#Electronic Literature Collection

[the-virgoperspective]

Part 2

Mercury is the planet of communication and of the mind; it is one of the most important planets in a composite chart. The placement of Mercury in the composite chart can indicate how effectively and in what manner you and another person communicates as one. A harmonious aspect and house placement for Mercury in the composite chart can be very beneficial to any bond. It’s important to check both the house placement and the aspects to this planet to see how communication manifests within any bond you may be looking at.

I will be using the writings of Robert Hand from his novel “Planets in Composite: Analyzing Human Relations” to describe the meaning and significance of the Moon in each composite house. Please always keep in mind that this is only one vital step to reading an entire composite chart and should not be seriously considered without viewing everything as a whole. This is just one piece. Enjoy!

7H Composite Mercury

Mercury in the seventh house of the composite chart indicates that your relationship will work well as a partnership in mental and intellectual concerns. For example, if you came together to write a book (which this placement of Mercury does not indicate especially), you would be able to work together as a team very well. Similarly you would work well together in any kind of business or commercial activity, particularly those involving electronics, communication, data processing, or transportation.

In a personal relationship this placement indicates the ability to think as a team and to provide a united front, at least intellectually, to the rest of the world. The two of you are generally able to share your ideas and opinions about everything.

Because the seventh is an angular house, the planet that occupies it is more important than it would be otherwise. When Mercury is strengthened, as it is in the seventh house, communication between you is easier and is a more prominent part of the relationship.

8H Composite Mercury

The position of Mercury in the eighth house of the composite chart will enable you to examine in depth the psychological forces that are at work in your relationship. These forces will be brought out and examined in the full light of consciousness. For this reason, the two of you should be more capable than most people at working out problems that may arise between you. Just be sure that you keep some sense of perspective about the whole process and do not allow yourselves to get carried away by it.

This placement of Mercury also means that the relationship will probably have an important effect upon the intellectual development of both of you. Your way of thinking about the world will be changed, although it is not possible to tell from this placement alone whether the change will be for good or ill. In general, however, the potential for understanding yourselves and each other is very great.

9H Composite Mercury

Composite Mercury in the ninth house grants a relationship a great deal of mental aliveness and interest in all new ideas that expand your collective awareness.

Together you may be interested in travel, literature, philosophy, or religion-interests that you did not have to the same extent before you came together. You will want explore and range widely, either in the real world or in the world of the mind. At the very least you both will find that your way of looking at the world has changed because of this relationship.

Others will recognize that the two of you have the intellectual capacity to rise above the daily concerns of life that so often bog people down and overwhelm a relationship with a mass of trivia. Together you will be concerned about larger issues that affect the world in general, and you will understand how these issues affect individuals, especially yourselves. Consequently you will have unusual foresight as a couple and will seldom be trapped by unforeseen circumstances.

In general, this relationship should enable your mind to grow and expand.

10H Composite Mercury

The key idea of Mercury in the tenth house of the composite chart is consciousness of life direction or purpose. This position implies that you both have a very strong feeling of purpose within your relationship. At the very least, you will discuss and think about your aims a lot. Mercury in the tenth house does not tell a great deal about what that purpose may be, but it does indicate that the issue will be important.

If your relationship exists for a business or professional purpose, this position suggests that you will work together successfully in such fields as communications, transportation, education, or writing.

In a personal relationship, nothing so specific is implied, except that communication at all levels will be important in fulfilling the purpose for which you have come together. There will be a strong intellectual bond between you. You will enjoy sitting and talking and sharing your ideas with each other. And the more you do this, the more you will grow as a couple.

This placement signifies that through reason, logic, communication, and thought-the functions of Mercury-you will achieve your maximum growth as a couple.

11H Composite Mercury

Mercury in the eleventh house of your composite chart gives the two of you a very hopeful attitude. You like to think about the future and make plans together. This position is likely to make you optimistic about your future as a couple.

Friends will play an important role in your life together, especially friends with whom you can exchange ideas and have witty and stimulating conversations. You will like people who are intelligent and also very lively, who can constantly present you with new ideas, rather than people who seem to be stagnant or stodgy. Younger people appeal to you especially.

At the same time, Mercury in the eleventh house is a sign that the two of you have similar intellectual goals and ideals. This increases your capacity for communication because you do not have to spend a lot of time defining basic issues for each other. Because your minds are compatible, you are able to understand each other much more quickly than you would otherwise.

12H Composite Mercury

Composite Mercury in the twelfth house indicates that the two of you will do much thinking and talking about the inner psychological aspects of your relationship. There will be considerable mental probing of yourselves and each other. At the same time, you are not likely to share this process with people outside the relationship. Others may view you as rather secretive or even clandestine in the way you communicate with each other. You will try to work out whatever problems you have within the relationship without appealing to outsiders. This is a good position for psychological self-understanding within a relationship.

However, careless probing into each other’s minds can degenerate into playing games with each other’s emotions. Be careful how you use the understandings you gain. If you use them to manipulate each other, you are likely to unleash forces that can undo the relationship. In particular, you may stop communicating and start keeping everything secret from each other. This is extremely dangerous in a relationship, because with a twelfth-house Mercury it is very likely to generate suspicion.

Find part 1 here!

☿ galaxy divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more ☿

[cicelythereaper]

If I wanted to get really into medieval welsh literature instead of just reading everything in our beloved Hergest duo, do you have any recommendations on where to begin?

hi! sorry it took me so long to answer this but hopefully the length of the answer means it's worth the wait. by "our beloved hergest duo" i'm assuming you mean the white book of rhydderch and the red book of hergest, and more specifically the texts collected as the mabinogion from those two manuscripts - if i'm wrong let me know. i'm also assuming that you mainly want to read in english translation, at least to start with.

there is a LOT of medieval welsh literature out there beyond the mabinogion but a lot of it is harder to access. this is a rough menu of options with my honest opinions about how easy it is to get at these things:

the triads of the island of britain (trioedd ynys prydein), aka a big long list of People And Things From Welsh Tradition (Some Possibly Made Up). for this you want rachel bromwich's edition and translation: there are four different editions of this and all of them are expensive (and three of them are out of print). i recommend keeping an eye out on secondhand book websites for the 2nd edition (1978) or the 4th (2014), or bugging your library to see if they have, or will buy, either of these. if you're currently at uni you may be able to get access to an electronic version of the 4th edition.

material about merlin. maybe start with geoffrey of monmouth's latin vita merlini - this is less a reflection of welsh tradition and more an extremely lengthy riff on it, but still very interesting. a new translation of it can be found here! medieval merlin material in welsh is basically all prophetic poetry, mostly from the black book of carmarthen. at the moment, the best place to find translations of this is in the romance of merlin, ed. peter goodrich (1990) - again i recommend looking out for a secondhand copy or talking to your library. hopefully the myrddin project at cardiff will soon have fresh editions and translations for us available online! (in the meantime, here's their twitter.) there's also armes prydein vawr, a somewhat different type of prophecy poem also associated with merlin/myrddin and generally dated to the 10th century, which you can find on archive.org here.

material associated with taliesin. this comes in many shapes and sizes. first of all, there's praise poetry attributed to taliesin and addressed to the 6th-century king urien of rheged: this is mostly translated in the two clancy anthologies i'm going to cite further down, but if you want the welsh text, the best place to find it is probably in ifor williams' edition (translated into english as the poems of taliesin by j. e. caerwyn williams, available from the dublin institute for advanced studies). second of all, there's All The Other Poetry Attributed To Taliesin: for this you want marged haycock's legendary poems from the book of taliesin and prophecies from the book of taliesin. again with these i recommend the secondhand or library approach. THIRD of all, there's a relatively late folktale about taliesin (this is where ceridwen and gwion bach come in): this you can find translated in patrick k. ford's the mabinogi (which it looks like you can get as a kindle or paperback comparatively cheap).

y gododdin, the massive poetic text attributed to aneirin about A Lot Of Dead Dudes In Southern Scotland. this is a tough one to get to grips with, i'm not gonna lie. if you want to get at the welsh text, the massive modern welsh edition by ifor williams (canu aneirin) is still the best there is, but he reorders the stanzas of the poem from the manuscript pretty radically. (to see the stanzas in order, look for daniel huws' facsimile edition of the book of aneirin - or, depending on how well you read medieval welsh handwriting, check out the manuscript itself.) for translations, i recommend joseph p. clancy's, which has multiple versions floating around - there's one in the triumph tree (ed. thomas owen clancy) and a slightly less full one in medieval welsh poems (joseph clancy's big anthology, now out of print). this is the most poetic while still being largely accurate, but if you're concerned about academic levels of accuracy, then i recommend balancing clancy out with kenneth jackson's the gododdin: the oldest scottish poem, which has the advantage of being designed to be used alongside ifor williams. FOR ALL OF THESE you'll need to hit up secondhand booksellers or libraries.

