1. Device Identification Exercise:

• Provide excerpts from various texts and ask students to identify and annotate instances of specific literary devices.
  
• Discuss their findings as a class, exploring different interpretations and applications of the devices.
  

1. Creative Writing Prompts:

• Assign each student a specific literary device and ask them to craft a short story or poem that prominently features that device.
  
• Encourage creativity and exploration of the device's nuances in their narratives.
  

1. Literary Analysis Essays:

• Assign students a literary work (poem, speech, or prose) and ask them to write an essay analyzing the author's use of a chosen literary device.
  
• Emphasize the impact of the device on the overall theme and tone of the work.
  

1. Collaborative Storytelling:

• Divide the class into small groups and have each group create a collaborative story.
  
• Assign a different literary device to each group, instructing them to incorporate it seamlessly into their narrative.
  

1. Speech Writing and Delivery:

• Have students choose a social or political topic and write a persuasive speech using anaphora or epizeuxis to enhance their rhetorical impact.
  
• Organize a speech delivery session where students showcase their use of repetition for emphasis.
  

1. Literary Device Showcase:

• Assign each student or group a different literary device and ask them to prepare a presentation showcasing its historical origins, notable examples, and contemporary usage.
  
• Encourage multimedia elements such as visuals or short video clips to enhance engagement.
  

1. Rewriting Exercises:

• Provide sentences or paragraphs containing common expressions and ask students to rewrite them using more complex literary devices.
  
• Discuss the impact of the changes on tone, mood, and overall meaning.
  

1. Debate on Stylistic Choices:
   • Organize a debate where students defend or critique an author's use of a specific literary device in a given text.

• Encourage students to articulate how the device contributes to or detracts from the effectiveness of the work.

1. Literary Device Scavenger Hunt:

• Provide a list of literary devices and have students search for examples in books, articles, or online.
  
• Discuss their findings in class, exploring how different authors use the same device in diverse ways.
  

1. Themed Poetry Slam:

- Task students with creating a thematic poetry slam where each participant focuses on a different literary device. - Host a class poetry slam event where students perform their pieces and discuss their choices. 

1. Interactive Online Quizzes:

- Curate online quizzes or interactive activities that allow students to self-assess their understanding of literary devices. - Provide instant feedback to reinforce learning. 

1. Peer Review and Feedback:

- Implement peer review sessions where students exchange their creative writing assignments and provide constructive feedback on the integration of literary devices. - Encourage discussions on the effectiveness of different approaches. 

1. Literary Device Journal:

- Assign students a literary device to track in their personal reading over a set period. - Have them maintain a journal documenting instances of the device, their interpretations, and reflections on its impact. 

1. Literary Device Bingo:

- Create bingo cards with different literary devices - As students encounter instances of these devices in class readings or discussions, they mark off the corresponding squares on their bingo cards. 

1. Real-world Application Project:

- Challenge students to find examples of literary devices in advertisements, speeches, or news articles. - Present their findings, discussing how the devices are employed for persuasive or artistic purposes in the real world. 

Rain poured down on the two weary travelers as they finally caught sight of refuge.
“Look, a temple!” One of them shouted.
“Let’s hurry! Hopefully they aren’t asleep yet!”
With water-logged clothes, they ran over to the temple steps. According to the sign, they were at Mannenji Temple. They trudged up the steps as quickly as they could muster. Monks greeted them at the door and ushered them in, offering fresh clothes along with towels to dry off.
“Thank you, you’ve saved us!” They prased.
Before long, they were comfortably drinking hot tea and telling of riveting adventures. They spoke of exploring ancient ruins and finding priceless treasures. Many of the stories were humorous and harrowing tales going late into the evening. After they were left alone to sleep for the night, the two men grinned at each other.
“I knew you were a good story teller but….that last one was a doozy!” The first man said.
“And they bought every bit of it,” the other man said. “So often, the kindest are the most gullible!”
“Had we told them a fraction of the truth, they’d see us out quickly.”
They both chuckled.
“Let’s not harm them though. They’re not like the others. I have something in mind.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. For now, let’s get some rest and head out in the morning.”
That night, one of them rested deeply while the other exacted his plan.
The next morning, the two rested men thanked the monks ferociously for their hospitality and left for town.
Once they were far enough away, one of the men beamed mischievously at the other.
“I always pause when you smile like that. Wait…is this about your plan, Ita?”
“Ah, Tomo. You know me too well.”
Ita rifled through his bag and slowly procured a small doll. It instantly struck Tomo, as it had a strange aura. The dolls face was round and childlike with raven, shoulder-length hair in a bob and wore a traditional kimono. This fact alone would have made the doll quite cute, but another aspect negated all else. The two eyes of the doll were endless black circles that bore an untouchable, creeping anxiety.
“Where did you….you didn’t. Did you?!”
“Yes. I took it from the temple.”
“I can’t believe you…”
Itazura rolled his eyes and put the doll back into the bag.
“Keep your pants on. It was inside a box, so it’ll be a while before they realize it’s gone.”
“That’s not the point!” Tomodachi threw his hands up in frustration. “We’re not saints, but they did nothing to deserve this!”
“Do you know how much this could fetch us? I don’t know what it is, but the fact that it’s kept in the temple is enough to secure us for a long time! The box itself would have been worth taking, but I couldn’t sneak it back to our room.”
“I don’t like it.” Tomo crossed his arms at this.
“You don’t have to come with me, you know.”
“We’re supposed to only take from…..ahh fine. Let’s just see how much this thing is worth.”
“I have a feeling it will change your mind.”
They trekked into town and the uncomfortable silence eventually smoothed over. After getting a bite to eat, they found a trade shop that would have some idea of the doll’s value.
“Hello, gentlemen. Anything I could interest you in?”
“Yes, in fact.”
Ita gently laid the doll on the counter and the elderly shop owner looked it over. After a furrow of his brow, the owner said:
“Was this made recently?”
“No, we found it.”
“Hmmmm.”
The elderly man fetched a pair of glasses and scrutinized every inch of the doll, his face becoming more lined with concern. After he seemed satisfied with the inspection, he looked at the men gravely.
“I will only ask once more…you or anyone you know did not make this doll, correct?”
“No. Why do you keep asking?”’
The shop owner’s face went pale as the sincerity of the answer sunk in.
“I want to be a hundred percent sure that this is an original. It seems to be an original, it’s just…..I’m surprised that you have this in your possession.”
“What is it?” Tomo finally spoke up, his curiosity gnawing at him.
“This appears to be the Okiku doll.”
“Okiku? That sounds a bit familiar. Refresh me, if you will.”
“A young girl was once gifted this doll as a birthday present. Her older brother saw the doll in a shop window during his travels and was instantly enamored. Somehow he knew this doll was meant for his sister’s two-year birthday. She loved the doll to the point of obsession, but who is to really say when it comes to such a young child? The little girl named the doll Okiku after herself. She fed it, talked to it, put it to bed, and did absolutely everything with it. Sadly, on the girl’s third birthday, she was struck with illness and died clutching the doll in her little arms.”
“That’s…. a bit macabre.”
“That’s only the beginning. The family referred to the doll as Okiku, perhaps treating it as their daughter in a strange way of grieving. Soon after, they experienced countless unexplained events. Lights would turn on and off, doors would slam and disembodied footsteps walked throughout the household. Voices of a young girl were heard talking and singing. And perhaps the most infamous of all…the doll’s hair began to grow as if she were a living being. The family showed the doll to a priest who confirmed all their allegations and they came to the conclusion that the doll contained the spirit of Okiku. Many say that you must care for the doll and continue cutting her hair to appease her. For those who don’t, it will have disastrous consequences.”
“Nonsense,” spat Ita. “Superstitions, legends, and folklore.”
“Believe it or not, many reported the same occurrences for the doll. You know, they actually sent clippings of her hair for scientific analysis.”
“And what of that?” Tomo asked.
“They concluded definitively that the hair was actually that of a human girl.”
“Whoa….”
“I don’t believe any of this,” Ita reiterated.
“Look it up, it’s all been verified. Where did you say you found this, by the way?”
“I didn’t, old man. I just need to know how much you’ll give us for it. Surely this will cost quite a bit considering its history.”
“How much? I wouldn’t give you anything for it! I can’t take this doll!”
“Why not?!”
“Because I don’t wish to be haunted, that’s why! What kind of a question…and you know what’s really strange about this? Last I heard, the family left the doll with the monks.” The man pointed in the direction of Mannenji Temple. “I suppose you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Ita looked around the shop and confirmed no one else was around. He gave Tomodachi a look, who reluctantly nodded back with a sick feeling in his stomach.
“Please, don’t…”
“Do it!” Itazura commanded.
Tomo whisked over to the front door and locked it before he spun the sign around to “closed.”
“What are you doing?” The shop owner said, backing up with his hands raised.
After all was said and done, the two drifters talked to anyone in town who would lend an ear. They needed someone who was not bound by any moral duty to the doll’s rightful owner. Luckily, Ita had a good eye for people with knowledge of these dealings and there was someone in the next town that would likely pay them for the doll.
Tomo had to force empty thoughts into his mind to block out what they did. He’d hurt others and even killed someone before, but not this way. Not an innocent shop owner.
“If only he’d not said anything about knowing where it came from, the old fool might still be alive,” Tomo thought.
The trip to the next town was a two-day walk, so they gathered supplies and were soon on the road. The silence was beginning to drive Tomo mad as he was only left with his guilty thoughts.
That night, they spoke over the campfire.
“You really believe this stuff, don’t you?” Ita started.
“I don’t know what to believe…I just know that he didn’t deserve that.”
“Are you getting soft on me, Tomo? Don’t have the stomach for this anymore?”
“I don’t think he deserved that! We could have tied him up.”
“Yeah, and then he’d send the police after us. That’s the last thing we need!”
“Let’s just sell this thing and get it over with.”
They sat in silence for a bit, and Ita noticed Tomo closely watching the bag.
“You think she’s really haunted, don’t you?”
“I think I don’t want to find out.”
Ita pulled the doll out of the bag and wagged it at him.
“Mister Tomo, will you give me a kiiiiss?!!”
Ita spoke in a mocking little girl’s voice and erupted into laughter.
“What is wrong with you? Have you no respect for the dead?’
“Oh, c’mon. I don’t think Okiku will mind!”
Tomo exchanged choice words, which fell on deaf ears. Then he picked up his sleeping bag amongst other things and moved to a tree forty yards away.
“Good night,” he shouted in defiance.
“Can I give you a good night kiss first?” Ita responded with his girly voice.
Tomo settled into his new spot, ignoring his awful friend’s laughing fit.
Before long, he settled hard into a dream.
Tomo was living in a lavish home, surrounded by opulent and important things. He smiled at others as he toasted and threw lush parties. It all seemed the life of luxury, but at a cost. At the end of each party, he cleaned up by himself with a strong, foreboding loneliness. The next moment he was cutting the haunted doll’s hair and set her on a decorative altar with lit candles. A ghostly form of an old man kept appearing throughout, glaring at him with forlorn, angry eyes. He haunted Tomo’s every step..
One morning, he awoke to an empty house with no light. A little girl appeared before him and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
And shake and shake and shake and shake and…
”Tomo!” A voice jerked him awake.
After snapping his eyes open, he saw Ita holding his shoulders.
“It’s alright. Just me.”
“What do you want?”
“I need to use the bathroom.”
“So go then? What are you, a child? Why wake me up?!”
“I’ve been hearing lots of strange noises, even for a forest. I wanted to be sure you’re awake if something were to happen.”
Tomo sat for a moment, fuming at his friend.
“Okay, fine. I’m already awake now. Make it quick.”
His friend wandered into the woods out of sight. And so Tomo waited.
Something felt strange and he quickly realized what it was. The forest was deathly silent, not like what Itazura said. It occurred to Tomodachi that Ita was probably just scared, which lifted his spirits a bit. He sat up and leaned against a tree and absent-mindedly dozed off.
“Uh?”
Tomo awoke in a startle before checking his watch. It’d been thirty minutes. He walked over to his friend’s camping spot to find him missing.
Something was very wrong.
“Ita!” He whisper-shouted through the woods. “Iiiitaaaaa!”
There was no response.
Shaking, he bumbled his way through the woods in the area he last saw his friend. His flashlight searched everywhere, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Starting to give up, he made a wide berth on his walk back until he tripped over something.
“Ooooof!”
The fall knocked the breath out of him as his light clattered to the forest floor. He got his bearings again and retrieved his flashlight. When he looked back at what he tripped over, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Ita was laying on the ground with his mouth gaping open, clutching the infamous Okiku doll in his curled hands. The hair of the doll had grown way longer and was wrapped tightly around Ita’s neck.
“No….no, this isn’t real,” he whispered to himself. “I’m dreaming. I must be.”
Placing his hands over his eyes, he thought if he waited a moment and looked again then things would be different. Before he did, an unexplainable noise permeated the air.
There was no doubting it. It was the voice of a little girl singing.
Tomo panicked and rushed back to his sleeping bag, gathering all of his belongings before he rummaged through his former friend’s bag and took the provisions. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he ran along the forest path towards the next town until he collapsed from exhaustion and sat up against a tree.
“It has him now. I’m okay,” were the last thoughts before he fell back asleep.
Tomo dreamed more of the old man he helped kill before he woke again into a bright morning. Despite the malevolent dream, he felt surprisingly refreshed. For a moment, he thought perhaps it really was all a dream.
This thought didn’t last long.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then jumped to his feet. The Okiku doll was sitting next to his rucksack with longer hair and Ita’s knife on the ground nearby. Okiku’s eyes stared its abyss in his direction.
“What do you want?!” He yelled.
His eyes went from the doll to the knife and very soon he understood. Every fiber in his being wanted to run screaming from the doll, but he knew it would do him no good. And so he relented to his fate.
Singing softly as he would to a child, he placed the doll in his lap and began to cut the doll’s hair with the knife. He spoke sweet and gentle, pretending that he was asking a little girl about her day and giggling at her answers. Silent tears of fear streamed down his face as he did so in an anxiety-ridden trance.
Once the doll’s hair was properly cut, he sat the doll up and stared at her for a moment.
“I’m sorry for my part in all this, you know. I’ve never been strong. I’ve always been a coward.”
The doll stared back at him and he nodded in understanding.
“Yes…yes, you’re right. I should. It’s only fitting.”
Without another word, Tomo raised the knife to his neck and dragged the blade from one side to the other. A gush of crimson flowed forth, soaking his clothes.
The doll watched...and smiled.
Back at the Mennanji Temple, monks were settling in for the night when the watchman heard a hard knock at the temple doors. As he approached, he called out.
“Who is it?”
“I’ve come to return something,” a voice said from the other side.
The monk promptly opened the door and was shocked to find no one there. He looked down and saw the Okiku doll staring up at him.
“Oh, my sweet little one,” he said softly as he picked the doll up. “Who got you this time, huh?”
He smiled with warmth and closed the door back.
“She’s back,” the watchman called out.
Another monk promptly appeared with a pair of clippers and the watchman held the doll out. Bowing, the monk with clippers took the doll and began cutting its hair.
“Who brought her back?” The hair-cutting monk asked.
“I don’t know. They weren’t there when I answered,” the watchman replied.
As he went about his watch duties for the night, the monk thought to himself.
Come to think of it, it did sound like an older gentlemen, didn’t it?

Rain poured down on the two weary travelers as they finally caught sight of refuge.
“Look, a temple!” One of them shouted.
“Let’s hurry! Hopefully they aren’t asleep yet!”
With water-logged clothes, they ran over to the temple steps. According to the sign, they were at Mannenji Temple. They trudged up the steps as quickly as they could muster. Monks greeted them at the door and ushered them in, offering fresh clothes along with towels to dry off.
“Thank you, you’ve saved us!” They prased.
Before long, they were comfortably drinking hot tea and telling of riveting adventures. They spoke of exploring ancient ruins and finding priceless treasures. Many of the stories were humorous and harrowing tales going late into the evening. After they were left alone to sleep for the night, the two men grinned at each other.
“I knew you were a good story teller but….that last one was a doozy!” The first man said.
“And they bought every bit of it,” the other man said. “So often, the kindest are the most gullible!”
“Had we told them a fraction of the truth, they’d see us out quickly.”
They both chuckled.
“Let’s not harm them though. They’re not like the others. I have something in mind.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. For now, let’s get some rest and head out in the morning.”
That night, one of them rested deeply while the other exacted his plan.
The next morning, the two rested men thanked the monks ferociously for their hospitality and left for town.
Once they were far enough away, one of the men beamed mischievously at the other.
“I always pause when you smile like that. Wait…is this about your plan, Ita?”
“Ah, Tomo. You know me too well.”
Ita rifled through his bag and slowly procured a small doll. It instantly struck Tomo, as it had a strange aura. The dolls face was round and childlike with raven, shoulder-length hair in a bob and wore a traditional kimono. This fact alone would have made the doll quite cute, but another aspect negated all else. The two eyes of the doll were endless black circles that bore an untouchable, creeping anxiety.
“Where did you….you didn’t. Did you?!”
“Yes. I took it from the temple.”
“I can’t believe you…”
Itazura rolled his eyes and put the doll back into the bag.
“Keep your pants on. It was inside a box, so it’ll be a while before they realize it’s gone.”
“That’s not the point!” Tomodachi threw his hands up in frustration. “We’re not saints, but they did nothing to deserve this!”
“Do you know how much this could fetch us? I don’t know what it is, but the fact that it’s kept in the temple is enough to secure us for a long time! The box itself would have been worth taking, but I couldn’t sneak it back to our room.”
“I don’t like it.” Tomo crossed his arms at this.
“You don’t have to come with me, you know.”
“We’re supposed to only take from…..ahh fine. Let’s just see how much this thing is worth.”
“I have a feeling it will change your mind.”
They trekked into town and the uncomfortable silence eventually smoothed over. After getting a bite to eat, they found a trade shop that would have some idea of the doll’s value.
“Hello, gentlemen. Anything I could interest you in?”
“Yes, in fact.”
Ita gently laid the doll on the counter and the elderly shop owner looked it over. After a furrow of his brow, the owner said:
“Was this made recently?”
“No, we found it.”
“Hmmmm.”
The elderly man fetched a pair of glasses and scrutinized every inch of the doll, his face becoming more lined with concern. After he seemed satisfied with the inspection, he looked at the men gravely.
“I will only ask once more…you or anyone you know did not make this doll, correct?”
“No. Why do you keep asking?”’
The shop owner’s face went pale as the sincerity of the answer sunk in.
“I want to be a hundred percent sure that this is an original. It seems to be an original, it’s just…..I’m surprised that you have this in your possession.”
“What is it?” Tomo finally spoke up, his curiosity gnawing at him.
“This appears to be the Okiku doll.”
“Okiku? That sounds a bit familiar. Refresh me, if you will.”
“A young girl was once gifted this doll as a birthday present. Her older brother saw the doll in a shop window during his travels and was instantly enamored. Somehow he knew this doll was meant for his sister’s two-year birthday. She loved the doll to the point of obsession, but who is to really say when it comes to such a young child? The little girl named the doll Okiku after herself. She fed it, talked to it, put it to bed, and did absolutely everything with it. Sadly, on the girl’s third birthday, she was struck with illness and died clutching the doll in her little arms.”
“That’s…. a bit macabre.”
“That’s only the beginning. The family referred to the doll as Okiku, perhaps treating it as their daughter in a strange way of grieving. Soon after, they experienced countless unexplained events. Lights would turn on and off, doors would slam and disembodied footsteps walked throughout the household. Voices of a young girl were heard talking and singing. And perhaps the most infamous of all…the doll’s hair began to grow as if she were a living being. The family showed the doll to a priest who confirmed all their allegations and they came to the conclusion that the doll contained the spirit of Okiku. Many say that you must care for the doll and continue cutting her hair to appease her. For those who don’t, it will have disastrous consequences.”
“Nonsense,” spat Ita. “Superstitions, legends, and folklore.”
“Believe it or not, many reported the same occurrences for the doll. You know, they actually sent clippings of her hair for scientific analysis.”
“And what of that?” Tomo asked.
“They concluded definitively that the hair was actually that of a human girl.”
“Whoa….”
“I don’t believe any of this,” Ita reiterated.
“Look it up, it’s all been verified. Where did you say you found this, by the way?”
“I didn’t, old man. I just need to know how much you’ll give us for it. Surely this will cost quite a bit considering its history.”
“How much? I wouldn’t give you anything for it! I can’t take this doll!”
“Why not?!”
“Because I don’t wish to be haunted, that’s why! What kind of a question…and you know what’s really strange about this? Last I heard, the family left the doll with the monks.” The man pointed in the direction of Mannenji Temple. “I suppose you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Ita looked around the shop and confirmed no one else was around. He gave Tomodachi a look, who reluctantly nodded back with a sick feeling in his stomach.
“Please, don’t…”
“Do it!” Itazura commanded.
Tomo whisked over to the front door and locked it before he spun the sign around to “closed.”
“What are you doing?” The shop owner said, backing up with his hands raised.
After all was said and done, the two drifters talked to anyone in town who would lend an ear. They needed someone who was not bound by any moral duty to the doll’s rightful owner. Luckily, Ita had a good eye for people with knowledge of these dealings and there was someone in the next town that would likely pay them for the doll.
Tomo had to force empty thoughts into his mind to block out what they did. He’d hurt others and even killed someone before, but not this way. Not an innocent shop owner.
“If only he’d not said anything about knowing where it came from, the old fool might still be alive,” Tomo thought.
The trip to the next town was a two-day walk, so they gathered supplies and were soon on the road. The silence was beginning to drive Tomo mad as he was only left with his guilty thoughts.
That night, they spoke over the campfire.
“You really believe this stuff, don’t you?” Ita started.
“I don’t know what to believe…I just know that he didn’t deserve that.”
“Are you getting soft on me, Tomo? Don’t have the stomach for this anymore?”
“I don’t think he deserved that! We could have tied him up.”
“Yeah, and then he’d send the police after us. That’s the last thing we need!”
“Let’s just sell this thing and get it over with.”
They sat in silence for a bit, and Ita noticed Tomo closely watching the bag.
“You think she’s really haunted, don’t you?”
“I think I don’t want to find out.”
Ita pulled the doll out of the bag and wagged it at him.
“Mister Tomo, will you give me a kiiiiss?!!”
Ita spoke in a mocking little girl’s voice and erupted into laughter.
“What is wrong with you? Have you no respect for the dead?’
“Oh, c’mon. I don’t think Okiku will mind!”
Tomo exchanged choice words, which fell on deaf ears. Then he picked up his sleeping bag amongst other things and moved to a tree forty yards away.
“Good night,” he shouted in defiance.
“Can I give you a good night kiss first?” Ita responded with his girly voice.
Tomo settled into his new spot, ignoring his awful friend’s laughing fit.
Before long, he settled hard into a dream.
Tomo was living in a lavish home, surrounded by opulent and important things. He smiled at others as he toasted and threw lush parties. It all seemed the life of luxury, but at a cost. At the end of each party, he cleaned up by himself with a strong, foreboding loneliness. The next moment he was cutting the haunted doll’s hair and set her on a decorative altar with lit candles. A ghostly form of an old man kept appearing throughout, glaring at him with forlorn, angry eyes. He haunted Tomo’s every step..
One morning, he awoke to an empty house with no light. A little girl appeared before him and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
And shake and shake and shake and shake and…
”Tomo!” A voice jerked him awake.
After snapping his eyes open, he saw Ita holding his shoulders.
“It’s alright. Just me.”
“What do you want?”
“I need to use the bathroom.”
“So go then? What are you, a child? Why wake me up?!”
“I’ve been hearing lots of strange noises, even for a forest. I wanted to be sure you’re awake if something were to happen.”
Tomo sat for a moment, fuming at his friend.
“Okay, fine. I’m already awake now. Make it quick.”
His friend wandered into the woods out of sight. And so Tomo waited.
Something felt strange and he quickly realized what it was. The forest was deathly silent, not like what Itazura said. It occurred to Tomodachi that Ita was probably just scared, which lifted his spirits a bit. He sat up and leaned against a tree and absent-mindedly dozed off.
“Uh?”
Tomo awoke in a startle before checking his watch. It’d been thirty minutes. He walked over to his friend’s camping spot to find him missing.
Something was very wrong.
“Ita!” He whisper-shouted through the woods. “Iiiitaaaaa!”
There was no response.
Shaking, he bumbled his way through the woods in the area he last saw his friend. His flashlight searched everywhere, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Starting to give up, he made a wide berth on his walk back until he tripped over something.
“Ooooof!”
The fall knocked the breath out of him as his light clattered to the forest floor. He got his bearings again and retrieved his flashlight. When he looked back at what he tripped over, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Ita was laying on the ground with his mouth gaping open, clutching the infamous Okiku doll in his curled hands. The hair of the doll had grown way longer and was wrapped tightly around Ita’s neck.
“No….no, this isn’t real,” he whispered to himself. “I’m dreaming. I must be.”
Placing his hands over his eyes, he thought if he waited a moment and looked again then things would be different. Before he did, an unexplainable noise permeated the air.
There was no doubting it. It was the voice of a little girl singing.
Tomo panicked and rushed back to his sleeping bag, gathering all of his belongings before he rummaged through his former friend’s bag and took the provisions. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he ran along the forest path towards the next town until he collapsed from exhaustion and sat up against a tree.
“It has him now. I’m okay,” were the last thoughts before he fell back asleep.
Tomo dreamed more of the old man he helped kill before he woke again into a bright morning. Despite the malevolent dream, he felt surprisingly refreshed. For a moment, he thought perhaps it really was all a dream.
This thought didn’t last long.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then jumped to his feet. The Okiku doll was sitting next to his rucksack with longer hair and Ita’s knife on the ground nearby. Okiku’s eyes stared its abyss in his direction.
“What do you want?!” He yelled.
His eyes went from the doll to the knife and very soon he understood. Every fiber in his being wanted to run screaming from the doll, but he knew it would do him no good. And so he relented to his fate.
Singing softly as he would to a child, he placed the doll in his lap and began to cut the doll’s hair with the knife. He spoke sweet and gentle, pretending that he was asking a little girl about her day and giggling at her answers. Silent tears of fear streamed down his face as he did so in an anxiety-ridden trance.
Once the doll’s hair was properly cut, he sat the doll up and stared at her for a moment.
“I’m sorry for my part in all this, you know. I’ve never been strong. I’ve always been a coward.”
The doll stared back at him and he nodded in understanding.
“Yes…yes, you’re right. I should. It’s only fitting.”
Without another word, Tomo raised the knife to his neck and dragged the blade from one side to the other. A gush of crimson flowed forth, soaking his clothes.
The doll watched...and smiled.
Back at the Mennanji Temple, monks were settling in for the night when the watchman heard a hard knock at the temple doors. As he approached, he called out.
“Who is it?”
“I’ve come to return something,” a voice said from the other side.
The monk promptly opened the door and was shocked to find no one there. He looked down and saw the Okiku doll staring up at him.
“Oh, my sweet little one,” he said softly as he picked the doll up. “Who got you this time, huh?”
He smiled with warmth and closed the door back.
“She’s back,” the watchman called out.
Another monk promptly appeared with a pair of clippers and the watchman held the doll out. Bowing, the monk with clippers took the doll and began cutting its hair.
“Who brought her back?” The hair-cutting monk asked.
“I don’t know. They weren’t there when I answered,” the watchman replied.
As he went about his watch duties for the night, the monk thought to himself.
Come to think of it, it did sound like an older gentlemen, didn’t it?

