#ordinal numbers 1 to 20

[udable]

Learn Ordinal Numbers 1 to 100: Fun & Easy Guide for Hindi and Urdu Speaker | Udable

[ariestrxsh]

sub!pizzaboy!chris x cop!reader

🍕 content warning: smut, use of handcuffs, coercion (?), praise, pain kink, edging, begging, unprotected sex, dick riding

🍕 summary: during a routine traffic stop with the same pizza delivery boy you've pulled over many times before, you decide to teach chris a lesson about breaking the law. will you let him get off with a warning?

Pizza Guy

chapters: | intro | 1 | 2 |

Chris had just dropped off his last delivery of the night, and he was on his way back to the pizza shop, cruising down a big hill on a backroad in his small town. Rap music was blaring through his speakers, and he had his windows rolled down to air out his car from the joint he'd just smoked in it earlier, ignoring the 25 MPH signs he sped past.

While Chris was drumming his fingers on his steering wheel to the beat of the song, blue and red lights started flashing in the reflection of his rearview. "Fuck," he groaned under his breath, rolling his eyes and pumping his brakes.

He just knew it would be you. The same officer who hassled him at least once every couple of weeks in that same area, but at least that meant he could probably get out of the ticket pretty easily with a little flirting.

He started rifling through his glove compartment for his registration and proof of insurance as you sauntered up to the driver's side of his car. "Don't you know to wait with both hands on the wheel until after I approach your vehicle?" You scolded him, shining your flashlight in his face.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, what kind of rule is that?" Chris asked, squinting up at you and glancing at your badge. Sure as shit, same cop who's been harrassing me for several months, he thought to himself.

"The kind of rule you follow when you don't want some rookie to pull a gun on you because they think you're reaching for a weapon," you dryly responded, studying his red, bloodshot eyes.

"Why didn't you pull your gun out on me then, ma'am?" Chris smirked, pulling his license out of his wallet. "Because you're hardly a threat, Chris Sturniolo. And I'm not a rookie."

"Would've been kind of hot if you had," Chris flirted, running his fingers through his luscious hair and smiling at the you before handing over his information. You did your best to hold back a smirk, shining your light on his documents.

"You know why I pulled you over?" You asked, holding intense eye contact. "Respectfully, ma'am. I know better than to answer that question. But I think the reason you specifically keep pulling me over is because you're too shy to ask me for my number," Chris winked at you.

A micro-expression of desire crossed your face. "I'm gonna go run your information," you responded, ignoring his comment and making your way back over to your car to run Chris' name through the database.

Chris' light flirting usually awarded him immunity when it came to your threats to give him speeding tickets. You were still going to let him go, but you wanted to make him sweat a little first, maybe in more than one way. Chris was a chronic law breaker, and what a perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson.

You strolled back over to the car, handing Chris his license back. "Step out of the vehicle, Chris," you ordered, crossing your arms over your chest and tapping your boot on the pavement while you waited. Chris took his time, slowly getting out of his Honda Accord and nervously biting his lip.

This was the first time you'd asked him to get out of the car, and your demeanor was less playful than usual. "Ma'am, am I in trouble?" His asked with his sparkly eyes locked on yours, giving you a submissive look.

"Your music is breaking sound ordinance, you were going almost 20 over the limit, and your car reeks of marijuana. What do you think?" You gave Chris a stern look, narrowing your gaze. "I know, ma'am. I was just taking the edge off after a long day of work," Chris shot you an innocent smile.

"Turn around and put your hands behind your back," you ordered him. "Bet you've been dreaming about this, haven't you?" Chris peered back at you over his shoulder as you clicked the cold, hard, metal restraints shut around both his wrists.

"Chris Sturniolo, you're under arrest," you started before reading him off his rights and patting him down. You knelt down, running your hands along the sides of his jeans. "You don't have any weapons or anything sharp on you, do you?" You asked, continuing to frisk him.

"No, ma'am. Nothing like that," Chris answered, feeling the blood rush below his waist as your hands brushed against his chest, lingering a moment longer than necessary. You brought your attention to his shoulders and his arms. God, his arms. Your fingers danced across his biceps and the muscles in his forearms, and a subtle moan passed through your lips.

"Turn around, Sturniolo," you ordered him. "Yes, ma'am," Chris said, eager to do anything you told him to. He was such a sucker for a woman in charge.

You started from his ankles, running your hands along the seams of his pant legs, and you bit your lip as you came across something hard in the front of his jeans. Your eyes were drawn to his hard cock that began twitching against the denim fabric.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. I can't help it. Being cuffed by an attractive woman and being felt up like that.. it does something to me," Chris innocuously blushed and grinned, turning his gaze away from yours. It was getting harder for you to maintain your professionalism.

"Chris, you can't keep flirting your way out of the inevitable," you shot back, studying his features, glancing between his plump lips and blue eyes. "Ma'am. Please. If I lose my license, I lose my job," Chris replied, giving you a pouty look. "You should have thought about that before you broke several laws," you answered, being cold with him.

"You wanna ruin my life?" He softly whimpered, tears beginning to well in his eyes. You yanked him by his cuffed wrists and started walking him back to the cop car. You secretly got off on his desperation.

"You've got me handcuffed. You could do anything you want to me, you know? And you're gonna choose to be mean to me," Chris pouted at you as you opened the police car door and pushed his head down as you shoved him into the back seat. Instead of shutting the door and getting into the driver's seat, you stopped and looked at him a moment.

"I'm gonna let you go. But I'm gonna have a little fun with you first," you smirked at the blue-eyed boy. His lips curled into a devious smile as he started to pick up on where this was going. "Please, don't punish me, ma'am. I'm such a good boy," Chris half-heartedly whined, going along with the roleplay.

"If you're really a good boy, then you'd do anything to get out of this ticket, hmm?" You cooed in response, beginning to unbutton your uniform, slowly revealing your black balconette bra. His eyes dropped to your breasts and how gorgeous they looked in the lacey, see-through material.

"Yes, ma'am. Anything," Chris responded, nodding at you, tortured by the fact that no matter how badly he wanted to grab them, he couldn't. You climbed into the back seat, kicking off your boots and undoing your pants.

Once you were in nothing but your sexy black lingerie, you began to straddle him, immediately going for his belt, unfastening the buckle, and fiddling with his zipper. You couldn't get his cock out of his pants fast enough. You peered down at his hard on that was drooling with precum and twitching at the thought of being caressed by you.

The only lighting provided was from the dim overhead light above the two of you, but it was enough for you to take in each other's bodies. "Holy shit, Sturniolo. I thought you said you weren't packing a weapon on you," you bit your lip, your eyes flicking up at his after you studied what he was working with.

"Oh, ma'am. It's not even all the way hard yet," he humbly admitted, his gaze glued to your breasts. You raised as eyebrow at him, pulling your panties to the side with one hand, and with the other, you held Chris' dick still as you directed it towards your heat.

Your breath caught in your throat as you descended onto his swollen tip, sliding down his length until you were filled to the hilt. As you started to ride him, you felt him grow bigger and harder inside of you.

"Oh my, you weren't kidding," you moaned as he stretched you out. "I'd never lie to you, ma'am. I'm a good boy," Chris responded lustfully, desperation bleeding into his expression. He looked at you needily, his glossy eyes boring into you and all the muscles in his face relaxing.

Chris needed this. He'd been so stressed out at work lately, his bitch of a manager always on him and his coworkers always taking advantage of the fact that he could never say no to them. He needed a dominant woman to cuff him, to tell him what a good boy he was, and ride him until he was seeing stars, and you were the perfect candidate for the job tonight.

He so badly wanted to break free from his restraints, run his hands all over your gorgeous body, but all he could do was lick his lips, watching how your breasts bounced and feeling the way your ass jiggled against the tops of his thighs.

The car lightly rocked from side to side as you found your rhythm, grinding against Chris' lap with his most precious body part stuffed inside of you. The condensation from your collective breathing started to fog up the windows. The sounds of whimpering, skin slapping against skin, and Chris' metal belt clanking against itself filled the space around you.

"You are such a good boy, aren't you? Always doing what you're told?" You panted, softly placing your hands on either side of Chris' face before your lips melded into his, your tongue begging for admission into his mouth. He allowed you in, sloppily making out with you while you rolled your hips forward, putting a wonderful pressure on his desperate dick.

"Mhmm," he moaned against your lips as you picked up speed, the two of you each periodically breaking off this kiss to catch your breaths. "Good boy," you whispered, brushing your thumb against Chris' cheek and looking back at his needy expression.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm such a good boy. I'll let you do anything you want to me. You can use me whenever and however you want," he offered, his bedroom eyes glazing over as he felt your walls fluttering around his girth. His words were like music to your ears, sending waves of pleasure through your body as you jounced urgently on his throbbing cock.

"Ma'am. Can I please cum? You don't know how bad I need it," Chris looked at you with flushed cheeks, parted lips, and a furrowed brow as he neared his climax. "Not yet, pretty boy. I'm not finished with you just yet," you seductively responded.

You'd dreamt of this moment since the first time you pulled Chris over and let him off with a warning, but the reality of it was even hotter than any scenario you could have imagined. You loved having him cuffed in the back of your cop car while you mercilessly rode him.

"Ma'am. Please. I need to cum," Chris urged you, holding eye contact while needy whimpers poured from his lips. "Awh. Does my pretty boy need to cum?" You teased him, caressing his face again. "Yes. Please," he replied, his voice cracking in desperation.

