#South Korean Scientists

[xtruss]

South Korea Is A Test Case On How To Fight An Ecological Disaster

After Two-thirds of the Country’s Tidal Flats Were Lost to Shoreline Development, South Korean Scientists Set Out to Prove Why This Ecosystem is so Essential.

— By Anna Jeanine Kim | Photographs: By Youngrea Kim | August 15, 2023

The sun sets over a tidal flat in Southwestern South Korea. Tidal Flats are a type of Ecosystem that Provide Habitat for Wildlife and help fight climate change—yet many are at risk of disappearing.

Yubudo, South Korea — As Byeongwoo Lee slowly walks across a sandy tidal flat on Yubudo, a small island off the west coast of South Korea, the birding guide does so quietly.

“You can’t see the birds right now,” Lee said. “You can feel them.”

Through the scope, it was just possible to make out their blurry shapes in the dark, and to hear the gentle but powerful “whhhrrr-reet-reet-reet” of tens of thousands of birds as they fed at the shoreline and in the shallow water.

As the sun rose, the tide retreated until it revealed six miles of the muddy sea floor. Channels of water like tree branches crisscrossed mud teeming with crabs, clams, snails, and sea worms.

Top: Depending on the time of day, tidal flats are either completely submerged under water or exposed to the air. Seen here at low tide, tidal channels criss cross an exposed tidal flat neighboring a residential neighborhood in Muan, South Korea.

Bottom: During an annual ceremony that takes place on the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, Gwangho Chu bows before a ceremonial table placed on a tidal flat in Wando, a small island in South Korea. Coastal communities in the Yellow Sea region have continued to honor the centuries-old tradition of celebrating the ancestral spirits of the sea and praying for a good harvest from the tidal flats.

Tidal flats like these are a type of wetland found on coastlines around the world. Korea’s Yellow Sea tidal flats, like those found on Yubudo Island, form the heart of an 18,000-mile route traveled by 50 million shorebirds as they migrate from eastern Russia and Alaska in the summer to Australia and New Zealand in the winter.

Many of them only stop once on their marathon journeys, and the tidal flats of South Korea provide them with essential food and shelter.

Yet despite their critical importance to the environment, many are at risk of disappearing. Some of the most important, and most endangered, are found surrounding the Yellow Sea along the shores of China and the western side of the Korean peninsula.

For decades, people have been transforming them into industrial sites and farms, squeezing them into smaller areas and pushing some species to the brink of extinction. But as science increasingly shows how wetlands like these benefit wildlife and help fight climate change, South Korean scientists and conservationists are gaining momentum in their effort to save and restore what’s left.

Top: From left, Okji Kim, Yangim Kim, and Sunim Bae work together to make gamtae-kimchi, a special type of kimchi made with sea algae instead of cabbage. With limited farmland available, coastal communities have traditionally relied on the abundance of tidal flats, developing a unique culinary culture over thousands of years.

Bottom: A seafood meal is served at a restaurant in Yamido, a small island now connected to the mainland by the construction of the 21-mile-long seawall built as part of the Saemangeum development project. Many of the residents living around the seawall used to make a living working in the seafood industry, but the destruction of nearby tidal flats significantly decreased their harvests, threatening their livelihood.

Why Tidal Flats Are An Environmental Powerhouse

“The tidal flats made the relationship between humans and the sea possible,” said Joon Kim, a senior researcher at the Jeonnam Research Institute who studies the culture around Korean tidal flats.

Since prehistory, South Korea’s coastal communities relied on tidal flats for harvesting clams, crabs, octopus, and seaweed, adjusting their way of life to the tide’s schedule. Their biodiversity and abundance inspired many beloved local cuisines, unique coastal culture, and a fishing economy worth over $330 million U.S. dollars a year.

These same ecosystems are now helping fight climate change.

South Korean universities are partnering with the government to study tidal flats and their ability to clean polluted water, protect shoreline communities from storms, and mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide.

Korean tidal flats are full of tiny one-celled organisms called benthic diatoms that sink through the mud as they complete their life cycle, burying carbon dioxide in the deep sediment, says Jong Seong Khim, a marine scientist and professor at Seoul National University.

Top: Seoul National University researcher Inok Lee hands a sediment sample to her colleague outside the Saemangeum seawall. Scientists like Lee are studying how the large-scale development project is harming water quality and marine wildlife.

Bottom: People ride recreational boats through a man-made canal at a city park in Songdo, South Korea. Once a thriving tidal flat ecosystem, Songdo was built on reclaimed land and hailed for creating "a city out of nothing." Over the past 70 years, South Korea has lost over two-thirds of its tidal flats due to reclamation projects like these.

The diversity and number of benthic diatoms make South Korean tidal flats unique, as does its thick mud—over 80 feet deep in some tidal flats.

In 2021, Khim and his fellow researchers published a study showing South Korea’s tidal flats and salt marshes absorb 260,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to taking about 110,000 cars off the road every year.

The same year, the South Korean government announced a four-year project to bring back tidal flats and salt marshes to help fight climate change.

Kim hopes that by showing how effectively tidal flats store carbon, governments and conservation groups will recognize them as valuable and save them from being destroyed.

Why Tidal Flats Are In Danger

In the past 70 years, South Korea has transformed from a country devastated by war into a highly developed, industrial nation. During this rapid change, two-thirds of its tidal flats subsequently disappeared.

In a country surrounded by the ocean on three sides, like South Korea, engineering solid, dry land over water-logged terrain, a process referred to as land reclamation, can expand territory or create more farmland.

Of all the threats to tidal flats—such as sea level rise and pollution—land reclamation has led to the most loss.

Scientists are only beginning to understand the true extent of this loss globally, but one recent study suggests 16 percent of the world’s tidal flats have disappeared in the past few decades.

“We are at a point where we should consider what we can do to give back to tidal flats,” said Kim.

Left: In 1989, a satellite image shows what the tidal flats around the Saemangeum development project looked like before construction began in earnest.

Right: By 2018, a satellite image of that same tidal flat reveals the effect of a 21-mile seawall and construction. The 100,000-acre reclamation project is seven times the size of Manhattan. ESA/NASA/USGS

One of the most controversial shoreline developments is Saemangeum, a 100,000-acre reclamation project seven times the size of Manhattan.

Developers first envisioned Saemangeum as a vast agricultural area for rice cultivation, then as the economy changed, they promised to turn it into an industrial corridor.

In 2006, despite lawsuits and protests, a 21-mile-long wall in Saemangeum deprived the ecosystem of the water it needed to exist. Just one part of the region’s transformation, it set the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest sea dam.

Millions of shellfish died when the wall severed the ecosystem from the tide.

Finding no food and no place to land, tens of thousands of migratory birds disappeared. About 90,000 now-endangered great knot birds died, driving their total population numbers down by at least 24 percent.

Top: The 21-mile-long Saemangeum seawall is is the longest such structure in the world. After its construction, tens of thousands of shorebirds disappeared from the area that used to be one of the most important habitats along the Yellow Sea region.

Bottom: As excavators work on tidal flat reclamation in Songdo, shorebirds rest during their annual migration from Australia to the Russian Far East. Developing tidal flats in this region destroys critical habitats for the 50 million migratory birds that fly this route every year.

Top: Great knots feed on clams and seaworms at a tidal flat near Yubudo, a small island off the west coast of South Korea. About 80 percent of great knots have disappeared in the last two decades due to habitat loss.

Bottom: Dongpil Oh and his son, Seungjun Oh, conduct monthly surveys of shorebird populations on the the Sura tidal flat found in Gunsan, South Korea. Sura is one of the last remaining tidal flats found within the Saemangeum reclamation site. Dongpil and Seungjun are part of the Saemangeum Citizen Ecology Investigation Team, a grassroots organization that advocates for conservation and documents threats to tidal flats impacted by the Saemanguem.

It wasn’t only wildlife that suffered. Before the wall, the area was known for the nation’s best clams, with a fishing industry supporting around 20,000 people. Nearly all of that disappeared.

And yet despite promises of jobs made to the community, developers have completed less than half of the reclamation, and much of what has been reclaimed are undeveloped empty lots.