Rain poured down on the two weary travelers as they finally caught sight of refuge.
“Look, a temple!” One of them shouted.
“Let’s hurry! Hopefully they aren’t asleep yet!”
With water-logged clothes, they ran over to the temple steps. According to the sign, they were at Mannenji Temple. They trudged up the steps as quickly as they could muster. Monks greeted them at the door and ushered them in, offering fresh clothes along with towels to dry off.
“Thank you, you’ve saved us!” They prased.
Before long, they were comfortably drinking hot tea and telling of riveting adventures. They spoke of exploring ancient ruins and finding priceless treasures. Many of the stories were humorous and harrowing tales going late into the evening. After they were left alone to sleep for the night, the two men grinned at each other.
“I knew you were a good story teller but….that last one was a doozy!” The first man said.
“And they bought every bit of it,” the other man said. “So often, the kindest are the most gullible!”
“Had we told them a fraction of the truth, they’d see us out quickly.”
They both chuckled.
“Let’s not harm them though. They’re not like the others. I have something in mind.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. For now, let’s get some rest and head out in the morning.”
That night, one of them rested deeply while the other exacted his plan.
The next morning, the two rested men thanked the monks ferociously for their hospitality and left for town.
Once they were far enough away, one of the men beamed mischievously at the other.
“I always pause when you smile like that. Wait…is this about your plan, Ita?”
“Ah, Tomo. You know me too well.”
Ita rifled through his bag and slowly procured a small doll. It instantly struck Tomo, as it had a strange aura. The dolls face was round and childlike with raven, shoulder-length hair in a bob and wore a traditional kimono. This fact alone would have made the doll quite cute, but another aspect negated all else. The two eyes of the doll were endless black circles that bore an untouchable, creeping anxiety.
“Where did you….you didn’t. Did you?!”
“Yes. I took it from the temple.”
“I can’t believe you…”
Itazura rolled his eyes and put the doll back into the bag.
“Keep your pants on. It was inside a box, so it’ll be a while before they realize it’s gone.”
“That’s not the point!” Tomodachi threw his hands up in frustration. “We’re not saints, but they did nothing to deserve this!”
“Do you know how much this could fetch us? I don’t know what it is, but the fact that it’s kept in the temple is enough to secure us for a long time! The box itself would have been worth taking, but I couldn’t sneak it back to our room.”
“I don’t like it.” Tomo crossed his arms at this.
“You don’t have to come with me, you know.”
“We’re supposed to only take from…..ahh fine. Let’s just see how much this thing is worth.”
“I have a feeling it will change your mind.”
They trekked into town and the uncomfortable silence eventually smoothed over. After getting a bite to eat, they found a trade shop that would have some idea of the doll’s value.
“Hello, gentlemen. Anything I could interest you in?”
“Yes, in fact.”
Ita gently laid the doll on the counter and the elderly shop owner looked it over. After a furrow of his brow, the owner said:
“Was this made recently?”
“No, we found it.”
“Hmmmm.”
The elderly man fetched a pair of glasses and scrutinized every inch of the doll, his face becoming more lined with concern. After he seemed satisfied with the inspection, he looked at the men gravely.
“I will only ask once more…you or anyone you know did not make this doll, correct?”
“No. Why do you keep asking?”’
The shop owner’s face went pale as the sincerity of the answer sunk in.
“I want to be a hundred percent sure that this is an original. It seems to be an original, it’s just…..I’m surprised that you have this in your possession.”
“What is it?” Tomo finally spoke up, his curiosity gnawing at him.
“This appears to be the Okiku doll.”
“Okiku? That sounds a bit familiar. Refresh me, if you will.”
“A young girl was once gifted this doll as a birthday present. Her older brother saw the doll in a shop window during his travels and was instantly enamored. Somehow he knew this doll was meant for his sister’s two-year birthday. She loved the doll to the point of obsession, but who is to really say when it comes to such a young child? The little girl named the doll Okiku after herself. She fed it, talked to it, put it to bed, and did absolutely everything with it. Sadly, on the girl’s third birthday, she was struck with illness and died clutching the doll in her little arms.”
“That’s…. a bit macabre.”
“That’s only the beginning. The family referred to the doll as Okiku, perhaps treating it as their daughter in a strange way of grieving. Soon after, they experienced countless unexplained events. Lights would turn on and off, doors would slam and disembodied footsteps walked throughout the household. Voices of a young girl were heard talking and singing. And perhaps the most infamous of all…the doll’s hair began to grow as if she were a living being. The family showed the doll to a priest who confirmed all their allegations and they came to the conclusion that the doll contained the spirit of Okiku. Many say that you must care for the doll and continue cutting her hair to appease her. For those who don’t, it will have disastrous consequences.”
“Nonsense,” spat Ita. “Superstitions, legends, and folklore.”
“Believe it or not, many reported the same occurrences for the doll. You know, they actually sent clippings of her hair for scientific analysis.”
“And what of that?” Tomo asked.
“They concluded definitively that the hair was actually that of a human girl.”
“Whoa….”
“I don’t believe any of this,” Ita reiterated.
“Look it up, it’s all been verified. Where did you say you found this, by the way?”
“I didn’t, old man. I just need to know how much you’ll give us for it. Surely this will cost quite a bit considering its history.”
“How much? I wouldn’t give you anything for it! I can’t take this doll!”
“Why not?!”
“Because I don’t wish to be haunted, that’s why! What kind of a question…and you know what’s really strange about this? Last I heard, the family left the doll with the monks.” The man pointed in the direction of Mannenji Temple. “I suppose you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Ita looked around the shop and confirmed no one else was around. He gave Tomodachi a look, who reluctantly nodded back with a sick feeling in his stomach.
“Please, don’t…”
“Do it!” Itazura commanded.
Tomo whisked over to the front door and locked it before he spun the sign around to “closed.”
“What are you doing?” The shop owner said, backing up with his hands raised.
After all was said and done, the two drifters talked to anyone in town who would lend an ear. They needed someone who was not bound by any moral duty to the doll’s rightful owner. Luckily, Ita had a good eye for people with knowledge of these dealings and there was someone in the next town that would likely pay them for the doll.
Tomo had to force empty thoughts into his mind to block out what they did. He’d hurt others and even killed someone before, but not this way. Not an innocent shop owner.
“If only he’d not said anything about knowing where it came from, the old fool might still be alive,” Tomo thought.
The trip to the next town was a two-day walk, so they gathered supplies and were soon on the road. The silence was beginning to drive Tomo mad as he was only left with his guilty thoughts.
That night, they spoke over the campfire.
“You really believe this stuff, don’t you?” Ita started.
“I don’t know what to believe…I just know that he didn’t deserve that.”
“Are you getting soft on me, Tomo? Don’t have the stomach for this anymore?”
“I don’t think he deserved that! We could have tied him up.”
“Yeah, and then he’d send the police after us. That’s the last thing we need!”
“Let’s just sell this thing and get it over with.”
They sat in silence for a bit, and Ita noticed Tomo closely watching the bag.
“You think she’s really haunted, don’t you?”
“I think I don’t want to find out.”
Ita pulled the doll out of the bag and wagged it at him.
“Mister Tomo, will you give me a kiiiiss?!!”
Ita spoke in a mocking little girl’s voice and erupted into laughter.
“What is wrong with you? Have you no respect for the dead?’
“Oh, c’mon. I don’t think Okiku will mind!”
Tomo exchanged choice words, which fell on deaf ears. Then he picked up his sleeping bag amongst other things and moved to a tree forty yards away.
“Good night,” he shouted in defiance.
“Can I give you a good night kiss first?” Ita responded with his girly voice.
Tomo settled into his new spot, ignoring his awful friend’s laughing fit.
Before long, he settled hard into a dream.
Tomo was living in a lavish home, surrounded by opulent and important things. He smiled at others as he toasted and threw lush parties. It all seemed the life of luxury, but at a cost. At the end of each party, he cleaned up by himself with a strong, foreboding loneliness. The next moment he was cutting the haunted doll’s hair and set her on a decorative altar with lit candles. A ghostly form of an old man kept appearing throughout, glaring at him with forlorn, angry eyes. He haunted Tomo’s every step..
One morning, he awoke to an empty house with no light. A little girl appeared before him and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
And shake and shake and shake and shake and…
”Tomo!” A voice jerked him awake.
After snapping his eyes open, he saw Ita holding his shoulders.
“It’s alright. Just me.”
“What do you want?”
“I need to use the bathroom.”
“So go then? What are you, a child? Why wake me up?!”
“I’ve been hearing lots of strange noises, even for a forest. I wanted to be sure you’re awake if something were to happen.”
Tomo sat for a moment, fuming at his friend.
“Okay, fine. I’m already awake now. Make it quick.”
His friend wandered into the woods out of sight. And so Tomo waited.
Something felt strange and he quickly realized what it was. The forest was deathly silent, not like what Itazura said. It occurred to Tomodachi that Ita was probably just scared, which lifted his spirits a bit. He sat up and leaned against a tree and absent-mindedly dozed off.
“Uh?”
Tomo awoke in a startle before checking his watch. It’d been thirty minutes. He walked over to his friend’s camping spot to find him missing.
Something was very wrong.
“Ita!” He whisper-shouted through the woods. “Iiiitaaaaa!”
There was no response.
Shaking, he bumbled his way through the woods in the area he last saw his friend. His flashlight searched everywhere, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Starting to give up, he made a wide berth on his walk back until he tripped over something.
“Ooooof!”
The fall knocked the breath out of him as his light clattered to the forest floor. He got his bearings again and retrieved his flashlight. When he looked back at what he tripped over, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Ita was laying on the ground with his mouth gaping open, clutching the infamous Okiku doll in his curled hands. The hair of the doll had grown way longer and was wrapped tightly around Ita’s neck.
“No….no, this isn’t real,” he whispered to himself. “I’m dreaming. I must be.”
Placing his hands over his eyes, he thought if he waited a moment and looked again then things would be different. Before he did, an unexplainable noise permeated the air.
There was no doubting it. It was the voice of a little girl singing.
Tomo panicked and rushed back to his sleeping bag, gathering all of his belongings before he rummaged through his former friend’s bag and took the provisions. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he ran along the forest path towards the next town until he collapsed from exhaustion and sat up against a tree.
“It has him now. I’m okay,” were the last thoughts before he fell back asleep.
Tomo dreamed more of the old man he helped kill before he woke again into a bright morning. Despite the malevolent dream, he felt surprisingly refreshed. For a moment, he thought perhaps it really was all a dream.
This thought didn’t last long.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then jumped to his feet. The Okiku doll was sitting next to his rucksack with longer hair and Ita’s knife on the ground nearby. Okiku’s eyes stared its abyss in his direction.
“What do you want?!” He yelled.
His eyes went from the doll to the knife and very soon he understood. Every fiber in his being wanted to run screaming from the doll, but he knew it would do him no good. And so he relented to his fate.
Singing softly as he would to a child, he placed the doll in his lap and began to cut the doll’s hair with the knife. He spoke sweet and gentle, pretending that he was asking a little girl about her day and giggling at her answers. Silent tears of fear streamed down his face as he did so in an anxiety-ridden trance.
Once the doll’s hair was properly cut, he sat the doll up and stared at her for a moment.
“I’m sorry for my part in all this, you know. I’ve never been strong. I’ve always been a coward.”
The doll stared back at him and he nodded in understanding.
“Yes…yes, you’re right. I should. It’s only fitting.”
Without another word, Tomo raised the knife to his neck and dragged the blade from one side to the other. A gush of crimson flowed forth, soaking his clothes.
The doll watched...and smiled.
Back at the Mennanji Temple, monks were settling in for the night when the watchman heard a hard knock at the temple doors. As he approached, he called out.
“Who is it?”
“I’ve come to return something,” a voice said from the other side.
The monk promptly opened the door and was shocked to find no one there. He looked down and saw the Okiku doll staring up at him.
“Oh, my sweet little one,” he said softly as he picked the doll up. “Who got you this time, huh?”
He smiled with warmth and closed the door back.
“She’s back,” the watchman called out.
Another monk promptly appeared with a pair of clippers and the watchman held the doll out. Bowing, the monk with clippers took the doll and began cutting its hair.
“Who brought her back?” The hair-cutting monk asked.
“I don’t know. They weren’t there when I answered,” the watchman replied.
As he went about his watch duties for the night, the monk thought to himself.
Come to think of it, it did sound like an older gentlemen, didn’t it?

Hi, clowns! Found lots of connections to an essay Sylvia Plath wrote and TTPD. Lots of info below, but was interesting!
TL; DR Plath’s college thesis paper is all about troubled poets and their “DOUBLES.”
Initial Tortured Poets and Sylvia Plath Connections
Of course, the theme of TTPD is tortured poets, so many avid literary Swifties have enjoyed seeking connections between Swift’s new songs and iconic poetry. No connections are overt, but some seem to be more likely than others. Namely, there’s been much discussion of Virginia Woolf thanks to the song “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”(perhaps a riff on the Edward Albee play title). Other Swifties have found possible lyrical links to Mary Shelley and Charlotte Bronte. Swift herself references Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas in the album’s title track.
I remembered a third poet in relation to Smith and Thomas: Sylvia Plath, obviously an all timer of a tortured poet. I remember hearing an anecdote that she had been obsessed with Thomas and stalked him outside the Chelsea Hotel (also named in the TTPD title track). I did a quick skim of Plath’s Wikipedia to confirm and then started noticing many possible connections to TTPD and Plath’s life.
In the “Fortnight” music video, Swift acts out being institutionalized for insanity and getting electric shock treatment—two significant experiences in Plath’s life. Plath was also coupled with a deeply problematic man, Ted Hughes. Plath fell in love with Hughes for his artistic talent before he revealed himself to be an unsupportive parter, ultimately cheating on Plath with a younger woman. The narrative is not too dissimilar to the narrative about Swift’s alleged ex Matty Healy, as seemingly told in TTPD. (Of course, we don’t know the true subjects of Swift’s songs—if they’re even actually confessional—but some key hints point to Healy. Whether those hints provide actual context to Swift’s life or to the story Swift is telling of her life, one cannot know.) Finally, several of TTPD songs reference a latent desire for suicide (“I might as well die / it would make no difference” etc.). Okay, post-“finally,” these are stretches, but, I’ll note anyway: one of Plath’s most famous collections of poems is titled Ariel, but an alternate title was Daddy. There are connections to both words in TTPD via the song “But Daddy I Love Him.” The title is a line from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid (which features the main character Ariel, a mermaid, caught between two worlds). Extra clowning: some people (hi, I'm people) believe Swift’s 1989 costume for her first Paris concert was an allusion to Ariel: a pink crop top and a seafoam skirt.
As I dug into Plath's life, I couldn’t help but also see similarities to Swift's life. Both women were prolific writers from a very young age. Also, although possibly obscured through artistic license, both women were/are known to write about their own lives. (Plath was apparently encouraged by her professors Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton to write from her experience. I cannot help but tie in Swift’s “The Manuscript” lyric “the Professor said to write what you know.”) Both Plath and Swift expressed/express their depression via their writing, but if you only knew them from their public personas, you’d never guess the depths of their struggles. It seems both Plath and Swift lived/live double lives. Plath was actually fascinated by the concept of doubles. In fact, the concept of doubling was the topic of Plath’s college thesis paper “The Magic Mirror.”
The Magic Mirror and TTPD
Plath’s college paper is sadly not available to the general public. (It had a limited print run in, you guessed it, 1989.) But! I was able to read a few texts about the thesis, and the amount of possible TTPD references is astounding.
Since we can’t analyze Swift’s work via Plath’s directly, I’d like to share several key quotes from the most telling article I could find about the “The Magic Mirror”: “Sylvia Plath’s Magic Mirror” by Kelly Coyne (May 2018, The Los Angeles Review of Books). (To be noted, Coyne has also written about Swift, in her article “Growing Up In Taylor Swift’s America” in December 2023 on Literary Hub—a fabulous read!)
Early in her article, Coyne sets the scene for Plath's thesis:
“Her undergraduate thesis, which she wrote as a senior at Smith College...is titled “The Magic Mirror: A Study of the Double in Two of Dostoevsky’s Novels.” “The Magic Mirror” explores literary doubles made up of a character’s repressed traits, and, as the double grows in power, it heralds the protagonist’s death. Citing Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well as Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Plath argued that the choice to create a double works to “reveal hitherto concealed character traits in a radical manner” and simultaneously exposes the driving conflicts of the novel housing that character. Her thesis claims that both Ivan, of The Brothers Karamazov, and Golyadkin, of The Double, have attempted to repress troubling aspects of their personalities, resulting in the double.”
Immediately, I imagine the two versions of Swift from the “Anti-Hero” music video. One Swift is real, true, sensible. The other is a pot-stirring, self-esteem destroying, alcoholic. During Eras, the huge Swift (monster on a hill) screams and stomps around in the background while the real, true Swift smiles and dances in a sparkle dress onstage. The fandom seems to be referring to these two Swifts as Taylor Swift and TAYLOR SWIFT (TM). Folks have theorized Post-Malone in the Fortnight music video is not necessarily a lover, but a twin, or double, of Swift. This theory is enhances by the Eras visuals during that song, specifically two dancers walking away to the back of the stage, but then becoming one.
More Coyne: “Plath, quoting Dostoyevsky in her thesis, noted that Ivan’s double, Smerdyakov, is “wrinkled” and “yellow.” The distinct differences in appearance between originator and double, she continued, are meant to reflect the protagonist’s mental state and cultural status.”
First of all, yellow. In the Gaylor community, folks have often theorized yellow symbolizes being closeted—a reading based on the symbolic coloring in the 1999 film …But I’m a Cheerleader. However, one need not be a Gaylor to consider the importance of yellow to Swift’s storytelling. Most recently, Swift performed “my tears ricochet” at Eras in a bright yellow dress, as her dancers were dressed for a funeral. Following Coyne’s analysis of Plath's analysis of Dostoyevsky, one could guess Swift is teasing a death of some version of herself.
Coyne discusses how Plath clearly used a “double” of herself to write The Bell Jar. Plath herself spent a summer in New York interning for Mademoiselle. The protagonist in TBJ, Esther, spends a summer in New York interning at a magazine too. To go even further down the rabbit hole, Esther also doubles herself, frequently expressing normalcy on the outside and despair on the inside. On the book's first page, Esther tells her audience, “I was supposed to be having the time of my life.” (Again, I cannot help but hear a Swift echo of, “I can read your mind / she’s having the time of her life” from “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” about smiling through her depression.) Coyne makes many more references to mirrors and concealing in The Bell Jar, Ether’s split (and sadness) gets worse and worse the more she hides who she is from others. Notably, at a low point, Esther hides under her mother’s bed. (And Swift sings of a post-heartbreak depression, “Afterwards she only ate kids' cereal / And couldn't sleep unless it was in her mother's bed.”)
Coyne writes about the “imprisoned” aspect of doubles: “The wound from which Esther tries, and fails, to hide chimes with the inescapable, colonizing double, and Plath’s language again illustrates its penal nature: it is inside Esther, but it traps her like a jail cell.” (Again, I cannot help but see references to “Fresh Out the Slammer”, “The Smaller Man Who Ever Lived,” and the TTPD Eras visuals of cages and cell lighting.)
Coyne, on Plath’s doubles’ names, something Swift has not ever used (or so we think): “From her conception of The Bell Jar all the way to its final revisions, Plath suffered an exhausting amount of anxiety over its heroine’s name.” Plath wrote to a friend, “‘I’ll have to publish it under a pseudonym, if I ever get it accepted, because it’s so chock full of real people I’d be sued to death’...Indeed, this wasn’t mere paranoia; she did have to change her protagonist’s name at the instruction of her editor for legal reasons.”
Coyne continues, “Most novelists likely have concerns about being associated with the characters to whom they give life, especially the ugly ones, and especially when the character resembles its author. Yet what is unique about Plath’s case is her knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings and implications of her choice to push Esther away, and the hold this knowledge assumed on Plath’s work and life. Another look at The Bell Jar with a consideration of Esther as Plath’s double tangles the issue even further, and Plath drops clues for this kind of reading throughout the novel. Esther, for example, sits down to write her own novel and recounts, “My heroine would be myself, only in disguise. She would be called Elaine. Elaine. I counted the letters on my fingers. There were six letters in Esther, too. It seemed a lucky thing.” Not coincidentally, Plath’s first name has six letters as well.” Again, Plath was in a bizarre double infinity loop (like the loop on the Eras stage in “Down Bad”?). Plath was concealing her double, the protagonist in her novel, who was concealing her double, the protagonist in her novel.
Coyne wraps up her findings: “In her thesis, written nearly a decade earlier, as she turned 22 — the year after her first documented suicide attempt — Plath claimed, quoting Otto Rank:
In such situations, where the Double symbolizes the evil or repressed elements in man’s nature, the apparition of the Double “becomes a persecution by it, the repressed material returns in the form of that which represses.” Man’s instinct to avoid or ignore the unpleasant aspects of his character turns into an active terror when he is faced by his Double, which resurrects those very parts of his personality which he sought to escape. The confrontation of the Double in these instances usually results in a duel which ends in insanity or death for the original hero.”
Coyne seems to argue Plath believed an artist's double has the power to become bigger than the artist herself, ultimately killing her. Is TTPD Swift's predetermination of, hopefully, her her double's death instead of her own?
In Conclusion: Plath to her Mentor, Dessner on Swift
Who knows what TTPD is really truly about, and who knows if we ever will.
The biggest Easter egg, hiding in plain sight, is that the album is titled THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. There’s no apostrophe after “poet.” Nor is there an apostrophe after the “s” in “poets.” The department does not belong to a poet or to a collection of poets. It is a department OF tortured poets, perhaps two, to be exact. …or perhaps the album indicates the departure of the tortured poet...and her double.
I’ll sign off with two final quotes from my research:
According to Coyne, three months before Plath died by suicide, she had written a mentor about her second (obviously unfinished) book. Plath wrote, “It is to be called “Doubletake”, meaning that the second look you take at something reveals a deeper, double meaning […] it is semi-autobiographical about a wife whose husband turns out to be a deserter and philanderer although she had thought he was wonderful & perfect.”
According to Aaron Dessner’s TTPD release Instagram post: ”Keep searching and you'll find some new detail, layer or sliver of meaning with each listen.”
SUBREDDIT PS! Shout out to Expensive_Succotash5 for noting the TTPD intro poem's reference to being out of the oven, could be an allusion to Plath's death. Also shout-out to Good-Amphibian-7993 for this connection to a photo of Plath with a rose, not unlike Swift's album rose art.