"Don't you dare," you said, grabbing him by his ear and tugging on it. He winced in pain. His hands were losing feeling from being pinned behind him for so long, and the metal from the cuffs was digging into his wrists, but he loved every second of being under your spell. He loved the pleasure, the pain, and the wonderful concoction the two sensations created in his system.

"It hurts so good. Please let me finish," he begged again. You shook your head, denying his request, a smug smile protruding in the corner of your mouth. He licked his lips, hissing through clenched teeth as he tried to ward off his orgasm a bit longer, but you could tell he was fighting a losing battle.

"Officer. Please. Ma'am. I've been such a good boy. I can't take it. I'm gonna bust," Chris warned you, his voice breaking as he begged you. "Only because you've been such a good boy, and you asked so politely," you answered.

A satisfied smile washed over Chris' face as he let go, allowing the knot in his stomach to snap. "Good boy. Cum for me," you demanded, clenching around his big dick and nearing your own orgasm. The two of you climaxed together, your bodies pressed up against each other and moving in unison.

His hips snapped up to meet yours, and you could feel him pulsating inside your heat, giving you his warm, sticky seed as you finished onto his rock hard cock. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you so much," Chris whimpered in response, his voice saturated with lust and neediness. You slowed down to a stop, still rhythmically contracting around him, milking him dry.

Your radio started to go off, bringing you back to earth. Your captain was calling you back to the station. With Chris still inside of you, his breath sounding jagged and labored as he recovered from the intense feeling, you hit the push-to-talk button on the side to respond.

"Loud and clear. Sorry. Got caught up in a traffic stop. Over," you released the button, climbing off of Chris and slipping back into your uniform.

You helped Chris back out of the vehicle, releasing him from the restraints and leaving a trail of kisses down his neck as a parting gesture before seductively whispering into his ear, "Until next time, Sturniolo. Maybe next time I'll let you play with my gun."

part three here

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[study-with-aura]

Thursday, February 27, 2025

It was a long day, but a productive one.🦄

Tasks Completed:

Algebra 2 - Completed worksheet on graphing linear rational functions

American Literature - Copied vocabulary terms + read about "the turbulent but creative 1960s" + read about William Stafford + read his poem "Traveling through the Dark" + answered question about poem + read a poetry analysis of the poem

Spanish 3 - Read the lesson on ordinals + practice exercise + reviewed la comida vocabulary

Bible 2 - Read Psalms 19, 20, and 21

Early American History - Read about Indian Removal Act + answered study guide question + read excerpts of Andrew Jackson's message to Congress + read more on the Indian Removal Act

Earth Science with Lab - Answered questions about the seasons + made a sundial and labeled five hours on it + made observations of sunrise/sunset times and moonrise/moonset times for my area

Art Appreciation - Completed daily critiquing assignment on Self-Portrait (1629) by Rembrandt

Khan Academy - Completed Algebra 2 Unit 10: Lesson 6 + U.S. History Unit 4: Lesson 2.7

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 15 minutes (Spanish + French + Chinese) + completed daily quests

Piano - Practiced for three hours

Reading - Read pages 609-673 of Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Chores - Put away the dishes + took the trash out

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (Psalm 136)

6-Week Devotional Journey (Proverbs 1:7)

Group Bible Study (Numbers 8-10)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Fear the LORD, and Serve Him

14 Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye Jehovah. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

16 And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods; 17 for Jehovah our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; 18 and Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land: therefore we also will serve Jehovah; for he is our God.

19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. 20 If ye forsake Jehovah, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve Jehovah. 22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. 23 Now therefore put away, said he, the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, the God of Israel. 24 And the people said unto Joshua, Jehovah our God will we serve, and unto his voice will we hearken. 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of Jehovah which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance. — Joshua 24:14-28 | American Standard Version (ASV) The American Standard Version Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 31:44-45; Genesis 31:48; Genesis 35:2; Exodus 19:8; Exodus 20:5; Exodus 23:31; Exodus 24:8; Exodus 34:14; Numbers 11:20; Deuteronomy 4:25; Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 18:13; Joshua 4:9; Joshua 24:29; Judges 2:6; Judges 6:10; Judges 10:16; 1 Samuel 7:3; 2 Kings 11:17; Psalm 119:173; Jeremiah 42:6; Acts 7:42; Acts 7:45

Read full chapter

What does “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” mean in Joshua 24:15?

[ryin-silverfish]

What are monks and what do they do?

are they religious leaders like priest or are they schoolers or something else?

How did someone become a monk in ancient times? Was it a boys only position? Could just anybody become a monk or did you have to do something or be something to qualify?

By monk, I assume you mean "Buddhist monks"?

Well, they are members of the Sangha, one of the "Three Jewels" (三宝) of Buddhism, which consists of the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddhist Teachings), and the Monastic Community.

(Once again, I can only talk about Mahayana Buddhist monks in imperial China. If you want more info, I recommend talking to an actual Buddhist.)

Usually, when we say "monk" (僧/和尚), we don't just mean "adherents of the Buddhist religion", since you can offer incense at a temple, copy sutras, or have a statue of Bodhisattva Guan Yin on your private altar without becoming a monk.

These are people who 1) have gone through the relevant ordination rites and swear to abide by a set of religious vows, and 2) are part of a monastic community.

In other words, they are "cloistered" (出家人), leaving their home to learn and practice their religion in a temple, as opposed to lay practitioners (在家人) who carry out their religious activities in daily life.

And no, it's not a boy-only position——there are plenty of Buddhist nuns (比丘尼/尼姑) too.

Officially, to become a monk, you need to leave your worldly life behind. Which means, if your parents are still alive, you need to get their permission, if you are a court official, you need to quit your job, and if you are married, well, you cannot remain married.

Also, living in a monastic community means you were no longer considered viable for conscripted labor or taxation, and temples owned private lands, the increase of which could, well, depriving the imperial court of available land.

(This is one main motivation for historical prosecutions of Buddhism by certain emperors: the seizing of temple property + returning the monks and nuns back into the taxable population.)

As such, the imperial court tended to keep a firm control on the number of monks and the size of the temple. Basically, you need an official permit (度牒) from the state too, given out to each temple by the officials, and the monks didn't have the authority to make you one of their own in private.

Those who have committed one of the five grave crimes——killing their father, killing their mother, killing an arhat, destroying the unity of the monastic community, and "wounding the Buddha"——cannot become a monk either.

The most visible change one must make is shaving their head, like, entirely bald.

Those above the age of 7 but under 20 can become monks-in-training, called 沙弥/沙弥尼, but not formal member of the clergy because they are still considered too young to endure the physical and mental hardships.

(Similarly, adults who seek to become a formal monk must also pass through this training stage first.)

An aspiring monk, after receiving his permit, must first find a respectable monk, answer a series of questions that assess his fitness for monastic life, pay his respect to the Buddha and the monks of the temple he's joining, then becomes the disciple of one of those monks.

One monk will shave his head and bath him, while his master clothes him in his monk robes. Then, on the next day, he will receive his ordinations inside a temple hall, in front of the entire community, where he recites the monastic percepts (read: rules a monk must follow) and agrees to abide by them.

At this point, he has become a monk-in-training, which is a prerequiste stage for formal monk ordination, 比丘戒.

Usually, the latter ceremony is carried out at an actual altar, and the candidate must have already bought the "six necessasities" of monkhood ——three sets of robes, almsbowl, sitting cushion, and water container.

In Chinese Buddhism post-Yuan dynasty, the ordination rites may also include using burning incense sticks to leave a bunch of little marks (usually 12) onto one's head.

(Source: 《中国古代僧人生活》)

[toki-pona-daily]

nanpa

noun: number; mathematics

adjective: relating to numbers

particle: before a number word [e.g., 'wan' (1), 'tu' (2), 'luka' (5), 'mute' (20)], indicates that the number is being used as an ordinal; equivalent to english "-th"

Examples:

mi jan nanpa. ("I'm a mathematician [lit. 'a number person'].")

nanpa ni li seme? ("What number is this?")

o pana e telo nasa nanpa tu wan. ("Give [me] a third drink [lit. 'strange water number two+one'].")

waso nanpa wan li jo e pipi linja, taso, soweli lili nanpa tu li jo e moku jelo. ("The first bird [lit. 'bird number one'] has the worm [lit. 'string-bug'], but the second mouse [lit. 'little animal number two'] has the cheese [lit. 'yellow food'].")

sitelen pona:

[vexwerewolf]

Hello, it is I once again, here with a weird meme build. How would you go about building a hacker Swallowtail at LL6? Standard or Ranger, it doesn't matter which

As it happens, Hacktail isn't a meme build at all - due to the Swallowtail's expansive 20 Sensors and innate +1 tech attack, it's an extremely viable Support pick.

-- SSC Swallowtail @ LL6 -- [ LICENSES ] SSC Swallowtail 2, SSC Dusk Wing 1, HORUS Goblin 1, HORUS Minotaur 2 [ CORE BONUSES ] The Lesson of the Held Image, Full Subjectivity Sync [ TALENTS ] Hacker 3, Spotter 2, Skirmisher 2, Field Analyst 1, Nuclear Cavalier 1 [ STATS ] HULL:2 AGI:2 SYS:2 ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 HP:15 ARMOR:0 STRESS:4 HEATCAP:6 REPAIR:6 TECH ATK:+3 LIMITED:+1 SPD:7 EVA:14 EDEF:12 SENSE:20 SAVE:13 [ WEAPONS ] FLEX MOUNT: Assault Rifle AUX/AUX MOUNT: Nexus (Light) / Nexus (Light) [ SYSTEMS ] H0R_OS System Upgrade I, Neurospike, Metafold Carver, Personalizations, Lotus Projector, Manipulators

I call this one Hacking The Omninet.

