#Korean ancient values

[ooahanjs]

Batal Stone: Hongik Ingan

The Philosophical Roots of Batal stone Hongik Ingan (弘益人間), meaning “Benefit all humanity,” is a foundational philosophy derived from Korea’s ancient Dangun myth. This principle transcends individual interests, emphasizing harmony within communities and the broader world. It serves as a central inspiration for the Batalstone series. The Definition and Origins of Hongik Ingan Hongik Ingan,…

[letsatomicbanana]

Ink!Sans Cultural Inspiration

(revised version)

art by @/sakuramochi64 on twitter

Disclaimer!

This post aims to explore and analyze both the prominent and subtle East Asian cultural influences—primarily Japanese—that have shaped the character of Ink!Sans. By examining these influences, we can better understand how traditional East Asian aesthetics and artistic practices are woven into Ink’s design and powers. If any information in this essay is inaccurate or unintentionally offensive, please don’t hesitate to reach out! This essay serves as a revised and updated version of the analysis conducted last year, incorporating new insights and refined perspectives to enhance our understanding of Ink!Sans’s character and his cultural influences.

Ink!Sans by @comyet/@myebi

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''It was a night where it felt like i was a miserable artist and i was very frustrated at my work and it felt like i wasn’t worth alot (we all have these), then I came across a picture of a japanese ink brush, and it was all I needed to start doodling a concept.

That’s how Ink is born.''

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According to Ink’s creator, Comyet, the idea for Ink!Sans was sparked by an image of a brush specifically crafted for sumi and Chinese ink art. In China, the tradition of using specialized ink brushes, known as Chinese writing brushes, has been a foundational element in the art of calligraphy and traditional painting for centuries. These brushes are highly valued for their precision and versatility, allowing artists to produce a range of strokes, from fine lines to bold, expressive swashes. The brush itself is composed of a bamboo handle and a carefully tapered head made from animal hair, designed to hold and release ink in controlled flows.

This tool became central not only in Chinese culture but also influenced Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese art, where calligraphy holds a similar cultural significance and is closely tied to writing systems derived from Chinese characters. These brushes symbolize the control, fluidity, and intentionality required in both written language and visual art across East Asia. This deep-rooted cultural importance of the ink brush inspired Ink!Sans's character design and powers, allowing him to wield 'ink-based' abilities, symbolizing both creativity and adaptability. His main weapon—a brush—reflects this heritage and further emphasizes the connection between art and battle, as he channels the brush’s traditional associations with fluidity and strength into his fighting style, merging the arts of calligraphy and combat.

(visual example of an ink calligraphy brush)

At glance, the ink material is an enduring medium that still surrounds society till this day and it's used in multiple cultures across the world.

Writing with ink calligraphy brushes is also common in Europe and the Middle East, where artisans developed ink using a unique combination of iron salts and oak galls. This type of ink, known as iron gall ink, initially appeared in rich, dark tones, making it highly desirable for manuscripts and official documents due to its bold, readable quality. However, over time, the iron in the ink oxidized, resulting in a distinct color shift to warm, rust-like brown tones. This characteristic fading can still be observed today in ancient manuscripts, such as early European literary works, where the reddish-brown hues give a sense of history to these documents. The durability and aesthetic appeal of iron gall ink contributed significantly to its prevalence in both regions, influencing the artistry of calligraphy and manuscript illumination for centuries.

Like previously mentioned, Ink!Sans was inspired by traditional ink materials developed in East Asia, where artisans mastered the creation of carbon-based black ink, often using soot or charcoal mixed with binding agents like animal glue. This type of ink, known for its rich, deep color and lasting durability, was a staple in East Asian calligraphy and artwork. Unlike iron gall ink, this carbon-based ink maintained its dark, almost jet-black color for centuries, even in varying environmental conditions. The resilience of this ink allowed ancient texts, paintings, and scrolls to retain their striking contrast and clarity, making it a celebrated medium in East Asian art and culture. Ink!Sans draws inspiration from this enduring quality, symbolizing strength, creativity, and the timelessness of artistic expression

(visual example of an ancient art piece that used carbon-based black ink)

To note, unlike iron gall ink, carbon based inks are still very common to this day.

Although the primary Chinese calligraphic scripts were well established by the fourth century, calligraphy as an art form has continually evolved over the centuries, adapting to new cultural and aesthetic influences. Skilled calligraphers, who spent years mastering brush techniques and perfecting their own unique hand, were celebrated for their distinctive styles, and their works became templates for both art and personal expression. Over time, subsequent generations of artists studied these revered styles, incorporating and reinterpreting them to reflect their individual voices and the changing social landscapes. This ongoing transformation has kept Chinese calligraphy dynamic and relevant, and it remains a respected art form today, blending tradition with contemporary aesthetics.

In Japan, calligraphy also held deep cultural significance, symbolizing both personal refinement and intellectual achievement. Calligraphy was regarded as a mark of scholarly sophistication and artistic taste, with a variety of tools developed to enhance the writing experience. One notable example is the suzuribako ("ink stone box"), a portable lacquered wood box designed to store an inkstone, water dropper, brushes, and solid ink sticks. These boxes were crafted with precision and adorned with intricate lacquer designs, reflecting their owner’s status and appreciation for art. Suzuribako were lightweight and convenient, enabling calligraphers to take their tools outdoors or to scenic locations to write letters, diary entries, or poetry. This practice not only facilitated creativity but also connected the act of writing with nature, creating an immersive experience where one could find inspiration in the surrounding beauty while crafting words in elegant brushstrokes. The combination of these refined tools and settings underscored calligraphy’s role as a deeply personal and aesthetic pursuit in Japanese culture.

From this perspective, it is essential to highlight that Ink's character draws inspiration from traditional ink calligraphy, a detail reflected in his distinctive speech font, 'Note This'.

(Example of Ink's canon speaking font and ancient calligraphy)

Also clarified in an ask on her side blog, Comyet explained that traditional samurai clothing served as a key inspiration for Ink's outfit redesign in 2020. Ink's creator thoughtfully incorporated these characteristics to enhance Ink’s visual appeal and connection to his main source of inspiraton. This influence is particularly noticeable in the first and second analyses of Ink's character, where we see clear visual cues from iconic Japanese garments like the hakama.

(Ink!sans reference sheet for the 2020 design, credit goes to @/comyet)

Ink's pants were inspired by hakama, a traditional Japanese garment known for its distinctive design as skirt-like trousers, typically worn over a kimono. Hakama are historically associated with a range of activities, from ceremonial occasions to martial arts, and are often considered a symbol of status and refinement. Specifically, Ink's pants appear to be inspired by the umanori style of hakama, which is characterized by a split or division in the middle, allowing for greater freedom of movement. This style was traditionally worn by samurai and other individuals involved in horseback riding, as the design allowed for ease of movement and flexibility when mounting or riding a horse.

The umanori hakama were not only practical for riding but also served as a functional yet elegant garment, embodying the balance of form and function typical in Japanese clothing. By incorporating this style into Ink's character design, Comyet likely intended to evoke themes of mobility, agility, and strength, while subtly referencing Japanese martial traditions and the samurai ethos. This choice enhances Ink's overall aesthetic, highlighting his dynamic, action-oriented nature, suggesting that his character is both rooted in tradition and capable of fluid, graceful movement.

The hakama was not merely a functional garment but also a powerful symbol of social status, loyalty, and the samurai's role in Edo society. While the hakama was predominantly worn by samurai, it also found its place in the wardrobe of scholars, priests, and members of the aristocracy, who wore it as part of their ceremonial dress.

Furthermore, Comyet has explained that Ink's outfit and appearance were partially inspired by the clothing worn by samurai, as depicted in ukiyo-e prints from the Edo Period of Japan. Ukiyo-e, which translates to 'pictures of the floating world,' was a popular genre of woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the 17th to the 19th centuries, showcasing scenes of everyday life, landscapes, kabuki actors, and beautiful women. However, samurai were also common subjects of these prints, often portrayed in full regalia, highlighting their status and discipline.

(this line of text was found within old versions of Ink's FAQ post, mainly from 2020-2021)

In these ukiyo-e representations, samurai are frequently depicted wearing a distinctive combination of garments, including elaborate kamishimo (formal attire worn by samurai), hakama (wide trousers), and haori (a kimono-style jacket worn over the kimono), along with ornate accessories such as sashes and swords. These samurai were often shown in dynamic poses, suggesting a sense of power, grace, and readiness for battle, which reflected their societal role as both warriors and landowners.

Ukiyo-e representations of samurai often carried deeper meanings beyond their visual impact. Samurai in these prints were more than just warriors; they were cultural icons, symbols of virtue, duty, and sacrifice. Some prints portrayed samurai in the context of popular stories or historical events, such as famous battles or legendary acts of heroism. For example, the prints often depicted samurai as loyal retainers or leaders fighting for justice, reflecting the ideal of bushidō, the samurai code of ethics, which emphasized virtues like loyalty, courage, and respect.

(Ukiyo-e art made by Katsukama Shun'ei, Edo Period)

During the Edo period, the hakama was an important garment worn by the nobility as part of their formal attire, complementing other traditional outfits of the time, such as the noshi and kariginu, a sleeveless jacket with distinctive, sharply defined shoulders. These garments were designed to symbolize the status and refined taste of their wearers. The hakama, with its wide, flowing silhouette, was highly functional and practical, allowing for ease of movement while maintaining an air of elegance.

On another note, Ink's design is not the only aspect influenced by Japanese culture; the musical themes associated with him also draw significant inspiration from traditional Japanese music, as described by Comyet. The incorporation of these musical elements into Ink's character enhances the depth and cultural resonance of his persona, creating a multi-layered experience that ties his abilities, appearance, and thematic representation to a broader cultural context.

A predominant theme associated with Ink that highlights his deep inspiration from traditional Asian styles is one called 'BrushWork.' This musical theme, featured in the popular series Underverse, plays a crucial role in reflecting Ink’s connection to East Asian culture, particularly through its use of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, and a flute. The choice of the shamisen in this composition is significant, as it evokes the soundscape of Japan, with its distinct, plucked tones often associated with traditional music, storytelling, and performance arts.

The shamisen is a core instrument in genres such as kabuki (a traditional form of Japanese drama) and bunraku (puppet theater), where it is used to underscore the emotional intensity and narrative depth of the performances. In BrushWork, the shamisen helps set the tone for Ink’s character, enhancing the theme of 'brushwork' through its fluid, emotive sound.

Honorable mention: The instrumental video for ''Soulless Heart'', features an artwork that is inspired by traditional sumi-e (ink wash painting), a Japanese art form renowned for its elegant brushwork and minimalistic yet profound depictions of nature. This particular artwork, which accompanies the music, was created by the talented artist @/sakuramochi64, whose style reflects the delicate balance and graceful simplicity typical of sumi-e paintings.

