#but unfortunately i am human and thus need human connections and although it makes me feel stupid i'll ask friends again for meet ups

[navramanan]

Been feeling neglected / forgotten by the few friends i have cuz i've been getting rejections when suggesting hang outs / phone calls and getting no call backs about alternative times

[chaotic-history]

Frederick the Great's first letter to Voltaire, 8 August 1736 (translation bc I need to study for my French exams and the textbook is boring)

Monsieur, although I do not have the satisfaction of knowing you personally, you are nontheless known to me through your works. These are treasures of the mind, if one can express oneself thus, and pieces worked with such taste, delicacy, and art that the beauties seem new each time one rereads them. I believe I have recognised in them the character of their ingenious author, who brings honor to our century and to the human spirit. The great men of our time will one day be oblidged to you, and to you only, in the case of the dispute being reborn of whether to them or to the ancients preference is due, for you will tip the scales to their side.

You add to the quality of an excellent poet an infinity of other knowledge, which in truth has some affinity with poetry, but is only appropriated to it by your pen. Never has a poet put rhythm to metaphysical thoughts; the honor has been reserved for you first. It is this taste which you show in your philosophical writings that engages me to send you the translation I have done of the accusation and justification of Mr. Wolff, the most celebrated philosopher of our day, who, for having brought light to be most tenebrous aspects of metaphysics, and for having treated these difficult subjects in a manner so clean and precise, is cruelly accused of irreligion and of atheism. Such is the destiny of great men: their superior genius always exposes them to the venemous traits of slander and envy.

I am at present translating the Traité de Dieu, de l'âme, et du monde, springing from the pen of the same author. I will send it to you, monsieur, as soon as it is completed, and I am sure that the force of the evidence will strike you in all of the propositions, which follow one another geometrically and connect like links in a chain.

The gentleness and support which you show to all those who dedicate themselves to the arts and to the sciences makes me hope that you will not exclude me from the number of those whom you find worthy of your instruction. This I call your business of letters, which cannot be but profitable to all thinking beings. I even dare to advance, without denigrating the merit of others, that in the entire universe there is not an exception to be made of these which you could not master. Without lavishing on you an incense unworthy of being offered to you, I can say to you that I find beauties without number in your works. Your Henriade charms me, and happily triumphs over the misguided criticisms that have been made of it. The tragedy of Caesar shows us sustained characters; the sentiments there are all magnificent and great, and we feel that Brutus is either Roman or English. Alzire adds to the graces of novelty this happy contrast between the customs of savages and of Europeans. You show, through the character of Gusman, that a misunderstood Christianity, guided by false zeal, becomes more barbaric and more cruel than Paganism itself.

Corneille, the great Corneille, he who attracts the admiration of all his century, if he were to be resurrected today, would see with astonishment, and perhaps with envy, that the tragic goddess lavishes you profusely with the favors which she was stingy with towards him. What is not to be expected by the author of so many masterpieces! What new marvels will not spring from the pen who once lais out so spiritually and elegantly le Temple du Goût!

This is what makes me so ardently desire to have all of your works. I beg you, monsieur, to send them to me, and to communicate them to me without reservation. If, among the manuscripts there is one that, by necessary circumspection, you find appropriate to hide from the public eye, I promise you to keep it in the bosom of secrecy, and to content myself with applauding it privately. I know unfortunately that the faith of princes is an object little respectable in our time, but I hope nevertheless that you will not let yourself be preoccupied by general prejudices, and that you will make an exception to the rule in my favor.

I would believe myself richer in possessing your works than I would be in possessing all the fleeting and despicable goods of fortune, which are acquired and lost by the same chance. We can become clean first [?]; we understand your works through the help of memory, and they last us as long as our memory. Knowing the limited extent of mine, I oscillate a long time before deciding on the choice of which things I judge worthy of placing here.

If poetry were still on the stand it once was, know that the poets knew only how to hum tedious idylls, eclogues made from the same mold, insipid stanzas, or at the most they knew how to set their lyre to the tone of an elegy; I would never renounce such, but you improve this art; you show us new ways and routes unknown to Lefranc and to Rousseau.

Your poems have qualities which render them respectable and worthy of the admiration and study of honest men. They are a lesson in morals by which we learn to think and to act. Virtue is painted in them in the most beautiful colors. The idea of true glory is there determined, and you insinuate a taste for science in a manner so fine and so delicate such that anyone who has read your works breathes the ambition to follow in your footsteps. How many times have I said to myself: What a shame! leave there a burden of which the weight surpasses your strength; one cannot imitate Voltaire unless he is Voltaire himself.

It is in these moments I have felt that the advantages of birth, and their smoke of grandeur with which vanity cradles us, serve for very little, or, to put it better, for nothing. These are distinctions foreign to ourselves, and which do not do anything but decorate the figure. How preferable are the talents of the mind! What do we not owe to those who nature has distinguished by what she has made them! She takes pleasure in training subjects which she endows with all the necessary capacities for making progress in the arts and in the sciences, and it is the duty of princes to reward their vigils. May glory not use me to crown your successes! I fear nothing else except that this country, being little fertile for laurels, would not provide as many as your works deserve.

If my destiny does not favor me to the point of being able to possess you, at least I can hope to see one day he who for so long I have admired from afar, and to assure you in person that I am, with all the respect and consideration due to those who, following as a guide the torch of truth, consecrate their works to the public, monsieur, your affectionate friend.

-Fédéric, P. R. de Prusse

Source: https://fr.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Correspondance_de_Voltaire/1736/Lettre_629

Any corrections are welcome! I haven't done much translation yet but I'm trying to start :)

[crackednailsandsplitends]

Chronic Illness: Everyday Mundane Things I Struggle With - Arm and Hands

Chronic Illness: Everyday Mundane Things I Struggle With - Arm and Hands

Pain is a universal human experience; however, chronic pain -- the kind that lingers, interrupts your life and refuses to leave -- is a different beast altogether. This is a glimpse into my daily struggle with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), chronic tennis elbow, and severe cervical foraminal narrowing.

ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)torments me significantly with arm issues. The trouble escalates in my right arm due to years of suffering from chronic tennis elbow. But it doesn't end there. I also have severe cervical spine foraminal narrowing which means that the passage where the nerves exit my spine narrows down, compressing those nerves slightly. This condition triggers problems down my right side especially affecting my hand, elbow and shoulder.

Thus, I experience a whole heap of issues with my right arm and hand.

More than pain

It's not only about battling constant intense pain; it's all about managing nerve pain too - neurological nightmares of tingling, heaviness, numbness, spasms etc.

With all my conditions, it restricts my arm and hand use considerably even in seemingly minor ways. For instance, trying to squeeze the liquid gel detergent out of a bottle turns into a painful battle; especially at the point when the bottle is quarter used, when I need to exert pressure on the bottle – something I find myself unable to do, due to pain.  

Such trivial encounters upset me deeply, simply because they highlight my disabilities and limitations so blatantly and brutally.

It means now that when selecting laundry detergent, it becomes a decision based not only on preference but also on physical capability—can I squeeze the gel out? Even handling medication proves challenging as taking pills out from their dispenser or picking them up is more troublesome than it should be. Imagine losing crucial medication on the floor because of my finger dexterity issues, unfortunately, I do this often! Also, using spray bottles, the trigger can be extremely painful for me to keep pressing that trigger.

Makeup application, once an effortless process, now turns into a long, exhausting ordeal due to these limitations. Brushing my teeth becomes incredibly painful or just simply difficult as my arms and hands fatigue quickly and feel extremely heavy and painful. Brushing my hair and attempting to style it (tie it up), is immensely challenging with my arm. With the most upsetting thing is, I am unable to do my daughter’s hair.

I now only buy jersey sports bras as I can step into them and pull a sports bra up, thus, this avoids me having to do the hook-and-eye connection on a normal bra (which I find extremely challenging to do)

I use talk-to-text on my phone/laptop as typing and using my fingers can become quickly painful. Holding the phone to my ear can quickly become too much and too painful.

Constant reminders

Doing buttons-up, tying shoe laces – all these tiny mundane everyday tasks that I took for granted before, are now constantly reminding me that my body is failing me, my body is broken, and I am disabled.

Days that are particularly bad present even more challenges — things like cooking become almost unmanageable. Tasks like cutting fruit and vegetables become impossible. Other activities including sewing can lead to excruciating pain; making me pay for hours or even days afterwards if I push myself too far. 

Although I'm slowly learning to use my left arm/hand more frequently, it doesn’t have full functionality without issues, and it also presents continuous difficulties.

Final thoughts

Living with chronic pain requires constant adaptation and resilience, dealing with both physical discomforts and emotional setbacks. Each day is a new challenge but it also provides opportunities (always trying to keep positive) for learning better ways of managing life despite limitations.

[stevetonygames]

Spotlight Post: Canon Soulmate Bonds

Yooo, this is a blog takeover, Mizzy here, ready to champion one of my favourite fictional causes: canonical soulbonds in the Marvel universe.

We all love a good soulbond fic. Words on your body, names on your wrist, red string of fate...so many glorious versions, and all of them *completely awesome*. The problem sometimes with starting a soulbond fic, though, can be all the worldbuilding required to make it work. But what if I was to tell you that no worldbuilding was necessary? That you could technically write a soulbond fic without having to set it in an Alternate Universe? What if you could set your soulbond fic *directly in main canon?*

Marvel 616 delivers you a canonical soulbond mechanic… not once… but at least *twice*. There could be more. There’s a lot of comics to go through and I’m only smol. But here’s the two I know about and I’m here to introduce you to today. :)

The was a ripple of mild confusion around fandom when Kevin Feige announced that the Eternals were getting a title movie in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s, in a wild combination of mythological fascination and spite at DC comics for not letting him finish his New Gods saga, the Eternals were an offshoot of humanity, created by the Celestials for humanity’s protection; this reason for their existence would lead them into their ongoing conflict against the deadly Deviants. There have been a few Eternals runs (notably one run by Neil Gaiman, which did not serve to bring the Eternals the commercial success Marvel was searching for with the title, that nevertheless remains the most fun and accessible Eternals volume), but they’ve not yet really reached wide-reaching traction among even the most die-hard comic fans. The MCU might change that, and here’s hoping, because I love these nearly-immortal idiots, and I’m hoping not to be alone in that for much longer. :D

But even my Eternals-happy soul has to admit, Eternals canon for the most part is dense and can be convoluted, and the spellings—both of their character names and one of the main fun parts of their existence, the Mahd W’yry—are enough to give one a headache. The idea of the Eternals is that they’re long-lived and have interacted with human history over the years in various impactful ways. You might think at first glance that you’ve never heard of the Eternals Sersi, Ikaris, Makkari, but I think you wouldn’t find Circe, Icarus, or Mercury unfamiliar names.

The Mahd W’yry is a symptom of the Eternals being so long-living. In order to stop them going insane, the Eternals have to bond into something known as the Uni-Mind, which basically squishes all their consciousnesses together into one, where they can share memories and blend temporarily into one mind. Regularly bonding into the Uni-Mind allows them to stave off the Mahd W’yry. (Yep, that’s just a headache-inducing spelling of ‘mad worry’, we know.)

Anyway, did you need to know all this? Eh, maybe, a little bit of canned backstory is always handy for you to briefly glance over and promptly forget. Because along with some dense mythological adventures, some glorious angsting across beautiful landscapes, and that ability to turn into a big massive floating brain, the Eternals also gave us a beautiful gift:

The Gann Josin.

In Avengers #361, Ikaris comes down to Earth and decides that Sersi needs to be bonded to Dane Whitman, an Avenger who canonically didn’t have any powers, he was just a *really good guy*, destined for tragedy. Honestly. That’s his bio. Really good guy. Destined for tragedy. The character creation in the 90s was peak talent. Dane, sadly, was in love with another woman, but did this matter to Ikaris? No. Apparently the Eternals don’t know about the dangers of letting himbos like Ikaris have life-changing powers, like the ability to create the Uni-Mind. 

Because the power to control the Uni-Mind also gives an Eternal the power to form a Gann Josin bond. And that’s what Ikaris does in Avengers #361—he forces a Gann Josin bond on Eternal Sersi and tragic human Avenger Dane Whitman.

Gann Josin (sometimes Gan-Josin because what is spelling continuity in Marvel comics) is both the name of the bond, and the title given to an Eternal and their chosen life-mate. It has a bunch of cool side effects. Both Gann Josins get glowing full-red eyes. It’s a really intimate tiny form of the Uni-Mind (without the part where you become a big floating brain), and creates a small scale mental union. The Gann Josin bond makes the Eternal and their partner lifelong soulmates. As the bond progresses, it creates a telepathic/empathic bond that strengthens in time. According to the Eternal Sprite, humans are rarely chosen by Eternals for the Gann Josin.

Now, Dane Whitman does manage to break the Gann Josin several issues later. But… it’s not easy. It’s rare. When Dane manages it, it is called an “astounding act.” It’s pretty dang hard, in other words. There’s every chance your chosen Gann Josins won’t have the mental fortitude of Dane Whitman to break it. (Although, we’re talking about Steve and Tony, and are there any bigger stubborn idiots in the universe? Probably not.)

But Mizzy, I hear you saying. I don’t want to write about Ikaris, even if he is a party king and that sounds pretty nifty. I don’t know anything about the Eternals and I don’t want to go down that gnarly rabbit hole.

