#based name...4 letters short.............first letter of the alphabet

[physalian]

The Fantasy Language Translation Matrix

Whether you intend to write your own full-blown lexicon with different verb tenses and formal vs informal language, need unique words for spellwork, or just need new names for all your foreign places, behold… the Physalian patented Fantasy Language Translation Matrix.

(I kid. I have no idea if I’m the first to come up with this)

**Disclaimer!** After rolling out your fresh new vocab off the word assembly line, make sure you google it and that it doesn’t already exist and mean something you don’t intend.

Step 1: Pick your Derivative

You can make it sound completely foreign and like total gibberish, but I find it easier for you and other people to read if they have some real-world reference to compare it to, and so they have a clue for which pronunciation rules to rely on. For example: I did not know who René Descartes was my freshman year of high school. His last name was in my algebra book, and I, thinking he was Greek like so many other ancient mathematicians, pronounced his name as if he were Greek “Des-kart-ees.” I got made fun of.

Spare your readers the humiliation.

So say I want a vaguely��� Russian/Latin/Italian influence. As opposed to French. Cool. That’s my starting point.

Step 2: Reorder the most common letters from English to your new language

In English, the average use of the standard alphabet by letter in order is this:

Ignore your vowels for a second. I don’t use charts like this on the regular, I use the Wheel of Fortune method and focus on RSTLNE, then go from there. I also want to make sure this isn’t a complete 1:1 ratio so it’s not super obvious I’m just juggling letters around, so I’ll knock out some “duplicate” letters and swap out singular letters for specific sounds.

The goal of this isn’t to stare at two existing language matrices and perfectly match them up, it’s to take the most common sounds and letters in English and make them new, common sounds in your new language, to sound more uniform and like you have a real etymology.

And I end up with this:

This might look a little confusing on how I got from A to Z so the basics:

All my vowels remain in the same place, they just get juggled around so I don’t end up with 8 consonants next to each other and word garbage

My “duplicate” letters are combined so I have more room for the new sounds, like c/k, f/ph/gh, h/wh, s/z. The new sounds then get the spare letters I had left over

Common english suffixes get reduced down so the pattern isn’t as obvious

If you want to include accent marks, this is your chance

I wanted to really emphasize the long “e” and long “i” sounds, so those got extra attention

Step 3: Translating

Oftentimes this is not perfect, or you end up with a word that just doesn’t fit the rest of your new vocabulary, because English is the bastard lovechild of German, Latin, Danish, and French.

I start with English, usually, but if the English word is too short or too long, I translate it first into another language, like Spanish, and go from there. Like “bus” vs “autobus”.

Using your matrix, go one by one. Let’s use a word like “letter”.

English: L-E-T-T-E-R

New: T-A-C-C-A-Z

Step 4: Polishing

So now I have my new word: “Taccaz”

Which is serviceable. I can throw an accent on either A or fiddle with the Z. I can start with “carta” instead and end up with “kizci”. The matrix is just a starting point. It’s designed to streamline the process when I’m otherwise feeling uncreative and in a rush, and it moves very quickly when I need to come up with full phrases and sentences that someone would actually say.

Step 5: Full sentences

This is only if you’re really digging deep and not coming up with the occasional fantasy curse word or new name for your fantasy land/realm/noun etc.

For this you’re going to need lots of tables. I based mine off romance languages because I know Spanish and romance languages make sense. This is where you decide how many pronouns, if any, you’re going to use, how the infinitive changes based on past, present, or future tense, how many nouns the word references, etc.

This is… a lot. Way more than you’d ever need for your manuscript. Ever. But I did it just for my own sake. Does it get long? Yes. Does it get tedious? Yes. The point here is to have little pre-manufactured word bytes you can plug and play with, with as little mental effort as possible so you can save it for the rest of your work.

I also came up with very common words already conjugated, like “to be” so I can just glance and type without having to remember to take “is” and go through the process over and over again.

Which means that I can take an entire sentence and translate it to my new language in about two minutes.

English: The payoff is worth it, this is so satisfying. New, roughly: Nu kioyb ela fyzip ne, iski ela valo nicenbalaev.

Of course, you can keep tinkering until you get something that’s easier on the eyes (I’ve been working with this language for years so I can read it pretty well), but not all languages are smooth and pretty and simple.

To be frank: Most readers will just gloss over this stuff anyway, but it shows that you put in the effort and it enhances the lore and the immersion when you do this. At least in the written medium. You can’t ignore it if this is meant to be in a screenplay.

Is this what a language professor would do or recommend? Probably not, I have no idea. Does it work? Yes. I have a fully functioning grammatical system where any input can give me a legible output.

To make this yourself, just change the order of the letters around, adjust your shortcuts, and come up with your own common sounds for those last two rows. The conjugation matrix is where you can really make it distinct, assuming you are basing yours off a romance language, which you don't have to.

—

And there you have it!

Don’t forget to vote in the dialogue poll before it closes!

[the-writer-of-spells]

What is Numerology?

Numerology is a pretty old technique that uses numbers to assess the character and destiny of any given person. It can also be used to check the nature of a new pet, business, and anything else with a name and/or a start/birth date. This can also be paired with a simple form of astrology for more accurate predictions, or used on its own. A simple search on the Britannica website for ‘numerology’ will give you an extremely short article. But, I pulled the following quote from there: “The theory behind numerology is based on the Pythagorean idea that all things can be expressed in numerical terms because they are ultimately reducible to numbers.” 

However, numerology was practiced in Ancient India (in the Vedas) and China (in the I Ching) which were, coincidentally, before Pythagoras/the Pythagorean Brotherhood’s time. But, since the way Pythagoras taught his method of using numerology seemed to have truly stuck with most other cultures around the world, this way of numerology is the most accessible. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews also used number systems based on the letters of their alphabet; but the numbers we have today came from the Arabs.

Let’s get to the fun part!

How do I use Numerology?

So, Numerology in my opinion, is the absolute easiest form of divination. Just remember to take notes as you go, and you’ll be fine! 

Or, you can reach out for help from someone you trust that knows numerology; or you can reach out to literally anyone on the internet willing to teach this, but be careful with that one… I believe knowledge should be free, but that’s not the case with a few other people, I’ve heard. So if they ask for a payment, make sure you’ve truly looked at their blog/page. If their vibe doesn’t sit right with you, don’t do it. Money can make good people funny. And not in a good way.

Okay! Let’s get back to this topic. How do I/you use numerology? Super easy. There are two SUPER common types of numbers, and they are usually the first thought in people’s head when they think about Numerology as a whole. They are the Destiny and Life Path numbers!

The difference between these numbers is that the Destiny number shows your life’s purpose and the pattern by which you’ll achieve that, and the Life’s Path number is usually used to make forecasts about one's future. 

I’ll make a separate post on what the numbers 1—9 mean, because that’s what we’re going to be working with for right now; but in the meantime, let me explain what you’ll need to figure out your numbers!!

Materials:

Your Full Name

Your Date of Birth

Pen/pencil

Paper

Calculator (optional)

It’s not a super complex mathematical formula that we’ll be using, just some basic addition!

Also!! If you are transgender, or nonbinary; or you’ve changed your name for any reason—PLEASE use the name YOU HAVE CHOSEN for yourself! If you’re comfortable with it too, you can also use the old/dead name to compare the potential outcomes of your life! If you’re not too comfortable with that, don’t sweat it!

Okay, so you’ve got your materials; cool beans, now what? You’re now going to assign the letters of the alphabet numbers!

Instructions: 

Write the numbers 1—9 across the width of the paper. So you’re going to write out:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, making sure they’re spaced out enough to write in columns beneath them and not have things overlapping. For ease of reading!

Put the letters beneath the numbers in the order I have listed:

A,J,S under 1.

B,K,T under 2

C,L,U under 3

D,M,V under 4

E,N,V under 5

F,O,X under 6

G,P,Y under 7

H,Q,Z under 8

I,R under 9.

Now, spell out your FULL NAME!! 1st, middle (if you have it), last and anything after that! You’re now going to add up the numbers! I like to keep my number in three separate rows, so my first name has one, middle the second, and last the third line.. Just for the sake of keeping things readable/not too overwhelming.

My numbers, just because I don’t want to give my full name out on the internet; are:

24, 29, 29. But! We need one number between 1 and 9. If you do 24+29(2)=82, you can then simplify my numbers to: 8+2=10, 1+0=1.

What we did here was we found our Destiny number. Pretty neat right?

Let’s do our life path number as well.

Get your birthday written out, it doesn't matter if you use the UK, US, or any other style of writing out dates, because they will always add up to the same number!

Mine is: 12/20/2003. I’ve got it pretty easy, because there’s a bunch of 0’s in mine and I’m working with small numbers.

1+2+2+0+2+0+0+3=10, 1+0=1. And BOOM! We have our life path number as well. 

So, before this post gets crazy long; I hope you have a wonderful day, and I’ll be posting the meanings of the numbers 1—9 with three posts; because I have a lot to say! Bye!!

Further Reading/my Sources:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "numerology". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 May. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/numerology. Accessed 1 October 2023.

[uniquejellyfishqueen]

This makes no sense, or does it

52

5+2=7 (Lover is the 7th album)

“The only key is mine”

Mine was written in the key of G major. G is the 7th letter of the alphabet.

-> “I’m a G” Lil’ Keke 1/1/2007

-> G-Unit (1999-2022) -> “We Up” ft Kendrick Lamar 12/8/2014

52 weeks in a year (365=14 days in a year, unless its a leap year then there are 366=15)

52 cards in a deck (4 suits 13 cards to each suit. English poker format: Spades- Black, Clubs- Green, Hearts- Red, Diamonds- Blue.)

52 white keys on a keyboard (36 black keys, 88 total)

52 is Tellurium; Te (ET? Phone home.)

The first day of the zodiac year is the spring equinox, which is around March 21. The zodiac sign for this period is Aries, which is represented by the ram. 

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac because it represents new beginnings. The Babylonians celebrated the rebirth of nature with an 11-day festival called Akitu, which took place in mid-March. 

The exact time of the equinox varies each year because it takes Earth about 365.24 days to orbit the sun. The equinox usually occurs about six hours later each year, until a leap year resets it (2024 was a leap year)

3/21/2024 - 12/3/2024=

8 months and 12 days. (Reduced to 11 = 2)

*12/8 is the last night of the ET.

Long story short believe me or don’t. 8 songs have the lyric “game/games”

7th album - 3

6th album- 2

5th album- 1

3rd album- 1

2nd album- 1

32111 is Candler Springs, FL, Marion county. Founded 3/14/1844. Silver Springs is here, what is it? Oh it’s just Florida’s 1st tourist destination since the mid 19th century, it was founded in 1852.

*Disney Springs opened on 3/22/1975 (1 day after 3/21… and The 1975 band formed in 2002 and released their album on 9/2/2013 -> i love the internet, their first show was on 11/2/2006 in Washington DC with Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails) Disney Springs is on 120 acres, and has 4 distinct areas: marketplace, landing, town center, west side.

-Disney Springs had 4 names before the 5th stuck. During the 3rd name Disney World Market Place they opened a strip of entertainment venues and restaurants. This place had the right idea, but the wrong execution. Its name was Pleasure Island, apparently based off of Pinocchio. Its creation was to compete with Church Street Station which were both entertainment districts located in downtown Orlando, Florida, with the key difference being that Church Street Station was a pre-existing nightlife hub that inspired the creation of Disney's Pleasure Island, which aimed to offer a similar experience within the Walt Disney World resort complex, featuring multiple nightclubs and entertainment venues; however, Pleasure Island eventually closed its nightclubs in favor of more family-friendly options, unlike Church Street Station which continues to operate with a focus on nightlife entertainment… lol ok Big Red. You basically stole their idea for profit and couldn't make it last because you thought shopping centers were more important than music. It makes me wonder what shit went down here as well, did some of the problems start here?

**Pleasure Island had a NYE Kink. Every night Pleasure Island had a firework show to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Is this why every one was a shitty person, because their resolutions didn’t even last 24 hours. It makes sense. Also.. do you know how much other stuff you could have bought instead of those fireworks? Like thats a lot of fireworks. And it’s monotonous… I’m not a Debbie Downer, I just don’t enjoy them. Rock on firecrackers. Okay so Epic Fireworks is a company that supplies their fireworks. (They were feeling epic.) Disney is the world's second-largest buyer of explosives, spending over $50 million annually on fireworks. The tradition of fireworks at Disney parks began in 1956 (21..)

*the US Department of Defense is actually the #1 buyer of fireworks

*and Disney gets theirs from Epic Fireworks.... a UK company, 3 years after Elizabeth was named the Queen.

1/1/2007 pleasure island they changed their policy to 21 and Over. (Which Miles Teller was in that movie, he is in the IBYTAM music video. And 21 is ATW and the 21st letter is U)

**Pleasure Island closed on 9/27/2008- this is when they took all the music establishments out for a more family type venue that includes shopping and eating, America’s favorite past times.

*50 is a reference to Red

*21 is also a reference to Red

ORDER OF ZODAIC WHEEL

1. Aries (air)

2. Taurus

3. Gemini (gem)

4. Cancer

5. Leo (lion’s roar)

6. Virgo (unicorn -> the unicorn kitty in the capital one commercial)

7. Libra (lady justice)

8. Scorpio (keeping score?)

9. Sagittarius (SAG//gas)

10. Capricorn (cap=lid)

11. Aquarius (aqua=water)

12. Pisces (pieces?)

STAR

I see RATS… year of the rat was 2008, Fearless and Fearless Platinum were released on 11/11/2008. Sometimes a rat is brave, if they speak up. 2020 was also the year of the rat and we had Folklore 7/24/2020, Folklore Deluxe 8/18/2020, and Evermore on 12/11/2020. 2020 was when a virus plagued our world and people said it was because some people ate some bats… RAT BAT 1 letter difference 18/2

281 area code for Houston, Texas metropolitan area and its surrounding cities and suburbs:

* Cities: Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Baytown, Spring, and Cypress

Eminem was born in the year of the rat.

And 1984 was the year of the rat as well.

Stars guide you home, which one do you follow? The North Star. NS, like SN backwards. Speak Now is the North Star?

Just north of Toronto is Vaughan, a city in Ontario, CA. Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a 330-acre amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life Assurance Company, it was the first major theme park in Canada and remains the country's largest. It opened on 5/23/1981. Its slogan is “For the fun of it” ->”FUN” is a word TS and TN have both emphasized in speeches and tweets.

Former owners:

Kings Entertainment Company (1981–1993)

National Amusements (1993–2006)

Cedar Fair (2006–2024)

There are 6 Toronto area codes, it is nicknamed “The 6” (there is a YA Thriller book called The Silence of Six, probably no connection but context clues make it seem that way.)

The 6 area codes are

416

647

437

905

289

365

Add them all up and you’ll get 35. She turns 35 this December. And the gold desk calendar in the The Grove TTPD pop up had her birthday on it.

