#time measures very differently when you have a life span .

[choosingwhatmatters]

Music in The Loyal Pin, Episode 4

Welcome back to my music rambles. Buckle up, creampuffs, this is going to be a long one. Luckily, it was very easy to structure. Let me tell you about four different types of kisses.

Handkiss – Big emotions

Last week I talked about a piece I call “Big emotions.” It is connected to situations in which our princesses (Pin is the princess of my heart, and nobody can take that title away from her) have a lot of feelings. Snake bites. Tears on letters. Happy reunions. And, in this episode, giddy memories of a kiss to the cheek, as well as the angry chuckage of rocks into a pond.

Although this piece sounds relatively tame, there’s a lot going on in the music, especially the harmonies. A harmony consists of all the notes that accompany the melody at any given time of a piece, plus the notes of the melody itself. Harmonies are the melody’s clothing. They are the bed in which the melody stretches and writhes.

Usually, there is one harmony that everything comes back to. Some call it first chord; some call it tonic. I call it home. Our piece starts out at home in D major. So far, so snug. But then, suddenly, there’s a c in the accompaniment and the first music theorists are already raising their eyebrows: there’s no c in the D major scale. The music is trying to throw us off balance. The whole phrase is repeated and then there’s even more shenanigans in the harmonies. First we greet a chord that is a welcome guest in the house of D major: B minor, its sad little sibling. But suddenly, B flat major appears. A foreigner! Not one, but two notes that do not belong to the D major scale. B flat major waves through the open door before the melody comes to rest in A major, another regular in the household, and there it stays without ever going back to D major.

The whole thing happens in the span of seconds, but it leaves us with several instances of startled surprise and a quality of unfinished-ness. Much like a character grappling with a big emotion, our ears must come to terms with what we’ve just heard.

We hear the melody of the piece one last time at the end of the episode, when Anil is kissing Pin’s hand. It’s only the beginning of the melody, and there’s hardly any accompaniment. No harmonies to throw us off guard. The piece only lasts for a few seconds, hinting at big emotions to come before it floats away.

Butterfly kiss – Anil’s theme

Anil’s theme has undergone a lot of changes in the course of the first four episode. It starts out as a sweet, playful melody that matches Pin’s wistful one. It is often played by a glockenspiel but is fully orchestrated in moments in which Anil twirls for her family. Or sneakily returns from the UK without anyone knowing.

Anil brings back with her a new version of her motif. This one we can hear when she is plotting against the men in Pin’s life or manipulating those around her. Instead of the usual, cheery major scale we’re used to, we can hear the melody in a minor scale. Minor scales tend to sound melancholic or sad. In the piece at hand, the melody sounds sinister which, again, goes back to the harmonies underneath. Harmonies are powerful allies and even more formidable foes.

In episode 4, we can hear the minor version of Anil’s motif when she schemes against Kuea, shortly after being interrupted at the pond with Pin. We hear it again when Pin remembers Pranot trying to kiss Anil’s hand.

And then there’s a brand-new version of the motif when Pin learns about the butterfly kiss.

The time signature is different now. Instead of our usual 4/4 time, we are in 3/4 time. This time measure often has a waltz-y, swaying quality to it. Together with an airy keyboard sound I cannot identify, the whole thing sounds whimsical and innocent. Anil’s theme glistens in silvery glockenspiel notes above this soundscape in a high octave. We are putting a pin (heh) in this fact, namely the use of the glockenspiel and the high pitch.

Lip kiss – Pin’s theme

Pin’s theme is a constant in the first four episodes. Sometimes we can hear the whole piece, sometimes it’s just the first three notes, but it’s everywhere. It hardly changes.

Up until that fateful moment in episode 3, when Pin becomes aware of her heartbeat when she is massaging Anil. The melody evolves. There are more notes and shorter note values. The same thing happens when Anil kisses Pin’s lips.

Y’all, I don’t even know where to start gushing because this is so beautiful. As Pin has these life-changing experiences, her melody expands. It’s played by a glockenspiel now, the same instrument that has been mostly Anil’s up until that point. The tempo is off, restless. It doesn’t fit the accompaniment. Yet. Something shook Pin’s world, and she has yet to regain balance.

French kiss – Pentatonic flourish

In my last post, I promised to take a look at the pentatonic shenanigans that happen every time Anil and Pin are close. When Pin massages Anil. When Anil smells Pin’s hair. When Anil draws Pin close at the pond. When Anil kisses Pin in a way from which there is no return. Semi-quavers are drizzling on our eardrums, the measure is almost undeterminable.

Pin’s theme is back to its usual piano, but it's off beat now. Accomplished, less tame. Then Anil explains the French kiss to her and leans in a second time. The accompaniment narrows to one sequence that is repeated time and again, and once more there's Pin's theme, off beat. She has found her confidence. She is part of the music, and part of something even more beautiful.

Remember the other pin I was talking about earlier? How, during the butterfly kiss, Anil’s theme is played on the glockenspiel in a high octave? Well, during the French kiss, we can hear the first three notes of Anil’s theme, on the piano. Just as Pin has borrowed Anil’s instrument, Anil is now borrowing Pin’s, and even more importantly: they're on the same instrument now. Both of their themes are reduced to the first few notes, Anil's in a low octave that we haven't heard before. The low pitch has a calming quality. It provides the foundation for the last two high piano notes: the first note of Pin's theme, played twice. In my head, Pin is saying "I ... I ...," without even knowing how to finish that sentence, and instead giving up. Giving in.

Dear friends ... this show is so bloody beautiful! I don’t even know what to do with myself. I’ve spent way too much time revelling in the soundscape of this episode, and I regret nothing. If the show ended now, there would still be heaps of things to talk about. But it's not ending. It's just starting out and that is making my undescribably happy.

The fact that the premise of the show seems designed for me (sapphic, historical, South-East Asian) tells me that The Loyal Pin is not the most lucrative story to tell. To have hundreds of people dedicating time, work and skill into telling this story, supported by the Ministry of Commerce, no less, leaves me in tears. What a journey! Thank you for travelling with me!

[saiyanmazen]

Another three years

"You're going into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber again?" Bulma screeched across the breakfast table. Her eyes widened in anger and Vegeta could see the tiny creases at the outer corners of her eyes; he found them oddly adorable, although he'd learned not to mention them to her.

"Why do you care? It's not like you feel a fraction of the amount of time I spend there." He crossed his arms for good measure.

"First of all, don't act stupid. You know very well it's one fraction of 364," she said, reminding him why he should never use mathematical idioms around her. "Second of all, I find it very suspicious that you'd rather spend a year in there with Goku than a day with your beautiful wife."

She was right. Given the choice, he would definitely choose her. He wouldn't give up a whole year without training for her, but he was confident enough to trust that a day or three without training wouldn't make him fall behind.

But it was important for him to go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, with or without the clown. He just couldn't tell her why.

"It's three years again," he simply replied instead of addressing her real concern. It wasn't that he was looking forward to spending so long away from her, but he knew he would regret it in the future if he didn't.

She looked hurt for a second before hiding it behind a furious scowl. "At this rate, you might as well divorce me and marry Goku since you prefer to spe-"

He was next to her in half a second, cradling her face and interrupting her with a slow, loving kiss. She resisted at first, unwilling to accept his silent apology, but after a few moments she relented.

When they parted to catch their breaths, he leaned his forehead against hers, inhaling deeply to memorize her scent. He would miss these quiet moments most of all during his absence.

"No talk of divorce," he said steadfastly, "I won't hear it. I'm going in there to train, but I'll always return to you. I'm doing this for you."

She nodded, reluctantly understanding. He knew she believed that he was talking about getting stronger to protect her and their family, but it wasn't his main reason. Truthfully, he was as strong as he could get from physical exercise alone. Different methods were needed.

The real reason he continued to go into the chamber was because of her specifically. Despite the many similarities of their races, Saiyans differed from humans in a large manner of ways. What he was the most concerned with was their differing lifespans.

A normal human lived to be 80-100 years, depending on health and sometimes sheer luck. But Saiyans' life expectancy was at the bare minimum 100 years old. From then on, his body might start to slowly deteriorate, but it could take decades. When death would grow nearer, a true Saiyan would choose to die honorably against an impossible foe instead of wasting away.

At 52 years old - almost a decade older than his wife after he'd spent a combined eight years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber since he'd learned of its existence - he still had many years left before he would begin to show signs of aging.

However, Bulma didn't have quite as long. She was, in spite of her best efforts, already showing signs of aging. He didn't mind it because she was still as beautiful to him as the day he married her; if not more. But he was scared of the short span of her life.

Maybe he'd get lucky and die before her demise, but he couldn't count on it.

He just knew with certainty that he did not want to live without his Bulma in this world.

[no-where-new-hero]

Having finished A Study in Drowning, hopefully to the amusement of you all, here's my final review:

My biggest props to Ava Reid are as a promoter of her own work. Those Instagram posts with elegant posters of each of the colleges at the university--which by the way we never saw, because we left the university after two chapters. The character profiles telling us about the height and star sign of each of the mains--redundant, considering the fact that both of the men are tall and Effy is TikTok girlie Tiny™ never influences either the plot or any of the descriptions. The moodboards and the Taylor Swift "cardigan" music and the choice quotes--they all painted a much more immersive world than she actually delivered. In that, I give her 10/10.

