#Indonesia. Island of Gods

[iko66]

Bali, Indonesia. Island of Gods

[desttravel]

With its stunning beaches, vibrant culture, and unique charm, Bali, Indonesia is a must-visit destination for any traveler.

Known as the Island of Gods, Bali has something to offer everyone, from adventurers seeking thrilling outdoor activities to those looking for a relaxing vacation in a tropical paradise.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

48,000-Year-Old Cave Painting from Indonesia: this painting shows several animals being hunted by tiny figures that are part-human and part-animal (known as therianthropes); researchers believe that this may be the earliest known depiction of mythical beings

This painting was found at Leang Bulu' Sipong 4, which is a limestone cave located on the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia.

The panel shown here is just one part of a much larger painting that measures nearly 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) long, and it decorates the wall of a hidden chamber that was discovered back in 2017. The full-length painting portrays six animals, including two wild pigs and four anoas (which are small, buffalo-like creatures that are endemic to Indonesia). All of the animals are shown being captured, hunted, and/or pursued by tiny figures that appear to be part-human and part-animal; their vaguely human-like bodies are depicted with animalistic features such as tails, beaks, muzzles/snouts, lizard-like torsos, and horns.

Above: a digital tracing of the full-sized painting, with one of the anoas and several human-like figures magnified

It's possible that some of these animal-like traits represent masks, headdresses, or costumes, but several of the figures also exhibit more extreme features that cannot be produced by simple costumes. Researchers argue that the animal-like costumes would also be useless and impractical as hunting props, given that they mostly seem to mimic small animals like birds and lizards.

Above: two of the figures that are described as therianthropes, both of which seem to be using spears or ropes to subdue the much larger anoa

The original analysis of this painting in 2019 indicated that it was created over 43,900 years ago, but further testing in 2024 revealed that it was created even earlier, dating back to at least 48,000 years ago -- which makes this the world's second-oldest example of figurative art (i.e. artwork that depicts real or recognizable subjects, such as humans or animals).

It's unclear whether or not the animal-like figures actually represent therianthropes, but if they are therianthropic, as archaeologists speculate, then this painting would be the world's oldest known depiction of mythical beings, and it would constitute the earliest known evidence of spiritual or supernatural thinking. It is more than 8,000 years older than the famous Löwenmensch ("lion-man") carving from Germany, which has long been recognized as the world's oldest depiction of a therianthrope.

According to this article:

For whoever painted these figures, they represented much more than ordinary human hunters. One appears to have a large beak while another has an appendage resembling a tail. In the language of archaeology, these are therianthropes, or characters that embody a mix of human and animal characteristics.

"The images of therianthropes may also represent the earliest evidence for our capacity to conceive of things that do not exist in the natural world, a basic concept that underpins modern religion,” said Adam Brumm, study co-author and associate professor at the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution. “Therianthropes occur in the folklore or narrative fiction of almost every modern society, and they are perceived as gods, spirits or ancestral beings in many religions worldwide.”

These interpretations are speculative, however, and the inspiration for the painting, as well as its significance to the humans who created it, is likely to remain a mystery.

Archaeologists have been aware of Sulawesi's abundant cave art since the 1950's, but dating techniques were not used on the paintings until 2014. For decades, it was assumed that the artwork was less than 10,000 years old, but when animal paintings and hand stencils from seven different caves were finally analyzed in 2014, researchers were shocked to discover that some of the artwork was created more than 39,900 years ago -- predating most of the world's earliest known cave paintings. Since then, archaeologists have discovered and/or dated many other cave paintings from Sulawesi that date back to more than 40,000 to 51,200 years ago.

These discoveries firmly contradict the traditional (and deeply eurocentric) assumptions that had previously been made about the origins of artistic expression, as this article explains:

Previously, the oldest known cave art was thought to have first appeared in Europe 40,000 years ago, showcasing abstract symbols. By 35,000 years ago, the art became more sophisticated, showing horses and other animals.

These latest finds in Indonesia have challenged a long-standing belief that artistic expression – and the cognitive leap that may have accompanied it – began in Europe.

It’s now thought that the capability to create figurative art either emerged before Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa and headed for Europe and Asia more than 60,000 years ago, or that it emerged more than once as humans spread around the globe.  

Unfortunately, many of the cave paintings in Sulawesi and other parts of Indonesia are now rapidly crumbling away as a result of climate change. The limestone surfaces of the cave walls are peeling away at an alarming rate, erasing large sections of the paintings in the process; in some caves, patches of artwork measuring 2-3cm wide are vanishing every few months.

Sources & More Info:

The Guardian: Earliest Known Cave Art by Modern Humans Found in Indonesia

Scientific American: Is This Indonesian Cave Painting the Earliest Portrayal of a Mythical Story?

National Geographic: Ancient Cave Art May Depict the World's Oldest Hunting Scene

The Leakey Foundation: Indonesian Cave Paintings Show the Dawn of Imaginative Art

Nature: Earliest Hunting Scene in Prehistoric Art

Nature: Narrative Cave Art in Indonesia by 51,200 Years Ago

The New York Times: Mythical Beings May be Earliest Imaginative Cave Art by Humans

Science: World's Oldest Hunting Scene Shows Half-Human, Half-Animal Figures -- and a Sophisticated Imagination

Smithsonian Magazine: A Journey to the Oldest Cave Paintings in the World

Art Net: Some of the Oldest and Most Revered Cave Paintings in the World Are Under Extreme Threat Due to Climate Change

Nature: Humanity's Oldest Art is Flaking Away

[vestaignis]

Вулкан Бромо на о. Ява, расположенный в национальном парке Бромо-Тенгер-Семеру, взмывает на высоту 2392 м и считается самым активным и «ненасытным» на острове. Последние 20 лет он постоянно «дышит», его огромный кратер диаметром 600 м все время наполнен дымом, а все вокруг, включая тропы и дороги вокруг вулкана, усыпаны густым слоем пепла. Однако это абсолютно не мешает Бромо привлекать многочисленных туристов, которые приезжают, чтобы полюбоваться фантастическими «лунными» пейзажами, посмотреть со смотровой площадки на могучий вулкан на рассвете, когда его склоны окрашиваются в розовые и золотые тона, и, наконец, совершить восхождение к кратеру и пройтись по его кромке на высоте птичьего полета.

Название Бромо происходит от яванского имени бога Брахмы, и находится вулкан посреди песчаной равнины, которую местные жители называют Сегара Веди, что значит «Песчаный океан». Здесь же, у северных склонов Бромо стоит индуистский храм Пура Лухур Потен, построенный из темных вулканических камней. Каждый год, начиная с XV в., тенгеры (яванская народность) целый месяц отмечают праздник Ядня Касада, во время которого они поднимаются к кратеру и сбрасывают в жерло вулкана жертвоприношения богам – фрукты, овощи, цветы, рис, кур и даже домашний скот, причем живьем. Именно поэтому Бромо и называют «ненасытным».

Лучшее время для посещения вулкана - с апреля по октябрь. Сезон дождей длится с декабря по март. Днем здесь прохладно, температура не превышает +20°C.

Mount Bromo on Java Island, located in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, rises to a height of 2,392 m and is considered the most active and “insatiable” on the island. For the last 20 years, it has been constantly “breathing”, its huge crater with a diameter of 600 m is constantly filled with smoke, and everything around, including paths and roads around the volcano, is strewn with a thick layer of ash. However, this does not prevent Bromo from attracting numerous tourists who come to admire the fantastic “lunar” landscapes, look at the mighty volcano from the observation deck at dawn, when its slopes are painted in pink and gold tones, and, finally, climb to the crater and walk along its edge at a bird's eye view.