* Taking just the 20th and 21st centuries, the 13th of December is on a Friday in 1901, 1907, 1912, 1918, 1929, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1957, 1963, 1968, 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2013, 2019, 2024, 2030, 2041, 2047, 2052, 2058, 2069, 2075, 2080, 2086 and 2097

2013- TS did not have a show on her birthday but she was in Australia, because on 12/14/2013 was N1/1 in Melbourne at Ethihad Stadium. An acoustic version of “You Belong With Me” was played in place of the surprise song (she did this for 7 shows)

*the ET in Melbourne (3 shows) she announced the bolter variant on 2/16/23 was when she played the first medley on 2/17/2023.

Her stop for Red in Toronto was 6/14/2013 and 6/15/2013. The Surprise songs were “Tim McGraw” and “Highway Don’t Care”

*12/13/2002 was a Friday. And also her 13th birthday. According to the TS wiki she spent the entire summer when she was 12 devoting it to writing a 350 page novel that has remained unpublished. (3+5=8) so it was the summer of 2002 that she wrote the book, the summer after 9/11.

*12/13/2019 (30th birthday. her first birthday performance?) Z100's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2019. “Blank Space" "Me!" "Lover" "Welcome to New York" "You Need to Calm Down" "Christmas Tree Farm" "Shake It Off”

*12/13/2030 TS will be turning 41. In the 73QWV she said she hopes she is not stressed when turning 40.

[lwmessiah]

Readerly Exploration #5

November 6, 2023

Mesmer (2019), Chapter 4 "Letter Lessons"

Big Takeaway

Children are learning foundational knowledge about the alphabet and letters that will help develop their phonological awareness. The skills they learn in this lesson will help a student’s future literary success. Mesmer points out skills such as letter naming which can include vocabulary knowledge, print awareness, world knowledge, etc.

Nugget

There are transparent, opaque, and non-information names (pg.86). Researchers tested patterns finding direct and casual connections between letters and their sounds but only when children understood phonemic awareness. Without children hearing similarities in words they would not be able to use letter name information to help decipher. Ultimately, phonemic awareness activities directly focus on identifying, contrasting, and matching beginning sounds. This helps children learn letter sounds.

Exploration

This week we performed our phonics lesson demonstration. The opportunity to learn, experience, and build short lessons filled with different activities to promote letter learning was very helpful especially as we continue our field placements. For my exploration this week I decided to dive deeper into letter lessons since I have been conflicted with the curriculum in my placement when teaching letters. I found an interesting article that attacks "a letter a day". In this blog, she talks about the insight she is able to gain from beginning this new approach. She looks for these few things after the first 26 days

Can they quickly name the letter?

Can they quickly give the letter sound?

Are they able to easily give examples of words that begin with that sound?

Can they write the letter in both upper- and lowercase forms? (I’m not strict with this as I believe letter formation comes with time and maturation of fine motor skills, just want to see a close approximation at this point).

She uses this approach to see which students have a strong base knowledge of letters and can easily move into more heavily focused phonics instruction. I also spoke with some of my coworkers from last year about their approach to teaching phonics and letters of the alphabet. In speaking with these ladies they mentioned their approach is combined, attacking both letter name and sound at the same time. They teach writing uppercase letters before lowercase because of students show better dexterity as they get older and are able to form the smoother lines of the lowercase. By January students are beginning to decode words and write their own sentences easily.

[x0401x]

Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #16

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Colombo’s Bookstore

Sri Lanka didn’t have as many bookstores as Japan. It had about three times as many used car shops as in Japan, I believed. But there were few bookstores.

In the first place, be them used car stores or bookstores, the shops were by no means big. This country was a tiny island with a national territory smaller than Japan’s, so lands that had forest reserves of local nature in them and real estate were probably valuable. If anything, I had an affinity for the place. But it was a pity that the bookstores were so few.

I often spent my time alone nowadays, so above all else, I appreciated having anything to read. I wasn’t the bookworm type, but there were just too many book-selling places in Japan. If you were getting off at some notable station in Tokyo, no matter which one it was, there would be at least one bookstore within walking distance. I also had a fresh memory of Saul-san telling me that “Japanese people really like their books”.

A street vendor was selling scissors in front of a bookstore in the sunlit streets of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Why did he decide to sell scissors by the road? And right before my eyes, a person on a bus riding slowly down the avenue was buying a pair of scissors from him. Did they have some bag that they wanted to cut open no matter what or something? I had no idea, but anyway, this was a world that operated with standards different from Japan’s, in which supply and demand were apparently well-established.

With glass doors, the bookstore had a magnificent structure and felt nice and cold when I stepped in. The study reference books were on the second floor, so I went up the arched stairs that parted to left and right, searching for the shelf that I was aiming for.

There you are.

I took three books from it, and when I went to the checkout, the female clerk, dressed in a sari, asked me, “Is this all?” in English. The official languages ​​of this country were English, Sinhala and Tamil, with English being spoken by both Sinhalese and Tamils. I believed she was Sinhalese. Because the sari was not a Hindu but a Buddhist thing.

“These are volumes 2, 3 and 4. What about volume 1?”

“I bought just volume 1 a while ago. And it was really good, so I also wanted to learn the rest from this book series.”

“So you’re studying Sinhala. That’s rare. Where are you from?”

“I’m Japanese,” I answered.

What I had come to buy was a Sinhala language study reference book. It was a book for people who couldn’t read Sinhala, so it was, of course, written in English. Even so, I had read it a little before traveling. I also found and purchased a Sinhala language study reference book written by a Japanese scholar, which I was able to buy in Japan.

Regardless, it was kind of useless for my range of understanding, so I almost felt like throwing it away before I could learn anything. I told Saul-san about this when asking him for advice, at which he burst into laughter and then bought me a red paperback book.

A Sinhala book written in English.

The letters were very large and there weren’t too many words. As for the quality of the paper, on the bright side, it was straw paper, and on the downside, it was gray and flimsy. But the contents were very easy to understand and the insides were firmly packed.

This reference book taught Sinhala letters first, as well as the meaning and pronunciation of each one. From that point onward, I couldn’t be more thankful for it. Sinhala was a language written with a Sinhalese alphabet, after all. In addition to vowels such as A, I, U, E and O, it jumped on to a variety of consonants and other symbols that stuck one letter to another like joints. It explained each of them carefully so that even people who didn’t know Sinhalese at all could understand them. This book solved a large percentage of the problem that I had stumbled upon, namely “I can’t find the commonalities and differences between letters, so I don’t know how to tell them apart and can’t organize them in my head”. I was grateful for that. There was no need to ask Richard-sensei for a foreign language course via international call all the time anymore.

That being said, there were many letters in Sinhala. Meaning that there were several pronunciations. You’d think that the Japanese syllabary was cute in comparison. Not all of it could be explained in one book, and the lectures were extended over to the second volume, but Saul-san had bought only one book, in case it didn’t suit me. The results were as could be seen. It was the same kind of joy as reading one book from a novel series and then buying all the sequels.

Learning languages was fun. By the looks of it, learning how to link them directly to communication was what worked for me.

“But can’t you live in Sri Lanka while speaking English, even if you don’t understand Sinhala? Are you on a business trip?”

“Something like that, but if possible, I’d like to talk to people using a Sri Lankan language. I’m Japanese, but I’ve had the experience of being a bit happy when someone from a foreign country spoke in Japanese to me, so now I guess it’s my turn.”

“You have so much free time, huh!”

I had no words to reply. The clerk and I burst into laughter without any reserve and finished the checkout. As I went down the arched stairs, I found a space where they were selling festival tools, stationery and picture books. Many of the same books were arranged on two sides.

Or so I thought.

But that was apparently not it. What I thought to be the exact same large-format picture books were the English version and the Sinhala version. You’d miss it if you were distracted because the pictures were the same, but the picture book, which was probably a Sri Lankan version of a “Japanese folktale”-like work, was published in two languages.

“Y’see, the ones who buy these are parents who want their kids to learn English. ‘Cause speaking English comes in handy.”

When I turned around, the clerk who had been at the cash register on the second floor was right behind me. It seemed she had come to see me off. Apparently, the cashier on the first floor called out to her, telling her to go back to work or something like that, to which she replied at length, and the two exchanged laughs. Maybe the people in this bookstore were cheerful, as not all Sri Lankans expressed their emotions so openly.

“This one is the ‘Mean Old Man’. This one is ‘The Perahera Festival’.”

“Can even a small child understand it well?”

“Of course. This book is big so that it’s easy to read to them.”

Indeed, it was a thin picture book of a size larger than A4. In Japan, it wouldn’t be strange for it to have an anime or manga-style art, but the art of this one had an ethnic touch to it, perhaps to match the contents. The colors were rich, the mean old man was drawn in a vile yet comical way, and the blue gradation of the feathers in a bird’s tail looked tasteful.

“Hum, excuse me. Can I buy this too?”

“You’re going to buy it? Do you have children?”

“I’ll read it myself.”

The clerk laughed again, but after a moment, she made a straight face and told me that it certainly might be perfect for studying. I bought the picture book at the cash register on the first floor. Either way, it cost about 500 Sri Lankan rupees, which was about 600 Japanese yen, but in the eyes of this country’s people, that was probably quite a high price. This was a world of 10 rupees for a loaf of bread and 3 rupees for a cup of tea. Thinking like that, I could understand why there weren’t many bookstores and why there were so few people here.

You can’t eat or drink books. They’re not daily necessities either, like clothes, scissors or toothbrushes. Being able to spend money on such things as if it were obvious must be a sign of wealth. My country was all the more disagreeable for having bookstores everywhere. I’d never thought about it that way.

As I took the receipt and said, “Stūtiyi”, which was “thank you” in Sinhala, the black-haired woman smiled, looked at my face and said in Japanese, “Thank you very much. We will be awaiting your return.”

“Amazing!”

“Thanks.”

And so, she told me that her husband had been working with sheet metal in Ibaraki, Japan, for a while. Her pronunciation of the words “Ibaraki” and “sheet metal” was really good. Apparently, her husband had started up a small company with the money he had earned as an immigrant worker and was its president.

With her waving a hand at me and telling me to be careful, I left the store.

Even though it was early spring, the sunlight in Colombo felt like that of midsummer in Japan. But I was growing quite fond of this glare. Everyone walking in the streets was wearing mid-sleeves, and if they were so inclined, beach sandals too, but the humidity wasn’t as high as in Japan, so I could think that, indeed, this was also spring. The white of the temple flowers blooming along the road was refreshing as well. They reminded me just a little bit of cherry blossoms. And from this street, I could clearly see my favorite landmark.

Colombo Tower, a tower that had the lotus flower as its motif.

It was a Tokyo Tower-like landmark, not visible from my base camp, the mountain town of Kandy, and although the shape was grandiose, it was still under construction and nobody could enter it. However, one day – I didn’t know whether that would be while I was still in Sri Lanka or after I had settled somewhere else, but – I definitely wanted to climb that. I would.

May I be a little more proficient in the language of this country than I am now by then, and if possible, may I get to have small talk in the tower.

With a modest goal and a new book, I treaded the way to Saul-san’s office.

[mysticmachmir]

Tarot Through a Jewish Lens (Part I)

Is Tarot Jewish?

No. Tarot was not a Jewish creation and nor does it come from Kabbalah. When Waite made his famous RWS deck, he was a Christian occultist/magician and part of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and also formed his own Fellowship of the Rosy Cross. He was a Catholic involved in 'western esotericism' and fell under the learnings of Eliphas Levi. Eliphas Levi was not a Jewish man. He was a French gentile occultist who changed his name from Alphonse Louis Constant to Éliphas Lévi Zahed -- why? He wanted his magical works to sound more authentically exotic (aka, Jewish) because he appropriated from Jewish mysticism and skewed it for his own wants. He believed that Kabbalah was the "linking factor between the Old Testament and the New Testament", and that is rooted in Christian supersessionism, a violent ideology that has resulted in many murders of the Jewish people. Another example is the french occultist, Court de Gébelin, who claimed that the Major Arcana were numbered to correspond to the 22 letters in both the Egyptian and Hebrew alphabets. It didn’t seem to trouble him that at the time different versions of the deck that was in circulation sometimes had more than and sometimes less than 22 Major Arcana cards. Or that ancient Egyptians didn’t use an alphabet. 

So no. Tarot was created as a playing card game, sprung up in Italy, Germany, and France. It was not intended for 'occult' use until much later. And still, in no way shape or form, was it ever Jewish in origin. In the Torah, besides certain kinds of divination/tools, divination is forbidden and Tarot is considered avodah zarah (idolatry) because it is a non-Jewish practice.

Now I'm sure you're asking: Well you read tarot, why are you telling me this? Aren't you incriminating yourself? I'm telling you because I want to stress and push back against cultural appropriation and Christian supersessionism that is rooted in these beliefs, and I want to make it clear that the relationship between a Jew, halacha, and G!d is on them - but to not fool oneself claiming a non-Jewish practice is actually Jewish. That, I think, is more ludicrous than just using tarot.

Alright, now onto the fun parts and what you are here for.

My Jewish Theology with Tarot

So, this is all my personal theology which obviously you do not have to share. I am Jewish and practice religious Judaism. I believe that there is only one G!d, Hashem, and that They are everywhere and in everything. In academic terms, I am a monotheistic panentheist. This aligns with a lot of Jewish mysticism, especially Chassidus, and consider myself a crossover between the Conservative Jewish denomination and Renewal, with a solid base in the American Neo-Hasidic movement . (Conservative =/= political right-wing in the Jewish movements). I deeply respect Jewish traditions, halacha, and have put a lot of thought in what I believe and how it relates to tarot. There will be of course Jews who disagree with me, but I'm not here to dwell on that. When I read tarot, I am not asking the cards to tell me the answer I am seeking - the cards are a tool, an object, and do not possess spirits of their own. I am asking G!d. Now, angels won't interfere, but sheydim (demons) can. I will talk about protections/rituals one can use to avoid sheydim meddling later. As for questions like: How does one ethically divine? How much power do interpreters have? Does G!d plan everything? Do we have free will when it comes to our future? Let’s look to source texts. “All is foreseen, but free will is given.”  —Rabbi Akiva, Pirke Avot 3:15 "Rabbi Bena’a: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. One time, I dreamed a dream and went to each of them to interpret it. What one interpreted for me the other did not interpret for me, and, nevertheless, all of the interpretations were realized in me, to fulfill that which is stated: All dreams follow the mouth of the interpreter." —Berakhot 55b "The Gemara asks: But doesn’t Rav say that any divination that is not like the divination of Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, when he went to seek a bride for Isaac (see Genesis 24:14), or like the divination of Jonathan, son of Saul, who sought an omen as to whether he and his arms bearer would defeat the Philistines (see I Samuel 14:8–12), is not divination? Since Rav did not rely on the omen in his decision making, he did not violate the prohibition against divination, and there was no reason for him to penalize himself." —Chullin 95b "What is a diviner? One who takes his stick in hand and says, (as though he were consulting it), “Shall I go, or shall I not go?” So does it state, (Hoshea 4:12) “My people ask counsel of their stick, and their staff declareth unto them” (Sifrei Devarim 171:6). (3) מעונן — Rabbi Akiba said, Such are people who assign times (עונות plural of עונה “period”, “time”) — who say, “This time is auspicious to begin some work”; the Sages, however, say, It refers to those “who hold your eyes under control” (who delude by optical deception; they connect מעונן with עין “eye”) (Sifrei Devarim 171:9)." —Rashi on Devarim 18:10-12 "... here he does not rely on the אות which he had stipulated, but where he asked G’d in prayer for help, saying that if certain things were to happen he would regard this as a sign that his prayer had been answered favorably (compare Ibn Ezra there). When the Talmud Chulin 95 כל נחש שאינו כאליעזר עבד אברהם ויהונתן בן שאול אינו נחש, the meaning is that “any divination which is not like that of Eliezer or that of Yonatan ben Sha-ul is not a divination,” i.e. is not permissible, but is akin to relying on witchcraft [Unless the person requesting a sign does so as a prayer directed to G’d it is forbidden. Ed.]" —Sforno on Beresheit 24:14 “The true power of the tarot lies in its ability to channel a clear path for our deep intuition to shine through. Consulting the tarot can help clear creativity blockages, clarify ambitions, work through complex decisions, and make sense of emotions and relationships.” —Holistic Tarot, Benebell Wen

In my interpretation of these quotes, I gather a few things:

1. In Jewish thought, dreams are 1/60th prophecy. However, dreams follow the mouth, i.e. interpretations. Multiple interpretations can be true. Being a confident and learned interpreter is important. While I did not quote it, the sages also advise the one should pay your interpreters fairly. 

