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mysticmachmir · 4 years

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Tarot Through a Jewish Lens (Part I)

Is Tarot Jewish?

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

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

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

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

My Jewish Theology with Tarot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jewish Tarot Spreads

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

Jewish Tarot and Oracle Decks

Eht/Aht Netivot Oracle Deck

Tu B’shevat Oracle Deck

Moon Angels Oracle Deck

Malakhim Meditative Cards

Raziel Tarot Deck (Out of Print)

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

72 Names Deck

Tokens of Light Deck

King Solomon Deck

Revealed by the Letters Deck

Cleansing and Protection

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

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

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

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

May the angel Michael be at my right side,

and at my left side, Gabriel,

before me Uriel, behind me Raphael,

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

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

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

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

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panicinthestudio · 5 years

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bandit1a: Hi It's been a while since we've been in touch, but I saw this WaPo piece earlier and wondered if you have any thoughts about it.

It has been a bit, haven't been on as much the last few weeks. Which is not to say I haven’t been digesting the news as it comes.

The piece feels like it's flattering the Chinese government even in its criticism of lack of transparency and authoritarian tactics. People failed to care during SARS until it came to their doorstep. It also really highlighted China's upward trajectory at the time, and the renewed animosity people had towards the new wave of Asian global influence. Racism and assumptions were easily stoked as people got more and more anxious.

It's not even a matter of hindsight, many of us have watched the pandemic mentality become routine the past 20 years--in a way the crisis was a peak in a trend that never went away. Avian and swine influenza, foot-and-mouth and other zoonotic viruses and diseases are no longer a novelty, but have been regular, annual news items. The sight of a person walking around in a mask routinely for health or precautionary reasons used to be very unusual.

I remember the first trip back to Hong Kong after 2002/2003, and being curious at the way people queued for boarding and immediately began to gear up as if they were about to do some in-flight dental procedures or woodwork. Arriving at Chek Lap Kok to find a city that was now plastic-wrapped, single-use, and wiped down at scheduled intervals.

***

This time conjures up a lot of buried resentment and fear, perhaps because China has been through this kind of public embarrassment so many times in recent memory that it doesn’t matter that the PRC government is being uncharacteristically publicly proactive. The warning signs of a new public health crisis were there with the spread of African swine fever, and the cases of pneumonic plague that were reported in the fall.

Even when it was apparent the Wuhan and Hubei authorities were being very cautious about how they were talking about the growing situation since the end of 2019, there was no real traction in a lot of traditional Western media. Now that this new coronavirus has exceeded the local level’s ability to tamp down or spin in a matter of weeks, it falls into the hands of the Xi Jinping, the Central government, and their surrogates to try their hand at turning it into a win for nationalistic favour and global reputation. In the absence of a more intense scrutiny from outside, they control the official narrative of who is to blame, where credit is placed, and what parts of the full story are altered or removed entirely.

The tensions, shortages, and lockdown are a potential gauge on the population’s ability to accept extreme measures and possible future courses of action, rather than an opportunity to reduce the root causes or minimize the cost of people’s lives and the peace of mind of others in the first place.

bandit1a: What troubled me about it was the contention that lack of media freedom fuels misinformation and rumour, and by extension, panic.

When we look at the manipulation of public opinion through the West, often through rumour and misinformation, I simply felt WaPo is meant to be better than that.

To suggest China would have a better grip on the problem and we wouldn't be so concerned if only China had a free press was shockingly over simplistic to me.

It's self-congratulatory, and a large dose to boot. It strikes me that the Post is also still angling the neoliberal line that China will replace its institutional organs into something resembling American ones, and that in the meantime we should all just turn a blind eye.

The fact is lack of media freedom is a reality we're converging on. That's why so many alternative media outlets are springing up in their place. At least in the last decade, having seen the ability of social media to spread not just particular viewpoints but be put to political action, organizations are finding their footing and the talent to execute it. It's no longer enough to get the message out there, it's about the saturation and likeliness of it to spread.

I got the impression the article encouraged the ideological starting point of not needing to be critical of systems that rely on the whims and direction of leadership, rather than critical and review mechanisms. Really, why should it matter what Trump, Xi, or the Pope for that matter have to say if they aren’t keeping citizens up to date, rather than applauding what little has been done in an ongoing pandemic.

