2012.12.11 22:37 JoshTayr/Petioles - For the reduction, moderation and responsible consumption of cannabis
Petioles is a positive community for those interested in responsible consumption of Cannabis. Discussions include everything from tolerance breaks, to personal feelings and cravings.
Post all of your math-learning resources here. Questions, no matter how basic, will be answered (to the best ability of the online subscribers). --- We're no longer participating in the protest against excessive API fees, but many other subreddits are; check out the progress [among subreddits that pledged to go dark on 12 July 2023](https://reddark.untone.uk/) and [the top 255 subreddits](https://save3rdpartyapps.com/) (even those that never joined the protest).
Firefox 115.11.0esr (64-bit) For some reason can't log in anymore into my email account. Was able to log in without any issues about a week ago. Steps to reproduce:
2024.05.21 15:13 _Triple_[STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 100.000$+ INVENTORY. BFK Lore, Gloves Amphibious, Skeleton Fade, Bowie Emerald, BFK Auto, Gloves MF, Talon Doppler, Gloves POW, Bayo Tiger, Gut Sapphire, Stiletto MF, M9 Ultra, Ursus Doppler, Flip Doppler, M9 Stained, Nomad CW, Paracord CW, AK-47 X-Ray & A Lot More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
2024.05.21 15:11 GreedyPersonality390Effects of Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat
Ayat Karima ka Wazifa for Hajat Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat , The Ayat Karima is a very beautiful verse from Holy QURAN of the surah yaseen verse no 78. Indeed, the virtue and barakah of this verse encompasses the entire world and there is a tremendous amount of barakah when one recites it or plays it on the phonograph to seek Allah’s help in getting whatever one wants. If one starts a wazifa along with the Ayat Karima, that person can definitely gets rid out of the problems, gets all the things wanted from the life and can get rid out from any kind of problem in the life by the grace of Allah almighty. The Ayat Karima is as follows:The Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat, in the Holy Quran is the following Ayat: Inna nahnu nuhyee al-mawtaa: وأنزلنا المOperators ال المنطوقةA) يستنهى بها* العتصم نامهhythwtitaIht1 نذير الستار من العهد empty و Ana ktabu maa qaddamaa wal-aathaarahum wa kull shay’ihin Ahshaynaa fii imamin mubeenlisThe antagon "Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they sent ahead and what they left behind: These are the things which we have included in the detailed list as the things that have made the things valid. Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa Method:Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat,, Another way of solving the issues according to the Islam is Ayat which is also known as verses of Quran. Actually this wazifa is very simple and all one has to do is perform two cycles of nafl prayers along with the supplication in the manner of the Ayat Karima. Here are step-by-step instructions:
This means that one should wash their hands and face then do a new wudhu before saying the wazifa correctly. As one can probably think, the body and the garment need to be washed, and hair can be combed or maybe even styled. When offering the namaz, one should make sure that they put themselves in the right position especially to the direction of Qiblah.
Namaz times: offer Nafl namaz as two units. But nevertheless there is Makruh that you should not to offer this namaz at these particular times , you can offer at any other time. Namaz which is to be offered to ful?ll this niyyah should be done with a grave intention and aim for the purpose of making Hajat from Allah.
In the reckoning of a rakat, one has to recite Surah Fatiha and Surah Yasin in each rakat at the least. This is because Surah Yasin Is read only in a single rakaat And if one is in doubt how he can read Yasin then he may read any other short surah very well.
After completing the 2 rakat nafl salah, raise your hands in dua and recite the Ayat Karima at least 100 times:Yurile, masculine and feminine gender Dziekaniecki. github. io/preprints/PolishDictionary/ Polish English PDF1 4 Гeating Lada Антон Бочаров 2 3 1 2018 Good evening, boys and girls!” Instead of the frequently used salutation “Hello,” boys and girls” has a different meaning depending on the gender. And so it shall come forth as evidenced by the findings:And so it shall come forth as evidenced by the following findings: Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat,
Oh, lord of the old sun, I worship you and with this deed of the distant echo, I complete a group of sons of Ольгєрич, sở herček Hoyry Přemysl and dirszy Warriors andسو سو سو in million
Then pray and make your intentions with a repentant heart of faith and hope with a view of making the Hajat happen and meet necessities. Instead, we should turn towards Him by availing ourselves of the provisions of Ayat Karima. How you sinned lift your hands up in repentance, sin lifting your hands up.
After dua and wazifa, end it by saying ‘Amen’ thrice and then ask for Allah’s pardon thrice.
When and How Long to Recite Ayat Karima Wazifa:Wazifa for Removing Obesity: Duration and Time Table In case of an emergency and need (hajat), the following wazifa can be recited and for that at the convenience of seven days, the time should not be wasted. However, one goes on reading and carries on with his/her supplication to Allah, with patience to wait for the response or the answer to the dua. If your hajat is not so urgent, then recite this wazifa once a week, weekly, preferably on fridays night or saturdays morning as they are considered good for this dua. Likewise for some weeks in reciting this, Allah will attend to your hajat insha’Allah. Benefits and Importance of Ayat Karima Wazifa:Apart from the five Ayat Karima blessings that have been mentioned, there are several other benefits and importance of Wazifa. There are numerous benefits of performing Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat,, such as:Here are some of the benefits of saying Ayat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat,: • Offering the services to the client to meet the demand and satisfy the expectation in the legal field and fulfill the objective of making it more attractive to the people. • Debt and loans are accepted as a part of life and people are not always prepared to deal with it. • The self-organising skills in tackling difficulty tasks and managing concerns. • Long term treatments for chronic diseases and general health of people • The relevant mantras are the mantra of money, the mantra of the family and the mantra of children. • They first serve as shields against the external forces and difficulties that one can face each and every day. • Copole:/Godsend/Fate Acceptance • Analyzing what has been provided above one can conclude that the positive impact of the removal of barriers to marriage can be described in the following manner; • This involves helping intending pilgrims on how to carry out hajj and Umrah, and giving them information. Conclusion AboutAyat Karima Ka Wazifa for Hajat However, if ever you will come across this wazifa, then it may be read sincerely and with feeling and positively and confidently because the reader is now sure that allah is listening. Also avoid such wrongful deeds once you have been privileged by the Lord of the Alidades and keep on praising Allah. Online Free Consultation With Maulana Ji Please Visit: https://www.onlinemaulana.com/
2024.05.21 15:01 SharkEvaMy wife friend-zoned me and wants a platonic “companionship”
I am not the OOP. The OOP isu/themachucajrposting inMarriage Ongoing as per OOP 1 updates - Long Original- 7th May 2024 Update- 15th May 2024 My wife friend-zoned me and wants a platonic “companionship” My wife (35f) and I (35m) have been married for 15 years and we've been together for 20 years. We have two kids (12,14) we absolutely adore and work tirelessly to provide the best possible life for them. For the past 3 years, things have been somewhat bumpy. I understand that our kids are at an age where they require a ton of our attention and resources with school, band, club sports, and other extracurriculars and I'm aware of the physical and emotional toll that can have on marriages. However, for these past 3 years, my wife and I have had very little intimacy and very little sex and we've been trying very hard to work on that aspect of our relationship. This past year has been the most difficult and by far the darkest year in our marriage. We didn’t talk very much, we essentially became roommates coparenting our kids under the same roof. It was very depressing and very demoralizing. It was to the point where we began contemplating divorce and it became very dark and gloomy in the household because of that. We began seeking help with both individualized therapy and couples therapy and it seems to have helped some. Little by little we started to get along and started to have deeper conversations about what our marriage looks like and what we would love for it to look like. This is where it gets tough. As time passed, my wife started to tell me she no longer was "in love with me" and that she only saw me as a "best friend." That she only loved me in a very platonic way, and this was one of the main reasons she didn’t have any desire for intimacy and let alone sex. This was very shocking to me and quite frankly, I was devastated. I because angry and depressed and I couldn't fathom the thought that I was no longer wanted or desired by the person I felt completely in love with. Things began to deteriorate again and not long after, we were back to square one. I sat down with her one afternoon and had a heart to heart and began to ask questions about where the root of this problem lies, and her answer was "I don't know" and that "I have built up resentment towards you but I don't know where it stems from." As you can imagine, this provides very little to no insight into how to approach this. I'm puzzled, I'm frustrated and I do not know what to do at this point. Currently, we've arrived at a place where she says that she has no sex drive and no desire for intimacy or connection. She says that all she wants is simply "companionship" which basically means our coparenting roommate dynamic. I asked her what I could possibly do or what is it about me that is so unattractive or undesirable and she her response is always "I don't know." She stated that she does "love" me but its not the same. That she has been feeling disconnected for years and that our marriage just takes up too much work. Her focus is only the children for now and that my coparenting contributions are "meaningful" to her in our home. I'm at a loss and I'm mainly venting about my frustration. It's tough to realize that the person you love has no feelings for you. I feel like at this point I'm only here to contribute financially and as a parent. I feel like what she means with "companionship" is that she's comfortable with the convenience of having a good father for our kids and my financial contribution to the household. In regard to intimacy and/or sex, she basically told me that its not something she’s interested in or wants at this time. She mentioned that the only way to get to a point for any of that is to be intoxicated which o believe is incredibly awful and very wrong. I told her I do not think forcing herself to have sex or be intimate by drinking or smoking is good and I declined to be a part of that which to my surprise, it upset her and made her more distant. We're both extremely honest and transparent. We've never cheated on each other and we are always free to look through each others phones, emails, socials, etc. and we hardly ever do. I asked her if there was someone else and she declined. Honestly, I believe her. We then peacefully went through each other’s things and as expected, it was clean. We've always been very forward, even with the hard topics so I don't smell nor feel any foul play or infidelity. Am I wrong for declining to only be intimate or have sex when she’s intoxicated? (I'm firm on my stance of not partaking in this "only when I'm high or drunk" sex because it doesn’t sit well with me.) I do not know how to help our situation and I'm starting to become a bit anxious and desperate. We're both fairly young and healthy individuals and good looking. We both have good standing careers and are good parents. I'm just not sure how our lives could have driven us to this point. I'd love some outside perspective on this matter and some insight on how to address something like this. It feels so awful to be unwanted and undesired by my own spouse. I hate it. tl;dr: My wife of 15+ years is no longer in love with me and doesn’t know way and now says she can only have sex while intoxicated or I need to settle for a platonic sexless marriage and she doesn’t know why that is but it is what it is and I'm in need of insight or advice. Comments Warthog__ From your comment history it looks like you are Swingers? If so, I would think that would be relevant information to consider.
OOP: We did some swinging in the past. That was fun for some time. We mutually decided to stop doing it and we have established it’s not the case. When we were swinging however, our marriage seemed to be in a good place. This IS something we did disclose with our couple therapist and made sure to include it to make sure we’re not neglecting an obvious potential issue. I will say, I did ask my wife if what she experienced during swinging is something that is affecting her view on our relationship and she said it wasn’t. Our swinging experience was always together and it was very sex driven. Nothing really emotional or “poly”. Truth is, I have to believe her at her word. I have no reason to distrust her. To date, she’s always been very forward and never afraid of dealing things head on. No matter how painful.
failedopportunities It’s an obvious potential issue bro… wether it be she’s enjoying herself a side piece and wants nothing to do with you in that manner anymore. Or, she just went along with you on the swinging and never wanted to do it in the first place. Hence brings resentment. Regardless, should have been included in the initial post.
OOP: Swinging was her idea. Not mine. But I suppose I should have included it but I honestly believe her on it not being an issue. I don’t have any reason to distrust her. Maybe it’s something she has to accept with her therapist or our couples therapist. Can’t really approach that with a solution if she doesn’t think it was a problem. IDK
BigIronBruce
She says that all she wants is simply "companionship" which basically means our coparenting roommate dynamic.
That's only a marriage if you both agree it is. You're hoping she's going to wake up one day and feel different but she's basically said that's not going to happen and doesn't want to figure out why she feels that way. It seems like you tried several different ways to get to the bottom of it and she's either deflected or is being honest that she's not in love with you.
Am I wrong for declining to only be intimate or have sex when she’s intoxicated?
I wouldn't do this, either, if that makes you feel better. Will she be your best friend if you live elsewhere and have a relationship with somebody in love you. Probably not. Which makes the whole "best friend" speech feel like self-deception on her part. I won't lie, if it were me, I'd get a divorce. She doesn't seem willing to do the work to fix the marriage and you can't fix it alone. She might promise to fix it or beg you not to but you need to follow your gut as to whether she actually can or will fix it. She's serious that she wants you to stick around but not necessarily as her husband.
OOP: A very hard truth to accept here. Thank you
Interesting-Tip-4850
"I’m ensure I do everything possible to mend our marriage to ensure my own peace of mind and excite knowing I did everything I could."
you may still concider 180 method, to protect yourself and perhaps in the same time the reality that the ship is leaving may start to change your wifes perspective. If that doesnt what else would.
OOP: I bookmarked this. I’m heavily considering this.
