmithers11	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	Muddogz	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Murbleslaw	失败	❌
🗡️	Myaussiemate	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	MyDearJohnWatson	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	N1ftyNico	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	naivatco	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Nameisinappropriate	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Nathanclearyschin	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	NewRedditDesignIsBad	失败	❌
	Ninjapussypounder	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	noccero	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	NogerRuivasaLheck	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	Noonster	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	Noppos	失败	❌
🗡️	Notaroboticfish	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	NoTear5182	Melbourne	❌
	notmariyatakeuchi	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Notthehilltodieon	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Nrlufcmmagaa	失败	❌
🗡️	Ok_Stretch4050	失败	❌
🗡️	Oldaccountwastooold	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Olirae	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Opinions_likekittens	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Otherwise-Pick-506	失败	❌
🗡️	Overclocks_	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	paid_crisis_actor	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	ParallelSewellel	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Patrolling_dude	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	Peppypls	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	phyllicanderer	失败	❌
🗡️	Pickled	Cronulla Sutherland	✔️
🗡️	planchetflaw	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Poonpuncher420	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Poplened	失败	❌
	Prestigious_Dot_9490	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Proxima_Centuri	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	pundit14	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	purplepop9	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Qaug1	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	qldmaroon7	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	quiip	失败	❌
🗡️	quirky-equivalent590	Melbourne	❌
	r717	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Rab1dGuy	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	randomologist99	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Randy_BobandyTWU	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	RandyMcRandomEsq	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	RaptorRed6	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	Ratamancer	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	rceb11	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	redmusic1	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	ResidualCoolness	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	Retrofreud1	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	retrosaurus-movies	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	Revolutionary-cow862	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Reyfa	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	riders_ON_the_STORM	失败	❌
🗡️	ridersONtheSTORM	失败	❌
🗡️	roblobster690	Penrith	✔️
	roscoes_rashie	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Rowandaw	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	RS994	失败	❌
🗡️	runbee	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Ryanstevo34	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	_AndrewJohnsCocaineAddiction	Newcastle	✔️
🗡️	_BenHuntKnockOn2015	Canterbury Bankstown	✔️
🗡️	_BigNutsWayno	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	_BuzzRothfield	Canterbury Bankstown	✔️
🗡️	jaggedlittlepill	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	_MartinKapowReal	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	_SquidGames	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Sullyy	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	_talkshitgethit69	Cronulla Sutherland	✔️
🗡️	_TysonGambleFanpage	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	sabz20005	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Safe_interest_3973	Canberra	❌
🗡️	Safetyrock	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Savingscauliflower0	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	saynonames	失败	❌
	scrubbism	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	SeanSaid	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	sevva_os	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	shifty-eyed-dog	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Shinyhairybaldy	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Shkatspeare	Melbourne	❌
	Shortielah	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	SideQuestNoRest	Melbourne	❌
	SilentStorm117	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Sleepycathay	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Slimeymeathammer	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	sliperiestofthepetes	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Smiles8893	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	smilingface2	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Snave96	失败	❌
	snowbird10	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	spoofmoot	失败	❌
🗡️	Spooksapparel	失败	❌
🗡️	Sprntr	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	sprucemoose101	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Stagger_once	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Starlord174	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	stevedaher	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Stevensmith2702	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	stevos565	Melbourne	❌
	StokedVenus	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	Strait_DooKs	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	StrakenKing	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Strayadude	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Successharvester	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
	suckmynewts	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Sullos93	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	superherofbmx	Gold Coast	❌
	swampthroat	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	synthony	失败	❌
🗡️	Tabshark	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	TaffyAUS	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	Tatrooster	St George Illawarra	✔️
	tbyrn21	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	TGM444	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Thatnewbguy	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	thc216	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	The_Haunter280	Melbourne	❌
	thebuckledwheel	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Themgoodvibess	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Thenameseagleeye	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	thephoenixfoundation	Melbourne	❌
	Thepokemonman	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	Tickle_me_tortoise	失败	❌
🗡️	Timewastingparasite	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	tmspence	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	TomtheDon2K	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	TON6I8	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Tonche_	失败	❌
🗡️	Toomanytiktaks	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	totallynotafakeredditaccount	Brisbane	✔️
🗡️	Trenticus7	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	Trogdor208	St George Illawarra	✔️
	tropicaljim1090	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	TropicHorror	North Queensland	❌
🗡️	Tunza	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Turbosfan19	Newcastle	✔️
	Twitchbruh	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	TwitchitFlinch	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	Uaru427	失败	❌
🗡️	Uncertain_philosophy	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	UnluckyNumberS7evin	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Unnamedciaguy	The Dolphins	✔️
🗡️	Unorthed0x	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	UnwilledAnt	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Upkick_ko	South Sydney	❌
🗡️	—username—11111	Melbourne	❌
	V3ndettas	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Valcor	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	vanessa3105	St George Illawarra	✔️
🗡️	velvetherring	Melbourne	❌
	Victims_Arent_We_All	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	Voidaura	Melbourne	❌
	volcanicthunder	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	Voldemosh	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	wacky_directions	Parramatta	❌
🗡️	watta_guy	失败	❌
🗡️	Wazza85	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	weak-gutted-dog	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	Weedvandam	South Sydney	❌
🗡️	Whogivesar	失败	❌
🗡️	wilko383	失败	❌
	WillZENex	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	winntensio	Penrith	✔️
🗡️	wjack37	Gold Coast	❌
🗡️	xElvyy	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Yeahsothisnameworked	Eastern Suburbs	✔️
🗡️	yesmyson	Melbourne	❌
🗡️	Young_Gus	失败	❌
🗡️	Yurts123	Melbourne	❌
	Ziuzudra	Brisbane	✔️