I have two paths and I have to make a decision in 3 days. My dad says go for what your gut is telling you. I don't know what my gut is telling me.
First Path: If I go to grad school and do the GA job for the soccer team, I am setting myself up for a career as a collegiate soccer coach. That path is easier to me. I know how to do school and I know how to do soccer (although not as a coach yet) as that's all I have done my entire life. This path is comfortable to me, secure, scares me less.
Second Path: The ranch position scares me. It is unstable as in 3 months I must find another position. The ranch puts me in a situation I have never experienced before. Forces me to learn things I have never learned about. It is new and exciting and scary. But if I did it, I would do everything to learn the most I can. Learn how to career climb in the hospitality industry. Learn how to give people an experience as that is something I love to do.
If there was a crystal ball that told me the outcome to each of these paths and one told me I will be a successful collegiate head coach in 10 years and the other told me I will own my own hospitality experience, I would choose the path to owning my own hospitality experience. What does that tell me? Could I ever have both? Do you know that fig tree poem by Sylvia Plath?
I guess my questions are, can seasonal work turn into a lifelong career? Where could I end up? Will I be wasting the opportunity to go to grad school being a Grad Assistant (GA) for the soccer team taking the next step to being a collegiate coach? The collegiate coach dream of mine is because it is comfortable to me, i know i would be good at it, and I could see myself doing it forever. But part of me wants to be free and adventure and work those long hard seasonal jobs in case I learn something or meet someone and it takes my life in a direction I never even would have imagined.
Hope any of you can help me.

The Scottish Cafe was a cafe in Lvov Poland (modern day Lviv Ukraine) in the 1930s, where a huge boom of intellectual activities took place. Chief among these was mathematics, centered largely around Banach. Not only were the mathematics developed here foundational, specially in my field of functional analysis, but it also fostered a brilliant social environment. Indeed, legends of 17 hour math+drinking sessions and tabletops vandalized by math survive to this day. It is also a story mired in tragedy: the Nazi invasion ended with many deaths and the decimation of the math culture there. Today I shall review a poem book on this topic by Susana H. Case, which I felt did this large part of our mathematical history justice.
Check out the book at: https://susanahcase.com/the-scottish-cafe-kawiarnia-szkocka/ . It is a bit expensive at 20 USD, but hopefully I can convince you that this is worth it. I want to say here for younger people reading this, who maybe love math but don't really know what math research is like: this is worth it. Doing math is only half of math research, the rest involves things like socializing, conferences, paperwork, presentation, getting drunk etc. I think reading about our academic ancestors' activities in the cafe will help paint a fuller idea of math research for you. Here is an article by the owner’s grandson: https://inria.hal.science/hal-02386544/document
The poem feels like it was written by and is for mathematicians, which impresses me because the author doesn't seem to have a mathematical background. There was a poem which captured the beauty i see in abstraction, and the pain I feel when people (*cough* physicists) question the validity of the abstract math we do. It was really cutting.
It also captures the human quality of math. Indeed math is something done by humans, and the traumas and issues that face humans affect the math. The poem does a good job of showing how the invasion and holocaust corrupted math for the survivors. I will not spoil it, but the poem ``fusion’’ is genuinely one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read. Math means everything to me, and if math was corrupted for me like that I wouldn't know what to do.
I have never before consumed such poignant work that appeals to the mathematician me. I urge everyone to get this book.

(continuation of part 2)
III. e) The Mobius FF x FFVII collaboration
Alright, back to our suspension world-hopping! Let’s visit the realm of Mobius FF, —more specifically, the collaboration between Mobius FF and FFVII—, where I found the most substantial evidence for my theory.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Mobius FF (MFF) world and games, let’s begin with a bit of a summary of the parts relevant to us. The story takes place in a world called Palamecia, to which people from other worlds are inexplicably summoned. The vast majority of those who are brought there don’t remember anything from their worlds of origin or their lives before Palamecia except their names: these amnesiac people are called Blanks. The main character is Wol, accompanied by a guiding fairy of Palamecia named Echo. Echo knows a lot about the mechanisms of Palamecia, as she’s tied to the realm. The leader of this world is Vox, a being who manifests only as a voice. The first thing all Blanks remember before they wake in Palamecia is Vox telling them the rules of the realm. Incidentally, the crystals of the MFF world are teleportation crystals.
III. e) i. Devs’ Statements
Let’s review some of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration devs’ statements before diving into its story.
For both the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration and the Remake project, Kitase took on the role of producer while Nojima supervised the screenplay and wrote the scenario. The project leader was none other than the Remake trilogy’s Hamaguchi, who told a SE interviewer the following:

“We would love for you to play the [MFF x FFVII] collaboration event as you look forward to [Remake’s] release” (“Celebration of the Overseas Release of the Steam Version and FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Collaboration Event”, Square Enix).

He later hints at the collaboration’s storyline:

“This collaboration is focused on Cloud, so the other characters will not make an appearance. Players will join Cloud, who has gone astray in Palamecia, on his adventures and see how the story unfolds based on his decisions. Content-wise, FINAL FANTASY VII fans will surely become fraught with emotion as events unfold in-game (laughs).”

Kitase concurs on the emotional aspect of the collaboration in the same interview:

“When it comes to the story, I seek two things– ‘mystery’ and ‘[…] emotional impact’.”

Clearly, fans of FFVII are supposed to react emotionally to the events of the collaboration. With these statements in mind to give us perspective, we can get into the plot points relevant to our analysis. MFF x FFVII Remake comes in two parts, the relevant plot points of which I will describe and analyze one at a time.
III. e) ii. Eclipse Contact
1) Fact-Finding
Part one of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration event is called Eclipse Contact. It came out in 2017 on Aerith’s birthday, February 7th, and its release campaign ran until March. In Eclipse Contact, Palamecia welcomes someone new: Cloud Strife appears in the realm with very little recollection of his core world of FFVII.
Cloud isn’t a Blank, since he recalls the mako reactors in Midgar upon his arrival in Palamecia, and also remembers that he was hired by Avalanche to blow them up:

“Echo: How did you end up in Palamecia?

Cloud: I… That day... I remember now. A job. I had taken a job. I was hired muscle protecting clients. They wanted to stop the reactor... We used a train to get past security... Was it at night? Something happened... Next thing I knew, I was floating through darkness. Then [I woke up here]”.

This piece of dialogue reveals that Eclipse Contact Cloud’s memories end at the very moment when Avalanche arrives at reactor 1 in OG (disk 1, chapter 1): the very beginning of the game. Consequently, Cloud does not remember anything that happened from the beginning of the OG timeline onwards.
Wol and Echo are intrigued by Cloud’s strange case: non-Blanks rarely arrive in Palamecia. The following text appears on the screen shortly after they meet:

“Perhaps he is not truly who he thinks he is.
Perhaps everything is illusory, a dream.
Only one thing is certain, that he must press on, one step at a time, toward the light that shines from the promised land.”

Just like he did in FFT’s Ivalice, Cloud feels the need to find the Promised Land in MFF x FFVII, despite the fact that he lacks memories of the OG timeline. Though Cloud doesn’t remember anything beyond the train ride to reactor 1, he does remember the Promised Land (at least somewhat). This is odd, given that in OG, Cloud didn’t learn about the Promised Land until several chapters into the game.
Wol and Echo agree to help Cloud figure out why he’s here, since there’s clearly something strange going on with his presence in Palamecia. In fact, Cloud brought Midgar’s mako reactors with him somehow, transplanting them onto the landscape of Palamecia. The group decides to bomb these reactors, following Cloud’s instincts in the hopes that it will jog his memory.
Now for my favorite part. After blowing up another reactor, the group is surprised by the appearance of a crystal. A piano rendition of Aerith’s theme begins. When Wol tries to touch the crystal, something akin to a force field rejects him. When Cloud approaches it, however, the crystal responds to his hand by flashing with light. As it begins to glow, Wol concludes that the crystal is linked to Cloud and Cloud alone. Let’s examine the resulting dialogue:

“Echo: This is the light in your memories. The light of home.
Cloud: Home? But I don’t—
Echo: If you don't remember… then your home is lost to you.
Cloud: Then my memories are gone.
Wol: Do you want to reclaim your past?
Cloud: Not interested... I am what I am now. Not what I was.
Wol: Then tell me… This light. If you can’t remember it, what does it mean to you?
Cloud: It's a warm light... I feel at peace. If this place —home— is as warm and peaceful as this light, then I want to go there.
Echo: You can't go there... Not back to the past.
Cloud: I see.
Echo: But even if you can't go back to the past, you can go forward. If you wish for it strongly enough, the crystal will show you the way. The way to a new world. The way to your Promised Land. […]
Cloud: So... Should [I] take [my] chances and make a wish to this crystal?
Wol: Go ahead. It’s your crystal.
Echo: I should warn you that once you start on this journey, there's no coming back.
Cloud: The past is the past. I want to go to a place where everything is new. I’m ready.“

What follows is a moment I call the wishing scene (13:43-14:34). Cloud closes his eyes and wishes on the crystal. It flashes, and suddenly, rainbow-colored ripples of light appear around it. Aerith’s theme is replaced by a slightly modified version of “Midgar, City of Mako”, the track that plays during the opening cutscene of Remake. You can recreate the modification by listening to “Midgar, City of Mako” from 2:00 to 2:23, then skipping to 3:00 and listening until 3:18. You may recognize the musical motif that kicks off the wishing scene as the Lifestream motif, which has become symbolic of the mysteries of the Remake trilogy, as it often plays during scenes where unexplainable plot deviations from OG occur— more specifically, deviations involving multiverse shenanigans. For instance, it plays during MOTF 4. It also plays in Rebirth after Cloud blocks masamune as Aerith is shown dying anyway.
Cloud disappears with his crystal, after which Echo speaks to Wol about Cloud’s journey:

“Echo: Each person gets the Promised Land they justly deserve, not the one they really need. If you’re a bad person, you go to a bad place. If you expect nothing, you get nothing. Even the journey there makes you look deep within yourself to find out who you really are. Cloud should be facing his own past as we speak. It’s cruel, but necessary. That battle was a long time coming”.

Apparently, at least in the context of this collaboration event, the Promised Land can be a reward or a punishment, depending on which you deserve. Echo explains that Cloud will have to face himself and his past on his way to his Promised Land. This means that the Cloud that appears in Eclipse Contact must next embark on a journey that will confront him with his past, test his mettle, and ultimately lead him to the Promised Land he justly deserves.
III. e) ii. 2) Fact Analysis
There’s a lot of vital information to dig into here, mostly provided by Echo. She claims that the crystal’s light is linked to Cloud’s memories of home; Cloud has to have known this home in the past, as it could not otherwise exist in his memories. MFF Cloud must be a post-OG Cloud. Unfortunately, Echo indicates that whatever Cloud’s home is, he’s lost both it and his memories of it. Despite this, Cloud describes his home as warm and peaceful, concluding that he wishes to find it. Though Cloud can’t return to the past, Echo tells him that if he wishes it strongly enough, the crystal can guide him toward a new world, where his home and his Promised Land exist in the future. The fact that Aerith’s theme is playing all throughout these descriptions of Cloud’s lost home, his Promised Land and the past that he can’t return to makes it extremely obvious that these concepts all point to Aerith. Aerith is Cloud’s lost home. Wherever Aerith is, that’s his Promised Land. The time spent with Aerith before her loss is the past he tragically can’t return to. You might have clocked the similarities between Eclipse Contact’s mention of Cloud’s lost home and DFF’s mention of Cloud’s lost dream: in both these titles, Cloud’s home and dream are equivalent to his Promised Land. It’s confirmed yet again that Aerith is the one Cloud hopes to return to, just like every soul returns to the Lifestream. At this juncture of my research, I was curious as to why the last thing Cloud remembers before waking in Palamecia is the run-up to the Reactor 1 bombing mission in OG (disk 1, chapter 1). This mystery will have to persist for a while longer.
The alarm bells in your head might’ve been triggered by the mention of the wishing scene’s rainbow ripple effects— and rightfully so. This visual cue has sparked passionate debate in the fandom since its appearances in Rebirth, as seen in these pictures:
Zack Choosing To Get A Cure For Cloud, Rebirth Chapter 14; Creating a New World/Timeline
Aerith Pushing Cloud Out of that World/Timeline, Remake Chapter 14
Cloud Blocking Masamune, Rebirth Chapter 14; Creating New World/Timeline
You might have read or heard that this rainbow effect signifies that a character has entered another timeline, created a portal to another timeline, created a new timeline or is being shown different timelines. Indeed, whenever the OG timeline is deviated from in a significant way, this effect appears. The pictures above present multiple examples of these shifting realities.
One might propose that the rainbow ripples in Eclipse Contact and Rebirth are unrelated because of the long period between their respective release dates. This long in-between period indeed makes it likelier that the effect was used without forethought in Eclipse Contact, forgotten over the years, and incidentally reused in Rebirth as a plot-important visual cue with no connection to Eclipse Contact. I’m inclined to disagree since the crystal is specifically described as a vessel that can take Cloud “to a new world” by Echo, which is a bit on the nose. Regardless, it’s plausible that there’s no connection. That is, it would be, if the rainbow effect didn’t show up in Remake too.
When the Whispers are finally defeated in chapter 18 of Remake, a burst of the rainbow ripple effects indicate the emergence of multiple worlds, newly freed from the restrictive clutches of fate (1:16:36-1:16:47). Shortly thereafter, Sephiroth takes Cloud to the Edge of Creation and invites him to join forces with him. Cloud refuses, and Sephiroth says the following:

“Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it? Let's see.”

The question “What will you do with it?” implies that the answer is unknown, meaning Cloud is no longer bound to the OG timeline by fate: many alternate futures lay ahead. Sephiroth is telling Cloud and the audience that now, the mystery of the Remake trilogy has become “Which future will Cloud bring into existence? Which among the infinite possible timelines will his choices result in?” After pondering this aloud, Sephiroth leaves Cloud alone to consider the rainbow effects in the sky (1:19:23-1:19:36). Because they generally represent alternate or changing timelines, it’s safe to assume that the rainbow ripples here represent the myriad of possible worlds that Cloud’s actions in those seven seconds could generate. After all, Sephiroth was just talking about them, and chapter 18’s description in Remake reads as follows:

“In a world beyond, Sephiroth shows Cloud a vision of the planet seven seconds before its demise. Having strayed from the course destiny set for them, they strike out on a path towards an unknown future."

This explains why the player is shown Cloud staring at those colors in the apocalyptic sky at world’s end, directly after hearing Sephiroth’s cryptic words: those are all the alternate “unknown future” timelines ahead of him, now unravelled from fate. Amongst those rainbow ripples lies the answer to the question “What will you do with [the seven seconds]?”
Given that Remake was released in 2020 and Eclipse Contact came out in 2017, the major story elements of the Remake trilogy —including the eventuality of alternate timelines— had to have been planned out at the time of Eclipse Contact’s release: while the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration was being made, Remake was also in production. Also recall that the collaboration event and the Remake trilogy share a codirector in Hamaguchi, a writer in Nojima and a producer in Kitase. Based on all this, it’s more than likely that the rainbow ripples in the Remake trilogy and inEclipse Contact represent the very same thing: alternate worlds and timelines. All this to say that when the rainbow effect appears around the crystal in the Eclipse Contact, it means the crystal is acting as a vessel to another world, just like Echo said.
But that’s not all Echo said: she also mentioned that this other world would take Cloud to his home, to his Promised Land. We’ve already established what that means for Cloud, what it’s meant since two whole decades at the time of Eclipse Contact’s release: this crystal will take Cloud to Aerith. So, where exactly did the crystal take Cloud? In what world can he meet Aerith again?
The music that plays during the wishing scene gives us a huge hint. As I noted before, the track playing in the background is a slightly modified version of Remake’s “Midgar, City of Mako”, which plays in the introduction cutscene of Remake. This is a musical cue that the ending of Cloud’s journey in Eclipse Contact and the very beginning of the Remake trilogy are closely related. Add the fact that the devs wanted players to experience this collaboration event before playing Remake, and it becomes undeniable: the crystal that appeared to Cloud in Palamecia —which offers to lead him to his home and Promised Land, meaning to Aerith—, took him to the world of the Remaketrilogy.
Eclipse Contact is huge. The whole crux of my theory lives and dies right here. However, we still have part two of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration event to analyze as well as its promotions to look into before I can drop the thesis on you, so bear with me in order to receive the most thorough analysis of all this possible! I want to give you every drop of proof I can!
III. e) ii. MFF x FFVII Remake Fatal Calling
1) Fact-Finding
Fatal Calling came out February 1 of 2018, and its release campaign ended in March. The game opens with a cutscene: Cloud is floating, seemingly unconscious, through a sparkling, green current of light. The current flows into a circle of bright, white light, surrounded by rainbow ripple effects as Cloud is driven toward and into it. An orb floats along with him. The Advent Children theme “The Promised Land” plays, a choir of mournful, aching, mutedly desperate souls engaged in a lamenting prayer. Sephiroth’s voice echoes:

“Sephiroth: It’s time. You may turn your back on the past, lock your memories away. Hide reality beneath a layer of illusion. But destiny will not die so easily. Yes. At memory’s end you may plead for it all to go away. But the past is a curse, binding your soul. It’s time. Wake to your fate. Rise to your destiny.
Cloud: (In a half-conscious grunt) Reunion…
Sephiroth: The light will lead you. Wake to your fate. Rise!”

Sephiroth’s mentions of Cloud hiding under an illusion and repressing his memories are no doubt allusions to Cloud’s past, which was complicated and darkened by Hojo’s experiments. It makes sense, then, that Cloud responds with “Reunion”. Fatal Calling indeed focuses on Cloud’s relationship to his past, his identity and Sephiroth. Everything involving Nibelheim —where everything started—, Sephiroth’s manipulation, and Hojo’s experiments are on the table. Also noteworthy if not out of place is Sephiroth’s evocation of fate.
Cloud enters a battle with Sephiroth with the help of Wol and Echo, who are surprised to see him back in Palamecia. Cloud tells them about the orb seen floating along with him in the opening cutscene: though he calls it a materia, he doesn’t know how or when he acquired it. Based on his behavior, it appears that Cloud remembers just as little about the events of OG as he did by the end of Eclipse Contact. Wol informs Cloud that whoever he heard speaking to him on his way here was probably Vox pretending to be Sephiroth.
As the group advances, Cloud recalls Midgar and decides they should go there next. At one of Midgar’s mako reactors, the group encounters Sephiroth, who speaks to himself:

“It's still not enough. This... this is but a pale imitation of the power I desire.”

Once Sephiroth has disappeared, Cloud explains what he remembers: Sephiroth was the greatest SOLDIER of all and a hero to Cloud, though Cloud can’t remember what exactly ended this admiration. As players of FFVII OG, we know the event in question is the Nibelheim incident, wherein Sephiroth slaughtered the town’s residents, including Cloud’s mother, after learning of his past. The former war hero also severely injured Tifa, whom Cloud presumed dead when he found her in the old mako reactor with a vicious slash on her chest. Cloud is agitated by the gaps in his memory, so the group resolves to follow Sephiroth for answers. When they find him again, Sephiroth causes Cloud to experience a piercing headache with the mere mention of the Reunion. They fight, but Sephiroth is too powerful— he skewers Cloud with the masamune and taunts his unconscious body:

“Sephiroth: A puppet. I won’t kill you. Not yet. Not until you know true despair.
Wol: If you want despair, we got plenty to go around. Palamecia’s full of it.
Sephiroth: Yes, this planet knows suffering. But it is not the world that was promised to me. I must go home. Tell Cloud, if he wants to see me again, he should face his memories. I will await him there, in the land of memory, where it all began. In Nibelheim.”

Sephiroth darkens Cloud’s materia, turning it black. Later, Wol explains to Cloud that Sephiroth stole the light from his materia, taking Cloud’s strength along with it.
Once Cloud has woken up, the group travels to Nibelheim to uncover the truth about Cloud’s memories. Cloud slowly gathers pieces of his past, shown to the player as titled, diary-like text written from various perspectives. Cloud learns the truth about SOLDIER, Jenova cells, Sephiroth, and what happened in Nibelheim. Let’s examine a few of these diary entries:

“A Warrior’s Tale: There's a girl in Nibelheim I think about. Warm. Cheerful. More grown-up than a child. Haven't talked to her much, but she seems nice. She's going to be leading the SOLDIERs to the mountain reactor. Maybe if I get into the survey team I'll get a chance to talk to her? Nah. She's out of my league.”

Young Cloud’s crush on Tifa is on full display! This must be a memory from his time as an infantryman accompanying Zack and Sephiroth to Nibelheim.

“Tale of the Nameless: I drift along in the mako, asleep. Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Give me a number. I… I… I am… The Reunion. The Reunion must happen.”

This entry could be taken from any one of the Nibelheim survivors’ perspectives, as they were all bathed in mako and turned into Sephiroth clones. I would venture to say this is Cloud’s perspective though, given the reference to this iconic line from OG:

“Cloud: Professor... please give me a number. Please, Professor...
Hojo: Shut up, miserable failure.” (disk 2, chapter 2).

The trio encounters Sephiroth near the old Mt. Nibel mako reactor. Because Sephiroth stole the light from his materia earlier, Cloud goes into the confrontation already drained of his strength. However, when Cloud lifts the materia in his hand, it lights up and creates rainbow ripples in the air around him, similar to those seen in Eclipse Contact and Rebirth. Cloud is healed of his injuries: he closes his eyes for a moment, wearing a peaceful expression. Sephiroth is displeased, but recovers quickly:

“Sephiroth: The guiding light… it healed you.
Wol: […] here, near the mako reactor, the materia regained its light. And your strength returned […]. [Sephiroth]’s here so he can steal the power you've stored inside that materia.
Sephiroth, with a short laugh: I have all the power I need. Cloud. What strength you’ve regained is yours. Use it to fight me. It’s time. Let’s decide this, in this land lost to despair. The prize is home. The Promised Land. There to answer the call of destiny.”

With this second evocation of fate, Sephiroth disappears.
Cloud, Wol and Echo find Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. He mocks Cloud for believing the orb in his possession is materia. Sephiroth waves a hand and his signature black and purple fog surrounds Cloud, immobilizing him. Sephiroth claims that the power Cloud regained at the Mt. Nibel reactor was Sephiroth’s all along. Now that it courses through Cloud’s veins, Sephiroth controls him. He calls Cloud his puppet and finishes with the following before the two vanish, leaving Wol and Echo alone:

“Now, let us return. Back to the Promised Land. The time of the Reunion has come.”

After Cloud finally breaks free and defeats Sephiroth with the help of Wol and Echo, the villain makes a final threat:

“Very good, Cloud. You’ve destroyed an illusion. But the time will come to abandon your illusions and face reality. Then, you will know true pain.”