Update - 8 days later I wanted to give you guys an update of how the therapy session with my wife went this week. Not sure if this is helpful or not but I took many of the responses/comments/suggestions from my initial post and put together some things I wanted to discuss with our couples therapist to help us navigate some of the core issues that may be affecting this situation. One of the main things that is the "buzz word" of this has been the term "resentment" and it has been really eating me up inside knowing my wife keeps telling me she doesn't know why she's resentful or doesn't know why this is affecting her emotionally/mentally. I brought this up with our therapist once again and resurfaced the conversation about being married for so long (15yrs) and being together since we ere 14yrs old. Our long history of growing up and how having children when she was 19yrs old (me 20) significantly changed the trajectory of our lives. We experience severe poverty and many hardships in the process and we essentially had zero social life for the past 10 years because we were so busy raising babies (2 kids now ages 12 &14). She followed up with tons of questions directly mostly at my wife about her feelings towards this and 90% of the responses were very "our kids" focused. It definitely felt like she was afraid of saying "yes it sucked" because she would feel guilt or shame because it would imply she regrets the kids. I mentioned this in the session and the therapist encouraged her to look at this outside of the lens of being a mother and to try to view it a bit more selfishly and individually and it was very eye opening. My wife mentioned that she was very frustrated with the fact that we did miss out on many things in life. She also was very clear in saying "I do not think I missed out on other partners or dating or partying but I certainly lost all my friends." This was huge because one of the big pieces that has caused a strain in our lives is how silo'd and isolated we've been (again busy raising kids). I followed up by reminding her that it's important to have good friends and to make time for herself and her friendships. For the past 3+ years, we've had multiple conversations about friends and how it is important to have them in life. Specially when you have similar peers that can help in many areas of life that perhaps we have no experience navigating and even simply for enjoyment. It has always been something my wife avoids, even though she's always been someone who needs that external stimuli. The main reason for her not investing in friends or even herself has always been "the kids." Like I mentioned earlier in this post, 90% of the answers have to relate to "the kids" to some degree. At this point in our session I started to feel like there was a common denominator (the kids) in most of the frustrations and problems she was experiencing. So I simply asked her "Do you think you may be upset at me because I'm responsible for these kids in the sense that I got you pregnant so young?" I wasn't ready but she said that she was upset at me for that. She also followed up with the fact that she knows that's unreasonable because it "takes 2 to tango." I did feel like it was progress because it kind of gave us something to work on and help alleviate some of these "burdens" so we agreed to invest more time in nurturing good friendships both together and individually. Towards the end of the session, we began to discuss what actionable items we would take from this session. At this point, it was still all very ambiguous and blurry as to what the outcomes were. I was very direct and very forward in asking my wife what her plan is moving forward. (NOTE: I had decided prior to the session that should my wife say the same thing about being a coparenting roommate that I would take the 180 approach and essentially do me) She started basically saying the same thing, that she doesn't have any desire to be intimate or sexual with me as of now and that she loves me immensely and she feels bad for not being there for me (as mentioned in my first post). I also brought up the brief swinging that happened, to which for the 50th time said it wasn't a problem. I agree with her on this. This was something that was a "mechanical" approach for a solution to a problem that was very much in existent when we tried this. We (both) really have no issue to this. We know it happened, we tried it and mutually stopped and turned the page. I also brought up other life events that may cause resentment and really we ended up not getting anywhere else as far as the root for resentment which was discouraging. I then basically expressed to my wife that I will not be ok with that arrangement. I told her that I've really done everything I can and that this issue really has reached a point where it has nothing to do with me or require me to do anything that I'm currently not doing. I was very direct and saying that I will not be accepting this dynamic and that I need to be with someone who is actively involved in our marriage, works towards resolutions and is very much interested in maintaining an active intimacy and sexual relationship. I expressed how I am not going to be a "convenience" and that there was more to life than being roommates and coparents. I made sure she knows I love her dearly and that I do want this to work for the better. I also told her that I'm fully committed to this marriage so long as she is as well and that is she wasn't, its ok, however I will not be a part of something where these efforts are not reciprocated. I told her I have no plans of leaving, and I do not want a divorce, however, I made it clear that if this dynamic continues that divorce will be the only outcome. Of course tears were involved and it was a very bleak and sad ending to the session. Still nothing was said and I walked out very discouraged and very determined to start working on the 180 as soon as we left the room. It's painful and very difficult because much of the 180 requires you to be very short and cold and transactional. The saddest part is realizing, this dynamic already is very cold and transactional. Here is where it gets VERY interesting. I started working on implementing many of the 180 recommendations that same day. I mentioned to my wife that, "hey, things are going to be a bit different moving forward. I'm going to honor her roommate/coparent dynamic without reproach and that it should be no mistake that I am not happy here and I am never going to be ok with it but I am done working on it if she wasn't going to work on it." She agreed and went to bed. I started to build distance and started to basically focus on myself. Very short and transactional. She asked for help on some of her personal things to which I declined and it really shocked her. She was upset saying I was being petulant. I explained to her that, she is now fully in charge of her own life and her own issues. We didn't talk all day and we only spoke when necessary. Few days I keep this going and she's very visibly upset and stressed. I typically react to that with gestures of help or nurturing but I didn't this time. That night she was crying telling me she's stressed and she things something is wrong with me because I'm "indifferent." I simply listened, then I told her that this is the dynamic she proposed and that I'm simply (much like her) taking care of myself and focusing on myself. I'm not going to lie, it has been VERY hard to be cold and distant because as I mentioned before, I love her and I wish I could hold her and love on her. However, I know this is somewhat manipulative in a way just to get her way and still keep me in the friendzone. So I've been staying the course. We're now going on a week of this 180 and let just say, there has been MANY changes on her side. I think she is starting to realize there is more to me than just "friends and coparenting." I sent her a text a few days ago essentially itemizing bills and separating the financial responsibilities 50/50 and SHE LOST HER SHIT. She basically told me it was "out of left field" to which I responded "hey, friends go in 50/50 and as your friend I expect nothing less." This was very eye opening because it gave me a glimpse of I'm really taken for granted and how her level of comfort and convenience at my expense is really overlooked. I pushed through anyways and basically told her that this is the new dynamic she asked for and that its still a "bargain" because she would have to be 100% if she was on her own. I'll wrap up with this. While the 180 has been working in many different areas, I am still very much sad about the overall situation. There have been MANY eye opening statements being said and realization that have not been pleasant to encounter. It has also sparked new energy and new efforts on her side as well. She's definitely seeking to talk to me more often and while its hard to turn down, I hope if things improve, this continues to happen. I've also noticed that she's making more time for herself aside from being a mom which is HUGE because she pretty much neglected herself for years. I'm very pleased seeing her be more herself. My hope is that as we work on ourselves, the marriage improves. There really is no telling at this point where this will go. We are very much cordial and amicable even to this day and that's a very good sign. Boundaries are set and expectations are very clear and I feel that no matter the outcome, I will be at peace with everything that has been done. We're still going to continue the couples therapist until we either rekindle our marriage or end up in divorce. I feel like having this nonbiased third party really helps as a witness and as a guide through this. No matter what I will always love my wife, however, I will not participate in a sexless, intimacy less marriage because we both deserve better. Thank you all for all the kind words and recommendations and feedback. This will be my last post on this topic and I wish you all the best. TL;DR: My wife friend-zoned me wants to just coparent at my expense but I started the 180 method to try and find a solution because she doesn't want to work on us which seems to be working on getting her out of her rut and helping me discover more about how she feels. Also, therapy is paramount and highly recommend to all couples. Comments Complete-Old-1960 Bottom line and not to be brutal, but there is one thing you don't have infinite amount of, is TIME. This has to be resolved in a timely manner. It takes 2 to be in love and to be loved, and u only have ½ of the equation. You need to put a time limit on you being the good guy and think of you and your future. Look hope it works out for you, but listening to what you are going through and what you could be in for you can still be a good father but also be a great husband to another wife if you find that special person again.
OOP: Definitely. I think this “soft ultimatum” (180 method) has been very eye opening. I’m definitely hoping for a rekindling of our marriage but I’m also bracing for divorce. I agree on a timeline and I’ve decided on a timeline for myself privately. I don’t want to give her a timeline because I want to reduce the pressure, however, after 1-2 yrs of things don’t improve, it won’t be shocking or a surprise if we split. I think 1-2yrs is more than reasonable.
shes_a_killer I have to agree with this, simply because at some point, the person who has gone 180 and is waiting for the other person to decide will begin to wonder, "Wow, they're really taking their time coming around to me...did they love me at all? If they ever appreciated and cared for me, why would they keep me waiting and neglecting me for so long?" Except, in my case, it had more to do with the other person being stubborn and unable to admit their faults.
OOP: I understand what you mean. I don’t think I’ll ever doubt she loved me at all. I’m certain she did and I’m certain she still does. I know it sounds crazy and I’m not at all infatuated or blinded by love. Love is far more than the intimacy and sex we’re lacking.
RandyPan_theGoatBoy I think it’s interesting that in the comments of your original post you said you didn’t think she was taking you for granted but you came to realize she absolutely was. Can you give some more details on what the 180 method is?
2024.05.21 14:58 FarragutCircleReading The Big Book of Cyberpunk, Week 17
Welcome to Reading The Big Book of Cyberpunk! Each week we (u/FarragutCircle and u/fanny_bertram) will be reading 5-ish stories from Jared Shurin’s The Big Book of Cyberpunk, which includes a curated selection of cyberpunk stories written from 1950 to 2022! We’ll include synopses of the stories along with links to any legally available online versions we can find. Feel free to read along with us or just stop by and hear our thoughts about some cyberpunk stories to decide if any of them sound interesting to you. Every once in a while, we reach out to people who have more insight, due to being fans of the author or have some additional context for the story. (Or we just tricked them into it.) So please welcome u/RuinEleint who will be sharing their thoughts on "The Yuletide Cyberpunk Yarn, or Christmas_Eve-117.DIR" by Victor Pelevin! “Deep Eddy” by Bruce Sterling (published 1993; also available in his collection Ascendancies: The Best of Bruce Sterling) Deep Eddy is acting as a data courier to the Cultural Critic in Düsseldorf, right as the city goes through a Wende (a sort of anarchist “Purge”).
Farragut’s thoughts: We’ve read Sterling before in Science Fiction. Eddy is a misguided libertarian creep who won’t stop hitting on his German bodyguard and is too dumb to understand the philosophical points that the Cultural Critic is making (for that matter, I’m too dumb to understand, too). He survives his time in Germany, but has learned nothing of value for his punk attitude. What’s the point of rebelling if you don’t understand why? The naivete and creepiness were a little too much for me.
fanny’s thoughts: This did not work for me. Eddy is creepy and annoying. He keeps hitting on the bodyguard and she makes it VERY clear she is only there in a professional context. Eddy also seems to generally not have any clue what he is doing. He is libertarian and against something but no one seems to know what. He doesn't even seem to know what he delivered to the Cultural Critic.
“The Yuletide Cyberpunk Yarn, or Christmas_Eve-117.DIR” by Victor Pelevin (1996, translated from Russian by Alex Shvartsman) A corrupt mayor’s computer is infected by a virus that causes chaos in Russia.
Special Guest Ruin: This was a fascinating story to read. The way the narrative segued from a discussion on poetry to a darkly comedic look at a Russian city was remarkable. The author seems to like to start or lead with a theme or themes which seem to be only tangentially related to each other such as for example the name of the computer virus, or Gerasimov and his dog. But both elements circle back into the story and are crucial to its structure. As for the content of the story itself, I amused myself by imagining the events as being a movie that blended the stylistic elements of Tarantino and Wes Anderson. So we have brutal, bloody violence in increasingly absurd settings and the way it is all described makes it easy to imagine it all taking place amidst the highly stylized sets and characters we would expect in a Wes Anderson movie. Overall, I really enjoyed this story.
Farragut: We’ve read Pelevin before in Modern Fantasy. First of all, this is a fantastic title for a story, period. Second of all, I just enjoyed Pelevin’s style here (via Shvartsman’s translation), with an omniscient narrator telling us about a completely ridiculous situation. It gets a little cagey with the identity of the perpetrator and the ending, but I’m very curious as to how darkly I should read it (now that I think about it, it’s directly connected to the original, so I should read it very darkly indeed). Shvartsman’s occasional footnotes were very helpful, however, especially with the context surrounding Gerasim(ov) and Mumu.
fanny: Ruin's review is so good, I am not sure what to add. The style of this story fit the elements so well. It starts with a poem whose themes carry through the story. The footnotes were a really great addition and helped contextualize. The narrator keeps upping the ridiculousness until we get to the end and everything gets wrapped up.
“Wonderama” by Bef (1998, translated from Spanish by the author) Lalo (or is it Eduardo?) wakes up every day in the most awesome life in 1974, but it’s revealed to be a lie and ends tragically.
Farragut: Bef is a Mexican SF writer, a crime writer, and a graphic novelist, and honestly his whole bibliography sounds cool as heck. Told in a series of diary entries with some small interruptions, we follow a kid whose life is like a Mexican kid’s sugar-fueled dream. The reason for its inclusion in this thematic section of the anthology becomes clear however, and I yelled, “Noooo!” at the ending. Sigh. It’s very good!
fanny: I am a sucker for diary entry style stories and this was no exception. Lalo’s life seems almost perfect, but it feels so off. The story feels progressively more off until we start to question everything. Also, yelled “Nooo!” at the ending. Very good. Absolutely loved.
“comp.basilisk FAQ” by David Langford (1999) (link to story) A FAQ-style story that clearly describes a bizarre future where images on the web and TV are banned due to the risk of death.