Users Shamefully Eliminated In Straight Sets

life	user	tip	result
💀	dontpanic	失败	❌
💀	_andy_p	New Zealand	❌
💀	_boxnox	Gold Coast	❌
💀	_JoeyJohnsDrugCheat	Parramatta	❌
💀	VersaceDaddy	失败	❌
💀	=-good-kid	失败	❌
💀	=-improbablywrong	失败	❌
💀	007Funk	Melbourne	❌
💀	0LD_MAT3	Melbourne	❌
💀	0x2639	失败	❌
💀	143boatbuilding	Gold Coast	❌
💀	3Gums	失败	❌
💀	AA6MANxx99U28jT	Canberra	❌
💀	acestreasury	Melbourne	❌
💀	Addaus16	Melbourne	❌
💀	Alig5835	Parramatta	❌
💀	AllergyToCats	Gold Coast	❌
💀	AnnE_Surly	Melbourne	❌
💀	Apl1199	Melbourne	❌
💀	archem0	Melbourne	❌
💀	artsrc	Melbourne	❌
💀	asaprobbie	失败	❌
💀	Ashland38	Melbourne	❌
💀	AssassinoJK	Melbourne	❌
💀	AuspiciousCalamari1	Melbourne	❌
💀	Aussie18-1998	Parramatta	❌
💀	Australianguymf	失败	❌
💀	awakenthebacon_	Wests Tigers	❌
💀	awesomemaxi1	Parramatta	❌
💀	Bahpoor	失败	❌
💀	bar901	失败	❌
💀	beached_penguin	失败	❌
💀	Beans	失败	❌
💀	BeautifulRadiant3312	Melbourne	❌
💀	benno44	失败	❌
💀	Benno-97	North Queensland	❌
💀	Bennyflyer	失败	❌
💀	benooooooooooooo	Melbourne	❌
💀	BestFriendTed	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Bhayri	失败	❌
💀	BicKy_	失败	❌
💀	Big_Thundaaa	失败	❌
💀	Bigboy	South Sydney	❌
💀	BigChief69	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Bignior	失败	❌
💀	Bigredwerewolf	North Queensland	❌
💀	bigWordBandit_	Melbourne	❌
💀	Binjahhh	失败	❌
💀	BlGGLES	Melbourne	❌
💀	Bobthebigfatpirate	Melbourne	❌
💀	Boido96	失败	❌
💀	BoogerSugar00	Canberra	❌
💀	BravoDeltaSierraMike	Melbourne	❌
💀	brendy9103	Melbourne	❌
💀	Brimmoh	失败	❌
💀	Brumbies5	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Bunta	失败	❌
💀	C9throwshotgg	失败	❌
💀	callin_ballin	失败	❌
💀	Capitalcitycowboy	失败	❌
💀	captaineagleboy	失败	❌
💀	carl0sthedwarf	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Carplah	Wests Tigers	❌
💀	Caseyjb29	Melbourne	❌
💀	cbcove	失败	❌
💀	celladonn	Melbourne	❌
💀	chainer605	Melbourne	❌
💀	ChewieMP_19	Melbourne	❌
💀	Chiplock	Gold Coast	❌
💀	chopperreid89	Melbourne	❌
💀	christophlr	Melbourne	❌
💀	chuckagain	失败	❌
💀	CJN-23	Gold Coast	❌
💀	CleanRetriever	Gold Coast	❌
💀	cloughie-10	Melbourne	❌
💀	Cobalt_Rav3n	Melbourne	❌
💀	CodsterChocolate	Gold Coast	❌
💀	ColonelBlank	失败	❌
💀	Cosby420	失败	❌
💀	Cottage-in-the-city	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Courtney_enid	Melbourne	❌
💀	crappbag	失败	❌
💀	CrimsonAmulet	失败	❌
💀	curlyfries33	失败	❌
💀	d_barbz	失败	❌
💀	Dahhhn	Melbourne	❌
💀	DCsuperhero	失败	❌
💀	debo808	失败	❌
💀	declandimi	失败	❌
💀	DeeKew005	失败	❌
💀	deesmutts88	失败	❌
💀	Derron_	Gold Coast	❌
💀	diamongrin	Melbourne	❌
💀	Dismal-Definition843	Melbourne	❌
💀	donutdave95	失败	❌
💀	Doombadger	Melbourne	❌
💀	Drewman43	Parramatta	❌
💀	dunkanroos	失败	❌
💀	dunnymuncher	失败	❌
💀	DylLambo	Gold Coast	❌
💀	dylseph_	Melbourne	❌
💀	EastsToWin	失败	❌
💀	eclab	Gold Coast	❌
💀	edgedefence	Melbourne	❌
💀	Elbowsknees	Manly Warringah	❌
💀	Elmsy_08	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Emitremmmus	失败	❌
💀	emrys1	Melbourne	❌
💀	Enak_420	失败	❌
💀	Enginfella	Parramatta	❌
💀	Est1864	Gold Coast	❌
💀	EuroNymous76	Gold Coast	❌
💀	FarmerAndy96	Melbourne	❌
💀	Fearless-Ad-9481	Wests Tigers	❌
💀	Feedmeplz	失败	❌
💀	Ferg	失败	❌
💀	FilthyMilfs	Melbourne	❌
💀	first5eight	失败	❌
💀	FishBum11	Gold Coast	❌
💀	fivekiloweight	Melbourne	❌
💀	Flamin_galah	Gold Coast	❌
💀	fleakill	Gold Coast	❌
💀	fooatfoodotcom	Gold Coast	❌
💀	fos81	Melbourne	❌
💀	frashal	Melbourne	❌
💀	FreakyLatexMan	Wests Tigers	❌
💀	FrOzenEskimO	Melbourne	❌
💀	FudgeMcgrath	Gold Coast	❌
💀	FullBonus	失败	❌
💀	Gbren	失败	❌
💀	GEDDPEART	Canberra	❌
💀	Getcheeked	Melbourne	❌
💀	Glorious-Basterd	Melbourne	❌
💀	gluetown	Melbourne	❌
💀	Goobeeful	失败	❌
💀	Graderevolutionary28	Gold Coast	❌
💀	gringolemon	Melbourne	❌
💀	Grummamore	Melbourne	❌
💀	guiip	Melbourne	❌
💀	GustavSnapper	失败	❌
💀	Guyfromnewyork95	Gold Coast	❌
💀	hairypenis69	Gold Coast	❌
💀	haydos817	失败	❌
💀	heinsight2124	失败	❌
💀	Heroinmarzipan	Melbourne	❌
💀	hey_gaz	失败	❌
💀	hideyourloveaway	Gold Coast	❌
💀	hilltopchill	Melbourne	❌
💀	HKBrah	Melbourne	❌
💀	HomogeniousKhalidius	Melbourne	❌
💀	HowieO-Lovin	失败	❌
💀	HsiaAn	Melbourne	❌
💀	hugecanoe	Parramatta	❌
💀	hutchtheclutchx	Gold Coast	❌
💀	HyperboleAddict	失败	❌
💀	HYSSY97	失败	❌
💀	Ichsoda	Canberra	❌
💀	Icome3rd	South Sydney	❌
💀	idespisereddit	失败	❌
💀	I-love-cookies3773	失败	❌
💀	imaginationASDF	失败	❌
💀	IMAKEuLAG	Melbourne	❌
💀	Imhavinillusions	Melbourne	❌
💀	InnerSongs	Gold Coast	❌
💀	IsaacfromNZ	Melbourne	❌
💀	J3llyfngrz	失败	❌
💀	jabbid111	失败	❌
💀	Jagerbombers	Parramatta	❌
💀	jakkusame	Melbourne	❌
💀	jamesnuge	Melbourne	❌
💀	Jamestooge	失败	❌
💀	Jay-el-dub	失败	❌
💀	Jester_Fleshwound	失败	❌
💀	Jezd96	失败	❌
💀	Jfif1958	Melbourne	❌
💀	jockstrap12	Canberra	❌
💀	Joe80b	失败	❌
💀	Joehiuyfhi	失败	❌
💀	johns_got_a_mustache	Melbourne	❌
💀	jono201283	失败	❌
💀	jteg9	Gold Coast	❌
💀	JustaGoodDad	失败	❌
💀	ka_rawe	Melbourne	❌
💀	Kathleenfreya23	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Keenfordevon	Melbourne	❌
💀	Keith_Sheldon	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Kelair_kayaks	Melbourne	❌
💀	Kettlechipsrevenge	Melbourne	❌
💀	kfbr-392	Gold Coast	❌
💀	KidKuubrick	失败	❌
💀	Kilo-papa-uniform	Gold Coast	❌
💀	King_of_the_Eyesores	Melbourne	❌
💀	Kingsleym17	Melbourne	❌
💀	Kiwicrusader1984	Melbourne	❌
💀	kkoobbii182	Melbourne	❌
💀	KnifieSpoony	Melbourne	❌
💀	kranools	Melbourne	❌
💀	l33tbronze	Melbourne	❌
💀	lachjeff	Gold Coast	❌
💀	lanson15	Melbourne	❌
💀	legitricegumfan	失败	❌
💀	likeatyger	Melbourne	❌
💀	linny_456	Melbourne	❌
💀	Lionellutz	失败	❌
💀	LizardTime69	Gold Coast	❌
💀	lollielegs	Parramatta	❌
💀	Longjohntaller	失败	❌
💀	Loosechange-71	Melbourne	❌
💀	ltpeanuts	失败	❌
💀	M_Keating	North Queensland	❌
💀	Maaxwell	失败	❌
💀	Maca146	Melbourne	❌
💀	Maccasslave92	失败	❌
💀	madmanwiithabox	失败	❌
💀	Magpie1862	Melbourne	❌
💀	markymark1982	失败	❌
💀	MasturBATEMAN	失败	❌
💀	match1997	Melbourne	❌
💀	mathewl832	Gold Coast	❌
💀	MatthewLodge16	New Zealand	❌
💀	Mcquinn14	Melbourne	❌
💀	Mediocre_Drive_7847	Melbourne	❌
💀	Meetchbra	失败	❌
💀	megamoocowman	Melbourne	❌
💀	Menuscary4506	失败	❌
💀	methodmanfan	Melbourne	❌
💀	miicah	Gold Coast	❌
💀	mikemarine99	Melbourne	❌
💀	Milosqzx	失败	❌
💀	Minafatdog12	Gold Coast	❌
💀	mishzoee	Melbourne	❌
💀	MisterEvilBreakfast	Melbourne	❌
💀	mnjef	失败	❌
💀	Moisture_Services	失败	❌
💀	Mostlyfood	失败	❌
💀	Mouse_trap	Melbourne	❌
💀	Mr Sunol	失败	❌
💀	Mr_Mac	Gold Coast	❌
💀	mrslushee	Gold Coast	❌
💀	mukhers	Parramatta	❌
💀	Mustlovepants	Melbourne	❌
💀	MysteriousDamage	失败	❌