That’s totes fine, my friend. I am here to save you. Because in very recent canon, during Jason Aaron’s turn at the helm, the Eternals are all dead. Very dead. That whole Mahd W’yry thing got ‘em, it got ‘em good. But before Ikaris died, he granted his Uni-Mind power to someone we all know and love.

Yep. Tony Stark. Tony Stark currently has the power of the Uni-Mind.

Which means that Tony Stark can now Gann Josin people.

In Avengers #361, Ikaris performs the Gann Josin by basically just pointing his hands at Sersi and Dane and some light goes WHEEEEEEE!! in their direction, and bam, this rare and special bond is done. And Tony Stark can do that now. To anyone! Unfortunately Ikaris is dead and didn’t leave Tony with an instruction manual. But the point is, he *can*. You can make up all sorts of fun things with this canonical fact (or write your own version because lbr Canon Is Dead; Long Live Canon.)

There are so many possibilities. Does Tony deliberately learn how to use it so he can bond himself to Steve? Does Tony *need* to be able to hear Steve’s thoughts (to thwart some bad guys) and thus end up soulbonded forever to Steve in result? Is Tony’s power activating at random because he can’t control it, and he ends up soulbonding everyone around him? Does he just subconsciously bond himself to Steve without consciously meaning to? Do Tony or Steve want to try it for science?

Gosh, I love comics.

But WAIT. There’s MORE.

It’s not just 1990s comics going ham on the soulbond idea. No, we got some *this year*. Canonical soulbonding? TWICE? In one universe? Two different kinds??

And this time, it’s not in a D-list Marvel title. We’re up the ranks to the big leagues this time, folx, with a brief trek to the world of the Fantastic Four.

In Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #15, we’re introduced to a Spyre citizen called Sky, a winged team member of the Unparalleled (more cosmic-powered superheroes), who work under The Overseer. (The Overseer, in a burst of beautiful retcon in the way Marvel comics keeps doing to us, is apparently the entity who is responsible for giving the F4 their powers. Huh. The more you know.)

On the planet Spyre, all children are brought before something called The Great Eye. This measures them against the radiation signature of everyone on the planet, divining who their perfect match is. 

Sky looked into The Great Eye, only to find out her match was Johnny Storm, who was 44 light-years away at the time. Long-distance relationships can be tough. Anyway, plot happens, the F4 get stuck on Spyre, get told they can’t leave, and Sky tells Johnny Storm that she is his soulmate. Oh, and she attached a soul binding onto him while he slept. Neat, huh, all the bodily autonomy people get in this universe before being force soulbond to people? So neat, much consent, wow.

Johnny feels a connection to Sky, which is supposed to let us know this lack of choice is a good thing I guess. The Overseer wants Sky to renounce Johnny and crush the F4 which obv doesn’t happen, so of course she leaves The Unparalleled and skips off to Earth to be with Johnny. 

Who knows how this relationship is gonna last. I mean, you can look at the rest of Johnny’s relationship history and have a good guess. Who knows. Anyway, Reed and Sue are each other's soulmate, and also share a “Soul Binding”, so there’s some canonical proof right there that maybe this system has some validity going for it.

The soulbond for this form takes the form of a golden bracelet worn on the upper arm, that Sky explains her people call a “Soul Binding”; it represents them as being soul-mates. This bracelet can only be removed by your soulmate. This soulbond doesn’t seem to come with any extra powers, it’s just to show that The Great Eye has measured their radiation signature and declared them a match that is supposed to mean they’re perfectly compatible in every way: spiritually, mentally, and physically.

I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty good feeling that Steve and Tony might just have matching radiation signatures… Or what if Steve and Tony have perfect matching signatures….with other people? (Someone else on Spyre believes Sky is *their* perfect match, after all!) What if Steve has feelings for Iron Man, but he’s a perfect match with Tony Stark? I feel faint already just thinking about it.

So here you go. Two canonical types of soulbonds for your fannish consideration. Feel free to ask me questions! You can find me on tumblr (@mizzy2k) or on discord (addy#0908).

[thejustmaiden]

The Sesshomaru F*cks Debacle

Hey, fellow Inuyasha fans! How we feeling?? I imagine a lot of us are doing quite fabulously after the recent news we got about the sequel coming out this Fall, "Hanyou No Yashahime." So if it wasn't obvious already, I want to take the time to discuss the topic of- you guessed it- Sesshomaru. Go figure! 

***THIS IS A REPOST OF MY ORIGINAL BLOG THAT DISAPPEARED FROM THE TAGS. PICS/GIFS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO HOPEFULLY REPAIR THAT.***

Let's be real, as much as probably (and literally lol) all of us have viewed him as "daddy material" at some point or another during our teens, Sesshomaru being physically intimate with another being, much less a human, is difficult to conjure up in our minds. And there's nothing wrong with that, per se, as sex and romance doesn't come so easily to some as it does to others. Then again, that's not to say a romantic relationship is completely impossible or unattainable for him either. 

I, for one, am not a huge fan of the idea of Sesshomaru siring children of his own. Granted, adopting/protecting children and other small companions is kinda his thing (I saw one user even describe him as a 'walking daycare' 🤣), and maybe it'll just take some getting used to, but all in all it's not entirely unfathomable to picture him having biological children. Though I'd be lying if I said I still didn't prefer he just took these two twin half-demon girls in and under his wing instead, like he did Rin. However, seeing as that's unlikely the case since the two girls resemble him in some fashion, the chances of that coming true are slim, which must mean that Sesshomaru did in fact bone some lucky lady. That's not to say I don't acknowledge that there's still a chance these kids aren't truly his but we'll see! 

Which leads me to the real reason behind this blog! I'd like to address in-depth why I and so many other Inuyasha fans consider shipping S*ssrin as wrong and why it makes a lot of us extremely uncomfortable. 

BUT FIRST BEFORE I FORGET, I want to give a little unofficial disclaimer by stating that this blog isn't intended to upset certain fans regarding my stance on the controversial ship. Thus I will not tag it under that ship name, and I suggest others who agree with me to do the same in any of their future posts. 

Because let's not forget that the most important thing is that we're all fans here. We fell in love with this story and hold its beloved characters close to our hearts for a reason. And that still counts even if you're returning to this fandom a decade later. So please, let's try and remember that and be civil towards one another. Putting people down by attacking and insulting others in real life really doesn't make us any better than them. I REPEAT, please do not engage in this post unless you plan to be kind and respectful of others who may have a differing opinion than you. There's never a need to be ugly towards another human being. That goes for all shippers and fans of Sesshomaru in general. Thank you in advance for your understanding and compliance. 😊

Again, none of these comments are aimed at being inflammatory towards those fans who have a different approach to this pairing. If any of you are reading this now, please keep that in mind before deciding to participate in any discourse with me and other antis. 

Okay, let me go ahead and list a few of the main arguments fans of this particular ship use to support them together. Then I'll give my reasons why those aren't enough to justify their relationship turning romantic:

1. Rin will be an adult before they get romantically involved

2. Sesshomaru didn't raise her and therefore isn't her father; he was never like a father to her in the first place

3. Sesshomaru hasn't been grooming her, not then and not now. Besides, it was Rin's choice first.

4. Age difference shouldn't matter when you look at other relationships in the series (InuKag, Koga x Ayame, etc.)

5. It was always going to be canon because the drama CDs exist

 These are the main points I'm seeing around. Now let's dissect them, shall we? These are my direct responses- I'll try to keep them short and concise. Fyi: Jk! I'm lying, that never happens. 😆

1. Rin may be an adult, but from our standpoint that doesn't make much of a difference. It doesn't matter because it's all about how her relationship with Sesshomaru started off and how it continued onwards. From that moment, it was basically established from the get-go that their relationship resembles that of one a young girl shares with an older man who winds up becoming her guardian. She initiated it by trying to bring him food while he was injured, and he reciprocated by deciding to bring her back to life that fateful day. 

Of course we're all happy that he did, because he's a better demon for it and a similar thing could be said about her! Therefore you must understand that fans against this pairing find it very hard to grasp the notion of a budding romance here when we look at their history. For us, it's synonymous to imagining a father eventually falling in love with his daughter or someone else who reminds him of a daughter, and vice versa. But let's just say he's not a father to her like many of you claim and more like, say a modern-day babysitter. Isn't it still bizarre to you that a young girl could fall in love with the man who looked after her and cared for her at that age, maybe even played games with? One day or on multiple occasions he even sees her naked because she had an accident and got hurt so she needed help changing or something. I admit it's more realistic that it was Jaken if anyone who'd be in charge of this, but why does it really matter who was tasked with what? Sesshomaru may have not been around all the time but that doesn't mean he's any less involved or invested in Rin's general care and well-being. So it's that thought alone that keeps many of us from even contemplating a romance forming between them. Whether he hardly interacted with her over the years or not is irrelevant, because it's clear to me that they have both formed a strong enough bond that constitutes calling them family. I highly doubt he ever even planned to keep Rin in his company as long as he did. But it happened, and whether you want to admit it or not, meeting her changed his life. Meaning Rin was never just some girl he traveled with or hardly knew. Despite his feigned indifference and stoic ways at times, I'm pretty sure we can all agree that Rin grew on him and was the first person to really influence him in a way that helped soften and open up that heart of his in a way nobody ever had before. One's significance to any given person isn't solely measured by the quantity of time spent alongside that person but by the quality of how that time was spent with said person. It's safe to say that in the case of Sesshomaru and Rin, they definitely fall under that category. 

2. Fair if you don't view Sesshomaru as Rin's father, but you must acknowledge that he did fill some father figure-like role to her at the very least. Or let's just call him her vassal if you think that's a more accurate description. Also, can I just quickly stress again that it doesn't matter how long she spent by his side or whether she spent more time in the village or not, because he still ended up playing a major part in her childhood as an adult male role model. Regardless of the title you give him, it still stands that although he may not be her official adoptive father, he is LIKE A FATHER. There really is no point in denying that, because their dynamic exudes one of a father-daughter. I guarantee you that any outsider looking in would agree that if not her father then at the very least he embodies a male relative of some kind. Honestly, the details of their relationship dynamic specific to this show (regional/period differences, human vs. demon culture, etc.), don't really matter here. Why? Because one can assume that the general consensus here is that a large percentage of fans perceive their connection as a familial one. Yes, most would unanimously agree that Rin and Sesshomaru, along with Jaken and Ah-Un, are a FAMILY. 

If she had first met him as an adult, then we'd possibly have a very different story here. The point of the matter is that he didn't, so that should be where this discussion ends. Unfortunately, for many, it's not. The bottom line is that a child he knew and cared for should never be someone he begins to view in a romantic light. I don't care how many years have passed (or that to demons years are like days or some less inconsequential length of time), and how much she's matured or how specific marriage customs were back then (if they're no longer appropriate now then why are we still condoning these backward practices?). Rin should NEVER have the desire to be sexually attracted to this father figure she's always looked to and trusted to protect her. Maybe it's vastly different from a demon's perspective (even though still unjustifiable in my opinion), but as a human, Rin's feelings towards Sesshomaru wouldn't and shouldn't suddenly change towards him and in such a drastic manner mind you. Yeah, maybe she used to have an innocent crush on him, but I'd like to think our smart and compassionate little Rin would learn that was simply because she was a child who didn't know any better. Besides, growing up with Kaede and around other humans I'd like to think she fell in love with another human sometime over the course of all those years. It only makes sense, right? Don't you think that's part of why Sesshomaru left her there in the first place? He wished for her to experience what it was like to live a normal human life, falling in love and marriage both being a key part of that. If I were Sesshomaru, I'd be deeply troubled if I started to develop feelings for a little girl I once protected and kept in my company for quite an extended period of time, which was at least a year from what I understand. (Pls correct me if I'm wrong because I gather it may have been longer.) 

3. Apparently in the manga and the Final Act, we see Sesshomaru still visits the village to check on Rin from time to time. He even brings her gifts, such as beautiful and luxurious kimonos. I recently learned from another Tumblr post that kimonos are what older men gift in order to sort of earn their favor with these young ladies, AKA they're wooing them. If that is indeed true, then that would mean he's basically grooming her and has been for however long she's lived there in the village but potentially even longer. To put it nicely, he's courting her. If this was another young lady (maybe not an adult perhaps but still of marrying age) who he DIDN'T assist in raising, then I could possibly get on board with this.

The thing is, it's far from that with them two if you consider everything they've gone through and endured together! Because he not only met her as a young girl but he got to know her first as a young girl, and she became one of his traveling companions all while she was only a young girl!!! Their bond will always be defined by that time when she was just a young girl, and nothing can or should change that he will always see her in that same light. Kinda like how our parents or other family members from older generations tell us that they'll always see us as their babies. So the fact that her time spent with Sesshomaru is constantly compared to her time spent in the village shouldn't apply here. Don't we all know this already? That we can can come across someone in our lifetime and maybe the time with them is short-lived, but that doesn't make it any less significant or those people any less special. Sesshomaru made an impact on her as much as she did on him, that much we know is true. Sure, it was years ago, but that's not something you ever forget. Sometimes when you look at loved ones you haven't seen in a while, there are just certain memories you have of them from over the years that will come rushing back to you without fail and that you will always cherish no matter what. I'd like to believe that when Rin looks at Sesshomaru and he looks at her, that they can both look back fondly on their times traveling together. This explains why I'm really struggling here to picture how anyone could sleep with someone they used to treat as their guardian/father/ward/daughter/what have you. So someday and somehow, this person just stops viewing them that way, is that it? I mean, how does this work exactly? It's not like you can just flip off a switch and forget everything from your past with this person, ya know? Unless you have your memory wiped, what I'm understanding is that S*ssrin shippers approve of the idea of these two characters KNOWING that they are or used to be like practically FAMILY to each other, yet agree that these two characters in question still have the capacity not to mention desire to pursue HAVING SEX with each other anyway. Do I got that all right? Did I miss anything?  