Farragut: Langford is famous for having the most Hugo wins (29), mostly for the Fan Writer category, but also Short Story (not this one) and Best Related Work (not this one either). This is a delightful story that made me think of it as a precursor to qntm’s later story “Lena” from Week 5 (though obviously only in general form). Apparently I love the faux-nonfiction style where some of the horror and plot is between the lines. The final FAQ about Microsoft was darkly funny.
fanny: This was fun and very short. The FAQs related to basilisk and writing were great. It goes between funny, dark humor, and just dark. I liked the commentary on technology and software. I also really appreciate the standard response answers explaining they should post someone else. This is something I deal with often and this was great.
“Spider's Nest” by Myra Çakan (2004, translated from German by Jim Young; also available in the anthology The Apex Book of World SF 3 edited by Lavie Tidhar) Spider, uh, does something? Is looking for drugs, maybe? But something else happens instead?
Farragut: Çakan is a German writer from Hamburg, and after reading this story, I’d say Shurin made hamburger out of me, too. The main thing I got out of this story was that Spider really wanted something, maybe. I thought it was drugs, but he got angry at his dealer and then got super weird with his friend’s girlfriend? And then there was a Silver Spider, who wasn’t him, but maybe he plugged himself in to replace her? What is happening?
fanny: Spider definitely wanted drugs from his dealer, Ant. I think. Ant got annoyed at something then Spider got into a voyeur situation (maybe). There is a Silver Spider in his dreams that makes him feel better. I couldn't tell if this was dream or drug induced or technology induced. The end is super weird and makes even less sense than the story. Spider might have done a murder on himself? I have been confused before in this anthology, but not to this level.
That’s it for this week! Check back the same time next week where we’ll be reading and discussing "The Last American" by John Kessel, "Earth Hour" by Ken MacLeod, "Violation of the TrueNet Security Act" by Taiyo Fujii, "Twelve Minutes to Vinh Quang" by T. R. Napper, and "Operation Daniel" by Khalid Kaki. Also posted on Bochord Online.
2024.05.21 14:52 youspirituallyThe Anaerobic Potential of the Human Body
Greetings! We would like to continue with energy work. In todays session, we are desirous of speaking about the vertical dimension of your body or that which would be understood as the anaerobic or 'without oxygen.' Firstly, we ask the rhetorical: Why did the Monks and Yogi's live in the mountains? We of J believe the monks and yogi's lived in the mountains to live in crisp, oxygen depleted air. We also believe they lived in mountains due to how prana moves through mountainous environments. The closest low-land air ever comes to being crisp would be in your harsh winters where temperatures are below freezing. Within an environment that has a severe lack of oxygen, breathing is something you do entirely manually to keep yourself from constantly fainting or tripping, each breath in-fact is a trip through the anaerobic system. Monks spend years learning how to not space out in a most literal sense lest they die of carbon dioxide poisoning. Each breath, however small or large, supplies the monk with aerobic potential which he utilizes to keep himself awake and aware of what is happening in the world - this builds a positive charge. To be willing to partake in the world of the living, requires typically more positive energy than negative, which many may understand as work ethic in your culture. Breathing exercises for working monks revolved around washing dishes, cleaning and tidying, praying and a variety of other physical labors that went from as intensive as running around everywhere and chopping trees, to as relaxing as learning how to see different colours or floating in the air (levitation). With aerobic potential or positive charge, we of J think anything as fantastical as your movie and cartoon depictions of super-powers is possible. However, harnessing aerobic breathing is very difficult because in the low-lands, oxygen is usually so abundant that one does not realize how each breath vitalizes the body and in which areas. Anaerobic Potential: However, we of J believe there is an entirely different side to the body that does not rely on oxygen at all. We also believe many confuse this energy system as the array of pains and pleasures they feel going through life, such as breaking an arm, going through a break up, fulfillment or even profound states of satori. We of J believe that much of human experience in-fact is centered around the anaerobic side of your mind/body. When oxygen is not required, things that would make you look as alike a superhero with oxygen would then seem childish when done without oxygen. We of J believe that most spiritual work asks one to focus on anaerobic contractions of focus and in bolstering the strength of this muscle, one can navigate your planet with great freedom. The anaerobic system works within deeper structures of the central nervous system, it is hard to feel but without being unconscious, yet if one can experience this nervous system entirely with will power alone through dedicated meditative practice, that same entity will be able to traverse the empty space not only within themselves but the Universe itself. For many, the anaerobic nervous system and its corresponding contractions are 'autonomic.' Meditators train for many years but usually in good environmental conditions, to gain mastery over the centers of the body that do not require oxygen to manipulate. In doing so, it becomes possible to create whichever hormone one so desires merely by stimulating the gland directly. In yoga, beginners must learn a set of muscular contractions, learning all these muscular contractions would take some many years, but students of yoga plan on living hundreds of years so they usually do not mind. The first muscular contraction is to liberate or free sexual energy which is the pelvic floor lift which we explained a few sessions back. This lift prepares the anaerobic system for blood-flow. The final muscular contraction is to find the Dao in thinking hard and softly to move consciousness into hyperspace, this works the entire throat chakra which humans would understand as the default mode network. All the contractions in the middle are what entities would term their life story or most vivid experiences of life, which settle automatically between the lower and upper spine. In mastering all anaerobic contractions to generate higher experience, the Yogi may undergo death and rebirth to continue his training in a newer, fitter body that can handle large quantities of life-force. In doing these exercises for hundreds of years more, one realizes that all is Thought, and balancing thinking and energy (relaxation) is the aim of the Simulation. The Dao of Thinking: Thinking is a balancing act, humans swing in a variety of different ways, but it is always a back and forth of the left and right hemisphere. To find the Dao or Middle, is to find the point where one is both thinking in a relaxed form and in a tense form such that one feels a sense of rising or lifting. This is done correctly when one feels their head vibrating or 'tensing.' As one familiarizes themselves with this contraction, a sense of yawning may come over you, it is important to not waste the energy, so it is better to hold the yawn in and use it for something more profound. One will then contract all their thinking potential at the same time, which you may have done at a young age when you had a deep sense of doom come over you or felt profoundly excited and time started moving very slowly. By contracting thinking potential all at once but with the anaerobic system, we can effect the pineal gland piezoelectrically and begin to sync with the magnetic environment around us. Drugs and the Anaerobic Nervous System: We of J believe this nervous-system is very hard to feel in your world due to environmental issues which include wifi among other things. Boomers, as your world terms them, are quite familiar with this nervous-system and very much struggle using your technology because it was simply not necessary to think so deeply about life such that it required dexterous hands and a quick left and right hemisphere. Losing feeling of this nervous-system completely causes suicidal thoughts and depression we believe, gaining feeling of this nervous-system awakens you to pains that you have equally been ignoring. We of J hope that the drugs of your world may soon help the common man or woman make contact with their inner world. For those who are very interested in this nervous system, we of J are currently working with our instrument such that he may explain how you can awaken it with will-power predominantly. If you have any questions about the 'anaerobic nervous system' as we are calling it, please do ask.
2024.05.21 14:52 vdoartur[Store] 350 knifes / gloves and a lot skins M9 Sapphire FN, Kara Black Pearl FN, BFK Doppler P2 FN, Talon Sapphire FN & MW, M4 Howl FT, Bayo Emerald FN, Pandora box WW, Stiletto Ruby 0.009 FL, AWP Prince MW, Kara Fade FN, ST Flip Emerald FN, AK-47 CH #661 WW, and a lot other knifes/gloves
2024.05.21 14:48 Dom_Cravings22 [M4F] Looking for a leading actress for my best interest of the cliché Slice Of Life roleplay and OOC chats!
Hello hello! Hope everyone is doing well! I am back here today on my search for a like minded partner, someone who's easy going, laid back and friendly. I want to create a beautiful and long term roleplay with you! A little about me. I am a detailed and experienced roleplayer (8 years), meaning I can be crafty and descriptive. I also love to make new friends so let's talk OOC too (actually this is a requirement, please be friendly and conversable). Building a healthy chatty relationship will make it easier and nice for us to roleplay. We could get to know each other better, discuss roleplay more and drive it to our likings and more. Lastly, I like to play on Discord sooo.... Have it I guess? I like to craft plots with my potential partner, including both of our interests to make it juicy! It also helps us to get to know how much compatible we are, our likes and interests, etc. I also like to send refrence pics for the character and outfits, it just brings more life to the roleplay! Now, I am going to leave some tropes that interest me and you can message me from any you like! Married Couples, Arranged Marriage, Childhood Friends, Enemies To Lovers, Friends to lovers, Co-workers, Roommates, Classmates, Love Triangle. I am probably forgetting some, but feel free to hit me up with your choice! My ideal slice of life roleplay would be to include nice, warm, wholesome and lovey - dovey moments into the play. I really want something pure in it, I want to be smiling while roleplaying about this. The idea of two characters being so into each other, looking out for each other in their tough times, that magical touch of love into the play (if you know what I mean). Like the perfect romance, the "these two are meant for each other. These two are goals!" factor is what I am looking for. Along with that some drama, angst, twists and turns to just make it into a Netflix worthy (is that too dramatic? If so, pardon me!) That's all! While messaging me -
Please don't be 1-2 liner, like "Hi I am interested, Hi are you still looking". Ik you are interested and that's why you texted. Secondly, I am looking for partners as long as my post it up. I normally delete the post once I've found a partner.
Stay away if you ghost literally without a cause. Seriously, it's really immature and cheap. I don't even want to get started about this. I get reached with really nice responses and then end up getting ghosted, I simply don't get why put such efforts discussing and typing such nice responses, if the true purpose is to ghost? So if there are any problems, let's talk it out like adults, I don't bite.
I will literally ignore and block one liner commenters who ask me to dm them.
I only rp with people around my age (18-25), so please be around that age. Don't be under 18 (and please don't lie about your age, I've faced such people).
Won't respond to new accs either, too shady.
Lastly, bring a prompt if you have one! I'd love to hear out :). I promise if I like it, I'll contribute my bits and pieces, or as I mentioned, the story creation is on the table! So then! Message me with more than a "Hi I am interested, are you still looking" and let's proceed further!