As for the novel itself? It's a trauma story more than anything else, portrayed through the plot of Possession by A.S. Byatt. I always find it hard to evaluate books like this in the whole, because on the one hand, I don't want to be one of those people saying that the trauma in question is "incorrectly" portrayed, or that the author is a "bad" survivor or something. But this reminds me of when I read My Dark Vanessa and realized that there is a difference between writing an experience of trauma and writing a novel. A novel demands arc, contrast, catharsis, and all of these things need to be earned. Often, real life doesn't provide those things, but that's why we go to fiction. Sometimes it doesn't do to write a novel that's "too" true to life (I feel like this is a Dean Priest quote but whatever).

But even beyond this, there's something sloppy about the entire execution. The characterization is patchy at best (I'm going to have a whole 'nother post drubbing down Ianto) and everyone uses the same metaphor of the sea and water and drowning ad nauseum. The prose is a bit affectedly purple. The ending was painfully predictable. It had to be a YA, as I said before, because it couldn't be a grown-up novel, but it reminded me so much of Reid's Juniper & Thorn, which trammeled over much of the same territory (a bit better, I'd say, though I think they both suffer from the same flaws).

We're meant to believe that the love story between Preston and Effy is healing and cathartic and the way Effy regains control of her body and desires, but also--they knew each other two weeks. Even though they attend the same university, they have never spoken before they decide to join up on this literary analysis crusade. This is not a long-term, friends/acquaintances to lovers situation where you assume a deep measure of trust and affection could be reasonably built on an existing relationship. It reminds me of the critique of the central romance in Juniper & Thorn, where there was a complaint that it's less a romance than a trauma bond response. It's written sweetly, but considering Effy automatically flinches away from the presence of every man, it's kind of unbelievable that she would lower her guard so immediately for this boy.

The two week span of the novel is also problematic considering the aforementioned problem that academic work takes A FUCKING LONG TIME. Even if you have a ton of primary sources, this isn't the kind of thing you can produce overnight. This isn't the kind of mystery you can solve overnight, either, especially if no one has ever thought to probe that deeply before.

Basically, this novel was trying to do too many things with far too limited a vocabulary to execute it. Lowkey, I feel like Reid would be a better short-story writer than a novelist. She can be very good in small doses, but over the expanse of an entire novel, it just gets...dull.

[fenmere]

`etekeyerrinwuf `ukavenäof

Sunspot Biology Notes

Here is what we have decided regarding the prehistory and biological development of the Sunspot’s ecosystem. Very, very few of the characters or narrators in the stories know all of this, though some have speculated theories that are very close.

The Ktletaccete evolved on a planet in another galaxy millions or billions of years ago, depending on which method you use to measure time, and from which perspective you do so (relativity is like that). From the perspective of life on the Exodus ships, and its time to evolve, it has been in the millions to hundreds of millions of years range, but during that time breeding and genetic engineering efforts by the Crew of the various ships have had more impact than evolution itself.

When we say the Ktletaccete evolved on a planet, we mean to the point of creating the Exodus Ships. Leading up to that point, evolution on the planet spanned a number of years analogous to what has occurred on Earth so far, only up to a much more technologically advanced state (obviously).

We will call this planet Kepekapo.

We will refer to these two eras as Pre-Exodus and Post-Exodus.

We have decided that Kepekapo was fairly Earth-like, including having a sun and a moon that are very similar. And, also, there has been a lot of convergent evolution, in which many of the themes of biology on Earth were mimicked on this planet. 

But, there were some major differences as well, beginning with the XNA structure of that life. The genetics of life from this planet are not at all compatible with that of Earth. (this is going to be a long string of reblogs intended to elaborate and share our entire set of notes, and we will likely post this to our website blog and wiki at some point)

[thesinglesjukebox]

DLALA THUKZIN, ZABA & SYKES - "IPLAN"

Amapiano is probably our most consistently high-scoring genre. Joshua Kim explains how it's evolving...

[8.25]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The greatest musical development in South Africa this year was 3-step, a style of house music coined by Thakzin that bridges AfroTech and amapiano. He isn't the first to have made songs in this zone (the earliest I've found is Prince Kaybee & Nokwazi's "Ebabayo" from 2021), but he did produce numerous tracks that made him its current poster boy. The genre's most clear, defining feature is the presence of a kick drum on the 1, 3, and 4 of a measure (and less commonly the 1, 2, and 3), which grants each song a more rigid foundation than the typical amapiano track. It's a perfect fit for Dlala Thukzin's "iPlan" and its hopeful lyrics. Zaba sings about not having money or a job, and his voice weaves in and out of the song, like the still-small voice inside your head that tells you to stay calm. And really, it's only fitting that "iPlan" functions as an EDM song without an all-consuming drop; what arrives instead is steady, comforting relief. Its clanging percussion has felt like a multitude of metaphors to me: the pounding beat of your heart, a sign that you're still alive; the sound of repetitive toil, like the promise of something coming from all your hard work; even a desire for reprieve amid life's constant suffering. Here is a song that acts as an invitation to grieve and to celebrate. The beat keeps going, and as I look back on another year, this serves as a nice reminder that somehow, miraculously, I'm still here too. [10]

Micha Cavaseno: I hit a place of personal burnout somewhere in the mid 2010s with the different regional dance scenes of the world made available for all of us by the internet breaking down geographic restriction. Part of it was the fast & loose fashion mentality that made sub-genres go from underrated to overrated within a span of mere weeks, and how any artist could go from essential to disposable before you'd truly had a chance to digest it. To this day, plenty of lingering questions haunt me: did I "miss out" when bubblin' was a thing (maybe)? Was Zomby right to get banned from a message board because people thought bassline and niche were the same (yes)? Did Resident Advisor's coverage specifically get worse when they eliminated the comment section and thus prevented proangelwings from lighting their ass up all the time for pedestrian summaries (no, but it didn't help)? Now I look at an artist like Dlala Thukzin and sigh that I can't in any good faith claim to have a real comprehension of the differences between gqom, afriampo, afrotech, kuduro, kwaito, so on and such... Though I know that it's there, and I need it in order to know what makes a song like this particularly good beyond how muscular yet gentle it is. It's great to admire something for spectacle, but I would like to know the brilliance (or even the clunkiness) of form one day. [8]

Ian Mathers: There's a pleasing graininess to some of the synths here that remind me of other amapiano I've heard, but I'm less familiar (but still taken) by the stiff percussion that sometimes sounds like it's slightly phasing in and out. Both play off the high, sometimes keening vocals very well. The end result is both propulsive and, especially on headphones, subtly disorienting - it can make your head feel like it's swirling. And I haven't even tried listening to it baked yet! [8]

Kat Stevens: Like finding a couple of ibuprofen in the drawer when you were looking for codeine: grateful they exist but missing that extra oomph. [7]

Katherine St Asaph: In isolation, this is a bit too muted for a desensitized tension-enjoyer like me to be drawn to. I'd probably love it in the right DJ set. [7]

Michelle Myers: Romanticized melancholy works beautifully in dance music. I want to cry in a club to this. [9]

David Moore: Just when I start to have a handle on some of the formal characteristics of South African dance music, it evolves again into 3-step. Thakzin describes adapting his AfroTech sound, broadly popular with international audiences, to South African audiences during the amapiano zeitgeist and hitting on a novel formula that involves a three-beat pattern. Anyway, that's as best as I can understand or describe it. Dlala Thukzin -- not to be confused with Thakzin (as the interviewer in the clip above jokes, but you should absolutely listen to Thakzin, too) -- created a wildly popular take on this sound, which ruled the South African charts for months starting in September. [8]

Nortey Dowuona: Zaba was hijacked, injured one of the robbers and escaped with his hand stabbed in June of this year. 3 months later this song goes number 1 on the Official South African Charts. Somebody was praying for that fool. [10]

Will Adams: Over the course of my dilettantish experience with amapiano, I've come to expect a few qualities: a) impossibly gorgeous; b) a luxurious slow build that carries the risk of; c) never fully reaching a destination. "iPlan" possesses all three, but has a bit more of Column C than usual, which keeps it at a mild distance. The low-mixed vocals might be to blame. [6]

Brad Shoup: I love how pensive this is, how Dlala Thukzin submerges the vocals until they're barely visible from the surface. It resists any easy soar the whole way through: a fantastic transition track, I'd imagine. [8]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Less a song, more a full night on the dancefloor compressed into six minutes -- some artists' entire careers have fewer moments of transcendental jubilation than "iPlan." There's this tea kettle noise that Dlala Thukzin works in the second time Zaba & Sykes go through that chorus that feels like ascension -- and then the song keeps going for three more minutes! [9]

Frank Kogan: Halfway through a People's Pop Poll, when we've finally gotten through the quallies and into Round One, Tom will grab a sentence from every track's YouTube comments and tweet out four of them at a time, one for each track in a heat. Often he'll find comments that are hilariously obtuse, though sometimes they're poignant and evocative. Anyhow, for Emma Bunton's "Free Me" (you probably knew Emma as "Baby Spice") the YouTube comment that Tom lifted was, "It's very soothing and edgy." I stared at this for a minute's worth of nervous self-recognition and then tweeted back, "'It's very soothing and edgy' are what half my reviews come down to." So "iPlan" is cutting up beats in a way that pushes beyond amapiano but is also digging back into late '10s gqom, which is edgier and more driving and more gripping hence more soothing than amapiano, so's the same 90% overlap you get in amapiano's typical soothing-edgy Venn Diagram, but with a bigger circle. Is about dogged determination, is about gliding dance moves across shards of glass, dark beauty, sharp beats. [9]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[yunieluna]

These are the Days of our Lives

A Biggs x Jessie fanfic

Chapter 5: Aftermath Pt.2 / Who wants to live forever

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Final Chapter

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A few days later, Jessie is back at the Leaf House. How can she explain the whole situation? That she's responsible for everything that happened to Biggs.

