#Basic Division Without Remainders

[callofdudes]

Would you be open to accepting a prompt with wholesome platonic ReaderxKönig? Basically, Reader struggles with Severe Anxiety of their own and König tries to comfort them, relate to them, and tell them they have him to help them through it. If not it’s okay, thank you for taking a look :)

Of course, I'd be happy to! ☺️ I hope you enjoy!

Platonic! König x anxious reader.

König was shy to talk to you at first. You were common acquaintances since your admission into your division but he'd been too nervous to talk to you. You seemed more confident than him that was for sure. You held your head high around superiors and snapped at subordinates.

You and König were sent on a mission. It was a simple job, something König could get through easily. But he noticed a change in you once the helicopter took off and left you two on the ground. You didn't follow right away. You just stared out at the dark, abandoned compound blankly before following. The whole time you lagged behind. Whatever confidence you had seemed to have vanished. You were looking over your shoulder and rigid the whole way.

It wasn't until you got inside and it was pitch black that König noticed something was very wrong. You made it five steps into the building and your footsteps faded. "Y/N?" He turned back and you were just standing there. You didn't move, you just stared. He noticed a near run down your cheek and- you were shaking.

He rushed to your side without a second thought and began to guide you back out of the building. But you were so clammed up you barely reacted. "It's ok. It's going to be ok." More tears filled your eyes but you couldn't react to wipe them away. "I can't do this." You managed to wheeze. König took your gun from your hands and placed it on the ground. He managed to move you onto your knees and rubbed your back soothingly. "It'll be alright. No one is here that can hurt you." He placed your hand on his gear so you could feel him. Hopefully be reassured by his presence. "I'm scared of the dark too. That's why I wear the headlamp." You tried to breathe but it came out shaky. König sat on the compound grounds until you felt safe. He continued to reassure you of your surrounds and ground you against him.

König and you have grown closer over the course of years and the two of you are the best of friends. König comes to you about everything that concerns him and you do so in return.

You only enjoy going on missions with him. When you are alone you are even more stressed about having a panic attack on front of an almost stranger.

König stays with you after missions. Even if your admitted to the hospital wing he'll stay with you. He'll be there for you when you wake up and even walk you back to your room.

He protects you. Because he has anxiety as well he can tell whenever you are stressed. If you are getting yelled at he knows when you are seconds from tears or how tense you are. He is scared but he'll stick up for you as best he can and does everything to keep you out of those situations.

You were being sent away to train some recruits at a different base and König wouldn't be coming with you. You stayed up all night worrying and crying from the stress. You'd never been so scared fo do anything. König listened to your worries and spent the remainder of the day with you to reassure you and try to bring you some confidence.

König never hesitates to help. Even if you're not panicking or freaking out, he'll remind you how good you're doing. When your walking down the hallway to the training yards he'll hesitantly touch your shoulder and tell you how proud he is that you ordered your own food perfectly. He still struggles some times.

He is shy to physical touch but he enjoys hugging you. When you are having a bad day he'll wrap you in his arms and shelter you from the world. Tall or small, he rests your head on his neck and rubs your back until you are feeling better.

When he is having a bad day he stays in his room for a majority of the day. And you're the only one he'll allow in. You'll probably bring snacks and a game or a movie. You plop down on his bed and just be there with each other.

It's you two against the world. Due to your shy nature's and how easily you can be beaten down until you're scared of the world you are seen as an easy target. But könig started to stand up for you. Using his impressive size to push threats away from you and cuss them out for thinking they could get away with treating you like that. And you started to do so in return.

When König loses his face covering on a mission and can't continue he stays near you. For some reason he's comfortable around you more than others.

When you're locked up on your room and not having a good day König will get you your favorite snacks and leave them at the door for you to find.

He tries to figure out what works and what doesn't work with you. When you have a nightmare and come to König he will make sure you have something stable to hold onto. Whether it's him or the bed or really anything you can ground yourself with. You enjoy the warmth he provides and how gentle he is with you. He reassures you that nothing can hurt you and you're safe with him. He will always stand up for his friend.

"it's ok. I have nightmares too. I know how it feels but it'll be ok."

"You're doing good. No matter what your anxiety tells you you're doing so well."

"I know how it feels. It sucks but you can always come to me. If you're comfortable I will always be a safe space for you."

Compliments in full swing. He makes sure you know how likeable your personality it. How much he appreciates your friendship and overall how strong you are.

Again, you are the only one he enjoys constant physical touch with. He trusts you and wants you to trust him as much. He'll let you listen to his heartbeat to give you something to focus on or start talking about his day.

When you aren't worrying about anxiety or anything else, you two love to play football. Well, not actual football. But the stress release of just tossing the football back and forth to each other is fun. Witty comments and sly remarks about each other as you play. Some other recruits might mozy their may into the small game but you two generally don't mind.

There is no better combat partner. König goes easy on you and can easily read how you're doing against him. When you ask him to fight harder he will comply but only because he knows you might get upset if he doesn't. After every match or practice session he compliments you and points out everything you did good. The pointers can wait till later.

Don't freaking touch his bestie.

You will die.

If anyone makes you cry? Say goodbye to their rank and their respect because König will make sure he or she loses it all.

You're out in an interrogation with a drug dealer and after asking him some questions he makes a remark about how nervous you are. Followed by a quip about his looks. König doesn't hesitate to get in there and shadow you. "Answer their questions now! Or I'll make you answer." It is usually a smooth journey from there on out.

I wrote this over the course of two days so if there are any mistakes I apologize.

[autumnoficarus]

a brief analysis of Lokius and what their characters have to do with numbers, π, and mathematical constants

i really live for meta analysis on cinematography used in shows and movies, so i especially enjoy reading about analyzations of the loki series right now. one of the theories i've seen and immensely enjoy is the visual repetition of numbers throughout the show, and how they symbolize certain elements of the narrative. the fact that pie is significant - the mathematical ratio of π has a constant (3.14159 or 22/7) - and we watched characters being almost drawn there multiple times before the finale is just so neat to me. That being said, I'm not sure if I've missed anyone pointing this out yet - but I think THIS is a very interesting choice, even more so in how it's framed:

The way the scene above ends with Mobius positioned right next to that HUGE '2' is, I think, very telling. He's also standing so that the smaller '5' is almost completely obscured, letting the '2' be displayed more prominently (I'm not sure yet if there's more reason here behind '5' being used, other than that it's to further clarify where we're at in the timeline of the show (the location being where mobius' and loki's initial introduction took place) but I plan to re-watch the series from the beginning solely to find possible points of analysis that may have been missed soon. I will have to see if and how much certain numbers pop up in scenes). Putting the constant of pi and numbers theory aside for a moment, just having the '2' stand nearly as tall as Mobius and Loki while they shake hands and part for the last time...it's a pretty clear nod towards their partnership. I am convinced this was a set design choice to really hone in on the fact that these two characters when paired together are what was needed for a successful solution to the multiverse's instability. Here's my reasonings for that:

Firstly, I think this could have multiple meanings or house numerous symbolizations, but I'm gonna really try to stay on focus and as close to how I interpret the significance of π as I can. Straight away, we could say the '2' is a throwback to the theory of fundamental constants as it is a variable of π's equation. However, I want to break down why I believe the variable's even factor can correspond with what we know about these characters.

1) Mobius represents order in its purest form, which embraces the importance of chaos (which is then mirrored by Ravonna's own representation, order that oppresses chaos and why that inherently cannot WORK). If we think about physics for a moment, or even basic mathematics, integers exist to be combined, divided, and shared - right? And without divisions of integers that create remainders or function improperly, we wouldn't have constants (such as π). Without equations that use both even and odd qualities, there wouldn't be the natural continuum of real numbers that we rely on in order to understand our universe. Mobius' character constitutes as one side of an equation - the side of order and, more specifically, an integer that can further divide into equal distribution - where the sum is a functional constant.

2) I personally like to further interpret how Mobius's character could overall stand for the '2' in π's constant through the fact that two being equally divisible means he has an equivalent amount of 'order' to his mindset as he does 'chaos'. Both components make Mobius who he is and that's ultimately the reason he's 'order at its purest'. And I know I'm silly and crazy, but I'll dive even deeper here. It can also be argued to be just as meaningful that '2' is able to divide and share the same amount of something because of how we see in the show that Mobius' patience, empathy, and other positive qualities start to reflect - and be matched - in Loki's growth as a character.

3) Another thing I want to point out is that there would be no 'change' without sums that end irrationally or are absent of means to be expressed. In other words, if mathematics lacked equations that ended in remaining values and instead only functioned via numbers that divide until nothing is left then there would never be any outcome that can undergo change. Everything would always zero out, and - of course - we saw what happened if the sum is always 0; Timely's invention fails, the Loom still overloads, and no one survives the outcome. Mobius is a necessary factor because of his divisible qualities and sense of order, but so is Loki because without them changes wouldn't be possible. As a duo, they are both equal parts transformed and combined to produce the right outcome of events.

4) Of course, Mobius alone does not finish the equation. It is in the combined efforts of Mobius and Loki that we see a successful end in the finale. Loki does not accept their burden and ascend the throne to become the God of Stories until their last conversation with Mobius where they are reasonably lost on how to solve the problem of the multiverse ending. Mobius' influence, both the entirety of his presence within the series and in the last bit of advice he gives to Loki, is what provides the final results of Loki's arc. Likewise, Mobius doesn't leave the TVA and avoids knowing about his life on the timeline until Loki sacrifices themselves so he can still have that choice to look. And then when he does look, it's heavily implied that Mobius was encouraged by Loki's words during their discussion over pie ('never look, never know'). The sum of their journeys are only achieved after knowing and changing the other. Their arcs and the multiverse status are left uncompleted until they come together as the two variables of an irrational fraction that creates a circle (a loop with a beginning and an end).

5) Returning to my first point and the significance of Mobius + order, we are meant to regard Loki as his opposite. Loki is 'chaos in its purest form', and during Loki's arc they learn to accept the consequences, and viability, of life devoid of any structure (again having a mirrored version in Sylvie who is seen to function under similar chaos, but refuses any semblance of order; this only creates problems that then divide into even more problems. We get confirmation that Sylvie's mentality - like Renslayer - does not WORK, which is seen in Loki's numerous attempts to fix the domino effect that Sylvie starts by killing HWR). Order and chaos being meaningful and having their own separate potentials to be good and bad has been a running theme in this show. Entropy is needed - just like irrationalities and remaining values in mathematics - for life to thrive, but there needs to be a balance in place. Disorder and the regulation of disorder is a necessary constant, and Loki becomes that constant from the sum of their and Mobius' relationship.