Saemangeum developers now plan to build an airport over the last remaining tidal flat, Sura, with construction scheduled to begin in 2024. Activists are suing to stop it, pointing out that the site still provides habitat for endangered species like black-faced spoonbills and Far Eastern curlews.

“It’s painful to remember how much it’s changed. Sometimes you forget how beautiful it was in the past because your eyes adjust to what it looks like now,” said Dongpil Oh, one of the activists involved and leader of the Saemangeum Citizen Ecological Investigation Team.

Left: Halophytes turn red on a tidal flat in Sinan, South Korea. South Korean researchers are studying how salt-tolerant plants like these can boost tidal flats’ ability to fight climate change by absorbing carbon.

Right: A blue-spotted mudskipper jumps during a mating dance at low tide in Sinan. Resting in its burrow at high tide and feeding in the mud when the tide goes out, the unusual, amphibious fish is adapted to the tidal flat’s drastic daily changes.

Bottom: The sun sets over Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve at low tide. About 16 percent of the world's tidal flats have been destroyed in just the past few decades, but science is increasingly showing how important these ecosystems are for preserving wildlife and fighting climate change.

Top: National Institute of Ecology researchers and local volunteers tag baby black-faced spoonbills with GPS trackers in Incheon, South Korea. Around 90 percent of these endangered shorebirds breed on the country’s west coast. After their worldwide population dropped below 300 in the late 1980s, conservation efforts have brought their numbers to around 5,200. “As a top predator in tidal flats, their health can indicate the health of the overall ecosystem,” researcher Inki Kwon said.

Bottom: Ecotourist guide Sunjeong Heo points out a flock of birds over a tidal flat at Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve in South Korea. Drawing over six million visitors a year, the UNESCO World Heritage site is a blueprint for the country’s tidal flat conservation and ecotourism.

A New Era of Conservation

After 30 years of construction, Saemangeum has become synonymous with ecological collapse, but it also sparked an environmental movement in South Korea after people witnessed what happens when tidal flats are lost.

Two years after the Saemangeum seawall was finished, in 2008, the South Korean government banned new large-scale reclamation projects—though developments already in progress, like Saemangeum, are still permitted.

And in 2019, reclamation of tidal flats finally plateaued in South Korea, when the net gain from restoration barely surpassed the loss, according to a 2023 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

One of the best places to see the benefit of this kind of conservation is South Korea’s Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve, on the peninsula's southern edge. The wetland was spared from the threat of development in the ‘90s, when residents and activists protested the government’s plan to mine the land.

Suncheon Bay became the country’s first internationally protected coastal wetland, and its tidal flats were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021, along with four other tidal flats in South Korea. Every year, over six million tourists visit the wetland and the nearby National Garden to see wildlife like hooded cranes and blue-spotted mud skippers.

With municipal and national funds, the Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve bought nearby farmland by the coast, restoring the connection with the sea.

Their holistic approach to restoration has introduced organic rice farming to reduce pollution from runoff and educational opportunities for ecotourists, residents, and children in local schools. Suncheon’s success is a blueprint for tidal flat conservation around the world.

“Our focus is on letting the tide flow again, like it always did,” said Sunmi Hwang, a conservationist with the wetland reserve. “And then nature heals itself.”

[thegirlwholeftthefridgeopen]

Research (1944) by Lee Yootae (이유태 1916-1999)

[queertranshappiness]

Here is today's good queer and trans news (July 21st): Ralf Schumacher, who was an F1 driver in the 90s and 2000s and is the brother of 7x champion Michael Schumacher, has come out as gay, making him the 3rd ever openly queer driver in the series, after Lella Lombardi and Mike Beuttler. (https://gcn.ie/f1-driver-ralf-schumacher-comes-out/)

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favour of a Polish trans woman who was denied gender affirming care while in prison, which is a win for ensuring accessibility of it to all. (https://www.tgeu.org/ecthr-rules-polish-prison-authorities-violated-trans-womans-rights-by-denying-access-to-hormone-therapy/)

A new law has been passed in Vermont making it illegal to ban books based on discussion of sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity and other similar topics, helping to protect freedom of information in the state. (https://eu.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/vermont/2024/07/03/vermont-law-protects-libraries-book-banning-censorship-gay-lgbtq-race/73732414007/)

A 7th person has likely been cured of HIV, during stem cell treatment for unrelated leukemia, which is a good sign for future research and treatments. (https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/7th-person-hiv-cured-stem-cell-transplant-leukemia-scientists-say-rcna161897)

The South Korean Supreme Court has ruled same sex couples must be ensured the same health insurance coverage as straight couples, which is a victory for queer people across the country. (https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/18/south-koreas-supreme-court-recognises-rights-of-same-sex-partners-in-landmark-ruling/)

A new trans audio comedy, Football Crumpets, telling the story of a trans man growing up in 90s Northern England, has reached its crowdfunding goal and begun production. (https://www.instagram.com/p/C9jowC3KOT7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

A queer person from Kenya has been granted refugee status in the UK after an immigration battle, with the help of charity African Rainbow Family. (https://www.instagram.com/p/C9hkG-koyhm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

And in 10 days, £25,000 ($32,000) has been raised for British trans youth charity Mermaids, after they put out a new appeal (you can support it here: https://supporters.mermaidsuk.org.uk/page/urgent_appeal_2024)

(Credit to: GCN, TGEU, the Burlington Free Press, NBC Out, PinkNews, @/lucieisle on Instagram, @/africanrainbowfamily on Instagram, and @/mermaidsgender themselves for these stories.)

[seoul-bros]

What lies ahead

Magnate posted photos of Jimin's basic training graduation on Instagram in which Jimin received the Division Commander Commendation. He and Jungkook worked hard and made a positive impression on their trainers and fellow trainees in the last five weeks.

"Hello, I'm ZM-illennial (メグナット) Did everyone bring an umbrella? Like it's going to rain soon It's cloudy, so for those who have been waiting for news of rain, we hope you have a moist day with our condolences to those who are worried.

If it's long, it's long, and if it's short, it's short. It's over, thanks to your support and constant interest and love, 1 year and 5 months is a long time, but it can also be a short time. ARMY was a great help Thank you from the bottom of my heart"

It's an inflection point in their military life and now the hard slog of soldier's duties begins. They will reportedly be assigned to one of the units of the artillery brigade.

It makes me nervous knowing that they and their fellow graduates are serving in the military at such a dangerous moment. It was chilling to read this news posted on the BBC website yesterday.

In a report published last week for 38 North, a US-based organisation with a focus on North Korea, former State Department official Robert Carlin and nuclear scientist Siegfried S Hecker said they saw the situation on the Korean Peninsula as "more dangerous than it has ever been" since the start of the Korean War in 1950.

"That may sound overly dramatic, but we believe that, like his grandfather in 1950, Kim Jong Un has made a strategic decision to go to war," it said.

"We do not know when or how Kim plans to pull the trigger, but the danger is already far beyond the routine warnings in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo about Pyongyang's 'provocations'."

No one will benefit from a fresh outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula and BTS members are now on the front line of any aggression. Although it is difficult to see at the moment, I hope there is a way back from the brinkmanship that currently characterizes North-South relations.

Post Date: 18/01/2024

[sahsalart]

Designed my Resident Evil OC for Death Island, bought it the second it came out and I haven’t stopped watching it since. Meet my baby girl, Eunjoo Chandoo-Arnáz. Agent of the DOS (and wifey of Mr. Kennedy), She is very much so Mommy. I just had to draw my gorgeous girl for the movie. She is a native of Haiti, born to a South Korean mother and a half-Haitian/half-Puerto Rican father. In the drawing and during the events of Death Island, she is 32 — making her the youngest of the group. But, she also is the only mother out of the group! She has fraternal twins with — the cherry of it all — Leon S. Kennedy himself. Yes, they are a couple cuz Leon is just so <333

I mean look at her and then look at Leon, they are just tooooooo good to not be the ultimate baddddie couple. She is meowmy <3 and great news for baby boy Leon, she actually cares about him and tries not to get him killed or betray him!!!!!!!!