A protected free press would help, but in this case conveniently shifts responsibility of actual transparency and accountability off the bureaucracy and allows their stranglehold on institutions and failsafes in public health, safety, and infrastructure go unexamined.

#bandit1a #coronavirus #Wuhan #chinese communist party #China #public health #authoritarianism #SARS #xi jinping #politics #disease #Washington Post #news #freedom of the press #propaganda #COVID 19 #pandemic

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thatsnotcanonpodcasts · 5 years

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Gaming Hotels, Money & Nebula

Hello, welcome, and G’day, we are so happy to have you join us again for our latest episode. When we say episode we don’t mean Buck having a rant and all that; just thought we should clarify that up front. Now we have a bumper episode this week with lots of stuff for you to enjoy.

First up we have Professor bringing us news about Atari’s plan to open a chain of hotels. They have announced that they will be themed and focus on developing E-sports functionality. But we wonder is it going to be presented with the old style timber/brown laminate like we used to see on the old Atari? Guarantee that it won’t be the first option for the honeymoon market, although, any ladies who think that would be cool let us know that we are wrong once again. Following this Professor has the ESA’s environmentally unfriendly stance against the right to repair and modify your machines/consoles. BOO HISS!!! How lame can these idiots be, I mean, don’t they realise that advancements in technology have come about by people looking under the hood and figuring out ways to do things better?

Next up we have DJ talking about IDW losing money and what they are planning to do about it. Apparently they have announced they are struggling in various markets with the material they are presently distributing. Of course the solution would be to develop new material, breathe new life into the company instead of just pumping out more of the same thing. But, no, they are hoping that their partnership with Netflix will save them. Then DJ brings us news on the critic’s reviews on Birds of Prey for us to laugh at and make fun of. Seriously, does anyone actually take them serious anymore? Buck suggests that if Rotten Tomatoes give a film a bad rating it must be good, and if it is good then stay away. What do you think, does that sound like a good approach to use?

Then Buck has the latest on the Spitzer Space Telescope, which has just retired. After being on mission since 2003 it has provided heaps of data for scientist, with the first images and data being of the Tarantula Nebula. In homage to its origins the last images and data developed by Spitzer were also of the Tarantula Nebula. Which honestly is a hotbed of activity, with the explosion of a supernova that was first discovered in 1987 (interestingly called 1987a) and still sweeping through space creating some awesome images. Also there is a collection of 40 massive stars at least 50 times the size of our sun all in a tiny area together. If this isn’t enough for you Buck also brings us news of the latest evolution of robot tanks. Before anyone gets all Terminator Judgement Day on us, they are not all armed and those that are still need a person involved to fire on a target. But for those who are looking for an alternative to a trailer that hitches to your car, we might have a solution for you.

We hope you enjoy this bumper episode this week. As normal we have the usual shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events. Let us know what you think, make requests if you have a topic you are interested in having us dig into. Or just drop us a line and we will give you a special shout out. As always, remember to take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

Atari’s new idea : Gaming Hotels - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-01-27-atari-to-open-gaming-hotels-in-at-least-eight-us-cities

ESA’s stance on Right To Repair - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAVp1WVq-1Q&feature=youtu.be

IDW loses money…a lot of money - https://www.bleedingcool.com/2020/01/25/idw-loses-17-1-million-in-2019-projects-profitability-in-2021/

Early reviews of Birds of Prey have arrived…. - https://boundingintocomics.com/2020/01/27/early-audience-reviews-for-margot-robbies-birds-of-prey-arrive/

The Tarantula Nebula - https://phys.org/news/2020-01-tarantula-nebula-web-mystery-spitzer.html

Robot Tank…now with no firepower - https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50387954

Games Played

Professor

– Steamworld - http://imageform.se/game/steamworld-dig/

Rating: 3.5/5

Buck

– Thunder Run: War of Clans - https://www.facebook.com/ThunderRunWarOfClans/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Rating: 3/5

DJ – DNP

Other topics discussed

Niagara Falls' real-life Mario Kart track

- https://dailyhive.com/toronto/niagara-falls-real-life-mario-kart-track-opening-june-2018?fbclid=IwAR32kb9QxDvcX-YzQGY0G9GGRDlYfkpqRU2fH2Kee96JtqNXo_r5YrDl1Jw

Nintendo wins legal battle against one of Tokyo's real-life 'Mario Kart' tours

- https://www.engadget.com/2020/01/29/nintendo-tokyo-mario-kart-legal-win/

Final Fantasy VII cafes

- https://soranews24.com/2020/01/25/final-fantasy-vii-cafes-are-opening-in-tokyo-and-osaka-to-celebrate-legendary-games-remake/

OutRun (arcade game released by Sega in September 1986.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_Run

Mario Bros. (platform game published and developed for arcades by Nintendo in 1983.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Bros.