6) Hear me out: Loki being at the heart of Yggdrasil is a lot like how the automat was the center of the TVA. The automat had an endless source of pie; Loki fueling the 'tree of life' with their magic creates continual growth and rejuvenation of the multiverse's branches. The finale showed us that the sum of Mobius' and Loki's partnership results in the perfect equilibrium of chaos and order, which becomes the solution to what had been an unsolvable equation - even for HWR. The culmination of their shared bond provides a foundation for the multiverse going forward, and Loki's ability to maintain it stems from the purpose and love that they found from that bond. Notably, the constant of π - 22/7 - is an irrational number. When expressed, its decimal is known to be non-repeating and non-terminating. The multiverse is now a non-repetitive, non-terminating constant that - I say, once again, with feeling - is established only by Mobius and Loki growing and changing because of each other.

I'm not sure if anyone will find this small observation in the goodbye scene and my subsequent insane ramblings interesting, but uhhh. This is just one of the many things I haven't been able to get out of my head since the finale, and I desperately needed to write out at least some of these thoughts or lose the last of my marbles (now asking for donations of any unused marbles towards my mental state, thank you).

[novankenn]

Ah, come on!?!

FIVE

The BoD meeting went on for another three hours, after which the exhausted duo of Jaune and Wolf Bete dragged thier feet as they walked the last twenty feet from the bus stop to the “new” home of the Grimm Development Division.

Wolfie: So just like that, I’m part of the Grimm Development Team?

Jaune: Pretty much, but look on the bright side.

Wolfie: What bright side? Without asking me, they just assigned me to your department, a department you cry about being understaffed. A department I have no clue about how to do ANYTHING in! What bright side?

Jaune: You’re automatically the Deputy Head of this department, and if something happens to me… this will all be yours! 

Wolfie: Something happens to you? Like what?

Jaune: A promotion?

Wolfie: Not likely. Try again.

Jaune: A Nervous Breakdown that requires me being institutionalized for the remainder of my natural life?

Wolfie: (Sighs) That’s believable. So what will I be doing?

Jaune: I’ll go through all the basics once we’re back inside, but considering we’ve be assigned this “mission”

Wolfie: Did you just use air quotes?

Jaune: Yes.

Wolfie: Just making sure.

Jaune: Anyway, due to us having to shut down and move to Beacon you’ll be protecting my behind, over doing any lab work.

Wolfie: Are you really that trash in combat?

Jaune: I’m a genius when it comes to grimm biology, human biology, chemical and molecular biology, and I have those four PhDs done all before I turned twenty… you think I had any spare time to study the proper way to hit people? Besides, that’s what my sisters are for, or at least Saphron and Azalea.

The pair of co-workers reached the secured entryway of the new lab. Jaune pulled out a key and unlocked the padlock that was keeping the chained door closed. Opening it he stepped aside letting Wolf Bete enter first…

????: Big BROTHER!!!

Wolfie: ACK!

Jaune: SHIT!

Jaune and Wolfie whipped themselves around, averting their eyes from the sight of the nude young woman, standing in the center of the lab, coated in slime. Protruding from her back, four serpentine heads on long necks.

????: Is something wrong, big brothers?

Wolfie: No… no, nothing is wrong… um, where did you come from, and what’s your name?

Hydra: I’m Hydra!

Jaune: Wolfie get her some CLOTHES!!

Wolfie: ME?!? Why me?

Jaune: You’re girl like! So it doesn’t count if you see her… bits.

Wolfie: I ONLY have a girl’s body! I’m still a guy inside!

Jaune pulls off his lab coat and holds it out behind him.

Jaune: Hydra, please put this on, okay?

Hydra: Okay daddy.

Jaune: Urk!

Looking over his/her shoulder, Wolf Bete sees that Hydra was indeed hidden under Jaune’s lab coat, even if the four extra heads being squeezed through the back of the collar was a little strange.

Wolfie: She’s covered up.

Jaune said nothing but weaved and stumbled over to his desk, and sat down heavily in his chair. Opening the bottom drawer, he pulled out his emergency pillow and laid it onto of his desk.

Wolfie: Jaune?

Hydra: Daddy?

Jaune: Sleepy time.

Pulling off his VR goggles, Jaune then proceed to slam himself face-first into his pillow. The muffled screaming told Wolf Bete and Hydra that Jaune was not in fact trying to sleep.

Wolfie: Is something wrong? I mean, you did successfully complete a second monster, so that’s an achievement, right?

Jaune: (mumbling into the pillow) 

Wolfie: Ah… what was that?

Jaune: (mumbling into the pillow)

Wolfie: Again?

Jaune slowly lifts his head from his pillow and looks at Wolf Bete and Hydra with dead eyes.

Jaune: She was completed without BoD approval, which means I will be fined for misappropriation of resources…

Wolfie: Huh?

Hydra: Is everything okay, daddy?

Jaune: I’m not your dad!

Sister head #1: I beg to differ…

Sister Head #2: As do I. You provided some of the genetic material for our construction…

Sister Head #3: Plus, you designed every aspect of her, including her mind…

Sister Head #4: We have your eyes.

Jaune: This can’t be happening… I finally have help, and now I’m going to be in trouble! They’re going to seize Hydra and take Wolfie from me, and I’ll be all alone  in here again!

Wolfie: What?

Hydra: No! I’m staying with Daddy!

Sister head #1: I agree.

Sister Head #2: Nope. Not going.

Sister Head #3: I like it here.

Sister Head #4: I’m hungry.

/==/ 4 Hours Later /==/

Jaune collapses onto his pillow after hanging up. He turns his head to face Wolf Bete and Hydra, who were standing a few feet away with worried looks on their faces.

Jaune: We’re okay… they did a conference call and decided that Hydra’s completion was caused by the miss handling of materials by the movers.

Wolfie: You lied.

Jaune: Damn right, I did. I’m not losing my only staff member because of this!

/==/ Elsewhere in a Secluded Club Backroom /==/

Hazel Rainart (Director of Recruitment): Ms Amitola welcome, and thank you for taking the time from your schedule to meet with me. Now before we start, do you require the use of our facilities, or would you like something to drink?

Ilia Amitola: No, I’m good, thank you.

Hazel: Very well, then we shall proceed. So, please tell me why you are here today. Please be aware this is a safe place and anything you say is confidential, as per the NDA you signed prior to this interview commencing.

Ilia: Is that what that was?

Hazel: Yes. Did no one go over it with you? A member of our legal team should have been present to guide you through the clauses and answer your questions.

Ilia: Ah, well… I um sort of just walked in and signed whatever was handed to me.

Hazel: I see. Why would you do that?

Ilia: Nothing leaves this room, right?

Hazel: Correct.

Ilia: I used to be a member of the White Fang, but I decided I didn’t like what was happening to them in terms of external image, and internal policy. So I quit, and now I REALLY need a job, and I’m willing to do just about anything. Janitor, Secretary, Customer Greeter, hell I’ll even sign up to be a minion as long as it has a steady paycheck and …

Hazel: And?

Ilia: I may need some protection from the White Fang… being a defector and all.

Hazel: Well, if you do end up being hired, that is a given. We take the safety of our valued employees very seriously.

Ilia: That’s a load off my mind.

Hazel: I have a few questions.

Ilia: Okay?

Hazel: I assume you are a trained combatant, and do you have your aura unlocked? 

Ilia: Yes, I am a trained combatant, but I do not have my aura unlocked.

Hazel: I see. Would you be against having your aura unlocked?

Ilia: No?

Hazel: I think we may have use for you, Ms Amilota. Yes, I think you would be perfect for a very special project.

Ilia: Really?!?

(== Table of Contents ==)

[nehaprem]

Comprehensive Guide to Java Operators: Understanding the Basics

Java Operators are of prime importance in Java. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary knowledge to start working with operators in Java. Without operators we wouldn’t be able to perform logical, arithmetic calculations in our programs. Thus having operators is an integral part of a programming language. In Java, operators are symbols used for performing various operations. These constructs enable the manipulation of operand values.

 Operators are the symbols that perform the operation on values. These values are known as operands. In computer programming, an operator is a special symbol that is used to perform operations on the variables and values. The operators represent the operations (specific tasks) and the objects/variables of the operations are known as operands.

There As Many Types of Operators in Java As Follows:

Arithmetic Operators

Logical Operators

Unary Operators

Assignment Operators

Ternary Operators

Relational Operators

Bitwise Operators

Shift Operators

Arithmetic Operators:

Arithmetic operators in Java facilitate the execution of mathematical expressions, akin to their use in algebra. Java offers operators for five fundamental arithmetic computations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and calculating the remainder. These operations are denoted by the symbols +, -, *, /, and %, respectively. Each of these operators functions as a binary operator, necessitating two values (operands) to carry out the calculations.

Addition (+):

The addition operator (+) in arithmetic performs the task of summing the values of its operands, resulting in the addition of the two values. The operands involved can be of various types, including integer (int, short, byte, long, double) or floating-point (float and double) types.

Subtraction (-):The subtraction operator (-) in Java subtracts the second operand from the first. This operator can work with operands of integer or float types.

Multiplication (*):In Java, the multiplication operator (*) is used to multiply the values of its operands. These operands can be of either integer or float types.

Division (/):In Java, the division operator (/) is used to divide the first operand by the second. The operands may be of either integer or float types.

Modulus (%):The modulus operator (%) in Java computes the remainder of the division of its first operand by the second operand. It essentially finds the modulus of the first operand with respect to the second operand.

Logical Operators in Java

Logical operators, also referred to as conditional operators, are essential for evaluating boolean expressions in complex decision-making scenarios. They generate a boolean value (true or false) as output.

In Java, there are three types of logical or conditional operators: && (Logical-AND), || (Logical-OR), and ! (Logical NOT). Among these, && (Logical-AND) and || (Logical-OR) are binary logical operators that operate on two operands or expressions, while ! (Logical NOT) is a unary logical operator that operates on a single operand or expression. Let's explore into each of them in detail:

The Logical AND Operator (&&):

 It combines two expressions (operands) into one expression, evaluating to true only if both of its expressions (operands) are true.

The Logical OR Operator (||):

 This operator also combines two expressions (operands) into one expression, resulting in a true evaluation if either of its expressions (operands) evaluates to true.

The Logical NOT Operator (!):

It is a unary operator that works on a single operand or expression, negating or reversing the truth value of its operand.

Unary Operators:

Unary operators in Java work on a single operand and can be classified into two types:

Unary plus (+):

This operator signifies the identity operation, leaving the operand value unchanged. For instance, if "number1" is 5, then "+number1" remains 5.

Unary minus (-):

This operator changes the value of the operand to its negative. If "number1" is 5, then "-number1" becomes -5.

Increment/Decrement operators (++/--):

Java includes the increment (++) and decrement (--) operators, which increase or decrease the value of the operand by 1. These operators can be used in two forms: pre-increment and post-increment, as well as pre-decrement and post-decrement.