2. Hashem has given humans free will, so we can make our own choices. That is unique to us as beings, unlike angels. G!d already knows the possible outcomes.

3. It is not divination to notice and realize patterns or answers as long as you do not use it as an omen to change immediate course - examples the sages mention in specific are "a piece of bread falls from your mouth, so you decide not to walk to the lake", i.e, seeking 'signs' and omens randomly to direct your life.

4. Rashi's explanation of what a diviner and sorcerer are, compiled from different Jewish texts. Now, I am not here to say "and this is proof Judaism and halacha are actually fine with divination!" Nope, in Bamidbar 23:23, it is very clear that Jews are told to get what they need from prophets or G!d themself, and do not need augury. What I am arguing here is that by these specifications, and connecting to my final point of what tarot actually is, tarot may not fall under that category depending on how you use it.

5. I wanted to highlight Sforno's commentary here because the way I read tarot is via prayer. Tarot is a tool, and when I begin a reading, I am not asking the cards, I am asking Hashem to use these cards as a sign and communication.

6. Finally, I quoted Benebell Wen because of her poignant understanding of how tarot is less about "fortune-telling" and more about a creative psycho-spiritual exercise for intuition and is more like a mirror to our subconscious telling us what is true. Fusing this with the ideas above, this is my short rundown of how I see and view Tarot: Tarot is a prayerful, spiritual tool as a way I can interpret and communicate from G!d, and I understand the cards themselves are not going to tell the future. Tarot is a mirror for the subconscious and a way for us to work through things we do not feel we can do on our own, be'ezrat Hashem (with the help of G!d).

Jewish Tarot Spreads

As I don't want to just post photos, I am instead going to include links to the tarot spreads I have found, to their origins so you can know the creator!The Archangel Spread The Divine Threads Spread Wisdom of the Hebrew Priestess Spread Vessel, Offering, Ally Spread Do Not Play It Small Spread Rooting and Releasing Spread

Jewish Tarot and Oracle Decks

Eht/Aht Netivot Oracle Deck

Tu B’shevat Oracle Deck

Moon Angels Oracle Deck

Malakhim Meditative Cards

Raziel Tarot Deck (Out of Print)

Jewish Tarot (Never Printed, Can See All Cards Virtually)

72 Names Deck

Tokens of Light Deck

King Solomon Deck

Revealed by the Letters Deck

Cleansing and Protection

So, of course, this is so dependent on what you think is most important for you, as it is your practice. However, I will share what I do.

When it comes to doing readings, I have a very specific ritual. First, I light incense or a candle depending on what I feel like doing at the time. This is something I am still working on and trying what fits best for me and my cards. I will use incense smoke to cleanse cards or the "knocking" card trick. Then, I say two prayers - I recite the blessing:

"Blessed are you G!d, Ruler of the Universe, who opens the eyes of the blind. The reason is because of the allegory that intuition and divination are connecting to a special type of sight. Then, in the case of the concern with sheydim messing with the reading, I have decided to use the protective angel prayer: 

"In the name of the Lord, G!d of Israel: 

May the angel Michael be at my right side, 

and at my left side, Gabriel,

before me Uriel, behind me Raphael,

and above my head, Shekhinat El, G!d's presence." This is traditionally recited at night, but I felt it was just as appropriate to call on these angels for protection. Plus, Uriel is associated with illumination and is a useful presence to have during these readings. In Jewish gemology, lapis lazuli is good for bringing understanding and grounding intuition, so I use that gemstone as well while I read. Eventually, I'd like to also get an onyx as it is associated with enlightenment and wisdom in Jewish gemology. I also use a tarot cloth with a hamsa and have a protective amulet pendant.

Finally, when I shuffle my cards, I sing a very specific phrase - the "ein od milvado" from Kohelet 1:2, in a tune that puts me into a meditative headspace - and I shuffle with my eyes closed, only stopping when I feel it is right to do so. I also use a kabbalistic meditation technique to allow the divine flow (shefa) from G!d's light flow through the crown of my head. 

If you liked this work and information, consider tipping me at: https://ko-fi.com/ezrasaville!

Sources (I will post this in every post of this series): Sefaria Chabad Tarot and the Gates of Light by Mark Horn Torah, Tarot, and Tantra by William Blank The Jewish Dream Book by Vanessa Ochs Magic of the Ordinary by R. Gershon Winkler Tarot Wisdom by Rachel Pollack The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet by R. Michael Munk The Encyclopedia of Jewish Magic, Myth, and Mysticism by R. Geoffrey Dennis https://www.telshemesh.org/ https://hsastrology.weebly.com/hebrew-zodiac-signs.html https://ohr.edu/this_week/ask_the_rabbi/2394 https://www.gatesoflighttarot.com/ http://www.devotaj.com/ http://www.peelapom.com/

[natromanxoff]

I am sure many of you have already read this one but here are some parts from Ash Alexander’s Queen journey for those who haven’t!

“...At some point in early At some point in early 1983 on a visit to Jacky at the QFC, John Deacon wondered into the office. He came into the basement office and said hello as Jacky introduced me, sat down and spent a little time reading through press clippings. He could easily have slipped away back upstairs, but the fact that he stayed was a nice touch.

Another fan club letter arrived with good news. In Another fan club letter arrived with good news. In November 1983, fan club members were invited to help in a video for the new single 'Radio Ga Ga' at Shepperton Studios. Again, my Mum stepped up and drove me down for the day. I took the day off school and had just turned 14. We arrived at the studio and were ushered into a huge hanger where we were kitted out with white body suits and then sprayed with a light grey stripe on each arm - even now I’m not sure what the spray paint was for as you can’t see it in the video. When we had all been prepared, we were taken into an adjoining hanger and were greeted by the band and an initial play through of the song. The rest of the day was spent clapping as you’ll see in the video. I wound up in the front row, opposite Brian. If you look closely and you know what you’re looking for, you can see me!

In between takes, I approached John Deacon who was surprisingly on his own. I remember trying to remain calm as I approached him. I didn’t mention our brief meeting, I asked him how to get a job in recording studios and that I was interested in pursuing a career as a sound engineer. He was really helpful and took time to explain the usual route.

On 22, March 1984 at Limehouse Studios in London’s docklands, the video for ‘I Want To Break Free’ was filmed, again with the help of fan club members. I went along with my brother Andrew. The set was a big dark staircase that we all stood on. We were given black bodysuits this time that were sprouted with hello paint on the arms. We also wore a hard hat with a head lamp attached to it. The band were set in the middle of us all. After all the filming, we returned to the main building where we said hello to Roger. He’d come out to say thanks. Later, waiting for a cab down in reception, Freddie glided down the staircase and past us with his entourage. I remember wanting to get up and say thanks, but the opportunity was missed.

...20th April 1992. My friend Chesney Hawkes was managed by Trinifold. They also managed The Who. He invited me along to the Freddie Mercury Tribute gig at Wembley. Roger Daltry was appearing and Ches had a spare ticket. He only had one backstage pass though. This was overcome by him befriending the chap on the security door. Ches came out to meet me with his pass. He returned on his own and got in. I confidently flashed my pass and entered the Hard Rock tented area. Ches beckoned me over from the other side of the room. He was signing autographs for a lady, her two children and an older lady was with them. He introduce me to them saying I was a huge Queen fan. ‘This is Freddie’s mother' he whispered to me. I remember saying to her that I wish we’d met under different circumstances and how deeply sorry I was about her loss and how incredibly proud she should be. I often wonder about her.

...In Spring 1993, I was in front office. It was well after midnight and I’d left a s session for a little break. As usual, I took a look in the studio diary to see what was coming up. I flicked through the weeks and came upon an booking entry “Studio 3 - QUEEN” for 2 weeks that was pencilled in. There was no further info than that. I put my initials next to the booking thinking there would be a rational explanation as to what the booking really was. I soon found myself on a 2 week session with Queen.My diary from 1993 is lost, so I have only a mental note as to when & what songs were touched upon at this initial stage of 'Made In Heaven'. We started taking delivery of various multitrack tapes on varied formats. These were then transferred to digital 48 track tapes for future work. Roger & John were alone on these sessions as Brian was touring in Japan. I remember Roger being rather dismissive of Brian being unavailable, much like a brother sledging his sibling would do, with a slightly jealous edge but genuine at the same time.

...Over the 2 week session, Roger would suggest we went out for dinner. We had 3 or 4 meals out at a local Italian restaurant. Even now I laugh at jumping into the back of Roger’s Merc and the four of us driving down Abbey Road to the restaurant. It was owned by an Italian lady that would force you to smell her ‘wonderful mushrooms’ from a jar, which she made Roger do. On our initial meal she told Roger he looked familiar. ‘I know you’, she said. ‘Where have I seen you before?’ ‘Well, I’m in a band and we’ve been on TV before.’ Roger replied. John seemed calm with his lack of recognition. ‘What group do you play for?’ she asked. ‘I’m the drummer in a rock n roll band called Queen’ he replied. ‘No - I don’t hear of this band’ …We finished our food and the bill was called for. It showed up. John took it and asked Roger if he should use the Queen card to pay for it or his own card.

Roger’s drum kit arriving half way through the first week of sessions was a surprise for Noel Harris (the engineer) & me. We expected the sessions to be playing back tapes and working through the various formats to find possible material to be worked on at a later date. Noel was unfamiliar with the room in studio 3 and asked my opinion where to set the kit up and what microphones I would use. Eventually he left me to it. The kit was positioned and I mic’d it up that evening. John had his red Fender bass DI’d (no amp was used) and sat with us in the control room. I doubt these recordings made it through to the final mixes, it’s nice to think that they did.

...Tuesday 5th September

During the afternoon Brian’s guitar and a Vox AC30 appeared in the studio, brought in by Pete Malandrone. We were to do guitar overdubs on ‘You Don't Fool Me’. David asked me to put two Shure 421 microphones pointing into the back of the speaker cabinet. We did have two SM57’s on the front but these weren’t used in the recording.

I had to do a recall of the mix, which meant noting all of the studio outboard settings so we could get back to the mix and finish it off.

We had a technical problem with the Sony 3348 tape machine and eventually had it swapped for a new one. Brian clearly wasn’t aware we weren’t ready for him. I was half way through telling him and Jim Beach jumped in and finished off my explanation. Brian got really cross with him and slammed an empty coffee mug down on the studio table. Later Brian was so apologetic for his outburst. He must have told Jim he was sorry 4 times. As I type this I note it was Freddie’s birthday.

Brian slipped on his guitar that was linked to his amp with one lead. No pedals. His sound was instant and we were soon ready to record. He stood in front of the console in the control facing David & me.

Brian had an idea of what he wanted to play. The guitar riff had already been recorded. The solo guitar is what was added. Brian used a scrap of paper that he drew a map of dots on. Not like musical notation but his own short hand. It reminded me of being at the 'Radio Ga Ga' video shoot 13 years earlier. I was the same distance from Brian as I was then, but the scenario was beyond my imagination.

...Friday 8th September

Day Off - I may have met Pete Malandron at the Sun Inn in Barnes this afternoon. The QIFC was based round the corner at the time & Brian had a house there too, although I'm not sure he lived there at the time. I was with a friend and Pete joined us in the pub. He sat near the window and kept looking out of it. I asked what he was looking at and he replied "I always get worried when I'm out with Brian's guitar. It's in the boot of the car you see." He stayed for one drink and decided it was time to leave.

...One of the evenings of this second week, George Michael came to visit. There was a strong possibility that he would sing on one of the songs. Roger, John, Brian, David, George & I sat chatting in the control room. One of the conversations moved onto the Beatles and their current 'best of' release. I think Brian suggested that it was a bad idea releasing all their old material and I piped up that the fans would buy it regardless, much like the scenario Queen were about to face with the imminent release of the album. There was a deathly hush as I realised what I was saying. I wasn’t being at all derogatory. I was helped out of the hole I was digging by George who agreed with me and we moved on. No one actually spoke about doing a vocal. After George left the studio that evening, Roger was clear that he wasn’t keen on the idea.After looking through the Vintage Car garage across the road from the studio one afternoon, Roger saw a black Cadillack convertible that he quite liked. The following morning he came into the studio and said ‘Don’t tell Jim, but I bought the car.’ It was £80, 000.

Brian asked me if had been involved in the Abbey Road Sessions. Perhaps he’d seen my name on the tape boxes. I said that I was. Immediately he made a phone call. I didn’t hear all that he said, but I knew it was about a special thanks on the album credits. The following morning, after the artwork had been finalised, Roger came in and said ‘morning Aardvark’. Because the special thanks were alphabetic, I was on top of the list. It wasn’t until I bought a copy of the album and saw my name on it that I finally took on board that I had actually achieved one of my dreams.”

[rickwhite]

The Ten Sefirot: A Brief History

As our Sages famously teach, God created the entire universe through Ten Utterances (Avot 5:1). When we look in the first chapter of Genesis at the account of Creation, we find the expression “And God said” exactly 10 times. It was through these Ten Utterances that God brought the entire cosmos into existence. It is important to note that the last instance of “And God said” (1:29) is really just a continuation of the ninth instance (1:28). The actual remaining Utterance is the first word of the Torah: Beresheet. This word itself was the First Utterance, and was the initial burst of energy that brought a dark universe into existence. The Second Utterance was “Let there be light”, and the Third was “Let there be a firmament”. While the first three clearly involve grand cosmic developments, the remaining seven Utterances all relate specifically to Earth.

Of course, all of the above tens correspond to the Ten Sefirot, the first emanations that emerged out of God’s Infinite Ein Sof. The Ten Sefirot permeate all of existence, which is why we find so many patterns of ten in the Torah and all around us in Creation. The notion of Ten Sefirot is a foundational and inseparable part of Judaism, yet few are aware of where all the information about the Sefirot came from! It is commonly thought that the Sefirot were first revealed by the Zohar, but this is highly inaccurate. Discussion of the Sefirot dates back centuries before the first publication of the Zohar. So, let’s take a brief trip back in time to explore the historical revelation of the Sefirot.