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Sources

1.National Museum of asian art (materials & techniques. Ink section)

2. Asian Brushpaper (an-overview-of-chinese-ink-history)

3. Wikipedia (wiki Hakama-pants+Shamisen)

4. Aikido Journal (Hakama-101)

[howlsofbloodhounds]

THE CROWSHIPPING TALK HAS SUMMONED ME!!!

the question of how dust would worship death has been in my mind forever and i still haven't decided how to go with it. i understand reaper and grim are based on greek mythology, so maybe a practice resembling ancient greek worship rituals? there are also modern pagan practices for greek gods as well.

though, i do think of murder's creator being korean, so maybe there should be some cultural references to that? i'm not korean, but i believe that chrysanthemums are closely related to death and rebirth in some korean regions. in east asian cultures, marigolds are often used for funerals/shrines/tombstones because they take a long time to wither away. korea also has a lot of different belief systems/religions, so that might prove a bit tricky as well.

however, since murder is a monster living in the underground, his beliefs regarding death and religion are not the same as humans. monsters might have their own belief system (the prophecy is one). so it just turns into a mushy pile of "how the hell is murder going to perform rituals" to me lol

~ crowshipping anon

I suppose it can be a mixture of all three; monster influenced, Greek, and Korean. He can scatter the monster dust on the things that were important to them, and perhaps he leaves them some gold or coin for the equivalent of the ferryman, and and perhaps he can place marigolds and chrysanthemums near, on, or around their important item or otherwise on their dust.

I suppose it’s important to consider just how much time he will reasonably have to dedicate to Death, and how often, and what he could be willing to do that is small, less time and energy consuming, but no less important or valued. (Murder not realizing just so much and truly and deeply loved he is by Death 💕).

And of course, how much he will be able to get away with and hide in Bad Sanses AU, considering he is under the care and protection of basically something like a God of Negativity—at least in comparison to Murder himself.

Not only do we all know that Nightmare is possessive, it might just frankly be insulting or offensive to do worship other God(s) or Goddesses while in the service of another, involuntary or not. Murder likely wouldn’t know for sure, but insulting Nightmare even unknowingly could be dangerous.

Elaborate rituals don’t have to be a frequent thing, considering how Dust is in a little war with the human and will likely be very busy in Bad Sanses AUs—taking into account things like his mental health and physical health, just how much energy he’ll be able to offer and do reasonably on a regular or even non regular basis.

Even as something as sharing a meal with Death—or inviting one or both of them to join him with his meal—can be enough, and could possibly even encourage him to drink and eat more frequently if he is sharing with or offering to his Gods.

The worship and devotional acts doesn’t have to be entirely death or underworld or afterlife related—the simple, mundane things would likely be appreciated, especially if they’re done by Death’s priest(ess).

Even dedicating time to learning more about Death and Their mythology, Their lore, Their history—Them—can be an act of devotion. Any specific self care ritual could possibly be as well—such as washing with a specific scent.

This may actually even be a common worry for Murder. That he isn’t doing enough, worry that having to hide it can be taken as being ashamed or embarrassed, that he isn’t able to do something for Them on a daily basis. Either because of “work” and having to survive such a hostile environment, or simply because Dust is too exhausted to even get out of bed.

Perhaps this is something Death will often try to reassure Their Priest(ess) about frequently, reassuring him that even silent prayer is more than enough for Them—and They are not going to get mad at him, or leave him, or otherwise punish him. They are not Nightmare, and They understand that mortals have limits and lives they must attend to.

I can imagine that being able to perform one of the big rituals is pretty exciting for Murder though. Especially if it comes on the heels of having finally found freedom and enough stability and energy to do it with a bounce in his step and a bright smile on his face.

[plasmicthoughts]

margaret qualley, lesbian, woman, she/her. ♡ now entering the apartment building is katherine 'kitty' larson, a twenty-five year old who is currently a competitive gamer & creator. netizens have said they seem scatter-brained but others have said they’re charismatic ! gossip aside, we’re sure they’re bound to be a fan favorite !

content warnings include neglect & abuse.

basics

Name: Katherine Smart Larson

Nickname/s: Kitty, Kat, Kath

Preferred name/s: Kitty. Hates anything else

Gender: Woman

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 25

Birthday: April 1st

Zodiac: Aries

Sexuality: Lesbian

Relationship status: Single

Occupation: Competitive gamer & creator

Hometown: Stonington, Maine

Accent: American (Margaret Qualley vc)

backstory

Kitty grew up in a sleepy town that felt dull for her adventurous spirit.

Her home life was tough, marked by neglect and abuse from her parents.

To escape both the abuse and boredom, Kitty rarely stayed home.

As a young child, she often wandered the streets or visited local establishments.

Her favorite place was a rundown arcade that hadn’t been updated since the 80s.

Despite its shabby exterior, the arcade felt exciting and reflective of herself.

As the arcade declined, Kitty taught herself to repair the ancient machines.

The arcade owners appreciated her help, and she became beloved by local kids.

Kitty’s intelligence shone in school; she thrived academically despite her rambunctious behavior.

She became proficient in French, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean, teaching herself as another means to escape her troubled home, found in the library almost as much as she was in the arcade.

In her teens, she started making YouTube videos about arcade games and repairs, leading her to competitive gaming.

While she loved competing, affording entrance fees was challenging, so she created more content for income.

Her journey led her to Seoul, hoping to tap into the bustling gaming industry.

Excited by a sapphic-exclusive web series, she applied for Seoulmates to grow her audience and connections.

personality & more

Kitty is fiercely independent and resourceful, often finding ways to solve problems on her own.

Her adventurous spirit drives her to seek new experiences and challenges, both in gaming and life.

Despite her tough upbringing, she possesses a strong sense of empathy, often helping others in need.

Kitty is playful and mischievous, known for her quick wit and infectious laughter.

She has a passion for gaming that goes beyond competition; she enjoys the community and friendships it fosters.

Highly intelligent, she approaches challenges with creativity and determination.

Kitty values authenticity and often speaks her mind, which can sometimes lead to clashes with authority.

She has a keen interest in technology and mechanics, always eager to learn more about how things work.

Her love for languages reflects her curiosity about different cultures and highlights how incredible her mind can be.

Kitty often uses humor as a coping mechanism, lightening the mood in difficult situations.

Kitty is driven by a desire to create a safe space for others, inspired by her own experiences in the arcade.

Her experiences made her who she is, but she's not very open about the abuse she endured. If anything, she'll mention it in a joking manner because that's the only way she knows how to cope with it.

Smart is a family name, which is why it's her middle name. She often pulls out the line 'smart is my middle name' when someone compliments her brains.

[tianshiisdead]

While scrolling through your blog I saw a post that said that you don’t like white/Japan ships. I’m curious what are your favorite Japan ships? Personally I think that Turkey/Japan is very underrated as well as most EA/Japan ships. You’re one of my fave EA centric blogs so I’d love to hear your thoughts!

WAHHH ANON THANK U THAT IS SO SWEET ;;;;;;;;;;; I’m giggling and kicking my legs wawah i’m so glad you enjoy my stuff!!

As for Japan ships!! I agree hehe I love turkpan :3 I like when turkpan is like… japan -> <- <- <- turkey, but japan is surprisingly more active about it when they get down to it and turkey is surprisingly quite flustered, I think that’s cute. Honestly I have generally positive feelings towards most Japan ships as long as there’s some history/current relations/interesting parallels to go off of (personal preference, I like leaning into the countries aspect of it) barring the white ships for reasons I listed before (for people who haven’t seen that, it’s fine if you like white/japan etc etc I’m not judging I’m just personally not a fan).

My favourite is fairly obviously nichu, which is my favourite ship in general which I could talk about for ages and in fact have a half-finished essay about, and nichukor/korpan is closely behind that. Since the three of them go way way back and still have a sort of closeness that only countries from a single region can have, in terms of trade and pop culture and movement so on and so forth, outside of fascinating history I also can’t help but think it’s endlessly cute. It’s difficult to take one country without traces of the other, not just from ancient history (so Chinese influence on korpan, Korean influence on Japan, etc etc) but also from the early modern era (Chinese modernity takes a significant amount from Japan due to Chinese intellectuals and many political leaders studying in Japan, leading to things such as many modern terms being loanwords from Japan) and the modern era (The influence Japan’s fashion, pop culture and so on and so forth on China and Korea, the movement of popular trends between the 3 countries, the continued development of loanwords, etc). Of course this is quite normal for countries within one region to have this sort of closeness as well as this sort of mutual dislike, but it’s still very cute to me. Self is defined by the other after all, and for much of history that ‘other’ was each nation’s immediate neighbours, but now in our globalized world a single region has also become a sort of in-group… I think the three of them play off each other well. I like korchu a lot as well :3

I like Mongolia/Japan as well, they share a surprising amount of culture? The biggest example I can think of right now is actually wrestling (lol) there’ve been some really prominent/successful Mongolian Sumo wrestlers in the past! They also share a sort of martial culture for much of history that seem to value similar things, if they set aside their differences they’d have a lot in common I think. Falconry, archery, these are all things common in all of East Asia but seem to have a particular prominence in Mongolia and Japan. And then also Manchuria/Japan, which is as expected quite difficult to talk about and I generally stay away from the topic publicly for obvious reasons, but I’m quite fond of it… I think the modern day situation where Japan has basically forgotten about Manchuria completely is painful-cute and also kind of funny in a dark sort of way. But again… hard to talk about LOL

With regards to Manchuria/Japan, since I have a deep knowledge of this region and am personally from this region, it’s quite a bit easier for me to handle shipping it, but as such I don’t feel as comfortable talking about Japan/Taiwan because of a lack of knowledge/experience means it’s more difficult to treat it sensitively I think 🤔 Although I don’t dislike the ship. I should note I see it as somewhat different from nichukor, who all have way longer histories with each other that balance out the power dynamics in history, so it feels more sensitive and difficult to address.

Thailand/Japan has a lot of potential also I feel, there are some really fun and interesting parallels between Thailand and Japan, as well as the most insanely romancecore letter in the world between the Tokugawa Shogun and King Songtham of Ayutthaya, with King Songtham writing: ‘The existence of a sea separating Thailand and Japan has made contact between our two nations difficult. However, merchant ships of both nations now ply regularly between our two countries, causing relations to become even closer. It is now apparent that you (the Shogun) have sincere affection for us, an affection even stronger than that of our immediate kin.’ And the Shogun 's letter in return wrote: ‘The cordial relations between our two countries cannot be destroyed. Since we both have mutual trust, the existence of a sea between us is not of any significance.’ CUTE… (<- hetaliabrained voice) Well, trade relations wouldn’t last forever but still.

Rapidfire other Japan ships I’ve seen and enjoyed, Brazil/Japan, Pakistan/Japan (kind of a crack ship), Egypt/Japan (<- modern history and orientalism parallels!!!!!!!!!!)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.13

Holidays

Agriculture Day (Canada)

Beer Magazine Day

Bertiillon Indentification System Day

Children’s Day (Myanmar)

Desperation Day

Employee Legal Awareness Day

Exorbitant Price Day

Feast of the Dead (Elder Scrolls)

Ferris Wheel Day

Get A Different Name Day

International Epilepsy Day

International Natural Day

International Oral & Maxlliofacial Day

Internet Friends Day

I Value Our Friendship Day

National Apology Day (Australia)

National Black Enslaved People Burial Grounds Recognition Day

National Caffection Day

National Internet Friend Day

National Khaki Day

National Press Day (Chile)

National School Governors’ Awareness Day (UK)

National Shaving Day

People’ War Day (Nepal)

Peter Gabriel Day

Prince Valiant Day

Remnant (Ostatki; Poland)

Richard Wagner Remembrance Day

Stamp Collectors Day

Swiftie Day

Tearnandarach (Armenian Fire Celebration)

Use An Alternative Name Day

Valentine’s Eve [Day before Valentine’s Day] (a.k.a. ... 