The name Bromo comes from the Javanese name of the god Brahma, and the volcano is located in the middle of a sandy plain, which the locals call Segara Wedi, which means “Sand Ocean”. Here, on the northern slopes of Bromo, there is a Hindu temple, Pura Luhur Poten, built of dark volcanic stones. Every year, since the 15th century, the Tenggerese (Javanese people) celebrate the Yadnya Kasada festival for a whole month, during which they climb to the crater and throw sacrifices to the gods into the volcano's mouth - fruits, vegetables, flowers, rice, chickens and even livestock. That is why Bromo is called "insatiable".

The best time to visit the volcano is from April to October. The rainy season lasts from December to March. It is cool here during the day, the temperature does not exceed +20°C.

Источник://t.me/krasivye_mesta_turizm,/vsegda-pomnim.com / vulkany/6053-vulkan-bromo-76-foto.html,//photopole.ru/krasivye-kartinki/vulkany-krasivye,/geosocks.com/bromo-volcano/, //thinking.ru/trips/indonesia/vulkan-bromo-na-indoneziyskom-ostrove-yava/,www.pac.ru/guide/indonesia/java/landmarks/mount-bromo/,/www.tripadvisor.ru/Attraction_Review-g297710-d2307699-Reviews-Bromo_Tengger_Semeru_Adventure-Malang_East _Java_ Java.html,//www.tourister.ru/world/asia/indonesia/city/malang/volcano/30191.

[bangtanhoneys]

BTS WEDDING SERIES: Honeymoon

SEOKJIN - LANDAA GIRAAVARU, MALDIVES

If there had been two things you both had wanted to do, it would have been eating and relaxing with a bit of fishing thrown in for Seokjin and privacy for you. It had been hard enough planning a wedding with a public figure but planning a honeymoon where all eyes would be on you if you even stepped outside your hotel room, it boiled down to the fact that it meant only a private island would do. 

Yoongi had stolen the idea from you when it came to his wedding but Seokjin being Seokjin, he had done his research and found an island in the Maldives which was home to the luxury Four Seasons resort where all your needs would be catered for. 

It had been an extremely long flight from Seoul and then another long trip from the airport to the actual island itself. By the time you even stepped into your hotel room, all you both wanted to do was sleep. 

However, you had two weeks of private beaches, Michelin-starred dining, snorkelling, fishing and enjoying a world-class wellness spa. 

“It’s going to be hard to go back to Seoul after this,” Seokjin commented as you both sat outside on the terrace, designed to look like you were in Marrakech rather than the Maldives. There were two more nights before you left the most magical place on earth that would soon disappear due to climate change. 

“I know, being wined and dined and looked after for two weeks under the sun with nothing to do other than relax,” you sighed as you dined on traditional Arabic food. 

“But back to Seoul as husband and wife though.”

YOONGI - BALI, INDONESIA

When you had sat down with Yoongi, amid all your wedding planning, to discuss the honeymoon there were only a few things he wanted: privacy, a place where the two of you could escape if it all got too much, relaxation and a bit of adventure. 

Maldives had been on top of the list but Seokjin had already claimed that (as he helpfully pointed out) but Bali was also another contender. Private villas but still on a resort, waited on hand and foot, but in the traditional setting of Indonesia where you still could go and explore. It would be warm but not too warm. 

The presidential villa had been booked within seconds of Yoongi looking at it, with two bedrooms (god knows why but you knew he’d escape into that room if he got too hot), two bathrooms and a huge outdoor lounge with a large heated pool and absolute privacy.

That’s what it had advertised and that’s what you got when you were led to your private village by a member of the resort who unlocked the door for you, handed over the key and left you to it.

“Holy shit,” you whispered as you walked down the steps onto the grass, and admired the pool for a moment but it was the view that took your breath away. Palm trees, jungle, and unbothered trees that swayed in the breeze.

“They even stocked up the mini bar,” Yoongi commented as he joined you on the small lawn, obviously not having seen what had taken your breath away.

“What? What?” he asked, holding up his hands in defence as you excitedly slapped his arm. “Oh.”

The two of you stood there in complete silence, the only sound was the breeze and a bird off in the distance.

“Okay, this was a good choice if I do say so myself.”

HOSEOK - BARCELONA

It had been pretty easy picking a honeymoon destination - you both had wanted a place filled with history, somewhere warm, somewhere you could do a bit of shopping, somewhere that wasn’t Dubai or Hawaii or Paris. Something different.

Which is how you found yourself stepping off the plane to sunny Barcelona, a private car to take you to your fancy hotel in the middle of the city and the keys to your suite in your hand before you could even think that you were actually on your honeymoon.

“Wow, jagiya, come and take a look at this!”

Hobi’s voice distracted you from where you were unpacking your two large suitcases that contained enough clothes for a month (even though you were only here for two weeks). He stood on the balcony and as you joined him, you could see the famous Passeig de Gracia, one of the major avenues in Barcelona and one of the most expensive ones.

“It has everything we wanted to see,” he carried on about the list you two had made before you had left, detailing everything you wanted to see in Barcelona from the art to the history to the architecture to the fashion. It seemed if not all of it, most of it was one this one particular avenue. 

“And the beach is a half an hour walk or a 20-minute train ride as well,” you commented after pulling out your phone to check where on the map in Barcelona you actually were.

“Before we do any sightseeing, let’s go and get something to eat. That flight was too long.”

NAMJOON - ROME

Of course, it was easy to plan a honeymoon around Namjoon’s interest. There were so many cities and countries to pick from, whether he had been there or not, and it all came down to one place in the end - Rome. It had the history, the art, the galleries, everything the two of you wanted to see while you were on your two-week honeymoon and if you fancied going to the beach, there was a beach which was an hour away. 

He had planned a detailed itinerary for the two weeks and had researched everything from the places you wanted to go, to the hotel, to the food, to even the public transport. If there was one thing he had full control over in any aspect of the wedding planning, the honeymoon had been in his hands.

You just had to look after the passports. You weren’t making that mistake again. 

You weren’t sure if it was the time difference, the sound of Rome waking up or the fact that Namjoon had woken you up by walking into the door to the bathroom, but you rolled over in the softest bed you had ever laid in and stretched. 

Today would be the first full day in Rome and you had VIP passes for the Vatican, Namjoon pulling his BTS card to make sure you get into all the places that the public could very rarely access. You needed to pack a bag with your ID, wallets, sunglasses, sunscreen, your passes and your phone to take plenty of pictures. 

But before all that, you could hear Namjoon’s stomach rumble from the bathroom in time with your own stomach reminding you that you hadn’t eaten since the plane. 

“Breakfast?” Namjoon asked, poking his head around the doorway with his toothbrush in his mouth.

“Breakfast,” you sighed as you got out of bed and joined him in the bathroom. “Is it too early to eat gelato?”

JIMIN - CALIFORNIA

How Jimin managed to blag a three-week honeymoon was beyond you. Somehow Jimin managed to pull his charm when he had discussed the details with the rest of the guys as well as the team. But you shouldn’t be surprised when it came to Jimin and his skills, especially when he pulled out the honeymoon of a lifetime out of his bag. 

Starting in San Francisco, you’d have three days there to visit the famous sights of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Driving down the coast would be the Big Sur where you’d spend a day enjoying the beach and the small towns that the coast had to offer before arriving in Los Angeles where Jimin had booked a two-day trip to Disneyland.

After Los Angeles, it would be San Diego and then onto the amazing Joshua Tree National Park and then onto the Sequoia National Park and the Yosemite National Park and finally onto the Napa Valley where Jimin had booked a wine tasting experience for you.

And you’d be back in San Francisco to go back to Seoul and reality.