early welsh englyn poetry: by this i mean poetry in englyn metre about historic figures and landscapes. as academic sources/translations, if you can get your hands on them, i recommend jenny rowland's early welsh saga poetry (1990) and patrick sims-williams' new englynion y beddau (2023), but both of these are massive and expensive. a more approachable way to get at this material may be rowland's a selection of early welsh saga poems, which is intended more for classroom use - this you can get for relatively cheap as a paperback. you might also want to check out kenneth jackson's studies in early celtic nature poetry (dated, but i think he translates some of the less-studied englyn poetry in there: again, check with secondhand booksellers) and nicolas jacobs' early welsh gnomic and nature poetry (cheaper and easier to get, but untranslated, though he gives a useful glossary so you can attempt it yourself).

additional arthurian material. this is scattered across various places and manuscripts, but some good places to learn about it, if not necessarily read it, are o. j. padel's arthur in medieval welsh literature (2013, heavily recommended, you can get it cheap as a paperback); bromwich et al's the arthur of the welsh (1991), which iirc includes patrick sims-williams' translation of my beloved arthurian poem pa gur; and the new and exciting arthur in the celtic languages, ed. ceridwen lloyd-morgan and erich poppe (2019), which is going to give you a BIG and comprehensive overview of every text arthur has ever shown up in in welsh. for the last two you definitely want to go secondhand or through a library. EDITED TO ADD: [LOUD BUZZER NOISE] I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT NERYS ANN JONES' ARTHUR IN EARLY WELSH POETRY which came out in 2019! go buy it it's a £15 paperback! an absolute steal for what you get!

high and late medieval poetry of praise, lament and love: the bread and butter of the professional poet. these can be found in various places. for the gogynfeirdd, the high medieval poets, the medieval welsh texts (+ modern welsh paraphrases) can be found in the absolutely massive series cyfres beirdd y tywysogion, but this is not something to attempt to get without a powerful library on your side. the late medieval poetry, on the other hand, is edited in cyfres beirdd yr uchelwyr and can be found online here - which was news to me! much of this material has never been translated into english. for a good selection of translations of some of the best stuff, i really recommend joseph p. clancy's medieval welsh poems (find a secondhand copy or get your library to do it for you), and/or tony conran's welsh verse. a couple of good selections of the later medieval poetry are: the poetry of dafydd ap gwilym, ALL of which is available online in translation here; loomis and johnston's medieval welsh poems: an anthology; and dafydd johnston's galar y beirdd: poets' grief, which specifically collects poets' laments for their dead children.

RELIGIOUS MATERIAL, of which there is a shit-ton. my recommendations are definitely going to be missing some stuff (e.g. soul-and-body dialogues, descriptions of purgatory, etc) but here's what i've got. for material to do with welsh saints, i recommend this website, where you can find translations of a lot of the latin prose lives of saints and quite a few welsh poems about saints as well - and if you look at the bottom you'll see it lists a few more books you might want to look into. if you want an even fuller look at welsh saints' latin lives, albeit dated, see if you can get your hands on a secondhand/library copy of wade-evans' vitae sanctorum britanniae (1944). if you like genealogies, barry lewis i believe has just put out an edition and study of bonedd y saint, the genealogies of the welsh saints, available from the dublin institute for advanced studies (though it's not the cheapest thing out there).* there is also a lot of general religious poetry, which you can find edited in marged haycock's blodeugerdd barddas o ganu crefyddol cynnar (1994) and translated in mckenna's the medieval welsh religious lyric (1991).

*i should also say that if you're interested in medieval welsh genealogies in general, you want ben guy's medieval welsh genealogy - this is very technical and probably expensive but if you really need to know who's related to who in the welsh historical imagination, it's a great resource.

(pseudo-)historical texts: there are various of these. the most famous is geoffrey of monmouth's de gestis britonum (also known as historia regum britanniae, 'history of the kings of britain') - this you can find edited and translated by reeve & wright under the latter title. if you want to know about geoffrey's work but you can't get your hands on it or don't have time to read what is honestly a massive text, then i recommend karen jankulak's book geoffrey of monmouth - super useful and you can get it cheap as a paperback. then there are medieval welsh translations of this text (all known as brut y brenhinedd), some of which go on to become chronicles in their own right (brut y tywysogion). off the top of my head there are three different versions of brut y tywysogion which you can find in a good english translation: the peniarth 20 version (edited and translated by thomas jones, edition 1941, translation 1952); the red book of hergest version (ed. and trans. thomas jones, 1955); and brenhinedd y saesson (ed. and trans. thomas jones, 1971). you might also want to check out the medieval biography of gruffudd ap cynan (king of gwynedd 1081-1137), which starts as a latin text and is later translated into welsh. the latin text is edited and translated by paul russell as vita griffini filii conani (2005); the welsh text is edited as historia gruffud vab kenan (1977) and translated as a mediaeval prince of wales: the life of gruffudd ap cynan (1990) by d. simon evans.

edited to add: [LOUD BUZZER SOUND] I FORGOT ABOUT HISTORIA BRITTONUM AND SHOULD BE PUBLICLY SHAMED. this is a ninth-century latin historical text from north wales, it's weird as hell, i love it to bits and should probably actually read more of it. currently the edition everybody uses is john morris's nennius: british history and the welsh annals (1980), which is not the most expensive thing out there but certainly not the cheapest so get it through your library if you can. this is especially useful in conjunction with geoffrey's de gestis britonum because he was absolutely using it as a source.

the hardest thing to get at on this list: translation literature. by the time we get to the red book of hergest there's been a huge boom in medieval translations of french and latin texts into welsh - and these are often really fun and interesting to read, but under-studied! this is an issue because it means i basically cannot recommend you any english translations of them. if you're still interested and you want to plough through the medieval welsh yourself, here are some texts:

cân rolant, a welsh version of the 'song of roland' aka Violence Violence Violence, edited and translated by a. c. rejhon (1984) - the only thing on this list to have a recent translation, alas;

ystorya de carolo magno, edited by stephen williams, 2nd edition (1986) - a welsh version of the charlemagne legend, this is where cân rolant comes from;

ystoryaeu seint greal, a welsh translation of two french romances, queste del saint graal and perlesvaus: you can find the whole thing in the (very old, undoubtedly outdated) selections from the hengwrt mss volume 1, y seint greal, edited and translated by robert williams (1874-6), which is on archive.org here, and the welsh text of the first part is edited as y keis by thomas jones (1992);

ystorya bown de hamtwn, a welsh version of the romance of bevis of hampton, an absolutely insane text about the worst man in the world which i love dearly: the whole thing is edited (but not translated) by morgan watkin (1958); selected bits of it are edited with a useful glossary for classroom use by erich poppe and regine reck as selections from ystorya bown o hamtwn (2009);

a welsh bestiary of love, ed. g. c. g. thomas (2008) - a translation of the french bestiaire d'amour, aka Do You Want To Hear The Worst Man In The World Tell You Dubious Animal Facts? Of Course You Do;

kedymdeithyas amlyn ac amic, edited by patricia williams (1982), a welsh version of the french tale ami et amile about two identical friends;

chwedlau odo, a collection of fables, edited by ifor williams (1958);

chwedlau seith doethon rufein, edited by henry lewis (1958) - 'stories of the seven sages of rome'.

and finally, medical texts! if you want a look at medieval welsh medical practices and you want to learn a lot of plant names in middle welsh, check out diana luft's medieval welsh medical texts, which you can find online for free here.

i hope this is helpful! enjoy Experiencing Welsh Literature and best of luck getting your hands on it!

[maaarine]

Hostile Intelligence: Reflections from a Visit to the West Bank (David Graeber, 2015)

"The only answer that makes sense is that the Israel forces want the Palestinians to seethe; they want there to be resistance; but the also want to ensure that political resistance is completely ineffective.

They want a population that is compliant on a day-to-day basis, but that periodically explodes, individually or collectively, in a unstrategic and uncoordinated fashion that can represented to the outside world as irrational demonic madness.

And why would they wish to do this?

Almost every Arab political analyst I talked to considered the answer self-evident.

Israel’s economy has become largely dependent on the high-tech arms trade, and the supply of complex electronic “security” systems.

Israel is today the world’s fourth largest arms exporter, after the US, Russia, and UK (it has recently pushed back France to #5). This is actually quite a feat for such a tiny country.

But as everyone also hastens to add: Israeli arms and security systems have an enormous advantage over their rivals, one Israeli firms never fail to emphasize in their promotional literature.

They are extensively field-tested. This new type of shell that was used to destroy tunnels in Gaza!

This new type of random-distribution tear gas dispenser was successfully used against protestors in the Balata refugee camp.

This new type of laser-detection device has repeatedly foiled attacks on settlers.

Arab resistance has become a key economic resource for Israeli capital, and were it to completely quiet down, the export economy would take an immediate hit.

If bullying is to be defined as, in its essence, a form of aggression designed to produce a reaction that can then be used as retroactive justification for the initial act of aggression itself, then the Israeli Occupation has taken bullying and turned it into a principle of governance.

Everything is designed to provoke. The provocations are daily. They are ugly and humiliating.

But they are also designed to fly just under the point of flagrant, undeniable aggression, where you can claim they were not even, precisely, an “attack,” but like the schoolyard bully who’s constantly subtly poking and jabbing and kicking his victim, hoping for some outraged burst of ineffective rage that can get the victim hauled before the principal."