Sephiroth disappears for the last time, his body surrounded by his signature dark fog and the rainbow ripples. A piano rendition of Tifa’s theme begins. Cloud’s orb rises into the air and becomes a crystal, with the same shape and glow as the one we see in Eclipse Contact. The following dialogue is illuminating:

“Cloud: I will fight. The light will lead me where I need to go.
Wol: You sure? Wasn’t that [crystal] Sephiroth’s?
Cloud: I heard Sephiroth's voice, at the end. Inside me. Whatever he put in me, it’s still in there. Someday I’ll settle that score. If I can't avoid destiny, I might as well face it head-on.
Wol: Yeah. That was quite a speech, Cloud. Surprised you made it through without laughing.
Cloud: Yeah, forget I said it. I will too.
Echo: Forgetting won’t make it go away. Even if the words fade from memory, your dream will never disappear. Not until it becomes real.“
The crystal shines as though in response.
“Echo: See? See, that's how the light of hope works. Hope can turn your dreams into reality.
Cloud: Yeah. I guess so. I might forget this world, but I won’t forget hope. And my reality, that’s for me to live.”

Tifa’s theme ends. Cloud approaches the crystal, and disappears in a beam of blinding light. Once Cloud has vanished with the crystal, Aerith’s theme begins playing. A few pale feathers with a slight orange tint (the color of MFF) float down onto the floor where he stood seconds before. The image fades to black. The credits roll, and Aerith’s theme continues all the way through.
Once both the final name in the credits and Aerith’s theme fade, we’re surprised by a sudden, troubling image: Sephiroth appears in a frightening flash, standing amidst the flames of Nibelheim. When his image fades to black, the collaboration title *“Final Fantasy VII x Mobius Final Fantasy”*appears on the screen. The FFVII title is accompanied by the 1997 meteor logo. Then, a flash of light: the titles reappear, except this time, they read “Final Fantasy VII REMAKE x Mobius Final Fantasy”. The new Remake Meteor logo replaces the 1997 version. As soon as these changes to the FFVII title and meteor logo occur, Aerith’s theme returns. It plays on until the game ends a few seconds later, the screen fading to black.
III. e) ii. 2) Fact Analysis
The introduction cutscene shows that MFF Cloud travelled from Eclipse Contact to Fatal Calling via Lifestream. It’s unclear how much time has passed in between, but the atemporal nature of the Lifestream makes the question irrelevant. My theory that MFF Cloud has died is corroborated by the way he’s depicted in the opening cutscene: his eyes are closed and his body is limp as the Lifestream carries him.
Eclipse Contact ended with Echo’s claim that Cloud will face his true self and confront his past while he journeys to his Promised Land. This description resembles what Cloud experienced in the OG Lifestream sequence (disk 2, chapter 8). Indeed, Fatal Calling revolves around the same topics the Lifestream sequence addresses: the truth about the Nibelheim incident, Hojo’s experiments, young Cloud’s crush on Tifa, etc. The opening cutscene shows Cloud being transported to his Promised Land and facing his past on the way there, just like Echo said he would.
Let’s now take a long detour to examine the song that plays during the opening cutscene of Fatal Calling: “The Promised Land” theme from Advent Children. The title and general subject of this song are obviously relevant to the cutscene, but there must be more to its inclusion than that. Perhaps the lyrics can help us understand its appearance in the opening cutscene of Fatal Calling. Here are the unofficial English lyrics (translated from the original Japanese lyrics by an anonymous fan and verified by me via DeepL):

“Why do we cling together?
Why do we give punishment to lesser hearts?
The planet did not forgive us
Did not forgive us
The planet did not forgive us
Did not forgive us
The pulse of veins flows through the earth
A faint, faint pulse
Of a heart drawn to death
A gentle life returns to the planet
Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?
Why do we cling together?
Why do we beg for forgiveness
In the Promised Land?” (“‘The Promised Land’ (theme)” by Final Fantasy Wiki).

The song appears to be a regretful lament of human behavior, expressed by the repetition of “Why do we […]?” questions. The behaviors listed are all typically human ones: the terms “[clinging] together” and “[giving] punishment to [the] lesser” express the uniquely human nature of tribalism and the consequences of the fear and hatred it can generate, and “[begging] for forgiveness in the Promised Land” is likely a reference to the human hypocrisy of only feeling sorry for one’s crimes when judgement day arrives. This last line describes a scenario where someone remains passive or ignorant in the face of something important, only to realize its essentiality once it’s too late. The repeated“The planet did not forgive us” lines reflect the fear of being condemned forever because of one’s mistakes, as though the planet is a deity one has sinned against. The lyric describing a pulse in the earth is obviously about the planet being alive— a reference to the Lifestream. But the pulse is faint and weak and the planet is dying, perishing because of mankind’s greed. This is an indictment of mako energy. The line “A gentle life returns to the planet” refers to an innocent’s soul returning to the Lifestream after death, while the next lyric “Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?” protests the “sacrifice” of the planet’s soul energy for mako production. In all this darkness, this song’s mention of “forgiveness in the Promised Land” leaves a modicum of hope for a better place, however meek, even though mankind might not deserve it. The song “The Promised Land” is both a lament of mankind’s ways and a plea for mercy, with religious and/or spiritual undertones. The song’s themes seem to be: the Promised Land itself, regret and shame, the sins and foolishness of mankind, the death of innocents, grief, Cetra spirituality, and a meek, quiet hope despite it all. The most interesting aspect of the song is its antithetical portrayal of death as a thing of both despair and hope, condemnation and salvation, cruelty and mercy, suffering and relief. Maybe we can glean more information about this theme’s significance in the world of FFVII if we examine the contexts in which it appears.
Importantly, the song plays in Marlene’s introductory narration of Advent Children, meaning its themes are related or similar to the film’s. I highly recommend listening and watching it again, even if you remember this iconic segment. Marlene references Aerith’s sacrifice as the image of Cloud lowering her into the water is shown. Note that Marlene says “Sadness was the price to see it end” (2:36) after we are shown Aerith’s death and her subsequent unleashing of the Lifestream (1:49-2:24): Aerith’s innocent life was sacrificed for the planet’s survival. The lyrics “A gentle life returns to the planet” and “Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?” suit Aerith’s situation quite well.
The theme also plays in Advent Children as Kadaj dies in Cloud’s arms (1:45:00-1:47:55), hearing Aerith’s gentle voice and reaching up to take her invisible hand. Here is what Aerith says to him in his dying moments as “The Promised Land” plays:

“Aerith’s voice: Kadaj?
Kadaj: Huh?
The dark sky has gone with Sephiroth. Healing rain starts falling from bright clouds. The rain no longer hurts Kadaj.
Aerith’s voice: You don’t have to hang on any longer.
Kadaj: Mother! Is that…?
Aerith’s voice: Everyone’s waiting, if you’re ready.
Kadaj nods his head slightly in acceptance. He holds out his hand, and slowly evaporates into the Lifestream. Cloud watches […]” (Advent Children).

Kadaj is brought into the Lifestream by Aerith as she provides rain from the Lifestream. All those with geostigma are healed by the rain, and Tifa feels Aerith’s presence as the party celebrates:

“Tifa, looking out at the falling rain […]: Somehow, I knew you were there. Thank you” (Advent Children).

Cloud stands in the rain with a smile —his first in the whole film—, closes his eyes and basks in Aerith’s healing with his face upturned. He is finally at peace:

“Cloud’s expression is one of peace as the [Lifestream] rain patters against him” (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children English script, “[83] Atop the Shinra Building”).

One thing is clear: the track “The Promised Land” accompanies Aerith. It only makes sense, since we’ve seen overwhelming evidence that she is Cloud’s Promised Land, and since she occupies the Lifestream —which some consider the Promised Land as it is where souls go after death— during the events of Advent Children. Note that when the piece plays, Cloud is shown either mourning Aerith and releasing her into the river at the Cetra capital, or basking in her presence, smiling with relief at the peaceful feeling that she’s somewhere near: these two opposing scenes reflect the song’s antithetical portrayal of death.
Additionally, the song’s themes of regret, shame concerning one’s sins and a small hope perfectly describe Cloud’s character arc and feelings in Advent Children. Cloud regrets his inability to save Aerith, which he considers a sin. Further, he only realized how important she is to him once it was too late to tell her. And of course, he harbors a fragile yet important hope that he’ll be reunited with her in the Promised Land:

“‘Can sins ever be forgiven?’ — Cloud asks this to Vincent, who mutters a brief answer. For both of them, ‘I couldn't protect my loved one’ is the sense of guilt that they carry, so their words resonate with weight” (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, “Chapter 2: Character in FFVIIWorld”, “Vincent Valentine”, “In Advent Children”, page 72).

&

"’It is my sin that I couldn't protect my loved one’ — under this assumption, Cloud closes off his heart. What will the reunion with Aerith bring him? ‘I... think I want to be forgiven. Yeah, I just want to be forgiven’” (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, “Chapter 2: Character in FFVIIWorld”, “Cloud Strife”, “In Advent Children”, page 40).

&

“Cloud, after seeing Aerith’s hand reach for him through the Lifestream: … I think I'm beginning to understand.
Tifa: What?
Cloud: An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there” (disk 3, chapter 3).

Just as the song and Marlene express in the introduction of the film, Aerith was innocent, and her sacrifice generated great grief. Cloud finally experiences peace when he feels her presence in the healing rain, and he smiles: he’s glad to be with her again, even if it’s only for a brief moment of tangential respite.
The scene depicts Aerith guiding Kadaj into the Lifestream as the song plays, tying her to the concept and theme song of the Promised Land once more. This connection is later solidified by Tifa’s thanks to the late flower girl. All of this evidence shows us that this musical theme is intimately linked to Aerith, as it never plays in her absence. After all, the song speaks of sins, the death of innocents, forgiveness, grief, a small sense of hope, regret and the afterlife: all themes relevant to Cloud’s feelings surrounding Aerith’s death in and outside of Advent Children.
The Remake OST also includes a version of this piece called “The Promised Land - Cycle of Life”. This iteration of the theme begins playing in the wake of the first bombing mission, right after Sephiroth taunts Cloud with his mother’s dying words in Sector 8 (chapter 2). Sephiroth appears to Cloud surrounded by flames, evoking the Nibelheim massacre, and the theme begins playing in the background once he disappears, continuing (13:17-15:30) as Cloud walks through the sector, encountering fires and destruction all around him. This version of the Promised Land theme is meant to emphasize the deaths of the innocent Nibelheim townsfolk and the innocents in Sector 8. This dreadful atmosphere is amplified by the cries of despair that ring all around as Cloud passes by NPC Sector 8 residents. Perhaps the themes of tribalism and mankind’s sin are relevant to this scene as well, since Shinra and Avalanche are two distinct and warring groups whose quarrels, regardless of their necessity, result in the deaths of innocents. The theme of guilt also emerges, reflecting the Avalanche members’ feelings upon seeing the unintended collateral damage of the explosion. “The Promised Land - Cycle of Life” plays until Cloud encounters Aerith on Loveless. So it seems in this scenario, the heavy weight of death and despair is lifted when Cloud meets the lively, cheery Aerith. Once more, Aerith is central to the musical theme of the Promised Land, as well as to the concept itself.
I also noticed that a version of the song plays as Cloud and the party ready to enter the Forgotten Capital to save Aerith in Rebirth’s chapter 14: it truly adds the weight of her upcoming death to the scene.
Back to Fatal Calling, the scene where Cloud regains his strength is quite mysterious. Wol says Cloud’s orb regained its “guiding light” light because of its proximity to the mako reactor. In the moment his strength is replenished, Cloud is shown tilting his head back and closing his eyes: this is reminiscent of the scene in Advent Children when he stands under Aerith’s healing Lifestream rain, feeling at peace. The rainbow ripples shining from the orb indicate that something is crossing the boundaries of worlds. Since the mako reactor pumps up the Lifestream, being near a reactor also means being physically near the Lifestream. This means Aerith’s spirit is within proximity. In my opinion, Aerith was able to heal Cloud from the Lifestream, just like in Advent Children. However, Aerith is not in Palamecia with him: her healing had to travel there through the Lifestream, transcending the boundaries of worlds, hence the rainbow ripples.
Let’s now address the appearance of Tifa’s character theme in Fatal Calling. Since Fatal Calling is all about discovering Cloud’s past in Nibelheim and then in Hojo’s lab, it makes lots of sense for Tifa’s theme to play as the crystal appears. In OG’s Lifestream sequence (disk 2 chapter 8), she’s the one there helping Cloud sort through his past instead of Wol and Echo. Cloud even picks up a piece of his childhood crush on Tifa in Fatal Calling as a shard of his memory. After all, this crush was the catalyst for him joining SOLDIER, and everything that transpired in consequence:

“Cloud: That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth. If I got strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might... If I could just get stronger... Then even Tifa would have to notice me” (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).

Additionally, it’s fitting that her theme should begin right after Sephiroth speaks of “[abandoning] your illusions and [facing] reality”, considering that Cloud’s false persona was concocted by Jenova using Tifa’s mistaken impressions of Cloud:

“While being tended to by a station worker in the Sector 7 Slum train station, [Cloud] was reunited with Tifa, and using the abilities of Jenova’s cells, formed a new personality” (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, “Chapter 2: Character in FFVII World, “Cloud Strife”, “Cloud Behavior Record, Compilation of FFVII”, page 40).

&

“(Image caption:) A new personality takes shape the moment he sees Tifa” (FFVII Story Playback, “Story Check: Tifa’s Flashback”).

&

“Tifa (to Cloud): Deep down, you're a pretty nice guy. Didn't see it when we were kids, but...” (Remake, chapter 14).

(Continued in part 4)

Bit of a longer post, sorry bout that, but I felt it was time, perhaps once again, to point out the flaws and limitations in the CDC’s stats on sexual violence, specifically as they relate to the National Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), which is the source of all the fun stats on sexual violence that get thrown around by the 451 percenters. Who are the 451 percenters? Those the folks who believe and spread the lies bout sexual violence being endemic to society. Everyone’s a sexual predator! All 451 percent of women are violated, and all 451 percent of men are violators.
TL;DR: An analysis and rebuttal to the CDC and NISVS’s statistics on sexual violence. The CDC uses NISVS to generate the stats on punny sexual violence that make wild claims, like one third of all women, etc… the 451 percenters’ claims bout punny sexual violence. They use a ‘yes means yes’ method of determining what counts as punny sexual violence, which is aesthetics based. Elevating aesthetical concerns to ethically obligatory concerns is fascistic, and a grave moral fallacy. ‘Yes means yes’ is also puritanical, meaning it overly moralizes sexuality. Putting puritanical fascists in charge of determining how many punny sexual offenses are happening is like putting the KKK in charge of determining how many jews are sexual predators. “All 451 percent of them, obviously!”
Body Of The Post
‘Yes means yes’ is an aesthetical ethical concern, ‘Do I want it or not’. This is what the National Intimate Partner Violence Survey (NISVS) and the CDC use and reflect in their stats on sexual violence. Vibes. They are the ‘emmitt till got what he deserved’ crowd. Whistling at a lady is a criminalizable offense to these folks, a ‘punny sexual violence’.
‘No means no’ is an ethically obligatory concern, ‘Did I refuse it or not’. This is what the criminal stats on sexual violence use and reflect in their stats on sexual violence. Hard data. They are the ‘emmit till did nothing wrong’ crowd. Whistling at a lady is at most tasteless, emmitt till could do far better.
‘Wanting’ or ‘Not Wanting’ something does not consent make. I can want to fuck someone, but not consent to do so. I could not want to fuck someone, but nonetheless consent to do so. The former perhaps because I think it is a bad idea to fuck ‘em even tho I want to. The latter, perhaps because I think it is a good idea to fuck ‘em even tho I don’t want to.
The ‘yes means yes’ folks, the CDC & NISVS stats on sexual violence all mistake ‘wanting’ and ‘not wanting’ for ‘consenting’ and ‘not consenting’; these are not the same things. This is deliberate on their part too. They believe that ‘yes means yes’ is what ought to constitute a determination of sexual violence. Regardless of how y’all view that, it is a deeply controversial notion, and not necessarily reflective of what most people think of when they think of sexual violence.
‘Unwanted’ essentially means ‘I don’t like it’. It is a complaint bout the aesthetical qualities of the sexual encounter, not its consensualism. If this is at all unclear, the simplest method to understand why this is so is to note two unrelated aspects.
One is racism. People regularly ‘feel fearful’ of men for no reason at all, but they also feel fearful of men because of racism all the time. That fear factor ™ is what makes the encounter ‘coercion’ or ‘unwanted’. The person literally does nothing wrong, *just exists* and the other person freaks out.
Note in the quoted sections at the end of this post how much of the stats rely on fear and feelings to generate their numbers.
Two is the person came on too strong or in an undesirable way. The person flirts in a normal and perfectly fine way, but the other person freaks out. Think bout it people, for the love of god think bout it. ‘Coming on too strong’ and ‘an undesirable flirtation’ are being counted as ‘punny sexual violence’ in these stats.
It’s entirely puritanical, and entirely a concern bout aesthetics.
There are other sorts of coercive methods, but the point here is that the terms ‘unwanted’ and ‘coercion’ only really cash out as ‘I don’t like it for some reason or another’ in the CDC’s and NISVS’s stats.
When you see that lady spouting off bout her fears of mexican rapists, she’s reflected in these stats folks. They’re just surveys. People who lock their car doors in ‘bad neighborhoods’ are reflected in those stats.
These all translate to ‘I felt threatened’ (big black boy vibes) or ‘felt pressured’ (scary white guy vibes), or ‘felt in danger’ (native american coming to get you vibes), or ‘felt uncertain if you wanted it’ (arab terrorist vibes) or 'felt like I was being manipulated' (angry asian martial artists vibes) . Doesn’t have to be racism at play here either, women can be irrationally fearful of any man. Vibes.
The actions themselves are not criminalizable.
Non p-hacked stats try to avoid these kinds of obvious ambiguities in the language used to generate the 451 percenters’ stats. These folks however lean into the lies and deceptions, and deliberately use language designed to deceive people reading the stats into thinking that people have been harmed. They take language that means literally ‘I like or don’t like it’ and translate that to mean ‘I was sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, or even raped’.
This is how they inflate the numbers, so we get to the 451 percenters’ wacky ass beliefs; ‘451 percent of women will suffer egregious sexual violence to them at least fifty times in their lives’. All this means is vibes. 451 percent of women get some bad vibes bout some dudes.
You can hear it echoed in the bear or man discourse. Why do women choose the bear? Vibes and irrational fears. ‘We choose the bear because we don’t feel safe!’ translates directly to ‘Emmitt till whistled at me, and he’s a big black boy, that’s scary’ and ‘the mexican rapists are swarming over the border to get me’.
These are the stats that people point to when they try to justify their misandristic hot ass takes. They are self-referential to that same fear based aesthetic the stats are. The stats are reflective of peoples’ irrational fears, and people use those stats to justify their irrational fears, and people spread those fear based stats thereby spreading their unjustified fears. It’s a circle rub.
To criminalize these kinds of things is to be fascistic (treating aesthetics as if they were of obligatory concern), to believe that they are morally reprehensible is to be a puritan (overly moralizing sexuality).
The folks deriving these stats translate ‘unwanted’ (aesthetical ethics) to ‘sexual assault’, ‘sexual harassment’, or ‘rape’ (obligatory ethics), then lump everything together as ‘punny sexual violence’ to get the big numbers used to scare people and terrorize men. That’s called fascism.
“[T]here remains a likelihood of underreporting due to the sensitive nature of SV”.
This justification means that they do not trust people to report SV, ‘don’t believe women when they say they haven’t suffered any SV, manipulate the questions so they say yes to something they don’t think is SV, or which simply isn’t SV, and we’ll just call it SV of this or that sort. Later we’ll propagandize people so they too come to believe our puritanical misandristic hot ass takes.’
There is no lie nor hyperbole in what I am saying here. That is the rationale and the method. If you bone up on your academic lit in the topic, this is, well not verbatim what they say, I am lambasting them here, but this is the crux of what their argument and justifications are, and they explicitly hold that they ought be propagandizing people to their puritanical beliefs.
They push the fascistic (aesthetical ethical) and puritanical (overly moralized sexual ethics) discourse into the public by presenting stats that merely reflect fears and pretend that they are reflective of sexual violence. People then come to believe that those kinds of fear based concerns are actually sexual violence. An ‘unwanted flirtation’ becomes in their minds and only in their minds a sexual violence.
Emmitt till got lynched for whistling at a lady. They only disagree bout the racism, but he definitely deserved to be punished in some way like all men do for whistling at someone they think is hot af. Puritanism.
All just vibes, all but aesthetics, and all fascistically raised to a level of ethically obligatory concern.
“Just as SV is not limited to physically forced penetration, its perpetrators are not limited to strangers. Indeed, perpetrators of SV are more likely to be someone known to the victim. Sexual violence is a problem embedded in our society and includes unwanted acts perpetrated by persons very well known (e.g., family members, intimate partners, and friends), generally known (e.g., acquaintances), not known well or just known by sight (e.g., someone in your neighborhood, person just met) and unknown to the victim (e.g., strangers). “
Be afraid of everyone, any man out there could be your next rapist! That’s right ladies and gents, you’ve been raped several times already, you just didn’t know it. But don’t worry, the statisticians know better. They asked you an unrelated question you said yes to since you were too dumb to know that you were raped, and counted it as rape. Then they informed you that you ought be afraid of everyone in your community, lest they also rape you, unbeknownst to you of course. But again, don’t worry, the statistician will count those too.
As a measure of fear the 451 percenters capture, well or worse who knows, all the racism, sexism, bigotry, and various phobias in the society, and how those fears are transferred onto masculine bodies as imaginary perpetrators of punny sexual offenses. None of it is real, there are not 451 percent of sexual violences happening, 451 percent of men are not sexual predators, and 451 percent of women are not victims of sexual violence.
‘Safety culture’ mostly reflects irrational fears.
Ask the kkk how many black people are rapists, you’re gonna get a high number. Ask puritans how many people are punny sexual offenders, you’re going to get a very high number. Such is the most tame interpretation of what is going on. The 451 percenters are puritans, they’ve overly moralized sexuality, counting offenses to their sensibility rather than criminal actions.
Puritans informing you how ‘vile and wicked’ your sexual ways are; advocating to make their puritanical beliefs bout punny sexual offenses into legally enforceable laws. These are the same kinds of concerns bout a someone dressing too provocatively, such is a ‘punny sexual violation’ to the sensibilities of others.
The less tame version of this is that it is exactly what fascists do. Lie to people especially bout punny sexual offenses in order to ratchet up the fear levels in the population, so they run to them to solve the ‘problem’.
Could be both tho.
Either way, their misandry murders little boys. They celebrate terrorizing men, and rejoice in lynching folks. They’re despicable people.
Solutions?
Ruthlessly love them. Write them love poems, show them kindness and generosity of spirit, but give them not a dime in money, nor ever relent to their irrational fears. Extol their beauty and virtues, make love with them, utterly ruthlessly. Be overtly sexual bout it, in this give them no quarter, bring to an end their puritanism by giving them no plausible cause to be thus. No one under the duress of loves’ enticements and sexual pleasures be puritans. Be relentless, show them masculine sexuality; give them nothing to complain bout, but give them masculine sexuality. Don’t fall for their puritanism, be the boys of summer.
Respect a ‘no means no’ ethic as a code of obligatory actions. Use aesthetical ethics towards good sex with mutual respect given; don’t ever take that as a one way thing. Do not conflate the aesthetics of good sex, 'enthusiastic yeses’ with those of the ethics of obligation ‘no means no’. Don’t be puritans, don’t be fascists, be sex positivists.
Call out the stats when folks bring them up, refer people to these points, feel free to refer people to this post and/or the attached video. ‘But the CDC said’ is not a valid argument; they have put puritans in charge of determining punny sexual offenses. They find punny sexual offenses everywhere they look.
If you’re super coolio, start advocating against the CDC’s use of NISVS to determine what constitutes sexual violence. It doesn’t match with criminal data’s methods, it doesn’t utilize the metrics of ‘no means no’ which are the proper metrics to use, instead it utilizes what amounts to peculiar beliefs bout the aesthetics of sex as a means of measure for punny sexual offenses.
They are spreading a puritanical belief system bout punny sexual offenses, nothing more, and they are causing public health problems by spreading their lies. They are not counting sexual offenses, they are not a criminal justice system, they aren’t technically even in the business of understanding sexual violence. They are the Center For Disease Control, not the ‘center for social engineering sexual practices control’.
Original video on the topic, with some additional resources for understanding these issues in the description.
The Rest Of This Post Is References To The CDC, NISVS, And Crime Data Reports, Along With Some Quotes Thereof With Short Specific Retorts Highlighting The Relevant Info In The Quotes As It Pertains To The Post. This Is But A Small Sample Of How They Use Language Of Aesthetics To Make Their Ethical Claims, And How Their Language Is Misandristic.
sv_surveillance_definitionsl-2009-a.pdf (cdc.gov)
Fast Facts: Preventing Sexual Violence Violence Prevention Injury Center CDC
Key Terms & FAQs National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)Funded
Programs Violence Prevention Injury Center CDC
Some key quotes from this, Bolded text hereafter are coded for ‘yes means yes’ methods of understanding sexual violence, and sometimes misandristic language. Italicized text are quotes from the sources:
“Rape is defined as any completed or attempted unwanted [unwanted is an aesthetic criteria, not a consent criteria which is ‘a no was stated’ attempted while a real thing allows for further insertion of scary vibes to pad the stats, e.g. the blackness of the lover] ...includes times when the victim was drunk, high*, drugged, or passed out and unable to consent.* [puritanical belief bout drinking and drugs, e.g. one cannot consent if drunk or high. Note that it is separate from being drugged or passed out and unable to consent, and that criminally speaking being drunk or high is not indicative of a lack of capacity to consent, also note this is de facto applied to women only].
“Sexual coercion is defined as unwanted sexual penetration that occurs after a person is pressured in a nonphysical way. In NISVS, sexual coercion refers to unwanted vaginal, oral, or anal sex after being pressured in ways that include being worn down by someone who repeatedly asked for sex or showed they were unhappy; feeling pressured by being lied to, being told promises that were untrue, having someone threaten to end a relationship or spread rumors; and sexual pressure due to someone using their influence or authority.”
Unwanted is an aesthetic category, not a consent category. ‘Sexual coercion’ is not a criminal offense either. It is a puritanical belief bout sexuality that is based on a sex negative view, e.g. that sex is a bad unless and until magical words are said to make it into a good. Calling it ‘sexual violence’ is just lying. Coercion is defined misandristically to only be bout penetration, which precludes all the ways that women use sex and sexuality to manipulate, use, abuse, and harm people; note that there are essentially zero surveys done that include some ‘feminine coded coercive behavior’ into these stats. That is by design. Including not incidentally the way that women have historically and currently used irrational fears over their sexuality to terrorize men and get people murdered.
“Unwanted sexual contact is defined as unwanted sexual experiences involving touch but not sexual penetration, such as being kissed in a sexual way, or having sexual body parts fondled, groped, or grabbed.”
Unwanted is aesthetics, not consent. Also this literally describes flirting. I know they want to try and capture some other sort of notion, grossy mcgrosser pinning someone down and groping them, but all this describes here, and all the stats can possibly reflect, is flirting.
“Non-contact unwanted sexual experiences is defined as those unwanted experiences that do not involve any touching or penetration, including someone exposing their sexual body parts, flashing, or masturbating in front of the victim, someone making a victim show his or her body parts, someone making a victim look at or participate in sexual photos or movies*, or* someone harassing the victim in a public place in a way that made the victim feel unsafe.”
This category is quite broad and puritanical in its disposition, as it assumes there is something wrong with seeing naked images unless and until expressed verbal consent is given, and undoubtedly ignores the en masse flood of naked images of women online to which basically every guy is exposed to. Compare again to people who claim that women ought not be allowed to show their ankles as it causes a ‘harm’ to those who are ‘forced’ to see it. Exact same shite. Aesthetical concerns of wanted or unwantedness, and also notice the expressly stated vibes check ‘victim feel unsafe’. Look out for the black boys, they make them feel unsafe!
Crime/Law Enforcement Stats (UCR Program) — FBI
Quick Facts on Sexual Abuse Offenses (ussc.gov)
It’s worth mentioning that statistically speaking, if one uses the stats derived from crime data as opposed to statisticians making numbers up, the percentages of men who do sexual violence, depending a bit on how you count it, are: 0.0516% or .478% or .0957%. Although the video goes over this all in pretty good depth, just do a little sniff test here; are .478% of the male population sexually violating a third of all women, 55.5 million women?