Assignment Operator (=):

In Java, the assignment operator (=) is employed for assigning a value to a variable.

It adheres to the principle of right-to-left associativity, signifying that the value on the right-hand side of the operator is assigned to the variable on the left-hand side.

Thus, it is crucial to declare the value on the right-hand side before using it or ensure that it remains a constant. This operator serves a fundamental purpose in initializing and updating variables within Java programs.

Ternary Operator

The Java ternary operator is designed to streamline and simulate the if-else statement. It consists of a condition followed by a question mark (?).

The pattern involves two expressions separated by a colon (:).

When the condition evaluates to true, the first expression is executed; otherwise, the second expression is executed.

6.   Relational Operators in Java

·        Relational operators in Java facilitate the comparison of numbers and characters, helping to establish the relationship between operands.

·        These operators assess the relation among the operands and yield results in the boolean data type.

·        They play a crucial role in looping and conditional if-else statements. It is worth noting, however, that relational operators do not function on strings.

Certainly, Here Are the Six Relational Operators in Java Along With Their Corresponding Functionalities:

Equal to (==) Operator: Returns true if the left-hand side is equal to the right-hand side; otherwise, it returns false.

Not Equal to (!=) Operator: Returns true if the left-hand side is not equal to the right-hand side; otherwise, it returns false.

Less Than (<) Operator: Returns true if the left-hand side is less than the right-hand side; otherwise, it returns false.

Less Than or Equal to (<=) Operator: Returns true if the left-hand side is less than or equal to the right-hand side; otherwise, it returns false.

Greater Than (>) Operator: Returns true if the left-hand side is greater than the right-hand side; otherwise, it returns false.

Greater Than or Equal to (>=) Operator: Returns true if the left-hand side is greater than or equal to the right-hand side; otherwise, it returns false.

Bitwise Operators in Java :

Bitwise operators in Java are used to manipulate the individual bits of a number. These operators work with integer types, including byte, short, int, and long. Java provides four bitwise operators:

Bitwise AND Operator (&): Performs a Bitwise AND operation on each corresponding pair of bits of its operands, producing a 1 only if both corresponding bits are 1.

Bitwise OR Operator (|): Returns the Bitwise OR operation for each corresponding pair of bits of its operands, resulting in a 1 if at least one of the bits is 1.

Bitwise XOR Operator (^): Produces a 1 if the two bits of the operands are different; otherwise, the result is 0.

Bitwise Complement Operator (~): Inverts the value of each bit of the operand, turning 1s to 0s and 0s to 1s.

You can use these operators to perform various bitwise operations on numbers. The provided code snippet demonstrates the application of these operators in Java.

8. Shift Operators:

Shift operators in Java are used to perform bit manipulation on operands by shifting the bits of the first operand to the right or left. There are three shift operators available in Java:

Signed Left Shift Operator (<<): This operator shifts the bits of a number or operand to the left and fills the vacated bits on the right with 0. It has a similar effect to multiplying the number with a power of two.

Signed Right Shift Operator (>>): The signed right shift operator shifts the bits of the number to the right. The leftmost vacated bits in this operation depend on the sign of the leftmost bit, or the most significant bit (MSB) of the operand. It has an effect similar to dividing the number by a power of two.

Unsigned Right Shift Operator (>>>): The unsigned right shift operator also shifts the bits of the number to the right. In this operation, the leftmost vacated bits are always set to 0, regardless of the sign of the leftmost bit or the most significant bit (MSB).

It's important to note that in Java, the signed right shift operation fills the vacated bits with a sign bit, while the left shift and the unsigned right shift operation fill the vacated bits with zeroes. These operators allow for various bitwise operations and are useful in scenarios where direct manipulation of bits is required.

In Java, apart from the fundamental arithmetic, logical, bitwise, and shift operators, there are several other operators that serve diverse purposes within the language:

• The Dot . Operator:

The dot operator (.) is utilized to access instance members of an object or class members of a class.

• The () Operator:

 The () operator is used for declaring or calling methods or functions. Arguments for a method can be listed between parentheses, and an empty argument list can be specified using () with nothing between them.

• The instance Of Operator:

The instanceof operator is employed for type checking. It verifies whether its first operand is an instance of its second operand, testing whether an object is an instance of a class, a subclass, or an interface.

Having completed my Java training at ACTE Technologies, I highly recommend their program to individuals seeking to enhance their Java skills. With experienced instructors proficient in Java training, they provides a variety of flexible learning options, catering to both online and in-person preferences. In ACTE Technologies, Java program includes certification opportunities and assistance in securing job placements.

[gupshupworld22]

We are introduced to the most recent spring and summer 2023 men's fashion trends in Vogue each year. There is fashion that completely captivated us, whether it was on the runways, on the streets, online, or anywhere else. Men's summer fashion trends include wide-leg jeans, boldly branded shirts, and accessories. There is something that is ideal for you, whether you want to experiment with gender-neutral silhouettes or you want to add some fresh colors to your regular outfits. Bold-Brand Shirts for Men's Fashion in Vogue! When Hawaiian shirts first became popular in the 1930s, printed shirts were among the most popular options in men's spring fashion trends. These striking pieces of clothing are a wonderful way to dress up a basic outfit, such as a pair of jeans or pants. There are many different styles available from names like Louis Vuitton and Amiri. But you may also discover reasonably priced ones that offer the same impact. You can choose between a traditional style with palm trees and something slightly more graphic. Such as color blocking or being covered with logos, depending on the look you choose. Knits in Vibrant Colors! Who said knits could only be worn in chilly weather? You'll want to wear them all year round when you have outerwear like this. Consider a colorful and vibrant color instead of a standard neutral one. These hues are simple to incorporate into your existing outfit. You can, of course, choose a tight sweater, or you can try a cardigan with a light knit and a t-shirt below. Cargo shorts for Men's Summer Fashion Trend! After once being the most popular men's fashion trend, cargo has reclaimed its place as one of the season's top men's fashion in vogue trends. Of course, some people may still think they're mistakes, so this year we're here to disprove them. When dressing this divisive item of apparel, make sure the remainder of your ensemble is chic and wouldn't be mistaken for "daggy" or "uncool." This entails pulling on a sharp button-down shirt or blazer and a pair of brand-new sneakers. Checks and Plaids! Although checks are generally timeless, this season they are becoming more extravagant. This chic pattern, which ranges from a houndstooth to a plaid, is simple to include in your regular attire. You can use this idea for casual suits for men, and it will significantly improve your overall style. Depending on your preferred style, you can choose from a wide variety of checks and plaids. Some of the most common larger checks include windowpane, graph, and buffalo. Choose argyle, Black Watch, or Clan Wallace if tartan or plaid is more your style. Chunky Chains! For years, chunky chains have been on the list for women. Now it's time for the guys to try this style out! Every aesthetic is compatible with this adaptable accessory. Which can give any ensemble a Men’s Fashion Latest Ideas, Style, and Trends in 2023. It will give your outfit depth and intricacy without overdoing it. Whether it's a conventional t-shirt and jacket or streetwear clothing. Choose a design with a variety of hues, such as black, and silver, or a cluster of silver intertwined in itself. https://gupshupworld.com/?p=21361&feed_id=741

[ngeche-nt]

Revision On General Knowledge - History ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

Revision On General Knowledge – History ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

http://nwufortherese.education/2021/05/21/revision-on-general-knowledge-history-1/ ANCIENT CIVILIZATION https://youtu.be/TmyrnsL__ak The conditions necessary for civilization and settled life were _ _ _ _. fertile soil, good climate, cheap transport and safety from attacks.The places in the world where ancient civilization first started were called. ________. cradles of civilizationThe objects…

[bts-trans]

🔗 https://instagram.com/stories/rkive/3188739836960828515 🔗 https://instagram.com/stories/rkive/3188739944049669760

Story Translation:

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the value of life lies in finding individuals that are worthy of being admired. Looking at it broadly, my work where I had to study modern Korean artists can be said to have been one such process of finding this aim. From the end of the 19th century till 1950, Korea was a country that went through an enlightenment period characterized by chaos and the darkness of Japanese colonial rule and has seen war and division. Exploring the traces left behind by those who managed to survive this turbulent era isn't just exciting, many times it also brings with it a feeling of being sincere. Moreover, there's the mere fact that they'd take the risk of being an 'artist' of all things in a hard life where you couldn't even eat a light meal! What thought spurred them on to undertake this kind of work without a backup plan. In a time of 'commercialism' like the one today, how can one understand their 'romanticism'.

But it's inevitable that the active role of these individuals, who dispelled the darkness and spread light as this chaotic era went on, is seen as prominent. Regardless of the way the world turns, the numerous artists from modern Korean times overcome their own struggles and go through the process of sharpening their inner selves; they're the ones who have unveiled how to live according to one's own way. Whether the world understands them or not, between themselves, they would naturally understand each other, rely on one another and protect their 'wow factor' even if they were starving to death. Safeguarding the innate innocence and integrity is more valuable than anything else, these were the people that could leave the path of fruitless competition and power in the mundane world.

However, for the remainder of their life, they couldn't receive proper acknowledgement, were poor as they couldn't sell paintings or sculptures and even after death, couldn't receive their many royalties.

Even now, the names of modern artists that most Koreans know of to the best of their ability are Lee Joong Seop, Park Su…

Trans cr; Eisha @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

🔗https://instagram.com/stories/rkive/3188739944049669760

Story Translation:

…It stops at around this point. Reality is a bit disappointing because many people who can list a lot of foreign authors, do not know much about Korean writers. In a way, is this not because of the neglect of experts including myself?

I don't want to claim that artists have an existence that is especially grand. I can, of course, talk about whether Park Soo-geun* or Moon Shin² possessed a superhumanly strong will, that Na Hye-seok³ and Chang Ucchin⁴ were so tenacious that nobody could stand in their way or whether or not Kim Hyang-an⁵ or Park Rae-hyun*⁶ were especially wise. However, that does not mean that they were transcendent, perfect beings completely different from us. They were perhaps more human than all of us and had many imperfections within themselves. And there must have been many occasions where they felt the hardships of the world more acutely.

In my opinion, the aspect that makes these artists great lies in the way they respond to hardships that may befall anyone. No matter what situation they're placed in, they're those who remain faithful to the nature and basics of humanity. Innocent in the way they cherish humanity, their ability to express this is because they've honestly taken stock of the world contained within themselves. Since they can't make their craft if they don't protect the vulnerable inner parts of themselves, they can't surrender to the demands of the world outside of them. This is why their existence is one that absolutely requires them to live life with dignity and honesty.

If we feel touched looking at an artist's life or work, then it might just be the result of that artist's "stance towards life." The hardships life throws at you…

(T/N: *Park Soo-geun was a Korean painter.