Sefer Yetzirah

Possibly the oldest known text to discuss the Ten Sefirot is the ancient Sefer Yetzirah. Its teachings are attributed to none other than Abraham, the first patriarch. Based on an analysis of its language, it is quite likely that it was first recorded and published around the same time as the Mishnah, and possibly even earlier to the end of the Second Temple era. It is already mentioned in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 65b).

Sefer Yetzirah begins by outlining the 32 Paths of Wisdom, corresponding to the 32 times that God is mentioned in the account of Creation. Here we find for the first time a clear reference to the teaching that the Ten Utterances parallel the Ten Sefirot. Having said that, we do not find in Sefer Yetzirah any of the names of the Sefirot with which we are familiar today (such as Chessed and Gevurah). Instead, we are first told that the Ten Sefirot correspond to the ten fingers of the hand (1:2), and then that we should understand them deeply (1:3), before being given a list of the Ten Sefirot as follows: “Beginning and End, Good and Evil, Up and Down, East and West, North and South.” (1:4)

Sefer Yetzirah then gives further explanation, saying that the first Sefirah is Ruach HaKodesh, the “Holy Spirit” of God. Out of this spirit emerges the next Sefirah, the physical “wind”, Ruach, or air. Out of air comes “water”, Mayim, from which emerges Esh, “fire”. Now that we have these primordial elements, the next six Sefirot are the ketzavot, the six directions of up, down, east, west, north, south. This ends the first chapter of Sefer Yetzirah, and the second begins by elucidating the 22 holy letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

In short, Sefer Yetzirah explains that God created the entire three-dimensional cosmos with six directions of space, filled it with His Spirit, from which He first created the primordial elements, from which everything else was then generated. Here, the Ten Sefirot correspond to space, spirit, and the primordial elements of Creation.

Talmud in Chagigah

It may come as a surprise to some that the Talmud actually does speak of the Ten Sefirot in cryptic fashion. It is found in one of the most esoteric sections of the Talmud, in tractate Chagigah (12a). Here is where we also find the famous story of the “Four Who Entered Pardes”, a cautionary tale about delving too intensely into mystical matters. The Talmud is the first to reveal some of the actual names of the Sefirot. While the Mishnah has already told us that God created with Ten Utterances, here in the Talmud we get a lot more detail, with links to sources directly from the Torah:

With ten things was the world created: With wisdom [Chokhmah], and with understanding [Tevunah], and with knowledge [Da’at], and with strength [Koach], and with rebuke [Ge’ara], and with might [Gevurah], with righteousness [Tzedek] and with judgment [Mishpat], with lovingkindness [Chessed] and with compassion [Rachamim].

With wisdom and understanding, for it is written: “God founded the earth with wisdom; and with understanding He established the Heavens.” [Proverbs 3:19] With knowledge, for it is written: “With His knowledge, the depths were broken up…” [Proverbs 3:20] With strength and might, for it is written: Who by His strength set the mountains firmly, Who is girded with might.” [Psalms 65:6] With rebuke, for it is written: “The pillars of Heaven were trembling, astonished at His rebuke.” [Job 26:11] With righteousness and judgment, for it is written: “Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Your throne.” [Psalms 89:15] With lovingkindness and compassion, for it is written: “Remember, God, Your compassions and Your kindnesses; for they have been of old.” [Psalms 25:6]

It is quite simple to parallel this list in the Talmud with the Sefirot as we know them: Chokhmah, Binah (or Tevunah), and Da’at are clear, as are Gevurah, Chessed, and Rachamim (ie. Tiferet). Koach and Ge’ara can be paralleled to Netzach and Hod, while Tzedek and Mishpat relate to Yesod and Malkhut, as we shall soon see.

Sefer HaBahir

The next major text to explore the Ten Sefirot is another ancient mystical book, Sefer HaBahir, the “Book of Illumination”. It may be as old as Sefer Yetzirah, and is generally attributed to Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKanah, who lived at the end of the Second Temple era. Sefer HaBahir was officially first published in the late 12th century, possibly by Itzchak Sagi Nehor (“Isaac the Blind”, c. 1160-1235). It is in Sefer HaBahir where we are told that the first Sefirah is called Keter. The second is Chokhmah, while the third is referred to as Mechatzev haTorah, literally a “quarry” from which wisdom is extracted. The latter is undoubtedly the equivalent of Binah, with deeper understanding compared to the act of “chiseling” and refining a rough block of knowledge. The fourth is Tzidkat Hashem, the “charity of God”, and His Chessed. The fifth is referred to only as the “fire of the Holy One”, His “left hand” and the place of the fiery angels. The sixth is God’s “Throne of Glory” in which the divine Light of Creation, the Ohr haGanuz, is concealed.

Following this, the Bahir gets a little convoluted (see Ch. 153, et seq.). There are multiple ways to understand its language, the simplest being that the seventh Sefirah is called Aravot or Shamayim, “Heavens”; the eighth is Yesod; the ninth is Netzach (associated with the Ofanim), and the tenth is Netzach Netzachim. Significantly, here we see a discussion of the place of circumcision as it relates to the eighth, Yesod. The later Kabbalists would have much to say about Yesod and Tikkun haBrit—the guarding and rectifying of one’s “covenant”. It is also worth mentioning how the Bahir explains the root of the word “Sefirah”: According to the Bahir, the word comes from Psalms 19:2, that “The Heavens describe [mesaprim] the glory of God…” In other words, “Sefirah” comes from the root lesaper, meaning “to relate” or “to describe”. The point of the Sefirot is to reveal and relate deeper information about God’s Creation.

Biur Eser Sefirot

The Bahir was first published by one of the great early mystical circles in the south of France and north of Spain. Among the key members of this circle was Rabbi Azriel ibn Menachem al-Taras of Gerona (c. 1160-1238), who was actually a student of Isaac the Blind. Rabbi Azriel put together a short text called Biur Eser Sefirot, “Explanation of the Ten Sefirot”, also known as Sha’ar HaShoel, “Gate of the Enquirer”. It is a wonderful step-by-step guide, written clearly and concisely, through a set of sequential questions (it can be accessed here).

At the time, discussion of the Ten Sefirot was only just beginning to enter the public discourse, so it was necessary to explain what these Sefirot are, and why they are in no way contradictory to the notion of monotheism. In fact, Rabbi Azriel makes it clear that a monotheist really has to accept the Sefirot, for otherwise there is no way to explain how an infinite, perfect, ethereal God could produce a finite, imperfect, physical dimension of all kinds of disparate elements. The Sefirot serve as the interface between the singular Ein Sof and our seemingly diffuse and diverse reality.

In Biur Eser Sefirot, Rabbi Azriel gives us the names of the Sefirot as follows: Rom Ma’alah, Chokhmah, Binah, Chessed, Pachad, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Tzadik Yesod Olam, and Tzedek. Rabbi Azriel goes on to group them, with the first three being related to sekhel, “the intellect”, ie. the mochin. The next three he relates to the realm of nefesh, “soul”. The final four are related mostly to the guf, “body”. Rabbi Azriel then explains the power of each one: the first is divine, the second is angelic, the third is prophetic. The fourth is kindness while the fifth is judgement. The sixth is rachamim, “compassion”, as expected. The seventh is in order to strengthen the soul, while the eighth appears to be to weaken it, and the ninth channels all the others. The tenth is also referred to as “judgement”, here in the lower realms.

Finally, Rabbi Azriel relates the Sefirot to the various souls and parts of the body, though differently from what we might expect: The first Sefirah of Rom Ma’alah corresponds to the highest level of soul, the Yechidah. Next, Chokhmah corresponds to Chayah, and Binah to Ruach. Chessed is Nefesh, while Gevurah/Pachad is Neshamah! Tiferet is the blood, Netzach is the bones, Hod is the flesh, Yesod is the nerves, and Tzedek is the skin.

Sha’arei Orah and Zohar

One of the great mystics who was influenced by the Kabbalistic schools of southern France and northern Spain was Rabbi Avraham Abulafia (c. 1240-1291). He considered himself a prophet and even thought he might be Mashiach, which didn’t make him especially popular. One of his students, though, would find a lot more recognition, Rabbi Yosef Chiquitilla (usually misspelled as “Gikatilla”, c. 1248-1305). He composed one of the first proper Kabbalistic manuals, called Sha’arei Orah. The Arizal would later consider it standard reading and a must for any aspiring mystic. Sha’arei Orah goes into great depth exploring the Ten Sefirot, and tying them to the ten major names of God that appear in the Tanakh. God’s varying “names” refer to His different manifestations, which then relates directly to the Ten Sefirot, the channels through which we can come to know God and His Creation.

It is in Sha’arei Orah that we finally see the exact array of Sefirot as we know them today. Rabbi Chiquitilla even provides the famous “Tree of Life” diagram of the Sefirot, and refers to it as an ilan, “tree”. Though he may have been the first to put this image together in print, others credit Isaac the Blind, or even his father Rabbi Avraham ben David (the Raavad, c. 1125-1198). Note that Rabbi Chiquitilla also refers to Chessed as Gedulah, which is how it is called in I Chronicles 29:11, one of the key Biblical sources for the Sefirot.

A diagram of the Sefirot from Sha'arei Orah

Rabbi Chiquitilla was a contemporary of Rabbi Moshe de Leon (c. 1240-1305), who was the first to publish the Zohar. It is likely that the two were part of the same Kabbalistic circle of mystics in Spain, and it isn’t exactly clear whether it was the Zohar or Sha’arei Orah that was put in print first. (It is generally agreed that the Zohar was first published in 1290 or 1291.) In any case, the Zohar and Sha’arei Orah present essentially identical Sefirotic systems. This system is described most succinctly in a separate Zohar work called Tikkunei HaZohar (17a), where the angel-prophet Eliyahu reveals the secret of the Sefirot to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar, when they were hiding and learning in a cave:

Eliyahu opened and said: “Master of Worlds! You are One, but not numerically. You are higher than the high; more concealed than the concealed—no thought grasps You at all. It is You who generated ten “garments”, called by us the Ten Sefirot, by which both concealed and revealed worlds are conducted. In them You conceal Yourself from human beings, while You are the One who binds and unites them. Since You are within, whoever separates one of these ten from another—it is as if he divided You…

The “garments” are named thus: Chessed, the right arm; Gevurah, the left arm; Tiferet, the trunk of the body; Netzach and Hod, the two thighs; Yesod, the “end” of the body, the sign of the holy covenant; Malkhut, the mouth—and this is the Oral Torah. Chokhmah is the brain, inner thought. Binah is the heart, through which the heart understands. Of these two it is written, “The hidden things are for Hashem, our God…” (Deuteronomy 29:28). The highest crown of kingship is supernal Keter, of which it is said, “He declares from the beginning [reisheet] the end…” (Isaiah 46:10)

Here we come full circle, for the teachings of the Zohar date back to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (“Rashbi”) and his mystical fellowship. Rashbi was one of the primary students of Rabbi Akiva, who alone was able to enter Pardes in peace, and exit in peace, as per the story in Chagigah of the “Four Who Entered Pardes”. Rabbi Akiva was a contemporary of Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKanah, and of that early generation of mystics that likely first put Sefer Yetzirah and Sefer haBahir into writing. Above, the Zohar links right back to the Sefirot as described in Sefer Yetzirah, explaining that Keter is the Reisheet (“Beginning”) that is mentioned as the first Sefirah in Sefer Yetzirah. In other words, all of the varying names and descriptions of the Sefirot we have seen are, of course, speaking of the exact same ten forces.

We have now seen how the wisdom of the Ten Sefirot was revealed little by little, one generation at a time, starting with the briefest descriptions and allusions in Sefer Yetzirah and the Mishnah, followed by a fuller description in the Talmud, before the entire system was elucidated in later mystical publications like Sha’arei Orah and the Zohar. Today, we have all the information at our fingertips to truly grasp the Sefirot and delve into their depths. The Sefirot permeate all things in existence, and all the many things that are ten in the Torah—Ten Utterances, Ten Plagues, Ten Commandments, Ten Trials, etc.—relate to the Ten Sefirot (see Sha’ar HaMitzvot on Ki Tetze). This wondrous knowledge allows us to penetrate the depths of the Torah and reveal its wonder, and to better understand every facet of the complex universe that God built.

Shabbat Shalom!

[marcholasmoth]

OSRR: 2486

today was a really good day.

joel got his cast off and is now in a boot that he can take off for things. yay!

graduation was fuckin hot. but it was wonderful! it was at the baseball stadium in manchester, and the graduates (we) were sitting on chairs on the field. in the sun. in black polyester gowns and hats. thankfully there was a breeze, and it didn't go the full two hours i had anticipated it being.

and honestly, it was really cool. when i graduated from UNHM, it was a standard-faire 4-year-university graduation. this one recognized the hard work of each student and the diversity in the graduating class, took pride in it. and that was really beautiful.

but back to the beginning.

directions were unclear tbh. once i found where i was supposed to go, i made my way down a long/ass hill to the check-in point for students. after checking in and stopping by the ptk table to grab my cords, i went to the table next to it, and i was given this envelope. inside was a medal that was placed around my neck by the person handling the packets. a bright smile on my face at my second-ever medal, i went and found my seat on the other side of the field. after a bit of curiosity, i opened the packet. i found a letter inside. the letter was from the school. (obviously.) but what it said i was humbled by.

the letter told me that i had been given the recipient of the academic excellence award for the math and physics department.

i could tell by the nomination blurb that i had been nominated by dr. noah. i read the letter four times, and i looked at my medallion, and i cried. i called my aunt who had called me a minute before and i told her and my mother about it. my mom cried too.

the commencement speaker spoke about her experience as an ICU nurse and as a air force national guard medic helping distribute vaccines. but what i really got from her speaking about her experiences in nursing dealing with covid-19 was that humanity is resilient. people are hardy. we as communities are built stronger than the challenges we face. and sure, shit gets hard. we've dealt with a global pandemic, a wildly and debilitatingly traumatizing event, and come out on the other end. maybe a little worse for wear, maybe a lot worse for wear. but we've come out the other end. we as individuals and as communities will persevere, regardless of what we face. more than ever, i felt that. and that had me in tears.

we had all been given pieces of paper with our names on them and we had been lined up in alphabetical order by seat (i was by where the shortstop would be), and as we went up to receive our "diplomas," we were to give the person who called the names the paper so they knew who we were as they announced us going by. president bicknell handed out the folders and congratulated us each as we went by. as i walked down the first base line, i saw both dr lamontagne and dr eckhardt sitting in the front row of the professors! they waved and cheered as i walked by, and i waved and smiled back. i made a heart with my hands at them, and they made hearts back!! i love them so much. i'm so glad they were there.

we were stopped for photos at first base, and were sent walking back around to our seats.

tassels changed, lots of applause, leaving the field row by row, albeit a little slowly. that was because there were things we needed to pick up on our way out: namely alumni sweatshirts and our diplomas! i walked out with lots of sweat, new cords, pins, a medal, a letter and certificate of achievement, and my diploma. how fucking cool is that. it was so nice to feel like my hard work and stress and consternation was validated, that it was all worth it in the end. because it really was. it still is. and i'm so excited about that.

we went to olive garden after, and my parents gave me a short note and a pandora charm for my bracelet, one with a graduation cap with a floppy tassel on a stack of books. it's perfect.

joel and i headed home after that, him plopping on the couch and me resting a little bit before heading out to paint like any other tuesday evening. i finished up the flamingo i started a few weeks ago for lisa for mother's day! finally. i'm excited to see how it'll turn out. i got to show hannah and casey my medal too! it's so cool. i took a picture of it and sent it to a bunch of people on snapchat, and andrew sent back a message saying "good job Zuko!!" i said, "why am i zuko" and then, "is it because i'm bad at being good or is it because i'm really awkward" and he just sent back, "HONOR" and i lost my shit. just absolutely lost it. i totally didn't even realize that. it does say "honor" on it, so it makes sense but i totally missed it.

after dinner hannah brought out her gift for me. i must include three things: (1) at this point i was very tired, (2) i cry when i get tired, and also (3) i cry over cute things.

so it's no surprise to anybody that i broke down sobbing when i opened this box with a fuzzy stuffed frog with a graduation cap and a flower. like, i couldn't stop the tears. wiping them away just made my face wet. and then i read the card that he was holding, and i cried harder. i managed to cry a little less hard, and then i opened the rest of the box to find graduation socks (more tears) and an envelope that had stickers of adorable animals who were graduating or studying (even more tears). i just cried for a solid like, seven minutes. and then i cried some more when i got back in the car! because what would it be without tears.

his name is harold.