Firstly, let's discuss the basics. This build is fragile, as all systems-first Swallowtail builds are going to be. This mech needs heavy co-ordination with your team to focus down threats. Employ cover rigorously, stay behind the lines and make liberal use of the Invisibility from Integrated Cloak. Low survivability is the price you pay for being able to turn an enemy comp inside out.

Your armament is not going to be used very much, and so is very simple - an Assault Rifle for Reliable damage, and dual Light Nexi for enemies with high Evasion. Oracle LMG-Is consume 1 SP a pop and we're not going to sacrifice system space for guns we might never fire.

We have Personalizations on there for a tiny bit of extra HP, and Manipulators for one simple reason: sacrificial system. We don't want to lose our hacking systems, and so if we take Structure damage and lose a system, we dump the robo-hands.

With all that out of the way, let's get to the meat and potatoes of this build: the hacking tools.

We start with H0R_OS System Upgrade I, possibly the best control tool in the game, definitely the best hacking tool in the game. Puppet System lets you reposition enemies in a straight line equal to their Speed any number of times, and unlike every other form of involuntary movement in the game, it triggers reactions, meaning you can open enemies up to Overwatch attacks from your allies. Meanwhile, Eject Power Cores inflicts Jammed, shutting down an enemy's weapons and tech attacks. It isn't repeatable on the same enemy, but this often doesn't matter - shutting down a heavy hitter's weapons for a single turn often buys enough time for your team to kill them outright.

Moving on to Neurospike, a much slept-on Invade system from the Dusk Wing. We're mostly in this for Shrike Code, which is a very powerful control tool in Lancer's mid-to-late game. At Tiers 2 and 3, a lot of enemy NPC classes get multiattacks, allowing them to use their weapon twice or even thrice every time they attack with it (including during Overwatch). But Shrike Code applies 2 heat per attack, not per action, meaning that a multiattacker who attacks twice will accrue 4 heat in addition to the (at least) 2 heat you put on them with Invade, which can put them close to or at their heat cap. Neurospike also provides the more situational but still useful Mirage, which allows you to make a member of your team (including you) Invisible to a member of the enemy team.

The third and final Invade suite, Metafold Carver, is the weirdest and most difficult to use correctly, but once you master it, it becomes one of the most effective support tools in the game. The biggest trick here is that the primary targets for both of its options are not your enemies - they're your allies. Your allies can choose to accept an Invade from you without taking heat and without it counting as an attack. Once you understand this, your third eye will open and the absurd power of Metafold Carver will be unlocked.

Ophidian Trek allows you to teleport your target a minimum of 2 and a maximum of seven spaces directly towards you. This is impossibly useful for yanking your allies out of melee combat or dangerous terrain, or summoning help if you're getting flanked. You generally don't want to use this on enemies who are already close to you, but pulling hostile backliners towards your team's melee specialist is exceptionally cool and funny.

Fold Space completely removes its target from the battlefield until they start their next turn. The problem with using this on enemies is that they can decide when their turn starts, and if they have an activation remaining, it will often be "immediately after your turn ends," wasting this power - although if they've already taken their turn, you can use it to ruin enemies that rely on reactions to be useful, such as the Sentinel or Archer.

The primary utility of Fold Space, however, is that it's without a doubt the most powerful ally-focused Invade in the game. This ability can quite literally be a lifesaver. Ally went too hard on their reactor and became Exposed? Fold Space. Ally took a bad structure roll and became Stunned? Fold Space. Ally being swarmed by melee NPCs? Fold Space. Ally messing up the shot of your team's artillery? Fold Space. Ally talking too much? Fold Space. You make them completely invulnerable at the "cost" of removing them from the battlefield, which they only even care about if they're a reaction-focused build, and they decide how long they want to stay on vacation, because they can return to the battlefield at any time by starting their turn.

In terms of other support abilities, we have a beautiful SSC/HORUS combo: at the start of an ally's turn, you can Lock On to an enemy as a reaction with Lesson of the Held Image and use your Prophetic Scanners frame trait to inflict Shredded as well. This lets you strip all damage reduction off an enemy just before your ally winds up to hit them, with no chance to react or clear it.

You also have Lotus Projector to help your allies deal with Invisible enemies - standard Swallowtail stuff.

As for talents, we have Hacker to give you even more Invade options (mostly Hack./Slash for shutting down enemy tech attackers) and help with heatgunning (Nuclear Cavalier 1 is in there too, just for kicks), Spotter to provide aim assist and hand out free Lock Ons and Field Analyst to help avoid "missed it by that much" situations.

As previously stated, this is a heavily team-focused build. You are a Support/Controller to the maximum here. Expect to go entire fights without doing a single point of damage. Coordinate heavily with your team to focus targets down and ensure that you stay safe while lighting targets up for them.

[solidrockistand]

Praise of God's Law pt 10

73. Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me discernment that I may learn your commands (So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; Male and female he created them. Genesis1:27 NLT)

(Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be purer than his maker? Job 4:17 NIV)

("Indeed, I know that this is true, how can a mortal be righteous before God? Job9:2 NIV)

(For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20 ESV)

74. Those who fear you shall see me and be glad, because I hope in your word. (My soul makes it's boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Psalms 34:2 ESV)

(Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who is just and righteous, who's love is unfailing and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord have spoken! Jeremiah 9:24 NLT)

(Therefor as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 1st Corinthians 1:31 NIV)

(But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14 ESV)

75. I know, O Lord your ordinances are just, and, in your faithfulness, you have afflicted me. (The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy. Psalms 119:138 NIV)

(The law of the Lord is perfect, REVIVING THE SOUL; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalms 19:7 ESV)

76. May your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant. (Turn, O Lord and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Psalms 6:4 NIV)

(Turn to me and be gracious to me for I am lonely and afflicted. Psalms 25:16 NIV)

(Answer me, O Lord for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Psalms 69:16 ESV)

(Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you, Psalms 63:3 ESV)

77. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. (So, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? have pity on your servants! Psalms 90:12-13 ESV)

(We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 NLT)

(Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:16 ESV)

78. Let the proud be put to shame for oppressing me unjustly; I will meditate on your precepts. (Make me understand the way of your precepts and I will meditate on your wonderous works. Psalms 119:27 ESV)

(Sing to him sing praise to him tell of all his wonderful acts. Psalms 105:2 NIV)

79. Let those turn to me who fear you and acknowledge your decrees. (I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. Psalms 119:125 NIV)

(O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. you have loosed my bonds. Psalms 116:16 ESV)

(Look down and have mercy on me. Give me strength to your servant; yes, save me for I am your servant. Psalms 86:16 NLT)

80. Let my heart be perfect in your statutes, that I be not put to shame. (Let your heart therefor be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments as at this day. 1st Kings 8:61 ESV)

(Now, O Lord please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart and have done what is good in your sight." and Hezekiah wept bitterly. 2nd Kings 20:3 ESV)

(Please remember what you told your servant Moses: If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations. Nehemiah 1:8 NLT)

(Thus, Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 2nd Chronicles 31:20 ESV)

Psalms 119:73-80: The New American Bible

[rideretremando]

"Ecco la lista dei miei 50 album preferiti in ordine alfabetico (non i migliori ma quelli che mi hanno influenzato di più):

1. Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

2. Andrew Lloyd Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar

3. Beatles - White Album

4. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

5. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman

6. Clash - London Calling

7. David Bowie - Hunky Dory

8. Deep Purple - In Rock

9. Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

10. Dire Straits - Making Movies

11. Doors - Strange Days

12. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

13. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

14. Frank Zappa - Burnt Weeny Sandwich

15. Genesis - Foxtrot

16. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

17. Jeff Buckley - Grace

18. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

19. King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

20. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express

21. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

22. Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man

23. Little Feat - Sailin' Shoes

24. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

25. Neil Young - Harvest

26. Nirvana - Nevermind

27. Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come

28. Patti Smith - Wave

29. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

30. Police - Synchronicity

31. Public Image Ltd - Public Image: First Issue

32. Queen - A Night at the Opera

33. Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails

34. R.E.M. - Murmur

35. Radiohead - OK Computer

36. Ramones - Leave Home

37. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

38. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.

39. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols

40. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

41. Stooges - The Stooges

42. Supertramp - Breakfast in America

43. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs

44. Talking Heads - 77

45. Television - Marquee Moon

46. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones

47. Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts

48. Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico

49. Who - Tommy

50. Yes - Fragile"

Marco Maurizi

[spanishskulduggery]

Hi there, really informative and interesting blog, big thanks for the work :) How would you say a weird ordinal number like 49257th? I read your post on ordinals and found scant more searching the interweb. Cheers! - Planetarywalker

I believe it would be: cuarenta y nueve milésimo/a ducentésimo/a quincuagésimo/a séptimo/a

In general, people don't like to use the ordinal numbers after 10

And they definitely don't like to use them after 100; because EVERYTHING has to be adjusted for gender

...The reason for that is when you do ordinal numbers like this, every "benchmark" number has one of the -ésimo words... the numbers in the thousandth, hundredth, tenth and the last number are all specialized which makes it very tedious

In your example: cuarenta y nueve milésimo/a is "49 thousandth", then ducentésimo "two hundredth", then quincuagésimo/a "fiftieth" + séptimo/a "seventh"

Whether it's all masculine or feminine depends on the gender of the thing

...The ordinal numbers primarily past 20 are combined; so vigésimo/a primero/a is "twenty-first", so that's why 57 is combined like that; you have the number in the tenth position + the ordinal number 1-9

To make it worse, primero/a can be primer in front of masculine nouns, and tercero/a for "third" is tercer in front of masculine nouns so it would be even more annoying

You are very rarely going to have to say el vigésimo primer libro "the 21st book"

-

Typically, if a native speaker saw this they'd probably say something like... cliente número 49257 [cuarenta y nueve mil, doscientos cincuenta y siete]

Even centuries are listed in cardinal numbers instead

el siglo XVIII is "the 18th century", literally "century 18"

No one has time to say el vigésimo siglo instead of siglo veinte for the 20th century

And monarchs will get ordinal numbers between 1-10, like Alfonso X (décimo), but you'll see Luis XIV [catorce] instead for "Louis the 14th"

Again; native speakers have no time and patience for ordinal numbers and they will avoid them as much as possible and God help you if you give them a number that isn't even 100, 200, 300... give them 207th and they'll probably just say doscientos/doscientas nueve instead

[dailyanarchistposts]

A.5 What are some examples of “Anarchy in Action”?