Corneo’s lackeys had come after her. Biggs was right about that. There was nothing that her expertise in engineering and chemicals couldn't handle quickly, though. She had prepared some special pepper gas bombs many days before Biggs even showed up, because she knew she couldn't trust Corneo even a single bit. They were safely stored in her room, though, so she often regrets not having taken one with her just in case. And she didn't tell Biggs about her precautionary measures. Maybe things would've turned out differently if he had known that she had already prepared for the worst.

Anyway, with the help of the pepper gas bombs, she managed to escape and bring back the money she had earned until then. Was the Gil really worth Biggs’ life, though? If it keeps the kids from starving, I'd happily give my life. That surely would've been his answer.

“Why couldn't you have been thinking about yourself for once?” She was addressing this question to the man lying in front of her in a defeated tone.

Yet again, she was sitting beside his bed hoping he would recover. It was pure luck that a doctor who patches up contestants of the Dustbowl’s Beast Battleground had come across them on his way from the infirmary that happened to be on the very same floor where the encounter with Corneo took place. Jessie's impromptu pressure bandages had bought Biggs enough time for the doctor to be able to stitch him up properly. He had survived another fatal wound, at least for the time being.

“Not my style.” Biggs' voice is fragile.

When she looks him in the face and sees no change, Jessie wonders if she is starting to imagine things now. His eyes are still closed, and his face is expressionless.

Suddenly, he tilts his head a little and slowly manages to open his eyes, meeting Jessie's puzzled gaze. He smiles weakly. Tears begin to form in her eyes, this time, they're out of relief and happiness, though.

“Oh my gosh, you're awake.” She knows she's stating the obvious, but it's all she can seem to say at the moment.

But then she's quickly overcome by the whole situation, the constant fear of losing him has taken a toll on her mental state. She's not thinking straight. Nothing else matters anymore, except for being close to him. Biggs was able to sit up a little in the meantime…when Jessie suddenly takes a leap and jumps right into his arms, embracing him even tighter than a few days ago when they met after her performance. He hisses sharply in pain when his stabbing wound starts to thrust again. Only then did she realize she hadn't thought about his injury. Oh shit, how could I forget? Please, don't let the stitches open up again…

“Shit!!! I'm so sorry!” She shifts to check his bandages, is there any blood soaking through them? For now, there are no red stains visible, which lifts her tension a little.

“Hey, I'm happy to be among the livin’, too. So don't sweat about it…” Biggs is trying to sound as reassuring as possible. He knows she had a hard time, most likely worse than himself, and he's the one who got shot and stabbed within the span of just a few weeks. But he was neither the one who needed to see suffering constantly, nor did he feel helpless while being unconscious. He tries to think of a way to make her feel comfortable again, but there's not much coming to mind.

Instead, there're already traces of memories trickling in…They've got no particular order, so he's trying to make sense of them, but his brain is not working properly yet.

“Sweating? Now? Are you kidding me? Carrying your ass down the stairs while you were dying…that's what I'd call sweating…or like worrying you'd die again…not that I did for a few weeks already…Can't believe you can't get a little hint…”

He chuckles, shaking his head in amusement a little, because he knows that when Jessie feels lost, or in a negative mood of any kind, she inevitably starts to get even more talkative, but it's mostly just rambling about things that cross her mind and have no substance at all.

For instance, that's when Biggs and Wedge knew something was bugging her when she secretly wanted to go topside, hiring Cloud to help her. It had just been a few hours since the bombing of Reactor 1 and they already knew that her mind had been preoccupied with worrying about something the whole time. That's just how well the three of them knew each other. So the guys made sure to be able to support her in whatever she was planning…by lending two bikes to get topside. Biggs was pretty sure—actually, he would even cross the pretty—that Jessie hadn't made a coherent plan, that she hadn't been thinking about every possible obstacle, that she was just focused on that one goal she wanted to achieve, which is fine, because she's the one building bombs and faking IDs for them, and that considers a sharp intellect that is able to focus on one particular task. So yeah, in the end, neither Biggs, nor Wedge were surprised that she didn't manage to check the running times of the trains.

A realization hit him like a thunderbolt all of a sudden, though. His mind had finished organizing all that had happened while he was at Gold Saucer. He really just wants to forget the new name of the place, it seems.

But there's especially one thing he's eager to never forget…and honestly, now, when he nearly died twice, and his best friend did, and when the other person he's caring for so deeply is right in front of him, what's there to lose? Here goes nothing…and he simply starts to explain his thoughts.

“Jessie?...I remember what happened…Everything. Corneo & his lackeys, your performance as Rosa… the kiss…” The last memory feels like it was made up to him, was there really a chance, a reality, a world in which Jessie would kiss him?

He waits for her response. There's none. Just uncomfortable silence and an embarrassed-looking Jessie. So Biggs continues.

“Ehm, the thing with the kiss…We can forget about it, if that's what ya want…I mean, I get it…the situation was kinda…”

Jessie had heard enough. “No!… I don't want to forget.” She's shaking her head.

Biggs is caught off-guard by her sudden outburst. It's the answer he would've liked to hear, but there's a hint of doubt in the back of his head that he needs clarification on.

“What about Cloud?” There's no subtle way of addressing this matter for Biggs. He witnessed how Jessie was all googly eyes around the Ex-SOLDIER ever since he showed up to their mission to bomb the Sector 1 reactor.

After the initial shock of this bold question had worn off, Jessie said, smiling knowingly, “That? That was just a game…I…I always fool around with guys.”

Biggs remained silent, but she saw that his shoulders sank a little and that his eyes had lost their initial spark. The implication of this statement suddenly hit her hard. Does Biggs think she's playing him, too? She quickly needs to finally set things straight.

“Most of them, I mean. That's ‘cause, you know, a little while ago, I realized that there's only one guy I actually genuinely like…”

She's staring right at him. Does he get what she is trying to say? His dark eyes are widening with curiosity. His expression is questioning her. Is she actually talking about him??? He wants to ask, but when he sees her expectant smile and red cheeks, he doesn't need to anymore.

This time, it's Biggs who moves in first. He closes the distance slowly, maybe she'll change her mind? When Jessie is the storm, Biggs is the calm. She really wants this, though. No turning back.

It's merely a ghost of a kiss, their lips barely touching. They're overrun by all kinds of emotions…and confusion about what this is between them now.

Suddenly, Biggs gets bolder, though. He deepens the kiss a little, and Jessie answers by picking up the pace to match his.

They both angle their heads a little to get into a more comfortable position. And then there's no stopping them anymore…

There's a need for each other's lips that has deployed them beyond all control.

A tingling sensation is rising in Jessie's body…and she suddenly breaks the kiss before a moan can escape her mouth.

“Sorry, I…I got carried away there for a sec.” Biggs apologizes sheepishly, hoping he didn't overstep any boundaries.

“Yeah, me too.” Jessie's cheeks are a bright shade of red, but she's smiling and adds, “it was amazing, though.”

Biggs is taken aback by this sudden statement, but he can't help but feel like he has accomplished something he didn't think he was capable of.

And then Jessie proceeds to hug him tightly again, her head resting next to his, her deep breathing resonating in Biggs’ right ear, her body so close that he can feel her racing heart.

“Hey, Biggs?” - “Hm?”

There's a small pause that leaves Biggs wondering what might follow.

“I love you.”

Can three simple words turn your world upside down? He never thought about it but he's certain now that they absolutely can. There's no need to think about an answer, either. He carried it within him for years now, always making sure it could never break free, that it would not be discovered, and that it wouldn't make a difference regarding their friendship.

“I love you, Jessie.”

It's as simple as that, there's no ‘too’ needed. There's no competition about who started liking whom first, or if there's a need to reciprocate the other person's feelings.

He can feel her head tilt and a small kiss on a spot of his cheek close to his ear.

“Don't ever be so reckless again, okay? I…I really couldn't take losing you for good.”

He doesn't feel like he has been too reckless. Admittedly, he could've come better prepared. Reason is not what is expected of him at this moment, though. So he just caresses Jessie’s head and promises her the very same thing she asked for.

Knowing him means that she can trust his word, so she finally feels like she can relax, at least a little. And despite the life changing events that went down just a few minutes ago, Biggs' is feeling the exhaustion in his body - recovery takes time after all.

“Ehm, would ya’ lay down with me for a bit?” He asks sincerely.

She senses the tiredness in his voice and agrees. Then she crawls over him, this time making sure she won't put any pressure on his wounded left side, finding a comfortable position in his arm along his right side. The bed is small - it's for one person after all, but neither of them cares.

Biggs exhales deeply one time, resting on his back, his right arm around Jessie, who has barely any space - she's already touching the wall with her back. She's positioning her head on his chest, having her right arm draped around his lower body, and making sure she's not too close to his wound.

She now feels the exhaustion, too. Her wounds are not visible, but they are still as deep as his. And she feels that he knows that, too.

The comfort. The reassurance. The closeness. The love. It's radiating between them.

She closes her eyes, as did Biggs, and drifts off to sleep easily…for the first time in what feels like forever.