(i even did some homework before obsessing over scheduling for unh for the fall. amazing.)

(and the fact that joel was there with me through the whole thing, even though he doesn't really see it as a big deal, it meant a lot to me that he was there for me. and i'm grateful he came along.)

i'm just happy. time for sleeping.

[wandaterrell]

What is a Postal Code

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What are Postal Codes and How Do They Work?

Businesses of all kinds are familiar with terms like address cleansing and ZIP+4 code. They are aware that you need a complete ZIP+4 code to send and receive packages via USPS without any delays and to ensure the mail’s deliverability. Yet, businesses often remain ignorant of what is what and focus solely on their campaigns/efforts and their reach.

Businesses must realize that they need to have a comprehensive idea of what is what if they are to come up with feasible and innovative solutions. You can’t be inspired to come up with a smart solution or alternative with a limited understanding of what you are dealing with. And as far as a company’s direct mail efforts are concerned, the postal code is the perfect place to start.

You need to understand what is postal code so that you can have a better understanding of how your direct mail efforts work. This article discusses what postal code is, how the ZIP+4 code fits into pictures, and how it is important for your address verification and validation process.

What is Postal Code?

Postal codes are a set of numbers, a very specific set of numbers (although it sometimes includes letters too) that helps postal services determine the destination of a mail. The postal code allows a mail to reach its destination, and full ZIP+4 makes sure that it reaches the destination ASAP. The use of postal code is standard practice across nations all around the world. Even though the details may be different, the basic functioning is similar everywhere.

The postal code system across different countries may vary, and so will their format but their purpose remains the same, and that is to make postal delivery easier. Every stage in postal delivery is optimized by the use of postal codes. This optimization includes the batching of posts sent to a particular state to the stage where the postman makes the delivery. In essence, the postal code dictates the extent of the delivery jurisdictions.

So, every address that falls under the same delivery jurisdiction will have the same postal code assigned to it. However, this broad classification only applies to a part of the code if you are referring to a full 9-digits postal code. It is also worth noting that sometimes the postal codes are based on their geographical areas or even administrative boundaries in some cases. On the flip side, sometimes they are free-floating in nature or integral to a certain organization or a single delivery point.

It may feel that the postal code allocation may very well be random with so many different bases for their allocations, but there exists a common element between all of them. And what is that? Well, the postal codes are closely linked to the delivery route of a postal employee. It makes perfect sense to do it this way because the purpose of the postal codes in effect is to streamline their delivery process, reducing the time required for deliveries through effective planning.

How the Postal Code was Created

The postal codes had a massive impact on all the activities related to postal delivery, and this goes for every country in the world. A system that is simple yet effective enough to manage the postal operations of big countries such as the US. As an address verification company that works closely with postcodes, we can’t help but get a little excited when talking about the origin of postal codes.

So the story begins when the cities in the US started to grow bigger and bigger. As the cities kept on growing, the delivery of postal mails also became more and more challenging. Soon there were not enough postman or post offices to deliver all the letters; keep in mind that this was at a time when letters were the only means of communication for the vast majority of the population.

The most obvious solution at this point was to simply meet the increased demand for postal services was optimize the logistic capability of the postal body. To optimize the logistical capabilities, more post offices were built and more postmen were hired. But the problems were only beginning because the postal delivery was potentially a management nightmare.

Why? Because despite having new post offices and new postmen to deliver the mails, it still did not rectify the problem of how one would find the different addresses. There were a lot of questions that were left unanswered, such as which post office would deliver an address that is exactly halfway between two post offices? An efficient way had to be developed that is productive in a way that none of the resources went to waste.

A similar situation prevailed in different parts of the world during the time. It was in London that they first started using the postal codes in the late 1800s. London was subdivided into ten different districts to meet the postal delivery requirements and is often signified as the first source of postal codes. They called these newly classified districts postal districts or postal zones.

To keep track of them effectively, they were all numbered, and that is how “postal district numbers” or “postal zone numbers” came into being. Although during the first World War, such systems already existed in various European countries, the one from London is often regarded as the origin.

The US began using the postal code system a bit later but not later than the 1920s. Since then, the postal delivery system has gone through numerous changes and optimized for better and faster deliveries. Even with all the progress that we have made since then, the district numbering system is still the foundation on which the modern-day postal codes are built on.

Using Postal Codes Across the Country

The postal code that had its inception in London was merely the tip of the iceberg. The district code created in London was a primitive one because they only ever covered a big city and nothing more. As one would expect from a new system, even though it had some sound logic behind the first postal code was not effectively implemented. The system was perfected over the years and evolved itself to what we now see around the world.

For starters, the first postal code was created only for big cities like London. It was never equipped to cover larger areas like states or the country. They lacked the systematic superiority to implement them on a larger scale. It was the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic that first implemented a country-wide postal code system back in 1932. However, this did not last as they failed to implement it efficiently, and it was finally discontinued in 1939.

If you are looking for a functioning example of a postal system in history, then you will have to go to Germany in 1941. Even though they were dealing with the war at the time, the Germans still managed to keep effective postal communication throughout the country. Later in 1963, the US also joined the club by implementing the ZIP-code system. In the meantime, it took another decade for the UK that actually began the practice of postal code to implement it nationwide.

But we have not once had to look back ever since the introduction of a nationwide postal code system. The beauty of the system and probably the reason that it has not been replaced by an alternative system is its ability to expand. It allows countries to expand and accommodate for new or additional areas simply by adding new digits to the already existing code.

The postal codes are much more than just a means of delivering direct mails today. They help in geocoding, address validation, and more. They can help you with identity verifications and even checking for stolen credit cards. At this point, the postal code is not something you can afford to be ignorant about because it has many real-life uses, and you never know when you might need one in your personal or professional life.

International Mailing Postal Code Names

We have already made it clear that countries around the world use a postal code system. However, it is not necessarily called a postal code everywhere around the globe. It’s similar to how in the US we call an elevator an “elevator,” and in the UK, they call it a “lift,” and we haven’t even considered the non-English speaking countries yet. Every country has a different term, and below we take a look at some of the most popular ones.

In the US, we call the postal service the ZIP code or “Zone Improvement Plan.” The “Postal Code” is a generic term, and it is universally applicable, and it also happens to be the name used by Canada’s postal service. Many English-speaking nations like the Netherlands use the name Postcode which, as you can see, is just a slightly different variant of the “postal code.” In Italy, they call it CAP, which is short for “Codice di Avviamento Postale” which further translates to Postal Expedition Code.

In Ireland, the postal code goes by the name Eircode, which is their latest delivery code system. Brazil calls it “Código de Endereçamento” (CEP), which in English means Postal Addressing Code. In India, the postal codes go by the name “Postal Index Number code” or PIN code/Pincode. The Germans call it “Postleitzahl” or PAZ, which conveniently translates to “postal code.”

Postal Code and Their Different Formats

Although there are certain generalities when it comes to postal code format, they still have many variations, and it is essential to understand these different formats. Beginning with the characters used in the postal codes, you need to keep in mind that the actual composition may vary depending on the country, and hence all the places may not necessarily use all the characters.

You can expect three kinds of symbols in a postal code. The first of these symbols that you will notice are the numbers 0 to 9, or the ten base characters of the Arabic decimal system if you want it in technical terms. As you may have very well guessed, the second of these symbols are the alphabets A to Z or all 26 letters of the basic Latin alphabet. The third and final one of these symbols is the hyphens and spaces.

The majority of the countries use only the numbers in their postal codes. However, it is worth noting that the hyphens and spaces are also used in varying saturation levels. That being said, this is not always the case as some countries out there use a more complex system that throws in alphabets to the mix, making their postal codes alphanumeric. Canada, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, Swaziland, Netherlands, and Ireland are some of the more popular countries that employ an alphanumeric postal code.

The Role of Location in Mailing Postal Codes

Instead of assigning random numbers and letters to addresses around the city (or country, for that matter), the postal codes are attributed based on their location and deliverability. Grouping together the addresses in a systematic manner makes way for easier labeling. Take the ZIP codes in the US. For example, the first digit of the full 9-digits ZIP code indicates the region of the country where the postal mail is destined to go.

Suppose the first digit of the ZIP code is 0, then it is headed for New England, and similarly, each digit specifies a particular region in the country. However, you should remember that this system may change from country to country. As far as the US is concerned, its codes are generally based on the administrative areas. This means that the first number of the ZIP code will give you a fairly accurate idea about the destination country.

That being said, on the practical side of things, ZIP codes often cross county, city, and state boundaries. So what does this mean for the postal code? Well, this means that although it is likely that the ZIP codes are closely linked to the administrative boundaries like city and states, it is by no means compulsory. As we briefly mentioned before, it all comes down to optimizing the delivery process, and hence the most productive way for running the mail is adopted.

Another thing you should be aware of is that sometimes when the codes are not based on a boundary, they are tied to the recipients. For example, PO boxes usually have their own postal code or postal code suffix. It is also normal for large buildings and organizations to have their unique codes because of the large volume of mails they send and receive.

Postal Code Accuracy

The postal code accuracy can also be subject to variation from country to country, meaning some codes can be more accurate, or some may be less accurate. The ZIP code used in the US comes with what is called a “block-level” accuracy. This implies that the mails sharing the same ZIP+4 code will be delivered by the same delivery man or share the same delivery route. This is one of the most accurate postal codes in the world, and the USPS assures delivery as long as you have a validated address.

Conclusion

The Postal Code system is an international system used across countries around the world. Although its name, application, and mode of operation can change from country to country, the basics remain the same. The postal code used in the US is the ZIP code, and it comes with a “block-level” accuracy which is one of the best in the world.

However, the postal code accuracy is not worth much if you do not have a validated set of addresses, and this is especially important for businesses who regularly send out postal mails. You need an advanced address verification tool like PostGrid that can provide you with an accurate ZIP+4 code of the addresses with it’s Address Verification API that has Zip Code API and Postal API so that you can ensure that your marketing efforts are functioning in their optimal condition.

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The post What is a Postal Code appeared first on PostGrid.

Via https://www.postgrid.com/what-is-postal-code/

source https://postgridplatform.weebly.com/blog/what-is-a-postal-code9893031 source https://irenejvines.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-is-postal-code.html

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: 【夏彦拜访剧情】 Xia Yan’s Personal Story 2-9 Translation

Translated parts: Xia Yan’s Personal Story Chapter 2: 2-1 / 2-2 / 2-4 / 2-5 / 2-7 / 2-8 / 2-9 / 2-10 / 2-11 / 2-13 / 2-14 Translation Masterlist: here

Video: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xV411m79T?p=7

A quick explanation of how this feature works is that each boy has their own section that you can “Visit”! Part of it is like MLQC’s GSH feature, where you can talk to the boys (with Live2D!) and raise intimacy by interacting with them. The other part of it is a storyline that centers on the MC running around with the respective boy to deal with a certain case or situation.

Basement

After the topic of living alone ended, Xia Yan and I started a new round of searching in the basement.

Soon, I noticed a very exquisite box.

It was very out of place compared to the other, outdated items in the basement. All it was missing was “I’m very special” written on top.

MC: Xia Yan! There’s a box here!

I opened the box. There was a journal in it.

Journal Contents

MC: So Zero’s owner was called Marivisa. They fell in love!

MC: The riddle on the notebook just now was the confession event all along.

I swept my gaze over the journal’s first line, and couldn’t help thinking of an image.

A flower garden at night, specks of fireflies; the same time that the young man said “kiss”, the young lady kissed his lips.

It… no, I think I should use “he” to address him.

MC: And then, the calendar picture records their first meeting, and the alarm clock picture records their daily interactions.

MC: Zero wrote a journal because he feared that if there ever was an accident, it would cause problems on his memory chip’s data.

MC: How romantic…

Xia Yan: But… this isn’t scientific.

Xia Yan: Though AI robots can do deep academic learning, it’s not possible for them to produce emotions, and emotions of love are even less likely.

Xia Yan: Based on the Turing test…

MC: …

MC: Xia Yan! Do you have a single romantic cell in your body!

MC: The Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz” had feelings! There are lots of AI robots with emotions in anime and movies!

Xia Yan: Why did you get angry… I was just saying…

Cover

MC: Looking at the signature, this is Zero’s journal.

Xia Yan: The memories that Zero wants to find might be this.

MC: Although, why does an AI robot need to write a journal to record events? Wouldn’t it be enough to just save it in his memory?

Xia Yan and I continued to look through the contents of the journal.

Halfway through the journal, the romantic feelings between Zero and Lady Marivisa took a sharp turn.

MC: Not long after Zero and Lady Marivisa fell in love, Lady Marivisa got a serious illness.

MC: The doctor said that an optimistic estimate was that she had three years left…

MC: Lady Marivisa wanted to have Zero delete all memories about the two of them, to have Zero forget that they had fallen in love…

Xia Yan: …

MC: …

Xia Yan: As an AI robot, Zero had no way of disobeying the command of his master, but he didn’t want to forget Lady Marivisa. 

Xia Yan: He used the computer virus to interfere with the deletion command, left clues for himself, wanting to use these to remind himself to find his lost memories.

MC: So we received the commission. We just need to give this journal to Zero…

Xia Yan sunk into silence for a moment.

Xia Yan: The commission letter from earlier had a postmark for 2046, but the last date on this journal is 2043.

Xia Yan: Three years… Lady Marivisa already…

MC: Medical science might have improved and Lady Marivisa might still be alive!