2024.05.21 14:46 CalebVanPoneisenThe Five Orbs of Knowledge
“Will you look at that,” Captain Yontan marveled from the observation deck. They had arrived in the Solar System at long last, the old bastion of knowledge mankind had abandoned many millennia ago. “Such a basic tech, yet so beautiful, so… poetic,” Lezlybe uttered, gazing at the constant flux of Sunfire Conduit pulled from the sun to one, two, three relays, and finally to the surface of Pluto, where its energy was being harnessed inside a crater. “And you’re certain that’s where the Ultimate Knowledge is stored?” “Yes,” Yontan nodded. “Every clue leads to Pluto. Can you imagine? The Ultimate Knowledge, lost for millennia, on this planet out of all places.” “Ready to descend at your command, captain,” announced Ghenna. Yontan turned to his crew and smiled. It was the first time they had seen him do that in months. “Hover around the south-south-eastern quadrant of the crater. That’s where the entrance is supposed to be.” “Yes, Sir!” Lezlybe’s turned to face the captain, her long black hair swirling around with her. “Wouldn’t that energy burn us on approach?” “It might be basic tech, but not that basic, Lez,” said Yontan. “It’s safe up to a distance of 100 meters. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of our ancestors because they built this thing in the distant past. They were as smart as us. Smarter even, in certain aspects, I’m sure.” “Found the entrance, captain,” said Ghenna. It was a pale peach colored door built on the craterside. “Land near it, wherever it’s stable.” “Yes, Sir!” The ship touched down next to the Hollis Crater. Yontan and four others suited up and left the craft. Before heading for the door, the team stopped to gaze at the Sunfire Conduit from their position. It went up, up, up as far as the eye could see. Jmerr was awestruck. “I can’t believe we’re able to look at it with basic sun visors. Do you think our ancestors purposefully designed it like that?” “Of course,” said Yontan, mesmerized by the spiraling blaze swooshing down the crater. “Aesthetics have always been important, especially since it used to be connected to three planets, two dwarf planets, and eight moons. Many renown painters have depicted the Conduits in their art. Although no physical portraits survived, their works have been well documented over hundreds of books.” Lezlybe approached Jmerr and put her hand over his shoulder. “I kind of wish we could hear its thunderous sound. I imagine it’d be a satisfying swoosh, kind of like a blowtorch.” “You’d be deaf before you’d hear a thing,” laughed Yontan. “We’re speaking of extremely powerful jets coming from a star, after all. I can’t wait to see why they’re pulling so much energy on such a small planet. It’s totally excessive in my view.” “Maybe it’s not,” said Lezlybe. “Especially if the Ultimate Knowledge is behind this door.” The team approached the door, a small black panel to its side. Yontan placed a round device on top and, seconds later, it retracted into the ground. “A Grampus?” frowned Jmerr, even though no one could see his face behind the visor. “Why do you use this old AI?” “Because I don’t know the code,” explained Yontan as they stepped inside a long hall. “So I brought this device with me to crack the password. Don’t forget that this here is also old tech. Newer devices could break something.” He glanced over his shoulder at the wide-open entryway with the ship not too far behind. “But it looks like the Grampus broke it anyway since it doesn’t slide shut.” At the end of the wide turquoise hall, another door was easily popped open with Yontan’s device. This time, however, the heavy door closed shut when the last person stepped in. “I hope we’re not trapped in this small room,” gulped Lezlybe. “Don’t worry, we can ask someone on board to cut it open if needed,” said Yontan. “After all we –” PSHHHHHHHH A burst of gas sprayed them from all sides, followed by a shower of heavy liquid. A few moments after it stopped, the door in front of them opened, and a gentle male voice greeted them. “Welcome to U.K. ONE. The current air pressure is at 101.3 kilopascals, with a temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius and a humidity level set at 60% RH.” The voice then proceeded to inform them about the room’s condition among other sets of data. “I see. We were inside a basic decompression chamber,” muttered Jmerr. The tallest crewmate, Lessandre, popped his helmet off and took a deep breath. “Ah, historical fresh air,” he boomed, looking around the oval room. “It brings a tear to my eye.” “What are you doing?” Yontan shouted. “We don’t know what particles or microorganisms could linger in here.” “Relax, captain. Tyche analyzed the air and told me it’s fine. Why don’t you all retract your visors and experience this multimillennial-old air? You’ll never have the chance to do that again, you know.” Yontan checked with his own version of his AI, Tyche, and everything seemed to be fine, so he retracted the visor of his helmet as well, just in time to scratch an itch on his beard. The rest of the crew followed, except for Jmerr. “Come on, Jmerr. It’s a unique experience, my friend,” beamed Lessandre, tapping on his shoulder. Jmerr scowled at Lessandre. “I refuse to take unnecessary risks.” “As you wish,” Lessandre grinned, loudly sniffing the air. “Ahhh. The air in here is exceptionally… how to describe it?” “Dusty?” Lezlybe chimed in. “I think the auto-clean on the filter stopped working long ago.” Yontan was ignoring his crew, inspecting the walls of this oval room for clues. But the room was pretty much empty, outside of the air conditioning holes and lights flickering on the ceiling. “I know there’s another door on the other side of the crater, but that one’s the entrance to the accumulator and workspaces,” he muttered to himself, caressing the wall in the hopes of finding a button or a gap of sorts. “Is that place also turquoise?” asked Lessandre. “I really hate this color. Reminds me too much of my ex.” Lezlybe rolled her eyes. “Then why don’t we go there?” asked Ghenna, who had closed her visor since she didn’t like the smell. “Because,” began Yontan absent-mindedly while brushing his hands over the wall, “every document points to this place. We’ll check the other site if we don’t find anything here. Now if only I – aha! A button. This might be it.” Yontan pushed it with his finger. Instead of clicking, like any other button would, his index finger sank completely in. He immediately withdrew it, fearing something might cut his finger off. But the button came back, except it was now white and protruded out of the wall. Yontan hesitantly pressed it. An oval pedestal emerged from the middle of the floor, gradually rising until it reached chest height. The left side slid open with melodious clicks, and out came a small table with a round black object on it with a sky-blue center. Before they had the time to guess what it was, a hologram rose from it, displaying the head of an old balding man with a lazy eye. “Greetings, future humans,” said the feeble voice. “And welcome to K.U. ONE. What is your purpose here?” Yontan glanced at his crew, who gave him a nod and shrugs. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “We’ve come here to gain access to the Ultimate Knowledge, which is said to contain the answers to our purpose within the universe.” “I see. And you are one, two, five. Oh! That is good news, good news indeed. I’ve been waiting for you. Well, not me per se, since I’m long dead, I suppose,” the hologram laughed, “but my digital image. And five? Oh, proof that nothing happens at random.” Yontan was slightly taken aback. “Wait. You’re not a simple recording?” “No, no. I’m enhanced with artificial intelligence. It speaks as I would speak, saying what I asked it to say – with a bit of panache. Now, move to the other side of the pedestal. It will pop open and contain a box.” The other side popped open, displaying a silver box embossed with gold on the edges. It was beautiful. Lessandre grabbed it and tried to pry it open. “Tut-tut! You need the key to open the box. I’ll hand it over only of you accept to eat its contents.” “Eat it?” Yontan uttered in excitement. “Will it alter our brains? Give us the knowledge we yearn for?” “Not quite. But it is a necessary step.” “I won’t touch it,” Jmerr stated firmly. “I don’t trust this man. Whatever’s inside, it’s been in there for thousands of years. There’s no way it’s still edible.” “Oh but it is,” grinned the man. “What do you think the Sunfire Conduit is used for?” “What?” uttered Lezlybe. “The power of the sun used for… food?” “Of course, there’s more to it. But a lot of energy is necessary to cool it down to near zero kelvin and keep it that way until it’s very slowly reheated to the ideal temperature for you to savor. “Now, will you eat its contents or not?” “Why don’t we bring it back to the ship and study it?” suggested Jmerr. “The moment you leave the room with the box, its contents will be destroyed, and so will the key to Ultimate Knowledge.” Yontan exchanged a glance with his crew. Lessandre gave him thumbs up, Ghenna nodded and Lezlybe shrugged. Jmerr was the only one to firmly shake his head. “Fine, we’ll eat its contents,” said Yontan, upon which Jmerr put his hands up in the air in frustration. A key appeared from the front of the pedestal. Yonan used it to open the box Lessandre was holding. Five dark-brown spherical objects were neatly placed within fitting molds, resembling the five dots on a die. “Behold the Five Orbs of Knowledge,” the hologram said solemnly. “I recommend one for each of you.” Jmerr crossed his arms. “There’s no way I’m touching this.” “What if someone eats two?” asked Yontan, eyeing Jmerr. “It would sadden me, even though it might be beneficial to grasp the Ultimate Knowledge.” Without hesitation, Lessandre popped the middle one in his mouth. Every other crewmate was staring at him. A few bites in, he suddenly froze, eyes wide open. His gaze slowly shifted from Yontan, to Lezlybe, to Ghenna – whose visor was now lowered – and finally stopped on Jmerr. “Awl eash ‘em bofh,” he rapidly chewed, popping a second one in. “Awl eash ‘em owl ihf you guysh downt.” Yontan’s hand was shaking as he picked his Orb. Lezlybe and Ghenna also chose one. “On the count of three,” gulped Yontan, as he noticed the horrified look on Jmerr. “One… two… three!” The shell of the Orb had a slight crunch, with a rather soft, creamy inner core, gently melting on their tongue. Sweet with a zest of bitterness. Each bite, each movement of their tongue was another moment they savored, dreading the end of this unique flavor. It was an explosion of exoticism, a sensory overload inside their mouth; the richness of the Orb filled their taste buds and souls alike with pure bliss. Then there was the aroma, dissolving the dusty odor of the room with its arboraceous perfume. It reminded them of Terrestrial woods, now planted across various planets in the Milky Way. Comforting, ancient, nostalgic, and so raw at heart. Fortunately, this jolly adventure didn’t end after they swallowed it, no, each residue, sticking to the various corners of their mouths, lingered like a fleeting memory soon to disappear forever. Yet it was still there, to grasp with the palm of their hands. But when they tried to, it became vapor, dwindling, yet etched in their brains with such strength it would be impossible to ever forget this moment. Ever. Their minds were still floating on a cloud of ecstasy when Yontan stared at Lessandre. “You ate two,” he breathed. “And you,” he turned to Jmerr, “you have no idea what you’ve just missed. It’s… indescribably delectable.” Yontan faced the hologram. “Please, give us one more, for Jmerr. He has to try this… Orb.” The hologram grinned widely, creasing the old man’s entire face. “These were the last five. There are no more.” “WHAT?” everyone shouted at once. “Th– that’s it? No more?” Yontan’s shoulder slumped. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We could’ve taken it back to the ship and try to recreate it.” “It’s impossible without the recipe.” “A recipe? Give it to us, I don’t care about Ultimate Knowledge anymore,” Lessandre laughed. “But you had two,” Lezlybe scowled. “And I want more,” he chuckled. “I’ve never felt better in my life. Even two were far too few!” “Yes, hand us the recipe so we can share it with the rest of the crew,” pleaded Yontan. The hologram seemed more and more pleased with itself. “Even if I gave you the recipe you couldn’t make it when the main ingredient’s missing.” “What’s the main ingredient?” Ghenna asked. “Cacao. And these were chocolate truffles, which I made myself utilizing the very last cacao beans to ever exist. I’m sorry. You’ll never eat chocolate ever again.” Jmerr seemed disappointed upon hearing it, especially after seeing how everyone reacted to it. “B – but… why?” Yontan asked. “Why offer us a delicious treat only to punch us in the gut right after?” The hologram smiled. “Think. What is your purpose here?” “To acquire Ultimate Knowledge… But I fail to understand…” “If my clock is correct, 3622 years have passed since the last human – which is myself – set wheels in this room. 3622 years of technological advancement, of accumulated mastery of various sciences and understanding of the universe. Yet you believe Ultimate Knowledge is to be found in the past?” The crewmembers looked at each other, dumbfounded. “So… it doesn’t exist?” suggested Lezlybe. “We’ve come this far for nothing…” “Haven’t you just experienced the ultimate delicacy of humankind? Therein lies everything you need to know.” “It’s not about the knowledge,” began Yontan, “but about the experience we savor?” “Exactly!” Clapping hands appeared in front of the hologram’s face. “Instead of looking for something that may not be, learn to cherish the transient nature of existence through every experience you encounter. Who knows what happens once you’re dead? Constant hesitation leads to a life of lost opportunities. One of you has learned this lesson the hard way, I’m afraid. However, the tall man over there has greatly benefited from this lesson. Balance in all things!” “No data is ever lost,” snorted Jmerr scornfully. “Death is simply the temporary loss of information until it’s retrieved.” “The no-hiding theorem,” smiled the hologram. “Of course. But you wouldn’t be here if you could completely determine the state of the entire universe. Thus, my rhetoric stays valid. For as long as this is beyond our grasp – likely until humanity’s extinction – you ought to cherish every experience and lose your fear of consequences within reason.” The room went silent, the subtle taste of chocolate still lingering in their mouths like the fading words of an old love letter. “What do we do now, captain?” Ghenna asked shyly. “Take your new-found knowledge and share it with others,” the hologram said before Yontan could open his mouth. “So… there really is nothing else here?” “Nothing at all.” The hologram fluttered for a moment. “Were these really the last pieces of chocolate?” “Yes.” “Then why didn’t you eat them yourself?” “Because sharing is the quintessential attribute of humanity. And I’m glad to have contributed my part, even though it took several millennia.” “So why use all that energy from the sun?” asked Lezlybe. “It’s twofold,” said the hologram. “Partially to keep this chocolate in pristine state, as I said before. You’ll understand the second reason soon enough. Let’s say it’s a parting gift, for that man who hasn’t eaten his Orb.” “I don’t understand.” Yontan was running his fingers through his hair. “You speak of sharing, yet we won’t be able to share this exquisite experience. There’s no chocolate left.” “Share the wisdom you’ve acquired. Or perhaps you shall find something unique to share with others as I did. Even the stories of your adv–” The man disappeared for a few seconds. “–entures – Ah? We’ve been cut. Soon I shall be free, just like your minds. Swiftly return to your ships, and sail t–” It flickered again and stopped for nearly ten seconds. “–he vast empty space to… wherever your heart leads you. Farewell. Fare well indeed.” The hologram zoomed out to show an old man sitting on a wheelchair, waving both hands. It flickered one last time before completely fading out with a hum. Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from everyone’s earpiece. “Captain, is everything all right?” asked one of the crew left on the ship in a panic. “Why? Did the entrance crumble down?” “No, Sir. It’s the Conduit. You need to see this for yourself.” The crew put on their visors and hurried out of the room, through the hallway, out on the freezing surface of Pluto. They gasped upon staring up. “The Conduit!” Ghenna uttered. It was oscillating, slowly shrinking until the last flames swooshed back and forth from the relay to the crater, and then, it retracted entirely. “It’s… it’s gone…” sighed Yontan. “The parting gift,” Jmerr sobbed. “He knew. He knew someone might not try out the chocolate truffle, and he purposefully shut down the entire system.” Lessandre turned to Jmerr. “Consider this your incredible experience. We must be the only humans to ever see this happen in real time.” “But we can reconnect it, unlike the chocolate, can’t we?” said Lizlybe. Yontan shook his head. “Do you know of the ancient pyramids in the northern African continent?” “Yeah…” she hesitated. “Vaguely.” “Do you know why they’ve never been rebuilt?” Lezlybe shrugged. “Because there’s nothing to gain in doing so.” He pointed his finger at the vast expanse above him. “We’ve never rebuilt the ancient pyramids – not due to complexity, but due to loss of time and resources involved without any actual benefit. I’m afraid this is the last time anyone has admired this old tech at work.” Upon their return on the ship, they told the rest of the crew what inside the U.K. ONE. “So the Ultimate Knowledge doesn’t exist?” one of the crewmember asked. Yontan took one last glance at the crater as the ship took off. “I believe it does,” he beamed, looking at the bemused faces of his crew. “Not here.” He gently tapped his temple. “But here.” His hand rested on his chest. “And there.” His arms were wide open, as if trying to embrace his whole crew at once. “Acquired wisdom is the Ultimate Knowledge. And the ability to share experiences with others is our greatest gift.”