💀	namiplsoce	Gold Coast	❌
💀	nangarranga	Melbourne	❌
💀	newagesaltyseadog	Melbourne	❌
💀	NicholasTheGreat	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Nick170100	Melbourne	❌
💀	Niels__Bohring	Gold Coast	❌
💀	NoobBread27	Gold Coast	❌
💀	Norm_Cheers	Gold Coast	❌
💀	nrlpunter	Parramatta	❌
💀	Nugeythefloozey	Melbourne	❌
💀	nymphz	Melbourne	❌
💀	nzoz	失败	❌
💀	oinkoink7007	失败	❌
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An opinion piece wrapped up with a call for debate/discussion.
I've often read stories or heard anecdotes from people who are very concerned about the future of A.I. and the whole concept of self-thinking machines. I tend to be the skeptic in these conversations.
I come from a rather limited background as an outside observer, mostly interacting with A.I. in the realms of chat-bots, gaming, and industrial robotics. I've been interacting with them primarily as a casually interested hobby for the better part of 20 years.
In my early days of interacting with A.I. in these fields, it was very simple logic algorithms (I'm not a programmer so forgive me for not using precise terminology). It basically goes something like "If user does x input, then perform y function. If x input = unknown variable, request correct y function." This is the basic formula for a simple chat-bot to build it's database.
In the case of chat-bots, some of the early ones I recall were the likes of ALICE. It used AIML (Artificial Intelligence Mark-up Language) to train it's A.I. database which was simply a Simple English method for retrieving stored responses. These early databases were self-contained to the program itself, it had no means of learning other than single user input.
Nowadays many chat-bots are much more advanced seemingly, but mostly due to the fact that they are no longer relying on a single user to input data, they can draw upon a huge network of interconnected users, as well as back-ends to other online databases to compile their knowledge-base. In addition their algorithms can use the same principles that modern marketing research does which builds a profile of a particular user's preferences to custom-tailor their responses to them. From a user experience this produces far more interesting results than a single-user database ever could. A.I. can write you an entire poem, or build you a program, because it's being trained by thousands upon thousands of users, and that level of redundancy removes a lot of the tedium from any one user to allow for a more productive or engaging experience.
On the gaming end, we've once again not seen much advancement, especially in the AAA front as big companies have seen that a focus on deeply intelligent systems doesn't yield as bigger a return as investment on audio/visual quality. A.I. on the indie front fares much better but is still a simple matter of player input -> response, with the only complexity being that bots can also react to each other in addition to the player. The advancement of processing power also has helped marginally as the game math is no longer bottlenecked at the CPU, and can layer more and more algorithms.
On the robotics front, we've seen a great leap forward in the quality of sensors and A/V input recognition. This basically just means that computers can now translate real-world input like scenes from a camera or a voice from a microphone into usable data like text strings. There's a multitude of algorithms that can be used by machines to translate image data, usually something along the lines of cross-referencing specific elements in an image (color data, picture similarity, object/shape recognition, etc.) with an existing database of known elements, further compounded by networks of users adding in redundancy (No, that's not a duck...)
All of this combines to say that most modern A.I. while still impressive, is built in the same ways as older A.I., it just has access to better toys. It now has the entire internet, improved CPUs, better sensors, more comprehensive software, and marketing research to provide a more robust end-user experience. In the end though while this all leads to "better A.I." it hardly seems to point towards a future of self-thinking hyper-intelligent machines.
A good analogue I like to use is viewing the source code for a website. If you look at the source code of a webpage coded 100% by hand, then just view one constructed like on a site like this or other social media you will notice an extreme difference in the level of complexity between the two, even though they both use the same basic functions that can be understood by anyone who knows the language (though a majority of the actual data on a social media site is not actually in the HTML).
Now some might say layered complexity = higher intelligence, and while I would say that is a component of it, it seems to be missing some core functionality of intelligence. A machine will always be able to outclass me in Chess, but it can't supersede the creative potential of lateral thought, thinking outside the box, or having a totally irrelevant thought detached from sensory input triggered by an experience. While none of that may be useful in modern A.I. applications, it certainly illustrates it's incapacity to replace the human experience wholesale, or to render thoughts of it's own independent of layers and layers of community-filtered information. It cannot go "rogue" as inefficient or imprecise strings are culled with no equivalent sense of self-preservation.
This of course comes from a very narrow-band perspective from a limited-experience hobbyist. There may be entire aspects of modern A.I. I've yet to encounter that do things well beyond the pale of what was previously seen. I've certainly heard such anecdotes that begin with the likes of "You won't believe the kind of stuff they are doing with A.I. now" and sure, the applications have grown immeasurably due to it's bigger toybox, but the hyperbole surrounding it's inevitable singularity still seems like a sci-fi pipe dream rather than something we're rapidly closing in on.