Some fun facts about Eunjoo:

- She is highly trained in several forms of martial arts, but her main art forms of combat are Heihuquan, Capoeira, and Hapkido. Her fighting style is very aggressive with powerful, tiger-like strikes yet is balanced by eloquent, graceful leg movements. Her father was a martial artist that has competed in several competition throughout the Caribbean and South America, he has won several national championships and titles.

- Going in hand her martial arts background, she is extremely flexible and acrobatic. In her youth, she was a renowned local gymnast in her hometown.

- Eunjoo stands only at 5 feet and 3 inches, same height as Rebecca Chambers.

- Her signature combat gloves not only serve for great gripping, but have long, indestructible claws that can be used to slice and sever through anything. The claws itself are made with Tungsten metal reinforced with carbon fiber materials and are retractable.

- Her native language is Haitian Creole but she can speak/read/write in a multitude of languages including, Korean (her second language), Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and German.

-Eunjoo was originally a Haitian-police recruit that came into contact with a strain of the G-Virus after a small group of ex-Umbrella Scientists, who sought refuge in Haiti, unleashed the virus on a remote base she was stationed at. There, she was forced to kill several of her friends and allies as she fought to survive the night. The US Military, who had been secretly tracking the scientists intervened but were too late to stop the devastation. Eunjoo had managed solely to find the scientists along with their lab that was located underneath the base, killing the scientists (now mutated after injecting themselves with the G-Virus) and destroying the virus. The US Military later coerced Eunjoo into joining them under the guides of being able to protect her family from future biohazard outbreaks.

- At age 18, she started training under the USA’s military.

- At age 19, she met Leon. Their meeting was one that happened accidentally, however they both knew of each other’s history with the G-virus.

- At age 21, just days after her birthday, she accompanied Leon on his operation to Spain to rescue Ashley.

- Her date of birth is 8/13/1983.

Enjoy!

[thelastharbinger]

Tidbits of ATSV That I Enjoyed (Or Alternatively: Just Miles Being The Most Endearing Spidey Ever)

Miles patting The Spot's head after successfully webbing him (I don't see this as condescending, but rather him still engaging with the humanity of a villain like Spot) and ~very assertively~ telling/asking him not to escape.

"I'm like Robin Hood-if he gave to himself."

Miles' spidey senses going off when he arrives late to his dad's party because there's nothing more frightening than Brown parents when they're mad at you. Beware the chancla or correa!

O.k. So we all know there are different versions of the movie out there. You may already know that one of the slight differences is when Miles goes to save Inspector Singh. There's a version where you can hear Gwen's voice in the distant background yelling no! when she thinks Miles gets crushed under the rubble, and there's another where she's silent as she webs to him. Now, I have found ANOTHER version (online) where her shouting is even more at the forefront. She's practically screaming and sounds more desperate, (prolly because it's close to the same way her Peter Parker died so she's reliving trauma) and the fear in her voice is palpable. That one haunts me.

Jefferson trying to equate studying for his police exams to childbirth, which Rio quickly nips in the bud.

Ganke having a soccer poster of Son Heung Min, a famous Korean footballer who currently plays for the Premier League Tottenham Hotspur and is captain of the South Korean national team.

Miles having a Sashimi (his universe's version of Supreme, but I just like the idea that Miles loves eating sashimi. Like I know that kid has good taste in food) poster in his bedroom.

The fact that Miles kept in touch with Aunt May for long enough after the events of ITSV that he helps her move.

The Spot saying he was one of the more handsome scientists at Alchemax according to his colleagues.

Miles and Gwen having the same collectible toys, the only difference being that he keeps his in the box and she doesn't.

"Hey, don't try to wow me with big words, man," *in deep manly voice* "I do crosswords every day"- Miles after Spot points out Alchemax as "the crucible of our connection!"

Miles going, "This job is so dumb sometimes" after he tries to web Spot at the deli, but it goes through a hole and lands on his face.

"Nahhh, he seems more Dominican to me." Kinda want Miles to meet a native Dominican Spidey because that dynamic would highkey fuck hard *pun not intended*. They would repair relations between our two islands-PR&DR.

"Almost there Mami *smiley face* *cowboy* prayer hands*"

The college admissions coach at Visions Academy straight up saying, "That's your story! Now, just stick to the script..." Ma'am what???

"Calmate Mami, eso no es my fault."

"I've hit a lot of different villains with a lot of different food...I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

Miles in his angsty teen era and smart-mouthing everyone around him. Love that for him.

"He almost killed his mom as a baby, I mean, look at those shoulders." No but for real tho. Those shoulders are as wide as a truck. Kim Seokjin who??? (if you understood that reference, ily).

Miles writing a love letter to his dad in 2 cakes.

Gwen at the water tower chowing and saying how feelings make her hungry after her and Miles talked about how they can't be together cause it would end in tragedy. Like Gwen, come again?!

Also, Miles' and Gwen's talk at the Williamsburg Bank Building being lowkey the catalyst for the 2nd/3rd acts of the film. Without them both kind of silently admitting their feelings for each other, Miles probably wouldn't have chased after her the way he did. Pretty sure you know the rest.

"I bet she doesn't even speak Spanish," and Jeff going "Que barbaridad" in his very broken Spanish. Queue Rio's bombastic side eye.

Both Gwen and Miles referring to Spot as a Villain Of The Week, even though neither of them have spoken about Spot to each other.

"I was bitten by a-wouldnt you like to know? Know what I mean?" SIR. Chill. This movie is for children.

The Spot inverting himself, going from a white mass with black spots to a gaping black hole with smaller white spirals. It's giving Junji Ito.

The irony of Pavitr exclaiming, "Well that was another easy adventure for Spider-Man!" right before an incoming canon event. HIS. He was about to experience his first big loss, and his happy-go-lucky nature would've been challenged.

Miguel saying conyo! when all the Spideys start pointing at each other.

"!Cállate!" "Nosy!" Sidebar: we don't talk about Gwen's banter with bad guys enough. She's so funny!

A lot of the Peters saying hi to Gwen as she passes HQ because she is canonically the one lost love--the love interest they all would've ended up with had she not died, so they all have an affection for her.

Web-Slinger going "Giddy up!" Cause he's swinging up.

Miles offering his fresh new takes on how to deal with the Spot upon meeting Miguel, saying "He just wants to be taken seriously. Like we all do." MILES YOU BEAUTIFUL, COMPASSIONATE GOLDEN SUNFLOWER BOY I LOVE YOUUUUU.

Hobie referring to Peter B. as Humbling Reality Spider-Man, which considering how steeped in tragedy the Spidey lore is, is really saying something.

Miguel's nonono no puedo más no puedo más. His misery is very funny and delightful to me. Little bitch ass.

"You know you're the only Spider-Man who isn't funny." Yes! More Miguel slander in the next one, please! Little bitch ass.

"Snitch!"

Miles shouting out Peter's name for help whilst Miguel pins and lays into him the fact that he's an anomaly. This after he momentarily glitches back to his ITSV store-bought suit. Mimicking the way-in also the first movie-Miles shouting out Peter's name for his own rescue as Doc Ock attacks him at the research facility. Because even though he feels hurt by Peter at this point, that's still his dad mentor and he still instinctively looks to him for protection. Rip my heart out why don't you!

Gwen sneaking back into her and her dad's place just to get that printed polaroid of her and Miles, a pic she already has on her phone.

Earth-42 Miles wearing Nike while our Miles wears Jordans.

[wrotelovelytears]

Cha cha CHIA!

Girl we going Islam-

🐸Neptune just has to rule over kpop. I mean think about all the use of illusions, talk about love/relationships and the way the fans act like... Fanatics.

🌹If not Neptune, then Uranus. The fans, even the industry itself, having really unpredictable behaviours is a key part of it. Also how it managed to (currently) revolutionize the view on East Asians(mainly Koreans) and the boost to technology due to rapid changes in the country and music.