The Verge PC Build (Reuploaded) by Ext_Nation

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ4viTwfFxA

Louis Rossmann - Why I don't use Apple products

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfrYOWlKJ_g

JerryRigEverything (American YouTuber and tech reviewer. He has gained fame and popularity for his technology reviews including smartphones, watches, apps and much more.)

- https://www.youtube.com/user/JerryRigEverything

- https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/JerryRigEverything

Every Console In One Box - The Origin Big O by Unbox Therapy

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErQQc6cUSTA

Star Trek (comic book series by IDW Publishing, based on the Star Trekscience fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_(IDW_Publishing)

Captain Marvel (2019 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Carol Danvers.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Marvel_(film)

Punisher (A fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Punisher made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punisher

Spiderman 3 (2007 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_3

Dexter (American television crimedramamystery series that aired on Showtime from October 1, 2006, to September 22, 2013)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_(TV_series)

Snakes on a Plane (At one point, the film was given the title Pacific Air Flight 121, only to have it changed back to the working title at Samuel Jackson's request.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_on_a_Plane#Production

Black hole (A black hole is a region of spacetime exhibiting gravitational acceleration so strong that nothing—no particles or even electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from it.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole

The Amazing World of Gumball (British-American surreal comedy animated television series created by Ben Bocquelet for Cartoon Network.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_World_of_Gumball

Cartoon Network - The Amazing World of Gumball | The Meaning Of Life

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZspV3ser1Q

Tarantula (The spider originally bearing the name "tarantula" was Lycosa tarantula, a species of wolf spider native to Mediterranean Europe. The name derived from that of the southern Italian town of Taranto.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula#Etymology

RoboCop (1987) - It's Only a Glitch (Dick's boardroom demonstration of the Enforcement Droid 209 goes awry when the droid opens fire on Kinney.

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TstteJ1eIZg

Law Abidding Citizen (2009) - Weaponized bomb disposal robot kills people

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrK-UojUTNw

Remote controlled weapon station (A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), or remote weapon station (RWS), also known as a remote weapon system, (RWS) is a remotely operated weaponized system often equipped with fire-control system for light and medium-caliber weapons which can be installed on ground combat vehicle or sea- and air-based combat platforms.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_controlled_weapon_station

Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) (a remote weapon station systems used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CROWS

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47380/in-flanders-fields

Dulce Et Decorum Est (poem written by Wilfred Owen during World War I, and published posthumously in 1920)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_et_Decorum_est

Podcast Nine and Three-Quarters (TNC Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/nineandthreequarterspodcast

Shout Outs

- 26 January 2020 – Kobe Bryant died – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kobe_Bryant

On January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, around 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, en route to Camarillo, California. It was carrying former basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, six family friends including baseball coach John Altobelli and his wife and daughter, and the pilot. All on board were killed.

- 26 January 2020 – Australian of the Year 2020 awarded to eye surgeon James Muecke - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-25/australian-of-year-awards-2020-announced-in-canberra/11901006

Dr Muecke was honoured in a ceremony in Canberra. In 2000 he co-founded Vision Myanmar at the South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology and later co-founded Sight For All, a social impact organisation aiming to create a world where everyone can see. More recently Dr Muecke's work has specifically focused on preventing the leading cause of blindness in adults — type 2 diabetes. When accepting the award from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Dr Muecke said he viewed type 2 diabetes — something that impacts nearly one in every 10 Australians — as a "looming catastrophe for our health system".

- 28 January 1958 – Lego patents its First Bricks - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/jan28/lego-patents-its-first-bricks/

The Lego Group, with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, patented its design for interlocking plastic bricks. The design was so stable that those bricks can still be used with Lego sets created today. Today, the Lego Group, based in Denmark, is worth more than a billion dollars.

