Autumn quotations

Where were these places?

2024.05.10 15:09 Aiywe Where were these places?

Where were these places?
Hello everybody!
I've got several hundreds of SSO-related screenshots and pictures that I use as wallpapers, and while browsing through them recently, six specific places caught my attention because they portray places that I've never seen in SSO, not even in any old screenshots — and I don't recall them even from the old, "seasonal" Star Stable games (like The Autumn Riders) that I've played. So I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help me localise them. Maybe older players will remember :)
I downloaded these pictures years ago from many different pages that I can't trace anymore by any means, so unfortunately I can no longer turn to their respective sources for possible clues. Please note that none of them are my photos, credit goes to their respective owners and I only have them for personal use.
Based on the graphics and especially the characteristic old twisted pine trees, I assume these all are very old photos, possibly from ~2014/2015, and the places probably no longer exist in modern SSO.
Place #1: This beautiful lake with a rocky island in the middle. Based on the landscape, I would guess Firgrove or maybe Cliffside County.
Place #2: Seems to be the same place as #1, just from a different angle or perhaps the opposite side of the lake.
Place #3: I know this one's looking very non-specific, but I've come across this particular bend multiple times while gathering the SSO screenshots, so it piqued my interest. Might be perhaps Firgrove or Valedale Lake. The layout reminds me a lot of Star Stable: Winter Riders, but the snow looked different there.
Place #4: Now this one's a real puzzle. Based on the Silverglade Observatory in the background, this seems to be geographically Hollow Woods / Valedale, but there's no forest there, the river seems empty, and so does the apparent stable house, as if it were glitched. There are also some strange white things floating above the empty river, reminiscent of quotation marks (roughly the centre of the photo). Maybe the Valedale Village pre-release? The small white house on the hill might be the Gray Monk Café.
Place #5: Seems to be the same place as #4, just a bit further north. The stable building now looks more complete, but in turn there's no hill with the small white house on it (unless it's from a different angle, but doesn't look much like it), the river seemingly ends there, and again there are the strange white quotation marks plus some paddle-like pointy objects near them.
Place #6: Again a rather nondescript place. Looks a lot like Cliffside County, but there seems to be a large rocky barrier dividing the river in half. There are also those characteristic old large rocks with moss on top that I saw mostly from pictures from the earliest days of SSO, as well as in the old Star Stable games.
Thank you very much for any clues and opinions! 🙏
submitted by Aiywe to StarStable [link] [comments]

2024.04.24 12:05 JulieSongwriter #79C: Good Morning, Ladies!

Let's keep studying Ikeda Sensei's lecture on "Key Passages from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings," Part 8 in the April Living Buddhism. Today we complete the section "Revealing the Precious Jewel That Exists Within."
Sensei notes:
The Lotus Sutra states that the precious jewel in the hand of the dragon girl is “worth as much as the major world system” (LSOC, 227)—in other words, equal in value to all the treasures of the universe. This expresses the supreme value of the Mystic Law, the ultimate Law of the universe, and also the supreme dignity of our lives, which embody the Mystic Law.
"The supreme dignity of our lives, which embody the Mystic Law." Hey, this is too good to be for Buddhists alone!
I just ADORE our Spring and Autumn Season clients. What dignified lives they lead! Bernie and I love to listen to their life stories at Coffee Hour or when we do our weekday morning runs to Costco/Starbucks. Then we listen some more at Afternoon Tea.
Their stories have very common themes. Most of them had led very distinguished but high stress careers. Most had What's It All About, Alfie? moments of one type or another--sometimes it was the loss of a career or the passing of a loved one. Very often they "cashed in their chips," bought a rig and RV, and began three- or four-seasoning. To a one they deny that they are running away. They talk a lot about friends and family back home. They describe themselves as seeking and contemplating. Most of them journal, vlog, or blog a lot.
As they criss-cross around the country they build "the deepest of friendships." Many of them have strong political beliefs but they are so glad to no longer live within the silo. One client is an escapee from The Villages in Central Florida (he asked me to share this to give a picture of his prior life). Now he sees himself as an adventurer and pioneer who is trying to find a new center to redirect America.
Sensei continues:
There is no doubt that we possess the supreme life state of Buddhahood, and are noble and worthy of respect just as we are. At the same time, however, practice is essential to bring forth our Buddhahood and make it shine brightly.
Ladies, let's not forget this "non-duality" message! As we go through all of the challenges of daily life, we need to hang on to our inner nobility. At the same time we need to deepen our practice "to bring forth our Buddhahood and make it shine brightly."
I know we have all been inspired by the messages we get from Marilynnnn and Mariko. The one-year anniversary of Sam's passing is just a week away. I vetted this with them (and Jack) and have their permission to post it.
They've been very honest with us in describing their process of grieving. It's been a zig zag journey of deep lows, confusing emotions, and false restarts. Buddhism doesn't mean that you get a free pass through the realities of life. Perhaps Buddhist practice makes it easier day-by-day to rebound, even if for a bit. I personally love the quotes about grieving on the Daisaku Ikeda website, especially this one:
The experience of losing a loved one impels us toward a deeper understanding of life. Everyone fears and is saddened by death. That is natural. But by struggling to overcome the pain and sadness that accompanies death, we become sharply aware of the dignity and preciousness of life and develop the compassion to share the sufferings of others as our own.
But I am so inspired by reading their messages and posts at NenaGabrieleKerner (in German) how the grief of the brave "throuple" has transformed into new awareness and mission as they take courageous new steps in their 70's!
Just a little friendly disclaimer here. I am taking the liberty to quote but slightly paraphrase for simplicity's sake. I am going to eliminate footnotes and brackets. Etc, etc, etc. Sue me, if you wish. For the original, please just click on the link above.
submitted by JulieSongwriter to SGIWhistleblowersMITA [link] [comments]

2024.03.29 07:28 happycatmachine Assessing a need for a naming convention change: titling article and book notes the same

Update 1: For the most part, this is solved. I'm using a plugin called Smart Rename, its functionality is simple and you can read about it in the very brief plugin notes from within Obsidian. If you have any further thoughts feel free to respond. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I'll update this with learnings once I'm finished making the change and have given it time to settle in.
This is odd for me because I usually do my due diligence when I have questions before I bring them to reddit and I usually find answers pretty quickly, but I'd like some input on this so here goes. Note: my system is ridiculously simple but I'm aiming for complete descriptions in case something might be relevant.
My vault is over 3 years old and consists of only my original notes. These notes were gathered over 3.5 years and included the writing of a Bachelor's thesis. I will continue to use this vault for my Master's degree starting in Autumn and I'm facing a rather large structural decision.

My current process

I'm unlikely to change this but here it is for context:
  1. When I identify a source that I want to use I make an Obsidian note for that source (we'll call these source notes) and I put all of my notes from that source in that source note as I consume the source material.
  2. From there I make other topical notes consisting of bits and pieces from various sources and my own thoughts. I don't think that the content of these topical notes is relevant to my problem except that I have links throughout from those topical notes to the source notes.
For example: I have a book called "The Tacit Dimension" and in there I have various excerpts from the book mostly matching the structure of the book. I also have a topical note called "tacit knowledge" in which I have gathered some quotations from The Tacit Dimension as well as quotes from other books and my own thoughts. (These 'big' concept notes do get atomised during refactoring, but never mind that.)

Existing naming convention - and the problem

I currently have two kinds of sources (more, but for simplicity): articles and books.
When I make a note for a source I must name the note (duh).
It is this inconsistency that I'm considering changing. I am thinking that I'm going to rename all of my ~200 book notes with the citation format I use for articles, since I need to refer them by citation in my thesis (or any other work) anyway.

My questions

What impact considerations specific to Obsidian should I be thinking about?
What would be some graceful ways of doing this?
Can you think of anything else that I might be missing?
If you have read this far, you have my undying gratitude.

Caveat

I will do this all by hand, I do not want a coding solution (despite the efficiency gains).
submitted by happycatmachine to ObsidianMD [link] [comments]

2024.01.30 14:42 phelgmdounuts FTB advice required - Is this a massive issue?

Hiya,
Me and my significant other are FTBs and last autumn had an offer accepted on a 2bedroom converted Edwardian flat.
We had a level 3 survey conducted which returned with abnormally high moisture readings (especially 90 in the shared area on the walls that is shared with out flat). On the surveyors recommendation we got a specialist damp survey to look at the place.
The damp specialist confirmed the concerns in the 1st survey. Raising damp, hygroscopic salt in the wall plaster, wet rot fungi, etc.
They provided a quotation for about £6000 to sort it all. The sellers are very helpful and will cover this cost before we exchange.
As FTBs we have no reference point and speaking to friends and family there seems to be a split between "all houses have issues and if you love it go ahead" and "abort, pull out. These are big issues"
So I'm asking you kind folks of reddit for your thoughts. Are these massive red flags and should we drop out or are we being over cautious as FTBs and all houses have problems in this realm and go ahead with fixing it?
submitted by phelgmdounuts to HousingUK [link] [comments]

2024.01.28 16:56 sawapachi RESULTS: BTS Discography Ranking, 2013-2023

Hello! Thank you to everyone who participated in the discography ranking survey. Here are the results!

Overall Song Ranking

2023 Ranking Song 2023 Rating 2022 Ranking 2022 Rating Δ Ranking Δ Rating
1 DDaeng (땡) 9.547 1 9.494 0 0.053
2 Black Swan 9.310 2 9.359 0 -0.049
3 Spring Day 9.266 5 9.249 2 0.017
4 Daechwita 9.254 4 9.292 0 -0.038
5 Run BTS 9.251 3 9.295 -2 -0.043
6 MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) 9.172 6 9.231 0 -0.059
7 Tear 9.120 11 8.979 4 0.141
8 People 9.106 12 8.958 4 0.147
9 Blood Sweat & Tears 9.065 8 9.138 -1 -0.073
10 Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto, WOOSUNG of The Rose) 9.012 NEW
11 Black Swan (Orchestral Ver.) 9.007 17 8.885 6 0.122
12 Pied Piper 9.000 10 9.008 -2 -0.008
13 AMYGDALA 8.983 NEW
14 Baepsae / Silver Spoon 8.980 7 9.158 -7 -0.179
15 FAKE LOVE 8.933 18 8.873 3 0.060
16 Still With You 8.930 15 8.897 -1 0.033
17 Wild Flower (with youjeen) 8.930 9 9.034 -8 -0.104
18 MIC Drop 8.923 22 8.844 4 0.079
19 Epilogue: Young Forever 8.919 20 8.846 1 0.073
20 Like Crazy 8.916 NEW
21 Blue Side (Extended Ver.) 8.889 21 8.845 0 0.044
22 Save Me 8.796 16 8.888 -6 -0.092
23 We are Bulletproof: the Eternal 8.794 39 8.597 16 0.197
24 seoul (prod. HONNE) 8.772 36 8.638 12 0.134
25 Haegeum 8.770 NEW
26 Trivia 轉: Seesaw 8.767 33 8.655 7 0.113
27 eight 8.760 46 8.568 19 0.192
28 Life Goes On (Agust D ver.) 8.759 NEW
29 UGH! 8.742 14 8.904 -15 -0.162
30 So Far Away (SUGA, Jin, Jungkook Ver.) 8.713 23 8.839 -7 -0.125
31 Closer (with Paul Blanco, Mahalia) 8.679 87 8.349 56 0.330
32 Serendipity 8.674 34 8.648 2 0.026
33 Arson 8.673 53 8.535 20 0.137
34 Epiphany 8.672 13 8.908 -21 -0.236
35 Lie 8.668 35 8.641 0 0.028
36 Mikrokosmos 8.658 48 8.562 12 0.096
37 The Last 8.655 75 8.398 38 0.257
38 Fire 8.648 27 8.722 -11 -0.074
39 That That 8.645 25 8.743 -14 -0.098
40 Dear my friend (ft. Kim Jong Wan of NELL) 8.639 61 8.463 21 0.177
41 D-Day 8.636 NEW
42 My Universe 8.633 78 8.383 36 0.249
43 Standing Next To You 8.626 NEW
44 The Truth Untold (ft. Steve Aoki) 8.616 30 8.704 -14 -0.088
45 Stay Alive 8.583 42 8.573 -3 0.010
46 BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer 8.574 51 8.546 5 0.028
47 Run 8.564 32 8.684 -15 -0.119
48 Dope 8.553 49 8.553 1 0.001
49 Your Eyes Tell 8.552 122 8.192 73 0.360
50 Agust D 8.550 70 8.426 20 0.124
51 Heartbeat 8.534 24 8.753 -27 -0.220
52 Born Singer 8.533 45 8.568 -7 -0.035
53 134340 8.531 74 8.401 21 0.130
54 ON 8.528 47 8.567 -7 -0.039
55 Butterfly 8.526 41 8.579 -14 -0.053
56 Anpanman 8.513 65 8.447 9 0.066
57 Film out 8.510 62 8.457 5 0.053
58 Dis-ease 8.508 56 8.518 -2 -0.010
59 So Far Away (ft. Suran) 8.503 40 8.586 -19 -0.083
60 I Need U 8.500 66 8.446 6 0.054
60 IDOL 8.500 31 8.697 -29 -0.197
62 The Astronaut 8.495 29 8.706 -33 -0.212
63 Interlude: Shadow 8.495 37 8.632 -26 -0.137
64 00:00 (Zero O'Clock) 8.492 79 8.382 15 0.110
65 Sea 8.490 52 8.544 -13 -0.053
66 Equal Sign (Lollapalooza ver.) 8.471 NEW
67 Still With You (Acapella) 8.470 110 8.225 43 0.245
68 Airplane pt.2 8.462 64 8.448 -4 0.014
69 Butterfly (Prologue Mix) 8.456 102 8.280 33 0.176
70 Come Back Home 8.455 81 8.370 11 0.084
70 Euphoria 8.455 54 8.535 -16 -0.080
72 Blue Side (Outro) 8.453 44 8.570 -28 -0.117
73 2! 3! 8.453 107 8.249 34 0.204
74 Dimple 8.451 63 8.454 -11 -0.003
75 Moonlight 8.450 105 8.254 30 0.196
76 Magic Shop 8.446 50 8.551 -26 -0.105
77 Super Tuna 8.440 19 8.846 -58 -0.406
78 Lonely 8.437 71 8.425 -7 0.012
79 All Day (with Tablo) 8.435 130 8.146 51 0.289
80 Arson (Rock ver.) 8.430 NEW
81 moonchild 8.417 60 8.483 -21 -0.066
82 everythingoes (ft. NELL) 8.404 88 8.342 6 0.062
83 Let Go 8.403 59 8.492 -24 -0.089
84 forever rain 8.403 85 8.354 1 0.049
85 HOME 8.394 43 8.571 -42 -0.177
86 MORE 8.393 82 8.363 -4 0.031
87 Dionysus 8.386 38 8.627 -49 -0.242
88 Boy With Luv (ft. Halsey) 8.377 108 8.243 20 0.134
89 Crystal Snow 8.373 80 8.372 -9 0.001
90 = (Equal Sign) 8.363 57 8.513 -33 -0.150
91 Yours 8.343 83 8.357 -8 -0.014
92 Life Goes On 8.338 76 8.390 -16 -0.052
93 House of Cards 8.337 55 8.531 -38 -0.194
94 Still Life (with Anderson .Paak) 8.333 84 8.357 -10 -0.023
95 Louder than bombs 8.326 93 8.324 -2 0.002
96 Wings 8.320 86 8.350 -10 -0.030
97 DNA 8.317 109 8.238 12 0.079
98 Lights 8.308 133 8.103 35 0.204
99 Intro: Persona 8.307 73 8.415 -26 -0.108
100 Love Maze 8.306 128 8.158 28 0.148
101 Paradise 8.299 94 8.314 -7 -0.015
102 Outro: Ego 8.298 72 8.420 -30 -0.123
103 Burn It (ft. MAX) 8.294 120 8.195 17 0.100
104 Promise (약속) 8.278 90 8.330 -14 -0.052
105 Tomorrow 8.277 115 8.210 10 0.068
106 Interlude: Set me free 8.268 132 8.110 26 0.158
107 Future (Lollapalooza ver.) 8.268 NEW
108 WINTER FLOWER 8.261 89 8.339 -19 -0.079
109 Go Go 8.260 100 8.295 -9 -0.035
110 HUH?! (feat. j-hope) 8.258 NEW
111 Give It to Me 8.243 112 8.222 1 0.021
111 Letter 8.243 NEW
113 Don't Leave Me 8.239 26 8.723 -87 -0.484
114 Abyss 8.238 28 8.711 -86 -0.474
115 Blue & Grey 8.237 67 8.438 -48 -0.201
116 Tony Montana (with Jimin) 8.236 151 8.026 35 0.211
117 tokyo 8.231 111 8.224 -6 0.007
118 Telepathy 8.226 68 8.436 -50 -0.209
119 Daydream 8.220 98 8.301 -21 -0.081
120 Take Two 8.209 NEW
121 What do you think? 8.208 124 8.189 3 0.019
122 Autumn Leaves 8.200 118 8.196 -4 0.004
123 Smoke Sprite 8.199 NEW
124 Filter 8.193 99 8.298 -25 -0.105
125 In the SOOP 8.183 113 8.220 -12 -0.037
126 Hope World 8.181 131 8.128 5 0.053
127 Face-off 8.178 NEW
128 SUGA's Interlude 8.174 118 8.196 -10 -0.022
129 Strange (ft. RM) 8.174 123 8.190 -6 -0.017
130 4 O'CLOCK (네시) 8.168 91 8.329 -39 -0.161
131 STOP (Lollapalooza ver.) 8.160 NEW
132 Change pt.2 8.153 134 8.092 2 0.061
133 SEXY NUKIM 8.147 140 8.062 7 0.084
134 No.2 (with parkjiyoon) 8.144 104 8.259 -30 -0.115
135 For Youth 8.134 103 8.264 -32 -0.130
136 Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) 8.131 165 7.883 29 0.248
137 With You 8.130 148 8.036 11 0.095
138 Young Forever (Unplugged Ver.) 8.126 127 8.175 -11 -0.049
139 Yun (with Erykah Badu) 8.125 149 8.033 10 0.092
140 SDL 8.106 NEW
141 Moon 8.100 117 8.196 -24 -0.096
142 Slow Dancing 8.096 NEW
143 Sweet Night 8.090 58 8.505 -85 -0.415
144 Alone 8.080 NEW
145 It's Definitely You (죽어도 너야) 8.072 95 8.312 -50 -0.239
146 Intro: Never Mind 8.069 213 7.612 67 0.457
147 Spine Breaker 8.065 142 8.054 -5 0.011
148 BTS Cypher 4 8.057 77 8.385 -71 -0.328
149 Polar Night 8.053 NEW
150 Not Today 8.052 136 8.091 -14 -0.038
151 Answer: Love Myself 8.040 126 8.179 -25 -0.139
152 Closer Than This 8.036 NEW
153 Just One Day 8.032 168 7.860 15 0.171
154 Future 8.022 106 8.253 -48 -0.231
155 Awake 8.018 101 8.283 -54 -0.265
156 Base Line 8.014 96 8.304 -60 -0.290
157 Seesaw X I Need U Remix 8.012 215 7.600 58 0.412
158 on the street 8.006 NEW
159 Singularity 8.006 69 8.431 -90 -0.426
160 Hectic (with Colde) 8.000 158 7.951 -2 0.049
161 Epiphany (Jin Demo Ver.) 7.991 144 8.045 -17 -0.053
162 So What 7.989 147 8.040 -15 -0.050
163 Chicken Noodle Soup 7.988 137 8.079 -26 -0.091
164 Lilith (ft. SUGA) 7.986 NEW
165 Butter 7.985 153 7.985 -12 0.000
166 Ma City 7.984 159 7.943 -7 0.041
167 Set Me Free Pt.2 7.979 NEW
168 Yes or No 7.977 NEW
169 Best of Me 7.968 155 7.965 -14 0.004
170 Seesaw (Demo Ver.) 7.965 167 7.861 -3 0.103
171 Hangsang 7.946 121 8.192 -50 -0.247
172 28 (ft. NiiHWA) 7.925 146 8.041 -26 -0.116
173 Dream Glow 7.918 157 7.954 -16 -0.036
174 Butter (ft. Megan Thee Stallion) 7.913 150 8.027 -24 -0.114
175 Love Me Again 7.905 NEW
176 uhgood 7.893 138 8.074 -38 -0.181
177 Christmas Tree 7.889 116 8.197 -61 -0.308
178 Safety Zone 7.885 114 8.220 -64 -0.335
179 Intro: Boy Meets Evil 7.883 145 8.043 -34 -0.160
180 wherever u r 7.882 NEW
181 I Like It Pt.2 ~At That Place~ 7.855 200 7.672 19 0.184
182 Boyz with Fun 7.851 141 8.057 -41 -0.205
183 1 Verse 7.851 207 7.652 24 0.199
184 Hold Me Tight 7.838 185 7.775 1 0.063
185 Who 7.837 166 7.883 -19 -0.045
186 Standing Next To You (Usher Remix) 7.834 NEW
187 Attack On Bangtan 7.815 135 8.092 -52 -0.276
188 Airplane 7.814 143 8.052 -45 -0.238
189 Winter Bear 7.813 97 8.301 -92 -0.489
190 Joke 7.812 176 7.829 -14 -0.017
191 First Love 7.810 170 7.850 -21 -0.040
192 For You 7.806 203 7.665 11 0.141
193 Whalien 52 7.799 160 7.914 -33 -0.115
194 Interlude : Dawn 7.787 NEW
195 My You 7.772 161 7.914 -34 -0.141
196 P.O.P (Piece of Peace) Pt.1 7.762 154 7.968 -42 -0.207
197 Bicycle 7.760 129 8.150 -68 -0.390
198 3D (Alternate Ver.) 7.745 NEW
199 I'm Fine 7.743 187 7.762 -12 -0.019
200 Waste It On Me 7.738 197 7.685 -3 0.053
201 Don't 7.730 175 7.832 -26 -0.102
202 My Time 7.726 162 7.902 -40 -0.175
203 Rain 7.724 205 7.654 2 0.070
204 Euphoria (DJ Swivel Forever Mix) 7.723 199 7.681 -5 0.043
205 Trivia 承: Love 7.717 139 8.064 -66 -0.347
206 Jump 7.711 169 7.855 -37 -0.144
207 Stay Gold 7.707 173 7.847 -34 -0.140
208 Tonight (이 밤) 7.701 92 8.327 -116 -0.626
209 badbye (ft. eAeon) 7.691 188 7.761 -21 -0.070
210 Tony Montana (ft. Yankie) 7.689 206 7.654 -4 0.036
211 Dynamite 7.683 218 7.557 7 0.126
212 Friends 7.683 210 7.629 -2 0.054
213 What if... 7.679 156 7.954 -57 -0.275
214 Let Me Know 7.678 184 7.776 -30 -0.098
215 Awake (Christmas Ver.) 7.671 208 7.641 -7 0.030
216 Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol) 7.671 182 7.785 -34 -0.114
217 Stay 7.661 191 7.743 -26 -0.082
218 A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone 7.652 201 7.670 -17 -0.017
219 Trivia 起: Just Dance 7.651 179 7.806 -40 -0.154
220 Wishing On A Star 7.646 195 7.696 -25 -0.050
221 Rainy Days 7.640 NEW
222 Pandora's Box 7.635 172 7.848 -50 -0.213
223 Jamais Vu 7.632 181 7.788 -42 -0.155
224 Seven (feat. Latto) (Clean Ver.) 7.620 NEW
225 Do You 7.612 178 7.817 -47 -0.205
225 Don't ever say love me 7.612 NEW
227 We Are Bulletproof Pt. 1 7.612 224 7.508 -3 0.104
228 Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.) 7.611 NEW
229 Girl of My Dreams 7.607 211 7.626 -18 -0.019
230 VIBE 7.598 NEW
231 Look Here 7.594 177 7.827 -54 -0.233
232 Honsool 7.592 163 7.893 -69 -0.301
233 Boy In Luv 7.590 183 7.776 -50 -0.187
234 For Us 7.589 NEW
235 Like 7.583 190 7.748 -45 -0.165
236 Her 7.570 189 7.756 -47 -0.186
237 Paldogangsan 7.563 225 7.505 -12 0.059
238 Lost 7.553 194 7.706 -44 -0.152
239 Shot Glass of Tears 7.550 NEW
240 DNA (j-hope Demo Ver.) 7.545 174 7.842 -66 -0.296
241 Begin 7.539 202 7.668 -39 -0.129
242 MAMA 7.532 198 7.682 -44 -0.150
243 Danger 7.532 186 7.767 -57 -0.235
244 A Brand New Day 7.524 193 7.733 -51 -0.209
245 Blueberry Eyes 7.519 209 7.633 -36 -0.114
246 STOP 7.514 192 7.740 -54 -0.225
247 Rush Hour 7.514 171 7.849 -76 -0.335
248 Left and Right 7.511 229 7.496 -19 0.016
249 Our Island 7.509 214 7.606 -35 -0.097
250 Stigma 7.506 180 7.803 -70 -0.297
251 Spring Day (V Demo Ver.) 7.500 204 7.663 -47 -0.163
252 I Know (알아요) 7.486 235 7.379 -17 0.107
253 Christmas Day 7.486 272 6.957 19 0.528
254 BTS Cypher Pt.2: Triptych 7.484 226 7.505 -28 -0.020
255 Spring Day (Brit Rock Remix) 7.480 164 7.887 -91 -0.407
256 Love Is Not Over 7.480 238 7.341 -18 0.138
257 Snow Flower 7.476 125 8.187 -132 -0.712
258 Change 7.452 196 7.695 -62 -0.243
259 Am I Wrong 7.440 222 7.536 -37 -0.095
260 Coffee 7.419 234 7.413 -26 0.005
261 Hate You 7.400 NEW
262 Young Forever (RM Demo Ver.) 7.398 249 7.228 -13 0.170
263 No More Dream 7.395 228 7.500 -35 -0.105
264 People Pt.2 (feat. IU) 7.394 NEW
265 Make It Right 7.394 244 7.296 -21 0.098
266 2nd Grade 7.385 216 7.588 -50 -0.202
267 Crying Over You 7.377 240 7.319 -27 0.057
268 Seven (feat. Latto) (Explicit Ver.) 7.360 NEW
269 Song Request (신청곡) 7.347 212 7.617 -57 -0.269
270 Fly To My Room 7.335 236 7.367 -34 -0.032
271 So 4 More 7.324 253 7.190 -18 0.134
272 Scenery (풍경) 7.323 152 8.019 -120 -0.697
273 Monster 7.321 241 7.316 -32 0.005
274 Moving On 7.300 223 7.532 -51 -0.232
275 Somebody 7.279 NEW
276 95 Graduation 7.278 248 7.245 -28 0.032
277 Always 7.277 246 7.275 -31 0.002
278 All Night 7.258 219 7.556 -59 -0.298
279 Jump (Demo Ver.) 7.252 261 7.086 -18 0.166
280 War of Hormone 7.249 221 7.536 -59 -0.288
281 Boyz with Fun (Demo Ver.) 7.245 239 7.333 -42 -0.088
282 Christmas Love 7.241 220 7.551 -62 -0.310
283 Life 7.241 254 7.131 -29 0.109
284 Interlude: Dream, Reality 7.240 233 7.415 -51 -0.175
285 Good Day 7.234 247 7.262 -38 -0.028
286 We Are Bulletproof Pt.2 7.214 243 7.297 -43 -0.083
287 Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 7.205 252 7.197 -35 0.009
288 Make It Right (ft. Lauv) 7.183 275 6.913 -13 0.270
289 21st Century Girl 7.180 217 7.568 -72 -0.389
290 Hip Hop Phile 7.176 256 7.102 -34 0.073
291 Please Don't Change (feat. DJ Snake) 7.152 NEW
292 Inner Child 7.149 231 7.445 -61 -0.296
293 Respect 7.138 245 7.282 -48 -0.144
294 724148 7.138 251 7.199 -43 -0.061
295 Fake Love (Rocking Vibe Mix) 7.119 230 7.495 -65 -0.376
296 Reflection 7.115 227 7.502 -69 -0.387
297 A Typical Idol's Christmas 7.104 276 6.893 -21 0.210
298 I Need U (Urban Mix) 7.103 264 7.047 -34 0.056
299 Embarrassed / Blanket Kick 7.088 250 7.202 -49 -0.114
300 Awakening 7.077 258 7.096 -42 -0.019
301 Converse High 7.076 237 7.346 -64 -0.270
302 Young Love 7.074 259 7.096 -43 -0.021
303 I Believe 7.064 260 7.092 -43 -0.028
304 Beautiful 7.050 265 7.022 -39 0.028
305 Working 7.035 305 6.577 0 0.458
306 Road / Path 7.026 277 6.882 -29 0.144
307 N.O 7.011 257 7.099 -50 -0.089
308 Quotation Mark 7.000 267 6.988 -41 0.012
309 24/7=Heaven 6.978 262 7.068 -47 -0.090
310 MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) (ft. Desiigner) 6.974 293 6.680 -17 0.293
311 Music Box : Reflection 6.951 232 7.422 -79 -0.471
312 Too Much 6.948 295 6.676 -17 0.272
313 Closer to You (feat. Major Lazer) 6.935 NEW
314 I NEED U (Demo Ver.) 6.927 280 6.846 -34 0.081
315 Voice 6.923 271 6.960 -44 -0.037
316 Adrift 6.922 269 6.975 -47 -0.053
317 Blue 6.913 NEW
318 Throw Away 6.897 278 6.880 -40 0.017
319 Boy In Luv (Demo Ver.) 6.889 270 6.970 -49 -0.081
320 Too Much (feat. Jungkook and Central Cee) 6.887 NEW
321 Run (Ballad Mix) 6.881 274 6.942 -47 -0.062
322 Wake Up 6.871 268 6.985 -54 -0.115
323 Monterlude 6.857 310 6.490 -13 0.367
324 Timeless 6.851 266 6.991 -58 -0.140
325 Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) [BTS Remix] 6.833 299 6.645 -26 0.188
326 We On 6.829 263 7.053 -63 -0.224
327 Interlude : Dive 6.820 NEW
328 God Rap 6.810 281 6.846 -47 -0.035
329 Intro: What Am I to You 6.807 284 6.842 -45 -0.035
330 3D (Justin Timberlake Remix) 6.805 NEW
331 It Doesn't Matter Mix Final 6.804 300 6.636 -31 0.167
332 BuckuBucku (부끄부끄) 6.803 286 6.818 -46 -0.015
333 Champion (Remix) 6.802 242 7.299 -91 -0.496
334 Danger (Mo-Blue-Mix) 6.800 287 6.817 -47 -0.017
335 Too Sad to Dance 6.793 NEW
336 Rush (ft. Krizz Kaliko) 6.792 289 6.777 -47 0.015
337 Like (Slow Jam Remix) 6.790 282 6.845 -55 -0.055
338 I Need U (Remix) 6.785 302 6.591 -36 0.193
339 Something 6.782 304 6.580 -35 0.202
340 140503 at Dawn 6.776 273 6.951 -67 -0.175
341 Outro: The Journey 6.753 296 6.656 -45 0.097
342 Intro: Calling 6.747 292 6.735 -50 0.012
343 Dreamers 6.741 290 6.754 -53 -0.014
344 Like Crazy (UK Garage Remix) 6.735 NEW
345 The Stars 6.733 255 7.104 -90 -0.371
346 Like Crazy (Deep House Remix) 6.713 NEW
347 Intro (Jack In The Box) 6.688 283 6.844 -64 -0.156
348 Intro: DT sugA 6.660 291 6.754 -57 -0.093
349 Intro: Ringwanderung 6.649 285 6.829 -64 -0.180
350 The Planet 6.648 NEW
351 Gajah (코끼리) 6.639 309 6.495 -42 0.144
352 Outro: Propose 6.632 298 6.650 -54 -0.018
353 Unpack Your Bags 6.596 318 6.283 -35 0.314
354 Old Town Road (Seoul Town Road Remix) 6.587 279 6.856 -75 -0.269
355 Outro: Crack 6.587 294 6.677 -61 -0.090
356 Bad Decisions 6.572 306 6.513 -50 0.059
357 BTS Cypher Pt.1 6.563 297 6.656 -60 -0.093
358 Standing Next To You (Band Ver.) 6.506 NEW
359 Angel Pt. 2 6.485 NEW
360 Miss Right 6.458 288 6.796 -72 -0.338
361 Where You From 6.452 303 6.583 -58 -0.131
362 If I Ruled the World 6.451 307 6.510 -55 -0.059
363 Intro: Skool Luv Affair 6.444 301 6.624 -62 -0.181
364 Introduction: Youth 6.419 311 6.470 -53 -0.051
365 Butter (Hotter Remix) 6.414 321 6.243 -44 0.171
366 Permission to Dance 6.385 323 6.136 -43 0.249
367 Could You Turn Off Your Cell Phone 6.369 317 6.359 -50 0.011
368 U 6.345 314 6.417 -54 -0.071
369 DNA (Pedal 2 LA Mix) 6.320 315 6.414 -54 -0.094
370 Outro: Do You Think It Makes Sense? 6.286 313 6.425 -57 -0.140
371 Perfect Christmas 6.279 322 6.198 -49 0.081
372 Outro: Luv in Skool 6.252 316 6.366 -56 -0.114
373 ProMeTheUs 6.207 324 6.130 -49 0.077
374 Seven (feat. Latto) (Band Ver.) 6.187 NEW
375 Fantastic 6.152 327 6.059 -48 0.093
376 P.D.D 6.150 308 6.500 -68 -0.350
377 IDOL (ft. Nicki Minaj) 6.136 312 6.429 -65 -0.292
378 Outro. 6.069 326 6.078 -52 -0.009
379 Angel Pt.1 6.030 NEW
380 Butter (Cooler Remix) 6.017 325 6.093 -55 -0.077
381 Intro. 6.000 329 5.908 -52 0.092
382 Interlude: What Are You Doing Now 5.966 333 5.847 -49 0.118
383 Dynamite (Tropical Remix) 5.961 335 5.802 -48 0.159
384 Dynamite ('70s Remix) 5.925 320 6.252 -64 -0.327
385 Butter (Holiday Remix) 5.922 319 6.270 -66 -0.348
386 Outro: Circle Room Cypher 5.886 332 5.853 -54 0.032
387 Slow Dancing (Cautious Clay Remix) 5.866 NEW
388 Standing Next To You (Slow Jam Remix) 5.843 NEW
389 Dynamite (Holiday Remix) 5.800 331 5.861 -58 -0.061
390 Butter (Sweeter Remix) 5.776 328 6.022 -62 -0.246
391 Slow Dancing (FRNK Remix) 5.768 NEW
392 Intro: O!RUL8,2? 5.762 330 5.870 -62 -0.108
393 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) 5.743 NEW
394 Standing Next To You (PBR&B Remix) 5.682 NEW
395 Dynamite (Acoustic Remix) 5.641 334 5.821 -61 -0.180
396 Seven (feat. Latto) (Summer Mix) 5.640 NEW
397 Seven (feat. Latto) (Lofi Mix) 5.578 NEW
398 Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool 5.518 337 5.432 -61 0.087
399 Seven (feat. Latto) (Nightfall Mix) 5.469 NEW
400 Standing Next To You (Future Funk Remix) 5.463 NEW
401 Standing Next To You (Holiday Remix) 5.375 NEW
402 Dynamite (Slow Jam Remix) 5.351 336 5.475 -66 -0.124
403 Seven (feat. Latto) (Festival Mix) 5.350 NEW
404 Seven (David Guetta Remix - Extended) 5.342 NEW
405 Seven (feat. Latto) (Island Mix) 5.268 NEW
406 Seven (David Guetta Remix) 5.263 NEW
407 Seven (feat. Latto) - Alesso Remix 5.244 NEW
408 Interlude 5.230 338 5.391 -70 -0.161
409 Standing Next To You (Latin Trap Remix) 5.228 NEW
410 Dynamite (Midnight Remix) 5.202 339 5.290 -71 -0.088
411 Permission to Dance (R&B Remix) 5.154 341 5.223 -70 -0.069
412 Dynamite (Poolside Remix) 5.105 340 5.257 -72 -0.152
413 Dynamite (Retro Remix) 5.044 343 5.213 -70 -0.169
414 Dynamite (Bedroom Remix) 5.018 342 5.222 -72 -0.205
415 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (Clean Ver.) 5.011 NEW
416 Dynamite (EDM Remix) 4.887 344 5.149 -72 -0.262
417 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (A.G. Cook Remix) 4.286 NEW
418 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (MK Remix) 3.963 NEW
419 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (Sped Up) 3.646 NEW
420 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (Slowed Down) 3.631 NEW
421 ON (ft. Sia) 2.688 345 2.749 -76 -0.061
​