[mcfallen-god]

Tagged by @zaegreus thanks bestie ✨💜

Do you make your bed?

I often make the bed when I leave for a couple of days, or for a night over, so when I come back home I feel comfy and all hehe.

What’s your favourite number?

Yub, 3

But why? Eh.. The shape? The 'color'? The vibe? Occurrences in my life liked to the three? Idk, just 3 and all the 3 related numbers (33, 333 etc)

What is your job?

Student is not a job, because I am the one losing money, but yeah

If you could go back to school would you?

Probably, I'd like pre-school/middle-school, when I could learn new but easy things lol and I loved the smell and things at my school back then. I'd like to go back in whatever you call that period between 15-18 yo school time, but not for all aspect, let's say I was in a school specialized in art and it was a lot of fun to have a class like that. And for some reason too (but definitely NOT ALL ASPECTS) I'd like to be back to study literature, a part of it...

Can you parallel park?

Yub kinda but I don't like it, and I think it is easier to park on the left part of the road than the right (note: my country drives with wheel on left and road on right)

A job you had that would surprise people?

I didn't had any real job, but maybe the fact I study English literature... Because when I was a kid, until hmm 13/14? I had a deep hatred for English language xD don't ask me why, it is just a fact... This, and me studying literature to begin with, when I barely ever read.. (note: I love to read, but due to other reasons I have a very, very hard time to read even things I really really wanna read :( sed)

Do you think aliens are real?

Sure, but not in the sci-fi kind of way. I think it is absurd to think Earth is the only planet in the infinity of space that met the right conditions for life to develop. But I doubt these forms looks like... humanoid-green/grey skin beings or that they look anything as we know on Earth. I don't even know if there's any 'developed' (in human's terms) form of life, but definitely things that feed and live. (Once again, I doubt they come on Earth with super technology and such... if they do, I really hope they see their mistakes before making first contact and go far far away, before getting involved with the toxic humanity...)

Can you drive a manual car?

Lol of course I can (this question sounds very American oriented question(?) but in my country, manual car is base, we have many non-manuel, but majority is manual) but yeah, I can drive it

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Uh... I don't really know... Some shows? Some I don't even 'like' but more because it reminds me of my youth? (Glee, Ugly Betty, Bones, etc) Idk if it is count as guilty pleasure... If anything else... uh I have unspeakable kinks (only in fictional/role play dimensions, nothing sicko irl), collecting PopMarts figurines? Fried chicken with spicy sauce?? Chocolate biscuit with chips??? I DONT KNOW

Tattoos?

Not yet, I wish to have some one day, but first I need to find *the one* I have many artists/kind of tattoos I like, but eh

Favourite colour?

Green and Purple (mostly all the hues) but also: pale mint, pale yellow, pale peach, pale pink, pale bleu, pale lavender, black, white and orange...)

Favourite type of music?

I literally can enjoy anything, from rock, pop, electronic, classical, ethnic/traditional, etc... I have some issues sometimes with some form of Jazz or RnB, but I still enjoy songs from these genres, so I can't say I hate it... I would say rock is always a go-to?

Do you like puzzles?

Most of the time yeah, if it is like puzzle board game 🧩 or puzzle video games 🎮 or riddle games ❓I love it all (Im not saying I am good at it, I say I like it)

Any phobias?

Won't say it is phobia? But I feel grossed at any .. milling bugs? Like colonies of ants or when baby spiders get out of mother spider 🤢 This and I'd say it is more anxiety, but I have a hard time being in crowded place/windowless places (a bit agoraphobic/ claustrophobic but since I can manage to deal with these situations sometimes, I won't call it phobia)

Favourite childhood sport?

Maybe archery🏹 ? Or hmm basketball 🏀 and badminton🏸 ... And I kinda like to play football ⚽ but the toxicity around that sport is making it annoying and boring

Do you talk to yourself?

Rarely out loud, but pretty often in my own head. I feel dumb when I hear my own voice/sometimes it is even stressful because I grow aware of silence around me after I spoke....

What movie(s) do you adore?

Hmm tough question... Many for many different reasons.. But let's say: Legally Blonde (the vibe and the topic, go girls, can be barbie and have a brain), Princess Mononoke (base), FFVII: Advent Children (thirst), Nanny McPhee (chiiill), Crazy Kung Fu (top tier), Ne Zha (2019) (bery nice), ... That's it for TODAY's pick, what about tomorrow..?

Coffee or tea?

Both but ✨☕C O F F E E☕✨(even if Earl Grey Yin Zhen is honestly DOPE)

First thing you wanted to be growing up?

🤔 Idk which come first, but I remember I had the mad project to do "all my dream jobs at once", so I'd have been: a painter, going around the world with a circus where I'd be acrobat and magician, and yet, using the world-travelling to heal any animals I find on my way 😂🤣

A forever go-to @davi-doo

I tag... *go through mutuals*

@beardedladyqueen @kales09 @chinchilla-7 @astraluxe @general-kalani @alladeline @chromium-siren

PLEASE LEMME KNOW IF I AM PESTERING YOU! I WILL STOP!

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

'Killer electrons': Lightning storms play cosmic pinball with space weather

When lightning strikes, the electrons come pouring down. In a new study, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, led by an undergraduate student, have discovered a novel connection between weather on Earth and space weather. The team utilized satellite data to reveal that lightning storms on our planet can dislodge particularly high-energy, or "extra-hot," electrons from the inner radiation belt—a region of space enveloped by charged particles that surround Earth like an inner tube.

The team's results could help satellites and even astronauts avoid dangerous radiation in space. This is one kind of downpour you don't want to get caught in, said lead author and undergraduate Max Feinland.

"These particles are the scary ones or what some people call 'killer electrons,'" said Feinland, who received his bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering sciences at CU Boulder in spring 2024. "They can penetrate metal on satellites, hit circuit boards and can be carcinogenic if they hit a person in space."

The study appeared Oct.8 in the journal Nature Communications.

The findings cast an eye toward the radiation belts, which are generated by Earth's magnetic field. Lauren Blum, a co-author of the paper and assistant professor in the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder, explained that two of these regions encircle our planet: While they move a lot over time, the inner belt tends to begin more than 600 miles above the surface. The outer belt starts roughly around 12,000 miles from Earth. These pool floaties in space trap charged particles streaming toward our planet from the sun, forming a sort of barrier between Earth's atmosphere and the rest of the solar system.

But they're not exactly airtight. Scientists, for example, have long known that high-energy electrons can fall toward Earth from the outer radiation belt. Blum and her colleagues, however, are the first to spot a similar rain coming from the inner belt.

Earth and space, in other words, may not be as separate as they look.

"Space weather is really driven both from above and below," Blum said.

Bolt from the blue

It's a testament to the power of lightning.

When a lightning bolt flashes in the sky on Earth, that burst of energy may also send radio waves spiraling deep into space. If those waves smack into electrons in the radiation belts, they can jostle them free—a bit like shaking your umbrella to knock the water off. In some cases, such "lightning-induced electron precipitation" can even influence the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere.

To date, researchers had only collected direct measurements of lower energy, or "colder," electrons falling from the inner radiation belt.

"Typically, the inner belt is thought to be kind of boring," Blum said. "It's stable. It's always there."

Her team's new discovery came about almost by accident. Feinland was analyzing data from NASA's now-decommissioned Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) satellite when he saw something odd: clumps of what seemed to be high-energy electrons moving through the inner belt.

"I showed Lauren some of my events, and she said, 'That's not where these are supposed to be,'" Feinland said. "Some literature suggests that there aren't any high-energy electrons in the inner belt at all."

The team decided to dig deeper.

In all, Feinland counted 45 surges of high-energy electrons in the inner belt from 1996 to 2006. He compared those events to records of lightning strikes in North America. Sure enough, some of the spikes in electrons seemed to happen less than a second after lightning strikes on the ground.

Electron pinball

Here's what the team thinks is happening: Following a lightning strike, radio waves from Earth kick off a kind of manic pinball game in space. They knock into electrons in the inner belt, which then begin to bounce between Earth's northern and southern hemispheres��going back and forth in just 0.2 seconds.

And each time the electrons bounce, some of them fall out of the belt and into our atmosphere.

"You have a big blob of electrons that bounces, and then returns and bounces again," Blum said. "You'll see this initial signal, and it will decay away."

Blum isn't sure how often such events happen. They may occur mostly during periods of high solar activity when the sun spits out a lot of high-energy electrons, stocking the inner belt with these particles.

The researchers want to understand these events better so that they can predict when they may be likely to occur, potentially helping to keep people and electronics in orbit safe.

Feinland, for his part, is grateful for the chance to study these magnificent storms.

"I didn't even realize how much I liked research until I got to do this project," he said.

Other co-authors of the new study included Robert Marshall, associate professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at CU Boulder, Longzhi Gan of Boston University, Mykhaylo Shumko of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and Mark Looper of The Aerospace Corporation.