Follow the white rabbit.
I've been going down a lore rabbit hole since I finished Lightfall. I eventually started doing so in a branching, fragmented, looping twitter thread meant to both replicate the structure of Destiny's story and to convey the connections I was seeing through context rather than confusing explanations in my own words. In short, I believe Destiny's story is meant to be viewed as a sort of song or poem, with each verse being a rhyme of the last meant to give different meanings on the same core message through their seemingly disparate contexts. It is meant to invoke a sense of jamais vu (or maybe deja vu) when you begin to trace the ways events, archetypes, patterns of behavior, and other things repeat and repeat.
After a ton of previously mysterious lore started clicking, I came to the lore entry The Accolade. The Accolade contains multiple perspectives, some of them unclear and dreamlike. One even makes reference to what seems like a Tormentor.
In thinking about it, especially the passage about the "woman with gnarled hands and an aged face sat alone on a couch, basking in the dim glow of a Golden Age ruin," (who I now believe to be Savathun keeping watch over everything just after the First Collapse), I came to the poem The Waste Land, by TS Elliot.

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu
Mein Irisch Kind,
Wo weilest du?
‘You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;
‘They called me the hyacinth girl.’
—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,
Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.
Oed’ und leer das Meer.

It is a very interesting poem that conveys a sense of horror through fragmented prose and perspectives that draws more on emotional resonance than intellectual understanding. Actual critics can explain it far better than I, but think of how this mirrors Destiny's unique storytelling style and the themes of fear, pain, and the sense of unknown we've been dealing with.

The style of the poem is marked by the many allusions and quotations from other texts (classic and obscure; "highbrow" and "lowbrow") that Eliot peppered throughout the poem. In addition to the many "highbrow" references and quotes from poets like Baudelaire, Dante Alighieri, Shakespeare, Ovid, and Homer, as well as Wagner's libretti, Eliot also included several references to "lowbrow" genres. A good example of this is Eliot's quote from the 1912 popular song "The Shakespearian Rag" by lyricists Herman Ruby and Gene Buck.[30] There were also a number of lowbrow references in the opening section of Eliot's original manuscript (when the poem was entitled He Do The Police in Different Voices), but they were removed from the final draft after Eliot cut this original opening section.[31]
The style of the work in part grows out of Eliot's interest in exploring the possibilities of dramatic monologue. This interest dates back at least as far as "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock". The Waste Land is not a single monologue like "Prufrock". Instead, it is made up of a wide variety of voices (sometimes in monologue, dialogue, or with more than two characters speaking).
The Waste Land is notable for its seemingly disjointed structure, indicative of the Modernist style of James Joyce's Ulysses) (which Eliot cited as an influence and which he read the same year that he was writing The Waste Land).[32] In the Modernist style, Eliot jumps from one voice or image to another without clearly delineating these shifts for the reader. He also includes phrases from multiple foreign languages (Latin, Greek, Italian, German, French and Sanskrit), indicative of Pound's influence.
In 1936, E. M. Forster wrote about The Waste Land:[33]
"Let me go straight to the heart of the matter, fling my poor little hand on the table, and say what I think The Waste Land is about. It is about the fertilizing waters that arrived too late. It is a poem of horror. The earth is barren, the sea salt, the fertilizing thunderstorm broke too late. And the horror is so intense that the poet has an inhibition and is unable to state it openly.
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images.
He cannot say 'Avaunt!' to the horror, or he would crumble into dust. Consequently, there are outworks and blind alleys all over the poem—obstacles which are due to the nature of the central emotion, and are not to be charged to the reader. The Waste Land is Mr. Eliot's greatest achievement. It intensifies the drawing-room premonitions of the earlier poems, and it is the key to what is puzzling in the prose. But, if I have its hang, it has nothing to do with the English tradition in literature, or law or order, nor, except incidentally, has the rest of his work anything to do with them either. It is just a personal comment on the universe, as individual and as isolated as Shelley's Prometheus).
... Gerard Manly Hopkins is a case in point—a poet as difficult as Mr. Eliot, and far more specialized ecclesiastically, yet however twisted his diction and pietistic his emotion, there is always a hint to the layman to come in if he can, and participate. Mr. Eliot does not want us in. He feels we shall increase the barrenness. To say he is wrong would be rash, and to pity him would be the height of impertinence, but it does seem proper to emphasize the real as opposed to the apparent difficulty of his work. He is difficult because he has seen something terrible, and (underestimating, I think, the general decency of his audience) has declined to say so plainly."