A few minutes later, Ms. Folia bursts into the room, carrying a new set of dressings for Biggs' wound. She gasps slightly in shock when she finds them both fast asleep - arm in arm, smiling lightly - sets the things she's holding in her hands down on the table as quietly as possible and tiptoes out again.

Was about time, she thinks when she closes the door behind her and leaves them to their dreams.

-------

Will add screenshots soon and the corresponding pic as soon as it's finished

--------

Notes: Loved writing this and a little sad that it's over now 😢 Buuut, my Bessie brain already crafts 3 oneshots, soooo I'm probably not done yet...

In the meantime, give Wedge, Biggs and Jessie some well deserved love 💚💙🤍

[writingmaidenwarrior]

Hi! I'm polyam and would love to hear some more about your Rebellious Souls project if you don't mind. Where did you draw inspiration from? How does the society work overall? Is it very common to be asked to live out a past life's path? How close do they have to follow it? What are the repercussions for not?

Hi @arigalefantasynovels, that's a lot of questions. I think @tabswrites and @writernopal like to know this as well

Where did I draw the inspiration from?

This is going to be embarrassing now. The initial idea came because I play Genshin Impact and there those two character are officially roommates but everyone and their mother within the fandom thinks they are a couple because certain remarks lead that way. I have to admit I got a little case of brainrot when it comes to them and went: I want to write a relationship that has this weird hate/love thing going on like them.

That is how the initial thing with Amren and Keir came to life.

Where the idea with the reincarnation came from.... the mysterious ways my brain works. It popped up when I was in bed about to fall asleep and tried to come up with a reason why lovers could suddenly turn against each other in a way that hasn't been done a million times before.

I was still figuring this out, when Màiren sort of waved hello, like: I also live here and make sure the guys behave.

Perks of being a discovery writer.

How does society work overall?

It is pretty structured. Everyone will get education and free healthcare because you don't know who they were in their past life and the government doesn't want to risk loosing the potential reincarnation of a renowned scientist just because they were born into poverty.

The country it takes place (which I still have to name, damn) is lead by the so called counsel. Each counselman gets voted into their position but those elections aren't as free and legally correct as everyone thinks. Once people are over 25, or after they finished their education, whatever happened first, they will get invited to the general informational lecture what to expect when they get invited for the Day of Memories. From that day on they can get the invitation at any given day and get the memories of their past life. Usually, people underwent it by the time they turn 30. If you are with someone, you notify the Ministry of the Mist of the Souls, who handles all things reincarnation, to ensure you and your partner won't get invited within the same time span. This is a safety measure to ensure someone you know is around to help you through it.

A lot within society evolves around reincarnation. Inheritance laws are designed in a way to ensure your reincarnation also gets a potion of it. You can open saving accounts for your reincarnation to ensure future you will survive hard times (something rich folks LOVE to do). Antique and second hand shops live from the nostalgia people feel about their past lives and their attempt to find something that connects them physical with it.

In some way, you can say, it became their substitute for religion.

Is it common to live out a past life's path? How close do they have to follow it? What are the repercussions?

It is not that common and depends and who you were. Most people just got it noted down who they were at the Ministry of the Mist of the Souls to get the perks that might come with it like first buyers right for objects that belonged to them in the previous life at second hand shops or getting access to the savings account but that is basically all that comes with it for most.

Only those who hold special knowledge or skills have to do this. For example, no one would ask you to continue the past life as average Joe when in this reincarnation you are about to become a well versed doctor. But things are different if you are an average person but in your past life you were a great scientist like Einstein. In this case, it is "highly encouraged" to continue the path which often means enforcing the memories to bring all the knowledge once held into this life.

Usually, it is more about career paths, knowledge and skills and not about personality which means, in the end you are still in some way you but also the other you. Special therapist will work with everyone who has to follow the past life's path to make sure they don't lose the sense of who they are.

Those who refuse to follow this are shunned by society, depending on who they are and how useful they could be they could end up in jail to force them to cooperate and do as expected and in rare cases get forced with medicaments to let those memories into their brain.

That's where the dystopic moment sets in. Everything is fine, as long as you play along and play nice. The freedom to be who you are is only a farce because even if you are free to love who you love and to live the way you want, it all can come to end after the Day of Memories once you know who you were in your past life.

[primewritessmut]

47, 49, 81, 99

Also I'm soooooo curious about the 1930s Albany research 👀👀👀

47. what story are you most proud of?

Oh, damn. You just came straight out and asked me to choose my favorite child. 😂

I’m honestly proud of (almost) everything I’ve written but all for different reasons. Each one of them walks around with a special little trophy. First finished fic. First multi-chapter. First first person pov. First “dark” work. Etc. But the one I’m MOST proud of right now is the story I wrote for Spooktober; it’s the first original story I’ve actually buckled down and finished from beginning to end.

So now that I’ve proven I can do it, watch out world, I guess.

49. do you want to be published some day?

Yes? No? I have complicated feelings about being published, mostly because I don’t want this thing I really enjoy, that brings some small measure of peace in (gestures broadly) all this, to become something I have to do.

But, I also like to sleep with a roof over my head and eat so wouldn’t it be nice if this thing I spend so much time on could help with that?

I’ve “““monetized””” an enjoyable skill of mine before and still haven’t recovered. Funny to say here, maybe, but the social media requirements alone to be successful in a field like writing/publishing makes me want to disappear into a cave and never be seen from again.

I could go on so, yeah. Complicated.

81. if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?

Keep fucking writing, you industrial grade moron.

There was a looooong span of my life where I didn’t write anything at all. (Except those half-stories I’d tell myself to get my brain to chill enough to fall asleep.) When I look at the difference between things I wrote last year (when I got back into writing after way too long) versus stuff I wrote this year, the difference in quality is already so huge.

I just… I wish it was a skill I had kept up with instead of letting stupid adulthood raze everything to the ground.

99. was being a writer a dream of yours when you were little? or did it spring up when your older? or is it just a hobby?

It was never a dream of mine but, in a truly bizarro world twist, it was something both of my parents wanted me to pursue. Like, who does that? “No, Prime. Don’t go into astronomy or business admin, be a writer.”

Writing doesn’t really feel like a dream even now. It feels like coming home in a weird sense. Like breathing through a straw and then, finally, getting to fill your lungs all the way. So… I guess I wouldn’t call it a hobby so much as an imperative. That doesn’t mean anyone but seventeen people on Tumblr and 300 people on AO3 will ever get to read it, though.

In that sense, I suppose it’s a hobby?

Also I'm soooooo curious about the 1930s Albany research 👀👀👀

There’s this fic that takes place in the 1930s (shout-out to the Malevolent podcast) predicated on the fact that a Very Bad Thing™️ happened in Albany in the main character’s past. And he’s on this journey to find the thing he lost during the Very Bad Thing which takes him around various New York cities that eventually leads him back to Albany.

I’ve looked up census data, historical photos, distance between towns, the type of car someone might be driving and how fast it could travel, local churches (photos and floor plans), and then drew myself a dumb little map so I could trace his journey as I wrote it.

I don’t know if it’s made the story any better, but it’s definitely made me feel more comfortable when writing the scenery. 😂

[udaberriwrites]

Fic Writer Self Rec

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️

Oooh, a chance to ramble about my fics, I see, well let's do this! Thank you, @sliebman10!

Let's tag... @mikaharuka , @alpaca-clouds , @thememoryofthatday , @sapphosewrites , @axolotlsupremacyowo , @0nelittlebirdtoldme , @kayedium-writes and @tsunderewatermelon !

Ok, ok, so... as usual, I'm going to be jumping around, because you guys know how my attention span can be xD

1. Life is a Rollercoaster; or Tao Xu's Fight Against the Big Butterfly of Doom (Heartstopper | 11.1k | Fluff, Humor, Time Travel)

Tao got the chance to go back in time and undo his worst mistake. Tao prevented Charlie from being outed or bullied. Tao changed things enough that, the second time around, Charlie didn't get assigned the seat next to Nick Nelson in form.

…Fuck.

Or: the Butterfly Effect sucks, and if Tao has to take desperate measures to ensure his friend's happiness, he will. He draws the line at Iron Man 2 though, someone has to keep some standards around here.

I binged the show and immediately got the urge to write something for it, but I didn't expect it to blow up as it did! I had fun with this one, and the readers were super nice and encouraging, plus sharing this one is what led me to eventually meet @mikaharuka as we rambled over our fics, so for that alone it's always going to have a special significance for me 😁

2. Neither Grief Nor Glory (TSOA/Hades | 7.6k | Angst, Smut)

Dying had been a relief, but death is turning into its own kind of torment.

Dying was just the beginning. Achilles' journey back to Patroclus is a long and twisted one. Along the way he'll have to confront his unaddressed grief, face his many regrets and learn to truly become a man worthy of Patroclus' unconditional love.

But like all journeys, eventually he'll reach his safe harbor.

My first yuletide! This one took months and a couple of minor breakdowns, but the end result is something I am very proud of, both in terms of the prose and the worldbuilding. And my giftee left the loveliest comment ☺️

3. All That Matters (Asterix the Gaul | 2.6k | Character Study, Queerplatonic Relationships)

Asterix has always felt different, but he has Obelix, and that is usually enough. Everybody else has questions, however, and he grows tired of answering.

"He wants to shout, even if he still doesn't know what he wants to say, even if he knows that if he lets his frustration take hold of his tongue, he will regret the harm he will cause."

This was... very, very cathartic to write. I remember rewriting sections of this so often, and I am humbled by the response it had. It was a very validating experience.