Overall Album Ranking

2023 Ranking Album 2023 Rating Range 2022 Ranking 2022 Rating Δ Ranking Δ Rating
1 Love Yourself: Tear 8.478 1.130 1 8.486 0 -0.008
2 D-2 8.438 1.662 3 8.401 1 0.037
3 Love Yourself: Her 8.416 1.430 2 8.424 -1 -0.008
4 D-DAY 8.396 1.618 NEW
5 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 8.324 1.181 4 8.352 -1 -0.027
6 Indigo 8.310 1.258 7 8.255 1
7 mono. 8.288 1.081 6 8.284 -1 0.005
8 Love Yourself: Answer 8.228 3.036 5 8.298 -3 -0.069
9 Map of the Soul: Persona 8.166 1.264 9 8.217 0 -0.050
10 Proof 8.133 2.362 16 7.907 6 0.226
11 FACE 8.085 2.096 NEW
12 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever 8.079 2.195 11 8.097 -1 -0.017
13 Hope World 8.064 0.691 8 8.217 -5 -0.153
14 BE 8.002 1.173 12 8.065 -2 -0.063
15 Wings / You Never Walk Alone 7.985 2.151 10 8.101 -5 -0.116
16 Map of the Soul: 7 7.927 6.622 15 7.980 -1 -0.053
17 Face Yourself 7.874 1.816 14 7.996 -3 -0.123
18 Jack In The Box 7.842 1.985 13 8.006 -5
19 Agust D 7.837 1.995 18 7.814 -1 0.022
20 Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey 7.812 1.805 19 7.658 -1 0.154
21 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 7.776 1.477 17 7.822 -4 -0.046
22 Layover 7.649 1.182 NEW
23 Skool Luv Affair / Skool Luv Affair Special Addition 7.365 1.834 20 7.410 -3 -0.045
24 Youth 7.341 1.387 21 7.334 -3 0.007
25 GOLDEN 7.313 2.883 NEW
26 Dark & Wild 7.241 2.608 22 7.312 -4 -0.071
27 RM 7.172 1.020 23 7.188 -4 -0.016
28 O!RUL8,2? 6.921 2.053 24 7.002 -4 -0.081
29 Wake Up 6.740 1.855 26 6.795 -3 -0.055
30 2 Cool 4 Skool 6.665 2.353 27 6.687 -3 -0.021
​

Song Ranking per Album

Album Relative Ranking Song Rating Ranking
2 Cool 4 Skool 1 Like 7.583 235
2 No More Dream 7.395 263
3 We Are Bulletproof Pt.2 7.214 286
4 Road / Path 7.026 306
5 Outro: Circle Room Cypher 5.886 386
6 Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool 5.518 398
7 Interlude 5.230 408
O!RUL8,2? 1 Attack On Bangtan 7.815 187
2 Paldogangsan 7.563 237
3 Coffee 7.419 260
4 N.O 7.011 307
5 We On 6.829 326
6 BTS Cypher Pt.1 6.563 357
7 If I Ruled the World 6.451 362
8 Outro: Luv in Skool 6.252 372
9 Intro: O!RUL8,2? 5.762 392
Skool Luv Affair / Skool Luv Affair Special Addition 1 Tomorrow 8.277 105
2 Spine Breaker 8.065 147
3 Just One Day 8.032 153
4 Jump 7.711 206
5 Boy In Luv 7.590 233
6 BTS Cypher Pt.2: Triptych 7.484 254
7 Like (Slow Jam Remix) 6.790 337
8 Outro: Propose 6.632 352
9 Miss Right 6.458 360
10 Where You From 6.452 361
11 Intro: Skool Luv Affair 6.444 363
Dark & Wild 1 BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer 8.574 46
2 Rain 7.724 203
3 Let Me Know 7.678 214
4 Look Here 7.594 231
5 Danger 7.532 243
6 2nd Grade 7.385 266
7 War of Hormone 7.249 280
8 Hip Hop Phile 7.176 290
9 Embarrassed 7.088 299
10 24/7=Heaven 6.978 309
11 Intro: What am I to You 6.807 329
12 Could You Turn Off Your Cell Phone 6.369 367
13 Outro: Do You Think It Makes Sense? 6.286 370
14 Interlude: What Are You Doing Now 5.966 382
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 1 Dope 8.553 48
2 I Need U 8.500 60
3 Boyz with Fun 7.851 182
4 Hold Me Tight 7.838 184
5 Love Is Not Over 7.480 256
6 Moving On 7.300 274
7 Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 7.205 287
8 Converse High 7.076 301
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 1 Baepsae / Silver Spoon 8.980 14
2 Run 8.564 47
3 Butterfly 8.526 55
4 House of Cards 8.337 93
5 Autumn Leaves 8.200 122
6 Intro: Never Mind 8.069 146
7 Ma City 7.984 166
8 Whalien 52 7.799 193
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever 1 Baepsae / Silver Spoon 8.980 14
2 Epilogue: Young Forever 8.919 19
3 Save Me 8.796 22
4 Fire 8.648 38
5 Run 8.564 47
6 Dope 8.553 48
7 Butterfly 8.526 55
8 I Need U 8.500 60
9 Butterfly (Prologue Mix) 8.456 69
10 House of Cards 8.337 93
11 Autumn Leaves 8.200 122
12 Ma City 7.984 166
13 Hold Me Tight 7.838 184
14 Whalien 52 7.799 193
15 Love Is Not Over 7.480 256
16 Moving On 7.300 274
17 Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 7.205 287
18 I Need U (Urban Mix) 7.103 298
19 Converse High 7.076 301
20 Run (Ballad Mix) 6.881 321
21 I Need U (Remix) 6.785 338
Wings / You Never Walk Alone 1 Spring Day 9.266 3
2 Blood Sweat & Tears 9.065 9
3 Lie 8.668 35
4 2! 3! 8.453 73
5 Wings 8.320 96
6 BTS Cypher 4 8.057 148
7 Not Today 8.052 150
8 Awake 8.018 155
9 Intro: Boy Meets Evil 7.883 179
10 First Love 7.810 191
11 A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone 7.652 218
12 Lost 7.553 238
13 Begin 7.539 241
14 MAMA 7.532 242
15 Stigma 7.506 250
16 Am I Wrong 7.440 259
17 21st Century Girl 7.180 289
18 Reflection 7.115 296
Love Yourself: Her 1 Pied Piper 9.000 12
2 MIC Drop 8.923 18
3 Serendipity 8.674 32
4 Sea 8.490 65
5 Dimple 8.451 74
6 DNA 8.317 97
7 Go Go 8.260 109
8 Best of Me 7.968 169
9 Her 7.570 236
Love Yourself: Tear 1 Tear 9.120 7
2 Fake Love 8.933 15
3 The Truth Untold (ft. Steve Aoki) 8.616 44
4 134340 8.531 53
5 Anpanman 8.513 56
6 Airplane pt.2 8.462 68
7 Magic Shop 8.446 76
8 Love Maze 8.306 100
9 Paradise 8.299 101
10 Singularity 8.006 159
11 So What 7.989 162
Love Yourself: Answer 1 MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) 9.172 6
2 Tear 9.120 7
3 Fake Love 8.933 15
4 MIC Drop 8.923 18
5 Trivia 轉: Seesaw 8.767 26
6 Serendipity 8.674 32
7 Epiphany 8.672 34
8 The Truth Untold (ft. Steve Aoki) 8.616 44
9 Anpanman 8.513 56
10 IDOL 8.500 60
11 Airplane pt.2 8.462 68
12 Euphoria 8.455 70
13 Dimple 8.451 74
14 Magic Shop 8.446 76
15 DNA 8.317 97
16 Go Go 8.260 109
17 Answer: Love Myself 8.040 151
18 Singularity 8.006 159
19 Best of Me 7.968 169
20 I'm Fine 7.743 199
21 Trivia 承: Love 7.717 205
22 Trivia 起: Just Dance 7.651 219
23 Her 7.570 236
24 Fake Love (Rocking Vibe Mix) 7.119 295
25 DNA (Pedal 2 LA Mix) 6.320 369
26 IDOL (ft. Nicki Minaj) 6.136 377
Map of the Soul: Persona 1 Mikrokosmos 8.658 36
2 HOME 8.394 85
3 Dionysus 8.386 87
4 Boy with Luv (ft. Halsey) 8.377 88
5 Intro: Persona 8.307 99
6 Jamais Vu 7.632 223
7 Make It Right 7.394 265
Map of the Soul: 7 1 Black Swan 9.310 2
2 We are Bulletproof: the Eternal 8.794 23
3 UGH! 8.742 29
4 ON 8.528 54
5 Interlude: Shadow 8.495 63
6 00:00 (Zero O'Clock) 8.492 64
7 Dionysus 8.386 87
8 Boy with Luv (ft. Halsey) 8.377 88
9 Louder than bombs 8.326 95
10 Intro: Persona 8.307 99
11 Outro: Ego 8.298 102
12 Filter 8.193 124
13 Moon 8.100 141
14 My Time 7.726 202
15 Friends 7.683 212
16 Jamais Vu 7.632 223
17 Make It Right 7.394 265
18 Inner Child 7.149 292
19 Respect 7.138 293
20 ON (ft. Sia) 2.688 421
BE 1 Dis-ease 8.508 58
2 Life Goes On 8.338 92
3 Blue & Grey 8.237 115
4 Telepathy 8.226 118
5 Dynamite 7.683 211
6 Stay 7.661 217
7 Fly To My Room 7.335 270
RM 1 Joke 7.812 190
2 Do You 7.612 225
3 Monster 7.321 273
4 Life 7.241 283
5 Awakening 7.077 300
6 I Believe 7.064 303
7 Voice 6.923 315
8 Adrift 6.922 316
9 Throw Away 6.897 318
10 God Rap 6.810 328
11 Rush (ft. Krizz Kaliko) 6.792 336
Agust D 1 The Last 8.655 37
2 Agust D 8.550 50
3 So Far Away (ft. Suran) 8.503 59
4 Give It to Me 8.243 111
5 Tony Montana (ft. Yankie) 7.689 210
6 Interlude: Dream, Reality 7.240 284
7 724148 7.138 294
8 140503 at Dawn 6.776 340
9 Intro: DT sugA 6.660 348
Hope World 1 Blue Side (Outro) 8.453 72
2 Daydream 8.220 119
3 Hope World 8.181 126
4 Base Line 8.014 156
5 Hangsang 7.946 171
6 Airplane 7.814 188
7 P.O.P (Piece of Peace) Pt.1 7.762 196
mono. 1 seoul (prod. HONNE) 8.772 24
2 moonchild 8.417 81
3 everythingoes (ft. NELL) 8.404 82
4 forever rain 8.403 84
5 tokyo 8.231 117
6 uhgood 7.893 176
7 badbye (ft. eAeon) 7.691 209
D-2 1 Daechwita 9.254 4
2 People 9.106 8
3 Dear my friend (ft. Kim Jong Wan of NELL) 8.639 40
4 Moonlight 8.450 75
5 Burn It (ft. MAX) 8.294 103
6 Interlude: Set Me Free 8.268 106
7 What Do You Think? 8.208 121
8 Strange (ft. RM) 8.174 129
9 28 (ft. Niihwa) 7.925 172
10 Honsool 7.592 232
Wake Up 1 I Like It Pt.2 ~At That Place~ 7.855 181
2 Wake Up 6.871 322
3 The Stars 6.733 345
4 Outro. 6.069 378
5 Intro. 6.000 381
Youth 1 For You 7.806 192
2 Wishing On A Star 7.646 220
3 Good Day 7.234 285
4 Introduction: Youth 6.419 364
Face Yourself 1 Let Go 8.403 83
2 Crystal Snow 8.373 89
3 Don't Leave Me 8.239 113
4 Intro: Ringwanderung 6.649 349
5 Outro: Crack 6.587 355
Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey 1 Your Eyes Tell 8.552 49
2 Lights 8.308 98
3 Stay Gold 7.707 207
4 Outro: The Journey 6.753 341
5 Intro: Calling 6.747 342
Proof 1 Run BTS 9.251 5
2 Born Singer 8.533 52
3 Still With You (Acapella) 8.470 67
4 Tony Montana (with Jimin) 8.236 116
5 For Youth 8.134 135
6 Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) 8.131 136
7 Epiphany (Jin Demo Ver.) 7.991 161
8 Seesaw (Demo Ver.) 7.965 170
9 DNA (j-hope Demo Ver.) 7.545 240
10 Spring Day (V Demo Ver.) 7.500 251
11 Young Forever (RM Demo Ver.) 7.398 262
12 Jump (Demo Ver.) 7.252 279
13 Boyz with Fun (Demo Ver.) 7.245 281
14 Young Love 7.074 302
15 Quotation Mark 7.000 308
16 I NEED U (Demo Ver.) 6.927 314
17 Boy In Luv (Demo Ver.) 6.889 319
Jack In The Box 1 Arson 8.673 33
2 MORE 8.393 86
3 = (Equal Sign) 8.363 90
4 Future 8.022 154
5 Safety Zone 7.885 178
6 What if... 7.679 213
7 Pandora's Box 7.635 222
8 STOP 7.514 246
9 Music Box : Reflection 6.951 311
10 Intro (Jack In The Box) 6.688 347
Indigo 1 Wild Flower (with youjeen) 8.930 17
2 Closer (with Paul Blanco, Mahalia) 8.679 31
3 Lonely 8.437 78
4 All Day (with Tablo) 8.435 79
5 Still Life (with Anderson .Paak) 8.333 94
6 Change pt.2 8.153 132
7 No.2 (with parkjiyoon) 8.144 134
8 Yun (with Erykah Badu) 8.125 139
9 Hectic (with Colde) 8.000 160
10 Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol) 7.671 216
FACE 1 Like Crazy 8.916 20
2 Letter 8.243 111
3 Face-off 8.178 127
4 Alone 8.080 144
5 Set Me Free Pt.2 7.979 167
6 Interlude : Dive 6.820 327
D-DAY 1 Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto, WOOSUNG of The Rose) 9.012 10
2 AMYGDALA 8.983 13
3 Haegeum 8.770 25
4 Life Goes On (Agust D ver.) 8.759 28
5 D-Day 8.636 41
6 HUH?! (feat. j-hope) 8.258 110
7 SDL 8.106 140
8 Polar Night 8.053 149
9 Interlude : Dawn 7.787 194
10 People Pt.2 (feat. IU) 7.394 264
Layover 1 Slow Dancing 8.096 142
2 Love Me Again 7.905 175
3 Rainy Days 7.640 221
4 Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.) 7.611 228
5 For Us 7.589 234
6 Blue 6.913 317
GOLDEN 1 Standing Next To You 8.626 43
2 Yes or No 7.977 168
3 Seven (feat. Latto) (Clean Ver.) 7.620 224
4 Shot Glass of Tears 7.550 239
5 Hate You 7.400 261
6 Seven (feat. Latto) (Explicit Ver.) 7.360 268
7 Somebody 7.279 275
8 Please Don't Change (feat. DJ Snake) 7.152 291
9 Closer to You (feat. Major Lazer) 6.935 313
10 Too Sad to Dance 6.793 335
11 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) 5.743 393

see comments for the rest of the results

Observations

Year # of respondents % of respondents
2013 3 1%
2014 1 0%
2015 11 5%
2016 13 6%
2017 16 8%
2018 19 9%
2019 21 10%
2020 47 23%
2021 27 13%
2022 25 12%
2023 18 9%
I acknowledge that the number of participants is low and has decreased every year. This is most likely due to the survey’s length, which grew dramatically this year (76 new songs!) and will only continue to grow.
To encourage participation, the survey is now re-open and will take rolling submissions until next year. I will update the survey within a week of new songs or albums being released. Otherwise, the rules stay the same: only responses submitted starting today will be considered for next year’s ranking.

SURVEY

See you next year!
submitted by sawapachi to bts7 [link] [comments]

2024.01.28 16:52 sawapachi RESULTS: BTS Discography Ranking, 2013-2023

Hello! Thank you to everyone who participated in the discography ranking survey. Here are the results!