Now read The Waste Land thinking about these parallels. Keep in mind the structure of the poem's sections and Destiny's use of the themes of death, games and chess, prophecy of the end times, and unheard truths spoken by the shape of nature itself.
I. The Burial of the Dead
II. A Game of Chess
III. The Fire Sermon
IV. Death by Water
V. What the Thunder Said
There is a horrible, secret truth to the Destiny universe that has driven Warlocks who have seen it mad, yet unable to explain what is it. Toland was Shattered by it. Someone is trying to explain it to us without us also Shattering.

I drive myself to the edge of madness trying to explain the truth.
It's so simple. Elegant like a knife point. It explains - this is not hyperbole, this is the farthest thing from exaggeration - EVERYTHING.
But you lay it out and they stare at you like you've just been exhaling dust. Maybe they're missing some underlying scaffold of truth. Maybe they are all propped on a bed of lies that must be burned away.
Why does anything exist?
Ghost Fragment - Darkness 3

After nine years, ya know what I realize?
Ignorance is blissa prisona trap.

LAST MAN STANDING 13 has begun, and we have a subscriber to each team for this weekend so there will be some guaranteed carnage, especially once the upsets start
578 users have entered so far.
Don't be upset if you haven't tipped - I've made available the punishment game so that stragglers can participate. Only problem is that the punishment game is one of the harder games of the round to pick, but you get what you get and you don't get upset.

--TIP HERE NOW FOR PUNISHMENT GAME! GOOGLE FORM LINK HERE<----

Tips by match

Home	users	v	users	Away
Parramatta	6		14	Melbourne
Warriors	15		1	Newcastle
Penrith	114		6	Brisbane
Manly	15		2	Canterbury
North Qld	136		2	Canberra
Cronulla	3		12	Souths
Dolphins	3		221	Roosters
Tigers	13		14	Gold Coast