TOP IMAGE: Visualization showing how magnetic field lines, thin cyan lines, circling Earth can trap charged particles, thin yellow lines. Credit: UCLA EPSS/NASA SVS

LOWER IMAGE: Visualization of the radiation belts surrounding Earth. Credit: NASA

[cyberpunkonline]

Navigating the Neon Labyrinths: Political Constructs in Cyberpunk Media

In the dim-lit, neon-illuminated landscapes of cyberpunk media, political themes are as ubiquitous as the towering skyscrapers and omnipresent surveillance cameras. Whether it's in literature, TV shows, films, or video games, cyberpunk doesn't shy away from probing the intricate dynamics of governance, power, and societal structures. If you're keen to decrypt the political DNA of this genre, buckle up; you're in for a ride.

Corporatocracy: When Boardrooms Rule

Characteristics:

Concentration of Power: Mega-corporations have monopoly-like control over resources, technology, and often even the law.

Exploitative: Workers' rights are close to nonexistent; society becomes a breeding ground for inequality.

Profit-Driven: Ethical concerns take a backseat to the omnipotent bottom line.

Examples:

Books: William Gibson's "Neuromancer"

Films: "Blade Runner"

Video Games: "Cyberpunk 2077"

Anarchy: Chaos as a Canvas

Characteristics:

Decentralized Power: No one entity has control; power vacuums are common.

Resource Scarcity: The focus is often on survival rather than the accumulation of wealth.

DIY Culture: Citizens take matters into their own hands, often through hacking or grassroots movements.

Examples:

Books: Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash"

Films: "A Scanner Darkly"

TV Shows: "Altered Carbon"

Totalitarian States: Under the Iron Thumb

Characteristics:

State Control: Government regulates every aspect of life, often through technological means.

Surveillance: Citizens are constantly monitored; privacy is a myth.

Oppression: Dissidents are silenced, and propaganda is pervasive.

Examples:

Books: George Orwell's "1984" (Proto-cyberpunk)

Films: "V for Vendetta"

Video Games: "Deus Ex"

Techno-Socialism: Equity in the Electronic Age

Characteristics:

Public Ownership: Citizens have control over resources and means of production.

Egalitarian: A focus on reducing inequality through technology.

Community Focus: Society prioritizes collective well-being over individual gain.

Examples:

Books: Cory Doctorow's "Walkaway"

TV Shows: "Black Mirror" (specific episodes)

Hybrid Systems: A Melting Pot of Mayhem

Some cyberpunk worlds are too complex to fit into a single category. They combine elements of various political systems, often reflecting the messy, unpredictable nature of human society.

Examples:

Books: "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson

TV Shows: "Ghost in the Shell"

Films: "The Matrix"

Conclusion

From shadowy corporations and anarchist rebels to despotic governments and techno-socialist utopias, the political landscapes in cyberpunk media are as diverse as they are thought-provoking. By engaging with these systems, creators and audiences alike can explore pressing questions about governance, freedom, and the human condition, all under the guise of entertainment. Now, who said politics was boring?

- Raz

[jcsmicasereports]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Palestine: A Literature Review by Israa M.Sawalha in Journal of Clinical Case Reports Medical Images and Health Sciences

Abstract

Methods A computerized literature searches (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link, Elsevier, Semantic Scholar, and HINARI) was used to collect studies addressing the OCD in Palestine.

Results and Conclusion OCD in Palestine is widely presented in adolescence and children at a young age. The most common type of OCD in Palestine is checking type. Set of risk factors increases developing OCD, including sexual abuse at any age as well as anxiety, depression, phobia and somatization disorders. In addition, the family incomes play a big role in presenting OCD, especially low income families. Most of the patients who have OCD were depressed and complaining of stigma and ignorance. Recommendations include getting rid of the stigma, creating a chance for low income families, further studies into OCD in Palestine, ending of the occupation and preventing children from following TV programs and war results.

Key words OCD, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Palestinians Mental Health, Palestine, Gaza Strip, West Bank

Background

In this section the researchers highlighted the meaning of health, mental health and mental illness. Also, they showed the impact of Israeli occupation on Palestinians people since 1948 and lastly in 2019. Besides, the state of mental health services in Palestine. A complete condition of physical, social and mental well-being and not purely disability or disease absence are the definition of the health, according to World Health Organization (WHO)(1). According to American Psychiatric Association (APA) the mental health is the foundation for learning, communication, emotions, thinking, self-esteem and resilience, also, it is the key to personal and emotional well-being, relationships, personal and contributing to the community or society(2). Therefore, the combination of behavioral, emotional or thinking process changes, or involving a change in one of them is called a mental health illness which is common and can be treatable(3). Historically, Palestinians health affected because of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, which was divided into two areas (West Bank and Gaza Strip)(4). Those two areas were occupied by Israel in 1948, related to that about 60 percent of the Palestinians living in villages with 27 percent of them in refugee camps(5). Accordingly, Israel attacks the civilians in their places and they experience infringement of their human rights which impact their health(6). Because of affection on the civilian health, especially the mental health, there is a need to develop mental health services(7). Therefore, in 2004 the mental health policy officially adopted for West Bank and Gaza Strip by Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) and in 2002-2003 it was formulated(5). As a result, Palestinians need to meet them human rights and develop the mental health policies and services(8). In summary, the history that the researchers mentioned above about Palestine’s political condition, clearly showed that there are major challenges faced the civilians’ mental health, as well as, their social and economic state.

Methodology

A computerized literature searches (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link, Elsevier, Semantic Scholar, and HINARI) was used to collect studies addressing the OCD in Palestine. Search terms included “obsessive-compulsive disorder,” “obsessive compulsive” “OCD Palestine” “Palestinians mental health” “Health in Palestine” “Mental health Palestine” in both Arabic and English languages. Additional papers, which did not appear clearly in the electronic database while searching, were obtained via an examination of reference lists of published papers. Relevant empirical studies are summarized and presented hither. This study included all studies about OCD in Palestine and excluded the studies talked about anxiety, PTSD, or other disorders. The search identified 33 articles. Duplicates and irrelevant articles were removed. Nine articles related to OCD in a Worldwide, fifteen in Arabic countries and nine articles related to OCD in West Bank and Gaza Strip in Palestine. Also the researcher used some Arabic studies and translated them to English language. Studies selected after critically appraised.

An overview of OCD

In this following section the researchers explained the origin of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) by writing its definition and clarified main class of OCD and from where it came. Also, this review showed studies about mental health in a worldwide then Arabic world later in Palestine. Moreover, the following sections focused on OCD in Palestine.

Definition of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder This part of the study focused on the definition of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as both of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defined it. According to ICD-10, the essential feature of OCD is recurrent Obsessional thoughts and Compulsive act(9), but according to DSM-5, OCD is the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both of them(10). Obsessional thoughts are images, impulses, or ideas that enter the patient's mind repeatedly in a vulgar form. They are almost fixedly distressing and the patient often tries, unsuccessfully, to endure them, this definition according to ICD-10(9). But DSM-5 defined the Obsessional thoughts as an intruder, unwanted and recurrent thoughts or impulses that most patients cause marked anxiety or distress and the patient trials to ignore such thoughts or images by performing a Compulsion(10). Additionally, ICD-10 about Compulsive, an acts or rituals are stereotyped behaviors that are repeated over and over, these acts are not enjoyable, nor do they result in the completion of useful tasks(9). Also, the repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) is aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress, or preventing some dreaded event or situation, this definition according to DSM-5(10). As the researchers mentioned above, the OCD is a mental health disorder associated with a change in behaviors and acts, as well as with thoughts changes.

History of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

In this part the researchers showed the historical sequence of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Al-Balakhi was the first one in the world mentioned a mental illness and he put the differentiation of OCD from other forms of mental illnesses nearly a millennium earlier(11). Historically, as with any mental health condition, over time the conceptualization and treatment of OCD has changed(12). In the centuries sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century the OCD passed through different conceptualizations. Religious melancholy was in seventeenth century the description of Obsession and Compulsion(13), but they have likely been around since humans first roved the earth(12). OCD was associated with moral and spiritual issue in the seventeenth century. Later, in eighteenth century many doctors saw that the Obsessions and Compulsions were caused by intellectual disordered(12).After this view, in the nineteenth century a modern concepts of OCD began to evolved(14),which is ‘neurosis’ implied a neuropathological condition. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century OCD was engulfed along with numerous other disorders(13). Supplementally, in the twentieth century the OCD became with a new concept. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Pierre Janet (1859-1947) isolated OCD from neurasthenia(14).Freud’s view highlighted that this mental health disorder related to subconscious problems, and he sawed that both of obsessions and compulsions were often treated via psychoanalysis(14). Throughout the first half of the twentieth century Freud’s view dominated the mental health field(13). Finally, the researchers back in the time since the appearance of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder until the new concept were appeared.