It sounded amazing as you read through the itinerary again and you couldn’t wait to spend every moment with your husband, who was currently fast asleep in his chair with his legs stretched out. The two of you had a late night of packing, getting the last-minute bits and finalising the trip, it had left with you two with two hours of sleep before your alarm had woken you up to get to the airport.

Tucking the papers away into your bag, you slipped your eye mask over your eyes and made yourself comfortable against Jimin’s chest. You’d have access to Jimin 24/7 as husband and wife, so you’d need all the sleep you could get.

TAEHYUNG - PARIS, FRANCE 

The City of Love - glamourised by artists, playwrights, poets and served as the setting for some of the greatest love stories of all time. So it hadn’t come as a surprise when Taehyung had booked a week in Paris for your honeymoon, knowing it had been a city on your bucket list for a long time and Taehyung had never really got to experience it with someone who he loved as much as he did you. 

He had planned the week to the detail with visits to Versailles, cocktails at the Hemingway at the Ritz, a private tour of Lourve (because if Beyonce could do it, so you could you) and dinner at some of the most expensive top end restaurants the city had to offer. 

There was no need to take any clothes because you’d be spending the first day in Paris buying your wardrobe on his card. 

And as you woke up on your second day in Paris, with a wardrobe designed by Celine, and breakfast on the balcony that overlooked the Eiffel Tower and your husband ruffling his fluffy hair as he came out of the bathroom and stumbled through the living area to where you were waiting.

“Happy?” he asked, already pouring the complimentary champagne that came with the breakfast into the crystal glasses.

“We could be in Daegu and I’d still be the happiest person in the world.”

JUNGKOOK - AUSTRALIA

Jungkook wasn’t afraid to admit that he was a bit of a homeboy. While he loved the fact his career allowed him to go to some amazing places such as the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, South America and even New Zealand - he loved nothing more than being home in South Korea. 

So when it came to figuring out where the two of you wanted to go for your honeymoon, the answer had been in front of you the entire time. Jungkook was known for just going with the flow but needed somewhere with adventure and somewhere where he could flex his photography and videography skills. You, on the other hand, didn’t care where you went or what you did. 

A road trip was going to be the answer and after many many many weeks of being indecisive, you finally decided Australia was going to be the place. It took a week of planning the route, booking the campervan and the flights and soon you were flying into Darwin, to start your two-week road trip down the spine of Australia’s outback known as the Explorer’s Way.

“It’s been awhile,” Jungkook commented as he loaded up the campervan with the two suitcases and the bags of food you had bought at the local store near to where you got your campervan.

“At least you only have to share the bed with one person,” You laughed as you closed up the doors and settled into the passenger seat, the rough itinerary the two of you had planned in your lap.

“So where to first? Kakadu National Park wasn’t it?” Jungkook asked, already plugging in the name of the park into the navigation.

“Three hours away,” you said as you got your playlist started.

“Let the honeymoon begin!”

[nerdsbianhokie]

Reading the World

In 2023, I challenged myself to watch a movie from every country in the world during the year, which I more or less succeeded. At the start of 2024 I decided to read a book from every country in the world (without the time restraint) and got a map to track my progress along with a challenge on Story Graph.

List of countries and books below the cut

Current count: 59

Afghanistan:

Albania:

Algeria:

American Samoa: Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel

Andorra: Andorra: a play in twelve scenes by Max Frisch

Angola: The Whistler by Ondjaki

Anguilla:

Antigua and Barbuda:

Argentina: Our Share of the Night by Mariana Enríquez

Armenia:

Aruba:

Australia: Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia edited by Alexis West

Austria:

Azerbaijan:

Bahamas:

Bahrain:

Bangladesh:

Barbados:

Belarus:

Belgium:

Belize:

Benin:

Bermuda:

Bhutan: Folktales of Bhutan by Kunzang Choden

Bolivia:

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Botswana:

Brazil: The Words That Remain by Stênio Gardel

British Virgin Islands:

Brunei:

Bulgaria:

Burkina Faso:

Burundi: Baho! by Roland Rugero

Cambodia: Ma and Me by Putsata Reang

Cameroon: The Impatient by Djaïli Amadou Amal

Canada: The Gift is in the making: Anishinaabeg Stories retold by Amanda Strong and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Canary Islands: Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu

Cape Verde:

Cayman Islands:

Central African Republic: Co-wives, Co-widows by Adrienne Yabouza

Chad:

Chile: The Twilight Zone by Nona Fernández

China: The Secret Talker by Geling Yan

Christmas Islands:

Cocos Islands:

Colombia:

Comoros:

Cook Islands:

Costa Rica:

Croatia:

Cuba: I Was Never the First Lady by Wendy Guerra

Curacao:

Cyprus:

Czech Republic:

Dem. Rep. of Congo:

Denmark: The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking

Djibouti:

Dominica:

Dominican Republic:

Ecuador:

Egypt:

El Salvador:

Equatorial Guinea:

Eritrea:

Estonia:

Eswatini:

Ethiopia:

Falkland Islands:

Faroe Islands:

Fiji:

Finland:

France: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

French Guiana:

French Polynesia:

Gabon:

Gambia:

Georgia:

Germany: At the Edge of the Night by Friedo Lampe

Ghana: Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

Gibraltar:

Greece:

Greenland:

Grenada:

Guam:

Guatemala:

Guernsey:

Guinea:

Guinea-Bissau:

Guyana:

Haiti:

Honduras:

Hong Kong:

Hungary:

Iceland: The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

India: Coming Out as Dalit: A Memoir Of Surviving India's Caste System by Yashica Dutt

Indonesia: Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

Iran: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Abid Khorram

Iraq: Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

Ireland:

Isle of Man:

Israel:

Italy:

Ivory Coast:

Jamaica: When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten

Japan: The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi

Jordan:

Kazakhstan:

Kenya:

Kiribati:

Kosovo:

Kuwait:

Kyrgyzstan:

Laos:

Latvia:

Lebanon: Beirut Hellfire Society by Rawi Hage

Lesotho:

Liberia:

Libya: Zodiac of Echoes by Khaled Mattawa

Liechtenstein:

Lithuania:

Luxembourg:

Macedonia:

Madagascar:

Malawi:

Malaysia:

Maldives:

Mali:

Malta:

Marshall Islands:

Mauritania:

Mauritius: The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah

Mexico: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Morena-Garcia

Micronesia:

Moldova:

Monaco:

Mongolia:

Montenegro:

Montserrat:

Morocco:

Mozambique:

Myanmar: Smile as They Bow by Nu Nu Yi

Namibia:

Nauru:

Nepal:

Netherlands: We Had to Remove this Post by Hanna Bervoets

New Caledonia:

New Zealand: Tahuri by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku

Nicaragua:

Niger:

Nigeria: Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Niue:

Norfolk Island:

North Korea: A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea by Eunsun Kim

Northern Mariana Islands:

Norway: Blind Goddess by Anne Holt

Oman:

Pakistan: Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Palau:

Palestine: The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Panama:

Papua New Guinea:

Paraguay:

Peru:

Philippines:

Pitcairn Islands:

Poland: Return from the Stars by Stanisław Lem

Portugal: Pardalita by Joana Estrela

Puerto Rico: Velorio by Xavier Navarro Aquino

Qatar:

Rep. of the Congo:

Romania:

Russia:

Rwanda: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

Saint Barthelemy:

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha:

Saint Kitts and Nevis:

Saint Lucia:

Saint Martin:

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

Samoa: Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel

San Marino:

Sao Tome and Principe:

Saudi Arabia: Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea

Senegal:

Serbia:

Seychelles:

Sierra Leone:

Singapore:

Sint Maarten:

Slovakia:

Slovenia:

Solomon Islands:

Somalia: Under the Shade of a Tree: Somali Women Speak edited by Rissa Mohabir

South Africa:

South Korea: The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong -Mo

South Sudan:

Spain: Mammoth by Eva Baltasar

Sri Lanka: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

Sudan: The Translator: A Memoir by Daoud Hari

Suriname:

Sweden: Fire from the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot

Switzerland:

Syria: The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War by Delphine Minoui

Taiwan:

Tajikistan: The Sandalwood Box: Folk Tales from Tadzhikistan by Hans Baltzer

Tanzania:

Thailand:

Togo:

Tokelau:

Tonga:

Trinidad and Tobago:

Tunisia:

Turkey:

Turkmenistan:

Turks and Caicos Islands:

Tuvalu:

Uganda:

Ukraine:

United Arab Emirates:

United Kingdom: Poyums by Len Pennie

United States of America: Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America by Gregory D. Smithers

United States Virgin Islands: No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

Uruguay:

Uzbekistan:

Vanuatu: Sista, Stanap Strong : A Vanuatu Women's Anthology edited by Mikaela Nyman and Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen

Venezuela: Doña Barbara by Rómulo Gallegos

Vietnam:

Wallis and Futuna:

Western Sahara:

Yemen:

Zambia:

Zimbabwe: We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

[pixelfoodie]

Tumpeng  is an Indonesian cone-shaped rice dish with side dishes of vegetables and meat originating from Javanese cuisine of Indonesia. Traditionally featured in the slamatan ceremony, the rice is made by using a cone-shaped woven bamboo container.

People in Java, Bali and Madura usually make tumpeng to celebrate important events. However, all Indonesians are familiar with tumpeng. The philosophy of tumpeng is related to the geographical condition of Indonesia, especially Java as fertile island with numerous mountains and volcanos. Tumpeng dates back to ancient Indonesian tradition that revered mountains as the abode of hyangs, the spirit of ancestors and gods. The cone-shaped rice meant to mimics the holy mountain. The feast served as a thanksgiving for the abundance of harvest or any other blessings. src: "The Rice Cone or "Nasi Tumpeng", Traditional Rice Cone, the Pride of Indonesia", Wikipedia photo ref.: My friend @illaygally-amaxing

[talonabraxas]

8.8 Lion's Gate 'Zurvan Akarana' Talon Abraxas

God as ‘Time’ in the Ancient World

Once Krishna-Vishnu as Lord Nara-Hari / KALAH / TIME was worshiped as the Supreme Lord World-wide. He was the Deliverer of the Jews and Mixed-Multitude in their Biblical Exodus from slavery in Egypt. KRISHNA- VISHNU NARA-HARI Leontocephalos Lion-Headed TIME / KALAH of the Bhagavad-Gita, as the Biblical YAHU-TZABAOTH and Zeus-Jupiter Chronos-Saturus, Egyptian HERU-AUSU-Ammon-RA, Kushite Apademak, Shaivite and Buddhist Kalah-Bairab, Mithraic Zervan, etc. HE, ARYEH / HARYAH is the “Lion of Judah”, NARA-HARI, the Biblical Exodus Deliverer and Protector of the Jews.

Some Scholars of Zurvanism and Comparative Religions are well acquainted with the Form of the Supreme God as Leontopcephalos (Lion Headed) Time, surrounded by His Alter-Form or Expansion as the Ouroboros Serpent of Infinity. What they do not realize is that this Form of the Supreme Lord is both the Jews’ and Christians’ ARI-YAHU or ARI-EL YAHU-TZABAOTH (Lion-Headed Time) ‘Lord of Hosts’ of the Exodus Story, AND Krishna-Vishnu’s Central Bhagavad-gita Theophany as Narasimha KALAH / TIME, surrounded by His Alter-Form, Eternity as An-anta Un-Ending Sesha (Remainer) Naga (Biblical NACHASH).

To the ancient Africans, He was the Lion Headed AMUN (Zeus-Jupiter Chronos-Saturnus) the Supreme Lord of Egypt, Meroe and Sub Saharan Africa.

To the ancient Persians He was the Supreme Lord Zurvan.

To the ancient pre-Buddhist Tibetans He was the Lion-Headed Protector ZA.

To the ancient Eurpeans He was Zeus Chronos and Jupiter Saturnus etc.

To the Shaivites and Mahayana Buddhists He was/is the Wrathful Time-wheel Devouring Form of Kalah Bairava / Bairab Mahadeva (Shiva)

Shaivites identify the Central Theophany of KALAH in the Gita with Siva, because KALAH is one of Siva’s Names and Forms.

The Island Civilizations of Austro-Indonesia and the Pacific also worship the Lord as Lion-Headed Time. His New Year Lion Dance Blessing Festivals can still be seen there.

In the Western Hemisphere the Lion Headed JAG-WERE GOD of the earliest OLMECS ruled the TIME WHEEL of all of the subsequent Amer-Indian Civilizations.

Among the Names and Forms of Hari (Krishna) or Vasudeva (Vishnu) as the Man-Lion Nara Hari (Nara-Simha) are the Names and Forms of Kalah-Shiva!!! In Gita Jayanti and Buddhist New Year’s Festivals throughout the East, the All-devouring Universal Revelation / Theophany of the Supreme Lord as TIME / KALAH (BAIRAVA) is represented in a MAN-LION FORM. Thus Sacred Traditions from around the World, which are thousands of years old, confirm that ancient humanity worshiped the Supreme Lord in His Gita-related Revelation as Lion-Headed Time, with His Alter-Form of the Sarpa / Serpentine Anantadeva as Un-Ending Eternity.

Article by Bhakti Ananda Goswami:

[00venator]

I love seeing other people’s worldbuilding, so could you explain yours to me?

sorry I’ve you’ve already covered it and I just haven’t seen it

Iv covered bits of it here, I mostly just say stuff on discord but I don’t put stuff in tumbe much, so:

COVERED: Ask about Ssca Looking For Pterosaurs (novel I’m currently writing)

I have not named the project as a holl, it’s currently called “The Bird Agenda” in my notes (wich is slightly less of a joke than Birdhammer).

Original species: Rikeuninerd Primary world: Ruka, Rike home planet

Obviously the environment changes over time, but the primary setting looks like this >

RUKA Atmosphere: Tropical planet, 72% nitrogen, 27.1% oxygen, 0.9% carbon dioxide. Contains: -Reik, tropical with eroding mountains, it is splitting in half and has shear cliffs that form a “mouth” because of this. -Rakar, Rakar and Scayikra are divided by a mountain range, a *big* mountain range. Rakar is (mostly) a collection of tropical islands, think Indonesia. -Scayikra, the other side of the mountain range, very dry full of canyons and high desert, gradually slopes down into the sea. Star: -Havnt worked out what type/s, but hot -High UV (worse in Scayikraa) Orbit: -1 Ruka year = 100 years years -Seasons are very long cause of this orbit

RIKE Rikeuninerd are a bird like species. Life span: 259 years Size: varies a lot. Shortest is 1.1m. Tallest 2 Sex: 1 (Hermaphrodites) Lays eggs. Many have lost the ability to fly. Diet: Piscivores (mostly). They have the races Reika, Rakara and the more distantly related subspecies Scayikraa (these groups are named after there continents).

ECONOMY Depends on the nation, when Rehy is one nation the economy is a currency-less syndicate, cause that’s how Scayikra worked.