--TIP HERE NOW FOR PUNISHMENT GAME! GOOGLE FORM LINK HERE<----

Tips by user

user	tip
_andy_p	Penrith
jaggedlittlepill	Penrith
Sullyy	Manly Warringah
VersaceDaddy	Penrith
007Funk	Eastern Suburbs
0ldgrumpy1	New Zealand
0x2639	Eastern Suburbs
143boatbuilding	Wests Tigers
1bigcontradiction	Eastern Suburbs
365DonaldLover	Penrith
3Gums	Penrith
5een1tBefore	North Queensland
60framespersecond	North Queensland
Accomplished_Poem_38	Brisbane
acestreasury	Penrith
Addaus16	Eastern Suburbs
Adomental	Eastern Suburbs
Ajn_7	North Queensland
ajspacey	North Queensland
Alixthx	Eastern Suburbs
AmazingChicken99	North Queensland
Andaloop21	Penrith
AndrewRoid	North Queensland
Apl1199	Penrith
archem0	Eastern Suburbs
Arkascius	North Queensland
artsrc	Penrith
AssassinoJK	Penrith
AstonishedXMan	Gold Coast
AuspiciousCalamari1	Eastern Suburbs
aussierob	North Queensland
Australianguymf	Eastern Suburbs
Average_Joe_03	North Queensland
awesomemaxi1	Eastern Suburbs
AyePeeKay	Eastern Suburbs
BabeRuthsTinyLegs	Penrith
bar901	Eastern Suburbs
Barmy90	North Queensland
Barney98	North Queensland
Basicbitchbartender	New Zealand
BazzaJH	New Zealand
BBQsaucebottle	Melbourne
Bc56710	Manly Warringah
beached_penguin	Eastern Suburbs
Beans	Penrith
BeautifulRadiant3312	Eastern Suburbs
Belco-dick-owl	North Queensland
benno44	Eastern Suburbs
Bennyflyer	Penrith
benooooooooooooo	Eastern Suburbs
BestFriendTed	Penrith
Bg_rl	North Queensland
b-g-h	North Queensland
Bhayri	Eastern Suburbs
BicKy_	Eastern Suburbs
Big_Thundaaa	Eastern Suburbs
Bigbrownie26	Eastern Suburbs
BigdogHours	North Queensland
Biggchi	Penrith
Bignior	Penrith
BigOldPeanut	North Queensland
BigRedHead2020	Penrith
bigstretchy	South Sydney
Big-Vas	North Queensland
bigWordBandit_	Penrith
Binjahhh	Penrith
bl90	Penrith
Black-House	Eastern Suburbs
blessedsushiroll	North Queensland
BlGGLES	Penrith
-Bloodnut-	Manly Warringah
Boido96	Eastern Suburbs
BoogerSugar00	St George Illawarra
BravoDeltaSierraMike	Eastern Suburbs
brdd9	North Queensland
brendy9103	Eastern Suburbs
Brimmoh	Eastern Suburbs
brockthesock	Penrith
broggacio	South Sydney
BroncosSabres	Penrith
Brumbies5	Eastern Suburbs
Bunta	Wests Tigers
BustaGee	North Queensland
C9throwshotgg	Penrith
callin_ballin	Penrith
Capitalcitycowboy	Cronulla Sutherland
captaineagleboy	Eastern Suburbs
captaineali	Penrith
carl0sthedwarf	Penrith
Caseyjb29	Eastern Suburbs
CattMollings	North Queensland
CatWool	North Queensland
cbcove	Penrith
ceedog86	North Queensland
celebrationrock	North Queensland
celladonn	Eastern Suburbs
Chairishjam	North Queensland
Charkers196	North Queensland
cheesedtomeetu	North Queensland
Chillynotsilly	North Queensland
chopperreid89	Penrith
Chriscryptic	North Queensland
chuckagain	Penrith
CissytheBrave	Melbourne
CJN-23	Eastern Suburbs
cloughie-10	Wests Tigers
Cobalt_Rav3n	Penrith
CodsterChocolate	Penrith
ColonelBlank	Eastern Suburbs
cottage-in-the-city	Eastern Suburbs
crappbag	Penrith
Crazywiththemkicks	Gold Coast
CreepySniper94	North Queensland
CrimsonAmulet	Eastern Suburbs
curlyfries33	Eastern Suburbs
d_barbz	Penrith
D0NNIE-DANKO	New Zealand
Dahhhn	Penrith
Daisynaldo	Gold Coast
DalllinsBiggestFan	North Queensland
danbillbishop3	Manly Warringah
-Dark_Helmet-	Brisbane
DavidTP	Gold Coast
Daz1331	North Queensland
DCsuperhero	Eastern Suburbs
debo808	Penrith
declandimi	Eastern Suburbs
deesmutts88	Parramatta
Derron_	Penrith
Diffaadiffa	North Queensland
Dios13	Gold Coast
Disaintasu	Manly Warringah
Disastrous_Salad6302	North Queensland
Dislocated_femur	North Queensland
Dolamite09	Eastern Suburbs
dominator619	North Queensland
donutdave95	Penrith
Doombadger	Eastern Suburbs
downbythesea	South Sydney
Dragon-me-balls	Manly Warringah
dunkanroos	Penrith
dunnymuncher	Eastern Suburbs
DylLambo	Penrith
dylseph_	Eastern Suburbs
EastsToWin	Eastern Suburbs
edgedefence	Eastern Suburbs
Elasticfingers	North Queensland
Elbowsknees	Cronulla Sutherland
Emitremmmus	Penrith
emrys1	Eastern Suburbs
Enak_420	Eastern Suburbs
Enginfella	Eastern Suburbs
EntirelyOriginalName	Penrith
EuroNymous76	Eastern Suburbs
EyeDeeKaay	Melbourne
facarosa	North Queensland
FarmerAndy96	Canberra
Fattdaddy21	New Zealand
Fearless-Ad-9481	Penrith
fetus_ezeli	Penrith
FilthyMilfs	Penrith
Final-Replacement	Eastern Suburbs
first5eight	Penrith
FishBum11	Eastern Suburbs
Flamin_Galah	Penrith
fleakill	Penrith
Flunkiez	North Queensland
FooAtFooDotCom	Penrith
FormalRegistar	North Queensland
fos81	Eastern Suburbs
frashal	Eastern Suburbs
Frenchduke	North Queensland
FrOzenEskimO	Eastern Suburbs
FudgeMcgrath	Eastern Suburbs
FullBonus	Eastern Suburbs
Fullfruitbowl	North Queensland
Funbutalsoserious007	North Queensland
Funtasia	North Queensland
Gave_up85	North Queensland
Gbren	Eastern Suburbs
Geoffroman	North Queensland
geokek	Melbourne
Geraltofdunners	Penrith
GetCheeked	Eastern Suburbs
Glorious-Basterd	Eastern Suburbs
gluetown	Eastern Suburbs
GoblinLoveChild	Melbourne
Goobeeful	Canberra
goodnewstime	North Queensland
Graderevolutionary28	Penrith
gringolemon	Eastern Suburbs
Grizaz	North Queensland
GustavSnapper	Eastern Suburbs
GutwrencheR	Canterbury
Hasra23	North Queensland
Hatchy84	North Queensland
HateGary	South Sydney