Overall Song Ranking

2023 Ranking Song 2023 Rating 2022 Ranking 2022 Rating Δ Ranking Δ Rating
1 DDaeng (땡) 9.547 1 9.494 0 0.053
2 Black Swan 9.310 2 9.359 0 -0.049
3 Spring Day 9.266 5 9.249 2 0.017
4 Daechwita 9.254 4 9.292 0 -0.038
5 Run BTS 9.251 3 9.295 -2 -0.043
6 MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) 9.172 6 9.231 0 -0.059
7 Tear 9.120 11 8.979 4 0.141
8 People 9.106 12 8.958 4 0.147
9 Blood Sweat & Tears 9.065 8 9.138 -1 -0.073
10 Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto, WOOSUNG of The Rose) 9.012 NEW
11 Black Swan (Orchestral Ver.) 9.007 17 8.885 6 0.122
12 Pied Piper 9.000 10 9.008 -2 -0.008
13 AMYGDALA 8.983 NEW
14 Baepsae / Silver Spoon 8.980 7 9.158 -7 -0.179
15 FAKE LOVE 8.933 18 8.873 3 0.060
16 Still With You 8.930 15 8.897 -1 0.033
17 Wild Flower (with youjeen) 8.930 9 9.034 -8 -0.104
18 MIC Drop 8.923 22 8.844 4 0.079
19 Epilogue: Young Forever 8.919 20 8.846 1 0.073
20 Like Crazy 8.916 NEW
21 Blue Side (Extended Ver.) 8.889 21 8.845 0 0.044
22 Save Me 8.796 16 8.888 -6 -0.092
23 We are Bulletproof: the Eternal 8.794 39 8.597 16 0.197
24 seoul (prod. HONNE) 8.772 36 8.638 12 0.134
25 Haegeum 8.770 NEW
26 Trivia 轉: Seesaw 8.767 33 8.655 7 0.113
27 eight 8.760 46 8.568 19 0.192
28 Life Goes On (Agust D ver.) 8.759 NEW
29 UGH! 8.742 14 8.904 -15 -0.162
30 So Far Away (SUGA, Jin, Jungkook Ver.) 8.713 23 8.839 -7 -0.125
31 Closer (with Paul Blanco, Mahalia) 8.679 87 8.349 56 0.330
32 Serendipity 8.674 34 8.648 2 0.026
33 Arson 8.673 53 8.535 20 0.137
34 Epiphany 8.672 13 8.908 -21 -0.236
35 Lie 8.668 35 8.641 0 0.028
36 Mikrokosmos 8.658 48 8.562 12 0.096
37 The Last 8.655 75 8.398 38 0.257
38 Fire 8.648 27 8.722 -11 -0.074
39 That That 8.645 25 8.743 -14 -0.098
40 Dear my friend (ft. Kim Jong Wan of NELL) 8.639 61 8.463 21 0.177
41 D-Day 8.636 NEW
42 My Universe 8.633 78 8.383 36 0.249
43 Standing Next To You 8.626 NEW
44 The Truth Untold (ft. Steve Aoki) 8.616 30 8.704 -14 -0.088
45 Stay Alive 8.583 42 8.573 -3 0.010
46 BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer 8.574 51 8.546 5 0.028
47 Run 8.564 32 8.684 -15 -0.119
48 Dope 8.553 49 8.553 1 0.001
49 Your Eyes Tell 8.552 122 8.192 73 0.360
50 Agust D 8.550 70 8.426 20 0.124
51 Heartbeat 8.534 24 8.753 -27 -0.220
52 Born Singer 8.533 45 8.568 -7 -0.035
53 134340 8.531 74 8.401 21 0.130
54 ON 8.528 47 8.567 -7 -0.039
55 Butterfly 8.526 41 8.579 -14 -0.053
56 Anpanman 8.513 65 8.447 9 0.066
57 Film out 8.510 62 8.457 5 0.053
58 Dis-ease 8.508 56 8.518 -2 -0.010
59 So Far Away (ft. Suran) 8.503 40 8.586 -19 -0.083
60 I Need U 8.500 66 8.446 6 0.054
60 IDOL 8.500 31 8.697 -29 -0.197
62 The Astronaut 8.495 29 8.706 -33 -0.212
63 Interlude: Shadow 8.495 37 8.632 -26 -0.137
64 00:00 (Zero O'Clock) 8.492 79 8.382 15 0.110
65 Sea 8.490 52 8.544 -13 -0.053
66 Equal Sign (Lollapalooza ver.) 8.471 NEW
67 Still With You (Acapella) 8.470 110 8.225 43 0.245
68 Airplane pt.2 8.462 64 8.448 -4 0.014
69 Butterfly (Prologue Mix) 8.456 102 8.280 33 0.176
70 Come Back Home 8.455 81 8.370 11 0.084
70 Euphoria 8.455 54 8.535 -16 -0.080
72 Blue Side (Outro) 8.453 44 8.570 -28 -0.117
73 2! 3! 8.453 107 8.249 34 0.204
74 Dimple 8.451 63 8.454 -11 -0.003
75 Moonlight 8.450 105 8.254 30 0.196
76 Magic Shop 8.446 50 8.551 -26 -0.105
77 Super Tuna 8.440 19 8.846 -58 -0.406
78 Lonely 8.437 71 8.425 -7 0.012
79 All Day (with Tablo) 8.435 130 8.146 51 0.289
80 Arson (Rock ver.) 8.430 NEW
81 moonchild 8.417 60 8.483 -21 -0.066
82 everythingoes (ft. NELL) 8.404 88 8.342 6 0.062
83 Let Go 8.403 59 8.492 -24 -0.089
84 forever rain 8.403 85 8.354 1 0.049
85 HOME 8.394 43 8.571 -42 -0.177
86 MORE 8.393 82 8.363 -4 0.031
87 Dionysus 8.386 38 8.627 -49 -0.242
88 Boy With Luv (ft. Halsey) 8.377 108 8.243 20 0.134
89 Crystal Snow 8.373 80 8.372 -9 0.001
90 = (Equal Sign) 8.363 57 8.513 -33 -0.150
91 Yours 8.343 83 8.357 -8 -0.014
92 Life Goes On 8.338 76 8.390 -16 -0.052
93 House of Cards 8.337 55 8.531 -38 -0.194
94 Still Life (with Anderson .Paak) 8.333 84 8.357 -10 -0.023
95 Louder than bombs 8.326 93 8.324 -2 0.002
96 Wings 8.320 86 8.350 -10 -0.030
97 DNA 8.317 109 8.238 12 0.079
98 Lights 8.308 133 8.103 35 0.204
99 Intro: Persona 8.307 73 8.415 -26 -0.108
100 Love Maze 8.306 128 8.158 28 0.148
101 Paradise 8.299 94 8.314 -7 -0.015
102 Outro: Ego 8.298 72 8.420 -30 -0.123
103 Burn It (ft. MAX) 8.294 120 8.195 17 0.100
104 Promise (약속) 8.278 90 8.330 -14 -0.052
105 Tomorrow 8.277 115 8.210 10 0.068
106 Interlude: Set me free 8.268 132 8.110 26 0.158
107 Future (Lollapalooza ver.) 8.268 NEW
108 WINTER FLOWER 8.261 89 8.339 -19 -0.079
109 Go Go 8.260 100 8.295 -9 -0.035
110 HUH?! (feat. j-hope) 8.258 NEW
111 Give It to Me 8.243 112 8.222 1 0.021
111 Letter 8.243 NEW
113 Don't Leave Me 8.239 26 8.723 -87 -0.484
114 Abyss 8.238 28 8.711 -86 -0.474
115 Blue & Grey 8.237 67 8.438 -48 -0.201
116 Tony Montana (with Jimin) 8.236 151 8.026 35 0.211
117 tokyo 8.231 111 8.224 -6 0.007
118 Telepathy 8.226 68 8.436 -50 -0.209
119 Daydream 8.220 98 8.301 -21 -0.081
120 Take Two 8.209 NEW
121 What do you think? 8.208 124 8.189 3 0.019
122 Autumn Leaves 8.200 118 8.196 -4 0.004
123 Smoke Sprite 8.199 NEW
124 Filter 8.193 99 8.298 -25 -0.105
125 In the SOOP 8.183 113 8.220 -12 -0.037
126 Hope World 8.181 131 8.128 5 0.053
127 Face-off 8.178 NEW
128 SUGA's Interlude 8.174 118 8.196 -10 -0.022
129 Strange (ft. RM) 8.174 123 8.190 -6 -0.017
130 4 O'CLOCK (네시) 8.168 91 8.329 -39 -0.161
131 STOP (Lollapalooza ver.) 8.160 NEW
132 Change pt.2 8.153 134 8.092 2 0.061
133 SEXY NUKIM 8.147 140 8.062 7 0.084
134 No.2 (with parkjiyoon) 8.144 104 8.259 -30 -0.115
135 For Youth 8.134 103 8.264 -32 -0.130
136 Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) 8.131 165 7.883 29 0.248
137 With You 8.130 148 8.036 11 0.095
138 Young Forever (Unplugged Ver.) 8.126 127 8.175 -11 -0.049
139 Yun (with Erykah Badu) 8.125 149 8.033 10 0.092
140 SDL 8.106 NEW
141 Moon 8.100 117 8.196 -24 -0.096
142 Slow Dancing 8.096 NEW
143 Sweet Night 8.090 58 8.505 -85 -0.415
144 Alone 8.080 NEW
145 It's Definitely You (죽어도 너야) 8.072 95 8.312 -50 -0.239
146 Intro: Never Mind 8.069 213 7.612 67 0.457
147 Spine Breaker 8.065 142 8.054 -5 0.011
148 BTS Cypher 4 8.057 77 8.385 -71 -0.328
149 Polar Night 8.053 NEW
150 Not Today 8.052 136 8.091 -14 -0.038
151 Answer: Love Myself 8.040 126 8.179 -25 -0.139
152 Closer Than This 8.036 NEW
153 Just One Day 8.032 168 7.860 15 0.171
154 Future 8.022 106 8.253 -48 -0.231
155 Awake 8.018 101 8.283 -54 -0.265
156 Base Line 8.014 96 8.304 -60 -0.290
157 Seesaw X I Need U Remix 8.012 215 7.600 58 0.412
158 on the street 8.006 NEW
159 Singularity 8.006 69 8.431 -90 -0.426
160 Hectic (with Colde) 8.000 158 7.951 -2 0.049
161 Epiphany (Jin Demo Ver.) 7.991 144 8.045 -17 -0.053
162 So What 7.989 147 8.040 -15 -0.050
163 Chicken Noodle Soup 7.988 137 8.079 -26 -0.091
164 Lilith (ft. SUGA) 7.986 NEW
165 Butter 7.985 153 7.985 -12 0.000
166 Ma City 7.984 159 7.943 -7 0.041
167 Set Me Free Pt.2 7.979 NEW
168 Yes or No 7.977 NEW
169 Best of Me 7.968 155 7.965 -14 0.004
170 Seesaw (Demo Ver.) 7.965 167 7.861 -3 0.103
171 Hangsang 7.946 121 8.192 -50 -0.247
172 28 (ft. NiiHWA) 7.925 146 8.041 -26 -0.116
173 Dream Glow 7.918 157 7.954 -16 -0.036
174 Butter (ft. Megan Thee Stallion) 7.913 150 8.027 -24 -0.114
175 Love Me Again 7.905 NEW
176 uhgood 7.893 138 8.074 -38 -0.181
177 Christmas Tree 7.889 116 8.197 -61 -0.308
178 Safety Zone 7.885 114 8.220 -64 -0.335
179 Intro: Boy Meets Evil 7.883 145 8.043 -34 -0.160
180 wherever u r 7.882 NEW
181 I Like It Pt.2 ~At That Place~ 7.855 200 7.672 19 0.184
182 Boyz with Fun 7.851 141 8.057 -41 -0.205
183 1 Verse 7.851 207 7.652 24 0.199
184 Hold Me Tight 7.838 185 7.775 1 0.063
185 Who 7.837 166 7.883 -19 -0.045
186 Standing Next To You (Usher Remix) 7.834 NEW
187 Attack On Bangtan 7.815 135 8.092 -52 -0.276
188 Airplane 7.814 143 8.052 -45 -0.238
189 Winter Bear 7.813 97 8.301 -92 -0.489
190 Joke 7.812 176 7.829 -14 -0.017
191 First Love 7.810 170 7.850 -21 -0.040
192 For You 7.806 203 7.665 11 0.141
193 Whalien 52 7.799 160 7.914 -33 -0.115
194 Interlude : Dawn 7.787 NEW
195 My You 7.772 161 7.914 -34 -0.141
196 P.O.P (Piece of Peace) Pt.1 7.762 154 7.968 -42 -0.207
197 Bicycle 7.760 129 8.150 -68 -0.390
198 3D (Alternate Ver.) 7.745 NEW
199 I'm Fine 7.743 187 7.762 -12 -0.019
200 Waste It On Me 7.738 197 7.685 -3 0.053
201 Don't 7.730 175 7.832 -26 -0.102
202 My Time 7.726 162 7.902 -40 -0.175
203 Rain 7.724 205 7.654 2 0.070
204 Euphoria (DJ Swivel Forever Mix) 7.723 199 7.681 -5 0.043
205 Trivia 承: Love 7.717 139 8.064 -66 -0.347
206 Jump 7.711 169 7.855 -37 -0.144
207 Stay Gold 7.707 173 7.847 -34 -0.140
208 Tonight (이 밤) 7.701 92 8.327 -116 -0.626
209 badbye (ft. eAeon) 7.691 188 7.761 -21 -0.070
210 Tony Montana (ft. Yankie) 7.689 206 7.654 -4 0.036
211 Dynamite 7.683 218 7.557 7 0.126
212 Friends 7.683 210 7.629 -2 0.054
213 What if... 7.679 156 7.954 -57 -0.275
214 Let Me Know 7.678 184 7.776 -30 -0.098
215 Awake (Christmas Ver.) 7.671 208 7.641 -7 0.030
216 Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol) 7.671 182 7.785 -34 -0.114
217 Stay 7.661 191 7.743 -26 -0.082
218 A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone 7.652 201 7.670 -17 -0.017
219 Trivia 起: Just Dance 7.651 179 7.806 -40 -0.154
220 Wishing On A Star 7.646 195 7.696 -25 -0.050
221 Rainy Days 7.640 NEW
222 Pandora's Box 7.635 172 7.848 -50 -0.213
223 Jamais Vu 7.632 181 7.788 -42 -0.155
224 Seven (feat. Latto) (Clean Ver.) 7.620 NEW
225 Do You 7.612 178 7.817 -47 -0.205
225 Don't ever say love me 7.612 NEW
227 We Are Bulletproof Pt. 1 7.612 224 7.508 -3 0.104
228 Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.) 7.611 NEW
229 Girl of My Dreams 7.607 211 7.626 -18 -0.019
230 VIBE 7.598 NEW
231 Look Here 7.594 177 7.827 -54 -0.233
232 Honsool 7.592 163 7.893 -69 -0.301
233 Boy In Luv 7.590 183 7.776 -50 -0.187
234 For Us 7.589 NEW
235 Like 7.583 190 7.748 -45 -0.165
236 Her 7.570 189 7.756 -47 -0.186
237 Paldogangsan 7.563 225 7.505 -12 0.059
238 Lost 7.553 194 7.706 -44 -0.152
239 Shot Glass of Tears 7.550 NEW
240 DNA (j-hope Demo Ver.) 7.545 174 7.842 -66 -0.296
241 Begin 7.539 202 7.668 -39 -0.129
242 MAMA 7.532 198 7.682 -44 -0.150
243 Danger 7.532 186 7.767 -57 -0.235
244 A Brand New Day 7.524 193 7.733 -51 -0.209
245 Blueberry Eyes 7.519 209 7.633 -36 -0.114
246 STOP 7.514 192 7.740 -54 -0.225
247 Rush Hour 7.514 171 7.849 -76 -0.335
248 Left and Right 7.511 229 7.496 -19 0.016
249 Our Island 7.509 214 7.606 -35 -0.097
250 Stigma 7.506 180 7.803 -70 -0.297
251 Spring Day (V Demo Ver.) 7.500 204 7.663 -47 -0.163
252 I Know (알아요) 7.486 235 7.379 -17 0.107
253 Christmas Day 7.486 272 6.957 19 0.528
254 BTS Cypher Pt.2: Triptych 7.484 226 7.505 -28 -0.020
255 Spring Day (Brit Rock Remix) 7.480 164 7.887 -91 -0.407
256 Love Is Not Over 7.480 238 7.341 -18 0.138
257 Snow Flower 7.476 125 8.187 -132 -0.712
258 Change 7.452 196 7.695 -62 -0.243
259 Am I Wrong 7.440 222 7.536 -37 -0.095
260 Coffee 7.419 234 7.413 -26 0.005
261 Hate You 7.400 NEW
262 Young Forever (RM Demo Ver.) 7.398 249 7.228 -13 0.170
263 No More Dream 7.395 228 7.500 -35 -0.105
264 People Pt.2 (feat. IU) 7.394 NEW
265 Make It Right 7.394 244 7.296 -21 0.098
266 2nd Grade 7.385 216 7.588 -50 -0.202
267 Crying Over You 7.377 240 7.319 -27 0.057
268 Seven (feat. Latto) (Explicit Ver.) 7.360 NEW
269 Song Request (신청곡) 7.347 212 7.617 -57 -0.269
270 Fly To My Room 7.335 236 7.367 -34 -0.032
271 So 4 More 7.324 253 7.190 -18 0.134
272 Scenery (풍경) 7.323 152 8.019 -120 -0.697
273 Monster 7.321 241 7.316 -32 0.005
274 Moving On 7.300 223 7.532 -51 -0.232
275 Somebody 7.279 NEW
276 95 Graduation 7.278 248 7.245 -28 0.032
277 Always 7.277 246 7.275 -31 0.002
278 All Night 7.258 219 7.556 -59 -0.298
279 Jump (Demo Ver.) 7.252 261 7.086 -18 0.166
280 War of Hormone 7.249 221 7.536 -59 -0.288
281 Boyz with Fun (Demo Ver.) 7.245 239 7.333 -42 -0.088
282 Christmas Love 7.241 220 7.551 -62 -0.310
283 Life 7.241 254 7.131 -29 0.109
284 Interlude: Dream, Reality 7.240 233 7.415 -51 -0.175
285 Good Day 7.234 247 7.262 -38 -0.028
286 We Are Bulletproof Pt.2 7.214 243 7.297 -43 -0.083
287 Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 7.205 252 7.197 -35 0.009
288 Make It Right (ft. Lauv) 7.183 275 6.913 -13 0.270
289 21st Century Girl 7.180 217 7.568 -72 -0.389
290 Hip Hop Phile 7.176 256 7.102 -34 0.073
291 Please Don't Change (feat. DJ Snake) 7.152 NEW
292 Inner Child 7.149 231 7.445 -61 -0.296
293 Respect 7.138 245 7.282 -48 -0.144
294 724148 7.138 251 7.199 -43 -0.061
295 Fake Love (Rocking Vibe Mix) 7.119 230 7.495 -65 -0.376
296 Reflection 7.115 227 7.502 -69 -0.387
297 A Typical Idol's Christmas 7.104 276 6.893 -21 0.210
298 I Need U (Urban Mix) 7.103 264 7.047 -34 0.056
299 Embarrassed / Blanket Kick 7.088 250 7.202 -49 -0.114
300 Awakening 7.077 258 7.096 -42 -0.019
301 Converse High 7.076 237 7.346 -64 -0.270
302 Young Love 7.074 259 7.096 -43 -0.021
303 I Believe 7.064 260 7.092 -43 -0.028
304 Beautiful 7.050 265 7.022 -39 0.028
305 Working 7.035 305 6.577 0 0.458
306 Road / Path 7.026 277 6.882 -29 0.144
307 N.O 7.011 257 7.099 -50 -0.089
308 Quotation Mark 7.000 267 6.988 -41 0.012
309 24/7=Heaven 6.978 262 7.068 -47 -0.090
310 MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) (ft. Desiigner) 6.974 293 6.680 -17 0.293
311 Music Box : Reflection 6.951 232 7.422 -79 -0.471
312 Too Much 6.948 295 6.676 -17 0.272
313 Closer to You (feat. Major Lazer) 6.935 NEW
314 I NEED U (Demo Ver.) 6.927 280 6.846 -34 0.081
315 Voice 6.923 271 6.960 -44 -0.037
316 Adrift 6.922 269 6.975 -47 -0.053
317 Blue 6.913 NEW
318 Throw Away 6.897 278 6.880 -40 0.017
319 Boy In Luv (Demo Ver.) 6.889 270 6.970 -49 -0.081
320 Too Much (feat. Jungkook and Central Cee) 6.887 NEW
321 Run (Ballad Mix) 6.881 274 6.942 -47 -0.062
322 Wake Up 6.871 268 6.985 -54 -0.115
323 Monterlude 6.857 310 6.490 -13 0.367
324 Timeless 6.851 266 6.991 -58 -0.140
325 Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) [BTS Remix] 6.833 299 6.645 -26 0.188
326 We On 6.829 263 7.053 -63 -0.224
327 Interlude : Dive 6.820 NEW
328 God Rap 6.810 281 6.846 -47 -0.035
329 Intro: What Am I to You 6.807 284 6.842 -45 -0.035
330 3D (Justin Timberlake Remix) 6.805 NEW
331 It Doesn't Matter Mix Final 6.804 300 6.636 -31 0.167
332 BuckuBucku (부끄부끄) 6.803 286 6.818 -46 -0.015
333 Champion (Remix) 6.802 242 7.299 -91 -0.496
334 Danger (Mo-Blue-Mix) 6.800 287 6.817 -47 -0.017
335 Too Sad to Dance 6.793 NEW
336 Rush (ft. Krizz Kaliko) 6.792 289 6.777 -47 0.015
337 Like (Slow Jam Remix) 6.790 282 6.845 -55 -0.055
338 I Need U (Remix) 6.785 302 6.591 -36 0.193
339 Something 6.782 304 6.580 -35 0.202
340 140503 at Dawn 6.776 273 6.951 -67 -0.175
341 Outro: The Journey 6.753 296 6.656 -45 0.097
342 Intro: Calling 6.747 292 6.735 -50 0.012
343 Dreamers 6.741 290 6.754 -53 -0.014
344 Like Crazy (UK Garage Remix) 6.735 NEW
345 The Stars 6.733 255 7.104 -90 -0.371
346 Like Crazy (Deep House Remix) 6.713 NEW
347 Intro (Jack In The Box) 6.688 283 6.844 -64 -0.156
348 Intro: DT sugA 6.660 291 6.754 -57 -0.093
349 Intro: Ringwanderung 6.649 285 6.829 -64 -0.180
350 The Planet 6.648 NEW
351 Gajah (코끼리) 6.639 309 6.495 -42 0.144
352 Outro: Propose 6.632 298 6.650 -54 -0.018
353 Unpack Your Bags 6.596 318 6.283 -35 0.314
354 Old Town Road (Seoul Town Road Remix) 6.587 279 6.856 -75 -0.269
355 Outro: Crack 6.587 294 6.677 -61 -0.090
356 Bad Decisions 6.572 306 6.513 -50 0.059
357 BTS Cypher Pt.1 6.563 297 6.656 -60 -0.093
358 Standing Next To You (Band Ver.) 6.506 NEW
359 Angel Pt. 2 6.485 NEW
360 Miss Right 6.458 288 6.796 -72 -0.338
361 Where You From 6.452 303 6.583 -58 -0.131
362 If I Ruled the World 6.451 307 6.510 -55 -0.059
363 Intro: Skool Luv Affair 6.444 301 6.624 -62 -0.181
364 Introduction: Youth 6.419 311 6.470 -53 -0.051
365 Butter (Hotter Remix) 6.414 321 6.243 -44 0.171
366 Permission to Dance 6.385 323 6.136 -43 0.249
367 Could You Turn Off Your Cell Phone 6.369 317 6.359 -50 0.011
368 U 6.345 314 6.417 -54 -0.071
369 DNA (Pedal 2 LA Mix) 6.320 315 6.414 -54 -0.094
370 Outro: Do You Think It Makes Sense? 6.286 313 6.425 -57 -0.140
371 Perfect Christmas 6.279 322 6.198 -49 0.081
372 Outro: Luv in Skool 6.252 316 6.366 -56 -0.114
373 ProMeTheUs 6.207 324 6.130 -49 0.077
374 Seven (feat. Latto) (Band Ver.) 6.187 NEW
375 Fantastic 6.152 327 6.059 -48 0.093
376 P.D.D 6.150 308 6.500 -68 -0.350
377 IDOL (ft. Nicki Minaj) 6.136 312 6.429 -65 -0.292
378 Outro. 6.069 326 6.078 -52 -0.009
379 Angel Pt.1 6.030 NEW
380 Butter (Cooler Remix) 6.017 325 6.093 -55 -0.077
381 Intro. 6.000 329 5.908 -52 0.092
382 Interlude: What Are You Doing Now 5.966 333 5.847 -49 0.118
383 Dynamite (Tropical Remix) 5.961 335 5.802 -48 0.159
384 Dynamite ('70s Remix) 5.925 320 6.252 -64 -0.327
385 Butter (Holiday Remix) 5.922 319 6.270 -66 -0.348
386 Outro: Circle Room Cypher 5.886 332 5.853 -54 0.032
387 Slow Dancing (Cautious Clay Remix) 5.866 NEW
388 Standing Next To You (Slow Jam Remix) 5.843 NEW
389 Dynamite (Holiday Remix) 5.800 331 5.861 -58 -0.061
390 Butter (Sweeter Remix) 5.776 328 6.022 -62 -0.246
391 Slow Dancing (FRNK Remix) 5.768 NEW
392 Intro: O!RUL8,2? 5.762 330 5.870 -62 -0.108
393 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) 5.743 NEW
394 Standing Next To You (PBR&B Remix) 5.682 NEW
395 Dynamite (Acoustic Remix) 5.641 334 5.821 -61 -0.180
396 Seven (feat. Latto) (Summer Mix) 5.640 NEW
397 Seven (feat. Latto) (Lofi Mix) 5.578 NEW
398 Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool 5.518 337 5.432 -61 0.087
399 Seven (feat. Latto) (Nightfall Mix) 5.469 NEW
400 Standing Next To You (Future Funk Remix) 5.463 NEW
401 Standing Next To You (Holiday Remix) 5.375 NEW
402 Dynamite (Slow Jam Remix) 5.351 336 5.475 -66 -0.124
403 Seven (feat. Latto) (Festival Mix) 5.350 NEW
404 Seven (David Guetta Remix - Extended) 5.342 NEW
405 Seven (feat. Latto) (Island Mix) 5.268 NEW
406 Seven (David Guetta Remix) 5.263 NEW
407 Seven (feat. Latto) - Alesso Remix 5.244 NEW
408 Interlude 5.230 338 5.391 -70 -0.161
409 Standing Next To You (Latin Trap Remix) 5.228 NEW
410 Dynamite (Midnight Remix) 5.202 339 5.290 -71 -0.088
411 Permission to Dance (R&B Remix) 5.154 341 5.223 -70 -0.069
412 Dynamite (Poolside Remix) 5.105 340 5.257 -72 -0.152
413 Dynamite (Retro Remix) 5.044 343 5.213 -70 -0.169
414 Dynamite (Bedroom Remix) 5.018 342 5.222 -72 -0.205
415 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (Clean Ver.) 5.011 NEW
416 Dynamite (EDM Remix) 4.887 344 5.149 -72 -0.262
417 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (A.G. Cook Remix) 4.286 NEW
418 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (MK Remix) 3.963 NEW
419 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (Sped Up) 3.646 NEW
420 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) (Slowed Down) 3.631 NEW
421 ON (ft. Sia) 2.688 345 2.749 -76 -0.061
​

Overall Album Ranking

2023 Ranking Album 2023 Rating Range 2022 Ranking 2022 Rating Δ Ranking Δ Rating
1 Love Yourself: Tear 8.478 1.130 1 8.486 0 -0.008
2 D-2 8.438 1.662 3 8.401 1 0.037
3 Love Yourself: Her 8.416 1.430 2 8.424 -1 -0.008
4 D-DAY 8.396 1.618 NEW
5 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 8.324 1.181 4 8.352 -1 -0.027
6 Indigo 8.310 1.258 7 8.255 1
7 mono. 8.288 1.081 6 8.284 -1 0.005
8 Love Yourself: Answer 8.228 3.036 5 8.298 -3 -0.069
9 Map of the Soul: Persona 8.166 1.264 9 8.217 0 -0.050
10 Proof 8.133 2.362 16 7.907 6 0.226
11 FACE 8.085 2.096 NEW
12 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever 8.079 2.195 11 8.097 -1 -0.017
13 Hope World 8.064 0.691 8 8.217 -5 -0.153
14 BE 8.002 1.173 12 8.065 -2 -0.063
15 Wings / You Never Walk Alone 7.985 2.151 10 8.101 -5 -0.116
16 Map of the Soul: 7 7.927 6.622 15 7.980 -1 -0.053
17 Face Yourself 7.874 1.816 14 7.996 -3 -0.123
18 Jack In The Box 7.842 1.985 13 8.006 -5
19 Agust D 7.837 1.995 18 7.814 -1 0.022
20 Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey 7.812 1.805 19 7.658 -1 0.154
21 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 7.776 1.477 17 7.822 -4 -0.046
22 Layover 7.649 1.182 NEW
23 Skool Luv Affair / Skool Luv Affair Special Addition 7.365 1.834 20 7.410 -3 -0.045
24 Youth 7.341 1.387 21 7.334 -3 0.007
25 GOLDEN 7.313 2.883 NEW
26 Dark & Wild 7.241 2.608 22 7.312 -4 -0.071
27 RM 7.172 1.020 23 7.188 -4 -0.016
28 O!RUL8,2? 6.921 2.053 24 7.002 -4 -0.081
29 Wake Up 6.740 1.855 26 6.795 -3 -0.055
30 2 Cool 4 Skool 6.665 2.353 27 6.687 -3 -0.021
​

Song Ranking per Album

Album Relative Ranking Song Rating Ranking
2 Cool 4 Skool 1 Like 7.583 235
2 No More Dream 7.395 263
3 We Are Bulletproof Pt.2 7.214 286
4 Road / Path 7.026 306
5 Outro: Circle Room Cypher 5.886 386
6 Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool 5.518 398
7 Interlude 5.230 408
O!RUL8,2? 1 Attack On Bangtan 7.815 187
2 Paldogangsan 7.563 237
3 Coffee 7.419 260
4 N.O 7.011 307
5 We On 6.829 326
6 BTS Cypher Pt.1 6.563 357
7 If I Ruled the World 6.451 362
8 Outro: Luv in Skool 6.252 372
9 Intro: O!RUL8,2? 5.762 392
Skool Luv Affair / Skool Luv Affair Special Addition 1 Tomorrow 8.277 105
2 Spine Breaker 8.065 147
3 Just One Day 8.032 153
4 Jump 7.711 206
5 Boy In Luv 7.590 233
6 BTS Cypher Pt.2: Triptych 7.484 254
7 Like (Slow Jam Remix) 6.790 337
8 Outro: Propose 6.632 352
9 Miss Right 6.458 360
10 Where You From 6.452 361
11 Intro: Skool Luv Affair 6.444 363
Dark & Wild 1 BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer 8.574 46
2 Rain 7.724 203
3 Let Me Know 7.678 214
4 Look Here 7.594 231
5 Danger 7.532 243
6 2nd Grade 7.385 266
7 War of Hormone 7.249 280
8 Hip Hop Phile 7.176 290
9 Embarrassed 7.088 299
10 24/7=Heaven 6.978 309
11 Intro: What am I to You 6.807 329
12 Could You Turn Off Your Cell Phone 6.369 367
13 Outro: Do You Think It Makes Sense? 6.286 370
14 Interlude: What Are You Doing Now 5.966 382
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 1 Dope 8.553 48
2 I Need U 8.500 60
3 Boyz with Fun 7.851 182
4 Hold Me Tight 7.838 184
5 Love Is Not Over 7.480 256
6 Moving On 7.300 274
7 Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 7.205 287
8 Converse High 7.076 301
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 1 Baepsae / Silver Spoon 8.980 14
2 Run 8.564 47
3 Butterfly 8.526 55
4 House of Cards 8.337 93
5 Autumn Leaves 8.200 122
6 Intro: Never Mind 8.069 146
7 Ma City 7.984 166
8 Whalien 52 7.799 193
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever 1 Baepsae / Silver Spoon 8.980 14
2 Epilogue: Young Forever 8.919 19
3 Save Me 8.796 22
4 Fire 8.648 38
5 Run 8.564 47
6 Dope 8.553 48
7 Butterfly 8.526 55
8 I Need U 8.500 60
9 Butterfly (Prologue Mix) 8.456 69
10 House of Cards 8.337 93
11 Autumn Leaves 8.200 122
12 Ma City 7.984 166
13 Hold Me Tight 7.838 184
14 Whalien 52 7.799 193
15 Love Is Not Over 7.480 256
16 Moving On 7.300 274
17 Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 7.205 287
18 I Need U (Urban Mix) 7.103 298
19 Converse High 7.076 301
20 Run (Ballad Mix) 6.881 321
21 I Need U (Remix) 6.785 338
Wings / You Never Walk Alone 1 Spring Day 9.266 3
2 Blood Sweat & Tears 9.065 9
3 Lie 8.668 35
4 2! 3! 8.453 73
5 Wings 8.320 96
6 BTS Cypher 4 8.057 148
7 Not Today 8.052 150
8 Awake 8.018 155
9 Intro: Boy Meets Evil 7.883 179
10 First Love 7.810 191
11 A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone 7.652 218
12 Lost 7.553 238
13 Begin 7.539 241
14 MAMA 7.532 242
15 Stigma 7.506 250
16 Am I Wrong 7.440 259
17 21st Century Girl 7.180 289
18 Reflection 7.115 296
Love Yourself: Her 1 Pied Piper 9.000 12
2 MIC Drop 8.923 18
3 Serendipity 8.674 32
4 Sea 8.490 65
5 Dimple 8.451 74
6 DNA 8.317 97
7 Go Go 8.260 109
8 Best of Me 7.968 169
9 Her 7.570 236
Love Yourself: Tear 1 Tear 9.120 7
2 Fake Love 8.933 15
3 The Truth Untold (ft. Steve Aoki) 8.616 44
4 134340 8.531 53
5 Anpanman 8.513 56
6 Airplane pt.2 8.462 68
7 Magic Shop 8.446 76
8 Love Maze 8.306 100
9 Paradise 8.299 101
10 Singularity 8.006 159
11 So What 7.989 162
Love Yourself: Answer 1 MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) 9.172 6
2 Tear 9.120 7
3 Fake Love 8.933 15
4 MIC Drop 8.923 18
5 Trivia 轉: Seesaw 8.767 26
6 Serendipity 8.674 32
7 Epiphany 8.672 34
8 The Truth Untold (ft. Steve Aoki) 8.616 44
9 Anpanman 8.513 56
10 IDOL 8.500 60
11 Airplane pt.2 8.462 68
12 Euphoria 8.455 70
13 Dimple 8.451 74
14 Magic Shop 8.446 76
15 DNA 8.317 97
16 Go Go 8.260 109
17 Answer: Love Myself 8.040 151
18 Singularity 8.006 159
19 Best of Me 7.968 169
20 I'm Fine 7.743 199
21 Trivia 承: Love 7.717 205
22 Trivia 起: Just Dance 7.651 219
23 Her 7.570 236
24 Fake Love (Rocking Vibe Mix) 7.119 295
25 DNA (Pedal 2 LA Mix) 6.320 369
26 IDOL (ft. Nicki Minaj) 6.136 377
Map of the Soul: Persona 1 Mikrokosmos 8.658 36
2 HOME 8.394 85
3 Dionysus 8.386 87
4 Boy with Luv (ft. Halsey) 8.377 88
5 Intro: Persona 8.307 99
6 Jamais Vu 7.632 223
7 Make It Right 7.394 265
Map of the Soul: 7 1 Black Swan 9.310 2
2 We are Bulletproof: the Eternal 8.794 23
3 UGH! 8.742 29
4 ON 8.528 54
5 Interlude: Shadow 8.495 63
6 00:00 (Zero O'Clock) 8.492 64
7 Dionysus 8.386 87
8 Boy with Luv (ft. Halsey) 8.377 88
9 Louder than bombs 8.326 95
10 Intro: Persona 8.307 99
11 Outro: Ego 8.298 102
12 Filter 8.193 124
13 Moon 8.100 141
14 My Time 7.726 202
15 Friends 7.683 212
16 Jamais Vu 7.632 223
17 Make It Right 7.394 265
18 Inner Child 7.149 292
19 Respect 7.138 293
20 ON (ft. Sia) 2.688 421
BE 1 Dis-ease 8.508 58
2 Life Goes On 8.338 92
3 Blue & Grey 8.237 115
4 Telepathy 8.226 118
5 Dynamite 7.683 211
6 Stay 7.661 217
7 Fly To My Room 7.335 270
RM 1 Joke 7.812 190
2 Do You 7.612 225
3 Monster 7.321 273
4 Life 7.241 283
5 Awakening 7.077 300
6 I Believe 7.064 303
7 Voice 6.923 315
8 Adrift 6.922 316
9 Throw Away 6.897 318
10 God Rap 6.810 328
11 Rush (ft. Krizz Kaliko) 6.792 336
Agust D 1 The Last 8.655 37
2 Agust D 8.550 50
3 So Far Away (ft. Suran) 8.503 59
4 Give It to Me 8.243 111
5 Tony Montana (ft. Yankie) 7.689 210
6 Interlude: Dream, Reality 7.240 284
7 724148 7.138 294
8 140503 at Dawn 6.776 340
9 Intro: DT sugA 6.660 348
Hope World 1 Blue Side (Outro) 8.453 72
2 Daydream 8.220 119
3 Hope World 8.181 126
4 Base Line 8.014 156
5 Hangsang 7.946 171
6 Airplane 7.814 188
7 P.O.P (Piece of Peace) Pt.1 7.762 196
mono. 1 seoul (prod. HONNE) 8.772 24
2 moonchild 8.417 81
3 everythingoes (ft. NELL) 8.404 82
4 forever rain 8.403 84
5 tokyo 8.231 117
6 uhgood 7.893 176
7 badbye (ft. eAeon) 7.691 209
D-2 1 Daechwita 9.254 4
2 People 9.106 8
3 Dear my friend (ft. Kim Jong Wan of NELL) 8.639 40
4 Moonlight 8.450 75
5 Burn It (ft. MAX) 8.294 103
6 Interlude: Set Me Free 8.268 106
7 What Do You Think? 8.208 121
8 Strange (ft. RM) 8.174 129
9 28 (ft. Niihwa) 7.925 172
10 Honsool 7.592 232
Wake Up 1 I Like It Pt.2 ~At That Place~ 7.855 181
2 Wake Up 6.871 322
3 The Stars 6.733 345
4 Outro. 6.069 378
5 Intro. 6.000 381
Youth 1 For You 7.806 192
2 Wishing On A Star 7.646 220
3 Good Day 7.234 285
4 Introduction: Youth 6.419 364
Face Yourself 1 Let Go 8.403 83
2 Crystal Snow 8.373 89
3 Don't Leave Me 8.239 113
4 Intro: Ringwanderung 6.649 349
5 Outro: Crack 6.587 355
Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey 1 Your Eyes Tell 8.552 49
2 Lights 8.308 98
3 Stay Gold 7.707 207
4 Outro: The Journey 6.753 341
5 Intro: Calling 6.747 342
Proof 1 Run BTS 9.251 5
2 Born Singer 8.533 52
3 Still With You (Acapella) 8.470 67
4 Tony Montana (with Jimin) 8.236 116
5 For Youth 8.134 135
6 Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) 8.131 136
7 Epiphany (Jin Demo Ver.) 7.991 161
8 Seesaw (Demo Ver.) 7.965 170
9 DNA (j-hope Demo Ver.) 7.545 240
10 Spring Day (V Demo Ver.) 7.500 251
11 Young Forever (RM Demo Ver.) 7.398 262
12 Jump (Demo Ver.) 7.252 279
13 Boyz with Fun (Demo Ver.) 7.245 281
14 Young Love 7.074 302
15 Quotation Mark 7.000 308
16 I NEED U (Demo Ver.) 6.927 314
17 Boy In Luv (Demo Ver.) 6.889 319
Jack In The Box 1 Arson 8.673 33
2 MORE 8.393 86
3 = (Equal Sign) 8.363 90
4 Future 8.022 154
5 Safety Zone 7.885 178
6 What if... 7.679 213
7 Pandora's Box 7.635 222
8 STOP 7.514 246
9 Music Box : Reflection 6.951 311
10 Intro (Jack In The Box) 6.688 347
Indigo 1 Wild Flower (with youjeen) 8.930 17
2 Closer (with Paul Blanco, Mahalia) 8.679 31
3 Lonely 8.437 78
4 All Day (with Tablo) 8.435 79
5 Still Life (with Anderson .Paak) 8.333 94
6 Change pt.2 8.153 132
7 No.2 (with parkjiyoon) 8.144 134
8 Yun (with Erykah Badu) 8.125 139
9 Hectic (with Colde) 8.000 160
10 Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol) 7.671 216
FACE 1 Like Crazy 8.916 20
2 Letter 8.243 111
3 Face-off 8.178 127
4 Alone 8.080 144
5 Set Me Free Pt.2 7.979 167
6 Interlude : Dive 6.820 327
D-DAY 1 Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto, WOOSUNG of The Rose) 9.012 10
2 AMYGDALA 8.983 13
3 Haegeum 8.770 25
4 Life Goes On (Agust D ver.) 8.759 28
5 D-Day 8.636 41
6 HUH?! (feat. j-hope) 8.258 110
7 SDL 8.106 140
8 Polar Night 8.053 149
9 Interlude : Dawn 7.787 194
10 People Pt.2 (feat. IU) 7.394 264
Layover 1 Slow Dancing 8.096 142
2 Love Me Again 7.905 175
3 Rainy Days 7.640 221
4 Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.) 7.611 228
5 For Us 7.589 234
6 Blue 6.913 317
GOLDEN 1 Standing Next To You 8.626 43
2 Yes or No 7.977 168
3 Seven (feat. Latto) (Clean Ver.) 7.620 224
4 Shot Glass of Tears 7.550 239
5 Hate You 7.400 261
6 Seven (feat. Latto) (Explicit Ver.) 7.360 268
7 Somebody 7.279 275
8 Please Don't Change (feat. DJ Snake) 7.152 291
9 Closer to You (feat. Major Lazer) 6.935 313
10 Too Sad to Dance 6.793 335
11 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) 5.743 393

see comments for the rest of the results

Observations

Year # of respondents % of respondents
2013 3 1%
2014 1 0%
2015 11 5%
2016 13 6%
2017 16 8%
2018 19 9%
2019 21 10%
2020 47 23%
2021 27 13%
2022 25 12%
2023 18 9%
I acknowledge that the number of participants is low and has decreased every year. This is most likely due to the survey’s length, which grew dramatically this year (76 new songs!) and will only continue to grow.
To encourage participation, the survey is now re-open and will take rolling submissions until next year. I will update the survey within a week of new songs or albums being released. Otherwise, the rules stay the same: only responses submitted starting today will be considered for next year’s ranking.