A.5.5 Anarchists in the Italian Factory Occupations

After the end of the First World War there was a massive radicalisation across Europe and the world. Union membership exploded, with strikes, demonstrations and agitation reaching massive levels. This was partly due to the war, partly to the apparent success of the Russian Revolution. This enthusiasm for the Russian Revolution even reached Individualist Anarchists like Joseph Labadie, who like many other anti-capitalists, saw “the red in the east [giving] hope of a brighter day” and the Bolsheviks as making “laudable efforts to at least try some way out of the hell of industrial slavery.” [quoted by Carlotta R. Anderson, All-American Anarchist p. 225 and p. 241]

Across Europe, anarchist ideas became more popular and anarcho-syndicalist unions grew in size. For example, in Britain, the ferment produced the shop stewards’ movement and the strikes on Clydeside; Germany saw the rise of IWW inspired industrial unionism and a libertarian form of Marxism called “Council Communism”; Spain saw a massive growth in the anarcho-syndicalist CNT. In addition, it also, unfortunately, saw the rise and growth of both social democratic and communist parties. Italy was no exception.

In Turin, a new rank-and-file movement was developing. This movement was based around the “internal commissions” (elected ad hoc grievance committees). These new organisations were based directly on the group of people who worked together in a particular work shop, with a mandated and recallable shop steward elected for each group of 15 to 20 or so workers. The assembly of all the shop stewards in a given plant then elected the “internal commission” for that facility, which was directly and constantly responsible to the body of shop stewards, which was called the “factory council.”

Between November 1918 and March 1919, the internal commissions had become a national issue within the trade union movement. On February 20, 1919, the Italian Federation of Metal Workers (FIOM) won a contract providing for the election of “internal commissions” in the factories. The workers subsequently tried to transform these organs of workers’ representation into factory councils with a managerial function. By May Day 1919, the internal commissions “were becoming the dominant force within the metalworking industry and the unions were in danger of becoming marginal administrative units. Behind these alarming developments, in the eyes of reformists, lay the libertarians.” [Carl Levy, Gramsci and the Anarchists, p. 135] By November 1919 the internal commissions of Turin were transformed into factory councils.

The movement in Turin is usually associated with the weekly L’Ordine Nuovo (The New Order), which first appeared on May 1, 1919. As Daniel Guerin summarises, it was “edited by a left socialist, Antonio Gramsci, assisted by a professor of philosophy at Turin University with anarchist ideas, writing under the pseudonym of Carlo Petri, and also of a whole nucleus of Turin libertarians. In the factories, the Ordine Nuovo group was supported by a number of people, especially the anarcho-syndicalist militants of the metal trades, Pietro Ferrero and Maurizio Garino. The manifesto of Ordine Nuovo was signed by socialists and libertarians together, agreeing to regard the factory councils as ‘organs suited to future communist management of both the individual factory and the whole society.’” [Anarchism, p. 109]

The developments in Turin should not be taken in isolation. All across Italy, workers and peasants were taking action. In late February 1920, a rash of factory occupations broke out in Liguria, Piedmont and Naples. In Liguria, the workers occupied the metal and shipbuilding plants in Sestri Ponente, Cornigliano and Campi after a breakdown of pay talks. For up to four days, under syndicalist leadership, they ran the plants through factory councils.

During this period the Italian Syndicalist Union (USI) grew in size to around 800 000 members and the influence of the Italian Anarchist Union (UAI) with its 20 000 members and daily paper (Umanita Nova) grew correspondingly. As the Welsh Marxist historian Gwyn A. Williams points out “Anarchists and revolutionary syndicalists were the most consistently and totally revolutionary group on the left … the most obvious feature of the history of syndicalism and anarchism in 1919–20: rapid and virtually continuous growth … The syndicalists above all captured militant working-class opinion which the socialist movement was utterly failing to capture.” [Proletarian Order, pp. 194–195] In Turin, libertarians “worked within FIOM” and had been “heavily involved in the Ordine Nuovo campaign from the beginning.” [Op. Cit., p. 195] Unsurprisingly, Ordone Nuovo was denounced as “syndicalist” by other socialists.

It was the anarchists and syndicalists who first raised the idea of occupying workplaces. Malatesta was discussing this idea in Umanita Nova in March, 1920. In his words, “General strikes of protest no longer upset anyone … One must seek something else. We put forward an idea: take-over of factories… the method certainly has a future, because it corresponds to the ultimate ends of the workers’ movement and constitutes an exercise preparing one for the ultimate act of expropriation.” [Errico Malatesta: His Life and Ideas, p. 134] In the same month, during “a strong syndicalist campaign to establish councils in Mila, Armando Borghi [anarchist secretary of the USI] called for mass factory occupations. In Turin, the re-election of workshop commissars was just ending in a two-week orgy of passionate discussion and workers caught the fever. [Factory Council] Commissars began to call for occupations.” Indeed, “the council movement outside Turin was essentially anarcho-syndicalist.” Unsurprisingly, the secretary of the syndicalist metal-workers “urged support for the Turin councils because they represented anti-bureaucratic direct action, aimed at control of the factory and could be the first cells of syndicalist industrial unions … The syndicalist congress voted to support the councils… . Malatesta … supported them as a form of direct action guaranteed to generate rebelliousness … Umanita Nova and Guerra di Classe [paper of the USI] became almost as committed to the councils as L’Ordine Nuovo and the Turin edition of Avanti.” [Williams, Op. Cit., p. 200, p. 193 and p. 196]

The upsurge in militancy soon provoked an employer counter-offensive. The bosses organisation denounced the factory councils and called for a mobilisation against them. Workers were rebelling and refusing to follow the bosses orders — “indiscipline” was rising in the factories. They won state support for the enforcement of the existing industrial regulations. The national contract won by the FIOM in 1919 had provided that the internal commissions were banned from the shop floor and restricted to non-working hours. This meant that the activities of the shop stewards’ movement in Turin — such as stopping work to hold shop steward elections — were in violation of the contract. The movement was essentially being maintained through mass insubordination. The bosses used this infringement of the agreed contract as the means combating the factory councils in Turin.

The showdown with the employers arrived in April, when a general assembly of shop stewards at Fiat called for sit-in strikes to protest the dismissal of several shop stewards. In response the employers declared a general lockout. The government supported the lockout with a mass show of force and troops occupied the factories and mounted machine guns posts at them. When the shop stewards movement decided to surrender on the immediate issues in dispute after two weeks on strike, the employers responded with demands that the shop stewards councils be limited to non-working hours, in accordance with the FIOM national contract, and that managerial control be re-imposed.

These demands were aimed at the heart of the factory council system and Turin labour movement responded with a massive general strike in defence of it. In Turin, the strike was total and it soon spread throughout the region of Piedmont and involved 500 000 workers at its height. The Turin strikers called for the strike to be extended nationally and, being mostly led by socialists, they turned to the CGL trade union and Socialist Party leaders, who rejected their call.

The only support for the Turin general strike came from unions that were mainly under anarcho-syndicalist influence, such as the independent railway and the maritime workers unions (“The syndicalists were the only ones to move.”). The railway workers in Pisa and Florence refused to transport troops who were being sent to Turin. There were strikes all around Genoa, among dock workers and in workplaces where the USI was a major influence. So in spite of being “betrayed and abandoned by the whole socialist movement,” the April movement “still found popular support” with “actions … either directly led or indirectly inspired by anarcho-syndicalists.” In Turin itself, the anarchists and syndicalists were “threatening to cut the council movement out from under” Gramsci and the Ordine Nuovo group. [Williams, Op. Cit., p. 207, p. 193 and p. 194]

Eventually the CGL leadership settled the strike on terms that accepted the employers’ main demand for limiting the shop stewards’ councils to non-working hours. Though the councils were now much reduced in activity and shop floor presence, they would yet see a resurgence of their position during the September factory occupations.

The anarchists “accused the socialists of betrayal. They criticised what they believed was a false sense of discipline that had bound socialists to their own cowardly leadership. They contrasted the discipline that placed every movement under the ‘calculations, fears, mistakes and possible betrayals of the leaders’ to the other discipline of the workers of Sestri Ponente who struck in solidarity with Turin, the discipline of the railway workers who refused to transport security forces to Turin and the anarchists and members of the Unione Sindacale who forgot considerations of party and sect to put themselves at the disposition of the Torinesi.” [Carl Levy, Op. Cit., p. 161] Sadly, this top-down “discipline” of the socialists and their unions would be repeated during the factory occupations, with terrible results.