HISTORY Basic overview: majorly my world building follows the Ssca dispute, a 30’000 year long period of political upheaval, war and genocide instigated by Ssca. An important alliance is Rehy, instigated in year 387 by Screea’s Defence Defence to unify Scayikra’s small quasi-states against Yeer (sucky capitalist mercenaries). A vast majority of nations joined Rehy in 1974 as an alternative to the Ra Da Kur and Ssca. Rehy and other nations went into space n expanded territory. Over time all of Ruka’s nations joined Rehy, and eventually National borders became states.

There’s also the Ra da Kur (communist guys), Rak-Reik (superpower before Rehy, fucked Shit up in Scayikra) Kusu (by gods who angered the pacifists), nomads of all shades, all the iterations of Ssca and all the nations that came before the others.

LANG Im currently working on Ascayi. The main language spoken in Scayikra. I plan on working on Rakar continent languages next, and then Akusu wich is a confusing mush of old Rakar langs plus others.

I’m in the process of making a language tree. Iv been procrastinating.

Btw Rehy means “Collected military congregation” or in other words, “military alliance”

—

Notes are on notion, but you need to have an acc to view them I’m pretty sure.

[racefortheironthrone]

Did the Ottoman Empire ever express any interest in the New World?

Not particularly, for two main reasons:

Accessing the New World would involve very disadvantageous naval wars with the Spanish Empire, who would use their incredible defensive position at the Straits of Gibraltar to interdict Ottoman vessels in the name of God and Glory.

They didn't really need the New World. The main reason why the Portuguese and Spanish had begun their overseas expansion was to bypass the Ottomans and their middle-men position athwart the Silk Road and between the Europeans and access to the Indes. Through investing in their Indian Ocean fleet and working out trade deals with the Mughal Empire, the Ottomans had direct access to the largest and richest textile markets and the Spice Islands of Indonesia.

Why go to the effort and expense of an Atlantic voyage when they had all the riches of the world practically on their doorstep?

[tagamantra]

Huge ass detail map for the region of the first few Arcs of THE KNIGHT VAGRANT. Pemi Archipelago is a sun-scourged land inspired by the likes of Borneo, Bali, Sulawesi, Mindanao, and the Ryukyu Archipelago. It is situated right beside the End of the World to the Southeast, where the islands eventually end into eternal sea.

THE KNIGHT VAGRANT is my ongoing new weird progression spirit cultivation fantasy web serial on Royal Road! If you're interested, blurb below the cut hehe

A world shorn of light. A mystic swordhand shorn of memory. Let your Will be done. Until all beings are free.

Death held them, once, for the quickest second. Until the Adamantine Path reaped its due.

Raxri Uttara the Once-Dead walks again, rejuvenated by the Medicine Awoken. A swordgendered blade saint now shorn of their accumulation. Arisen, without memory, they must wander again this Wheel of Wandering, wield the God-Dissolving Darkness to flense away the forgetting's dirt, so that they may arrive again at the truth, and learn new mystic and martial arts to recover their failing Will Furnace. They must seek revelation from their past, understand again the vaunted world of the Utter Islands, and choose, ultimately, between vengeance or enlightenment. If they could remember who or what wronged them...

Upon that peak, will they choose the right blade? Let their enlightenment be that such a duality is delusion.The Termagant Buddha watches closely.

Giant cats turned into apartment complexes, ghost horse steeds that tire not, walking giant mechanical armors turned into public transportation, charnel wizards summoning the long-dead, witches wielding the Pureflame of Creation, the Machine God beginning its slick advance into forever progress... the Age of Furor is upon us.

The Latter Day of the Law.

THE KNIGHT VAGRANT is a new weird progression fantasy web novel in the universe of Wandering, a world wrought from Esoteric Buddhism and Maritime Asia!

WHAT TO EXPECT

- Progression Fantasy that is Journey to the West meets Naruto meets Cradle by Will Wight, Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin, and Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.

- An MC that has lost all memory and power and must claw their way back up, relearning everything they've done during their years as a prodigious cultivator, accumulator and attainer. They're also essentially an attractive androgynous nonbinary femboy MC who is not a twink and is an archetypical Holy Fool Trickster (with an emphasis on the Fool early on!) inspired by the likes of Sun Wukong, Shakyamuni Buddha, Monkey D Luffy, and Padmasambhava.

- Multiple Cultivation Systems within the world, with the primary one inspired by Esoteric/Tantric Buddhism. Expect classic Daoist Cultivation, Dual Cultivation, Animistic Cultivation, Hermetic Cultivation, Esoteric Muslim Cultivation, Tantric Shaivist Cultivation, Esoteric Catholic Cultivation and more!

- A mystic esoteric fantasy archipelago inspired by cultures and faiths of the Nirvana Route/Maritime Silk Road (From the Arabian Sea to India to Indonesia to the Philippines to China to Korea to Japan)!

- In depth supernatural martial arts inspired by my own practices in FMA, Muay Thai, Karate, and MMA!

- A unique, Southeast Asian twist on the cultivation genre, emphasizing unique combinations and interesting parallels from Southeast Asian cultures with East Asian cultures!

- An adventure story inspired by the likes of Elden Ring, One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Journey to the West!

- Content Warnings for the following: Violence, Body Horror, Mild Horror, Mild Sexual Content (can get racy but nowhere near smut!), Bigotry, Warfare, Class Struggle, Revolution, Betrayals, Strong Language

[milkywayrollercoaster]

Bali - The island of the gods

Indonesia

photos cjmn

[hwspirilovebot]

I believe this has to be asked at some point, what is Antonio and Piri's relationship like?

Our internalized racism (thanking Spain for uniting the ethnolinguistic groups to form the PH, Islamophobia and prejudice against Indigenous people, desiring Western validation too much, viewing ourselves as not Southeast Asian enough due to Catholicism overpowering Hindu-Buddhism, etc.) toxic machismo (patriarchy and all its consequences and misogyny and the huge support for authoritarian politicians), hypocrisy (of the Church and everything else), and a lot more can trace its roots from the Spanish colonization of the Philippines

But for Spain, era solo otro día.

The Philippines was not Spain's most profitable colony, and there are even instances of people saying it's a waste of money. Credit goes to @sweaty-clouds for these excerpts:

With the constant typhoons that damage crops and the lack of spices which Indonesia is blessed with (to be fair, Mindanao had cinnamon but Spain failed to conquer most of it.), the Philippines was better off as a trading hub for Chinese goods bound for Acapulco and Europe. Ultimately, it was the missionaries that insisted on keeping the country (that's another can of worms), and in terms of foreign policy, and the Spanish empire needs to have a hold in Asia.

I can imagine Antonio comparing Piri constantly with his peers and being disappointed but still keeping him for Christianity's sake. He rarely visits him and leaves all the work to Mexico (Nueva España, then) until Mexico became independent and Suez Canal was opened which made travelling from Sp to Ph became faster.

Piri would ask how come his neighbors are productive and Antonio would blame him for being lazy rather than Spain's late industrialization and dependence on the mining of silver and gold in exchange for Chinese goods.

Jose Rizal criticized this Spanish style mercantilism: While we see all the walls of London covered with advertisements of the products of its colonies, while the English make heroic efforts to substitute Ceylon tea for Chinese tea, they themselves begin with the sacrifice of their taste and their stomach; in Spain, with the exception of tobacco, nothing from the Philippines is known: neither its sugar nor coffee, hemp nor fine cloths, nor its Ilocano blankets . . . . The most commercial and most industrious countries have been the freest countries: France, England and the United States prove this. Hongkong, which is not [equal to] the most insignificant [island] of the Philippines, has more commercial movement than all the islands together, because it is free and is well-governed.

But I am in no way an Anglo-Saxon apologist. They are fcked up too. This has to be pointed out because there were instances in PH history where some Filipinos would rather be a British colony in the belief that the success of Hongkong and Singapore can be imitated!