SURVEY

See you next year!
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2024.01.25 19:05 Ghetto_Leda99 The last of BTS's THREE English trilogy was released more than 30 months ago; maybe it's time to move on.

Basically, the title because I still see (Queen) Dynamite and the subsequent English songs being brought up whenever people want to discuss BTS, and it's truly baffling to me because that is akin to still centering BTS's artistry around No More Dream in 2017 when BTS released Spring Day (the amount of time in between is almost the same). That is part of who they are as an artist, but that is not all they are, and that is also the case here.
Since Dynamite BTS has released BE, a self-produced album with contributions from each of the members documenting their lives during the pandemic and thoughts on the pandemic; My Universe, a heartfelt collab with a band that they admire, which is also a starting point for a beautiful friendship; Proof, an anthology album that closed their first chapter with songs like Yet to come (a celebration of the past and a promise for the future), Run BTS (quintessential BTS showcasing all their strength and what makes them BTS), For Youth (a beautiful, soulful gift to army), Born Singer (a testament to their love of music and art) as well as several demos showcasing the members' talent and I still think Quotation Mark, Joon's demo for Young Forever, Hobi's demo for DNA, jin's English Demo for Epiphany, Young Love, and the boy in luv demo with that slayful bridge should be on streaming platforms because they all are amazing. And these are just group releases.
They also have each released an album or a single as a solo on top of multiple collaborations with several artists, from hip hop legends like J Cole to K indie artists like So!YoON! and Balming Tiger to small and big western artists like UMI and Charlie Puth to legendary Korean artists like PSY and Taeyang, they each have dipped their toes in several genres and scenes, have a chance to do some meaningful and authentic collaborations with musical artists they admire or like and have pushed themselves musically and have given us some memorable works and exposed the fandom to so many different talents out there.
Their official solo debuts were also as unique. Hobi has started chapter 2 with a sound that no one expected of him by mixing old school hip hop with rock elements as well as playing with genres that we know of him, like funk; he gave us Jack in The Box, a conceptual album that is so unique to him. Apart from being cohesive in sound, Jack in The Box is also conceptually stunning. From the album art to the stories that he explores in the songs touching on topics of how our lived in reality affects how we are as human beings to how our passion and drive can burn us if uncontrolled, Hobi did a great job of showcasing his artistry and his identity as J-hope, the artist, and Hoseok, the human being, through his solo album.
Jin also gave us a beautiful solo single, The Astronaut, which was co-written by Coldplay (Once again, such a genuine and beautiful friendship). In The Astronaut, Jin tells the army what he feels and thinks about the future and sings about this unique connection that spans different realities. The Astronaut was a beautifully heartwrenching farewell, a promise of unwavering love, and a story about a found family, and I so cannot wait for him to return and continue this journey and for him to show us more.
As for Joon, his solo was the beautiful indigo, a reflection of his twenties or, as he likes to put it, "an archive of my twenties" and an album with ten blues rather than ten songs. It is a well-crafted, introspective album talking about what it means to be human and an artist, the dichotomy of fame, past regrets, and mistakes, and is an album with a diverse sound. The collaboration list is also astonishing, with 8 of the tracks featuring truly legendary artists that lend their beautiful sound to make the album what it is, and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he got Erykah Badu, the queen of Neo Soul herself singing about what it is to be human.
Jimin also dropped the EP that surprised me the most with how raw it is, with how he talked about his demons and his dark feelings in such an honest way through his art. With FACE, Jimin gave us a sonically cohesive album that resonates with millions because of the emotions it paints and because of how it portrays the human experience: from self-loathing to heartbreak to loneliness to wanting to escape reality to embracing oneself to finally being free, listening to FACE is a whole journey.
Yoongi or Agust D also finally released the album that closes the Agust D trilogy, D-Day. In the album, he makes commentaries on the state of society and what it means to exist in society, he talks about his winnings, he talks about his losses, he digs deeper and puts his trauma and hurt on display for all to see, and he also shows us that he is healing, he lends a shoulder for other artists and idols to lean on, he honors one of the most extraordinary talents of our times, Ryuichi Sakamoto. And he did this through multiple genres, from trap to hip-hop to drill to alt-rock.
Tae uniquely did a sort of visual EP with each track having MVs showcasing conspts he chose and exploring genres and sounds that I expected from him: a relaxed sound that mixes elements of jazz and blues with modern pop and rnb and songs that seamlessly fit his beautiful, warm tone. He created a somehow surreal world that felt equal part fuzzy and equal part sharp with LayoVer and gave us anthems for autumns and heartbreaks and songs with MVs that make us think about the ephemerality of Youth, early adulthood, and love.
Finally, the golden maknae blessed us with Golden. With Golden, Jungkook takes us back to the early 2000s and gave the pop world the pop boy it craved. Golden features songs that Jungkook curated to explore his artistry; songs imo are the epitome of modern-day pop perfection, like Seven, or beautiful ballads like Hate You, and the main single, Standing Next To You, has one of his best vocal performances to date. Golden was also performance-based, adding to the throwback vibe of it, with Jungkook giving us amazing choreographies for each of the three singles.
BTS also further explores and showcases their artistry through music documentaries and performances accompanying their solo albums. Three of them, J-Hope, Agust D, and Jimin, released different types of documentaries. J-Hope chronicles his journey from creating JITB to preparing its release and launch party, culminating with his historic performance at Lollapalooza. Yoongi took us on a road trip across the world as he met other artists and musicians while looking for inspiration to create D-Day. Jimin gave us an intimate glimpse into the creative process of FACE with him literally living with PDogg and other producers during FACE's production. And it was fascinating to see how he walked around humming and coming up with beautiful melodies that were incorporated into the album. On the other hand, Joon gave us an album magazine film, in which he went through each track on his album 'Indigo', discussing their meanings and showing us how intentional he was about each collaboration. The film also included additional commentaries from each one of the collaborators.
The live performances were also equally as diverse. From big venues like the aforementioned Lollapalooza or a sold-out Coldplay stadium concert in Argentina to small venues like the rolling hall to Korean music shows to a world tour to tiny desk concerts to performing in front of 2 unsuspecting armys to performing in front of hundreds of unsuspecting but hopeful armys in Times Square, each member showcased their talent in different, creative ways and gave us so many memorable moments in these two years.
So, although I think it is totally valid that people may not enjoy or even hate all their English releases (because to each his own), it gets tiring and often comes off as ingenuine when those songs are always brought up to talk about the artistry and discography of artists as prolific as them, even after three years, and even after they gave the world so many other releases between 2020 and now and I hope and would love to see more discussions about them as artists NOW than as the BTS almost four years ago.
And if you read all this, THANK YOU. And tell me about the releases that you like post Dynamite, your thoughts and feels in regards to chapter 2, what did you like, what did you not like, what are elements that you hope to see from chapter 2 in 2025 and after?
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2023.12.07 12:19 JulieSongwriter Good morning, Ladies: 34C

Dear Ladies,
Let's finish studying "The ‘Five Thousand Arrogant Persons’ Symbolize Fundamental Ignorance" in Part 4 of Sensei's "Key Passages from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings" in the December Living Buddhism. We've been talking about the scene in the “Expedient Means” chapter where five thousand arrogant people rose from their seats and left the assembly. We also saw that there are 3300 people today very much like the 5000 Arrogantinos then. Today's study has a big surprise at the end.
Sensei asks: "What is the difference between those who left the assembly and those who stayed to hear Shakyamuni preach the Law?" His answer:
It is the difference between faith and lack of faith. Ultimately, it is a question of whether one can maintain unshakable faith in the greatness of the Mystic Law and the supremely noble state of Buddhahood within one’s life.
It's so easy to judge or claim moral superiority: "I got faith, the 5000/3300 don't." There's a lot of work in the phrase "whether one can maintain unshakable faith." You have to get to that point of "unshakable" and then you have to "maintain" it. Whew!
Is it really so different from running a business? Because the Park had a great Autumn season, does that mean we will have an equally great winter season? I don't think so. We've doubled the size of our winter clientele this year. It's hard work to guarantee their safety and happiness. We screened applicants to make sure they have an all-seasons RV--but are their heating units working and have they properly installed insulation and aprons? Do they have a suitable truck to get around? Will they be able to do light snow shoveling? Are they prepared for the loneliness of the long winter? Have we prepared enough activities and social events to keep our clients happy and engaged? Our program has to be "unshakable" and we have to "maintain" it.
What, then, is the bottom line? Sensei explains:
In that sense, faith is the struggle against the fundamental ignorance characterized by the inability to believe fully that the highest potential of Buddhahood exists in our own and others’ lives. Our determination to keep polishing and developing our lives day by day and month after month is what makes our inner Buddha wisdom and Buddhahood shine.
So, yes, Sinitta, "chanting alone is not enough! You gotta do your human revolution!" I don't know how you ever came to think otherwise. Didn't you read the Gosho and Sensei's guidance? Our sponsors explained this to us from Day One. It's at the core of every experience that I ever heard at a meeting or read in a publication. How could you ever have missed that point?
Here's the crash course for you.
(1) "Faith is the struggle..." It's about engagement and hard work. There is no "Gohonzon, do your job, I'm outta here."
(2) It's a battle "against the fundamental ignorance" that exists in me, in you, and everyone. it's about Defying Gravity, that relentless gravitational pull to make you think that you are not worthy or just ordinary. That's why True yelled at me the other day for calling myself "Crazy" Julie. I can't defy gravity if I am feeding it.
(3) It's "characterized by the inability to believe fully that the highest potential of Buddhahood exists in our own and others’ lives." Getting beyond this is "The Secret," unser Geheimnis, "ich und du."
(4) "Our determination to keep polishing and developing our lives day by day and month after month is what makes our inner Buddha wisdom and Buddhahood shine." Ladies, are you with me? Let's keep polishing ourselves "day by day and month after month" until our Buddhahood shines!
And here's the big surprise I promised you:
In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin states: “These five thousand arrogant persons are the five types of abiding earthly desires that are always part of our makeup” (OTT, 36) and “The five thousand arrogant persons are in fact nothing other than the Lotus Sutra. The five thousand arrogant persons are the five elements of which we are made. The five elements themselves are Myoho-renge-kyo. Again, the five thousand arrogant persons represent fundamental darkness or ignorance” (OTT, 39). The focus here is that the five thousand arrogant persons represent the earthly desires and fundamental ignorance in our lives.
So, Ladies, this is not for Sinnista--it's for us. We will meet those five thousand arrogant persons today, for sure. And tomorrow. Meanwhile, let's have some fun with it. In our GroupMe let's share any chance encounters we have running into those 5 thousand arrogant persons!
And remember, the compromise we reached is to conclude the 500 Seeds Campaign this week but to stretch the week out until Tuesday.
TAG: I adapted this post from Part IV of Ikeda Sensei's lecture "Key Passages From The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings." To make it easier to read, I've edited out brackets and I have done some minor paraphrases of quotations. I've also left out sources and footnotes. If you are curious about them, please refer to the original article.
submitted by JulieSongwriter to SGIWhistleblowersMITA [link] [comments]

2023.12.07 11:22 Mr_davros The Outcast.

When Mrs. Acres bought the Gate-house at Tarleton, which had stood so long without a tenant, and appeared in that very agreeable and lively little town as a resident, sufficient was already known about her past history to entitle her to friendliness and sympathy. Hers had been a tragic story, and the account of the inquest held on her husband’s body, when, within a month of their marriage, he had shot himself before her eyes, was recent enough, and of as full a report in the papers as to enable our little community of Tarleton to remember and run over the salient grimness of the case without the need of inventing any further details—which, otherwise, it would have been quite capable of doing. Briefly, then, the facts had been as follows. Horace Acres appeared to have been a heartless fortune-hunter—a handsome, plausible wretch, ten years younger than his wife. He had made no secret to his friends of not being in love with her but of having a considerable regard for her more than considerable fortune. But hardly had he married her than his indifference developed into violent dislike, accompanied by some mysterious, inexplicable dread of her. He hated and feared her, and on the morning of the very day when he had put an end to himself he had begged her to divorce him; the case he promised would be undefended, and he would make it indefensible. She, poor soul, had refused to grant this; for, as corroborated by the evidence of[38] friends and servants, she was utterly devoted to him, and stated with that quiet dignity which distinguished her throughout this ordeal, that she hoped that he was the victim of some miserable but temporary derangement, and would come to his right mind again. He had dined that night at his club, leaving his month-old bride to pass the evening alone, and had returned between eleven and twelve that night in a state of vile intoxication. He had gone up to her bedroom, pistol in hand, had locked the door, and his voice was heard screaming and yelling at her. Then followed the sound of one shot. On the table in his dressing-room was found a half-sheet of paper, dated that day, and this was read out in court. “The horror of my position,” he had written, “is beyond description and endurance. I can bear it no longer: my soul sickens....” The jury, without leaving the court, returned the verdict that he had committed suicide while temporarily insane, and the coroner, at their request, expressed their sympathy and his own with the poor lady, who, as testified on all hands, had treated her husband with the utmost tenderness and affection. For six months Bertha Acres had travelled abroad, and then in the autumn she had bought Gate-house at Tarleton, and settled down to the absorbing trifles which make life in a small country town so busy and strenuous.
Our modest little dwelling is within a stone's throw of the Gate-house; and when, on the return of my wife and myself from two months in Scotland, we found that Mrs. Acres was installed as a neighbour, Madge lost no time in going to call on her. She returned with a series of pleasant impressions. Mrs. Acres, still on the sunny slope that leads up to the tableland of life which begins at forty years, was extremely handsome, cordial, and charming in manner, witty and agreeable, and wonderfully well dressed. Before the conclusion of her call Madge, in country fashion, had begged her to dispose with formalities, and, instead of a frigid return of the call, to dine with us quietly next day. Did she play bridge? That being so, we would just be a party of four; for her brother, Charles Alington, had proposed himself for a visit. . . .
I listened to this with sufficient attention to grasp what Madge was saying, but what I was really thinking about was a chess-problem which I was attempting to solve. But at this point I became acutely aware that her stream of pleasant impressions dried up suddenly, and she became stonily silent. She shut speech off as by the turn of a tap, and glowered at the fire, rubbing the back of one hand with the fingers of another, as is her habit in perplexity.
"Go on," I said.
She got up, suddenly restless.
"All I have been telling you is literally and soberly true," she said. "I thought Mrs. Acres charming and witty and good-looking and friendly. What more could you ask from a new acquaintance? And then, after I had asked her to dinner, I suddenly found for no earthly reason that I very much disliked her; I couldn't bear her."
"You said she was wonderfully well dressed," I permitted myself to remark. . . . If the Queen took the Knight——
"Don't be silly!" said Madge. "I am wonderfully well dressed too. But behind all her agreeableness and charm and good looks I suddenly felt there was something else which I detested and dreaded. It's no use asking me what it was, because I haven't the slightest idea. If I knew what it was, the thing would explain itself. But I felt a horror—nothing vivid, nothing close, you understand, but somewhere in the background. Can the mind have a 'turn,' do you think, just as the body can, when for a second or two you suddenly feel giddy? I think it must have been that—oh! I'm sure it was that. But I'm glad I asked her to dine. I mean to like her. I shan't have a 'turn' again, shall I?"
"No, certainly not," I said. . . . If the Queen refrained from taking the tempting Knight——
"Oh, do stop your silly chess-problem!" said Madge. "Bite him, Fungus!"
Fungus, so called because he is the son of Humour and Gustavus Adolphus, rose from his place on the hearth-rug, and with a horse laugh nuzzled against my leg, which is his way of biting those he loves. Then the most amiable of bull-dogs, who has a passion for the human race, lay down on my foot and sighed heavily. But Madge evidently wanted to talk, and I pushed the chessboard away. Tell me more about the horror," I said.
"It was just horror," she said—"a sort of sickness of the soul. . . ."
I found my brain puzzling over some vague reminiscence, surely connected with Mrs. Acres, which those words mistily evoked. But next moment that train of thought was cut short, for the old and sinister legend about the Gate-house came into my mind as accounting for the horror of which Madge spoke. In the days of Elizabethan religious persecutions it had, then newly built, been inhabited by two brothers, of whom the elder, to whom it belonged, had Mass said there every Sunday. Betrayed by the younger, he was arrested and racked to death. Subsequently the younger, in a fit of remorse, hanged himself in the panelled parlour. Certainly there was a story that the house was haunted by his strangled apparition dangling from the beams, and the late tenants of the house (which now had stood vacant for over three years) had quitted it after a month's occupation, in consequence, so it was commonly said, of unaccountable and horrible sights. What was more likely, then, than that Madge, who from childhood has been intensely sensitive to occult and psychic phenomena, should have caught, on that strange wireless receiver which is characteristic of "sensitives," some whispered message?
"But you know the story of the house," I said. "Isn't it quite possible that something of that may have reached you? Where did you sit, for instance? In the panelled parlour?"
She brightened at that.
"Ah, you wise man!" she said. "I never thought of that. That may account for it all. I hope it does. You shall be left in peace with your chess for being so brilliant."
I had occasion half an hour later to go to the post-office, a hundred yards up the High Street, on the matter of a registered letter which I wanted to despatch that evening. Dusk was gathering, but the red glow of sunset still smouldered in the west, sufficient to enable me to recognise familiar forms and features of passers-by. Just as I came opposite the post-office there approached from the other direction a tall, finely built woman, whom, I felt sure, I had never seen before. Her destination was the same as mine, and I hung on my step a moment to let her pass in first. Simultaneously I felt that I knew, in some vague, faint manner, what Madge had meant when she talked about a "sickness of the soul." It was no nearer realisation to me than is the running of a tune in the head to the audible external hearing of it, and I attributed my sudden recognition of her feeling to the fact that in all probability my mind had subconsciously been dwelling on what she had said, and not for a moment did I connect it with any external cause. And then it occurred to me who, possibly, this woman was. . . .
She finished the transaction of her errand a few seconds before me, and when I got out into the street again she was a dozen yards down the pavement, walking in the direction of my house and of the Gate-house. Opposite my own door I deliberately lingered, and saw her pass down the steps that led from the road to the entrance of the Gate-house. Even as I turned into my own door the unbidden reminiscence which had eluded me before came out into the open, and I cast my net over it. It was her husband, who, in the inexplicable communication he had left on his dressing-room table, just before he shot himself, had written "my soul sickens." It was odd, though scarcely more than that, for Madge to have used those identical words.
Charles Alington, my wife's brother, who arrived next afternoon, is quite the happiest man whom I have ever come across. The material world, that perennial spring of thwarted ambition, physical desire, and perpetual disappointment, is practically unknown to him. Envy, malice, and all uncharitableness are equally alien, because he does not want to obtain what anybody else has got, and has no sense of possession, which is queer, since he is enormously rich. He fears nothing, he hopes for nothing, he has no abhorrences or affections, for all physical and nervous functions are in him in the service of an intense inquisitiveness. He never passed a moral judgment in his life, he only wants to explore and to know. Knowledge, in fact, is his entire preoccupation, and since chemists and medical scientists probe and mine in the world of tinctures and microbes far more efficiently than he could do, as he has so little care for anything that can be weighed or propagated, he devotes himself, absorbedly and ecstatically, to that world that lies about the confines of conscious existence. Anything not yet certainly determined appeals to him with the call of a trumpet: he ceases to take an interest in a subject as soon as it shows signs of assuming a practical and definite status. He was intensely concerned, for instance, in wireless transmission, until Signor Marconi proved that it came within the scope of practical science, and then Charles abandoned it as dull. I had seen him last two months before, when he was in a great perturbation, since he was speaking at a meeting of Anglo-Israelites in the morning, to show that the Scone Stone, which is now in the Coronation Chair at Westminster, was for certain the pillow on which Jacob's head had rested when he saw the vision at Bethel; was addressing the Psychical Research Society in the afternoon on the subject of messages received from the dead through automatic script, and in the evening was, by way of a holiday, only listening to a lecture on reincarnation. None of these things could, as yet, be definitely proved, and that was why he loved them. During the intervals when the occult and the fantastic do not occupy him, he is, in spite of his fifty years and wizened mien, exactly like a schoolboy of eighteen back on his holidays and brimming with superfluous energy.
I found Charles already arrived when I got home next afternoon, after a round of golf. He was betwixt and between the serious and the holiday mood, for he had evidently been reading to Madge from a journal concerning reincarnation, and was rather severe to me. . . .
"Golf!" he said, with insulting scorn. "What is there to know about golf? You hit a ball into the air——"
I was a little sore over the events of the afternoon.
"That's just what I don't do," I said. "I hit it along the ground!"
"Well, it doesn't matter where you hit it," said he. "It's all subject to known laws. But the guess, the conjecture: there's the thrill and the excitement of life. The charlatan with his new cure for cancer, the automatic writer with his messages from the dead, the reincarnationist with his positive assertions that he was Napoleon or a Christian slave—they are the people who advance knowledge. You have to guess before you know. Even Darwin saw that when he said you could not investigate without a hypothesis!"
"So what's your hypothesis this minute?" I asked.
"Why, that we've all lived before, and that we're going to live again here on this same old earth. Any other conception of a future life is impossible. Are all the people who have been born and have died since the world emerged from chaos going to become inhabitants of some future world? What a squash, you know, my dear Madge! Now, I know what you're going to ask me. If we've all lived before, why can't we remember it? But that's so simple! If you remembered being Cleopatra, you would go on behaving like Cleopatra; and what would Tarleton say? Judas Iscariot, too! Fancy knowing you had been Judas Iscariot! You couldn't get over it! you would commit suicide, or cause everybody who was connected with you to commit suicide from their horror of you. Or imagine being a grocer's boy who knew he had been Julius Cæsar. . . . Of course, sex doesn't matter: souls, as far as I understand, are sexless—just sparks of life, which are put into physical envelopes, some male, some female. You might have been King David, Madge and poor Tony here one of his wives."
"That would be wonderfully neat," said I.
Charles broke out into a shout of laughter.
"It would indeed," he said. "But I won't talk sense any more to you scoffers. I'm absolutely tired out, I will confess, with thinking. I want to have a pretty lady to come to dinner, and talk to her as if she was just herself and I myself, and nobody else. I want to win two-and-sixpence at bridge with the expenditure of enormous thought. I want to have a large breakfast to-morrow and read The Times afterwards, and go to Tony's club and talk about crops and golf and Irish affairs and Peace Conferences, and all the things that don't matter one straw!"
"You're going to begin your programme to-night, dear," said Madge. "A very pretty lady is coming to dinner, and we're going to play bridge afterwards."
Madge and I were ready for Mrs. Acres when she arrived, but Charles was not yet down. Fungus, who has a wild adoration for Charles, quite unaccountable, since Charles has no feelings for dogs, was helping him to dress, and Madge, Mrs. Acres, and I waited for his appearance. It was certainly Mrs. Acres whom I had met last night at the door of the post-office, but the dim light of sunset had not enabled me to see how wonderfully handsome she was. There was something slightly Jewish about her profile: the high forehead, the very full-lipped mouth, the bridged nose, the prominent chin, all suggested rather than exemplified an Eastern origin. And when she spoke she had that rich softness of utterance, not quite hoarseness, but not quite of the clear-cut distinctness of tone which characterises northern nations. Something southern, something Eastern. . . . "I am bound to ask one thing," she said, when, after the usual greetings, we stood round the fireplace, waiting for Charles—"but have you got a dog?"
Madge moved towards the bell.
"Yes, but he shan't come down if you dislike dogs," she said. "He's wonderfully kind, but I know——"
"Ah, it's not that," said Mrs. Acres. "I adore dogs. But I only wished to spare your dog's feelings. Though I adore them, they hate me, and they're terribly frightened of me. There's something anti-canine about me."
It was too late to say more. Charles's steps clattered in the little hall outside, and Fungus was hoarse and amused. Next moment the door opened, and the two came in.
Fungus came in first. He lolloped in a festive manner into the middle of the room, sniffed and snorted in greeting, and then turned tail. He slipped and skidded on the parquet outside, and we heard him bundling down the kitchen stairs.
"Rude dog," said Madge. "Charles, let me introduce you to Mrs. Acres. My brother, Mrs. Acres: Sir Charles Alington."
Our little dinner-table of four would not permit of separate conversations, and general topics, springing up like mushrooms, wilted and died at their very inception. What mood possessed the others I did not at that time know, but for myself I was only conscious of some fundamental distaste of the handsome, clever woman who sat on my right, and seemed quite unaffected by the withering atmosphere. She was charming to the eye, she was witty to the ear, she had grace and gracefulness, and all the time she was something terrible. But by degrees, as I found my own distaste increasing, I saw that my brother-in-law's interest was growing correspondingly keen. The "pretty lady" whose presence at dinner he had desired and obtained was enchaining him—not, so I began to guess, for her charm and her prettiness; but for some purpose of study, and I wondered whether it was her beautiful Jewish profile that was confirming to his mind some Anglo-Israelitish theory, whether he saw in her fine brown eyes the glance of the seer and the clairvoyante, or whether he divined in her some reincarnation of one of the famous or the infamous dead. Certainly she had for him some fascination beyond that of the legitimate charm of a very handsome woman; he was studying her with intense curiosity.
"And you are comfortable in the Gate-house?" he suddenly rapped out at her, as if asking some question of which the answer was crucial. Ah! but so comfortable," she said—"such a delightful atmosphere. I have never known a house that 'felt' so peaceful and homelike. Or is it merely fanciful to imagine that some houses have a sense of tranquillity about them and others are uneasy and even terrible?"
Charles stared at her a moment in silence before he recollected his manners.
"No, there may easily be something in it, I should say," he answered. "One can imagine long centuries of tranquillity actually investing a home with some sort of psychical aura perceptible to those who are sensitive."
She turned to Madge.
"And yet I have heard a ridiculous story that the house is supposed to be haunted," she said. "If it is, it is surely haunted by delightful, contented spirits."
Dinner was over. Madge rose.
"Come in very soon, Tony," she said to me, "and let's get to our bridge."
But her eyes said, "Don't leave me long alone with her."
Charles turned briskly round when the door had shut.
"An extremely interesting woman," he said.
"Very handsome," said I.
"Is she? I didn't notice. Her mind, her spirit—that's what intrigued me. What is she? What's behind? Why did Fungus turn tail like that? Queer, too, about her finding the atmosphere of the Gate-house so tranquil. The late tenants, I remember, didn't find that soothing touch about it!"
"How do you account for that?" I asked.
"There might be several explanations. You might say that the late tenants were fanciful, imaginative people, and that the present tenant is a sensible, matter-of-fact woman. Certainly she seemed to be."
"Or——" I suggested.
He laughed.
"Well, you might say—mind, I don't say so—but you might say that the—the spiritual tenants of the house find Mrs. Acres a congenial companion, and want to retain her. So they keep quiet, and don't upset the cook's nerves!"
Somehow this answer exasperated and jarred on me.
"What do you mean?" I said. "The spiritual tenant of the house, I suppose, is the man who betrayed his brother and hanged himself. Why should he find a charming woman like Mrs. Acres a congenial companion?"
Charles got up briskly. Usually he is more than ready to discuss such topics, but to-night it seemed that he had no such inclination.
"Didn't Madge tell us not to be long?" he asked. "You know how I run on if I once get on that subject, Tony, so don't give me the opportunity."
"But why did you say that?" I persisted.
"Because I was talking nonsense. You know me well enough to be aware that I am an habitual criminal in that respect."
It was indeed strange to find how completely both the first impression that Madge had formed of Mrs. Acres and the feeling that followed so quickly on its heels were endorsed by those who, during the next week or two, did a neighbour's duty to the newcomer. All were loud in praise of her charm, her pleasant, kindly wit, her good looks, her beautiful clothes, but even while this Lob-gesang was in full chorus it would suddenly die away, and an uneasy silence descended, which somehow was more eloquent than all the appreciative speech. Odd, unaccountable little incidents had occurred, which were whispered from mouth to mouth till they became common property. The same fear that Fungus had shown of her was exhibited by another dog. A parallel case occurred when she returned the call of our parson's wife. Mrs. Dowlett had a cage of canaries in the window of her drawing-room. These birds had manifested symptoms of extreme terror when Mrs. Acres entered the room, beating themselves against the wires of their cage, and uttering the alarm-note. . . . She inspired some sort of inexplicable fear, over which we, as trained and civilised human beings, had control, so that we behaved ourselves. But animals, without that check, gave way altogether to it, even as Fungus had done.
Mrs. Acres entertained; she gave charming little dinner-parties of eight, with a couple of tables at bridge to follow, but over these evenings there hung a blight and a blackness. No doubt the sinister story of the panelled parlour contributed to this.
This curious secret dread of her, of which as on that first evening at my house, she appeared to be completely unconscious differed very widely in degree. Most people, like myself, were conscious of it, but only very remotely so, and we found ourselves at the Gate-house behaving quite as usual, though with this unease in the background. But with a few, and most of all with Madge, it grew into a sort of obsession. She made every effort to combat it; her will was entirely set against it, but her struggle seemed only to establish its power over her. The pathetic and pitiful part was that Mrs. Acres from the first had taken a tremendous liking to her, and used to drop in continually, calling first to Madge at the window, in that pleasant, serene voice of hers, to tell Fungus that the hated one was imminent.
Then came a day when Madge and I were bidden to a party at the Gate-house on Christmas evening. This was to be the last of Mrs. Acres's hospitalities for the present, since she was leaving immediately afterwards for a couple of months in Egypt. So, with this remission ahead, Madge almost gleefully accepted the bidding. But when the evening came she was seized with so violent an attack of sickness and shivering that she was utterly unable to fulfil her engagement. Her doctor could find no physical trouble to account for this: it seemed that the anticipation of her evening alone caused it, and here was the culmination of her shrinking from our kindly and pleasant neighbour. She could only tell me that her sensations, as she began to dress for the party, were like those of that moment in sleep when somewhere in the drowsy brain nightmare is ripening. Something independent of her will revolted at what lay before her. . . .
Spring had begun to stretch herself in the lap of winter when next the curtain rose on this veiled drama of forces but dimly comprehended and shudderingly conjectured; but then, indeed, nightmare ripened swiftly in broad noon. And this was the way of it.
Charles Alington had again come to stay with us five days before Easter, and expressed himself as humorously disappointed to find that the subject of his curiosity was still absent from the Gate-house. On the Saturday morning before Easter he appeared very late for breakfast, and Madge had already gone her ways. I rang for a fresh teapot, and while this was on its way he took up The Times.
"I only read the outside page of it," he said. "The rest is too full of mere materialistic dullnesses—politics, sports, money-market——"
He stopped, and passed the paper over to me.
"There, where I'm pointing," he said—"among the deaths. The first one."
What I read was this:
"Acres, Bertha. Died at sea, Thursday night, 30th March, and by her own request buried at sea. (Received by wireless from P. & O. steamer Peshawar.)"
He held out his hand for the paper again, and turned over the leaves.
"Lloyd's," he said. "The Peshawar arrived at Tilbury yesterday afternoon. The burial must have taken place somewhere in the English Channel."
On the afternoon of Easter Sunday Madge and I motored out to the golf links three miles away. She proposed to walk along the beach just outside the dunes while I had my round, and return to the club-house for tea in two hours' time. The day was one of most lucid spring: a warm south-west wind bowled white clouds along the sky, and their shadows jovially scudded over the sandhills. We had told her of Mrs. Acres's death, and from that moment something dark and vague which had been lying over her mind since the autumn seemed to join this fleet of the shadows of clouds and leave her in sunlight. We parted at the door of the club-house, and she set out on her walk.
Half an hour later, as my opponent and I were waiting on the fifth tee, where the road crosses the links, for the couple in front of us to move on, a servant from the club-house, scudding along the road, caught sight of us, and, jumping from his bicycle, came to where we stood.
"You're wanted at the club-house, sir," he said to me. "Mrs. Carford was walking along the shore, and she found something left by the tide. A body, sir. 'Twas in a sack, but the sack was torn, and she saw—— It's upset her very much, sir. We thought it best to come for you."
I took the boy's bicycle and went back to the club-house as fast as I could turn the wheel. I felt sure I knew what Madge had found, and, knowing that, realised the shock. . . . Five minutes later she was telling me her story in gasps and whispers.
"The tide was going down," she said, "and I walked along the high-water mark. . . . There were pretty shells; I was picking them up. . . . And then I saw it in front of me—just shapeless, just a sack. . . . and then, as I came nearer, it took shape; there were knees and elbows. It moved, it rolled over, and where the head was the sack was torn, and I saw her face. Her eyes were open, Tony, and I fled. . . . All the time I felt it was rolling along after me. Oh, Tony! she's dead, isn't she? She won't come back to the Gate-house? Do you promise me?... There's something awful! I wonder if I guess. The sea gives her up. The sea won't suffer her to rest in it. . . ."The news of the finding had already been telephoned to Tarleton, and soon a party of four men with a stretcher arrived. There was no doubt as to the identity of the body, for though it had been in the water for three days no corruption had come to it. The weights with which at burial it had been laden must by some strange chance have been detached from it, and by a chance stranger yet it had drifted to the shore closest to her home. That night it lay in the mortuary, and the inquest was held on it next day, though that was a bank-holiday. From there it was taken to the Gate-house and coffined, and it lay in the panelled parlour for the funeral on the morrow.
Madge, after that one hysterical outburst, had completely recovered herself, and on the Monday evening she made a little wreath of the spring-flowers which the early warmth had called into blossom in the garden, and I went across with it to the Gate-house. Though the news of Mrs. Acres's death and the subsequent finding of the body had been widely advertised, there had been no response from relations or friends, and as I laid the solitary wreath on the coffin a sense of the utter loneliness of what lay within seized and encompassed me. And then a portent, no less, took place before my eyes. Hardly had the freshly gathered flowers been laid on the coffin than they drooped and wilted. The stalks of the daffodils bent, and their bright chalices closed; the odour of the wallflowers died, and they withered as I watched. . . . What did it mean, that even the petals of spring shrank and were moribund?
I told Madge nothing of this; and she, as if through some pang of remorse, was determined to be present next day at the funeral. No arrival of friends or relations had taken place, and from the Gate-house there came none of the servants. They stood in the porch as the coffin was brought out of the house, and even before it was put into the hearse had gone back again and closed the door. So, at the cemetery on the hill above Tarleton, Madge and her brother and I were the only mourners.
The afternoon was densely overcast, though we got no rainfall, and it was with thick clouds above and a sea-mist drifting between the grave-stones that we came, after the service in the cemetery-chapel, to the place of interment. And then—I can hardly write of it now—when it came for the coffin to be lowered into the grave, it was found that by some faulty measurement it could not descend, for the excavation was not long enough to hold it.
Madge was standing close to us, and at this moment I heard her sob.
"And the kindly earth will not receive her," she whispered.
There was awful delay: the diggers must be sent for again, and meantime the rain had begun to fall thick and tepid. For some reason—perhaps some outlying feeler of Madge's obsession had wound a tentacle round me—I felt that I must know that earth had gone to earth, but I could not suffer Madge to wait. So, in this miserable pause, I got Charles to take her home, and then returned. Pick and shovel were busy, and soon the resting-place was ready. The interrupted service continued, the handful of wet earth splashed on the coffin-lid, and when all was over I left the cemetery, still feeling, I knew not why, that all was not over. Some restlessness and want of certainty possessed me, and instead of going home I fared forth into the rolling wooded country inland, with the intention of walking off these bat-like terrors that flapped around me. The rain had ceased, and a blurred sunlight penetrated the sea-mist which still blanketed the fields and woods, and for half an hour, moving briskly, I endeavoured to fight down some fantastic conviction that had gripped my mind in its claws. I refused to look straight at that conviction, telling myself how fantastic, how unreasonable it was; but as often as I put out a hand to throttle it there came the echo of Madge's words: "The sea will not suffer her; the kindly earth will not receive her." And if I could shut my eyes to that there came some remembrance of the day she died, and of half-forgotten fragments of Charles's superstitious belief in reincarnation. The whole thing, incredible though its component parts were, hung together with a terrible tenacity.
Before long the rain began again, and I turned, meaning to go by the main-road into Tarleton, which passes in a wide-flung curve some half-mile outside the cemetery. But as I approached the path through the fields, which, leaving the less direct route, passes close to the cemetery and brings you by a steeper and shorter descent into the town, I felt myself irresistibly impelled to take it. I told myself, of course, that I wished to make my wet walk as short as possible; but at the back of my mind was the half-conscious, but none the less imperative need to know by ocular evidence that the grave by which I had stood that afternoon had been filled in, and that the body of Mrs. Acres now lay tranquil beneath the soil. My path would be even shorter if I passed through the graveyard, and so presently I was fumbling in the gloom for the latch of the gate, and closed it again behind me. Rain was falling now thick and sullenly, and in the bleared twilight I picked my way among the mounds and slipped on the dripping grass, and there in front of me was the newly turned earth. All was finished: the grave-diggers had done their work and departed, and earth had gone back again into the keeping of the earth.
It brought me some great lightening of the spirit to know that, and I was on the point of turning away when a sound of stir from the heaped soil caught my ear, and I saw a little stream of pebbles mixed with clay trickle down the side of the mound above the grave: the heavy rain, no doubt, had loosened the earth. And then came another and yet another, and with terror gripping at my heart I perceived that this was no loosening from without, but from within, for to right and left the piled soil was falling away with the press of something from below. Faster and faster it poured off the grave, and ever higher at the head of it rose a mound of earth pushed upwards from beneath. Somewhere out of sight there came the sound as of creaking and breaking wood, and then through that mound of earth there protruded the end of the coffin. The lid was shattered: loose pieces of the boards fell off it, and from within the cavity there faced me white features and wide eyes. All this I saw, while sheer terror held me motionless; then, I suppose, came the breaking-point, and with such panic as surely man never felt before I was stumbling away among the graves and racing towards the kindly human lights of the town below. I went to the parson who had conducted the service that afternoon with my incredible tale, and an hour later he, Charles Alington, and two or three men from the undertaker's were on the spot. They found the coffin, completely disinterred, lying on the ground by the grave, which was now three-quarters full of the earth which had fallen back into it. After what had happened it was decided to make no further attempt to bury it; and next day the body was cremated.
Now, it is open to anyone who may read this tale to reject the incident of this emergence of the coffin altogether, and account for the other strange happenings by the comfortable theory of coincidence. He can certainly satisfy himself that one Bertha Acres did die at sea on this particular Thursday before Easter, and was buried at sea: there is nothing extraordinary about that. Nor is it the least impossible that the weights should have slipped from the canvas shroud, and that the body should have been washed ashore on the coast by Tarleton (why not Tarleton, as well as any other little town near the coast?); nor is there anything inherently significant in the fact that the grave, as originally dug, was not of sufficient dimensions to receive the coffin. That all these incidents should have happened to the body of a single individual is odd, but then the nature of coincidence is to be odd. They form a startling series, but unless coincidences are startling they escape observation altogether. So, if you reject the last incident here recorded, or account for it by some local disturbance, an earthquake, or the breaking of a spring just below the grave, you can comfortably recline on the cushion of coincidence. . . .
For myself, I give no explanation of these events, though my brother-in-law brought forward one with which he himself is perfectly satisfied. Only the other day he sent me, with considerable jubilation, a copy of some extracts from a mediæval treatise on the subject of reincarnation which sufficiently indicates his theory. The original work was in Latin, which, mistrusting my scholarship, he kindly translated for me. I transcribe his quotations exactly as he sent them to me.
"We have these certain instances of his reincarnation. In one his spirit was incarnated in the body of a man; in the other, in that of a woman, fair of outward aspect, and of a pleasant conversation, but held in dread and in horror by those who came into more than casual intercourse with her. . . . She, it is said, died on the anniversary of the day on which he hanged himself, after the betrayal, but of this I have no certain information. What is sure is that, when the time came for her burial, the kindly earth would receive her not, but though the grave was dug deep and well it spewed her forth again. . . . Of the man in whom his cursed spirit was reincarnated it is said that, being on a voyage when he died, he was cast overboard with weights to sink him; but the sea would not suffer him to rest in her bosom, but slipped the weights from him, and cast him forth again on to the coast. . . . Howbeit, when the full time of his expiation shall have come and his deadly sin forgiven, the corporal body which is the cursed receptacle of his spirit shall at length be purged with fire, and so he shall, in the infinite mercy of the Almighty, have rest, and shall wander no more."
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2023.12.04 07:01 DocWatson42 Seasons/Weather/Climate