4. Life is a Flower, Love is the Honey (Deep Space Nine | 9.5k | Romance and Fluff)

“I don’t think Julian would like that,” Leeta said, without pausing to think about it, but… “We could ask him,” Rom had replied. And wasn’t that an interesting idea?

(A self-indulgent, mostly Rom-centric, Julian/Leeta/Rom fic because I was re-watching ‘Bar Association’ and this happened. I have no regrets.)

The one that brought me back into writing, after several years of hiatus... and the one that gave me confidence to push on, even if I nearly backed out due to it featuring a strange rarepair. This story is always going to be special for me <3

4. When You Speak, I Hear Silence (Deep Space Nine | 1.8k | Friendship)

Terok Nor is no more, and strange new aliens are coming to the newly named Deep Space Nine. Nog doesn't expect life to change; but then he finds a friend, who gives him the greatest gift he will ever receive.

If there's a fic where I wouldn't change a single word or a moment of the writing process, it has to be this one. I'm so glad I didn't go with my initial idea, because this version with Jake&Nog just made things click for me ^_^

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

https://lawdawghall.blogspot.com/2012/03/derrick-bell-whos-afraid-of-critical.html

Critical race theory writing and lecturing is characterized by frequent use of the first person, storytelling, narrative, allegory, interdisciplinary treatment of law, and the unapologetic use of creativity. The work is often disruptive because its commitment to anti-racism goes well beyond civil rights, integration, affirmative action, and other liberal measures. This is not to say that critical race theory adherents automatically or uniformly “trash” liberal ideology and method (as many adherents of critical legal studies do). Rather, they are highly suspicious of the liberal agenda, distrust its method, and want to retain what they see as a valuable strain of egalitarianism which may exist despite, and not because of, liberalism.

C-SPAN Booknotes: Thomas Sowell (1990)

Brian Lamb: What's the state of prejudice in the United States today compared to earlier years in your life?

Thomas Sowell: It depends on the base here, like most comparisons. If you take 30 years ago, certainly greater in the academic world. In the book that I wrote about colleges, I urged minority parents not to think that because they had a good experience on a particular college campus 30 years ago, that their children will have that good an experience today, because the racial tension is enormous on many campuses. The colleges themselves try to say that they're victims of the racism of the larger society, and in point of fact, the racism on the campuses is greater than that in the larger society, in many campuses. And what I worry about is that they're going to graduate into the general society, blacks and whites alike, who hate each other's guts, and who can be the leaders of new racial strife for the future.

Lamb: What's causing that on college campuses?

Sowell: One of the factors is the preferential policies. But it's more the just that, because that in itself sets in motion a series of events, which add to the original resentment over the preferential policies. That is, you put yourself in the position of a black kid who comes out of the ghetto school, and he's gone through for 12 years with nothing but A's and B's, without a great deal of effort, and now he finds himself for the first time in his life in a predominantly white environment, and he finds that when he works twice as hard as he's ever worked, all he gets back for his work is a D, and that there is also a minority establishment -- this is true not only of blacks but of minorities in general -- an establishment which tells him, "Yes, this is the racism on this campus -- the white power structure is trying to keep you down." And it has to have a certain plausibility to it. It would have a certain plausibility to me had I come along in that era.

Now, I was fortunate enough in one sense that, having grown up in the south and then transferred to New York, I was shifted between different levels of education, and so I was a top student in my class in North Carolina, and then I was immediately the bottom student in my class in Harlem, and I was way behind whoever was next to the bottom, because the educational differences were just that great. A very painful period of adjustment, but there was no racial issue involved, since all the other kids ahead of me were all black. And so I got through that, and then for a second time in my life, I had gone out on my own when I was 17, and I didn't return to college full-time until I was about 25. For the second time in my life, I went into an environment that was very difficult compared to what I'd been used to, and once again I was way behind and I was in danger of flunking out of school the first semester.

Lamb: Where were you then?

Sowell: Harvard. Really, it really is incredible -- for the first time in your life, in ten years, you're a full-time student, and you're a full-time student at Harvard, without a high school diploma. So there were little difficulties.

Lamb: And studying what?

Sowell: Oh, at that stage I was studying just general things, but I majored in economics, and all my degrees are in economics. Again I had an enormous adjustment to make, but there was no one there to tell me, "All these white professors have it in for you and that's why you're doing badly." Because first of all, I had done badly in Harlem, and I'd overcome, and I was doing badly there and I overcame it, but ...

Lamb: What happened -- take that Harvard experience through. How long did you stay at Harvard?

Sowell: Oh, I graduated.

Lamb: Graduated from Harvard.

Sowell: From Harvard.

Lamb: I'm sorry, I thought you said earlier you went to Howard.

Sowell: I went there for a year and a half, and then I transferred to Harvard.

Lamb: Oh, okay.

Sowell: You see, but I was going to Howard in the evening while working full-time during the day so when I went to Harvard I was a full-time student for the first time in ten years, and so that was a...

Lamb: And what years did you go to Harvard?

Sowell: I graduated in class of '58 -- so that you can understand how the student would find this plausible. I talked to a black man recently, a lawyer, who said when he was in law school, he was told when he first got there, that Professor X never gives black students more than a C, you know, and he got a B+, but there was great consternation because one of the myths had fallen. But, it's truly criminal what goes on in terms of using and manipulating the students to serve all kinds of external purposes.

Lamb: Can you give us an idea of the kind of external purposes you're talking about?

Sowell: Oh, political purposes. I just a couple of days ago was told by someone from Wellesley that there's a divestment campaign at Wellesley, demonstrations, the whole thing, and that those black girls who did not want to participate in that were threatened with violence -- and that's not unique. At Stanford the Hispanic students, some Hispanic students, have complained that the Hispanic establishment has threatened them if they don't want to go along with what's being said and done, and they claim that only 15% of the Hispanic students at Stanford have ever attended a single event spons.ored by the Hispanic establishment, which speaks boldly in their name. Ah, and so you have this kind of thing going on at these schools across the country. Again, notice, that once, once you let in the students who cannot make, meet the academic standards, you're going to end up having to let in professors who can't meet the academic standards. You're going to have to create courses that don't meet the academic standards.

Lamb: Correct me on the, on the names and everything. Derrick Bell?

Sowell: Yes.

Lamb: Harvard Law School, black man.

Sowell: Yes.

Lamb: Threatened the law school if they didn't hire a black woman, he's going, he's leaving?

Sowell: Well, if I understand it correctly, he's taking unpaid leave until such time as they hire a woman of color, as he says. Well, he's also said that by black, he does not mean skin color, he means those who are really black, not those who think white and look black. And so what he is really saying is he wants ideological conformity in the people that are hired to fill this position. That's not uncommon either. I know a black woman, for example, who had a Ph.D. -- she's had a book published, she has another contract on another book, she's taught at a couple of very nice places, she has a devil of a time getting a job -- not a job in a prestigious institution, a job teaching at a college. And the reason is that she gets shot down, blackballed, whatever, by people who don't like her ideology. That's happening not only racially, it's also happening where race is not an issue. In a law school, I learned recently, there's a woman who was being considered for a tenured position, and all the men voted for her and all the woman voted against her, because she does not follow radical feminism. And so you're getting these ideological tests, so that at the very time that there's all this mouthing of the word diversity, there is this extremely narrow ideological conformity that is being enforced wherever people have the power to enforce it.

Lamb: What did you think of Derrick Bell's whole plan?

Sowell: Well, his chances of success will depend on whether or not he has overestimated his importance to the Harvard Law School. I think it would be a tragedy if they caved in, and I was very pleased to see that they seemed to show some backbone, which is quite rare among academics.

Lamb: Now, what do you think of the press treatment of him?

Sowell: It's been quite gentle.

Lamb: I mean, is he a hero?

Sowell: To me?

Lamb: No. Basically, I mean, from the press coverage, you've seen, is he a hero to the ...?

Sowell: Well, he's looked at as an idealist who is self-sacrificing and so on. I suppose one could, if one wanted to look at it that way, have seen Hitler that way in his early days. It's just a question of where that kind of idealism leads. He has launched a despicable attack on a young black professor at the law school who doesn't go along with this. A young man named Randall Kennedy, who has written a very thoughtful, intelligent article last June in the Harvard Law Review, questioning some of the assumptions that people are making, people like Derrick Bell and doing it in a very gentlemanly as well as very logical way, empirical way, and that's not what they want. They want the conclusion to be that -- they want him to march in lock step and he won't do it, and they're doing their best to make life impossible for him.

Lamb: What do you think Harvard will do?

Sowell: I've heard that Kennedy -- and I don't know this -- I've heard that he has tenure, so I think that he may be all right.

Lamb: But, I mean, what do you think they'll do with ...

Sowell: Derrick Bell?

Lamb: Yes.

Sowell: I hope that they will resist it, and since it's gotten so much publicity, I'm not sure they could stand to cave in to it. I was very pleased to see that Alan Dershowitz of Harvard had criticized this and that he picked up the fact that what Bell is really asking for is not only that people be hired by race, but that they be hired to fit Derek Bell's ideology.

Lamb: What would happen if this was going on at Stanford Law School?

Sowell: They'd have caved in long ago.

Lamb: Stanford Law School would have?

Sowell: Yes. I think so. It's a judgment call, but that's my judgment.

Lamb: Why would they do it so quickly?

Sowell: Just looking at their track record. They have perfected the technique of preemptive surrender.