Remembrances

- 26 January 2020 – Louis Nirenberg -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Nirenberg

Canadian-American mathematician, considered one of the most outstanding mathematicians of the 20th century. He made fundamental contributions to linear and nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) and their application to complex analysis and geometry. His contributions include the Gagliardo–Nirenberg interpolation inequality, which is important in the solution of the elliptic partial differential equations that arise in many areas of mathematics, and the formalization of the bounded mean oscillation known as John–Nirenberg space, which is used to study the behaviour of both elastic materials and games of chance known as martingales. He died at the age of 94 in New York.

- 28 January 1918 – Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCrae

Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I, and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium. He is best known for writing the famous war memorial poem "In Flanders Fields". McCrae died of pneumonia near the end of the war. "In Flanders Fields" appeared anonymously in Punch on December 8, 1915, but in the index to that year McCrae was named as the author. The verses swiftly became one of the most popular poems of the war, used in countless fund-raising campaigns and frequently translated. He died from pneumonia with "extensive pneumococcus meningitis" at the age of 45 in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

- 28 January 1996 – Jerry Siegel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camillo_Golgi

Jerome Siegel who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter and Jerry Ess was an American comic book writer. His most famous creation was Superman, which he created in collaboration with his friend Joe Shuster. Siegel and Shuster had been developing the Superman story and character since 1933, hoping to sell it as a syndicated newspaper comic-strip. But after years of fruitless soliciting to the syndicates, Siegel and Shuster agreed to publish Superman in a comic book. In March 1938, they sold all rights to Superman to the comic-book publisher Detective Comics, Inc., another forerunner of DC, for $130 ($2,361 when adjusted for inflation). Siegel and Shuster later regretted their decision to sell Superman after he became an astonishing success. DC Comics now owned the character and reaped the royalties. Nevertheless, DC Comics retained Siegel and Shuster as the principal writer and artist for the Superman comics, and they were well-paid because they were popular with the readers. He died from a heart attack at the age of 81 in Los Angeles,California.

Famous Birthdays

- 28 January 1611 – Johannes Hevelius - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Hevelius

A councillor and mayor of Danzig (Gdańsk), Kingdom of Poland. As an astronomer, he gained a reputation as "the founder of lunar topography", and described ten new constellations, seven of which are still used by astronomers. He discovered four comets, in 1652, 1661, 1672 and 1677. These discoveries led to his thesis that such bodies revolve around the Sun in parabolic paths. He was born in Danzig,Pomeranian Voivodeship.

- 28 January 1912 – Jackson Pollack – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock

American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his technique of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal surface ('drip technique'), enabling him to view and paint his canvases from all angles. It was also called 'action painting', since he used the force of his whole body to paint, often in a frenetic dancing style. This extreme form of abstraction divided the critics: some praised the immediacy and fluency of the creation, while others derided the random effects. He was born in Cody Wyoming.

- 28 January 1966 – Seiji Mizushima - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiji_Mizushima

Japanese anime storyboard artist and director. He has directed such series as Shaman King, Fullmetal Alchemist, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Un-Go, and Concrete Revolutio. He also directed anime films such as Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer. He was born in Fuchū, Tokyo.

Events of Interest

- 28 January 1887 - The first digging work on the Eiffel Tower started - https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/history

It took two years, two months, and five days after construction began. The pieces of iron are connected by 2.5 million rivets. They were put in place by between 150 and 300 workers who were employed to build the structure. The structure may be named after Gustave Eiffel, but it was actually his senior engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, who designed the building.

- 21 January 1981 - The World Land Speed Record on a public road is broken by Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W195 at a speed of 432.7 kilometres per hour (268.9 mph). - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W125_Rekordwagen

The streamlined car was derived from the 1937 open-wheel race car Mercedes-Benz W125 Formel-Rennwagen, of which also a streamlined version was raced at the non-championship Avusrennen in Berlin. The main difference to the Grand Prix race car, which had to adhere to the 750 kg (1,653 lb) limit, was the engine. While the GP car had the 8-cylinder inline M125, which was rather tall, the record car was fitted with a V12 engine that was lower, which reduced drag. It remained the fastest ever officially timed speed on a public road until broken on 5 November 2017 by Koenigsegg in an Agera RS driven by Niklas Lilja, achieving 445.6 km/h (276.9 mph) on a closed highway in Nevada.