🐸The Koreas are ruled by Leo. And in no way, shape, or form am I surprised. It's the way South Korea isn't known for idk Samsung (technology) but Kpop, Kdramas/film (arts). So yes Leo and the 5th house make sense as the country ruling because that's what made it truly famous/globally recognized. For the North, they stay in the news mainly due to technological changes and political happenings rather than any cultural/art based things like the South. Both very famous but for opposite reasons.

🐸I'm more convinced Venus rules over classical music over Saturn. Yes Saturn is related to time and strictness. Yet if you listen to classical music it's more about expressions of beauty or lack of.

🌹You could argue that Mars could even rule over it due to the tempos used in most classical songs. They were meant to express the ideas of the time and hence their popularity is mainly with those from the time period OR those looking to see what it was like. (And yes the 1700-1900s were a very.... Interesting time)

🐸Germany is ruled by Aries, again not surprised. Yes it became infamous after WW1, the aggressiveness (Martian) shown is what more people remember it for rather than the arts (Venusian traits). Many painters, composers and even scientists come from Germanic countries but war/aggression is somehow the only thing people remember.

🐸Dracula gives off Virgo vibes. Very critical. A clean freak. Only enjoys the finest things in life and not willing to give up, especially if someone else is the reason why. Very timey.

🐸As much as I'm on Aquarian heads, I feel like Aquarius celebrities show the most human like qualities. I mean they the type to get upset normally, talk as if they don't have large platforms and be generally very open with their lives/fans. They don't follow what it means to be a celebrity but what it means to be a human.

🐸Ever since Jupiter went direct I've been having the most vivid dreams. Like my intuition is a lot better and it's easier for me to explain things. Only issue is I'm more prone to lucid dreaming (especially since it's naturally in my 1st house)

🐸During Saturn retrograde I struggled with feelings of uselessness (more than usual). My natal Saturn is retrograde, however this time around it hit me really hard. It did ultimately push me to stop victimizing myself and get a job.

🐸Jupiter in the first house can also make someone hyper independent. Meaning the person could need help and not ask for it because the ego would rather struggle than be perceived as weak.

🐸Neptune retrograde shouldn't exist. That's it. No observation. Just a statement

🐸Scorpio Venus tend to have better relationships with those of a different age/age group than them. The house can hint to why that is

🐸Venus doms might like fashion from different time periods and/or more soft fashion styles from the current time. Bonus if Saturn and/or Neptune is touch it (regardless of aspects)

🌹I love roccoco dresses so much and Saturn does have a hard aspect with my Venus while Neptune has a soft.

🐸People dominated by more "positive" planets tend to be more egotistical than those with "malignant" planets as their doms.

🐸However people with "malignant" planets as their doms tend sit in negativity longer than those without them.

🪢All in all you either broody or an egomaniac.

🐸The fame degrees backfire more than they actually "help". Anyone with more than 2 had their fair number of struggles and more.

🐸I think the fame degrees are less about achieving fame and more about learning about how societies perceive and treat certain traits. You might be easily recognized for the planet(s) that hold your fame degree(s), yet you are also heavily shunned for actually displaying the planet(s) behavior.

🐸Because I crave stability I tend to favor cardinal signs the most. They represent active change (not begin like the mutables or ending like the fixed). That's mainly due to my chart either being mutable or fixed dom (tropical vs sidereal/Vedic). I want what isn't naturally present in my chart.

🐸Apparently I love Virgo, Scorpio and Aquarian artist. Aquarius for their uniqueness. Scorpio for their emotions. Virgo for their lyricism/word play.

🐸I love how my chart is a walking contradiction. I'm watery with fire houses OR airy with earth houses. No I can't make a decision without thinking on it for five months and just waking up to do it one random day.

🐸Your dominant house(s) can definitely show the people you go after/ the ones that approach you the most.

🌹I get approached by people of different backgrounds/older folks a lot. (10th and 9th house ruled)

🐸You know what's interesting... The fact we have entered the Age of Aquarius and the countries ruled by it are act like complete asses or being shown to the world in a different light. Iran is (just now) being talked about for its Islamist views (Side note Islamist and Muslims/Islam are not synonymous. One is a political ideology the other is a religion). Russia literally wants to fight the whole world. People discovered what Sri Lanka is (and no it's not "India but an Island"). Sweden and Finland both got exposed for being trash with transatlantic slavery and oil money. I could keep going but all the countries ruled by Aquarius are struggling in some way or form.

🐸We just left the age of Pisces. Of course that means I have to speak on the (recent)political happenings of it too. The issue over Jerusalem got highlighted. Egypt had about 5 revolutions in the 2010s alone. The rest of North Africa went through so much political upheaval, I'm pretty sure we won't recover for a hot minute. Scandinavia showed how many neonazis could exist on one part of the planet and how not to treat Indigenous people. The Portuguese Royal Family fell off and the government went broke(r).

(If you learned something new or would just like to support me you can leave a wittle tip via the tip button or one of the links in my masterlist. Kofi: nymphdreams🧸)

[cinefreaks]

♱ ˚｡⋆BASICS

BIRTH NAME :: OH WOOSEOK

STAGE NAME :: WOOSEOK

BIRTHDAY :: JUNE 28, 2000

ZODIAC :: CANCER

BIRTHPLACE :: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

HOMETOWN :: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

NATIONALITY :: KOREAN

ETHNICITY :: KOREAN

LANGUAGES :: KOREAN, ENGLISH (BASIC), THAI (BASIC), JAPANESE (BASIC)

♱ ˚｡⋆CAREER

GROUP :: CINEFREAKS (FORMERLY KNOWN AS NIGHTMARE)

AGENCY :: KILLJOY ENTERTAINMENT (2023-PRESENT) ONEWAY ENTERTAINMENT (2019-2021)

POSITION :: LEAD VOCALIST, LEAD RAPPER

REPRESENTATIVE HORROR MOVIE :: HALLOWEEN

REPRESENTATIVE WEAPON :: WIRE HANGER

♱ ˚｡⋆PERSONALITY

POSITIVE :: APPRECIATIVE, YOUTHFUL, BENEVOLENT, PRACTICAL, CARING

NEGATIVE :: INDECISIVE, BOISTEROUS, OBNOXIOUS, CRAFTY, MESSY

NEUTRAL :: CONSERVATIVE, OPINIONATED, MORAL, WILLFUL, AMBITIOUS

♱ ˚｡⋆PHYSICAL

FACECLAIM :: KOO BONHYUK

HEIGHT :: 171 cm (5’7″)

BLOOD TYPE :: O

BODY MODIFICATIONS :: 1 TATTOO (on the back of his neck)

♱ ˚｡⋆TRIVIA

Wooseok originally was planned on debuting with a stage name, these were the candidates: WOON 우늘, SETH 세스, WOOSUN 우선 & SEOK 석.

Wooseok's is a fan of the group VARSITY, his bias is Hyunsu.

If Wooseok had one thing to change about CINEFREAKS' lore, it would be to give them a main antagonist.

Before auditioning to become an idol, Wooseok was studying to become a environmental scientist.

Wooseok and Dredd don't like watching scary movies, despite them being in a horror-type group.

His father is Oh Sanghoon, a professor at Yonsei University, & his mother is Choi Minkyung, a school teacher. Wooseok also two older brothers: Oh Junseok (1996), & Oh Minseok (1998).

He likes to read comic books. His favorites are Marvel, DC & Star Wars.

Wooseok is a ESFP.

mentioned :: @ncrdyboyz

​psd coloring credit goes to bobbisbird on polarr !

[thepastisalreadywritten]

(CNN) — Sky-gazers around the world were able to glimpse a partial lunar eclipse while September’s full harvest moon shone brightly Tuesday night.

The moon peaked at its fullest at 10:35 p.m. ET Tuesday but will appear full through Thursday morning, according to NASA.

If you viewed the moon on Tuesday evening for about an hour, it also appeared as if a bite has been taken out of it due to a partial lunar eclipse.

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves between the sun and the full moon without being perfectly aligned.

The celestial event appeared over Europe and much of Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.

The moon entered Earth’s full shadow at 10:13 p.m. ET and exited it at 11:16 p.m. ET.

The peak of the eclipse was expected to occur at 10:44 p.m. ET, according to NASA.