Moon Shin was a Korean painter and sculptor.

Na Hye-seok was a poet and writer.

Chang Ucchin was a modern Korean artist.

Kim Hyang-an was a Korean modern and contemporary artist.

Park Rae-hyun was a Korean painter)

Trans cr; Eisha @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

230910 RM’s Instagram Story

ㅎ2 @thv

hi @/thv

Trans cr; Eisha & Aditi @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

[apenitentialprayer]

A Monastic Mathematical Method

Medieval mathematicians knew many techniques for simplifying sums, often breaking them up into series of sections that could be worked out mentally, or with basic operations of the abacus. John Westwyk would undoubtedly have learned some such techniques. One, which has a variety of names, including the Russian Peasant Method and the Egyptian Method, was invented independently in several places and may well have been taught at the St Albans grammar school. It turns large and difficult multiplications and divisions into a series of halvings and doublings. The popularity of this method helps explain why the earliest textbooks on arithmetic using the new Hindu-Arabic numerals, including the one copied by that Bury Benedictine, teach how to halve and double them as separate procedures between addition and multiplication. The beauty of doubling and halving is that you do not need to know a separate process: you only need to know how to add a number to itself. Let us say you want to multiply 43 by 13. Write the number side by side and start doubling the larger one and having the smaller one (ignoring any remainders). In a few moments you will have: 43          13 86            6 (ignoring the remainder) 172          3 344          1 (ignoring the remainder) When you cannot halve any more, strike out the rows where you have an even number in the halving column (in this case, 86 : 6), and add up what's left in the doubling column. So 43 x 13 = 43 + 172 + 344 = 559. With a little practice, this can be done very quickly - and since it uses mental arithmetic, it is no more difficult with Roman numerals than with Hindu-Arabic. It works because it depends on the fact that any number can be made up of powers of 2. So 43 x 13 = 43 x (1 + 4 + 8). [n. The reason you only keep the rows with an odd number in the having column is because that is where you will ‘lose’ a remainder, which needs to be added back at the end. If you are multiplying by a number which is a power of 2 (e.g., 8), there will be no such remainders: you will strike out all but the last line, since multiplying by eight is a simple series of doublings.] It works just as well for division. So you want to divide 729 by 34 (or DCCXXIX ÷ XXXIV). Simply begin by doubling 34 until you can't go any further without passing 729: XXXIV       (1) LXVII         (2) CXXXVI     (4) CCLXXII    (8) DXLIV       (16) Now, starting from the last line, add together the largest numbers you can to get as close as you can to 729 (this takes a little practice). When you have done that, the respective real numbers you have used will add up to your number. Here: DXLIV (row 16) + CXXXVI (row 4) + XXXIV (row 1) = DCCXIV (714). So 729 ÷ 34 = 16 + 4 + 1 = 21 (remainder 15) Again, this can be done using mental arithmetic, but if John Westwyk did have to resort to his counting-board, he would have found that the Roman numerals corresponded perfectly to its columns, making direct transcription of the answer very easy. Transcribing from the counting-board into the Hindu-Arabic numerals would require a moment’s extra thought. These techniques became very easy with practice. Knowing them, and having the option to resort to a counting-board if necessary, most monks had no need to reject the methods that had served their predecessors perfectly well in favor of the new algorismus. If their work or interests did require them to make frequent multiplications, or to use fractions, monks might prefer to draw up a reference table of the Roman-numeral multiplication, rather than learning a whole new arithmetic. Such reference tables and counting-boards are the tools that John Westwyk would have had at his disposal as he began his education at the St Albans grammar school. They would serve him well until his growing interest in astronomy forced him to get to grips with the new numerals and multiplication techniques of Hindu Arabic algorismus.

-  Seb Falk (The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science, pages 39-41)

[franciscobolivar]

                                                                                                                                                                   BOLÍVAR OF VENEZUELA

hshqtask011: family basics 

the cast

the late king, santiago bolívar * not pictured

dowager queen ana victoria tovar * not pictured

adriana romera ( gaby espino )

francisco maikel bolívar y tovar ( édgar ramírez )

aliana nicolle bolívar y tovar ( dayana moncada )* not pictured

ender bolívar y tovar ( tommy martinez )

ana maria bolívar y tovar ( maria gabriela de faría )

parents

former king santiago bolívar (†) & dowager queen ana victoria tovar             

the late king santiago alejandro bolívar was the seventh king of venezuela since their monarchy was officially established after the second war of independence from colonial spain in 1818. his reign was a divisive one that came to an abrupt end in 2015 after a successful attempt on his life from a noble family near the southern boarder of the country. his wife, ana victoria the dowager queen or queen mother has gone on to live out the remainder of her days within the residence in the city of caracas. 

their father did have a tendency to favor their eldest son for the title he would carry but their mother was never one to play favorites. francisco always tried to emulate his father when he was younger but over the years it almost seemed like his relationship with his parents had come as an afterthought to his own travels as he never really did learn to have a proper balance in life until his later years. 

siblings

adriana romera née bolívar y tovar

adriana, duchess of maracaibo, is the first child born to santiago and ana victoria but given the laws of the monarchy with a male succession needed, she was unable to carry the title of crown princess and primogeniture. she studied and worked as if she one day would, and maybe once upon a time adriana would have taken a course of action to redact the law of a male succession but after the birth of her first child in her late twenties, her priority became her family and three children she would have over the next few years. still, she worked by the side of her brother who later became king, always making sure he was making the right choices for their country.  though, that still comes as a surprise to both given how at odds they were as children, especially since francisco and adriana were only a year apart in age. they were each other’s biggest competition even though francisco always received the credit for any success adriana had that the laws would not prohibit.

𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏  ───  eriko ( 2006 ) sebastian ( 2009 ) and olivia ( 2011 ) 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓  ───  rafael romera, duke of maracaibo ( spouse. married since 2010 )

francisco maikel bolívar y tovar

second born and next in line to the crown, francisco maikel was raised to be the next king. it was something that occurred sooner than he had expected and in a way he never wanted to occur but upon his first decree as the acting king of venezeula, he took revenge on the family that had been behind the attack, but apparently not to the standard of everyone. 

but his successes and choices as a king were mostly due to and influenced by his ex-wife, karyna. while they were married for years and she was there for him during his father’s death, after the birrth of their daughter what was already broken finally fell apart. now, they only ever really bother to speak when it concerns their daughter, who karyna has full custody of. it has only been in this last year that franciso is leading a country alone without the warranted, or unwarranted opinion of karyna. some suspect there is a weakness there, others assume venezuela will finally be on track to where it was with the late king santiago. 

𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏  ───  marya soletskaya ( 2018 ) 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓  ───  karyna soletskaya ( ex-wife. divorced june 2020 ) 

aliana nicolle bolívar y tovar (†)

the third eldest and second daughter, aliana’s progression in life was much like that of the eldest child, as she was not male, she was not entitled to the crown at any point but unlike adriana, she took no grievance with the law for the simple reason that she did not care to ever carry such a position. she was a lot like their mother in her ways, soft spoke, kind in nature with a desire to just live a life with her family that made her happy, and she was very much a family sort of person who was never fortunate enough to have her own with her life ended far too soon. aliana was among those with the late king santiago who fell victim to the attack in barquisimeto.       

ender bolívar y tovar

second boy and second in line for the title of king if francisco does not have a son of his own, ender has always been someone who lives in the moment, sometimes a little too much. he doesn’t plan for the future and everything can be explained away by his life motto to, live in the moment which actually has worked surprisingly well for hm. though, that doesn’t make his decisions well thought out as they are completely based on emotions. oddly enough, that means sometimes ender is the voice of reason in the family when everyone else is so focused on other things, he helps ground them all to live in the moment.

ender always did idolize his brother, maybe too much sometimes, but he never saw francisco as being able to do any wrong. he followed francisco around when he was a child and while francisco never saw his brother to be a threat before, there could be potential in the future if francisco doesn’t have a son and say ender does, things might get complicated. 

ana maria bolívar y tovar - ADOPT COMING SOON

the youngest of the siblings, ana maria beacme a mother at twenty-two after a summer fling with a man from brazil resulted in a child, which he took no responsibility for. she became a tv personality in venezuela, appearing on many talk shows and a favorite among the younger generations. in latin america in general she has a big influence and while her brother did deal with the family that betrayed them, ana maria is convinced that there is more to this story, that they had help and that another country could be behind this, maybe one of the neighboring countries. 

because of this she has been pushing francisco to keep on investigating and do more than he has done their relationship has been a bit more rocky as of late. he doesn’t want to spend as much time with ana maria because he knows it’ll be all she’ll want to talk about; especially in recent months as she has taken on the case herself, changing which country might be behind it every few months. 

𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏  ───  isaac ( 2014 )

extended 

francisco gets along well with the majority of his family. that being said, he does have one wild aunt who has been married five times, never leaves the house without looking like she is about to step on a red carpet and always has a drink in hand. he tries not to invite her to anything but somehow loredana contreras always ends up there, drinking, telling stories that aren’t true, trying to play matchmaker with everyone, it’s embarrassing. 

his cousin on his father’s side, alexandra de la flores, is one of those few family members he cannot stand, not because she does too much like tía loredana contreras, but because she is the most critical of what he has done since his father’s death. nothing is right and everything could have been done better. she also makes it known on a blog she has and runs in the comfort of the ciudad bolivar estate. 

football player, ruben bolívar is another cousin on their father’s side who prides himself in his surname and gladly uses it to his advantage as well as his sister genesis, one of venezuela’s best pastry chefs, mostly due to her lineage. 

[wuggen]

Okay, see, the thing is it's really not a very simple conversion. Like, okay, let's not even touch the ambiguity of what one could want from an int-to-string conversion (decimal? Hexadecimal? Octal? Some other base? Divider characters between groups of digits? Different character encodings?) and assume that what you're wanting from an int-to-string conversion is to format the integer in base 10 ASCII characters with no dividers, that's the most common thing. That would be simple if the integer were stored in base 10, but it's not, it's stored in binary. And there's no way to convert from base 2 to base 10 by just scanning the digits (bits, rather) and making substitutions based on patterns, that'd be pretty simple. But no, what you've gotta do is:

Divide by 10. The remainder is the 1's digit.

Divide by 10 again. The remainder is the 10's digit.

Keep dividing by 10 and taking the remainder until you're left with zero. As many divisions as there are digits in the base 10 form of the integer.

And division is among one of the more computationally expensive basic operations you can do. Like, CPUs can do it in a few millionths of a second, sure, but it's a good few more millionths of a second than most other single actions that the processor does. And if you're doing a whole bunch of this kind of thing, (e.g. if it implicitly happens all the time,) it's really easy for it to become the bulk of the time the processor spends processing.