- 28 January 1896 – Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent, becomes the first person to be convicted of speeding. He was fined oneshilling, plus costs, for speeding at 8 mph (13 km/h), thereby exceeding the contemporary speed limit of 2 mph (3.2 km/h). - https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Walter-Arnold-Worlds-First-Speeding-Ticket/

The London Daily News detailed the four counts, also known as “informations”, on which Walter Arnold faced charges at Tunbridge Wells court. Arnold’s vehicle was described several times in the newspaper court report as a “horseless carriage”, and the case clearly raised some interesting philosophical as well as legal points for the bench. The first count, which reads oddly now, was for using a “locomotive without a horse,” the next for having fewer than three persons “in charge of the same”, indicating the enduring influence of horse-drawn and steam locomotion when it came to legislating the new vehicles. Next came the actual speeding charge, for driving at more than two miles per hour, and finally, a charge for not having his name and address on the vehicle. The case may have had an influence on the changes to legislation shortly afterwards. The fearsome machines no longer needed a minimum of three people to control them.

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

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altitudeofalcatraz · 1 year

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Sight through blindness Vs. The twins!!!11

you're gonna have to be more specific because the terraria twins were the first thing that came to mind if that's what you wanted then great if not then oops

#rainworld #rain world #rainworld downpour #iterator oc #rainworld oc #altitudes art #rw sight through blindness #terraria the twins

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altitudeofalcatraz · 1 year

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I would love to hear about your iterator ocs!

Alright!! Once again, gonna try keeping it as simple as possible, nothing too detailed! (Copying RI and WOTM from the post before this, using this as some sort of master list i assume)

There is art in this as well!! Might have been too much but I like being extra about my ocs

Haphazardly Throwing Needles HTN is the third eldest iterator of the local group. Back when the ancients were still around, they always had a distaste for them, thinking they were making too much of a fuss over the cycles. If they were really good enough to transcend, then they should be able to do it themselves without the help of supercomputers. They always were bitter towards the ancients, refusing to help them as much as they could, which sparked a multitude of arguments. When the mass extinction happened, HTN felt immense relief, as the ancients only ever caused negative effects on them.

Even before the extinction, HTN didn’t bother much with trying to solve ‘The Great Problem’, preferring to research the local flora and fauna instead. With the ancients gone, they could focus even more time into this. When they first found out about the rot, they grew curious about its creation and upbringing, and in a careless experiment, purposefully tried to grow the rot in their systems. It ended up working, and unlike many iterators, HTN was quite content with it. Over time, they modified the rot and helped it grow, creating an almost mutualism relationship with it. The rot would feast on the fauna around the superstructure, and in turn protect and surprisingly keep HTN in good conditions, causing them to be one of the most resilient structures of the local group. There is little life in the superstructure besides the rot, due to the constant feeding and absorption. The Machine does visit HTN, and is almost always met with rudeness and bitterness. This comes from a place of care, though, as HTN is concerned about Machine’s reckless travelling around something dangerous like the rot, as they still don’t have full control of it around the superstructure.

Sight Through Blindness STB is the eldest of the local group, and is treated with the most respect. During the time of ancients, she was rarely chatted with, left to focus by herself. STB was built by the ancients with no overseers nor sight, as they believed being able to see the outside world would only distract from work, and that being confined to herself would make her work diligently and quickly. She had been reinforced over the course of the cycles, making her more resilient to outside forces. STB did not mind the lack of outside stimulation, doing as she was ordered and working tirelessly to help with whatever was needed.

After the loss of the ancients, STB finally opened up, establishing connections with the local group more often, now helping them with problems instead of the ancients. She still works on trying to solve the great problem, even if she herself doubts it ever working, since that was what she was made to do. She is very thoughtful and patient, taking time to listen and help the iterators with whatever they are troubled with. This makes her a very popular go-to for the group when they are stressed or overworked. Surprise visits from The Machine are always exciting for her, as they are the only thing to have ever entered her chamber for more than just maintenance. She is very gentle with them, and makes sure to always prep Machine for their next journey.

Deafening Silence DS is the fourth eldest of the local group. The relationship with the ancients living on top of him was very straightforward : he provided them with their needs of living, and they provided him with the same. There was never any conversation between them, a very silent relationship. All he did was work, never communicating with anything, including other iterators. Some wonder why he was even given access to communications, with the lack of activity from him.