The PH economy did become less restrictive when Spain lost its colonies in the Americas (deserve!). Many were afforded the right to study in Europe, hence, the ilustrados and enlightened thinkers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, etc. With enlightenment, comes the desire to be independent.

So, Antonio tries to be . . . more amiable with Piri. Piri appreciates it since he wants his respect but he wants equal status (as he should), equal rights, and often criticizes the church. Little Piri wanted to be the favourite and would often pray the rosary and the novena, hoping it would make him the apple of Antonio's eyes, but teenage Piri ain't taking any shit anymore because if God exists, they would favor David and not Goliath.

Then there's the Spanish-American war.

Now I heard Spain was more sentimental about losing Cuba (whether it's real life or Hetalia canon). There's the Generation '98, but it was never about Piri alone. It was about the fallen empire. Their relationship remains strained throughout the 20th century, especially when some upperclass Mestizo families in the Philippines supported Franco and were leaning towards the Axis powers, but the Philippines was trying to take in more Jewish refugees. Learning the Spanish language was also no longer required, and more attention was given to learning English since there's more job opportunities (and also, Hollywood).

Perhaps in the recent decade, Piri and Antonio are more cordial and diplomatic for the sake of trade relations and business. The Arroyo administration was active in that regard. Filipinos, nowadays, would joke about fighting Spaniards and while we do acknowledge the lingering colonial mentality and how fcked up colonialism is, we're not hostile to Spaniards. There's also this anecdote from a former teacher and her interaction with a Spaniard who said something along the lines of, "I learned about what Spain did to the Philippines, and I'm sorry. But it was the Castillans who did it! Not me, I'm from Catalonia."

But since Piri (and Filipinos) is canonically sassy, he would have visited Antonio in the midst of his financial crisis and asked, "Can I get a discount in Zara as colonial reparations?"

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.15

Holidays

Army Day (Indonesia)

Bill of Rights Day

Birdland Day

Cat Herders’ Day

Coonskin Cap Day

Court Workers’ Day (Ukraine)

Cricket Day (French Republic)

Esperanto Day

Greek Operation Victims Remembrance Day

Homecoming Day (Alderney, Channel Islands)

Human Rights Day (Kiribati)

Koninkrijksdag (Kingdom Day; Netherlands) [Unless a Sunday, then 16th]

Local Charities Day (UK)

Men’s Society of Piu Festival of Mirth, Peace, Honesty, Joyousness and Love (14th Century London)

National Headband Day

National HST Day (UK)

National Play Minecraft Day

National Regifting Day

National Wear Your Pearls Day

Navidades begins (Puerto Rico; until Three Kings Day)

North Wind’s Prayer (Elder Scrolls)

Pakistan-Turkey Friendship Day

Power Engineer’s Day (Kazakhstan)

Remembrance Day of Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty (Russia)

Rugby World Cup Victory Day (South Africa)

Second Amendment Awareness Day (South Carolina)

Sleep Comfort Day

Trivial Pursuit Day

World Ice Skating Day

World Martial Arts Training Day

World Otaku Day

World Strengthened Immunity Day

Yuletide Lad #4 arrives (Þvörusleikir or Spoon-Licker; Iceland)

Zamenhof Day (Esperanto)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Tea Day [also 5.21]

National Cupcake Day

National Gingerbread Latte Day

National Give a Wine Club Day

National Lemon Cupcake Day

Olmeca National Tequila Day (South Africa)

Independence & Related Days

New Massa (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Prudentianopolis (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

3rd Sunday in December

Hammock Day (Australia) [3rd Sunday]

Hang the Mistletoe Day [3rd Sunday]

Serene Sunday [3rd Sunday of Each Month]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Smörgåsbord Sunday [3rd Sunday of Each Month]

Story Sunday [3rd Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

3rd Sunday in Advent [2nd Sunday before Xmas] (a.k.a. ... 

Advent Sunday

Detinjci (Serbia)

Gaudete Sunday

Joy Sunday

Rose Sunday

Zoology Day [3rd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning December 15 (3rd Full Week of December)

Gluten-Free Baking Week (thru 12.21) [Week before Xmas]

Festivals Beginning December 15, 2024

Christkindlmarkt (Lancaster, Texas)

Cocktails at Christmas (Middletown, Virginia)

Night of the Proms (Bremen, Germany)

Feast Days

Alcyone (Greek Kingfisher Goddess)

Betty Smith (Writerism)

Candlenights begins (pan-religious, pan-sexual, personal pan pizza winter holiday; from Adventure Zone & My Brother, My Brother, and Me)

Centipede Boot-Making and Shoe-Repair Season Starts (Shamanism)

Consualia (Ancient Roman festival to Consus, god of the harvest and stored grain)

David Teniers the Younger (Artology)

Drina Martyrs (Christian; Saint)

Drostan (Aberdeen Breviary; Christian; Saint)

Dumanios (Darkest Depths; Celtic Book of Days)

Edna O’Brien (Writerism)

Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Winter Veil begins (World of Warcraft) [thru 2.2]

Feralia: Day of Purification (Pagan)

Francesco Zahra (Artology)

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (Artology)

George Romney (Artology)

John Horden and Robert McDonald (Episcopal Church; USA)

Joseph "Le Petomane" Pujol Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Kurt Schaffenberger (Artology)

Lagrange (Positivist; Saint)

Maria Crocifissa di Rosa (Christian; Saint)

Mesmin (Christian; Saint)

Muriel Rukeyser (Writerism)

Navidades (Puerto Rico; Everyday Wicca) [until 1.6]

Nicholas P. Dallis (Artology)

Nino (Christian; Saint)

Othmar the Grouch (Muppetism)

Sattar Bahlulzade (Artology)

Stupid Inventions Day (Pastafarian)

Stupid Toy Day (Pastafarian)

Valerian of Abbenza (Christian; Saint)

Virginia Centurione Bracelli (Christian; Saint)

Virgin of Cotoca (Roman Catholic) [Bolivia]

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Full Moon [12th of the Year] (a.k.a. ... 

Beaver Moon (Amer. Indian, Colonial, Traditional)

Dark Moon (Celtic, North America)

Digging Moon (Traditional)

Flower Moon (South Africa)

Freezing Moon (Alternate)

Frost Moon (Alternate)

Hunter’s Moon (North America)

Ill Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Loy Krathong (Floating of the Lamps Festival; Thailand)

Palden Lhama Festival (Tibet)

Rutting Moon (Traditional)

Sassafras Moon (Choctaw)

Snow Moon (England, Wicca)

Southern Hemisphere: Corn, Flower, Hare, Milk

Tazaugmone (a.k.a. Thasaung Mong; Festival of Lights; Myanmar)

That Luang Festival (Theravada Buddhism; Laos) 

Trading Moon (Cherokee)

Tree Moon (Neo-Pagan)

Whitefish Moon (Traditional)

White Moon (China)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [48 of 53]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [30 of 32]

Prime Number Day: 349 [70 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [30 of 30]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [59 of 60]

Premieres

Alaska (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Alice in the Jungle (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Alice the Piper (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1924)

BBC incorporated (UK Broadcast Network; 1922)

Beatles ’65, by The Beatles (Album; 1964)

Birdland (NYC Jazz Club; 1949)

Buddy the Dentist (WB LT Cartoon; 1934)

Carol and the End of the World (Animated TV Series; 2023)

Charlotte’s Web (Film; 2006)

Choclat (Film; 2000)

The Chronic, by Dr. Dre (Album; 1992)

The Concept of Mind, by Gilbert Ryle (Science Book; 1949)

Driving Miss Daisy (Film; 1989)

Dude, Where’s My Car? (Film; 2000)