There's also memory space to consider. A typically-sized int fits in 4 bytes, always. It's constant sized. The largest number it can represent is 10 digits long. And in ASCII, each digit is a byte on its own. More than double the space. That needs to be allocated somewhere. And again, one individual instance of it is nothing, but if it happens all the time implicitly then it's easy for it to become more noticeable.

But alright, these are all very minor little performance concerns that aren't relevant for like 99% of what anyone does with a computer. A language that's less geared towards super-low-level performance-critical stuff can totally get away with making a slightly-less-than-trivial conversion implicit, and it'll be fine.

Until (actual problem I've had) you're writing a byte into a network connection stream and finding that the byte that comes out of the receiving side is always very different than the one that you wrote into the sending side, and weirdly always one of a few specific values even though the original is random. And you spend an hour banging your head against the problem and finally figure out that, when you wrote an integer on the sending side, the language "helpfully" converted it to a string automatically and implicitly, and the byte that you're pulling out of the receiving side is the ASCII character code for whatever the first decimal digit of the original byte is. And so now you have to spend another half hour investigating what extra code you have to write to prevent the language from doing work that it does not have to do and that you don't want it to be doing so that you can just send the damn byte, as it already exists, over the connection without the language doing counterproductive bullshit that you never told it to do in the first place.

Idk, I just like it when my programming languages do only and exactly the stuff that I tell them to do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So the thing about me is that if your high-level programming language doesn't have strict statically-checked types I'll kill you, and if your low-level bytecode knows about anything except raw untyped bytes I'll kill you

[veramora]

Tilopa's Song to Naropa

(from Mother of the Buddhas by Lex Hixon)

Mahamudra, the royal way, is free

from every word and sacred symbol.

For you alone, beloved Naropa,

this wonderful song springs forth from Tilopa

as spontaneous friendship that never ends.

The completely open nature

of all dimensions and events

is a rainbow always occurring

yet never grasped.

The way of Mahamudra

creates no closure.

No strenuous mental effort

can encounter this wide open way.

The effortless freedom of awareness

moves naturally along it.

As space is always freshly appearing

and never filled,

so the mind is without limits

and ever aware.

Gazing with sheer awareness

into sheer awareness,

habitual, abstract structures melt

into the fruitful springtime of Buddhahood.

White clouds that drift through blue sky,

changing shape constantly,

have no root, no foundation, no dwelling;

nor do changing patterns of thought

that float through the sky of mind.

When the formless expanse of awareness

comes clearly into view,

obsession with thought forms

ceases easily and naturally.

As within the openness of universal space

shapes and colors are spontaneously forming,

although space has no color or form,

so within the expanse of awareness

realms, relations and values are arising,

although awareness possesses

no positive or negative characteristics.

As the darkness of night,

even were it to last a thousand years,

could not conceal the rising sun,

so countless ages of conflict and suffering

cannot conceal the innate radiance of Mind.

Although philosophers explain

the transparent openness of appearances

as empty of permanent characteristics

and completely indeterminable,

this universal indeterminacy

can itself never be determined.

Although sages report

the nature of awareness to be luminosity,

this limitless radiance cannot be contained

within any language or sacramental system.

Although the very essence of Mind

is to be void of either subjects or objects,

it tenderly embraces all life within its womb.

To realize this inexpressible truth,

do not manipulate mind or body

but simply open into transparency

with relaxed, natural grace

intellect at ease in silence,

limbs at rest in stillness

like hollow bamboos.

Neither breathing in nor breathing out

with the breath of habitual thinking,

allow the mind to be at peace

in brilliant wakefulness.

This is the royal wealth of Mahamudra,

no common coin of any realm.

Beloved Naropa, this treasure of Buddhahood

belongs to you and to all beings.

Obsessive use of meditative disciplines

or perennial study of scripture and philosophy

will never bring forth this wonderful realization,

this truth which is natural to awareness,

because the mind that desperately desires

to reach another realm or level of experience

inadvertently ignores the basic light

that constitutes all experience.

The one who fabricates

any division in consciousness

betrays the friendship of Mahamudra.

Cease all activity that separates,

abandon even the desire to be free from desires

and allow the thinking process to rise and fall

smoothly as waves on a shoreless ocean.

The one who never dwells in abstraction

and whose only principle

is never to divide or separate

upholds the trust of Mahamudra.

The one who abandons craving

for authority and definition,

and never becomes one-sided

in argument or understanding,

alone perceives the authentic meaning

hidden in the ancient scriptures.

In the blissful embrace of Mahamudra,

negative viewpoints and their instincts

are burned without remainder, like camphor.

Through the open door of Mahamudra,

the deluded state of self-imprisonment

is easily left behind forever.

Mahamudra is the torch of supreme liberty

shining forth through all conscious beings.

Those beings constituted by awareness

who try to ignore, reject or grasp awareness

inflict sorrow and confusion upon themselves

like those who are insane.

To be awakened from this madness,

cultivate the gracious friendship

of a sublime sage of Mahamudra,

who may appear to the world as mad.

When the limited mind

enters blessed companionship

with limitless Mind,

indescribable freedom dawns.

Selfish or limited motivations

create the illusory sense of imprisonment

and scatter seeds of further delusion.

Even genuine religious teaching

can generate narrowness of vision.

Trust only the approach

that is utterly vast and profound.

The noble way of Mahamudra

never engages in the drama of

imprisonment and release.

The sage of Mahamudra

has absolutely no distractions,

because no war against distractions has ever been declared.

This nobility and gentleness alone,

this nonviolence of thought and action ,

is the traceless path of all Buddhas.

To walk this all-embracing way

is the bliss of Buddhahood.

Phenomena on every plane of being

are constantly arising and disappearing.

Thus they are forever fresh,

always new and inexhaustible.

Like dreams without solid substance,

they can never become rigid or binding.

The universe exists in a deep, elusive way

that can never be grasped or frozen.

Why feel obsessive desire or hatred for it,

thereby creating illusory bonds?

Renounce arbitrary, habitual views.

Go forth courageously to meditate

in the real mountain wilderness,

the wide open Mahamudra.

Transcend boundaries of kinship

by embracing all living beings

as one family of consciousness.

Remain without any compulsion

in the landscape of natural freedom:

spontaneous, generous, joyful.

When you receive the crown of Mahamudra,

all sense of rank or attainment

will quietly disappear.

Cut the root of the vine that chokes the tree,

and its clinging tendrils wither away entirely.

Sever the conventionally grasping mind,

and all bondage and desperation dissolve.

The illumination from an oil lamp

lights the room instantly,

even if it has been dark for aeons.

Mind is boundless radiance.

How can the slightest darkness

remain in the room of daily perception?

But one who clings to mental processes

cannot awaken to the radiance of Mind.

Strenuously seeking truth

by investigation and concentration,

one will never appreciate

the unthinkable simplicity and bliss

that abide at the core.

To uncover this fertile ground,

cut through the roots of complexity

with the sharp gaze of naked awareness,

remaining entirely at peace,

transparent and content.

You need not expend great effort

nor store up extensive spirtual power.

Remain in the flow of sheer awareness.

Mahamudra neither accepts nor rejects

any current of energy, internal or external.

Since the ground consciousness

is never born into any realm of being,

nothing can add to or subtract from it.

Nothing can obstruct or stain it.

When awareness rests here,

the appearance of division and conflict

disappears into original reality.

The twin emotions of anxiety and arrogance

vanish into the void from which they came.

Supreme knowing knows

no separate subject or object.

Supreme action acts resourcefully

without any array of instruments.

Supreme attainment attains the goal

without past, future or present.

The dedicated practitioner

experiences the spiritual way

as a turbulent mountain stream,

tumbling dangerously among boulders.

When maturity is reached,

the river flows smoothly and patiently

with the powerful sweep of the Ganges.

Emptying into the ocean of Mahamudra,

the water becomes ever-expanding light

that pours into great Clear Light

without direction, destination,

division, distinction or description.

[thehoardofthegreatdragon]

Urahara Kisuke: "Come on baby, I know the law" But Actually Illegal

Hello and welcome to Coco has Too Many Feelings Hour. Today, it’s a character analysis of Urahara Kisuke because what gave him the fucking right to be so cool? WHAT GAVE HIM THE RIGHT?

Anyway. This is going to be half based on his dialogue, and half based on general action patterns, since both are damn interesting. There will be spoilers for most things but I’ll try to keep things after the Aizen arc vague. Also, it should go without saying that this is all my interpretation and very biased (extra biased because I Love Him). 

[AKA: This is like, just my opinion, man.]

Now before we begin can we just pause to appreciate how beautiful he is? If you haven’t, stare at this picture for at least a minute. Go on, I’ll time you. 

Now we can move on. 

Kisuke is, in a word, complicated. If I had to describe him (and considering that’s the point of this entire goddamn document, I better try), I’d say he’s a man with unstoppable curiosity and a heart that is far too soft to handle the fallout of his own invention. 

No matter where you put him, no matter what time he’s born into, he will create a weapon he shouldn’t have. He has this strange bit of naïveté about his science at first, but it fades as he sees what his science has done to people he cares for. He has a good heart-- a soft heart, under it all-- so he can’t just accept the damage he’s done and move on. He turns that genius to invention, so that he can fix the things he broke. He wants to help everyone he can, because he hurt so many. 

But that doesn’t ever make the guilt go away, and it doesn’t stop him from using people when he has to— we see this happen with Ichigo in the Soul Society invasion arc. Kisuke uses him to achieve his goals, but he is far from happy about it and apologizes afterwards. 

Alright, into the meat of his character. I’m going to skim over the fact that he is arguably one of the strongest characters in the entire show, a man who plans for every eventuality compulsively because he understands that people die in battle (people die when they are killed), and so intelligent that he was one of the few people Aizen actually was wary of. I’m skimming it, because otherwise this already too long essay would be three times as long and wax rhapsodic about every way that he is, in fact, an incredible badass. 

[IM SKIPPING IT FOR ALL OUR SAKES OKAY.] 

He will and does help people, but he’s very guarded. It makes a terrible kind of sense, because he worked in the Omnitsukidō, and I don’t think anyone can come out of a spy and assassination agency without some jadedness. The exile doesn’t help either, because now he’s been forced to deal with the fallout from a betrayal and the loss of his home too. 

That being said, the exile also made him more of his own man. Freer, in many ways. More able to be the eccentric self he wants to, better adapted to life, more likely to see how people could use him and less likely to let it happen. I think the living world suits him in a way that Soul Society never really did. 

At his core he's a good person, but he built walls upon walls around himself. And those walls never come down, and some of them are mirrors, and some of them are smokescreens that don’t look like walls, because he can never be simple and he doesn’t want to be understood. And even if someone does see part of who he is, he wants them to only see that particular part. 