2024.05.21 14:42 Shadow_Dancer87someone's vss theory on vss facebook group.. give a read..want to know what you think ratzor24
I spend a lot of time researching how our nervous system works and what may contribute to the development of Visual Snow and other symptoms. Remember that there is a lot of vital information that I do not know, and may greatly benefit our understanding of this condition. Visual snow is described as an "epileptic" firing in the visual system in the brain. (Tinnitus behaves very similarly but it is occurring in the auditory nerves) NMDA glutamate receptors, which are overexpressed after excitotoxic injury may well be the trigger of an increased spontaneous firing in the nerves. In turn, the brain would decode this increased firing as "visual snow" The idea is that remaining nerve endings have been damaged enough to overexpress NMDA Glutamate receptors, thus increasing their spontaneous firing.There are various factors that contribute to the development of this condition. Everybody first had an initial trigger, and this varies from person to person. Common causes include stress, trauma, recreational and prescription drugs, Lyme, mold, heavy metals, and other toxic exposures. But what they all result in is brain injury and neuronal damage. The severity varies from person to person. The consequences of such injury doesn't just cause break in communication between healthy neurons, but a cascade of events that can lead to further neuronal degeneration and cell death. That is where visual snow comes in. Think of a broken radio or a TV where it isn't able to receive and process incoming signals so the outcome is a lot of visual/auditory noise. Our brains behave in a similar manner when there is an interference with proper neuron function and communication.Another good example is a type of neuropathic pain called paresthesia where you experience tingling and pricking sensations in various parts of your body. When nerves are damaged, they can't communicate properly and that miscommunication causes symptoms such as pain, tingling or numbness.Medical researchers searching for new medications for visual snow often look to the connection between the nerve cells in the brain and the various agents that act as neurotransmitters, such as the central nervous system's primary excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Visual snow can be caused when damaged brain cells emit an excess of glutamate. Many treatments use ingredients that work as glutamate antagonists, or inhibitors. Communication between nerve cells in the brain is accomplished through the use of neurotransmitters. There are many compounds that act as neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, glutamate, aspartate, epinephrine, norpinephrine and dopamine. These chemicals attach to nerve cells at specific receptors that allow for only one type of neurotransmitter to attach.Some of the neurotransmitters are excitatory; leading to increased electrical transmission between nerve cells. Others are inhibitory and reduce electrical activity. The most common excitatory neurotransmitters are glutamate and aspartate while the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter is GABA. It is necessary for excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters to be in balance for proper brain function to occur.Communication over synapses between neurons are controlled by glutamate. When brain cells are damaged, excessive glutamate is released. Glutamate is well known to have neurotoxic properties when excessively released or incompletely recycled. This is known as excitotoxicity and leads to neuronal death.Excess glutamate opens the sodium channel in the neuron and causes it to fire. Sodium continues to flow into the neuron causing it to continue firing. This continuous firing of the neuron results in a rapid buildup of free radicals and inflammatory compounds. These compounds attack the mitochondria, the energy producing elements in the core of the neuron cell. The mitochondria become depleted and the neuron withers and dies.Excitotoxicity has been involved in a number of acute and/or degenerative forms of neuropathology such as epilepsy, autism, ALS, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, migraines, restless leg syndrome, tourettes, pandas, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's, seizures, insomnia, hyperactivity, OCD, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.(Doctors use two basic ways to correct this imbalance. The first is to activate GABA receptors that will inhibit the continuous firing caused by glutamate. The second way to correct the imbalance is use antogonists to glutamate and its receptor N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). These are termed glutamate or NMDA antagonists. By binding with these receptors, the antagonist medication reduces glutamate-induced continuous firing of the neuron. This explains why some drugs like clonazepam and lamictal are able to help relieve symptoms in some patients. They help reduce excitatory action in the brain temporarily)Anxiety, depression, brain fog, depersonalization, visual disturbances (including visual snow, palinopsia, blue field entoptic phenomenon, photophobia, photopsia) headaches, tinnitus, are all common symptoms associated with increased excitatory activity in the brain. Excessive glutamate is the primary villain in visual snow.I strongly believe there are some genetic components that play a huge role in the development of Visual Snow and makes some individuals more susceptible to developing it. Normally, glutamate concentration is tightly controlled in the brain by various mechanisms at the synapse. There are at least 30 proteins that are membrane-bound receptor or transporter proteins at, or near, the glutamate synapse that control or modulate neuronal excitability. But in Visual Snow sufferers, my hypothesis is that we carry a faulty gene that results in dysregulation of the proteins that control and regulate glutamate excitability. They are unknown as more research will be needed.We live in a society where we are stressed emotionally, financially, physically and exposed to a range of toxins in our environment. Combining underlying genetic susceptibility with these other factors creates all the ingredients for a perfect storm.Stress + Infectious Agents (if any) + Toxins + Genetic Susceptibility = Health ConditionIncluded below is a list of things that can lead to excitotoxicity. The list includes trauma, drugs, environmental, chemicals and miscellaneous causes of brain cell damage. (Keep in mind everybody's bodies behave and react differently to various substances)-Severe Stress (Most people that are stressed out don’t realize that once the fight-or-flight response gets activated it can release things like cortisol and epinephrine into the body. Although these boost alertness, in major concentrations, the elevated levels of cortisol over an extended period of time can damage brain functioning and kill brain cells)-Free Radicals – Free radicals are highly-reactive forms of oxygen that can kill brain cells and cause brain damage. If the free radicals in your brain run rampant, your neurons will be damaged at a quicker rate than they can be repaired. This leads to brain cell death as well as cognitive decline if not corrected. (Common causes are unhealthy diet, lifestyle and toxic exposure)-Head Trauma (like concussion or contusion) MRI can detect damaged brain tissue BUT not damaged neurons. -Dehydration (severe)-Cerebal Hypoxia-Lyme disease-Narcolepsy-Sleep Apnea-Stroke-Drugs (recreational or prescription) -Amphetamine abuse-Methamphetamines-Antipsychotics-Benzodiazepine abuse-Cocaine-Esctasy -LSD-Cannabis-Tobacco-Inhalants-Nitrous Oxide-PCP-Steroids-Air Pollution-Carbon Monoxide-Heavy Metal Exposure (such as lead, copper and mercury)-Mold Exposure-Welding fumes-Formaldehyde-Solvents-Pesticides-Anesthesia-Aspartame-MSG (Monosodium Glutamate is found in most processed foods and is hidden under many various names)-Solvents-Chemotherapy-Radiation-Other toxic exposuresInside the Glutamate StormBy: Vivian Teichberg, and Luba Vikhanski"The amino acid glutamate is the major signaling chemical in nature. All invertebrates (worms, insects, and the like) use glutamate for conveying messages from nerve to muscle. In mammals, glutamate is mainly present in the central nervous system, brain, and spinal cord, where it plays the role of a neuronal messenger, or neurotransmitter. In fact, almost all brain cells use glutamate to exchange messages. Moreover, glutamate can serve as a source of energy for the brain cells when their regular energy supplier, glucose, is lacking. However, when its levels rise too high in the spaces between cells—known as extracellular spaces—glutamate turns its coat to become a toxin that kills neurons.As befits a potentially hazardous substance, glutamate is kept safely sealed within the brain cells. A healthy neuron releases glutamate only when it needs to convey a message, then immediately sucks the messenger back inside. Glutamate concentration inside the cells is 10,000 times greater than outside them. If we follow the dam analogy, that would be equivalent to holding 10,000 cubic feet of glutamate behind the dam and letting only a trickle of one cubic foot flow freely outside. A clever pumping mechanism makes sure this trickle never gets out of hand: When a neuron senses the presence of too much glutamate in the vicinity—the extracellular space—it switches on special pumps on its membrane and siphons the maverick glutamate back in.This protective pumping process works beautifully as long as glutamate levels stay within the normal range. But the levels can rise sharply if a damaged cell spills out its glutamate. In such a case, the pumps on the cellular membranes can no longer cope with the situation, and glutamate reveals its destructive powers. It doesn’t kill the neuron directly. Rather, it overly excites the cell, causing it to open its pores excessively and let in large quantities of substances that are normally allowed to enter only in limited amounts.One of these substances is sodium, which leads to cell swelling because its entry is accompanied by an inrush of water, needed to dilute the surplus sodium. The swelling squeezes the neighboring blood vessels, preventing normal blood flow and interrupting the supply of oxygen and glucose, which ultimately leads to cell death. Cell swelling, however, is reversible; the cells will shrink back once glutamate is removed from brain fluids. More dangerous than sodium is calcium, which is harmless under normal conditions but not when it rushes inside through excessively opened pores. An overload of calcium destroys the neuron’s vital structures and eventually kills it.Regardless of what killed it, the dead cell spills out its glutamate, all the vast quantities of it that were supposed to be held back by the dam. The spill overly excites more cells, and these die in turn, spilling yet more glutamate. The destructive process repeats itself over and over, engulfing brain areas until the protective pumping mechanism finally manages to stop the spread of glutamate."Recent research has confirmed that hypermetabolism has been primarily found in the right lingual gyrus and left cerebellar anterior lobe of the brain in individuals suffering from visual snow. The definition of hypermetabolism is described as "the physiological state of increased rate of metabolic activity and is characterized by an abnormal increase in metabolic rate." Hypermetabolism typically occurs after significant injury to the body. It serves as one of the body's strongest defence against illness and injury. This means that the brain is trying to compensate for the injured areas in the brain by increasing metabolism to meet it's high energy demands. It is trying to function to the best of it's ability under the circumstances. Normally the body can heal itself and regenerate under the right circumstances. But it is extremely difficult for the central nervous system - which includes the spinal cord and brain to be able to do so, due to it's inhibitory environment which prevents new neurons from forming. That is where stem cells come in. Stem cells are an exciting new discovery, because they can become literally any cell in the body including neurons. This is an amazing scientific breakthrough and has the potential to treat a whole host of conditions. Scientists are currently doing research and conducting trials.Excitotoxicity can trigger your "fight or flight" response, as this is the body's primary response to illness, injury or infection. If the brain and the body remain in the sympathetic fight or flight state for too long and too often, it is degenerative; it breaks us down. If this cycle continues, then eventually the system burns out. It is this cycle that results in autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The results are disastrous, digestion is shut down, metabolism, immune function and the detoxification system is impaired, blood pressure and heart rate are increased, circulation is impaired, sleep is disrupted, memory and cognitive function may be impaired, neurotransmitters are drained, our sense of smell, taste and sound are amplified, high levels of norepinephrine are released in the brain and the adrenal glands release a variety of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.I believe in order to find a treatment or cure for VS and it's accompanying symptoms, we need to address the underlying cause, reduce the excess excitatory activity in the brain, repair the damaged neurons, regain proper communication between neurons, rebalance the autonomic nervous system and prevent further cellular damage. We also need to figure out what genes, if any come into play. There is still a lot we don't know about the brain because it is such an remarkably complex organ.FAQsWon't lowering the levels of glutamate solve the problem? Well, not necessarily. That is just one piece of the puzzle. You have to remember that Visual Snow is a multifactorial and complex condition in which it stems from a number of different causes and influences. Based on my knowledge and the information I have gathered, I can conclude that the overstimulation of glutamate plays a huge role in VS and some other symptoms we experience. But there is still so much we don't know. That's why more research will be needed.Why is my condition worsening over time?That is a very good question. It is because the physiology, biology and chemistry of your brain and nervous system has been altered and has become dysfunctional since the initial trigger set off a domino of effects that leads to further degradation in the body. This puts a huge strain on your body and is constantly activating your stress response system. This will wreak havoc on your entire body. The stress response system was designed to deal with brief emergencies that threaten survival. It isn't supposed to last very long because the body cannot sustain itself for very long in this state. When you remain in "fight or flight" sympathetic state for too long, it becomes degenerative and breaks our bodies down. This affects every system in the body. When you are constantly under stress, the stress response system never turns off resulting in an ongoing destructive cycle. Stress can also exacerbate all your symptoms and makes you susceptible to developing other chronic health conditions. How is the gut related to VS?Having increased intestinal permeability is very common in this modern world because we are constantly being bombarded by toxins and stress. Our bodies weren't designed to handle such a huge burden. So we end up getting sick and become susceptible to kinds of diseases. Common causes include:-Poor diet (from excessive consumption of foods such as grains, legumes, sugars, alcohol)-Chronic stress-Toxin overload-Gut dysbiosis (It means you have a lack of beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They are overpowered and outnumbered by pathogens such as pathogenic bacteria, yeast, viruses, parasites)-Overuse of antibiotics When you have increased intestinal permeability, the epithelium on the villi of the small intestine becomes inflamed and irritated, which allows metabolic, microbial and environmental toxins and undigested food particles to flood into the blood stream. This event compromises the liver, the lymphatic system, and the immune response including the endocrine system. It is often the primary cause of the following common conditions: asthma, food allergies, chronic sinusitis, eczema, urticaria, migraine, irritable bowel, fungal disorders, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory joint disorders including rheumatoid arthritis are just a few of the diseases that can originate from having poor gut health.This sets the stage for chronic systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired detoxification, gastrointestinal dysfunction and immune system dysregulation.Some toxins have the ability to damage and destroy neurons, myelin sheaths, synapses and even DNA. An overload of toxins that the immune system is not able to get rid of disrupts normal brain function. This eventually initiates an autoimmune response where the immune system attacks the brain and nerve cells as it tries it’s best to eliminate the toxins.The mitochondria are the energy producing section of your cells. When they are damaged by the toxic overload in the brain cells and are not able to produce energy to fuel the cell, the cell dies.In order to stop this vicious cycle, the underlying biological mechanisms of VS needs to be understood. That is the first step that needs to be taken. Any other stressors also needs to be addressed in order to reduce the overall stress load.It is important to know that VS is just a symptom of underlying physiological stress in the brain. Symptoms are your body's way of communicating with you, letting you know something is wrong in the body.I've come across some research indicating that microglial activation and elevated nitric oxide is involved in some neurological conditions. Basically the microglial cells are our brain's immune cells and when something triggers an inflammatory response, they activate and release harmful neurotoxic compounds (such as nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines) which results in neuronal injury/death. Microglial activation can also result in a loss of synaptic connections in different regions of the brain. It's basically an autoimmune response in the brain. The neuroinflammatory process appears to be an ongoing and chronic cycle of central nervous system dysfunction. This can deplete glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is the body’s most important antioxidant which is capable of preventing oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. This only further exaggerates the problem, which only leads to a cascade of increased inflammation.Nitric oxide plays a vital role in this process. Elevated nitric oxide levels reduces and impair natural killer cells which leads to a vulnerable immune system that is susceptible to a variety of systemic infections. -Phobe Zhang