DAY: MAY 14, 2024

• 5-14-2024CAN EATING OR DRINKING CAFFEINE BEFORE BED IMPACT YOUR HEALTH? Having a lot of food in your stomach before bed can redirect blood flow to your gut to digest the food, meaning there is less blood flow going to your brain. You need that blood flow to your brain to make sure you go into the different sleep stages. If you have caffeine in your system or are sensitive to it, the time to fall asleep can double. Caffeine has a half-life of up to 4.5 hours, so a safe bet is to avoid caffeine after noon.
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS DETECT HIDDEN INGREDIENTS AND QUESTIONABLE CLAIMS IN SUPPLEMENTS some supplement companies may mislead customers with unproven health claims and undeclared ingredients. The researchers focused on supplements that have been associated with the purported treatment or prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. During the pandemic, the use of dietary supplements skyrocketed throughout the world. “There was a big spike in purchase and use of these types
• 5-14-2024TEXT MESSAGES WITH FINANCIAL INCENTIVES CAN HELP MEN WHO ARE LIVING WITH OBESITY LOSE WEIGHT, UK STUDY FINDS text messages with financial incentives can help men who are living with obesity lose weight and could be a valuable alternative to traditional weight management programs. Men who were offered cash for hitting weight loss targets lost more weight than those not given a financial incentive,
• 5-14-2024EXERCISE BENEFITS THE BRAIN, BUT IMPROVING ITS BLOOD VESSELS MAY TAKE LONGER People with less consistent brain blood flow patterns may be at greater risk of dementia and cerebrovascular disease. To explore whether regular aerobic exercise can help, researchers at Iowa State University have conducted a pilot study, the results of which were recently published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. “The big take-away is that exercise is good for the arteries and brain, but its effects are complex and takes time to accumulate benefits
• 5-14-2024SOCIAL ONLINE TRAINING CAN HELP AGAINST LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION a ten-week, partner-based mental online training program boosted resilience, empathy and compassion, and deepened social connections. At the same time, these short daily, app-based practices done with another person, so-called Dyads, decreased loneliness, depression, anxiety and a negative outlook
• 5-14-2024TECH ALONE CAN’T REPLACE HUMAN COACHES IN OBESITY TREATMENT, STUDY FINDS technology alone can’t replace the human touch to produce meaningful weight loss in obesity treatment. The study, titled “An Adaptive Behavioral Intervention for Weight Loss Management: A Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial,” . “Giving people technology alone for the initial phase of obesity treatment produces unacceptably worse weight loss than giving them treatment that combines technology with a human coach
• 5-14-2024ULTRASOUND CAN HELP PATIENTS WITH A TYPE OF RHEUMATIC DISEASE LEAD LONGER AND HEALTHIER LIVES ultrasound can help patients with a type of rheumatic disease to live longer and healthier lives. These patients have so far had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which contributes to premature death. Patients with a type of rheumatic disease called radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, a disease that causes changes in the bones in the pelvis and spine, have poorer health quality of life than control subjects.
• 5-14-2024SCIENTISTS FIND REPEATED, SMALL HITS TO HEAD IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS CAN DAMAGE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE BRAIN The work involved specialized helmets that were used to monitor head impacts in 60 university football players. Credit: Dalhousie University Repeated blows to the heads of football players can damage the small blood vessels of the brain, according to research by Dalhousie University scientists from the Brain Repair Center who believe this damage may contribute to brain dysfunction in some athletes years after play has ended. The neuroscientists found that the brain’s blood vessels can get damaged by a succession of small hits
• 5-14-2024‘MICROPREEMIE’ BABY WHO WEIGHED JUST OVER 1 POUND AT BIRTH GOES HOME FROM ILLINOIS HOSPITAL Nyla was born at just 22 weeks weighing 1 pound and 1 ounce, making her what’s known as a “micropreemie.” She left Silver Cross Hospital on Monday weighing a healthy 10 pounds, and was taken home by her first-time parents
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE IF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF ADHD REDUCES CRIMINALITY pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reduced violence- and public-order related crimes. However, it did not reduce other types of crimes, among patients with ADHD in early to late adolescence considered to be in the gray zone (or on the margin) for such treatment.
• 5-14-2024A NEW DRUG SHOWS POTENTIAL BENEFITS IN THE RECOVERY OF PATIENTS AFTER A HEART ATTACK beneficial effects of the novel drug Sacubitril/Valsartan in the management of myocardial infarction (MI). The research offers new insights into the drug’s ability to reduce inflammation, cardiac fibrosis, and prevent dangerous heart arrhythmias post-MI. Cardiovascular diseases, especially MI,
• 5-14-2024STUDY EXPLORES ROLE OF EPIGENETICS, ENVIRONMENT IN DIFFERING ALZHEIMER’S RISK BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE COMMUNITIES environmentally caused alterations to specific areas of the genome—known as imprint control regions—during early development may contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and that Black people may be more affected than white people. The work adds to our understanding of the ways in which environmental factors can contribute to genetic alterations and disease susceptibility.
• 5-14-2024NEW AI TOOL IMPROVES RISK ASSESSMENT FOR HEART FAILURE CARE researchers have developed a powerful new risk assessment tool for predicting outcomes in heart failure patients. The researchers have made the tool publicly available for free to clinicians. The new tool improves on existing risk assessment tools for heart failure by harnessing the power of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to determine patient-specific risks of developing unfavorable outcomes with heart failure.
• 5-14-2024FAR FROM TOXIC, LACTATE RIVALS GLUCOSE AS BODY’S MAJOR FUEL AFTER A CARBOHYDRATE MEAL A volunteer is monitored after being given a large dose of glucose to determine how well people switch from fat to carbohydrate metabolism as they age. In the tests at UC Berkeley, subjects had their blood monitored for labeled lactate and glucose, underwent periodic blood sampling, and had their breath monitored for oxygen and carbon dioxide.
• 5-14-2024STUDY EXPLORES WHAT MOTIVATES PRESCHOOLERS TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE Adults find it particularly easy to prepare for the future when they imagine how they will feel. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have investigated whether this is also the case with preschoolers. The researchers conducted the study at the intersection of philosophy and psychology. They described their findings in the journal Emotion. Rehearsing for a school play, getting a present for a friend’s birthday and packing a book for a long car journey:
• 5-14-2024NEWLY IDENTIFIED PET BIOMARKER PREDICTS SUCCESS OF IMMUNE CHECKPOINT BLOCKADE THERAPY The protein galectin-1 (Gal-1) has been identified as a new PET imaging biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, allowing physicians to predict the tumor responses before beginning treatment. Information garnered from Gal-1 PET imaging could also be used to facilitate patient stratification and optimize immunotherapy, enabling targeted interventions and improving patient outcomes. This research was published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Immunotherapies, such as ICB
• 5-14-2024RESEARCH LINKS SLEEP APNEA SEVERITY DURING REM STAGE TO VERBAL MEMORY DECLINE
• 5-14-2024SEVERE OBESITY IN CHILDHOOD CAN HALVE LIFE EXPECTANCY, GLOBAL MODELING STUDY FINDS
• 5-14-2024COEXISTENCE OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, ATOPIC DERMATITIS MAY OFFER TREATMENT INSIGHTS
• 5-14-2024MEN WITH LOW TESTOSTERONE LEVELS MAY BE AT INCREASED RISK OF DYING PREMATURELY
• 5-14-2024CONGENITAL ANOMALIES FOUND TO BE TEN TIMES MORE FREQUENT IN CHILDREN WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS REVEAL HOW LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE BINDING PROTEIN RESISTS HEPATIC OXIDATIVE STRESS
• 5-14-2024STEM CELLS PROVIDE NEW INSIGHT INTO GENETIC PATHWAY OF CHILDHOOD CANCER
• 5-14-2024SAN FRANCISCO SET TO BAN ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ IN FIREFIGHTER GEAR
• 5-14-2024AN NRL PLAYER DIED AT TRAINING DUE TO EXERTIONAL HEAT STROKE. WHAT IS IT AND WHAT SHOULD COACHES AND ATHLETES KNOW?
• 5-14-2024FIVE CHARTS ON THE GLOBAL SUCCESS OF VACCINES
• 5-14-2024KIDS LIVING NEAR COLORADO AIRPORTS HAVE SLIGHTLY ELEVATED LEVELS OF LEAD IN THEIR BLOOD, NEW STUDY FINDS
• 5-14-2024STUDY SHOWS VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19 CAN PENETRATE BLOOD-RETINAL-BARRIER AND COULD DAMAGE VISION
• 5-14-2024HOW BIG FOOD COMPANIES CAN DO MORE TO CREATE HEALTHIER FOOD ENVIRONMENTS
• 5-14-2024PROMISING NEW STUDY COULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS OF AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS
• 5-14-2024PELVIC HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE A COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR WOMEN—WHY MANY DON’T GET THE HELP THEY NEED
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH PRESENTS ‘MINI-BRAINS’ THAT COULD ADVANCE ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENT
• 5-14-2024STUDY SHOWS HOW EXCESSIVE DRINKING AFFECTS OTHERS
• 5-14-2024NEW TRANSIT STATION IN JAPAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES CUMULATIVE HEALTH EXPENDITURES
• 5-14-2024BINGE DRINKING IS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS—HOW RESEARCH ON ALCOHOL USE DISORDER HAS SHIFTED
• 5-14-2024WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM INTERVIEWING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO HARM THEMSELVES
• 5-14-2024STUDY REVEALS RACIAL DISPARITIES IN DIAGNOSIS AND DRUG USE FOR DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS
• 5-14-2024PEOPLE WITHOUT AN INNER VOICE HAVE POORER VERBAL MEMORY, FINDS STUDY
• 5-14-2024CONCUSSION EXPERTS WARN TERM USED TO DESCRIBE HEAD IMPACTS—’SUBCONCUSSION’—IS MISLEADING AND DANGEROUS
• 5-14-2024STUDY UNCOVERS PROTEIN INTERACTIONS AS A POTENTIAL PATH FOR ALS CURE
• 5-14-2024HOW BITTER FOOD CONSTITUENTS INFLUENCE GASTRIC ACID PRODUCTION
• 5-14-2024ADIPOSITY IN CHILDHOOD AFFECTS THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER BY CHANGING BREAST TISSUE COMPOSITION, STUDY SUGGESTS
• 5-14-2024COLD PLUNGING MIGHT HELP HEART HEALTH, RESEARCH SUGGESTS
• 5-14-2024STUDY EXPLORES POTENTIAL TARGET TO TREAT LIVER DISEASE
• 5-14-2024THROUGH TRADITION AND TRADE, TRIBE IN RURAL KANSAS WORKS TO RECLAIM ITS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
• 5-14-2024UK SAYS PROPOSED PANDEMIC TREATY ‘NOT ACCEPTABLE’
• 5-14-2024BODY-WIDE MOLECULAR MAP EXPLAINS WHY EXERCISE IS SO GOOD FOR YOU
• 5-14-2024FIRST STUDY TO GLOBALLY MAP HEAT-WAVE-RELATED MORTALITY FINDS 153,000+ DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAT WAVES
• 5-14-2024EARLY DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE ESSENTIAL TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES, REDUCE AMPUTATION RISK
• 5-14-2024ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL DETECTS SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN STRUCTURE
• 5-14-2024OVER 20,000 PEOPLE JOIN UK SEARCH FOR NEW DEMENTIA TREATMENTS
• 5-14-2024A MINIMAL COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE REPRODUCES CONTROL OF HUMAN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
• 5-14-2024SCIENTISTS DEMYSTIFY WHY SUBSEQUENT BOUTS OF DENGUE ARE WORSE THAN A FIRST-TIME INFECTION
• 5-14-2024BRAIN–COMPUTER INTERFACE EXPERIMENTS FIRST TO DECODE WORDS ‘SPOKEN’ ENTIRELY IN THE BRAIN IN REAL TIME
• 5-14-2024MACHINE LEARNING SHEDS LIGHT ON GENE TRANSCRIPTION
• 5-14-2024WILL AI REPLACE DOCTORS WHO READ X-RAYS, OR JUST MAKE THEM BETTER THAN EVER?
• 5-14-2024SURVEY FINDS 8,000 WOMEN A MONTH GOT ABORTION PILLS DESPITE THEIR STATES’ BANS OR RESTRICTIONS
• 5-14-2024SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SURPRISING DETAILS ABOUT XYLAZINE IN COMBINATION WITH FENTANYL
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH CHALLENGES WIDESPREAD BELIEFS ABOUT WHY WE’RE ATTRACTED TO CERTAIN VOICES
• 5-14-2024ADDING CARDIOVASCULAR BIOMARKERS TO ESTABLISHED RISK FACTORS INCREASES RISK PREDICTION
• 5-14-2024DREAMING IS LINKED TO IMPROVED MEMORY CONSOLIDATION AND EMOTION REGULATION
• 5-14-2024STUDY IDENTIFIES GENETIC LINK BETWEEN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE
• 5-14-2024PHYSICIANS WITH DISABILITIES MAY EXPERIENCE DEPERSONALIZATION
• 5-14-2024ANALYSIS SUGGESTS PEOPLE WITH MORE COPIES OF RIBOSOMAL DNA HAVE HIGHER RISKS OF DEVELOPING DISEASE
• 5-14-2024STUDY IDENTIFIES FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE RETINOPATHY
• 5-14-2024STUDY REVEALS MIXED PUBLIC OPINION ON POLYGENIC EMBRYO SCREENING FOR IVF
• 5-14-2024‘MUSIC MAP’ REVEALS SOME BRAIN CELLS AGE FASTER AND ARE MORE PREVALENT IN ALZHEIMER’S
• 5-14-2024STUDY FINDS SOME CHILDREN WERE PRESCRIBED NONRECOMMENDED MEDS FOR COVID-19
• 5-14-2024COULD BEING ONLINE ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR YOU? NEW STUDY REVEALS A SURPRISING FINDING
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH IDENTIFIES A LARGER POOL OF GENES INVOLVED IN AGE-RELATED BLOOD CELL MUTATIONS THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
• 5-14-2024NEW DRUG MAKES EXERCISE, EVERYDAY TASKS EASIER FOR PEOPLE WITH COMMON HEART CONDITION
• 5-14-2024BREAST CANCER RISK VARIANTS IDENTIFIED FOR WOMEN OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH SHEDS LIGHT ON WHY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN MEXICO CHOOSE TO VAPE
• 5-14-2024NEW STUDY SHOWS RECOVERY POTENTIAL IN PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
• 5-14-2024AI AIDS ANALYSIS OF LIFETIME ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH REVEALS URGENT NEED FOR INTEGRATED CARE IN PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY
• 5-14-2024HERPES CURE WITH GENE EDITING MAKES PROGRESS IN LABORATORY STUDIES
• 5-14-2024PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE ARE LIKELIER TO DIE AFTER COVID, FINDS STUDY
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS PARTNER WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ON NEW HEART SURGERY PLANNING TOOL
• 5-14-2024AXONS IN FEMALE MAMMAL BRAINS MAY BE MORE PRONE TO CONCUSSIONS
• 5-14-2024STUDY SUPPORTS LOWER BMI THRESHOLD FOR OBESITY IN THOSE OVER AGE 40
• 5-14-2024FDA DISCUSSING BAN OF FORMALDEHYDE IN HAIR STRAIGHTENERS
• 5-14-2024NEW TOOL ALLOWS FOR GENE SUPPRESSION IN MOUSE HEART MUSCLE CELLS USING CRISPRI
• 5-14-2024NEW GENE THERAPY MODEL OFFERS HOPE FOR X-LINKED SIDEROBLASTIC ANEMIA TREATMENT
• 5-14-2024GIVING LESSONS TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF COULD BOOST YOUR WELL-BEING, SAY RESEARCHERS
• 5-14-2024STUDY FINDS AGE-ASSOCIATED GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES IN MOUSE SWEAT GLANDS
• 5-14-2024INJECTABLE HIV MEDICATION IS SUPERIOR TO ORAL MEDICATION FOR PATIENTS WHO FREQUENTLY MISS DOSES, STUDY FINDS
• 5-14-2024NEW CRYOPRESERVATION PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED TO PRESERVE FERTILITY BEFORE CANCER TREATMENT
• 5-14-2024BRUXISM IS A RECURRING CONDITION AMONG PEOPLE WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, FINDS STUDY

🎵Vortex- Carbon Based Lifeforms
I don't want to be a tasteless person, but I wasn't naive enough to have my mom make a trembling-handed cake for me on my birthday. Okay, her body hasn't collapsed yet, she can still manage her affairs, but it will collapse.
I never had any problem with "this moment". Either the future is coming to me, or I'm going to it. Even in the darkest times of the past, I was young and full of hope, so the present is bright, but the future is completely dark... Whenever I think about the future, my brain short-circuits.
I wish my mom, especially my mom, could stay strong enough for us to argue, because I hadn't accounted for her aging. I woke up after the Parkinson's diagnosis. Now it bothers me again, but I can't say anything. I'm aware that there is an old and sick person in front of me. My attitude has changed now. The problem is, my attitude has changed towards everything; it has changed, or I haven't noticed over time. I've become a middle-aged person who constantly emphasizes respect and love in conversations.
I'm overly affectionate and overly respectful; yes, that's very nice, but it's also the most obvious sign of my aging. When delivery drivers are late, I don't get angry. I say, "It's okay, darling, what matters is that you come and go safely." I'm tolerant in traffic. I had an accident the other day. The shopkeepers helped together, and I was deeply moved. Then I revised my affairs in a way that could help more small businesses.
I have few but valuable friends. We don't argue, but if we do, I say, "You're my ... year friend, my brothesister. I'm really sorry if I hurt you." They do the same. In the past, we would hang up on each other and not call each other for a while. Now everyone is aware. Time is short and valuable.
The worst part is my attitude on online forums where I occasionally write. Sometimes I enter the forums of groups I like to feel young and write nonsense. Young people swear at me, I can't swear back. Then I say, "What am I doing here?" and leave, and go back to my own forums about theosophy, literature, work, etc. I guess they don't want us anymore...
As for love. That's over. I can't take anyone seriously enough to fall in love. Yes, a human being is a ladder rising to God, but if they've climbed as much as I have, we probably don't meet. They're probably all introverted like me, not communicating with anyone. The others are after physical pleasures; they have weaknesses, fears, devilish qualities... I also have a brain that can analyze quickly. Even if I admire someone at first, my admiration fades very quickly.
My longest admiration was for a rock star named Jack White. I tried a little hard to maintain my admiration, just to find inspiration. I realized he was extremely unpleasant after my analysis. Just an ordinary talented person. There are no virtuous qualities. That's over too.
These days I've gone back to the past. I listen to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and so on.
When Cornell died in 2017, I wasn't very aware of what was going on because I was depressed. Besides, grunge was very out of fashion. A few months ago, I could realize that Eddie Vedder was alive but aging, but it had a very bad effect. All the songs left in my ears found meaning. The bad part is, he's 60 and botoxed, but he's still in my head like in '92. I was 8 in '92, these guys were big brothers, and their music was very boring. Now I realize that the boring music was the anthem of my youth.
Oh, my sister Merich is experiencing the same awareness. When we get bored, we watch all the live concerts of Pearl Jam in '92, '93, '94... that we found on YouTube and have fun together. And then there's always the same question in our heads, "Did Jill convince Eddie Vedder to botox?" and the same joke, "If Chris saw these botoxes, he would commit suicide again..." We laugh. Then a cold wind, a brain tingling about time...
You've been stuck in the '90s for 3 hours, now it's 2024... You're 41. This girl you laughed with, your sister, is 46... The guy who crowd-surfed at the concert is 60... Your mom will call soon, she's 76... Your dad's blood pressure is high, he's 79...
We're dying badly... But not just like that. We're dying pretty fast and entropy leaves no room for love.
I looked at new terms, except for "sapiosexual", they've made up interesting terms like "noetisexual" for people like me. I don't know what I am, if I solve it, I'll be enlightened anyway.
The hell with terms. I'm a human being, just like everyone else, a victim of entropy. I'm obsessed with entropy. Let them come up with a term for that. Let them make a flag too. Asexuals have a flag. Let's have our flag too.