Black Love Day

Break-Up Day

Desperation Day (HIMYM)

Dream of Your Sweetheart Day

Dream Your Sweet Day

Galentine’s Day (Parks & Recreation)

International Condom Day

Kiss Day (India)

Madly in Love With Me Day

National Break Up With Your Carrier Day

National Mistress Day

National Self Love Day

National Wingman’s Day

National Women’s Day (India)

Palentine’s Day

Self-Love Day

Valiant Day

Wear Red Canada Day (Canada)

World Anemia Awareness Day

World Radio Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Pancake Day

National Cheddar Day

National Crab Rangoon Day

National Italian Food Day

National Singani Day

National Tortellini Day

National Tortoni Day

Nature Celebrations

Canary Grass (Patience, Tenacity; Korean Birth Flowers)

Hare Day (French Republic)

Love Hornbills Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Calcont (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Great Kyberia (a.k.a. Emosia; Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Parañaque Foundation Day (Parañaque, Philippines)

2nd Thursday in February

Giving Hearts Day. [2nd Thursday]

Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thoughtful Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]

Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Toast Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 13 (2nd Week of February)

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week (thru 2.15)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week [thru 2.19]

Riverside County Fair (Indio, California) [thru 3.2]

Festivals On or Beginning February 13, 2025

Berlin International Film Festival (Berlin, Germany) [thru 2.23]

DICE Awards (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Havana International Book Fair (Havana, Cuba) [thru 2.23]

IMPA Annual Convention & Trade Show (Ames, Iowa) [thru 2.15]

Indonesia International Motor Show (Jakarta, Indonesia) [thru 2.23]

OEFFA Conference (Newark, Ohio) [thru 2.15]

Palatka Bluegrass Festival (Palatka, Florida) [thru 2.15]

Riverside County National Date Festival (Indio, California) [thru 3.2]

Sail Across the Sun (Miami, Florida) [thru 2.17]

Singha Park Chiangrai International Balloon Fiesta (Chiang Rai, Thailand) [thru 2.17]

Feast Days

Absalom Jones (Episcopal Church (USA))

Anagantios (Stay at Home Time; Celtic Book of Days)

Beatrice of Ornacieux (Christian; Saint)

Castor of Karden (Christian; Saint)

Catherine de Ricci (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Day Sacred to Faunus and Jupiter (Ancient Rome)

Ermenilda of Ely (Christian; Saint)

Family Induced Stress Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Fulcran (Christian; Saint)

Gregory II (Pope; Christian; Saint)

Idus Februarias (Ides of February; Ancient Rome)

Jordan of Saxony (Christian; Saint)

Lá Fhéile Bride, Calan Gaeaf (Julian Calendar Date; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Licinius, Bishop of Augers (Christian; Saint)

Lupercalia begins (Pagan pastoral festival)

Magha Puja Day (Buddhism)

Martinianus, Hermit of Athens (Christian; Saint)

Medomnoc, Bishop of Ossory (a.k.a. Dominic, Licinius, or Lesin; Christian; Saint))

Parentalia — Day of the Ancestors (Pagan)

Parentalia begins (a.k.a. dies parentales or ancestral days; 9-day Ancient Roman festival honoring family ancestors) [thru 2.21]

Plautus (Positivist; Saint)

Polyeuctus (Roman Catholic Church)

Robert, Abbot of Elan in Champagne (Christian; Saint)

Sergio (Muppetism)

Shab-e-Barat (West Bengal, India)

Snuffleupagus Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Stephen of Rieti, Abbot in Italy (Christian; Saint)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Ta-asobi (Harvest Ceremony; Japan)

Tortellini Day (Pastafarian)

Trndez (Feast of Purification; Armenia)

Tumpek Landed (Celebrating Iron Tools & Appliances; Bali)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 16 (Gui-Chou)

Day Pillar: Water Ox

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Close Day (閉 Bi) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Joseph Banks (Science)

Philibert-Louis Debucourt (Art)

King Floyd (Music)

Tennessee Ernie Ford (Music)

Ernst Fuchs (Art)

Peter Gabriel (Music)

Aung Khin (Art)

Ivan Krylov (Literature)

Randy Moss (Sports)

Kim Novak (Entertainment)

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Art)

Sigmar Polke (Art)

Oliver Reed (Entertainment)

Derek Riggs (Art)

Kate Roberts (Literature)

Henry Rollins (Music)

William Shockley (Science)

Georges Simenon (Literature)

Josephine Tey (Literature)

Peter Tork (Music)

Grant Wood (Art)

Chuck Yeager (Aviation)

Alvin York (Military)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Triti (Unlucky Day; Greece) [Tuesday the 13th] (1 of 2 for 2024)

Unlucky Day (John Aubrey’s Day-Fatality; Ancient Rome)

Premieres

After the Ball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1956)

All Eyez on Me, by Tupac Shakur (Album; 1996)

Alpine Antics (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

The American Magazine (Magazine; 1741) [1st U.S. Magazine]

The American Map (Eclair Journal cartoon; 1914)

American Pop (Animated Film; 1981)

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a.k.a. ASCAP (Performance Rights Organization; 1914)

Autumn (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoons; 1930)

Bah Wilderness (Barney Bear MGM Cartoon; 1943)

The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde (Poem; 1989)

Barnaby Rudge, by Charles Dickens (Novel; 1841)

Black Sabbath, by Black Sabbath (Album; 1970)

Black Snake Moan (Film; 2006)

Blunder Below (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1942)

Boogie Woogies on the St. Louis Blues, recorded by Earl ‘Father’ Hines and His Orchestra (Song; 1940)

Cabaret (Film; 1972)

Cockatoos for Two (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1947)

The Crawl Stroke Kid (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1927)

Defective Story or A Muffled Report (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 151; 1962)

Drunk on You, by Luke Bryan (Song; 2012)

Emma (Film; 2020)

Face Value, by Phil Collins (Album; 1981)

Feline Frame-Up (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Felix the Cat (Paramount Magazine Cartoon; 1921)

50 First Dates (Film; 2004)

Fifty Shades of Grey (Film; 2015)

Flip Flap (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1948)

Freewayphobia (Goofy Disney Cartoons; 1965)

Frightday the 13th (Caspar Cartoon; 1953)

Get Lost (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1956)

Graft (Eclair Journal cartoon; 1913)

Grease (Off-Broadway Musical; 1972)

The Heavy Date (Life Cartoon Comedy Cartoon; 1927)

Hello, I’m Dolly, by Dolly Parton (Album; 1967)

Hollywood Goes Krazy (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1932)

Horse Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1960)

In Dutch (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1925)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (Film; 2015)

Lay, Lady, Lay, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1969)

Leaky Lyrics or Bullwinkle Plugs a Song (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 152; 1962)

Lego DC Super Heroes: The Flash (WB Animated Film; 2018)

Louisville Courier (Kentucky Newspaper; 1844)

The Magic Beans (Baby-Face Mouse Nertzery Rhyme Cartoon; 1939)

Mannequin (Film; 1987)

Milk (Eclair Journal cartoon; 1913)

My Smurfy Valentine (Hanna-Barbera Animted TV Special; 1983)

Pa Dreams He Is Lost (Keeping Up with the Joneses Gaumont Cartoon; 1916)

Pest of Show (Car-Tune Cartoon; 1962)

Postcard, by Mary Hopkins (Album; 1969)

Penny Lane, by The Beatles (US Song; 1966)

Prince Valiant (Comic Strip; 1937)

Put Out More Flags, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1942)

Robin Hood Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

Rodeo Dough (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1931)

The Rolling Stones, Now!, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1965)

Scrappy’s Party (Scrappy Cartoon; 1933)

Smurfily Ever After (Hanna-Barbera Animted TV Special; 1985)

Sphere (Film; 1998)

Strawberry Fields Forever, by The Beatles (US Song; 1966)

The Suicide Sheik (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Swing Wedding (Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1937)

A Trick of the Tail, by Genesis (Album; 1976)

University of Minnesota (School; 1851)

Weathering the Storm, Parts 3 & 4 (Underdog Cartoon, S1, Eps. 39 & 40 1965)

The Wedding Singer (Film; 1998)

What We Do in the Shadows (Mockumentary; 2014)

Wild World, by Cat Stevens (Song; 1971)

Zootopia (Animated Disney Film; 2016)

Today’s Name Days

Adolf, Christina, Irmhild (Austria)

Evlogi (Bulgaria)

Božidarka, Kastor, Katarina, Kristina (Croatia)

Věnceslav (Czech Republic)

Benignus (Denmark)

Eke, Ike, Iko (Estonia)

Sulho, Sulo (Finland)

Béatrice (France)

Adolf, Christina, Gisela, Irmhild (Germany)

Priscilla (Greece)

Ella, Linda (Hungary)

Archelao, Bartolomeo, Maura (Italy)

Maira, Malda, Melita (Latvia)

Algaudas, Benignas, Kotryna, Ugnė (Lithuania)

Svanaug, Svanhild (Norway)

Benigna, Grzegorz, Jordan, Kastor, Katarzyna, Klemens, Toligniew (Poland)

Acvila, Evloghie, Martinian, Priscila (Romania)

Arpád (Slovakia)

Benigno, Jordán (Spain)

Agne, Ove (Sweden)

Zoe, Zoia (Ukraine)

Darcie, Darcy, Kia, Kiana, Kianna (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Derrick Day

National Jamie Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 44 of 2025; 321 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 4 of Week 7 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 16 (Gui-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 6 Amshir 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Hackberry (Feb 9-18) [Day 5 of 10]

Hebrew: 15 Shevat 5785

Islamic: 14 Sha’ban 1446

Julian: 31 January 2025

Moon: 99%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 16 Homer (2nd Month) [Plautus)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 55 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 14 Gray; Seventhday [14 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 25 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 1 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 19 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 26 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Aquarius (The Water Bearer) begins [Sidereal Zodiac Sign 1; thru 3.14]

[tenofsticks]

A Martial Arts Parable about Wicca

I used to do Martial Arts, Hapkido specifically. The purported story was that the origins of Hapkido is in the ancient Hwarang warriors and that it was secretly preserved during the modern Japanese occupation of Korea during a time of persecution.

But the truth is, it was created during the time of the occupation as a fusion of Korean and Japanese martial arts with an fusion of American boxing, and it is in fact modern. It also contains mystical and philosophical concepts from all of the above. The lineage of Hapkido itself is rife with infighting and women were not allowed to practice.

I'm sure you can find some parallels there with what's known about Wicca.

My instructor taught me about the false and true history. His instructor was a person of color, our class was 80% women. Many Hapkido branches had added Brazilian Jiu Jitsu moves and other developments since the art's original creation. In fact Hapkido was very adaptable to change to keep up with the needs of modern self-defense and practice because it was so modern, and plastic. See, when forming, the founder was able to use the benefit of history to build a core Philosophy of the art that was quite strong and adaptable.