haydos817	Eastern Suburbs
Herms911	New Zealand
hey_gaz	Eastern Suburbs
hilltopchill	Eastern Suburbs
hmas_wetdreams	New Zealand
Hobnail1	Eastern Suburbs
HomogeniousKhalidius	Eastern Suburbs
Horsey2	Manly Warringah
HowieO-Lovin	Penrith
HsiaAn	Eastern Suburbs
hugecanoe	Eastern Suburbs
hutchtheclutchx	Eastern Suburbs
HyperboleAddict	Penrith
ilove_pizza	North Queensland
idespisereddit	Eastern Suburbs
ijustliftweights	North Queensland
ill_have_some_toast	North Queensland
imaginationASDF	Eastern Suburbs
Imhavinillusions	Eastern Suburbs
-improbablywrong	Eastern Suburbs
impulsebuyerdude	North Queensland
infinitemonkeytyping	Manly Warringah
InnerSongs	Eastern Suburbs
insty1	North Queensland
issedia	North Queensland
Itsturtletime01	Eastern Suburbs
J3llyfngrz	Penrith
jabbid111	Penrith
Jagerbombers	Penrith
jakkusame	Eastern Suburbs
James_Bing21	North Queensland
jamesmateus	North Queensland
jamesnuge	Eastern Suburbs
Jamestooge	Penrith
jamiott7	Gold Coast
JasontheAtheist68	Eastern Suburbs
Jay-el-dub	Eastern Suburbs
jcferg96	Eastern Suburbs
JediPat501	Penrith
jeeves_nz	New Zealand
Jester_Fleshwound	Penrith
Jesus_mate	North Queensland
Jexta	Eastern Suburbs
Jezd96	Eastern Suburbs
Jfif1958	Eastern Suburbs
Jibberjabber666x2	Gold Coast
Joe80b	Penrith
Joehiuyfhi	Wests Tigers
Joelllllll1992	North Queensland
JoeLoweyReturns	North Queensland
JohnnyRayUSA	Newcastle
johns_got_a_mustache	Eastern Suburbs
JonesTheDoctor	Eastern Suburbs
jonnye82	Eastern Suburbs
jono201283	Eastern Suburbs
jsnoodles	North Queensland
Julz72	New Zealand
JustaGoodDad	Eastern Suburbs
ka_rawe	Eastern Suburbs
kami_inu	South Sydney
Karlossalot	Eastern Suburbs
Kathleenfreya23	Eastern Suburbs
Keenfordevon	Eastern Suburbs
Keith_Sheldon	Penrith
Kelair_kayaks	Penrith
Kettlechipsrevenge	Eastern Suburbs
kfbr-392	Eastern Suburbs
KidKuubrick	Eastern Suburbs
Kilo-papa-uniform	Eastern Suburbs
King_of_the_Eyesores	Eastern Suburbs
Kingsbunnies	South Sydney
kirang1902	North Queensland
KnifieSpoony	Eastern Suburbs
kortmarshall	North Queensland
kranools	Eastern Suburbs
l33tbronze	Penrith
lachjeff	Penrith
ladyships-a-legend	Melbourne
le_skunk	Brisbane
legitricegumfan	Eastern Suburbs
Liamman01	North Queensland
likeatyger	Eastern Suburbs
linny_456	Penrith
Lionellutz	Eastern Suburbs
Logggers	North Queensland
lollielegs	Penrith
Longjohntaller	Eastern Suburbs
Loose change-71	Eastern Suburbs
LordSlasher	North Queensland
LovingCatholicPriest	Penrith
luke363636	Eastern Suburbs
M_Keating	Eastern Suburbs
Maaxwell	Eastern Suburbs
Maca146	Eastern Suburbs
Maccasslave92	Eastern Suburbs
maddog77	Melbourne
madmanwiithabox	Eastern Suburbs
Magpie1862	Eastern Suburbs
Malaxage918	North Queensland
Manbunfc	North Queensland
Manmadeofmagnets	North Queensland
markymark1982	Parramatta
MasturBATEMAN	Penrith
match1997	Eastern Suburbs
mathewl832	Penrith
Mattyeightonetoo	Brisbane
MayoneseGodzilla	North Queensland
Mayskie	Penrith
Mcquinn14	Eastern Suburbs
Meetchbra	Eastern Suburbs
megamoocowman	Eastern Suburbs
Menuscary4506	Eastern Suburbs
methodmanfan	Eastern Suburbs
miicah	Eastern Suburbs
mikemarine99	Penrith
Milosqzx	Penrith
misanthropiccynic	North Queensland
mishzoee	Penrith
-Miss__Information-	Melbourne
MisterEvilBreakfast	Penrith
mnjef	Wests Tigers
Moisture_Services	Eastern Suburbs
mooguh	Eastern Suburbs
Moojiminy	North Queensland
Morg_n	Brisbane
Mostlyfood	Eastern Suburbs
Mr Sunol	Penrith
Mr_Mac	Eastern Suburbs
Mr_mat89	North Queensland
MrBlue8erry	Melbourne
Mr-Hindsight	Penrith
mrrich990	Gold Coast
MrSmithers11	Eastern Suburbs
Murbleslaw	The Dolphins
Mustlovepants	Eastern Suburbs
Myaussiemate	North Queensland
MyDearJohnWatson	North Queensland
MysteriousDamage	Eastern Suburbs
N1ftyNico	Eastern Suburbs
Naivatco	North Queensland
Nameisinappropriate	New Zealand
Namiplsoce	Eastern Suburbs
nangarranga	Eastern Suburbs
Nathanclearyschin	Eastern Suburbs
newagesaltyseadpg	Eastern Suburbs
NicholasTheGreat	Eastern Suburbs
Ninjapussypounder	Melbourne
noccero	North Queensland
NogerRuivasaLheck	North Queensland
Noonster	Cronulla Sutherland
Noppos	North Queensland
Norm_Cheers	Wests Tigers
Notaroboticfish	Eastern Suburbs
NoTear5812	South Sydney
notmariyatakeuchi	North Queensland
Notthehilltodieon	North Queensland
Nrlufcmmagaa	North Queensland
nymphz	Eastern Suburbs
nzoz	Wests Tigers
oinkoink7007	Eastern Suburbs
Ok_Stretch4050	North Queensland
olirae	Penrith
One2die	Eastern Suburbs
Opinions_likekittens	New Zealand
Otherwise-Pick-506	Gold Coast
Overclocks_	North Queensland
overratedplayer	Eastern Suburbs
PapaCurt	Wests Tigers
Paper_Snow_a_Ghost	Eastern Suburbs
paralacausa	Eastern Suburbs
ParallelSewellel	North Queensland
Parra Eels	Eastern Suburbs
patrolling_dude	Penrith
Pekaynelson	Penrith
Pezzadamezza	Penrith
PHJ101	Eastern Suburbs
phyllicanderer	Gold Coast
Pillarofsheffield	Wests Tigers
Pmmeyatits	Eastern Suburbs
PoonPuncher420	New Zealand
Predw	Eastern Suburbs
Prestigious_Dot_9490	Brisbane
PriestOfHate	Parramatta
Proxima_Centuri	Penrith
pundit14	North Queensland
Purple Capricorn dog	Wests Tigers
Puzzleheaded-fix-408	Eastern Suburbs
qldmaroon7	North Queensland
quiip	North Queensland
Quirkyequivalent590	South Sydney
R717	Melbourne