In September, 1920, there were large-scale stay-in strikes in Italy in response to an owner wage cut and lockout. “Central to the climate of the crisis was the rise of the syndicalists.” In mid-August, the USI metal-workers “called for both unions to occupy the factories” and called for “a preventive occupation” against lock-outs. The USI saw this as the “expropriation of the factories by the metal-workers” (which must “be defended by all necessary measures”) and saw the need “to call the workers of other industries into battle.” [Williams, Op. Cit., p. 236, pp. 238–9] Indeed, ”[i]f the FIOM had not embraced the syndicalist idea of an occupation of factories to counter an employer’s lockout, the USI may well have won significant support from the politically active working class of Turin.” [Carl Levy, Op. Cit., p. 129] These strikes began in the engineering factories and soon spread to railways, road transport, and other industries, with peasants seizing land. The strikers, however, did more than just occupy their workplaces, they placed them under workers’ self-management. Soon over 500 000 “strikers” were at work, producing for themselves. Errico Malatesta, who took part in these events, writes:

“The metal workers started the movement over wage rates. It was a strike of a new kind. Instead of abandoning the factories, the idea was to remain inside without working … Throughout Italy there was a revolutionary fervour among the workers and soon the demands changed their characters. Workers thought that the moment was ripe to take possession once [and] for all the means of production. They armed for defence … and began to organise production on their own … It was the right of property abolished in fact …; it was a new regime, a new form of social life that was being ushered in. And the government stood by because it felt impotent to offer opposition.” [Errico Malatesta: His Life and Ideas, p. 134]

Daniel Guerin provides a good summary of the extent of the movement:

“The management of the factories … [was] conducted by technical and administrative workers’ committees. Self-management went quite a long way: in the early period assistance was obtained from the banks, but when it was withdrawn the self-management system issued its own money to pay the workers’ wages. Very strict self-discipline was required, the use of alcoholic beverages forbidden, and armed patrols were organised for self-defence. Very close solidarity was established between the factories under self-management. Ores and coal were put into a common pool, and shared out equitably.” [Anarchism, p. 109]

Italy was “paralysed, with half a million workers occupying their factories and raising red and black flags over them.” The movement spread throughout Italy, not only in the industrial heartland around Milan, Turin and Genoa, but also in Rome, Florence, Naples and Palermo. The “militants of the USI were certainly in the forefront of the movement,” while Umanita Nova argued that “the movement is very serious and we must do everything we can to channel it towards a massive extension.” The persistent call of the USI was for “an extension of the movement to the whole of industry to institute their ‘expropriating general strike.’” [Williams, Op. Cit., p. 236 and pp. 243–4] Railway workers, influenced by the libertarians, refused to transport troops, workers went on strike against the orders of the reformist unions and peasants occupied the land. The anarchists whole-heartedly supported the movement, unsurprisingly as the “occupation of the factories and the land suited perfectly our programme of action.” [Malatesta, Op. Cit., p. 135] Luigi Fabbri described the occupations as having “revealed a power in the proletariat of which it had been unaware hitherto.” [quoted by Paolo Sprinao, The Occupation of the Factories, p. 134]

However, after four weeks of occupation, the workers decided to leave the factories. This was because of the actions of the socialist party and the reformist trade unions. They opposed the movement and negotiated with the state for a return to “normality” in exchange for a promise to extend workers’ control legally, in association with the bosses. The question of revolution was decided by a vote of the CGL national council in Milan on April 10–11th, without consulting the syndicalist unions, after the Socialist Party leadership refused to decide one way or the other.

Needless to say, this promise of “workers’ control” was not kept. The lack of independent inter-factory organisation made workers dependent on trade union bureaucrats for information on what was going on in other cities, and they used that power to isolate factories, cities, and factories from each other. This lead to a return to work, “in spite of the opposition of individual anarchists dispersed among the factories.” [Malatesta, Op. Cit., p. 136] The local syndicalist union confederations could not provide the necessary framework for a fully co-ordinated occupation movement as the reformist unions refused to work with them; and although the anarchists were a large minority, they were still a minority:

“At the ‘interproletarian’ convention held on 12 September (in which the Unione Anarchia, the railwaymen’s and maritime workers union participated) the syndicalist union decided that ‘we cannot do it ourselves’ without the socialist party and the CGL, protested against the ‘counter-revolutionary vote’ of Milan, declared it minoritarian, arbitrary and null, and ended by launching new, vague, but ardent calls to action.” [Paolo Spriano, Op. Cit., p. 94]

Malatesta addressed the workers of one of the factories at Milan. He argued that ”[t]hose who celebrate the agreement signed at Rome [between the Confederazione and the capitalists] as a great victory of yours are deceiving you. The victory in reality belongs to Giolitti, to the government and the bourgeoisie who are saved from the precipice over which they were hanging.” During the occupation the “bourgeoisie trembled, the government was powerless to face the situation.” Therefore:

“To speak of victory when the Roman agreement throws you back under bourgeois exploitation which you could have got rid of is a lie. If you give up the factories, do this with the conviction [of] hav[ing] lost a great battle and with the firm intention to resume the struggle on the first occasion and to carry it on in a thorough way… Nothing is lost if you have no illusion [about] the deceiving character of the victory. The famous decree on the control of factories is a mockery … because it tends to harmonise your interests and those of the bourgeois which is like harmonising the interests of the wolf and the sheep. Don’t believe those of your leaders who make fools of you by adjourning the revolution from day to day. You yourselves must make the revolution when an occasion will offer itself, without waiting for orders which never come, or which come only to enjoin you to abandon action. Have confidence in yourselves, have faith in your future and you will win.” [quoted by Max Nettlau, Errico Malatesta: The Biography of an Anarchist]

Malatesta was proven correct. With the end of the occupations, the only victors were the bourgeoisie and the government. Soon the workers would face Fascism, but first, in October 1920, “after the factories were evacuated,” the government (obviously knowing who the real threat was) “arrested the entire leadership of the USI and UAI. The socialists did not respond” and “more-or-less ignored the persecution of the libertarians until the spring of 1921 when the aged Malatesta and other imprisoned anarchists mounted a hunger strike from their cells in Milan.” [Carl Levy, Op. Cit., pp. 221–2] They were acquitted after a four day trial.

The events of 1920 show four things. Firstly, that workers can manage their own workplaces successfully by themselves, without bosses. Secondly, on the need for anarchists to be involved in the labour movement. Without the support of the USI, the Turin movement would have been even more isolated than it was. Thirdly, anarchists need to be organised to influence the class struggle. The growth of the UAI and USI in terms of both influence and size indicates the importance of this. Without the anarchists and syndicalists raising the idea of factory occupations and supporting the movement, it is doubtful that it would have been as successful and widespread as it was. Lastly, that socialist organisations, structured in a hierarchical fashion, do not produce a revolutionary membership. By continually looking to leaders, the movement was crippled and could not develop to its full potential.

This period of Italian history explains the growth of Fascism in Italy. As Tobias Abse points out, “the rise of fascism in Italy cannot be detached from the events of the biennio rosso, the two red years of 1919 and 1920, that preceded it. Fascism was a preventive counter-revolution … launched as a result of the failed revolution” [“The Rise of Fascism in an Industrial City”, pp. 52–81, Rethinking Italian Fascism, David Forgacs (ed.), p. 54] The term “preventive counter-revolution” was originally coined by the leading anarchist Luigi Fabbri, who correctly described fascism as “the organisation and agent of the violent armed defence of the ruling class against the proletariat, which, to their mind, has become unduly demanding, united and intrusive.” [“Fascism: The Preventive Counter-Revolution”, pp. 408–416, Anarchism, Robert Graham (ed.), p. 410 and p. 409]

The rise of fascism confirmed Malatesta’s warning at the time of the factory occupations: “If we do not carry on to the end, we will pay with tears of blood for the fear we now instil in the bourgeoisie.” [quoted by Tobias Abse, Op. Cit., p. 66] The capitalists and rich landowners backed the fascists in order to teach the working class their place, aided by the state. They ensured “that it was given every assistance in terms of funding and arms, turning a blind eye to its breaches of the law and, where necessary, covering its back through intervention by armed forces which, on the pretext of restoring order, would rush to the aid of the fascists wherever the latter were beginning to take a beating instead of doling one out.” [Fabbri, Op. Cit., p. 411] To quote Tobias Abse:

“The aims of the Fascists and their backers amongst the industrialists and agrarians in 1921–22 were simple: to break the power of the organised workers and peasants as completely as possible, to wipe out, with the bullet and the club, not only the gains of the biennio rosso, but everything that the lower classes had gained … between the turn of the century and the outbreak of the First World War.” [Op. Cit., p. 54]

The fascist squads attacked and destroyed anarchist and socialist meeting places, social centres, radical presses and Camera del Lavoro (local trade union councils). However, even in the dark days of fascist terror, the anarchists resisted the forces of totalitarianism. “It is no coincidence that the strongest working-class resistance to Fascism was in … towns or cities in which there was quite a strong anarchist, syndicalist or anarcho-syndicalist tradition.” [Tobias Abse, Op. Cit., p. 56]

The anarchists participated in, and often organised sections of, the Arditi del Popolo, a working-class organisation devoted to the self-defence of workers’ interests. The Arditi del Popolo organised and encouraged working-class resistance to fascist squads, often defeating larger fascist forces (for example, “the total humiliation of thousands of Italo Balbo’s squadristi by a couple of hundred Arditi del Popolo backed by the inhabitants of the working class districts” in the anarchist stronghold of Parma in August 1922 [Tobias Abse, Op. Cit., p. 56]).