OCD in a worldwide

In this section the researchers showed a review of OCD from the worldwide view by showing the prevalence of OCD in a worldwide, also the effect of it on the patient’s life, as well as its types and the prevalence of each one. Later the researchers showed risk factors. In the world, at some points in peoples’ lives, they have obsessive thoughts with or without compulsive behaviors, but that does not mean that all of them suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(15). Approximately 2% is the prevalence of in the general population in a worldwide(16). During the past year, OCD in the U.S affected 1.2% of adults. But now it affects approximately 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the U.S. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)(17). In Australia around 2% of people have OCD(18). But in the UK population, OCD affects about 12 in every 1,000 people (1.2% of the population) from young children to adults, regardless of social, cultural background or gender(19). In China the prevalence of OCD is 3.17%, according to a study done by Guo et al., its title is “Meta-analysis of the prevalence of anxiety disorders in mainland China from 2000 to 2015”(20). In this condition the patient has an obsessive need to repeatedly do certain things and may have unwanted ideas, impulses or images(21). People with OCD are usually aware that their symptoms are illogical and excessive, but they find the obsessions ungovernable and the compulsions unattainable to resist(18). There are many forms of OCD, Checking, Contamination/Mental Contamination, Symmetry and ordering, Ruminations/Intrusive thoughts and Hording(22). About the prevalence of each type the checking obsessive has the highest prevalence which is 79.3%, the second high prevalence is Hoarding obsessive which has 62.3%, later Ordering 3%, Morality 5%, Sexual/Religious 2%, Contamination/Washing 3%, Harming/Aggression 5% and Illness ratios 8% to 10% (23). A study done by J. Henderson and C. Pollard in greater ST. Louis showed that the overall prevalence rate of OCD was 2.8%. The most prevalent type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder involved checking (1.6%), followed by a multiple category that included counting, repeating and collecting rituals (1.0%) and, finally, washing compulsions (0.8%)(24) According to National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), many people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have more than one OCD form(23). The risk factors which may increase the incidence of getting an OCD are divided into three ranks, factors that the person born with, factors outside human control and modifiable risk factors(25). Factors person born with like genetics 50%, gender male at more risk to develop childhood OCD than female, brain structure and socioeconomic status as a study showed that there is an association between OCD and low socioeconomic status(25). But about the factors outside human control are included age life events and mental illness. The risk of OCD drops with age and the late adolescence has the greater risk(25). Those who have stressful life and suffer from physical or sexual abuse are a major risk factor to get OCD, also having another mental illness such as anxiety or depression increase the risk of having OCD (26). According to Owen and Adrian, the third rank is the modifiable risk factors such as drugs, marital status and employment. Drug uses cans causing a neurotransmitter changes in the brain, which create a chance for developing OCD, and being unmarried increase the risk too as well as being unemployed. However, there are many risk factors may increase the incidence to develop an OCD. OCD at higher risk to present comorbid major depression or another anxiety disorder across all areas(27). Peoples suffering from OCD also end up suffering from a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence, relationship problems, very weak willpower, and social withdrawal(28).

OCD in the Arabic countries

In this section the researchers showed a review about OCD in Arabic countries. From one hand, they pointed out that the first one highlighted the OCD was an Arabian psychiatrist and he wrote about it since 1000 years ago. And from other hand, they reviewed different studies about OCD prevalence, Islamic view, culture view and stigma in the Arabic world. Statistics mentioned that the frequency of most mental disorders does not have much difference from country to country around the world(32). The prevalence of OCD in Egyptian adolescent population is 2.2%(33). Also, 0.1 % in Lebanon(34). In Iraq, the peak age for OCD was from 21 to 30 years old, females were predominating (63.2%), singles were (47.3%) and the family history of OCD and any mental illness was observed in 20.5% and 52.9%, respectively(35). The few statistics coming out of certain Arab countries assert the reality of having no difference from country to country in the frequency of mental disorders specially OCD(32). The issue in the Arab world is more to do with stigma and ignorance than it is lack of mental health problems(32). Despite the complication and the importance of the mental health problems, the Arab world still shows a lack of awareness; patients in Arab countries tend to express their psychological issues in terms of physical symptoms, thereby avoiding the stigma attached to mental illness(36). A study done by Mohamed et al., 2015 in Egypt showed the following result: “Religious patients receiving religious psychotherapy showed significantly more rapid improvement and required lower dosage of medications and for periods less than others. The role of religion as CBT could be significant in the Islamic culture.”(37). Recently, the relationship between mental health, religiosity, and personal beliefs (Such as magical ideation) has been studied Psychiatry is depending on culture more than any other medical discipline, therefore, it is not well known in developing countries the frequency of mental illness such as anxiety, OCD or depression, even doctors themselves may not know the problem size, on the contrary of the developed countries which are well characterized in determining mental diseases(32).

An overview of OCD in Palestine

In this section the researchers showed a review of OCD in Palestine. They mentioned the prevalence of OCD in Palestine, and showed the all available studies about OCD. A 15.3% is the prevalence of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder among Palestinian university students in Gaza Strip, in assessing OCD and sociodemographic variables such as family income and type of college, study showed that the OCD is more in students coming from families earning 250$ and leases more than students from families earning 500-750$ and there is no statistical significant in OCD and type of college. In addition to that, this study showed there is no statistically significant correlation between OCD and age and grade average of the students. Also, this study clarifies that the OCD correlate with anxiety (R=0.63), with depression (R=0.66, P=0.001), with Phobic anxiety (R=0.44) and with Somatization (R=0.51). However, in assessing the OCD statue with sex, the T independent test according to the same study showed statistically significant in female than in male (Mean 15.39 vs. 15.20) (T= -50)(39). Additionally, a descriptive study done by Amira Abu Shaban in Jerusalem zone by using self-reported questionnaire and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) among Palestinian school children grade 11 (public and private), this study showed that the prevalence of OCD among Palestinian school students is 15.6%: 19.1 for females and 10.2 for males. Also, the study showed significant associations among OCD and females, students with low academic level, school achievements and less educated parents. Moreover, this study showed a strong relationship between OCD and social-demographic variables and a weak relationship with social environmental factors(40). 20.6%, according to Spence anxiety scale reported Obsessive Compulsive Disorder problems among children working due to low family income. This study, which was done by Mater et al (2007), aimed to identify the impact of work on children general mental health and anxiety in a total number of 789 children in the Gaza Strip. Also, it showed that 79.2% of children rating themselves as a psychiatric patient(42). The study sample included 99 women and their ages ranged between 16 years to 42 years with mean age 25.5. In this study pre and post assessment for women who got counseling and vocational training. Accordingly, the study showed that there was improvement in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for the women(45). In the summary for the OCD in Palestine, the OCD is higher in women than men, in adolescent and children than older ages. The risk factors that increase the OCD separation between Palestinians are low income families, stigma, and Israeli occupation, and violence, sexual abuse of the children, depression disorder and anxiety disorder.

Discussion

In this section the researchers discussed the reviewed studies about OCD worldwide, in Arabic countries, and in Palestine by showing the differences in prevalence, stigma, and risk factors.

Prevalence

The studies showed that the prevalence of OCD in a worldwide is 2%-3% (16) Convergent to the prevalence in Arabic countries 2.2% (32), but there is no general prevalence of OCD in Palestine because of lack in studies. But some studies showed 15.3% the prevalence of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder among Palestinian university students in Gaza Strip (16, 32). Checking Obsessive is the most common type in the world, 79.3% of the OCD patients are checking obsessively and 62.3% suffer from Hording Obsessive (23). The studies in Arabic countries also support this prevalence of checking obsessive 1.6%, then hording then contamination obsessions (23, 22), after that the contamination obsessions in Arabic countries and in Palestine (22, 34).

Stigma

The issue in the Arab world is more to do with stigma and ignorance than it is lack of mental health problems and the stigma attached to the illness (34, 35). Also the Palestinians studies showed that the patients suffer from community view to them and their mental health (38). The Arab world still shows a lack of awareness; patients in Arab countries tend to express their psychological issues in terms of physical symptoms, thereby avoiding the stigma attached to mental illness (36).

The risk factors

The risk factor which may increase the incidence of getting an OCD are divided into three ranks, factors that the person born with, factors outside human control and modifiable risk factors (26). The genetic factor prevalence is 50% and the male more than female in childhood (25, 28) in the world view, but in comparison with Arabic countries view the risk factors were in female more than in male in ages between 21 to 30 years old (34, 31) . Finally, in Palestine the low family income earning 250$ and less were the basis for having an OCD among Palestinians, also the studies in Palestine showed that the female more than male with mean age 15.39 for female Verses 15.20 for male(38, 31). In addition to the OCD risk factor in Palestine the sexual abuse at any age play a major role in having OCD as well as Anxiety, depression, Phobic anxiety and Somatization disorders (31, 38, 40, 44).

Definition

They are almost fixedly distressing and the patient often tries, unsuccessfully, to endure them while DSM-5 defined the Obsessional thoughts as an intruder, unwanted and recurrent thoughts or impulses that most patients cause marked anxiety or distress and the patient trials to ignore such thoughts or images by performing a Compulsion (15).