Originally I provided two examples of fan art I found to help put what I'm trying to say here into better perspective, but since they've been removed, just type in "Sesshomaru and Rin" on Google and you'll find plenty of examples of what I'm talking about here- and no, it's not S*ssrin images. I realize Sesshomaru has never been the touchy-feely sorta guy like it's depicted in some of the fan art, but that doesn't necessarily diminish the affection he feels and attachment he has towards Rin. He just has a different way of expressing his love is all, even if he doesn't outwardly show it. The real question here is, can you really look at sweet pictures of an adult comforting a child who's been under his care for a significant amount of time and then suddenly be like, "oh man, I can't wait till they bang!" I'm sorry, to each their own, but you gotta admit why we must find that creepy. 

4. Regarding Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship, we need to remember that he didn't age after all those years stuck to that tree. And besides, demons age differently so this is a pretty unfair comparison. This isn't the best example, but think about how a cat's lifespan works. 10 years in (indoor) cat years is like 56 in human years. So technically in demon years, Inuyasha is physically and emotionally compatible with a human around Kagome's age. Hell, even though he's over a hundred years older, Kagome is still a whole lot more mature than he probably ever will be! 😂 (Psst! We still love you, Inuyasha! 💋)

Now as for Koga and Ayame, this also isn't comparable to Sesshomaru and Rin. Koga met Ayame one night, only not to see her ever again until she was older and of age. After rescuing her on that night when she was only a girl, he gives her a piggyback ride and you can tell he just wants to cheer her up when he mentions her being his wife someday. (And boy, did that work wonders on Ayame!) Then they gaze at this stunning lunar rainbow together, which I think is quite rare judging by looks of it. This is not an attempt to defend this proposal- if we can even really call it that- but all I'm saying is that I don't think even Koga knows what overcame him in that moment. Fast forward to present-day when they cross paths again, and Ayame still remembers his so-called promise, but guess who doesn't right away? Yep, our man Koga! It takes a quite a while for it to come back to him, too. This further proves my point that something beyond Koga and his power possessed him to say all those things to a little Ayame for some reason. Maybe you can call it destiny, or maybe it was some special kind of magic caused by the lunar rainbow, Idk! All I know is that they do end up together in the Final Act and that it wasn't until they met as two consenting wolf-demons that they really grew to know each other and coincidentally- or maybe not so coincidentally- fall in love.

 5. From what I understand, it appears these drama CDs are some kind of satire which doesn't equate to canon. Perhaps Rumiko did not debunk them but she also didn't confirm they're true either. I'm hearing conflicting reports, however, and her involvement in them is questionable. Like her name is supposedly on the cover or something? But then I've also heard that she has spoken out against this ship. From the sounds of it, there is enough evidence- or lack thereof rather- to conclude that fans cannot use this as proof enough for their ship already being or soon-to-be canon. 

Finally, I'd like to end on this note where I'll be addressing ethics in entertainment. When it comes to our choice of entertainment, there's always a level of escapism implied, sometimes so much that we project ourselves onto certain characters. Delving into a fantasy world like that of Inuyasha can really help some people better cope with real life problems, but it's all about striking the right balance, as each individual has different wants and needs. The thing is there's only so much escapism one can allow in a fictional world before basic morals from our own world begin to take precedence. I can always enjoy some good fantasy, but it's not long until I start to reflect on how I personally relate what entertainment I'm currently absorbed in to real life. It's inevitable really. For example, if certain relationships portrayed on screen conflict with strong opinions I've adopted on a sensitive topic, especially those that take children into account, then I feel it's my responsibility to speak out against any media that even remotely promotes it. Yes, even if it's just fiction. Because art imitates life, right? (And yes, sometimes the other way around.) So in other words, our stories should mirror our way of life to some degree. History has seen its fair share of ugly events and traditions we are surely ashamed of but that we've hopefully learned our lessons from. Most societies nowadays seriously frown upon or condemn stuff like pedophilia, child grooming, or anything of the sort. Of course it doesn't help that we see still see these kinds of issues glossed over so much that we've become desensitized to them in many respects.

The thing is we cannot allow this way too common older-man-dotes-on-young-girl trope (or anything resembling it) to continue to be glorified or romanticized. It matters not that feudal Japan was a drastically different time to be alive and that this was the norm back then, or even that this remains a popular ship in Japan. All it comes down to is if whether we would currently tolerate such acts and behaviors were we to witness them in real life. If your answer is 'no', then it should be 'no' in every respect. If you deem it acceptable just because it's fiction, then I'm sorry to say, but you're going to have to answer to a lot of people. No surprise there, that goes for all fandoms. I guarantee you it's not just the people who personally identify as victims who have serious qualms with this ship either, because you don't necessarily need to have bad experiences of your own in order sympathize and see where a lot of these people are coming from. And no, just because I'm unhappy with the possibility of S*ssrin going canon does not mean I'm whining or that I'm attempting to spread negativity about this series before it's even out. Remember, fans have the right to be critical of whatever content it is they're watching/reading, and if they demand something in the storytelling be represented better, then of course they can challenge that. After all, none of us should feel like "canceling" the content we love is our only hope to fixing a story. That's not how it ever should be. Fans are fed up, and can you really blame them? Nah, we can strive to do better in this area, plus it's not like there isn't always room for improvement. So let's please be more vigilant about how the content we consume translates to reality, in addition to being mindful of how it can directly correlate to real life problems for ourselves as well as others around us.  

That's a wrap, y'all!! I hope you enjoyed what I had to offer on this topic, and here's hoping I actually contributed something new to this conversation! I'm aware that that's unlikely the case for us fans who've been living in this tag the past couple days (like me lol), but I'd like to believe I put my own spin on it and it was still worth your while. 😉 

P.S. Overall, I remain optimistic about the new show! So are there any friendly Inuyasha group chats on Tumblr I can join? If so, please do invite me! I need to obsess about this sequel even more than I already am, EEEK!!!

[sloppy-butcher]

Angel of Music

The Wraith (Philip Ojomo) x Survivor!Reader 

ok so

I’m probably very late to this, like 3 years late, but whatever just hear me out

My smooth brain has been going crazy lately for Phantom of the Opera and i just realized how similar Wraith’s “Angel of Music” cosmetic is to the drama (i mean, i known it is inspired by it but like). 

so now with this glorious revelation, me and the monkeys in my head have come up with the brilliant idea to write a Phantom of the Opera inspired Wraith fic. gods speed you funky lil dudes. 

note;; this is going to be very OOC for him. I’m am going to model wraith to be more like the phantom he is dressed as, thus expect a more devilish, seductive creature rather than the tree-man we already know. also, he can talk now. maybe sing

literally no one asked for this

word count: 4110

TW: Death and blood. Stalking and obsession. Musicals 

This place is an undeniable and indisputable nightmare. An eternal night that twists and corrupts all with shadows and despair. From the repetitive game of cat and mouse that almost always ended in death to the ever-present feeling of eternal damnation, there is absolutely nothing inherently good about the Fog. There wasn’t even light. As if stuck in the haze of an ecstasy-trip, time bleeds into itself seeming to stretch on forever yet also never move an inch. A true paradox.

And to make matters somehow even worse, you had started to hear voices in your head.

It first spoke to you on one of your regular trips into the woods. Scavenging for tools and items that could be used in trials, you hummed to yourself. Oblivious to the world around you, lost to the music playing in your head. It was easier to forget the horrors of the night and give in to the melody of some old song than to ponder on dangers yet to come. You found personal peace in singing, drowning out all your earthly worries by the power of your own imagination. The fog swirled and swelled with the rise and fall of your song and out in the darkness the voice made its presence known. ‘Sing louder.’ You obliged willingly.

Initially, you had chalked it up to your heightened sense of purpose and inner monologue being superimposed so as to form its own being. You would command yourself in third person, detaching and driving your body as your thoughts spoke. Intuition personified. This theory made sense; endless panic often causes those to develop the most peculiar of coping mechanisms. In passing conversations with the other trapped souls you realized that they too had their quirks; one had a rubber band that he snapped on his wrist whenever scared, another rubbed dirty into her palms to stop them from sweating and so on. Unfortunately, you had developed the most bizarre habit out of everyone else. You only started to question the voice’s true intention when its orders became more sinister.

‘Leave him.’ It spoke over your shoulder referring to your teammate dying on hook, an open exit gate before you. ‘Run away.’ It commanded to your half-way through healing another when you spotted the killer fast approaching. All these new and selfish instructions, although ensuring your survival, left you feeling hollow inside. You escaped but at what cost? The lives of your friends. If it really was your true self talking to you then, by default, did that mean you were as evil as the voice was? No! You plead. You were a good person. By God you were human, and the weight of all the death and suffering inflicted by your obedience to the voice began to crush your conscience. You couldn’t even look the others in the eyes anymore.

You couldn’t just ignore the voice either. When it spoke there seemed to be an almost physical force behind it, driving it and giving it momentum. Sometimes it even felt as if someone was standing right behind you reaching out and instructing you with their hand as they whispered in your ear. There was also the fact that you drew strange comfort from the voice. In this desert place, so drained of softness and angry with hate, you depended on what little gentleness the voice offered you.  

It even occurred to you that maybe, the voice wasn’t even yours - as in it belonged to someone else entirely. An unknown watcher, a ghost or phantom, who somehow had a deep connection to you, a one-way mode of communication. A large part of you wanted desperately to believe that who were just overreacting and that it was all just in your head. Regardless, you just couldn’t shake the feeling.

For what felt like days now the voice had been uncharacteristically silent. You noticed it in your first ever trial with the killer that could go invisible with the toll of his bell. There was no guidance, no consoling vector to take your hand and help you through your problems. You had been left alone like a new-born chick, blindly searching for the love and warmth of a guardian. Feeling completely lost, the panic that sat on your chest was overwhelming in that trial. But oddly enough, no matter what you did wrong, how many times you blew up a generator or accidentally revealed your position, the killer never disturbed you. You didn’t even see him until the end where, standing in the exit gate looking in on the realm, you spotted the figure. Bright eyes gleamed back, a bloody weapon in his hands. He allowed you a moment longer to gawk at him before ringing his bell and disappearing into the night.

Even after escaping the voice didn’t return. Your ears yearned for the sound of it, hungry for its filling noise. You sat alone at the campfire, eyes staring unblinking into the mesmerizing flames. It was so lonely, the panic and unrest mixing into a dangerous concoction in your head. There was nothing good anymore. Why do you keep on trying? Perhaps it would be better if you just gave in already. You almost jumped out of your skin when, as if manifested by your desperate cry, the voice called.

‘Come.’ It sounded from the treeline, darkness bending and beckoning you into it. It didn’t feel real. Perhaps you were imagining it. ‘Come,’ It said again sensing your hesitation. You looked around at the other survivors none of which appeared to notice the disturbance. You faced the forest again, it opened to you like the mouth of a great fish. Your feet itched to run to it. There was a powerful pull and before long you followed it.

The woods were freezing, broken branches grabbing out as you passed them. Through all these adversaries, pushing past doubts and warranted skepticism, you kept your eyes focused ahead. Even with all the warning flags the voice had given you, the pure desperation you had to find anything even remotely kind lit the fire of will under your feet. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? You were dead either way. The trees swayed and whined as a tired wind blew through their crumbling leaves, oddly not even making a noise. As the voice continued to call, luring you away from the safety of other people and fire, you spotted something ahead of you. There just through the fog, like a lighthouse over a raging sea, was a light. It bobbed and sway and wondered away from you through the trees. It was hypnotizing to watch the light flicker deeper into the trees, your feet not needing motivation to follow.

The light and voice mingled in your head, overwhelming every sense until it felt like you were walking through a dream. Your pace was sluggish and sloppy, you couldn’t feel the ground anymore. Just as it seemed you’d never catch up to the light, it suddenly stopped, blinked a few times then popped out of existence. You went to its last location, looking around for any possible signs of anything to help you but instead found yourself completely surrounded by an all impressive mist. It danced through the trees creating unbreakable walls of wood and water. It felt wrong to be here, your head spin around for an exit which came to you in the form of an out-of-place stone archway.

The bright yellow of the stone contrasted brilliantly against the somber atmosphere it lived in. Your mind wasn’t your own as you unknowingly went to it. Beyond the mouth of madness lay a beast in wait, purring as he felt your impending arrival. Eagerness overtook him and slowly the wooden door creaked open to welcome you inside. The tunnel that lay behind was one lit by old candles tinting the world with a much-appreciated golden light. It stretched on for miles, leading down into the earth where, at the bottom drifting up to you like a breeze in a cave, the voice beckoned.

‘Come.’ You stepped inside. ‘Come to me.’ If, by some strange miracle, you could have stopped yourself for a brief moment from descending the tunnel, you might have noticed the voice’s odd word choice. You might have even noticed the person on the other end licking his lips and smiling. Walking as if through honey, you unhurriedly made your way to the yearning voice. Before long the warm light that had bathed you drew back its loving embrace and faded back to absolute darkness.