The Arditi del Popolo was the closest Italy got to the idea of a united, revolutionary working-class front against fascism, as had been suggested by Malatesta and the UAI. This movement “developed along anti-bourgeois and anti-fascist lines, and was marked by the independence of its local sections.” [Red Years, Black Years: Anarchist Resistance to Fascism in Italy, p. 2] Rather than being just an “anti-fascist” organisation, the Arditi “were not a movement in defence of ‘democracy’ in the abstract, but an essentially working-class organisation devoted to the defence of the interests of industrial workers, the dockers and large numbers of artisans and craftsmen.” [Tobias Abse, Op. Cit., p. 75] Unsurprisingly, the Arditi del Popolo “appear to have been strongest and most successful in areas where traditional working-class political culture was less exclusively socialist and had strong anarchist or syndicalist traditions, for example, Bari, Livorno, Parma and Rome.” [Antonio Sonnessa, “Working Class Defence Organisation, Anti-Fascist Resistance and the Arditi del Popolo in Turin, 1919–22,” pp. 183–218, European History Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 2, p. 184]

However, both the socialist and communist parties withdrew from the organisation. The socialists signed a “Pact of Pacification” with the Fascists in August 1921. The communists “preferred to withdraw their members from the Arditi del Popolo rather than let them work with the anarchists.” [Red Years, Black Years, p. 17] Indeed, ”[o]n the same day as the Pact was signed, Ordine Nuovo published a PCd’I [Communist Party of Italy] communication warning communists against involvement” in the Arditi del Popolo. Four days later, the Communist leadership “officially abandoned the movement. Severe disciplinary measures were threatened against those communists who continued to participate in, or liase with,” the organisation. Thus by “the end of the first week of August 1921 the PSI, CGL and the PCd’I had officially denounced” the organisation. “Only the anarchist leaders, if not always sympathetic to the programme of the [Arditi del Popolo], did not abandon the movement.” Indeed, Umanita Nova “strongly supported” it “on the grounds it represented a popular expression of anti-fascist resistance and in defence of freedom to organise.” [Antonio Sonnessa, Op. Cit., p. 195 and p. 194]

However, in spite of the decisions by their leaders, many rank and file socialists and communists took part in the movement. The latter took part in open “defiance of the PCd’I leadership’s growing abandonment” of it. In Turin, for example, communists who took part in the Arditi del Polopo did so “less as communists and more as part of a wider, working-class self-identification … This dynamic was re-enforced by an important socialist and anarchist presence” there. The failure of the Communist leadership to support the movement shows the bankruptcy of Bolshevik organisational forms which were unresponsive to the needs of the popular movement. Indeed, these events show the “libertarian custom of autonomy from, and resistance to, authority was also operated against the leaders of the workers’ movement, particularly when they were held to have misunderstood the situation at grass roots level.” [Sonnessa, Op. Cit., p. 200, p. 198 and p. 193]

Thus the Communist Party failed to support the popular resistance to fascism. The Communist leader Antonio Gramsci explained why, arguing that “the party leadership’s attitude on the question of the Arditi del Popolo … corresponded to a need to prevent the party members from being controlled by a leadership that was not the party’s leadership.” Gramsci added that this policy “served to disqualify a mass movement which had started from below and which could instead have been exploited by us politically.” [Selections from Political Writings (1921–1926), p. 333] While being less sectarian towards the Arditi del Popolo than other Communist leaders, ”[i]n common with all communist leaders, Gramsci awaited the formation of the PCd’I-led military squads.” [Sonnessa, Op. Cit., p. 196] In other words, the struggle against fascism was seen by the Communist leadership as a means of gaining more members and, when the opposite was a possibility, they preferred defeat and fascism rather than risk their followers becoming influenced by anarchism.

As Abse notes, “it was the withdrawal of support by the Socialist and Communist parties at the national level that crippled” the Arditi. [Op. Cit., p. 74] Thus “social reformist defeatism and communist sectarianism made impossible an armed opposition that was widespread and therefore effective; and the isolated instances of popular resistance were unable to unite in a successful strategy.” And fascism could have been defeated: “Insurrections at Sarzanna, in July 1921, and at Parma, in August 1922, are examples of the correctness of the policies which the anarchists urged in action and propaganda.” [Red Years, Black Years, p. 3 and p. 2] Historian Tobias Abse confirms this analysis, arguing that ”[w]hat happened in Parma in August 1922 … could have happened elsewhere, if only the leadership of the Socialist and Communist parties thrown their weight behind the call of the anarchist Malatesta for a united revolutionary front against Fascism.” [Op. Cit., p. 56]

In the end, fascist violence was successful and capitalist power maintained:

“The anarchists’ will and courage were not enough to counter the fascist gangs, powerfully aided with material and arms, backed by the repressive organs of the state. Anarchists and anarcho-syndicalists were decisive in some areas and in some industries, but only a similar choice of direct action on the parts of the Socialist Party and the General Confederation of Labour [the reformist trade union] could have halted fascism.” [Red Years, Black Years, pp. 1–2]

After helping to defeat the revolution, the Marxists helped ensure the victory of fascism.

Even after the fascist state was created, anarchists resisted both inside and outside Italy. In America, for example, Italian anarchists played a major role in fighting fascist influence in their communities, none more so that Carlo Tresca, most famous for his role in the 1912 IWW Lawrence strike, who “in the 1920s had no peer among anti-Fascist leaders, a distinction recognised by Mussolini’s political police in Rome.” [Nunzio Pernicone, Carlo Tresca: Portrait of a Rebel, p. 4] Many Italians, both anarchist and non-anarchist, travelled to Spain to resist Franco in 1936 (see Umberto Marzochhi’s Remembering Spain: Italian Anarchist Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War for details). During the Second World War, anarchists played a major part in the Italian Partisan movement. It was the fact that the anti-fascist movement was dominated by anti-capitalist elements that led the USA and the UK to place known fascists in governmental positions in the places they “liberated” (often where the town had already been taken by the Partisans, resulting in the Allied troops “liberating” the town from its own inhabitants!).

Given this history of resisting fascism in Italy, it is surprising that some claim Italian fascism was a product or form of syndicalism. This is even claimed by some anarchists. According to Bob Black the “Italian syndicalists mostly went over to Fascism” and references David D. Roberts 1979 study The Syndicalist Tradition and Italian Fascism to support his claim. [Anarchy after Leftism, p. 64] Peter Sabatini in a review in Social Anarchism makes a similar statement, saying that syndicalism’s “ultimate failure” was “its transformation into a vehicle of fascism.” [Social Anarchism, no. 23, p. 99] What is the truth behind these claims?

Looking at Black’s reference we discover that, in fact, most of the Italian syndicalists did not go over to fascism, if by syndicalists we mean members of the USI (the Italian Syndicalist Union). Roberts states that:

“The vast majority of the organised workers failed to respond to the syndicalists’ appeals and continued to oppose [Italian] intervention [in the First World War], shunning what seemed to be a futile capitalist war. The syndicalists failed to convince even a majority within the USI … the majority opted for the neutralism of Armando Borghi, leader of the anarchists within the USI. Schism followed as De Ambris led the interventionist minority out of the confederation.” [The Syndicalist Tradition and Italian Fascism, p. 113]

However, if we take “syndicalist” to mean some of the intellectuals and “leaders” of the pre-war movement, it was a case that the “leading syndicalists came out for intervention quickly and almost unanimously” [Roberts, Op. Cit., p. 106] after the First World War started. Many of these pro-war “leading syndicalists” did become fascists. However, to concentrate on a handful of “leaders” (which the majority did not even follow!) and state that this shows that the “Italian syndicalists mostly went over to Fascism” staggers belief. What is even worse, as seen above, the Italian anarchists and syndicalists were the most dedicated and successful fighters against fascism. In effect, Black and Sabatini have slandered a whole movement.

What is also interesting is that these “leading syndicalists” were not anarchists and so not anarcho-syndicalists. As Roberts notes ”[i]n Italy, the syndicalist doctrine was more clearly the product of a group of intellectuals, operating within the Socialist party and seeking an alternative to reformism.” They “explicitly denounced anarchism” and “insisted on a variety of Marxist orthodoxy.” The “syndicalists genuinely desired — and tried — to work within the Marxist tradition.” [Op. Cit., p. 66, p. 72, p. 57 and p. 79] According to Carl Levy, in his account of Italian anarchism, ”[u]nlike other syndicalist movements, the Italian variation coalesced inside a Second International party. Supporter were partially drawn from socialist intransigents … the southern syndicalist intellectuals pronounced republicanism … Another component … was the remnant of the Partito Operaio.” [“Italian Anarchism: 1870–1926” in For Anarchism: History, Theory, and Practice, David Goodway (Ed.), p. 51]

In other words, the Italian syndicalists who turned to fascism were, firstly, a small minority of intellectuals who could not convince the majority within the syndicalist union to follow them, and, secondly, Marxists and republicans rather than anarchists, anarcho-syndicalists or even revolutionary syndicalists.

According to Carl Levy, Roberts’ book “concentrates on the syndicalist intelligentsia” and that “some syndicalist intellectuals … helped generate, or sympathetically endorsed, the new Nationalist movement .. . which bore similarities to the populist and republican rhetoric of the southern syndicalist intellectuals.” He argues that there “has been far too much emphasis on syndicalist intellectuals and national organisers” and that syndicalism “relied little on its national leadership for its long-term vitality.” [Op. Cit., p. 77, p. 53 and p. 51] If we do look at the membership of the USI, rather than finding a group which “mostly went over to fascism,” we discover a group of people who fought fascism tooth and nail and were subject to extensive fascist violence.