My lists are always being updated and expanded when new information comes in—what did I miss or am I unaware of (even if the thread predates my membership in Reddit), and what needs correction? Even (especially) if I get a subreddit or date wrong. (Note that, other than the quotation marks, the thread titles are "sic". I only change the quotation marks to match the standard usage (double to single, etc.) when I add my own quotation marks around the threads' titles.)
The lists are in absolute ascending chronological order by the posting date, and if need be the time of the initial post, down to the minute (or second, if required—there are several examples of this). The dates are in DD MMMM YYYY format per personal preference, and times are in US Eastern Time ("ET") since that's how they appear to me, and I'm not going to go to the trouble of converting to another time zone. They are also in twenty-four hour format, as that's what I prefer, and it saves the trouble and confusion of a.m. and p.m. Where the same user posts the same request to different subreddits, I note the user's name in order to indicate that I am aware of the duplication.
Thread lengths: longish (50–99 posts)/long (100–199 posts)/very long (200–299 posts)/extremely long (300–399 posts)/huge (400+ posts) (though not all threads are this strictly classified, especially ones before mid?-2023, though I am updating shorter lists as I repost them); they are in lower case to prevent their confusion with the name "Long" and are the first notation after a thread's information.
Books:
Related:
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2023.11.27 04:47 WryterMom Diocletian, Persecution and the early Constantine Connections

Diocletian, Persecution and the early Constantine Connections

Diocletian was born

in Croatia. His original name was Diocles (Diocles), and his year of birth has been estimated at between 242 and 245. The first forty years of his life are mostly obscure. The first time Diocletian's whereabouts are accurately established was in 282 when the Emperor Carus made him commander of the Protectores domestici, the elite cavalry force directly attached to the Imperial household. This post earned him the honor of a consulship in 283.

Death by Murder

Emperor Carus' died in mysterious circumstances during a successful campaign in Persia, which left his sons Numerian and Carinus as the new Augusti. Carinus went to Rome from his post in Gaul and became the legitimate Emperor in the West. Numerian lingered in the East.
The Roman withdrawal from Persia was orderly and unopposed. By March 284, Numerian had only reached Emesa**,** where he was apparently in good health. But after he left the city, his staff, including the prefect Aper ( the dominant influence in his entourage which included Diocles and cavalry) reported that Numerian suffered from an inflammation of the eyes and so hetraveled in a closed coach from then on.
When the army reached Bithynia, one of the soldiers smelled an odor emanating from the coach. They found Numerian inside, dead. Both Eutropius and Aurelius Victor describe Numerian's death as an assassination. Aper officially broke the news in Nicomedia in November. Numerian's generals and tribunes called a council for the succession, and chose Diocles as Emperor, in spite of Aper's attempts to garner support.
On 20 November 284, the army of the east gathered on a outside Nicomedia and unanimously saluted Diocles as their new Augustus*.* He accepted the purple imperial vestments, asserted that Aper had killed Numerian and, in full view of the army, Diocles drew his sword and killed Aper. Soon after, Diocles changed his name to the more Latinate "Diocletianus" — Gaius Valerius Diocletianus.

Family Matters

Some time after his return, and before 293, Diocletian transferred command of the war against Carausius from Maximian (whom he had made co-Emperor in the east) to Flavius Constantius, a former Governor of Dalmatia and a man of military experience stretching back to Aurelian's campaigns against Zenobia (272–73). He was Maximian's praetorian prefect in Gaul, and the husband to Maximian's daughter, Theodora. On 1 March 293 at Milan, Maximian gave Constantius the office of Caesar. The same day, Diocletian did the same for Galerius, husband to Diocletian's daughter Valeria, and perhaps Diocletian's praetorian prefect. Constantius was assigned Gaul and Britain. Galerius was initially assigned Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and responsibility for the eastern borderlands.
Diocletian's Tetrarchy
This arrangement is called the Tetrarchy, from a Greek term meaning "rulership by four". The Tetrarchs were more or less sovereign in their own lands, and they travelled with their own imperial courts, administrators, secretaries, and armies. They were joined by blood and marriage; Diocletian and Maximian now styled themselves as brothers, and formally adopted Galerius and Constantius as sons. These relationships implied a line of succession. Galerius and Constantius would become Augusti after the departure of Diocletian and Maximian. Maximian's son Maxentius and Constantius's son Constantine would then become Caesars.
In preparation for their future roles, Constantine and Maxentius were taken to Diocletian's court in Nicomedia. (293A.D.)

The Christian Holocaust

First, Diocletian reinvention of "Emperor"
The cities where emperors lived frequently in this period – Milan, Trier, Arles, Sirmium, Serdica, Thessaloniki, Nicomedia and Antioch – were treated as alternate imperial seats, to the exclusion of Rome and its senatorial elite. A new style of ceremony was developed, emphasizing the distinction of the emperor from all other persons.
Diocletian took to wearing a gold crown and jewels, and forbade the use of purple cloth to all but the emperors. His subjects were required to prostrate themselves in his presence (adoratio); the most fortunate were allowed the privilege of kissing the hem of his robe (proskynesis, προσκύνησις). The Emperor became a figure of transcendent authority, a man beyond the grip of the masses.
Diocletian was conservative in matters of religion, faithful to the traditional Roman pantheon and understanding of demands for religious purification. Yet, this claim was made about him:
" Diocletian's name is associated with the last and most terrible of all the ten persecutions of the early Church. Nevertheless it is a fact that the Christians enjoyed peace and prosperity during the greater portion of his reign. Eusebius, who lived at this time, describes in glowing terms "the glory and the liberty with which the doctrine of piety was honoured", and he extols the clemency of the emperors towards the Christian governors whom they appointed, and towards the Christian members of their households. He tells us that the rulers of the Church "were courted and honoured with the greatest subserviency by all the rulers and governors". He speaks of the vast multitudes that flocked to the religion of Christ, and of the spacious and splendid churches erected in the place of the humbler buildings of earlier days.
At the same time he bewails the falling from ancient fervour "by reason of excessive liberty" (Church History VIII.1). If Diocletian remained sole emperor, he would probably have allowed this toleration to continue undisturbed. It was his subordinate Galerius who first induced him to turn persecutor."

As for Eusebius who became Bishop of Caesarea who wrote this:

During the [Diocletian] persecution Eusebius visited Tyre and Egypt and witnessed numbers of martyrdoms (Church History VII.7-9). He certainly did not shun danger, and was at one time a prisoner. When, where, or how he escaped death or any kind of mutilation, we do not know. An indignant bishop**, who had been one of his fellow-prisoners and "lost an eye for the Truth", demanded at the Council of** Tyre how "he came off scathless". To this taunt — it was hardly a question — made under circumstances of great provocation, Eusebius deigned no reply (Epiphan., Hær., lxviii, 8; cf. St. Athanas., "Apol. c. Arian.", viii, 1).

Diocletian was such a passive guy...

Antioch was Diocletian's primary residence from 299 to 302, while Galerius swapped places with his Augustus on the Middle and Lower Danube. Diocletian visited Egypt once, over the winter of 301–2, and issued a grain dole in Alexandria. Following some public disputes with Manicheans, Diocletian ordered that the leading followers of Mani be burnt alive along with their scriptures. In a 31 March 302 rescript from Alexandria, he declared that low-status Manicheans must be executed by the blade, and high-status Manicheans must be sent to work in the quarries of Proconnesus (Marmara Island, Turkey) or the mines of Phaeno in southern Palestine. All Manichean property was to be seized and deposited in the imperial treasury. Diocletian found much to be offended by in Manichean religion: its novelty, its alien origins, its perceived corruption of Roman morals, and its inherent opposition to long-standing religious traditions. His reasons for opposing Manichaeanism were also applied to his next target, Christianity.

IF you don't know who Mani was,

Manichaeism originated with the teachings of the Prophet Mani who lived in Persia and was born in an area that is now Iraq. Mani lived from 216 to 276 C.E. and composed several writings called the Gospel of Mani. While none of the original texts are extant, scholars are aware of Mani's work through references in other texts, which also include fragments and quotations from Mani's compositions. Mani was eventually martyred by the Persian Empire, which likely helped to increase the influence and spread of Manichaeism. Manichaeism was able to spread west into Rome and Egypt as well as east into China.
Some of the most notable religious influences on Manichaeism include Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism. For centuries, scholars' knowledge of Manichaeism was drawn from the writings and criticisms kept in the works of other religions. For instance, Saint Augustine, a Christian theologian, articulated some of the views of Manichaeism even as he sought to show how Christianity held a more defensible view.
In Summary: Manichaeism was a religion that sought to integrate elements of several religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, and Taoism without being reducible to any of them. Its tenets include a belief in an afterlife, a belief in the importance of knowledge, and a belief that the world is caught in an ongoing struggle between good and evil. source
Let me remind the reader that: "Following some public disputes with Manicheans, Diocletian ordered that the leading followers of Mani be burnt alive along with their scriptures.
They didn't agree with him. So he burned them alive, and destroyed every one he could find. Galerius was nowhere to be found. This was before

The Diocletian Persecution

Diocletian returned to Antioch in the autumn of 302. He ordered that the deacon Romanus of Caesarea have his tongue removed for defying the order of the courts and interrupting official sacrifices. Romanus was then sent to prison, where he was executed on 17 November 303. Diocletian left the city for Nicomedia in the winter, accompanied by Galerius.
On 23 February 303, Diocletian ordered that the newly built church at Nicomedia be razed. He demanded that its scriptures be burned, and seized its precious stores for the treasury.
The next day, Diocletian's first "Edict against the Christians" was published. The edict ordered the destruction of Christian scriptures and places of worship across the empire, and prohibited Christians from assembling for worship.
Using the excuse that Christians working at the palace had started a fire and that the culprits were conspirators who had plotted with the eunuchs of the palace. An investigation was commissioned, but no responsible party was found.
Executions followed anyway, and the palace eunuchs Dorotheus and Gorgonius were executed. One individual, Peter Cubicularius, was stripped, raised high, and scourged. Salt and vinegar were poured in his wounds, and he was slowly boiled over an open flame. The executions continued until at least 24 April 303, when six individuals, including the bishop Anthimus, were decapitated. A second fire occurred sixteen days after the first. Galerius left the city for Rome, declaring Nicomedia unsafe. Diocletian would soon follow.
Three further edicts (303-304) marked successive stages in the severity of the persecution: the first ordering that the bishops, presbyters, and deacons should be imprisoned; the second that they should be tortured and compelled by every means to sacrifice [to the Roman gods]; the third included the laity as well as the clergy. The martyrs' sufferings strengthened the resolve of their fellow Christians. Constantius and Maximian did not apply the later edicts, and left the Christians of the West unharmed. Galerius rescinded the edict in 311, announcing that the persecution had failed to bring Christians back to traditional religion.
Evidently, it was Diocletian who was responsible for the Persecution of the Christians that bears his name.

Exit

303-305 A.D. From Ravenna, Diocletian left for the Danube. There, possibly in Galerius's company, he took part in a campaign against the Carpi. He contracted a minor illness while on campaign, but his condition quickly worsened and he chose to travel in a litter. In the late summer, he left for Nicomedia.
On 20 November 304, he appeared in public to dedicate the opening of the circus beside his palace. He collapsed soon after the ceremonies.
Over the winter of 304–5 he kept within his palace at all times. When Diocletian reappeared in public on 1 March 305, he was emaciated and barely recognizable.
On 1 May 305, Diocletian called an assembly of his generals, traditional companion troops, and representatives from distant legions. They met at the same hill, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) out of Nicomedia, where Diocletian had been proclaimed emperor. In front of a statue of Jupiter, his patron deity, Diocletian addressed the crowd. With tears in his eyes, he told them of his weakness, his need for rest, and his will to resign. He declared that he needed to pass the duty of empire on to someone stronger. He thus became the first Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate his title.
Most in the crowd believed that Constantine and Maxentius, the only adult sons of reigning emperors, who had long been preparing to succeed their fathers, would be granted the title of Caesar. Constantine had travelled through Palestine at the right hand of Diocletian, and was present at the palace in Nicomedia in 303 and 305.
In Lactantius's account, when Diocletian announced that he was to resign, the entire crowd turned to face Constantine. It was not to be: Severus II and Maximinus II were declared Caesars. Maximinus appeared and took Diocletian's robes. On the same day, Severus received his robes from Maximian in Milan. Constantius succeeded Maximian as Augustus of the West, but Constantine and Maxentius were entirely ignored in the transition of power. This did not bode well for the future security of the tetrarchic system.
And it seem to have thoroughly pissed-off Constantine. (See T2's post on Ecclesia)
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[Most information taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletian which is quite the scholarly article, I think the footnotes, primary sources and secondary sources section is longer than the article. However, all historians being their own understandings to thier versions of history, you may find variations on these events in other sources. - addi]
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2023.11.22 17:02 JulieSongwriter Good Morning, Ladies: #28

Sorry for late posting. Boys had an early morning well-baby check up since they are days away from their 2-month birthday. Dai's heart murmur is stable. Everything else is okay for both. Our pediatrician believes in spacing out vaccines so the boys received their Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). Back home.
Dear Ladies,
I am sorry for my mistake yesterday. As you all corrected me, our goal is to accomplish 500 Seeds by the end of the month, not by this week's reporting date. So no reports on Friday or Saturday. The summaries will be due on December 1st. Enjoy the Holiday and shop to you drop on Black Friday!
News, news, news! This will be the busiest 4 days of the camp. We have a big Park Thanksgiving/IPD feast tomorrow, wish you all were here. Our Autumn Season officially ends on Sunday so we see a mass exodus of our senior citizen RVers leaving for warmer pastures down south. Some just dry dock their RVs and winter at their homes and apartments. A few hang in for a couple of more chilly weeks. But pretty soon we will be here with just our slim (but growing) crew of 3-Seasoners!
Sunday is the Memorial Service for Ikeda Sensei. It is still unbelievable that he is not here with us any more. Our region has a couple of designated centers where memorials will take place. We will spend the next couple of days reaching out to all of our members--active and inactive--to make sure they are aware of Sensei's passing and the services. Dee and Eulogio will represent the Fam there.
Final piece of news. Yesterday we bought our Bolt EUV. Pick up is on Saturday or Monday.
Today let's conclude studying Part 3 of Ikeda Sensei's "Key Passages from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings" with the section "However Dark the Times, the Sun Will Rise."
Today, my beloved young Bodhisattvas of the Earth in Japan and throughout the world are achieving tremendous growth and development as their ranks continue to expand.
I know the growth of the Youth Division is uneven across the SGI-USA. Andy posted yesterday that he had a "breakthrough" district general meeting with great attendance--but still with no youth. I am sure there are many other districts like his. Ours is quite different with about 50% Youth. We have a very strong YWD presence (Emily, Frida, Toni, several JHHS/Student Division, and me). But Guy is still struggling to raise another YMD despite so many efforts.
Perhaps "achieving tremendous growth and development as their ranks continue to expand" is a slow process. Not really. When time lapse photography is played back then the growth and development is explosive.
Sensei continues:
We practice the Buddhism of the Sun. However dark and perilous the times, the sun will always rise again, freely and generously imparting its light and warmth.
The times are unbearably dark and perilous. But there is the tiniest glimmer of hope coming out of Gaza-Israel this morning.
In the same way, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, let’s make our hearts shine with the morning sun of happiness and victory, brightening all around us. Dee keeps up corresponding with her friends from Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Gaza. She celebrates when there is even the slightest point of agreement. That's the stuff if peace-making
Nichiren Daishonin writes: “When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs” (“The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,” WND-1, 376). With that conviction, let us once again this year wisely and cheerfully spread our great movement of courage, hope and the highest good to illuminate the world!
What a great Farewell Message from him to us! Sensei, please rest assured, we will lead our lives wisely and cheerfully. We will spread our great movement of courage, hope and the highest good. And we will illuminate the world!
Sensei now reveals the essential message he wants to convey to his successors:
When youth, with their vibrant power and passion, rise to action and unite, the way to victory will open without fail and a song of spiritual triumph will resound far and wide. This is my personal experience and the essential message I wish to convey to our successors.
TAG: I adapted this post from Part III of Ikeda Sensei's lecture "Key Passages From The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings." To make it easier to read, I've edited out brackets and I have done some minor paraphrases of quotations. I've also left out sources and footnotes. If you are curious about them, please refer to the original article.
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2023.11.18 11:36 JulieSongwriter Good Morning, Ladies: #25

Dear Ladies,
The boys woke me up a bit earlier than usual this morning. While feeding them I learned of the passing of our great mentor Ikeda Sensei. Let me just declare: the real work of disciples begins today.
I am writing this post in tribute to him. It is as he would have wished. Let's continue our 500 Seeds campaign with him in our hearts.
Ikeda Sensei starts the I am a Proud Common Mortal! section of his lecture on The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings with a story about President Toda. "When a journalist provocatively asked if he considered himself a god or a Buddha, Mr. Toda responded with enthusiasm: 'I am a proud common mortal!'”
Me, too! “I am a proud common mortal!”
Sensei explains:
Mr. Toda was steadfast in his belief that ordinary people, who possess the potential for Buddhahood just as they are, are worthy of supreme respect.
He continues:
In his novel Human Revolution, written under the pen name Myo Goku, my mentor tells the story of how the main character, Kutsuo Gan, and the other impoverished residents of a row house encountered Nichiren Buddhism. He describes how they went on to splendidly transform their family situations, achieve economic success and revitalize their lives as they awakened to their profound mission and dedicated themselves to kosen-rufu with energy and joy.
I didn't know (or maybe read but forgot) that Mr. Toda had also written a novel called The Human Revolution. He chose the Expedient Means of fiction to describe a truth that is so hard to understand through the clouded lens of society: the transformation, revitalization, and dedication of people. Fiction can be a powerful means of conveying the deepest of truths.
I am reading the final paragraph in this section as if it were Sensei's final thoughts for all of us. Let me break the paragraph down into bullets:
• We who embrace faith in the Mystic Law make our lives shine to the fullest at each moment.
The boys won't unlatch. Even if I try to move them they start fussing. Oh well, just let this moment shine to the fullest!
• We tirelessly challenge ourselves in our human revolution and live with unflagging perseverance and resilience.
If I can get them back sleeping, I am going to make a big breakfast for the family. Everyone will be sad to learn the news. But that is all the more reason for us to triumph as a family. We have a very busy day ahead of us including an appointment at the Chevrolet dealer. I really can't fully understand "unflagging perseverance and resilience" but I can grasp it in action by smiling more and locking eyes with everyone I meet.
• By triumphing over adversity and changing karma into mission, we show actual proof of creating value in a way true to our unique qualities, in accord with the principle of “cherry, plum, peach, and damson” (see OTT, 200).
We have a small grove of ginkgo trees at the entrance to the park, right near our new DCFC stations. They are at the height of their autumn foliage with golden leaves. They are gymnosperms meaning there are both male and female trees. The females are dropping their fruits now which stink so badly but are full of medicinal properties. Maybe sub ginkgo for damson in that Gosho quote? A great example of transforming karma into mission!
• Just as we are, as ordinary people, we walk the invincible path of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, leading the same compassionate way of life as the Buddha.
And that is what is going to happen at our November 18th discussion meeting tomorrow. Emily has already prepped us that she is going to share an unbelievable and unimaginable benefit. She won't give away a word. Can't wait for tomorrow.
• This itself is proof that we embody and practice the “secret and wonderful expedient means” and that each of us is “the Buddha of the true aspect of all phenomena."
Ladies, in honor of Sensei, let's have an even more wonderful day today, November 18th, the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Soma Gakkai. Let's hold incredible November 18th District General Meetings this week. Let's enjoy our adventures of meeting new people!
Please don't forget to send me your weekly 500 Seeds reports today.
TAG: I adapted this post from Part III of Ikeda Sensei's lecture "Key Passages From The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings." To make it easier to read, I've edited out brackets and I have done some minor paraphrases of quotations. I've also left out sources and footnotes. If you are curious about them, please refer to the original article.
submitted by JulieSongwriter to SGIWhistleblowersMITA [link] [comments]

2023.10.29 21:55 PerpetuallyListening "Now fiery Pegasus sets forth upon his magic mission 'cross autumn skies, a steed to carry the winging dreams of lovers." (De Beers ad from Life magazine 1956)

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2023.10.23 13:52 Augenis Minor Monday 53: The Germany Rework and New German Interwar Lore

Hello, everyone! My name is Augenis, and I would like to invite you all to a journey - throughout the following month, every Friday and Monday, you will get, respectively, a Progress Report or Minor Monday for the German Empire until the release of the next update, The Empire Strikes Back, which will bring the Germany Rework!
This is not a drill.

Wait, what?! A Germany rework? Since when?!

I first began working on the Germany rework plan two years ago, in late August 2021. Back then, the Germany rework team had a change in leadership, almost everyone who had worked on it previously were gone and the rework itself had frozen for an entire year, so I decided to start it entirely from scratch.
I took upon the coding side, from start to finish, meanwhile I was joined by Lehmannmo on the lore and writing, and we worked together to create one of the most in-depth and thorough plans for any rework in Kaiserreich thus far. The rework’s documents on the detailed history of Germany since 1917, on each political party and each federal state, take up hundreds of pages, and seek to account for as much as possible in Kaiserreich’s setting while also offering interesting new developments.
The rework was approved by the team in January 2022 - so, we have been working on it non-stop for almost two years. In fact, you were informed of the rework’s existence only after a few months - when we teased the Black Monday mechanic, as well as hints about the rework content. Since then, we have occasionally dropped cryptic teasers about the rework content and planned changes - however, I always avoided any clear statement about what this content will actually be like. This is the same strategy I used for the Balkans Rework, and I found it to have been very successful - so, this is how we handled the Germany Rework as well.
But now we can come clean.

What should we expect?