At the edge of the last candles reach was a room - so large and empty of light that it appeared to have no roof, no walls, no end. You couldn’t help but feel like you had walked into the lair, the most secret and quiet place, of a monster. You couldn't shake the feeling that you had passed the point of no return. The artificial night swallowed you whole; your eyes strained in the pitch black, your ears burning from the total silence save for your own beating heart. The shadows inspected you, looking you up and down while you were none the wiser. His eyes also ate you up, so pleased to have you alone that he let the moment slip into an uncomfortable length.

You wanted to speak, make your claim against whatever had brought you here. You could sense something out there just outside of your already limited view. But the silence held you tight in its suffocating grasp. You dared not even breath. You had to wait for him to make the first move.

“Bravo.” The voice called from somewhere behind you, startling you to the point of drawing a gasp. “Bravo! Bravissimo!” Someone started to clap. You could hear him stepping around you, his voice echoing endlessly around the room, impossibly loud and booming. Although there was something deeply unsettling about the voice, the only thing you could take from it was odd comfort. It was real. A person. A guardian Angel! You spun around on your heels desperate to see the source of your guidance however he managed to remain hidden in shadow. You swear you could hear him grin at your confusion.

“You listen well, my dear.” There was no denying it, it was the voice. Although only now, when it spoke so openly, did you notice that it was inherently male. So relieved with the news that you weren’t going completely mad with disembodied voices, you glazed over the other implications this reveal came with. If it wasn’t yourself than just who have you been talking to all this time? And, the more pressing matter, just who were you stuck with in the room.

The stranger claps again and moves around in the black, shuffling from one side of the room to the other and at times seeming to even be above you, looking down. “I am beyond impressed my dear.” The stranger smiled, unbeknownst to you getting closer with very advance. “Do you know where you are?” No reply. Honestly you had no clue. You had never been in this place before - it felt so detached, so different when compared to all the other realms you had grown accustomed to in the Fog.

“Hell.” The voice answered, purring like a cat with a trapped mouse, teasing it - relishing off its fear. “The deepest pit. And, what’s more, you came here all on your own free-will.” He moved again not content to stay in one spot for too long, trying to view you from every possible angle before he made his last move.

“Won’t you sing for me. My Angel of music. You know the one I mean.” His words hit you like a ton of bricks. A song? As you wracked your brain for whatever he could be referring to, a faint idea began to materialize right in the tip of your tongue. Words of a melody that you swear you had never heard before but still feel familiar with in your heart. The voice, it sang to you. How could you forget!  

“Every night I was there. Whispering my song to you in hopes that one day, you could join in with me.” That was true. Each time you dared to drift off to sleep, the voice would appear. He sang to you, gently and softly, talking into your ear to lull you safely away - only to wake hours later with no memory of the night before. Perhaps that is why you were always so attached to the voice, why its absence impacted you so deeply. There was a build of pressure behind you and suddenly he was there. The stranger towered over you without even looking, his chest pressed tight to your back. Exploring hands went down your arms and slowly brought them up like the two of you were about to start a dance. His head hung low to your ear, his breathing touching your exposed neck. He sucked in and exhaled meaningfully, taking in your smell and touch and your reaction to his closeness.

“Sing.” God, his voice was so smooth, demanding and rich. A sonorous tone that had never been shown to you before this. It shocked you to your core. He sighed again, one hand moving to caress your neck with the other holding your own hand. “Sing my Angel.” Up till now you were passive, sitting ideally in a dream-state as you let the stranger do as he wished. But now you wanted answers.

“Let me see you.” No answer came from the man be it verbal or physical. He remained completely unphased and unchanging.

“Sing.” He commanded again, no anger or annoyance in his tone only patience and hunger. He yearned for you to sing with him, to join in with his symphony. For too long has he gone silent, his soul dying along with his music. The bells no longer tolling and his music fading out like a lit match in the rain. When he found you, fallen like an angel right out of Heaven, humming alone to yourself, he felt the fire of passion ignite within him. You were perfect to him and now, you couldn’t resist him. You were defenseless, night having accustomed you to its unfurling beauty to the point that you were addicted to it – needed it, just as he did. There was no way either of you could go back now. You breathed into him, your nose filling with the smell of pine and smoke, and hesitantly after closing your eyes, you began to sing the words now burning hot in your head.

“Say you’ll share with me,” It wasn’t really singing, rather just breathless talking – a whisper that only the keenest of ears could hear. Regardless of what you sounded like; the stranger cherished every word that left your mouth. He started to shake, his hands holding on to you for support.

“One love, one lifetime.” He joined you now, singing as you did in a volume that only you could truly appreciate. His raspy, low-pitched voice mingling wonderfully with yours, sounding almost desperate to get the words out. Lips grazed your ear sending shivers down your spine.

“Say the word,” His hands tightened their grip as if to empathize his lyrics. “And I will follow you.”

“Say you love me.” Your combined voices bounced around the darkness stirring whatever creatures lay in hiding, your harmony compelling and immensely sorrowful. While a part of you faded into the song’s words, swaying and melting with the stranger content for once, something crawled into your head. The song was ending, and while you wished to stay forever in this blissful embrace, you demanded to know the face behind the voice. Your moment was coming.

“That’s all I ask of -” Slipping out his grasp at the moments climax, you spin around to finally lay your eyes on the stranger. He froze under your gaze, surprised by your sudden action. Looking up at an incredibly tall man, you felt your knees threaten to give out. Staring back were the glowing eyes of a killer, the very one that had, not long ago, tormented your friends. You couldn’t help but gasp and step away from him, breaking his hold on you. You inspected him as best you could in your lack of light, squinting your eyes as hard as you could but nothing in the darkness made itself known to you save for his unmistakable eyes. The stranger noticed your efforts and, fuming at your defiance to play along with him, raised a hand.

“You wish to disobey me? Fine!” The ground shook under foot, his shouting voice ricocheting off the rooms stone walls and sending the world into disarray. “Look at me Angel! In all my glory!” He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly your senses were overwhelmed by blinding white light. You flinched, shutting your eyes to the dramatic change in the room. When next you opened then you found the room to be hazed in familiar yellow candlelight. As if by magic, all candles had all be simultaneously lit. Your attention darted around like a trapped bird before resting on the man standing in front of you, his arms open and expression unreadable. Bathed in new light you could see him in immaculate detail.

Yes, it was the invisible killer, no doubt about it. But something was off about him. He looked different somehow; maybe it was his prim suit, navy fabric decorated with golden lace that fit his slender body snugly giving him a sense of proper and divinity. Behind him hung an extraordinary cape that fluttered in a non-existent breeze. On his face sat a white mask, crooked and dirtied from years of neglect which, in all honesty, covered little to none of his truly disfigured and burnt flesh.

Unparalleled fear began to rise in your chest. He was so tall, powerful and strange that it terrified you to be standing next to him. You stepped backwards, edging closer to the exit. The stranger’s eyes flickered. How could you fear him? He had never hurt you, Angel. All he has ever wanted was to be by your side, to never be lonely in the dark again. He has given you no reason to distrust him, he has never shown you his monstrous side. Yet still you shrunk away from his touch, choosing rather silent suffering than a lifetime of music with him. He felt something break inside him.

You saw his hand twitch, his off-center head bobbing as his labored breathing intensified. He took a small step forward and you replied by taking a large one back. He halted and so did you. Next to the broken thing that rattled around in his bones, he heard something else. A beating heart, weak and faint but somehow still alive. It moved and leaped, reaching out for you to take it and hold. Just standing in your company he heard music start to swell in his ears. You had listened to him once before, maybe he could get you to again.

The stranger's head dropped; through the lumpy cape you saw his shoulders deflate. What was he doing? Playing possum so as to catch you off guard? Whatever it was, you didn’t let the tension ease out your legs. You waited for his next move, ready to run if he tried anything suspicious. You didn't expect the sound of his voice to suddenly start singing again.

“Say you’ll share with me,” He sang his solo, his voice that of an airy murmur as if afraid to sing alone. Every word he sang clung to your ears, kissing your heart and mind with a complex sorrow. Your guard started to halter.

“One love. One lifetime.” He paused, swallowing the lump building in his throat warning to overflow and render him speechless.

“Lead me,” He raised a cautious eye to find you still waiting, offering him the chance to try coax you closer. A fist clutched his chest in an attempt to sooth his aching heart. “Save me from my solitude.” He was certain he was crying but he couldn’t feel the tears; you had his undivided attention.

“Say you want me here...” He faltered here, hand itching to reach out and grab you. “Beside you.”  The stranger could barely form audible words anymore, so slurred and choked up that you unknowingly leaned forward to try hear him better. 

“Anywhere you go,” He tried again, begging you to close the distance and join him. It was heartbreaking, this phantom, this person and the way he sang to you, each syllable dripping with an ocean of unimaginable pain and beastly hopelessness. It was infectious really; you could feel his sadness take over your heart shaking it in an iron grasp. Miserable eyes glared you down as you took the smallest step forward. “Let me go too.”

He didn’t continue - he couldn’t. The horrors of the whispering darkness and this god-awful place left him near-drained. Everything pushed down on him, suffocating him until he thought he was going to pass out. He could only keep his eyes on you. Blurry from tears he held onto your figure like your were a buoy in a raging sea, his only safety, his air. The stranger heaved from trying to maintain his composure. Finally the curtain fell and you gave in. 

Your foot falls were the only sounds that broke the silence in the room. You approached him with little to no conflict in your mind. Yes - he was scary. Yes - he was a monster. But the way he looked at you now, the way he sang and spoke; no killer would beg to be loved the way he did. It was like he was afraid of the dark, of being alone, of being condemned to an existence of pitiful silence. You craned your neck to look up at him, sucking back the wreckage still wavering just outside his control. 

“Pitiful creature of darkness,” The words tumbled out of your mouth, through teeth unfazed by their possible repercussion. You were speaking from your heart. A small hand connects with his unmasked cheek taking in the feeling of old, burnt skin and years of mud. He leans into your warm embracing having forgotten what it was like. “You are not alone.” 

Even on tip-toes you still were short of his lips. It was only when he gave in and leaned down that you were able to kiss him. Eyes closed, shoulders tensing, you melted into the kiss. His lips were rough, chapped, but gentle. He didn’t give anymore pressure until you asked for him, dragging you tongue along his bottom lip asking for entrance. He opened to you gratefully. Inside his mouth housed monstrous sharp teeth and an excited tongue and moved inside your mouth, tasting ever inch of you. He was greedy, demanding everything of yours. When you had nothing more to give, he relented and let you go.

You sank back on your heels gasping for breath. You noticed he was smiling, an odd sight of such a distorted and sad face. 

“My Angel. My Muse.” You felt him move on top of you, a hand sneaking behind your back making to bend over so as not be pressed uncomfortably against his chest. “I have many names of which to call you. I am eager to use them all.” He laughed, the sound rattling your whole body with its bass leaving you quivering. “But you, can call me Philip.” He tilted his head in a mock bow, his free hand grabbing the edge of his cape and fanning it out in respect. You offered you own  meek nod. His smile only widened at your compliance. 

“Come now,” Philip said standing up to his full height, his hand still securing your back. “Let me take you away. Away from all this numb light and into the darkness where no one will find us.” He raised his arm and cape and quickly brought it down around you, sweeping it around the both of your until he had you cocooned. 

The world fell into black again and all you could sense was him; his breathing, his reinforced arms cradling you. You could also hear a faint thumping when you put your ear to his chest - his heart. Once diseased and weak now pumped with vigor and delight. He had you in his grasp and he was never letting you go. You were his everything; his Angel of music.