This was only a game, only a setup made of countless pieces. Lady Marivisa could not have gone against this setup.

But I still unconsciously looked for a reason, not wanting to let this story end in this way.

Xia Yan did not refute me. He seemed to have been infected by my mood, following my words to quietly explain it.

Xia Yan: Even so, she doesn’t have much time anyways. Otherwise, she would have returned to look for Zero.

Xia Yan: And Zero… wouldn’t still be in a state of memory loss throughout the three years.

MC: Why didn’t Zero restore his memories in the three years? He should have…

Xia Yan: Lady Marivisa probably made some other arrangements.

Xia Yan: There are many ways to hide things from someone…

MC: …

Is it really like this…

Lady Marivisa used every method possible to have her lover forget her and leave her…

MC: Why does it have to be like this…

MC: Why couldn’t she have let Zero accompany her by her side – Zero would definitely…

Xia Yan: …

Xia Yan: Because… Zero would be happier this way.

Xia Yan: He wouldn’t feel sorrow, he wouldn’t be sad, and he could happily start a new life.

He seemed to be comforting me, saying this gently.

Xia Yan: A story of two people where only one person has a sorrowful ending, but the other person can have a happy ending.

Xia Yan: If you think about it like this, is it a bit more acceptable?

>It’s not good at all! >Do you really think that?

MC: It’s not good at all! If I were Zero, I wouldn’t be happy at all!

MC: If someone important was silently bearing everything on their back, while I knew nothing while benefiting from her sacrifice – how could I be happy!

Xia Yan: …

Xia Yan: She wasn’t sacrificing herself. She was just using her own methods to let Zero be happy.

MC: But Zero’s happiness is her.

Xia Yan: She already has no way to give Zero happiness.

Xia Yan: Rather than hurting him at the end, this way would instead be somewhat good…

I didn’t know if it was because of the story, or if it was Xia Yan’s opinion that “as long as one person was happy, then it would be fine”, but I suddenly got a little angry.

MC: Why do you always say this kind of thing! Could it be that you plan to hide things from me throughout your whole life if you ever encounter some sort of bad situation!

Xia Yan: I…!

Xia Yan: … I’m sorry…

Xia Yan’s expression was hard to look at for a moment. In a panic, I apologized.

MC: I’m sorry, Xia Yan, that’s not what I mean…

MC: I just got a little anxious…

>It’s not good at all!

>Do you really think that?

MC: Do you really think that?

Xia Yan: …

Xia Yan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he didn’t speak. I knew that this was his admission by silence.

MC: Then what if I got some terminal illness one day and also quietly – 

Xia Yan: What nonsense are you talking about!

Xia Yan lifted his hand, blocking my mouth in an instant. I pushed a few times before finally getting his hand off.

MC: Xia Yan, why did you cover me so tightly? Did you want to choke me to death?!

Xia Yan: …

Xia Yan’s rapid breathing took a while before stabilizing. I subconsciously felt some guilt.

MC: Don’t be so agitated, I’m just talking about it.

MC: Look, you also wouldn’t be willing for me to not tell you if I encountered some situation and went off quietly on my own.

MC: I’m the same. If you encounter some sort of situation in the future and disappeared on your own, I would be very sad.

MC: I know that this kind of method is to let the other person be happy, but I don’t think that it will really let the other person be happy.

Xia Yan: I…

The space between Xia Yan and I fell into silence for a moment.

MC: I’m sorry, I reacted a little too severely…

Xia Yan: … I know…

Xia Yan: I know that you hate sorrowful endings the most.

Xia Yan: So I…

Xia Yan suddenly held his words.

MC: Xia Yan…?

Xia Yan: I wanted to say, so we should hurry out of here. Let’s not get sad over a story!

Xia Yan: Don’t you always say that desserts are the best cure? I’ll bring you to eat something delicious, how about ice cream cake?

Xia Yan: Let’s go, let’s go!

Laughing, Xia Yan pulled at my hand, bringing me towards the outside.

I turned my head to look at that journal. The pictures that hinted at the love between two people in this riddle swept around in my head, one by one.

Suddenly, something among them flashed—

MC: Wait, Xia Yan! It’s not the last memory! We still have a clue we haven’t used!

I promptly pulled out those five pictures and placed them together again.

Back

MC: Outside the gaps, there are three numbers – 800, 3, and 2. All our riddle solutions earlier haven’t used them.

MC: But if these numbers were specifically printed on here, then they shouldn’t be meaningless.

MC: The numbers lay on top of the patterns, or you could say that they were printed after the patterns.

Xia Yan: The patterns relate to the escape room’s floorboard mechanism.

Xia Yan: Your meaning is that these numbers are the floorboard mechanism’s next riddle.

MC: That’s exactly my meaning!

Front

MC: Before, our attention was all focused on reading the text on the front of the pictures.

MC: We thought that the symbols on the gaps on the back were related to riddles afterwards, so we ignored them temporarily.

Xia Yan: 800, 3, 2. Something here that relates to having three numbers is…

MC: It’s the shelves! I just saw that the side of a shelf had a tag with 800!

Xia Yan: If so, then 2 and 3 might mean the row and column of the shelf.

We found the number 800 shelf, then found a wooden box and a book from the drawer on row 2, column 3.

The wood box was locked up by a 4-digit password lock. On it, there was placed Isaac Asimov’s short sci-fi fiction novel, “I, Robot”.

Xia Yan: Since this book was placed with the wooden box, then the wooden box’s password should be related to it.

MC: But where is its relation to the password?

I held up the book and flipped through it. The book was very new – there were no ripped pages, no paper notes inside, and no sketch marks.

The book spine’s bottom area had a blank white label stuck to it.

MC: Places in the book relating to numbers is – price, page count, or the book number like the one from the last riddle.

Xia Yan: Aside from this, the book name or the author name’s abbreviation letters can also be converted to numbers using the order of the alphabet.

MC: Then I’ll try them all!

I entered the price, page count, book number, abbreviated name’s converted pattern numbers in one after another, but the password lock did not respond.

MC: It won’t work…

Xia Yan: Don’t get disheartened. We’ve already excluded several types of incorrect methods, right?

Xia Yan: Look, this book’s spine has an empty label. If it’s specially placed on, it can’t be irrelevant information.

Xia Yan: And the other strange place is the shelf’s number.

Xia Yan: The quantity of the bookshelves is only in the tens, so why is this shelf numbered 800?

MC: You mean, the riddle’s answer is related to these two things?

Xia Yan: Right. Usually only library books will have labels stuck on them, but this book isn’t from a library’s collection.

Xia Yan: Bringing it back to the point, looking at these shelves and these books, do you feel some déjà vu?

I looked at the shelves in the basement. Under the dim lighting, for a while, I actually did think that it was a bit like a library.

MC: Is it a library? Right! The book shelves at the library all are numbered!

Xia Yan: That’s right!

Xia Yan: Library books all follow the library classification system’s class numbers to distinguish them all!

MC: Library classification system, huh… I know nothing about this…

Xia Yan: Did you forget that you’ve got me?

Xia Yan: There are a lot of library classification systems in the world. Among them, the most widely used, with the largest influence, is the “International Dewey* Decimal System”.

Xia Yan: I’ve looked at it. The shelves here, the files and the books’ placement in them, should be following this classification system.

Xia Yan: “I, Robot” is a short sci-fi fiction novel by American author Isaac Asimov.

Xia Yan: According to the Dewey Decimal System, the classification number for short fictions is 82-32.

I immediately entered 8232 into the password lock. With a “click” sound, it opened.

MC: It opened!

In the wooden box was yet another journal.

I opened the journal. There was a computer chip inside.

Journal Text

MC: September 15, 2043!

MC: The last journal’s final date was May 7, 2043. This is a new journal entry!

I quickly read it.

“Day 66. I found my journal back.”

“But what makes me happier is the thing you sent to me today.”

“It turns out that before you had me delete my memories, you quietly made a backup.”

MC: Lady Marivisa also really missed Zero.

Xia Yan: …

Xia Yan looked at the end of the journal, and quietly read it aloud.

Xia Yan: “Three years, 36 months, 1096 days, 26,304 hours, 1,578,240 minutes, 94,694,400 seconds.”

Xia Yan: “For all time, I will accompany you, and pass these days in laughter.”

Computer Chip

MC: A computer chip?

Xia Yan: The “memories” that Zero is looking for should be here.

Cover

MC: The signature on the cover is Zero’s – it’s Zero’s journal!

Seeing that the two of them were together in the end, I let out a long breath.

MC: That really is great.

Xia Yan: But… in three years, they will still…

Xia Yan: Just for love… they can’t change anything, and there’s no use in it…

MC: It’s not necessarily true that there’s not use in it.

MC: As the old saying goes, people can encounter disaster and happiness within a short time. Something might happen tomorrow to the healthiest of people.

MC: If one chooses to give up because of one moment of difficulty and fear, in the end, they will definitely be even sadder.

MC: Just like it says in here, in three years, there are 36 months, 1096 days, so many hours.

MC: If one can love for one more day, if one can love for a little more, isn’t that better?

Xia Yan: But… in the end their heart will still hurt.

MC: Yes. But this is also the choice of the two people, and the feelings are the matters of those two people.

MC: Whether it’s happiness or sadness, they should be shared.

MC: No matter what the future is like, both people should see it together. No matter what their thoughts are, they should communicate it with each other.

MC: The two people can make a decision together. No matter what the result is, at least they won’t regret it.

Xia Yan: …

Xia Yan’s eyelashes lightly fluttered. In the middle of the half-light and half-dark, light and shadow intertwined in his eyes.

MC: Eh? The depth of the wood box’s interior is a lot less than it should be – it’s two-layered!

I pried open the second layer. There was a strip of paper in it, with two rows of typing printed on it.

“Three years later, Marivisa left a message: “If you are willing, then miss me. If you are willing, then forget me”.”

“Zero responded by using his own methods to input this into his heart: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Sphinx”

MC: Sphinx! He came here!

Xia Yan: Places like this all have visitor commemoration registers. We just need to see it to know when he came.

Xia Yan: There’s a ladder there, I’ll carry it over.

--

TL Note:

* “Dewey” is apparently not included in the Chinese name for it, but I stuck it in so Western readers would know it. Pretty sure it’s the correct one.

[beefadult9]

Mhc Course Ii Restricted Acknowledgment Of Fmdv Peptides By Bovine T Cells

Discerning Electrosynthesis For Late Stage Peptide Functionalization.

Content

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Skincare Alphabet: P Is For Peptides

What Is Collagen Healthy Protein Anyway?

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We likewise ask that you finish our questionnaire so our pharmacy group can examine that this product is suitable for you to buy. There can be greater than one 'Peptide' subsection per healthy protein entry. The processing occasions that might add to the formation of a fully grown peptide are explained in the 'Initiator methionine', 'Propeptide', 'Signal' as well as 'Transportation peptide' subsections.

In addition to expanding the chemical and also architectural diversity presented by peptides, such modifications additionally boost the proteolytic stability of the molecules, improving their energy for biological applications. This write-up assesses current breakthroughs by this and also various other laboratories in making use of synthetic protein mimics to modulate protein feature, along with to provide foundation for artificial biology. Molecules that present the binding websites of proteins, which are associated with a disease-associated healthy protein-- protein interaction, are promising candidates for healing treatment. Such binding website mimetic particles can be generated either via recombinant healthy protein synthesis or using chemical peptide synthesis.

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We have actually developed our molecules to be extremely constricted by linking a chemical connector compound, likewise known as a scaffold, to particular amino acids in the peptide chain. The resulting cyclized particle, which we refer to as a Bicycle, is secured the preferred state to bind to the target healthy proteins. Their little size and exquisite lump targeting are designed to deliver fast lump penetration as well as retention, while clearance prices and also paths can be tuned to minimize direct exposure of healthy tissue and spectator toxicities. In general, the chemical synthesis of peptides via solid-phase synthesis is relatively uncomplicated and has actually been optimized over the past years, to ensure that practically all peptide sequences come synthetically today. These factors to consider may come to be appropriate for the massive synthesis of peptide medicines, along with peptide biomaterials.

This shows the useful and also evolutionary advantages that peptides could have shared. Peptides are unbelievably essential amino acids in charge of the creation of healthy proteins such as keratin and collagen. These healthy proteins assist to give the skin its stamina and without them, the skin can transform structure as well as shed its plumpness. When we apply peptide lotion or peptide product topically to the skin, our skin cells are kickstarted into action, quickly constructing brand-new collagen as well as elastin leaving the skin sensation hydrated as well as firm. In biological as well as medical chemistry, cyclic peptides have advantages over direct analogues, as a result of their improved metabolic security and a better meaning of their conformational movement. In the last few years, there has actually been a considerable boost in the use of cyclic peptides as tools to better comprehend pertinent organic processes and also to look for new therapeutic representatives.

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Inhibiting the task of these small GTPases could result in brand-new chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer cells treatment. Using the hydrocarbon-peptide stapling strategy, α-helical peptides were maintained at positions i as well as i + 4, leading to approximately 200-fold enhanced fondness of the peptide to Rab healthy proteins. On top of that, among the peptides, being a leader repressive compound for Rab GTPase-- protein communications, was located to hinder the Rab8a-- effect communication. Several of the most old healthy proteins are discovered in the core of the ribosome, as well as may derive from the RNA world. Making use of these peptides the RPR replicase needed much reduced degrees of magnesium ions, a previously required cofactor which is also harmful to RNA. On top of that, the peptides increased RPR evolution and also enabled the RPR to work within an easy membranous 'protocell', an essential step for the emergence of cellular life billions of years back.

New peptide can target specific pathogen without damaging the good bacteria - News-Medical.Net

New peptide can target specific pathogen without damaging the good bacteria.

Posted: Thu, 07 Jan 2021 05:26:00 GMT [source]

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Skincare Alphabet: P Is For Peptides

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Photo-switchable peptides can be used to temporally and/or spatially control procedures in organisms, such as drug release at specific body organs or cells. These applications show the utility and also adaptability of artificial peptides as molecular tools in biomedical research study, as well as in synthetic biology.

Why not include among these to your basket and allow us know exactly how you hop on? Offering voice to our expertly curated item edit, Inside Space features a broad range of topical editorials, functional suggestions as well as shoppable stories. Do 99% Purity AOD understand how to figure out the active ingredients label on your moisturiser? On the various other hand, peptides also present serious traffic jams that require to be thought about and, if required, dealt with in the development of peptide medications.

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Each of these applications requires gels with different products properties. pharma lab global offers a 99% Purity Ipamorelin that catches the water is typically polymeric, yet recent researches have revealed that short peptides can be made use of, supplying benefits when it come to biocompatibility and versatility of design. As a result, creating hydrogels for specific applications is a hit-and-miss affair, needing iterative synthesis and also screening.

In addition to their value as molecular tools to check out protein-- healthy protein interactions, such healthy protein mimetic peptides are additionally candidates for the restraint of healthy protein-- protein interactions associated with illness procedures. Furthermore, peptides play a crucial role in biomaterial engineering, as they are biocompatible, eco-friendly, as well as functionally selective.