To summarise, Italian Fascism had nothing to do with syndicalism and, as seen above, the USI fought the Fascists and was destroyed by them along with the UAI, Socialist Party and other radicals. That a handful of pre-war Marxist-syndicalists later became Fascists and called for a “National-Syndicalism” does not mean that syndicalism and fascism are related (any more than some anarchists later becoming Marxists makes anarchism “a vehicle” for Marxism!).

It is hardly surprising that anarchists were the most consistent and successful opponents of Fascism. The two movements could not be further apart, one standing for total statism in the service of capitalism while the other for a free, non-capitalist society. Neither is it surprising that when their privileges and power were in danger, the capitalists and the landowners turned to fascism to save them. This process is a common feature in history (to list just four examples, Italy, Germany, Spain and Chile).

[ashleyrowanthewriter]

Friday with Old Moonwingian - Counting

Ameniši!

Today in my fairy conlang lesson we'll take a look at the counting systems. Yes, plural! There are three different sets of numbers you use for different purposes.

Personal

This system is used for counting people and overall sentient beings. If the stuff you count can communicate using language, then you use the personal system.

The system mixes decimal and vigesimal, but also throws in a bit of quinary.

Non-personal

Self-explanatory. You use this system when counting anything that doesn't fall under the personal system.

It's a similar mix of decimal, vigesimal and quinary as personal, but also is the only one with its own word for a dozen.

Magical

This is a special system used only for casting spells. It serves as a case of whatever the opposite of avoidance speech might be as it is used specifically to strength the spells. The fairies living on Moonwing Islands believe that these numbers have special powers inside them and as such help with magic.

It's completely decimal.

Now let's compare the three systems. On the left there will be the personal system, in the middle the non-personal and on the right there will be magical

0 - Mem / Mem / Kafe

1 - Lam / Olin / San

2 - Tem / Tim / Son

3 - Sem / Sem / Ken

4 - Pin / Pom / Kim

5 - Kin / Sä / Šin

6 - Lan / Li / Kalin

7 - Ten / Ti / Pim

8 - Sen / Se / Pakin

9 - Pen / Tom / Takin

10 - Telen / Tin / Sin

11 - Telen lam / Tin olin / Sin san

12 - Telen tem / Täsen / Sin son

13 - Telen sem / Tin sem / Sin ken

15 - Sem kin / Sem sä / Sin šin

20 - Tälen / Tolen / Son sin

30 - Tälen telen / Tolen tin / Ken sin

35 - Tälen sem kin / Tolen sem sä / Ken sin šin

40 - Tem tälen / Tim tolen / Kim sin

100 - Hilen / Halen / Šam

10000 - Sänte / Säka / Šäkke

86239 - Sen sänte sem tälen tem hilen tälen telen pen / Se säka sem tolen tim halen tolen tin tom / Pakin šäkke kalin sin son šam ken sin takin

The difference between cardinal and ordinal numbers is placement in the sentence. Place it before the thing you count and it's cardinal. After the thing you count and it's ordinal.

That will be all for today!

[deliasamed]

Numeral Exercises

        NUMERAL DEFINITION AND EXERCISES

In English grammar, numerals function as a part of speech to represent numbers, quantify nouns, and express numerical relationships. There are two main types of numerals in English: cardinal numerals and ordinal numerals. Cardinal Numerals: Cardinal numerals represent specific quantities or numbers. They answer the question how many? and are used to count objects or denote a precise quantity. Examples: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, etc. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, etc.   Ordinal Numerals: Ordinal numerals denote the order or rank of items in a sequence. They answer the question in what order? and are used to indicate the position of something in a series. Examples: First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth Eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth Twentieth, thirtieth, fortieth, fiftieth, sixtieth, seventieth, eightieth, ninetieth Hundredth, thousandth, millionth, billionth, etc.   Numerals can function as determiners when they directly modify nouns, indicating the quantity or position of the noun. For example: Cardinal Numeral as Determiner: Three apples fell from the tree. Ordinal Numeral as Determiner: The first prize goes to the winner.   Numerals can also function as adjectives when they modify nouns but do not directly specify quantity or order.  For example: Cardinal Numeral as Adjective: She bought two pairs of shoes. Ordinal Numeral as Adjective: He is in his third year of university.   Additionally, numerals can function as nouns themselves, particularly when referring to numbers as concepts or entities. For example: The number eight is considered lucky in some cultures. She divided the class into groups of four.       Instructions: Please, do the exercises without seeing the Answers. If you are unable to find an answer, you can check the answers provided below after attempting all the blanks.       Exercise: Numerals   Instructions: Use the correct words for (numbers in brackets). Write ordinal or cardinal number forms into the gaps:     - My sister is in the ------------ grade (2). - I have ------------ fingers (10) on my hands. - There are ------------ days (7) in a week. - We need ------------ eggs (6) to make pancakes. - Today is the ------------ day (1) of the month. - The puppy is the ------------ pet (1) in our family. - I have ------------ brothers (2) and ------------ sisters (1). - There are ------------ months (12) in a year. - She won the race and got the ------------ prize (1). - My birthday is on the ------------ of July (4).                   Correct Answers:   - second - ten - seven - six - first - first - two, one - twelve - first - fourth               Exercise: Numerals Instructions: Write the numbers in words:   - 75 - 1000000 - 50 - 3 - 12 - 20 - 18 - 45 - 90 - 600 - 0.5 -  0.7 - 0.25 - 0.01 - 2.5 - 0 - 50% - 25% -  10% - 100% - 1/2 - 3/4 - 1/4 - 1/10                        Correct Answers:   - Seventy-five - One million - Fifty - Three - Twelve - Twenty - Eighteen - Forty-five - Ninety - Six hundred - Zero point five - Zero point seventy-five - Zero point twenty-five - Zero point zero one - Two point five - Zero - Fifty percent - Twenty-five percent - Ten percent - One hundred percent - One half - Three quarters - One quarter - One tenth               Exercise: Numerals Instructions: Write the numerals in numbers:   - Seventy-two - Ninety-nine - One hundred twenty-five - Six hundred thirty-seven - Four thousand five hundred eighteen - Seven thousand six hundred twenty-three - Fifty-three thousand two hundred forty-nine - One hundred thousand - Six hundred seventy-five thousand three hundred twenty-four - Eight million nine hundred seventy-six thousand five hundred twelve - Two hundred fifty-three - Three thousand seven hundred eighty-six - Twelve thousand three hundred forty-nine -  One million two hundred fifty thousand - Six billion seven hundred eighty-nine million four hundred fifty-six thousand two hundred thirty-one                       Correct Answers:   - 72 - 99 - 125 - 637 - 4518 - 7623 - 53249 - 100000 - 675324 - 8976512 - 253 - 3786 - 12349 - 1250000 - 6789456231               Exercise: Write the Time in English   Instructions: Write the given Time in English:   - 9:15 AM - 1:30 PM - 6:45 AM - 3:20 PM - 10:00 AM - 5:55 PM - 12:10 PM - 8:40 AM - 4:15 PM - 11:50 AM                    Correct Answers:   - 9:15 - Fifteen minutes past nine - 1:30 - Half past one - 6:45 - Quarter to seven - 3:20 - Twenty past three - 10:00 - Ten o'clock - 5:55 - Five minutes to six - 12:10 - Ten past twelve - 8:40 - Twenty to nine - 4:15 - Quarter past four - 11:50 - Ten minutes to twelve               Exercise: Numerals Instructions: Write in words   - 500 - 3000 - 400000 - 10000000 - 100000000 - 200 - 1001 - 2005 - 1250 - 2006 - 100 students - 1000 books -  200000 people                          Correct Answers:   - Five hundred - Three thousand - Four hundred thousand - Ten million - One hundred million - Two hundred - One thousand and one - Two thousand and five - One thousand two hundred fifty - Two thousand and six - One hundred students - One thousand books - Two hundred thousand people               Exercise: Numerals in Sums Instructions: Write the following Sums in words:   - 25 + 13 - 42 + 57 - 100 + 25 - 76 + 89 - 345 + 210 - 500 + 600 - 1234 + 5678 - 999 + 111 - 8765 + 4321 - 9876 + 5432                           Correct Answers:   - Twenty-five plus thirteen - Forty-two plus fifty-seven - One hundred plus twenty-five - Seventy-six plus eighty-nine - Three hundred forty-five plus two hundred ten - Five hundred plus six hundred - One thousand two hundred thirty-four plus five thousand six hundred seventy-eight - Nine hundred ninety-nine plus one hundred eleven - Eight thousand seven hundred sixty-five plus four thousand three hundred twenty-one - Nine thousand eight hundred seventy-six plus five thousand four hundred thirty-two                 Exercise: Numerals in Subtractions Instructions: Write the following subtractions in words:   - 50 - 25 - 100 - 67 - 150 - 89 - 500 - 238 - 1000 - 475 - 2500 - 1234 - 8765 - 4321 - 9876 - 5432 - 12345 - 6789 - 99999 - 88888                             Correct Answers:   - Fifty minus twenty-five - One hundred minus sixty-seven - One hundred fifty minus eighty-nine - Five hundred minus two hundred thirty-eight - One thousand minus four hundred seventy-five - Two thousand five hundred minus one thousand two hundred thirty-four - Eight thousand seven hundred sixty-five minus four thousand three hundred twenty-one - Nine thousand eight hundred seventy-six minus five thousand four hundred thirty-two - Twelve thousand three hundred forty-five minus six thousand seven hundred eighty-nine - Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine minus eighty-eight thousand eight hundred eighty-eight                 Exercise: Numerals in Multiplications Instructions: Write the following multiplications in words:   - 5 * 3 - 10 * 4 - 12 * 6 - 20 * 8 - 25 * 5 - 50 * 7 - 100 * 9 - 123 * 4 - 500 * 2 - 1000 * 3                           Correct Answers:   - Five times three - Ten times four - Twelve times six - Twenty times eight - Twenty-five times five - Fifty times seven - One hundred times nine - One hundred twenty-three times four - Five hundred times two - One thousand times three               Exercise: Numerals in Divisions Instructions: Write the following divisions in words:   - 15 ÷ 3 - 20 ÷ 4 - 36 ÷ 6 - 45 ÷ 9 - 64 ÷ 8 - 81 ÷ 9 - 100 ÷ 5 - 200 ÷ 10 - 500 ÷ 25 -  1000 ÷ 50                   Correct Answers:   - Fifteen divided by three - Twenty divided by four - Thirty-six divided by six - Forty-five divided by nine - Sixty-four divided by eight - Eighty-one divided by nine - One hundred divided by five - Two hundred divided by ten - Five hundred divided by twenty-five - One thousand divided by fifty                 Exercise: Writing Monetary Amounts Instructions: Write the following monetary amounts in words:   - £5 - 10 shillings - 26 pence - $1 - £20 - 15 shillings - 50 pence - $5 - £100 -  5 shillings                          Correct Answers:   - Five pounds - Ten shillings - Twenty-six pence - One dollar - Twenty pounds - Fifteen shillings - Fifty pence - Five dollars - One hundred pounds - Five shillings                   Exercise: Numerals in Phone Numbers Instructions: Write Telephone Numbers in digits:   Telephone Numbers: - 555-1234 - 867-5309 - 123-456-7890 - 800-555-1212 - 202-333-4567 - 555-6767-890 - 777-222-1010 - 123-456-7878                           Correct Answers:   - Five five five, dash, one two three four - Eight six seven, dash, five three zero nine - One two three, dash, four five six, dash, seven eight nine zero - Eight hundred, dash, five five five, dash, one two one two - Two zero two, dash, three three three, dash, four five six seven - Five five five, dash, six seven six seven, dash, eight nine zero - Seven seven seven, dash, two two two, dash, one zero one zero - One two three, dash, four five six, dash, seven eight seven eight                 Exercise: Numerals Instructions: Write the appropriate numerals for chapters of books, the numbers of buses, houses, taxis, and the sizes of clothes and shoes in words:   - Open page 10, please. - He lives in apartment 18. - I usually take tram No. 5. - The meeting starts at 9 o'clock. - There are 20 students in the classroom. - She has 3 cats and 2 dogs. - We need to buy 10 kilograms of rice. - The marathon is 26.2 miles long. - The speed limit is 55 miles per hour. - He scored 15 points in the game.                             Correct Answers:   - Open page ten, please. - He lives in apartment eighteen. - I usually take tram Number five. - The meeting starts at nine o'clock. - There are twenty students in the classroom. - She has three cats and two dogs. - We need to buy ten kilograms of rice. - The marathon is twenty-six point two miles long. - The speed limit is fifty-five miles per hour. - He scored fifteen points in the game. 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[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Ten Commandments