abandon, ability, able, about, above, absence, absolute, absolutely, abstract, abundance, academy, accent, accept, access, accident, accompany, accomplish, according, account, accurate, achieve, achievement, acid, acknowledge, acquire, across, action, active, activity, actor, actual, actually, adapt, addition, additional, address, adequate, adjust, administration, admire, admission, admit, adolescent, adopt, adult, advance, advantage, adventure, advertise, advice, advise, adviser, advocate, affair, affect, afford, afraid, after, afternoon, again, against, age, agency, agenda, agent, aggressive, ago, agree, agreement, agriculture, ahead, aid, aim, air, aircraft, airline, airport, alarm, album, alcohol, alive, all, alliance, allow, ally, almost, alone, along, already, also, alter, alternative, although, always, amateur, amazing, ambition, ambulance, among, amount, analysis, analyst, analyze, ancient, and, anger, angle, angry, animal, anniversary, announce, annual, another, answer, anticipate, anxiety, any, anybody, anymore, anyone, anything, anyway, anywhere, apart, apartment, apologize, apparent, apparently, appeal, appear, appearance, apple, application, apply, appoint, appointment, appreciate, approach, appropriate, approval, approve, approximately, architect, area, argue, argument, arise, arm, armed, army, around, arrange, arrangement, arrest, arrival, arrive, art, article, artist, artistic, as, ashamed, aside, ask, asleep, aspect, assault, assert, assess, assessment, asset, assign, assignment, assist, assistance, assistant, associate, association, assume, assumption, assure, at, athlete, athletic, atmosphere, attach, attack, attempt, attend, attention, attitude, attorney, attract, attraction, attractive, attribute, audience, author, authority, auto, available, average, avoid, award, aware, awareness, away, awful, baby, back, background, bad, badly, bag, balance, ball, ban, band, bank, bar, barely, barrel, barrier, base, baseball, basic, basically, basis, basket, basketball, bath, bathroom, battery, battle, be, beach, bear, beat, beautiful, beauty, because, become, bed, bedroom, bee, beef, beer, before, begin, beginning, behavior, behind, being, belief, believe, bell, belong, below, belt, bench, bend, beneath, benefit, beside, besides, best, bet, better, between, beyond, bicycle, big, bike, bill, billion, bind, biological, bird, birth, birthday, bit, bite, black, blade, blame, blanket, blind, block, blood, blow, blue, board, boat, body, bomb, bombing, bond, bone, book, boom, boot, border, boring, born, borrow, boss, both, bother, bottle, bottom, boundary, bowl, box, boy, boyfriend, brain, branch, brand, brave, bread, break, breakfast, breast, breath, breathe, brick, bridge, brief, briefly, bright, brilliant, bring, broad, broken, brother, brown, brush, buck, budget, build, building, bullet, bunch, burden, burn, bury, bus, business, busy, but, butter, button, buy, buyer, by, cabin, cabinet, cable, cake, calculate, call, camera, camp, campaign, campus, can, Canadian, cancer, candidate, cap, capability, capable, capacity, capital, captain, capture, car, carbon, card, care, career, careful, carefully, carrier, carry, case, cash, cast, cat, catch, category, Catholic, cause, ceiling, celebrate, celebration, celebrity, cell, center, central, century, CEO, ceremony, certain, certainly, chain, chair, chairman, challenge, chamber, champion, championship, chance, change, changing, channel, chapter, character, characteristic, characterize, charge, charity, chart, chase, cheap, check, cheek, cheese, chef, chemical, chest, chicken, chief, child, childhood, Chinese, chip, chocolate, choice, cholesterol, choose, Christian, Christmas, church, cigarette, circle, circumstance, cite, citizen, city, civil, civilian, claim, class, classic, classroom, clean, clear, clearly, client, climate, climb, clinic, clinical, clock, close, closely, closer, clothes, clothing, cloud, club, clue, cluster, coach, coal, coalition, coast, coat, code, coffee, cognitive, cold, collapse, colleague, collect, collection, collective, college, colonial, color, column, combination, combine, come, comedy, comfort, comfortable, command, commander, comment, commercial, commission, commit, commitment, committee, common, communicate, communication, community, company, compare, comparison, compete, competition, competitive, competitor, complain, complaint, complete, completely, complex, complexity, compliance, complicate, complicated, component, compose, composition, comprehensive, computer, concentrate, concentration, concept, concern, concerned, concert, conclude, conclusion, concrete, condition, conduct, conference, confidence, confident, confirm, conflict, confront, confusion, Congress, congressional, connect, connection, consciousness, consensus, consequence, conservative, consider, considerable, consideration, consist, consistent, constant, constantly, constitute, constitutional, construct, construction, consultant, consume, consumer, consumption, contact, contain, container, contemporary, content, contest, context, continue, continued, contract, contrast, contribute, contribution, control, controversial, controversy, convention, conventional, conversation, convert, conviction, convince, cook, cookie, cooking, cool, cooperation, cop, cope, copy, core, corn, corner, corporate, corporation, correct, correspondent, cost, cotton, couch, could, council, count, counter, country, county, couple, courage, course, court, cousin, cover, coverage, cow, crack, craft, crash, crazy, cream, create, creation, creative, creature, credit, crew, crime, criminal, crisis, criteria, critic, critical, criticism, criticize, crop, cross, crowd, crucial, cry, cultural, culture, cup, curious, current, currently, curriculum, custom, customer, cut, cycle, dad, daily, damage, dance, danger, dangerous, dare, dark, darkness, data, database, date, daughter, day, dead, deal, dealer, dear, death, debate, debt, decade, decide, decision, deck, declare, decline, decrease, deep, deeply, deer, defeat, defend, defendant, defense, defensive, deficit, define, definitely, definition, degree, delay, deliver, delivery, demand, democracy, Democratic, Democrat, demonstrate, demonstration, deny, department, depend, dependent, depending, depict, depression, depth, deputy, derive, describe, description, desert, deserve, design, designer, desire, desk, desperate, despite, destroy, destruction, detail, detailed, detect, detection, detective, determine, develop, developing, development, device, devil, dialogue, diet, differ, difference, different, differently, difficult, difficulty, dig, digital, dimension, dining, dinner, direct, direction, directly, director, dirt, disability, disagree, disappear, disaster, discipline, disclose, discover, discovery, discrimination, discuss, discussion, disease, dish, dismiss, disorder, display, dispute, distance, distinct, distinction, distinguish, distribute, distribution, district, diverse, diversity, divide, division, divorce, DNA, do, doctor, document, dog, domestic, dominant, dominate, door, double, doubt, down, downtown, dozen, draft, drag, drama, dramatic, dramatically, draw, drawer, drawing, dream, dress, drink, drive, driver, drop, drug, dry, due, during, dust, duty, dwell, dying, dynamic, each, eager, ear, earlier, early, earn, earnings, earth, earthquake, ease, easily, east, eastern, easy, eat, economic, economy, edge, edit, edition, editor, educate, education, educational, educator, effect, effective, effectively, efficiency, efficient, effort, egg, eight, either, elderly, elect, election, electric, electrical, electricity, electronic, element, elementary, eliminate, elite, else, elsewhere, e-mail, embrace, emerge, emergency, emission, emotion, emotional, emphasis, emphasize, employ, employee, employer, employment, empty, enable, encounter, encourage, end, enemy, energy, enforcement, engage, engine, engineer, engineering, English, enhance, enjoy, enormous, enough, ensure, enter, enterprise, entertain, entertainment, entire, entirely, entrance, entry, environment, environmental, episode, equal, equally, equipment, equivalent, era, error, escape, especially, essay, essential, essentially, establish, establishment, estate, estimate, etc, ethics, ethnic, European, evaluate, evaluation, evening, event, eventually, ever, every, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, evidence, evolution, evolve, exact, exactly, exam, examination, examine, example, exceed, excellent, except, exception, exchange, exciting, executive, exercise, exhibit, exhibition, exist, existence, existing, expand, expansion, expect, expectation, expense, expensive, experience, experiment, expert, explain, explanation, explode, explore, explosion, expose, exposure, express, expression, extend, extension, extensive, extent, external, extra, extraordinary, extreme, extremely, eye, fabric, face, facility, fact, factor, factory, faculty, fade, fail, failure, fair, fairly, faith, fall, false, familiar, family, famous, fan, fantasy, far, farm, farmer, fashion, fast, fat, fate, father, fault, favor, favorite, fear, feature, federal, fee, feed, feel, feeling, fellow, female, fence, festival, few, fewer, fiber, fiction, field, fifteen, fifth, fifty, fight, fighter, fighting, figure, file, fill, film, final, finally, finance, financial, find, finding, fine, finger, finish, fire, firm, first, fish, fishing, fit, fitness, five, fix, flag, flame, flat, flavor, flee, flesh, flight, float, floor, flow, flower, fly, focus, folk, follow, following, food, foot, football, for, force, foreign, forest, forever, forget, form, formal, formation, former, formula, forth, fortune, forward, found, foundation, founder, four, fourth, frame, framework, free, freedom, freeze, French, frequency, frequent, frequently, fresh, friend, friendly, friendship, from, front, fruit, frustration, fuel, fulfill, full, fully, fun, function, fund, fundamental, funding, funeral, funny, furniture, furthermore, future, gain, galaxy, gallery, game, gang, gap, garage, garden, garlic, gas, gate, gather, gay, gaze, gear, gender, gene, general, generally, generate, generation, genetic, gentleman, gently, German, gesture, get, ghost, giant, gift, gifted, girl, girlfriend, give, given, glad, glance, glass, global, glove, go, goal, God, gold, golden, golf, good, govern, government, governor, grab, grace, grade, gradually, graduate, grain, grand, grandmother, grant, grass, grave, gray, great, green, grocery, ground, group, grow, growing, growth, guarantee, guard, guess, guest, guide, guideline, guilty, gun, guy, habit, habitat, hair, half, hall, hand, handful, handle, hang, happen, happy, harbor, hard, hardly, hat, hate, have, he, head, headline, headquarters, health, healthy, hear, hearing, heart, heat, heaven, heavily, heavy, heel, height, helicopter, hell, hello, help, helpful, hence, her, herb, here, heritage, hero, herself, hey, hi, hide, high, highlight, highly, highway, hill, him, himself, hip, hire, his, historic, historical, history, hit, hold, hole, holiday, holy, home, homeless, honest, honey, honor, hope, horizon, horror, horse, hospital, host, hot, hotel, hour, house, household, housing, how, however, huge, human, humor, hundred, hungry, hunter, hunting, hurt, husband, hypothesis, ice, idea, ideal, identification, identify, identity, ignore, ill, illegal, illness, illustrate, image, imagination, imagine, immediate, immediately, immigrant, immigration, impact, implement, implication, imply, importance, important, impose, impossible, impress, impression, impressive, improve, improvement, incentive, incident, include, including, income, incorporate, increase, increased, increasingly, incredible, indeed, independence, independent, index, indicate, indication, individual, industrial, industry, infant, infection, inflation, influence, inform, information, ingredient, initial, initially, initiative, injury, inner, innocent, inquiry, inside, insight, insist, inspire, install, instance, instead, institute, institution, institutional, instruction, instructor, instrument, insurance, intellectual, intelligence, intend, intense, intensity, intention, interaction, interest, interested, interesting, internal, international, Internet, interpret, interpretation, intervention, interview, introduce, introduction, invasion, invest, investigation, investigator, investment, investor, invite, involve, involved, involvement, Iraqi, Irish, iron, Islamic, island, Israeli, issue, it, Italian, item, its, itself, jacket, jail, Japanese, jet, Jew, Jewish, job, join, joint, joke, journal, journalist, journey, joy, judge, judgment, juice, jump, junior, jury, just, justice, justify, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, killer, killing, kind, king, kiss, kitchen, knee, knife, knock, know, knowledge, lab, label, labor, laboratory, lack, lady, lake, land, landscape, language, lap, large, largely, last, late, later, Latin, latter, laugh, launch, law, lawsuit, lawyer, lay, layer, lead, leader, leadership, leading, leaf, league, lean, learn, learning, least, leather, leave, left, leg, legacy, legal, legend, legislation, legislative, legislator, legitimate, lemon, length, less, lesson, let, letter, level, liberal, library, license, lie, life, lifestyle, lifetime, lift, light, like, likely, limit, limitation, limited, line, link, lip, list, listen, literary, literature, little, live, living, load, loan, local, locate, location, lock, long, long-term, look, loose, lose, loss, lost, lot, lots, loud, love, lovely, lover, low, lower, luck, lucky, lunch, luxury, machine, mad, magazine, mail, main, mainly, maintain, maintenance, major, majority, make, maker, makeup, male, mall, man, manage, management, manager, manner, manufacturer, manufacturing, many, map, margin, mark, market, marketing, marriage, married, marry, mask, mass, massive, master, match, material, math, matter, may, maybe, mayor, me, meal, mean, meaning, meanwhile, measure, measurement, meat, mechanism, media, medical, medication, medicine, medium, meet, meeting, member, membership, memory, mental, mention, menu, mere, merely, mess, message, metal, meter, method, Mexican, middle, might, military, milk, million, mind, mine, minister, minor, minority, minute, miracle, mirror, miss, missile, mission, mistake, mix, mixture, mm-hmm, mode, model, moderate, modern, modest, mom, moment, money, monitor, month, mood, moon, moral, more, moreover, morning, mortgage, most, mostly, mother, motion, motivation, motor, mountain, mouse, mouth, move, movement, movie, Mr, Mrs, Ms, much, multiple, murder, muscle, museum, music, musical, musician, Muslim, must, mutual, my, myself, mystery, myth, naked, name, narrative, narrow, nation, national, native, natural, naturally, nature, near, nearby, nearly, necessarily, necessary, neck, need, negative, negotiate, negotiation, neighbor, neighborhood, neither, nerve, nervous, net, network, never, nevertheless, new, newly, news, newspaper, next, nice, night, nine, no, nobody, nod, noise, nomination, nominee, none, nonetheless, nor, normal, normally, north, northern, nose, not, note, nothing, notice, notion, novel, now, nowhere, nuclear, number, numerous, nurse, nut, object, objective, obligation, observation, observe, observer, obtain, obvious, obviously, occasion, occasionally, occupation, occupy, occur, ocean, odd, odds, of, off, offense, offensive, offer, office, officer, official, often, oh, oil, okay, old, Olympic, on, once, one, ongoing, onion, online, only, onto, open, opening, operate, operating, operation, operator, opinion, opponent, opportunity, oppose, opposed, opposite, opposition, option, or, orange, order, ordinary, organic, organization, organize, orientation, origin, original, originally, other, others, otherwise, ought, our, ours, ourselves, out, outcome, outside, oven, over, overall, overcome, overlook, owe, own, owner, pace, pack, package, page, pain, painful, paint, painter, painting, pair, pale, Palestinian, palm, pan, panel, panic, pant, paper, paragraph, parent, park, parking, part, participant, participate, participation, particle, particular, particularly, partly, partner, partnership, party, pass, passage, passenger, passion, past, patch, path, patient, pattern, pause, pay, payment, PC, peace, peak, peer, pen, penalty, people, pepper, per, perceive, percentage, perception, perfect, perfectly, perform, performance, perhaps, period, permanent, permission, permit, person, personal, personality, personally, personnel, perspective, persuade, pet, phase, phenomenon, philosophy, phone, photo, photographer, phrase, physical, physically, physician, piano, pick, picture, pie, piece, pile, pilot, pine, pink, pipe, pitch, place, plan, plane, planet, planning, plant, plastic, plate, platform, play, player, please, pleasure, plenty, plot, plus, PM, pocket, poem, poet, poetry, point, police, policy, political, politically, politician, politics, poll, pollution, pool, poor, pop, popular, population, porch, port, portion, portrait, portray, pose, position, positive, possess, possession, possibility, possible, possibly, post, pot, potato, potential, potentially, pound, pour, poverty, powder, power, powerful, practical, practice, prayer, preach, precisely, predict, prediction, prefer, preference, pregnancy, pregnant, preparation, prepare, prescription, presence, present, presentation, preserve, president, presidential, press, pressure, pretend, pretty, prevent, previous, previously, price, pride, priest, primarily, primary, prime, principal, principle, print, prior, priority, prison, prisoner, privacy, private, probably, problem, procedure, proceed, process, processing, processor, proclaim, produce, producer, product, production, profession, professional, professor, profile, profit, program, progress, progressive, project, prominent, promise, promote, prompt, proof, proper, properly, property, proportion, proposal, propose, prosecutor, prospect, protect, protection, protein, protest, proud, prove, provide, provider, province, provision, psychological, psychology, public, publication, publicity, publish, publisher, pull, punishment, purchase, pure, purpose, pursue, push, put, qualify, quality, quarter, quarterback, quarterly, queen, quest, question, quick, quickly, quiet, quietly, quit, quite, quote, race, racial, radiation, radical, radio, rail, rain, raise, range, rank, rapid, rapidly, rare, rarely, rate, rather, rating, ratio, raw, reach, react, reaction, reader, reading, ready, real, reality, realize, really, reason, reasonable, recall, receive, recent, recently, reception, recipe, recipient, recognition, recognize, recommend, recommendation, record, recording, recover, recovery, recruit, red, reduce, reduction, refer, reference, reflect, reflection, reform, refugee, refuse, regard, regarding, regardless, regime, region, regional, register, regular, regularly, regulate, regulation, regulator, reinforce, reject, relate, relation, relationship, relative, relatively, relax, release, relevant, relief, religion, religious, rely, remain, remaining, remarkable, remember, remind, remote, remove, repeat, repeatedly, replace, replacement, reply, report, reporter, represent, representation, representative, Republican, reputation, request, require, requirement, research, researcher, resemble, reservation, resident, residential, resign, resist, resistance, resolution, resolve, resort, resource, respect, respond, response, responsibility, responsible, rest, restaurant, restore, restriction, result, retain, retire, retirement, return, reveal, revenue, review, revolution, rhythm, rice, rich, rid, ride, rifle, right, ring, rise, risk, river, road, rock, role, roll, romantic, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rough, roughly, round, route, routine, row, rub, rubber, rude, ruin, rule, run, running, rural, rush, Russian, sacred, sad, safe, safety, sake, salad, salary, sale, sales, salt, same, sample, sanction, sand, satellite, satisfaction, satisfied, satisfy, sauce, save, saving, say, scale, scandal, scare, scatter, scenario, scene, schedule, scheme, scholar, scholarship, school, science, scientific, scientist, scope, score, scream, screen, script, sea, search, season, seat, second, secondary, secret, secretary, section, sector, secure, security, see, seed, seek, seem, segment, seize, select, selection, self, sell, Senate, senator, send, senior, sense, sensitive, sentence, separate, sequence, series, serious, seriously, servant, serve, service, session, set, setting, settle, settlement, seven, several, severe, sex, sexual, shade, shadow, shake, shall, shallow, shape, share, sharp, she, sheet, shelf, shell, shelter, shift, shine, ship, shirt, shock, shoe, shoot, shooting, shop, shopping, short, shortly, shot, should, shoulder, shout, show, shower, shrug, shut, shy, sibling, sick, side, sigh, sight, sign, signal, significant, significantly, silence, silent, silver, similar, similarly, simple, simply, sin, since, sing, singer, single, sink, sir, sister, sit, site, situation, six, size, ski, skill, skin, skirt, sky, slave, sleep, slice, slide, slight, slightly, slip, slow, slowly, small, smart, smell, smile, smoke, smooth, snap, snow, so, so-called, soccer, social, society, soft, software, soil, solar, soldier, sole, solid, solution, solve, some, somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometimes, somewhat, somewhere, son, song, soon, sophisticated, sorry, sort, soul, sound, soup, source, south, southern, Soviet, space, Spanish, speak, speaker, special, specialist, species, specific, specifically, specify, speech, speed, spend, spending, spin, spirit, spiritual, split, spoil, sponsor, sport, spot, spray, spread, spring, square, squeeze, stability, stable, staff, stage, stain, stair, stake, stand, standard, standing, star, stare, start, state, statement, station, statistical, status, stay, steady, steal, steel, steep, stem, step, stick, still, stimulate, stimulus, stir, stock, stomach, stone, stop, storage, store, storm, story, straight, strange, stranger, strategic, strategy, stream, street, strength, strengthen, stress, stretch, strike, string, strip, stroke, strong, strongly, structural, structure, struggle, student, studio, study, stuff, stupid, style, subject, submit, subsequent, substance, substantial, substitute, succeed, success, successful, successfully, such, sudden, suddenly, sue, suffer, sufficient, sugar, suggest, suggestion, suicide, suit, summer, summit, sun, super, supply, support, supporter, suppose, supposed, Supreme, sure, surely, surface, surgery, surprise, surprised, surprising, surprisingly, surround, survey, survival, survive, survivor, suspect, sustain, swear, sweep, sweet, swim, swing, switch, symbol, symptom, system, table, tactic, tail, take, tale, talent, talk, tall, tank, tap, tape, target, task, taste, tax, taxi, tea, teach, teacher, teaching, team, tear, technical, technique, technology, teen, teenager, telephone, telescope, television, tell, temperature, temporary, ten, tend, tendency, tennis, tension, tent, term, terms, terrible, territory, terror, terrorist, test, testimony, testing, text, than, thank, thanks, that, the, theater, their, them, theme, themselves, then, theory, therapy, there, therefore, these, they, thick, thin, thing, think, thinking, third, thirty, this, those, though, thought, thousand, threat, threaten, three, throat, through, throughout, throw, thus, ticket, tie, tight, time, tiny, tip, tire, tissue, title, to, tobacco, today, toe, together, toilet, token, tolerate, tomato, tomorrow, tone, tongue, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, topic, toss, total, totally, touch, tough, tour, tourist, tournament, toward, towards, tower, town, toy, trace, track, trade, tradition, traditional, traffic, tragedy, trail, train, training, transfer, transform, transformation, transition, translate, translation, transmission, transmit, transport, transportation, travel, treat, treatment, treaty, tree, tremendous, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trip, troop, trouble, truck, true, truly, trust, truth, try, tube, tunnel, turn, TV, twelve, twenty, twice, twin, two, type, typical, typically, ugly, ultimate, ultimately, unable, uncle, undergo, understand, understanding, unfortunately, uniform, union, unique, unit, United, universal, universe, university, unknown, unless, unlike, until, unusual, up, upon, upper, urban, urge, us, use, used, useful, user, usual, usually, utility, utilize, vacation, valley, valuable, value, variable, variation, variety, various, vary, vast, vegetable, vehicle, venture, version, versus, very, vessel, veteran, via, victim, victory, video, view, viewer, village, violate, violation, violence, violent, virtually, virtue, virus, visibility, visible, vision, visit, visitor, visual, vital, voice, volume, voluntary, volunteer, vote, voter, voting, wage, wait, wake, walk, wall, wander, want, war, warm, warn, warning, wash, waste, watch, water, wave, way, we, weak, weakness, wealth, wealthy, weapon, wear, weather, web, website, wedding, week, weekend, weekly, weigh, weight, welcome, welfare, well, west, western, wet, what, whatever, wheel, when, whenever, where, whereas, whether, which, while, whisper, white, who, whole, whom, whose, why, wide, widely, widespread, wife, wild, wildlife, will, willing, win, wind, window, wine, wing, winner, winter, wipe, wire, wisdom, wise, wish, with, withdraw, within, without, witness, woman, wonder, wonderful, wood, wooden, word, work, worker, working, workout, workplace, works, workshop, world, worried, worry, worth, would, wound, wrap, write, writer, writing, wrong, yard, yeah, year, yell, yellow, yes, yesterday, yet, yield, you, young, your, yours, yourself, youth, zone.

After watching a good and thoughtful film, I enjoy doing some reading, thinking, and writing about it. The 1998 film The Truman Show (directed by Peter Weir) is the kind of film that I found myself watching twice in succession, and I've watched it several times since, because it is so intriguing. But is it a spiritual allegory, or is it just a good story, or perhaps something else?
This movie narrates the life of Truman Banks (Jim Carrey), who is unaware that his entire life on the island of Seahaven is completely constructed by a TV crew, and is part of a constantly running reality television program called The Truman Show, watched by millions 24/7 world-wide. But when Truman comes to realize that something is strange about his world, he makes plans to escape his artificially manipulated universe.
The premise is a clever one, and the film succeeds on the level of story alone. But what's particularly of interest to me are the profound philosophical and religious questions that the movie seems to ask. It raises age-old philosophical questions common in the field of epistemology, concerning what we can know about reality e.g. could I be deceived about what my senses and experiences are telling me about reality? But it also appears to explore many deep religious questions by means of allusions to Christian themes. Consider how the TV producer Christof (= Christ of) is the "creator" of Truman (= True Man), and functions as a god who controls his world.
This symbolism seems too strong to ignore. As a result there is considerable debate about the worldview behind the film, and whether it is intended to portray an atheistic or Christian worldview. I've found that reviewers who pick up on the Christian symbolism typically fall into one of two camps which come to opposite conclusions about the point of the film:

1. Those who see it as a secular film, by portraying the Christian God as a cruel and harsh dictator who operates a deterministic universe from which we need to escape by rejecting God. According to this view, Truman's liberation is a depiction of the Fall, and promotes an atheistic lifestyle of rebellion against the Creator and an escape from Eden. Others have tried to be more charitable by interpreting it in line with Calvinistic theology, suggesting that the film depicts the tragedy rather than the triumph of sin, but this is implausible in view of how the Creator is portrayed negatively and how the final liberation is presented so positively.
2. Those who see it as a criticism of secularism, by suggesting that Satan creates an artificial world for us, from which we need to escape by converting to the truth. According to this view, Truman's liberation promotes the need to escape the deception of Satan (the anti-Christ), and exchange it for a life lived in service to the true God. Some have even seen it as giving a positive message about Christianity, for if Seahaven represents an illusionary man-made Paradise, then Truman's decision to leave this old world behind is symbolic of a conversion experience, and he represents a Christ-like figure who models the way of salvation.