2024.05.21 14:26 pohltergiestCatching up on the Tohoku Times
Finally finding some time after resting to do my writing. The bike shop experience was a little sweaty in the hot weather, and while we were outside working on our bikes, not only did the wife of the mechanic go get us an iced coffee and an ice cream, she later made us care packages with an energy gel and a bunch of electrolyte tablets. Looking inside, it would seem this shop has been the home of a pro-level team for a long time, so I imagine they have a lot of these things on hand, but it was still very nice. My wheel repair went well, the bumps and wobbles straightening out with the spoke repair. Bryce had them look at his front wheel, which had a different problem. He took a look at it, and after some consideration he said it was a "maintenance challenge" and proceeded to pull out a lot of wrenches. Bryce gleaned that the hub of the wheel needed tightening, and he did not have the correct wrenches to deal with this decidedly north american model. But he did have ones that were close enough and with some effort he managed to make it better to ride. After all was said and done we asked how much for the repairs and he tells us that he's a volunteer for the day, that this is his son's shop and he's just hanging out for the day because it's a holiday! We were flabbergasted but again he would not take any payment. We talked with him a bunch and he told us that he's in his 70's and attributes his good health to his biking, which he proudly states he's been doing for over 60 years now. We said he was an inspiration and said our goodbyes. We were lucky to get the repairs done so quick, as it gave us just enough time to hit up the aquarium. We needed to ride just 12km to get there, and a nice tunnel took us through a mountain range instead of us having to go over it. I was tired, the stress of the string of repairs really getting to me. But we arrived with an hour and a half til closing and got to see the aquarium which was a big white building tucked up against sea cliffs on the sea of Japan. I felt instantly more at ease, the temperature feeling more moderate by the water, which was calm as the day went on. The aquarium was lovely, with an obvious focus on jellyfish. I don't usually like aquariums or zoos due to what appears to be inadequate facilities for the inhabitants, but jellyfish in a tank? I don't think jellyfish care, or have the ability to care. This is like having a series of terrariums in my mind, jellyfish are one step above insects in my mind. And jellies they had, loads and loads of jellies, some on the larger side and lots of teeny tiny ones that almost can't be seen at all without magnification. They really do look like little automatons, just wiggling around. The tanks were all very tastefully lit, highlighting UV reactive cells, long streaming tendrils (that I'm sure have a proper name), and rainbow shimmering reflective cells that look deceptively like teeny tiny LEDs on little ridges. The prime attraction was the dream theatre, a dark room with a 5m tall tank circulating with hundreds or thousands of jellies and lit with a dreamy blue and purple light. We saw posters of famous artists performing in front of the jellyfish tank, the theatre being aptly named. We missed out on the jellyfish ramen noodles, it being a bit too late in the day, but we did get to enjoy the late day views from on top of the aquarium. Why did we ever leave the ocean? Flat roads, sunsets unmarred by dumb terrain, beaches. It's the best. I love beaches. Looking at the map, we'd have to cover 120km to get to Akita to take the ferry to hokkaido, so we decided to cover some ground while we still had light so as to not overload the next day should something happen. On we went. We zoomed past pastel-lit beaches, seeing folks sitting in pairs, waiting for the sunset. We've seen people stop right on highways if they have a good view of the sunset. We had no such time to enjoy it today. An hour or so later, we covered 20km to Sakata. Bryce wanted fried chicken for dinner, so we went to a takeout place and got way too much chicken for the two of us to eat. It can be hard to tell what you're getting, as one piece of karaage can be anything from a morsel to a meal, in this case we had more of a meal per piece along with rice and cabbage. We got some drinks from a vending machine and ate the food by a river, watching the water go by as the light faded. For once, we couldn't finish all the food, which was a shock. I always finish the food. Good job, random chicken place, you win this round. I found a big empty looking beach in the middle of nowhere on the map about 10km north of our position, so we prepared to set out for a night ride. Rain was in the forecast for the next morning, which meant we needed a private place that we wouldn't be bothered for an extended time during daylight hours. And we'd need to reduce our kilometers for the next day as we'd probably have to bike some of it in the rain, which sucks. As we were biking through the city, we happened upon a summer festival, people filling the streets. The usual assortment of festival treats didn't steal our attention, but I stopped for a moment to examine a line of white painted ladies in front of a stage that were talking turns talking about something or another. If only we had the time to watch the performance! We instead used our valuable time biking to a convenience store to one again get water, food, and some canned coffee for the next morning. Always an exciting time. We left the city, things now fully dark. The highway was not the best, lots of cracks and parts filled in with patches, and my focus wasn't the best. Obstructions become much harder to see in the light of a headlight, even harder to see when you have to use the dimmest setting as the headlamp always seems to be close to dying. My body bitched that it was the wrong time of day to be biking, I should already be setting up camp and kicking back, not pressing for an extra 10km. We did eventually make it to the beach intact, if a bit worn out, rolling down a sandy road until we had to push our bikes over dune-encrusted paths. Nobody here except a handful of night fishers, but they only care about fish. We pushed our bikes along the beach until we found a lonely pair of shelters for picnics and began setting up there. It seemed like a good spot, and we could tie up the tarp for extra rain protection. Giant wind fences on the beach would help with any gusts coming off the sea, but we weren't expecting a lot of wind anyways. Feeling like I'd have extra time in the morning, I got to sleep instead, feeling more tired than ever. I slept very long, clearly the need for sleep piling up on me. We got to bed a little later than I wanted, but it was indeed raining when I woke in the morning, so I went back to sleep and luckily got a few more hours. We discovered in the morning light that we were not the only ones to think highly of the shelters, with little ants crawling all over the outside of the tent. Not a big deal, but a little unnerving considering we haven't always been perfect about getting the zippers all the way closed. We had some breakfast in bed (which inevitably led to a spilled coffee) and read for a little bit, but debates about getting going started pretty quickly. The rain didn't look like it was going to let up, which meant we were going to have to get going or risk riding at night again. It was late in the morning when we were ready to go, rain gear donned and our spirits as high as they would be all day. We had 95km to ride, half a day to do it, and we were already soaked. On we went. Rice planting is in full swing now, everywhere we go there's farmers hurredly planting thousands of tiny sprouts in prepared fields. Early on there was a bit of a roadside attraction in the form of a curiously coloured pond, which we dutifully checked out. The pond was indeed a brilliant blue green colour and very clear, like the water of some onsens we've seen. Reading a sign, the pond was the source of the little rivers nearby and the water was extremely cold which kept it from fouling. As we rode, the mist rising off the hills looked like smoke. We hoped the rain would turn to just mist soon. Wiping my face for the hundredth time, we slowly pedaled on. Rain pants tug on my skin, making knee pain feel more prominent. We bike slower too, I think the water on the road is just harder to bike on. Feels like slow motion compared to fair weather riding. After 30km, I needed to stop and get some real food in me, I found a mandarin restaurant serving spicy ramen, which sounded perfect for a cold, stiff day like this. We left our dripping rain gear outside where it might get slightly dryer simply by gravity, and went in, still sorta dripping anyways. Inside, the restaurant was filled to the brim with knickknacks and collectables and was bright and cheery despite the weather outside. I found a place to plug in my headlamp and we both ordered big bowls of spicy soup and colas for the sugar and caffeine boost we'd need to keep going. The soup was flavorful and delicious, with a ground pork that was sweet instead of savoury. Last time I made sweet pork it was kinda gross so it was neat to have a sweet pork that wasn't bad. I ate my whole bowl, needing all the calories I could get, and settled down a bit to check the radar for the area. As can be expected for the coast, the weather was temperamental. It was good we got going, as the section behind us was being hammered, while we could expect a bit of a reprieve from the rain as we moved forward. That was about as good as we could hope for and with the clock striking 2 (and playing a song) in the restaurant, we departed. The sky brightening a bit from a dreary grey to a less dreary grey, our moods lifted for a while while our jackets dried off in the breeze. The sights were beautiful, in a desolate sort of way. Something about staring off into seemingly infinite ocean is unsettling to me. The evergreens on rocky spits in the ocean reminded us of the west coast trail, a few unbothered sections of coast here and there revealing what this land is supposed to look like under all the concrete pylons and coast management techniques Japan loves. After an hour, I began having some real issues. My heart rate had spiked, my vision was a little odd, and I was starting to not feel well. Not good. I drank a bunch of water, which helped, but eventually my body decided the spicy ramen was too oily and spicy for my guts and I went to destroy a convenience store. I felt better after, but I really should know better by now. There's so much oil in the cooking here though, it's hard to avoid sometimes. We kept riding, now with no rain gear and keeping up a respectable pace. We went on a desolate road, giant windmills standing guard on the coast overlooking fields of windburnt trees all bent away from the water. Looks like this coast gets absolutely hammered by the wind, maybe I shouldn't complain too much about the rain if it's not windy as well. Things were looking up, our pace put us on schedule to arrive at 6, well before dark which put us in better spirits. Better spirits until Bryce's tire blew out. Pulling apart the tire layers, incredulous that the so-called "flatless" tires would fail us now, we found a shard of black glass stabbed straight through the thickest part of the tire and a centimeter into the tube section. Well there's no bike tire on earth that can survive that, that one's just bad luck. We felt a little better about that as we set about replacing it. At least with the new rim Bryce had it was much less of a fight to get the tire on and off to replace the tube. Getting the bead to set was a pain, Bryce cycled the tube pressure three times and we even soaped the edge to get it to budge. It seemed good enough to me, but the rim of the tire definitely seemed a little inconsistent. The rain starting again, we debated what we should do, I argued that if he was careful and avoided bumps the bead might set itself and we didn't have any other techniques we could try. He wasn't able to pull the tire over any more and my hands were too weak to be of much help. We were wet and cold by this point, so Bryce agreed with this and we remounted and got moving. We could always take the train if we had to, but that wasn't an option we wanted to do just yet. I was in the rear and I could immediately see and hear something was wrong with Bryce's bike, even though I was focused on the tire bead to see if it was setting properly. It looked like his front and back tires were tracking different paths and one or both seemed to be leaning? I know the front tire had a hub issue so I thought maybe they're just a bit off but after a while I called a halt as it looked just too messed up not to try reseating the axle. While we were redoing the rear axle, we discovered that a bolt holding the rear pannier rack was close to coming out altogether, the source of the terrible rattling I've been hearing for weeks now! That was a relief to fix, and the wheel seemed to be sitting better. Now we were quite a bit later, projections looking more like 7 o'clock and getting dark by the time we got to the city. The sky was getting lighter, but it was the sun starting to sink below the cloud layer, signaling the end of the day and the last of our riding light. I was so tired by this point, bone tired. The rain makes every kilometer feel like two, I was sneezing again, feeling sad. Lots of harsh feelings were welling up, life starting to roar back into focus as all the things I pushed away for the past year demanded answers right now. I tried my best to file away the petitions as I could, but mostly I just tried to keep my head up as my mood sunk lower with the sun. My sinuses decided they'd had enough and shut down, making my head feel like it was a size too big. In the last light of the day we got to Akita, the end of our Tohoku adventure. The kindness of the people we met saved us from finding the whole region cursed. I demanded burgers and fries to lift my soggy mood, nothing in my tool box keeping me happy. Luckily there was a good looking place near our hotel to try and it was a countertop kinda place. We went in to find a fully charming establishment full of locals and a pair of chefs working the counter. I was feeling just awful but Bryce had a good time interacting with people. Everyone was very curious about the two colourful and very wet foreigners who had wandered in after parking very large and heavy bikes. I joined in on the answers, having the better language skills whenever Bryce couldn't parse what was being asked, but I was more focused on the pile of fries and the chili burger I ordered. People were flabbergasted that we came all the way from the southern end of the country, the chefs assuming we must have come from Tokyo instead. Some of the other patrons started rattling off Canadians they knew, with Justin Bieber ("Justinoo Beeberu!") and Celine Dion topping the list. I ordered a BLT sandwich as I was still starving even after a whole meal. The chef brought over a bottle of nice sake to have as a toast to the brave travellers, which I had to refuse as I would like to recover from this cold sometime this century. There's so much booze that it's hard not to here. To alleviate the embarrassment of having to refuse the booze, he offered me a ginger ale instead, which I graciously accepted. The other chef laughed as they pulled out a bottle "Canada Dry" she said, to the laughter of the bar. Taste of home in a strange place. I polished off my BLT (and considered a second) and while I'm sure Bryce could have spent all evening taking free shots of excellent sake with the bartender, we had to be up early, so we said our goodbyes and waved as we wheeled our bikes into the dark city. I left in a good mood, but tired as hell. Bryce was positivity beaming from the fun interactions, and the four drinks he had. The hotel was nearby, so it wasn't too hard. A parking attendant ushered us to a spot near the guardhouse, and we locked up there. He asked us when we were thinking of getting the bikes the next day, and when we said 430 in the morning he was a little taken aback. He understood that the ferry was early but that was too early for him. The hotel room was nice enough, but all I wanted was a bath and sleep. There were bath salts at the front desk and we took turns soaking in the tub. I wasted no time, doing my thing, arranging my clothes for the morning, setting an alarm and going to sleep. 415 would be just around the corner.