After the mass extinction, DS almost immediately stopped working on the great problem. He had no purpose to do it anymore. In his eyes, it was worthless, only doing it because the ancients were around to watch him. For many cycles now, DS has essentially been doing nothing. The only thing he worked on after the extinction was finding a way to hack into the chatlogs and gain access to private chats between iterators. All he does nowadays is sit at the bottom of his chamber, acting lifeless, watching chatlogs of the local group without ever responding. The group is aware of this behaviour, and have tried countless times to contact him, never getting any replies. Some have sent overseers to his chamber in the past, but he almost instantly deactivates them, causing most to give up on that route. The Machine has never directly interacted with DS, as he has found ways to block Machine out, such as clogging pipes and tunnels to deny access.

Denial Of Normality

DON is the second eldest iterator of the local group. When she was first built, she wasn’t instantly put to work, given a bit of time to study and get used to the world around her before fully indulging herself in various problems and tasks. Due to this, she grew very intrigued in the surrounding fauna early on, taking any free time she could to play around and research it. Ever since her creation, she’s always been the most prideful and egotistical out of the local group. Constantly she separates herself from her puppet when speaking, having to remind anyone that talks to her that she is in fact, more than any simple creature can understand, and her puppet is just there so they can comprehend her. Her pride does not mean she doesn’t have kindness, as she is very active within the local group, and is welcoming to help out when needed.

After the extinction, DON ditched any work the ancients wanted and focused on studying and creating genetically modified creatures from the fauna nearby. It was messy at first, but she got the hang of it, creating many experiments from whatever her heart desired. Most of the life around her superstructure is said modified beings, very little creatures from beforehand exist, as they have been killed by the newcomers or have fled to new land. Overtime, her experiments have gotten more drastic, creating some things that shouldn’t be possible by normal standards. At some point, she began to practice modifying already alive creatures, starting by experimenting on her puppet and overseers. She was the creator of The Machine, originally making it for VSH and WOTM since they had no experience in genetic modification. She gets visited by them sometimes, often engaging in training and playing with them to keep up on their skills.

Violent Sky Hues

VSH is the fourth youngest of the local group, made shortly before WOTM. they were made unusually high up in the sky, far above the clouds and other superstructures. This caused the group of ancients living on top of them to be isolationist towards other groups of ancients, communicating only with those on the structure. VSH was frequently talked to and communicated with, the ancients treating them as simply another member of the civilization, making them very fond of the ancients. Despite them originally being built with the great problem in mind, when they were actually finished the ancients instead simply gave them the task to provide for them and keep them company.

When the mass extinction happened VSH was saddened, but their sadness turned into curiosity, beginning to start a hobby of collecting, reading, and archiving pearls left behind by the now gone civilization. They could not easily gain these pearls, so with the help of WOTM they convinced DON to make The Machine for them, as a way to transport pearls from structure to structure. VSH considers themselves Machine’s “dad”, getting visited by them the most due to the frequent pearl shipments. VSH gets very violent if something tries to remove the pearls from their chamber, resorting to instantly killing the thing that attempted it. Besides that, they are very lighthearted, and talkative, constantly in some sort of chat with WOTM.

Harmless Abandonment

HA is the youngest iterator of the local group. When the ancients were still around, they had begun building HA, only to abruptly stop due to reasons unbeknownst to the local group. They had most of the necessary equipment to run, minus communications, but suffered from constant malfunctions, buildup, and breakdowns. They were also never equipped with overseers, causing them to be unaware of the outside world. For a long time, they were not powered on, laying dormant in the background.

When the ancients disappeared, the local group took it upon themselves to try and power on HA. Using The Machine as their carrier and messenger, they slowly transferred materials from their own cans to HA, in an attempt to build as much as they could with the slugcat, and get him running again. The main contributors were VSH, WOTM, DON, and STB. RI wanted to help, but the group fought against it as he was unstable already and could pose liabilities if transferring stuff from him to HA. After countless cycles of work, they had finally gotten a response from the unfinished iterator, using Machine to retrieve messages from him. After his initial awakening, Machine has been sent a multitude of times to continue helping to repair and fix whatever they could. During these adventures, they would bring outside items they found to HA, who often used them to decorate his puppet. Since HA does not have access to communications, VSH and WOTM both have a couple overseers near him at all times to talk and check up on him, which he appreciates. Occasionally the other iterators also send over overseers to have a chat, but those overseers don’t usually stay for long. Since their main communication is through overseers, HA rarely interacts with STB, as they have to communicate either through another iterator or Machine.