The first view interprets The Truman Show as a story of the Fall, where Christoff symbolizes the true God, and Sylvia (who encourages Truman to escape his "world") is a serpent-tempter figure that brings rebellion. The second view interprets The Truman Show as a story of Redemption, where Christoff symbolizes an anti-Christ, and Sylvia is an intercessor that brings freedom in contrast to the Judas figure Marlon. Proponents of both views have engaged in considerable debate over these two interpretations, the former which sees the Truman Show as a secular existentialist film, the latter which sees it as a pro-Christian film.
Certainly the rich symbolism in the film lends itself to an interpretation which gives the Christological imagery throughout the film a more important meaning than mere allusion. But neither of the above explanations is entirely satisfactory or consistent. Because how can Truman be a rebel who rejects God, and at the same time a Christ-like figure (he is depicted as crucified in the boat, and at the end walks on water and ascends into a stairway of heaven)? And how can Christoff be representative of a deterministic creator, and at the same time an anti-Christ? A consistent allegorical interpretation fails in its application, and should already be a hint that one is not intended.
Personally I think that the best solution is one which is neither overly critical nor overly charitable with respect to the Biblical imagery. Instead it is better to see the imagery as subordinate to other themes about the media and television.
Director Peter Weir has gone on record in more than one interview that the film is about television. Weir is of this conviction: "My attitude to television, personally, is too much of it is a bad thing." According to Weir: "And that's really at the heart of what the film looks at in a major way - this disturbance to our perception of reality, as a result of the immense entertainment and actuality coming at us, to the point where you can't differentiate anymore. News programs that are entertaining; video everywhere." Given Weir's remarks, I believe that the Truman Show is essentially a sharp criticism of the dangers of a false reality cultivated by the media, and a warning against losing our sense of reality.
Clearly Weir has chosen to portray the director Christoff as a creator figure very deliberately. But he does not use this image to push a religious agenda, but to give a social commentary about problems created by the modern media, which blurs the lines between appearance and reality.
In that regard, his analysis of television speaks to our time: to what extent is our perception of the world the result of manipulation by the media? And do we need to be liberated from the artificial reality of a TV world and return to the real world? I see this explanation as more plausible than one which sees the film as a simple spiritual allegory, or which interprets it as an indictment on reality television. It's also worth noting that the release of the movie predates much of the contemporary fascination with reality TV shows.
In short, I don't think the Truman Show is defending an atheist worldview or a Christian one. Instead it is merely employing Biblical themes and allusions as servants to its real theme and social commentary about the media and television. It has to be conceded that both Christoff's and Truman's characters have clear Christological symbolism. But the film is ambiguous about which of the two is to be identified as the Christ figure simply because it doesn't want us making a choice between them. Although the religious symbolism is too strong to ignore, in the end it is subordinate to the more central theme about the role of television and media in our culture, and is a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
So in my view, it's a mistake to see the film either as an attack on Christianity, or as a tool for Christian evangelism. That's not to say that the film doesn't raise interesting parallels on a religious levels, because it can spark interesting discussions about how a creator might watch over humanity, or how a Satan figure might deceive.
Ironically, the Truman Show has created its own deception: while appearances suggest it is a spiritual allegory, a closer look reveals that this perception is merely an illusion. It's first and foremost just a good story. But at the same time it is using spiritual imagery to raise important questions about the use of TV and the media.

Play is a fundamental aspect of childhood development, fostering creativity, social skills, and cognitive growth. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, engaging in play activities can present unique challenges. In this article, we'll explore 10 autism-inclusive play ideas designed to promote development and provide enjoyable experiences for children on the autism spectrum.
Sensory Play
Sensory play engages the senses and can be particularly beneficial for children with autism who may have sensory processing differences. Consider setting up sensory bins filled with materials like rice, sand, water beads, or textured fabrics. Encourage exploration and experimentation with different textures, smells, and tactile sensations to stimulate the senses and promote sensory integration.
Pretend Play
Pretend play offers opportunities for imaginative expression and social interaction. Create a dress-up corner with costumes and props, or set up a pretend kitchen with play food and utensils. Encourage children to role-play different scenarios, such as cooking a meal, going on a pretend adventure, or acting out everyday activities. Pretend play can help develop language skills, creativity, and social understanding.
Visual Supports
Many children with autism benefit from visual supports to enhance communication and understanding. Incorporate visual supports into play activities by using picture schedules, visual timers, or visual cue cards to provide structure and predictability. Visual supports can help children navigate transitions, follow routines, and comprehend expectations, promoting independence and reducing anxiety.
Structured Games
Structured games with clear rules and expectations can provide opportunities for learning and social interaction. Choose games that are simple, repetitive, and easy to understand, such as matching games, board games with visual cues, or turn-taking activities. Structured games can help children develop important skills like turn-taking, sharing, and following directions, while also providing opportunities for fun and enjoyment.
Movement Activities
Physical activity is essential for promoting gross motor skills, coordination, and body awareness. Plan movement activities that cater to the interests and preferences of children with autism, such as yoga, dancing, or obstacle courses. Provide sensory-friendly spaces with options for proprioceptive input, such as crash pads, trampolines, or therapy swings. Movement activities not only support physical development but also help regulate sensory processing and promote emotional well-being.
Nature Exploration
Nature offers a rich sensory environment filled with opportunities for exploration and discovery. Take children on nature walks to observe plants, animals, and natural landscapes. Encourage hands-on exploration by collecting leaves, rocks, or shells, and incorporating them into sensory activities or crafts. Nature exploration fosters curiosity, appreciation for the environment, and connections with the natural world.
Art and Creativity
Art activities provide a creative outlet for self-expression and can be adapted to accommodate the needs of children with autism. Offer a variety of art materials and techniques, such as painting, drawing, collage, or sculpting. Focus on process-oriented art rather than product-focused outcomes, allowing children to explore materials freely and express themselves without pressure. Art activities support fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration.
Social Stories
Social stories are short narratives that describe social situations, concepts, or expectations in a structured and visual format. Create social stories related to play activities, such as going to a playground, attending a birthday party, or participating in group games. Use simple language, clear visuals, and personalized details to help children understand what to expect and how to navigate social interactions. Social stories can reduce anxiety, improve social skills, and enhance participation in play activities.
Technology-Based Play
Technology can be a valuable tool for engaging children with autism and supporting their development. Explore interactive apps, educational games, or virtual reality experiences that cater to the interests and learning styles of children with autism. Use technology-based play activities to target specific skills, such as communication, academic concepts, or social skills, while also providing engaging and motivating experiences.
Joint Attention Activities
Joint attention refers to the ability to share attention with others and coordinate attention between objects, people, and events. Plan activities that promote joint attention, such as building with blocks, playing with toys that require turn-taking, or engaging in interactive games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake. Use prompts, modeling, and reinforcement to encourage children to attend to and interact with others, fostering social engagement and communication skills.
If you're seeking aba therapy for autism virginia beach,va, look no further! Our dedicated team offers comprehensive Applied Behavior Analysis services tailored to meet the individual needs of children and adults on the autism spectrum. With a focus on evidence-based interventions and personalized treatment plans, we are committed to helping individuals with autism reach their full potential and thrive in all aspects of life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you and your family on the journey towards growth and success.
Conclusion
Play is a powerful vehicle for promoting development, fostering social connections, and enriching the lives of children with autism. By incorporating autism-inclusive play ideas into everyday activities, we can create meaningful opportunities for learning, growth, and enjoyment. Whether through sensory exploration, imaginative play, structured games, or nature adventures, every play experience has the potential to unlock new possibilities and support the unique strengths and needs of children on the autism spectrum. Let's continue to explore, create, and play together, building a more inclusive and enriching world for all children.

I made a post on Saturday about how I was struggling to cope and I got a couple very encouraging comments.
I guess just for further documentation and analysis, I present to you some things from this weekend:
He did surprise me by coming over yesterday morning. We had sex but honestly I think he was just not feeling it (period, so he was worried about getting blood on my sheets) and I couldn’t get into it because he wasn’t. So we just quit and cuddled on the bed and then had a cup of coffee.
I did better with him leaving, I think. I was very disappointed that he still didn’t bring a gift for my kid. Maybe I’m just delusional, but we have affirmed many times that we love each other’s kids, and we’ve always gotten gifts for each kid’s birthday. So it just makes me feel so weird. He brought me a bottle of wine for last Mother’s Day and that was really nice, but I didn’t miss that that much. I mostly missed the gift for my kid because that feels much more important. So it just felt like saying a lot without saying anything.
Then this morning we saw each other at work. He basically went on a rant about something and I kind of withdrew. I said I was thinking about calling out tomorrow because I’ve been sick for the past few weeks and need some rest or maybe I’m just depressed (all true, by the way) and his response was “you don’t seem like it, you seem like you have energy.” Okay ???? I don’t think he meant this in a bad way but I thought it was a ridiculous and dismissive response.
And finally, he asked me about a job I recently applied for. I told him a little, we got interrupted, and then it took him some time to remember I had even been saying anything about it.
I guess I’m collecting my injustices. I’m not sure why I’m doing that. If it’s to point them out to him or because I WANT to hold a grudge.

The War Scroll, also known as the "War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness," is a unique text within the Dead Sea Scrolls that portrays an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good (Sons of Light) and evil (Sons of Darkness). This scroll provides insight into both historical and symbolic elements.
Historical Accuracy:
The War Scroll, while containing detailed military tactics and an epic narrative of the ultimate confrontation, doesn't explicitly reference any specific historical event or timeframe. Some scholars believe it could be a product of the community's anticipation of a future messianic conflict or a reflection of their own community's struggles against opposing forces during their time. Interpreting the historical accuracy of the scroll often involves exploring the context of the Qumran community and the turbulent times in which they lived.
Symbolism and Esoteric Wisdom:
The War Scroll goes beyond a mere description of a physical battle. It portrays a cosmic conflict between the forces of light and darkness, reflecting not just a literal warfare but also a symbolic and spiritual struggle. The text emphasizes righteousness, divine intervention, and the victory of good over evil.
Within the study guide, activities and exercises could involve dissecting the symbolic elements present in the War Scroll, exploring the deeper meanings behind the battle tactics and the metaphysical implications of the conflict. Understanding the symbolism could involve group discussions, comparative analysis with other ancient texts with similar themes, and exploring the impact of this symbolic representation on the community's beliefs and practices.
Here are a few activities and exercises to explore the symbolism and historical context of the War Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls:

1. Symbolism Analysis:

Provide excerpts from the War Scroll and encourage participants to identify and discuss the symbolic meanings behind elements like the "Sons of Light" and the "Sons of Darkness," various weapons, and the strategies outlined for battle. Group discussions or written reflections can help participants explore the deeper layers of meaning.

1. Comparative Analysis:

Compare the War Scroll's themes with similar apocalyptic or eschatological texts from different cultures or religions, such as apocalyptic passages in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible or apocalyptic texts from other ancient traditions. Create worksheets or discussion prompts to highlight similarities and differences in themes, symbols, and beliefs about cosmic battles.

1. Historical Context Exploration:

Present historical information about the era when the Dead Sea Scrolls were written. Discuss the political, social, and religious climate of that time, including the turmoil in the region, to understand how these factors might have influenced the composition of the War Scroll. Encourage participants to consider the possible motivations behind the text's creation.

1. Creative Interpretation:

Encourage creative expression by asking participants to create artwork, poems, or short stories inspired by the themes and imagery found in the War Scroll. This exercise allows individuals to engage more deeply with the symbolic elements and interpret them in their own unique ways.

1. Role-playing or Debates:
   Organize a role-playing activity where participants take on the roles of "Sons of Light" and "Sons of Darkness," debating their ideologies, motivations, and strategies for the ultimate battle. This exercise helps in understanding differing perspectives and interpreting the conflicts presented in the scroll.
   

Interpretative variations regarding the river's crossing in different ancient texts reflect the unique religious, philosophical, and cultural perspectives embedded within these narratives. These differences in interpretation offer insights into diverse worldviews and varying theological frameworks present in ancient texts:

1. Mesopotamian Context:

• In Mesopotamian mythology and literature, the Euphrates River often held symbolic significance as a boundary between the known civilized world and the wild, unknown realms. The crossing of the Euphrates could symbolize journeys into unexplored territories or transitions between order and chaos. This perspective reflects a worldview rooted in the physical and geographical division of lands.

1. Biblical Context:

• In biblical texts, such as those in the Book of Revelation or Old Testament prophecies, the crossing of the Euphrates carries eschatological significance. It may represent a divine intervention or a decisive moment in God's plan, marking the commencement of apocalyptic events. This interpretation aligns with the biblical narrative of divine judgment and the unfolding of God's ultimate purpose in history.

1. Gnostic or Apocryphal Context:

• Gnostic or apocryphal texts often interpret the river's crossing as a symbolic liberation or awakening. It might signify the release of spiritual forces or the ascent to higher consciousness, reflecting a philosophical perspective emphasizing spiritual enlightenment and liberation from material constraints.

1. Greco-Roman Interpretation:

• In Greco-Roman literature, crossings of rivers were often associated with mythological journeys or transitions between realms. The crossing of the Euphrates might symbolize a transition from mundane existence to a realm of mystery or spiritual significance, reflecting a cultural perspective rooted in mythology and cosmology.

These varied interpretations highlight the richness and diversity of religious, philosophical, and cultural frameworks present in ancient texts. The river's crossing serves as a flexible symbol that adapts to different narratives, conveying themes of transition, judgment, liberation, or cosmic transformation based on the unique perspectives of each tradition.
Exploring these interpretative variations allows participants to appreciate the complexity of symbolism within ancient texts and provides insights into how different cultures and belief systems interpreted common motifs like the river Euphrates. It showcases the intricate interplay between religious, philosophical, and cultural elements shaping the symbolism and theological implications embedded in these narratives.
The river Euphrates, a prominent geographic feature in ancient texts, embodies universal themes that transcend specific cultural contexts. Identifying these universal themes helps reveal shared human concepts of transition, boundaries, and transformative events across diverse ancient traditions:

1. Threshold and Transition:

• The Euphrates often symbolizes a boundary between known and unknown territories. Its crossing represents a transition from one state to another, signifying a pivotal moment of change or passage. This theme of crossing a threshold echoes the human experience of transitions in life, moving from familiar to unfamiliar realms.

1. Boundary and Separation:

• As a geographical boundary, the Euphrates signifies separation between distinct territories or civilizations. This concept of demarcation resonates with universal human experiences of setting boundaries, delineating spaces, or marking divisions between different aspects of life.

1. Transformative Events:

• Crossing the Euphrates is often associated with cosmic or transformative events in ancient texts. This universal theme reflects the human fascination with the concept of epochal change, cosmic upheavals, or moments of divine intervention that reshape the course of history.

1. Symbol of Power and Control:

• The river might represent a symbol of power, control, or geopolitical significance. Crossing it could signify shifts in dominance, challenges to established authority, or the assertion of influence. This theme resonates with human narratives of power struggles and shifts in societal dynamics.

1. Metaphor for Spiritual Journeys:

• Across cultures, rivers are often used metaphorically to represent spiritual journeys or quests. The crossing of the Euphrates might symbolize the pursuit of enlightenment, the passage to higher realms of understanding, or the quest for spiritual transformation.

These universal themes associated with the river Euphrates highlight fundamental aspects of the human experience—transitions, boundaries, transformative events, power dynamics, and spiritual journeys. The river's symbolism in ancient texts speaks to shared human aspirations, struggles, and beliefs that transcend cultural boundaries and resonate across different epochs and civilizations.
By identifying and discussing these universal themes, participants gain a deeper appreciation for the profound symbolism embedded in ancient texts and recognize the timeless relevance of concepts such as transition, boundaries, and transformative events in shaping human narratives and aspirations.

1. Historical Context:

• What historical events or societal conditions might have influenced the composition of the War Scroll?
  
• How does the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery contribute to our understanding of this text's significance?
  

1. Symbolism and Esoteric Wisdom:

• How does the War Scroll use symbolism to convey spiritual or cosmic themes?
  
• What esoteric wisdom or deeper spiritual insights can be derived from the portrayal of cosmic conflict and divine intervention within the text?
  

1. Comparative Analysis:

• Compare the themes and symbolism of the War Scroll with other apocalyptic texts from different cultures (e.g., Book of Revelation, The Book of Daniel). What common motifs or differences in interpretation do you observe?

1. Parallelism in Biblical Texts:

• Explore connections between the War Scroll and other biblical texts. How does the language, imagery, or themes in the War Scroll intersect with passages from the Hebrew Bible or New Testament?

1. Community Beliefs and Practices:

• How might the apocalyptic expectations depicted in the War Scroll have influenced the beliefs and practices of the community that produced it?
  
• Discuss the impact of such intense anticipation of cosmic conflict on communal life and religious rituals within the community.
  

1. Cultural Significance of Cosmic Battles:

• Across various ancient cultures, why do you think depictions of cosmic battles and eschatological events were significant? What might these narratives represent in a broader cultural context?

1. Interpretive Variations and Unique Perspectives:

• Explore the diverse interpretations of specific passages or symbols within the War Scroll. How do different scholars or traditions interpret these elements, and what underlying factors might influence their interpretations?

1. Personal Reflection and Modern Relevance:

• Reflect on how the themes of cosmic conflict, righteousness, and spiritual warfare in the War Scroll might resonate in contemporary society or personal belief systems.

1. Theological and Philosophical Implications:

• Discuss the theological and philosophical implications of a cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness. How does this theme intersect with broader philosophical inquiries or theological doctrines?

1. Literary and Symbolic Analysis:

- Analyze the narrative structure and symbolic elements present in specific passages of the War Scroll. How do these elements contribute to the text's overarching themes and meanings? 

These study questions aim to provoke critical thinking, promote in-depth exploration of themes, encourage comparative analysis, and stimulate discussions on the multifaceted nature of the War Scroll's content and its significance within ancient and contemporary contexts.

1. Archaeological and Linguistic Analysis:

- How does the physical condition of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the War Scroll, impact our understanding of their preservation and historical context? - Discuss the linguistic peculiarities or unique textual features found within the War Scroll and their implications for translation and interpretation. 

1. Apocalyptic Expectations and Messianic Concepts:

- Explore the portrayal of messianic figures or anticipated saviors within the War Scroll. How do these concepts align with or diverge from contemporary expectations of a messianic figure in other ancient texts or religious traditions? 

1. Impact of Apocalyptic Literature:

- Analyze the enduring influence of apocalyptic literature, such as the War Scroll, on subsequent religious, literary, or cultural traditions. How have these texts shaped later beliefs or inspired artistic and literary works? 

1. Ethical and Moral Frameworks:

- Discuss the ethical or moral implications of the cosmic conflict depicted in the War Scroll. How do the themes of righteousness and wickedness contribute to the text's underlying moral framework? 

1. Role of Prophecy and Revelation:

- Explore the role of prophecy and revelation within the War Scroll. How do the prophetic elements contribute to the text's portrayal of future events and cosmic justice? 

1. Experiential and Ritualistic Elements:

- Investigate potential ritualistic or experiential dimensions associated with the teachings or beliefs conveyed in the War Scroll. How might the community have engaged with these teachings in their religious practices or communal activities? 

1. Literary Genre and Interpretation:

- Discuss the classification of the War Scroll within the broader genre of apocalyptic literature. How does its classification influence our understanding and interpretation of its themes and symbolic elements? 

1. Relevance in Modern Scholarship:

- Reflect on the ongoing scholarly debates or discoveries related to the War Scroll. How have modern interpretations evolved, and what implications do these new perspectives have on our understanding of the text? 

1. Intersection of Faith and Scholarship:

- Consider the interplay between faith-based interpretations and scholarly analyses of the War Scroll. How might religious convictions or theological frameworks influence academic research and vice versa? 

1. Future Research and Interpretative Avenues:

- Propose potential avenues for future research or areas of exploration concerning the War Scroll. What unanswered questions or unexplored aspects merit further investigation? 

The composition of the War Scroll, along with other Dead Sea Scrolls, was likely influenced by several historical events and societal conditions prevalent during the time of its writing, which is estimated to be between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE:

1. Hellenistic Rule and Cultural Influence:

• The region where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found was under Hellenistic influence due to the conquests of Alexander the Great and the subsequent control by the Seleucid Empire. This era saw a clash between Hellenistic culture and Jewish traditions, leading to cultural tensions and a desire to preserve religious and cultural heritage.

1. Political Turmoil and Resistance Movements:

• The Jewish people experienced political unrest, particularly during the Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid rule. This period was characterized by resistance movements, attempts to preserve Jewish identity, and fervent anticipation of a messianic figure to deliver them from foreign oppression.

1. Religious Sects and Spiritual Expectations:

• Various religious sects existed within Judaism, each with its own interpretations and expectations of messianic redemption, purity laws, and theological doctrines. The community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls, often believed to be the Essenes, likely had distinctive theological beliefs and a strong apocalyptic worldview.

1. Anticipation of Cosmic Redemption:

• There was a widespread belief in the imminent arrival of a messianic figure or a divine intervention that would bring about cosmic redemption, ushering in an era of righteousness and divine rule. This anticipation of apocalyptic events and a cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness is reflected in the War Scroll's themes.

Regarding the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery, its significance lies in multiple facets:

1. Preservation of Ancient Texts:

• The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the War Scroll, provided an invaluable collection of ancient manuscripts that significantly expanded our understanding of ancient Jewish texts, religious beliefs, and the diversity of Jewish thought during the Second Temple period.

1. Insights into Jewish Sectarianism:

• The scrolls shed light on the diversity of beliefs and practices among Jewish sects during that time. Understanding the beliefs and expectations of the community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls helps contextualize the theological and apocalyptic themes present in the War Scroll.

1. Confirmation of Scriptural Accuracy:

• The Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery contributed to confirming the accuracy and preservation of certain biblical texts, highlighting the continuity of textual transmission across centuries and supporting the authenticity of biblical manuscripts.

1. Impact on Biblical Studies and Scholarship:

• The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionized biblical studies, providing scholars with invaluable primary sources for studying ancient Judaism, the development of biblical texts, and the context in which these texts were composed.