The rework is almost code complete. It is playable from start to finish and is in the middle of testing, and it is the largest rework for any individual country to date. It has the largest focus tree, largest event file, and largest decision file, and its content is filled with unique mechanics and dozens of events for each path that make each playthrough a different experience.
We hope to be able to present it to you during the following month, in its entirety. Until then, you can see Germany’s opening screen!
This Minor Monday will introduce you to the main points of the rework’s new lore, completely different from the old Germany lore you are used to, and which serves as the foundation for the content you will see in the first Progress Report. Take it away, Lehmannmo!
Hey, I’m Lehmannmo, Augenis’ main lore advisor for the upcoming Germany rework. Before we start with the details of the new interwar lore, a rough overview about our basic premise for the unenthusiastic readers among you is needed. What were the big problems of the old lore setup, what are the main aspects that were changed?
I think we can all agree that Germany’s current lore and gameplay is not on par with other regions in the mod. Current Germany is in its very essence nothing more than 1917 politics teleported into 1936, and it shows. The few ancient bits of interwar lore it has (Ludendorff Dictatorship, Eastern Aid Scandal, Tirpitz Chancellorship) reach back to the earliest legacy lore from the mid 2000s, including some hefty misinterpretations of German history and politics. The parties in 1936 are essentially unaltered from two decades prior, and the fact that the Easter Promises and the dissolved Bundesrat are still hotly debated issues at game start speaks volumes.
Therefore, the following key changes were made to the setup:
  1. Germany doesn’t wait 20 years to introduce reforms anymore. Instead, a far-reaching set of parliamentary reforms on the national level and suffrage reforms on the federal level are passed in 1920, the so-called “March Reforms”. More on them later. As a consequence, Germany isn’t a (semi-)constitutional monarchy anymore at game start, but a (mostly) parliamentary one, similar, but not identical to e.g. the United Kingdom. This is one of the main reasons why Germany will start Social Conservative in the rework.
  2. German Weltkrieg lore and interwar lore has been vastly expanded, with a similar level of detail as reworked CoF, Britain, or China. The Ludendorff Dictatorship (at least its current form) is gone and the Third OHL is removed from power in early 1920. Tirpitz never becomes chancellor due to his radically uncompromising attitude and the fact that he was despised by the Kaiser himself. Instead, during the 20s and 30s, Germany is ruled by a vast number of chancellors, some of them party-affiliated, some of them non-partisan, with changing coalitions and in-depth lore about elections.
  3. Partisan lore has been fleshed out as well. The German parties won’t be synonymous to their 1917 equivalents, but undergo dynamic developments during the 20s, with new parties being founded, and some parties getting dissolved or merged into others. The most major political parties and their prominent leading figures will all get their own spotlights in subsequent Minor Mondays.
A very important aim was to portray Germany not as the uncontested global hegemon that it arguably is in the current lore. Even a victorious Germany would have to deal with plenty of issues such as sluggish economic recovery, agricultural inefficiency, or domestic political conflicts. We hope to give Germany more depth and make its portrayal less stereotypical.
In the following chart, you will get a brief overview about the different German chancellors and their government cabinets during KRTL’s interwar era: Here!
As Augenis mentioned, the new lore is extremely extensive. It is impossible to cover all the details in this MM. Thus, I decided on the following solution: Due to word limitations, only selected basic aspects will be covered in this post, while a more detailed Google Document features a timeline about the most important key events during the 1910s, 20s, and 30s. Of course, this timeline won’t be able to feature everything either, but after the rework is out, the masses of lore will gradually be transferred to the wiki, accessible for everyone who is interested in the more fringe details.
Let’s begin with the fateful year of 1917, KR’s Point of Divergence.

The Pivotal Year of 1917

In January 1917, the German Empire found itself in dire straits. After the German peace offer of late December 1916 had been declined by the Allies, no end to the war that was originally supposed to be over by Christmas 1914 was in sight. In the East, the front had stabilised, with the Brusilov Offensive having been stopped in its tracks and Romania under full occupation, and soon, the February Revolution would effectively kick it out of a major role in the war. In the West, however, heavy casualties in the Somme Offensive and a failure to force the French out of Verdun had depleted German forces massively – the future looked uncertain.
Undoubtedly, the year 1917 can be described as the most important turning point in Imperial Germany’s history; not only in KR’s context, but also in OTL. Various internal events with groundbreaking consequences were set into motion that would shape Germany’s future in unforeseeable ways.

1) THE UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE DEBATE

The Allied rejection of the German peace offer strengthened the claims of the submarine warfare hardliners massively, as last resort measures increasingly seemed like the sole feasible option to win the war. Nonetheless,in KRTL voices of reasons prevailed as the Kaiser refused to re-introduce unrestricted submarine warfare in January 1917 - arguably the most pivotal aspect of KR’s lore, as the lack of its continuation in early 1917 prevents America’s entry into the war and thus contributes to Germany’s victory more than two years later. However, a problem of the current lore is that it doesn’t mention the matter ever again after January 1917, when it really should, as unrestricted submarine warfare would remain a hotly debated issue even after its rejection - just like it did when it was rejected many times throughout 1916.
In the reworked lore, restricted submarine warfare in accordance with internationally accepted prize laws (already re-launched in 1916) continued regularly after Wilhelm’s decision in January, and surprisingly turned out to be much more successful than the hardliners had anticipated. However, over time, its efficiency began to decrease as Britain was able to adapt via the introduction of increasingly efficient anti-submarine measures. Plus, unlike in the current lore, the British blockade was not lifted in late 1917 with the sinking of an American ship carrying Christmas gifts – Germany had to endure the crippling blockade until the bitter end. Thus, *in 1918, the unrestricted submarine warfare question would once again become a highly relevant matter in Germany’s highest political echelons - more on that later.

2) GROWTH OF THE MILITARY’S INFLUENCE

1917 also marked the finalised rise to power of the Third OHL of Chief of Staff Paul von Hindenburg and his Quartermaster-General Erich Ludendorff. Among the population, the two highly successful strategists were celebrated almost as divine beings for their unmatched victories on every possible front, and their reputation as being undefeatable on the battlefield gave rise to the so-called “Hindenburg Myth”, which made the two men indispensable and thus non-dismissible: As long as they were able to bring in results, their will was law. Especially Ludendorff knew how to use that to his favour.
Appointed in autumn 1916 after Falkenhayn’s failure at Verdun and Romania’s entry into the war, Hindenburg and Ludendorff soon started to gradually expand their influence, by sidelining the Kaiser and the civilian government and deposing their political rivals one by one. This was done by exerting pressure on the Kaiser: In case their demands wouldn’t be met, they threatened to resign, which was deemed impossible due to their reputation and capabilities. In July 1917, they managed to deal the final blow to their opponents by enforcing the resignation of chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg after the latter had tried to introduce domestic political reforms. From this point onwards, their power was almost uncontested, and most governments that followed after Bethmann were aligned to the OHL’s interests - it was the beginning of the “Ludendorff “Dictatorship”.
Why in quotation marks, though? On paper, all the democratic institutions continued to exist regularly as before and the Kaiser remained the highest authority for most decisions; the far-reaching authority of Ludendorff and Hindenburg was entirely based on their reputation and mystification and didn’t have any constitutional legal foundation. This meant that as soon as the war was won and their indispensability would vanish, they wouldn’t be untouchable anymore, which made their supposed dictatorship much less stable than it appeared; essentially, one signature by the Kaiser could end it any time. This will be quite important at a later point of the lore.

3) GROWTH OF DEMOCRATIC-PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL

While 1917 became the year of the Third OHL, it also was a crucial moment in German democratic history, ironically. In late 1916, unopposed backing of the war effort as part of the Burgfriedenspolitik by all parties had come to an end, and the democratic majority in the Reichstag - the social democrats (SPD), the social liberals (FVP), and the Catholic conservatives (Zentrum) – started to raise their voices in favour of parliamentary reform and a quick end to the war. The Turnip Winter of 1916/17 was marked by hunger strikes and protests against the war across the country, the period of consensus was over. Electoral reform, desired by socialist and liberal deputies alike, was once again pushed by the SPD in February 1917, this time reluctantly supported both by Bethmann and the Kaiser.
Wilhelm was eventually encouraged to promulgate the so-called “Easter Promises”, in which he ambiguously declared that electoral reform will be pursued in Prussia at the end of the war. While vague, they can be considered the first of many victories for the democratic majority. The fall of Bethmann in July 1917 further increased their sway on political affairs; only via joint cooperation with the OHL – for different motives, of course – they had been able to depose the indecisive Reichskanzler. Thus, ever after that point and for the rest of the war, the political situation in Germany made a Janus-faced turn: Both military and democratic control increased simultaneously. The government of Georg von Hertling (1917-1918), for example, was already staffed by high-ranking partisan politicians.
The increase of democratic control was slow, but steady. While the OHL was able to instate their desired candidates as chancellors in the aftermath of Bethmann’s deposition, the democratic parties in the Reichstag could enforce the appointment of liberal and Zentrum-aligned state secretaries. The three parties went on to form the so-called Inter-Faction Committee (IFA), a coordination committee in which they began to discuss internal democratic reforms & potential efforts to launch peace overtures. The Reichstag Peace Resolution of 1917 demonstrated their will to oppose the continuation of the war if necessary, and essentially put an end to all far-reaching annexationist war aims of the far-right.
In 1917, the influence of the IFA was still relatively limited, but as the war dragged on, their powers continued to increase and increase further – once again, with far-reaching consequences at a later point of the lore.

On the Road to Parliamentarism

As in OTL, the pressure of the masses on the leading elites in KRTL continued to increase as the war progressed. The main political demands were reform of the unfair Three Class Franchise in Prussia and parliamentarisation at the imperial level - while the Reichstag was freely elected by the people, it had no direct influence on government policy and mostly fulfilled advisory or budget confirmation roles. As the war dragged on, strikes became a common sight. In KRTL, domestic unrest got out of hand in late September 1918, resulting in the so-called September Insurrections by left-wing groups such as the Spartacists or the Bremen Left-Wing Radicals. Its causes and details can be read up in the attached doc.
The failed, eventually suppressed insurrection once again marked the simultaneous increase of both military and democratic control. Under pressure from all sides, the Hertling Cabinet folded, which the German High Command hoped to use as an opportunity to consolidate their control over the country, this time by instating a right-wing hardliner who would support their plans of total war unconditionally. This goal aligned with the right-wing establishment’s vision, but was opposed by the IFA, which demanded further democratic concessions to sway the masses.
Eventually, the relevant powers concluded on a compromise, whose details can once again be found in the doc. Hertling was not succeeded by a militarist hardliner, but by non-partisan diplomat, Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau, a skilled mediator with progressive tendencies. Both the interests of the OHL and the IFA were met with the appointment of the Brockdorff Cabinet: The Brockdorff Cabinet became the first government in German history with a real parliamentary basis, as all the parties that decided to back the government (Zentrum, SPD, FVP, and even NLP) got their own state secretaries in the government, e.g. SPD politician Gustav Bauer as State Secretary for Labour – arguably one of the largest victories of parliamentarism in German history.
Simultaneously, however, high-ranking OHL cronies such as Foreign Secretary Paul von Hintze and Prussian War Minister Hermann von Stein retained their positions, allowing Ludendorff to effectively control the Brockdorff Cabinet’s foreign policy. By allowing limited progressive reform within, Germany maintained a legitimate, democratic facade to the outside world, which enabled the OHL to expand their influence and increase their pressure on the government in a much more indirect way. Additionally, in case Germany would lose the war - which was not entirely decided by late 1918 yet – Ludendorff believed that it would be easy to blame the defeat on the progressive reformers and save his own neck.
1918 also saw the introduction of reforms in Alsace-Lorraine and an ad hoc reform of the antiquated suffrage in Prussia and other reactionary constituent states to appease the masses. Simultaneously, however, the government and the Kaiser also had to make concessions to the military, navy, and the far-right, such as further censorship measures, and most importantly, the re-launch of unrestricted submarine warfare, for which large parts of the population had been calling again ever after its restricted counterpart had lost its efficiency. The Imperial Naval Office’s and Admiralty’s leadership was reshuffled, with many Tirpitz-aligned naval officers like Adolf von Trotha being appointed into prominent positions. Also, the competences of the Head of the Admiralty were vastly expanded & centralised, leading to the establishment of the Seekriegleitung (SKL), the navy equivalent of the OHL. On 1 November 1918, unrestricted submarine warfare officially continued.
You might naturally ask about America’s stance on this controversial change to the lore. As expected, relations with the United States, the country most affected by the policy, suffered almost instantly, and their diplomatic relations with Germany were soon severed after the sinking of several American ships. However, at that point, unlike in OTL in early 1917, America was not in any position to declare war. The American flu was sweeping across the nation killing ten thousands every month, while the Entente was in a much less favourable condition than a year and a half prior: Grim reports were coming from France, where the socialist movement had grown increasingly bolder, while Russia had already collapsed into complete civil war. Said socialist movements were making their way to America already as well, growing increasingly militant. The relaunch of the campaign slightly alleviated the effects of the blockade on Central Europe, and most importantly was a major people pleaser.

Peace at Last? The Ludendorff Crisis of 1920

For space reasons, the final year of the war and the peace terms have to be moved to the attached doc. What’s evident is that Germany emerged victorious from the conflict in late summer 1919 - or did it? Let’s take a look at the political situation in Germany in early 1920.
When 1920 began, an uneasy mood loomed over Germany. While the war had been won, and the blockade had been lifted, discontent was widespread, and there seemed to be no peace on the horizon. The OHL’s influence on large parts of civilian authority, including censorship, remained, elections were postponed, and demobilisation efforts were lagging for reasons of “national security”. Ludendorff justified this with the highly unstable situation in Europe at the time: International tensions were starting to grow on all fronts once again, as the French Revolution was continuously spreading through the defeated country & the civil war in Russia was reaching its final phase, at a time when Berlin did not have stable diplomatic ties with both the Commune and White Russia.
The common man began to fear that Germany might be encircled by a revanchist White Russia in the East and a socialist France in the west, and that there would always be an enemy to fight and thus neither the OHL’s dictatorship nor the continuous slaughter of German soldiers would end in any near future. It slowly became apparent that the OHL tried to prevent complete demobilisation at any cost, that Ludendorff wasn't interested in peace or giving up power by any means - but in continued war.
In major cities, pacifist and pro-reform demonstrations took place on the streets, but were forcefully dissolved by local gendarmerie forces. These unstable and uncertain circumstances were seized upon by the IFA in the Reichstag, and a united pro-reform front of social democrats, liberals, and Catholics called for immediate demobilisation, further domestic reform, elections, and full parliamentarisation, citing the ongoing demands for change in the streets to prevent a revolution such as the one in France or another insurrection attempt like in 1918.
A committee on negotiating and drafting constitutional amendments was formed between the parties in the Reichstag in February, with the intent of turning the Empire into a true parliamentary monarchy. Opportunistically, this initiative was endorsed not only by chancellor Brockdorff, but also by the Kaiser. Long sidelined over the course of the war, Wilhelm believed that backing the reformist cause against the hegemony of the OHL might be an opportunity to assert more power over internal affairs again at the military’s expense, as the “People’s Emperor”. This move immediately inflamed the right. While the Empire’s traditional conservative parties were pretty much paralysed during the whole reform debate, revealing their weakness, extra-parliamentary far-right organisations like the Pan-German League and especially the German Fatherland Party (DVLP) harshly protested the planned reforms & the lifting of censorship instantly: Fearmongering was raised that giving any quarter to “radicals in the streets” would escalate in a similar way as in France.
Ludendorff, naturally opposed to the Reichstag shenanigans, tried to convince the Kaiser to step in and end the reform discussions in the parliament if necessary via force, e.g. by dismissing Reichskanzler Brockdorff, justifying it with the need for Germany to maintain the current authoritarian system for a few more months to weather the coming struggle with Germany’s enemies on all sides; in the event of a refusal, he threatened to resign, as so many times before. But this time, things were different. Ludendorff wasn’t aware that this time he could not be sure of the support of his closest companion, Paul von Hindenburg, who had started to scheme behind Ludendorff’s back for quite some time. Fearing that Ludendorff’s megalomania and paranoia might lead to Germany’s ruin in an Icarus-esque way, Hindenburg, who was mostly content with the given peace terms and parliamentarisation plans as long as the authority of the military wouldn’t be undermined, had struck a secret deal with Reichskanzler and parliamentary leaders via liaisons already a few weeks prior, known as the Brockdorff-Hindenburg Pact, in which Hindenburg offered the support of the military for future political reforms in exchange for guarantees that the independence of the Imperial German Army would be left untouched.
Thus, Ludendorff was left isolated within the OHL, and when he handed in his resignation, assuming that the Kaiser would refuse and give in as always, Wilhelm II called his bluff. Hindenburg never followed his associate suit, and thus, on 13 February 1920, Germany’s once widely-feared supposed “dictator” was ousted in the most unspectacular way possible, simply being dismissed by the Kaiser after being left with no meaningful leverage and backers; the former puppetmaster of the army’s growing influence over the German Empire was left in the sidelines. Hindenburg himself retired a few months later as Chief of Staff, and withdrew to private life again as a celebrated war hero.

The March Constitution and the New Parliamentary Order

Soon after the resignation of Ludendorff, the Reichstag majority gathered and eventually drafted a full reform program to the Bismarckian Constitution – again, the details can be found in the doc. The most important reforms are complete parliamentarisation, i.e. making the Reichskanzler dependent on a fixed majority within the Reichstag, and giving the latter the option to oust undesired chancellors via a vote of no confidence. Members of the Reichstag could now simultaneously be members of the government, and declarations of war as well as peace treaties required the Reichstag’s assent. The privy council system was abolished, and far-reaching reforms were introduced in Alsace-Lorraine, turning it from a Reichsland into a properly integrated constituent state, the Grand Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine.
The reforms were touted, especially by the SPD, as a “March Constitution”, on as high of a standing as the 1871 Constitution, but in practice, the approved amendments were washed over by compromise with the establishment; the Kaiser retained the right to appoint a Chancellor of his choosing and retained his right of leadership over the armed forces, which remained non-answerable to the Reichstag. Brockdorff, who presided over the reforms, went down in history as the spiritual father of the March Reforms. Not long after, the first Reichstag elections since 1912 were called, and Brockdorff announced his voluntary resignation to make room for the new faces of the new parliamentary order.
Once again, we can only grant an abbreviated overview over German interwar politics in this MM. For the sake of clarity, I have divided the era between 1920 & 1931 into various briefly paraphrased sections, each summarising the most important events and developments.

1) THE BLACK-RED-GOLD ERA (1920-1923)

Named after the colours of the three parties that dominated this period (Zentrum - SPD - FVP) and the democratic spirit of 1848 they embodied, the Black-Red-Gold Era was the heyday of the old wartime-era IFA. Under the non-partisan chancellor Wilhelm Solf (1920-1922), previously long-time Colonial Secretary, and his Zentrum-affiliated successor Matthias Erzberger (1922), the three parties pursued a relatively progressive agenda within and without after gaining a comfortable majority in the 1920 elections. The initial groundwork for the Mitteleuropa bloc was laid and reconciliation efforts with the UK, the Commune, and Russia were initiated, but mostly failed either in the short or the long-term. From the beginning, the coalition was shaken by internal tensions, especially over taxation and labour policies.
Solf resigned in 1922 as his self-confident attitude stemming from the old constitutional era increasingly clashed with the rules of the new parliamentary order, where every single political decision had to be made in accordance with the majority parties. His successor Erzberger fell even deeper, however. A long-time hate figure of the far-right (Erzberger, a progressive left-wing Catholic, had turned from a hardline annexationist into one of the most important proponents of a compromise peace in 1917), Erzberger got eventually entangled in a humiliating, partially fabricated corruption and perjury trial after initially suing his right-wing opponents for libel. In late December 1922, he resigned as well, leaving his party paralysed and in shambles. New elections were called for early 1923.
The legacy of the Solf and Erzberger governments could be described as controversial. The two governments represented, more than any other German government, the dawn of a new, apparently golden future, a state they could never live up to, however. The two governments' controversial foreign policy made many believe that the self-serving parliamentarians had gambled away Germany's hard-won victory and failed to prevent Germany's enemies from recovering. And among their own electorate, the three parties suffered due to eternal disputes and a lack of implementation of truly groundbreaking reforms that could build on the March Constitution – the effects became more than evident in the 1923 elections.

2) THE CONSERVATIVE RESURGENCE (1923-1924)

SPD, FVP, and the paralysed Zentrum emerged weakened from the 1923 snap elections after Erzberger’s resignation: The time for the opposition had come, the German Conservative Party (DkP), the National Liberal Party (NLP), and the Free Conservative Party (FKRP). Consequently, the Posadowsky-Wehner Cabinet was formed, a minority government tolerated by the Zentrum. Immediately, a detrimentally opposed course was initiated: The conservative government reinstated the pre-war protectionist grain tariffs - with far-reaching consequences for German agriculture a few years later - finalised the Mitteleuropa plans in their conservative image by turning it into an unequal economic bloc tailored first and foremost to the interests of German agriculture and heavy industry, and returned to a more aggressive foreign policy, manifested in Germany’s early intervention into the Rif War in late 1923.
In autumn 1924, socialist unrest on the other side of the English Channel escalated, culminating in the British Revolution, with local hotbeds especially in Wales and Scotland. The consensus among the conservative establishment was clear: Britain falling to revolution would set off an unprecedented chain of events that could upturn the fragile order established by the Treaty of Versailles and get the French Commune out of its foreign-political isolation, a true disaster for the German bloc. In this heated environment, overly hasty statements by Foreign Secretary and Vice Chancellor Gustav Stresemann resulted in another domestic crisis, after making a speech in favour of an immediate and swift intervention in support of the legitimate British Government. Though Stresemann intended this as his personal opinion on the matter, being the Vice-Chancellor of Posadowsky-Wehner’s government meant that his words were inevitably treated as the government’s position – and they were immediately blasted in the press. Subsequent anti-war mass strikes across the Empire forced the government to bend its knee and reconsider its position – not long after, snap elections were called once again.

3) THE EARLY MARCH COALITION ERA (1924-1931)

In the elections, both the right-wing and the black-red-gold parties emerged relatively strongly, resulting in an electoral result on the basis of which no clear cut solution was possible. It became apparent that a big tent government was inevitable. The Kaiser decided for a compromise candidate to succeed Posadowsky, and the choice fell on none other than the famed Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau again. In 1924/25 he resided over one of the most controversial government constellations in German history, a grand coalition from the SPD to the DkP. However, this structure broke up after only a few months due to its complete infeasibility, and a coalition of social liberals, national liberals, Zentrum, and conservatives prevailed instead, which would go down in history as the so-called “March Coalition”, a broad bloc of those whose whose main priority was to maintain the accomplishments of the March Constitution without radical reform, faced against the pressures of the social democratic left and the increasingly radicalising right. This coalition would survive for a decade to come, continuing to be the foundation of the succeeding Marx, Bernstorff, and Dirksen administrations over the course of the coming years, while the SPD took over the uncontested and permanent leadership of the opposition.
Brockdorff’s government saw domestic reform, e.g. in the form of the Bauer-Giesberts Plan of 1925 which included the introduction of an eight hour work day, a scheme for unemployment insurance, and a federal employment agency, among others. But the most important legacy was left at the foreign-political level: As part of the so-called Brockdorff-Maltzan Doctrine, Berlin abandoned any plans to directly intervene in Britain, instead focusing on the Empire’s periphery. Via clever politicking and foreign-political manoeuvres and only via partial military intervention (unlike in the current lore, where Germany just violently seizes all of Britain’s possessions), Germany managed to bring large parts of the British Colonial Empire under its direct or indirect control. In 1926, a new policy towards Russia was initiated via the infamous Vilnius Agreement, and later that year and in mid-1928, Berlin caused uproar on the international stage when it intervened more directly in the Chinese Civil War.
Brockdorff died in late 1928, and in hindsight, his tenure is often romantically glorified as Germany’s true post-war Golden Era. Succeeded by his Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Marx – this informal method of succession from Chancellor to Vice-Chancellor upon the former’s death was another, if small victory of the already victorious Parliamentarisation process – it seemed as if Germany had reasserted its place on the global stage. But things turned out differently.

Governing at any Cost: Decline of the March Coalition and Renewed Geopolitical Encirclement

The Austrian Creditanstalt Crisis of 1931 sent shockwaves through the German bloc, putting a quick and sudden end to its Golden Era. But the stop of further economic growth and looming recession weren’t the only issues. The protectionist measures of the early 20s had resulted in an enormous efficiency problem for the German agricultural sector, which failed to catch up with Eastern European competition; especially East Elbian Junkers heavily indebted themselves in what became famous as the German Agrarian Crisis.
Simultaneously, far-reaching political realignments had taken place. Already in 1928, the German Conservative Party and the slightly more liberal Free Conservative Party had officially merged after long-time cooperation, and the liberals soon followed suit. In 1929, the social liberal FVP and a majority of the national liberal NLP united into the Liberal People’s Party (LVP) to rejuvenate struggling German liberalism. A small rump NLP remained, mostly dominated by right-wing industry-affiliated deputies. But the most important change took place within the far-right; a change in leadership in 1929 turned the DVLP from a reactionary niche party into a more adaptive mass party with a revolutionary conservative agenda.
The Marx government resigned not long after the Creditanstalt Crash, snap elections took place. During the 1931 elections, the DVLP made enormous gains, becoming the second largest opposition party after the SPD. But the old March Coalition parties maintained their hegemony against encroachment from the left and the right, forming a new government under the leadership of liberal diplomat Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, symbolising the rejuvenation of German liberalism two years prior. However, the Bernstorff administration would not survive very long either, this time due to foreign-political reasons: Not long after the election of Savinkov in 1934, a military incident between Russian-sponsored Latvian Forest Brother forces and the Baltic Landeswehr near Lake Lubahn in Latgale occurred, threatening to bring the German bloc and the Russians at war with each other during the subsequent Lake Lubahn Crisis. While open conflict was prevented, the conciliatory, pro-compromise Bernstorff was replaced by stern hardliner and expert on Russian affairs Herbert von Dirksen.
The appointment of Dirksen, a known yesman of the Imperial family with little respect for parliamentary practice, was perceived as a desperate attempt by the Hohenzollerns to re-assert their influence on political affairs, mostly taken from them by the March Reforms 14 years prior. But Dirksen struggled even more than his predecessors. Rifts appeared within the March Coalition, and in early 1935, the LVP officially bolted from the government, depriving it of its majority. Another snap election, or perhaps even a vote of no confidence, was considered in the halls of the Reichstag - however, any proposals of kicking out the Chancellor and starting anew quickly died down once it became clear that the “permanent opposition” - the SPD and the DVLP - would not go with the project. For both, it was much more beneficial to let the cabinet of von Dirksen stew in its own juices and increasingly compromise itself. While the moderate March Coalition had been vigorous under Brockdorff, the fact that it had been in power for almost a decade had long weakened its appeal among the population, and it was believed that the next elections would result in the fall of both Dirksen and the Coalition once and for all, giving the opposition the opportunity to finally seize power.
Foreign-politically, things were going downhill, too. The Syndicalist bloc had grown in strength ever after 1925, and expanded their influence in 1935 with the outbreak of the Norwegian Revolution. Germany, shackled by domestic gridlocks and anti-war sentiment, remained mostly passive instead of acting decisively. Additionally, anti-German movements gained tractum all over Eastern Europe, with the rise of the Iron Guard in Romania in 1934 rupturing the balance in the Balkans massively. Increasingly, voices were raised that once again evoked Germany's geopolitical encirclement by hostile powers on all sides - as once before the fateful year of 1914.
In this tense political atmosphere, a young and ambitious military officer entered the political stage – the clever tactician Kurt von Schleicher, a well-connected intriguer. Prussian Minister of War since 1931, Schleicher expanded his political leverage and influence on military affairs in the aftermath of the Lake Lubahn Crisis. For many leading general staff officers, the weakness of the parliamentary system had long turned apparent, and the belief that totalitarian powers would be required to wage the next inevitable total war was widespread. Schleicher, an adherent of the “Wehrstaat” (“Defense State”) idea, a mobilised state led by the Army that unifies all sections of society and allows Germany to wage the next Weltkrieg with total war, has developed a clever plan to achieve the Wehrstaat idea in much more unconventional and “parliamentarian” way than his military colleagues – the future will show if he will have the possibility to put it into practice.
As 1935 comes to an end, the cabinet of Herbert von Dirksen can only reliably find support from a struggling minority. His popularity tolls are at an all-time low, harsh times are ahead, and opportunist schemers are waiting in the dark to capitalise on Dirksen’s next potential misstep. The golden era of the Kaiserreich is over, and the coming storm is looming over a nation in malaise behind a shiny facade.
Enough text for today. Thank you for reading, and see you on Friday with the first Progress Report about gameplay! Lore MMs will continue regularly next week!
submitted by Augenis to Kaiserreich [link] [comments]

2023.09.17 14:56 ionixo Incel story with happy ending

I(23M) have been "friends" with this guy(23M) for almost a year. I say friend in quotation marks because the guy is pretty much my shadow, following me while in college(we are in the same class), messaging me all the time and I am basically the only person who acknowledged or accepted his presence. When I first met him, I could tell he was a bit odd, but soon it became clear to me that he was an incel down to a T. He kept telling me that he likes having a "Chad friend" and that he is doomed romantically because of his genetics(he is short. I am 6'1, if I were to estimate, he's around 5'1 or even less, he has a bulky build, in the sense that his frame is wide). I tried to initially help him, by telling him that everyone can find love, because he kept moaning that no woman would ever lay eyes on him, meanwhile, I seem to be the talk of the class because I hooked up with two girls in my class. I told him that he could start by doing something about his personal hygiene, since he reeked, but I tried to be as nice as possible and ignore it. I told him that he could invest in a stylist to help him get the most out of his hair, his clothes and shoes, since it could help. I also told him that his views on women would most likely be the problem, since for him, women were not good for anything besides his own desires. Luckily for me, the summer break came around and I cut it short. Autumn came along and we meet in class, and he seemed to have taken my advice. I was happy that he did, because it truly did seem like he was getting better. Though it all came tumbling down when he kept telling me his new views on women which were even more extreme than previously. That's when I lost hope in him and cut it entirely. I told him to leave me alone, since he's just a total POS. Last week he kept messaging me ominous messages about how he will get his chance with the woman he loves and how he will try to follow a girl from our class home which he kept telling me he finds beautiful. I freaked out and contacted a common friend between me and the girl, and told her all about this, and to tell her everything. After that, I kept thinking if I should constant the authorities myself, but I didn't have to, as the stalked girl already did and thanked me for telling her all this. The guy is now under investigation and he keeps telling me that I was his only friend and that I betrayed his trust, and that he will never trust nobody. Do you guys have any similar stories? I am just now realising that simply not "telling" on incels is a danger in and of itself.
submitted by ionixo to IncelTears [link] [comments]

2023.09.10 17:34 SerpentineJulia [M4A] The Sweetest Taste [Enemies to Lovers] [Chef Speaker x Food Critic Listener] [A History of Rivalry] [Unresolved Tension] [Extremely Spicy] [Just A Touch of Sweetness] [Confession] [Kisses] [Questionable Uses of Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce] [Some Profanity]