[art-now-germany]

Contemporary elegance - Portrait Original !, Igor Bajenov

What is art? .... "I am art." Definition of art: Art takes on complex relationships in all areas of life, and more creative perspective answers the spirit of Indiviudalität match in itself and draws from the collective Gedächntis and understanding of the world. Art is thus the only acceptable form of conflict develop culture and politics real and visionary. Art is communication between Mind and me ... me and my work ... my work and the next reason ... Art is thus an entertaining evolierende chain reaction. Perhaps Art Evolution? Art = The past, present and (or) future in their wide range of colors, shapes and sounds to show. For me, art is a form of expression of thoughts, feelings, emotions, but, unfortunately, often by commercial interests. You may be wondering now, what I mean. So I explain it to you. An artist per se, every human being is of creating something that he thinks is art. Whether it was written, painted, sculpted, forged, declaimed or otherwise prepared. The important thing is that there is, therefore, the work that needs to come out from the inside of the creator and that it precisely the man who created it, considers art. Because True art can not be obtained on head pressure or with an order one. Art is about the Muse. Yes I know that word is prejudiced, one connects it with ancient myths or just one or a lover, or the places the artist in a state feely. But, just that it is not, is not it. The Muse is a kind of phenomenon, rather a feeling that you wanted to give a figure in ancient times. A muse is a burgeoning idea, an association or even a clue to something that you will create. In any case, the true artist, and thus the true art has this to do something as the origin, which inspires from within something. But now the company set up an ad hoc basis have created something comes want. Of course, it must be great, stunning, new and convincing. Simply put, something gigantic that all ideas met, if not exceeds. And here starts the second part of my statement. For now I ask you, if as I just said, art comes with a Muse. How can they then with a contract, no matter by whom issued, be created? The artist who is perhaps known for his works from his musical creative phases, is now to create something on command and although it is possible and often even artistic nature. But it is a work to order. If you ask me, write me a poem or write me a story, because you had the pleasure to read one of my works and I liked you. So I tell you simply "NO" because I do not live it. But the one who has chosen the art as bread and life merit. Must say "YES" and it is also. See also commercialism "creates" art, but whether this works really should bear the title of art or rather commissioned art or just work? In my opinion, they should be demoted because they reduce the art in its value. I'm not talking about artistic taste, because even though I like better than a Monet a Beuys, so I have to both recognize as art, as they both emerged from such an idea. Art is self-realization, art has only the feelings of the artist is no longer expressed, and no less, is not about beauty !! For me, art is a form of communication. That is, the artist expresses not only his feelings, but wants the people with his work say something. He / she does not spontaneously and unwrought but processed so that it is understandable and enjoyable for the reader / viewer / listener. But sometimes even the incomprehensible pleasant or the unpleasant is meaningful. This art is a dialogue and not a monologue, I think it's also important that the artist has contact with his audience and the feedback takes care about what is normal for live performances, for writers or visual artists but should be. "Art is an expression of their own culture" Art for me is a kind of self-realization and liberation. Maybe even a little criticism. If you can do something that few can. - Everything is art - Survival is -life Art is art - Art is dying - Laughter is art - is not to laugh Art - Whining at a high level is Art .- Not whining is Art - Doing nothing is art - Art is thinking - Non-think is art - Everything is art so art is nothing other than art. Geez. Art is free figures from free spirit Art is a zweckfüßiger Sunrise in sausage glow of its own frequent lightness. Waiting a herausgepurzelten cheese princess on the verge of a frog loose Vaginalbrunnens. As the name of the site says it all: "Everything is art" The way of individual lives, loves, suffers and works. Then, when someone else may well something special, can he used his art to others to enjoy it. Art transforms people through images, archetypes and Symole. Art touches feelings and emotions. Art awakens to new life. Love Art curious joy, here is my proposal for the characterization of the concept of art. Art is the art with the help of a medium, for example, (music, painting or even mathematics) to develop a language all its own. The use of these media is only once "only" a craft. In conjunction with an idea and creativity arises from art, but can not be shared must be shared. "What is art" This briefly worded question is deceptively simple. Anyone who jumps up in his mind to do here made known, should know that it enters one of the oldest areas of employment of mankind. And seen do this from the perspective of those who art or take claim for themselves than buy from the perspective of whose who like art to be such, and some of their "understanding" and last but from the perspective of those who , judge the art or rather the art critics. The description of what is art, therefore highly dependent on the angle of view of the art actors. So art is for the artist or the artist certainly a form of expression for feelings, observations and findings. To convey a message where / her importance to him. How high is the acceptance of his / her work of art, is probably secondary. Here the enthusiasts want the discussion to the "true", respectively the "not-true" artist probably connect, this is here, however, inevitable. For the art viewer contrast, our own perception is crucial. The must not be congruent with the embassies of the artist / the artist. Well made possible by the artist intended message is hidden and yet he feels / she addressed herself. He / she buys a piece of art and presents / suspended / installed it in the habitat or visited an idea and takes the seen and heard with. Here interested feelings, observations and findings of the receiver. Seen one can understand art as a form of communication that makes visible Contemporary and contemporaries in a special way and consolidated. Whether see future generations yet to be connected to these messages, is debatable. Modern productions of Shakespeare, Schiller and many other throw such discussions again and again. Interpretations of paintings or sculptures can vary widely. And yet the art manages the employment of people with himself and his environment Oscar Wilde is certainly correct when he says: "Art is the strongest form of individualism, which knows the world". But it is without doubt the individualism with the largest collective benefit, I mean. Art does not rely on evidence and free. Your freedom is the perfect fulfillment of the self-determined shape. Their quality is determined only by itself. The created is absolutely and belongs to humanity. Art is a way to escape from reality for me. "Art, I am."...Exclusive Photo Collection in Contemporary Art - Digital Photo Mix - Abstract /Expressionism - Figurative/Cubism - Portrait Fantasy in Fine Art- Paint/Drawing-Vector/Graphic.

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Photography-Contemporary-elegance-Portrait-Original/462428/2774422/view

[gretamclaughlin]

The Environmental Cost of Human Interaction

Overall, the readings cover how humans alter ecosystems and vice versa, a finding supported by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Unfortunately, the consequences of these interactions are generally negative. This has been exacerbated in the last 50 years, especially with humans perpetrating irreversible damage to biodiversity worldwide, increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, and more. In fact, human activities have degraded about 60% of services. This depiction of human effects on the environment is essential in displaying humans’ impact on the world. It emphasizes our responsibility to fix it, essentially explaining why studying the environment is so important. The 1992 World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity focuses on how dire environmental issues are, especially centering on preserving earth’s finite resources. Humans are exploiting the planet as if it does not have any limits, and it is already showing its impacts in widespread inequalities and draining natural capital. There is only a limited amount of time to save the Earth, and the texts make it clear how pressing the issue is, as well as how much needs to get done. 

The readings further explore how the transformation of the planet affects different groups. The poor often bear the brunt of these issues. Specifically, the poor often depend more heavily on natural services than other groups and are thus more vulnerable to shifts in their availability caused by human interaction. For example, pollution and environmental degradation can lead to malnutrition and respiratory diseases more in economically disadvantaged populations. In New Jersey, a bill was recently passed to reduce pollution in impoverished neighborhoods by limiting the number of incinerators, sewage plants, etc. Newark’s Ironbound, which contains an incinerator and potentially toxic land, will be aided by this measure. Mad Stano of The Greenlining Institute explained that the bill emphasizes that “if it’s not permissible in an affluent community, it shouldn’t be permissible elsewhere” (Maldonado 2020). As someone who lives a short drive away from this community, I see these issues with my own eyes. While I can enjoy a safe environment in my well-off community, those living less than 15 miles away cannot exist without being in danger. Unfortunately, poverty also causes environmental issues due in part to a larger number of children in lower-income households and the use of short-term solutions to survive rather than worrying about long-term effects. In Senegal, illegal logging is lucrative, but it has completely damaged the forests in the country. It is certainly a vicious cycle (Courtright 2018).

The affluent heavily harm the environment and are not faced with the effects of it. Developed countries account for 19% of the global population but consume almost 90% of utilized resources. Many economically advantaged people obtain resources without seeing the negative effects of their actions. The question arises regarding which group is to blame for the issues, and it is upsetting to me how the textbook seems to take a neutral stance. Blaming the poor for environmental issues is reductive because these individuals ultimately have few options for making money. If I needed to feed my family, I would not care about the long-term effects of overfishing, for instance, only that I needed to get food on the table. This position also fails to consider how the wealthy are responsible for the poor’s condition under capitalism. The class commentary the readings provide is especially relevant given the growing class inequalities in much of the world. By having such large extremes in economic states, both groups negatively impact the environment and suffer because of these issues. 

One of the most important solutions to these problems is taking individual responsibility for our environmental impacts. Whether this begins with recycling or a grassroots campaign, we all need to take charge of our communities, such as in Chattanooga. Instead of driving a car to school, we should consider walking or biking. Instead of turning on the lights, we should use sunlight. Simple steps such as these can go a long way in the long run. Furthermore, people need to lean on the three principles of sustainability that have allowed the Earth to survive for so long. These are solar energy, biodiversity, and chemical cycling, and we need to seek solutions that are reminiscent of these points. This includes using renewable energy rather than non-renewable resources like coal. Government policy on all levels is integral in implementing measures such as these, and people need to both elect promising politicians and hold those in power accountable to promote green legislation. Changing to clean energy can include granting subsidies to those who produce it and creating a more connected electric system. Measures such as this enable humans to live in a more sustainable fashion, preventing environmental degradation. Furthermore, we need to limit the usage of open-access renewable resources, which, if used too much, can create an ecological deficit. In order to achieve this solution, policies would need to be put into place to prevent people from exploiting these resources. This could take the form of increasing preservation efforts on federal land, setting strict standards for resource usage, and slapping fines on companies who disobey them. However, one must also consider the effects of these laws on the poor since many people rely on these open-access resources for income. Therefore, additional policy needs to be implemented in developing countries to create opportunities to amass wealth from renewable energy and other environmentally friendly initiatives. Economic growth and helping the Earth are not mutually exclusive, but proper laws need to be enacted to ensure that both simultaneously occur. As a whole, the usage of technology to help the environment needs to be explored much more. Although advancements have sometimes been used to destroy the planet, such as with the expansion of production, they can also rebuild the Earth and create more sustainable living options.

Increased pressure needs to be placed on developed countries to limit their environmental impacts and aid developing nations. According to the 1992 World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity, affluent countries need to control their exploitation of the environment and use their financial resources and tools to help more impoverished states reduce their impacts. This same text explains that this is not a selfless act since environmental issues harm everyone; helping others also helps you. 

Certainly, these solutions depend on political policy, and government intervention is necessary in order to create a more sustainable world. While environmental issues may seem irrelevant to some, they are damaging all species on the planet, humans included. We have a limited amount of time to prevent more irreversible damage, and the time to act is now.

Word Count: 1092

Question: Do we have the time to compromise on environmental issues?

My environmental impact at school: Personal Earth Overshoot Day is August 3, 1.7 Earths

My environmental impact at home: Personal Earth Overshoot Day is June 5, 2.3 Earths

I am surprised by how large my impact is because I always try my best to be environmentally friendly. It is interesting to see how when I live at school and walk and take public transportation more and eat less meat, I impact the environment much less.

Ecological footprint at school

Ecological footprint at home

A long way to go: the amount of renewable energy compared to non-renewable used in the world in 2018

The increase of renewable energy globally based on technology and in total

The Amazon rainforest’s deforestation

Works Cited:

Courtright, James. 2018. “Illegal logging and poverty fuel local tensions in southern Senegal.” Equal Times, June 5, 2018. https://www.equaltimes.org/illegal-logging-and-poverty-fuel?lang=en#.YBn81ndKiu5.

Maldonado, Samantha. 2020. “How a long-stalled ‘holy grail’ environmental justice bill found its moment in New Jersey.” Politico, August 27, 2020. https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2020/08/27/new-jersey-legislature-sends-groundbreaking-environmental-justice-bill-to-governors-desk-1313030.

[kigeog2260]

My Final Blog Post

For some of us, we’re reaching the end of our University experience, for most of us, we’re entering into our third or fourth years. What we all share is the knowledge gained from Applied Human Geography. While I did not believe this course would be mentally stimulating, in the end it truly was thought-provoking. In my final blog post for GEOG*2260, I will review the many concepts we are all familiar with in a reflection-style assessment. 

What do I know for certain about Human Geography research?

[https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/ba-human-geography-environment-industry/] 

Critical reflexivity, one of the first concepts taught in this course, is a ‘constant, self-conscious scrutiny of the self as a researcher & of the research process,’ (Hooykaas, 2021). After learning this concept, I was increasingly able to apply it to the assignments in this course and in others as well. Dowling highlights how critical reflexivity is important, explaining that ‘being reflexive means analyzing your own situation as if it were something you were studying,’ (Rowling, 2016). I decided to become very acquainted with critical reflexivity, and so I can declare I know this for certain about Human Geography research.

The second thing I know for certain about Human Geography research is ethics. Per my own philosophy, ethics is imperative to treating others as you would want to be treated! Although ethics is somewhat of a broad term, it is easily understood. The core principles surrounding ethics are: concern for welfare, respect for persons, and justice (Hooykaas, 2021). I also know for certain that the discussion between Stan and Richie in Chapter 3 highlights the difficulties in always being ethical. For example, ‘exploitative research denies respect for alternative ways of knowing,’ (Howitt & Stevens, 2016).

The last thing I know for certain is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data, that is, qualitative methods attempt to understand general principles of a human experience, environment, or process by gathering, verifying, and interpreting data, whilst quantitative methods measure and record data (Winchester & Rofe, 2016). Understanding the difference is crucial to the course because it is one of the learning outcomes we are expected to have upon completing the course. 

Three Confusing Concepts

[https://www.rd.com/list/confusing-road-signs/] 

When I saw the title of our Week 8 lecture slides, I was not only curious but confused. As I took notes on the slides however, the coding I know is nothing like the one we learned in this course. Coding has many different subcategories, including descriptive coding, deductive coding, and inductive coding (Hooykaas, 2021). As defined by the course textbook, coding ‘is a process by which researchers structure and interpret qualitative data,’ (Waitt, 2016). This concept is confusing because it does not seem entirely time-efficient to use a method that tasks so long. 

The next challenging concept is found in Week 5, surveys. This particular concept is confusing to say the least as there are so many subcategories within itself to consider. Categorical, ordinal, interval, and ratio data are some of the categories we were taught, each having their own specific instructions (Hooykaas, 2021). The designated chapter for Week 5 does not shed very much light on this topic, unfortunately, and thus adds to my confusion. 

Last but not least, triangulation was another challenging and confusing concept I learned this semester. Triangulation seems to be an important part of ensuring rigour when it comes to providing trustworthiness of research (Stratford & Bradshaw, 2016). Triangulation is essentially the implementation of multiple methods, researchers, theories, and datasets to ensure rigour (Hooykaas, 2021). While this concept is confusing to me, I can understand why it is a useful tool in Human Geography research. 

What do I know about myself as a Human Geographic Researcher?