The Emperor’s New Groove (Animated Disney Film; 2000)

Ferdinand (Animated Film; 2017)

Folsom Prison Blues, by Johnny Cash (Song; 1955)

Gabriel Churchkitten (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1944)

Gone With the Wind (Film; 1939)

The Ice Pond (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

In Venice (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Jumanji (Film; 1995)

Little Buck Cheeser (Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1937)

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (Animated Film; 1979)

The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom, by James Burnham (Political Theory; 1943)

Madame Curie (Film; 1943)

Mothership Connection, by Parliament (Album; 1975)

Never Say Never Again (UK Film; 1983) [James Bond non-series]

One Piece Film: Z (Anime Film; 2012)

One, Two, Three (Film; 1961)

Out on a Limb (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (Film; 1976)

Pollack (Film; 2000)

The Rachel Papers, by Martin Amis (Novel; 1973)

Revolutionary Road (Film; 2008)

Sabrina (Film; 1995)

Schindler’s List (Film; 1993)

Sense and Sensibility (Film; 1995)

Silent Night, Holy Night (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1976)

Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (Film; 2017)

Stormy Weather, recorded by Lena Horne (Song; 1941)

Superman (Film; 1978)

To Hare Is Human (WB MM Cartoon; 1956)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith (Novel; 1943)

Tweet Tweet Tweety (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

Two-Gun Mickey (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

War Is Over ad campaign, by John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Peace Advertising; 1969)

The Who Sell Out, by The Who (Album; 1967)

Wonka (Film; 2023)

Woody the Giant Killer (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1947)

Young Frankenstein (Film; 1974)

Today’s Name Days

Carlo, Christiane, Nina (Austria)

Marin, Valerijan, Viktorija (Croatia)

Radana (Czech Republic)

Nikatius (Denmark)

Kalli, Kelli, Killu, Kulla (Estonia)

Heimo, Nooa (Finland)

Ninon (France)

Christiane, Nina, Paola (Germany)

Anthea, Eleftherios, Elevtherios, Lefteris, Sossana, Sylvia (Greece)

Valér (Hungary)

Cristiana, Nino, Valeriano (Italy)

Jana, Johanna (Latvia)

Gaudenė, Gaudenis, Kristijona (Lithuania)

Hilda, Hilde (Norway)

Celina, Fortunata, Iga, Ignacja, Ignacy, Krystiana, Nina, Walerian, Waleriana, Wolimir, Żegota (Poland)

Antia, Elefterie, Suzana (Romania)

Ivica (Slovakia)

Valeriano (Spain)

Gottfrid (Sweden)

Adlai, Adler, Carney, Mirella, Mireya, Tanner (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 350 of 2024; 16 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 50 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 22 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Bing-Zi), Day 15 (Gui-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 14 Kislev 5785

Islamic: 13 Jumada II 1446

J Cal: 20 Black; Sixthday [20 of 30]

Julian: 2 December 2024

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 14 Bichat (13th Month) [Isaac Newton]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 84 of 90)

Week: 3rd Full Week of December

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 24 of 30)

[brookston]

Holidays 11.8

Holidays

Abet and Aid Punsters Day

Aboriginal Veterans Day (Canada)

Aicardi Syndrome Awareness Day

Colorism Awareness Day

Day of Baku Metro Employees (Azerbaijan)

Days of History and Memory (Kyrgyzstan)

Euterpe Asteroid Day

Feast of Pamphleteers

Global Day of Action Against Waster Incineration

Going Ramos Day (Aklan, Philippines)

I Hate to Cook Day

International Cleaning Woman Day

International Day of Radiology

International Hug an Exchange Student Day

International Human Animal Bond Day

International Vampire Day

Intersex Day of Remembrance (a.k.a. Intersex Solidarity Day)

Leadworts Day (French Republic)

La Almudena (Madrid, Spain)

Merchant Sailing Ship Preservation Day

Moon Festival (Elder Scrolls)

National Aboriginal Veterans Day (Canada)

National Adam Day

National Ample Time Day

National Ashley Day

National Canine Companion Graduation Day

National Christopher Day

National Dunce Day

National Elevate Day

National First Generation College Student Day

National I Read Canadian Day (Canada)

National Irene Day

National Journalists Day (China)

National Kyle Day

National Leon Day

National Loneliness Awareness Day

National Parents As Teachers Day

National Shot Day

National Signing Day

National Spatial Planning Day (Indonesia)

National S.T.E.M. Day (a.k.a. National S.T.E.A.M. Day)

National Thalassemia Prevention Day (Pakistan)

Nice Boobs Day (Japan)

Octave Day of All Saints (Anglicanism)

Personal Liberty Day (Chicago celebration of Prohibition's repeal)

Plastic Free Lunch Day

Rorschach Test Day

School Sport Jersey Day (Canada)

Scylla Asteroid Day

Shakespeare Authorship Mystery Day

Symphonic Metal Day

Talk Money Day

Victory Day (Azerbaijan)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day

World Day Without Wi-Fi

World Gift Day

World Pianist Day

World Radiography Day (a.k.a. X-Ray Discovery Day)

World Town Planning Day

World Urbanism Day

World Ventil8 Day

X-Ray Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day

Harvey Wallbanger Day

National Cappuccino Day

National Pupusa Day (El Salvador)

National Roast Dinner Day (UK)

Sandwich Day (Earl of Sandwich’s Birthday)

Try a New Recipe Day

Independence & Related Days

Montana Statehood Day (#41; 1889)

Pohnpei Constitution Day (Micronesia)

2nd Friday in November

Comfort Food Friday [Every Friday]

Domino Day [2nd Friday]

Fish & Chips Friday [2nd Friday of Each Month]

Five For Friday [Every Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Follow Friday [2nd Friday of Each Month]

Friday Finds [Every Friday]

Frugal Friday [2nd Friday of Each Month]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

International Mushy Pea Day [2nd Friday]

National Donor Sabbath Weekend begins [2nd Friday]

National DTC (Direct-to-Consumers) Friday [2 Fridays before Black Friday]

National Walk to Work Day (Australia) [2nd Friday]

TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) [Every Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning November 8 (1st Full Week of November)

Jersey Shore Restaurant Week (Jersey Shore, New Jersey) [thru 11.17]

San Francisco Restaurant Week (San Francisco, California) [thru 11.17]

Festivals Beginning November 8, 2024

ArmeniaFest (Carrollton, Texas) [thru 11.10]

Big Boy's Main Street Cook Off (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Bilbao International Documentary and Short Film Festival (Bilbao, Spain) [thru 11.15]

California Wine Festival Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California) [thru 11.9]

Cayman Brac (Cayman Islands) [thru 11.17]

Eat Drink SF (San Francisco, California) [thru 11.17]

Garagiste Wine Festival (Paso Robles, California) [thru 11.10]

Lake Erie Maple Expo (Albion, Pennsylvania) [thru 11.9]

New England Christmas Festival (Uncasville, Connecticut) [thru 11.10]

Ricefest (Riceboro, Georgia) [thru 11.10]

Santiago International Book Fair (Santiago, Chile) [thru 11.17]

Sebastian Clambake (Sebastian, Florida) [thru 11.10]

South Carolina Peanut Party (Pelion, South Carolina) [thru 11.9]

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Tallinn, Estonia) [thru 11.24]

Tarpon Springs Seafood Festival (Tarpon Springs, Florida) [thru 11.10]

Waterfowl Festival (Easton, Maryland) [thru 11.10]

Feast Days

Adeodatus I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Appreciate Your Loved Ones Day (Pastafarian)

Arduino Cantafora (Artology)

Big Bird’s Daddy (Muppetism)