Rab1dGuy	North Queensland
RabzS	Parramatta
Randomologist99	Eastern Suburbs
Randy_BobandyTWU	Eastern Suburbs
RaptorRed6	The Dolphins
Raylan_Givns	Eastern Suburbs
realmthegamer	Eastern Suburbs
Redcliffedolphins	Eastern Suburbs
Redlocks64	Penrith
redmusic1	North Queensland
Reindeergames101	Penrith
Retrofreud1	Penrith
Revolutionary-cow162	North Queensland
Reyfa	Eastern Suburbs
riders_ON_the_STORM	North Queensland
ridersONtheSTORM	North Queensland
RileyM2509	Eastern Suburbs
rmv74	Canterbury
RoddyRango	Wests Tigers
ropati4	Penrith
Rorythedonut	Penrith
roscoes_rashie	Gold Coast
Rowandaw	North Queensland
RS994	North Queensland
runbee	Manly Warringah
runningfromgiraffes	Penrith
rweera	Penrith
Ryanstevo34	Wests Tigers
sabz20005	North Queensland
SaccadeTv	Eastern Suburbs
sadnesslaughs	Penrith
Safe_interest_3973	North Queensland
Safetyrock	North Queensland
Sam801	Eastern Suburbs
Samrass	Eastern Suburbs
SamWalkerIsMySon	Eastern Suburbs
sashhhhhhh	Eastern Suburbs
Savingscauliflower0	Eastern Suburbs
saynonames	North Queensland
Scottyninja	Eastern Suburbs
scrubbism	North Queensland
Scruffy97	Eastern Suburbs
SeanSaid	North Queensland
sexy_bethany	Eastern Suburbs
sharks_are_coming	Eastern Suburbs
Shidyfu	Eastern Suburbs
shifty-eyed-dog	North Queensland
Shiny_dick_94	Penrith
Shinyhairybaldy	Manly Warringah
Shortielah	North Queensland
SideQuestNoRest	North Queensland
Sigmaniac	Penrith
SilentStorm117	North Queensland
Simmi5555	Eastern Suburbs
SKiiTTLEz	Eastern Suburbs
SkinBintin	Eastern Suburbs
Slimeymeathammer	North Queensland
sliperiestofthepetes	North Queensland
SmiffnWestin	Eastern Suburbs
Smiles8893	Eastern Suburbs
smilingface2	Eastern Suburbs
SmoggieDownUnder	Eastern Suburbs
Snave96	North Queensland
snelso10	Eastern Suburbs
Snick0of	Penrith
SnooPies2836	Eastern Suburbs
snowbird10	North Queensland
Softnut	Eastern Suburbs
Somatic1	Eastern Suburbs
Sowardsacat	Eastern Suburbs
SpaceKroc	Penrith
spacemarine43	Eastern Suburbs
spoofmoot	Melbourne
Spooksapparel	North Queensland
Sprntr	Eastern Suburbs
Sprucemoose101	Penrith
Squillyion	Penrith
SSredback	Eastern Suburbs
Stagger_once	Gold Coast
Steamedhamburgular	Eastern Suburbs
SterlingStallion	Penrith
stevedaher	Eastern Suburbs
stevos565	North Queensland
StokedVenus	North Queensland
StrakenKing	North Queensland
Strayadude	South Sydney
Strez92	Eastern Suburbs
suckmynewts	North Queensland
Summernick	Eastern Suburbs
sumthin213	Eastern Suburbs
superherofbmx	North Queensland
Swagmama5000	Penrith
swampthroat	North Queensland
Swiftestblade	Eastern Suburbs
switchmallgrab	Eastern Suburbs
syncopated_matchstic	Eastern Suburbs
Syphon90	Eastern Suburbs
Tabshark	Eastern Suburbs
TaffyAUS	Eastern Suburbs
Taraguar	Eastern Suburbs
TGM444	North Queensland
Thankyoupancake	Penrith
thatnewbguy	Gold Coast
thc216	Melbourne
The_bearded_kiwi	Penrith
the_bo	Eastern Suburbs
The_Haunter280	North Queensland
the_mooseman	Eastern Suburbs
TheBlindHawkEye	Eastern Suburbs
thebuckledwheel	North Queensland
TheEnglishEccentric	Eastern Suburbs
thekriptik	Eastern Suburbs
TheLolpants517	Penrith
Themgoodvibess	New Zealand
Thenameseagleeye	Eastern Suburbs
thephoenixfoundation	New Zealand
ThePickaxePenguin	Penrith
Thepokemonman	Gold Coast
thepolarbears12	Eastern Suburbs
Thevault32	Eastern Suburbs
TheYardGoesOnForever	Eastern Suburbs
TheYoungCodger	Eastern Suburbs
thisaintitkweef	Eastern Suburbs
ThisIsAnEx-Parrot	Penrith
thismfpigeon	Penrith
Thril_hou	Eastern Suburbs
Timewastingparasite	Manly Warringah
tmspence	Wests Tigers
tomatowire	Eastern Suburbs
TomtheDon2K	North Queensland
TON6I8	Melbourne
Tonche_	North Queensland
Toomanytiktaks	Eastern Suburbs
Toyoto	Eastern Suburbs
Traditional-Step-419	Eastern Suburbs
Trenticus7	New Zealand
Trogdor208	Penrith
tropicaljim1090	Manly Warringah
TropicHorror	North Queensland
Tunza	Eastern Suburbs
Twitchbruh	South Sydney
TwitchitFlinch	Eastern Suburbs
Uncertain_philosophy	The Dolphins
Undercoverbutch	Eastern Suburbs
UnderTheHighBall	Penrith
unfriendlydigby	Eastern Suburbs
UnluckyNumberS7evin	Eastern Suburbs
Unorthed0x	North Queensland
Upkick_ko	North Queensland
Upthetibros	Eastern Suburbs
—username—11111	North Queensland
V3ndettas	Manly Warringah
Valcor	Eastern Suburbs
vanessa3105	Penrith
velvetherring	Manly Warringah
Victims_Arent_We_All	North Queensland
VictorTheViking	Penrith
visual_overflow	Parramatta
Voidaura	North Queensland
Volcanicthunder	North Queensland
Voxityy	Eastern Suburbs
W33D_G0D	Eastern Suburbs
wacky_directions	North Queensland
WangasGee	Eastern Suburbs
watch_me_bounce	Eastern Suburbs
watta_guy	South Sydney
weak-gutted-dog	Penrith
Weedvandam	North Queensland
WestTeaco	Eastern Suburbs
whadefeck	Penrith
whocanduncan	Penrith
Whogivesar	North Queensland
Whyisthelighton	Eastern Suburbs
WJack37	North Queensland
wonka_02	Eastern Suburbs
wowzap	Eastern Suburbs
wseries	Eastern Suburbs
WyattParkScoreboard	Penrith
xElvyy	North Queensland
Yakosaurus	Penrith
Yeahsothisnameworked	Eastern Suburbs
yesmyson	North Queensland
Young_Gus	North Queensland
Yurts123	South Sydney
Zacdavis98	Eastern Suburbs
Zheleznov	Penrith
Ziggzandzags	Penrith
Ziuzudra	Manly Warringah
ZMang2	Eastern Suburbs
zptbph	Parramatta