[https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/researcher-center-epic-fraud-remains-enigma-those-who-exposed-him]

 The number one thing I know about myself as a Human Geographic Researcher is that I will always approach my work in an organized, structured fashion. This is essential to my learning process and my ability to keep track of what has been completed and what still needs to be done. 

The second thing I know about myself as a Human Geographic Researcher is that everything I have learned up until this point in Applied Human Geography will remain with me for the duration of my academic experience. This course has afforded me the opportunity to enhance my ability to integrate course material into daily activities in my life, including the enhanced confidence in my research abilities. 

The third thing I know about myself as a Human Geographic Researcher is that there is still more to know! My quest for knowledge will never subside, and it is with great optimism that experiences after University will continue to educate me in ways I cannot imagine. 

Areas of Improvement

[https://www.tlnt.com/5-steps-to-keep-your-team-heading-toward-continuous-improvement/] 

The first area of improvement is my initiative outside the course. While I find myself captivated by material during required hours, I am often lost in many other tasks that take up several hours of my day. This means that I lack the initiative to do outside research in my free time since my free time is mostly made up of doing something that truly gives my brain a rest. 

Another area of improvement is my weakness is creating complex connections. I often find it difficult to make interrelated connections as it becomes confusing and tangled to a point where I want to avoid such a thing. I want to learn to accept challenges like this as that is what University is all about! Trial and error is important and so is perseverance in attempting to make these complex connections I struggle with. 

My final area of improvement is marketing my skills, a concept we had the privilege to learn in Week 10. I often find myself denying my full potential, or underestimating myself, especially after reading the content in Week 10 since the labour market in Canada is competitive for our generation (Hooykaas, 2021). I also would really like to focus on improving this area because my field of work will be towards being a Junior/Intermediate teacher. When discussing the presentation of results, Kindon believes ‘the results of your work also need to meet the requirements of the academy,’ (Kindon, 2016). I believe this is true for the career I want to head into as well since I will also have requirements when presenting results to a class full of kids that rely on me to present academically correct information. 

Thank you, Dr. Hooykaas, for consistently encouraging students to engage with the material, and using Tumblr as a unique platform for students to showcase their knowledge. A special thank you goes out to my fellow classmates as well, best wishes on your future endeavours!

- karina italiano

References

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography (4th ed.). Oxford Univ Press.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). GEOG*2260 Applied Human Geography. University of Guelph.

[darkestwolfx]

Up from the Depths P.1 - Re-Review #32

Now, just to stick my personal opinion in here... we’re about to get to two of my all time favourite episodes. The amount of references to Jeff, and the purpose for IR - there’s just golden moments everywhere you look. So let’s have a look at some of them.

“What is it, John?”

“You’re gonna’ want to see this.”

“The TV-21! No, it can’t be...”

Well, it is (or we wouldn’t have an episode)!

“Is that what I think it is?”

“It’s the TV-21!”

“Is anyone gonna’ clue me in here?”

“It’s the TV-21!”

“That is not helping!”

Don’t worry, Alan, I’ll try and catch you up. But that just serves as another well-placed reminder of all the things Alan (and Kayo) is too young to remember about IR.

The fact Jeff etched his name onto the ship does not surprise me. It goes towards showing how proud he was of it, and completely fits in with everything we are told about him by Grandma (once again, wonderfully well placed comments).

Now, the TV-21, is given to us as “the first Thunderbird”, the fastest ship (at the moment), and Jeff’s pride and joy. There’s a nice little reference to Jeff’s previous careers as well, with the fact they’ve added the ‘Colonel’. Nice touch.

But of course, of all the places to crash land, it had to be in the Mariana’s Trench. I mean, there is a reason why it’s “the world’s last unmapped ocean”, according to the crew. It’s a pretty dangerous place. If you want to read about it, feel free, National Geographic have some incredibly interesting articles on what they theorise could be down there based on their limited exploration. But what we do know, is that it’s actually a very hostile seascape, and that the marine life which inhabits it seems to have evolved drastically to cope. I think that if we are ever able to understand it, we will know a lot more towards global warming and the mutations of animals. But I hate swimming. Water’s not my area. I prefer to research land mammals and leave my colleagues with the wet-weather adventures.

Anyhow, I think it’s totally awesome that Virgil was playing the piano and that Scott was sat at Jeff’s desk in the opening for this episode too. It’s always nice to see little throwbacks to this very human family.

So let’s discuss the origins of TV-21 for a moment. Before it was a Thunderbird, it was a comic series! And it’s original name was ‘TV Century 21′ which was eventually shortened to TV21. It had various mergers, which featured additions to the name, but TV21 stuck for the majority of issues. It was a weekly comic published by City Magazines, beginning around 1965. It’s content was... drum roll... the sci-fi TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s company: Century 21 Productions - thus where the comics name originated from, the TV being added to clarify where the material was coming from and hopefully encourage people to watch and read both in tandem.

The comic often had newspaper front pages, dedicated to the fictional news stories of the multiple Anderson worlds, e.g. Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray.

Some really well known artists of the time worked on the comics, which only serves to increase their value. In our current day, the original ‘TV Century 21′ editions (Issues 1 - 154) are really hard to find, and so they sell/auction for incredibly high prices when one can be found - like much of the Anderson’s work which made it’s way into print. It does also mean that the first half of this great comic series is practically lost to the world.

Which is a big shame, because it was in many of these first issues (with their print time colliding with the original air slot of ‘Thunderbirds’) featured many episode-story related additions. For instance;

The supposed capture of ‘The Hood’ - which might have gone someway to explaining his disappearance during Series 2 of the show.

An addition to the US Army’s story line from ‘Pit of Peril’.

An addition to the events of ‘Sun Probe’, as well as an in-depth story on Thunderbird Three investigating the connection between the sun and natural disasters (better known now as global warming). My dad still has his copy of this edition, and I have no plans on selling it. It’s ironic that it features the only story line relevant to my current career. Hey, maybe there is such a thing as fate over coincidence (as ‘Doctor Who’ does suggest).

A special story for Thunderbirds Two and Four, upon which it is rumoured that the opening rescue of the ‘Thunderbirds’ (2004 film) was based upon. I personally think this was one of the best stories for the pair, and I’m disappointed it never appeared in an episode (as such). There were also rumours that this story was an expansion of the TOS episode ‘Atlantic Inferno’, but those were never confirmed and all suggestions ever made pointed towards it being a completely separate idea. There are interesting similarities in places though, so it’s worth consideration.

An expansion to Thunderbird Two’s ‘disappearance’, after the events of ‘Terror in New York City’, which covered the rumours spiraling during the time Thunderbird Two was out of operation, and some of the missions which were undertaken during said time.

And one of the few Fireflash related stories to feature outside of the TOS TV episodes. It was also one of the comic editions which fans come to know as ‘Thunderbirds meets Doctor Who’. At the time, both shows were scoring some of the highest viewings, and so I suppose these crossover editions only made sense. Many of the early editions featured such crossovers, including 2 other issues which I’ve posted above.

When we actually get to 2065, there’s going to be a bit of confusion over dates - the comics (set still in the futurist time - ever encroaching for us) were released on the corresponding dates, but with the year still set a hundred forward, e.g. 1965 was 2065, but the 13th March was the 13th March.

Right, enough of my geek-worthy knowledge on comics, and back to the episode. I mean, look at Scott’s face. He’s definitely had enough of my comic-based ramblings.

“Begging your forgiveness, Your Mongrel-ship.” 

I think the fact that Parker serves Sherbet tea (with one sugar) it’s just classic.

“I believe ‘wild goose chase’ were the words they used.”

“Well, as it happens, Parker loves a good chase. Parker, bring the car around would you? That’s right Sherbet. ‘On the double’.”

“hOn the double, hit his. Taking horders from ha mut, never though hI’d see the day.”

He does it anyway though - dedication right there,

Well now, time to visit the ocean. Did anyone else think the Deep Ocean Surveyor looked a bit... wrong? I had bad feelings about that thing from the start.

“This ship sure is a weird looking thing.”

Yeah, thanks for the back up there Gordon. Should have kept a closer eye on that one, although I do completely understand why they got so distracted and don’t blame them for it.

I love how Scott - Mr in command and always right - turns straight towards the TV-21 as soon as he knows they’re no injuries to worry about and that the DOS is all okay. Wasn’t he the one saying there was a rescue to prioritise only minutes ago?

“Gordon, what about the TV-21? Have they found part of the wreck?”

“Stand by, Scott, I’ll take a closer look. Just gotta’ clear some debris. It’s not just part of the wreck, it’s the whole thing!”

That is actually quite surprising! You know, something surviving like that. Good craftsmanship is all I can say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvltZMDOK5g

I can’t describe this scene any better than the scene itself, so I’m just gonna’ leave it there for you to re-watch at your own leisure. The faces are pictures!

“Why’s everyone making such a big deal about a wrecked plane? I don’t even remember it!”

“The TV-21 was Dad’s baby. The first ever super Mach-20 ship. It was the prototype to Thunderbird One. Dad invested everything into, but The Hood sabotaged it in flight. Dad had to abandon the plane somewhere over the Maraina Trench rather than let The Hood get his hands on it. I remember it broke Dad’s heart. I always thought it was smashed and lost in the deep.”

And there we have a link to that Hood-Jeff backstory (which the writer’s then conveniently shoved into a like ten-fifteen second explanation of ‘I am a bad guy because’, but hey, we’re not quite there yet!) that kinda gets forgotten.

“Cor!”

“I believe the word you’re looking for is Bingo. Well done Bertie.”

“Very smart of you to track that signal John.”

“We got lucky.”

You don’t have to be so modest you know John.

“It seems The Hood may be up to his old tricks.”

“I’ve seen engineering like this before. It’s the work of The Mechanic.”

“Oh no! That’s The Mechanic’s ship! Thunderbird Four, get out of there!”

“Too late.”

Yeah... it might have been good to notice that a little bit sooner.

Now, someone has some serious anger issues! I mean, I now he wants them out of the way (and later on that’s he’s being controlled), but that was seriously uncalled for!

“You better come up with something fast. Thunderbird Four’s hull integrity is failing. You’re getting crushed!”

Thanks Virgil, we can see that, unfortunately. This is another of those moments where - even though I know how it ends - I have a little panic.

“Hull integrity at 28%. Gordon what are you doing?”

“The airlock’s jammed. I can’t get the door open.”

“Then make a new door! But do it fast, you don’t have long. Hull at 7%. Gordon, get out now! Thunderbird Four is offline.”

“What happened?”

“Thunderbird Four's been rendered in operative.”

“Gordon!”

“I’m here. I’m okay. But Thunderbird Four’s a little... ur... beat up.”

This is a little like that moment in ‘EOS’, where I think our collective hearts stopped.

I know Gordon left the sub to try and free it, but it was actually a good thing that he did, else he probably would have been crushed, which wouldn't have been good. He was caught a little in the blast anyway, so I’m surprised he was a well-able to continue as he was.

But back to those serious anger issues - The Mechanic, you need to learn that once you have damaged someone’s ship past the piloting level, you don’t need to then snap it in two - that is just downright mean, not to mention unnecessary!

Poor Thunderbird Four. I seriously thought at the time that it wasn’t going to be recoverable. Look at Gordon’s poor little face.

The determination to get the TV-21 back as well was just wonderful.

“Not possible, only Thunderbird Four can survive the pressure. We need to come up with something extraordinary and fast.”

“We can use the TV-21!”

“It’s been sitting on the bottom of the ocean for years. Do you think it will still work?”

“Absolutely. I build things to last.”

“Gordon, we need you to get on board the TV-21.”

“I always wanted to fly Dad’s plane.”

Of course he did.

Now this was a sight to behold. Look at him!

“I can’t believe we used to wear these things.”

This was such a lovely little throw back moment.

“You could try the Jeff Tracy fix. After all, it is Dad’s plane.”

“FAB. This is TV-21. We have lift off.”

And hell did that work!

Rescue count: 35

I mean, let’s just momentarily forget that this part ends with The Mechanic making a grand come back and stealing it.

“To The Mechanic, let me tell you who you’re dealing with. We’re International Rescue; you can’t push us around, you cant tell us what to do, and you absolutely, positively can’t take our stuff!”

“No, let me tell you who you’re dealing with. I’m The Mechanic. I take what I want, from who I want, whenever I want it.”

Yeah... shivers.

Let’s just remember Gordon’s great moment getting to pilot it.

“So tell me, what is it like flying Dad’s plane?”

“It was awesome.”

See, that’s a nicer ending.

[obeymematches]

Hi, can I get a matchup? Thank you in advanced and I hope you're doing well despite the current state of the world ❤

(Edit: almost an hour later and I've finally finished writing this. Let's just say this did not turn out the way I expected AT ALL and I'm so sorry in advanced. But at least I got a new story idea)

Introduction (Innocence): At first, I'm extremely shy, timid, and quiet. I have a hard time opening my mouth and starting conversations. It doesn't always bother me since I like keeping to myself because it keeps me motivated and stay focused on my goals. However, if someone approaches me, I try to be as polite, passive, and friendly as possible. The only way to move out of this stage is to constantly interact with me until I feel comfortable.

Chapter 1 (Reality): Now that I'm comfortable, the snark and attitude starts to come through. At first, it will be a few light-hearted teasing that surprise people. Slowly, the jabs grow harsher and my voice grows louder. The dynamic of the conversation changes as I begin to dominate. My voice rises as my hands do all the talking. Sarcasm and eye rolls are regular parts of conversation. A thick cloud of chaos and self-deprecation arises, leading to a storm of endless rangs about my dramatic woes. In the midst of this confusion, you can't help but wonder: what happened to that soft-spoken girl?