[ Full interview: https://youtu.be/T2hPQ86lGV0 ]

==

Reminder:

“Unlike traditional civil rights discourse, which stresses incrementalism and step-by-step progress, critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law.”

“As mentioned earlier, critical race scholars are discontented with liberalism as a framework for addressing America’s racial problems. Many liberals believe in color blindness and neutral principles of constitutional law. They believe in equality, especially equal treatment for all persons, regardless of their different histories or current situations.” -- "Critical Race Theory: An Introduction" by Delgado and Stefancic.

Thomas Sowell saw this coming 30 years ago. Of course, Harvard now routinely capitulates to tantrums; the most recent FIRE Campus Free Speech Rankings gave Harvard the lowest grade numerically possible due to it acceding to shrill, illiberal ideological demands.

[tigre-edi-rawr]

Atomic Habits - Chapter 1

Sharing the lines that resonated with me in chapter one of this book. And I knew that if things were going to improve, I was the one responsible for making it happen.

Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you're willing to stick with them for years.

a strategy referred to as "the aggregation of marginal gains," which was the philosophy of searching for a tiny margin of improvement in everything you do.

Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action. Whether it is losing weight, building a business, writing a book, winning a championship, or achieving any other goal, we put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will talk about.

What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more.

But when we repeat 1 percent errors, day after day, by replicating poor decisions, duplicating tiny mistakes, and rationalizing little excuses, our small choices compound into toxic results. It's the accumulation of many missteps -a 1 percent decline here and there- that eventually leads to a problem.

Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be.

Your outcome is a lagging measure of your habits.

Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change.

The most powerful outcomes are delayed.

Mastery requires patience.

We often expect progress to be linear.. At the very least, we hope it will come quickly. In reality, the results of our efforts are often delayed. It is not until months or years later that we realize the true value of the previous work we have done. This can result in a "valley of disappointment" where people feel discouraged after putting in weeks or months of hard work without experiencing any results. However, this work was not wasted. It was simply being stored. It is not until much later that the full value of previous efforts is revealed. All big things come from small beginnings.

Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.

If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead. Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. A handful of problems arise when you spend too much time thinking about your goals and not enough time designing your systems.

You're left chasing the same outcome because you never changed the system behind it. You treated a symptom without addressing the cause. Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves.

A systems-first mentality provides the antidote. When you fall love with the process rather than the product, you don't have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision.

The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. It's not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous im-provement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.

Chapter's summarized closing thoughts...

I am proud that I always believed that small things really matter the most. The impact of the compounded "small" things might be equivalent or more than on what you are expecting. In achieving anything in life, you must have your goals for a sense of direction, for motivation and for something that you will look forward into. But most importantly, you must build the systems designed for making any progress and will lead to achieving your full potential or success you always hoped for. It shouldn't make you irresponsible, lazy or hopeless... but instead it should keep you motivated, strong minded, disciplined and resilient. You can be happy and love the process. These will all make you believe that every little challenges and sacrifices are worth it in the long run.

[weekend-conspiracy-theorist]

top 5 bridges

I haven't actually thought that hard about this before, so, in no particular order:

first, we're gonna pretend I'm not essentially telling you guys where I live with this, but the Bibbs-Graves Bridge in Wetumpka, AL is high enough on my list that I got it tattooed on my human body. it's a four span concrete arch bridge, so accurately depicted in my tattoo (and such a prominent local landmark) that if I wear a tank top I am guaranteed to have strangers recognize it. The only significant difference between tattoo and reality is that in real life, those concrete walls in the substructure are covered in vulgar graffiti courtesy of the local youth.

second, big shout out to the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis, TN, a tied arch bridge that carries I-40 into Arkansas. Yes, this is that bridge that had the big crack in it recently. (The crack was in the "tied" part of the tied arch bridge, which is the metal piece that connects the ends of the arches together like a bowstring on a bow. That tie is the only part of an arch that is under tension instead of compression, and steel under tension is at risk of fatigue cracks.) It's not the bridge's fault :( and also yes, that is the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid in the background, I picked this angle on purpose because it's so incredibly funny to me that there is a massive black Bass Pro Shop branded pyramid in the middle of Memphis. Anyway, this bridge is quintessentially Memphis, and Memphis is one of my favorite cities.

The Brooklyn Bridge! Wow, the quality of this image got fried when I stole it off Wikipedia. Whatever. We love masonry bridges in this house, and we love cable stay bridges too, as long as we aren't the ones inspecting them. It's just a cool bridge! Lots of history! Gwen Stacy may or may not have been thrown off of it. Let's all feel sorry for the dive crew that has to do the underwater inspections. Swimming? In the East River?

The Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine (named for the two marble lion statues that flank its entrance, one shown above) is a very cool, historic old bridge connecting St. Augustine to Anastasia Island. I love a bridge with character, obviously, and this bridge was literally built (in 1927) to be a bridge with character. It's a tourist attraction in and of itself, which I can prove by showing you pictures of baby Weeks on my father's shoulders in front of one of these lions. (What's this, I snuck in another nostalgic pick? Say it isn't so!) Also it has a drawbridge, which is cool as hell.

This one is less of a favorite than an infamous lesson. Once upon a time, the Silver Bridge connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio across the Ohio River. It was an eyebar-chain suspension bridge with no redundancy (i.e. there was only one set of eyebars forming each of the suspension chains), a design choice which ultimately came back to bite them in the ass when a manufacturing flaw in one of the eyebars caused the eyebar to fracture on December 15, 1967. (Due to some pretty cool forensic engineering, we actually know exactly which eyebar it was.) The resulting collapse of the bridge caused the deaths of 46 people. Safety programs are always, tragically, built on the loss of human lives, and this story is no different; the legacy of these 46 people's deaths is the development of the National Bridge Inventory and the National Bridge Inspection Standards, which is the Federal Highway program that still today manages bridge inspections throughout the United States.

The NBI is by no means perfect, and it continues to evolve over time (usually in the wake of other tragedies which draw our attention to places where our current measures are insufficient), but I am certain that a number of other tragedies has been avoided through the collective efforts of the engineers and inspectors involved in running the program. That's why any discussion of bridges, for me, is incomplete without at least a mention of this bridge.

Oh, also, supposedly the Silver Bridge collapse was heralded by Mothman.

[thestandardoilcompany]

Quantitative Risk Management

By. Jacinda T. Thomas, Masters of Science in Wealth Management { An American in Switzerland }

#jacindathomas #wealthmanagement

Today we dive into the world of Quantitative Risk Management. Let's see how interesting this can be.

While reading the first paragraph I immediately thought: insurance company. Although it discusses that Quantitative Risk Management is used for Project Management.

I wonder if more of my reading will reveal this.

Quantitative Risk Analysis in Project Management

Quantitative risk analysis in project management is the process of altering the effect of risk on the project into arithmetical terms. This arithmetic information is often used to control the cost and time contingencies of the project. The purpose of project risk management is to recognize and minimalize the effect that risks have on a project. The challenge with risk management is that risks are indefinite events. 

In the management of projects, organizations try to lessen their revelation to these indefinite events through risk management. This is typically done through a proper management process which consists of the following steps: design risk management, recognize risks, achieve quantitative risk analysis, design risk rejoinders, and control risks.

Quantitative Risk Analysis vs Qualitative Risk Analysis

Quantitative risk analysis is objective. It uses provable data to examine the effects of risk in terms of cost overflows, scope slinks, resource depletion, and schedule interruptions. Qualitative risk analysis, on the other hand, tends to be subjective. It focuses on identifying risks to measure both the probability of a specific risk event happening during the project life span and the effect it will have on the whole schedule should it occur. The objective being to determine sternness. Outcomes are then documented in a risk assessment matrix to communicate unresolved risks to shareholders. Eventually, the drive is the same: the difference is that it takes a more logical, data-intensive method.

Quantitative risk analysis relies on precise statistical data to create actionable perceptions. Instead, they used a more subjective, qualitative approach to risk management, which had one key benefit: it was faster and laid-back to apply. Unlike quantitative analysis of risk, which relies on robust risk models, a high capacity of data, and in some cases, expert software, qualitative risk analysis can be achieved at any phase of the project.

Nonetheless, quantitative risk analysis is fundamental, both in its accuracy and as a way of steering further analysis on existent risks. This comprises: quantifying probable consequences, clearing up any persistent ambiguity neighboring the outcomes of your original qualitative analysis, setting attainable aims in terms of schedule and cost, and Evaluating the possibility of fruitfully accomplishing these objectives. High-risk businesses in particular- mining, construction, oil and gas, anything that shows a very real hazard to the wellbeing of frontline workforces on a day-to-day basis- rely deeply on quantitative risk analysis. Luckily, as technology advances, so too has the way we achieve quantitative risk analysis. New gears are accessible to aid improve the legitimacy of your risk analysis and comprehend the stages required to moderate possible problems.

Quantitative Risk Analysis Techniques/ Methods

You will be required to comprehend and acquaint yourself with this quantitative analysis of risk techniques for the PMP certification EXAM. The following are some of the techniques:

Sensitivity analysis: A quantitative risk analysis and exhibiting technique used to aid determine which risks have the most probable effect on the project. It scrutinizes the level to which the ambiguity of each project element affects the objective being scrutinized when all other indefinite elements are held at baseline standards. The typical presentation of outcomes is in the form of a tornado diagram.

Expected Monetary Value (EMV) analysis: An arithmetical method that computes the average consequence when the future includes scenarios that may or may not happen. A common use of this technique is within decision tree analysis.