During a total lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow can turn the moon’s surface a striking red color, which is known as a blood moon, according to NASA.

But that won’t be the case this week, experts say.

“The eclipse (Tuesday) will not be a total lunar eclipse, so the moon won’t appear red, instead a portion of the moon will darken,” said Noah Petro, NASA project scientist for both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Artemis III.

“If you didn’t know it were happening or even look at the moon it might not be noticeable.

But the keen observer may notice the ‘top right’ corner of the moon darker than the rest of the moon,” he said via email.

“This is the part that is completely in(Earth’s) shadow, though not a large portion of the moon will be in darkness.

But if its clear out I encourage folks to go out and look, it’s always worthwhile to look at the moon!”

September’s full moon is also considered the second of four consecutive supermoons expected in 2024, according to NASA.

Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is closer to Earth than normal and thus appears larger and brighter in the night sky.

Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit.

While the typical distance between Earth and the moon is an average of 238,900 miles (384,472 kilometers), September’s full moon was expected to be just 222,637 miles (358,300 kilometers) away, according to NASA.

And keep an eye out for Saturn, which will look like a bright dot close to the full moon.

Naming The Moon

The name harvest moon is a nod to the season because the event happens close to the beginning of fall, or the autumnal equinox, which occurs on September 22.

Many people associate the harvest moon with being orange in color as it begins to rise, but the same could be said of all full moons.

The hue is due to the greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon, according to EarthSky.

Typically, this time of year is when many summer-planted crops peak in the Northern Hemisphere, and the bright moon once helped farmers work into the evening to harvest their bounty ahead of the first frost, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Other monikers for September’s full moon — as used across various indigenous tribes — include the “moon of full harvest” from the Hopi people, the “corn maker moon” from the Abenaki tribe, the “moon of the brown leaves” from the Lakota people and “autumn moon” from the Passamaquoddy tribe.

European names for the moon also honor the fall harvest, including the “fruit moon,” a nod to the fruits that ripen as summer ends, and the “barley moon” to mark when the crop is collected from the fields, according to NASA.

Other harvest-celebrating traditions around this time include the Korean festival of Chuseok and the Chinese Mooncake Festival, both of which also celebrate family and the remembrance of ancestors.

Upcoming Celestial Events

The next full moon, the hunter’s moon occurring on October 17, will also be a supermoon and the closest of the year at 222,095 miles (357,428 kilometers) away.

The beaver moon will occur on November 15, and the final full moon of the year will be the cold moon on December 15.

Meanwhile, sky-gazers can anticipate a busy meteor shower season to close out 2024.

Here are peak dates for upcoming celestial activity, according to the American Meteor Society:

Draconids: October 7-8

Orionids: October 20-21

Southern Taurids: November 4-5

Northern Taurids: November 11-12

Leonids: November 17-18

Geminids: December 13-14

Ursids: December 21-22

[bootstrapparadoxed]

creative works & links

AO3 - Ko-Fi - YouTube - Patreon

Novel

adult sci-fi; a queer, existentialist space adventure

Summary:

In the distant future, humans live in a utopia where even death is not the end—for everyone except Amber’s parents. At 25, she is a cynical, aloof Ph.D. in history who resents her sheltered life at home and yearns to find her place in the world. Then, an exciting job offer comes her way—the chance to uncover the mystery of a civilization that disappeared thousands of years ago. Teaming up with the archeologist Lullaby, Amber embarks on a hitchhiking quest to find the fabled Aquamarine Moon and, perhaps, some much-needed meaning in her life.

Publisher’s website | Amazon

Video Essays

"Science Has an Accountability Problem | Dumpster Fire Data"

Do you know how many researchers anonymously admit to fabricating data? The answer is not a number of individuals, it is a percentage. As scientists, we like to believe that we are the pinnacle of accuracy, honesty, and accountability. In reality, we are no different from any other human, just as capable of making mistakes. And it’s time to fully admit to that. Welcome to Dumpster Fire Data, a series in which I analyze the hell out of crumbling institutions.

“Representation DIY: What Headcanons Can Teach You About Autism”

On why representation of minority groups in fiction has such a powerful influence, why I prefer headcanon autistic characters over canon examples, and how headcanon discussions can improve the public dialogue and be an additional push for better diverse media.

“Night in the Woods: Cosmic Horror and Optimistic Nihilism”

An exploration of themes and narrative threads of “Night in the Woods” through the eyes of an exhausted Gen Z anarchist. On the terrifying world that young adults of today were born into and how it affected us, the two ways in which NiTW explores cosmic horror, why humans always look for stories, patterns, and meaning, and whether you can be sane and happy without meaning altogether. 

“Disability and Capitalism” 2-parter

A deep dive into the intertwined history of ableism and the capitalist economy, starting from the dawn of humanity and ending with a hopeful look into the future. Featuring a shitton of citations/research and generously sprinkled with science fiction.

“Squid Game and the Gamefication of Capitalism”

"Squid Game" is a South Korean survival drama that explores themes of class disparity and inequality with a Hunger Games-esque, thrilling plotline. Is the reality show / video game aesthetic of Squid Game just another compelling visual element, or an additional metaphor?

"Is Phylogenetics a Proper Science?"

Birds are dinosaurs, whales are cousins of cows, and fishes do not exist – these are the kind of things you learn in phylogenetics lectures as a biology undergrad. I have compartmentalized this knowledge in my head for years without giving it a second thought. Then, I fell down a rabbit whole of weird philosophy of science papers, and it broke my brain a little.

"Pokemon Evolutions Are Real... Kind Of"

More people have probably heard the word "evolution" in a pokemon game than in a high school biology class. And they aren't even actually evolving, they're going through metamorphosis. Probably. Well…

Published Fiction

Short Story: "Satisfied", cyberpunk horror, in HyphenPunk Magazine Issue 7

Selected Fanfiction

One Septendecillion Brass Doorknobs: AO3 - Royalroad - Rebloggable Link

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency S3 as a full novel length (82k words) fic written in my best attempt at the style of Douglas Adams

where fire and ice collide: AO3 

30k long/novella length doctor who and good omens crossover with Tenth and Rose and all the GO characters; mostly focused on the mystery/adventure plotline but it also has tenrose and ineffable husbands tones in the mix

when it’s time: AO3

good omens 20k ineffible husbands slowburn. you know the cold open of E3? it’s 20k more of it. with mutual pining and angst and an eventual happy ending

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Scientists skeptical of superconductor claims that went viral

A recent claim by South Korean researchers that they have created a material which works as a superconductor at room temperature—long a holy grail of physics—has been met with huge excitement on social media but skepticism from scientists. Superconductors can carry electrical currents with zero resistance, unlike traditional materials such as copper which lose part of the charge as heat. Since the phenomenon was discovered in 1911, thousands of superconducting materials have been found—but to work, all have to kept at extremely cold temperatures and high pressure, limiting their real-world applications. So the race is on to find a material that superconducts at room temperature, which could lead to transformational technology that could help fight climate change, supercharge quantum computing and even boost levitating high-speed trains.

Read more.

[handsomehasun]

BASICS

FULL NAME: YEONG HA-SUN [ 영한순 ]

» MEANING: Yeong [From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. This name was borne by Jang Yeong-sil (where Jang is the surname), a 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor.]; Ha-Sun [derived from the hanja 河 (ha) meaning "river, stream"; As a family name, Seon may be written with either of two hanja, one meaning "to announce" (宣) and the other meaning "first" (先). Hasun is also an Arabic name that has multiple Islamic meaning, including "strong." It could also mean "a good-looking, handsome and pretty man."]

NICKNAME: Sun.

AGE: 35-years old.

DATE OF BIRTH: 1988 April 8th, Friday, Year of The Dragon.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Busan.

OCCUPATION: Chef at Sunwoo Ha-jun's restaurant, GOCHUGARU [고추가]; influencer by accident...

RELIGION: N/A

ORIENTATION: Heterosexual; Heteroromantic.

GENDER: Cisgender Male.

VERSES: The Game.

SPECIES: Human.

POWERS: He's also a badass. And he's very handsome.