Chapter 2 (Chaos): It has become my personal mission to make your life as miserable as possible. My sinister laughter rings through the air, bringing headaches to those around me. Despite all their attempts, no one stop me writing monologues that parody your towards your crush or stealing your phone until you give me your chips. My ego has devoured my self-deprecation; my word is law. My beauty, my hardwork, my intelligence-- me. You absolutely hate it, but you can't leave. The quick-wit, the variety of humor, and the soft crinkle around my eyes when I smile. The smart-assery is almost endearing. You can't help but wonder, what is she doing to do next? It's a game of cat and mouse, but I am always victorious.

Chapter 3 (Darkness): Beneath the madness, lies a small girl fighting against the shackles against her feet. She will not accept any help, she must escape on her own. Doubt constantly lingers in her mind, a consequence of previous endeavors that failed due to pride. She does not care for those who jeer at her as she struggles, holding her head high. There's only one thing in her mind: she will do anything to escape. It will be methodical, calculating, and nothing less than perfection. And when she does, she vows to do everything in her power to take her rightful spot on the throne.

Chapter 4 (Light): And so she escapes and sets on her path to become queen. Along her path, she befriends villagers who aid her quest. Although she becomes the voice of harsh reason, they heed her wisdom. Her companions know that despite her sharp tongue, she is simply looking out for them. Although she dislikes any form of affection, the cracks of her stone heart shine through her actions. It is here that she finds balance. Innocence, reality, chaos, darkness, and light meld into one.

Conclusion: Unfortunately, the journey is not over. However, the journey itself can teach one a lot about themselves. Thus far, the little girl has learned for her love of novels, often with her head in clouds to escape reality. She's also taken a liking to storytelling, finding solace in writing and storytelling to express the emotions she cannot communicate otherwise. She likes to bathe in her vanity by indugling in fashion and makeup, spending hours to create the perfect look. Despite this newfound sense of self, only time will tell whether she can succeed in her quest.

Adding a summary below because as a fellow matchup writer, I can see how this description would drive you insane. I'm so sorry for the story lol

Summary: At first I'm super shy, but I'm actually a sarcastic smartass that has a large ego and annoys everyone. My only redeemable quality is that I'm funny. Deep down, I'm ambitious, stubborn, and paranoid. With friends I'm the unaffectionate voice of reason that shows love through actions. My hobbies are makeup, reading, writing, and public speaking (aka storytelling).

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Hello! 💎

Thank you for sending in a request, I hope you like the result ! I’m doing fine, everybody at home is still healthy! ��

So I really enjoy how you elaborated on your layered and complex personality, because when I do matches I take people’s negative traits into consideration and they boy’s as well. Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect, and I like how the characters have their own flaws. I always look at how everybody could develop. (although it is not complete redemption cuz i’m not sure if that is possible for demons. like in paradise lost that is impossible but at this point it is not known how far obey me will go with that 🤷 but anyway regardless of canon i like to think that the MC has a positive effect on each character because i prefer healthy relationships) 

So I think your shy first impression would actually draw all of them in. I mean like yeah, they all have their prefered types, but they are also very curious demons (not exactly genuine but curious nevertheless) and would compete to figure out your actual personality. (I mean..Belphie probably not that much but deep down he is interested too)

I think by the time you’d show your deeper layers and vica versa you’d have a strong bond with Mammon (he is supposed to be with you a lot so really; it is hard to avoid opening up to him first but it is up to your imagination how far that goes), Satan would appreciate your shared hobbies and intellect, but it is up to you how much you trust him. Asmo obviously because of makeup, you have a shared interest and he can show you some tricks regarding that. I think both Satan and Asmo could influence your writing also. (Satan knows some lit Devildom stories that the human world lacks, and Asmo probably knows so much gossip nobody is prepared for)     

Now obviously, Asmo is not the ideal partner because he would definitely prefer someone affectionate. 

I’m deciding between Lucifer and Satan..but I am unsure what kinf of improvement you and Lucifer would result in, despite the connection that might form between you two. (I mean I don’t think it is a good idea to pair a kind of arrogant character with a deep-down paranoid person.)

But I think you and Satan could work out. 

I already mentioned the hobbies/shared interests and source of inspiration, but there is more than that to it!

He definitely needs some guidance in his life and no way he would ever let Lucifer play that role. 

It’s not that he is not independent, but he should  reconcile with his birth as much as he can  -  you being a dominant voice of reason under the surface is something he can respect.

Yeah he can be pretty dominant and that might result in arguments from time to time, but you are somebody he needs so he will do his best to apologize if he snaps for some reason. 

You both are witty and sarcastic and I think you would kind of point out the other’s flaws like that. No offense taken on either side.

So his aggressive tendencies the others warned you about might cause paranoia in you but I don’t think he would actually be violent towards the MC so if you bring it up to him in a conversation he would reassure you that you really shouldn’t worry about that. (and then he beats up whoever made you think that, behind your back) 

You see, on the surface he is also calm and collected but on a deeper layer he is also insecure and oh boy he has so much flaws that should be fixed.

Again, you being rational, wise, voice of reason proves to be much needed. 

As I elaborated before, in his case I don’t think there is space for complete redemption but he would go a long way with your aid!

He also adores your ambitions and your goals in life. 

He would read all the work you decide to share with him! He would disappear into the night reading your story and the next time you see him he has a copy of your story in his hand; little notes everywhere, underlined parts, several bookmarks, tons of insanely detailed questions, sharing his interpretations... you better be ready because it will be a long conversation. 

This way he also learns so much about you and the way you express your feelings! He would fall sooo hard, especially when he supposes you like him because of some line on page 73′s third paragraph  

He wouldn’t be sure though. (Again, he can be kind of insecure.)

Not until one of you actually makes a move. I think when that time comes, he would absolutely make a reference to one of your stories one way or another. Even if you don’t write romance. He’s smart, he will find a way.

 I think he would also help you “stay on Earth” considering your fears and tendency of stubborn and prideful behaviour. 

You would never have to ask him for help, as he will be the one suggesting it all the time. He is good at observing people, he will know if/when you need help. He refuses to be rejected by a human so really you have no chance here. 

He also has his own sense of humour so time spent together would involve joking around sometimes. I mean despite his facade, he can be a little brat sometimes. 

Like a cat he likes his independence so really he is not going to force any affection that you would not welcome. Maybe sometimes he enjoys it, but definitely not early in a relationship. 

He would love to participate in your storytelling activities. Not one occassion he would miss. 

[art-now-germany]

Improvisation Abstract in Modern Art !-Original...., Igor Bajenov

What is art? .... "I am art." Definition of art: Art takes on complex relationships in all areas of life, and more creative perspective answers the spirit of Indiviudalität match in itself and draws from the collective Gedächntis and understanding of the world. Art is thus the only acceptable form of conflict develop culture and politics real and visionary. Art is communication between Mind and me ... me and my work ... my work and the next reason ... Art is thus an entertaining evolierende chain reaction. Perhaps Art Evolution? Art = The past, present and (or) future in their wide range of colors, shapes and sounds to show. For me, art is a form of expression of thoughts, feelings, emotions, but, unfortunately, often by commercial interests. You may be wondering now, what I mean. So I explain it to you. An artist per se, every human being is of creating something that he thinks is art. Whether it was written, painted, sculpted, forged, declaimed or otherwise prepared. The important thing is that there is, therefore, the work that needs to come out from the inside of the creator and that it precisely the man who created it, considers art. Because True art can not be obtained on head pressure or with an order one. Art is about the Muse. Yes I know that word is prejudiced, one connects it with ancient myths or just one or a lover, or the places the artist in a state feely. But, just that it is not, is not it. The Muse is a kind of phenomenon, rather a feeling that you wanted to give a figure in ancient times. A muse is a burgeoning idea, an association or even a clue to something that you will create. In any case, the true artist, and thus the true art has this to do something as the origin, which inspires from within something. But now the company set up an ad hoc basis have created something comes want. Of course, it must be great, stunning, new and convincing. Simply put, something gigantic that all ideas met, if not exceeds. And here starts the second part of my statement. For now I ask you, if as I just said, art comes with a Muse. How can they then with a contract, no matter by whom issued, be created? The artist who is perhaps known for his works from his musical creative phases, is now to create something on command and although it is possible and often even artistic nature. But it is a work to order. If you ask me, write me a poem or write me a story, because you had the pleasure to read one of my works and I liked you. So I tell you simply "NO" because I do not live it. But the one who has chosen the art as bread and life merit. Must say "YES" and it is also. See also commercialism "creates" art, but whether this works really should bear the title of art or rather commissioned art or just work? In my opinion, they should be demoted because they reduce the art in its value. I'm not talking about artistic taste, because even though I like better than a Monet a Beuys, so I have to both recognize as art, as they both emerged from such an idea. Art is self-realization, art has only the feelings of the artist is no longer expressed, and no less, is not about beauty !! For me, art is a form of communication. That is, the artist expresses not only his feelings, but wants the people with his work say something. He / she does not spontaneously and unwrought but processed so that it is understandable and enjoyable for the reader / viewer / listener. But sometimes even the incomprehensible pleasant or the unpleasant is meaningful. This art is a dialogue and not a monologue, I think it's also important that the artist has contact with his audience and the feedback takes care about what is normal for live performances, for writers or visual artists but should be. "Art is an expression of their own culture" Art for me is a kind of self-realization and liberation. Maybe even a little criticism. If you can do something that few can. - Everything is art - Survival is -life Art is art - Art is dying - Laughter is art - is not to laugh Art - Whining at a high level is Art .- Not whining is Art - Doing nothing is art - Art is thinking - Non-think is art - Everything is art so art is nothing other than art. Geez. Art is free figures from free spirit Art is a zweckfüßiger Sunrise in sausage glow of its own frequent lightness. Waiting a herausgepurzelten cheese princess on the verge of a frog loose Vaginalbrunnens. As the name of the site says it all: "Everything is art" The way of individual lives, loves, suffers and works. Then, when someone else may well something special, can he used his art to others to enjoy it. Art transforms people through images, archetypes and Symole. Art touches feelings and emotions. Art awakens to new life. Love Art curious joy, here is my proposal for the characterization of the concept of art. Art is the art with the help of a medium, for example, (music, painting or even mathematics) to develop a language all its own. The use of these media is only once "only" a craft. In conjunction with an idea and creativity arises from art, but can not be shared must be shared. "What is art" This briefly worded question is deceptively simple. Anyone who jumps up in his mind to do here made known, should know that it enters one of the oldest areas of employment of mankind. And seen do this from the perspective of those who art or take claim for themselves than buy from the perspective of whose who like art to be such, and some of their "understanding" and last but from the perspective of those who , judge the art or rather the art critics. The description of what is art, therefore highly dependent on the angle of view of the art actors. So art is for the artist or the artist certainly a form of expression for feelings, observations and findings. To convey a message where / her importance to him. How high is the acceptance of his / her work of art, is probably secondary. Here the enthusiasts want the discussion to the "true", respectively the "not-true" artist probably connect, this is here, however, inevitable. For the art viewer contrast, our own perception is crucial. The must not be congruent with the embassies of the artist / the artist. Well made possible by the artist intended message is hidden and yet he feels / she addressed herself. He / she buys a piece of art and presents / suspended / installed it in the habitat or visited an idea and takes the seen and heard with. Here interested feelings, observations and findings of the receiver. Seen one can understand art as a form of communication that makes visible Contemporary and contemporaries in a special way and consolidated. Whether see future generations yet to be connected to these messages, is debatable. Modern productions of Shakespeare, Schiller and many other throw such discussions again and again. Interpretations of paintings or sculptures can vary widely. And yet the art manages the employment of people with himself and his environment Oscar Wilde is certainly correct when he says: "Art is the strongest form of individualism, which knows the world". But it is without doubt the individualism with the largest collective benefit, I mean. Art does not rely on evidence and free. Your freedom is the perfect fulfillment of the self-determined shape. Their quality is determined only by itself. The created is absolutely and belongs to humanity. Art is a way to escape from reality for me. "Art, I am."...New Photo- Design Collection in Fine Art - Digital Photo Mix in New Photo Technic - Abstract/Expressionism - Figurative/Decorative in Fine Art.

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Photography-Improvisation-Abstract-in-Modern-Art-Original/462428/2607014/view

[tawakkull]

Spirituality in islam: Rida (Resignation).Part2

As seen in these same verses, attaining the station of resignation and pleasing God and being pleased with Him depend upon one’s turning to God Almighty. This means complete devotion to, reliance upon, and surrender to Him and committing all affairs to Him. One who has attained this station longs for death and meeting with God, dies with a heart at rest, and is included among the righteous in Paradise.

From another perspective, ordinary people show their resignation by ordering their lives according to God’s commandments in willing submission to His Lordship and administrative authority. This is expressed in the verses: 

Say: Shall I seek another than God for Lord, when He is Lord of all things? (6:165), 

and: Say: Shall I choose for a protecting friend other than God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who feeds and Himself is not fed? (6:14) 

Such a degree of resignation is essential to whoever aspires to true belief in God’s Unity and true love of God. Every believer must consciously submit himself or herself to God’s guidance; associate no partners with Him in belief and in ordering one’s life; love Him alone as the Lord, Deity, and Ruler of humanity and the universe; and love others who are worthy to be loved only in His name and in accordance with the limits He has established.