Requisite Betrayal

RB is the second youngest of the local group. When built by their iterators, they were specifically designed around the kill code taboo, both subconsciously and consciously doing whatever they can to keep their superstructure in perfect conditions. They were meant to exist for eternity, the ultimate guide and solution to the great problem. The ancients did constant work and repairs on them, keeping them constantly up to date and working 100% functionally. They were built in such a way that they could survive even with minimal water, by running on something similar to a ‘battery saver’. They were rarely treated as a living thing, ancients too focused on making sure they were physically intact to care about their mentality.

Even after the extinction RB continues to run in excellent conditions, facility having modified creatures within to do minimal repairs wherever they can access, keeping them ahead of the other iterators. They are very blunt and logical, not understanding jokes or casual chatting and preferring to have discussions about work and other scientific things. A while after The Machine was created, RB had made his own purposed organism, The Rogue. It’s purpose was much like the creatures inside of their structure, keeping RB in as perfect condition as possible. They were occasionally sent on missions to other, older structures of decaying iterators to ‘borrow’ (steal) things such as neuron flies and rarefaction cells to use as replacements in case any of RB’s parts were damaged and unable to be repaired. The Machine occasionally visits RB, but when The Rogue is around they usually don’t stay for long.

Reckless Infatuation

RI is basically a middle child in terms of iterator ages, directly in the middle of eldest and youngest. During creation, he was very haphazardly put together, as the ancients building him weren't very fond of the work they were doing, and so "gave up" during the process. This caused a lot of mechanical failures to happen, most notably the seemingly random miniature explosions that happened around his superstructure, especially frequent inside the chamber where his puppet was. Due to these unpredictable and sometimes dangerous explosions, he was deemed unfit to live on, and so he never really had ancients near him during their existence. The only ancients that he ever came into contact with are those sent to try and fix his failures when they occurred, and even then that was sparse. This sparked some form of clinginess in him, as he was very social and constantly sought attention. Anytime the ancients would come into his chamber he would try and prevent them from leaving in any way he could, causing strain on him and his puppet. The last visit he ever had with an ancient ended up with him getting ripped off of the arm that connects him to the wall (cords/umbilical still intact.)

He currently still has access to communications, and constantly pesters any iterator in the local group when they care to listen to him. It's mostly STB, VSH, and WOTM that he talks to, as they are the most open to the constant chatter. RI loves The Machine, labelling it as one of his best friends, becoming ecstatic whenever he sees them. The Machine, on the other hand, isn't too keen on visiting him, as he has a habit of trying to cling onto and prevent them from leaving, which never feels good.

Whispering Of The Many

WOTM is the third youngest iterator of her local group, made shortly after Violent Sky Hues (VSH). The ancients that built and lived on her were lively, very. . . "Dramatic", in her words. They'd always have some drama, some argument, some issue going on, and WOTM was all ears to listen in and learn about the situation. Many would come to her for problem-solving, second opinions, or even just to rant and ramble. Over time she basically became the iterator equivalent of a gossip girl. It was a common occurrence for her to talk about the latest argument or problem to the local iterators, and sometimes other iterators entirely. Not only did she listen in on all of this, but anything interesting that she overheard was likely to be written into data pearls, for safekeeping (she thought it was fun to record all of this and look back at it, since there was never a dull moment in her civilization and she wanted to keep memories of it.)

After the mass extinction of the ancients, she entered an almost depressed-like state for some cycles, she was unused to the sudden silence of the world around her. With the help of the local iterators, she quickly left this state, and now spends most of her time chatting with the local group or helping VSH archive pearls. She treats herself as The Machine's "mom" of sorts, despite not creating them, and takes great pride in her relationship with them.

#rainworld #rain world #rainworld downpour #rainworld oc #iterator oc #art #altitudes art #altitudes chats #rw haphazardly throwing needles #rw sight through blindness #rw deafening silence #rw denial of normality #rw violent sky hues #rw harmless abandonment #rw requisite betrayal #rw reckless infatuation #rw whispering of the many #rw the machine #rw the rogue

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