Summary for the Listener: You are a well-established and respected food critic. Your reviews are typically fair and highly regarded. There’s just one exception…you have a history with a particular chef, and you have no problems tearing him apart in your reviews. Not only could his food use work, but so could his condescending attitude. After a third visit to the restaurant where he works, you have an explosive fight with him, which leads to a confrontation after hours in the kitchen. Things get pretty heated between you two…
*****
Key:
(SFX: Words in parenthesis): Sound effects
[Words in brackets]: The Speaker’s actions/suggestions for tone
“Words in quotation marks”: The Speaker’s lines
Words in italics: Specific details that may help the Speaker understand the situation
— : The Speaker should pause for a response
*****
General Notes: I’m back with another enemies to lovers script! I blame my love for cooking competition shows and food-related movies for this one. Hope you enjoy :)
Notes on Usage: You may record this script for an audio, but I do need to be credited. I would really appreciate the chance to listen to it, so please send me a link, either through this original post or through a message, so I can follow up. Certain types of monetization are fine (like YouTube), but please do not put this behind a locked paywall. As for the script itself, please keep the writing the same. Gender flipping is fine, though (if you do gender flip, then you have my permission to change the pronouns in the summary and in the body of the script). If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message. Thank you!
*****
Setting: The kitchen at a fine dining restaurant
The scene opens with the Speaker, who’s standing in the kitchen with a pen and notebook. The restaurant has closed for the night, but as head chef, he’s always the last one to leave. Tonight, he’s staying late to plan the menu for the upcoming season. He’s also trying to forget about the interaction he had with a certain food critic earlier that evening.
(SFX: The scratching of a pen on paper.)
[Muttering under his breath] “Apples are in season right now, so we’ll need to create a few dishes featuring that ingredient for the autumn menu…”
(SFX: The kitchen door swings open.)
The Speaker doesn’t stop what he’s doing, assuming that it’s just his sous chef.
[Frustrated] “I’m not bothering to look up from this notebook, but I can feel you watching me with disapproval on your face. For the last time, I don’t need someone to check on me! I can plan this menu on my own. Will you do us both a favor and go home? It’s already past midnight…”
The Listener clears their throat, which makes the Speaker finally look up.
[Surprised, but also confused] “…You’re not my sous chef.”
[Irritated] “Well, sorry for stating the obvious! You caught me off guard, and that was the first thing that came to mind.”
–
“I don’t know what the hell you want, but you’re not allowed to be here at this time of night. We’re closed, which means if you’re not my sous chef or the owner, then you need to get out.”
–
“I don't care what your reasoning is. This isn’t your call to make, it's mine. And I'm telling you to leave. Now.”
–
“Oh, bullshit! There's no way the owner let you back in here, especially after our fight earlier.”
[Derisive snort]
“He wanted us to work things out?”
–
“That may be what he wants, but it’s not gonna happen. I’m not doing this with you. Not now, not ever.”
–
“Because we have nothing to discuss! It wasn’t my fault things got ugly between us. You were the one who threw a fit in the middle of our dinner service! I wasn't about to hide in the kitchen and let you get away with that, so I went out there to confront you.”
–
“I know your job requires you to give honest reviews, but you don’t have to be so fucking rude. Every time you visit, you’re ready to tear me a new one. I’ve read your other reviews, and you’re never this ruthless with other chefs.”
–
“No, you single me out! Your reviews are absolutely scathing! But, it’s not like any of it matters. Everything that you’ve ever said about my food is a lie.”
–
“You want an example? Fine, I’ll give you one. Let’s talk about tonight. The dishes that you ordered for your three-course meal have been made hundreds of times, and they’re perfect every single time. I wouldn’t let them leave my kitchen if they weren’t. But, all you could do was complain. The French onion soup wasn't overly salty and slimy! It had the right amount of seasoning, the onions had a slight bite, and the layer of cheese on top was melted correctly. And the duck wasn’t dry at all! The meat was tender and succulent, and it was coated, very liberally, with a flavorful citrus sauce. As for the dessert, the chocolate souffle wasn’t dense like a brick. It was so light that it could have been mistaken for a cloud. My pastry chef worked hard to create that, and I will not have you drag her name through the mud.”
[Frustrated groan]
“God, why do you always do this?!”
–
“Don’t pretend you have no idea what I’m talking about. You know exactly what I mean.”
–
“Yes, you do. You nitpick every detail – even the ones that most people wouldn’t bat an eye at! And when I get defensive, you lash out. Do you really think it makes you an intimidating person when you do that? Because it doesn’t! If anything, it makes you immature and petty.”
[Condescending chuckle]
“You haven’t changed a bit since culinary school, have you?”
–
“Yeah, I’m gonna go there! You know whatever this is goes back to our days at the Institute. Ever since our first assignment, we've tried to one-up each other. You never could stand it when I did better than you, though. The insults and glares you threw at me were proof of that.”
–
“You think you’re the better chef? Yeah, right. You never even finished the program! You dropped out halfway through. Then, years later, you showed up out of nowhere and expected people to respect your new role. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re just a food critic. Your job is to sit around, eat, and write about what you ate. That hardly takes any skill. There’s no cooking involved in what you do, so you have no right to say that you can cook better than I can.”
[Condescending chuckle]
“Oh, yeah? Then prove to me that you can still cook.”
–
“You’re wondering how? Easy. We’re going to have an old-fashioned cook-off, right here in this kitchen. This will decide, once and for all, who the superior chef is. Here are the rules: we’ll each make the same dish. I’ll taste yours, and you can taste mine. After that, we’ll give our critiques. No cheap shots. Just the cold, hard truth, no matter how good or bad it is.”
–
[Slightly surprised] “Did I hear you correctly? You’re…agreeing to this?”
–
“I honestly thought you’d say no.”
–
“You couldn’t pass up another opportunity to one-up me? Hmm, I’m pretty sure you’re saying that to make up for the fact that you’re gonna lose.”
[Scoff]
“Please, I’m not scared. I’ve never been scared of you, not even during that one time in class.”
–
“Don’t you remember? I was praised for my Beef Wellington, and you were so pissed that you almost chucked your knife at me. The only that stopped you was the number of witnesses around. You know, if I think about it…your cruel reviews and tantrums are nothing compared to how feisty you used to be. It seems like you’re going soft on me.”
[Sneering] “Oh, fuck you. Let’s just get on with this, okay? We need something that’s relatively quick to prepare and qualifies as a dish that all chefs should know how to make.”
–
“Yeah, we have plenty of eggs. Why?”
–
“…You want to make a French omelet?”
–
“No, that’s fine. Not only does it check all the requirements, but it also requires finesse and delicate work. Good choice.”
–
“No, that wasn’t a compliment. Don’t go thinking I said something nice to you.”
[Chuckle]
“Yeah, yeah. I know you’d never say anything kind about me.”
–
“Now that we’ve decided on what we’re making, we’ll go over the ingredients. Do you see the fridge in the corner? That’s the one the employees use. I have it stocked with additional items, just in case. Everything we’re going to need is in there. We’ll keep this simple and classic, so no adding cheeses, vegetables, or other types of protein. As for the utensils and tools, anything is fair game. Does that sound good?”
–
“Okay, cool. On the count of three, we’ll start. One…two….three!”
(SFX: The shuffling of feet as the Speaker and the Listener run. The refrigerator opens and closes. Ingredients are placed on the counter. The cracking of eggs into bowls. Whisking sounds as the eggs are beaten. The clanging of pans as they are set on the stove. The sizzle of the eggs as they hit the pan. The omelets are then removed and placed on separate plates. The plates get set on the counter.)
[Slightly out of breath] “I’ve gotta be honest…I’ve missed this. Going head-to-head with you gives me an adrenaline rush like no other."
–
“You definitely didn’t hear fondness in my voice. You should know that I don't have any positive feelings for you. Only negative ones.”
–
“Whatever. Just shut up and grab us a couple of forks from that pile over there.”
–
“Seeing as how you've already sampled my food tonight, I think it's only fair that I get to judge your omelet first. Got a problem with that?”
–
“No? Hmm, this might be the first time that you're not arguing with me. I’m gonna mark this day in my calendar as soon as we’re done here.”
–
“I’m not stalling! Watch me, I’m gonna take a bite now.”
(SFX: The Speaker takes a bit and chews.)
[Delighted sigh]
[In awe] “Even though it pains me to say it…this is the best omelet I’ve had in years. Maybe even in my entire life. It’s soft and fluffy, packs a ton of flavor, and has the perfect amount of seasoning. H-how did you do that?”
[Chuckle]
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You were always at the top of the class, week after week. Besides me, no one could even come close to your level of cooking."
[Begrudgingly] “All right, fine! I’ll admit it….you can still cook. Extremely well, in fact. Are you happy now?”
–
“Wipe that smirk off your mouth. You’re even more unbearable when you’re smug.”
–
“Will you quit gloating? It’s really starting to wear on my nerves.”
–
“Yeah, you’ve got a point. You constantly get on my nerves. It’s a fact of life.”
–
“Look who’s stalling now! It’s your turn to try my omelet. And remember, you’re not allowed to be an ass this time.”
–
“Shut up, you know it’s true.”
The Listener takes a bite and chews.
“Well? What do you think?”
–
“Nope, you’re not getting out of this. I was honest with you, so the least you can do is show me the same courtesy.”
[Sigh]
“You agreed to the rules, so you can't just refuse to answer."
–
“Why are you acting so nervous?”
–
[Urgent] “You are! You’re fidgeting, and you can’t even look me in the eye. What’s going on with you?”
[Slightly longer pause; the Listener doesn’t respond]
[Concerned] “You’re being quiet, which isn’t like you at all. I’m getting worried here. Can we…drop all this animosity for a second and be real with each other? Please?”
[Sharp inhalation of breath]
“…What?”
–
“D-Did you just say that my omelet is one of the best things you’ve eaten in a long time?”
[Confused] “I-I don’t understand. You ripped me to shreds in your reviews, and now you’re telling me that I created something that you’re actually enjoying?”
–
“None of this adds up! You’ve always thought my food was terrible, so why would you suddenly change your mind?”
[Slightly longer pause]
[Slowly and in awe] “…You never hated the food I made. Ever since culinary school, you...admired my skills as a chef. I was the only person who you saw as an equal, and that’s why you made everything into a competition. You craved the challenge I provided, and going against me forced you to sharpen your own skills. But, when you became a food critic, you couldn’t let things between us fizzle out. That’s why your reviews were so harsh. You wanted my attention again, and the only way you knew how to get it was to push my buttons.”
[Long, frustrated groan]
“You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re telling me that we’ve been at each other’s throats for years when we didn’t have to be?!”
–
“…I really don’t know whether to laugh or scream right now. This is all so ridiculous.”
[Disbelieving laugh]
“You’ve always driven me to insanity, but this takes the cake. Why couldn't you have been honest with me from the beginning? It would have saved us a lot of trouble.”
–
“I don’t agree with what you did, but I get it. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, too. I could have been the bigger person, but I wasn’t. I was just as combative as you. Every time you pushed, I pushed you right back."
[Sigh]
“Look, I’m tired of fighting with you. We’ve been doing it for too long, and I can’t do it anymore. Could we, I don’t know, start over?”
–
“…Yeah? You want to?”
–
“That’s good. And yes, I agree. We can’t pretend that we don’t have all this history. We’re going to need to work through it, bit by bit.”
–
“If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, then I will, too.”
–
“Look at us…we’re finally seeing eye to eye on something! It only took us a few years, right?”
[Chuckle]
“You want to start with a small gesture? Like what?”
(SFX: The shuffling of paper, as the Listener pulls a notebook from their bag.)
“Why are you giving me your notes from tonight? You already told me what you thought in front of everyone.”
–
“Oh. These are your actual thoughts…the ones you were going to put in the review. And you want me to read them.”
–
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
[Slightly longer pause as the Speaker reads the contents of the notebook]
[Giddy] “You loved everything you ate?”
–
“Well, it’s good to know that I’m not just some idiot in an apron.”
–
“I know you never said that. I’m teasing you.”
[Chuckle]
[Gently; kindly] “By the way, your descriptions are incredibly vivid and detailed. I’ve never seen someone describe food like you do. It’s almost like the dishes are in front of me, which is surreal. You really are a brilliant writer and food critic.”
–
[Remorseful] "About what I said earlier...it does take significant skill to do your job. It was wrong of me to minimalize it, and I'm sorry for doing that.”
–
“Of course I mean it. You're an exceptional food critic and you can cook. By that standard, you're a winner in my book.”
[Chuckle]
“You’re not hearing things this time. I actually complimented you.”
–
“You better get used to it. Since we’ve decided to turn over a new leaf, I’ll be sending more compliments your way.”
–
“You like the sound of that? Good.”
–
“Yeah, I suppose we could call tonight a draw. We're both great chefs, if I do say so myself.”
[Chuckle]
“You know what this means, though, right? Now that I'm aware of how you really feel about my food, you can’t keep up this snarky front.”
–
“Hmm, guess I was wrong. You’re still pretty grouchy.”
–
“No, don’t ever change. I like you the way you are. I always have.”
The Speaker just realized what he said, so now he’s startled and embarrassed.
“…Did I say like? I meant, tolerate. Yeah, that’s it. I tolerate you.”
–
“Not buying it, huh? Damn.”
–
“Okay, okay! I’ll tell you the truth.”
[Deep breath]
“I’ve liked you since culinary school. Don't ask me why. I don't even understand it, and I've had years to figure it out. I still don't have an answer. You’re the most infuriating person on the planet, and that alone should prevent me from having feelings for you. But…you’re also talented, intelligent, and beautiful. I can’t go a day without thinking about you in some way or another. I guess…over time…I just learned to accept it.”
–
[Teasingly] “…You’ve had a crush on me all this time, too? Is that why you constantly had to antagonize me? You wanted my attention that badly?”
[Chuckle]
“We’re like schoolchildren, aren’t we? The kind who don’t know how to articulate their feelings, so they push and shove each other to show their affection.”
–
“Exactly. So, on top of everything else, we need to decide where to go from here now that we’ve acknowledged our romantic feelings.”
–
“Yeah…taking small steps sounds like a good idea. You want to know what the best way to start is?”
–
“Dessert.”
[Chuckle]
“Come on, you know I have a sweet tooth! The pastry unit was one of my favorite parts of the program. I still bake from time to time, even though I have a pastry chef here.”
–
“Yes, I did bake something recently. It’s the fridge, if you want a slice?”
–
“Great! I’ll go get it. Be right back.”
–
(SFX: Footsteps towards the fridge. The fridge opens and closes. Things get placed on the counter.)
“I made a chocolate pie yesterday, but I haven’t added any toppings yet. I thought we could work together to put some chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and strawberries on top?”
–
“Mhm, I’m glad you’re on board. Here, I’ll handle the strawberries and you can take the chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Does that work?”
–
“Perfect.”
(SFX: Sounds of the strawberries getting sliced on a cutting board.)
“Hey, can I ask you something? It’s kind of personal, so if you’d rather not share, then I’d understand.”
–
“You don’t mind? Well, all right. I was just wondering… why did you leave the program on short notice? One day, you were there, and the next, you were gone. No one in class knew what happened to you.”
[Slightly longer pause]
“Oh. I…had no idea.”
–
“That must have been terrifying…receiving that phone call. No wonder you booked it out of there as fast as you could. Did she…is she…”
[Relieved sigh]
“I’m so glad your mom’s okay.”
–
“Yeah, after something like that, I bet the recovery process was long and difficult. You were there for her, weren’t you? You stayed home to take care of her, and that’s why you never came back.”
–
“You know…if you still have a passion for cooking, you might be able to finish the program. They'd probably make an exception for you, especially since left for an emergency.”
–
“Oh…really? You prefer the freedom that comes with your job and you wouldn’t trade it in for anything?”
–
“That's fair. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
[Quietly; sincerely] “Thank you for telling me. Knowing that you sacrificed so much for your mom makes me respect and appreciate you even more. The emotional strength that must have taken is amazing. You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”
–
“I told you that you’d be receiving more compliments. Small steps, remember?”
[Chuckle]
“All right, these strawberries are ready to go on the pie.”
–
“Wait, what are you doing?”
The Listener takes a strawberry and starts dipping it into the chocolate sauce. They eat it rather seductively, while making suggestive noises.
“You can’t do that.”
–
“Let me rephrase: you can’t do that to me. Not if you want me to be sane, at least.”
–
“Stop. Do. Not. Eat. That. Strawberry. Like. That.”
–
[Whiny] “C’mon, don’t make me say it."
[Groan]
"Your lips are wrapped tightly around that strawberry, while you lick and suck it....and the noises you're making are positively sinful. It's so easy for me to picture you doing that to something else."
–
[Through clenched teeth] "No, my mind isn't normally in the gutter. I can't help it, though! You damn well know what you do to me. What you’ve always done to me.”
–
“Are you sure want to know what I thought while we were yelling at each other tonight?”
The Speaker leans in closer to the Listener.
[Low, raspy tone] “I wanted to drag you into the kitchen and pin you against the fridge. I’d kiss all the fight out of you, tasting every inch of your mouth with my tongue. Then, I’d sink to my knees and taste another part of you, making you cry out… And once I got you there, you’d beg for more. I’d toy with you a bit longer before bending you over the counter over there… and well... you can imagine what would come next."
–
[Back at a regular volume; discreetly clears throat] “Is that honest enough for you?”
–
“…You want me to shut up and start putting my mouth to good use?”
–
“Mhm, gladly.”
[Passionate kisses, followed by moans in between]
[Breathless] “Forget the pie. You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.”
[Chuckle]
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me, baby. I’m going to spend all night driving you insane, like you’ve been doing to me for years. The best part is…I have whipped cream and chocolate sauce right here at my disposal. They're definitely going to get used. I hope you don’t mind getting a little…sticky.”
–
“Oh, yeah? I always love a good challenge.”
[Chuckle]
(SFX: The sound of whipped cream as it’s sprayed from the can.)
“Mhm, you taste even better with this on you…”
[Passionate kisses]
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2023.07.14 23:50 ralo_ramone An Otherworldly Scholar [LitRPG, Isekai] - Chapter 27

I left the book I was reading over Elincia’s desk and spied on the backyard through her window. The colors of autumn invaded the backyard. The trees shed their leaves, covering the backyard with a lovely bronze mantle while the grass of the esplanade was showing the first hints of decay.
Despite the year being well into autumn already, the farm plot was a small haven of green. Elincia’s potions had granted the poisoned plants a new life. In the same fashion, the section of farm plot managed by Zaon and the older kids was growing vigorously despite the weather. After weeks of fighting on several fronts, the orphanage had some semblance of peace.
Tax season had passed without further incident and now we had six months until the Imperial Academy exams. The food situation was somewhat covered in the short term, and the kids had accepted my presence at the orphanage with surprising haste.
Smiling, I leaned over the window frame to get a better view.
By the side of the orchard, Elincia had gathered the orphans for their seasonal haircut. Wolf sat on a chair in the middle of the backyard while Elincia carefully shaved the sides of his head leaving the top untouched. I wondered if that was Wolf’s preferred haircut or if mohawks were an orcish thing in this world too.
In the meantime, the younger orphans took turns to brushing each other’s hair. Nokti helped Shu to brush her gold locks while Virdian fought against Ash’s numerous knots. The complaints of the young human child filled the backyard as Virdian pulled the brush without any concern for his victim.
The picture warmed my heart but my brain couldn’t stop nagging me about the hundred different tasks we had to accomplish before winter. The firewood stocks were running dangerously low and we had to find a way to preserve food for the winter if we wanted to eat anything other than bean soup and gruel. We needed money to fix the roof, and even more money to buy seeds for the spring sowing.
Money, money, money.
Our material needs weren’t the only thing that troubled me. I had to get the orphans ready for the Imperial Academy exam but I wasn’t sure what the exam actually comprised. In the meantime, I had been teaching them the basics of various kinds of swords, but I feared a theoretical test. This world’s history and military theory weren’t my principal areas of knowledge.
I made a mental note to inquire with Sir Janus about the exam.
At that point, my memory was already filled to the brim with sticky notes, side notes, footnotes, and obscure doodles that once made sense.
“Firewood, money, food reserves, Imperial Academy exam, alchemical ingredients, prevent Nokti from unearthing potatoes before harvest, arithmetic lessons, find out Elincia’s birthday, figure out the quirks of other species, establish my own city-state and made Elincia the Secretary of Children’s Services.” I recited in a whisper.
The last one wasn’t really viable, but dreaming cost nothing.
As much as my secret plans to establish a commercial hub were an interesting mental exercise in supply and development, I had more pressing tasks to accomplish first. I closed the window and switched my attention to the book in front of me. For the first time since I arrived in this world I had a free afternoon, which led me to my current activity, perusing the manor’s book collection.
[Master of Languages] was a cheat skill. It not only worked with spoken language but with written language too. I just needed to understand the word once for my skill to store the spelling next to the meaning. For that reason, I had wandered around the orphanage during the last days, chasing Elincia to ask her about words I didn’t yet know.
The book I was trying to read was an old treatise of alchemy but most of the words were too technical to understand without Elincia by my side. But it didn’t matter. I had a whole collection of otherworldly knowledge at my disposal.
And the System knew that rare books rubbed my brain cells in the most correct way.
I rubbed my hands in front of the shelf like a disgusting fly watching rotten fruit, enjoying the anticipation. On the other hand, if my college days taught me something, this was going to be more laborious than funny. Reading hundreds of pages to find a single quotation was really a monk's work.
Leaving my preconceptions behind, I grabbed a book it had caught my eye.
On Classes by Echbert Soother.
“This is a big, fat title, Mister Soother, so it better be good.” I muttered.
Of course the book started with a needlessly long forward where the author didn’t even mention the themes of the book whatsoever. I just shut down my inner literary critic and continued reading.
Things got very interesting very quickly in the second forward.
Apparently, Echbert was considered a rogue Scholar for inquiring into the System’s ways and revealing his conclusions to the world. As the lines progressed, Echbert metaphorically shat upon half a dozen other Scholars whose names I haven’t heard of but seemed important to the period. As the pages progressed, the quarrel continued until the last paragraph where Echbert dedicated his work to the gods who had ‘built the System with infinite wisdom and selflessness’.
“This makes sense. If the System was created by the gods, then inquiring about it might be considered a vain effort in the best case and sacrilege in the worst.” I whispered to myself, wondering if there were actual gods in this world. After all, the System seemed completely man-made to me.
I made another mental note to remember not to mention my heretical thoughts in front of a System Zealot.
Here begins the epitome on the study of the System and its Classes, composed and written by my hand and letter, who, guided by the System, had gathered the experience of over a thousand combatants, crafters, and other noble jobs, and had seen with my own two eyes the great archive of Saint Nives abbey and the secret compendium written by its Dark Zealots.
“Alright, no full stops for me.” I muttered
Blessed be those who embrace the teaching of the gods because they will be rewarded with radiant Classes. Reject the dishonest teaching and the bogus prophet because the way of the System is the way of one’s heart, embrace your given Class and not envy those of your neighbors because that is the design of the gods. I hereby pronounce the wisdom of Nives the Sage under the sun. The farmer’s son will be king and the King’s son will be farmer by the System’s will.
“Deterministic and sugar-coated.” I growled at the book, knowing that Echbert Soother wasn’t going to hear any of my complaints. If he was right, then Classes were assigned even before birth, it was destiny, fate, the god’s will, and no mortal could fight it.
I nervously drummed the table with my fingers.
Captain Kiln had told me something similar; the System only cared for the contents of the soul. Elincia, on the other hand, had told me she chose to be an Alchemist. That meant the person had some kind of input after all.
I had to ask her exactly what happened before she visited the System Altar, what she was taught during her childhood, what her teachers did, and what happened to the other orphans before they were forced to join the army.
I let [Awareness] feed me with the pictures of my own class bestowment. As much as I wanted to cast fireballs, the System had ignored my pleas and turned me into a Scholar.
I sighed and focused on the book. Maybe Echbert had more wisdom to share.
“Please, don’t go into a fascist tirade about how people with better Classes are more worthy than others with ‘lesser’ Classes.” I sighed again as I turned the page.
My pleas reached deaf ears because, oh boy, Echbert Soother had strong things to say about Farmers and Anglers.
As I continued passing the pages, my patience ran dry.
“Of course the sons and daughters of Swordmasters grow to become Fencers, you fucking maggot! They have the best tutors next to them!” I yelled at the worn-out pages, knowing that that was the case back on Earth and not necessarily here.
Captain Kiln had said people without fighting skills could achieve classes like Knight.
After an hour of fierce fighting against the pages, I put the book aside. Naively I had thought I could learn something while ignoring Echbert’s proto-eugenic ideals, but after he started calling for the eradication of certain classes, I decided it was too much for me.
I could understand people suspecting of someone holding a Bandit or an Assassin class, but there were a dozen classes related to family entertainment that didn’t deserve such contempt. For some reason Mimes got the worst part in Echbert’s book.
I was swinging in my chair when Elincia opened the door. Her radiant smile on her made me forget every single one of my worries if only for a moment.
“Autumn haircut ready. Some of the younger ones wouldn’t cooperate because a certain man refused to cut his hair like the rest.” Elincia crossed into the room and fell back into her bed while laughing.
My hair was still too short to need a haircut.
“Can you believe Virdian asked me to cut his hair just like yours? The poor thing doesn’t even have hair!” Elincia whispered with a cheerful voice as covering her mouth with a hand.
As funny as it was, it didn’t surprise me. That was the kind of wacky idea that usually came from Virdian’s chattering mouth. Since the snakefolk kids had started talking I was having a hard time keeping my composure in front of the orphans. That morning, I could barely hold the gruel inside my mouth after Virdian had pointed out that pots were clearly called ‘pots’ because of their close relationship with potatoes.
I glanced at Echbert’s book and scratched my incipient beard knowing I wasn’t going to get answers from him. Maybe Elincia could throw some light on the matter.
“I want to know more about you, Elincia.” I suddenly stopped rocking in the chair and glanced at the woman with renewed intensity. There was a world of distance between theory and practice and Echbert’s theory wasn’t necessarily reality no matter how many Saints and abbots he quoted.
“I want to know everything about you, in fact.” I said, full of conviction.
For some reason, my words seemed to have caught her by surprise.
“I-I’m sure a seasoned Scholar who has eaten man-killing pastries like you wouldn't find a nobody like me interesting.” Elincia stuttered as her ears burned a deep crimson hue.
I shook my head.
“Sometimes illumination comes from the most unsuspecting places.” I replied, recalling the tale of an historian who found important documents while messing around in an older section of a library. “I recall you told me you chose to become an Alchemist. You touched the Altar and you entered a state of meditation where you spoke to the System. Can you tell me about that?”
Elincia looked at me with an even more confused face but replied nonetheless.
“Yes, that was what happened. The System offered me the Hunter Class but I knew I could help the orphanage more by being an Alchemist so I just went for it.” Elincia sat up on her bed. She crossed her arms and legs while looking at me with utmost seriousness. “I’m not understanding where this conversation is going.”
This time I was the one looking at her in confusion.
“I’m trying to figure out what I should do to ensure our kids get good Classes. Isn't it obvious?”
Elincia grumbled as she massaged her temples. Any hint of blushing had left her face, instead she showed an annoyed expression.
“Of course you are doing Scholar stuff. Why did I think otherwise?” She sighed.
“Do you think people are destined for the Classes they get?” I asked before she could change the topic of the conversation. This was important for me and for the future of the orphans.
“Some people think we are destined to our Classes. When I spoke to the System I felt it looking inside me. If there is a truth out there, it is that the System knows who you truly are.” Elincia glared at me. “I do think the System just draws what is inside you. Being an Alchemist just like Mister Lowel was probably inside me because of my experiences and my desire to help the orphanage.”
I closed my eyes and sorted my thoughts. If Elincia was in the right then Class was a conjunction of desire and personality; what you wanted and what you were. Which was troublesome at a practical level. Teaching arithmetic and fencing was easy compared to molding the content of a child’s character. Back on Earth I tried really hard to guide my students on the path of virtue with little apparent success most of the time.
“Rob, are you listening to me?”
I opened my eyes and found Elincia standing just in front of me.
“Sorry, I was thinking. What were you saying?” I quickly apologized.
Elincia let out the grandmother of all sighs.
“If someone can connect with the kids and unlock their true potential, that’s you, Rob. I do believe you can change their fates for good. I believe it with all my heart.” Elincia’s smile sent a shiver through my body. Not only that was the nicest thing someone had told me in this world or the other, hearing it from Elincia made it mean even more.
I panicked a little.
“I’m not sure you have the greatest eye for men, I mean, you used to trust Holst.” I tried to joke to lighten the moment but my joke was not well received.
“I swear to the fucking System, I had never wanted to kill someone this much before meeting you, Robert Clarke.” Elincia sharply jabbed at my shoulder and stomped all her way back to her bed. “Just keep doing your thing and the kids will do fine. Now get out of my room. I’m done with you, damned Scholars.”
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2023.06.23 23:18 a_lang_face Tania Sanchez appreciation post