The funny thing is, if you observe and practice enough arts, you will find so many more similarities than differences. That's because ultimately a Martial Art fills a need, the need has specific requirements in defense and offense: The human mind, the human body, and the culture. Most practices that aren't demonstrative historical artifacts will converge on these targets. Neo-paganism is the same, but the needs are Spiritual and not physically Martial. ALL of Neo-Paganism has the same challenges with false narratives, bad actors, foundations in ye old times of crusty bull crap, some more crusty than others, but their utility and value remain as live and adapting practices. If you belong to any kind of Neo-Pagan tradition, or any religion at all, that doesn't have these challenges, it's probably because it's very young.

[mybeingthere]

Park Seo-Bo, a key figure in South Korea’s Dansaekhwa Movement, died this month at the age of 91.

Born in 1931 in North Gyeongsang, a Japanese-occupied region of South Korea, to a family of eight children, he pursued training in traditional painting at Hongik University in Seoul. In 1950, his education was interrupted when he was drafted to serve in the Korean War.

“There was no food, no job opportunity, everything had gone back to ashes; all conventional values and ideas were laid naked and bare.” the artist said in a 2008 interview with the New York Times about the affects of war on him and his peers. He looked at painting as self-referential. “For me, painting has become a mere tool and method to cleanse and purify myself,” he said.

Park Seo-Bo is one of the leading figures in contemporary Korean art, widely acknowledged as the father of the ‘Dansaekhwa’ movement. Encompassing works from the 1970s to this year, this exhibition at White Cube West Palm Beach serves as an introduction to Park’s influential practice, as well as being the first opportunity to see his work in the US since it was shown at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in 2019.

A series of vividly coloured ceramic works made in the past year reveal an artist continuing to innovate into his nineties. In collaboration with a master ceramicist’s studio, Park has worked with wet clay in a similar manner as he has previously when he is manipulating the wet pulp of hanji paper, a medium he uses in other works. For this group of works, successive layers of wet clay slip are pinched and pushed line by line into long, parallel ridges, and, after firing and sanding, contrasting pigments are then carefully applied to the furrows and peaks of the fired surface. This latest evolution of technique and introduction of a new material is true to the energetic, naturalistic materiality and tactility that characterises Dansaekwha.

Park’s use of traditional Korean hanji paper, hand-made from mulberry bark, an earlier innovation dating from the 1980s, is represented here by exceptional large-works in subtle shades of grey-black and in blazing, vibrant red. The remarkable durability of hanji has ensured the survival of some of the most ancient scriptures of Buddhism in Korea and is integral to the structure of daily life, including being used in wall coverings and door panels. To Park, the material not only offered endless opportunities for experimentation but represented the connection between his work and the natural world which he had begun to regard as essential. When applied on to a canvas backing and soaked with water, the hanji reverted to a pulp that could be pushed and scraped into sculptural forms.

Park mixes pigments that further evoke connections to nature, as well as to personal memory. The black works have the deep, matte darkness of the charcoal and soot that built up in layers around the artist’s childhood hearth, while the vivid red was inspired by the maple forest in autumn foliage around Mount Bandai near Fukushima in Japan. Within the compositions, smooth rectangular areas or ‘windows’ of single colour offer a textural contrast and a ‘breathing hole’, to let the mind rest.

Several exceptional works from the 1970s testify to the epiphany that was to prove so formative to the development of Korean minimalism or ‘Dansaekwha’. Park calls these ‘Myobop’, a word taken from the Chinese characters ‘to draw’ and ‘a method’, which has been translated by the French term ‘Écriture’ (writing). Centring on an exploration of drawing within painting and on the union of action and spirit, they reflect a consistent approach, one that is inextricably linked to time, space and material; concepts that underpin all of Park’s practice. In these works, mark-making becomes akin to breathing and emptiness is achieved through reduction, a process that Park has termed “forgetting the self”. Executed within a single sitting, harnessing an energy flow through meditative action, they combine technical skill with mental focus, within a defined period of time. This method reflects that, for Park, the making of art is rooted in a spiritual methodology, drawing on Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist philosophy as well as the Korean tradition of calligraphy.

[a-fantasy-lover-surfing-the-net]

Costume Cdramas I watched in 2023

This was my first year in Dramaland (both Chinese and Korean). And I have to say that for the most part I have enjoyed my journey in discovering the dramas. This list includes dramas that were released before 2023 as well.

7. Starry Love

It is a story of twin sisters - the gentle and kind Liguang Qing Kui and the smart and cunning Liguang Ye Tan. Qing Kui is betrothed to the heveanly prince and Ye Tan is betrothed to the demon prince however mistakenly they switch places and have to navigate the heavenly realm and demon realm alone relying on their wits. For me the strongest aspect of the drama was the bond between the sisters. It focuses more on the romance of Ye Tan and Xuan Shang and the heavenly realm which I was not much interested in so I skipped through a lot of it. However, I did enjoy the romance of Qing Kui and Chao Feng and the demon realm story which was unfortunately not given enough screen time. As the heavenly realm part of the drama failed to get me invested in both its characters and story, I didn't enjoy this drama a lot.

6. Love you Seven Times

Xiang Yun, a fairy working in the marriage pavilion and Chu Kong, the God of War are accidentally entangled by the red thread of fate and go through love tribulations. I enjoyed their romance and the story was also good. However, I feel it would have turned out better if the drama had more episodes so that the tribulations could be more immersive and impactful. Also, it had less action than I expected from a Xianxia. It was still a fun watch for me.

5. Ancient Love Poetry

This is an epic story of gods and love spanning thousands of years. I will not even attempt to give a primer for its story. The romance, story, action everything is great and it also has really good secondary romances and friendships are also good. The problem I had with this drama is that I enjoyed the first God realm arc a lot however in the second arc I couldn't get fully invested in Houchi and Qing Mu. Also, as a novice to xianxias I had some trouble following the story from the second arc onwards which meant I couldn't enjoy it as much. I still consider it a must watch for xianxia fans but its not for newbies that's for sure.

P.S.- I was devastated with Yue Mi's death so I'm happy that we'll be getting the continuation of her story with Moonlight Mystique.

4. Love between Fairy and Devil

It is a drama about Orchid, a low ranking fairy and Dongfang Qing Cang, the Moon Supreme of the Moon Tribe who are enemies of the immortal fairies, and their forbidden romance. The romance (of both the main and second couple) is really good, the story is compelling and the dynamic between the main and secondary cast is enjoyable. I found the action somewhat lacking. This is a really enjoyable drama especially for those getting into xianxias as the story while not simple, is easy to follow.

3. Romance between Tiger and Rose

In this drama, Chen Xiao Qian, a screenwriter transported into her own story, becoming the Third Princess Chen Qian Qian, a side character. Armed with the knowledge of her own script in which her character is soon to be killed in the third episode by Prince Han Shuo, the male lead, Xiao Qian is determined to stay alive and return to her own world. It is an excellent romcom with great chemistry and fun bickering between the main leads. While the story is straight forward for the most part, it does offer some commentary on gender discrimination and gender norms. It is a really fun and a must watch and has great rewatch value.

2. Story of Kunning Palace

Jiang Xuening is the selfish and ambitious daughter of a court official who ruthlessly uses her charm and cunning for becoming empress. Her schemes lead to the downfall of the royal family and the ruin of both her childhood sweetheart Yan Lin and the once incorruptible Zhang Zhe. Desperate and full of regret, she pleads to exchange her life for the freedom of Zhang Zhe. She awakens in her 18-year old self, who has yet to enter the palace with a chance to do better this time. Even though she vows to steer clear of the palace and its court intrigues, she becomes entangled in them anyways. Apart from Jiang Xue Ning the main cast includes : Xie Wei - JXN's teacher and a ruthless political mastermind, Zhang Zhe - an upright and dedicated officer in the Ministry of Justice, Yan Lin - loyal heir of the Yan family who is in love with JXN, Shen Zhi Yi - the optimistic and resilient princess. It’s so rare for a drama to combine so many great things - a competent and smart female lead, gripping script, top tier looks, chemistry (with the male lead and the secondary leads), steady pace, no childishness, very happy ending. All the actors did an amazing job, in particular Bai Lu who embodied JXN and depicted her thoughts and feelings in a way that the audience could connect with JXN and root for her. The character arcs for the entire main cast were satisfying and done beautifully. I only wished that they showed the past life in one go and with some more scenes for JXN's character growth to be more impactful and that they removed the bright spotlight aimed directly at the camera which took me out of those scenes. This is definitely a must watch for costumed cdrama lovers.

1. Till the end of the moon

Li Susu, an immortal time travels 500 years into the past to prevent the ascension of the Devil god, who goes on to destroy the world in the future. It's a story of love and hate, good and evil, redemption and damnation. The characters are very well conceptualized and depicted beautifully by talented actors, stunning costumes, really good hair and makeup, and great cinematography. The amazing production and set design along with impressive visual effects and CGI really immerse the audience in the world of TTEOTM. Their romance is my ultimate enemies to lovers pairing. It has just the right amount of fighting, messiness, animosity and angst for me. Their visuals, their chemistry, their acting and the story everything was so great. Who else has three epic weddings in one drama? For the most part the story was gripping, progressed at a good pace and conveyed many themes that become apparent on rewatches. While some were disappointed by the ending to me it was clear that they reunite once again and live happily. I am still not able to move on from this couple and drama.

Full Review of Till the end of the moon here.

You can also check out my modern cdrama rankings.

As I'm still a newbie to cdramas, I welcome your recommendations.

[asksythe]

Thanks for your translation and the footnotes explaining things. Those were a godsend!

If I may ask, you said you had been on the Chinese (and Vietnamese?) side of the fandom up until now, that you've been in MDZS fandom for a few years. I see that you have some MDZS English fics up recently. I love them too! The ideas are so new and fun! Do you have any favorites English fics? Why aren't you on the international side until now? You learned Mandarin just to read MDZS? That's amazing. Is it very hard? How did you do it? What gave you the idea of writing the footnotes? Are there any Chinese MDZS fics that you really like?

Thank you. I'm glad the notes were helpful to you.

Ehh... it's a lot of questions, huh.

1/ I don't have any true favorites on the international side. It's a matter of cultural differences, not the quality of the stories. MDZS... was not written with an international audience in mind. So there are a lot of tiny but deeply impactful details that just... fly over a lot of the international reader base's head. It doesn't help that Chinese is a high-context culture, the polar opposite of most Western cultures (low-context culture). So a tiny detail that doesn't mean anything to English speaking audience can be a really big deal for the Sinosphere audience.

So the English fics are written based on this foundation of cultural value mismatch and thousands of little things that don't quite line up. The result is... really weird and really jarring. So for me, I have tried reading English fics before. But usually, what happened is that I would get distracted by this thing or that thing in the story that didn't fit with the cultural setting, and I would not be able to enjoy the story at all. I'm not quite sure how else to explain this. It's like... if someone in the Sinosphere who only has a very vague understanding of say... modern American culture takes a glance at American media and equates popularity with actual governmental authority (which kinda is true in a way but not all the way) and they write a story with the premise of.. say... a young American with big dreams of becoming the president so this person starts out their career by writing long, thousand-word essays and post them on twitter to gain credibility and followers so they can then stage a coup like Jan 6th and become president, and then they use their position as president to order Amazon be the new headquarter of government and all of this is written super seriously and realistically... Like that, probably...