The historical context of political upheaval, religious expectations, and the preservation of texts within the Dead Sea Scrolls contributes significantly to understanding the milieu in which the War Scroll was written. It provides a backdrop against which the themes of cosmic conflict, eschatological anticipation, and religious fervor within the War Scroll can be comprehended.

hi... just a lil vent session ig. idk if this is considered ok to post here but was having a mental breakdown and had some flashbacks :/

1. when i was 7 years old, my mom read my diary. was horrible, it was a birthday present and i was going thru some very emotional stuff for a 7 year old. anywayz, she explained it as "a blessing" and that she "could finally understand" how i was feeling. yeah that was rlly traumatic and she never let me keep a diary again bc apparently the stuff i had in there was "inappropriate for a 7 year old". i was never the same again.
2. i had an enemy in primary school. at the time, i was really getting into poetry, and had a bunch of notebooks full of it that kinda doubled as my journals. well that day, i wasn't in sch and i happened to be sitting next to his best friend. during grp work, he looked thru my stuff. istg i cried so hard when i came back to sch bc i thought that at least he was a decent human being (bc thats what my parents told me: boys will be boys).
3. same guy again, two years later. going thru an exam paper so the teacher makes us sit in register number order, and coincidentally he sits at my table. i had left my notebook in a file and pushed my file to the very back of underneath table. come back, file is at the front, elastic holding the book closed is twisted (not flat like i left it) and so is the ribbon bookmark. the next day, this girl interrogates him, and here are the reasons why he looked thru my stuff again: (a) "I don't like her" and (b) "I wanted to see if she wrote anything bad about me". sure, boys will be boys, but leopards can never change their spots. i complained to the teacher, but nothing was done. rest assured i wrote an extremely violent poem abt him later. (My fists will not meet your face for I actually respect personal space.)

so yeah. idk if im allowed to post this here but ill post it somewhere else as well. spread the trauma, am i right? 👍 thx world

The View from Oregon – 288
Re: Shedding Disconfirmed Theories and False Prophets
Friday 10 May 2024
Dear Friends,
In last week’s newsletter I repeated a claim that I have made previously, specifically, that there is no science of science. As I have been thinking about this claim over the past few years, the consequences of individual sciences (which I often call “the special sciences” in order to distinguish them from science simpliciter) being reasonably well-founded while the enterprise of science itself is, on the whole, not well-founded, have slowly unfolded for me, and every so often I see a new angle to it. I also discussed this in my Wilhelm Windelband and the Place of History among the Sciences, and here the new angle was my realization that idiosyncratic efficacy in science—some people are good at science and others are not—means that individuals and their personalities loom large. This partly explains the heroic narrative of the history of science, treated as an intellectual parallel to Carlyle’s “great man” theory of history.
I have also argued that, contrary to appearances, ours is not a scientific civilization. Many people who have not thought deeply on civilization have asserted that contemporary civilization is scientific. I would say that science plays a crucial role in the development of technologies, but when you step back from all the claims made about science today, it is easy to see that it is not science calling the shots. During the Enlightenment, there was an integration of Enlightenment political thought and science, and it seemed that Enlightenment ideologies translated into state structures (the American Revolution and then the French Revolution) would place science at the center of political deliberations. However, as Enlightenment ideology has developed over the past quarter millennium, it has increasingly diverged from science. With Enlightenment institutions effectively in charge of scientific institutions (higher education, scientific publishing, state funding of science, etc.), Enlightenment ideology has been gradually shaping science to suit its purposes.
If ours were a scientific civilization, it would be science calling the shots, and Enlightenment institutions would be bent to the will of science, and not vice versa. But we can easily see the problem here. Since science cannot make itself fully and completely scientific, science answers to the dominant personalities within scientific institutions, and these personalities can be as benighted and corrupt as any other human beings on the planet. One of things that I have learning by attending conferences over more than a dozen years is that individuals focused on their field can be rational, creative, and interesting in their work, but as soon as they leave their specialization, they are babes in the woods. James Burnham in his The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom, made a passing remark about Einstein’s views on economics, and this is very much to the point: an individual can be so gifted that they see something that everyone else has missed, but outside their field they endorse ideas that are insipid.
So if Enlightenment era institutions were bent to the will of science, that would mean little more than that these institutions would be bent to the will of prominent scientists, and prominent sciences are men of their time: they would (and they do) simply repeat the platitudes of the society of which they are a part. This is how Enlightenment ideology triumphs over rationality, no matter how fulsome representatives of the Enlightenment are in the praise of science and rationality. It’s all hollow. It is a political program that is in the driver’s seat. And, invoking this metaphor, we can compare our Enlightenment civilization to Mark Manson’s consciousness car metaphor: reason has the map, but it’s sitting in the passenger seat, while emotion is at the wheel. So it is with our civilization: science has the map, but it is in the passenger seat, while Enlightenment ideology is in the driver’s seat, and it is free to ignore the advice of science (with the map) at any time.
Science in Enlightenment societies is not, however, a perfectly rational actor, in possession of a map that the rest of society lacks. Since institutional science, also known as “big” science, involves large institutions like universities and the government funding that universities receive for their research, these institutions have now shaped generations of scientists after their own image. So, to recur to the consciousness car metaphor, we have to imagine that science is not only sitting in the passenger seat, but that the only thing that science can see is the map it holds, and it must rely on reports from the driver about what the driver sees out the window: landmarks, signs, other traffic, people in the road, and so on, are all communicated to science by the driver, i.e., by Enlightenment ideology, and then science must attempt to figure out where the car is at, and how to get to the next destination. Needless to say, it is the driver making the choice as to what the next destination is to be. Hume, among the greatest of Enlightenment thinkers, said that “Reason is and ought only to be the slave of the passions.” I don’t think that Hume intended this as a prediction, but that is exactly where we find ourselves today.
One could plausibly argue that no institution at the center of a civilization has ever been a pure exemplar of itself and nothing else, a self-contained and autonomous monad, which is what I seem to be implying with the possibility of science practiced according to a science of science, and not according to the non-scientific whims of its practitioners. The institutional religions that served as the focal institutions of pre-modern agricultural civilizations had long histories and were embedded in a social and agricultural context that gave them meaning. We could point to any number of developments in these traditions where it was climate, geography, or available cultivars that were really driving the development of institutional religion, and not the other way round.
Not directly relevant here, but also not entirely irrelevant, I recently realized a structural similarity between Chinese and Western civilization, and this is that the axialization of these traditions did not emerge from a traditional mythology. The Greeks that their traditional mythology, but it was the expansion of philosophy, and especially the turn to moral and political philosophy after the Peloponnesian War, that served the function that appeared in other societies of the Axial Age through the medium of moralizing religions. China, too, has a traditional mythology, which is as marginal and as entertaining as Greek mythology today, but the axialization of Chinese civilization appeared through Confucianism. Of course, it has been traditional to count Confucianism as a religion, sometimes with certain qualifications, but Confucianism is no more of a religion than the tradition of philosophical ethics in Western civilization. I think it would more plausible to argue that Greek philosophical ethics made possible the appearance of the religious ethic of Christianity as it eventually claimed its central status within Western civilization than to argue that Confucianism is a religion.
The two other contenders here for status as an institutional religion determinative of a civilization are Hinduism, and Buddhism, which latter grew out of Hinduism. Zoroastrianism may have been a contender in its day, as Egyptian civilization was once a contender (not as a religion, but as a civilization), but both ceased to be influential before the advent of modernity. We could also count Judaism, but Judaism has never been a proselytizing religion, so it didn’t have the same influence on history of religious traditions that were actively expansionist. Christianity and Islam both appear well after the Axial Age, and, I would argue, as consequence of the Axial Age, continuing to play itself out in history over a civilizational scale of time.
In any case, institutional religions as the central institutions of agricultural civilizations were in no sense pure in their provenance. Why should science need to be pure in its provenance—which, in this context, means being in possession of a science of science that completes the extant special sciences and provides a map for the indefinite elaboration of science? Arguably, science derives its legitimacy from its rationality, and this requirement of rationality can be turned against itself. Analogously, institutionalized religions derive their legitimacy from a metaphysical claim about the supernatural world, however, in the case of institutionalized religion, this claim doesn’t have traction when invoked reflexively.
The supernatural is the gift that keeps on giving: anything unprecedented can be credited to a new manifestation of the supernatural within the mundane world. It is subject to change without notice, so it can literally accommodate anything that happens, or anything that fails to happen. This is not the case with science. Rationality, too, is a gift that keeps giving, but in a rather different sense than the appeal to the supernatural. Disconfirmed theories can be shed as easily as false prophets, but the evidence upon which the disconfirmed theory is built is stubborn fact that cannot be wished away. Not only can stubborn fact not be wished away, but the new scientific theory that takes the place of the disconfirmed theory must not only explain everything that the disconfirmed theory explained, but it must also explain the result of the crucial experiment that became the pretext for the disconfirmation of the old theory. With false prophets it is rather different: any miracles attributed to them can be consistently denied with no knock-on consequences for the institutionalized tradition that managed to rid itself of the unwelcome prophet.
On stubborn fact—which I will assume is one and the same as brute fact—and returning to Windelband, Windelband provided a gloss (also quoted in my Wilhelm Windelband and the Place of History among the Sciences) on this nomothetic/idiographic distinction that is relevant here:

“A description of the present state of the universe follows from the general laws of nature only if the immediately preceding state of the universe is presupposed. But this state presupposes the state that immediately precedes it, and so on. Such a description of a particular, determinate state of the arrangement of atoms, however, can never be derived from the general laws of motion alone. The definitive characteristics of a single point in time can never be immediately derived from any ‘cosmic formula.’ The derivation of the description of a single temporal point always requires the additional description of the previously existing state which is subordinated to the law. General laws do not establish an ultimate state from which the specific conditions of the causal chain could ultimately be derived. It follows that all subsumption under general laws is useless in the analysis of the ultimate causes or grounds of the single, temporally given phenomenon. Therefore, in all the data of historical and individual experience a residuum of incomprehensible, brute fact remains, an inexpressible and indefinable phenomenon.”

The juxtaposition within empirical science that Windelband here describes between general laws and brute fact is the empirical parallel to the problem that the formal sciences face in regard to their foundations. A formal system must begin with axioms (or, today, formation rules and transformation rules, but it’s the same thing), and if we don’t accept the axioms, at least hypothetically, then we can’t go any further. Well, sort of. The knowledge of intuitive mathematics that is formalized in an axiom system could be pursued even if it is never formalized, or never fully formalized. Accepting partial formalizations is like accepting the results of the special sciences without a science of science that can be used as a point of reference that all is well in the special science. This is, indeed, the state of formal knowledge, as full formalization is rare, but it exists as an ideal, and the reasoning that lies behind this ideal has been developed relentlessly over more than two thousand years. The current compromise is to accept axioms in the spirit of hypothetico-deductivism: we don’t claim that they are true, certain, necessary, or anything of the properties traditionally ascribed to axioms; we only claim that we can’t go further in our deductions without accepting an axiom hypothetically.
Empirical science, as Windelband has shown, faces a similar dilemma, but the underlying reasoning has not been as relentlessly worked out. We have to accept brute fact in the same way that the formal sciences have to accept axioms, but in addition to the brute fact we also require the theoretical framework within which the brute fact can be rationalized, and this theoretical framework includes the mathematics that has, as we have seen, its own theoretical compromises. Thus empirical science has a double compromise, with the source of brute fact and with the source of the principles to which it must appeal if it is to rationalize brute fact. With this degree of theoretical complexity, it is no wonder that there is no science of science.
Best wishes,
Nick
PS—In a PS to last week’s newsletter I wrote that I had prioritized rapidity of production over quality of outcome for my video series Today in Philosophy of History. After covering an entire calendar year of philosophy of history birthdays, perhaps next year I will slow my pace of production and focus on producing fewer videos of higher quality. After hitting the highlights, I can then afford to explore lesser known nooks and crannies. I am keeping a list of the philosophers that I have missed or passed over so far in 2024, hopefully to produce episodes on their thought in 2025 (fate willing). For example, I was so focused on the birthdays of Hume and Gibbon on successive days, the 7th and 8th, that I missed Ortega y Gasset’s birthday on the 9th. Hopefully I will be alive next year to record an episode on Ortega y Gasset, whose philosophy of history comprehends several interesting features that deserve more attention. Even prioritizing rapidity of production there is a limit to what I can do, or what I am willing to do. I could have recorded a quick episode on Ortega y Gasset, but I would not have been satisfied with the result. While I can criticize my other episodes, I am at least marginally satisfied with what I had to say.
PPS—I have been staying at my country house in Clatsop County, and today was the nicest day of the year so far. Winters in Clatsop County are wet and cold, and it is mostly miserable to be out in the weather—for comparison, it is the kind of weather you might expect in Scotland, Ireland, or the west coast of Norway. Last week I was still building fires every evening to stay warm, but today was sunny and beautiful. On such a beautiful day it is tempting to stay in the country just to enjoy the peace and quiet, but today I drove to the beach—Peter Iredale beach at Fort Stevens state park. I was at this same beach a few months ago, and it was so cold that it actually hailed at the beach while I was there. Today I was in shirtsleeves and it was warm.
PPPS—The new IBHA newsletter EMERGENCE is available with a Frontiers column by me. This column is about my recent paper, “A Complexity Ladder for Big History.” Some of the ideas in this column will be incorporated into the expanded version of the paper that I mentioned in a PS to newsletter 286.

Newsletter link:

https://mailchi.mp/fd4b450c72c4/the-view-from-oregon-288
​

Hi, this is my first post in reddit and subreddit Healthygamergg. Doesn't mean this post is less or more complex to read or write.
WARNING: HIGHLY DENSE NONSENSE IN STUFF HERE! AHH!! Warn!
Reason: Autism causes high levels of word jargon possibility. Some instances of the disorder will result in inability of capability of knonof of apwors. gjaaep[kf. I've been here for 15 years and english has been only language but no word knowledge! Thank ypb;./
At the age of 15, I have a ominous feeling of being internally old resulting into the feeling of 'too old for anything anymore', while also feeling that the world is not real, instead being virtual/digital or similar to the same reality-feeling dreaming, and that I am not real, instead being a controlled character (Playable Character) by an autonomous player, or a person from the future is using their dyson sphere (a device that covers a star for energy) to relive their far earlier, yet simple life like a dream. These two feelings, the first one like a depressive and anhedonic (without pleasure) symptom, and the second one looks like Depersonaliztion-Derealization Disorder, are not likely to be a normal feeling of a 15 year old. (Btw, the fact that this is my first post also doesn't mean you have less of an excuse to report in case of rule break. Teach me lessons! I am DERP!)
Here's a table of what might be my mental disorders (feel free to read only names, as critical amount of word stability is reductioned by matter multiplyed by speed of light squared minus energy):
Loading executive functioning...
WARNING! These words disintergrate into stupid soup sometime! I find it insulting to myself of the level of uncapability, so some of you may be annoyance at the level of un read!

Mental/Emotional Disorder	Amount of diagnosis (Any diagnosis listed here is worse representation of experience than experience of professional)	Likely linked Experience (sorry, no ability to show what disorder is doing)
Autism	Diagnosed with autism test by professional, mild presentation (powerpoint slide number two thousand and fininjps) !!NO WORDS!!	Constantly claiming they/I are more educated in autism than other kids who say autism or [other person] is so autistic. Commonly has a disconnect between thought of words and used words (I should use the words 'skill of communication'!). Rambling and poor writing skills (algj iaodyc9b!? ieeee??). Finds (meta jokes to be funny (Where am i?) )? Likely involved in the important process of random information hallucination and execution on nonsense.
ADHD	Diagnosed within autism test, mild and inattentive presentation. (Hypotheized to not be real by noone, but likely has a bad name) (My ADHD likely doesn't represent ADHD.)	Nonely applicability (N/A). Experiences the need of perfectionism while not perfecting anything. Stimulants have a minor effect on performance. Makes too many things to do and too little time for sequential follow through (~0 seconds of follow through per task)
Alexithymia	Semi-personal self diagnosis and trient-professional screener test from therapist that results were reasonably high. (this isn't even a disorder!?! Just a indicator of other disorders?) (Likely exists in me)	Ability to interpret emotions after possible emotions processed into one is not impaired, but difficulty with determining whether emotional state is null ("business as usual") or is somehow slowly accumulating with errors. Commonly results in "Ah, but i think about things in third person instead of say feelings" when talking to my therapist and in these current words.
Anhedonia	Personal, ominous, spooky, scary self diagnosis (skeletons). Likely mild persentation? IDK, i'm no good diagnonal. (Might exists)	(Context: currently using fluxotine (please go to lined professional for treatment plane), which likely increases energy, then confidence without directly affecting happiness.) Boredom! No likee gaem! Only want do good, fun work. No happy other! Still do videogame? Confusing gamer, good game! ERR10192: low writing process paios lnogs. Final word: BOREDOM!!!! End log of personality instance [redacted]. Note on the high levels of dislike in non-personally relative to or non-serotonergic activities, but dislike has not been able to be correlated with actual inability of action. This is likely on the basis that the dissasociative disorders don't allow acknowledgement of happy or unhappy, just unknown.
Major Depressive Disorder	Personal self diagonsis, (uh, uhm actually it's Mild Major Depressive Disorder). (as it's your major, huh? Depressive Disorder?) (Might exists due to unlikely remain)	Everything is just so dysfunctional! So stupid. The rock is stupid, the computer is stupid, etc. It's stupid because when I look at it as a tool, the few options for how to use it are too limited. Not even these disorders are smart, as they kind of just disintergrated for me when I lowerd my diassociation. Either that, or I'm too young and old at the same time for any of this "hur durr I am sad because I thought the world was stupid" I said to myself. Your experience may vary, 0/10, made me less depressed.
Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder	Personal unself not real diagnosis. If it was mild, it would feel more real, as if that's a real thing (Insert sterotype here, as if thats a real thing).	Wait, my therapist talked about this disorder as if it's terrible?!? AHHH! RUNN! Anyways, what was real again? Wait, You're telling me i'm in a? WOW! ...[more third person single sided conservation ensues] Apparently DDD is associated with disorders ("Mood, anxiety and personality disorders are often comorbid with depersonalisation disorder..." -NIH) Unpersonally, I don't understand the long term effects of having the higher comorbidity.
Decisive Historical Disasociative Trauma	This disorder doesn't even exist! These are just unreal words being made into abstract concepts by poorly connected neurons! This disorder is the decisive stage of highly disasociative historical trauma, and unless in the future is invented, it doesn't exist. However, the current autism expert in the local area of the keyboard producing these words predicts it might mean more than at first glance: not just nonsense.	N/A

Now that you are likely educated in undefined, let us (lettuce) go (please) back to the current topic: my depressive disorder that is so annoyed at my something?

Part two: What even is trauma?

Spoiler:>! Here's the spoiler: I don't know!!<
Hmm... I don't know?
2.2: What is historical trauma? What's your perspective on it?
Historical trauma is the trauma that affects people in the future due to being highly significant.
Based on the possible fact that trauma is passable by genetics due to the enabling or disabling of genes, find out more by looking at whatever Epigenetics (the process of researching the way the environment affects your DNA that isn't simply DNA sequence through evolution) is, I assume that the historical significance of a trauma makes generational and historical trauma last longer or binarly/linearly activate. This means bad for me, good for people who need to escape trauma back in day of tribal danger basics and maybe guide for trauma is good for people who need to escape trauma back in my day of digital nonsense that was clicky click instead of dyson sphere!

Part three: Doctor K! Alok! Kanojia! The timetraveling trauma is going to get me and other peoples!!

^{How spook.}
[Likely loss of any cognition of writen words at current locational timeline of word string. Barrier cross analysis reveals extreme errors. determinable action is to not care, as extreme disrepair is not solvable by non normal executable actions of the problems resulting in the writing issues in the place of the problem.]
Urga burga! (likely expresses anger, more a chant, likely a fake word) Once, I was this age. Then, I once typed out these words to a therapeutic value. I remembered the one time when I was 6 or 7, and a feeling that indicated something like anhedonia and or depression, a deep boredom of all things functional in my life, happened to me at the time of sitting in a chair at school. I apparently lost lots of energy after that, but the few memories that stayed and are still easily acessible without requirement of remindecontext clues don't really show the process, so I assumed it was just a slow process.
Soon after getting my autism diagnosis and inattentive ADHD due to the autism making me have speech delays, the therapist that was going to get me on the mental health help used the DSM-5 to show I had the mild Major Depressive Disorder. Going to the doctors who I was getting not-so-effective ADHD treatment at the time (it's more effective now), I was talking to a simple yet likely complex life of healthcare doctor about my mental issues, but they talked about Anhedonia and how that sounds like that, just that I was too young to determine plan of action for how to fix such a complicated disorder. Learning what Anhedonia meant, I went to school and summarized the five mental disorders I knew of me having at the time, which didn't have the Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder but had Alexithymia, inside of a text based reading app where you click on the buttons to learn about how the mental disorders affected me or something. Next, I learned about Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder, which when mentioned to the therapist, they thought it was not a normal thing, not normal at all for a child.
Next, I was getting more concerned how long ADHD medication would take to treat my problems. I already knew about HealthyGamerGG, but I hadn't yet gotten the guide to mental health. Also, I was getting more and more concerned about how long I would want to be treated with the problems. So, I got the guide, but when I eventually learned about Doshas, the three elements that abstractly represent how the mental disorders work, I found something spooky.
The Major Depressive Disorder I thought was so 'la lah lahh la!' was actually a cyclic process that brought inattentive ADHD when it was depressive, and somewhat depression when it wasn't. I understood this because it seemed as though if I didn't take action, it would threaten to make me sadder, and even when I did take action to reverse it, it would still require double the amount it requires to go from a downer to an neutral. This was also noticeable in that the Vata Dosha was being affected whenever I did this action, and I then correctly assumed it was because I was a Vata by how my Vata was always increasing for many of the actions I took, showing my personality to be equipped for that specificly. This showed how my Vata being inactive when the 'cyclic depression' was active looked like inattentive ADHD. Next, the cylic property of the depression made it obvious it wasn't Vata, it wasn't Kapha, so it was likely a Pitta depression in it's behavioral property. I noted that observing it's reasoning for depression or source brought my mind back to when I was 6 or 7 of age and had suddenly gotten the sadness, the world could've seemed illogical or nonsensical, but it almost certainly seemed without smart function, then without 'good' function looking back. I saw how the Vata was affected by the depression, so I thought that the depression was more the cause of it's symptom of ADHD instead of a symptom of ADHD. This meant it was surely easy to treat now, right?
So far, I haven't been able to get back to the pediatrican who perscribed the fluxotine, as that's later on in the week, but for now, one thing I know, is that the final plot twist of this EPIC poem... is that i'm likely traumatized from being Native American.

Part Finale: "KarateSnoopy1911, I am your Rescuer, Persecutor, and Victim." - Problems and inevitable drama triangle, showing...

^{"Oh no! it's me, something that can include everything else, and everything everywehere!" - Me, and somewhere else!
Drama really sounds like Dharma, but it's different because one is simple funny and one is funnily simple. "Anyways, what is trauma again" - Demoysis, the non-complete idea of a game I would make.
But wait! If I am meant to be typing about trauma... and I'm typing about nonsense... What happened to me??
Native Americans have problem. The Europeans are problem. How do solve Europeans? Nonsense! No able to solve europeans...}
Anyways, I was kind of rambling... Native Americans have been deeply affected by the mass removal of land, people, cultures, and normal well being in America. So far, I've been able to see three affected people in my family, who is my mother of my mom which had two alcholic parents and then seemingly had issues with emotional expression and processing, which then affected my mom, and my dad's father was also an alcoholic, in someway affecting my dad. This means there are three close people to me (my dad's father idk where he is, likely dud) who are affected by the introduction of problems and the coping mechanism of drinking alcohol without genetical adaptation. However, It's not as if even if the people close to me stopped being altered by issues of the past then all sad Native Americans would stop saddening.
I think my main concern with all of this is that I feel awfully similarly disasociative to my mom, being confused what my emotions are and then what that means for my depression that kept my inattentive AttentionDeficitHyperactivityDisorder keeping me away from my depression that was kept in place by the trauma which was kept in place by the two dissasociative disorders... It looks like a big mess in a model, however I think the thing is that the more disorders are interacting, the less it's one disorder and the more it's multiple disorders that want different directions. The general problems in the Europe-like society with all those cars and those city closeness issues and the big clunky clunk house problem, then the digital device confusion of brain zap cause those general trauma errors be danger when no emotional smart.

Conclusion!!!

"Whats up guys!! This is influencer #1908672 making YOU really influenced or something! I want you to conclude that dissasociation is lead to bad or something!!!! What do you community think??? Bye!! I gotta work on myself and so many other problems that occur in weekends like the gaming and the look at the Trauma Problem Solution Plane 5d chess!! IF you liked this Autism interactive interesting Reddit Post, Keep it on here and blah blah blah blah...."
Alok Kanojia, release thine 5/20/2024 Trauma module to thy world!!!
WARNNIG. LOW AMOUNTS OF CRITICISIM NOTICED AT TIME OF CLICKING POST. NON COMPLAISANT WITH DIFFICULTY REGULATION #810697121-17876 WILL RESULT IN [???] AND [INDEX ERROR] AT TIME [INT OVERFLOW ERROR]
WARNING. HIGH LEVELS OF NON COMPLASIANCE WITH STANDARD LEVEL OF WRITING ERRORS. THE PUNISHMENT OF THIS IS [unknown] AND [index lost] AT TIME [no time context level]
Likely cause of error log naug8 was due to high levels of non complaisance with energy costly numero syntax error. this result in result in result in result in result.