Bram Stoker (Writerism)

Charles Demuth (Artology)

Clarence Gagnon (Artology)

Cybi (a.k.a. Cuby; Christian; Saint)

Demetrius (Orthodox Church; Saint)

Deusdedit (Christian; Saint)

Elizabeth of the Trinity (Roman Catholic Church; Blessed)

Erika Abels d'Albert (Artology)

The Feast of the Four Crowned Ones

Feast of the Kitchen Goddess (Pagan)

Festival of the Mania (Ancient Rome)

Four Crowned Brothers (Christian; Martyrs)

George Bouzianis (Artology)

Godfrey of Amiens (Christian; Saint)

Fuigo Matsuri (Honoring Hettsui No Kami, Kitchen-Range Goddess; Shinto; Japan)

Intersex Day of Remembrance

Isabella of Castille (Positivist; Saint)

Johann von Staupitz (Lutheran)

John Duns Scotus, Blessed (Christian; Saint)

Kazuo Ishiguro (Writerism)

Lighting the Twin Flame Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Mae West Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mania Festival (Old Roman)

Margaret Mitchell (Writerism)

Martha Gellhorn (Writerism)

Masashi Kishimoto (Artology)

Mundus Patel (Ancient Rome)

Saints and Martyrs of England (Church of England)

Samantha Shannon (Writerism)

Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers of Heaven (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Threefold Tripling (Sacred #27; Celtic Book of Days)

Tysilio (Christian; Saint)

Willehad of Bremen (Christian; Saint)

Wish-Granting Championships (Leprechauns; Shamanism)

Yam Offering Day (Haiti; Everyday Wicca)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Ace of Spades, by Motörhead (Album; 1980)

Buddy’s Circus (WB LT Cartoon; 1934)

Carol at the End of the World (Animated TV Series; 2023)

The Complete Stories, by Flannery O'Connor (Short Stories; 1971)

Days of Our Lives (TV Soap Opera; 1965)

Doctor Sleep (Film; 2019)

8 Mile (Film; 2002)

Everybody’s Talking’, recorded by Harry Nilsson (Song; 1967)

The Goodies (UK TV Series; 1970)

Henry V (Film; 1989)

Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino (Novel; 1972)

Jailhouse Rock (Film; 1957) [Elvis Presley #3]

Klaus (Animated Film; 2019)

Led Zeppelin IV, by Led Zeppelin (Album; 1971)

Life with Father, by Clarence Day Jr. (Play; 1939)

The Little Wise Cracker (Barney Bear MGM Cartoon; 1952)

The Mechanical Handy Man (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1937)

Metropolitan (Film; 1935)

Midway (Film; 2019)

Mutiny on the Bounty (Film; 1935)

Night School, 21st Jack Reacher book, by Lee Child (Novel; 2016)

Oh, Kay!, by George & Ira Gershwin and P.G. Wodehouse (Broadway Musical; 1926)

Quo Vadis (Film; 1951)

The Robber Bridegroom, by Eudora Welty (Novella; 1942)

Robin Hood (Animate Disney Film; 1973)

Sacred Arias, by Andrea Bocelli (Album; 1999)

Sheer Heart Attack, by Queen (Album; 1974)

Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin (Song; 1971)

Surfin’, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1961)

Thor: The Dark World (Film; 2013)

12 Years a Slave (Film; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Gottfried, Willehad (Austria)

Angel, Gavrail, Gavril, Mihaela, Mihail, Ognyan, Ognyana, Plamen, Plamena, Rada, Radka, Radko, Rafail, Raia, Raika, Raina, Rangel (Bulgaria)

Bogdan, Bogoljub, Gracija, Gracijan (Croatia)

Bohumír (Czech Republic)

Cladius (Denmark)

Nele, Nella, Nelli (Estonia)

Aatos (Finland)

Dora, Geoffroy (France)

Gottfried, Karina, Willehad (Germany)

Angela, Angelos, Gavriel, Michalis, Stamatis, Stamos, Taxiarchis (Greece)

Zsombor (Hungary)

Goffredo (Italy)

Agra, Aleksandra, Sandors, Sandra (Latvia)

Domantė, Gotfridas, Severinas, Svirbutas (Lithuania)

Ingvild, Yngvild (Norway)

Dymitr, Godfryd, Gotfryd, Hadrian, Klaudiusz, Sędziwoj, Sewer, Sewerian, Seweryn, Wiktor, Wiktoriusz, Wiktoryn (Poland)

Gavriil, Mihail (România)

Bohumír (Slovakia)

Godofredo, Segundo (Spain)

Vendela (Sweden)

Michael, Michaelina, Raphael (Ukraine)

Geoff, Geoffrey, Jeff, Jefferson, Jeffery, Jeffrey, Mercer, Montana (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 313 of 2024; 53 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of Week 45 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 13 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Yi-Hai), Day 8Bing-Zi ()

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Heshvan 5785

Islamic: 6 Jumada I 1446

J Cal: 13 Wood; Fryday [12 of 30]

Julian: 26 October 2024

Moon: 41%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 5 Frederic (12th Month) [Sixtus V / Charles V]

Runic Half Month: Nyd (Necessity) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 47 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of November

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 16 of 30)

[eruverse]

More thoughts on hws Indonesia (headcanon):

-I don’t assign ethnicity to him because there’s nothing to assign him with? The Javanese which is the largest ethnic group here doesn’t even exceed 50% of the population. Therefore he’s not of any ethnicity (Indonesian is, btw, a nationality). But he would act Javanese in a number of situations, esp when it comes to formal politics because the Javanese dominates the political stage by large.

-Yes Islam is majority religion here, but for me Indonesia is not Muslim exactly — and if he is, the first thing he would do is to denounce the ‘Middle Eastern’ fundamentalist Islam and uphold ‘Islam Nusantara’ or Islam adapted to local beliefs and way of life. But anyway, he practices syncretism of many types of faith to a high degree that at times he’s more pagan than anything.

-I also don’t really assign looks to him in a way like… look, Indonesians are really diverse in looks. You can find every skintone from fair to really dark here (tho because we’re in the equator obviously fair here doesn’t mean fair people in northern hemisphere would think about), every hair texture from super straight to coily, every eye shape from slanted and small to really big, every mouth shape from basically nothing to full. And these could be present across ethnicities even though ethnic groups typically have certain stereotypes. To my knowledge, people living in different islands typically also have pretty distinct looks, kinda, from each other… I myself am only familiar with 3 islands out of like 17.000 so my idea of common Indonesian look could massively differ from other Indonesians’ and it would be laden with bias to the point there might not actually be such a concept as a ‘common Indonesian look’.

However, I myself base Indonesia mostly off of this dude from the movie ‘Oeroeg’ because I like it a lot and I think it conveys well what kind of a person Indonesia is in my mind:

-What kind of person HWS Indonesia is in my mind?

When I think of HWS Indonesia, I think of a dude who is: extroverted and ready to mingle with everyone, with a significant amount of charisma and a hint of badboy. He is capable of utmost generosity and the highest level of cruelty at the same time. He is born of chaos and for chaos; it actually takes a lot out of him to just not cave in and let everything descend into disorder, and by that, he thrives off it so much to contain him is almost to make him ill. Always needs to move and you cannot predict where he wants to go; he will always slip off your fingers, and the moment you think you have a keen grasp of him is the exact moment he will leap off. Highly lucky; he believes God’s favor is always on his side and he is actually right. Highly resilient to the point of unkillable, but he’s not like this due to physical strength exactly and more of being a slippery snake even from fate. Of nothing, but at the same time, of everything — everything the wild ocean waves are made of, everything the hurricane is weaved from. A succumber of fate, but at the same time, its master.