Results and Conclusion

In this section, the researchers conclude the results of this review. According to the studies that the researchers reviewed and discussed above, they found that there is a difference between the prevalence of OCD in Palestine in comparing with Arabic countries as well as with a worldwide. Also, they discovered that there is a lack of studies about OCD in Palestine especially in West Bank. The most common type of OCD in Palestine is checking type; in addition to that, OCD patients suffer from the stigma so the prevalence of it was significantly high related to fear from the community. However, there is a religious view about OCD as well as cultural view. Palestinians because of Israel occupation faced a lot of barriers standing in front of their mental health status. OCD in Palestine is widely presented in adolescence and children at a young age. The family incomes play a big role in present of OCD, especially low income families as well as a stigma. In concluding, Palestinians with OCD have a related disorder, the most common one is depressed. Also the researchers found that there was a lack in studies about OCD in Palestine and other mental health disorders, and they discovered that there is a study in specific areas of Palestine such as Gaza Strip

Recommendations

Recommendations include get rid of the stigma and create a work chances for a low income family, apply more and more studies about OCD in Palestine, ending of the occupation and prevent the children from following TV programs and war.

Limitations

The literature review has discussed an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Palestine. Palestine is a state that is seeking independence with a scare of resources; therefore, the research is underdeveloped. As a result, there is a lack of detailed data regarding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Palestine. Due to lack the complete data, all literature that was found, including a thesis study done in Al-Quds Open University about the OCD among school students in 11 grade was included.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to all authors in the field of mental health in Palestine who equipped us with the relevant information for this literature.

This case represents an unusual example of extrinsic esophageal compression due to lymphoma1,2 leading to severe pill- induced esophagitis3.

[xenopoem]

Official Report on The Intransitionalist Chronotopologies of Kenji Siratori (TRS 109)

YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE INEFFABLE FOREST

Official Report on The Intransitionalist Chronotopologies of Kenji Siratori: Appendix 8.2.3 is a xenopoetic data/dada anthology that documents the activities of the artist collective The Ministry of Transrational Research into Anastrophic Manifolds. The anthology results from an experimental approach to impersonal literary composition. Similar to surrealist definitions, but on the scale of a technical document, members of the Ministry—poets, musicians, novelists, painters, curators, artists, scientists, philosophers, and physicians—were asked to offer a microfiction, poem, essay, fictional citation, or computer code, in the form of a footnote or annotation to a glitch-generated novel by iconoclastic Japanese artist Kenji Siratori; however, each participant wrote their contribution without any access to or knowledge about the nature of Siratori’s source text. After collecting the contributions, the “footnotes” were each algorithmically linked to an arbitrary word from Siratori’s novel. The result is a work of xenopoetic emergence: a beautifully absurd, alien document scintillating with strange potency. Bringing together algorithmically and AI-generated electronic literature with analogue collage and traditional modes of literary composition, the Ministry refuses to commit solely to digital, automated, or analogue art and instead seeks technological mutualism and a radically alien future for the arts. Accompanied by a groundbreaking original score by electro-acoustic duo Wormwood, the anthology offers the radical defamiliarization and weird worlds of science fiction, but now the strangeness bites back on the level form. Readers should expect to discover strange portals from which new ways of thinking, feeling, and being emerge. A conceptual and experimental anthology, Official Report on The Intransitionalist Chronotopologies of Kenji Siratori inaugurates collective xenopoetic writing and the conceit that the future of art will consist of impersonal acts of material emergence, not personal expression. Consume with caution.

AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS Rosaire Appel, Louis Armand, David Barrick, Gary Barwin, Steve Beard, Gregory Betts, Christian Bök, Mike Bonsall, Peter Bouscheljong, Maria Chenut, Shane Jesse Christmas, Roy Christopher, Tabasco “Ralph” Contra, Mike Corrao, R.J. Dent, Paul Di Filippo, Zak Ferguson, Colin Herrick, S.C. Hickman, Maxwell Hyatt, Justin Isis, Andrew Joron, Chris Kelso, Phillip Klingler, Adam Lovasz, Daniel Lukes , Ania Malinowska, Claudia Manley, Ryota Matsumoto, Michael Mc Aloran, Andrew McLuhan, Jeff Noon, Jim Osman, Suarjan Prasai, Tom Prime , David Leo Rice, Virgilio Rivas, David Roden, B.R. Yeager, Andrej Shakowski , Aaron Schneider, Gary J. Shipley, Kenji Siratori , Sean Smith, Kristine Snodgrass, Sean Sokolov, Alan Sondheim, Simon Spiegel, Henry Adam Svec, Jeff VanderMeer, R.G. Vasicek, Andrew C. Wenaus, William Wenaus, Eileen Wennekers, Christina Marie Willatt, Saywrane Alfonso Williams, D. Harlan Wilson, Andrew Wilt

early September release

[u2fangirlie-blog]

Book Club Introduction

Recently, I was invited into a book club on Facebook. A friend asked me to join with other friends she knows. I know two out of 30 members. How are people supposed to introduce themselves and get to know each other in FB groups, particularly book clubs? I have no clue! The book club creator and moderators all follow BookTok and have To Be Read lists. I don't do that. It's all new to me.

To start, I read through posts, liked, commented, and replied to interesting and relevant posts. I thought this would be a good way to get to know new people. Then I took a risk and wrote an introduction. The post was viewed by half the crowd. My friend H. replied, but there were no other comments. Just silence. Not even a clock ticking in the background.

The first book selected is Murder at the Book Club by Betsey Reavley. I want to stay, make new friends, and be introduced to new authors, but I feel like an asshole. My introduction to the book club was dead on arrival, so I'm going to delete it from the group.

Here's the introduction. I put a lot of thought and planning into it and don't want to see words go to waste. Someone might read it in the vast expanse of words on Tumblr.

Hi! H. invited me to join the group. She said you are awesome fun people. H., C., and I have been friends since elementary and junior high school. In the past, I've been part of reading circles where we read and discussed metaphysical books. This is my first online book club. Please guide me in what is appropriate behavior and social conventions for online reading groups. I hope to read books in genres I've never read before. I look forward to getting to know everyone here.

I just want to introduce myself a little bit to the group. I'll start with my reading habits and preferences.

I don't have a TikTok account, so I don't follow any Booktok creators.

On YouTube, I don't follow many Booktube creators. However, I do watch channels that focus on one author or genre. I like Quinn's Ideas. He's the go-to guy for Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire. He also discusses classic hard scifi and new scifi. I enjoy T.L. is Reading, who is doing a Discworld read-along. If I'm interested in a new book or TV series based on a book, I'll look on YouTube. I learned a lot about the Wheel of Time that way.

I prefer print books. My house is stacked to the rafters. Remind me sometime to tell you about the time a tree branch went through the roof, and instead of going to the basement for safety, I ran upstairs to rescue boxes of books from the rain.

I do read some ebooks, usually if it's a long series or older books that are hard to find in print. Discworld has 41 book, so most of my Pratchett collection is in ebooks.

Kindle Unlimited - I don't have it because of the cost of subscriptions. If I get a book, I buy it. One reason I prefer print books over ebooks is that having physical media is forever (exceptions of fire or flood). What's going to happen if Amazon loses rights to books or if there's a major technology failure? We the consumers will lose access to digital media we "own" and paid for and will never get it back. It's already happening with streaming videos. If the Big One happens and if we lose electricity and satellites and the internet and if electronic devices stop working, y'all can come to my house. I own all the books and DVDs. LOL!

Audible - See above. Cost of subs. Potential loss of access to digital media. I listen to bootleg audiobooks on YouTube. I have a few audiobooks on CD. I haven't got any new audiobooks in ages because they're so freaking expensive.

Genres - Sci-fi. Fantasy. Classic literature. Mythology. Metaphysical. Paranormal. Occult. Tarot. Non-fiction essays and articles. Encyclopedias and dictionaries. You read that right. I'm a sucker for an encyclopedia with pretty pictures. I have lots of specialized encyclopedias in mythology, symbolism, gemstones, animals, and plants. I love etymology and enjoy looking up word origins. Classic authors: As an English major, I read a lot of the classics. Jane Austen is okay, not my favorite. I have issues with the Bronte Sisters and other authors who introduced the bad boy lover and gave really unhealthy expectations to young people about relationships.

Authors - Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Frank Herbert, Diane Duane, George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Laurel Hamilton, and Anne Rice (because smut is better with paranormal characters, and their vampires are infinitely better than Stephanie Meyers) J.K. Rowling (before she turned evil), and Neil Gaiman (Yes, I know about the allegations and am still processing how to respond publicly. His alleged behavior is horrible. The Good Omens and Sandman fandoms are fighting and ripping each other apart.)

First, full disclosure: I have a BA and MA in English, with a minor in creative writing and special studies in archetypal myth criticism. I don't write fiction. The creative writing workshops were difficult for me. My professors didn't inspire creativity, but instead they instilled critical analysis of writing, self-criticism, and self-doubt. My teachers critically wounded my desire to write stories, and later it just died. I gave up writing fiction a long time ago. No, I do not secretly want to write fiction.

My strong suit is non-fiction, including articles and essays. Mostly I write short humorous stuff for my social media and a captive audience of about 70 friends and family. Also I write in-depth analyses and criticism of books, movies, and TV series. And sometimes my friends get sick of my BS and think I'm too critical. That's just how my brain works. Analyzing something to the extreme doesn't mean I don't still enjoy it or love it. (Unless it's objectively crap. LOL!) I have a Tumblr blog for publishing what I don't want family to read.