2/ Why aren't I on the international side of the fandom until now? Well, the reason above plus my work is hectic. I'm perpetually buried in works, scripts, drafts for books, magazine publication schedules, game publication schedules, media projects, client interviews, chasing down clients, etc... that's on top of family and my not-so-great health. This year though, I have made it my resolution to write more stuff for myself (and not paid by someone else). So that's why I'm here now.

3/ Yes, I did start to seriously learn Mandarin to read MDZS in its native language. I can't say it's easy. It's not an easy language by any stretch of the word. But it's probably fair to say it's significantly easier for me to learn it compared to a lot of other people. I'm Vietnamese. Vietnamese is a derivative of traditional Mandarin, even though our modern language is now written in the Latin alphabet. We also have a bridge language between Hanyu (Mandarin) and Vietnamese called Han Viet. This makes it much easier for a Vietnamese to learn Mandarin than most other nationalities (with the exception of Japanese and Korean, probably). Before I even learned Mandarin, with the right tool, I could already understand about 50-60 percent of Mandarin writings, provided it's not ancient writing (which goes by different rules). It also helps that modern Vietnam has really good access to Chinese media, both modern and old.

I practice by translating Chinese MDZS fics into Vietnamese. I translated 10 series in total last year, with each series averaging around 50-80k words. I recently dabbled in translating Chinese poems into English (There's no use translating Chinese poems into Vietnamese. Han Viet is built for that express purpose already.)

4/ There are a ton of Chinese fics that are really good. I can't even begin to list them. I have seen some of the first-generation MDZS fics that were so good they ended up influencing MXTX herself, ending with her accepting the details posited in those stories as part of MDZS canon. They are all on the Chinese side of the internet though, mostly on lofter and weibo.

5/ The idea of the footnotes came from a friend, really. I sometimes spontaneously rant at @erimies about MDZS. Haha, I should thank her for being so patient. Back then, she wasn't even in MDZS. Well, even now, she's only started to read a little. But basically, during my fairly one-sided ranting (or gushing), we would stumble into cultural concepts that she didn't understand and had no basis for. So I would explain these things to her, which sometimes would become entire essays in our chat box. So when I translated, I remembered this point, that international fans probably miss a lot of cultural concepts and references, so I made sure to add in explanations.

[rhaenys-queenofkhyrulzz]

mctna modern au headcannon

Since the show is set in historical times, it’s safe to say that the ideals/norms of that society would somewhat apply to the characters. Hence our boys’ long flowing hair. This will be a long post focusing on that so fair warning.

If this were a research paper, I’d get yelled at for using wikipedia as my source but I think the info is well enough known for me to get away with it. 

Historically, East Asian cultures viewed long hair as a sign of youth and aesthetic beauty. Long hair is associated with private life and sexuality.

In ancient China and Korea, hair was regarded as a precious legacy from parents. Most people would never cut their hair after they became adults, and cutting off one's hair was a penalty for minor crimes.

Even today, South Korea is still a comparatively traditional and conservative society. Not to the same degree with hair however.

At about an hour before midnight on December 30, 1895, King Gojong became one of the first victims of reforms that were to take place on Jan. 1. The most troubling of these reforms was the edict that all Korean men were to have their top-knots removed.

In the late 19th century, the Korean empire under Japanese colonial rule had to go through many reforms- one of which was that men had to cut the very (long) hair that had for centuries held great traditional and social value. 

You’re probably wondering where all this is going. Here’s the bridge in reasoning: 

Hair length regulations have a long history in Korea. In the 1970s, President Park Chung Hee’s military regime viewed long hair as decadent, associated with the “hippie” lifestyle. There were strict rules regarding school attire and hair length, and the male students’ hairstyle was close to an army cut.

By the time my au is set in 2023, let’s assume that the mctna gang are the same relative age as WDH and YSJ in real life. Working with that timeline, Nam Jeon (and assuming that he would’ve been around 32 or so when Seon-ho was born) would definitely have been a skl boy around the 1970s following the same ideals. 

Basically, despite traditions going a complete 180, Nam Jeon is still someone who is greatly influenced by the idea of tradition and societal perception- especially when it comes to things that he expressly believes in. 

That’s why I think that in a modern au, he would’ve definitely forced Seon-ho to keep his hair short throughout his childhood and teenage years.  It’s only once Seon-ho goes off into the world on his own, trying to stay the hell away from Nam Jeon and anything related to him, he starts fighting back with the little things too. Once he completes his mandatory military service, the easiest and most blatant thing he can do at first is to start growing out his hair. So he does.

Despite having to do a lot of work on his own to support himself financially now [goddamnit Hwi just because I’m staying with you doesn’t mean I’m not gonna try to help pay for the extra groceries and added bills], he makes time to care for his hair and, after a while, he realises that it feels good to see something that he’s nurtured yield results. It becomes sort of like a project to him in the way that gardening might be for others and he genuinely enjoys it now.

At the point when our au starts in 2023, his hair is about three quarters as long as it was in canon and Hwi (who joined in on the long hair train cuz he’s just laid back and chill like that) now has a relatively long ponytail of his own.

Anyways, all that to say I think our boys would have long hair ;)

[div1nity]

𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄⠀⠀ ‟⠀⠀⠀⠀… ⠀⠀⠀the⠀⠀cost⠀⠀of⠀⠀fame⠀⠀was⠀⠀just⠀⠀a⠀⠀𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍⠀⠀𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆⠀⠀𝒕𝒐⠀⠀𝒑𝒂𝒚⠀⠀at⠀⠀the⠀⠀time⠀⠀,⠀⠀a⠀⠀little⠀⠀favour⠀⠀and⠀⠀𝖙𝖍𝖊⠀⠀𝖉𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖑⠀⠀would⠀⠀𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒⠀⠀𝑢𝑝⠀⠀𝑚𝑦⠀⠀𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒⠀⠀.⠀⠀but⠀⠀now⠀⠀i'm⠀⠀𝑜𝑛⠀⠀𝑡ℎ𝑒⠀⠀𝑟𝑢𝑛⠀⠀'cause⠀⠀he⠀⠀wants⠀⠀me⠀⠀𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝⠀⠀𝐨𝐫⠀⠀𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞⠀⠀,⠀⠀the⠀⠀fame⠀⠀and⠀⠀fortune⠀⠀got⠀⠀me⠀⠀trapped⠀⠀in⠀⠀a⠀⠀𝘤𝑖𝘵𝑦⠀⠀𝘰𝑓⠀⠀𝘭𝑖𝘦𝑠⠀⠀.⠀⠀mirror⠀⠀,⠀⠀mirror⠀⠀sitting⠀⠀up⠀⠀high⠀⠀on⠀⠀the⠀⠀wall⠀⠀;⠀⠀save⠀⠀me⠀⠀from⠀⠀𝖙𝖍𝖊⠀⠀𝖉𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖑⠀⠀that's⠀⠀ho͟l͟d͟i͟n͟g͟⠀͟⠀͟m͟y͟⠀͟⠀͟s͟o͟u͟l⠀⠀,⠀⠀coming⠀⠀for⠀⠀the⠀⠀favor⠀⠀that⠀⠀he⠀⠀𝒌𝒏͟𝒐͟𝒘͟𝒔⠀⠀that⠀⠀i⠀⠀owe⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ／⠀⠀headcanons⠀ , ⠀⠀threads⠀ , ⠀⠀playlist⠀ , ⠀⠀open starters⠀ , ⠀⠀starter call .⠀⠀ ⠀trigger⠀⠀warnings : ⠀⠀the typical things that come with overwatch : political unrest , murder / assassination all that mumbo jumbo | this is an ever evolving verse , which means more info will be added or changed as time goes on .

ca͟l͟l͟ ͟s͟i͟g͟n : blue ( blackwatch ) | virago ( current : HISTORY , the title has a long and rich history dating back to hellenistic philosophy in ancient greece ; the concept itself linked to the notion of brave men abiding society and being the core of its values and ethics - it's about heroism, morality and physical strength ; women at the time were considered lesser in comparison . however, if exceptional enough - these women could be granted with the title virago - meaning the woman had surpassed the exceptions for what believed possible for her gender and embodied masculine like aggression and/or excellence. virago, then, was a title of respect and admiration. as time went on, the meaning changed to something more negative, 'a domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman.' or 'shrew' - the title intertwined with it's original meaning and the newest ; however most understand the name to mean the latter . coraline's strong connection to greece and the history is what inspired this title - it's also a little on the nose study that just like the callsign, there is more to coraline and her character than the faracde displayed on the surface . ) bi͟r͟t͟h͟p͟l͟a͟c͟e : britain. lo͟c͟a͟t͟i͟o͟n : bounces around a lot ; has a few apartments in shady spots . however one of her main resting places is a ship that's in the middle of the australian desert ; it has everything she needs . fa͟c͟e͟c͟l͟a͟i͟m : depends when the mood strikes , sometimes natasha romanoff from the marvel comics ; othertime i'll use lara croft both game and comics ; i'll also just use my main live action. ac͟c͟e͟n͟t : due to travelling , coraline's accent has a twinge of everything ; however there is a prominant southen london tone that is more dominant . la͟n͟g͟u͟a͟g͟e͟s͟ ͟k͟n͟o͟w͟n : greek, spanish, russian, swedish, irish, korean, german, chinese, japanese, french, arabic, morse code . sc͟a͟r͟s : deep , red scar across neck from a fatal wound during a blackwatch ops - only managed to survive due to the meds team quick response / talent ; often covered up with a choker , gun shot wounds on left hip and right shoulder . ta͟t͟t͟o͟o͟s : faded blackwatch logo on right side ; clearly in the process of being removed ( is sorrttaa gone recall ; it was a drunken mistake in her ovw era ) / rose thorns circling right thigh , cat tattoo left arm . jo͟b͟ ͟h͟i͟s͟t͟o͟r͟y : worked for overwatch in their undercover division , blackwatch . when disbanded was an assassin for hire with no loyalty to any cause - has a history of being hired by talon acquaintances ; thus starting a complicated , untitled relationship with the group . sk͟i͟l͟l͟s : martial arts , hacking , engineering ( the later two certainly aren't her specialities , they're just things she can do at a low scale . ) po͟w͟e͟r͟s : magic user , has regenerative cells that cause quick healing , this is also why coraline appears ageless - though is mortal , just requires a fatal wound to kill her . ab͟i͟l͟i͟t͟i͟e͟s͟ ͟i͟n͟ ͟g͟a͟m͟e : create portals and jump from different areas of the map ( no team mates can use ) with a 10 second cool down , self healing , smoke bomb that has a 6 second cool down ULTIMATE : duplicates nearby team members for 7 seconds , sending out holograms that mimic the individuals actions . it's the slowest ultimate build due to the intensity of it . lo͟a͟d͟o͟u͟t : M110 semi-automatic sniper , nighthawk aac recon : silenced , throwing knives and an omniblade machete | has an ai companion named hephaestus that helps on missions when/if needed .