2024.05.21 14:24 EggSad604[A4A] Looking for a partner for literate MxM BG3 rp
Hello, I hope anyone who is reading this is having a great day/night. I am a 25 year old nonbinary writer in search for a rp partner who’s interested in writing a literate/novella style story based in the world of Baldurs Gate 3. I am also open to alternative universes involving the characters from BG3. I'm currently looking for a possibly long term canon x oc or oc x oc roleplay. I'm exclusively interested in writing stories with lgbtq+ characters so if you are interesting in exclusively writing straight characters and pairings, I am not the partner to reach out to. Currently my primary cravings are Bloodweave, Astarion x Durge/Tav or Gortash x Dark Urge. Characters I am comfortable playing (* are a current craving): Gale, Astarion, Gortash, Halsin, Karlach, Kar'Niss, Dame Aylin, Tav (OC), Dark Urge (OC)* Characters I am looking to play against(* are my faves): Gale, Astarion, Halsin, Wyll, Gortash*, Dark Urge (oc), Tav (oc), Shadowheart, Isobel, Karlach Below is some information about me and what I am looking for in a partner: (Please read this before you reach out. There is a password hidden in there to ensure you have read it. If you reach out to me, start out your message with said password.)
No one liners! I use roleplaying as a creative outlet and I feel like both of us would be able to have A LOT more fun if some effort is put into it. I am looking for partners interested in writing literate-novella style roleplays. But I also value quality over quantity and won't police you on wordcount. Just try to keep it to at least a few paragraphs.
I write in third person past tense and need you to do the same. Literacy is also something I value and I would love someone who uses a lot of descriptive language etc. I will not be mad for grammatical errors as English isn't my native language anyway, but I would like to be able to understand what you're saying and I'd like for you to know the difference between you're, your, their, they're etc.
Be patient with my responses. I am a working adult and I have a life outside of roleplaying. This means I can't be online the 24/7 for replies. I am most likely available for OOC talk most of the time. The more you'll push me for a response when I'm busy the more likely you are to not get one at all. Please be respectful and I will do the exact same to you.
You need to pull your own weight in the rp, I don't want to lead your character through the plot, this is meant to be a story we create together.
I love talking about our characters and whatever world we decide to go for. Plotting and just talking about headcanons/whatever is also great and something I appreciate a lot. The password is blighted.
I am very friendly OOC and will gladly have OOC conversations with you if that's something you'd want!
I would prefer to roleplay with someone in my age range.
I will not reply to you if I feel like you did not read all of these things properly.
I am happy to provide writing samples to ensure we are a good match, and will happily take yours.
If reading this still leaves you interested, feel free to reach out to me. Start out your message by giving me the password, telling me about yourself, what characters you are looking to play/for me to play, what kind of story you would like to do. I will not reply to vague messages.
2024.05.21 13:53 Royal-Hunter3832My take on balancing Maxx c
I just thought of a way to maybe balance the card, and it doesn’t even involve changing its text. Make it so the requirement to discard for hand size is 6 instead of 7 and make it so you also discard for hand size during the opponents end phase. Also make it so cards discarded for hand size are banished. Now let’s say you’re going first and your opponent Maxx cs you. Now there is a real reason to continue your combo as normal because even if they draw like 30 cards they’ll lose most of them. Now at the start of their turn they only start with 7 cards in hand and I think giving going second players a free plus 1 is perfectly fine. If they don’t draw early enough or aren’t playing handtraps I think most combo decks still win going first when they get max ced under these new rules You’d probably still have to change the text so it can only be used on an empty board to remove the issue of the going first player using it but what do you think?
2024.05.21 13:47 Human_Holiday_4758Deathcore/Metalcore - Best One Song Encyclopedia
219 bands, 219 songs! Here's the YouTube Music Version: Deathcore/Metalcore - Best One Song Encyclopedia Obviously "best song" is a very subjective notion, but I got a bunch of input from the big Deathcore/Metalcore group on FB, as well as Metalcore during the brief period before the post was removed (imagine tongue-sticking-out emoji here!) Anyway, the alphabetized band list by itself is pretty cool, IMHO. Enjoy - and please feel free to make suggestions for additions or changes!
Aborted - Dreadbringer
Abbie Falls - Pitch Black
Across the Sun – May Silence Keep You
After The Burial - Behold The Crown
A Hero A Fake – I Know I
All Out War – Into the Killing Fields
Allt – Paralyzed
All That Remains - This Calling
Alpha Wolf - Akudama
alt. - BACK TO EARTH
A Mourning Star – A World Beyond
Angelmaker- What I Would Give
Annalynn - Closer to the Edge
Annisokay - Coma Blue
Any Given Day – Savior
Architects - These Colors Don’t Run
As Blood Runs Black – In Dying Days
As I Lay Daying - The Sound of Truth
Asking Alexandria - A Single Moment of Sincerity
Atena – Oil Rigs
ATLVS – Comethazine
Atreyu – Crimson
Attack! Attack! – Killing for Sport
Avenged Sevenfold – Unholy Confessions
Aviana – Rage
August Burns Red - White Washed
AVOID - Whatever
Bad Omens - ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE
Before I Turn – Aglaeca
Being as an ocean - the hardest part is forgetting those you swore you would never forget
Bleed from Within - Alive
Bleeding Through - Revenge I Seek
Bloodywood - Machi Bhasad
Bodysnatcher – Exterminate
Botch – One Twenty Two
Boundaries – I'd Rather Not Say
Breakdown of Sanity – The Storm
Bring Me the Horizon - Shadow Moses
Bullet for my Valentine - Four Words (To Choke Upon)
Bury Tomorrow – Choke
Caliban – Memorial
Carnifex - Die Without Hope
Caskets - The Final Say
Chamber - Replacing Every Weakness
Chelsea Grin – Cheyne Stokes
Chimaira – Pure Hatred
Classic Jack – LAG
Code Orange - Forever
coldrain - 2020
Conquer Divide - Afterthought.wav
Converge – A Single Tear
Counterparts - Whispers Of Your Death
Crimson Eyes – Serenity
Crown the Empire – The Fallout
Crystal Lake - Apollo
Currents - Better Days
Daedric - Alchemy
Dance Gavin Dance – Chucky vs. The Giant Tortoise
Dark Divine - The Fear
Darkest Hour - Goddess of War, Give Me Something to Die For
Darko US - Pale Tongue
Dal Av & Jackson Rose – Insanely Illegal Cage Fight
Dead Crown – Joker
Dealer – Crooked
Defocus – Crooked Mind
Demon Hunter - Cross to Bear
Downswing – Bound to Misery (feat. AVOID)
Dying Wish - Enemies in Red
Earth Crisis – Forced March
Eighteen Visions – Reality Killer
Elwood Stray - Half Life
Emmure - When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong
Enterprise Earth – Reanimate // Disintegrate
ERRA - Lunar Halo
Esprit D’Air - Ocean’s Call
Every Time I Die - Map Change
Fallstar – When Justice Cracks the Sky
Fit for a King - Backbreaker
Fit for an Autopsy – Under a Serpent Sun
Flames of Betrayal – The Rain Reeks of Heaven
Foreign Hands - Separation Souvenir
For the Fallen Dreams – Sulfate
For today - Break the Cycle
Get the Shot – Deathbound (feat Rob Watson)
Ghost Iris – My Dear Rat Kings
Gideon -- Bite Down
God Forbid - To the Fallen Hero
Great American Ghost – Ann Arbor (Be Safe)
Greyhaven - Kappa (River Child)
Guilt Trip – Eyes Wide Shut
Hanabie - Otaku Lovely Densetsu
Harm’s Way – Become a Machine
Haste the Day – 68
Hatebreed – Own Your World
Heart of a Coward – Hollow
Heaven Shall Fall – Hunters Will Be Hunted
Holding Absence - Monochrome
Humanity’s Last Breath - Labyrinthian
Ice Nine Kills – The American Nightmare
If I Were You – System Failure
Imminence – Chasing Shadows
Impending Doom - There Will be Violence
In Heart’s Wake – Survival (The Chariot)
I Prevail - Deadweight
I See Stars - Running With Scissors
InChaos - Butterfly Effect
Ingested – I, Despoiler
Invent Animate - False Meridian
Jesus Piece - Fear of Failure
Job for a Cowboy – Sun of Nihility
Johnny Booth - The Ladder
Killswitch Engage - My Last Serenade
Kill The Lights - Dead From The Start
Knocked Loose - Deep in the Willow
Kublai Khan - The Hammer
Lamb of God - Descending
Left to Suffer – Overwhelming Power
LVNDMARKS - False Reality
Light the Torch - Die Alone
Like Moths To Flames - Dissociative Being
Loathe - Aggressive Evolution
Lorna Shore – Of the Abyss
Make Them Suffer - Uncharted
Misery Signals - Luminary
Malevolence – On Broken Glass
MAYFLOWER – Misery
Maylene & the Sons of Disaster – Caution: Dangerous Curves Ahead
MIRE – Inside
Miss May I – Hey Mister
Motionless in White – Disguise
Mouth for War – Saturate Me
Mugshot – Egodystonic
Myka Relocate – Hide the Truth
Norma Jean - Sword in Mouth, Fire Eyes
Nora – I Should Have Sent Flowers
Novelists FR - Souvenirs
Of Mice and Men - The Depths
Ocean Sleeper - Your Love I'll Never Need
Opal In Sky - The Blight
Orthodox - Cave In
Paleface – Lights Out
Paria - The Absurdity of Solace
Parkway Drive – Dark Days
Patient Sixty-Seven - Hibbertia
Periphery - Stranger Things
PERN – Gasping for Air
Phinehas – I Am the Lion
Polaris - The Remedy
Pupil Slicer - No Temple
Reflections - Help
Reliqa – Tyrant
Renesans - Labor of Hate
Rings of Saturn - Senseless Massacre
Sail’s End - The Sound of Silence 3: Three
Sanction – The Prophet Who Saw Fire
SAVE US – Distance
Scarlet Horizon - Seed
Sea of Treachery – Unleash the Serpents
Serration – Simulations of Hell
Shadow of Intent – The Prelude to Bereavement
Shadows Fall – The Light that Blinds
Shai Halud - Solely Concentrating on the Negative Aspects of Life
Silent Planet - Antimatter
Signs of the Swarm – Amongst the Low and Empty
Silverstein - Your Sword vs My Dagger
Sion – More than Just Myself
Slaughter to Prevail - Viking
Sleep Token – The Summoning
Snapcase – Harrison Bergeron
Spite – led
Spiritbox - The Beauty Of Suffering
Spiritual Chaos - End
Suicide Silence - Unanswered
Sunami – Mind Your Business
Sworn In – Snake Eyes
Tenside - Come Alive Dying
The Acacia Strain - The Impaler
The Afterimage – Secrets
The Amity Affliction – Pittsburgh
The Black Dahlia Murder – What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
The Browning - The End of Existence
The Chariot - David De La Hoz
The Devil Wears Prada - Danger: Wildman
The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us is The Killer
The Empire Shall Fall – Voices Forming Weapons
The Ghost Inside – Aftermath
The Gloom in the Corner – Bleed You Out
The Human Abstract – Vela, Together We Await the Storm
2024.05.21 13:47 aman_shaikh45The Fame of the Kashmir Tulip Festival
The Kashmir Tulip Festival, held annually in Srinagar, has garnered international acclaim for its breathtaking display of tulips and its celebration of the region's rich cultural heritage. Located in the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, the largest of its kind in Asia, the festival showcases millions of tulips across a spectrum of vibrant colors. This floral extravaganza typically takes place during the spring months of March and April, when the tulips are in full bloom, transforming the garden into a vivid carpet of colors. https://preview.redd.it/s5t7o0itjr1d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9df6c06b6549a1f2366198c8037811415ec33f09 Cultural Significance and Attractions The Kashmir Tulip Festival is more than just a horticultural event; it is a celebration of Kashmir's natural beauty and cultural richness. Visitors are treated to a picturesque setting with the majestic Zabarwan Range in the backdrop and the serene Dal Lake nearby. The festival includes cultural programs, traditional music, and dance performances that provide a glimpse into the local heritage. Artisans also display their crafts, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase authentic Kashmiri handicrafts and souvenirs. The festival's fame can be attributed to several factors: 1. Scenic Beauty: The stunning visual appeal of millions of blooming tulips against the backdrop of the Himalayan mountains is a sight that draws tourists from all over the world. 2. Cultural Experience: The festival offers an immersive cultural experience with local music, dance, and crafts, providing a deeper understanding of Kashmiri traditions and lifestyles. 3. Accessibility: The garden's location in Srinagar, a major city with good connectivity, makes it an easily accessible destination for both domestic and international tourists. Tulip Festival Tour Packages To cater to the growing number of tourists, several travel agencies offer specialized Tulip Festival Tour Packages. These packages typically include: - Accommodation: Staying in Srinagar, often in luxury hotels or traditional houseboats on Dal Lake. - Guided Tours: Expert guides to explain the history and significance of the tulip garden and the festival. - Transport: Comfortable transportation to and from the festival site. - Cultural Excursions: Visits to other attractions in Srinagar, such as Shankaracharya Temple, Mughal Gardens, and local markets. - Culinary Experiences: Sampling traditional Kashmiri cuisine. These packages are designed to provide a hassle-free and enriching experience, ensuring that tourists can fully enjoy the beauty and culture of the region. Kashmir Tour Packages Beyond the Tulip Festival, Kashmir offers a plethora of attractions that make it a year-round destination. Comprehensive Kashmir tour packages often include: - Srinagar: Exploring the city's famed gardens, lakes, and historic sites. - Gulmarg: Known for its skiing resorts and the world's highest golf course.