The biggest challenge clearly is the restricted metabolic stability of peptides, considering that they are rapidly degraded by proteolytic enzymes, preventing oral management of peptide medicines. Initially, unlike recombinant protein synthesis, chemical peptide synthesis is not limited to the proteinogenic amino acids as foundation. A wide variety of additional amino acids are presently offered for chemical peptide synthesis. Moreover, conformational stablizing with cyclization, or via intro of specified additional structures, has been shown to shield peptides from proteolytic enzymes. Specific protein-- protein interactions are associated with the pathogenesis of various conditions. The layout as well as generation of peptides that simulate the corresponding protein-binding site, as possible preventions of the communications, is as a result an appealing restorative approach. This general strategy will be shown right here making use of instances of the numerous healthy protein-- protein communications, which are associated with the entry of the human immunodeficiency virus kind 1 (HIV-1) into cells.

What is the best peptide for weight loss?

Which Peptides for Weight Loss are the Best?Tesamorelin (GHRH peptide) Scientist consider Tesamorelin to be GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone) peptides. CJC-1295. CJC 1295 is a synthetic GHRH chain constructed with 30 amino acids. Ipamorelin. Amlexanox/TTA. BPC-157. Want the Ultimate Peptide Guide?

Apart from extending the chemical and also structural diversity provided by peptides, such adjustments likewise enhance the proteolytic stability of the particles, boosting their potential as medicine candidates. To accomplish a therapeutic result while decreasing unwanted impacts on various other proteins and physical functions, medicines must bind to target proteins with high fondness as well as selectivity.

Moreover, a series of protein-mimicking peptides made use of in the treatment of cancer cells and also as antibiotics or anti-inflammatory substances, will be examined. The design of peptides as protein mimics has developed as an encouraging method for the expedition of, along with the regulated interference with, healthy protein-- protein communications. As a result of their chemical nature, peptides are an appropriate type of particles for the mimicry of protein-binding websites, consisting of those entailing large protein-- healthy protein interfaces. The possibility to use non-proteinogenic amino acids, along with different techniques of chemical alteration, considerably enhances the scope of chemical and also structural adaptability, as well as security, of artificial peptides.

Enriched with an advanced complicated of age-defying peptides consisting of Matrixyl 3000, the prize-winning serum noticeably lifts and smooths to maintain skin looking plump, soft and moisturized while reducing the appearance of great lines and wrinkles.

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Copper PCA Peptides, nevertheless, when used in the morning needs to REPLACE your vitamin C product, as the two actives are not suitable and also unfortunately negate each various other's anti-ageing powers. As a result simply utilize Copper PCA Peptides with sunscreen in the day, as well as with vitamin An in the evening. Liquid Peptides, Clarity Peptides as well as Eyelift Peptides can all flawlessly matched your present CSA routine. Fluid Peptides is water-based, consequently it can be used both in the early morning as well as eve oil-based lotions such as Super C30 or Retinol 3TR, or any kind of heavier creams you might include right into your regimen. Clarity Peptides and Eyelift Peptides, nevertheless, are emulsion-based, consequently they must be made use of after both water- and also oil-based lotions but before much heavier emulsions and creams. For example, at night time it's finest to utilize your Clarity Peptides prior to your Crystal Retinal or r-Retinoate Day & Evening. Or with Eyelift, use after your C-Tetra Eye in the early morning but prior to eye creams, such as Advanced Day Eye Protect.

This was specifically vital for the research study as well as growth of new molecular entities to regulate protein-protein interactions, in which the user interfaces are normally large and for that reason challenging to target by small-molecules. In this quick note I comment on a couple of recent agent instances of cyclic peptides useful in biological/medicinal chemistry. Summary on Grant Application Form Hydrogels are of large technological and clinical rate of interest due to the fact that they are composed mainly of water, often comparable to that of bodily cells. Hydrogels are used for applications including get in touch with lenses, tissue design, medication release, as well as biosensing.

[berrysherrypop]

For Those New To EXO!

EXO was originally divided as EXO-K and EXO-M: “K” stood for Korean and “M” for Mandarin. One sub-unit would promote in Korea and the other would promote in China). They debuted as 12 members in 2012 with 6 per sub-unit, but two membersleft in the year 2014 (names: Kris and Luhan) and one left in 2015 (name: Tao). The reasons as to why they left are due to personal issues, health issues, and conflict with their company. A lot of fans left during those years and many people believed that they'd flop after these events. Many didn’t even believe in EXO’s success even before they lost members, that they wouldn’t become so popular. Obviously, the opposite happened.

There are only 9 members now. Ordered from oldest to youngest: Xiumin (3/26/1990), Suho (5/22/1991), Lay (10/7/1991), Baekhyun (5/6/1992), Chen (9/21/1992), Chanyeol (11/27/1992), D.O (1/12/1993), Kai (1/14/1994), Sehun (4/12/1994).

EXO debuted with the concept of being “aliens” with superpowers; coming from Exoplanet, they’re protectors of the tree of life and have come to earth in order to protect the heart of the tree of life and now earth from the red force. Each member has their own power and symbol: Xiumin-Ice, Suho-Water, Lay-Healing, Baekhyun-Light, Chen-Lightning, Chanyeol-Fire, D.O-Force/Earth, Kai-Teleportation, and Sehun-Wind. (They also each have their own number for clothing/jerseys). This superpower concept has remained in each comeback, and they’re one of the only (if not, the) groups to have such a foundation and artistic style based on the same concept for so long.

Despite people’s pessimistic view of the group, EXO was a really hyped up group by their company with a total of 23 teasers starting on December 21, 2011. Each teaser was made to slowly reveal who is who in the band, their concept, and their capabilities as rookies. This was done until March 21, 2012, and during that time two music videos were made prior to debut. Those music videos were not yet their official debut.

Side note: EXO-M only had 4 Chinese members: Kris, Luhan, Lay, and Tao. Xiumin and Chen were also in EXO-M but they are Korean.

Another side note: they still do create Chinese versions of their songs, they also had a Japanese debut in 2015 so they also have some Japanese discography as well.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: A sub-unit of EXO, EXO-CBX, debuted in 2016 and the member Lay also had his solo debut the same year (Lay’s solo discography are all written, arranged, and produced by him). EXO-CBX consists of the members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin.

LAST SIDE NOTE: The EXO fandom is called EXO-L. The 'L' stands for Love. In the alphabet, the letter “L” is the 12th letter (for twelve members) and links the letters K (EXO-K) and M (EXO-M). EXO-Ls are considered to be a sub-unit of EXO so: EXO-K + EXO-L + EXO-M = One. Therefore, the band's slogan "WE ARE ONE!" means that the band members and the fans are ONE. EXO-Ls are in charge of promoting worldwide Love for EXO-K and EXO-M."

EXO MUSIC VIDEOS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:

What Is Love (January 30th, 2012)

History (March 9th, 2012)

MAMA (April 8th, 2012) - Their official debut song/anniversary date.

Wolf (May 30th, 2013) - first time promoting as a whole group.

Growl (August 1st, 2013 and for the 2nd version, which has a different visual theme, August 20th, 2013)

Miracles in December (December 4th, 2013) - Winter M/V.

Overdose (May 6th, 2014)

Call Me Baby (March 30th, 2015)

Love Me Right (June 3rd, 2015) - there's a Japanese version which is their Japan debut single (Love Me Right ~Romantic Universe~).

Lightsaber (November 11th, 2015) - promotional single for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Sing For You (December 10th, 2015) - Winter M/V.

Lucky One (June 9th, 2016) - Double Title Album.

Monster (June 9th, 2016) - Double Title Album.

Lotto (August 18th, 2016)

Dancing King (September 17th, 2016) - a collaboration with Yoo Jae Suk, a single for SM Station Season 1.

Coming Over (November 18th, 2016) - Japan comeback single and also a short video.

For Life (December 19th, 2016) - Winter M/V.

Ko Ko Bop (July 18th, 2017)

Power (September 5th, 2017)

Electric Kiss Short Version (December 5th, 2017) -Title track for their first full Japanese Album.

Universe (December 26th, 2017) - Winter M/V

Don’t Mess Up My Tempo (Novermber 2nd, 2018) - the first comeback to feature member Lay since For Life in 2016.

EXO-CBX Music Videos:

Hey Mama! (October 31st, 2016) - Sub-unit debut song.

The One (November 6th, 2016) - first shown during their concert tour Exo Planet #3-The Exordium, which lead to suspicions of the sub-unit, which was also later confirmed after the three members sang an OST (original soundtrack) for a K-Drama (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo) with the title "For You".

Crush U (December 25th, 2016) - a remake of the original soundtrack for the game Blade & Soul, performed first on November 18th.

Ka-Ching! (May 1st, 2017) - short music video for their Japanese debut.

Blooming Day (April 10th, 2018) - Korean comeback.

Horololo (April 24th, 2018) - released prior to their Japanese comeback in May.

LAY’S SOLO WORK:

Monodrama (May 27th, 2016) - SM Station solo song, prior to his solo debut and the first Chinese song of SM station.

what U need? (October 7th, 2016) - The music video was released on his birthday as a gift for his fans and for the promotion of his solo album later that month.

Lose Control (October 28th, 2016) - His solo debut with Lose Control being the title track and name of his EP.

I Need U (September 25th, 2017) - pre-released single from his Lay 02 Sheep album, it was dedicated to his grandparents for their 50th anniversary and was actually written at the same time as “what U need?” since it is a response to the 2016 single.

Sheep (October 7th, 2017) - title track for his second album Lay 02 Sheep.

Goodbye Christmas (December 22nd, 2017) - title track of his winter extended play Winter Special Gift.

Give Me A Chance (October 7th, 2018) - pre-release single for his album Namanana.

NAMANANA (October 19th, 2018) - title track for the third album. It’s also his official U.S. debut under the name Lay Zhang. Each song on the album is both in Chinese and English, totaling to a count of 22 tracks.

EXO is a group that has broken multiple records: fastest selling concerts (0.2 seconds), youngest group ever to perform at Tokyo Dome, best selling artist in Korea for 4 years in a row, 4 million sellers, etc. Even individually, members have broken records (Lay’s Lose Control EP broke seven out of eight Guinness World Records on the YinYueTai China Weekly Charts). They’ve made monumental achievements not only as an idol group but have given great contributions to the Hallyu wave (performed at the Pyeongchang Olympics closing ceremony, first artist/k-pop act/non-royal to be displayed on the led screens of the Burj Khalifa, etc.).

[eldritchsurveys]

201.

What's your name? >> Mordred.

What time is it right now? >> 2.08p EST.

When were you born? >> 6.30p EST.

Who are you closest to in your family? >> No one. As far as I’m concerned, I was hatched and grown in a lab.

What is the closest green item to you? >> An Andes candy. (The wrapper, specifically.)

Would you rather text people or talk to them on the phone? >> I’d much rather text.

What program on your computer do you use the most? >> Google Chrome.

Do you have a cat? >> I don’t, but Sparrow does, and unfortunately that means I have to live with him too.

What is your middle name backwards? >> Yerf.

How often do you visit this website? >> tumblr? Just about daily.

Are you a good speller? >> I am.

Are you good at baking cupcakes? >> I am not.

Do you currently have a job? >> No.

What year did you/will you graduate in? >> I graduated in 2004.

Do you have your drivers liscence? >> Nope.

Does it take you long to fall asleep at night? >> Sometimes, but usually I fall asleep within an hour of laying down.

Do you think other people consider you a flirt? >> I can’t imagine where they’d even get such an impression.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? >> Ready for what? To sit on the couch? Pfft.

Would you ever consider getting plastic surgery? >> I don’t think plastic surgery could give me what I want.

Do you smoke pot? >> Not anymore.

Who is your hero in life? >> I don’t have one of those.

What is your favorite breed of dog? >> Pitbulls.

Where is your favorite place to go out to eat? >> I don’t have one.

How long have you known your best friend? >> ---

What are your thoughts on abortion? >> I don’t really have thoughts on it. Like, I don’t care about the moral debate. I think it’s good that it’s legal and I hope it stays that way, and that’s all.

When do you think the world is going to end? >> I don’t believe in that concept.

Do you think there are aliens out there? >> I mean, my definition of “life” is pretty broad, so sure.

Do you believe in God? >> No.

Are you still a virgin? >> No.

Are you comfortable with our current goverment? >> No.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? >> Hm.

Are you a fan of anime? >> I never really got into it the way a lot of people did, but there are some anime I enjoy.

What kind of cell phone do you have? >> Moto g5 or something.

What color do you want your next car to be? >> ---

Can you type without looking at the keys? >> Yes.

How much money do you have on you right now? >> I don’t carry cash.

Do you smoke? >> No.

How tall are you? >> 5′5″ or so.

What is your favorite Christmas movie? >> It’s a Wonderful Life.

Do you celebrate your pet's birthdays? >> ---

Would you consider yourself selfish? >> Well, sure.

What kind of mood are you in right now? >> I’m not really in a mood.

Name your favorite song from the 80's. >> I... can’t possibly do that.

Are you a fan of Spongebob Squarepants? >> No, I never really liked it.

Do you like fruits or vegetables more? >> Vegetables, generally.

How much time a week do you spend watching TV? >> Maybe 6 hours altogether? Sometimes a couple more.

Do you play any sports? >> No.

Who was your last text message from? >> Nurx.

Do you like Taylor Swift? >> Not particularly.

Do you enjoy going grocery shopping? >> Not particularly.

Do you like skim milk? >> No.

Name two people in your life that mean the most to you. >> Can Calah means the most to me and that’s that.

Do you like short surveys or long ones better? >> I like them on the longer side, but there is a limit.

Are you a Facebook addict? >> No. I deleted facebook.

Have you ever appeared on television? >> Yeah, as a child.

Do you like to read? >> Yes.

What is your favorite kind of cookie? >> Pecan shortbread and thin mints.

Do you have any kids of your own? >> No.

What was your first job? >> Restaurant.

Do material things matter to you? >> Sure. I like stuff, I just don’t like an excess of it.

Where is your favorite city? >> New Orleans.

What was your last dream about? >> I don’t remember now.

Are you currently going to college? >> No.

What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? >> V.

Do you shop at Wal-Mart? >> Sometimes.

Do you usually have good luck? >> I don’t know, I don’t really pay attention to whether my luck seems good or not.

Do you get bored easily? >> I’m prone to restlessness, which I guess is a kind of boredom.

What annoys you the most about other people? >> Hm.

Are you currently in a relationship? >> I am in relationships of varying types.

Have you ever been drunk before? >> Yes.

Are you afraid of flying? >> Not at all, I love it.

Have you ever been bitten by an animal (not an insect)? >> No.

Have you ever been in a physical fight? >> Yeah.

Are you good at drawing? >> Not to my standard.

How many text messages do you think you send in one month? >> Like... five or ten.

Have you ever had a stalker? >> No. Unless they were a really good stalker and I was never aware of them.

What grosses you out the most? >> Oh, I don’t know.

How much sleep do you get every night? >> Anywhere from 4 to 9 hours.

When's the last time you threw up? >> Last year sometime.