PERSONALITY

STRENGTHS: Courageous, Determined, Confident, Honest, Passionate,

WEAKNESSES: Impatient, Moody, Short-tempered, Impulsive, Aggressive.

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Lee Soo-hyuk.

HEIGHT: 6′0″ [183 cm.]

WEIGHT: 149 lbs. [68 kg.]

BUILD: Athletic. He goes to the gym regularly.

GAIT: Confident.

HAIR COLOR: Dark brown.

EYE COLOR: Dark brown.

BIRTHMARK: Some.

OVERVIEW:

» SCARS: Various.

» TATTOOS: None.

BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Seoul, South Korea.

RESIDENCES: Seoul, New York, Philippines.

ETHNICITY: Asian.

FINANCIAL STATUS: Upper class.

EDUCATION LEVEL: University graduate.

DEGREES: Graduated under the Department of Food & Nutrition at Hanyang University. Studied Culinary Arts in France and Italy.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: Ha-sun is fluent in his native Hangul. He speaks Japanese, Mandarin, English, Italian, some German, Arabic, Spanish, and French.

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: Both alive. TBD.

SIBLINGS: Younger siblings.

CHILDREN: A three-year old son.

PETS: Cats.

SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS: Hasun married into the conglomerate Sunwoo family. He met his late wife, Sunwoo Hye-jin while studying at Hanyang and fell in-love [Ha-jun's first cousin.] They were married for five years before she passed due to complications of severe Covid during the height of the pandemic. Hye-jin was already sickly to begin with but her passing was unexpected and Hasun truly hasn't fully recovered from it.

» Since his wife's death, Hasun spent most of his time raising their son and working. His parents-in-law love him and would like him to re-marry but he is not ready. He also has been spending a lot of time with his parents and younger siblings, helping them a lot and taking care of them.

FAMILY HISTORY: Hasun came from a working class family. His mother is a homemaker and his father is a public servant. Education is important and his parents made sure that he went to the best schools so he could have a good future. His parents are loving and his siblings, a younger brother and a sister, are also loving and supportive.

Although Hasun was married into a rich family, he never relied on them financially although they insisted. He's a very talented chef which Hajun recognized and gave him a chance at one of the man's restaurants. Hasun could've easily opened his own with his wife's money and influence but he chose to work from the bottom up. He has been working at Gochugaru for about seven years and he loves it. Hajun has offered Hasun to be partner and there is talk of opening a new chain focusing on Asian and western fusion as Gochugaru focuses on authentic Korean dishes and also bringing regional dishes into mainstream.

Hasun has been dubbed "Cinderalla" as his story resembled the fairytale princess or so netizens claimed minus the evil step-mother and mean step-sisters.

He has many critics and people that doubt his true intentions and credibility - many said he married for money - but public support outweighed all the trolls' negative comments and drowned the haters' opinions. It helped that he married one of the public's sweethearts.

Hasun also

ROMANTIC HISTORY: Was married for five years. Hasn't dated in the last four years since his wife's death.

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS: He is good friends with his wife's cousin, Hajun. He's a good friend of the musician K; he used to cook for the artist. He still does on special occasions. More to be added.

THOUGHTS ON LOVE: Hasun was very much in love with his wife. He's not ready to move on.

HEALTH

PHOBIA(S): None.

HANDICAP(S): None.

MENTAL DISORDER: Depression.

PHYSICAL DISEASE(S): None.

PREDISPOSITION(S): Alcoholism.

[dear-indies]

merry christmas!! i hope you’re celebrating the holidays (safely)!! i need your help with finding a good faceclaim!! i’m writing a character who’s an otherworldly eccentric scientist, simply put. i had in mind tao okamoto, hannah john kamen and now dichen lachman. but i need more options because none of them seem to fit! i need a female fc, aged between 25 and 40, who has striking features like those ladies, and can appear stoic and scare you at the same time. the ethnicity doesn’t matter, but in my search i was leaning more towards asian, east & south. thank you so much in advance, and happy holidays!!

Natasha Lyonne (1979) Ashkenazi Jewish - in Russian Doll.

Elodie Yung (1981) Cambodian / French, Italian.

Rinko Kikuchi (1981) Japanese.

Lesley-Ann Brandt (1981) Black South African [English, East Indian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Khoisan, Ashkenazi Jewish] - in Lucifer.

Alexa Davalos (1982) Ashkenazi Jewish / Spanish, Finnish, Dutch-Indonesian, distant Swedish.

Tominaga Ai (1982) Japanese.

Kate Siegel (1982) Ashkenazi Jewish - is bisexual - in The Haunting of Hill House.

Angela Sarafyan (1983) Armenian.

Florence Faivre (1983) Thai / French.

Eleanor Matsuura (1983) Japanese / English.

Mélanie Laurent (1983) French Jewish, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi.

Jaimie Alexander (1984)

Jurnee Smollett (1986) Ashkenazi Jewish / African-American, possibly other - in Birds of Prey.

Sonoya Mizuno (1986) Japanese / English, Argentinian - in Maniac.

Diane Guerrero (1986) Colombian - in Doom Patrol.

Amber Rose Revah (1986) Ashkenazi Jewish / Kenyan, Indian.

Alba Flores (1986) Romani, Spanish [including Andalusian] - in Money Heist.

Jodie Turner-Smith (1986) Afro-Jamaican.

Michaela Coel (1987) Ghanaian - is aromantic.

Vanessa Kirby (1988)

Anna Diop (1988) Senegalese - in Titans.

Ritu Arya (1988) Indian - The Umbrella Academy.

Summer Bishil (1988) Indian / Mexican, German, English, distant Dutch - in The Magicians.

Rose McIver (1988) - in iZombie.

Kim Hieora (1989) Korean - Bad and Crazy.

Jeon Yeo Been (1989) Korean.

JuJu Chan (1989) Hongkonger - Wu Assassins, Fistful of Vengeance, and Jiu Jitsu.

Hannah John-Kamen (1989) Nigerian / Norwegian.

Damaris Lewis (1990) St Kittitian - in Titans.

Jessica Henwick (1992) Chinese Singaporean / English - in They Gray Man and The Matrix.

Jennifer Cheon (1992) Mexican / Korean.

Baifern Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul (1992) Thai and Chinese.

Lyrica Okano (1994) Japanese - The Runaways.

Jeon Jong Seo (1994) Korean - Money Heist: Korea.

Sophia Ali (1995) Pakistani / Sicilian Italian, Danish, Norwegian, German - in Uncharted.

Adeline Rudolph (1995) Korean / German - in Resident Evil.

Tati Gabrielle (1996) African-American / Korean - in Uncharted.

Here you go, hope you have a lovely holiday period too if you're celebrating!

[hanayanaa]

okay so like. Forgive me cuz i havent caught up on all the alterna lore butttt in splatsville, octolings and inklings lived together for a long time in peace and harmony right?

therefore, splatsville dialect must naturally be a more in-between of inkling and octoling languages... i have to worry if any ink octoling word scientists i forgot the word 💀 study it as a source of both the languages' histories and how the split into what it was today

i think, therefore, splatsville dialect is harder for inkopolis inklings to understand, but easier for underground octolings to understand-- agent 8 would find the dialect a lot easier to understand so she'd be able to use more eloquent words in their native tongue, along with independently studying inkling, perhaps why her amiibo dialogue in this game has gotten a lot better grammar wise! im so proud of her 💖💖💖

anyway I just think it's interesting to think about, it's like how north and south korean dialects split and are very hard to understand for the other group, and then the equivalent to splatsville dialect would be like how they spoke post 1940 for example

[agentcable]

Mouse (2021) Ep. 1 Recap

Mouse (Korean: 마우스; RR: Mauseu) is a South Korean drama television series starring Lee Hee-Joon, Lee Seung-Gi, Park Ju-Hyun, and Kyung Soo-Jin. It premiered on tvN on March 3, 2021 and aired every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:30 KST until May 20, 2021.