He is an eccentric free spirit whose drive for invention cost him more dearly than anything else. His will to create, his truest self— the scientist, with inventions to make and the world to explore— started a war. It ruined the lives of people he wanted to be friends, and people who were friends. 

And as a scientist, that’s the greatest blow of all. It’s like Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb. He created a weapon he couldn’t control, but he did it with something he loved with his whole heart. It hurts twice as deeply, when it comes from love. 

He’s also a follower more than a leader. Kisuke is the support type, for all his fighting skill— he’s ready with backup plans and transportation and research, but he needs a person to follow into battle. For a long time that was Yoruichi. Then he stood on his own as a captain, but the way he did it was by structuring his division into a support division rather than a truly fighting one (his own way of coping with new leadership, imo. He turned the 12th into the division he wanted it to be, rather than really learning how to lead a fighting division). 

Then he had to stand on his own, in exile, and he did. I imagine this was mostly fueled by guilt and determination, because he had to fix the mess he had helped create and defeat Aizen. But even still, he still kept to the shadows and planned Aizen’s downfall, rather than stepping on the battlefield and doing it himself (for many reasons, of course— Aizen was still in Soul Society’s good graces and it would have been suicide, Kisuke is not a foolish man who would throw away the best chance at success for a fight). 

And at last, he chose Ichigo to follow. But this is doubly interesting because at first he is uses Ichigo to achieve his goals. Supposedly, Kisuke himself couldn’t have gone to Soul Society to rescue Rukia (because of the exile, though let’s face it Kubo’s world building doesn’t explain how Yoruichi could go so who really knows. And Kisuke being Kisuke, would have found a way into Soul Society if he thought it would help their fight against Aizen. Anyone who doesn’t believe that can see the TYBW arc and Fight Me). 

But there were many people who had a better chance of going in his stead, and many ways to save Rukia that didn’t involve a straightforward invasion. This is not to mention that Kisuke used Rukia too, with the intention of forcing Aizen’s hand. 

So when Ichigo and Kisuke first meet, he views Ichigo as a tool (and a person, because he’s a good man and never free of the guilt).  

But with each battle, we see how Kisuke trusts Ichigo more and more. This progression continues until the last battle with Aizen, and then after that Kisuke stands behind Ichigo with absolutely no hesitation. Throughout the last arc, throughout the remainder of the manga, when Ichigo needed him, Kisuke was there— with supplies, with research, with a path to Hueco Mundo, hell even with a path to the big palace up in the sky. And Kisuke trusted Ichigo absolutely— see the panel where Ichigo asks Kisuke to hold out until he gets there, and everything will be alright because Ichigo will handle it. And Kisuke’s response to that is just a smile and a single word— “Understood.” 

The trust between them is absolute. This is surprising, if you think of how few people Kisuke has really trusted over the years, and how few he trusts to this extent. 

[It’s also very interesting that of all the people Ichigo choses to tell to “wait for me,” it’s Kisuke but that’s just my loyalty kink showing up don’t mind me.]

Once the guilt of using him was gone, Kisuke could follow the leader he’d chosen. And he did, endlessly. 

On that note, Kisuke’s dialogue choice with Ichigo develops in a very interesting way. In the beginning its challenging and on the ruthless side (“don’t use her as an excuse to kill yourself,” for example), into something much more trusting and less challenging (the “understood” for instance, or the “what would you like me to do” ). This evolution tracks with the evolution of Kisuke’s changing attitude towards Ichigo. 

We move from Kisuke only promising to help when he extracts something in return (“Do you really think, there is no way to get to Soul Society? I’ll tell you, on one condition.”) to Kisuke offering to help Ichigo before being asked (“My my, you guys sure are having an interesting conversation. So, this Hueco Mundo trip. Shall I arrange it?”).

[Imagine how much literally anyone else would pay to have a scientist of Kisuke’s caliber basically on retainer. And Ichigo gets it for the low low price of absolutely free.]

All this is to say, that I think that Kisuke can and is always ready for any eventuality but that it’s only after his trust is earned by Ichigo that he gives his plans so easily to other people. He has chosen a king, so to speak. 

[Don’t call out my power kink or I will personally end you.]

Moving on to dialogue in general, we see many damn interesting patterns. Perhaps intentionally, Kisuke's a bit on a different wavelength, and no one expects the answers he gives to any questions. Its eccentricity, but honed into a weapon and very self-aware. He often interprets questions in different ways than expected, like he’s purposefully setting people off guard. 

Consider the following response he gives to an enemy in later chapters (TYBW arc): 

“Asking me such a personal question, is really more of a second date thing.”

He’s never met this person before in his life, and his response is to just, straight up flirt. THIS IS FLIRTING. KISUKE. WHY ARE YOU FLIRTING. HE’S NOT EVEN HOT. 

Anyway. In general, Kisuke has two broad categories of speech patterns: completely serious and teasing-playful-fake-humble.  Unlike many other characters who use a baiting tone and words against enemies (Frankenstein from Noblesse comes to mind as an example), Kisuke uses them on friends and enemies alike. And his tone isn’t really mocking but fake-humble and fake-playful.

Examples of this—

“Oh? You know of me. What an honor.” (Said behind fan)

“It’s wedged in their rather fatally, Yoruichi-san!” (Said to Yoruichi’s ass)

[Seriously, who does this asshole think he is? Yoruichi kicks him and I’m glad she does.]

He's very often cheerful, and usually smiling as he speaks. I’d say his eyes are the biggest giveaway to his emotion because they dont really ever soften. (And because Kubo has a Thing for drawing them covered in shadows and looking badass, see Exhibit: Oh No He’s Hot, pictured below)

In this playful mode, even when he apologizes it’s usually in a way that somehow makes it worse. He’s constantly either annoying people or throwing them off guard or a combination, but in a much more cheerful eccentric way than say, Frankenstein. For example, after he says the line above to Yoruichi (in the middle of a battle, I might add), he says this:

“Why would you kick me? I came to help. I’m sorry, perhaps the expression “wedged in” was a bit vulgar.” 

He’s managed to repeat the thing that made her kick him, in a way that almost makes it worse, but in a way that makes it seem like hes trying to apologize. It’s very clever, and also ideal for pissing people off, intentional or not. (But who are we kidding, this is Kisuke. It’s definitely intentional). 

But he can also switch to a serious mode quite quickly, seemingly able to interweave the two modes without really needing to break between them. This most often comes out when there is someone to save or protect.

[Because he's secretly a softie, as mentioned above, god I love him]

For example, when Masaki is in danger, even tho he's never met her or the soul reapers before (and when his very existence should make him avoid Isshin), he says this:

“We dont have time to waste. Both of you, please come with me. I will tell you the choices you have to save her.”

It’s to the point, succinct, polite, and also filled with a desire to save. It’s also completely at odds with his playful tone when he speaks in other times. I think this dichotomy is the core of Kisuke. Of course he's playful and eccentric— and this makes him the delightful character he is— but at his core he's a man who cares about people and wants to help. He doesn’t hesitate to apologize when he is in the wrong either, kneeling before Ichigo after the Soul Society arc and not asking for forgiveness but explaining why he is sorry. (Ichigo forgives him, because Ichigo will always forgive him, and that hurts even more). 

But even when there are threats to life, if they've been dealt with and he's in a controlled environment, he pulls out the playful act again, though it often has an edge. For example, after he saves Ichigo for the first time he says this:

“What? You sound upset. Didn’t you want to be saved?”

It’s on the edge of teasing but its also much more pointed than anything else he's said to Ichigo at this point. It’s followed by some of the rawest and cruelest lines of dialogue I’ve ever read, because Kisuke doesn’t flinch back from being harsh when he has to be. 

Even his cruelty, when he is forced to use it, comes from a place of care and a desire to help. Doesn’t stop it from stinging like hell. 

It’s at this point where I descended into crying about Kisuke and how good he was and how much I love him, and so decided to stop.

In summary: Kisuke is a good man who couldn’t stop himself from inventing the most destructive weapon to exist. But he’s a good man, and so he spent a century crafting his own penance. 

General Kisuke Dialogue I’ve collected, in case people find it useful:

Stop fighting, you two. It’s my fault, I should have disposed of it. 

We have no choice. We’ve got to find it and neutralize it before it causes any trouble. 

No way, accidents happen! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. There now, its okay. 

Good, let’s move! Operation “recall”

Well look here. We finally find you, and you’re already incapacitated. What a waste. We lugged all this stuff here for nothing. 

I’m going to destroy it. Hmm. I’m not sure how to answer that. 

This is serious. I won’t take the fall for you. 

No no, Kurosaki-san. Your wounds have barely closed. If you move around too much, you’ll die <3. 

Do you really think, there is no way to get to Soul Society?

I’ll tell you, on one condition. For the next ten days, you must allow me to train you. 

You don’t understand. What I’m trying to tell you is they’ll kill you.Could you win? If you fought them as you are? I allowed you to fight them this time, because I thought it would make it easier for you to understand. At your current level of ability, you wouldn’t stand a chance in soul society. You’re weak. For you to venture into enemy territory now would be suicide. You want to save Kuchiki-san? Don’t make me laugh. Don’t use her as an excuse to kill yourself. 

Of course. If you wish to save Kuchiki-san with your whole heart, then you have at your disposal a power stronger than iron. But if your resolve is half-hearted, forget it. For the next ten days, I’m going to put you through the wringer. 

What? You sound upset. Didn’t you want to be saved?

He went home. His wound bled a lot, but it wasn’t severe. 

Couldn’t you have come up with anything better? [how lame]

Looks like I was a step too late.

What would you like me to do? Shall I book a ticket to reiokyu? It may take me some time though. [to ichigo]

We dont have time to waste. Both of you, please come with me. I will tell you the choices you have to save her. 

My my, you guys sure are having an interesting conversation. So, this Hueco Mundo trip. Shall I arrange it?

[I] its usually like this with Urahara. [K] you know me too well <3

Oh? You know of me. What an honor. (Said behind fan)

To be included in such an esteemed group, I don’t know what to say. Its an honor, but he’s giving me too much credit.

It’s wedged in their rather fatally, Yoruichi-san!

Why would you kick me? I came to help. I’m sorry, perhaps the expression “wedged in” was a bit vulgar (makes fake apologies a lot)

Asking me such a personal question, is really more of a second date thing.

You see, even if I don’t tell you, you’ll be up close and personal with it soon enough.

[talluvx]

a psa for grades

Can I ask something? From one student to another? When you have a friend that tells you that they’re worried/scared/nervous/disappointed about how their grades aren’t as good as they feel they should be, please don’t respond with saying that your own grades are lower, so they should be relieved. Actually, please don’t bring up your own grades at all.