What is your idea of the perfect date? >> ---

Are you more of a morning or night person? >> I think I’m more into mornings than nights these days.

Can you speak more than one language? >> No.

Do you own anything from Hollister? >> No.

Do you stereotype people? >> I’m sure I do. I just try not to base my whole opinion of a stranger based on flawed pattern-recognition metrics.

Are you immature for your age? >> I don’t bloody know, man. It’s not a concern of mine.

Are you afraid of spiders? >> Not at all.

Are you tired right now? >> I was more tired before, but I’m all right now.

What was the last thing you ate? >> A few cookies.

What is your favorite flavor of milkshake? >> Cookies and cream.

Have you ever seen the movie Rent? >> Yeah, a while ago.

Who is your favorite celebrity? >> I don’t know.

What's the highest number you've counted to out loud? >> I... don’t know?

What is your favorite video game? >> ---

Do you wear contacts or glasses? >> No.

Are you looking forward to summer this year? >> Yes, for the weather if nothing else.

Do you have trouble letting go of the past? >> Maybe? Some aspects of it. Things that never got resolved.

Do you like your hair better straight or curly? >> ---

Do you wish you would grow taller? >> No.

Do your parents make you do chores? >> ---

Have you ever been to the circus? >> No.

What's the longest word you know? >> I have no idea.

Do you use teeth whitener? >> No.

Do you keep your room neat and clean? >> I try.

Can you count to ten in French? >> I remember some of the numbers but not all.

Do you think war is an acceptable way of solving problems? >> I think it’s certainly one strategy. Whether it’s the right one or not is best figured out by people that aren’t me.

Have you ever kissed anyone named Bob? >> No.

Do you have a little sister? >> No.

Do you speak with an accent? >> Everyone does, to someone. So, yes.

We're you a bad child when you were younger? >> No.

Do you get grumpy often for no reason? >> I’m prone to irritability because of mental illness, yeah.

Do you want to have kids/more kids in the future? >> No.

What is your dream career? >> No.

Do you iron your clothes? >> Nope.

Do you like to go tanning? >> I don’t need to go tanning.

Are you the type of person who likes to party a lot? >> No.

Would you consider your family "rich"? >> ---

Are you addicted to sugar? >> No. I was raised in a sugar-free household so I never really developed a sweet tooth.

Have you ever tried using a dating website? >> Yeah, often.

What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten? >> I don’t know.

What is/was your favorite class in school? >> ---

What is your favorite type of exercise? >> DDR.

Do you believe in getting revenge on someone who's hurt you? >> Do I believe in it...? I mean, if that’s what someone wants to do, far be it for me to stop them. I’m just not interested in revenge, myself. I don’t have the patience or the motivation.

Do you live near any volcanoes? >> No.

Name one word that you always have trouble pronouncing. >> I can’t think of one, but whatever it is, it’s probably in Irish.

Have you ever ridden in a taxi? >> Yes.

What's your favorite color? >> Gold.

Would you rather use crayons or colored pencils? >> Coloured pencils. I never liked crayons.

Have you ever had a migraine? >> Nope.

Tell me something about yourself that you don't normally tell people. >> If I don’t normally share it, it’s for a good reason.

Have you ever served in the military? >> No. I’d literally rather die.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? >> Veggie burger and chips.

Do you go to the gym? >> No.

Do you know how to write HTML? >> More or less. I know a lot of it has changed since I last wrote code, but I have enough of a background in it to figure it out.

What is your favorite book? >> Right.

Do you have any songs that seem to fit your life perfectly? >> Yeah, but not because of lyrics or anything. They just sound right.

How many concerts have you been to? >> So many.

Have you ever tried "planking"? >> Not that kind. I’ve done planks as exercise though.

Do you shop at Hot Topic? >> Yep.

Are you confident with your appearance? >> I just don’t think about my appearance a whole lot. I’m not trying to be sexually appealing and I don’t work in an industry where my appearance matters, so I really don’t have much reason to care what I look like outside of just being clean and presentable.

Do you have trouble sitting still for long periods of time? >> Now I do. I was great at it as a child, but I get restless too easily now.

Do you use the alarm clock on your phone or do you have an actual alarm? >> If I ever need an alarm I just use my phone.

Is your internet connection fast? >> It’s passable.

Do you enjoy snow? >> Not much anymore.

What are your initials? >> MD. 

Are you paranoid of other people talking about you behind your back? >> Not usually.

Are you germaphobic? >> No.

Do you get along with your parents? >> ---

Have you ever had food poisoning? >> Yeah, twice.

Are you impatient? >> Sometimes.

What is your favorite thing to put on a sandwhich? >> It depends on what I’m in the mood for.

Do you trust yourself with big responsibilities? >> I guess? I mean, who else am I gonna trust?

Do you like long car rides? >> Not really. I like the travelling aspect, but I don’t like the “being folded up in a vehicle for long periods of time without being able to move” aspect.

How often do you shower? >> Twice a week.

Do you consider yourself a bully? >> No.

Who were you last mad at and why? >> I don’t remember.

Are your parents currently togther? >> They never were.

Do you find the rain calming? >> Sometimes.

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? >> Vanilla bean, I guess.

Do you follow football? >> No.

Have you ever had an emotional breakdown? >> Yes. It still amazes me that there are people walking around that have never had one, ever. Wild.

Do you think tomorrow will be a good day for you? >> I can’t predict the future.

Are you in a good mood? >> I’m not in a mood at all, which is good enough for me.

[massivereviewtriumph]

10 Principles of Psychology You Can Use to Improve Your organization names,

Advantages and disadvantages of Business Call Options

Every local business owner wishes to pick a distinct name to reverberate with their target market which's simple to remember. While the best name may be elusive, the most effective business names go for a balance between these objectives. Nonetheless, picking a business name ought to be taken into consideration thoroughly because it will make up a substantial part of your brand name. Whether it's your new small business or item offering, a name can suggest the difference between developing a faithful consumer base and also stopping working. Catching the suitable name the first time is vital to an effective launch and also can make your marketing life and branding considerably smoother and extra effective throughout the growth of your firm. It's very easy to identify a bad name when you see one, but you might be questioning what enters into producing a remarkably terrific one.

The Pros of Selecting a Service Call Intelligently

Selecting a service name is a significant step in the marketing preparation procedure. You ought to select a name that shows your brand name identity as well as take the necessary procedures to ensure it is properly safeguarded and also registered for the long term. Another consideration is determining if the name is Web-ready or not. You can do that by checking to see if the domain is available. The name of your business has an incredible effect on just how investors and customers see you, and also in today's interconnected society, that swiftly translates into a worldwide choice. It additionally explains the business so that the customers are educated immediately of the purpose of your firm. Relying on the sort of name you select, various other advantages of choosing a business name consist of:

Gives a personal touch to the business when it includes the name of the owner. Records an early listing in alphabetized directories. Sustains future expansion right into various other service or products Might not always call for registration. Is unlikely to be perplexed with 4 letter brands for sale various other firms when one-of-a-kind. Notifies future customers of the business's area. Is likely to acquire thorough hallmark protection when imaginative. Right or wrong, the name you select actions your company savviness and also understanding of the industry and market you are considering going into.

Mistakes to Stay Clear Of When Picking a Service Call

Numerous small businesses start out as private companies, collaborations, or consultants. In these situations, it's natural to incline utilizing your name as your brand name. Although there is nothing incorrect with selecting to do this, it does make it extra tough to develop brand recognition and also provide a specialist image. Complying with are a few other feasible negative aspects associated with service name choices:

Personally recognizing the proprietor may be troublesome if business falls short. Protection under hallmark laws might be limited. May restrict the capacity for future development right into various other product or services. Some names might be challenging to keep in mind, articulate, as well as spell. Several might lack an one-of-a-kind identity. Could be perplexed with various other similarly named business. The name might currently remain in usage. Other corporations with comparable names may sue for infringement. Might not inform potential consumers of the nature of business.

[hopeseternal-blog]

new muse: melody, stranger things inspired

BASIC

BIRTH NAME: Melody ████████ ALIAS: Eta AGE: 23 DATE OF BIRTH: November 2nd BIRTHPLACE: ██████ CURRENT LOCATION: SPECIES: Meta human ETHNICITY: Afrikaner   [Dutch, German, Irish] GENDER: cisfemale PRONOUNS: she/her ORIENTATION: panromantic/sexual, polyamorous   [closeted, doesn’t know terms] RELIGION: N/A OCCUPATION: waitress LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: verse dependent LANGUAGE(s) SPOKEN: English, Russian

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Madelaine Petsch EYE COLOUR: Light brown HAIR COLOUR: Ginger HAIR STYLE: Melody’s hair is naturally wavy. While at the NNSS her hair was kept short, not allowed to grow past her ears in case it got in the way during tests. Now that she’s escaped she had let it grow past her waist. DOMINANT HAND: Ambidextrous, uses her right hand more often HEIGHT: 5'5" WEIGHT: 54 kg TATTOOS: The lower case symbol for the Greek letter Eta on the outer side of her left wrist, she often covers the tattoo with a watch. PIERCINGS: Standard lobe piercing and a weave piercing in her right ear. MARKS/SCARS: She has track marks along her arms from repeated injections during experimentation, but most assume they come from previous drug abuse so she covers them with make up. CLOTHING STYLE: For the beginning of her life Melody didn’t have to put any thought into what she was wearing now that she’s free she enjoys experimenting with styles, but more often than not puts comfort of fashion.

HEALTH

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: None NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS: Generalised Anxiety Disorder ALLERGIES: Pollen SLEEPING HABITS: She stays up late most nights working and is not a stranger to pulling an all-nighter. Despite this, she also wakes up early and can stay pretty active and alert, even when exhausted, as long as she doesn’t become hungry. EXERCISE HABITS: Melody is used to the exercise routine that she was given at NNSS, so even now that she’s left she goes for a run most mornings and tries to go to the gym twice of week. EATING HABITS: Like many things cooking for herself was something Melody had to learn to do, initially she was living off ready meals until she grew closer with Earl, the owner of the diner she worked at, and he taught her to cook. SOCIABILITY: Melody is very sociable she loves being around people and can’t stand being alone unless she has something to distract her.

PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: free-spirited, open-minded, daring, brave, confident, creative, quick-witted, resourceful, loyal NEGATIVE TRAITS: restless, impulsive, stubborn, disorder, envious, obsessive ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio MBTI: ESTP ENNEAGRAM: 4 TEMPERAMENT: Choleric HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good VICE: Wrath VIRTUE: Temperance ELEMENT: Fire

FAMILY

FATHER: Nathaniel ████████ née ████████ MOTHER: Stephanie ████████ SIGNIFICANT OTHER: verse and timeline dependent SIBLINGS: Noah ████████   [twin], the other Marked Subjects CHILDREN: none PET(s): a stray King Charles Spaniel she named Margo

SUPERNATURAL CHARACTERISTICS

ABILITIES:

Radiation Immunity: Immunity to all forms of radiation. Melody does not require sunscreen and she can look directly at a solar eclipse, etc.

Radiation Absorption: Melody is able to absorb all types of radiation and used it to heal herself at an accelerated rate. The more harmful the radiation to normal humans, the faster and more effective the healing is.

Fire Manipulation: Melody can create, shape and manipulate fire.

Fire Immunity: She is immune to fire/heat, being completely invulnerable to direct and indirect effects.

LIMITATIONS

Radiation Absorption: Absorbing too much radiation in one go can effect her emotional stability.

Fire Manipulation: Control, discipline, and restraint are extremely important. Unconscious, emotion-influenced, impulsive, or reckless use of this power can be catastrophic, and the fire can get out of her control.

Fire Immunity: Only an external immunity, meaning internal organs are still vulnerable to heat/fire.

NEVADA NATIONAL SECURITY SITE

Following the second World War, the Nevada National Security Site was established as one of several national laboratories across the United States, to take part in a program of experiments on human subjects which were designed and undertaken by the CIA, known as “MKUltra”.

In these experiments, participants would be given psychedelic drugs and placed in isolation tanks in hopes of ��expanding the boundaries of the mind”. At the start of the 1970s, MKUltra was brought to public attention along with the abuse of the test subjects. Despite this, the program managed to block any inquiries and at some point began abducting children, mostly orphans, to experiment on instead.

These new subjects were kept on the site and called the Marked, they were designated by Greek alphabet names and split into six groups of four based on their ages. The program in Nevada was run by Dr Odette Marks, who the subjects referred to as Gaea or Mama ( smam’s char ). Instead of sensory deprivation being used to trigger powers, the doctors at the site used nuclear radiation.

The Cold War was at its heights in the late 70s and early 80s, causing the CIA to exploit the subjects in the different laboratories across the USA to gain intel on the Russians. Those with abilities that could not be put to use while they remained in the confines of the NNSS were trained in combat and espionage plus they were provided a high school and college education in order to give them a better chance at blending in amongst regular citizens.

BIOGRAPHY

Melody no longer remembers how long she was held within the Nevada National Security Site, she assumes she was taken shortly after she was born as she has no memories of her birth family, she also believes that Dr Mark gave her the name Melody and although she has a complicated relationship with the scientist chose to keep the name after her escape out of nostalgia for the good memories.

The truth is she was taken from her family after her parents were killed in a car accident, only her and Noah, her twin, survived the crash. They were four at the time. The two were in critical condition for a week before a group of doctors claiming to represent a company conducting clinical trials of a new treatment arrived at the hospital. After they were taken away, the twins never saw each other again and became a well known kidnapping, the search lasted for five years until it was listed as a cold case.

She remained unconscious for the first few months she was at the Nevada National Security Site, undergoing radiation therapy to enhance her abilities and promote healing, before eventually awaking from her coma. The radiation therapy continued but Melody was also placed in classes with the other subjects her age to be taught both the normal education children their age received and topics that would prepare them to retrieve intel when they were older.

Part of the second oldest group of subjects at the facility, Melody grew to be protective of the children who were brought onto the site over the years, although Dr Marks did her best to make sure the subjects were comfortable so Melody very rarely had to worry. However, everything fell apart when during an experiment an accident caused one of the children, Sigma, to lose her right leg. 

It was the last straw, suddenly Melody began to see all that was wrong with the life she was living and grew to hate the scientists who had raised her. It took her months of planning and convincing, but she eventually she had a group together who wished to escape. 

They fought their way to freedom, using their abilities to gain the upper hand before fleeing into the desert surrounding the facility. Once they were sure security were no longer following them, Alpha split the group up and sent them in different directions. Melody didn't think separating was wise, but agreed with her older sibling, under the condition that she was allowed to take Sigma with her.

The pair eventually reached a trailer park at the edge of a small town, where Melody broke into an abandoned trailer for them to stay in. At first she found a job as a bike messenger but still had to revert to theft every so often in order to support herself and Sigma, who she managed to put into the local public school.  

After a year, Melody and Sinead (Sigma) had become a part of the town’s community, Melody was now working at a local diner, Sinead was at high school and they had moved out of the trailer into a small apartment. Although they tended to be the subject of a lot of town gossip Melody told most that Sinead was her little sister and they had lost their parents a couple of years ago.