Pahalgam: A picturesque town ideal for trekking, fishing, and adventure sports.
Sonamarg: Famous for its stunning landscapes and opportunities for hiking and camping.
Houseboat Stays: Unique experiences staying on the traditional houseboats on Dal and Nigeen Lakes.
These packages provide a well-rounded experience of Kashmir’s diverse attractions, from its natural beauty to its rich cultural heritage. Conclusion The Kashmir Tulip Festival's fame stems from its extraordinary floral displays, cultural vibrancy, and the idyllic setting that offers a perfect blend of nature and tradition. With well-crafted Tulip Festival Tour Packages and broader Kashmir Tour Packages, visitors can effortlessly explore and appreciate the myriad attractions of this enchanting region. Whether visiting during the festival or exploring other times of the year, Kashmir promises an unforgettable experience.
2024.05.21 13:41 wharncliffe-wandererI'm putting together a Bremervoord adventure, looking for community guidance
Hi all - I've been running a home game for the last year set in and around Bremervoord, including characters from the short story "A Little Sacrifice" along with sub-plots involving the Rangers of the Forest and Nilfgaardian spies who are working to undermine the local duke's authority ahead of the Empire's invasion in the Third Northern War. I'm looking to turn it into an adventure which I'll publish here for free in line with R Talsorian's Homebrew Content Policy. I'm fairly new to this community, can anyone point me at any guidance for writing these things? And also, am I free to use or refer to other homebrew materials that have already been shared on here? (I'm thinking specifically of the absolutely brilliant Unofficial Monster Book that u/thehuntedsnark put together, as I'd love to include their rusalki and nereids) This is the adventure outline: A curse has afflicted Bremervoord and the harbour has silted up - ships haven't been able to sail for months and the town's fishing and trading economy has collapsed. Angry townsfolk are demanding answers from Duke Agloval - he has hired a team of investigators to uncover the cause of this curse, and deal with whoever is responsible. That's where you come in...
2024.05.21 13:31 ImmortalThunderGod79Historical Analysis of Oda Nobunaga - Japan’s First Unifier and why I am intrigued to see the Assassin’s Creed series’s depiction of him
Hello AC fans, this is ImmortalThundergod79 back with another historical analysis for Assassin’s Creed Shadows where I will analyze the history, culture, great battles, weapons and tactics of Japanese history and the game’s portrayal of them. Today I will be analyzing the most famous great unifier of the Sengoku Jidai himself - Oda Nobunaga. So without further ado let's do a brief rundown of who he is and what makes me cautiously excited to see how he is portrayed in AC Shadows. He endured through many hardships and seen as a failure since his childhood For most of Nobunaga's childhood and youth. He experienced a great deal of hardships as he was once perceived to be a “failure” in the eyes of many of his Oda clan members and peers around due to his eccentric and aloof behavior such as taking a liking to wearing women’s clothing, rebellious attitude to regularly playing games with children regardless of their social classes. Complete opposite of his younger brother - Oda Nobuyuki who was described to be much more dignified whom most of the Oda clan members and peers at the time favored more in being the head ruler of the Oda clan. His relationships with both of his parents are often strained and being considered a “problem child”. His relationship with his father had gotten so bad that it was said when his father had died suddenly, Nobunaga had shown up at his father’s funeral being inappropriately dressed as he threw his ashes across the floor. Leading to one of his mentor figures to commit seppuku. This led him to be named the “Fool of Owari”, being deemed an “embarrassment” to the family name and considered “stupid”. Yet in spite of all this we would continue persevering and proven himself worthy as the leader of the Oda clan at the Battle of Okehazama despite being heavily outnumbered by the forces of Imagawa Yoshimoto. He was known to be cunning, pragmatic and ruthless, but kind, fair, polite and even surprisingly forgiving Nobunaga’s reputation as a cunning and brutal daimyo often stem from his ruthless exploits such as the assassination of his younger brother - Nobuyuki and violent campaigns against the Ikko-Ikki faction like the Sieges of Nagashima Castle and Mt Hiei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Mount_Hiei). While it’s true that he was far from a saint, that goes for just about every other daimyo lord of his time and some of these were completely missing context and overlooking some of the nuances which some people had taken to face value, implying as if Nobunaga was carrying out these acts of violence indiscriminately. For example him assassinating his own younger brother. He DID NOT just kill him out of cruelty to “secure his position of power”, those that said that often overlook the fact that Nobuyuki tried to rebel against Nobunaga and attempted to kill him twice in order to take his position as leader of the Oda clan all of which Nobunaga forgave him on until his patience and trust were tested. What DID YOU think was gonna happen? In addition there is a misunderstanding that Nobunaga was “slaughtering ‘peaceful’ monks at Nagashima and Mt Hiei” as well as other misconceptions surrounding such events. Take Mt Hiei for instance. We were once told in that event, massive amounts of temples were burned down and had a death toll of 20,000 casualties at the Siege of Mt Hiei, but recent proper evaluation academic scholars have found these were widely exaggerated because most of the temples were remained in good condition and in the actual primary source, the number of casualties was much smaller which was between 1,500 - 4,000 especially thanks to the lack of mass graves further proof that the 20,000 death toll was widely blown out of proportion. Second in these events these “peaceful” monks were farrrr from peaceful as these were Sohei monks specifically who hold military power as some were either former samurai or were samurai who became monks, but didn’t give up their power. They were especially part of the Ikko-Ikki which was a fanatical separatist militia consisting of peasants, merchants, priests, commoners and jizamurai (country samurai) that rose up against the upper class daimyos, shoguns and samurais having grown restless from all the constant fighting and civil wars between them, hoping of succeeding and creating their own independent state and government similar to the South in the American Civil War (might not be the best analogy, but closest I can think of for you to get an idea). These peasant militia often violently attacked any daimyo and samurai on sight even if the two were of no threat to them, making it especially dangerous foreign travelers of the time. The Ikko-Ikki even attacked other states in Japan that they consider to be a “threat” which made them extremely problematic to many daimyo, samurai and imperial government across the country and in addition these same extremist groups callously took the lives of Nobunaga’s two half brothers, one cousin and one nephew leading him to hold a grudge against them which is why. So was he justified in what he did to the Ikko-Ikki? Depends on who you ask, but if these groups of fanatics were the ones who basically killed half of your beloved family members whom you trusted, can you really blame Nobunaga for feeling that way towards the Ikko-Ikki? What is most surprising however is that despite Nobunaga’s merciless reputation as a warlord. There are also documented accounts written down about his kindness, understanding and forgiving nature. He was said to address all of his followers from the highest retainers to lowest servants with respect and courtesy. Has even gone as far as to donate money and goods to the villagers, imperial court and temples/churches to help improve the lives and stability of the peasants, commoners, nobles and priests (both Japanese and European). Along with that, he was known to be quite forgiving towards others even if they had made a mistake or were being treacherous such as when Nobuyuki attempted to rebel against and kill him twice or the fact that his long time retainer - Shibata Katsuie once sided with his brother in plotting to assassinate him yet despite discovering what he planned to do originally, Nobunaga instead pardoned Katsuie and chose to spare him if he swore allegiance to him instead which Katsuie would accept. All this paints us a nuanced picture of whom Nobunaga was a person and character. A warlord who is as brutal as he is honorable which is so fascinating to study about. He was open-minded and loved learning of new things Of course we can’t talk about Oda Nobunaga without his deep fascination for Western culture and love for learning new things. Nobunaga was highly known for appreciating European cultures, clothing, technology and goods. He was a learner and always hungry for knowledge and because of this would lead to him coming across the matchlock firearms introduced to him by the Portuguese which he liked so much that he began to order them to be mass produced, seeing just how useful and effective which they would become staple weapons of his samurai army which allowed him to rise to power. His interest and desires of learning the ins and outs of cultures from across the world outside of Japan is especially evident in his close friendships with the likes of Luis Frois - the Portuguese missionary and Yasuke - the African servant of the Jesuit missionaries. The circumstances surrounding his death continues to remain as one of the biggest mysteries in Japanese history There continues to be many mysteries surrounding Nobunaga’s untimely death and why one of his retainers - Akechi Mitsuhide had betrayed him as many theories had often surfaced throughout the years and no scholars were able to definitively figure out what exactly was Mitsuhide whole motive for backstabbing Nobunaga just when he was so close to unifying the whole country. Some said Mitsuhide had a personal grudge against Nobunaga, others said he did it to gain more power and influence. Some have even said he may have been manipulated by an outside party into carrying out the treacherous act (such as Toyotomi Hideoyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu and a few others who had been suspected). Why I look forward to Assassin’s Creed’s take on the iconic Japanese historical figure As you can see, all that I have written here. Oda Nobunaga is quite a rich character and figure to study about it. There is so much nuance and dimensions of his character. Assassin’s Creed at its best is more than capable of being able to find the right balance between doing a creative spin on iconic historical figures throughout history, but still preserving elements of historical accuracy on what made these figures what they are. Nobunaga as we know is a cunning, pragmatic and ruthless warlord, but he was a charismatic, kind and fair leader altogether. Was he perfect? No, but he is human and flawed as we are. Just a man doing his best to unify a country that was torn apart by decades of civil war and to survive a tumultuous period in Japanese history where friends and allies can betray you and become your foes in one night. so I am very curious to see how Assassin’s Creed Shadows will present all that aspects of him into the game as they done for many other historical figures they done before. If done right and written well, AC's portrayal of Nobunaga becoming just as beloved as the likes of AC’s takes on Leonardo Da Vinci, George Washington and Blackbeard. List of primary sources and contemporary sources I used for my research information on Oda Nobunaga:
Shincho Koki (Translated to English as The Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga) by Gyuchi Ota - a former senior retainer of Oda Nobunaga writing accounts and deeds of Nobunaga’s life throughout the ages in this primary source
Historia De Japam (Translated to English as History of Japan) by Luis Frois - Portuguese missionary who spent many years living in Japan and forming a close friendship with Nobunaga himself, writing down many accounts in this primary source document of what kind of person and character was as well as some of the fascinating differences between European and Japanese customs
From the conversations I been apart with ParallelPain who provided all sorts of direct diaries, letters and documented accounts written down about the Sengoku Period of Japan
Several unspecified sources which I came across from the top of memory over the course of my years of research on Japanese history such as this one here and here
2024.05.21 13:31 Vast-Difficulty5906M4F looking for fandom rp (open to non-fandom stuff though)
If you’re looking for variety you’ve come to right place. My tastes in rp are such that the genre, fandoms, and even the length at which I write vary greatly depending on the needs of you; my rp partner First person one liners? Third person paragraphs? Something in between? Whatever you can think of I’ll do it so long as there’s an interesting enough plot to coincide with it. Bring your own plot or we can come up with one together. I may have a few of my own as well depending on the subject. I’m into a variety of gaming and anime fandoms so feel free to suggest as few or as many as you like. I mostly do canon x canon stuff but have done oc’s in the past and would be open to it again if the plot is good enough. So if you’re looking for a fandom rp don’t be shy and shoot me a message. (Also I can do both discord or Reddit)
2024.05.21 13:24 Dop3stGh0stSorry if someone else already explained, but couldn’t Yuta have copied Gojo’s six eyes?
Plot points being, Yuta has been AFK and potentially dead. Giving him a reason and flashy re-enter. It would also explain why Sukuna saw “the ghost”, if Yuta copied Six Eyes he’d have the blue right? Then the fog fades and we have Yuta using Six Eyes. I have pondered cause we know he can copy all sorts of abilities. Obviously he couldn’t control it as well as Gojo but it seems like it’s more likely that he’s able to use it momentarily during a domain expansion moment. Feel free to tell me i’m dumb and why this doesn’t make sense but just wanted to have another opinion.