That’s not comforting at all. Or at least, it isn’t from personal experience. 

It doesn’t matter if the class average was a D, and the person in question got a B, or they had straight A’s in all but one class, while your own grades were lower. It may be a bit insensitive to the person attempting to bring comfort, but I find no comfort in it at all. Someone else’s grades doesn’t affect the final letter that people bring home to their parents, or even themselves. And, it also adds in an extra element of guilt- Why do I deserve to be disappointed when my friend is telling me that they’re worse off?

I do understand that it is an attempt to be sympathetic, but frankly, that’s always posed another factor of stress for me. In these situations, I do believe that compassion is more important than sympathy- it is more beneficial to show up for your friend instead of just telling them that they’ll be fine.

I do not have strict parents. My friend has incredibly strict parents, who are- admittingly- abusive. I have a friend who get hit when she doesn’t bring home straight A’s, and even though she is intelligent, she sometimes has B’s. And it’s so much harder for her because I know her little sister gets praised for C’s and D’s. It is not helpful to bring up my own grades. It is not helpful when someone says that they did the same or worse as her, so she shouldn’t worry. We once has a research paper that everyone in class failed, but she managed to get a B. Her parents were still angry at her. My lower grade would do nothing to comfort her or change the fact that she’s not bringing an A to her parents. Me having a lower grade has nothing to do with her own personal set of expectations and the fact that the grade she got had failed them.

The fact that she still has one of the highest GPA’s doesn’t matter to her parents, and it doesn’t change her situation at home. And it makes her feel bad to complain when people are telling her that she’s better off. I cannot relate to her situation, but I can do my best for her. And you know what does help? Buying her a cookie during lunchtime because her mom won’t let her go out after school, listening to music she likes while doing coloring books that I shoved in my backpack, spending a lunchtime with her in a classroom and organizing everything after we worked up the courage to talk to the teacher- things that she likes and she has complete control over in the moment. 

It’s embarrassing for the person to bring up their grades when they think they’re horrible, even if you think they’re decent, so just live your life with your friend the same as before final report cards were given out. 

Also, it doesn’t matter whether these expectations are placed onto you by your parents or not. It is very common for people to be worried because of their parents, but it can be equally disappointing when they were expectations set upon yourself, by yourself. 

And usually, when you have these own personal expectations, there’s a lot of nerves when thinking towards the future. I’ve feel that. There’s a looming feeling of “I’m never going to be able to get anywhere in life unless I have a 4.0 GPA.” You’re not crazy for being worried, and you’re not being selfish or stuck-up or petty for wanting perfect grades despite not having outside pressure to do so. It is important to set up personal goals, and sometimes they are hard to maintain. With anything, not just grades, it is extremely disappointing and nerve-wracking when you don’t meet an expectation because there was a reason you placed it upon yourself in the first place.

That all being said, please do not disregard sympathy. I do place compassion higher than sympathy, because I often find that people’s attempts to be sympathetic turn into a guilt fest, or they just don’t understand enough, but there is a comfort in knowing that someone understands you or is going through the same thing.

And I do think that trying to provide comfort in these situations is difficult. Sometimes, all you think you can provide is the fact that you did worse. But for the other person, it may feel like their concerns are just being brushed off.

Just, please don’t try and compare your grades. That’s a high ask; I feel it is, at least. And honestly? When teachers say that life isn’t a competition- I think that’s ridiculous. They hand back exams in the order of scores, display the ranks of GPA’s on bulletin boards, accept applications based off of you compared to another student. I get anxious for the future because it feels like a large part of life is just- Am I better than the other person? Is that enough? It’s ridiculous! Teachers constantly pit students against each other!

I tutor a middle schooler in math. He’s a bright kid, and doesn’t really need my help. But he failed last year. I spent twenty extra minutes past our session time to teach him long division with multiple examples with and without remainders, and now he has straight A’s. People are constantly falling through cracks, and it’s not because they aren’t working as hard or that they’re stupid. There just isn’t enough accommodation.

I went off a little tangent (whoopsies), but basically, it’s hard to not compare yourself with others, whether or not you’re the one who thinks they failed, or the one comforting the first person. So, here’s my guideline on what to do:

Your grades were higher? Don’t mention them. I hope this is self-explanatory.

Your grades were the same? Gage the person’s situation. If it isn’t harsh, than it may be something the both of you can feel pity over and also laugh about. The both of you are in the same boat, so the person won’t feel as guilty.

Your grades are lower? Don’t mention them. They could start to brush off their own worries as insignificant out of guilt. If lower grades is all you have to offer, please gage the person’s situation. Maybe it’ll be funny enough to make them smile a bit. But try to avoid the topic.

This was just my personal opinion from past experiences, so if you have something you’d like to add, or something you disagree with, please tell me :)

And thank you for reading thus far. 

[languagebraindump]

Japanese essay structure 

I already talked about the Japanese writing style in my previous post where I covered some basic features of Japanese writing (you can check it out here). However, it was rather general, and this time I will try to elaborate on the topic a bit more. I also discussed writing and its usefulness in the language learning process. Unfortunately, things get messy when your target language's culture creates a world of differences. 

English essay structure 

It's pretty straightforward.

There is:

An introduction where is state the reason for writing (thesis statement = one idea)

A body where you support the thesis with relevant arguments

A conclusion where you restate the thesis and add your opinion 

It's a rigid and easy-to-remember structure. Such an outline also helps to get the message across in the fastest way. I like using writing exercises to teach speaking (it facilitates logical structuring of thoughts; they often don't know where to start or how to start speaking), new vocabulary, to perpetuate the vocabulary and grammar they've already learned. Such exercises show how learned vocabulary and grammar work in reality as well. Knowing essay structures also helps with reading and listening as each paragraph contains specific information. Instead of frantically looking for information in every paragraph (which takes a lot of time),  you'll go to the ones which most likely contain the information you're looking for (this knowledge may help during exams). 

Japanese essay structure 

Here things get messy. I wanted to use my own teaching method to teach myself vocabulary and grammar; however, I didn't know where to start. I looked into this topic more, and it will take me years to master writing in Japanese. 

Three types of essay structures in Japanese 

In ESL industry, the standard division of essay is a comparative essay, argumentative essay, opinion essay, and narrative essay. In Japanese, though, I couldn't find anything like that. Instead, I found three types of argument structuring that explain how to organize your arguments throughout the essay to arrive at the conclusion which may or may not be stated explicitly (unlike in English). 

The three types are  "ki-shoo-ten-ketsu" model, the so-called "tempura" strategy, and the "return to baseline theme" model.

ki-shoo-ten-ketsu

Ki indicates the introduction; 

shoo indicates the development of the introduction; 

ten indicates the abrupt introduction of a tangentially related subtheme (another idea occurs while in English, one idea prevails throughout the whole essay);

and ketsu indicates the conclusion. 

"Simply put, a paper written according to the ki-shoo-ten-ketsu model would begin with a theme which is introduced in the "ki" phase and developed in the "shoo" phase; in the "ten" phase, though, a subtheme (or subthemes) is introduced, which is then developed throughout the remainder of the essay. This subtheme introduced in the "ten" phase of the essay often represents an "abrupt" intrusion of a second (or even a third) main idea for the paper, the "abruptness" here the result of the lack of a foreshadowing in the introductory paragraph. As a result, the native English reader may be surprised and disoriented at suddenly confronting the new topic." (Ben Mulvey, 1992) 

Tempura strategy

It's said to be an inductive type of argumentation. (Induction means inference of a generalized conclusion from particular instances). There is no thesis statement at the beginning instead, there are examples (on one or several topics) that lead to the author's conclusion. Furthermore, each of the examples presented in the initial paragraphs serves to explain the examples in the paragraphs that follow it. They sort of complete each other (example A [paragraph 1] explains example B [paragraph 2] that explains example C [paragraph 3] and so on…). This specific-evidence-to-general-result-(or conclusion)­ construction presents several problems for English readers attempting to grasp the unity in such essays. Without introductory orienting statements, English readers have difficulty both identifying and anticipating the movement in the essay (Hinds 1990: 91). Such structuring often forces readers to reread the paper with a whole new perspective. It's mostly seen in Japanese newspaper articles. 

Return to baseline theme (extremely rare)

It is said that this structure is the closest to the English essay structuring. Hinds (1987) describes the "return to baseline theme" strategy as one where the essay has both an introduction and a thesis statement, yet where the body of the essay is carried out in an extremely recursive (something keeps repeating) manner. Furthermore, Hinds states that "each paragraph in an essay restates the main theme of the essay before providing a different perspective or development of that theme" (1987: 45).

 Final thoughts

The strategies are writer-friendly formats rather than reader-friendly formats. English papers, on the other hand, focus on the readers. The main aim is to convey information in an easy to understand way. The Japanese, though, shift the responsibility to the readers. They present the arguments and a possible conclusion, but it is up to the readers to decide the aim of the paper. 

When I think about it, it is totally in line with Japanese culture where people don't want to force their opinions on people. 

To conclude, I'll never be able to write in Japanese. At this point, it all seems too abstract. 

References 

https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2052&context=etd-project

https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/japanese-argument-structure/

[kaaramel]

As a request, can you please explain the history of Town, or at least Fortitude?. I'm afraid that I might not be understanding something, and I really like how you explain things about Chuubo's, so if you could that would be a great help.

it would absolutely be my pleasure! under cut for Length

The original inhabitants of Town are the Jotun, fox-people, swan-people, assorted youkai, and so on. They lived on the shores of an inland lake with no sun, just a perpetual twilight. They prayed to a pair of deities, the gods of dream and nightmare; it's ambiguous how large a role of direction, protection, etc. dream and nightmare actually played in their lives, because most information about them has been lost in the modern day.

Humans began colonizing Town... (shuffles papers around) I don't think we have a solid Gregorian-calendar date for this. The earliest settlers were Russian and Japanese sailors; the site of the original settlement is now the Fortitude region. Many of the first residents, Jotun in particular, attempted to drive humans back out. The human-youkai war ended when the human Elizaveta sewed a pair of pants that caught the attention and favor of a swan-person, who declared Elizaveta "worthy" and by extension the whole human species. The story is related in more detail in a couple of places; the tie-in novel Fable of the Swan goes into it the most heavily.

Things settled into sort of uneasy cohabitation; humans were still a small presence without much social/legal power. The vampire Alexandrel Celdinar arrived in Town (a note in By the Docks of Big Lake estimates his emergence at roughly the 1800s) and saw an opportunity; recall that at this point the sun, a pretty fatal weakness to basically all but the strongest vampires in the setting, still never rises in Town.