𝐏𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇

the streets have always been coraline's home , even when having four walls and a roof - she didn't shy away from sneaking out and sleeping in alleys in favour of her bed . her parents were abusive ; mean, rich and powerful people who didn't hesitate to weaponize it, even against their own blood . they were reason why she was born with survival flowing through her veins - the reason why she's always had a sharpness about her that the kids around her lacked . it was only a matter of time before she took to them full time , deciding that they were safer than being at 'home' - of cause the streets came with harsh challenges , with ruthlessness - but it was better , making it an environment coraline thrived in all too well .

she needed friends on the streets ... so to speak , friendships are rare in and of themselves - what she needed was allies. meaning snuggling up to gangs in different areas was the next best thing, it was the way to provide safety ; shelter without stepping on anyone's toes, especially with the ever rising conflicts. she didn't carry a title ; at least not internally , outwardly was another story ; realistically, everyone was using each other, it's what made the system work - mutually beneficial relationships, while fickle, have a strength about them the longer you remain useful. within the system there are still special connections to be made - cautious friendships, if you will. with this came trust, in return you can get shelter, food and something that couldn't be gained on her own ; stability and purpose.

it wasn't long before coraline was put to work, things she was more than happy to do - smuggling drugs across state lines, stealing intel from different gangs ; dangerous work, especially for a child - but it was work she thrived in. coraline had a talent for stealth , for having a quickness on feet - it what built her reputation and she wasted no time profiting off of it. there was also the added edge of having abilities that others tyically didn't ; magic usage had only been a small percentage of her life, trying to avoid it as much as possible ; however it came in handy when being sent on the low scale missions - quick healing, the ability to create portals - it made her life easier, it certainly made her far more efficent. though it was a secret held close to heart - she didn't need to go bragging and giving up all her secrets.

it's this what got her on overwatch's radar ; there was a long while of them keeping tabs on her movements, watching from afar and getting a better understanding of her skills and talents - she was the perfect candidate for the organization - the exact sort of skills that they were looking for - though it was a little while before getting involved, obviously waiting for an oppotunity to arise before approaching.

in truth, it didn't take long. the life was catching up with coraline - between gang conflicts coming to ahead, the law slowly closing in and people realising that she was playing both sides with a little too many unfulfilled debts, there were a lot of people seeking her out - the sloppiness had much to do with her worsening drug habit, it was making her reckless, no thoughts going into her actions - she wasn't happy, coraline doesn't remember a time where she was and as a result they were the only things that made her forget about her life - the state she's made of it, it was easy to fall into hopelessness when there wasn't any hope to begin with.

one night, coraline had snuck away from the group after packing up her belongings, what was worth while of it ; a gun, some stolen money and some clothes - it was here when overwatch decided it was time to approach her - extending a helping hand and offering a second chance, a chance to care about something other than herself ; a chance to be someone she could be proud of. coraline didn't really have a choice when accepting, but she'd be lying if she was mad about it.

HEADCANONS :

as mentioned , coraline was heavily involved in drug use ; specifically meth , speed and cocaine - anything that kept her awake and had her blood pumping. there have been several instances of her stealing from stealing from suppliers - giving them the drugs in full, only to sneak back and steal some for herself.

another side gig that was taken up more so as a way to pass the time was partaking in illegal boxing matches - it was something she watched regularly and enjoyed betting on ; it was only a matter of time before taking a personal liking to it ; it was harsh, violent, of cause she couldn't help but be drawn to it - after voicing interest in this, a boxer that hired her to gather intel had taken up the task of teaching her how to fight in a ring ; at first he voiced that she would be stupid to take up going into the ring, even with how much she was learning with him - but that just made the notion more exciting, "it's all about the show, ain't it?" she'd grin, wiping her mouth of blood from a particularly bad punch he'd swung at her - it was then he became aware of how quickly she healed, seeing this, the boxer had taught her how to use her smaller body and strength to her advantage - going up against people her size and the closest to her weight as they could find at the time - but she proved to be a worthy opponent - it was a while before finding her footing, but when that was found she ended up diving into rigging the fights for extra money ; she was in her element. though, it did become just another mess she got herself into.

𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇

before even stepping her foot through the door, overwatch had put coraline in their medical facility in an attempt to help her detox off of the drugs - it was an agonizing road ; dealing with sweats, emotional out bursts and violent mood swings - truly, the most painful experience she had ever been through ; not the fighting, the emotional torment of the streets - simply being away from the drugs almost completely broke her apart, she had relied on them so long to feel anything, to just exist she never realised how much strain they were putting on her body. despite the clear signs of addiction displayed, in truth, coraline never noticed just how much she relied on substances.

it was under a year before overwatch decided they were satisfied with her recovery, though given her cells, she recovered quickly ; at least physically, there was still the aspect of dealing with the mental torment of it all in the aftermath - but she said as long as she kept her mind busy, she would be fine - she feels ready to take on the world, to start new - she's never felt as good as she did in that moment - with the vote of confidence, they put her to work - well, training most specifically ; honing in on her fighting skills, practicing shooting - she had fun with it, even acting as a therapy.

she struggled learning how to trust - she lived her life backstabbing, lying and manipulating - it was the way things were. to suddenly change up the dynamic and put her life in the hands of other people in such a way caused her to have a slight crisis - team building exercises were regular, helping her get used to people, in a way, overwatch was helping her to completely rewire her social perception. it was a painful road seeing people as friends and not as enemies, but after a long time, of training with them and fighting along side them - she began to open herself up. allowing herself to get comfortable, to get somewhat soft around others and become docile - she was happier ; she was putting her talents to use while not having to worry about going home and getting stabbed in her sleep.

MORE TO BE ADDED .

HEADCANON :

i personally hc that coraline was a part of the venice mission, because .. c'mon, it's fun to think about - and while a lot of her portrayal revolves around the core four, if you're a blackwatch writer ( gabriel , genji , moria , cassidy ) and don't vibe with the idea, then that's fine ! just let me know - because i can make it so the impact bw had on her are faceless within the group rather than specifically canon charcters.

𝐏𝐑𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋

after the collapse of overwatch, it took a little while for coraline to get back on her feet ; naturally , this left a large hole in her life that was originally filled by the group - they found her when she was at her worst and as a result she truly never pictured a time where she'd be without them . looking back , she realises how foolish she had been to put so much faith in something that wasn't even remotely sustainable - it was an undercover military group , the shadow of something that represented an artificial light that never truly existed in the first place ; it was bound to collapse in on itself from the weight of sins that it carried ; however she was young , she had a spark in her that made her hopeful - vulnerable , weaker - a mistake she promised to herself to never make again .

she took some time away , retirement so to speak , though without any of the actual relaxing ; taking the time to learn new skills ; languages , hacking , engineering - she knew already knew how to kill , how to fight ; blackwatch saw to that - they had taught her everything she needed to know , but that's nothing without the intelligence and added skills to back that up ; killing , fighting - it was easy, anyone could do it - there always needs to be an added edge . she built gadgets , practiced hacking anything that was of interest - she wanted to be better , she wanted to make herself bulletproof because she knew the path she was about to go down required her to be the best - at least be better than who she once was .

before going back on the field, her first move was to erase herself completely - cleaning up every little shadow of herself she could find in an attempt to have a fresh start, to burn her past self to the ground and rise from the ashes - not necessarily as someone better. her illegal boxing matches from her teenage years, the drug smuggling and gang activity, her time at overwatch - thrown out, as if it never happened at all. any trace of her legal name was gone, she preferred it that way, in this moment came some sort of clarity , even if dipped in melancholy - she became a new person, she had her entire life ahead of her without any of the baggage holding her down - though with this new found lightness, came a lot of bad ideas - ones she was more than happy to live out despite the grave consequences that will unfold from them . continuing the career of mercenary seemed like the most logical line of work for her to go in ; so that's what she did . nothing unusual, nothing that she wasn't already used to ; but eventually she fell into the assassin career, it was one that took a little too easily - even worse, she enjoyed it - she was far too good at the work and it eventually became the new norm in her contracts.

coraline's problem was she didn't really know herself, never took the time to learn. there was no outside of the violence ; because that's all there was, she can't picture not being behind a gun . finding herself in this line of work was natural progression from her previous employment . with dedication, pride and a swift efficiency - it only took a couple of years for her name to become a whisper in the places where it mattered. much like before overwatch she took to the moto of once again having no loyalty , no moral code - she didn't care who was the target, just that the pay was heavy and the client knew what it meant to be inconspicuous - she became the go to gun when needed something done ; swift, quick, easy and was already out of the targets vicinity when the pulling the trigger . eventually she was hired by higher profiles, being paid to off ceos, politicians and high end criminal targets .

coraline can always been seen wearing a mask, without one she feels naked, exposed and far too seen ; people describe her as cold, calculated, lacking empathy - but in truth … that isn't the case, though her actions certainly prove otherwise . she still has moments of hesitating when she knows certain targets don't deserve it, has moments of taking a sharp breath through teeth and closing her eyes as she pulls the trigger and wincing once the bullet goes through a target - she has a job to do and a title to maintain - so ultimately, it gets done, no matter what ; the guilt, the dirty feeling that sticks to her after every mission is ignored, as a result she isn't in the best headspace - forcing herself to shut down as much as humanly possible ; though that's just it, she's still human and living isn't as easy as it used to be - or maybe she's just getting old and faking it is becoming harder ; it's an unwavering farcade that very few can see beyond.

HEADCANONS :

coraline's kill methods range from distance to up close and personal. her usual sign that she was the person behind the kill is kills via blade ; usually leaving behind quite a scene, especially when she deems someones death worthwhile. she likes to see the light fade from someones eyes, likes to be reminded what it looks and feels like when someone dies right in front of her ; it's easy to pull a trigger. it's another thing to hear the final breaths. this is also a method to keep her emotions in check, in short ; not only is it fun, but there's an element of personal mental self harm by putting herself through the trials to stop her going soft.

𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋

work in progress .

[tinytalesheep]

What is Shen Yun? Inside the Secretive Dance Troupe Bankrolling a Faith Movement

If you live in any major city, you’ve likely seen advertisements for Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based theatrical group which has performed intricately choreographed Chinese dances to millions. Perhaps you’ve even been, and enjoyed the show.

What you may not have known is that Shen Yun has deep ties with a highly controversial religious group known as Falun Gong, an arm of a conservative Chinese faith known for its opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and for teachings that clash with traditional western values.

This is a look behind the curtain of one of the most enigmatic faith movements of the 21st century, and the dance troupe secretly sharing their message worldwide.

What is Shen Yun?

First, a primer on this more-than-meets-the-eye dance group:

Shen Yun was founded in 2006 in New York, with the goal, its founders say, of reviving ancient Chinese customs they feared were on the verge of extinction thanks to the Chinese Communist Revolution. “After decades of communist rule,” reads their website, “much of this divinely inspired culture has been destroyed or forgotten.”

Shen Yun describes itself on its official website as “a celebration of China’s rich cultural heritage." Through the combination of dance and orchestral movement, each Shen Yun performance tells the story, as they put it, “of a time when divine beings walked upon the earth, leaving behind a culture that inspired generations.”