1 Then Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the ordinances and the laws which I propose to you this day, that ye may learn them, and take heed to observe them.

2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

3 The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers only, but with us, even with us all here alive this day.

4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the Mount, out of the midst of the fire.

5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you, to declare unto you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid at the sight of the fire, and went not up into the mount) and he said,

6 ¶ I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before my face.

8 Thou shalt make thee no graven image or any likeness of that that is in heaven above, or which is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth.

9 Thou shalt neither bow thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, even unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:

10 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.

12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labor, and shalt do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt not do any work therein, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maid, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, neither any of thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: that thy manservant and thy maid may rest as well as thou.

15 For, remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand, and a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to observe the Sabbath day.

16 ¶ Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.

21 Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s house, his field, nor his manservant, nor his maid, his ox, nor his ass, nor ought that thy neighbor hath.

22 ¶ These words the Lord spake unto all your multitude in the mount of the midst of the fire, the cloud and the darkness, with a great voice, and added no more thereto: and wrote them upon two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. — Deuteronomy 5:1-22 | 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 15:13; Exodus 18:20; Exodus 19:1; Exodus 19:18; Exodus 20:2-3; Exodus 20:5; Exodus 20:21; Exodus 23:1; Exodus 34:17; Leviticus 19:11; Numbers 14:18; Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:33; Matthew 15:4; Mark 2:27; Luke 13:14; Luke 18:20; Luke 23:56; Romans 7:7; Hebrews 8:9; Hebrews 12:18

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The Ten Commandments

[mtg-player1]

Ordinal numbers:

In Norwegian every ordinal number 1-19 needs to be memorized, but for 20+ it's easy if you know the ciphers.

Ordinal numbers are written as " 1. "/" 34. " only.

først -> first

andre -> second

tredje -> third

fjerde -> fourth

femte -> fifth

sjette -> sixth

syvende -> seventh

åttende -> eight

niende -> ninth

tiende

ellefte

tollvte

trettende

fjortende

femtende

sekstende

syttende

attende

nittende

for 20+ it's [ten][ordinal cipher], f.eks tjueførste -> twenty first (as in 21st century).

[unitedstatesrei]

Oakland Rents Rebound 6%, Ending Three-Year Slide

Rent Recovery Signals Market Stabilization After Years of DeclineOakland's rental market has emerged from a downturn with a 4% rent increase from May 2024 to May 2025. This marks the first recovery after nearly three years of declines.The stabilization is a turning point for property investors who endured falling rents during the pandemic.Despite this recovery, Oakland rents are still over 20% below their May 2019 peak.Analysts attribute the recovery to stronger tenant demand as population trends shift and the economy normalizes.Shrinking vacancy rates indicate growing competition, driving rent prices up across the metropolitan area.A surge in new rental applications has changed market conditions, giving landlords more leverage in lease negotiations. However, the city's rent adjustment ordinance limits increases to once per 12-month period for existing tenants.Construction activity remains limited by high costs, restricting new supply that could temper the rent recovery.This stabilization suggests potential for continued growth as Oakland's rental fundamentals realign with economic recovery patterns.Regulatory Changes Impact Landlord Revenue PotentialSweeping regulatory changes are reshaping revenue prospects for Oakland landlords. New compliance mandates and rent control measures are set to take effect throughout 2025.The annual CPI rent increase will drop to just 0.8% effective August 1. This severely constrains income growth for property owners despite the recent 6% market rebound.Regulatory compliance challenges are intensifying. Landlords now face expanded reporting requirements to the Rent Adjustment Program, with annual data submissions mandatory by March 1st.Property owners must navigate lengthened eviction timelines. Tenants will gain additional response time from five to ten days for unlawful detainer actions.Tenant relationship management is becoming more complex under new credit reporting mandates. Buildings with 15 or more units are required to implement opt-in systems by April 1st.Short-term rental restrictions will further limit revenue diversification. Secondary units are prohibited from operating below 30-day minimums.Administrative burdens are increasing as landlords absorb compliance costs. They also face potential fines for reporting failures, fundamentally altering the investment environment. Additionally, property owners who are delinquent on taxes will be prohibited from implementing any rent increases under recent ordinance amendments.Construction Slowdown Creates Supply ConstraintsDespite efforts to address housing shortages, Oakland's construction activity has plummeted to critically low levels. The city faces unprecedented supply constraints that threaten to intensify rental market pressures.Building permit issuances have collapsed, dropping from 4,617 units in 2018 to just 795 in 2023. This represents an 83% decline, devastating new housing availability across the city. An increasing number of young Americans explore alternative, affordable housing options through tiny homes as a response to the crisis.Large apartment developments have experienced the steepest reductions. Multi-family projects bear the brunt of construction barriers, including extended CEQA review processes and mounting regulatory hurdles.YearBuilding PermitsMulti-Family Units% Change20184,6172,850Baseline20211,8921,200-59%2023795320-83%2024Projected 650280-86%CEQA reform initiatives aim to reduce project delays by 18 months. However, these measures have yet to reverse the dramatic decline in housing production, which continues to constrain Oakland's rental supply.Economic Factors Drive Future Market OutlookEconomic turbulence is reshaping Oakland's rental terrain. Multiple financial forces are creating an unprecedented market environment.Housing scarcity continues driving rental costs upward. Oakland maintains only 0.41 homes per person. This severe shortage amplifies price pressure. Demand consistently outpaces available inventory.

Tech sector expansion fuels employment growth. The robust 65.1% employment rate sustains rental demand.Rising mortgage rates create additional market volatility. They limit homebuying capacity, forcing more residents into the rental pool.Inflation concerns compound affordability challenges. Tariff impacts threaten GDP growth and consumer spending power.Despite these headwinds, major forecasting platforms project continued price appreciation. Realtor anticipates 7.30% increases.The East Bay economy demonstrates resilience against broader uncertainties. Regional economic variations create uneven market conditions.Investment potential remains strong due to Oakland's proximity to San Francisco job centers. There is sustained demand from technology workers.Limited new construction exacerbates inventory stagnation. Supply constraints persist throughout economic cycles.AssessmentOakland's rent has increased by 6%, marking the first sustained recovery period since 2021. This signals potential market stabilization amid ongoing economic uncertainty.Regulatory pressures are continuing to constrain landlord profitability. At the same time, construction delays are exacerbating housing supply shortages across the Bay Area.Market analysts warn that sustained recovery heavily depends on employment growth and regional economic conditions. Investor confidence remains fragile despite recent gains.