That being said - When I put a lot of time and effort into writing a longer piece (for example an essay with photos) and people either don't read it or they only respond with a like, I feel frustrated and very hurt. I get it. People don't have time and are selective about what they read. I wrote a Tumblr post about it and will share it if anyone is interested.

For the past 7 years, I taught English comp and how to write research papers at a community college. I also ran the writing center with a staff of one (me) and helped students with their papers. If you need help with MLA and APA citations, I'm your girl! I departed for financial reasons. My past work experiences were in office/clerical. Recently, I started a new job in an office. It's good.

Finally, this is my binder full of maps. As an avid fan of fantasy and sci-fi series. maps are important to know where characters are located and the various cities and realms they are in. I'm obsessive. I'm a nerd and a dang weirdo (in the Muppet Gonzo sense of being a weirdo).

Here's a link to the binder of maps from fantasy, sci-fi, and history in literature.

[vedurnan]

electronic text corpus of sumerian literature, proverbs collection 3, segment A

[antaxzantax]

I would also love to hear some of your headcanons for Alfred and Alexia. Only if you want, of course.

My headcanons are related to the fanfic I am currently writing, so none of them are directly related to the videogame and its canon.

Anyway, here are some of the headcanons I am working on (subject to change), from childhood to adulthood.

Alexia Ashford

Her family nickname is "Lexia". She hates her name being confused with Alexandra and its diminutives (Alexia is the feminine form of Alexis, not Alexander).

His greatest passion (and obsession) is literature. He reads absolutely everything as a form of escapism or hobby, as well as for study or knowledge. Outside of his studies and work, he reads a lot of contemporary philosophy and enjoys writing essays or non-fiction. Although he also reads a lot of fiction, he does not usually write prose, preferring poetry. Outside of literature, his interests include contemporary independent music (the more niche and quirky, the better) and cinema, which he watches with his brother, with the exception of a few films that catch his eye because of their subject matter or style. His favourite franchise is Alien because of the xenomorphs (because of their association with ants).

Apart from biology and chemistry, Alexia is interested in computer science, especially artificial intelligence, and music composition with electronic synthesizers. She is also knowledgeable in various disciplines such as physics, anthropology, history, etc. She is a Renaissance woman.

Alexia tends to be introverted and socially conformist so as not to attract attention. Unlike her brother, her personality, hobbies and tastes are straightforwardly unusual, rather than stereotypical, which tends to make her seem odd to those who do not know her.

The origin of their sociopathic tendencies is related to their social isolation, both forced and voluntary, due to their differences in intelligence and personality.

Alexia's genius is based on an accelerated learning capacity, and a highly developed problem-solving and creative ability.

Alfred Ashford

His family nickname is "Alf", like ALF the alien. The nickname was given to him by his maternal grandmother before the series premiered.

He started playing video games at the age of 7, as an escape and a way of overcoming the boredom of loneliness and the absence of his father and sister, who were at university. Alexander gave him the video game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 for his thirteenth birthday. As a teenager, his love of video games, especially the explicitly violent ones, would become one of his greatest passions and collections, along with music and film.

He is passionate about both high and pop culture. His favourite artist is David Bowie and his favourite film genres are slasher and snuff. His favourite serial killer is Michael Myers from the Halloween series.

His best and only real friend is his cousin Auguste Campbell, with whom he shares hobbies and sociopathic tendencies.

Alfred tends to be outgoing and socially normative, although his personality, hobbies and tastes are unconventional. He is not shy, but his lack of self-confidence makes him withdrawn and not as decisive as Alexia.

The origin of his sociopathic tendencies is related to the absent father syndrome with Alexander, his own insecurity at being compared to Alexia, and his contrast with Alexia's personality. He resents Alexander's incomprehensible indifference towards him, especially as he knows that Alexander had a very good relationship with his father Edward.

Alfred is gifted, although his talents come from the social sciences, the humanities and the arts. He has a talent for drawing.

[books-pdf]

books pdf

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[odiagan]

Discovering the Traditional Music of Odisha: 7 Major Genres of Odia Music

Odisha, known for its rich cultural heritage, boasts a diverse and vibrant musical landscape. Here are the top 7 categories of Odia music that showcase the state's musical richness:

Jagannath Bhajans:

Jagannath Bhajans are devotional songs dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a significant deity in Odia culture. These bhajans are sung in praise of Lord Jagannath and are an integral part of Odisha's religious and musical traditions. They are often sung in temples and during religious festivals.

Odia Film Songs:

Odia cinema, also known as Ollywood, has produced numerous melodious songs over the years. From romantic ballads to peppy dance numbers, Odia film songs cater to a wide range of musical tastes. Fans can easily find and download the latest Odia movie songs, including new Odia song MP3 download, from various online platforms.

Sambalpuri Folk Music:

Sambalpuri folk music originates from the western regions of Odisha, particularly Sambalpur. It includes vibrant folk songs accompanied by traditional instruments like dhol, nisan, and flute. Sambalpuri songs often depict rural life, nature, and cultural celebrations.

Classical Odissi Music:

Odissi music is an essential component of Odissi dance, one of the classical dance forms of India. It features classical ragas, tala patterns, and lyrical compositions in Odia language. Odissi music is known for its graceful melodies and rhythmic intricacies, making it a cherished art form.

Odia Modern Music:

Contemporary Odia music encompasses a variety of genres, including modern pop, rock, fusion, and electronic music. Many talented Odia artists and bands create innovative compositions that blend traditional elements with modern sounds, catering to the preferences of younger audiences.

Chhanda & Champu Music:

Chhanda and Champu are traditional poetic forms in Odia literature, often set to music. Chhanda features rhythmic verses suitable for singing and is commonly used in Odia music compositions. Champu combines prose and poetry and has been historically used in Odia music to convey narratives and emotions.

Odia Bhajans & Kirtans:

Odia Bhajans and Kirtans are devotional songs sung in praise of various deities like Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, and Goddess Durga. These spiritual compositions invoke a sense of devotion and are performed during religious gatherings, especially in temples and during festivals.

To explore and download Odia songs, including new Odia song MP3 download and Odia song download, enthusiasts can visit reputable music streaming platforms, online music stores, or dedicated Odia music websites. These platforms offer a vast collection of Odia music across different genres, ensuring that listeners can enjoy a diverse range of musical experiences from Odisha's rich musical heritage.

[tazzx]

I really want to post and do some more writing in here. Problem is I am overthinking what everyone would think of my writing, journal, special interest,etc. is very hard for me to communicate my own opinions, thoughts and ideas.

A bit about me

I am a writer (journalist) although I went to Uni I work as an illustrator for children's books. I also have a small shop in where I sell stickers and keychains. (Among other accessories and stationary)

My special interest beside literature and writing

+ plantae kingdom and animal kingdom (specially trees and reptiles)

+ I collect old music reproducing devices like "sterios for cassettes", " record players"

+ current interest lately has been electronic basics.

My first language is Spanish.

I am autistic (actually diagnosticated when I was 17 tik tok didn't existed in 2013 nothing against people thinking they are autistic, but it has made people who are diagnosed not being taken seriously in work places and school accomodations and in many other areas) I also have add and take meds which it sucks because I fear the day I have to function without a stimulant.

I have two chronic illness which sucks I miss the days of being healthy or feeling normal.

I have both cat and dog so I can't be neither a dog or cat person cuz I love them both.

If you wish to be friends dm me I am quite social on text.

[cyberpunkonline]

The Rise and Fall of The Rivethead: The Beat that Shook the Industrial Labyrinth

The '80s and '90s saw the burgeoning of a darkly vibrant subculture known as Rivetheads, whose identity coalesced around the pulsing, machine-like rhythms of industrial music. The progenitors of this movement—bands like Front 242, Skinny Puppy, and Nitzer Ebb—fused electronic synths, heavy metal guitar riffs, and themes of dystopian futurism, resonating with the post-punk disenchantment of the era.

At its inception in the mid-1980s, the Rivethead scene was deeply intertwined with the cyberpunk genre, both aesthetically and philosophically. This was a time when William Gibson's "Neuromancer" was not just fiction but a blueprint for a subcultural manifesto. Rivetheads adopted the gritty, high-tech-low-life style, blending the nihilistic bravado of punk with the speculative tech visions of cyberpunk literature.

By the early '90s, Rivetheads had carved out a niche in the underground club scene, a place where strobe lights and fog machines mirrored the chaotic energy of their music. This was a scene less about mosh pits and more about the stomp—an aggressive dance fitting for the mechanical assault of the music. As bands like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails broke into the mainstream, so too did elements of Rivethead culture, propelling it into a broader public consciousness.

The fall—or perhaps more aptly, the dispersal—of the Rivethead movement began in the late '90s. As the music industry shifted, and the internet began to reshape subcultures, the tightly-knit communities of Rivetheads started to fragment. The underground clubs that were once the heart of the scene couldn't compete with the changing landscape of digital music and social media.

By the 2000s, the once-thriving Rivethead scene had faded into a cultural echo, though it never truly died. Like the cyberpunk ethos to which it was kin, the essence of Rivethead culture persists in various forms—be it in fashion, in the continued cult following of industrial bands, or in the thematic undertones of modern techno-industrial acts.