Yet while Shen Yun rakes in millions in ticket sales each year, critics say there’s something more sinister going on than a simple celebration of Chinese heritage.

Connection to Falun Gong

Critics argue that Shen Yun largely serves as the moneymaking machine for Falun Gong, a religious movement founded in 1990s China by its charismatic head, Li Hongzhi.

Li Hongzhi and his followers were persecuted by the Chinese government for the ‘new religious’ beliefs of their faith and their criticism of the CCP. Li fled the country and permanently settled in New York in 1998.

In the United States, Falun Gong has attracted significant criticism for its outlandish teachings and cult-like activities – often drawing comparisons to the "Moonies," a Korean branch of Christianity founded by Sun Myung Moon that has had its own share of controversies. 

What Does Falun Gong Believe?

Falun Gong is rooted in Buddhist teachings and claims to promote mental, physical, and spiritual health through meditation, promising followers that through enough meditation they can achieve mystical superpowers and healing capabilities.

Li Hongzhi's followers view him as a sort of quasi-deity from a higher plane of existence. In fact, Li claims he has all sorts of powers, including that he can turn invisible, levitate, and cure illnesses. “You can think of me as a human being,” Li cryptically replied when asked if he was human.

He teaches that aliens are actively intervening in the affairs of humans, and says that most modern technology was given to us by alien lifeforms to sever our spiritual connections to the past and prop up immoral modern thinking.

Disturbingly, Li preaches homosexuals are “unworthy of being human” and possess a "filthy, deviant state of mind." As if it couldn't get any worse, Falun Gong also insists that each ethnicity has their own heaven, so interracial marriages are discouraged because mixed race individuals may be punished cosmically post-death, leaving them nowhere to go in the segregated afterlife.

Faith or Front?

Shen Yun isn't officially operated by the Falun Gong religious organization. However, recent investigations – including by the New York Times – shed light on just how intertwined Shen Yun and Falun Gong truly are. Through interviews with former members and investigations into the dance troupe's financial statements, the Times uncovered some troubling details. 

Tax records show Shen Yun holds some $250 million dollars in the bank, a shocking increase for a nonprofit which had reported assets of $60 million just ten years ago. While they’ve accrued some of that through global sales of Shen Yun’s hundreds of yearly performances, there may be more to this revenue than they're letting on.

For example, Shen Yun has been accused of exploiting the beliefs of Falun Gong followers and convincing them to give to the organization – through volunteer hours, donations, and more. Followers are promised salvation in return. 

“They all think — including me before — we all think it is an important part of the path to godhood,” said Simone Gao, a former Falun Gong member. “If you devote time, energy and money to this cause, the reward is incomparable to what you get in this world.” 

Further allegations include abusing pandemic-era relief funds, soliciting the life savings of even their most penniless followers, and using performers as mules to illegally ferry cash into the United States.

They also market a variety of products to followers, many of them with eyebrow-raising price tags. One official Falun Gong necklace runs nearly $4,000; a pair of earrings are close to $1,000. Followers are encouraged to subscribe to their $199.99/year streaming service to help spread the movement.

Critics argue it’s all used to prop up Li and bankroll his opulent lifestyle at the 400-acre Falun Gong headquarters, called Dragon Springs, located in Deerpark, NY.

However, Falun Gong disputes these allegations, and a representative called such accusations “shocking and deeply offensive.” 

“For over 25 years, Falun Gong practitioners have struggled to peacefully resist persecution from the largest totalitarian regime on earth, and Shen Yun is a key part of that effort,” a Shen Yun spokeswoman told the New York Times. 

What do you make of Shen Yun, Falun Gong, and Li Hongzhi?

[brookston]

Holidays 2.13

Holidays

Agriculture Day (Canada)

Beer Magazine Day

Bertiillon Indentification System Day

Children’s Day (Myanmar)

Desperation Day

Employee Legal Awareness Day

Exorbitant Price Day

Feast of the Dead (Elder Scrolls)

Ferris Wheel Day

Get A Different Name Day

International Epilepsy Day

International Natural Day

International Oral & Maxlliofacial Day

Internet Friends Day

I Value Our Friendship Day

National Apology Day (Australia)

National Black Enslaved People Burial Grounds Recognition Day

National Caffection Day

National Internet Friend Day

National Khaki Day

National Press Day (Chile)

National School Governors’ Awareness Day (UK)

National Shaving Day

People’ War Day (Nepal)

Peter Gabriel Day

Prince Valiant Day

Remnant (Ostatki; Poland)

Richard Wagner Remembrance Day

Stamp Collectors Day

Swiftie Day

Tearnandarach (Armenian Fire Celebration)

Use An Alternative Name Day

Valentine’s Eve [Day before Valentine’s Day] (a.k.a. ... 

Black Love Day

Break-Up Day

Desperation Day (HIMYM)

Dream of Your Sweetheart Day

Dream Your Sweet Day

Galentine’s Day (Parks & Recreation)

International Condom Day

Kiss Day (India)

Madly in Love With Me Day

National Break Up With Your Carrier Day

National Mistress Day

National Self Love Day

National Wingman’s Day

National Women’s Day (India)

Palentine’s Day

Self-Love Day

Valiant Day

Wear Red Canada Day (Canada)

World Anemia Awareness Day

World Radio Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Pancake Day

National Cheddar Day

National Crab Rangoon Day

National Italian Food Day

National Singani Day

National Tortellini Day

National Tortoni Day

Nature Celebrations

Canary Grass (Patience, Tenacity; Korean Birth Flowers)

Hare Day (French Republic)

Love Hornbills Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Calcont (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Great Kyberia (a.k.a. Emosia; Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Parañaque Foundation Day (Parañaque, Philippines)

2nd Thursday in February

Giving Hearts Day. [2nd Thursday]

Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thoughtful Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]

Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Toast Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 13 (2nd Week of February)

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week (thru 2.15)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week [thru 2.19]

Riverside County Fair (Indio, California) [thru 3.2]

Festivals On or Beginning February 13, 2025

Berlin International Film Festival (Berlin, Germany) [thru 2.23]

DICE Awards (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Havana International Book Fair (Havana, Cuba) [thru 2.23]

IMPA Annual Convention & Trade Show (Ames, Iowa) [thru 2.15]

Indonesia International Motor Show (Jakarta, Indonesia) [thru 2.23]

OEFFA Conference (Newark, Ohio) [thru 2.15]

Palatka Bluegrass Festival (Palatka, Florida) [thru 2.15]

Riverside County National Date Festival (Indio, California) [thru 3.2]

Sail Across the Sun (Miami, Florida) [thru 2.17]

Singha Park Chiangrai International Balloon Fiesta (Chiang Rai, Thailand) [thru 2.17]

Feast Days

Absalom Jones (Episcopal Church (USA))

Anagantios (Stay at Home Time; Celtic Book of Days)

Beatrice of Ornacieux (Christian; Saint)

Castor of Karden (Christian; Saint)

Catherine de Ricci (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Day Sacred to Faunus and Jupiter (Ancient Rome)

Ermenilda of Ely (Christian; Saint)

Family Induced Stress Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Fulcran (Christian; Saint)

Gregory II (Pope; Christian; Saint)

Idus Februarias (Ides of February; Ancient Rome)

Jordan of Saxony (Christian; Saint)

Lá Fhéile Bride, Calan Gaeaf (Julian Calendar Date; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Licinius, Bishop of Augers (Christian; Saint)

Lupercalia begins (Pagan pastoral festival)

Magha Puja Day (Buddhism)

Martinianus, Hermit of Athens (Christian; Saint)

Medomnoc, Bishop of Ossory (a.k.a. Dominic, Licinius, or Lesin; Christian; Saint))

Parentalia — Day of the Ancestors (Pagan)

Parentalia begins (a.k.a. dies parentales or ancestral days; 9-day Ancient Roman festival honoring family ancestors) [thru 2.21]

Plautus (Positivist; Saint)

Polyeuctus (Roman Catholic Church)

Robert, Abbot of Elan in Champagne (Christian; Saint)

Sergio (Muppetism)

Shab-e-Barat (West Bengal, India)

Snuffleupagus Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Stephen of Rieti, Abbot in Italy (Christian; Saint)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Ta-asobi (Harvest Ceremony; Japan)

Tortellini Day (Pastafarian)

Trndez (Feast of Purification; Armenia)

Tumpek Landed (Celebrating Iron Tools & Appliances; Bali)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 16 (Gui-Chou)

Day Pillar: Water Ox

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Close Day (閉 Bi) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Joseph Banks (Science)

Philibert-Louis Debucourt (Art)

King Floyd (Music)

Tennessee Ernie Ford (Music)

Ernst Fuchs (Art)

Peter Gabriel (Music)

Aung Khin (Art)

Ivan Krylov (Literature)

Randy Moss (Sports)

Kim Novak (Entertainment)

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Art)

Sigmar Polke (Art)

Oliver Reed (Entertainment)

Derek Riggs (Art)

Kate Roberts (Literature)

Henry Rollins (Music)

William Shockley (Science)

Georges Simenon (Literature)

Josephine Tey (Literature)

Peter Tork (Music)

Grant Wood (Art)

Chuck Yeager (Aviation)

Alvin York (Military)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Triti (Unlucky Day; Greece) [Tuesday the 13th] (1 of 2 for 2024)

Unlucky Day (John Aubrey’s Day-Fatality; Ancient Rome)

Premieres

After the Ball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1956)

All Eyez on Me, by Tupac Shakur (Album; 1996)

Alpine Antics (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

The American Magazine (Magazine; 1741) [1st U.S. Magazine]

The American Map (Eclair Journal cartoon; 1914)

American Pop (Animated Film; 1981)

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a.k.a. ASCAP (Performance Rights Organization; 1914)

Autumn (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoons; 1930)

Bah Wilderness (Barney Bear MGM Cartoon; 1943)

The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde (Poem; 1989)

Barnaby Rudge, by Charles Dickens (Novel; 1841)

Black Sabbath, by Black Sabbath (Album; 1970)

Black Snake Moan (Film; 2006)

Blunder Below (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1942)

Boogie Woogies on the St. Louis Blues, recorded by Earl ‘Father’ Hines and His Orchestra (Song; 1940)

Cabaret (Film; 1972)

Cockatoos for Two (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1947)

The Crawl Stroke Kid (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1927)

Defective Story or A Muffled Report (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 151; 1962)

Drunk on You, by Luke Bryan (Song; 2012)

Emma (Film; 2020)

Face Value, by Phil Collins (Album; 1981)

Feline Frame-Up (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Felix the Cat (Paramount Magazine Cartoon; 1921)

50 First Dates (Film; 2004)

Fifty Shades of Grey (Film; 2015)

Flip Flap (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1948)

Freewayphobia (Goofy Disney Cartoons; 1965)

Frightday the 13th (Caspar Cartoon; 1953)

Get Lost (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1956)

Graft (Eclair Journal cartoon; 1913)

Grease (Off-Broadway Musical; 1972)

The Heavy Date (Life Cartoon Comedy Cartoon; 1927)

Hello, I’m Dolly, by Dolly Parton (Album; 1967)