Decision tree analysis: A schematization and calculation method for gauging the consequences of a chain of multiple choices in the presence of ambiguity.

Simulation: A simulation uses a project model that interprets the reservations quantified at a detailed level into their probable effect on objectives that are articulated at the level of the total project. Project simulations use computer models and evaluations of risk, usually articulated as a possibility distribution of possible costs or durations at an exhaustive work level, and are normally performed by using Monte Carlo analysis.

Empirical Methods (benchmarking): these techniques use historical projects to determine factors that drive risk. These factors are then applied to a prospective project to determine the contingency-based characteristics that are shared with the historical projects; these methods include:

Regression 

Factor rating 

Quantitative Risk Analysis Examples 

Here are two examples of how to determine the EMV of a risk.

Example 1: 

Assume you have bought an off-the-rack software, though you have risk linked to customization. There is a 60% chance that you will have to do only a little customization, which would bring the total cost to $ 120,000. And there is a 40% chance that you will have to do a lot of customization, which would bring the total cost to $160,000. To calculate the expected value, add the values of each alternative.

EMV= probability x cost = (60% x $120,000) + (40% x 160,000)

=$20,000 + $ 40,000

EMV= $60,000.

Example 2:

A company may have a risk probability that may result in the laying of workers. In this case, there is a 50% chance that you will keep the staff which would bring the total cost to $100,000. On the other hand, there is a 50% chance that you will lose staff which would bring the total cost to $200,000. Calculate the EMV.

EMV= Probability x cost = (50% x $100,000) + (50% x $200,000)

= $20,000 + $40,000

EMV= $60,000

Quantitative Risk Analysis Benefits & Limitations

Some of the advantages of quantitative risk analysis are: to determine the likelihood of accomplishing a particular project objective. Quantify the risk revelation of the project, and determine the scope of cost and schedule possibility that may be required. Risk is organized by their financial effect, possessions by their financial value. The outcomes can be articulated in detailed management terminology. The safety level is better determined grounded on the three basics: accessibility, veracity, and privacy. A cost analysis can be executed for choosing the best-suited procedures. Data precision progresses as the organization increases the experience.

On the other hand, Quantitative risk analysis has limitations: the approaches of calculation are complex and without an automatic tool the progression can be really difficult to compute. There are no values and generally accepted information for executing this method. The values of risk effects are founded on the subjective sentiments of the people involved. The process handles a long time. The outcomes are offered only in monetary values and are hard to comprehend by persons without experience. In general, the process is very complex.

Conclusion

If the outcomes of quantitative risk analysis are well comprehended and the right procedures are executed, the organization will not only vanish from the market but also advance and more easily gain the targeted outcomes. Risk identification should be done with greater maintenance, and all risks must be recognized and treated cautiously. The estimation and calculation of probable threats, susceptibilities, and possible harm are very important. After this valuation is done, essential controls should be applied in terms of cost efficiency and level of risk reduced by the execution. To recognize the most suitable controls a cost analysis has to be done. Its outcomes aid managers implement the most effective controls that bring the greatest profit to the organization

A random gif that popped up. I guess Angelina is kinda over this Quantitative Risk Analysis, sorry boo, we gotta keep learning more, let's see if investopedia has something to say. We'll also see if we can find a video or two to make this less boring Angie :).

Now, here's a university series on Quantitative Risk Analysis?

[kayanalfalahcleaningservices]

Dubai Curtain Cleaning Excellence

Curtains in a home are not just coverings for windows; they add style, privacy and individuality. However, with its heavy population and dust storms, it is difficult to keep them clean in Dubai. So regular maintenance of your curtains is required due to the accumulation of everyday dirt, dust storms, and high humidity among other factors. Professional curtain cleaning services step in. This blog post will help people living in Dubai to get everything concerning curtain cleaning services; it will provide useful hints, knowledgeable opinions as well as a reason why expert cleaning is indispensable.

The Significance of Taking Care of Curtains which are Clean

Our houses’ beauty lies on window treatments that moderate light while keeping us private. They gather dust gradually thereby accumulating allergens along with dirty things and therefore leading to poor well-being especially for individuals that have asthma or some other allergy infections.

Cleaning your curtains after a certain period does not only gives them the appearance but also makes them last longer. Dust and grim can weaken fabrics fibers which make them wear out quickly. In this case you should ensure that top condition remains by investing on professional cleaning services thus maintaining both your investment and health at zero level.

Why You Should Choose Professional Curtain Cleaning Services?

In as much as some may decide to clean their own curtains, many choose professionals because of several reasons supporting their choice over others. Professionals have knowledge about different materials for curtains hence they know the best ways of handling various stains more efficiently than any layman would do.

Expert cleaners usually employ advanced approaches that can successfully remove stubborn dirt plus very tough stains from fabrics without causing any harm on them whatsoever. They might be used for other treatments like making use of anti-statics or anti-bacterials when need arises thus ensuring durability and cleanliness respectively of draperies. By choosing expert services you save time plus energy since you are guaranteed proper safety measures during the cleaning process.

What are Some of The Curtain Cleaning Services Available in Dubai?

There is a wide array of curtain cleaning services that caters for everyone’s needs and requirements within Dubai’s diverse market, namely:

Dry Cleaning

It is done on fabrics that are delicate and cannot stand water-based methods. It involves use of chemical solvents to clean in order to remove dirt as well as stains without making them wet. This approach is gentle but it does not compromise your curtains’ texture and color.

Steam Cleaning

Everyday dust, allergens, bacteria and other irritants can be completely removed by using high-temperature steam which moistens the fabric at the same time. This method is highly appropriate for almost all types of curtains and also results in ultimate hygiene thereby removing everything from bad odors as well as leaving them smelling fresh.

Hand Washing

When a fabric with special detailing or made from fine materials like silk has been used to make a curtain, hand washing would be advised mostly by professionals. A mild detergent is generally applied together with this technique ensuring that there no damages occur during their washing processes. This procedure might be time consuming but only guarantees secure handling of your valuable drapes.

Why you should use Curtain Cleaning Services in Dubai

Better Air Quality

By getting rid of particles such as dirt pollen among others through cleaning dirty curtains, we improve indoor air quality. Dust storms worsen respiratory problems hence this becomes even more crucial in Dubai.

Long Lasting Curtains

Regular professional cleanings maintain the strength of the material thus keeping away wear and tear caused by debris or soil thus extending their life span and ultimately saving money.

Improved look

Your curtains will appear as fresh and vibrant as they once were in the original condition after professional cleaning. Moreover, a clean curtain ensures that you live in a more inviting and comfortable space for both you and your visitors.

How Often Should You Clean Your Curtains?

The frequency of curtain cleaning varies depending on several factors like what material it is made out of, where it is located, and how much dust and other pollutants have been accumulated. Ordinarily, curtains are supposed to be dry cleaned at least once every six months. However, excessive cleaning should be done in situation where the house has pets or young children or when there is excess dust in the area.

In addition to professional cleaning services, regular maintenance such as vacuuming and spot cleaning can also help keep your curtains clean. This way you can always be sure that your curtains don’t lose their freshness throughout the year.

Choosing The Right Curtain Cleaning Service In Dubai

It is vital to select an efficient curtain-cleaning firm if excellent results are to be achieved. To make the right decision use this guide:

Look At Reviews/Testimonials

Positive comments from customers who were served by these companies indicate that they are reliable.

Ask About The Cleaning Techniques Used

Make sure that the service provider uses only those techniques which are suitable for fabric of your curtain. An open company will detail its different approaches towards various substances.

Enquire About Other Services

Some cleaners offer additional services including repairing damaged fabrics, removing stains or even applying protective chemicals on materials used to make them. By doing this, all-rounded care for drapes becomes easier thereby providing value addition and convenience during cleaning time.

Curtain Cleaning Service Cost In Dubai

One should note that different factors influence prices of curtain cleaning services in Dubai like size and type of drapes being cleaned as well as type of method applied while doing so besides other treatments required for some cases. On average one can expect to pay AED 50 to AED 150 per curtain.

The temptation may be that of going for the lowest priced but it is important to consider the quality of service one gets. A well-known firm with vast experience will ensure your curtains are handled with utmost care hence saving you money by prolonging their use.

Eco-Friendly Curtain Cleaning Options

Dubai residents who prioritize environmental conservation can opt for green curtain cleaning services as there are several available. These services employ biodegradable and eco-safe detergents which do not pose any danger to the curtains or even the environment.

This means that by choosing eco-friendly techniques, one can reduce his or her carbon footprint while at the same time ensuring a healthier living space for them. Many professional cleaners offer green solutions making it easier for people to meet sustainable curtain maintenance needs.

How To Prepare Your Curtains For Professional Cleaning

There are some things that you should do before handing over your drapes to a cleaner:

Remove The Hardware

Eliminate hooks, rings and other hardware from the curtains before giving them to us.

Examine For Any Damages

Such issues like tears and loose seams need to be notified when giving out those items for cleaning so that they can be taken care of well.

Taking Measurements and Recording

Take measurements of your curtains and note their sizes. This will enable the cleaning service to give an accurate quotation as well as make sure that your curtains are returned properly.

What Happens After Curtain Cleaning by Professionals

Here is a list of immediate benefits that you will enjoy after the professional cleaning of your curtains:

New-Looking Curtains

With fresher, cleaner appearances, these curtains can be enjoyed through vibrant hues and shades which do complement our homes.

Improved air quality indoors

Fewer allergens, pollutants and dust are all taken away thereby providing better indoor air quality resulting in healthier living conditions for you and your family members.