The Rivethead culture, much like the cyberpunk narratives it mirrored, illustrated the fleeting nature of subcultures in the modern age. It served as a powerful reminder of the cyclical rise and fall of collective identities, offering a heady mix of sound and fury that, for a time, defined an era of industrial counterculture.

- Rev1

[not-sriracha]

🎯 【 ｍａｄ，　ｂａｄ，　ａｎｄ　ｄａｎｇｅｒｏｕｓ　ｔｏ　ｋｎｏｗ．】

･ﾟ Is that SURACHAI “DARTBOARD” KATHALIPATRASAMIT? A SENIOR originally from MANHATTAN, NY, USA, by way of BANGKOK, THAILAND, they decided to come to Ogden College to study BUSINESS and minor in MARKETING. They’re THE MISCREANT on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.

[content warnings for references to drug use, mental illness.]

･ﾟ introducing...

dartboard.

full name surachai kathalipatrasamit; meaning: "celestial victory"

nicknames dartboard (the go-to. in thai culture, people call each other by their nicknames), chai (the wOoOorst nickname to call him unless you're cara morrison), [insert epithet here], [redacted]

age 23

d.o.b. january 1, 2000 (the y2k baby, baby)

p.o.b. bangkok, Thailand

zodiac capricorn sun, scorpio moon, sagittarius rising / year of the naga

family thiraphong (pôr/father), intira (mâe/mother), hathaikan (step-mother), latda (younger step-sister)

pets two cats

ethnicity thai

nationality dual citizen american/thai

height 5'9" / 175 cm

hair color black

eye color dark brown

tattoos sak yant tattoos on his back and shoulders, inscribed holy scriptures and nagas

piercings earrings, eyebrow ring (he takes it on and off)

style greaser-esque, modern blend of punk, alternative, & business (think syndicate style), wears prescription glasses, enjoys jewelry such as necklaces and rings

gender cis man

pronouns he/him

sexuality opportunistic (demiromantic bisexual)

religion spiritual (mix of satsana phi and syncretized thai buddhism)

languages central thai, english, mandarin chinese, khmer

year senior

major business

minor marketing

extracurriculars none (because no one wants a bad reputation)

clubs none (read above)

occupation just a hard-working full-time student, nothing else, officer

businesses [redacted]

mbti tbd.

enneagream 8w7

moral alignment tbd.

traits bold, loyal, persevering, fatalistic, judgmental, distrusting, patient, unpredictable, vexing, confident, perceptive, provocative, articulate, enticing, & unhinged

quirks loves to dare/challenge/test people's limits/loyalties, interested in seeing how fate unfolds, gives specialized nicknames at random, and never seems to be warm enough

hobbies collecting things, watching films, reading classic literature, long drives on his motorcycle, going to underground sex clubs, tbd. & minecraft

skills polyglotism, lockpicking, hotwiring, sleight of hand, tinkering with electronics, fast texter, driving (cars and motorcycles), rapid and accurate mental mathetics, reading people (doesn't care to do it when someone's so fake, it's like yeah ok do your thing), muay thai, lying, & aptitude with knives/short-range firearms, playing the guitar

likes spicy food, magic tricks, guay teow, darts, card games, fincher movies, warm weather, astrological readings (for fun, he doesn't actually believe in western astrology), actually quiet cafes to read, fragrant incense, & tbd.

dislikes pretension, uniforms, social media, the cold, traffic jams, sad songs on acoustic guitar, & fast fashion

vices drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, & violent outbursts

aesthetics tbd.

･ﾟ an overview on...

the miscreant.

･ﾟ an abstract of...

the fatalist, then let me be evil, anti-villain, noble demon, troubled (but cute), sarcastic devotee, jade-colored glasses, villainous valor, freudian excuse, & i want my beloved to be happy.

･ﾟ synonymous with...

richard iii (richard iii), lucifer (paradise lost), lucifer (lucifer [tv]), heathcliff (wuthering heights), horatio (hamlet), scarlet witch (mcu), griffith (beserk), megamind (yeah fr, from megamind), tommy shelby (peaky blinders), jordan belfort (the wolf of wall street), crowley (good omens), crowley (supernatural), achilles (the illiad), goro majima (yakuza series), KENTA (wrestler), & rust cohle (true detective).

･ﾟ relationship to Ogden College...

On campus, Surachai is public enemy #1 (to the ones who care about that sort of thing). Perhaps he would've been even more infamous if he hadn't been absent from social functions for most of his years at Ogden, checking in and out of rehab, as the rumors say. Word travels fast around Ogden, faster if you're not there to wave off the gossip. While Surachai was away, the faceless masses unearthed the skeletons in his closet for macabre sightseeing. Now it's public knowledge how Surachai's had a hard past revolving around drugs that even led to a criminal record when he was a minor. You'd think the Miscreant would run off to a new school, reinvent himself, and hide his sins. However, when made out to be the morality tale of "don't end up like him," Surachai has embraced the bad press. If he's the Miscreant, the worst of the worst, the monster they've all made him out to be, he'll be the best damn devil on your shoulder.

･ﾟrelationship to Greer...

"She and I used to be friends. We drifted apart, but that's life." Surachai would tell you, and you'd likely agree with him. It makes sense; the Golden Girl wouldn't associate with the Miscreant of Ogden College. But the truth is always stranger than fiction, and the shadow is always on the heels of the light. If Surachai goes by Dartboard, then Greer Morrison is his bullseye. He is her ride-or-die, her closest friend and confidant, who she can trust to keep his mouth shut. Since he was five years old, Surachai has been by Greer's side, and the two grew up together. They had a "public" falling out when Surachai went to rehab for the first time, but privately, they continued their close and intense friendship. She told him everything, and Surachai repeated nothing. While Surachai is no longer in the limelight with the Golden Girl due to his scandalous past and her keeping up appearances, he was her unfailing chaperone whenever Greer was in the mood to freefall in the dark. They were practically partners in crime. Before she was Golden, she was Greer. Only a few people knew about it, and fewer speak of it. Surachai would rather cut off his tongue than spill her secrets, even when peeling off the Golden Girl's shiny veneer could save everyone from the mysterious G. Over-protective? Yes. Psychotic? Maybe. You'd be for the person who has your heart.

･ﾟa thesis on his background...

[redacted. case file must have clearance to open.]

･ﾟa deep dive on his methodology...

[redacted. case file must have clearance to open.]

･ﾟa treatise on...

his connections.

in deep details with the devil.

every budding empire needs people. surachai's a man with big, big ambitions. whether or not you believe in his means, you will be paid handsomely in the end. so what say you, faust? shall we become legends? —FILLED by [redacted & redacted.]

business doing pleasure with you.

if you want to traverse the underground party scene, you need a guide who knows the labyrinthian alleyways like the back of his hand. but rolling with surachai doesn't come easy, and he truly wonders if you can chase the greatest high. (platonic; multiple spots)

hades & persephone.

welcome to the underworld, persephone; sorry you're stuck here for a while. look away from the blood, and keep your head up to the stars that shine on these dark nights. you shouldn't worry; it's all temporary. no matter how alluring, don't indulge, and soon you'll see the light. — FILLED by [redacted]

i'm the one to beat, yeah.

every story is a truth fabricated, and surachai is a man made of stories. he just doesn't want to tell them. information about the golden girl and the sordid pasts of the rich and (in)famous are all buried in his mind. how dirty will your hands get digging up his skeletons? and can you do it before the undertaker arrives? (antagonistic)

russian roulette is not the same without a gun.

the world's greatest bluffing game, table for two. surachai loves to challenge people, and not many can overcome his trials. except you. you're a card shark worthy of your chips, who always sees his bet, and sometimes ups the ante. this game only has one ending. will you hold, or will you fold? —FILLED by [redacted]

i can be yuor devil if yuo'll be my angle.

surachai is no stranger to flings but keeps his heart locked for his one and only. for all the tempting he does to others, he's conversely disinterested in moving on from his beloved. so he lurks in the shadows, a recluse holding his heart close to his chest. after all, who could love a monster? —FILLED by [redacted]

& more tbd.

･ﾟa discussion with...

the man himself.

“You wouldn’t have wanted Greer to disappear, would you?”

Surachai is seated at a cafe, an off-campus favorite of his, and the two of you await your drinks. Since entering the sleek establishment, there are eyes on the two of you, tense like a coiled spring. “That’s one hell of a leading question, ain’t it?” The young man says, rolling a quarter across his knuckles. “Why would I?” He chuckles, relaxing in his seat. Somehow, the room seems to sigh in relief. “I don’t even know what she’s up to. We don’t hang out as much as we did back in the day, but that’s part of college.” He says, opening up his arms in a vague imitation of a ‘ta-daa.’ The drinks arrive, and he salutes the wait staff with a two-fingered swooping off his brow. They gulp and skitter away. Unfazed, Surachai sips at his clear beverage.

“I think you’re best off asking someone who keeps her in their phone.” He shrugs toward the black iPhone out on the table.

“I don’t have her number and hate to break it to you, but you don’t have your guy.”

since i cannot prove a lover—i am determined to prove a villain.

credits: i, ii, iii