Mouse imagines a scenerio where psychopaths could feel remorse and guilt for their actions. The story follows Go Moo-Chi as he tries to catch a psychopathic killer. He witnessed a horrific incident as a child and is dealing with the trauma. Together with his younger partner Jeong Ba-Reum, he tries to uncover the truth behind psychopathic behaviour and to answer the question of whether there is a genetic predisposition to psychopathy - and how to act on this knowledge if it could be detected.

EP. 1 The country is struck with terror as news of an unsolved serial killing case spreads. A family of four visits a campsite and tragically falls victim to the serial killer known as Head Hunter. A boy surives the attack and identifies the prime suspect as the killer. Meanwhile, Head Hunter's baby undergoes a gene test to determine potential psychopathic characteristics, and the mother is faced with a difficult decision.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

During a visit to the zoo, a classroom of children observed a large black snake in a glass enclosure. One child, who appeared emotionless, secretly released a small rat into the enclosure. The snake immediately attacked the rat, causing the other children to flee in terror. The child who released the rat remained to watch as the snake attempted to catch the rat, but was ultimately bitten in self-defense. The snake shakes off the rat. The rat turns and launches itself at the snake again, its eyes shining red.

Five years later, the same boy enters an empty church to ask an important question of the stained-glass Jesus. He asks, "Do I seem different to you, too? They say it's how I was born. They say I was born different." But no answer comes.

Ten years earlier, a young woman is dropped off by a taxi at the bottom of a steep hill in the middle of a snowstorm. She uses a phone booth to call home and explains that the road was too icy for the taxi, so she will be walking the rest of the way. As she hangs up, she hears a plaintive voice calling out for her. There is a small girl in the road who cries that there was an accident and her father is still in the nearby car. The young woman approached the car. When she opened the door, the driver attacked her. She begged for her life in vain. Nearby, the little girl sobbed at the violent scene.

A week later, a diver discovers the headless body of a young woman in the ocean. The victim has a series of letters and numbers marked on her hand and is identified as the latest victim of the Head Hunter, a serial killer.

In England, a year later, scientist Daniel Lee gave a lecture where he identified a gene present in the DNA of psychopaths, a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy for others. Daniel predicted that we will soon be able to predict whether an unborn child might be a murderer based on the presence of this gene.

The president calls Daniel back to Korea to stop the Head Hunter's killing spree. During his speech, Daniel presents his DNA findings, revealing that one percent of people with the psychopath gene become murderers. However, his test has a 99% success rate, with the remaining 1% indicating that the person will be a genius. The genes for genius and psychopath are so similar that it is difficult for Daniel to differentiate between them. Eliminating psychopaths could also mean killing potential geniuses. The question at hand is whether the government can require a mother to have an abortion if the psychopath gene is detected. Ultimately, the proposal is rejected.

That evening, Daniel visits his old friend Han Seo-Joon, whose wife Ji-Eun is heavily pregnant with their first child. Seo-Joon and Ji-Eun are clearly in love, with Seo-Joon doting on Ji-Eun and Ji-Eun returning his affections. However, Daniel feels a bit sad when he sees their wedding photos. This is because Seo-Joon's first love was Daniel's sister, Jennifer, who died seven years ago in a random mugging. When the subject comes up, Seo-Joon appears sad, but Daniel insists that he is thrilled to see Seo-Joon married and happy. Seo-Joon drives Daniel to his hotel and promises to visit him in England soon.

A family of four is traveling through the area. They get briefly lost and ask another driver for directions. They stop at a campground for the night, but unfortunately, the ceiling in the kitchen caved in from the snow, so the campground is closed. Despite this, the family decides to stay and rough it. The father is searching for the mother who is away getting water. He hears his wife crying out. An ominous figure with a knife looms over her as she pleads for her life. Her husband jumps at the attacker and yells for her to run. She races back to their van with their boys, Moo-Won and Moo-Chi, but the van won't start.

The attacker approaches, so she pushes the boys down to hide. She instructs Moo-Won to protect his little brother and hide with him in a cupboard. After uttering a small prayer, she goes out into the night.

The boys hid, but the attacker soon reached the van and attempted to break in. The mother distracted him and led him away from the van, but unfortunately, she was caught and stabbed multiple times. Despite her best efforts, the attacker quickly overpowered her and returned to the van, where the boys were now out of hiding and screaming for their mother. Moo-Won then locked little Moo-Chin into a suitcase and shoved it under a bench before attempting to hide himself. The attacker found Moo-Chi's suitcase first and began breaking it open. Moo-Won remembered his promise to protect his little brother and came out of hiding to lead the attacker out of the van. However, the attacker caught him and repeatedly hit him.

Later that night, Detective Park Doo-Seok was called to the hospital to speak with young Moo-Chi, who was in deep shock. Moo-Won is undergoing surgery due to severe injuries. His parents were murdered, but their bodies have disappeared. Detective Park, whose daughter was also abducted by the Head Hunter years ago, pressures Moo-Chi to identify the killer's face. When Moo-Chi is unable to speak, Detective Park becomes frustrated and scares the little boy even more. As he is being taken away, Moo-Chi sees something that causes him to scream. He points at a picture on the wall and yells, "It's him!"

Ji-Eun wakes up late and finds herself alone in bed. She goes out to search for Seo-Joon. He enters with an armful of firewood. Ji-Eun smiles at the family of snowmen he built in the front yard. Earlier, Seo-Joon had told Daniel that he would terminate the pregnancy if their baby had the psychopathy gene. However, Ji-Eun is uncertain about what she would do. Several police cars suddenly arrive at the driveway. Detective Park orders Seo-Joon's house to be searched and arrests him at gunpoint, growling that he is the Head Hunter. It turns out that the photo that Moo-Chi pointed out as his family's attacker was one of Seo-Joon, who is a neurosurgeon at the hospital.

While Detective Park was obtaining the search warrant, Moo-Chi took a scalpel from a discarded surgical tray and sneaked into the patrol car. In the ensuing confusion, he lunged out of the car and slashed Seo-Joon's face. He attempted to stab Seo-Joon again, but Detective Park intervened, accidentally knocking the head off one of the snowmen. The snowman's head shattered on the ground, revealing a black plastic bag inside. One of the officers peered inside, then dropped it in horror. Moo-Chi sees blood in the snow. He also sees the barrette his mother was wearing, still clipped around a lock of her hair. Ji-Eun witnesses this scene from inside, and the truth hits her like a ton of bricks.

The bodies of Moo-Chi's parents are eventually found in Ji-Eun's greenhouse, furthering the theory that Seo-Joon is the Head Hunter. Despite Detective Park and the families of the deceased being dismayed, Seo-Joon continues to protest his innocence and wish for the real killer to be found. Daniel assures Ji-Eun that Seo-Joon cannot be guilty because he loves her. According to Daniel, psychopaths cannot have love anyone but themselves. However, Ji-Eun confronts Seo-Joon in front of reporters, claiming that she knows he is guilty. She saw him putting the head on the snowman that contained his victim's head, and she even has a picture of proof. Seo-Joon's drops the innocent act, and a flashback reveals that he is the one who killed Moo-Chi's parents. Ji-Eun tearfully asks why he even married her if he can't love her. Seo-Joon sneers and replies, "I guess you could call it my will to reproduce. I needed an offspring. Han Seo-Joon Junior."

Floored, Daniel ran into the police station, grabbed Seo-Joon and flinging him into an interrogation room. He asked Seo-Joon if he killed his sister. Seo-Joon responded emotionlessly that she still hid from him after being stabbed twenty times. He threatened to kill her mother and Daniel if she didn't come out. Seo-Joon laughed at the memory of how she looked when she crawled to him. He snarls that she killed his baby and brags about keeping his promise not to hurt her family. He finishes his story by saying, "The pleading look in her eyes couldn't have been sexier," leaving Daniel sobbing on his knees.

Daniel offers to run a genetic test on Ji-Eun's unborn baby, and she accepts. The results reveal that the baby has the psychopath gene, causing Ji-Eun to panic and demand an abortion. However, Daniel reminds her that she is too far along for that option and suggests they discuss other alternatives. In the hallway, a pregnant woman approaches Ji-Eun. She explains that her husband worked with Daniel in England. To help, she volunteered to have her baby tested. Her husband had told her that their baby was normal, but she found out that he had lied to her because he didn't want to scare her. Sadly, her husband died recently in an accident, and she is now faced with the decision of whether or not to end the pregnancy. The woman informs Ji-Eun that her baby is the only thing she has left of the father, who she believes was a good man. Therefore, she does not think her baby is a psychopath. However, Ji-Eun does not have the same assurance about her baby's father.