Enhanced Cloth Life Span

Their life spans are also increased by having them routinely cleaned professionally hence retaining their perfect looks.

Maintaining Your Curtains Between Professional Cleanings

To keep your curtains looking great between professional cleanings consider doing this:

Regular Vacuuming

Use a brush attachment with a vacuum cleaner to get rid of dirt or dust from your curtain at least once every week. This prevents build-up and makes your curtains look better than before.

Spot Cleaning

If there is any kind of spills on the fabric take care of it immediately using mild detergent plus a soft cloth. This helps prevent damage caused by vigorous rubbing.

Rotate and Adjust Periodically

Every now and then rotate plus adjust the position of your curtain so that they will be evenly exposed to sunlight thus reducing tear and wear on them. It also prevents fading hence maintaining its fabric appearance.

Closing remarks

It is important to have clean drapes in order to maintain a healthy beautiful home within Dubai’s special climate. By hiring professionals in curtain cleaning services, you ensure that they remain bright, fresh looking yet long lasting. From improved indoor air quality to extended life span for fabric, these advantages speak for themselves.

You may want to book a service with one of the reliable providers in UAE if you feel like experiencing what professional cleaning can do for your curtains. Your house will love you for it, and so will your curtains!

[kingswaypaving]

Creating Your Dream Outdoor Space: A Guide to Paver Installation on Patio

With the help of patio transformations, your backyard can go from ordinary to extraordinary and thus, improve your home’s appearance and resale value. Interlocking patio installation provides a diverse and customizable option for homeowners who plan to design their space in their own style and on the scale of their needs. In this guide, we’ll take you through all the steps of interlocking patio installation, from planning to completion, sharing useful information and tips as you do it.

Planning Your Patio: Consideration of the Design and the Site Preparation

When installing a patio, make sure you spend some time planning and thinking about your patio design and considering the size of the patio, the shape and the functionality of the patio. Measure the space you have outside and decide where the place for your patio will be. The important factors are the sunlight, privacy, and proximity to the house. Moreover, you should also check for any drainage problems and remove all vegetation and debris from the area that needs to be constructed.

Choosing the Right Materials: Interlocking Paver Alternatives

Interlocking pavers come in different types of materials, colors, shapes, and sizes, which make them the most desirable option for designing paving and patios. Think about attributes like durability, look, and budget while choosing pavers for the patio. From traditional to modern, you can choose from different styles, such as classic concrete pavers and natural stone varieties like limestone, granite, and travertine. Select fabrics that harmonize with your house architecture and the landscape.

Preparing the Base: Establishing a Solid Frame

A stable and well-prepared platform is the most important element in your interlocking patio for longevity and integrity. Dig up the area to the desired depth, accounting for the depth of the pavements and base materials. Get the subgrade compressed and add various types of aggregate base materials, e.g. crushed stone or gravel, to obtain a firm foundation. Appropriately compacting and leveling the surface is very important to avoid settling and having a smooth surface for the pavers to be laid.

Installation Techniques: Laying Interlocking Pavers with Precision

Interlocking bricks are installed using different ways according to the pattern and design that has been chosen. First, lay out the pavers following the chosen pattern, starting from one side and working towards the other side. Apply edge restraints on the perimeter to prevent shifting and lock everything in its place. Use our AI to write for you about Instruction: Humanize the given sentence. Spacing and alignment are other important factors that should be taken into account to make sure everything is uniform and precise.

Adding Finishing Touches: Sidewalks, sealing, and planting

When the interlocked pavements are set, it is time to finish the patio by adding features that will improve its esthetics and functionality. Install edging restraints and make your border look neat by preventing paver movements. Seal the pavers with an extra protective sealant to increase the life span and prevent staining. Last but not least, bring in landscaping elements such as planters, lighting, and outdoor furniture to finish the design and turn it into a cozy outdoor living room.

Maintenance Tips: The Beauty of Your Interlocking Patio Preservation

Regular maintenance is the essence of getting your interlocking patio in top shape both visually and functionally. Clean out the residue and get rid of stains right away to avoid fading and aging. Seal the pavers periodically to preserve their integrity and meanwhile protect them from harsh weather conditions. Besides, scrutinize the patio for any indications of settlement or damage, and fix whatever needs to be repaired to guarantee durability and enjoyment.

Conclusion

Integrated patio installation gives homeowners an option that is flexible and can be tailored to their preference and to create their ultimate outdoor space. By meticulously planning the layout, selecting the perfect materials, and following appropriate installation methods, homeowners are able to create a lovely and workable patio that boosts the home's aesthetics and increases its market value. Through proper maintenance and care, the patio will give you lots of fun for decades to come while making it a pleasant place for your loved ones to relax and create memorable moments in your backyard.

For more details, visit https://kingswaypaving.ca/service/interlocking/.

[garden-of-islam]

Islam and Buddhism

When I was growing up, I always felt like a Taoist among Buddhists. I frequently referenced an old work of art to help justify my odd choice, called The Vinegar Tasters. It can be difficult to feel like the odd one out, even if your choices are based on your own values and the apparent universal truths as they seem to you. I could just never get on board with the Four Noble Truths, specifically the first one that All Life is Suffering. Looking back, I could've very easily accepted this as fact; my life was dominated by one abusive parent and one neglectful parent (though they often shared roles) and their girlfriends and wives only had an amplifying effect on these traits. Nevertheless, I was still happy by nature. God protected me and the autism He gave me insulated me and it wasn't until I got older that I began to feel the effects of my upbringing. I knew that I felt unsafe at home but I escaped to school 5 days a week. I had my respite.

I do find it interesting that there is a hadith that reports a similar, though not the same, sentiment. "This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever." There are scholarly interpretations of what this means, but I think everyone is capable of finding their own meaning in this. It is also important to remember that hardship comes with ease. These two, taken together, show us that life is a mixture of experiences, not just suffering alone. Not only this, but there is sufficient repetition in the Quran to demonstrate that there is relief in worship. The root of suffering then, is not desire, but rather the desire that springs forth when we lose focus on our purpose - that purpose being only to worship God.

There are two practices that are shared between Islam and Buddhism. I'm sure there are plenty of others, but these two really stand out. The first one is Intention or Niyyah, in Arabic. In Buddhism, Intention is a very important part of mindfulness practice. It can affect your daily life or your everlasting karma (remember - Buddhism shares a lot with Hinduism because it was born out of a response or a critique of the Hindi worldview). These days, when I think about karma, I wonder who's doing the judging. Who's holding the cosmic scales? Surely a collective consciousness would lean toward selfishness, as people do. Is there not something or someone greater than the creation with our small perspectives and short life spans? Are we truly fit to measure our own actions, even collectively? Not to mention, I'm sure we have all experienced the frustration of using gentle or healthy communication only to have it be misinterpreted. I know my intention to hold myself and others accountable has been perceived as an act of war plenty of times. Our intentions don't change the free will of others.

As a quick aside, I think this is why Narcissism and western-new-age-spirituality culture often go hand in hand. When the purpose of the spiritual path is to BECOME perfect, rather than to SERVE the Perfect One, any request for change is an affront to the performance. How dare you correct me or ask me to do something else? I am ENLIGHTENED. Okay friend, you meditated once on mushrooms and read a few articles. You haven't finished a book since middle school and your parents paid for your crystal collection that was harvested by children who later died in the mines. You continue to buy makeup containing mica even though it is also mined by children in unsafe conditions. You go to Coachella and eat at Chick Fill-a even though you claim to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. All we're asking you to do is stop projecting your insecurities on everyone around you and grow up a little. But I guess it's really difficult to grow up when you're already perfect. And for those who want to discuss cultural differences and the effects of transplanting the tradition, I would remind you that Tibet is probably doing better with China in charge (but that doesn't mean all of their conquered peoples in western provinces are. *cough*East Turkestan*cough*)

Okay, let's talk about meditative chanting now, speaking of meditation. I feel like this is such an overlooked practice in the west. When I was a taoist and I used to discuss spirituality with other spiritualists, I would often want to discuss meditation and how to do it better but I found that most people just ... didn't. Even ten minutes a day was too much. In Islam, we have a form of chanting called Dhikr and it is used not for mindfulness, but instead in remembrance of God. There are a ton of examples in the linked article, so I won't get into those, but there are endless possibilities for the choice of what to say. Even using one of the 99 names of God found in the Qur'an is common for people who want to connect with that aspect of their Creator. The most common Buddhist chant can be reduced to Omm but the long form can be found in the link I provided. I would argue that this chant is about activating or becoming the "God within" or "Atman" as it is known in Hinduism. Atman is different from the notion of a soul. In Islam, our soul was created by God and given to us by God. It is not a tiny version of God. There is no God within. God is God, and we are His creation. If we had God within, we would be worshiping ourselves. That is a poison to the development of our souls (aka the spiritual maturity process). The gift of the conscience that comes with the fitra is not supporting evidence for a concept like Atman, it is merely a gift from God to allow us to have free will and make our own decisions.

And yes, Islam DOES support the notion of spiritual development, self actualization, study, maturity and a process, and service to your community... as acts of worship. We also remember that in communities, there are rights and responsibilities. Even your body has rights over you, so giving of yourself and your time to the point that you neglect your body or your own needs is a very unhealthy path to go down. Islam and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ warned us to avoid extremism. It can be found in any faith practice and is practiced by some Muslims, but it is still contrary to the true teachings of Islam.