The second degree of resignation that of those with a certain degree of knowledge of God, is manifested in their welcoming God’s decrees and ordinances without objection. It is also seen in the control they have acquired over their hearts, a control so strong that their hearts do not swerve even for one moment. Such resignation is regarded as the relation between God and those hearts furnished with knowledge of Him.

The third degree of resignation is attained by those purified, saintly scholars who are pleased with what pleases God. One who has been rewarded with such resignation feels no personal anger, joy, or grief. Such a person, no longer feeling, thinking, or desiring for himself or herself, experiences the pleasure of annihilation in the Lord, for only His Will and choices remain.

The first degree of resignation, obligatory upon every believer, is the beginning of the way leading to nearness to God, for it is related to free will and a requirement of belief in His Unity. The second degree must be acquired, both because it is the continuation of the first and the basis of the third degree, and because it leads one to consider nearness to God.

The third degree, a Divine gift rather than a station attainable by free will and individual effort, is neither obligatory nor necessary. However, it is commendable to desire it whole-heartedly. This degree encompasses the first two, for aspiring after (full) resignation and living so as to attain it is an essential principle of Islamic life. However, its full attainment is a gift bestowed in return for this aspiration. In other words, the first two degrees relate to God’s Names and Attributes, which can be attained by journeying in their shadow or their guidance, while the third is connected with the reward, enlightenment, or radiance given in return for them.

The verse: Their reward is with their Lord; Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow; where they will dwell forever. God is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord reverently (98:8) points to all of these degrees. This same truth was expressed by our master, upon him be peace and blessings, who said: One who is well pleased with God as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, as Messenger has tasted the pleasure of faith.

I hope that the following considerations will direct the feelings and thoughts of those who desire to attain resignation, help them to overcome the difficulties encountered on this path, and to control and resist their worldly and carnal impulses.

- Human beings are only role players in the Divine drama played out on the stage of this world. Therefore, they have no right or authority to interfere with the quality or form of their assigned part. Whatever happens to an individual has been predetermined by God, Who considered his or her free will, actions, and thoughts in this world. Only God can change this.

- If one really loves God, whatever comes from Him must be welcomed. It is very difficult to perceive the wisdom and good or God’s purpose in some events. Sometimes what is good for us is hidden in bad happenings: It may be that you dislike a thing although it is good for you, and love a thing although it is bad for you. God knows, but you know not (2:216).

- A Muslim is one who has fully submitted to God. Thus, such an individual cannot be displeased with God’s actions and operations. A believer has a good opinion of everybody else, so how can he or she be suspicious of God? The Qur'an forbids us to suspect other people (48:12); how much worse it would be if we suspected God and His acts! Since all things and events were preordained and created by God, and since whatever He creates is either good in itself or on account of its result, a Muslim should keep his or her heart at rest and always be optimistic.

- If our obligations or responsibilities, as well as the misfortunes and difficulties we endure or seek to overcome, have an essential place in our training and education to prepare us for the eternal life of happiness in the Hereafter, then we should fulfill them or endure them willingly. An individual’s resignation to or being pleased with whatever comes from Him means that He is also pleased with that particular individual. Being displeased with the acts and manifestations of Divine Lordship causes distress, grief, and restlessness, while living as resigned to God’s decrees gives relief and exhilaration, even though one has to suffer great difficulties. In short, the continuous pursuit of resignation is an invitation to Divine succor.

- Resignation to Destiny and the manifestations of God, the Truth, is a very important means of obtaining happiness. The truthful and confirmed one, upon him be peace and blessings, illuminates this: It is fortunate for man to show resignation to what God decrees, while it is unfortunate for him to feel indignation against what God decrees. Being resigned to God’s decrees and operations fills one’s heart with breezes from the Divine Realm, while displeasure with them fills it with whims and suspicions coming from Satan. Those who resign themselves to His decrees make their lives into an “embroidery” of golden threads of thankfulness, while those who are displeased with them grind even their most positive works into nothing between the millstones of ingratitude. Showing such displeasure, an all-to-common attitude on the part of many, is one of Satan’s most effective ways of invading one’s soul.

- A believer may join the inhabitants of the heavens by welcoming God’s treatment, which is an honor bestowed by God. One who is pleased with God is following the right guidance, while one who is not pleased follows nothing more than personal fancies. Resignation to God’s judgments or decrees means preferring His wishes to our own. It hardly needs saying what the opposite attitude implies.

- Resignation is like an orchard whose trees yield the fruits of worship and devotion; sins and offenses are the results of being deprived of it. Resignation prevents personal conflicts with God in the believer’s inner world, and means respecting the principle expressed in the supplication of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings: It is pure justice in whatever way You judge about me. The first sin was committed when Satan did not resign himself to what God had decreed for him.

- One can have no greater reward or higher rank than God’s being pleased with him or her, which is only attainable by personal resignation to what He has decreed. This is also the greatest reward that one can receive in Paradise: 

God has promised the believers, men and women, Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of Eden. But God’s good pleasure [His being pleased with them] is greater still. That is the supreme triumph (9:72).

- Resignation is based on the most important essential of religion: reliance upon God. Its essential quality can be perceived by means of certainty about God’s existence and Unity. It is embedded in love of God, and causes one to gain eternal happiness. It is rooted in loyalty to God and truthfulness, and denotes actual thankfulness. Resignation is such a magical lift that those who obtain it will reach their destination quickly. Love and sincerity, as well as penitence and contrition, are flowers growing in the climate of resignation. It is useless to search for such virtues or qualities in hearts that are not set on resignation and obtaining God’s pleasure.

- However numerous those rewards given in return for acting and speaking to attain God’s pleasure may be, they can be counted and are therefore limited. The rewards given for such actions as resignation, which is done with the heart, are proportional to the heart’s depth and so cannot be estimated.

As the greatest rank in God’s sight, resignation or God’s pleasure is a final target that has been sought by the greatest members of humanity, from the glory of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, to all other Prophets, saints, and purified scholars who have passed the final test through sincerity, certainty, reliance, surrender, and confidence. They have surmounted many difficulties and obstacles, and bore many unendurable sufferings and pains. The following verses seek to describe the sighs of such people:

The suffering You cause is more pleasing than having fortune,And Your vengeance is lovelier to me than my own soul.I am in love with both His torment and His favor;How strange it is that I am in love with things opposite to each other.By God, if I go from this thorn of affliction to the garden of delight,I will be one who, like a nightingale, always groans or sighs.How strange it is that when a nightingale starts to sing,It sings melodies of both the thorn and the rose.

The following verses of Nasimi are also beautiful:

I am a suffering lover, O dear One, I will not abandon You;

Even if You cut through my chest with a dagger, I will not abandon You.

Even if they cut me into two from head to foot like Zachariah,

Put your saw on my head, O Carpenter, I will not abandon You.

Even if they burn me into ashes and blow away my ashes,

They will hear my ashes sigh: O Veiler (of sins), I will not abandon You.

The rank or station of resignation, of being pleased with God and obtaining His pleasure includes all other ranks. The melodies sung in it are: Whatever You do to me or however You treat me, it is good.

O God! Guide us to what You will love and be pleased with, and bestow peace and blessings upon our Master and the Master of the Messengers.

[for-a-better-life]

Our lifestyle during Covid-19

Yes. you, me and every single human being agree that the global pandemic is challenging. We struggled, but it fortunately made some positive impact around the world to a certain extent.

 However, since Covid-19 started to diffuse rapidly worldwide, people were overly pessimistic and were thinking about how boring and hard their life will be. In addition to the spread of social media rumors regarding Corona virus that made people get confused, stressed and anxious.

 Positive side of Coronavirus

 Individual’s lives has been transformed from the way they live to the daily tasks they accomplish. It spontaneously, took them out of their comfort zone. people started to rely more on themselves, rather than paying for some goods or services. In terms of hobbies, people spent their free time practicing their skills and abilities to improve them. Perhaps, to start their new business by taking advantage of their hobbies which will be their source of income.

Psychological and cognitive effect

Despite the ongoing threat that we face nowadays, exploring and learning odd things during corona virus lock down does not only help in acquiring more knowledge and new skills, but also relieve stress, boost self-esteem and energy level. Just like you strengthen your body by exercising, your mind can also be trained, particularly when learning a new skill or language, and disseminating what you learned to others flex your memory muscles. Research emphasized the importance of  keeping our mind active as we get older, as it can result in a better life satisfaction and optimism.

Practicing skills

 During my long vacation, lockdown was taking place from 6 AM to 8 AM. Personally I was at home all the time, scrolling through Instagram and I found many inspirational videos about Art which really encouraged me to buy acrylic colors and brushes via online store. I was really surprised by how amazing my drawing and painting was. I usually use only black pencils to sketch. But luckily Covid-19 persuaded me to use colors.

    Image credit:  Ohood

Cooking healthy food

These days, during Corona virus,  many people prefer to cook at home because it is  healthier, low in calories and safer. Whilst eating or ordering from outside food is not recommended , because some restaurant’s environment are contaminated while the staff may not adhere to preventive measures which will increase the spread of the virus and it will affect people’s health because fast food are high in calories and hydrogenated fats.

A student from University of Sharjah, Noora Hassan said:” It is very important to stay healthy during the global pandemic”. She added, “Pancakes is my favorite meal, but during lockdown I cooked it by replacing white flour with oats and banana it was healthy and tasty”.

Image credit:  Noora Hassan,UOS student 

CDC emphasized the importance of eating dark leafy greens, tomatoes and oranges because they are rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals. As a result, if someone catches the virus, his body will be able to fight against the virus efficiently and effectively.

However, since many private and public sectors were closed during the beginning of the global pandemic, some people, got affected negatively, where they stopped exercising because they only get motivated in the gym and thereby, they became extremely lazy and  obsessed with junk food ! which unfortunately, lead one in 3 individuals in the UAE to gain weight,whereas,38.5%  of residents claimed that they never exercised since the beginning of the global pandemic according to a survey conducted in April in the UAE.  

 Remote working

“Working from home was bittersweet , I love what I do and was ready to get back into it, so being told to work from home felt odd.” said Ms Jensen, 35.

 Although some people barely accepted and adapted to remote working, but it actually helped in boosting their skills and knowledge regarding technology. Thus, they will more likely to be confident in their technical abilities. Fortunately ,it has been found by Stanford study that employees who work from home are 13% more productive thereby, perform better than if they were in their work office.

Thanks to the global pandemic, it is saving the money of companies who shifted to remote working, where they don’t have to pay for office rent nor its resources or utilities. In addition, cleaning services and offering free snacks will not be required. In terms of taxes, the amount of money they will have to pay will significantly decline. 

Kids distance learning

When the global pandemic spread in the UAE in March 2020 , they implemented distance learning for all students in the UAE in private and public schools and  universities.For adults it may be easy for adults to use websites and applications for online classes.

However, kids in grade 1 or 2, might find it challenging at the beginning to use the computer or the application of their classes, because they are still young and their knowledge is limited. In addition, some of them not take it seriously and they barely focus . However, according to my observation, as the time goes by, children are capable of turning on the computer, tablet or iPad and sign in to the website or application they learn from like zoom and Microsoft teams.

Moreover, they are aware of their username, password and their class section, and able to turn on/off the microphone and the camera when needed, so they become independent and they don’t need any help anymore. As a result,covid-19 successfully left one choice for kids which is to use technology to achieve distance learning that positively affected their cognitive abilities.

Regarding concentration,some teachers,started to ask kids questions individually during online classes,to ensure that they understand the lesson.Moreover,they conduct short quizzes on Kahoot! website,to test kids knowldge about some topics.

A science and design teacher at Manila Xiamen International School in China, claims that he uses Kahoot at the begging and end of the lesson, because his students always want to play and learn using Kahoot , which is a great opportunity to refresh their mind and allow them to focus better since they are stuck at home.

Image Credit : Jessie Casson/getty images

However, UAE Ministry of Education applied some steps to guarantee that distance learning is successfully applied for school and students. Some of the procedures like  providing an online professional training for more than 25,000 government school teachers and administrators for one week. Also, train more than 9,200 private school teachers and principals. Furthermore, coordinating with Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, in providing a free online course called “be an online tutor in 24 hours” for teaching and academic personnel to acquire the skills that allow them to efficiently and effectively to teach in online classrooms.

Allow private schools to implement their own e-learning system, as well as assign teams and committees to supervise an make sure that distance learning process is being applied and followed successfully.In terms of the internet,the UAE coordinated with Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Du and Etisalat to offer free mobile internet package for UAE families who do not have internet connection.

References:

 Mary Gaul, success magnified, the benefits of learning new information.p,1,4,5,7.(2018).

Beyond blue, ways to reduce stress during the coronavirus pandemic, Ways to reduce stress,p,3.(2020) .

Joseph Jones,Health.mil, COVID-19: lifestyle tips to stay healthy during the pandemic,p,5.(2020).

Salam Al Amir, Thenational, Coronavirus ; one in three UAE residents gained weight since outbreak began, survey finds,p,1,5,10.(2020)

 David Dun, Thenational, how companies going remote-first amid signs working from home is here to stay,p,5,7.(2020).

 Business,Does working from home save companies money ?,cost saving for allowing employees to work from home,p,3,4,5,6.(2020)

 UAE government, Distance learning in times of COVID-19, Implementing distance learning.p,1,2,3,4,5,7,10.(2020).