Seo-Joon was sentenced to death and spent his time in prison waiting for his sentence to be carried out. Five years later, he read a news article that Daniel had returned to Korea. Seo-Joon mailed two live rats to his former friend. Meanwhile, a little boy name Jae-Hoon also caught a rat to set it free in the snake enclosure at the zoo.

Jae-Hoon's teacher becomes concerned about his mental health when he kills the class rabbit as he wanted to check if it had gained weight or was pregnant. He scratches his arm to shreds, explaining that he is annoyed with the other kids but cannot take it out on them, so he takes it out on himself. Jae-Hoon's teacher mentions that the other kids are absent. Jae-Hoon becomes annoyed by the way she looks at him, as if he's weird. The teacher calls in Jae-Hoon's stepfather and informs him that a recent IQ test shows that Jae-Hoon is well above genius level. However, she expresses concern about his mental state and recommends therapy. Unfortunately, stepdad takes offense and reacts by dragging Jae-Hoon into an alley after school and slapping him hard. He then calls Jae-Hoon's mother to complain that Jae-Hoon humiliated him.

Jae-Hoon has two younger siblings (Jae-Min and Jae-Hee). Jae-Hee appears to have a mental disability. One day, Jae-Min catches Jae-Hoon pouring ammonia into his stepfather's fish tank. He pleads with Jae-Hoon not to kill his dad's favourite fish, but Jae-Hoon ignores him and continues. Afterward, Jae-Hoon takes his stepfather's dog, Choco, warns Jae-Min not to tell anyone. Upn stepdad's arrival home, he discovers his fish has passed away and Jae-Min is hesitant to speak. However, Jae-Hee repeats her brothers' conversation verbatim. Stepdad proceeds to search for Jae-Hoon and upon arriving at the park, he discovers his dog, Choco, floating lifeless in the pond. After finding Jae-Hoon, he drags him home and physically assaults him while calling him and "evil bastard".

Later, a bruised Jae-Hoon invites Jae-Min to visit Choco's grave in a nearby wooded area. Jae-Min was praying when Jae-Hoon pushed him into a hole that he had dug. Jae-Hoon accused Jae-Min of tattling, but Jae-Min denied it. Despite this, Jae-Hoon insisted that Jae-Min needed to be punished and began shoveling dirt into the hole. Fortunately, their mother arrives just in time. She pushes Jae-Hoon to the ground, helps Jae-Min out of the hole, and then begins to choke Jae-Hoon while telling him to die. Jae-Hoon looks up at his mother.

Jae-Hoon manages to escape and goes to the church where we first saw him. He asks Jesus if he's truly different and if he was genuinely born a monster. In the voiceover, he expresses his prayer to not become a monster.

However, fifteen years later, Jesus had never answered his prayer, and he ended up becoming a killer. In the flashback, Jae-Hoon stands over his stepfather's body while Jae-Min and Jae-Hee hide. He calmly removes the knife from the man's chest and slowly walks up the stairs where his mother waits.

[beasiannow]

Things seem to have taken a bold advance at the travel agency known as Gaikoku Hito Rinjin (Foreigner Neighbor), where through the use of super science, foreigners have been able to visit Japan not as awkward tourists but as someone seemingly native-born, appearing not just physically Japanese, but fluent in the language and customs of the area visited. 

Then three weeks later, the visitor returns spontaneously to their former self so they can return home with the most unique vacation memories possible. (unless they are part of the + or – 11% who find they don’t change back.)

As promised, the brilliant scientist founder of Foreigner Neighbor, Hiroko Rokkaku, has figured out how to expand the transformation matrix beyond just Japan and opened up the capability to visit anywhere in the world.

Mind you, this has also raised the number of persons finding themselves unable to return to their original selves from an 11.77% chance to a 23.55% chance. But like Subway not really going into detail about how little tuna is in their tuna; if you don’t talk about that a lot, most people won’t go looking for it.

Because of the expansion of options, Gaikoku Hito Rinjin has re-branded itself as

Global Immersive Travel Adventure Odysseys.

Travel has never been more exciting. Or a more interesting gamble.

Here we see four satisfied customers. (Names withheld because of their wealth)

“Nancy,” a controversial cable “news” hostess taking some time off from the heat, and notoriety, of being herself by spending three weeks on a small Philippine Island as a Filipina.

“Jimmy,” the son of a prominent Kentucky politician, here seen during his six-week tour as a female citizen of Seoul, Korea, where before his return to Frankfort, Kentucky as football hero Jimmy, she was able to get a brief part on a Korean drama.

“M” a Moderately famous female rapper taking a tour in Osaka.

And “don’t even use my initials,”  the female head of a former major firm seen to be on trial for fraud, sunning herself in Indonesia. (she tried to bribe Global Immersive into her “accidentally,” not being able to turn back and losing the paperwork on where she is. Sorry, but GITAO doesn’t play that! Get a good lawyer, honey.

However yes there are those (23.55%) who find that when it time for them to change back to original form them, they don’t. And not only that but people who have the still unknown component in them that causes this to happen are unable to ever go though the process again so they are permanently this new version of themselves.

However yes there are those (23.55%) who find that when it time for them to change back to original form them, they don’t. And not only that but people who have the still unknown component in them that causes this to happen are unable to ever go though the process again so they are permanently this new version of themselves.

Such as Susan Billie Abbot a highly accomplished journalist and finance graduate from Brown University. Who after graduating in 2013, she began her career in journalism and finance, first as a financial analyst at JP Morgan & Co. in New York City. From there, she moved to the Wall Street Journal and was quickly noticed for her reporting on world finance. In 2018, Susan won several prestigious awards for her work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism. 

Following her success in journalism, Susan decided to take a break from her career and explore the economies of South-East Asia. She has since been on a journey of discovery, learning about the conditions and trends of the region's economy and its effects on the world. Susan has worked with some of the top financial institutions in the region and has been praised for her insightful reporting. She is currently on hiatus, researching the present-day conditions of the economy in South-East Asia.

Here she is finding out that after her three week fact finding tour she is one of the sort of people who can not turn back and must keep the new identity she was using (to be truthful we are not really all that “legal” and if government found out what we are doing the results would be dire for all involved) so that Susan Billie Abbot, American finance reporter, is now truly Syazana Binti Zainal Abidin, Mayla woman and citizen of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Fortunately GITAO was able to see to it that Syazana had to paperwork to get work at the largest bank in Kuala Lumpur, as a teller. But we are sure a go-getter like Ms. Abidin will be moving up in the ranks swiftly.

Some other customers who will be adjusting permanently to a new life elsewhere.

Paulette Patton of Ontario, Canada. An anthropology major who thought her term paper on “real life in modern Vietnam” would be helped by a three-week stay as a native of Saigon. Now that this study will continue for the rest of her life, at least Phuong finds that tuition is much less expensive where she is now.

June “Rosebud” Flowers of McComb, Mississippi, thought that if she could spend a little time “over there” as “one of them” “walking a mile  in their burka.” She would be able to take her Witnessing up two or three notches. However, she had not anticipated finding she had to stay in Istanbul as Haziran “Gül Goncası” Çiçekler for keeps or that she would be the one converting.

An interesting double-stuck pair of travelers is a would-be female rocker who uses a secondary color as her stage name (No, NOT Pink!”) who thought that a trip into India as an Indian woman would help her music even more than the Beatles trips to India as just themselves helped them  (nobody tell her). 

She was joined on what she thought would be a three-week tour by her show business manager Murry who was so dedicated to his client that he also agreed to not only take the change with her but also become a woman so they could save on hotel bills by staying in the same one as mother and daughter.

Mauve is doing her best to find where Indian music today “is” while Murry, well Murry, is adjusting as best she can.