Celdinar brought in more vampires and more humans (as a ruling class and as workers, respectively) and founded Night London, which he attempted to modernize in a slightly wacky zeppelins-and-steampunk way. The Celdinar Mayorality lasted... (paper shuffling again) "for a while," long enough to erect buildings and factories and so on... and, according to legend, the gods of dream and nightmare turned against him. A major earthquake wrecked a central district of Night London; the region that received the most damage is now Old Molder (which has been reclaimed by greenery at such an unnatural rate that only the upper floors are really inhabited), and the remainder has been resettled as Horizon, the gloomy Victorian Gothic-flavored region.

Mayor Celdinar might still have rallied and rebuilt, except, soon after that, the sun rose for the first time, marking the angel Jade Irinka's arrival in Town. At some point temple to Jade was built on Little Island. The sun is, variously, her chariot, her mansion, or her face; also it sets vampires on fire. The youkai lost power during Celdinar's rule, and have also been gradually interbreeding and assimilating with the human population. Humans become, and remain to the modern day, Town's most prominent and numerous residents.

The official timelines I'm looking at kind of gloss over the next period of Town's history; I assume there are some kind of events in Jenna's back pocket but they weren't considered relevant to the Glassmaker's Dragon campaign. There is, purportedly, a 'golden age,' but basically I've got nothing from here until the time when campaign-relevant events start happening. From here on out a lot of what I describe are going to include explicitly flexpoint which are heavily customizable (wrt people’s motives as well as exact chronological placement) for the needs and tastes of a given group.

Lord Entropy the First built Horizon's School... mm, again, a date isn't given but I'm actually going to assert it likely hasn't been in operation for more than 30-40 years. (Specifically I'm extrapolating from "No sooner did [School's SEED program] begin to bear fruit than he did," in CMWGE core, referring to Entropy's 22-year-old child.) In 1997, Entropy I died under mysterious circumstances, almost certainly expedited by Entropy II, who inherited his position as Principal of School and incidentally the King of Evil. Fable of the Swan implies that the Bleak Academy, an institution on the far side of unreality which trains Excrucian Riders to kill the world, was founded in opposition to Entropy's School. I am not sure to what extent this is poetic license and also time is less meaningful in the void.

Jade Irinka fell in love with the Headmaster of the Bleak Academy; the union bore at least one child, possibly two depending on how you count Arikel; after something like 3-8 years (flexpoints again) the Headmaster shoots Jade out of the sky with a black arrow, and the sun is temporarily extinguished, seen from Earth as a solar eclipse on March 7, 1997. A new sun appears in the sky, tied to Jade's daughter Jasper Irinka, and life carries on. Jade falls out of reality and fundamentally alters the cosmology.

This is a whoooole complicated event that is too much to get into on an already-too-long post, but to try and summarize the effects: there is no longer a clear division between real things and not-real things, there is just a dissolute fog of things-you-increasingly-don't-know-or-understand, referred to as the Outside. Town is possibly the last piece of reality unpolluted by the Outside but it's equally possible that this is a thing that varies with your point of view. Also, the change ripples over the timeline in such a way that this is effectively how it's always been, or at least families in Town have now been passing down techniques for mitigating Outside pollution for several generations. It's a massive headache and I'm sorry.

I think I will actually stop there instead of continuing to get more granular but I am more than happy to clarify and expand points if you have more specific questions!

[vajranam]

Path Of Renounciation

Song of the Mahamudra (Tilopa's Song to Naropa)

byTilopa

English version by Lex Hixon

Mahamudra, the royal way, is free

from every word and sacred symbol.

For you alone, beloved Naropa,

this wonderful song springs forth from Tilopa

as spontaneous friendship that never ends.

The completely open nature

of all dimensions and events

is a rainbow always occurring

yet never grasped.

The way of Mahamudra

creates no closure.

No strenuous mental effort

can encounter this wide open way.

The effortless freedom of awareness

moves naturally along it.

As space is always freshly appearing

and never filled,

so the mind is without limits

and ever aware.

Gazing with sheer awareness

into sheer awareness,

habitual, abstract structures melt

into the fruitful springtime of Buddhahood.

White clouds that drift through blue sky,

changing shape constantly,

have no root, no foundation, no dwelling;

nor do changing patterns of thought

that float through the sky of mind.

When the formless expanse of awareness

comes clearly into view,

obsession with thought forms

ceases easily and naturally.

As within the openness of universal space

shapes and colors are spontaneously forming,

although space has no color or form,

so within the expanse of awareness

realms, relations and values are arising,

although awareness possesses

no positive or negative characteristics.

As the darkness of night,

even were it to last a thousand years,

could not conceal the rising sun,

so countless ages of conflict and suffering

cannot conceal the innate radiance of Mind.

Although philosophers explain

the transparent openness of appearances

as empty of permanent characteristics

and completely indeterminable,

this universal indeterminacy

can itself never be determined.

Although sages report

the nature of awareness to be luminosity,

this limitless radiance cannot be contained

within any language or sacramental system.

Although the very essence of Mind

is to be void of either subjects or objects,

it tenderly embraces all life within its womb.

To realize this inexpressible truth,

do not manipulate mind or body

but simply open into transparency

with relaxed, natural grace

intellect at ease in silence,

limbs at rest in stillness

like hollow bamboos.

Neither breathing in nor breathing out

with the breath of habitual thinking,

allow the mind to be at peace

in brilliant wakefulness.

This is the royal wealth of Mahamudra,

no common coin of any realm.

Beloved Naropa, this treasure of Buddhahood

belongs to you and to all beings.

Obsessive use of meditative disciplines

or perennial study of scripture and philosophy

will never bring forth this wonderful realization,

this truth which is natural to awareness,

because the mind that desperately desires

to reach another realm or level of experience

inadvertently ignores the basic light

that constitutes all experience.

The one who fabricates

any division in consciousness

betrays the friendship of Mahamudra.

Cease all activity that separates,

abandon even the desire to be free from desires

and allow the thinking process to rise and fall

smoothly as waves on a shoreless ocean.

The one who never dwells in abstraction

and whose only principle

is never to divide or separate

upholds the trust of Mahamudra.

The one who abandons craving

for authority and definition,

and never becomes one-sided

in argument or understanding,

alone perceives the authentic meaning

hidden in the ancient scriptures.

In the blissful embrace of Mahamudra,

negative viewpoints and their instincts

are burned without remainder, like camphor.

Through the open door of Mahamudra,

the deluded state of self-imprisonment

is easily left behind forever.

Mahamudra is the torch of supreme liberty

shining forth through all conscious beings.

Those beings constituted by awareness

who try to ignore, reject or grasp awareness

inflict sorrow and confusion upon themselves

like those who are insane.

To be awakened from this madness,

cultivate the gracious friendship

of a sublime sage of Mahamudra,

who may appear to the world as mad.

When the limited mind

enters blessed companionship

with limitless Mind,

indescribable freedom dawns.

Selfish or limited motivations

create the illusory sense of imprisonment

and scatter seeds of further delusion.

Even genuine religious teaching

can generate narrowness of vision.

Trust only the approach

that is utterly vast and profound.

The noble way of Mahamudra

never engages in the drama of

imprisonment and release.

The sage of Mahamudra

has absolutely no distractions,

because no war against distractions has ever been declared.

This nobility and gentleness alone,

this nonviolence of thought and action ,

is the traceless path of all Buddhas.

To walk this all-embracing way

is the bliss of Buddhahood.

Phenomena on every plane of being

are constantly arising and disappearing.

Thus they are forever fresh,

always new and inexhaustible.

Like dreams without solid substance,

they can never become rigid or binding.

The universe exists in a deep, elusive way

that can never be grasped or frozen.

Why feel obsessive desire or hatred for it,

thereby creating illusory bonds?

Renounce arbitrary, habitual views.

Go forth courageously to meditate

in the real mountain wilderness,

the wide open Mahamudra.

Transcend boundaries of kinship

by embracing all living beings

as one family of consciousness.

Remain without any compulsion

in the landscape of natural freedom:

spontaneous, generous, joyful.

When you receive the crown of Mahamudra,

all sense of rank or attainment

will quietly disappear.

Cut the root of the vine that chokes the tree,

and its clinging tendrils wither away entirely.

Sever the conventionally grasping mind,

and all bondage and desperation dissolve.

The illumination from an oil lamp

lights the room instantly,

even if it has been dark for aeons.

Mind is boundless radiance.

How can the slightest darkness

remain in the room of daily perception?

But one who clings to mental processes

cannot awaken to the radiance of Mind.

Strenuously seeking truth

by investigation and concentration,

one will never appreciate

the unthinkable simplicity and bliss

that abide at the core.

To uncover this fertile ground,

cut through the roots of complexity

with the sharp gaze of naked awareness,

remaining entirely at peace,

transparent and content.

You need not expend great effort

nor store up extensive spirtual power.

Remain in the flow of sheer awareness.

Mahamudra neither accepts nor rejects

any current of energy, internal or external.

Since the ground consciousness

is never born into any realm of being,

nothing can add to or subtract from it.

Nothing can obstruct or stain it.

When awareness rests here,

the appearance of division and conflict

disappears into original reality.

The twin emotions of anxiety and arrogance

vanish into the void from which they came.

Supreme knowing knows

no separate subject or object.

Supreme action acts resourcefully

without any array of instruments.

Supreme attainment attains the goal

without past, future or present.

The dedicated practitioner

experiences the spiritual way

as a turbulent mountain stream,

tumbling dangerously among boulders.

When maturity is reached,

the river flows smoothly and patiently

with the powerful sweep of the Ganges.

Emptying into the ocean of Mahamudra,

the water becomes ever-expanding light

that pours into great Clear Light

without direction, destination,

division, distinction or description.

we talk a lot in past about renouncing our world the yogis in past knew it was the ultimste way to be able realize mahamudra. The first example came from our teacher the buddha himself, follow by all who took the same path, in the kagyu renouncing is a very big things, from Tilopa , Naropa, Saraha,Marpa, Milarepa all gave up for reaching the highest state.

The Five-fold Mixing Or, it is fivefold

as 1) the Mixing of Passion with the Mystic Heat (or Inner Fire: chags-gtum mo bsre); 2) the Mixing of Aversion (dveṣa/ze-sdang) with the Illusory Body (māyā-deha/sgyu -lus); 3) the Mixing of Delusion ( moha/gti-mug) with the Clear Light (’ od gsal/ prabhāsvara ); 4) the Mixing of Pride with the Generation Stage (utpanna-krama/rdzogs-rim) and 5) the Mixing of Envy and Jealousy with Pure Appearances (or Pure Perception: śuddha-ābhāsa/ dag-snang ).

The fivefold explain that on our everyday life we got the essence of enlightenment and if we train our mind we will be able to recognise it.

The goal of our renunciation ~ 17th Karmapa

The goal of our renunciation should be to commit to what is beneficial for beings, and to what serves the cause of the dharma.