Tania Sanchez is one of my favorite perfume writers. I think she tends to get overshadowed by Luca Turin, her more established co-author - and so I thought I'd use this post as a way to share some Sanchez quotations I find enlightening or just fun to read. If you like this, I recommend checking out any of the guides she co-wrote with Luca Turin.
I will also be placing certain passages in bold because these are pretty long blocks of text and I want to signpost certain parts. The bolded emphasis is always mine.
I'm also dividing these quotes the following subjects since I imagine most people will only be interested in one or two of these topics:
Hope you enjoy!! Let me know if you have any thoughts, points of agreement / disagreement, etc.
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From the 2008 A-Z Perfume Guide:
On subjectivity, or why and how we perceive fragrances differently
This actually comes after most of the quotes below in terms of order, but I'm putting it first because I think it's one of the most helpful explanations of subjectivity and "taste" in perfume.
Mostly, we don’t smell things differently—we interpret and describe them differently. We tend to do a lot better agreeing on food smells (garlic, bread, strawberries, roast duck) that have familiar real-world referents than with fine fragrance, which is often a complex mixture of unfamiliar smells to start with.
Our disagreements on smells seem to be mostly over what we like and don’t like, and what they mean to us. Then there’s the fact that when smelling complex compositions, we frequently recognize one element from having met it before in something else, such that if two people encounter the same perfume, one may claim that it smells like tomatoes while the other insists it smells like something burning, simply because they’ve latched on to separate elements of the same mixture and have ceased to perceive it as a whole. It’s a bit like going to the same movie but finding afterward that one of you considered it a meditation on landscape while the other considered it a meditation on Brad Pitt. Same data, different filters. [...] As for the gloried noses you’ve heard of, capable of detecting and identifying a wide variety of smells, having a “nose” really means having both a nose and a mind. In the absence of interfering medical problems, the nose is a remarkably sensitive instrument, although you may not pay much attention to the copious information it delivers because these days it’s usually not a matter of life and death. If you were to heed smells as if they were important, thinking about them and describing them, you probably would find after a time that you could distinguish many more smells than you thought.
However, there are a few specific anosmias scattered throughout the population. Anosmia means the inability to smell a specific molecule, and in drastic cases it means the inability to smell at all. A few specific aromachemicals have a different smell for a small subset of the population. But these are biological anomalies, not a retreat into pure subjectivity. For the most part, the raw data you get are mostly the same as everyone else’s, but the interpretation your mind makes (would you describe it as nice? nasty? a bit like soap? lemons? candy? floor wax?) may make it seem otherwise.
On bad cliches in perfume journalism
Smell psychologists and the uncritical journalists who love them get a lot of mileage out of calling smell the most primitive sense. (When I am queen of the universe, the epithets “the most primitive sense” and “the most mysterious sense” will be banned from all writing on smell.) But as with all of the work of evolutionary psychologists, the conclusions that support our desires and reinforce our prejudices are those of which we should be most wary. [...] Psychologists seem particularly fixated on sex as the engine that secretly drives our every choice and action. This point of view never cost a psychologist his or her job or interfered with book sales, and offers the irresistible premise that biology releases us from the responsibility to make choices. Pop psychologists love smell. Smell is supposedly about sex and deeply buried memory, a sense that bypasses the rational mind, thwarts all efforts of language to describe it, and reaches sneaky neural wiring directly into regions beyond thought—for example, forcing you to be sexually attracted to or threatened by the perspiration of basketball players or generating forceful hallucinations of childhood triggered by smells of floor wax. It’s the fondest hope of every perfume firm that the psychologists should be right, and that human beings should be sniffing each other to say hello and see who’s been where and with whom. Psychology is supposed to be a science, and science makes profits predictable.
Unfortunately for the profits, perfume really is an art, not a science. Tocade is not a better fragrance than Dior Addict because it better approximates the mix of odors released by a fertile female. Tocade is better than Dior Addict because it’s more beautiful. The varieties of beauty in art are not irreducibly animal and ineffable. Somebody puts these things together with skill and intention. Perfumes have ideas: there are surprising textures, moods, tensions, harmonies, juxtapositions. Perfumes seem to come in various weights and sizes, to have different personalities, to wear different clothes, to worship different deities. Some perfumes are facile and some are complicated; some are representative, some abstract. Above all, some are better than others.
On the limits of sex appeal & soliflores
Even if you love soliflores & realistic florals, I think Sanchez's critique of them is worth reading because it highlights the difficulty of executing this style.
The question that women casually shopping for perfume ask more than any other is this: “What scent drives men wild?” After years of intense research, we know the definitive answer. It is bacon. Now, on to the far more interesting subject of perfume.
It is a mistake to think that the overwhelming reason for women to wear perfume is to attract the opposite sex. But as Luca once explained to me regarding the peculiar, temperature-independent scanty dress of many young women at night, what a woman on the prowl requires is something that men will register after six beers. Thus the use of simplified sexual cues, such as short skirts and big hair, and perhaps also a loud, sweet, pervasive perfume that will cut through a fog of spilled liquor, end-of-day body odor, the occasional vomit on the bar floor, and the perfumes of the nearest five girls[...]
Perhaps this attention-getting olfactive strategy can also, in a way, explain the second mistake, milder than the first but still quite wrong, that women tend to make when choosing a fragrance, which is to assume that the reason to wear perfume is to impersonate a flower bed. This is a very fine strategy if your aim is to attract bees. Otherwise, you could do better. Flowers smell good, it is true. Alongside their frequently loud colors and their petal markings that in ultraviolet light flash the message “Eat at Joe’s,” they release a steady mixture of volatile fragrant attractants tuned to catch attention at a distance, much like the aforementioned bar beauties, and with the same hardwired goal, which is to say sexual reproduction.
[...] truth to tell, a flower is not quite a perfume. The fragrances known as soliflores, meant to represent a single material or flower, nice as they may be, have a hard time competing with the best perfumes unless they cheat in more interesting directions, because, unlike perfumers, flowers aren’t interested in us. Having heard innumerable passionate panegyrics on the smell of this or that blossom—honeysuckle, mimosa, gardenia, rose, linden, lily of the valley, get out your garden catalog and fill in the rest—I have taken the time to poke my face into many flowers, after checking for biting or stinging inhabitants. They have smelled mostly pleasant, occasionally harsh or disappointingly simple, ethereal or syrupy, peppery or creamy, arresting and frequently weird, blending a sort of bad breath with almond paste, a lingering smell of feet with heavenly ambrosia, an odd smell of swimming pools behind a lemon freshness, and so on. Flowers are things I like to smell in passing, not on me. And even if I did want to smell like them, there’d be a technical problem. Flowers are more like plug-in air fresheners than like perfumes. They emit a steady puff of stuff, which floats off and meets you at a distance and then flies away, replenished constantly. Perfumes sprayed once on the skin evaporate and—unless you’re fanatical enough to keep refreshing your fragrance every hour, which will make you the least favorite co-worker on the company elevator—metamorphose and eventually fade.
On abstraction
[...] Guerlain’s Mitsouko is in structure basically Coty’s landmark Chypre with the peach base Persicol added. However, Mitsouko doesn’t smell like two distinct things hashed together—far from it. Instead, it smells like a new creature called Mitsouko: an autumnal, poignant chord, rounded and full, something that feels on first meeting as if you have known it before, the way certain people you meet seem as if they were expecting you or you them, even if you are technically strangers.
What we’re really talking about is the art of abstraction in perfumery: the creation of a new smell for its own qualities, and not for any fidelity to things already known.
She then goes on to describe an experiment where she and a friend combined Persicol with Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, inspired by the iris-peach accord in the long-discontinued Jacques Fath Iris Gris:
Magic is always most astonishing when done small and up close. For a while, we smelled only iris, then, for a time, both iris and peach. We were on the verge of getting bored with our game when one last drop pushed the mixture into the realm of the inexplicable. Instead of the iris and peach keeping their separate identities, we perceived billowing out of the vial a third presence, like a newborn dream object with the satin cool of its rooty father and a plummy richness inherited from its lactonic mother: it was Iris Gris in the rough. The idea itself is simple enough once you know it’s there, but finding and recognizing it is not so easy. You can no more predict the next great beautiful perfumery idea than you can predict the next catchy melody before you hear it.
On the disappointment of men's fragrances
Mostly including this because I imagine it will be a cathartic read for anyone struggling to find masculine fragrances that they like.
Fragrances for men are mostly identical crap, designed to trap you and give you away as a lout. [...] They seem to say that any man vain and stupid enough to be shopping for a new, different fragrance deserves to smell like a suicide cocktail of dishwashing detergent and rubbing alcohol, and that any person fool enough to spend a lot of time near such a man deserves to breathe unwholesome air. The fragrances seem to be a punishment for trying, a prank on the guy who dares to dab on. They are also, for the most part, uniform copies of accepted forms, like varieties of suit, an array of different types of banal. You’d be forgiven for thinking this unpleasant uniformity was some kind of ideal, for suspecting that anything else was a perversion that would mark you as an eccentric or a criminal. For example, when you read the reviews in this guide or simply peruse the male fragrance counter at any perfume purveyor, you will find there are currently hundreds if not thousands of clones of Davidoff’s Cool Water at widely varying price points, which have zero correlation with quality. Every year, more arrive.
[...]
Curiously, men’s traditional disinterest in spending money on their grooming has worked in their favor for decades. Cheap male scents that we all take for granted—Old Spice, Brut, English Leather, Stetson—actually smell terrific. No celebrities show up on TV or in glossy double-page spreads hawking any of these scents. They are intended for the type of guy who mates with a product for life, like my father, who has for decades used the same fragrance (Old Spice), the same toothpaste (Colgate), the same toothbrush (GUM, with the gum-cleaning rubber appendage stuck to one end), the same soap (Irish Spring), and the same hair gel (a tube of green slick called Score, now traumatically discontinued). When a product works for a man, he buys it until he dies or it does. In contrast, when a product works for a woman, she tends to buy it until she gets bored. This economic pressure has kept mass-market men’s fragrances cheap and cheerful, since repeat business is their bread and butter, and the only reason a guy like my dad would continue to buy a fragrance is that it smells good. Crap fragrance has been mostly the realm of the luxury-branded middle range, which counts on conning aspirational men with disposable income who buy fragrances for reasons other than the smell.
From the review of Chanel 31 Rue Cambon
I've never smelled the EDT version of 31 Rue Cambon - which is what's being reviewed here - but I think about this review touches on ideas that have wide applications in arts criticism, not just perfume.
[...] When cooked into usable form, [oakmoss] becomes a thick goo with a medieval fairy-tale smell of smoke, ink, and forest mulch, which gives the rich and sweet chypre idea its bitter backbone. So what is a chypre without oakmoss? An exercise in illusion via allusion. By arranging a series of familiar cues, 31 Rue Cambon calls to mind other great fragrances, older and recent, and makes you imagine the missing element. That rich iris beginning, substituting a noseticklingly dry pepper for the leather, promises Chanel’s own Cuir de Russie; floating in and out of focus is the jasmine heart of Diorella, fizzy and bright as cold 7UP; you find a lemon-custard moment that makes you think briefly of Shalimar Light, among others; and oh, that big, singing amber, didn’t you meet it in Guerlain’s Guet-Apens? [...] Elsewhere, LT compared its beauty to Grace Kelly lighting up the room in Rear Window. Yet Kelly’s beauty lacked content. Compare hers to the melancholy sensuality of Rita Hayworth (or Baghari), the girlish ferocity of Bette Davis (Jolie Madame), or the carnivorous threat of Ava Gardner (Tabac Blond). I find 31 Rue Cambon lovely but not moving because not strange.
I'm going to stop here because I think it might be disrespectful / borderline copyright violation to quote further from this one book. I enjoy both this book and the 2011 abridged version (The Hundred Classic Picks) for Sanchez's insightful 5-star reviews of: L'Air du Desert Marocain, Angel, Azuree, Bois des Iles, Breath of God, Calyx, Knowing, Lolita Lempicka, No. 5, Ormonde Woman, Estee Lauder Private Collection, Gucci Rush, Caron Le 3eme Homme, & White Linen, among others.
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From The Little Book of Perfumes: The 100 Classic Picks
On Diorella
I'm including this passage solely because I shared several Turin/Sanchez passages with a friend, and he said that Sanchez's description of vintage Diorella sounds like it could have come from the Necronomicon lol
"...acid-sharp and a little sleazy, [...] formed of a delicious citrus so rich it was nearly greasy, an unabashedly meretricious jasmine, the austere bitterness of oakmoss, a slice of melon for garnish, and throughout a suspicion of dirty drawers."
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From the 2018 book Perfumes: The Guide
On the oud trend:
Oud is the new vanilla. I submit to your attention the fact that this year’s guide contains forty-six fragrances with some spelling variant of “oud” in the name. (You’ll also see aoud and oudh.) This does not take into account all the fragrances that smell of oud but don’t name it. There are a few reasons this admittedly strange note, with its rich smells of wood glue, leather, and adhesive bandages, has taken off. [...] [One plausible reason is] the enormous opening for Western fragrances in the oil-rich and luxury-fond Arab market, the land where oud fragrances originate, where guests are scented with frankincense and rosewater, and where men wear flamboyant woody rose scents that fill a room. Western oud fragrances both pander to this market and tickle the fancy of the restless niche-perfume adventurer. Synthetic oud bases are also now available, for perfumers who find the real thing too expensive, inconstant in quality, or too funky. Lastly, perfumers have been laboring to construct better drydowns for a decade now, ever since a combination of shortages and regulations gutted classic structures heavily reliant on materials like oakmoss (allergen), sandalwood (overharvested), musks (the nitro musks pegged neurotoxins), vanilla (currently limited, expensive supply), civet (animal rights). Oud is a long-lasting material with a complex aroma including a conceivably “animalic” facet. Now that perfume brands have started doing more with it than simply bragging about it on the bottle, it may well become one of those core perfumery materials that is essential even when you don’t know it’s there.
On trends for: beast-mode projection, panty-droppers, etc
Masculine fragrance now smells more powerful than feminine. Complaining about other people’s smells has been a popular hobby a long time, but the dude offending you with his mighty aftershave had been a less common focus for public ire than the woman surely recovering from a cold when she emptied half her bottle on her bosom. No more. There has of course been a committed campaign to get men to overuse fragrance, calling it “body spray” and commanding them to cover themselves in it. A decade ago an acquaintance of mine complained that her adolescent son and friends all had so much Axe on (Lynx in the UK) that there was no room left for oxygen. Recently a friend posted on Facebook a screenshot of a men’s fragrance discussion board on which a poignantly daft man, of such an age that he could even be the aforementioned adolescent, opined that his latest fragrance had great “projection” (you smell him before you see him), was a “panty-dropper” (I was wrong in guessing this meant it could corrode elastic in underwear), and that all the women were making eyes at him, especially, he insisted, “the Asian ones.” Well. I rethought my entire strategy of glaring at men who overdo their scent. One sees repeated male discussion online of the power and effectiveness of fragrances, as if they were some kind of machine. I’m reminded of a guy from Ohio whom I met in New York City, whose transformation into an East Coast man of fashion was nearly flawless, until at a party, microbrew in hand, he gazed up at the host’s roaring air conditioner and bellowed out admiringly, “BTUs, baby!” (Those are British Thermal Units, though of course you knew that.)
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2023.06.09 05:07 IndividualThat1874 2500 WORD ENGLISH LANGUAGE ESSAY DUE 12/06/2023 £100 OFFER!!!

Analyse a piece of language, exploring any topic covered in the Studying Language module.
Write up your analysis in a 2500-word essay using ONE of the following prompts:
See the sections below for more advice on approaching your question and structuring the essay.

Coursework 2 - general guidance

Topic

Whichever prompt you use, you will need to choose your own area of study, and will need to research it independently. Be specific in your focus - your project needs to be something you can produce over a few weeks and write up within 2500 words. A project with a title like “Gendered language” would be far too broad; a project with a title such as “The ways gendered language is used in a Twitch chat” would be better. You should produce your own title that indicates your topic and focus, don’t just use the prompt as your title.

Text

Your text or ‘piece of language’ could come from anywhere - try to think beyond your typical sources, and think about the examples of language that have been discussed in the lectures, seminars, and workshops. You can look at something within a poem or novel, but you could also look at a youtube video, a political speech, an advertising campaign, a corporate document, a news item, dialogue in a videogame, language used by language learners, children’s language use or language aimed at children, a form of instant messaging, names or descriptions in a tabletop RPG, and many others.
The language of your text does not need to be English. You can look at texts in any language, including signed languages. You will of course need to provide translations as appropriate to enable discussions and for the reader to follow your analyses.
You can select several smaller texts if your analysis will involve making comparisons.
Think about why you are choosing your particular text. Why is it worth studying? What is interesting about it? Is it relevant to your analysis? What type of text will help you to address your aims?

Reading

You need to read beyond the coursebook. However, the end of each chapter can be helpful to look at, since they point to some recommended reading. Don’t just rely on authors or papers that were mentioned in your lecturers.
Helpful places to search for publications include Google Scholar. Scholarly papers and articles in the area you’ve chosen will give you a good overall template for how to set out your essay..

Analysis

Whichever prompt you choose, you will analyse a text or piece of language. Make use of knowledge gained in the lectures and skills gained in the seminars and workshops to aid your discussions and arguments, as appropriate to your question. Each type of linguistic analysis we’ve covered in the workshops (phonology, morphology, etc.) can be applied to any of these prompts - but you should only use analyses that are relevant to your question. If your question does not relate to sounds or pronunciation, don’t try to squeeze in phonology for the sake of it.
If you are transcribing a speech or some language that you’ve gathered yourself, such as from an interview etc., choose a level of transcription appropriate to your data and your purpose. If pronunciation is important, then IPA will be necessary (at least for the specific words or phrases you discuss); if you are only considering content or structure, then general dialogue transcription is fine. We covered IPA conventions in the workshops in the autumn semester [laik ɵɪs]. Dialogue transcription or conversation transcription conventions can easily be found online.

Data collection and ethics requirements

Research data includes anything and everything you gather from human participants for research purposes, including gathering opinions or ratings, conducting interviews, running lab-based studies, etc.
If you are gathering any type of data, you must complete the ethics forms before you begin. Complete the online ethics form and wait to receive approval before collecting any data. You will also need to prepare a consent form using the template. Each of your participants must sign a consent form. Keep all of the Consent Forms safe - ideally, digitise them and store them in your university OneDrive. If an examiner asks to check your consent forms and you can't produce them, you will likely get an immediate 0 for the essay.
You cannot gather data from anyone under 16, since this would require additional ethics approval that you won’t have time for at this stage.
The ethics application form is available online. The Information Sheet & Consent Form template are on moodle, as well as in this OneDrive folder.

Submitting

Give your essay a final read through before submitting to check for any issues with spelling, grammar, formatting, etc. There will be a submission link on the moodle page where you can upload your completed essay. Make sure you are submitting into the Coursework 2 submission box.

Coursework 2 - advice for each prompt

Remember to choose ONE of the following.
These are broad prompts; you will still need to come up with your own title for your essay.

Design and run a very small language study

Any language-related topic is fine for your study, and any experimental procedure is fine - though it is advisable to keep it simple! There are various online tools for running simple studies, such as collecting participant reaction times. Your experiment could also be an interview, focus group, or a simple rating task. You should explain why the procedure you’ve chosen is appropriate to your aims, and what you expect to find. Describe your study’s procedure, the materials or questions, and your participants. The number of participants is not particularly important, though you should mention the small sample size as a potential drawback when discussing your findings. You do not need to do any statistics - if you run an experiment you can just look descriptively at the data (compare averages to observe patterns in the data); if you conduct an interview or similar, you should transcribe it and discuss the themes that emerge. Remember that collecting data means you need ethics approval before you begin.

Propose a language study without actually carrying it out

For this prompt you should explain how you would set up and carry out an experiment. What method would be used? What would participants be required to do, and how would this help to address your research question? Why is your question worth exploring? You should justify choices and make predictions based on existing studies you have read. Be clear how the findings of the study would contribute to analysis of a text - how would the data inform the analysis? You should also try to think of various factors that would need to be taken into consideration or that could influence results (such as age, or vocabulary level). How many participants do you think you would need? What would your materials look like and why? Ethics approval is not needed if you are not gathering any data.

Produce a stylistic analysis of any literary work

This relates to the topics covered in the Literary Linguistics and Stylistics series of lectures and seminars. This is primarily about themes and literary devices within the text. You can examine any type of literary work, though you should think beyond anything you did at A-level, or have already looked at in another module. If the text you look at is long (like a novel), you can think about how to select a representative segment - either one passage for a close analysis, or perhaps a set of passages from across the text. Just be careful that you are not cherry-picking parts that support your argument. Likewise, you should be selective about what features you choose to analyse - it will be impossible to produce a comprehensive analysis of even a short text, so aim to focus on one or two specific features (e.g. phonaesthetics, semantics, deixis, cohesion, etc.), and examine their effects in the text or passage as a whole. Remember this is a language analysis, not simply literary interpretation.

Analyse an example of language variety or change

This covers a wide range of topics: language can differ or change due to gender identity, age, education, other social factors, dialects and accents, time, etc. Other language varieties can also be found in specific online communities or interest groups. Whatever you choose, you should have a reason for selecting it: Why is it interesting? Why is it worth studying? What will it tell us? You should also try to comment on why you would expect your chosen factor to influence language or to display language differences. You can then explore the variations you observe within that variety and potential reasons for them or impacts as a result of them. You obviously won’t have the space to compare or analyse everything in a given variety, so you should focus on just a few aspects or language features, or even just one. You might choose to focus on variations or change in pronunciation, or word choice, or sentence structure, for example.

Produce a discourse analysis of any text

Here the focus is on a spoken, written, or signed text and how its parts relate to each other and to the function of the text as a whole. You can look at various aspects of language within the text from a more structural point of view (e.g. its clause structure, or the relation between different speakers’ turns) or more thematically (e.g. in terms of gendered discourses that the text encodes, or features of politeness). You should look especially at the sociolinguistics set of lectures, as well as the discourse portion of the workshops and coursebook. As with the stylistic analysis task above, it will be challenging to produce a comprehensive analysis of every feature in a text in 2500 words. Therefore, you should aim to focus on one or a small number of features, and to comment on their significance in detail.

Coursework 2 - essay format

In all cases, there are general conventions for setting out a linguistic study. The exact structure can differ, but the sections below are a good guide to the overall structure. When you read published articles in your chosen field (e.g. psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, etc.), they will give you an idea of the broad structure that is typical for that field.

Introduction

Briefly set out the key question, issue, or area you are exploring.

Literature Review

Discuss existing scholarship relevant to your topic or question. Outline how your work draws on or connects with published work. Read widely! Criticising a theory from the 1960s is not very impactful if you’ve ignored a host of recent work that has since updated or disproven that theory.
This section will have the most citations. Try to avoid direct lengthy quotations from published work - use your own words, engage with the work you have read and comment on it (and of course make sure you cite it correctly). Long quotes don’t help to demonstrate understanding; you need to interpret what you’ve read rather than just repeating it.
You don’t need to say everything that an article covers - you only need to discuss or summarise the parts of an article that relate to your topic or argument. Similarly, if you find a couple of publications that essentially say the same thing, you should either cite the most relevant one, or cite them together, e.g. “...several studies have claimed [whatever] (Smith, 2000; Jones, 2002).”.
It is perfectly fine to disagree with a published work or be critical of some aspect of it, though you should give some sensible reasoning. You can also be generally evaluative, saying which studies, theories, or analyses you find convincing or unconvincing and why. For example, a study might seem unconvincing due to a flawed design or analysis, or using an overly small sample size, or using a text for analysis that is not representative or appropriate.
End this section with a clear indication of your aims and predictions.
The Introduction and Literature Review could be merged into a single section, if it helps the flow of your essay.

Methodology

Prior to your analysis, you should indicate the specific approach you are taking or the framework that you are following. Justifying choices is something that often gets ignored - Why did you choose one method over another? Why is the framework relevant or suitable to your question? Justify why you’ve taken a particular approach, or why you’ve chosen to analyse certain language features and not others. You may have decided to look at word choices in a dialogue or speech - why are word choices more appropriate for addressing your question than, say, syntax or morphology?
If you have undertaken your own small-scale study, or collected data, this is where you set out how you did it, and explain and justify your choices. How was the task structured? What did participants need to do? What type of data was collected?

Results (if you collected data)

This is where you summarise your data as succinctly as possible. Diagrams and tables are good here, and will save you words. You shouldn’t present data twice - either have it in a table or a graph, not both. You can still briefly summarise in-text what a table or graph means.

Analysis / Discussion

This is the core of the essay where you carefully analyse your chosen text. If you gathered data, this is where you discuss and interpret the data. You could organise your analysis into subsections according to each theme or each language feature. Make sure you clearly relate your arguments and discussions to the text or data - give appropriate examples from your text or data.
Highlight what your main findings or claims are. What might the implications or applications be? Discuss how your findings or analyses relate to existing work, particularly the works you highlighted in your Literature Review - do they agree or disagree? If your findings are different from existing work, or from your own predictions, then why might that be? You should also touch on some limitations or future considerations, but keep this brief.
The Results and Analysis / Discussion can be combined, if that helps it to read more fluently.

Conclusion

Say what is most significant or interesting in your study or analysis. What is the key takeaway from your essay? This should not be a repetition or summary of the Discussion - it should give an overall statement of what you found or what your findings mean. Something that ties the general discussion or analysis together.

References

Your References section is a single alphabetical list of all works cited, which must be included at the end or your essay, before any appendices you have. It is not a Bibliography. This section should only include sources that were actually cited. If you read something but didn’t cite it in your essay, then don’t include it here.
Be consistent in your citation and referencing style. APA is used in psycholinguistics, Harvard is used in other areas of linguistics. Harvard is covered in the School of English Assessments Handbook (available on the English Community Hub moodle pages). For guidance on APA, see this APA referencing guide.
Avoid using footnotes or endnotes.
References are not part of the word-count.

Appendix

Include the text or passage that you analysed or transcribed here. It might be useful to label line numbers in your chosen text or transcription if you have one; this will allow you to refer to line numbers in your Discussion without needing to quote each time.
If you gather data, you can include it here, but still provide a summary in the Results section. You can also include an example of any materials you created, a questionnaire you used, etc. Actual essay content can’t be placed there.
The Appendix is not part of the word-count.
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2023.05.22 02:43 SnazzyBees The anniversary of the teens being in the Wilderness for a year

So I wanted to talk about this because I realized that in season 3 we'll likely be watching the transition from spring/summer into autumn, which will mean the teens will have been in the Wilderness for roughly a year, and I couldn't help but wonder what the resulting events of that realization will be. Fair warning, I'm not a very eloquent writer, though I'm going to try to keep it organized! Spoiler tags are for Season 2 Episode 8 just incase that gets discussed! Also, I would love to hear everyone else's thoughts and opinions on it! Truthfully this was meant to be mainly a discussion post but I'm tagging it as theory because I go on a bit of a tangent.
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To start, I want to talk about when they'll likely realize how long they've approximately been stranded for. The reason I say approximately is because I don't think the girls will realize on the actual day of. While it's possible Shauna has kept perfect journals documenting every single day that's gone by, or another one of the girls has also been journaling and tracking the dates, I'd argue the chances of that are slim to none. They're all pretty detached from reality, and we haven't really seen anyone save for Shauna and Javi journal. Javi we can assume has uh... lost his passion for writing, and Shauna at the very least likely lost a couple days when she was recovering from childbirth, and while it is possible she was able to figure out the exact number of days she's missed, it's also just as likely she hasn't, especially because she has been dealing with the struggles that come with starvation on top of recovering from a difficult labor, miscarriage, and psychosis, all of which can certainly contribute to losing track of the days, and it's unlikely any of the other girls would have an exact idea of things either. So, when will they realize how long they've been out there if they don't have an exact date? My bets are when it starts to transition into autumn, for the reasons below:
First, I don't think they'll realize in the spring because this will be their first spring out in the Wilderness to begin with. Plus, with spring comes game, and assuming their latest meal is able to help tide them over, they will likely be too focused using all their energy gathering as many resources as possible to ensure their survival within the coming months. I don't believe they'll realize come summer because while it does get warmer, the Canadian Rockies have short-ish summers, and the temperature doesn't get very high. So it's likely that while the temperature change is somewhat noticeable, the girls will still be too focused on hunting ( and hopefully fishing), gathering supplies...etc., to realistically pay it too much mind.
This leaves us (heh) with why I believe that it'll likely be early autumn the teens realize that it's been a year. Spring and summer often blend together in terms of the general colour of the environment, however autumn marks the first noticeable hint of winter coming. I think it will be a combination of the girls seeing the fruits of their labour in having a hopefully full(ish) storage and gear prepared for winter, along with the shorter days (leading to spending longer amounts of time in the cabin) and changing leaf colours that will have them realize how long it really has been. Whether or not this is a collective realization, or an individual points it out and informs the group, I have no idea! I just have my bets on autumn because that was around the time they all started settling into life in the wilderness, and the physical changes that come with the leaves dying along with the weather getting colder, and things being forced to slow down due to lack of light, that they'll have more time to really contemplate and realize the situation they are still in.
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Moving on, I think the realization of being stranded in the Wilderness for a year will hold a lot of significance, and likely be at least part of the reason why shit really hits the fan (not that it already hasn't). We as people tend to really cherish and put importance on yearly anniversaries of significant events. Be it wedding anniversaries, birthdays, or on the flip side, the day a loved one has died. There's no way the teens won't feel some kind of way about the anniversary of their time in the wilderness coming up to a year. Especially because its one thing to be stranded for months, but the dread of being stuck with no sign of being rescued after a year is something that could very well lead them into going full on "This is our home now" and giving up on ever leaving. Lottie has already said that "It doesn't want us to leave", and I think the year-anniversary will for some of the girls be the thing that makes them truly believe that. It's also likely that this will be around the time they start to once again think about winter, and in embracing the fact that the Wilderness is their new home, they'll go all in on decorating the place to look like a spooky blood sacrifice cult as evidenced by this picture that I'm totally not mainly using to add a little pizazz to this post...
Yellowjackets Series-Premiere Recap: What Really Happened Out There?
Img Source: Vulture
I think the most important significance the realization of being in the Wilderness for a year will bring is the fact that assuming they come to this conclusion in autumn, this will lead to three significant things happening to the group during this time. The first being Doomcoming, and the second being Jackie's death. I believe this will be the catalyst to a second Doomcoming, and unlike the first one where the event began as a means of getting back in-touch with civilization, I think this Doomcoming will be the opposite. I believe this Doomcoming will be done as a means of honouring the Wilderness, and thanking it for all it has given them. How will they be thanking it? I think it could be easily assumed that this thanks will come in the form of a human sacrifice. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this will likely be the first time the girls sacrifice one of their own with the intent being on honouring the Wilderness, rather than eating. Especially if we consider that this year, the girls will likely have a lot more food than last, as they've all developed the skills to survive, and since Doomcoming happened when there was still game around, it's all likely that when this sacrifice is made, they'll have plenty of non-human grade meat lying around, and thus this particular death will be done almost if not entirely for the purpose of honouring and giving thanks to the Wilderness. Furthermore, the day after Doomcoming, Jackie ended up sleeping outside and was found the next morning frozen to death. Since Jackie was the first of the girls to be eaten, I believe that Doomcoming will also likely honour her and the "sacrifice" (in quotation marks because realistically I don't think Jackie would've been super stoked at the idea of dying and then being eaten) she made in becoming food, so it wouldn't surprise me if they sacrifice a victim in a similar way, perhaps leaving her outside all night chained up. I also wouldn't be shocked if Shauna either leads or co-leads this part of the celebrations of Doomcoming, and if Shauna ends up in a different camp as Lottie (which I doubt because her greatest ally, Tai, will likely be on Lottie's side because of Van, so it would make more sense for Shauna despite all the bullshit to just kind of suck it up and stick with Lottie, especially because everyone else is giving her some major side-eye for the one sided WWE fight she had, and she likely wouldn't be safe without Tai in her corner).
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Basically, this is a very long winded way of saying that I think it'll be autumn that the teens realize they've been stranded for a little more than a year, and with this realization there will be a widespread embracing of Lottie's "It doesn't want us to leave", and cult activities will ramp up to an 11, with a second and likely far more spooky and sinister Doomcoming. With that all being said, I could be completely wrong and I'd love to hear everyone else's opinions on it, and I really appreciate you taking the time to read all this!
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2023.05.21 09:37 DestinyJ1112 A Goblin Theory

I believe that goblins are the last “children”of one of the Queens of the fae. More than likely Maeve. Now why did I put quotations around children? That is because they were born from her death. Let me explain.
From these latest chapters we learned a little bit more about Velan’s death and how it came about. What do we know in total? 1. Sprigaena and the original Goblin King were in a relationship. 2. The appearance of goblins. 3. The longevity of goblins. 4. The spring and summer courts are actually smaller than the winter and autumn courts. 5. The fae look to the goblins as victims and call them children. 6. The fae despise half-elves. 7. Goblins mature EXCEPTIONALLY fast. 8. Sprigeana changed her name to Sprithae and became the first Queen of Erribathe. 9. Goblin Kings lose their ever loving minds because they recieve the first King’s memories. Now, let me explain each point and why I believe I know the origin of goblins.
Velan the Kind shed tears when he spotted a half-elf that was as perfect a replica of Sprigaena and he froze, thus killing him. This relationship the original King had with her, whether it was platonic or not (I’m thinking not) means the Goblin race existed when THE war was occurring. What do we know of that war. Maeve and Titania died. Maeve more than likely died first thus the noticeable difference between the courts. More than likely, Titania died next, but not for a while I gather. Also, it was more than likely Titania died at Sprigaena’s hands, thus the fae’ enmity towards half-elves. We can also see that the very image of Sprigaena to goblin’s is the very definition of rage/wrath. When Numbtongue saw her vague outline in the Garden and heard her name, he released a scream akin to Velan when he became King.
Goblins share the appearance of the spring court of the fae. This is self evident. When I was reading the original descriptions of the spring court I was reminded of goblins immediately.
From descriptions of Rags and Greydath we know that goblins can mature to full cheiftans and even Kings very quickly. They can also grow so old as to see multiple centuries but noticeably age, thus not immortal.
I don’t know who killed Maeve. Nobody but Pirate does. What I do know is she died in THE war. The fae look at goblins as children and victims. I don’t think children refers to the age of goblins. THE war was approximately 87,000 years ago. I think goblins were the children of Maeve. I’m not entirely sure how many of you are well versed in neurobiology, but plants have consciousness. As basic as it is. Put a plant in specific places and watch it grow towards the sun, it is actually very cool. Anyway, when Meave died she bled into the earth, and the grass around her. Early stories of the fae were that some were born from nature. When the blood of a goddess touched the grass around her, every blade became a goblin. Soldiers (blades) to fight those that killed their mother. The recollection of memories that goblins can get sounds a lot like genetic/race memory to me. Plants have a version of this called epigenetic memory (stress memory). As for why goblins die of old age if they were born from a goddess? Goblins can procreate and mature at a fantastic rate because of their origin. Everything must have a balance, so they can ‘only’ live for centuries.
As for the victims part… Sprigaena went on to become the first Queen of Erribathe. What was probably her first move? Since she knew about the goblin’s ability to recall memories and to hide her sin of treachery, she declared goblins monsters in the hope they would be eradicated and the memory of the first King would be erased.
My thoughts are everywhere in this. I can see the meme with the cork board as I write all this. However, I did write down all the points into a relevant summary as I see it. Also, just to add in one last thing. When Rabbiteater levelled into knight of the dawn he gained the skill solar storage and said, “I’m a plant”. Possible foreshadowing or just a joke?
So, that’s it. I could have written this better, and included specific examples from the story/cited scientific articles. However, I’m just stating a theory not writing an essay in university. I noticed there was some more discussion in regards to goblins and a lot of it made no sense to the history of the story, and history in general, so I wanted to put this out. If you have examples that disprove or expand on this theory we can possibly, maybe solve this mystery.
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http://rodzice.org/