Hollywood Goes Krazy (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1932)

Horse Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1960)

In Dutch (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1925)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (Film; 2015)

Lay, Lady, Lay, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1969)

Leaky Lyrics or Bullwinkle Plugs a Song (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 152; 1962)

Lego DC Super Heroes: The Flash (WB Animated Film; 2018)

Louisville Courier (Kentucky Newspaper; 1844)

The Magic Beans (Baby-Face Mouse Nertzery Rhyme Cartoon; 1939)

Mannequin (Film; 1987)

Milk (Eclair Journal cartoon; 1913)

My Smurfy Valentine (Hanna-Barbera Animted TV Special; 1983)

Pa Dreams He Is Lost (Keeping Up with the Joneses Gaumont Cartoon; 1916)

Pest of Show (Car-Tune Cartoon; 1962)

Postcard, by Mary Hopkins (Album; 1969)

Penny Lane, by The Beatles (US Song; 1966)

Prince Valiant (Comic Strip; 1937)

Put Out More Flags, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1942)

Robin Hood Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

Rodeo Dough (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1931)

The Rolling Stones, Now!, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1965)

Scrappy’s Party (Scrappy Cartoon; 1933)

Smurfily Ever After (Hanna-Barbera Animted TV Special; 1985)

Sphere (Film; 1998)

Strawberry Fields Forever, by The Beatles (US Song; 1966)

The Suicide Sheik (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Swing Wedding (Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1937)

A Trick of the Tail, by Genesis (Album; 1976)

University of Minnesota (School; 1851)

Weathering the Storm, Parts 3 & 4 (Underdog Cartoon, S1, Eps. 39 & 40 1965)

The Wedding Singer (Film; 1998)

What We Do in the Shadows (Mockumentary; 2014)

Wild World, by Cat Stevens (Song; 1971)

Zootopia (Animated Disney Film; 2016)

Today’s Name Days

Adolf, Christina, Irmhild (Austria)

Evlogi (Bulgaria)

Božidarka, Kastor, Katarina, Kristina (Croatia)

Věnceslav (Czech Republic)

Benignus (Denmark)

Eke, Ike, Iko (Estonia)

Sulho, Sulo (Finland)

Béatrice (France)

Adolf, Christina, Gisela, Irmhild (Germany)

Priscilla (Greece)

Ella, Linda (Hungary)

Archelao, Bartolomeo, Maura (Italy)

Maira, Malda, Melita (Latvia)

Algaudas, Benignas, Kotryna, Ugnė (Lithuania)

Svanaug, Svanhild (Norway)

Benigna, Grzegorz, Jordan, Kastor, Katarzyna, Klemens, Toligniew (Poland)

Acvila, Evloghie, Martinian, Priscila (Romania)

Arpád (Slovakia)

Benigno, Jordán (Spain)

Agne, Ove (Sweden)

Zoe, Zoia (Ukraine)

Darcie, Darcy, Kia, Kiana, Kianna (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Derrick Day

National Jamie Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 44 of 2025; 321 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 4 of Week 7 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 16 (Gui-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 6 Amshir 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Hackberry (Feb 9-18) [Day 5 of 10]

Hebrew: 15 Shevat 5785

Islamic: 14 Sha’ban 1446

Julian: 31 January 2025

Moon: 99%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 16 Homer (2nd Month) [Plautus)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 55 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 14 Gray; Seventhday [14 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 25 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 1 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 19 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 26 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Aquarius (The Water Bearer) begins [Sidereal Zodiac Sign 1; thru 3.14]

[abdalinuseery]

Taekwondo: The Art of Kicking and Punching

The martial art of Taekwondo brings power along with dynamism since its inception in Korean traditions. Taekwondo evolved from its origins as a defense system into an international athletic sport through its specialization in aerial techniques and fast movements and excellent athletic capabilities. The practice serves both as a physical training approach and a method which builds mental resolve together with teaching respect and endurance.

History and Origins

External studies show that Taekwondo originated from the ancient Korean fighting arts of Taekkyeon and Hwarangdo used by soldiers for protection and battle execution. After World War II modern Taekwondo developed through the influences of Japanese karate because of Japanese occupation in Korea. After 1955 when Taekwondo received its official name from General Choi Hong Hi the organized art focused on hand and foot techniques. The sport continues its evolution to become an international sport which received approval for the Olympics in 2000.

Philosophy and Principles

Taekwondo serves as more than body movement because it presents itself as a life philosophy which guides practitioners. The five fundamental doctrines of Taekwondo include Courtesy alongside Integrity as well as Perseverance alongside Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit. The practitioners who practice Taekwondo must develop their mind and body capabilities while learning to value respect alongside humility and practicing disciplined actions.

Techniques and Training

Internationally Taekwondo stands out because of its three well-known powerful kicks such as the roundhouse kick plus the spinning hook kick and flying side kick. A complete fighting system in Taekwondo comes together through combining punches with blocks and footwork movements. Students learn through three different activities which include practicing patterns called "Poomsae" together with sparring and breaking techniques to enhance their precision accuracy and both speed and power.

Competitive Sport and Global Popularity

The martial art Taekwondo holds global popularity because millions of enthusiasts practice it through more than 200 different countries. The WT organization manages Taekwondo as an Olympic sports competition. Olympic Taekwondo incorporates sparring competition where points are awarded for skilled kicking and striking moves. Competitive tournaments in traditional Taekwondo primarily focus on Poomsae performance because participants showcase their forms in ways that combine exactness along with elegance.

Health and Fitness Benefits

Through Taekwondo practice both mental and physical advantages emerge for its practitioners. The sport enhances heart health together with muscle power and body flexibility while developing balance abilities. Practice of Taekwondo improves mental abilities to focus better while boosting confidence levels and reducing stress. Training under Taekwondo disciplines makes students develop emotional control while building their resilience levels.

Taekwondo and Cultural Influence

Everyone who studies Taekwondo becomes a cultural promoter for Korea. The martial art embodies essential aspects of the national heritage as well as philosophical perspectives and moral qualities of Korea. The Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul) operates as the worldwide center to establish uniform techniques alongside promoting Taekwondo as an approach to living.

Conclusion

As a martial art end another Taekwondo brings together the power of physical abilities with disciplined mental control. The philosophy combines ethical values together with permanent self-betterment practices above mere fighting or sporting segments. Forwarding its philosophy Taekwondo enables worldwide groups of people to embrace both harmony and respect along with perseverance.

[gapsonnnn]

What is Shen Yun? Inside the Secretive Dance Troupe Bankrolling a Faith Movement

If you live in any major city, you’ve likely seen advertisements for Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based theatrical group which has performed intricately choreographed Chinese dances to millions. Perhaps you’ve even been, and enjoyed the show.

What you may not have known is that Shen Yun has deep ties with a highly controversial religious group known as Falun Gong, an arm of a conservative Chinese faith known for its opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and for teachings that clash with traditional western values.

This is a look behind the curtain of one of the most enigmatic faith movements of the 21st century, and the dance troupe secretly sharing their message worldwide.

What is Shen Yun?

First, a primer on this more-than-meets-the-eye dance group:

Shen Yun was founded in 2006 in New York, with the goal, its founders say, of reviving ancient Chinese customs they feared were on the verge of extinction thanks to the Chinese Communist Revolution. “After decades of communist rule,” reads their website, “much of this divinely inspired culture has been destroyed or forgotten.”

Shen Yun describes itself on its official website as “a celebration of China’s rich cultural heritage." Through the combination of dance and orchestral movement, each Shen Yun performance tells the story, as they put it, “of a time when divine beings walked upon the earth, leaving behind a culture that inspired generations.”

Yet while Shen Yun rakes in millions in ticket sales each year, critics say there’s something more sinister going on than a simple celebration of Chinese heritage.

Connection to Falun Gong

Critics argue that Shen Yun largely serves as the moneymaking machine for Falun Gong, a religious movement founded in 1990s China by its charismatic head, Li Hongzhi.

Li Hongzhi and his followers were persecuted by the Chinese government for the ‘new religious’ beliefs of their faith and their criticism of the CCP. Li fled the country and permanently settled in New York in 1998.

In the United States, Falun Gong has attracted significant criticism for its outlandish teachings and cult-like activities – often drawing comparisons to the "Moonies," a Korean branch of Christianity founded by Sun Myung Moon that has had its own share of controversies. 

What Does Falun Gong Believe?

Falun Gong is rooted in Buddhist teachings and claims to promote mental, physical, and spiritual health through meditation, promising followers that through enough meditation they can achieve mystical superpowers and healing capabilities.

Li Hongzhi's followers view him as a sort of quasi-deity from a higher plane of existence. In fact, Li claims he has all sorts of powers, including that he can turn invisible, levitate, and cure illnesses. “You can think of me as a human being,” Li cryptically replied when asked if he was human.

He teaches that aliens are actively intervening in the affairs of humans, and says that most modern technology was given to us by alien lifeforms to sever our spiritual connections to the past and prop up immoral modern thinking.

Disturbingly, Li preaches homosexuals are “unworthy of being human” and possess a "filthy, deviant state of mind." As if it couldn't get any worse, Falun Gong also insists that each ethnicity has their own heaven, so interracial marriages are discouraged because mixed race individuals may be punished cosmically post-death, leaving them nowhere to go in the segregated afterlife.

Faith or Front?

Shen Yun isn't officially operated by the Falun Gong religious organization. However, recent investigations – including by the New York Times – shed light on just how intertwined Shen Yun and Falun Gong truly are. Through interviews with former members and investigations into the dance troupe's financial statements, the Times uncovered some troubling details. 

Tax records show Shen Yun holds some $250 million dollars in the bank, a shocking increase for a nonprofit which had reported assets of $60 million just ten years ago. While they’ve accrued some of that through global sales of Shen Yun’s hundreds of yearly performances, there may be more to this revenue than they're letting on.

For example, Shen Yun has been accused of exploiting the beliefs of Falun Gong followers and convincing them to give to the organization – through volunteer hours, donations, and more. Followers are promised salvation in return. 

“They all think — including me before — we all think it is an important part of the path to godhood,” said Simone Gao, a former Falun Gong member. “If you devote time, energy and money to this cause, the reward is incomparable to what you get in this world.” 

Further allegations include abusing pandemic-era relief funds, soliciting the life savings of even their most penniless followers, and using performers as mules to illegally ferry cash into the United States.

They also market a variety of products to followers, many of them with eyebrow-raising price tags. One official Falun Gong necklace runs nearly $4,000; a pair of earrings are close to $1,000. Followers are encouraged to subscribe to their $199.99/year streaming service to help spread the movement.

Critics argue it’s all used to prop up Li and bankroll his opulent lifestyle at the 400-acre Falun Gong headquarters, called Dragon Springs, located in Deerpark, NY.

However, Falun Gong disputes these allegations, and a representative called such accusations “shocking and deeply offensive.” 

“For over 25 years, Falun Gong practitioners have struggled to peacefully resist persecution from the largest totalitarian regime on earth, and Shen Yun is a key part of that effort,” a Shen Yun spokeswoman told the New York Times. 

What do you make of Shen Yun, Falun Gong, and Li Hongzhi?